Pork Chops

This is another recipe from Southern Plate. All of her food looks so delicious. These were great and so, so simple. Who would have ever thought to use hush puppy mix?! I just used whatever hush puppy mix I could find and it didn't have onion.

Ingredients:
-Hush Puppy with Onion Mix
-Thawed pork chops (can be thin or thick cut)
-Vegetable oil for frying

Instructions:
-Pour oil into a skillet to a depth of about 1/4 of an inch. Place on medium high heat while you prepare the chops.
-Pour about a cup of hush puppy mix in a bowl. Press each side of each pork chop down into the mix. Turn heat down to medium and carefully place chops in hot oil.
-Cook until browned on bottom and then turn, continuing to cook until browned on the top and no longer pink in the center.
-Remove to place on a paper towel lined plate before serving.

Chicken Casserole

A lot of people make Chicken Casserole and I can't remember if I got this from my aunt Brenda or my aunt Harlene. I have been fixing this so long that I can't even remember if this is exactly how they do theirs. No matter where I got it or if we fix it the same, it's good stuff. We love it and think its best if you serve some green beans on the side. This is one of the easier dishes I make and is extra hearty and comforting.

What you need...
- 1 pack of boneless chicken breast
- 1 box of Stove Top stuffing
- 1 lg. can of cream of chicken

What you do...
-Cook your chicken breast in water or chicken broth seasoned with salt and pepper until cooked through and tender.
Drain water/ broth (you can reserve some to use in your stuffing or let cool and put in a container to freeze and use later) and shred chicken with a fork.
-Prepare Stove Top stuffing as directed on box.
-Cover the bottom of a 9x13 in. pan with the shredded chicken. Spread the cream of chicken over the chicken evenly. Cover with the prepared stuffing.
-Bake on 350 degrees until the cream of chicken is bubbly and it and stuffing are starting to brown.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Eclair Cake

1 box chocolate graham crackers (there will be a few graham crackers left over)
2 (3 1/4-ounce) boxes vanilla instant pudding
1 cup peanut butter
3 1/2 cups milk
1 (8-ounce) container Cool Whip, thawed
1 can chocolate frosting

Spray the bottom of a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Line the bottom of the pan with whole graham crackers. In bowl of an electric mixer, mix pudding with milk and peanut butter; beat at medium speed for 2 minutes. Fold in whipped topping. Pour half the pudding mixture over graham crackers. Place another layer of whole graham crackers on top of pudding layer. Pour over remaining half of pudding mixture and cover with another layer of graham crackers.

Heat the container of prepared frosting, uncovered in the microwave for 1 minute. Pour over the top of the cake. Refrigerate for at least 12 hours before serving.

White Chicken Chili

Ingredients:
-3 tablespoons olive oil

-1 medium onion, finely chopped

-1 can (4 ounce) diced green chilies, drained

-3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

-2 teaspoons ground cumin

-2 cans (16 ounces each) great Northern beans, drained and rinsed

-1 can (14 1/2 ounces) low-sodium chicken broth

-1 1/2 cups chopped, cooked chicken breast

-Shredded Monterey Jack cheese, optional

-Sour cream, optional

-Salsa, optional

Directions:

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute until tender. Add the chilies, flour and cumin; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Add the beans and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until lightly thickened. Add the chicken and heat through. Garnish with cheese, sour cream and salsa, if desired.

Lumberjack Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie (aka.. as close as I can get to Ruby Tuesday's Blondies at home)

I found this on the most highly addictive site in existence... Pinterest. The site I surf when I am hungry and excessively pin, pin, pin. It originally came from Pillsbury. I have always loved Ruby Tuesday's Blondies. Dating all the way back to the days I waited tables there. Of course then I had a lot higher metablolism rate, along with all of the other perks of being young that helps you stay skinny and could eat them as often as I wanted. I am always in search of something similar to make at home and when I saw this, the light bulb (ever so dim light bulb) in my head lit up. The chocolate chip cookie is easy to make and then you just gotta add all the yumminess on top. We used the generic cookie dough and next time I would like to try a dough with chocolate chips and some kind of nuts (to be more like Ruby Tuesdays).

Here's what ya need:

-a seasoned cast iron skillet (the best skillet ever to have around, if you don't have one, get one)

-a roll of Pillsbury cookie dough (like I said, the generic worked great)

-vanilla ice cream

-chocolate syrup or hot fudge topping

-caramel topping

Here's what ya do:

Slice the package on the cookie dough and dump the whole roll in the skillet (no need to spray or grease skillet, it is already seasoned). Use your fingers to press the dough out evenly in the skillet.

Bake in a 375 degrees oven for 15 to 20 minutes. The cookie may shake some in the skillet, but it continues to bake after taking it out of the oven. Let it set for a few minutes. Slice your cookie pie and eat right away all by it's gooey self or add vanilla ice cream, chocolate syrup and caramel topping for a down right mouthwatering treat.

Stuffed Jalapeno Peppers

This recipe came from an online friend. We became acquainted through an online support group, Parent-2-Parent, where I have received a wealth of information and support from other mommas who are going through or have already went through similar situations we are facing with our precious baby boy Weston. We are now friends on Facebook and I love seeing all of her posts and pics about her sweet and cute as a button little girl. Mom and I fixed these while Dewayne was on his annual Florida fishing trip with his family last year. They were absolutely amazing... beyond belief amazing!! Poor mom ate so many she foundered and hasn't ate any since.. over a year later. If I even mention Stuffed Jalapenos, she says no before I can finish my sentence. I ate a ton, but mangaed not to founder. As a matter of fact I wouldn't mind sitting back and watching a good ballgame or race with a few of these make your soul feel good babies every weekend. Well enough of that, here's what you need and what you do.

Ingredients:

-20 jalapeno peppers

-1/2 lb. sausage

-1 pkg. cream cheese

-1/2 c. shredded cheese (she prefers sharp or jack)

-40 half strips of bacon

Directions:

Cut jalapenos in half length-wise and remove the seeds (clean out inside). While you are preparing the peppers, brown and drain your sausage. Stir cream cheese and shredded cheese into hot sausage, combining well. Using a teaspoon, fill each pepper with 1/2 teaspoon of filling. Wrap with 1/2 strip of bacon and place on a foiled lined (nonstick foil) cookie sheet. Cook on 400 for 45 minutes to an hour. They are done when the bacon looks browned.

I might should add that at the end of the recipe she sent, it is stated... Careful though, they are addicting. I found this to be the absolute truth and thought I should do the same for you.

CAREFUL THOUGH, THEY ARE ADDICTING!!

Homemade Honey Mustard

While at the grocery grabbing the ingredients to fix Chicken Planks, I went ahead and picked up some lemon juice, the only thing I didn't already have on hand to fix dipping sauces. I fixed Honey Mustard and Spicy Ranch. This homemade honey mustard only took a couple of minutes to stir up and was just as good as any restaurant honey mustard I have ever dipped my chicken fingers in. I can't say what Dewayne's ruling was, he wouldn't touch honey mustard with a 10-foot pole. Picky boy, if he only knew what he was missing out on.

What you need (so simple)...
*1/4 c.mayonnaise
*1 T. mustard
*1 T.honey (you can add more to suit your taste, I do)
*1/2 T. lemon juice

What you do..
Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl. If you are not going to serve this right away or if you have any leftovers, keep the dressing in the refrigerator covered.

Chicken Planks

Jennifer, one of the best friends and cooks anyone could ever ask for got this recipe from Southern Plate. She fixed them and her family loved them. After sending me the recipe, she asked if I had fixed them everytime I talked to her. I finally got around to it... Dewayne and I both loved them.  These take just a few ingredients, are super easy to prepare and can be fixed in a jiffy.

What you need...
*Chicken Breasts
*1 -3 Sleeves Saltine Crackers
*2 eggs
*Cooking Oil

What you do...
Pour oil in large skillet to a depth of 1/4 inch. Heat on medium while you prepare the chicken.
Place chicken in gallon ziplock bag and beat out until 1/4 inch thick. Crack eggs into bowl and beat with fork. Crush saltines and put in a separate bowl.
Cut each chicken breast into three strips and dip each piece first in egg mixture, then in cracker crumbs, being careful to coat completely. Drop each piece into oil and cook, turning once, on medium to medium high heat until browned on both sides. Drain on paper towel lined plate. I served mine with Homemade Honey Mustard and Spicy Ranch, both recipes can be found hiding somewhere in this blog.