Beef Brisket

This is another one of my mom's awesome recipes. I've never made it for people when they didn't love it - it's awesome and turns out tender every time. Brisket is a more expensive cut of meat and this makes a lot, so make it when you have company or when you want leftovers to eat on for a couple days. The other tip I would give is to only buy this cut at a grocery store that has a butcher. In other words, not from Walmart. I always call my grocery store and tell the butcher that I need a 4-5 lb. brisket and ask him to trim it for me. They will get any fat cut off of it and have it packaged up when I get there. If you are local (Fort Smith area), I get mine from Harps or The Butcher Block. If you are from another area, look for a grocery store with a butcher or go to a meat market for this. You will get a better, more lean cut of meat that way. This is great served with lots of stuff - baked potatoes, scalloped potatoes, slaw, baked beans, etc., etc. It cooks all day on low, so you can stick it in the oven before you leave and it will be ready when you get home - not to mention, your house will smell divine! Enjoy this one - it's a winner!

Beef Brisket

4-5 lb. Brisket (Fat trimmed off)
4 Tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
4 Tbsp. Liquid Smoke
Generous amount on both sides of meat of the following spices (rub into meat):
Celery Salt
Onion Salt
Garlic Salt
Paprika
Small amount (about 1/2 tsp.) Ground Nutmeg
2 good handfuls of Brown Sugar over top of meat

In a large baking pan (I use at least a 9x13), lay aluminum foil in bottom, double thickness. Season brisket with dry seasonings and lay on foil in pan. Pour worcestershire sauce and liquid smoke over brisket and top with brown sugar. Seal foil around meat and bake at 225 for 6-8 hours. When it's done and tender, allow meat to rest for a few minutes and then cut it in slices against the grain. Throw foil away, but reserve all the juices. Return sliced meat to baking pan with juices. Serve warm.

Chicken Pizza

We love pizza in this house. I like to make it homemade as much as I like the easy nights when we just order delivery from Papa John's. This recipe has been around forever - my mom started making it a long time ago and it's just a nice little change from the regular old sausage or pepperoni pizza that we have all the time. It's so much healthier and has a great flavor. It's great with a Caesar salad or just an Italian salad and garlic bread. Definitely one to give a try when you need a change from the same old-same old!

Chicken Pizza

2 Pizza Crusts (I buy the crusts that are ready to go from my grocery store - they come 2 per bag and they are really good)
2-3 Chicken Breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
1-2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 Small Onion, finely chopped
1 Can Petite Diced Tomatoes (I usually buy the type that is seasoned with garlic and olive oil or something like that)
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Dry Basil
1/2 tsp. Pepper
1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder
2-3 Cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Parmesan Cheese to taste

Brush both pizza crusts lightly with olive oil and set aside. Saute chicken in olive oil with onion until chicken is cooked through. Once cooked through, add tomatoes, salt, basil, pepper and garlic powder and stir well. Simmer on low for about 10 minutes. Put 1/2 of chicken mixture on each crust. Top with cheeses and bake at 450 for 10 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

I LOVE Chinese food - LOVE. Problem is, when we run to a quick little take-out Chinese place, I always end up disappointed and usually bloated. (TMI?? Sorry, but it's the truth). So, this quick and easy recipe just hits the spot every time. And it's made at home with ingredients you trust, so no disappointment and better yet, no bloating. :) I have also found some good little sides to go along with it - the brand is called Asian Sensations and you find them in your freezer section. They have great white meat chicken egg rolls and my personal favorite - Cream Cheese Wontons! Macie could probably eat all 10 of the wontons herself, if I let her. I use the extra sweet and sour sauce to dip the sides in and YUMMY! A Chinese meal that this girl can get on board with! Now, like I told a friend, don't make this thinking that you'll never need PF Changs again - it's not gourmet. But, if you get a little hankerin' for take-out and don't want to spend the money - give this a try. I think you'll like it!

Sweet and Sour Chicken

3-4 Chicken Breasts - cut in bite size pieces and stir-fried
8 oz. Apricot Preserves
8 oz. Catalina or Russian Dressing (I always use Catalina)
1 pkg. Dry Onion Soup Mix
1/4 Cup Water
1/2 Small Can Crushed Pineapple
1/4 Cup of the Pineapple Juice (from can)

After you stir-fry your chicken, add all other ingredients and stir well. Simmer on low for 20-30 minutes and serve over rice.

Just that easy! Enjoy!

Moist Garlic Chicken

GOODNESS! Has nearly a month passed since my last post? Where did the time go?! Well, to make up for it I'm posting a good one! I have had this recipe since we got married and made it tonight for the first time in a while. Man, I had forgotten how great it was! My kids absolutely devoured it, too! They actually were both upset that I didn't have more - I always make them 1 chicken breast to share and I am positive they would have both eaten 1 each had I made it for them. So, lesson learned - make lots next time!! I served it with mashed potatoes and corn - my kids favorites. It would also be great with some sort of rice, broccoli, green beans or a salad and bread or rolls. Lots of sides would be great with it, so be creative! Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Moist Garlic Chicken

1/3 Cup Butter or Margarine, Melted
1 tsp. Garlic Powder
1/4 tsp. Salt
1/2 Cup Seasoned Bread Crumbs
1/4 Cup Finely Shredded Cheddar Cheese
2 Tbsp. Parmesan Cheese
Dash Pepper
4 Boneless/Skinless Chicken Breasts (Pounded out if they are really thick)

In a shallow bowl, combine melted butter, garlic powder and salt. In another bowl, combine bread crumbs, cheeses and pepper. Dip chicken in butter and then coat with crumb mixture. Place in greased 9x13 pan. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes or until juices run clear.

Chicken Enchiladas

This recipe came from some good friends of ours at church. They had told me how quick and easy they were and the first time I tried them, we all loved them. So simple to put together and they are super flavorful. If you and your family like Mexican food - this one is a must try. Make some Spanish rice, beans or a corn casserole on the side and you will have yourself one yummy dinner! Don't forget the sour cream for topping - you can't eat Mexican without it as far as I'm concerned!

Chicken Enchiladas

2 Cans (3 if you like a lot of meat) of Chicken breast in water (drained well)
1 can of green Chiles (drain any excess juice)
1 Can of Rotel w/Lime Juice & Cilantro (drain)
1 can Cream of Chicken (I use the 98% fat-free and it tastes the same)
8 oz of Velveeta (cube)
2 Cups of shredded cheese
3 Cloves of of garlic, minced
1 10 Count soft taco size tortillas
2 Tbsp of Olive Oil
Butter

Saute Olive Oil, Garlic, & chicken until chicken is warm and pretty much shredded.
Add Green Chiiles, Rotel, Cream of Chicken, & velveeta and stir until warm and Velveeta is melted.
In a 13x9 casserole dish, butter bottom of dish thoroughly
Place a tortilla in the dish and add mixture to middle
Roll tortilla in butter and push to end of dish
Repeat. It should make about 8-9 enchiladas.
You may have to keep re-buttering the dish to keep the tortillas soft when they cook
I put any extra filling on top of the enchiladas and put shredded cheddar cheese on top of that.
Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.

Appetizer Ideas

I normally use this blog to post dinner ideas. But, with the Super Bowl coming up in a few weeks, I thought I'd post a couple appetizer recipes that you might like to try. The first is a recipe from my sister, Debbie. She has made this cheesy bread a couple of times now and said that people devour it. I mean really, who doesn't like buttery, cheesy bread?! I know this girl sure does. The second recipe is from my mother-in-law, Cindy. It's called Veggie Pizza. The first time she made it I made the mistake of judging it because it was afterall, topped with VEGGIES (in my defense, I was only about 15 years old). I told her I'd try it but asked her if she would get her feelings hurt if I had to spit it out. HA! So, reluctantly, I took my first bite and about 5 pieces later I decided that this would be an appetizer that I'd love forever. Note to self, don't judge a book by it's cover. So, I hope that if you have a party, girls night, or just a family fun weekend at home that you will try these out. You won't regret it!

Party Cheese Bread

1/2 cup melted butter (no substitutions)
2 TBSP lemon juice
2 TBSP Dijon mustard
1-1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp celery salt
1 round loaf sourdough bread (1 lb.)
1 lb. Monterey Jack cheese, cut into thin slices

In a small bowl, combine the first 6 ingredients;set aside. Cut bread diagonally into 1 in. slices to within 1/2 in. of bottom of loaf. Repeat cuts in the opposite direction. Arrange cheese slices in cuts and drizzle butter mixture over the bread.

Wrap loaf in foil; place on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Uncover; bake 10-15 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Serve with a fork so guests can pull off individual pieces.
NOTE: The sourdough bread will give it a little tang that a regular round loaf of white bread won't, but the white bread will work in a pinch.


Veggie Pizza

Broccoli, Carrots and Cauliflower (1 head of broccoli and cauliflower and about 1/2 a bag of baby carrots)
2 Cans Crescent Rolls
2 - 8 oz. Bricks Cream Cheese, softened
1 Cup plus 2 Tbsp. Mayo
Salt, Garlic Powder and Dry Dill to taste

Rinse and pat veggies dry. Use food processor to chop veggies into small pieces. Set aside. Unroll crescent rolls and flatten out onto a lightly greased cookie sheet. Press and seal seams together. Bake for 6-7 minutes at 350. Cool. Meanwhile, with hand mixer, blend together the softened cream cheese, mayo and seasonings. (You might want to taste to make sure you have added enough seasoning). Spread onto cooled crescent rolls. Top with chopped veggies and lightly press. Cover with saran wrap and cool for at least 2-3 hours. Cut into squares and serve.

My Favorite Soups

There are few things about winter that I like. The cold, dreary days, night-fall at 5:00 p.m., bundling up the whole family just for a quick trip to Wally, etc., etc. But, one of the things that can make all of that better is to end the day with a big bowl of soup - it always tastes better on a cold night. So, here are two (yes, 2 for the price of 1 today) of our favorites. First, is baked potato soup. Oh my goodness, it's so rich and thick and will put a smile on your face for sure! And the second is Vegetable Beef Soup. Again, so good and will warm you right up on a cold night. Both make a lot, so you may even have leftovers for another night!

Baked Potato Soup

3-4 Large Russet Potatoes
1 1/3 Sticks Butter
2/3 Cup Flour
6 Cups Milk
1 Chicken Bullion Cube
1 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Pepper
1 1/2 Cups Shredded Cheese
1/2 lb. Velveeta - Cut into chunks
8 oz. Sour Cream
Bacon bits and green onions for garnish

Prick potatoes with fork, wrap in foil and bake in oven until soft. (To speed up this process, I sometimes microwave my potatoes for about 5-7 minutes prior to wrapping them in foil and baking) Set baked potatoes to the side and let them begin to cool. To make the soup, melt butter over medium heat in large pot, then whisk in flour. Cook for a couple minutes and then slowly add milk. Whisk continuously until it comes to a low boil and starts to thicken. Turn heat to low and stir in bullion cube, salt, pepper and cheeses. Stir until cheeses are melted. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream. Cut potatoes into bite-sized chunks and add to soup and return to low heat. (I leave the skin on my potatoes, but you can remove it if you prefer). Let soup heat through and serve. Top with garnishes of your choice.


Vegetable Beef Soup

1 lb. Lean Ground Beef
1 Small Onion, Chopped
1/2 Red Bell Pepper, Chopped into small pieces
1 Can of each - Corn, Green Beans, Carrots, Peas (You can omit or add veggies that your family prefers)
2 Cans Diced Potatoes
1 Can Petite Diced Tomatoes
1 - 2 Cans Tomato Sauce
1 Can Water
1 Chicken Bullion Cube
Salt and Pepper to taste

Brown hamburger, onion and red bell pepper in a small amount of olive oil. Drain. Drain most of the water off the canned veggies and add all to pot. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, bullion cube and salt and pepper and stir until combined. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer and let cook for an hour. Goes great with corn bread muffins!!

Enjoy and stay warm this winter!!