Chicken Pot Pie Casserole (with Biscuits)

Chicken Pot Pie Casserole (with Biscuits)

3 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped onions
1 tablespoon minced garlic
4 cups shredded chicken
2-3 cups shredded cheese
1 bag frozen peas and carrots (10–12 oz)
1– 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
Salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup chicken stock (Optional)
1 tube of flaky biscuits
1 tablespoon butter, melted

 
1. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
2. In a large skillet melt the room-temperature butter over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and minced garlic, cooking them until the onions become translucent and fragrant.
3. Add in the mushrooms and cook for about 5 minutes until they release moisture and become tender.
4. In a large bowl, add frozen vegetables, shredded chicken, cheese, heavy cream, and mushroom mix. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir everything together until they are well combined. Add more heavy cream or chicken stock if you prefer a saucier casserole.
5. Transfer the creamy filling to a 9X13-inch casserole dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray.
6. Lightly flatten the biscuits. Place the biscuits in a single layer over the filling and brush butter over them.
7. Bake the casserole in the preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes until the biscuits turn golden brown. Then cover with aluminum foil and cook for 10 more minutes.

Cheddar Broccoli Potato Soup

Source: https://www.cookingclassy.com/wprm_print/cheddar-broccoli-potato-soup

Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 35 minutes
Total: 55 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients:
5 1/2 Tbsp butter, divided
1 1/3 cups chopped carrots (about 3)
1 cup chopped celery (2 stalks)
1 cup chopped yellow onion (1 small)
2 cloves garlic , minced
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 1/2 cups peeled and cubed russet potatoes , cut 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch thick (2 large)
3 cups chopped broccoli florets (from about 2 heads)
1/4 tsp dried thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 Tbsp all-purpose flour
3 cups milk (preferably 1% or 2%)*
1/2 cup heavy cream*
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (8 oz)
1/3 cup finely shredded parmesan cheese (1 oz)

Instructions:
In a large pot over medium heat, melt 1 1/2 Tbsp of the butter. Add carrots, celery and onion and saute 3 - 4 minutes. Add garlic and saute 30 seconds longer.
Stir in chicken broth, potatoes and thyme and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium, cover with lid and cook 15 minutes. Stir in broccoli and cook 5 minutes longer or until veggies are tender.
Meanwhile, melt remaining 4 Tbsp butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook, whisking constantly 1 minute. While whisking vigorously, slowly pour in milk (whisk well until no lumps remain).
Cook stirring constantly until mixture begins to thicken, stir in heavy cream. Remove from heat and once all veggies are tender pour into the soup and stir. Remove from heat and stir in cheddar and parmesan cheese until melted. Serve warm.

Notes

* I skipped the cream and just used milk (3.5 cups total).

This broccoli potato cheese soup won't freeze well because of the dairy. If making in advance, store in the fridge for 1-2 days.
You could also use cauliflower instead of broccoli in this vegetarian potato soup recipe.

Chocolate Chip Cake

Source: https://spaceshipsandlaserbeams.com/chocolate-chip-cake/

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 28 minutes
Total Time:53 minutes

Ingredients 

Cake 

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour 

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder 

½ teaspoon baking soda 

½ teaspoon salt 

¾ cup unsalted butter, room temperature 

1 ½ cups granulated sugar 

2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

3 large eggs, room temperature 

1 cup buttermilk, room temperature 

1 cup mini chocolate chips 

Frosting 

1 ½ cups unsalted butter, room temperature 

5 cups powdered sugar, sifted 

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract 

½ teaspoon salt 

4 tablespoons heavy cream 

⅓ cup mini chocolate chips 

2 tablespoons mini chocolate chips, to garnish the top of the frosted cake 

Instructions 

Cake 

Bring butter, eggs, and buttermilk to room temperature.

Preheat oven to 350* F. 

Spray 2 9-inch round cake pans with Baker’s non-stick spray and line with parchment paper rounds. Set aside. 

To a medium bowl mix together 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. 

To a large mixing bowl beat the butter, on medium-high speed with a handheld mixer, for 1-2 minutes or until light and fluffy. 

To the butter, add the granulated sugar and beat again until fully incorporated. 

Add the eggs, one at a time, and the vanilla extract to the butter mixture and mix on medium speed until all the eggs are fully incorporated. Be sure to fully incorporate each egg before adding the next one. 

To the bowl of wet ingredients add a third of the flour mixture, mix on low until incorporated, followed by half the buttermilk and mix just until incorporated. 

Add another ⅓ of the flour mixture, followed by the remaining buttermilk then lastly the final ⅓ of the flour mixture. Be sure to mix each addition thoroughly before adding the next. You will need to scrape down the sides, and bottom, of the bowl as needed to ensure the batter is evenly mixed. The batter will be thick. 

To a small bowl add the mini chocolate chips and 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour. Toss to coat all the mini chocolate chips in the flour. This will help to ensure that the chips do not sink to the bottom of the batter when the cake layers are baked. 

Stir the flour-coated mini chocolate chips into the batter just until evenly distributed. 

Divide the cake batter evenly between the two prepared pans and smooth to an even layer so that the cake layers bake up evenly.

 Bake for 28-30 minutes or until lightly golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

 

Allow the cake layers to cool in the pans for 10 minutes before carefully turning them out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Be sure to remove the parchment paper to allow the cake layers to cool properly. 

While your cake layers are cooling, you can make the frosting. 

Frosting 

To the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat on medium speed the unsalted butter for 1-2 minutes or until light and fluffy. 

Turn the mixer to low speed and add the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, and mix until all the powdered sugar has been added. You will need to stop the mixer and scrape down the paddle attachment, and the sides of the bowl, to ensure that the frosting is being evenly mixed. 

To the bowl add the vanilla extract, salt and heavy cream. Beat on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes or until the frosting is light and fluffy. 

Scrape down the bowl, and paddle attachment, before stirring in the ⅓ cup mini chocolate chips to the frosting. 

To assemble the cake, add one of the cooled cake layers to a cake plate then add 1 - 1 ½ cups of the frosting to the cake and spread to an even layer. 

Top with the second cake layer and frost the sides, and bottom, of the cake with the remaining frosting. Garnish the top of the frosted chocolate chip cake with the remaining 2 tablespoons of mini chocolate chips before slicing and serving. 

Notes 

Mini chocolate chips work best for this recipe as they are distributed more evenly in both the cake batter, and the frosting, than standard sized chocolate chips are. 

Buttermilk adds moisture and helps to create a tender crumb to the cake. If you do not have buttermilk you can make a substitute by adding 1 tablespoon of white vinegar, or fresh lemon juice, to 1 cup whole milk. Allow the milk to sit for 5 minutes before stirring and adding to the recipe.

 It is important when making this cake recipe that your butter, eggs and buttermilk are all at room temperature before using them to make the cake batter. This will ensure that your batter is smooth and the cake layers bake up properly. 

When making your frosting, you may need to add a little extra powdered sugar (starting with ¼ cup) if the frosting is too loose. Alternately, you may need to add a little extra (starting with 1 teaspoon) heavy cream if the frosting is too thick.

Spicy Sausage Pasta

Spicy Sausage Pasta

  Source:https://www.kevinandamanda.com/spicy-sausage-pasta/

Prep Time: 10 minutes 

Cook Time: 20 minutes 

Total Time: 30 minutes 

Yield: 4 servings 

Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb smoked sausage
1.5 cups diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced (or 2 tsps minced garlic)

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 (10 oz) can Ro-Tel tomatoes and green chiles, Mild
1/2 cup heavy cream
8 oz penne pasta
1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper   
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1/3 cup thinly sliced scallions 

Instructions
Add olive oil to an oven-safe skillet over medium high heat until just smoking. Add sausage and onions and cook until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add broth, tomatoes, cream, pasta, salt and pepper and stir. Bring to a boil, cover skillet, and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until pasta is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and stir in 1/2 cup cheese. Top with remaining cheese and sprinkle with scallions. Broil until cheese is melted, spotty brown, and bubbly.

The Mac Attack (TMNT Mac and Cheese Pizza)

The Mac Attack (TMNT Mac and Cheese Pizza) Source: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Cookbook Ingredients Cornmeal or flour for dusting EVOO for brushing and greasing (I didn't use this) 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni 1-1/2 cups milk 2 tbsp unsalted butter 2 tbsp flour salt and pepper 1/4 tsp paprika 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard 1 cup shredded white cheddar, divided (I used regular cheddar) 1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese, divided (I used mozzarella) 1 heaping tbsp minced fresh chives, plus more for garnish (I skipped this) 1/2 cup heavy cream OR half-and-half (I used non-fat half-and-half) 1 pound ball pizza dough (I used the recipe on the back of the pizza yeast) Instructions (These are adjusted to match the temperature and time on the pizza yeast recipe) Preheat over to 425 degrees F. Dush a pizza ban with cornmeal or flour. Bring a pot of salted water to boil and cook the past to al dente, according to package directions. Drain well. Pour themilk into a small saucepan and warm it over medium-low heat just until it starts to steam. Don't let it boil over! In a separate, heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking constantly, unilt if forms a smooth, bubbly paste. (Be careful not to let it brown.) Whisk in the hot milk for 3 to 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring the sauce to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in paprika, mustard, and 3/4 cup of EACH cheese. Stir until the cheeses are completely melted, then add the chices, cream, and pasta. Mix gently until well combined, then taste and season with additional salt and pepper as desired. Stretch or roll dough into 12-inch disk and place on pan. Brush with olive oil (I skipped this). Spread the mac and cheese onto the crust, leaving a 1/2 inch border of dough all round. Use just enough mac and cheese to make a 1/4-inch thick layer. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the cheese begins to brown. Remove the pizza from the oven. Let it sit for 5 minutes, then sprinkle with remaining chives. Slice and serve.

Slow Cooker Ham And Potato Soup

Slow Cooker Ham And Potato Soup

INGREDIENTS:

8 cups russet potatoes,  diced 

1 yellow onion, diced

2 large carrots peeled and chopped

½ cup chopped celery

16 ounce cubed ham 2 packages of packages smithfield anytime

1 teaspoon kosher salt

¼  teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

¼ cup flour

4 cups chicken broth

1 ½ heavy cream (you can also use milk-i used whole milk)

½ cup sour cream

Add the potatoes, onion, carrot, celery, ham, kosher salt, pepper, and chicken broth to your slow cooker and cook on low 7-8 hours, or high 4-5 hours.
Using a potato masher, mash about ⅓  of the potatoes.

add the flour, heavy cream/milk and sour cream and stir everything together 

Cover and cook on high for an additional 15 minutes.