Satisfying, Sumptuous, Savory Saturdays -- Apple Roll

Satisfying, Sumptuous, Savory Saturdays

 

We are always looking for NEW things to serve our friends when they come over for dinner.  This is actually an OLD recipe.  Mark's momma has always made what she calls "apple roll" and everyone LOVES it.  (three words in all caps already - whew!)

So, I google "recipe for Apple Roll" - I found a few similar things but there was nothing out there just like hers.  I read a million recipes and couldn't find one that sounded just right.  When all else failed, I texted my sister-in-law, Susie, in Delaware, and asked her if she had the recipe.

 

My text back from her said, "I am not home but this is basically it."

 

I made it - it is delicious - you should try it!

 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

 

Cut up enough apples for at least two cups.  My friend, Amy, told me about cutting/eating apples this way.  There is so little waste!!  Cut across the apple and make round slices - then just cut out the tiny core and chop away.  You can see that the apples are not finely chopped - rough chop.  You want big enough pieces so they don't disintegrate.  I buy nice apples - I rarely buy the kind in the prepackaged bag.  These look like gala or honey crisp. (I made this in December so I don't remember all the details)

 

 

Mix apples (you can have way more than 2 cups) with about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of sugar, a healthy sprinkling of cinnamon, and a stick of melted butter.

 

I love this picture below.  The winter sun was shining into the house through the little trees on my island!!  Take one box of pastry (the kind you buy on the canned biscuit aisle).  Lay the two circles out on a big piece of parchment paper and roll them into one rectangle.

 

It doesn't have to be perfect.

 

This picture should have been up above -- I was pouring the melted butter over the chopped apples.

 

Take approximately two cups of those apples and spread them down the pastry.

 

Roll it up.  See my big knife.  I think I bought it at Walmart and it is a good knife!!

 

Cut the one long apple roll into two pieces and place in a 9 X 13 pan (this is my ugly pan - it is the pan I bake brown sugar brownies in . . also, a recipe from Mark's mom.  I didn't know how to bake AT ALL when I married Mark.  She has been a good teacher.

 

Pile all those other apples all around in the pan.  The more the better.  They will taste really good.  I hate to tell you this but after you get them in the pan - before you put it in the oven - pour about a cup of sugar over the top plus a little more melted butter.  I never said this was a low calorie nor low fat dessert.  I simply said it was good.

 

Put pan in hot oven until pastry starts to brown.  Just stand there and watch it.  I set the timer in few minute increments and it seems like it took 10-12 minutes for it to start browning - maybe longer.

 

This is the weirdest step of all.  Put one cup of water in a glass measuring cup and put it in your microwave and heat it until it is boiling.  Pour one cup boiling water on top of all; reduce oven to 350 degrees and keep on baking.

 

I made the apple roll the night before our friends were coming over (in case it was a flop!!).  I preheated the oven to 350 and when we sat down to eat our dinner, I put the apple roll back in the oven to warm.  Why?  Because you serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top and it needs to be warm.

 



 

You can tell that this is an old recipe.  There are not a lot of exact measurements.  It is so delicious.  Hope you will make an apple roll for your family (or yourself - share with someone!!) and tell me if you love it.

Satisfying, Sumptuous, Savory Saturdays

Satisfying, Sumptuous, Savory Saturdays

Guess what we are cooking today (actually, I made this on Wednesday)???  Cranberry Apple Casserole by Cel Bailey - this recipe is also available in our Trinity UMC cookbook - Temptations!  I think this recipe is both satisfying and a little sumptuous!!  The recipe that I'm going to give you is for ONE RECIPE!  I will tell you what I did to it at the end.

3 cups chopped, unpeeled apples (I used Granny Smith)
2 cups raw cranberries
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups quick oats
1/3 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup real butter

Preheat oven to 350.  Mix apples, cranberries and sugar.  Place in a 2 quart baking dish.  Mix oats, flour, brown sugar, pecans and butter together; spread over the top of the apple mixture.  Bake for one hour.

Well . . .you see . . .our family doesn't make many dishes in a 2 quart casserole.  That is not usually big enough.  You would think we would all be overweight - not just me!!  So, we always double this because it is a holiday favorite - both Thanksgiving and Christmas!!

So I doubled all the ingredients - 6 cups apples, 4 cups cranberries, 3 cups sugar (goodness gracious! - it needs it though).  So far . . .so good.

Isn't it pretty??  Those were some of the most gorgeous cranberries I have ever purchased!!

I used my cranberries straight from the freezer.  You can buy them when fresh in the grocery store and then just chunk that bag right in the freezer and use them as needed.  That is why the sugar looks kind of clumpy - the cranberries were cold!!

This is where the problem occurred.  I told Mark last week that I HAVE to purchase some new reading glasses.  I've been wearing 100's, 125's, and a pair or two of 150's for years.  All of a sudden, I can't read everything.  Dadgum - getting old is not for sissies!!  So when I read the recipe, I thought it said 1/2 cup flour (rather than 1/3 cup) so I had already mixed in a cup of flour rather than 2/3 (cause I was doubling, remember?).  There was nothing I could do except start over OR . . ..WAIT FOR IT . . .I HAD A BRILLIANT IDEA.  I would just triple the topping.  Everyone loves the topping.  It is like a giant oatmeal cookie on top of cranberries and apples.  So that is just what I did.  I tripled all the topping ingredients -- the oats, the flour, the brown sugar, the pecans and the butter (well - actually - I didn't triple the butter.  I just couldn't imagine three sticks of butter in anything . . .so I only doubled the butter (that is still TWO STICKS OF REAL BUTTER - LAND 'O LAKES SALTED BUTTER IS MY FAVORITE) . . .I may have added just a tad more - if you are ever tripling it, you can decide -- you have to be able to spread it.) . . .I just typed parenthetical information inside parenthetical information - there is probably some other punctuation I should use . . .or there is probably some hard and fast rule that says NEVER DO THAT . . .but heck - my blog, right? hee hee!  I always use way too many "dot, dot, dots . . ." and way too many parenthesis - I think I even talk that way!!
 

I baked it for an hour but because there was so much of it, I actually put it back in and let it back a little longer.  Then we reheated it on Thanksgiving day.  This casserole is what was cooking when Mr. Stanley Steemer (see last post) was here.

 

Cranberry Apple Casserole is wonderful - it is so versatile - you can serve it for breakfast on Christmas morning or for Sunday lunch - I think it would be great with pork tenderloin . . .maybe I'll make it for Tuesday night???.  It is especially great on Thanksgiving.  My sister-in-law, Alice, usually makes this dish but they went out of town for Thanksgiving.  We love it so much that someone else (that would be me!) has to make it when she isn't here.  (we sure did miss them but they were where they needed to be!!)

 

I'm not having a lot of success with folks linking up to share recipes . . .but I'm going to keep on.  When I went to that conference (She Speaks) this summer, they said, "don't give up."  so . . . link up and share a recipe with us!!  What dish does your family love so much that you cannot have thanksgiving without it?  Or you can just share any recipe!!

Satisfying, Sumptuous, Savory Saturdays

Satisfying, Sumptuous, Savory Saturdays

We hosted our supper club on Thursday night of this past week.  First time we have all been together (minus Kim) in a couple of months  (seems like we were all there at Guy and Phella's house this fall).  We usually get together on a Friday night or a Saturday night but since November is already the beginning of the holiday season, we decided a Thursday night would work.  Mark had the great idea to do a Mexican food bar.  We've done that "menu" many times for our Tuesday night group so we are at least "familiar" with it.  Our menu consisted of:

appetizer - four kinds of cheese and two kinds of crackers (picked up at Walmart on the way home from work -- thank goodness for my sweet supervisor - she allowed me to leave early)

main course - already prepared chicken, cheese and bean burritos from Costco.  I have searched and searched for a picture online . . .I can't find one.  They were in the refrigerated portion - there were six individually wrapped burritos in the package.  I took them out of the package and unwrapped them and placed them in a glass pyrex dish (they are large enough that I could only get six in a three quart casserole dish).  I spooned some salsa on top and sprinkled grated cheese on top of that and heated them in the oven for 20 minutes.  They were really good!!!

I also had hamburger meat that I had browned and seasoned with taco seasoning and chips and tortillas and grated cheese and sour cream and salsa and melted white cheese and tomatoes and lettuce . . .all the fixin's for soft or hard tacos.

side: 2 cans of black beans - warmed in a saucepan and I also prepared and served Cilantro Lime Rice from Target.  It is really good!!  I did two boxes but only used 1 1/2 pouches of the seasoning mix because it smelled so strong . . .it seemed perfect.

I also served homemade guacamole . . .my sister-in-law, Alice, taught me to make it years ago and I have tweaked and added along the way.

Best advice - buy your avocadoes several days in advance so they have time to ripen.  I bought mine on Sunday afternoon and it was cold here this last week and I left them in the basement.  Not smart.  I had to stop and buy a few more ripe ones on the way home.  I used 12 avocados, 1 small to medium onion, chopped very fine, about 6 roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped into 1/4 pieces (no, I don't measure - just giving a guestimate), a giant lemon, a tablespoon or two of sour cream (I finally have found the magic . . .if you put some sour cream in . . .it won't turn dark!!!! - I promise!!! . . .by day two in the fridge, it will be dark just on top).  I also use a lot of salt, some garlic salt, and a LOT OF black pepper (my daughter-in-law taught me that one!!).  I have two other tricks.  I have an avocado scraper that will scrape out the inside of each one really well so you don't have waste.  I also have an antique potato masher that I use to mix it all together. 

I should have wiped the counter off before I snapped the photo.  I was in a hurry!  I chopped the onions and the tomatoes on Wednesday night and put them in little plastic bowls in the fridge.  One less step before dinner!!  (actually, two less steps!!)

 

I also made "homemade" margaritas.  You know that stop at Walmart on the way home from work???  I bought a black and decker blender - $29.92 - because we didn't own a blender.  How could I not own a blender???? 

 

6 ounces of frozen limeaide (any brand will do)

6 ounces of white tequila - I used Jose Cuervo Tequila Silver made with Blue Agave

2 ounces of Bols Triple Sec

 

 

 

Here is the trick - I never knew this before Thursday night.  I filled the blender about 2/3 of the way full with crushed ice (from the refrigerator ice maker).  Then I added the other ingredients.  For years and years, I have been adding the liquid first and then have been frustrated because I couldn't add enough ice.  If you put the ice in first, everything else fits.  (just like the rocks in the jar . . .priorities?? -- if you put the big rocks in first (God, family, etc.), then the smaller rocks . . .job, exercise, you name it . . .then the sand . . .all those little things (last) . . .it will all fit -- but if you start with the sand (all the little stuff) . . .everything else won't fit???  You know that analogy, right?)  The margaritas were the best I've ever made . . .and they were made in my very own handy dandy Black and Decker blender (no - they don't know me from Adam so they are not giving me any money for their free advertising!!)

 

Dona made dessert . . .little individual flans - yummy!!  I'll tell you her secret . . .she said that Jello makes a flan mix . . .you know - like jello pudding???  Who knew???  I sure didn't!!

 

So . . .for today's Satisfying, Sumptuous, Savory Saturday . . .

You have a menu and a couple of delicious recipes!!  Enjoy!!

Link up if you will and share your favorite "supper club" type menu or a favorite cooking/entertaining secret.

By the way, I made Robin's date/chocolate chip cake yesterday - Mark loves it - said it is a keeper recipe.

 

 

Satisfying, Sumptuous, Savory Saturdays

Satisfying, Sumptuous, Savory Saturdays

 

 

Today's recipe -- Cranberry Chicken

by Lenore Neptune

Today's recipe is from our most recent church cookbook. Temptations!!!  Some of the recipes are available online but there are even more in the cookbook.  Let me tell you . . .I have about three favorite cookbooks and this is my "go to" cookbook most of the time.  Well worth the money. (no, they ARE NOT paying me to write about their cookbook . . .I don't know how many copies (lots and lots!) that I have bought and given as gifts though!!  You can buy one from the link above and they will mail it to you!)

This is definitely a satisfying and savory recipe!!
Cranberry Chicken

1 can whole berry cranberry sauce

1 8 ounce bottle French dressing (or catalina or Russian -- all three work!)

1 envelope dry onion soup mix

6 to 8 chicken breasts (I've made it with large bone in breasts for supper club and it is really good!  For the young adults, I use boneless skinless chicken breasts - giant bag from Costco.  The bone in breasts have more flavor - just fyi!!)

Preheat oven to 350.  Spray 9 X 13 pan with pam or line pan with foil for easy clean up. 

Combine cranberry sauce, dressing and soup mix.  Sometimes I zap in the microwave for 45 seconds to a minute so that the ingredients combine easier.

Arrange chicken pieces in baking dish and pour sauce over each one (use all the sauce).  Bake
uncovered for one hour or until chicken is cooked through (large bone in breasts make take longer than an hour).

Serve with wild rice and green beans and salad . . .yummy meal.

ok - here are my "extra" notes.  Sometimes I add a few - a cup maybe - of extra frozen cranberries to my sauce.  I also triple or quadruple the recipe for the young adults.  BUT do not triple or quadruple the onion soup - it will be too salty.  If you quadruple, you can probably use two envelopes of onion soup.  Another thing I do when I use this recipe for a large crowd . . .I use the crockpot.  IMPORTANT note:  the breasts are not as pretty when cooked in the crockpot (only use boneless - the others would probably fall apart).  When I use the crockpot, I remove the breasts from the crockpot at serving time and place on a large platter.  If I'm using the crockpot, I save back some of the "sauce" ( in the morning, don't put a cup or so of the sauce in the crockpot - but store it in the fridge).  Before serving heat reserved sauce and spread it on each breast once on the platter.  Presentation matters to me!!  I usually try to make sure a cranberry or two is on top of each breast.  The sauce leftover in the crockpot is really good to put on the rice.

This is an easy and delicious recipe!!  Something Satisfying and Savory for this Saturday . . .is a good thing!

Now I must finish preparations on my Sunday School lesson. . .it is on gratitude!  I am grateful for this gorgeous day . . .and for good food . . .and good friends . . .and sooooo many other things.  Most of all, I think I am grateful for God's grace!

P.S.  I forgot to tell you a couple of things!  Lenore Neptune is the mother of my boss!  I think that is cool.  She passed away several years ago so I really think it is neat to be using her recipe.  Also, please feel free to link up and share a recipe.  Just click on the link and follow the directions.  Last but not least, if you are a regular reader . . .I participated in Wednesday Hodgepodge this week.  One of the questions asked how I am like my siblings - ways we are all alike.  I had a hard time with this one but Becky (middle sister) and I talked and came up with several ways -- 1) all three sisters love to read . . .and not just love to read but love to read mysteries!!  2)  all three of us have been divorced at one time or another  3) all three of us have bad vision (but I had lasik surgery 10 or 12 years ago so I don't have to wear glasses except to read)  . . .seems like there were a couple of other things but I can't think of them now.

Don't forget to link up!

Satisfying, Sumptuous, Savory Saturdays

Satisfying, Sumptuous, Savory Saturdays

 

 

 

So . . .have you cooked anything delicious this week?  I've cooked two big meals . . .one on Tuesday night for our young adults.  This week we had Mexican.  I cooked six pounds of lean hamburger meat and added spices, etc.  I chopped tomatoes and onions and I made 18 cheese quesadillas.  I also made homemade guacamole (my sister-in-law Alice taught me how to make guacamole!!).  I did cheat a tad -- I called Tecate in Vestavia and ordered a pan of rice and a pan of beans and 60 ounces of salsa.  I love Tecate's salsa . . .and I also love their margaritas!

 

The other meal I cooked was for last night.  We celebrated our daughter-in-law's birthday last night.  Her actual birthday is Monday.  I'll post about that menu an another day.

 

I love Thanksgiving.  It is one of my all time favorite holidays.  It is a time where we can get together with family and friends.  There are no gifts involved.  There is good food . . .and my favorite food in all the world (besides French fries) is dressing (or stuffing . .or whatever you want to call it).  Here in our state . . .or maybe I should say in my home growing up and in Mark's momma's house . . .we have traditional cornbread dressing . . .and GRAVY . . .Gravy is probably my third favorite food.  I know I'm overweight but I promise it is not from eating those three foods all the time!!  I think I love dressing and gravy so much because we eat it so rarely.

 

So . . .over the years, Mark and I have been assigned various food duties for Thanksgiving.  Mark's momma cooks the turkey and dressing and gravy and she makes pies . . . lots of pies . . .at least a pie per person . . .really .  . . she is in her late 80's (I think) and still not slowing down on the pie baking at Thanksgiving.  We bring the sides.  We always make "pumpkin souffle" . . .which is really butternut squash . . .but we have always called it pumpkin.  It is really good.  We don't even attach the word souffle to it . . .which it probably really isn't . . .thinking about what a traditional souffle looks like . . .we just say, "we'll bring the pumpkin."  Everyone knows what we mean.  Sometimes Mark's momma asks us to bring an appetizer (she says she doesn't know how to make appetizers).  The problem is that we don't eat until dinner - until nighttime - while all you people are stuffing your face in the middle of the day . . .we are waiting . . .and waiting!!!  If we have an appetizer, we are all so hungry that we eat way too much of the appetizer . . .and then don't have room for the GOOD stuff (like gravy!!!)

 

A couple of years ago, I made a raw veggie turkey.  (you know - we need some low cal raw veggies to combat the dressing and gravy, right???)  I thought I would share it with y'all today . . .since we are quickly approaching my favorite day of the year . . .Turkey Day . . .Thanksgiving . . .a day to give thanks!  (we need to do that every day . . the giving thanks part!!)

 

 

Nothing fancy . . .and not hard to assemble at all.  I just used a big round glass tray and covered the tray first with large clean lettuce leaves.  I chopped red, green and yellow peppers into slim half circles.  I sliced a cucumber.  I opened a can of black olives.  Then I assembled.  I started with the carrots and worked my toward the "head."  I guess you can tell that I saved 1/3 to 1/2 of the green pepper to use as Mr. Turkey's head.  His beak is a small "chunk" of yellow pepper and his "goozler" (I know the real name . . .I just like "goozler" better)  is a sliver of red pepper.  I think I made homemade ranch dressing/dip (but you could dump some from a bottle or buy some already prepared) to go with the veggies and served it on the side in another clear glass or cut crystal bowl.

 

I would love for someone . . (thanks Robin and Lauren for sharing recipes!!) out there in blog land to share some Thanksgiving recipes with me.  I have a link at the bottom, you just have to link up with us . . .

I love stories, too . . .so if your recipe has a story, please share that with us!!  Do you eat cornbread dressing? . . .or potato stuffing (my sister-in-law in Delaware) . . .or stovetop stuffing??

p.s. (can you p.s. on a blog?? - I guess so since it is mine . .)  I bought the ingredients to bake Robin's date and chocolate chip cake from a couple of weeks ago.  I may bake it this afternoon!!

MMMMMMM Good - Savory White Turkey Chili . . .

Satisfying, Sumptuous, Savory Saturdays

The weather in Alabama finally feels like fall.  We never know what kind of weather we are going to have . . .if you don't like the weather today, odds are that tomorrow . . .or at least by the next day, it will be different.  I guess we live just close enough (4 hours) from the coast . . .and somewhere in the jet stream (can you tell I know a WHOLE LOT about weather??) that we have mild fall weather.  Sometimes it seems like we have two seasons here - Hot . . .and not so hot!  This week we have had some of those days with some real nip.  Last  night we even had a frost warning for our county . . .several hours at or below freezing.  We just never know . . .odds are good that I will have on shorts on Thanksgiving day.  The whole point about that incredibly long monologue about weather -- it has been cool enough to make soups and chili.  I love soups and chili.  I'm so hot natured that you would think that I wouldn't like hot food . . .but I do!!

Last Sunday night, I put a whole turkey breast in the crockpot and cooked it so that we could have some meat to eat on this week.  We also served honeybaked Turkey Breast (the real kind!) to the young adults on Tuesday night.  I realized that we had just enough honeybaked Turkey leftovers for a couple of meal and didn't want the other meat to go to waste.  On Thursday morning before I went to work, I threw a few things into the crockpot before work and when we came home . . .yummy supper!

The recipe is really for White Chicken Chili . . .but it was really good with turkey leftovers!!!!  Really good!!  So . . .ingredients are:

White TURKEY chili

chopped onions (a small to medium one chopped - or see my notes in recipe)
chopped turkey (or chopped chicken - whatever you have - I used all the left-overs - you could even use a rotisserie chicken)
1 can rotel - I used original
2 cans chicken broth
one Mason Jar of turkey broth (saved in refrigerator from cooked turkey earlier in week - this is optional -- I just had it on hand . . .and it was so rich and flavorful)
2 (or three) cans navy beans (I do not drain my beans - I like to use the juice in most of my soups)
a tsp or so of cumin

I sprayed the crockpot with Pam and added the chopped onions and chopped/shredded chicken.  I am going to be honest - I had a container of pre-chopped onions from the produce department and I used those - equivalent to a small to medium sized onion.  You could also use frozen chopped onions or a whole onion that you chopped yourself.

Here are all the pretty ingredients (minus a few) - what can I say?  It was really early in the morning and I have not been getting enough sleep.  Look at the color of that rich turkey broth.  You can see a small amount of fat on top.  I took a spoon and scooped the fat from the top and didn't put the fat in the crockpot.

Here is the turkey . . .I just dumped it out on a paper plate and chopped and shredded it. It does not have to be in uniform pieces, etc. 

This is what it looked like after everything was in the crockpot.  The rotel adds flavor and a little color but does not make it a "red" soup/chili.

I realized that I forgot to add some cumin so the cute little jar had his picture snapped all by himself.  I love cumin.  It is one of my favorite spices.  I need to google "difference between herbs and spices" - I think cumin is a spice  . . .

 

When we got home from work . . .it was great . . .because when you came in through the basement door . . .you could smell supper.  That is a comforting smell - something cooking after a long day.  I told Mark that I wished we had some cornbread but I want to make any.  We both remembered that there was a bag of Gourmet (yes! Gourmet!!!) Hush Puppies in the freezer.  Mark grabbed those and tossed them to me and we popped those into the oven - viola' (is that how you spell that??) -- instant cornbread . . .almost.  The  hushpuppies were a great addition to our White Turkey Chili.  My daddy used to cook hushpuppies all the time as his "bread of choice" after my momma died.  I always feel a sweet connection to him when I do something . . .and then remember that he did that, too!

 

This recipe is easy to throw into the crockpot on low all day or in a regular pot on your stovetop for an hour or two.  I will tell you that because I added that extra broth . . .the chili was not quite as thick as I like it.  I was standing looking into the pantry looking for a "thickener" . . .I didn't like anything I had on hand.  I spotted a can of cream of chicken soup and thought - what the heck - why not try it?  I opened it up and plopped it into the crockpot and turned the crockpot on high.  I got out my whisk and whisked the soup into the mixture and let it continue to cook while we baked the hushpuppies, etc.  It really added some much needed body to the chili.  I don't know if I would add it up front next time . . .probably not.  I don't think you would have the problem if you only used the two cans of broth.

 

I would love for you to link up and share a recipe.  My friend, Gayle, said she would share a recipe but didn't know how to do it on the blog.  I'll have to get one from her and share with y'all - she is a good cook . . .she makes great pimento and cheese among other things!!

 

So . . .link up and share.  I want to try Robin's date cake from last week but haven't been to the store yet.  It would have been a great addition to our White Turkey chili and hushpuppies!!

Satisfying, Sumptuous, Savory Saturday

Satisfying, Sumptuous, Savory Saturdays

I'm going to try really hard to post these every Saturday . . .I don't know why it is so hard.  If I were smart . . . .I would type up a bunch and schedule them to post every Saturday.  Maybe it is not a "lack of smarts" but a lack of time!!  I've been sitting here making my grocery list and menus and "to do" list for work and home next week . . .and I need to be working on my Sunday School lesson.  (just an aside here - I have really struggled with this book . ..and yes, I bought it . . .and in "theory" it is good stuff - learning about each of the apostles and their lives, etc. . .. and of course, what their lives tell us about Jesus and about ourselves . . .but this book has required great amounts of outside research . . .I need to write a review about this . . .but it wouldn't be very favorable -- I need something to teach next until Lent - I want some curriculum about "being thankful" . . .any ideas out there . .. and yes, I know this is one incredibly long run on sentence with lots of . . . .but it is my blog :-) and that is where my crazy mind is running this morning! hahahaha!!)  So . . .on to the recipe for the week.

Chicken Pot Pie originally by Jane Bellew

 

 

The original recipe is written on a scrap of paper that Mark brought home from his office.  He and Jane worked about 30 years together until she retired this year (after a horrible fall last year - off a ladder while hanging Christmas decorations on her house!!)  Those are tiny ghosts cut with a cookie cutter on top of the lattice work crust.  (pictured with sweet 'n sour green beans - a good post for another day) and wild rice and Sister Schubert's rolls . . .not pictured - green salad)

 

So . ..  here are the ingredients

 

• pie crust (in the box in refrigerated section)
•  
• canned chicken (original recipe calls for canned - sometimes I use home cooked) for a family, I would suggest one or two large cans of all white meat chicken - depending on your budget and how much meat your family enjoys -- I would also suggest a boneless breast per person if cooking your own (so drain the canned chicken and chop into smaller pieces or pull apart or cool and chop your boneless breasts)
•  
• 1 can veg-all drained
•  
• 1 8 ounce carton sour cream
•  
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
•  
• a little chicken broth (if you cooked your own chicken)
•  
• small can drained water chestnuts (I do not use because NEITHER of my children like water chestnuts . . .but I love them in this recipe)
•  
• 2 boiled eggs - chopped

This is an easy peasy recipe - and I think it is both satisfying and savory . . .and it is definitely comfort food.

 

Here are the directions.  Spray your 9 X 13 pan (use your brownie pan - or whatever you have) with cooking spray. (I always use Pam because that is what I buy)  Cut one of the round crusts into four strips (sometimes I use my rolling pin and make the crust more of a rectangle).  Place one of the four pieces around the outside edges of your pan. Do not bake yet.  (the other option is to make a rectangle and place in bottom of your pan and cook crust for a few minutes . . .not as long as package says - just until it begins to firm up some).  Mix the chicken, sour cream, drained veg-all, soup, water chestnuts, and chopped boiled eggs together.  Add a little chicken broth - I'm talking only a few tablespoons.  Pour this mixture into your pan.

 

Now take that other round circle of pie crust and roll it into a rectangle (if you have a rolling pin!).  Now cut into strips and criss cross across top of pie.  This is YOUR chicken pot pie - you can make any design you want.  Get out a cookie cutter - cut out some hearts or ghosts or chickens!!  You DO NOT have to do a lattice work pattern on top.  YOU CAN DO anything you want -- you just need crust on top.

 

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 45 minutes or until filling is bubbling and crust is light brown.

 

Enjoy!!!

 

I know that I don't have a lot of readers . . .I'm not a "famous blogger" . . .but I would love for you to link up and share a favorite recipe with us . . maybe something easy peasy . . .or a comfort food recipe that you love.

 

 

 

 

Satisfying, Sumptuous, Savory Saturday

Satisfying, Sumptuous, Savory Saturdays

New Recipe!!

Sweet and Hot Pinwheels

For our supper club each month, we each prepare a portion of the meal.  The host home provides the main dish and everyone else brings either the salad, veggie, starch, dessert, appetizer.  I was in charge of the appetizer in September and Mark challenged me to come up with something new and interesting!  So . . .I did it!!

You will need large flour tortillas - 5 or 6
dried cranberries - about a cup - actually I used about 3/4 of the package - think it was a 7 ounce package
chopped pecans -  1/2 cup
whipped cream cheese - 8 ounce container
feta cheese - the little square container - crumbled - at least a cup - maybe more (I'm going to add a little more next time)
green onions - 2 or 3 chopped in very small pieces
hot pepper jelly - I used Tabasco pepper jelly which I purchased at Walmart and loved it!!

I thought I took a picture of these beautiful and delicious creations but it is nowhere to be found on my phone!!!  Take my word for it, they are lovely.

Want to know how to make them?

Mix (I used my mixer) the cream cheese and feta cheese together.  Add cranberries, pecans and green onions.  Stir well.
Get out a tortilla and spread some of the pepper jelly on the tortilla.  Then add a layer of the cream cheese mixture.  I started with several spoonfuls down the center and then kind of patted it out toward the edge.  It is not very spreadable.  Next time, I might try putting the cream cheese mixture down on the tortilla first and then the jelly.  I don't want to mix it together though - I think it would lose some of its bite.

Now roll up that tortilla - you need to put stuff all the way to the edge so that when it rolls up, you can see the mixture on the end - otherwise, you will have wasted ends.  Wrap that rolled up tortilla in some wax paper and twist the ends.  Put it in the fridge to chill.  Continue with remaining mixture and tortillas.  (I had a few tortillas left which was great because I made cheese quesadillas a couple of days later!!)

The sweet and hot rolls need to chill for a couple of hours at least.  You could probably even make them the day before.  I got out the electric knife and made quick work of the slicing.  Unroll the wax paper and slice the rolls into pieces that are about an inch wide.  Arrange on round (I used an Auburn!!) platter where filling shows.  They are so pretty and when the first person tastes them . . .watch for their reaction!!

YUMMY and oh so easy - just my style!!!  They are so good that Mark said I should give away the recipe that I should use it as my "signature" appetizer.  But . . .I wanted to share with y'all!!  I think this is a satisfying recipe . . .with a little savory thrown in for good measure!!

I would love for you to link up and share a recipe with us . . .

Savory Saturday . . .but next week might be sumptuous or even satisfying!!

 

Satisfying, Sumptuous, Savory Saturdays

 

Today's recipe is a savory one!!

 

There is no real name for this recipe . . .maybe we can call it Tomato Relish?  There may not be an official name but I can promise you that it is savory and delicious . . .and actually quite satisfying!!  I was so excited that my friend, Robin, from Texas, posted a recipe.  She has a great blog and you can check it out here: http://myquiltednest.blogspot.com.

I would love for some more folks to link up and share recipes this week.  Most all of my favorite recipes originated from friends or family!!

So . . .here are the ingredients for this week's recipe:

 

2 cans petite diced tomatoes (or any other kind you like) or you can even use fresh tomatoes, chopped and seeded (It would probably take 5 or 6 nice sized tomatoes to equal two cans)

chopped onion - I usually use a whole one - chopped into small pieces but not minced

optional - a little chopped green pepper (I didn't have any this morning)

optional - a little chopped celery (I added maybe a third of a cup - chopped pretty fine)

about 3/4 cup sugar

about 3/4 cup vinegar (equal parts vinegar and sugar)

a shake of salt and pepper

Bring all this to a boil and allow to slowly simmer until cooked down - don't cook on a temp that is too high - the sugar will burn to the bottom of your pan . . .yes, that has happened to me)

It will take a while - so don't wait until dinner time to prepare this.

The beauty of this recipe is that you can make as much as you want.  The sugar and vinegar just need to be the same amount . ..so if you are feeding a lot of people, you could use more tomatoes and onions, etc. and more vinegar and sugar.

 

This is what it looks like when you first start cooking it.  The color will turn darker and most of the liquid will evaporate/cook into the tomatoes (however that works??) when it is done.  When mixture has thickened and onions are tender, etc.  Remove pan from stove.  Put mixture in a glass jar (if you do put it in a glass jar and the mixture is hot, it will break the jar . . . so put a table knife down in the jar to absorb the heat and then add the tomatoes.  I have no idea why this works . . .but it does work for any hot liquid, etc.).  Now put it in the refrigerator and let it chill until mealtime.

Now are you wondering what I'm going to do with this tomato relish stuff?  Our kids are coming over for dinner tonight and I plan to serve these (of course, I'm going to cook them first).  You serve the tomato relish on top of peas, butter beans, etc.  It is delicious on all kinds of beans . . .it is so good you could almost eat it with a spoon. 

I have to put a commercial in here . . .if  you live anywhere in the greater Birmingham area . . .we now have a wonderful veggie/fruit farmer's market in our church parking lot on every Tuesday and Thursday.  Mr. Davidson arrives early - around 6:30 or 7:00 a.m. and he stays until he sells out or has to drive back home.  His fruits are veggies are reasonably priced and they are fresh and delicious.  I bought peaches and cream corn, baby limas, peaches, tomatoes, okra and new potatoes from him on Thursday (all for about $23!!!!) and that is what I plan to serve my family tonight along with some grilled beef tenderloin.

 

While I have been writing, the tomato mixture has been cooking.  It is not done yet, but you can see how the color is getting deeper and you can see that the onions are beginning to get tender.  I think it still needs to cook at least thirty more minutes.

I would love for you to link up with me and share a recipe.  If you try my recipe, I would love to hear back from you.