Chicken Crescent Casserole

Tasty comfort food is always a winner! 

I'm always looking for new ways to make chicken, which was not one of my hubby's favorites, but he did enjoy chicken casseroles, pot pies and such.  He was an "only white meat" kind of guy, and that really cuts down on flavor in a chicken dish.

This casserole combines both chicken and buttery crescent rolls.  It's easy to prepare and sure to be a hit with the whole family!  And it's TASTY too!

I switched out water chestnuts from the original recipe and included the mushrooms and peas.   Next time, I'm going to add some carrots or broccoli...all the things my family likes. That's how it should be, right?  It's all about "la famiglia!"   


Ingredients:
1 celery rib, sliced
3 tablespoons butter, divided
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
2/3 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup diced onion
1 jar (4-1/2 ounces) sliced mushrooms, drained
3 cups cubed cooked chicken (rotisserie would be fine)
1 small can sweet peas
8-10 slices Swiss cheese
1 tube (8 ounces) refrigerated crescent rolls
Poppy or Sesame seeds to sprinkle over crescent rolls (optional)

Preheat oven to 375°F.   Prepare 13x9" baking dish with cooking spray.

In a large saucepan, saute celery in 2 tablespoon butter until tender. Stir in the soup, mayonnaise, sour cream, onion, chicken, and mushrooms.  Add peas last.  Cook and stir over medium heat just until mixture begins to bubble.  Transfer to prepared 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish.  

Lay cheese evenly over top of mixture in pan.

Unroll crescent roll dough into a rectangle; seal seams and perforations. Stretch them out a little to cover top.  Place over cheese. 

Melt the remaining butter; lightly brush over top.  Sprinkle with poppy or sesame seeds, if desired.

Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. 

Yield: 8-10 servings.


Be encouraged!

"It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery."  -Galatians 5:1

Classic Peanut Butter Cookies

Milk and cookies...still a winner!

Every Christmas, I make the Peanut Blossoms.  You know, the peanut butter cookie with the Hershey's Kiss in the middle.  My kids have always loved them, and so do my grands. But, the other day, I realized it's been ages since I made the good ol' classic Peanut Butter Cookie.  You guessed right...it was time!

They turned out better than I remembered, crunchy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside.  Now, that's a great cookie in my book!  I used the smooth peanut butter because not everyone can tolerate the nuts themselves.  But, if you can,  then definitely try the crunchy...or divide the dough and add chopped peanuts to half.  Hmmm, why didn't I think of that sooner?  Oh, well, I don't think anyone was disappointed since they're just about gone.  

Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter

1 cup smooth peanut butter (or crunchy...your choice)

1 cup white sugar                                     

1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla 

2 eggs

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Cream butter, peanut butter, vanilla, and sugars together in a bowl; beat in eggs.

In a separate bowl, sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; stir into butter mixture. Refrigerate dough 1 hour.

Roll dough into 1 inch balls and put on baking sheets.  Flatten each ball with a fork, making the classic crisscross pattern. 

Bake in a preheated 375 degrees F oven for about 8-10 minutes or until cookies begin to brown.  Careful not to over-bake or they'll be dry.

Now, grab a glass of milk and enjoy! They're good for dunking too! LOL!


A Tip from Grammy:

-Roll into balls first, then refrigerate.

-Roll into brown or granulated sugar for an extra crunch.

-Lightly sprinkle with a little bit of sea salt; looks pretty and adds that extra touch of "sweet & salty" flavor.

-Add chocolate chips, M&M's, Reese's Pieces or broken up peanut butter cups. Let your imagination go wild.

Be encouraged!

"So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless." - 1 Corinthians 15:58

Homemade Pasta

There's nothing like homemade pasta!

My granddaughter has been asking to learn how to make homemade pasta, so I got out my old pasta machine and we had a lot of fun making these delicious and easy noodles together. I even found an old cassette tape with all Italian music to add to the ambiance. Now, finding something to play it on took a bit longer...I'm so glad my hubby doesn't throw anything away.  

Funny, I haven't made them in so long, I forgot how incredibly easy they are to make! Within an hour and a half, we were done...and some of that time was letting the dough dry a bit before putting the pieces through the pasta machine.  


Ingredients:
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. olive oil (optional)
3-4 Tbsp. water


In a large bowl, combine flour and salt.  Make a well in the center and pour in the eggs, olive oil, and 1-2 Tbsp. of the water.  Mix together until it forms a stiff dough.  Add more water if necessary, 1 tablespoon at a time.

On a lightly floured surface, knead dough for about 3 to 4 minutes or this can be done with a dough hook in your Kitchen Aid machine.  Cover and let rest 15 minutes. 

With a pasta machine or by hand roll dough out to desired thinness.  Make sure each piece is lightly floured and left out to dry for just a few minutes.  

What to use when you don't have a "pasta drying rack" haha! 

Using a pasta machine or knife (I like to use a pizza cutter) to cut into strips of desired width.  If you're cutting the noodles by hand, loosely roll the thin dough like a jelly roll, and slice into desired width.  Unroll them and lay out on a lightly floured board.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil;  using a large amount of water will  prevent the pasta from sticking together.drop.  Drop the pasta gently into the water and stir just once or twice.  If you have enough water in the pot, sticking shouldn't be a problem.

DO NOT COVER the pot or the water will boil over. Quickly bring the pasta back to a rolling boil, stir, and boil until al dente, or firm to the bite, about 2-3 minutes. 

Drain into a colander.  Add enough sauce to the hot pasta and toss.  Serve immediately with your favorite sauce, olive oil or melted butter.

Yields: 4-6 servings


Be encouraged!

"You are royal priests, a holy nation, God's very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into ... the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." - 1 Peter 2:9