Monkey Bread !

1 bag of Rhodes dinner rolls 

1 stick of butter (more if needed), melted

 2 cups sugar

 2 tablespoons cinnamon 

To measure how much dough you'll need:

About 18-20 rolls

Thaw bread dough overnight in refrigerator, or by speed method. * 

When soft, use kitchen scissors to cut each roll into 4 pieces.

Mix together sugar and cinnamon.

.
Spray bundt pan.  

Dip dough into melted butter then roll around in sugar/cinnamon mixture until covered.

 Line bottom of bundt pan with first row of dough, and then layer second row of dough evenly in the spaces on top.

Cook at 350 for about 45-50 minutes. 

If you touch the top layer it should feel crispy. Pull it out of the oven and take a fork and gently separate dough down deeper and make sure the dough is cooked. It will look gooey on the outside. Break one of the bottom pieces open and make sure it's dry inside. 

Remove and flip over on to a large platter.
Let sit with pan on top for a few minutes while the sweet mixtures runs down the bread. 

*speed method: Put rolls on a cookie sheet and cover with seran wrap to keep air out. Let thaw on counter, probably about 2 hours or until soft. 

Fried Rice

1-2 Chicken breast or 10 chicken tenders.
6 scrambled eggs
2 carrots (finely grated)
1/2 white onion (finely chopped)
3/4 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup butter
1-2 garlic cloves (crushed) or 1 tsp. garlic powder
2 cups white rice (not instant)

Marinate chicken in soy sauce, if you do not have much time, mix it with the chicken before cooking.
In a large frying pan cook chicken in small amount of olive oil, add carrots and onions. Saute until clear.
Add frozen peas and cook until soft.
In a separate pan boil rice, then add to the mixture.
In another pan, scramble eggs, chop finely and add to mixture.
Melt butter, add to crushed garlic cloves. Stir and add to mixture.
Mix all together well.
Add soy sauce to taste, and enjoy. Yum.

Hot Artichoke Dip

Not too spicy, but a little bit of kick, this dip is delicious!  I got the recipe from a friend at our church recipe swap, and after I heard everyone RAVE about it I had to make it.  You can't go wrong with artichoke dip.

1 14oz can artichoke hearts drained
1 c Parmesan cheese
1/2 c Mozzarella cheese
8oz cream cheese softened (I used 1/3 reduced fat with excellent results)
1/2 c mayo
1 can diced tomatoes and green chilies
Garlic, salt, and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350.  Chop the artichoke hearts and then combine all ingredients.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly.  Serve with chips or bread.  Mmmmmm!

Quick and Easy Chicken Salad

This recipe is especially great as a snack on wheat crackers, or if you are me you eat it with a piece of fruit and a cold glass of milk and call it lunch! (Although a glass of apple juice is REALLY good too if you are not a milk-aholic like I am.) Nothin' fancy about this one, just mix and go!

12.5 oz can of chicken
1/2 C. of mayo (I use the one with olive oil for less fat)
2 Tbs sweet relish

Drain the chicken then place in a bowl and shred with a fork. Mix in the mayo and sweet relish and enjoy! The sweet relish is not as strong the next day, so according to your taste you may want to add more. Please refrigerate leftovers!

Tater Tot Casserole

We've tried several, and here is my favorite tater tot casserole. I got the recipe from my friend's blog and added the ground beef. Simple. Easy. Tasty.

INGREDIENTS:
1lb ground beef
1 (32-ounce) package frozen tater tots
1 (16-ounce) container sour cream
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 (6-ounce) can french fried onions

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Cook, drain, and rinse the ground beef, set aside. Arrange tater tots in the prepared baking dish and spread ground beef over top. In a mixing bowl, combine sour cream, cheese, and mushroom soup. Pour this mixture over the tater tots. Bake for 30-45 minutes. Sprinkle onions over the top of the casserole and bake for an additional 15 min.

Chicken and Rice

This recipe is super easy, and contains ingredients I usually have on hand, so it's good for those "Wait, I was supposed to make dinner?" nights. And yes, you heard me right, I am posting a recipe with RICE in it, and I love it. My mom reminded me of this one, that I loved growing up, when she came to help out after my second was born.

I've included proportions that feed Curtis and myself, for a bigger family simply double the recipe and prepare in a 9x13 pan.

1 Large chicken breast, defrosted and cut in half
1 cup of rice
2 cups of warm water
1 can of cream of chicken soup
approx 2 teaspoons (or half of a season packet) Italian dressing mix

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Mix everything except the chicken in a 7x11 casserole pan.
3. Place chicken on top and cover with tinfoil.
4. Bake for 30-45 min, remove tinfoil and bake for an additional 15 min.
5. Let cool, and enjoy!

Pictures to follow

Chicken Coquettes

1 small onion
2 cups cooked chicken, cubed
salt and pepper
2/3 cup canned or fresh mushrooms, diced
6 ounces cream cheese, softened
6 tablespoons butter, melted
2/3 cup herb stuffing mix, dry (something like Pepperidge Farms)
2 cans crescent rolls
1/2 cream of chicken soup
1/4 cup chicken broth, leftover
1/8 cup milk

Dice onion. Put in pot. Add raw chicken and water enough to cook it. Add salt and pepper. Boil until cooked. Remove chicken, reserve broth and onion.

Chop mushrooms, then saute.

Cut chicken into cubes. Mix chicken, salt and pepper, mushrooms, cream cheese and onion.

Shape into balls, ten maximum.

Cover each chicken ball with a crescent roll. Dip in melted butter and roll in dry stuffing mix.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Gravy

Mix together soup, chicken broth and milk.

Warm until well mixed. Serve over chicken puffs.

Yield: 10

Tips: You can make the chicken mixture ahead of time and keep it in the refridgerator. And don't forget to keep the water that you boiled the chicken in for later use in the recipe!