Low Carb Deep-Dish Pizza Quiche

4 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
4 large eggs
1/3 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 cup shredded Asiago cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup tomato sauce
2 cups sliced mushrooms, sautéed
2 Italian sausages, casing removed, crumbled, and cooked

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter a 13 x 9-inch baking dish.
In a food processor, blend together the cream cheese and eggs until smooth. Add the cream, Parmesan, chives, garlic, and oregano. Blend until smooth.
Scatter the Asiago and 1 cup of the mozzarella in the prepared baking dish. Pour the egg mixture over the cheese. Bake for 30 minutes.
Spread with the tomato sauce. Scatter the mushrooms and sausage over the top. Cover with the remaining 1 cup mozzarella.
Turn on the broiler and broil about 6 inches from the heat until brown and bubbly. Let sit for 5 minutes or so before cutting.

My friend made this for an Enrichment night. It was the biggest hit... we all devoured it!!!

Chicken Parmesan with Pasta

Chicken Parmesan with Pasta

3 c. pasta
10 Ritz crackers, crushed (about ½ c crumbs)
3 Tbsp grated Parmesan
1 tsp dried oregano leaves
1 egg white
1 lb. chicken breasts ( I used 4 tenders and pounded them flat)
2 c tomato-basil (any flavor) spaghetti sauce, divided
1 c shredded mozzarella

Cook pasta. Combine cracker crumbs, Parmesan and oregano in pie plate. Whisk egg white in a second pie plate. Dip chicken in egg, then in crumb mixture.

Spray skillet. On medium heat cook chicken 5 minutes each side. Spoon 1 cup of spaghetti sauce over chicken; top with mozzarella cheese. Cover skillet. Reduce heat to low; simmer 3 minutes until cheese is melted.

Drain pasta. Add remaining sauce. Serve chicken over pasta.

Cafe' Rio's Creamy Tomatillo Dressing

I have gone a little incognito for a little while. Oh well, I am back. Life has just been really busy. Here is a recipe I got from my friend, Carolina. It's a bootleg copy of Cafe' Rio's Creamy Tomatillo dressing. It's not an exact replica, but a good dressing none the less. I like to warm tortillas in the oven with cheese on them until they are warm and crispy. Then, I top them with lettuce, cooked chicken, black beans, corn, tomatos, cheese, and tortilla chips crushed up. Did I forget anything? I don't know. If anyone else has a recipe like this, I would love to try it out and compare.

Café Rio’s Creamy Tomatillo Dressing

Place the following in a blender:
3 fresh tomatillos, cut into quarters
Juice of ½ lime
½ cup buttermilk
½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup sour cream
1 package dry buttermilk ranch dressing mix
1 cup fresh cilantro
5 stalks green onions w/ ends
2 cloves crushed garlic
½-¾ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. crushed cayenne pepper
4 tsp. sugar

*combine well in blender, refrigerate one hour.

Breadsticks

1 TBSP yeast
1 ½ cups lukewarm water
3 cups Flour
2 TBSP sugar
½ tsp salt
Melted butter (about one stick)

Dissolve yeast in water, then add flour, sugar and salt. Knead a little and then let rise til double. Roll out to the size of a cookie sheet. Cut into strips. (or roll pieces of dough between hands) Brush with melted butter. You can add garlic, sesame seeds or parmesan if desired. Let rise to desired height. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-20 minutes or until golden brown.

April Focus?

What kind of recipes do we want to post for April? I am wondering if we should go back to posting whatever recipes we want but putting labels in at the bottom so it's easy to do a search and find recipes for Main Dishes, side dishes, desserts, etc. Any thoughts on that?

Brownie Caramel Cheesecake

I love cheesecake! There are 2 recipes that I will post this month for cheesecake that I've managed to pull off well every single time I've attempted them. I've even made both with reduced fat cream cheese and they still turn out great. This one is great because if it cracks - you can cover it up on top with extra caramel or fudge sauce.

INGREDIENTS
1 (9 ounce) package brownie mix (I just find the smallest package I can find since 9 ounce package is hard to find)
1 egg
1 tablespoon cold water
1 (14 ounce) package individually wrapped caramels, unwrapped
1 (5 ounce) can evaporated milk
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 cup chocolate fudge topping


DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan.
In a small bowl, mix together brownie mix, 1 egg and water. Spread into the greased pan. Bake for 25 minutes.
Melt the caramels with the evaporated milk over low heat in a heavy saucepan. Stir often, and heat until mixture has a smooth consistency. Reserve 1/3 cup of this caramel mixture, and pour the remainder over the warm, baked brownie crust.
In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Pour cream cheese mixture over caramel mixture.
Bake cheesecake for 40 minutes. Chill in pan. When cake is thoroughly chilled, loosen by running a knife around the edge, and then remove the rim of the pan. Heat reserved caramel mixture, and spoon over cheesecake. Drizzle with the chocolate topping.

Frog Eye Salad

I'm guessing March is yummy treats month. So I think this fits the bill.
This is a big hit and it's my kids’ favorite (once they figured out that they got to eat a yummy treat with their dinner and it was called a salad)!

Step One:
1 1/3 cup of Acini de Pepe
Boil for 9-10 minutes, with a dash of salt, drain in strainer.
Put in large serving bowl.

Step Two:
1 ½ cups Pineapple Juice
1 Cup sugar
2 eggs
1 ½ tsp salt
2 heaping Tbsp flour
1 tsp lemon juice
Combine and heat over medium, stirring constantly until mixture boils and thickens. Pour over Acini and stir.
REFRIGERATE OVERNIGHT

Step Three:
The next day add:
1 lg can Mandarin oranges (drained)
1 can pineapple tidbits (drained)
1 small can crushed pineapple (drained)
1 12 oz tub Cool Whip
diced maraschino cherries
Half a bag of mini marshmallows

Mix and enjoy!

Green Drink Smoothie

Green Drink Smoothie (Try it for St. Patrick's Day!)
My roomate at Ricks College made these every morning and we thought she was so weird, until we tried it. Yummy! I am still making them 15 years later. My kids love it! The ingredients are approximate-- you can't mess this one up. Apple juice also works if you're low on Pineapple juice. I rarely measure, I just throw it in and it always tastes great. More spinach and it will be a little bitter. More banana and/or pineapple and it will be sweeter.

1 Cup Fresh Spinach
1 Ripe Banana
3/4 Cup pineapple (about half the can with no added sugar)
1 cup pineapple juice (I just drain it from the can)
1 cup of ice

Blend until smooth and bright green!! Please let me know how you like it!

Peanut Butter Cookies (w/Reese's)

1/2 Cup Butter
1/2 Cup Peanut Butter (Creamy)
1/2 C Brown Sugar
1/2 C Sugar
1 1/4 C Flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 bag mini Reese's cups

Cream butter, peanut butter, sugars, egg and vanilla. Add flour and soda. Form into 1" balls. Bake in mini muffin tins @ 350 for 8 mins. Immediately placed unwrapped peanut butter cups in center and let cool.

Love this recipe!! So easy and always looks impressive.

Mississippi Mud Bars

I'm taking the initiative for March and posting a dessert recipe. My friend made these for a baby shower a few weeks ago and they were a big hit! She sprinkled pecans on top.

Mississippi Mud Bars

2 Cups Sugar
2 Cubes Butter
4 eggs
Cream Together, then stir in the following ingredients:
3 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup cocoa
1 1/2 cup flour
Bake twenty minutes at 350 degrees.
Spread one jar of Marshmallow Cream over the top while still warm. Then let it cool.
Top with Frosting:
1/2 cup butter
1/3 cocoa
3 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
6 Tbsp milk
Optional: add nuts or coconut inside the batter or sprinkle on top of the frosting.

Fired Won Tons

Here is my first installment of a "budget dinner." By budget dinner, I am thinking it only takes a few, cheapish ingredients. This is one of my family faves growing up (there are 9 kids in my fam). It makes a TON, and they are sooo yummy. I guess you could get real creative and add other ingredients, but then it wouldn't really be as cheap...


Fried Won Tons

-1-2 cans Canned Roast Beef
carrots
won ton wrappers (these are typically found in the produce section by the other specialty items...)

-Grate carrots. Cook meat until tender. Mix both together. Place about a teaspoon of the filling into won tons, pinch closed with water. Make sure no meat is exposed or it will pop in the oil-and it hurts! Fry in oil until brown and crispy. Serve with sweet and sour sauce.

Tip: I like to make up a bunch of the raw won tons before I start frying them so I can keep adding them as others get done.

This is one of the best soups that I have ever made. It is so good I crave it quite often. It is pretty easy to make and it makes alot. So good, you too will crave it!

Wild Rice and Chicken Soup:

3-4 boneless chicken breasts 2 chicken bouillon cubes
2 cans chicken broth 1/2 tsp. basil
4 cups water 3 stalks celery
1 Tbsp. onion flakes

*Boil above ingredients until chicken is tender. Remove chicken and shred.

1/2 cup wild rice - in second pot, cook in 2 cups water for 30 minutes, then drain.
1 cup white rice - add to soup (raw) after chicken is done with partially cooked wild rice.
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup flour - mix with butter in separate pan until bubbly.
16 oz. half and half

*Add half and half to roux and stir until thickened. Add white sauce to soup and stir until thick and blended. Shredded chicken can be added anytime. Add milk or water to thin. This soup is pretty thick and can also be made substituting milk for half and half or just thinned down at the end.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

3 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped broccoli or fresh chopped broccoli
1/2 cup grated carrots
3 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
6 tablespoons margarine
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1 1/2 pounds Velveeta
1 pinch ground white pepper

DIRECTIONS
In a large pot over medium heat, simmer the broccoli and carrots in the broth for 15 minutes. In a separate skillet over medium heat, melt the butter or margarine, add the onions and saute for 5 minutes, or to desired tenderness.
Add the flour to the onions and stir well, forming a pasty substance. Gradually add the milk and stir until thick. Add this mixture to the broccoli mixture in the pot and stir well. Then add the cheese, stirring until melted. Finally, add the pepper. (Note: Be careful not to let the soup boil, or the cheese will break down.)

*I made this a few weeks ago and everyone loved it. I am craving it, so I'll have to make it again this weekend. After I make some of the yummy soups you all have posted!

Taco Soup

A college roommmate introduced me to this one and now it's one of my favorites. There are many variations that you can take on this one also - so feel free to adapt it with what you have in your pantry.

Taco Soup

1 pound lean ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 (1 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
1 package of ranch dressing mix
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (15 ounce) cans kidney beans, drained
1 (15 ounce) can black beans
1 (15 ounce) can stewed tomatoes

Tortilla Chips/Fritos
Sour Cream
Cheese

In large pot brown ground beef and onion. Drain off excess fat. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to boil and then reduce to simmer for 20-30 minutes. Top with chips, sour cream, and cheese.

New Posting Suggestions

Hi Ladies! I love seeing all the new recipes on here but I think it's going to start getting chaotic if we are all just posting whatever recipes we want to. I was thinking we could maybe do monthly themes of recipes. That way it will be really easy to search for recipes later on!

Here's what I'm suggesting for the rest of January: Soups/Stews. Share your favorite tried and true! Since we are in the colder months this might be a good one to start with.

To think ahead for February - let's focus on Budget Meals.

And if you do try a recipe that is so fabulous that you can't wait to share it - please feel free to post. I'm just trying to get it a little more organized!

Also - what monthly "themes" do you want to see covered? I was thinking we could do desserts, appetizers, etc.

Grilled Romaine Hearts

Yes, you read that correctly... grilled lettuce. I found the recipe on the back of a package of Romaine lettuce hearts and thought I'd give it a try. To. Die. For. Not kidding...

Grilled Romaine Hearts

Romaine Heart
Olive Oil
Lemon Juice
Garlic
Salt
Pepper
Parmesan Cheese

Cut romaine hearts in half lengthwise. Brush with olive oil and lemon juice. Sprinkle with garlic, salt and pepper.

Grill only a couple of minutes on each side, until leaves start to wilt. Dust with Parmesan cheese, slice and serve warm!

** This is really easy to make on the Forman, I just don't close the lid. I particularly love this served with Salmon and Blueberry Sauce and rice pilaf. I'll post that recipe later!

Southern Fried Chicken

I am not a fan of fried chicken but my husband could live on KFC if I let him. When I found this recipe in my William Sonoma catalog I figured for his sake, I'd give it a try. It is FABULOUS!! Time consuming, but so worth it!!! The original recipe calls for a whole chicken cut into bits, I just use a few chicken breasts and cut them into bite size pieces so its more of a nugget...

Southern Fried Chicken

Several chicken breasts, cut into pieces
Salt to taste, plus 2 tsp
Fresh ground pepper to taste, plus 1 tsp
2 cups buttermilk
1-2 Tbsp Tabasco sauce
6 cups canola oil
1 ½ cup flour
½ tsp paprika

Rinse chicken & pat dry. Season with salt & pepper. Place in a large dish, cover & refrigerate for 1-4 hours. In a large bowl, combine buttermilk and Tabasco sauce, pour over chicken, coating thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate over night.

Remove chicken from fridge 30 minutes prior to cooking. Place in a colander to drain excess buttermilk from chicken. Heat oil. Combine flour, 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper & paprika. Coat chicken in flour mixture, shaking off excess. Fry in oil until cooked through.

**For crispier chicken, dip in buttermilk, then flour mixture a second time before frying.

Delicious served with corn on the cob and biscuits.

White Chicken Chili

A really good twist on the old classic ... using canned beans and a rotisserie chicken. Quick, easy, and delicious!

2 (15 oz.) cans Great Northern Beans, rinsed and drained
1 large onion, chopped
1 stick unsalted butter
¼ cup all purpose flour
1 3/4 cups chicken broth (1 14 oz can)
2 cups half and half (or 1 cup milk and 1 cup half and half)
1 teaspoon Tabasco – or to taste
1 ½ teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
dash cayenne pepper
two 4-ounce cans mild fire roasted chopped green chilies with their juice
1 whole rotisserie chicken shredded – white and dark meat
6 ounces grated Monterey Jack Cheese – about 1 ½ cups
½ cup sour cream

Garnish – fresh cilantro sprigs

Directions:
Drain beans in a colander and rinse. Cook onion in 2 Tablespoons butter over medium heat until the onion is softened but not brown. In a heavy pot melt 6 Tablespoons butter over medium low heat and whisk in flour. Turn heat to LOW and whisk constantly for 3 minutes making sure it doesn’t turn brown. Stir in onion and add broth and half and half, whisking constantly.
Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat. The mixture should be thickened. If it is too thick add a little broth or water to thin it. Stir in Tabasco, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper.
Add beans, chilies, chicken and cheese. Cook over medium low heat for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Serve with sour cream on the side.

Sweet & Sour Chicken

This is a great Sunday dinner. It is really quick and easy. We had it today for the first time and my family loved it!

6 chicken breasts
2 cups honey
1 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup ketsup
1/4 cup oil
2 cloves garlic (minced)

Whisk sauce together and pour over chicken. Cook on high for 3 hours. Take chicken out and thicken with cornstarch and water thickening. Put chicken back in to keep warm. Serve over rice. You can also garnish with sesame seeds and it also adds a little crunch. This recipe makes quite a lot, you can also cut it in half and it is enough for a small family.

*Thanks for all the great recipes. I have planned to try a couple this week and can't wait to throw something different into the mix at our house. Taco's are getting a little boring!

Cheeseburger Soup

This is a hearty soup that is very filling and delicious.
I serve it with Rhodes Rolls.

1/2 lb Ground Beef (browned)
3/4 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup shredded carrots
3/4 cup diced celery
1 tsp basil (reduce to 1/2 tsp if desired)
1 tsp parsley (reduce to 1/2 tsp if desired)
4 TBSP margarine
3 cups chicken broth
4 cups diced potatoes
1/4 cup flour
8 oz. Velveeta cheese
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 cup sour cream

In large, deep skillet, saute carrots, onions and celery in 1 TBSP marg. for 10 min.
Add broth, potatoes, basil, parsley and beef.
Bring to boil, then simmer covered for 10 min.
In small saucepan, cook and stir remaining margarine and the flour for 3 min.
Add to soup and bring to boil for 2 min. Reduce heat to low.
Add cheese, milk, salt and pepper. Stir until cheese melts.
Remove from heat and stir in sour cream.

What's for Dessert?

OK, since I have a major sweet tooth I will need to start by posting this yummy bar recipe. My sister just spent Christmas with her boyfriend in Tennessee where she ranted and raved about something called Chess bars. These must be a Southern thing because I had never heard of them before. Now my kids are asking for them 24/7 and my daughter even wants to have it instead of cake for her birthday. They are super easy and taste best after being chilled. This picture was taken this morning before I ate one for breakfast (not reccommended as a breakfast food, but highly addicting) Thank you Jonathan for sharing your recipe.

Chess Bars

1 stick margarine (softened)
1 box yellow cake mix (or be creative and try your favorite cake mix, yellow is the one we like best)
1 egg
Stir and pat into a 13x9 inch pan
1 (8 oz.) cream cheese (softened)
1 box Powdered sugar
2 eggs
Mix until smooth. Spread over bottom layer and bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Cool and then chill.

Cranberry Chicken

One of my favorite go-to recipes. Looks really fancy but so easy to make and have the ingredients on hand for!

4-6 Chicken Breasts/Tenders
1 (8 oz) bottle Creamy French salad dressing
1 (10 3/4 oz.) can WHOLE berry cranberry sauce
1 pkg onion soup mix

Cover bottom of a greased baking dish with chicken. Mix together the dressing, cranberry sauce and soup mix and pour over top of chicken. Bake at 375 degrees for 1hour.

Cilanto-Lime Soup

I am sticking with the soup theme since I just made this a couple of days ago. It's one of my favorites.

Enjoy! Kirsten

Cilantro Lime Soup

Ingredients:
1 Dry Chipotle Chile OR ½ teaspoon canned puree
1 cup tomato, chopped
½ pound chicken breast, cut in ¾” pieces
5 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon chili powder
¼ cup cilantro, chopped
½ bunch cilantro, tied with string
1 cup corn (fresh if possible, otherwise frozen
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup lime juice
1 onion, chopped
Sour cream, garnish
Tortilla chip strips, baked

Directions:
Heat broth in medium pot. Add onion, garlic, chili powder, tomatoes, bunch cilantro, and Chile. Simmer for 15 minutes. Add chicken and simmer until cooked (about 10 minutes). Discard bunch cilantro. Add corn and cook 2-3 minutes. Add chopped cilantro and lime juice, Garnish with sour cream and baked tortilla strips (cut corn tortillas in strips, spray with cooking spray, bake in 350 degree oven until crisp).

Tomato-Basil Parmesean Soup

3 Cups whole tomatoes with juice
¼ Cup vegetable oil
1 Cup finely diced celery
1 Cup finely diced onions
1 Cup finely diced carrots
4 Tbsp fresh basil (or 1 Tbsp dried)
1 Tbsp fresh oregano (or 1 tsp dried)
½ bay leaf
4 Cups chicken broth

½ Cup butter
½ Cup flour

2 Cups half-and-half, warmed (I prefer fat-free)
1 Cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp ground white pepper (I prefer black)

Puree tomatoes and juice. Heat oil in 4 quart soup pot. Add celery, onions and carrots. Saute 5 minutes. Add basil, oregano, bay leaf, tomatoes and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until carrots are tender (15 minutes.)

While soup simmers, prepare a roux. Melt butter over low heat, add flour and cook, stirring constantly, 5-7 minutes. Slowly stir in 1 cup hot soup. Add another 3 cups and stir until smooth. Add back into soup pot.

Simmer, stirring constantly, until soup begins to thicken. Add Parmesan cheese and whisk to blend. Stir warmed half-and-half, salt and pepper Simmer over low heat 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Makes about 2 quarts.