Mashed-potao Stuffed Chicken

1/2 cup of cold left over mashed potatoes per chicken breast
bone in chicken breast halves
1/8 of cheese for each chicken breast
olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix together potatoes and cheese.

Carefully use your fingers to separate the skin from the meat of each chicken breast. Using your fingers push the mashed potatoes up under the skin of the chicken breast. Place stuffed chicken in roasting pan and drizzle with olive oil and season the chicken with seasoning of your choice.

Cover with foil and bake for 30 till 40 minutes, till juices run clear. When done uncover chicken and return to oven. Let bake a little longer till tops are brown.

Nana's Breakfast Casserole

6 eggs
1 cup half and half
2 tablespoons green onions, chopped
salt and pepper
6 slices of Texas Toast (or any thing cut, crusty white bread)
2 lbs spicy pork sausage, cooked and well drained
2 cups of grated cheddar cheese

Beat together eggs and half and half. Add onions and season with salt and pepper.

Spray a 12x10 baking pan with cooking spray and then line the pan with bread. Cutting and rearranging as needed. Cover the bread with sausage and cheese, then poor the egg mixture over the entire pan. Cover and refrigerate over night.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook covered for 25 to 30 minutes or until the egg mixture is set.

Potato Casserole

2 cups mashed potatoes
1/2 cup sour cream
season salt of your choice
1 small onion
1 stick butter, melted
1 1/2 cups grated cheddar
2 medium potatoes, sliced, and boiled
6 slices bacon, cooked, and chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread mashed potatoes into bottom of casserole dish. Layer sour cream , season salt, then onions. Slices potatoes and layer over onions. Pour on melted butter, and sprinkle with more season salt. Top with cheese and cover dish. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, uncover, and bake 5 more minutes. Remove from oven and crumble bacon over top.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

3/4 cup of butter flavored shortening
1 1/4 cup of light brown sugar
2 tbsp milk
1 tbsp vanilla
1 egg
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup of chopped nuts (optional)

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Combine shortening, brown sugar, milk and vanilla. Mix at medium speed until blended. Add egg to mixture. In a separate bowl combine flour, salt, and baking soda. Give the dry ingredients a whirl with a wire whisk to break up any lumps. Mix flour mixture into creamed mixture until blended. Stir in chips and nuts. Drop dough by spoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.

Chicken in Creamy Pan Sauce

I go the original recipe from Kraft and of course I had to tweak it.

6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 1/2 of corn flakes
1 tsp of garlic powder
1 tsp basil leaves
1 tsp season salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp shortening
1 package of fat free cream cheese, cubed
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
3 tbsp chopped fresh basil
1 1/2 cup of quartered cherry tomatoes
1 cup chicken broth or white whine.

Put corn flakes and dry spices into the blender and crush until the corn flakes are powder. Here is a tip do not take the lid off of the blender until the dust has settled. Tenderize each breast with a mallet. I like to put the chicken into a zip locked bag when I tenderize it that way little bits of raw chicken are not slung around the kitchen.

Melt shortening in a heavy frying pan/skillet, medium heat. Coat chicken with corn flake mixture then cook chicken in pan. About 7 to 8 minutes on each side, get a nice brown on each side. Place cooked chicken on a broiler rack or cooling rack in a warm oven until time to serve. The rack is important, it keeps the chicken from getting soggy.

Use broth to de-glaze skillet. Add cream cheese, and Dijon continually stirring until cheese is melted and sauce starts to thicken. I get best results with a wire whisk. If you think your sauce is too think that add a little more broth.

Now for the presentation part. You can plate each serving but I find it prettier when I use a large platter. Lay chicken on plater and arrange in a nice row, overlap a little. Spoon sauce down the center of the plate. Sprinkle fresh basil and tomatoes on top. See ain't that pretty. You can put the left over sauce in a bowl with a spoon so people can dish up if they what extra.

Look on Kraft's website for other variations.

Pasta Fazool

1 lbs smoked sausage, sliced (I prefer polish kielbasa)
2 large onions diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 celery stalks,minced, plus a few extra leaves
1 lrg can diced tomatoes
1 can garbanzo beans (rinse)
1 can red kidney beans (rinse)
1/2 pkg. frozen chopped spinach
1/2 tbsp Italian seasonings
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp basil leaves
1/4 tsp cayenne
2 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp oregano
1 tsp thyme
1 cup of shell pasta
chicken broth

Put all but pasta and beans into slow-cooker and add chicken broth to 2 inches from the top. Simmer on high 2 hrs or low 4 hrs. One hour before serving add beans. 30 minutes before serving add pasta.

Ham and Beer Cheese Soup

1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup sliced celery
2 tbs butter
3 cups half-and-half cream
3 cups diced ham
1 (16 oz) loaf Velveeta, cubed
1 can beer
1 cup broth, divided
3 tbsp flour

Saute' onion and celery with butter till tender and starting to caramelize. Add cream, ham, cheese, beer and 3/4 cup broth. Stir constantly until cheese melts. In a small jar or container with a lid add left over broth and flour. Sake it up until all flour is dissolved then add to soup; stirring constantly. Boil for one minute, stirring constantly. Serve with a little cheese sprinkled on top.