September Potluck Club

It's ALIVE!  Yes, the potluck club blog is back in business.  Please excuse my long absence, I've been a very naughty blogger.  We started the 2011-2012 HOSC season with a September potluck club meeting at my house.  I opted for no theme and let everyone choose willy-nilly.  We had a fun time and ate some delicious food.

Overnight French Toast

prepared by Jenn H.

• 1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
• 3/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1 - 10 oz loaf  French bread - sliced into 1-1/2-inch thick slices
• 4 large eggs
• 2-1/2 cups milk
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons  ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup butter - melted

Stir together first 3 ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat, cook stirring constantly, 5 minutes or until mixture is bubbly. Pour mixture evenly into a lightly greased 13 x 9 baking dish. Arrange bread slices over syrup.

Whisk together eggs, milk, vanilla, and salt; gradually pour over bread slices using all of the egg mixture (may seem like too much, but it isn’t). Cover and chill at least 8 hours or overnight.

Stir together granulated sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle evenly over bread. Drizzle evenly with 1/4 cup melted butter.  Bake at 350º for 45 to 50 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. 

Serve with bacon or sausage to complement the sweet flavor and custard-like texture. No need for additional syrup as this recipe makes its own.

Chunky Vegetarian Chili

prepared by Kristin

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

prepared by Kristin

NOTE: Kristin added 1 additional tsp of nutmeg.

Peach Chicken Salad Recipe

By: Melissa Garn

I got this recipe from: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Peach-Chicken-Salad/Detail.aspx

However, in mine, I did not use cucumber (I forgot to get it at the store) and fresh mint (again, I didn't get it at the store). I used mint flakes instead. This is for August Cooking Club, the theme of which is 'Summer Favorites.' Since this is pre-Cooking Club, and I've never made it before, we'll see how it turns out. :)

Ingredients

• 3 medium fresh peaches, peeled and cubed
• 2 cups cubed cooked chicken breast
• 1 medium cucumber, seeded and chopped
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
• MINT VINAIGRETTE:
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup minced fresh mint
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 4 lettuce leaves

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine the peaches, chicken, cucumber and onion; set aside. In a blender, combine the vinegar, lemon juice, sugar, mint, salt and pepper; cover and process until smooth. Drizzle over chicken mixture; toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate until chilled. Use a slotted spoon to serve on lettuce-lined plates.

California Club Pizza

Jennifer B.

Ingredients:
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 pkg (13.8 oz) refrigerated pizza crust
2 cups diced or shredded cooked chicken
2 cups (8 oz) shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese blend
2 plum tomatoes
1/4 medium red onion
1 medium avocado
1 lemon
6 slices bacon, thinly sliced, cooked and drained (optional, see Cook’s Tip)


Directions:
1.Preheat oven to 425°F. Lightly brush Large Bar Pan with oil using Chef's Silicone Basting Brush. Unroll dough onto bottom of pan, gently stretching and pressing dough to cover bottom. Top crust with chicken and sprinkle with cheese. Bake 16-18 minutes or until crust is golden brown; remove from oven to Stackable Cooling Rack.

2.Meanwhile, slice tomatoes in half lengthwise using Utility Knife; scrape out seeds and dice. Slice onion using Ultimate Mandoline fitted with thin slicing blade. Cut avocado in half using Utility Knife, avoiding pit; twist halves apart and remove pit. Dice avocado and place into Classic Batter Bowl. Add tomatoes and onion. Juice lemon to measure 2 tbsp juice; add to batter bowl and stir gently using Small Mix ‘N Scraper®.

3.Distribute tomato mixture evenly over pizza. Sprinkle with bacon, if desired. Cut pizza into squares with Pizza Cutter. Serve using Mini-Serving Spatula.

Yield: 8 servings

Nutrients per serving: Calories 340, Total Fat 16 g, Saturated Fat 8 g, Cholesterol 55 mg, Carbohydrate 28 g, Protein 22 g, Sodium 570 mg, Fiber 3 g

Cook's Tip: To cook bacon, cut into 1/4-in. pieces; cook in (8-in.) Sauté Pan over medium-high heat 10-12 minutes or until crisp. Remove bacon from pan; drain on paper towels.

Poppy Seed Chicken Recipe

Laura T.

Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I cut into cubes and boil until cooked
thru, and I boiled with 1 diced celery stalk but you can omit the celery)
1 can Campbell's cream of chicken soup
1-8 oz container of sour cream
*for a healthier option, can substitute fat-free soup and sour cream*
2 teaspoons poppy seeds
1 sleeve Ritz crackers
1/2 c melted butter
*for a healthier option, can use less butter*
1 box Rotelle pasta


Directions:
Cook noodles by directions on box. Drain. Put in bottom of casserole dish.
(If it looks like too many noodles...you can always make an easy pasta salad
with the others...Wishbone Italian salad dressing, some diced onions/green
peppers, sliced ripe olives, cheese chunks and chopped pepperoni slices)

Mix together chicken, soup, sour cream and poppy seeds. Spoon on top of
noodles. Crush 1 sleeve of Ritz crackers and add melted butter. Put on top
of soup mixture.

Preheat oven to 350°, bake for 20 min or until it bubbles.

(you can also serve over rice)

Capri Chicken

Laura T

-1 c. low-fat ricotta cheese
-1/2 tsp. dried oregano
-1/4 tsp. salt
-1/4 tsp. pepper
-4 boneless, skinless chicken
breast halves
-1/2 tsp. garlic powder
-2 T. extra-virgin olive oil
-1 c. crushed tomatoes
-4 slices low-fat mozzarella cheese

In a blender or food processor, combine the ricotta with the oregano, salt and pepper. Process to blend. Rub the chicken with the garlic powder. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 12 minutes per side. Place the chicken breasts, side by side, in a large baking dish and allow to cool. Preheat the oven to 350°. Spoon 1/4 cup of the cheese mixture and 1/4 cup of the tomatoes onto each chicken breast. Top each chicken breast with 1 slice of mozzarella. Bake for 20 minutes.

Chicken with Lime Sauce

Melissa G

-4 sm. boneless, skinless chicken breast halves,
cut into small or bite-sized pieces
-1 T. lime juice
-3/4 c. apple juice
-2 tsp. cornstarch
-1/2 tsp. chicken bouillon granules
-Cooked rice to serve on the side

Thaw chicken and cut into small or bite-sized pieces. I cut up the chicken so that more people could partake of the recipe, but if I were making it at home, I would leave the chicken breasts intact.

Mix together ingredients for sauce and put into crock pot. To make the sauce, combine lime juice, apple juice, cornstarch and bouillon. Add chicken and thoroughly coat with sauce. Cook in crock pot on low for 6-8 hours or on high for about 4 hours, stirring occasionally. Serve rice on the side or top with chicken.

This is my version of a recipe I found on www.bhg.com. Here is the link:
http://www.bhg.com/recipe/poultry/lime-sauced-chicken/

Baked French Toast Casserole

Melissa G

Originally found on:
http://www.pauladeen.com/recipe_view/204

Ingredients: 1 loaf French bread (13 to 16 ounces) Butter, for pan 8 large eggs 2 cup half-and-half 1 cup milk 2 tablespoon sugar 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg dash salt Praline Topping, recipe follows Raspberry Syrup, recipe follows
Directions:
Slice French bread into 20 slices, 1-inch thick each. (Use any extra bread for garlic toast or bread crumbs). Arrange slices in a generously buttered 9 by 13-inch flat baking dish in 2 rows, overlapping the slices. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and beat with a rotary beater or whisk until blended but not too bubbly. Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture. Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight. The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread Praline Topping evenly over the bread and bake for 45 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden. Serve with Raspberry Syrup. Prep Time: 20 minutes Inactive Cook Time: 8 hours Cook Time: 45 minutes Difficulty: Medium Yield: 6-8 servings Praline Topping: 1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter 1 cup packed light brown sugar 1 cup chopped pecans 2 tablespoons light corn syrup 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2-teaspoon ground nutmeg Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend well. Spread over bread as directed above. Raspberry Syrup: 1 cup raspberry preserves 3 tablespoons water 2 tablespoons raspberry liqueur (recommended: Framboise) Combine ingredients in a small saucepan and place over medium heat. Stir until warm and thinned out like syrup.

Chicken Spaghetti

Jenn H

This is a recipe from January Cooking Club that I neglected to get posted, but better late than never, right?
-Melissa G >:)

1 pkg. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 4-c. bag of shredded, sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 c. finely diced green pepper
1/2 c. finely diced onion
1 4-oz. jar finely diced pimentos, drained
3 c. dry spaghetti, broken into 2-in. pieces
2 c. reserved chicken broth from pot
1 tsp. Lawry's Seasoned Salt
1/8-1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste

Boil chicken breasts, and shred with two forks. Cook spaghetti in the same chicken broth, until it is al dente, but do not overcook it. When the spaghetti is cooked, combine it with the remaining ingredients, except for one cup of sharp cheddar cheese.

Place the mixture into a casserole dish, and top with the remaining cup of sharp cheddar cheese. Cover and refrigerate for up to two days, freeze for up to six months or bake immediately at 350° for 45 minutes, until bubbly. If the cheese topping begins to get too cooked, you can cover it with foil.

This is where Jenn got the original recipe:
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/recipes/chicken-spaghetti.pdf

Macaroni and Cheese Casserole

Melissa G (Linda Larsen is the lady who submitted it to the website originally)

I found this recipe online at

http://busycooks.about.com/od/pastacasserolerecipes/r/macandcheese.htm

Five ingredients, including frozen peas and refrigerated Alfredo sauce, make this pasta entree casserole recipe super easy.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3 cups penne or medium shell pasta
• 16 ounce jar four cheese Alfredo sauce
• 1 cup frozen baby peas
• 1 cup soft whole wheat bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons melted butter

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350° F. Spray a 1-1/2 quart glass casserole with cooking spray and set aside.

In large pot, cook pasta according to package directions until al dente, drain and return to pot. Add alfredo sauce and peas to drained pasta and cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until mixture is combined, about 3-5 minutes.

Place in prepared dish and top with a mixture of soft bread crumbs and melted butter. Bake at 350° for 20-30 minutes or until casserole is bubbling and bread crumbs are browned.
Serves 4-6.

Spiced Pumpkin Waffles

Melissa G

I just made these this morning, and they were pretty good. I got the recipe from:

http://www.delish.com/recipefinder/spiced-pumpkin-waffles-3827?kw=ist

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cup(s) all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon(s) baking powder
• 2 teaspoon(s) cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon(s) ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) fresh-ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon(s) cloves
• 4 large eggs
• 2 cup(s) buttermilk
• 1 cup(s) pumpkin purée
• 1/2 cup(s) dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup(s) (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon(s) pure vanilla extract

---

Directions

• 1. Preheat a waffle iron. Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cloves in a large bowl and set aside.
• 2. Whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, pumpkin purée, sugar, butter, and vanilla in another large bowl until smooth. While whisking, add the flour mixture and blend until smooth.
• 3. Generously coat the waffle iron with vegetable oil and cook the batter in the waffle iron as recommended in the manufacturer's instructions. Repeat with remaining batter.

Turkey Tetrazzini

from Laura T (also in the OSC Cookbook)
this was Cooking Club's favorite recipe for November

TURKEY TETRAZZINI

3/4 box spaghetti noodles or Mostaccioli
5 c. chicken broth
1 med. onion, chopped
1/2 c. celery, chopped
6 T. butter
4 c. cooked turkey
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 pinch nutmeg
1 pinch paprika
1 tsp. lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
parmesan cheese

Cook noodles in chicken broth, according to package. Sauté onion and celery in
butter, until tender, and add remaining ingredients. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top. Bake at 350° for 30 to 45 minutes.

Chicken and Cheese Enchiladas

Jennifer B

1 medium onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons margarine
1½ cups cooked chicken, shredded
1 jar picante sauce (I use a bit more)
3 ounces cream cheese
1½ teaspoons ground cumin
2 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded
8 flour tortillas

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cook and stir onion and red pepper in margarine in large skillet until tender. Stir in chicken, ¼ cup picante sauce (this is where I usually use more about ½ cup), cream cheese and cumin; cook until thoroughly heated. Stir in 1 cup cheese. Put ⅓ cup mixture in center of each tortilla, and roll up. Place seam-side down in 12 X 7 inch baking dish. Top with remaining picante sauce and cheese. Yield: 4 to 6 servings. Preparation time: 10 minutes. Cooking time: 15 minutes.

Pumpkin-Potato Gnocchi and Fresh Tomato-Sage Sauce

Melissa G

The gnocchi comes from http://www.delish.com/recipefinder/pumpkin-potato-gnocchi-2440, and the sauce comes from http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/recipefinder/fresh-tomato-sage-sauce-2040.

Pumpkin-Potato Gnocchi

Ingredients

• 1 pound(s) all-purpose potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
• 8 ounce(s) (1 cup) solid-pack pumpkin
• 1 teaspoon(s) salt
• 1/8 teaspoon(s) ground nutmeg
• 1 3/4 cup(s) all-purpose flour
• Fresh Tomato Sage Sauce or melted butter
• Sage leaves for garnish

---

Directions

• 1. In 2-quart saucepan over high heat, heat potatoes and enough water to cover to boiling. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 15 to 20 minutes until potatoes are very tender. Drain potatoes very well.
• 2. In large bowl, with potato masher, mash potatoes until very smooth. Add pumpkin, salt, and nutmeg, and mash until blended. With wooden spoon, stir in flour until dough almost comes together. With hands, gently press dough into a ball. Divide dough in half.
• 3. On floured surface, with floured hands, gently knead each dough half to a smooth, soft dough. Divide each half into 6 pieces. Working with 1 piece of dough at a time, roll into a rope, about 3/4 inch in diameter. Then, cut rope crosswise into 1-inch pieces (gnocchi). Place gnocchi in lightly floured jelly-roll pan. Repeat rolling, cutting, and placing gnocchi in jelly-roll pan with remaining pieces of dough.
• 4. In 5-quart saucepot over high heat, heat 4 quarts water to boiling. Using pancake turner, transfer gnocchi, one-third at a time, to boiling water. As soon as gnocchi float, with slotted spoon, carefully lift gnocchi from water, blotting bottom of slotted spoon with paper towels to remove excess water, and place on warm platter. Repeat with remaining gnocchi.
• 5. Serve gnocchi with Fresh Tomato Sage Sauce or melted butter. Garnish with sage leaves if you like.

Fresh Tomato-Sage Sauce

Ingredients

2 pound(s)	ripe plum tomatoes
1 tablespoon(s)	olive oil
1 small	onion, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon(s)	salt
3 tablespoon(s)	butter
1 tablespoon(s)	chopped fresh sage

Directions

1. Peel and coarsely chop tomatoes.
2. In 10-inch skillet over medium heat, in 1 tablespoon hot olive oil, cook onion until golden. Add salt and tomatoes with their juice; over high heat, heat to boiling.
3. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 15 minutes, stirring and mashing tomatoes with spoon occasionally. Stir in butter and sage.

Anderson's Chicken Salad

Eileen C says "This recipe came from Michelle's Langley OSC Cookbook, and would be just as good with leftover turkey instead of chicken."

6 c white meat chicken, cooked & chopped (I used equivalent amount canned chicken)
1 head celery, chopped (I omitted)
1 c pecans, chopped
1 large white onion, chopped
1 1/2 c craisins
1/4 c whole grain mustard
1 1/2 c mayo
1 T thyme
1 T dill
1 T garlic salt
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp sea salt

Combine everything in a large bowl and mix well. Serve over lettuce leaves or in croissants as a sandwich. Also good with crackers. Make 6-8 servings (I think it makes more like 10-12 servings.)

Tortilla Soup

Tortilla Soup
Tiffany O'Sheal
1 can fat free refried beans (16 oz)
1 can black beans (15 oz) rinsed and drained
1 can chicken broth (14 oz) (can also use water and bouillon)
1 1/2 c. frozen corn (can use canned)
3/4 c. chunky salsa (can use any spicyness, depending on what you like, I used Medium)
3/4 c. cubed chicken breasts
1/2 c. water
2 c. shredded cheese, divided

Bring beans, broth, corn, salsa, chicken, and water to a boil. Add 1 c. cheese. Cook until melted. Top with cheese, sour cream, and corn tortilla chips. This is something you could easily cook in a crock pot as well!

I was going to bring this soup to Cooking Club...in fact...I was on my way there when a car slammed on brakes in front of me and I had to choose whether to save my soup or save the car...well, I chose the car...sorry! :) So the soup ended up on the floor of my car...so I'll bring it for January!

Turkey Sloppy Joes

Amanda M


Ingredients
* 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
* 1 package, 1 1/3 pounds, ground turkey breast or lean ground turkey
* 1/2 red onion
* 1/2 red bell pepper
* 1 tablespoon grill seasoning blend (recommended: McCormick Montreal Grill Seasoning or Mrs. Dash seasoning for poultry)
* 2 tablespoons brown sugar
* 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
* 1 cup tomato sauce,( 8- ounce) can
* 4 crusty sandwich rolls, split

Directions
Add some extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan heated to medium in a nice, slow stream. Add the ground turkey to the pan. Break the turkey up with a big wooden spoon as it starts to cook.
You need half a red onion chopped up into small pieces. Pull the seeds, white membrane and the top out of a half red bell pepper, and chop that up into small pieces, too. Add the veggies to the cooking meat, and stir it all together.

Next, mix in a small bowl: grill seasoning blend, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce and the tomato sauce. This will make your special sauce. When all the ingredients are combined, pour the sauce evenly over the meat and stir everything together really well. Turn the heat down to simmer, and cook the sloppy mixture for 10 minutes. Blow on a spoonful until cool, and taste it to see if you need to adjust the seasoning. Serve on buns.

Melissa's Crockpot Beef Stew Recipe

Hey guys,
This is a variation on a recipe I sort of made up, but it's a great comfort food, keeping me warm in the fall, when it slowly gets colder outside. :)

Beef Stew
Melissa G

NOTE: This recipe uses a large crockpot. If a small crockpot is desired, roughly half the ingredients will do.

27 oz. of canned beef (this, the beef, came from my husband's grandpa, who is a farmer, so you might not find this exact amount in stores, but something close to it would work)
1 tree of broccoli (I don't know the correct terminology here, sorry about that! :-D)
2 potatoes, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 sm. tomato, chopped
2-14 oz. cans beef broth
1-14 1/2 oz. can green beans
1-15.25 oz. can whole kernel sweet corn
1 can of water (using corn can)

Mix all ingredients, adding or removing vegetables to taste. Cook on low for 8 hours, or set crockpot on high for 4 hours, stirring about once an hour.