Crispy Cheddar Chicken

You may never fry chicken again after tasting this baked crispy chicken.



2 lbs chicken tenders or 4 large chicken breasts 
2 sleeves Ritz crackers
1/4 teaspoons salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup whole milk
3 cups cheddar cheese, grated
1 teaspoon dried parsley

Sauce:
1 10 ounce can cream of chicken soup
2 tablespoon sour cream
2 tablespoon butter

Crush crackers. If using chicken breasts and not tenders, cut each chicken breast into 3 large pieces. Pour the milk, cheese and cracker crumbs into 3 separate small pans. Toss the salt and pepper into the cracker crumbs and stir the mixture around to combine. Dip each piece of chicken into the milk and then the cheese. Press the cheese into the chicken with your fingers. Then press the cheesy coated chicken into the cracker crumbs and press it in.

Spray a 9×13 pan with cooking spray and lay the chicken inside the pan. Sprinkle the dried parsley over the chicken. Cover the pan with tin foil and bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes. Remove the tin foil, bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the edges of the chicken are golden brown and crispy.

In a medium sized sauce pan combine the cream of chicken soup, sour cream and butter with a whisk. Stir it over medium high heat until the sauce is nice and hot. Serve over the chicken.

(Couldn't add this to my Pinterest account, because the recipe was on facebook only. Here's that link.) 

Homemade Granola (Low Sugar Version)

(Original recipe was one of my favorite recipes from Jil Abegg's "How to Save Big Money Grocery and Household Shopping Savers' Seminar", and Marie Rick's homemaking class)

6 c. regular oats

½ - 1 c. toasted wheat germ

1 c. unsweetened shredded coconut

1 c. unsweetened ribbon coconut

1/4 c. sesame seeds

1 c. chopped nuts

½ c. shelled sunflower seeds

1-2 tsp. cinnamon

¼- ½ tsp. nutmeg

1 c. vegetable oil

¼- ½ c. honey (regular recipe called for 1 C)

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 c. raisins (optional)

METHOD

Pour honey, oil and vanilla mixture over oat mixture, and stir until well mixed. Turn onto lightly oiled cookie sheet and bake in 300° oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown, turning over occasionally. May stir in one cup raisins and bake for an additional five minutes.

Bisquick's Coffee Cake

2 cups Bisquick baking mix

⅔ cup milk or water

2 tbsp sugar

1 egg

Streusel topping (below)

Heat oven to 375°. Grease round pan, 9X1½. Stir all ingredients except Streusel Topping in medium bowl until blended. Spread in pan. Sprinkle with Streusel Topping. Bake 18-22 minutes or until golden brown. 10 servings.

Streusel Topping:

⅓ cup Bisquick baking mix

⅓ cup packed brown sugar

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

2 tbsp firm margarine, butter or 65% veg oil spread

Mix all ingredients in small bowl until crumbly.

Homemade Bisquick Mix recipe here.

Chicken Delight

(From the Gourmet Pantry, 13^th and Lighthouse in Monterey, California.)

Lay vegetables on bottom of casserole dish. (Frozen broccoli, mixed veges, fresh cut veges, or whatever you like.)

Boil one chicken with ½ to 1 teaspoon each: allspice, cinnamon & nutmeg. Debone and shred chicken and lay it on top of the vegetables.

Whip together topping: 1 can cream of mushroom soup, equal amount mayonnaise, (NOT salad dressing), 1 t curry, 3 t lemon juice.

Spread topping over vegetables and chicken, and sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Bake in 350° oven for 30 to 60 minutes. Serve over rice. Enjoy!

Hamburger Pie

Heat together: Ground beef, onions, undrained green beans, can of tomato soup, and salt and pepper.

Drop mashed potatoes (mixed with an egg) atop meat mixture in casserole. Sprinkle with cheese.

Bake uncovered in 350° for 25-30 minutes or until heated through. Makes 4-6 servings.

Pizza Dough

(From my Betty Crocker Cookbook, 1983 edition.)

1 pkg active dry yeast or 1½ tsp Saf-Insant yeast

1 cup warm water

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp vegetable oil

2½ cups all purpose flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water (if it’s active.) Stir in remaining ingredients; beat vigorously 20 strokes. Let rest about 5 minutes.  (I've started adding italian spices to the dough, 1 tsp each garlic, basil, oregano, for added flavor - mmm!)

For pizza - Roll out on pizza pan and top with favorite pizza toppings or make bread sticks. Bake for about 18 mins in 425° oven.

For deep dish pizza - See the recipe here.

My addition: For bread sticks - Spread with melted butter, grated mozzarella cheese and little salt, bake 10+ minutes at 425°.

Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies (Crisco)

(This recipe is from Crisco, find the original here.)

15 min
20 min
3 dozen cookies

INGREDIENTS:

• 3/4 cup Crisco® Butter Flavor All-Vegetable Shortening (we always use butter flavored shortening)
• OR 3/4 stick Crisco® Baking Sticks Butter Flavor All-Vegetable Shortening
• 1 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1 3/4 cups Flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 (6 oz.) package semi-sweet chocolate chips (1 cup)
• 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans (optional)

PREPARATION DIRECTIONS:

1. HEAT oven to 375ºF.


2. COMBINE shortening, brown sugar, milk and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at medium speed of electric mixer until well blended. Beat in egg. Combine flour, salt and baking soda. Mix into shortening mixture until just blended. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.


3. DROP by rounded measuring tablespoonfuls 3 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheet.


4. BAKE 8 to 10 minutes for chewy cookies, or 11 to 13 minutes for crisp cookies. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet on a cooling rack. Remove cookies to rack to cool completely.


5. * If nuts are omitted, [you may] add an additional 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips.
   
   
   VARIATIONS

1. BAR COOKIES
   HEAT oven to 375ºF. Follow recipe above to prepare dough. Spray a 13 x 9-inch pan with no-stick cooking spray. Spread dough evenly in pan. BAKE 19 to 21 minutes or until top is golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and center feels slightly firm to the touch. Cool completely before cutting into bars.


2. LARGE ROUNDS
   HEAT oven to 375ºF. Follow recipe above to prepare dough. Spray small area in center of baking sheet with no-stick cooking spray. Cover with 12-inch square of foil. PLACE one-fourth of dough in center of foil. Form into a small circle with spatula or rubber scraper. Spray 12-inch square of wax paper with no-stick cooking spray. Place sprayed side down on top of dough. Flatten with round cake pan or pie pan to form a 7-inch circle. Remove wax paper.  BAKE 9 to 10 minutes or until light golden color. Cool 5 minutes on baking sheet on a cooling rack. Remove to rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining cookie dough.


3. CHOCOLATE DRIZZLE OR DIP
   DRIZZLE: Melt 1 cup semi-sweet or white chocolate pieces with 1 teaspoon shortening over very low heat. Stir well. If too thick to drizzle, add 1/8 to 1/2 teaspoon more shortening to thin. Drizzle from end of spoon back and forth over cookie. Sprinkle with nuts before chocolate hardens. To harden chocolate quickly, place in refrigerator for a few minutes.
   DIP: Spoon melted chocolate into custard cup. Dip one end of cooled cookie halfway up in chocolate. Sprinkle with finely chopped nuts before chocolate hardens, or drizzle with contrasting white or dark chocolate. Place on wax paper.