Chicken Pot Pie

This recipe is a personal favorite of mine. It is easy and very filling!

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts

flour

2-3 potatoes but into cubes

carrots chopped up

1 box pie crusts (I normally would make my own crusts but I didn't have time today)

chicken boullion cubes

Cut the chicken into cubes and cook in a skillet until white on the outside

Boil the carrots and potatoes until soft (I boil them together, make it easier). When they are done make sure you save the water for the gravy.

Microwave 2 cups of water until steaming and dissolve 6-7 boullion cubes. 

In a casserole pan place one pie crust in the bottom 

Next step is to make the gravy. pour a 1/4 oil into a skillet and then add 1/2 cup to make a roux. whisk until combined. 

Next step is to add all the boullion mixture into the roux. Add 1 cup of the vegetable water. Keep stirring until the gravy is thick. 

You can add salt and pepper to taste.

Mix the gravy with the chicken and vegetables and pour in the dish.

Put the 2nd pie crust on top and poke a few holes into the top for air to escape while baking. Baking for about 35-40 minutes at 375 or until the top is brown and is bubbling.

Ready to eat!

yum!!!

Easy Pound Cake

This is by far one of the best pound cake recipes I have ever made. 

You will need:

1 cup butter (you can use real butter or margarine: I chose margarine)

1/2 cup shortening

3 cups sugar

1 cup milk

3 cups flour

5 eggs

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix together the butter and shortening

slowly add in the 3 cups of sugar

next add eggs 1 by 1 combining after each addition

in a separate bowl mix together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Start adding the flour mixture.

Alternate between adding flour and milk ending with flour.

lastly add the vanilla 

You can use a tube pan for this but I just chose to use 2 bread pans. Whatever pan you use butter the pans

and then coat with flour

Here is what the batter will look like

Fill the pans and place in a 350 degree oven for 1- 1 1/2 hours. I usually let mine bake for about an hour, but check the inside with a toothpick.

Yum! Make sure you let this cool completely before taking it out of the pan.

You can eat this with anything, my husband will have it with ice cream. I usually just warm it up in the microwave for about 15 seconds and add a teaspoon or so of butter to melt. Delicious!!!

Panko Breaded Pork Chops

I am a HUGE fan of pork chops, my Mom made them all the time for us and usually made them with macaroni and cheese (yum). 

You will need:

Vegetable Oil

Flour

Garlic Salt

Panko Bread Crumbs

1 egg (beaten with 1 tablespoon of water)

1 pack of center cut thin pork chops

First sprinkle garlic salt on both side of the pork chops

Fill a skillet with 1 1/2 cups of vegetable oil and heat for frying.

First coat each pork chop in flour

Next dip in the egg mixture

Coat pork on both sides with the panko bread crumbs

Fry in the oil until golden brown!

I served mine tonight with broccoli and parmesan cous cous. 

Spaghetti and Meatballs

I love making spaghetti, it is super easy and good. I decided today to make my own sauce and to step it up a bit make my own meatballs. 

For the meatballs you will need:

2 lbs ground beef

1/2 milk

1/2 onion chopped

1 clove garlic chopped

3 slices of bread (you can use any kind, I just chose wheat)

2 tablespoons Parsley

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

2 eggs

In a bowl beat the eggs slightly and crumbled the bread into that mixture, let sit to absorb for 5 minutes.

Add the onions, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper.

Add the ground beef and mix together

roll into 1 1/2 inch balls, bake in a 450 degree oven for 25-30 minutes.

Pull meatballs out of the oven and set aside.

For the sauce you will need:

2 6 ounce cans tomato paste

1 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes

3 tablespoons Olive Oil

2 cloves garlic chopped

1/2 cup onion chopped

1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon basil

In a pot heat the olive oil and sauté the garlic and onions on medium heat until soft. Then add the basil, oregano, salt, pepper and sugar.

Add the crushed tomatoes and tomato paste, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and put a lid on the pot to simmer for 30 minutes.

Once that time is up, add the meatballs. I also added a little more salt to taste and I added some crushed garlic that I keep in the refrigerator. Keep the heat on low and put the lid on. Leave the sauce for 60 minutes stirring occasionally.

I boiled 1/2 box of thin spaghetti, once the 60 minutes was up I mixed the sauce and spaghetti together

Serve with some grated parmesan cheese on the top. 

Peanut Butter Cups

I have always wanted to make homemade peanut butter cups. Well today I finally did it! I found a recipe a while ago but i decided to tweak the filling recipe. 

You will need:

2 cups milk chocolate chips

2 tablespoons shortening

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1 cup powdered sugar

2/3 cups graham cracker crumbs (I just pulsed the graham crackers in a food processor)

30 candy cups (I found mine at walmart)

Melt the chocolate chips and shortening in a sauce pan on low heat, stirring occasionally.

When done it should look like this. Keep the chocolate on very low heat

Take a small paintbrush and paint the inside of the cups (make sure to wear an oven mitt of some kind because the chocolate is hot)

Should look like this when complete, put them in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes to set.

To make the filling melt the butter and peanut butter together, then add the powdered sugar and graham cracker crumbs.

Fill each cup with approximately 1/2 tablespoon of the filling (doesn't have to be all the way full)

Use the remaining chocolate to fill the cups. 

Place in the freezer to chill, they should look like this! They are amazing!!!