PW's Garlic Cheese Bread

1 loaf crust French bread
1 stick butter
3/4 cup cheddar cheese, grated
3/4 cup Monterey Jack cheese, grated
1/2 grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup real mayonnaise
4 green onions, white and light green parts minced
Dash of salt
4 cloves garlic, finely minced.

Mix cheeses with the mayonnaise and the green onions. Add dash of salt to taste and set aside or keep in fridge until you need it.Cut loaf of bread in half, then each half into half again.
Working 1/4 loaf at a time, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet and add 1/4 of the minced garlic.
Place 1 of the 1/4 loaves face down in the skillet, swirling it to soak up the butter and garlic. Allow bread to toast in the skillet, removing garlic if it starts to get too brown.
Repeat with remaining butter, garlic, and bread.
Spread cheese mixture on warm loaves and bake in a 425 degree oven until cheese is hot and bubbly, about 10 minutes.Slice and serve.

Mexican Chicken Tortilla Soup

2 1/2 c. milk
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can corn
1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 4 oz. can green chilies
1/2 c. chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 t. dried oregano
1/2 t. ground red pepper (more=spicier)
Dash of chili powder
1 1/2 c. cooked chicken, cut up (I like rotisserie)
1 c. cheddar cheese

Cooking oil
Flour tortillas

For tortilla strips:
Heat oil in a skillet or pan
Tear the tortillas into small-ish strips
Fry in hot oil until lightly browned.
Drain on towel or paper.

For soup:
Saute onion in large saucepan. Add garlic for last minute.
Add milk and soup. Stir together until mixed well.
Add corn, tomatoes, chili peppers, oregano, ground red pepper, and chili powder.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes.
Add chicken and cheese, heat and stir until cheese is melted and chicken is heated through.
Serve with crispy tortilla strips on (and in) soup.

Chicken Florentine Pasta

1/2 cup Italian salad dressing
1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning mix
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
16 ounce jar alfredo sauce (I ususally make my own)
10 ounce package frozen chopped spinach,
2 Tbsp. olive oil
12 oz. cooked farfalle (mini cause I like it)
Crumbled Bacon
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Mix dressing and Italian seasoning in large glass bowl. Add chicken breasts, turning to coat, and cover. Refrigerate 30 minutes. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Remove chicken from marinade, and cook chicken in oil 7-10 minutes, turning once, until thoroughly cooked. Shred Chicken or cut into chunks. Add alfredo sauce mixture. Cook until bubbly. Serve over cooked and drained farfalle and spinach and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bacon. Serves 6

The last 2 minutes of pasta cooking add the frozen spinach so they cook together, then you can drain together and add the sauce and stuff. Serve with breadsticks! YUM-O

Chocolate Caramel Cake

1 pkg. (2-layer size) yellow cake mix

1 pkg. (4-serving size) Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding

1/2 cup chocolate milk

4 eggs

1-1/2 cups Sour Cream, divided

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup plus 4 tsp. water, divided

33 Caramels

1/4 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease and flour 12-cup fluted tube pan or 10-inch tube pan. Set aside. Place cake mix, dry pudding mix, chocolate milk, eggs, 1 cup of the sour cream, the oil and 1/2 cup of the water in large bowl. Beat with electric mixer on low speed 2 min. or just until dry ingredients are moistened, stopping occasionally to scrape down side of bowl. Beat on medium speed 2 min. or until well blended. Remove 1 cup of the batter; place in small bowl. Pour remaining batter into prepared pan.

Microwave 25 of the caramels and 3 tsp. (1 Tbsp.) of the remaining water in medium microwaveable bowl on HIGH 30 sec.; stir. Continue microwaving 1 min. until caramels are completely melted, stirring every 10 sec. Add reserved 1 cup batter and 1/4 cup of the remaining sour cream; mix well. Drop by spoonfuls over batter in pan; swirl with knife several times for marble effect.

Bake 1 hour or until wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack 10 min. Loosen cake from side of pan with spatula or knife. Invert cake onto rack; carefully remove pan. Cool cake completely.

Place remaining 8 caramels in medium microwaveable bowl. Add remaining 1 tsp. water. Microwave 20 sec.; stir. Continue microwaving 30 sec. until caramels are completely melted, stirring every 10 sec. Stir in remaining 1/4 cup sour cream and the powdered sugar until well blended. Cool. Drizzle over cake. Store in refrigerator.

White Chicken Chili

1 lb cubed chicken
1/2 medium onion
1/2 t garlic powder
2 cans Great Northern Beans, drained and rinsed
1 can chicken broth
1 can chopped green chilies
1 t salt
1 t oregano
1 t cumin
1/2 t pepper
1/4 t cayenne pepper
1 c sour cream
1/2 c heavy cream (may substitute evaporated milk or whole milk)

Saute chicken, onion, and garlic powder in 1 tablespoon olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste. In a a large stock pot bring beans, broth, chilies, salt, oregano, cumin, pepper, and cayenne to a boil. Let simmer 30 minutes.

Add chicken mixture, sour cream, and whipping cream. Heat through, but do not boil. Serve immediately.

I apologize for the picture, sometimes it's hard to make soup look good without covering it in cheese, but I wanted you to see what it looked like.

BBQ Chicken Pizza

PIZZA DOUGH 2 CRUSTS
INGREDIENTS:
6 cups all-purpose flour
2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 to 2 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)

DIRECTIONS
Combine flour, salt, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl. Mix in oil and warm water. Knead for a few minutes with mixing hook.

Dough is ready to use or Oil pizza pan, knead slightly, cover with cloth, Let rise for 1 to 2 hours or until double in size.

Spread out on a large pizza pan. Top as desired.
Bake at on a lower rack 425* degrees 13 TO 17 minutes.

BBQ CHICKEN PIZZA:
· Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ Sauce – appx. 1 cup per pizza. This is my favorite barbecue sauce, and it really makes a difference. You should try it:)
· Garlic salt grinder sprinkle
· 5 slices bacon, cut into 1” squares, fried and drained. I usually use the leaner pre-cooked bacon and cook in the microwave.
· 5 chicken tenders, cut into 1” squares, fried with garlic salt and pepper
· ¼ red onion sliced very thin
· Grated cheddar/jack cheese
· Black olive slices
· Red bell pepper, thin slices

Beef Enchiladas

3 pounds beef chuck roast
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 cups beef broth
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 large onion, chopped
2 (4 ounce) cans chopped green chiles
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 cups sour cream
3 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
1 cup oil for frying 20 (6 inch) corn tortillas

1. Place roast in a large saucepan that has a tight-fitting lid. Pour in water, cover, and simmer on low for 30 minutes. Increase heat to medium/high, and brown the roast on all sides. Once the water has boiled away, pour in the beef broth, vinegar, chili powder and 1 tablespoon of cumin. Cover tightly and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until the beef falls apart when you try to pick it up. Shred the beef, using 2 forks or your fingers. Place shredded beef back into the saucepan with all the juices, and let cool to room temperature.
2. In a large skillet, saute the onion until just soft, not browned. Mix in flour and green chilies. Stir constantly for 2 minutes to cook the flour taste out. Stir in sour cream and 2 cups of Monterrey Jack cheese. Cook on low for 10 minutes, stirring often, until the cheese is all melted and mixed. Set aside and let cool.
3. In a large heavy skillet, heat the olive oil. Using tongs dip the tortillas, one at a time, into the oil for 30 seconds each side. Drain on paper towels.
4. Preheat oven to 375. Spread 4 tablespoons of sour cream mixture down the center of the tortilla. Top with about the same amount of beef. Roll up and place seam side down in one or two 8x11 inch baking dish. Repeat for each tortilla. Continue until you are out of the filling. Sprinkle with remaining Monterey Jack cheese.
5. Bake in a pre-heated oven for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbling.

Serves 10. This is how we eat 'em in my house. Seems like a lot of work but it's easy and DELISH! You could totally do chicken with this too!

French Breakfast Muffins

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup butter, melted

1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup butter, melted

These remind me of Snickerdoodles, but muffins! :) I found this recipe in an old chuch ladies cookbook but I didn't like the recipe so I changed it a bit.

Preheat oven to 350. Grease muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.

In a medium mixing bowl, stir together flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, nutmeg and salt. Make a well in the center of the mixture. Stir together egg, milk and 1/3 cup melted butter. Add egg mixture to flour mixture; stir until just moistened (batter may be lumpy). Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.

Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Meanwhile, combine 1/4 cup sugar, cinnamon When muffins are finished baking, dip tops of muffins in the melted butter, and then in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Serve warm.

Yields 12 muffins