Herbed Chicken with Pan Gravy

4 chicken breasts, thawed, split, and pounded thin

Seasoning for chicken:
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/8 tsp sage
1/8 tsp garlic powder

Mix seasonings in small bowl. Heat skillet with olive oil over medium high heat. Sprinkle seasonings generously over chicken on 1 side. Put seasoned side of chicken on bottom of skillet. Season other side. Brown both sides of chicken, about 5 minutes on each side. Once chicken is browned and cooked thoroughly (not pink in middle), remove it from pan.

Pan Gravy:
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 T minced garlic

1 T flour
1/2 c. dry white wine
1 c. chicken broth

Add onion and garlic to pan. Saute for 1-2 minutes, then sprinkle flour in and add wine, scraping off browned bits of chicken from bottom of skillet. Add chicken broth and let simmer for about 2-3 minutes, until gravy has reduced by about half. Pour gravy over chicken and enjoy!

Blueberry Delight

This dessert is amazing! It is so full of flavor and it is perfect for a summertime sweet!

For gelatin:
2 pkgs grape Jello
2 c. boiling water
1 can crushed pineapple, with juice
1 can blueberry pie filling

Stir in grape jello into boiling water until all gelatin has dissolved. Wait about 5 minutes to cool off a bit, then stir in other 2 ingredients. Pour in 9 x 13 dish and congeal in refrigerator.

For topping:
16 oz. sour cream
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. pecans, chopped

Combine ingredients, except pecans, with mixer until all is blended. When jello mixture has congealed, spread on topping. Sprinkle pecans on top. Keep in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Spinach and Bacon Quiche

I made this as a side dish to go with Italian food, but it could easily be used as a main dish or even as a breakfast dish. You can mix up the ingredients very easily, depending on your tastes. For the meat, use sausage or prosciutto instead of bacon. For the veggie, you can use chopped broccoli or zucchini instead of the spinach. Try a pie crust or crescent roll as a crust to make it a meal. However you make it, enjoy! This is what I did:

5 eggs
2 c. shredded 4-cheese Italian blend
1 box frozen spinach, thawed and drained
5 slices bacon, sliced into 1 in pieces
1/2 onion, chopped into small pieces
1 T butter
2 T flour
1/2 tsp salt

Cook chopped bacon and onion in olive oil in small skillet until bacon is almost crispy and onion is translucent. Set aside to cool for about 5 minutes. Mix all other ingredients together in bowl. Stir in bacon and onion. Spray pie pan with cooking spray and pour mix in. Bake in preheated 375 degree oven for about 25-30 minutes until eggs are set and it is slightly brown on top. Let sit about 5-10 minutes before serving.

Salisbury Steaks with Mushroom Gravy

This meal is easy and delicious! Serve with mashed potatoes and maybe some green beans to make the meal complete.

For meat mixture:
1 1/2 lb. lean ground beef
1 egg
1/3 can cream of mushroom
1/2 c. bread crumbs
1/2 onion, chopped finely

Mix all ingredients together using hands. Shape into patties. Brown patties in skillet over medium high heat, about 3 minutes on both sides. (They don't have to be cooked all the way. They will finish cooking later.) Remove from pan and set on paper towel.

2 T butter
1/4 c. red wine (you can use beef broth also)
12-15 button mushrooms, sliced

Melt butter. Saute mushrooms in butter and wine in same skillet you cooked patties in.

2 packets brown gravy mix
2 c. water

Whisk into 2 c. water and rest of cream of mushroom soup in small saucepan. Bring to boil.

Return patties into big skillet with mushrooms. Pour gravy over patties and mushrooms. Cover
skillet and cook on low-medium heat for about 15-20 minutes.

Ice Cream Sandwich

These are delicious after-dinner treat or make a bunch for a party!

Refrigerated cookie dough
Garnishings: mini chocolate chips, sprinkles, chopped nuts

For Ice Cream:
2 c. half and half
2 c. heavy whipping cream
3/4 c. sugar
1 T vanilla

Combine ingredients. Whisk together until sugar dissolves. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Make ice cream according to your ice cream maker's directions. (Mine takes about 20 minutes.) After it is done, put ice cream into container with air-tight lid and freeze for a few hours.

Meanwhile, bake refrigerated cookie dough. (I used Chocolate Chip.) Let cook on cooling rack.

When ready to assemble, put big helping of ice cream onto a cookie. Smash down ice cream with another cookie. Flatten out sides somewhat and roll sides in garnish of choice.

After assembled, wrap each sandwich in plastic wrap and immediately put into freezer to set up. Freeze for a few hours before serving.

Mark's Favorite Peanut Butter Cookies

My husband eats very low-carb, no sugar and these easy cookies are his favorite after dinner snack.

Makes about 15 cookies

1 c. Splenda or another sugar substitute
1 c. peanut butter, smooth or chunky
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together. (It will seem "eggy" at first, but keep stirring for about a minute.) Shape into 1/2 tablespoon balls. Criss-cross with a fork. Bake for 12 minutes. Let sit for at least 5 minutes after taking out of oven.

Chicken Parmesan

This is a healthy, lower-fat, still-yummy recipe for Chicken Parmesan.
Makes 4 servings

4 chicken breasts
2 T olive oil
1/3 c. egg whites
1 sleeve whole-wheat Ritz crackers
1 T Italian seasoning
1 tsp garlic salt
1 jar favorite tomato sauce
1 1/2 c. low-fat shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tsp dried parsley
2 c. whole wheat penne pasta, cooked

Heat olive oil in skillet on medium heat. Thaw chicken breasts, split them in half (not all the way through), and pound thin with meat mallet. In food processor, grind crackers, Italian seasoning, and garlic salt. Dip each chicken breast in egg, then into bread crumbs, then brown on both sides in skillet. You might have to do this in batches depending on how big your skillet is.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray 9 x 13 pan with nonstick cooking spray and put a layer of tomato sauce on bottom of pan. Once chicken is brown on both sides, lay chicken in single layer in pan. Once all chicken is in pan, pour 2 c. tomato sauce on chicken. Sprinkle cheese on top. I like to drizzle olive oil on top of everything then sprinkle about 1 tsp of dried parsley on top to give it a nice finishing look. Cook for about 20-25 minutes.

Mix 1 cup of tomato sauce in with cooked pasta so it won't dry out. Put pasta on plate first, then top with chicken. Enjoy!

Creamed Spinach and Mashed Potatoes

This creamed spinach is rich and delicious and the mashed potatoes are creamy and yummy! Perfect with a big, juicy steak! Makes 4 servings each






1/2 c. butter, plus 1 T butter
1/4 c. flour
2 T finely chopped onion
1 bay leaf
2 c. half and half or whole milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 large bag fresh spinach OR 2 box frozen spinach, thawed
Salt and pepper to taste

Melt 1/2 c. butter in skillet. Stir in flour to make roux. Add onion, bay leaf, half and half or milk, salt and nutmeg. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until thick. (The sauce will be pretty thick.) Put sauce through fine strainer to remove big clumps.

If you are using fresh spinach, cook spinach in boiling water for about 1-2 minutes. Plunge into ice cold water immediately after. Drain spinach really well to get all water out of it. Chop spinach in food processor.

If using frozen spinach, just thaw in microwave. Drain all water out of it before using.

When ready to serve, add in sauce to spinach a little at a time until it is creamy to the consistency that you like. Finish it off by adding a fresh pallet of butter and salt and pepper.


Mashed Potatoes

4 large red potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters
2 T milk
2 T butter
1/4 c. sour cream
1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
salt and pepper
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1 T parsley, chopped finely

Fill pot with water half way up. Put peeled and quartered potatoes into cold water. Bring to boil and boil for about 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Drain water and mash potatoes. Using an electric mixer, mix milk into potatoes until it is a creamy consistency. Add butter and sour cream. Mix until incorporated. Stir in cheese, salt and pepper, and garlic salt. Garnish with parsley.

Individual Chicken Pot Pies

Makes enough for 8 (7 oz) ramekin bowls. The filling is rich and so delicious.

4 T butter
3 carrots, peeled and chopped in small pieces
1 onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1/4 c. flour
4 c. chicken stock
1/3 c. heavy cream
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 rotisserie chicken, shredded in small bites
1 c. frozen green peas
2 sheets puff pastry



1. Melt butter in large skillet over med. high heat. Add chopped
carrot, onion, and celery. Saute until tender, about 5 minutes.
Stir in flour so it does not get lumpy.






2. Add stock, cream, thyme, salt and pepper.
Simmer on medium heat for about 20 minutes.








3. Add chicken and frozen green peas. Cook for another
5-10 minutes. (*If you want to thicken up your filling some,
mix 1 tsp corn starch and a little bit of water in separate
bowl then add into mixture. It should thicken up in a few
minutes.)





4. Spray 8 ramekins with cooking spray and fill each
with pot pie filling. Thaw puff pastries and roll out
slightly on floured countertop. Cut each pastry into
4 squares and lay on top of each ramekin, folding
the extra pastry over the sides of the ramekin bowl.
Brush top of pastry with egg wash (slightly beaten
egg and about 1 T water) for a nice golden brown
color when baking. Bake for about 25 minutes at
375 degrees in oven.

Crockpot Roast

Not only will this melt in your mouth, your house will be smelling so tasteful! Serve some lightly toasted sourdough bread on the bottom of your plate and let it soak in all the delicious gravy with your tender roast and vegetables. Mmmm!!

2 -3 lb. beef rump roast
2 T olive oil
3 large garlic cloves, peeled and quartered
2 slices bacon, cut into small pieces
1/2 c. water
1 can cream of mushroom
1 envelope onion soup mix
1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
1 c. pearl onions, peeled
1 1/2 c. baby carrots
4 large red potatoes, washed, peeled, quartered
1 c. sliced fresh mushrooms
1 c. red wine

Heat olive oil in skillet on med. high heat. Sear roast on all sides until browned. Take roast out of skillet and cut 1 inch slits in roast all over. Stuff each slit with bacon and garlic pieces. Place roast in crockpot. Pour in water and cream of mushroom. Sprinkle onion soup mix all over. Add salt and pepper. Add vegetables and pour red wine on top of everything. Put top on crockpot and turn on LOW for about 8-9 hours. **If you like your gravy a little thicker like I do, try this: Mix 1 tsp corn starch and 1 T water together in small bowl then add it to the crockpot about 20-30 minutes before eating. Put the top back on the crockpot and let it thicken up for a little while. This is great served over thick pieces of french or sourdough bread. The bread soaks up all the rich gravy flavor. You can adjust amounts according to how many people will be eating.

Crab Cakes

2 (6 oz) cans lump crab meat
1 red bell pepper
1 sleeve crushed Ritz crackers
2 T green onions, chopped finely
1 egg
1/4 c. mayonnaise
1 tsp lemon juice
salt, pepper
dash of cayenne pepper
dash of dry mustard
dash of garlic powder
panko breadcrumbs for coating

Chop red bell pepper finely. Saute in small skillet in olive oil for about 5 minutes. Mix all ingredients in bowl except for panko breadcrumbs. After all is incorporated, shape into small patties. Coat both sides with panko. I usually refrigerate mine for at least 20 minutes so they will stay together better before searing. When ready to cook, heat olive oil in oven-safe skillet on medium-high heat. Brown both sides of crab cakes, each for about 2-3 minutes depending on how hot your skillet it. Then transfer skillet to oven. Finish cooking at 4oo degrees for about 10-15 minutes. Serve with Remoulade Sauce.

Smoker

One of the best things that my husband has ever bought is a smoker! It's so easy and the meat that we cook on it turns out wonderful every time! We usually throw the meat on in the morning, don't even touch it during the day, and at dinner time it is done! My personal favorite is brisket (as pictured). It just falls apart as soon as you put a fork in it. One thing we have learned, is to put the fat side UP. That lets all the juices flow all over the meat during cooking and makes it more tender and juicy. We have done ribs, pork butts, turkey, etc. Here is the dry rub I use before we put the meat on. I just a rub a generous portion onto the meat before we put it on the smoker. I've used the same seasoning for several months now. Just store it in an air-tight container.

1/2 c. paprika
1/3 c. salt
1 T black pepper
1 T seasoned salt
1 T onion powder
1 T garlic powder
2 tsp cayenne pepper

I just eye-ball this recipe, but if you are an "exact" kind of person, here it is. Sometimes I look through my spice cabinet and experiment with other seasonings in this, but this is the "basic" recipe for a dry rub that I use.

Hot Spinach-Artichoke Dip

Easy and delicious!!!

1 pkg frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1 (14 oz) can artichokes, chopped
2/3 c. mayonnaise
2/3 c. sour cream
1/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
1/8 t. garlic powder
1/4 t. red pepper flakes

Mix all ingredients and bake at 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes. I like to serve with Triscuit's Cracked Pepper and Olive Oil crackers.

Hot Chicken Salad Tarts

These tarts are perfect for a shower. See variation at bottom to see how to turn into a quick dinner instead of tarts.

Hot Chicken Salad Tarts
(makes 48 tarts)

4 cups cooked chicken, chopped finely
2/3 c. slivered almonds
1 c. shredded Cheddar cheese
1 1/2 c. chopped celery
1/4 c. chopped onions
1 can water chestnuts, chopped
1 (4-oz) jar pimentos
2 T lemon juice
3/4 c. mayonnaise
4 cans seamless crescent rolls

Combine all ingredients except for cresent rolls. Roll out crescent rolls and cut 12 squares out of each rectangle. Push squares down into greased mini-muffin pans. Bake at 350 degrees for about 12-15 minutes just until the edges of crescent rolls are turning light brown.

** Variation- Instead of making tarts, you can just make a hot chicken salad casserole for a quick dinner. Skip the crescent rolls and add crushed potato chips to the top of the casserole. Bake for about 30 min. or until hot and bubbly.

Seafood Gumbo

I made this last night and it turned out super yummy! I just got back from 2 weeks at the beach, so I still have that seafood craving. I used Paula Deen's recipe, with a few changes to make it more "seafoody" for my own taste.

2 T butter
2 T flour
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cans diced tomatoes
4 c. chicken broth
1 pkg. Cajun-style smoked sausage
1/2 tsp thyme
2 bay leaves
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
3-4 dashes hot sauce
2 c. frozen okra
1 lb. shrimp, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces
1/2 lb. crawfish tails
1/2 lb. lump crab
Rice

Make a roux by melting butter in large stock pot. Sprinkle in flour, stirring constantly. Toss in onion, pepper, and garlic, stir and brown for about 5 minutes. Pour in tomatoes, broth, sausage, thyme, bay leaves, cayenne, and hot sauce. Simmer for about 45 min. - 1 hour. Add in okra, cook for another 5 minutes. Add in seafood. Cook until shrimp has turned pink in color. Add a cup or two of water if it needs to be thinner and a few more dashes of hot sauce if you like it hotter. Serve over rice.

Hi!

My name is Katie. I am a wife and mother. I cook and bake for 1 purpose only: because I love it! When at home, the Food Network is always on at my house (when we are not watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse)! I am greatly inspired by the chefs and cooks on there, primarily 1 cook. See if you can guess who I am talking about: she says pe-can's, y'all, and uses gallons of butter and mayo in almost any given recipe...Paula Deen. She's my girl. For Christmas, I asked for Paula cookbooks and for my birthday, I asked to go to Paula's buffet in Tunica. Hence why the name of my blog is "From My Kitchen To Yours" minus the "Love and Best Dishes" part.

I am a kindergarten teacher. I do love what I do and all the little kiddos, but if I wasn't teaching and I had extra money just laying around, I would love to either open my own children's cooking school OR start a cupcake business. I started this blog for 2 reasons: 1)organize my chaotic recipe collection, and 2)hopefully share some new recipes with people. Hope you enjoy and get an idea or two!