Savory Smothered Chicken

Savory Smothered Chicken

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken (I typically get chicken tenders for this recipe)
Salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp. all purpose flour
1 c. low sodium chicken broth
½ c. 2% evaporated milk
2 Tbsp. white wine (optional)
¼ tsp. dried thyme

In a large skillet, heat olive oil.  Season chicken on both sides with salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste.  (A little goes a long way on garlic powder!)  Brown chicken on both sides in oil and remove to a plate.  Stir in onion and cook until tender.  Sprinkle flour over onion and quickly stir together for about 1 minute.  Pour chicken broth over onions and stir, breaking up clumps until smooth.  Stir in evaporated milk, white whine and thyme.  Turn heat up to high and stir until thickened, about two minutes.  Reduce heat to medium low and return chicken skillet.  Cover and continue cooking about 10 minutes until chicken is cooked through.

Classic White Frosting

For Miller's last birthday cake, I decided to change up from my usual buttercream frosting and do a shortening based frosting.  Initially I thought it was a mistake, but once I tasted it with the cake it was delicious and will be my new go to for birthday cake.  It was also perfect for decorating.

Classic White Frosting

2 c. shortening
8 c. powdered sugar
¼ c. heavy whipping cream
1 ½ tsp. vanilla (I used clear to keep it extra white)

In a mixer, blend shortening and powdered sugar until smooth.  Add in whipping cream and vanilla and whip frosting until it reaches desired consistency.

Add in favorite color drops or gels to make desired color.

My Favorite Yellow Cake

• I've finally found the best homemade yellow (but more like vanilla) cake.  I made Miller's birthday cake and my family thought I got it from a bakery!  This cake is pretty high maintenance with room temperature ingredients, but definitely worth the trouble.

• My Favorite Yellow Cake
• 
  
• 1 cup butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar 
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 large egg yolks, room temperature
• 2 1/4 cups cake flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup whole milk, room temperature
• 1/2 cup sour cream (light or regular), room temperature

1. To prep, whisk together the milk and sour cream together in a liquid measure and let come to room temperature.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and make sure an oven rack is placed in the middle of the oven.
3. In a large bowl of an electric stand mixer or with a handheld electric mixer, whip the butter on medium speed for 1-2 minutes. Add the granulated sugar and beat for 4-5 minutes on medium speed. Mix in the vanilla.
4. One at a time, add the eggs and egg yolks, mixing just until combined in between additions. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. 
5. Combine the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Sift them together through a fine mesh strainer.
6. Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the batter and mix just until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add 1/2 of the milk/sour cream mixture and mix. Add another 1/3 of the dry ingredients, mixing just until combined. Add the last 1/2 of the milk/sour cream mixture and beat until just combined. Add the final 1/3 of the dry ingredients and mix just until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl if necessary. Give the batter one good, final stir with the rubber spatula.
7. Grease the cake pans and line the bottoms with a parchment round. Grease the parchment and sides of the pan again very well. I use regular cooking spray but you can also use butter or cooking spray with flour. If your cake pans tend to cause sticking, consider also flouring the pans.
8. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans. Drop each pan from about 3-inches onto the counter to minimize air bubbles while baking.
9. Bake for 25-28 minutes until lightly golden around the edges and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs. Resist the urge to open and close the oven to check on the cake - this can cause the center of the cake to fall and never recover. And as with all cakes, don't overbake or the cake will be dry.
10. Let the cakes rest in the pans for 5-10 minutes before gently turning them onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

Frost with Classic White Frosting

Freezer Sandwiches

I made these for the first time right after Price was born, looking for an easy meal to grab in a hurry.  And then I forgot about them.  Until now.  We get home from church really late and by the time we walk in the door, everyone is tearing down walls trying to get something to eat.  Even if I rely on the crockpot, there is usually something else to do before we eat and I just don't have time for it.  So, I've loaded the freezer with these sandwiches and set them to bake while we are on our way home.

Freezer Sandwiches

1 stick butter, melted
3 Tbsp. mustard (I've used spicy brown and dijon, so choose your favorite)
2 Tbsp. prepared horseradish
2 Tbsp. poppy seeds
8 hamburger buns
1 lb. ham, thinly sliced (I like a sweet ham to cut the spice of the mustard and horseradish)
8 slices swiss cheese

Mix together butter, mustard, horseradish and poppy seeds until smooth.  Open the buns and spread the sauce on the inside of both sides of buns.  Lay ham on bottom piece and cheese on top piece of bread.  Close up and spread sauce on top of bread bun.  Wrap in foil and freeze.

When ready to eat, bake at 400 for 30-40 minutes.

The Best Pot Roast

For years, this is the only pot roast I've ever made.  It was easy and very tender.  I decided to give another one a try that I felt like was more work.  The truth is, it is still super easy to make, it just takes some planning ahead to have it ready when your family is ready to eat supper.

The Best Pot Roast

Salt and ground pepper
1 (3-5 lb.) chuck roast
2 or 3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 whole onions, peeled and halved
8 to 10 whole carrots, peeled, cut into 2 inch pieces
1 c. red wine
3 c. beef broth
3 sprigs fresh rosemary

Preheat oven to 275.  Generously salt and pepper the chuck roast on both sides.  Heat the olive oil in large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  You want the pan HOT!  Add the halved onions to the pot, browning them on both sides.  Remove the onions to a plate.  Throw the carrots into the same very hot pot and toss them around a bit until slightly browned, about a minute or so.  Place carrots on same plate as reserved onions.

Add more oil, if necessary and get the pan really hot again.  Sear the roast on both sides for about a minute until nice and brown all over.  Remove the roast to a plate.  Deglaze the pan with red wine (can use beef broth as an alternative) scraping up all the bits on the bottom of the pan.  Place the roast back in the pot and pour enough beef broth over the roast to cover halfway up.  (I did a little more.)  Add onions and carrots back to the pot.  Cover and place in the preheated oven.  Bake a 3 lb. roast for 3 hours and a 5 lb. roast for 5 hours until fall apart tender.  Serve with mashed potatoes.

You could also add potatoes to the pot to cook along with the roast.

Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is my new favorite chocolate chip cookie.  The cinnamon is a nice surprise.

2 c. minus 2 Tbsp. cake flour
1 ⅔ c. bread flour
1 ¼ tsp. baking soda
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
1 ½ tsp. sea salt
1 ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
2 ½ sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1 ¼ c. packed light brown sugar
1 c. plus 2 Tbsp. sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 (10 oz.) bag of dark chocolate chips
8 oz. milk chocolate chips
sea salt for sprinkling

In a large bowl, combine flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon; whisk together well till combines.  Set aside.

Using a mixer with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes on medium.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.  Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.  On low speed, add in vanilla.  Continuing on low, add dry ingredients in two additions, mixing just until combined.  Do NOT over-mix the dough once you have added the flour.

By hand, stir in chocolate chips.  At this point, dough can be refrigerated up to 72 hours until ready to bake.

When ready to bake cookies, preheat oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or use a silicone mat.  Using a round cookie scoop, scoop mounds onto the cookie sheet, rolling them gently in your hand to make them rounded, if needed.  Sprinkle each dough ball with sea salt and bake until lightly golden 8-12 minutes.  Allow to cool on pan 3 minutes and then remove to wire cooling rack.  Repeat with remaining dough.

Barbecue Chicken Apple Pizza

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1 tsp. unsalted butter

2 ½ c. onions, thinly sliced and halved (1 large onion)

2 large apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced (I used granny smith)

1 pre-baked, purchased whole wheat pizza crust (11 inch round)

⅔ c. barbecue sauce

1 c. cooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced or shredded

¾ c. smoked Gouda cheese, shredded

¾ c. mozzarella cheese, shredded

additional barbecue sauce for drizzling over top, optional

Preheat oven (and pizza stone - I don't have one so I just used a cookie sheet) to 450 degrees.  In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil and butter.  When they are hot, add onion slices; cover and cook, stirring frequently 10 minutes.  Remove lid, increase heat just slightly, and cook additional 7-10 minutes, stirring frequently, until onions have reduced in size and are soft and slightly golden brown.

Add apples and cook, stirring connately, another 2-4 minutes, until apples are just barely starting to soften.  Remove from skillet and Set aside apples and onions.  (I usually cook my chicken at this point in the same skillet that I cooked the apples and onions.)

Spread barbecue sauce evenly on pizza crust, and top evenly with chicken and Gouda cheese.  Spoon apple-onion mixture evenly over entire pizza, then sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese.  Bake 8 minutes or until the ingredients are hot and cheese is melted.  If desired, drizzle a very small amount of barbecue sauce over top.