Bourbon-ish Chicken

So this is the homemade version of bourbon chicken without the bourbon :) and it is really really good! The sauce is tangy and slightly sweet and well just yummy. All of my children liked it! Yay! That is quite the accomplishment because there is usually at least one dissenter amongst them. They even wanted seconds. And my husband also loved it. I think I'll be making this often. Oh, and it is an almost 30 minute meal (like 35 minutes with cutting up the chicken), so it's great for a busy night. Thanks to Jamie Cooks It Up for another great recipe.


Bourbon-ish Chicken

5 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 cup apple juice
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup soy sauce
pinch of red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Cut the chicken breasts into bite-size pieces (scissors makes this easy). Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet. Add chicken pieces and cook over medium high heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. After 10 minutes chicken should be slightly browned, but not all the way cooked through.

Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl combine: garlic, apple juice, brown sugar, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, water, soy sauce, and pepper flakes. Whisk in 1 tablespoon of cornstarch. Add this to the chicken after it has cooked for about 10 minutes. Bring to a boil, turn down heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes with lid on the skillet at an angle to allow some of the steam to escape. Stir a few times during cooking. Serve over rice.

Skillet Swedish Meatballs

I haven't made this recipe in such a long time and I'm not sure why. I used to make it all the time when my husband and I were newly-weds. I got the recipe from our first married ward's Relief Society cookbook (I cut it in half back then since it was just the 2 of us) and we loved it. Well anywho, I made it tonight and it is still super good. I love the nutmeg and allspice in the meatballs.

Skillet Swedish Meatballs

2 lbs ground beef
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley (I used freeze-dried)
1 cup bread crumbs (fresh bread crumbs made in food processor works best)
2 teaspoons salt
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup finely chopped onions
1/4 teaspoon allspice
shortening or oil for frying
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 cup milk

In a large bowl mix together beef, parsley, bread crumbs, salt, eggs, nutmeg, onions, and allspice. Mush together and then shape into 1inch balls. Melt enough shortening to cover the bottom of a large skillet, or use enough oil to coat the bottom. Brown meatballs in batches, making sure to brown all sides. Remove browned meatballs to a foil covered cookie sheet. When all meatballs are browned pour off cooking oil/melted shortening and discard. Return browned meatballs to the skillet. In a bowl combine soups and milk and pour over meatballs. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes. Serve over cooked egg noodles or rice.

Big Batch Caramel Popcorn

My husband had a game night last week and I made this huge batch of caramel popcorn for him and his friends. (I had some too!) Wow this is the best caramel popcorn I have ever tried. The caramel is so smooth and creamy and just the right amount of gooey. You can definitely cut this recipe in half for a movie night or football game, because even a bunch of guys only ate about half of this recipe.

Big Batch Caramel Popcorn

5 regular bags microwave popcorn, popped
1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup light corn syrup
1 can sweetened condensed milk

Pop popcorn and evenly distribute to 3 large bowls. In a saucepan combine butter, brown sugar, salt, and corn syrup. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes. Add sweetened condensed milk and boil for 4 minutes, until very smooth and thick. Pour over one bowl of popcorn at a time and stir to coat the popcorn evenly. You have to move fast to be able to distribute the caramel to all 3 bowls and get the popcorn coated evenly (this is great if you have someone to help you). Serve immediately.

Jenny's Potato Casserole

This is a great, classic funeral potatoes recipe from my friend Jenny. I love funeral potatoes with a crispy buttery corn-flake topping. This is serious comfort food. I served it with leftover Christmas ham that was in my freezer. I think we will be making meals out of that one ham for weeks to come. I love how creamy and cheesy these potatoes are. Thanks for a great recipe Jenny!

Jenny's Potato Casserole

1, 1lb bag frozen hash browns
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 - 2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I used 2 cups)
1 1/2 cups crushed cornflakes
1/4 cup butter, melted

In a large bowl mix together: hash browns, soup, sour cream, onion, and cheese. Spread into a greased 9x13 baking dish. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 1 hour. Combine crushed cornflakes and butter. Remove foil, spread casserole with cornflake mixture and bake for another 15 minutes, uncovered.

Ham and Cheese Penne Bake

I am a huge macaroni and cheese fan. Who isn't right?! Well this is a great macaroni-&-cheese-like casserole with ham and a nice crunchy topping. I think I got the recipe from one of those seasonal Pampered Chef pamphlet cookbooks a while ago. I wrote it down and put it in my "recipes to try" binder and it has been waiting ever since to be made. Well I'm glad I made it. My family loved it and it was a great comfort food dinner. Oh, and if you'd like it to taste like a chicken cordon blue casserole, add a cup or 2 of diced chicken and use Swiss cheese for half of the mozzarella.

Ham and Cheese Penne Bake

3 cups penne pasta (or other pasta like macaroni or shell)
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk (skim is fine)
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup cream
8 oz cubed ham
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (cheddar also works for a more mac&cheesey flavor)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 sleeve Ritz crackers, crushed
4 tablespoons butter

Cook penne according to package directions. Drain and set aside. Preheat oven to 350.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a large saucepan or pot. Stir flour into butter whisking to create a smooth paste. Slowly stir in milk. Cook until thickened and bubbly. Add cream, paprika, salt, and pepper continuing to cook until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in ham, mozzarella, Parmesan, and penne pasta. Turn into a greased 9x13 baking dish. In a bowl combine cracker crumbs and melted butter. Sprinkle buttery cracker mixture over the casserole. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees until topping is browned.

Orange Glazed Ham

This ham was the star of our Christmas dinner. It was so yummy! I loved the glaze. I got the recipe from Jamie Cooks it Up. I have gotten so many great recipes from Jamie's blog!

Orange Glazed Ham

1, 7-10 lb precooked, spiral cut ham
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Melt butter in a medium sized glaze bowl in the microwave. Stir in brown sugar, honey, orange juice, cinnamon, and cloves. Whisk together to combine and heat in the microwave for 1 minute.

Line a large baking pan with foil and spray with cooking spray. Unwrap ham and place in the center of the pan. Brush some of the glaze over the ham. Bake at 325 for 1 hour and 30 minutes, basting every 15 minutes with glaze.

Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip

I love spinach artichoke dips at restaurants and I'm so glad to have found a great version I can make at home. Yay! It is just the right mixture of creamy and cheesy and hey it has veggies in it so that means its healthy, right?! I took this dip with tortilla chips and crackers to a New Years Eve party and it was a hit. I got the recipe from allrecipes.com.

Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip

1, 8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1, 14 oz can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1/2 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 1 1/2 quart baking dish. In a medium bowl mix together cream cheese, mayo, Parmesan, garlic, basil, garlic salt, chopped artichoke hearts, spinach, and mozzarella. Transfer mixture to the baking dish. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes, or until hot and bubbly and lightly browned.

Roasted Pork Loin

This is a great, easy way to cook a pork loin. This recipe is more about the method than the ingredients. The method is from America's Test Kitchen Pepper Crusted Pork Loin. You can marinate the pork in whatever you want (I used a bottled zesty herb marinade) or not marinate it at all, the key is cooking it at a high temperature at first and then turning the oven down for the rest of the cooking. I served it with roasted potatoes, glazed carrots, and pork gravy from a packet (gasp - I know, but it was easy).

Roasted Pork Loin

1, 3 lb boneless pork loin
marinade, optional (you can use bottled or your favorite homemade marinade)
salt & pepper

Marinade the pork loin for the appropriate amount of time for your recipe.

Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Remove pork loin from marinade and sprinkle with salt and pepper if needed. Arrange the pork on a V-rack set in a roasting pan. Roast for 15  minutes at 450 and then turn down the oven to 375 degrees and roast until internal temperature reads 140 degrees, about 50 minutes. Transfer pork to a cutting board, cover with foil. Let rest until internal temperature reads 150 degrees, about 15 minutes. Slice and serve with sauce or gravy of choice.