Chicken and Rice

This is one of my favorite childhood meals, so it's a comfort food for me. Liz can't have it (TONS of dairy), but maybe once a year I'll make it just to indulge myself. Scott really likes it too. One of the exciting things about Liz being in kindergarten is that now I can make some of my favorite comfort foods for lunch while she's gone during the day. Last week we had stroganoff (yum!) and the week before it was tuna casserole (heaven!). This week I'm making this...

Ingredients:

• 3/4 square of butter
• 1 1/3 c. uncooked rice
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 can cream of celery soup
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• Chicken (bone-in is best because it's more moist, but I'm not a huge fan of bone-in so I use boneless breasts)
• Salt
• Pepper
• Paprika

(Note: You can use any combination of cream soups.)

Directions:

1. Melt butter in skillet. 
2. Mix in rice.
3. Add the soups, undiluted, and mix everything together.
4. Spread in a greased casserole or dripper pan.
5. Place chicken pieces on top.
6. And salt, pepper, and paprika to taste.
7. Cover with foil.
8. Bake at 300 degrees for 2 1/2 hours.

Award Winning Cornbread

http://dailydishrecipes.com/moist-sweet-cornbread-recipe/

I won a prize for this cornbread at a chili cook-off.  It's one of my favorite dinners to make with chili or taco soup or something.

The Best Peanut Butter Cookies

http://www.melskitchencafe.com/the-best-peanut-butter-cookies/

I will vouch for these cookies.  I usually don't like peanut butter cookies but these are pretty amazing!

My Genius Idea

I hate meal planning. I'm not sure why I hate it so much--maybe because I miss dairy-rich comfort foods or maybe because it reminds me of being pregnant and the misery of having to prepare 20 meals a week while exhausted and while everything just sounds gross. Bottom line: I always drag my feet when it gets to be that time of the week.

So anyway, I had this genius idea a while back to start a rotating menu. Just make a long-term meal plan (for a month or more), and then use it over and over again. Voila! No more meal planning. :) So I finally got around to making it, and yesterday was my first day on the rotating menu plan. We'll see how it goes.

I also had the idea to make a shopping list template for each week on the rotating menu plan, and then it saves me from having to do that each week too. Now if only I didn't have to go to the grocery store... ;)

Tamale Pie

(Note:  I made some changes to the amounts from when I first posted this.  I was going on memory before.)

Brown and drain 1-1 1/2 lbs. of hamburger and some diced onion (1/2 c. or more).

Add:
2 cans of diced tomatoes
1 can corn (drained)
2 Tb. Chili Powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. garlic (I use fresh; 2-3 gloves)
1 Tbl. hot sauce
1/2 c. grated cheese

Simmer above while making the crust below (about 20 minutes).

In a sauce pan, mix 2 1/2 c. water and 1 1/4 c. of cornmeal. Add 1 tsp. of chili powder and 1 tsp. salt.

Stir constantly over medium heat until it thickens.  Line the bottom and sides of a greased 9x13 pan with the cornmeal mixture to make a crust.  Pour in the meat mixture and top the middle with 1/2 c. of grated cheese. (I like to spread a small amount of the crust over the top in each corner for those who like more crust.)

Bake for 40 minutes in 350 degree oven.

Krispy Kreme Copycat Recipe

We've made these a few times and really like them. I finally bought a cookie-cutter type donut cutter online  (What did we do before amazon?) which makes them a little prettier, but you can use a cup and a little lid to cut them too.

One thing that I found that helps is to only cut out the donuts you are about to fry. When I tried to cut a bunch at once they ended up being harder to get out, and I had to re-roll the dough. Re-rolling the dough made it tough and hard to work with and much less pretty. It still tasted fine though. Just if you can, try to get as much from the first time you roll the dough out. 

-Good luck! 

INGREDIENTS

YIELD24 doughnuts

• Doughnuts

• 2(1/4 ounce) packages yeast
• 1⁄4cup water (105-115)
• 1 1⁄2cups lukewarm milk (scalded, then cooled)
• 1⁄2cup sugar
• 1teaspoon salt
• 2eggs
• 1⁄3cup shortening
• 5cups all-purpose flour
• canola oil

• Creamy Glaze

• 1⁄3cup butter
• 2cups powdered sugar
• 1 1⁄2teaspoons vanilla
• 4 -6tablespoons hot water

• Chocolate frosting

• 1⁄3cup butter
• 2cups powdered sugar
• 1 1⁄2teaspoons vanilla
• 4 -6tablespoons hot water
• 4ounces milk chocolate chips or 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

1. Dissolve yeast in warm water in 2 1/2-quart bowl.
2. Add milk, sugar, salt, eggs, shortening and 2 cups flour.
3. Beat on low for 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly.
4. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally.
5. Stir in remaining flour until smooth.
6. Cover and let rise until double, 50-60 minutes.
7. (Dough is ready when indentation remains when touched.) Turn dough onto floured surface; roll around lightly to coat with flour.
8. Gently roll dough 1/2-inch thick with floured rolling pin.
9. Cut with floured doughnut cutter.
10. Cover and let rise until double, 30-40 minutes.
11. Heat vegetable oil in deep fryer to 350°.
12. Slide doughnuts into hot oil with wide spatula.
13. Turn doughnuts as they rise to the surface.
14. Fry until golden brown, about 1 minute on each side.
15. Remove carefully from oil (do not prick surface); drain.
16. Dip the doughnuts into creamy glaze set on rack then when slightly cooled spread chocolate frosting on top.
17. Dip in sprinkles or other toppings after chocolate if desired.
18. Creamy Glaze: Heat butter until melted.
19. Remove from heat.
20. Stir in powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth.
21. Stir in water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency.
22. Chocolate Frosting: Heat butter and chocolate over low heat until chocolate is melted. Remove from heat.
23. Stir in powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth.
24. Stir in water 1 tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency.

Tamale pie?

Does anyone have the recipe for tamale pie?  I've been dying to eat that for a long time!