CHICKEN CROISSANTS
My family also calls this Chimento Chicken b/c our old friends the Chimentos loved it…I think Chimento Chicken has a nice ring to it Also note, this is another recipe from my mom…so all amounts are guesses. Don’t you love it?
- Cream Cheese (1 package)
- Mushrooms (1 package, diced)
- Onion (as much as you like…I use about 1/4 of an onion)
- Cooked Chicken Breast (2 breasts?)
- Pillsbury Crescent Rolls OR Frozen Filo Dough
- Gravy topping – you can use cream of chicken soup or make chicken gravy with broth and thickening

Cook the chicken breast however you want (boil, pressure cooker, microwave). Chop up and sautee the mushrooms and onions. Mix chicken, mushrooms and onions into the cream
cheese. This is your filling. Here are the directions for each type of “crescent”:

Pillsbury Crescent Rolls: Put a blob of filling on the triangle of dough and roll the dough around the filling – cook for as long as directed on the package for the rolls.

Phyllo: Follow the directions on the package for phyllo.

Phyllo is SUPER yummy, but the crescent rolls are yummy too – crescent rolls are MUCH easier.

Top with gravy and enjoy!

Update 4/5/2011: This recipe is fine. I’ve been using it for years. But I feel I must tell you that I’ve discovered a better version – my friend’s family’s traditional Yorkshire Pudding recipe. Same ingredients, different proportions, so much better. So, you can use the recipe below if you like…or you can click here to see the new and improved Yorkshire Pudding recipe. I recommend you do the latter.

PUFFED OVEN PANCAKES (aka German Pancakes)
From Better Homes & Gardens New Cook Book
- 2 T butter
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 C milk
- 1/2 C flour
- 1/4 t. salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put butter in baking dish (I just use an 8-inch casserole, I think the recipe calls for a round oven skillet or something)…heat in oven 3-5 minutes, til butter melted.

Beat eggs. Add milk, flour and salt. Beat til smooth. Pour immediately into baking dish. Bake 25 minutes, or until puffy edges and looks done in center. Serve with fruit, syrup, powdered sugar, whatever you like!

MINI MOLTEN CHOCOLATE CAKES
Better Homes & Gardens New Baking Book
INGREDIENTS:
3/4 C butter
6 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
Granulated sugar
3 eggs
3 egg yolks
1/3 C sifted powdered sugar
1 1/2 t. vanilla
1/4 C flour
2 T unsweetened cocoa powder

DIRECTIONS:
1. In heavy saucepan, combine butter and chopped chocolate; melt over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; cool. Grease six 1-cup souffle dishes/ramekins or 6-oz custard cups. Coat with granulated sugar.

2. Beat eggs, egg yolks, powdered sugar and vanilla with an electric mixer on high speed about 5 mins or until thick and pale yellow. Beat in chocolate mixture on medium speed. Sift flour and cocoa over chocolate mixture; beat on low speed just until blended. Spoon into prepared dishes.

3. Bake in a 400 degree oven 12-14 mins or until cakes rise slightly and feel firm at edges and softer in the center when pressed gently. Cool in dishes 5 mins. invert with pot holders onto plates. Cool 15 mins before serving. Can sprinkle with sifted powdered sugar and top with spiral garnishes and raspberries.

BAKED STUFFING-COATED CHICKEN
From Pat, my mother-in-law
This isn’t even really a recipe – it’s that easy. Just coat your chicken breasts in Cream of Chicken or Cream of Mushroom soup, then coat that in some prepared stuffing (like Stove Top). Bake in 350 oven until the chicken is done. That’s it. Cate GOBBLES it up. You can even do chicken breasts still on the bone, but I usually do boneless/skinless – easier to eat.

DEBBIE’S EASY CROCK POT CHICKEN
From Debbie Blomquist, my aunt
- 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 3 cans cream soup (2 chicken, 1 celery is good)
- 6 oz cream cheese softened
- 1 pkg Good Season Italian Dressing

Place chicken breasts in bottom of crock pot. Blend soups, cream and cheese. Add italian dressing mix. Pour over chicken breasts. Cook for 8 hours on low or 3 1/2 on high. Serve with white rice. Sauce may also be spooned over rice as a gravy.

Tostada Goop
From Barbara Tanner, my aunt
- 1 can cream chicken soup
- 1 can chili peppers
- 1 chopped onion (I do less than a 1 whole onion)
- 1 can chopped tomatoes
- 1 can black beans (just long enough to heat)
- six (or so) boneless skinless chicken breasts (can cut into chunks now or cook whole then shred it up later, which is what I usually do)

cook in a crock pot on low forever (as in 8 hours or so…all day works). add beans at the end.

Rosemary Chicken with Artichokes & White Beans
From Jennifer Schulte
- 4-6 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
- 1 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
- 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper (I use Kosher salt, it’s saltier!)
- 2 Tblsp olive oil
- 1 14 oz can, diced tomatoes
- 1 14 oz can, white beans drained (I use ‘great Northern beans’ from Bush’s)
- 1 14 oz can, artichoke hearts (quartered if you can find them, if not just drain & roughly chop up whole ones into quarters)
- 1/4 cup chopped Kalamata olives

Mix the spices together and sprinkle on one side of the chicken breasts. Heat the oil in large skillet to med high (I use a sauce pan, higher sides), add chicken seasoned side down and brown (3-4 min). Turn over chicken and add tomatoes, beans and artichokes, cook 5 min. Reduce heat and stir in olives, cook another 5 min or until chicken is done through and sauce thickens a little.

Serving = 1 breast + 1/2 cup or so of the chunky sauce! I serve this with brown rice, cooked in chicken broth.

BLUEBERRY MUFFINS
From: Mary/Grammy McCarthy
These are the best… and when you don’t have blueberries, mini chocolate chips work.

• 1 1/2 C flour
• 1/2 C sugar
• 2 t. baking powder
• small 1/2 t. salt
• 4 T butter
• 1 Egg
• 1/2 C milk
• 1 C blueberries

Mix dry ingredients together. Work in the butter. Add egg and milk, which have been whisked together. Carefully fold in blueberries. Sprinkle tops with sugar. Bake 400 degrees for 20-25 mins.

GRANDMA BLOMQUIST’S BROWNIES
1 square butter
2 squares baking chocolate (equiv: 6 T cocoa and 2 T butter)
2 T karo syrup
1 C sugar
2 well beaten eggs
1/2 t. baking powder
1 t. vanilla
1/4 t. salt
1 C flour

Melt butter, chocolate, karo. Add sugar. Add eggs. Add dry ingredients. Bake 350 degrees for ~ 25 mins in a greased 8X8 pan

CHOCOLATE BREAD PUDDING
From Cuisine at Home magazine (DELICIOUS RECIPE! YOU GOTTA TRY!)

Melt:
2 C semisweet chocolate chips (12 oz)
1 C brown sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, cubed

Whisk together; Pour over:
2 C whole or 2% milk
3 eggs
2 T vanilla extract
2 t instant espresso powder
1/2 t. salt
13 slices Texas toast, staled and cut into 1″ cubes (1 lb)

Fold in:
Chocolate mixture

Preheat oven to 350; coat a 9″ springform pan with 1 T unsalted butter. Melt chocolate chips, sugar and butter in saucepan over low heat. Stir frequently until chips are smooth, about 8 mins. Whisk milk, eggs, vanilla, espresso and salt together and pour over bread cubes. Toss well so the bread absorbs most of the liquid and begins to lose its shape. Fold the melted chocolate into the bread mixture, then transfer to prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour, or until the center springs back when gently pressed. Cool on a rack for 15 mins, remove the sides of the pan and slice.