Green Bean Casserole

The humble green bean casserole has always 

been a popular Thanksgiving side dish.

Did you know that more than 40 million 

Americans will be making it this year?

Why just make it at Thanksgiving? There are

 so many other soft foods that day that I 

prefer a sauted green beans almondine 

or roasted brussels sprouts. 

I like it much better throughout the year
with a roasted chicken, pork roast,
or grilled steak. It's so easy and I can
make it ahead of time.

Green Bean Casserole
2 16oz cans green beans, drained, 4 C
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 C milk
1/8 t pepper
1/8 t garlic powder
1 t soy sauce
1-2/3 C French's fried onions
Combine: beans, soup, milk, seasonings and
2/3 onion rings. Pour into a greased 1-1/2 qt
greased casserole. Bake @350º for 25 minutes.
Remove from oven and stir to combine. Top with
remaining 2/3 C onions. Return to the oven  for
another 5  minutes.
Serves 6

Pumpkin Pecan Baked Brie

You don't need to wait for company to enjoy 

this appetizer treat.  It was the perfect

  little delicious snack to have with our 

Sunday afternoon tea.
This recipe adapts easily to different
flavors and is very similar to
my other baked brie recipe. 

Pumpkin Pecan Baked Brie
1 can crescent rolls
1 8oz round brie cheese
¼ C pumpkin butter
¼ C pecans, plus additional for decorating
1 egg
1 T water

Roll out the dough and press the seams together

place the pecans in the center of the dough, top

with pumpkin butter. Place the cheese on top of

 the pumpkin butter and pecans. Wrap the dough 

around the cheese, pinch seams to seal. Whisk 

egg with water and brush over the top. Place 

seam side down on a baking sheet, brush the top 

with the egg wash and decorate with additional

pecans and cut scraps from the excess dough. 

Bake at 350 for 25 minutes until golden.

Enjoy!

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Crockpot French Onion Soup

Making French onion soup in the crockpot will

save you the trouble of watching and stirring

the onions while they carmelize on the stovetop. 

I've adapted my favorite recipe for 

French Onion Soup for the crock pot. 

Add the onion slices to the crockpot 

along with the seasonings. Cover and 

cook on high for 6 hours. 

 The important step is to let the onions cook

 until they are golden brown and caramelized.

This gives the soup depth of flavor that's lacking

if you just dump everything in the crock pot. 

 Now you add the beef broth, sherry, bay leaf, 

and Worcestershire sauce. 

Cover and let cook another hour. 

Toast some slices of French bread.

Laddle soup into oven-proof bowls; top

with bread slices, add a little more

soup, then top with cheese.

 Sprinkle a little paprika on top. 

Broil for several minutes until the

cheese melts, bubbles, and turns

golden brown. I love the crispy-gooey

pieces that stick to the sides of the bowl. 

 Yummy-yummy!

Crock Pot French Onion Soup
5 onions, sliced
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 stick butter
1 t salt
1 t pepper
1 t sugar
1 t thyme
1 t paprika
3 cans condensed beef broth
2 cans water
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1 bay leaf
1/2 C dry sherry
French Bread, toasted
8 slices cheese, provolone, Gruyere, 
  or mozzarella 

1. Place the onions, garlic, butter, sugar, salt, 
    pepper, thyme, and paprika in the bottom of
    the crock pot. Cover and cook for 6 hours 
    on high.
2. Add the beef broth, water, Worcestershire, 
     bay leaf,and sherry. Cover and cook on high 
     for another hour.
3. Ladle into ovenproof soup bowls, top with
    toasted bread and 1-2 slices of cheese. 
    Sprikle with paprika.
4. Broil until the cheese melt, is golden brown
     and bubbly


Enjoy!


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Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal

 You can pretend that you're in a charming 

Bed & Breakfast in Vermont 

enjoying the splendor of Fall with

 this hearty pumpkin spiced breakfast.

Top it with cinnamon sprinkled whipped cream.

 Combine the pumpkin, eggs, sugar, salt, 

spices, and vanilla. 

* you can substitute all the spices with

1 t pumpkin spice mix. 

 Then whisk in the milk.

 Stir in oats and baking powder. 

Pour into 4 sprayed ramekins or custard cups. 

Sprinkle the tops with cinnamon sugar. You could

also add some chopped nuts. 

 Bake until set and golden. You can unmold

these or just serve in the cups. Top with your 

choice of maple syrup, milk, cream, 

or whipped cream, and more cinnamon sugar

This is also good cold or reheated 

the next morning.

Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal
1 C  canned pumpkin  
1 egg
1/4 C brown sugar
1/4 t salt
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t nutmeg
1/4 t cloves
1/8 t ginger
1/2 t vanilla
3/4 C milk
2-1/4 C oats
1/4 t baking powder
1. Preheat oven to 375º. Spray 4 ramekins.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together: pumpkin,
    eggs, sugar, salt, spices, and vanilla.
3. Then whisk in the milk.
4. Stir in the oats and baking powder.
6. Pour into prepared cups, Sprinkle the
   top with cinnamon sugar.
7. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the center is
    no longer looks wet and the edges are
    lightly golden brown.
Serve with: additional cinnamon sugar, milk,
cream, maple syrup, or whipped cream.
4 servings.
Tip: can substitute the spices with 1 t pumpkin pie spice

Enjoy!



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Asparagus & Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast

This fancy-looking chicken dinner is ready in 

under 30 minutes. It's cheesy, tender, juicy

deliciousness will make it a favorite dinner 

any night of the week. Plus it's impressive 

enough for entertaining. 

Start by butterfly-cutting the chicken breasts.

Give the chicken a spritz of lemon juice, then 

season well with salt and pepper.

 Lay the cheese and about 3-4 trimmed stalks 

of asparagus in the center of each breast. 

Fold over to enclose the filling. 

Generously season the outside of the chicken

 with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. 

Rub in the seasoning. 

Heat a large cast iron skillet, or any oven-proof

skillet over medium-high. Add 1 T olive oil to the

pan and swirl around to coat the bottom of the 

skillet. Carefully add the chicken and cook 3-5 

minutes until the chicken easily releases from 

the pan and the bottom is golden brown. 

Carefully turn and  brown the other 

side for 3-5 minutes. 

Cover the pan with foil and put into a 425º oven

for 15 minutes to finish cooking. Remove from 

pan and let rest for 5 minutes. Start the rice

 cooking when the chicken goes in the oven. 

You'll get some nice pan juices. Add a spritz of
lemon juice to the the pan and whisk to combine. 

Pour the juices over the chicken. 

I like to serve this on a bed of rice pilaf. 

 You could add a salad and crescent rolls for company.

 I love the combination of flavors and the

oozy-melty provolone cheese. 

Asparagus & Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast
2 chicken breasts, butterfly cut
2 slices provolone cheese
6-8 asparagus spears, ends snapped off
1 t salt
½ t pepper
1 t garlic powder
1 t paprika
2-4 lemon juice
1 T olive oil
Preheat oven to 425)
1. Cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise.
Open the breast and pound if necessary for an
even thickness.
2. Give the chicken a spritz of lemon juice then
season well with salt and pepper.
3. Lay the cheese and about 3-4 trimmed stalks of
asparagus in the center of each breast.
Fold over to enclose the filling.
4. Season the outside of the chicken well with
salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika.
Rub in the seasoning.
5. Heat a large cast iron skillet, or any oven-proof
skillet over medium-high. Add 1 T olive oil to the
pan and swirl around to coat the bottom.
6. Carefully add the chicken and cook 3-5 minutes
until golden brown on the bottom and the chicken
easily released from the pan. Carefully turn over
and brown the other side for 3-5 minutes.
7. Cover the pan with foil and put into a 425º oven
 for 15 minutes to finish cooking.
8. Remove chicken from the skillet and let rest for
5 minutes. Add a spritz of lemon juice to the
pan juices and whisk to combine. Pour the juices
over the chicken. Serve on a bed of rice pilaf.
2 servings

Enjoy!

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Baked Apple Cinnamon French Toast

I love this recipe because it's easy and
I can make it ahead. Then pop it into
the oven in the morning. While it's baking we
 can take our morning walk with Sofie the pup
 and walk back into the house to the smell of
apple cinnamon French toast and
coffee brewing. Is anything better

than that on a dreary morning?

This recipe makes enough for 3-4 servings. It's 

just the right size for us because if there's a
  serving left over, I can reheat it in the
 microwave the next day. Double the recipe
and use a 9" x 13" pan for family or guests. 

 If you whisk the eggs, milk, vanilla, sugar and

  spices in the large bowl, you can just dump in

  the bread and apples. Stir until well combined. 

Let it sit a bit so that the bread really soaks 

up the mixture. I'll do it that way the 

next time. Saves a bowl to wash.

You can make this ahead at this point.

Cover and refrigerate until ready to bake. 

 Eggs, milk, and vanilla. I like to use whole
milk for cooking. If you don't have that
you can substirute about 1/4 C of the milk
 with cream or half & half. 

 After I poured it into my prepared Pampered
  Chef baker I realized it would look so much
  cuter in my apple cobbler pottery baking dish. 

So I scooped it out and used that. 

 Cuter. Am I right? Yes!

Baked and puffy

 Crispy edges and soft center. 

Drizzle with maple syrup. 

 Go back for seconds!

Baked Apple Cinnamon French Toast
1/2 loaf day-old French bread,
     cut into cubes, about 5-6 C
1 apple, peeled and diced
2 eggs
1 C milk
1/2 C light brown sugar
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
1 t vanilla
topping:
4 T butter
1 T cinnamon sugar

Butter 8"x 8" baking dish. In a large bowl,
whisk together the eggs, milk, sugar, spices,
and vanilla. Fold in the bread and apples.
Set aside for 5 minutes to soak the bread.
Pour into prepared dish. Drop butter bits
evenly over the top. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar
Bake @325 for 35-40 minutes.
serves 4
* Can be made ahead and baked later.
* Can be doubled for a 9" x 13" dish,
   bake 40-45 mins.
* Can add 1/2 C cranberries, washed and lightly
  dusted with sugar

Enjoy!


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Linguini and White Clam Sauce

I always have a cans of clams in the house
for this favorite, easy, quick dinner.

It's a favorite of ours to order when we go out,
but it's just as good at home. You can add fresh
clams in the shells to the sauce to fancy it up,
but here's the quick version.
I usually have everything else I need.

  Basic pantry items; linguini, garlic,
parsley from my herb garden, olive oil,
butter, and wine

Chop the garlic and fresh parsley

 Saute the garlic with the salt in butter and
olive oil until tender and lightly golden.

 Add the clam broth, and white wine.
I also add a little chopped fresh oregano,
if I have it,  and a dash of Worcestershire
sauce. A lot of clam sauce recipes have
anchovies in them. W-sauce is a
good substitute.

Add the black pepper and red pepper
 flakes to taste, about 1/4t each.
Simmer for about 10  minutes.

 Stir in the chopped clams and fresh parsley.
Heat through.

Toss the sauce with the linguini, and give it a
spray of lemon juice. You can also just
 spoon the sauce over the pasta on your plate.

Here it is in a big serving bowl.

Garnish with parsley.

Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Linguini & White Clam Sauce

¼ C olive oil
¼ C butter
2 cloves garlic, minced, about 1T
½  t salt
¼ t  red pepper flakes
½  C white wine, about
2 7oz cans chopped clams, drain and reserve liquid
¼  C chopped fresh parsley
1 t chopped fresh oregano, optional
1 squirt (¼ t)  Worcestershire sauce, optional
12 oz. linguini, about 3/4 box, cooked
A spritz of lemon juice 
1. Start the water for the pasta in a large pot.
   Salt the water and cook the linguini for 10-12
   minutes.
         Meanwhile make the clam sauce.
2. Heat butter and olive oil in a large skillet.
    Saute the chopped garlic, add the salt until
    lightly golden.
3. Drain the  the clams, reserving the liquid in a
    measuring cup.
4. Add enough white wine to equal 1-½ C liquid.
5. Add the liquid to the pan and simmer for 10
    minutes. Add the squirt of Worcestershire
    sauce and oregano, if using.
6. Add the chopped clams, red and black peppers.
7. Stir in the parsley and heat through.
    Spritz with lemon juice.
8. Toss with the linguini. Sprinkle with
    freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
                                             4 servings
A good crusty bread, salad  and the rest of the wine round out this dinner.

Enjoy!

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