Chicken Rice Salad

This salad works well for a large group. We've served it at baby showers, book clubs and countless gatherings. It needs to be started the night before you serve it, so please keep that in mind:) Recipe from family friend Valerie Terry. Serves about 12-14.

Mix in a large bowl: Cover and refrigerate overnight:

2 Tbs. brown sugar

1 tsp. salt

3 Tbs. oil

1 Tbs. white vinegar

3 c. cooked rice, with no salt added

4 chicken breasts, cooked & cubed

1 (20 oz.) can well-drained crushed pineapple

Next day, add and combine well. Refrigerate until serving:

1 cup chopped celery 

1/2 cup each red & green peppers

1/2 cup seedless green grapes

1/2 cup seedless red or black grapes

2 cans mandarin oranges, drained

3/4 cup cashews (optional)

1/2 cup mayonnaise

Creamy No-Cook Mints

It's St. Patrick's Day next week! It's a holiday I don't really relate to because we're not Irish, we don't drink and I think Leprechauns are silly... BUT, I'm all about making yummy green food!

These mints taste a lot like butter mints, they are super simple to make and they won't heat up your kitchen. These would be really cute in pink or blue for a baby or bridal shower. Or, leave them white and sprinkle with colored sugar for Christmas or holidays. Serve in mini cupcake liners or candy cups or on a small tray. Recipe from Cupcake Rehab. Makes 24-30 one-inch mints. Recipe is easy to double. 

3 ounces light cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon mint extract (I used peppermint extract)
2 drops green food coloring (or color of choice)
4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
superfine sugar (can sub regular granulated sugar)

Place cream cheese, extract and food coloring in bowl. Mix on low speed for about 30 seconds, or until smooth. Continuing on that speed, gradually add powdered sugar and mix about 1 1/2 minutes, or until mixture becomes very stiff.

To make mints, shape mixture into 3/4 inch balls. Roll in superfine sugar and place on waxed paper coated in superfine sugar. Press them lightly with back of fork to flatten and to form ridges. Store mints tightly covered in the fridge. They also freeze well.

Fruit Salsa & Baked Cinnamon Chips

My family has made this recipe for as long as I can remember. It's an impressive snack to serve at a party and easy to customize to your taste. The "recipe" is just a guideline, so feel free to use fruit that's in season or whatever sounds good to you:) I'd recommend making the Cinnamon Chips a few hours ahead of time so they get nice and crisp.  

Baked Cinnamon Chips:

Flour tortillas (I think thick, store-bought tortillas work best)

softened butter or butter spread

cinnamon & sugar, mixed

Line 2 baking sheets with tin foil and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spread each tortilla with butter using a rubber spatula and sprinkle generously with cinnamon & sugar. Cut into 2 inch strips using a pizza cutter. I cut either end into a long strip, then cut each strip in half. Then, I cut the remaining piece into strips and then into thirds (SEE PHOTO BELOW). 

Arrange on prepared baking sheet in single layer and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until just beginning to brown. Here's the slightly TRICKY part: These are best when they are crisp, but they are not good when they burn! Keep a close eye on them so they don't get too brown. 

While one pan of tortilla strips is baking, get the next pan ready to go.

When baked, remove tortilla strips from the oven and cool on the pan or remove to a baking sheet. As I mentioned, these are great if they sit out for a few hours before serving so they get a little crisp. 

Fruit Salsa:

strawberries, hulled and chopped

blackberries, coarsely chopped

apples, diced (I use a combination of green and red apples and I leave the skin on)

fresh oranges, peeled, sectioned and coarsely chopped

kiwi, peeled and diced

pineapple (fresh: peeled and chopped) or (canned: tidbits, well-drained)

mango, peeled and chopped

Drain fruit well and combine. I usually add a little brown sugar or powdered sugar. Serve as soon as possible or refrigerate until serving.

30-Day Bran Muffins

My Mom made these for us over the holidays and I've been craving them ever since! These high-fiber muffins make a great breakfast or snack, the muffins freeze well and the batter stores in the fridge for up to 30 days! My Mom often makes a few at a time so they are fresh and hot out of the oven. What's not to love about that? I love them with raisins, but I have one child who prefers them without. We love them with butter and honey. Either way, they are delish! 

There are SO many very similar recipes online.  My Mom uses one from the Favorites cookbook. 

This recipe (below) makes about 8 dozen muffins (use the biggest bowl you have to mix!), so if you'd like to make a half batch, here's the recipe for 4 dozen: Spark People

4 cups Kellogg's All-Bran cereal (looks like little sticks)
2 cup boiling water
1 cup margarine
2 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs, beaten
5 cups flour
5 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoons salt
4 cups (1 quart) buttermilk
2 cups Bran Flakes cereal (such as Post Bran Flakes)

1 (15 oz. box) seedless raisins, optional (or dried cranberries. Fresh blueberries would be great too!)

Combine All-Bran and boiling water in a large bowl. Cream margarine and sugar, and add to bran. Add eggs. Mix dry ingredients, and add alternately with buttermilk, then add Bran Flakes. Stir in raisins (or dried cranberries or fresh blueberries) if desired just before baking.

Keeps up to 4 weeks in the refrigerator. I use a large cookie scoop to get just the right amount of batter.

Bake in muffin cups at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Nutritional information per muffin (without raisins): 134 calories, 2.5 grams fat, 3.5 grams protein, 27 grams carbohydrate, 2.8 grams dietary fiber, 18.5 mg. cholesterol, 251 mg. sodium

"Twix"Cookie Bars

Ok, this recipe is a decided SPLURGE, but my sister-in-law Kari made these for our Christmas Eve family dinner and all 18 of us were raving about them (and having seconds!) It makes a huge batch, so it's easy to keep some in the fridge or freezer and just take them out when you need a chocolate fix. Recipe from www.ourcookingcafe.com

SHORTBREAD LAYER:
1 1/2 cups butter, softened
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 325. Beat together butter and sugar til smooth, add vanilla. Stir in flour and salt until smooth. Press into a sheet cake pan, about 12x16 (or close to those measurements.) Poke with a fork several times. (See photo below) Bake for about 22-25 minutes, or until just starting to brown. Remove and cool completely.

CARAMEL LAYER:
1 1/2 cups butter
1 1/2 cups sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
6 Tablespoons corn syrup
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Place butter in a saucepan and melt over low heat. Stir in remaining ingredients except for vanilla. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook and stir over a low rolling boil for about 7 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Pour caramel over shortbread layer. Place in the fridge or freezer to set.

CHOCOLATE LAYER:
3-4 cups milk chocolate chips
2 Tablespoons shortening

In a sauce pan over low heat, melt chocolate, stirring frequently. Stir in shortening until smooth then spread over caramel layer. Return to refrigerator to set, then cut into bars. Makes about 50 bars.

TIPS:

* When you cut into bars, set a clean, slightly wet cloth nearby and clean your knife each time you cut. This prevents the shortbread layer from sticking to the chocolate and your bars will look pretty!
* Stack in an airtight container, separating the rows with layers of waxed paper. (See photo below)
* These are best kept in the fridge and set out a few minutes before you eat them.

Deanne's Sausage Apple Stuffing

My sister-in-law Deanne makes this amazing stuffing for Thanksgiving every year. It is relatively easy, absolutely delicious, and will change the way that you feel about stuffing forever. It would also be a great accompaniment to your Christmas turkey!

2 boxes Mrs. Cubbison's Herb Seasoned Stuffing Mix (in the green box!)
1 cup butter
2 cups onion-chopped
2 cups celery-chopped
2 tart apples (Granny Smith)- peeled and diced
1 lb. mild italian sausage- browned and drained
about 2 cups chicken broth
about 2 cups apple juice
1-2 cups chopped pecans

Brown sausage and set aside to drain. In the same pan, saute onion and celery in butter. Add apples toward the end of your saute and cook just until slightly tender. Combine with stuffing mix in a large crock pot that has been lightly sprayed with Pam and moisten with chicken broth and apple juice. You want it to be moist, but not too wet.  Gently stir in pecans and cook on low for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Christmas & holiday recipe roundup!

Christmas season is in full swing and we wanted to highlight a few of our favorite holiday recipes. Christmas for me is about Christ, family and friends, giving and generosity and... food! Food always seems to play a part in creating memories, traditions and comfort. So, enjoy baking and giving away yummy treats, making memories over delicious meals, celebrating with friends at a party or giving your children something to get nostalgic about when they think back about Christmases of their childhood.

Happy holidays from all of us at Boy Cheese Sandwich!!!

• For Christmas morning:

Sausage Breakfast Casserole
German Pancakes
Apple Puff Pancakes
Amish Breakfast Casserole
Chile Casserole
Kathy's Coffee Cake
French Toast Casserole

• Christmas cookies and home-baked gifts:

Nana's Caramels
Chocolate-Dipped Pretzel Rods
Hot Fudge Sauce
Mom's Sugar Cookies
Waffle Brownies
Earthquake Cookies
Mint Brownies
Meltaways
Sand Art Brownies
Peanut Butter Bars
Easy Pretzel Turtles
Thin Mint Crackers

• Non-food gift:

Christmas Potpourri

• Christmas appetizers:

Cranberry Salsa
Wassail
Artichoke Dip

• Christmas salads:

Christmas Salad
Winter Fruit Salad with Lemon Poppyseed Dressing
Pear Salad

• Christmas desserts:

Gingerbread White Chocolate Blondies
Mom's French Pear Pie
Eggnog Cupcakes
Cranberry Bundt Cake with Warm Butter Sauce
Apple Torte with Lemon Sauce

• Meals for Christmas day, after presents -or- for Christmas Eve:)  Most are make-ahead, so you can just warm it up or bake it when family is around and hungry!

Three-Bean Christmas Chili
Classic Cheese Fondue
Chocolate Fondue (pictured below)
Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
Ski Country Pasta
Mom's Minestrone Soup
Cranberry Chicken
Mimi's Cafe Corn Chowder with Ham
Mom's Lasagna

Crowd-Pleasing Taco Salad

This is an easy and delicious salad that's great for feeding a crowd. I made it again recently for my family of 5 and cut this recipe in half. There was no need to simmer the beef, ketchup and spices with the smaller recipe. Recipe from Taste of Home.

1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup ketchup
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 medium head iceberg lettuce, torn
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Mexican cheese blend
1 can (2-1/4 ounces) sliced ripe olives, drained
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup taco sauce
1 package (10-1/2 ounces) corn chips (I used Fritos)

Cook beef in a large saucepan over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in the ketchup, oregano, chili powder, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine the lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, olives and beef mixture. Combine mayonnaise and taco sauce; pour over salad and toss to coat. Sprinkle with corn chips. Serve immediately. Yield: 14-16 servings.

Chicken and Rice Salad

Great for showers and luncheons!

Adapted from Sylvia Terry's recipe.

3 Tbs. brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup Canola oil
2 Tbs. white vinegar

Mix together and pour over:

4 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
1 (20 ounce) can pineapple tidbits, drained
3 cups cooked white rice

Stir together and refrigerate overnight.

The next day add:

1 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1/4 cup chopped red pepper
1 - 2 cups washed grapes
1/2 - 1 cup cashews
1/2 cup mayonnaise

Stir well. Fold in: 

2 (15 ounce) cans mandarin oranges.

Chill until time to serve. Serves 10 -14.