Author: Sharon

Chicken and Dumplings

Chicken and Dumplings is my most requested meal from my kids. It takes some work to make this recipe, but it is absolutely worth it. There are shortcuts you can take to speed it up a bit but the results won’t be the same. You get out of something what you put into it. So take your time some Sunday afternoon to make this old classic recipe: Chicken and Dumplings.

To make this recipe, you will need a big pot, large enough to fit a whole chicken. You will also need a rolling pin to roll out the dumplings. To mix and knead the dumpling dough, I use my Kitchen-Aid stand mixer and a dough hook. If you don’t have a stand mixer with a dough hook, you are going to have a bit more manual labor involved. Get a Kitchen-Aid stand mixer, you will thank me a million times over, trust me. They are an awesome tool and I LOVE mine!

Ingredients for Chicken & Dumplings:

A Chicken – Giblets removed and thrown away
water
2 tsp. poultry seasoning
2 tsp. sage
1 bay leaf
salt & pepper
32 oz. carton of chicken broth
all purpose flour

Place the chicken* into a large stock pot. (Mine is just like this one.) Add enough water to cover the chicken. Add the bay leaf, 1 teaspoon of poultry seasoning, 1 teaspoon sage, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper to the water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until the chicken is cooked and is falling apart. Remove the chicken to a bowl and allow to cool enough that you can handle it.

*If you don’t want to use a whole chicken, you could substitute boneless chicken breasts or thighs. Your broth won’t be as flavorful so you would want to add some chicken bouillon or stock base and use less salt.

While the chicken cools, make the dumplings.

Put 2 cups of flour in the bowl of your stand mixer. Add 1 cup chicken broth to the bowl. With the dough hook attachment, stir until the flour and broth form a ball. Add additional flour if your dough is too sticky. You want it to form a ball and it will pull itself off the sides of the bowl. Pick up the dumpling dough ball and sprinkle a light dusting of flour over the entire surface.

Clean a 2 foot area of your kitchen counter where you will roll out your dumplings. (I’m a germophobe so I usually use Clorox wipes and wipe the counters with a clean wet wash cloth and dry thoroughly.)

Dust the counter with some flour and also dust your rolling pin and use your hand to spread the flour over the entire rolling pin surface. Roll out the dumpling dough into a rectangular shape to a thickness of approximately 1/4″.

Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into 1 1/2″ strips and cut again crosswise to make squares. Dust lightly with more flour. (This helps to thicken the broth.)

Once the chicken is a safe temperature to handle, remove the chicken meat from the bones. Remove any icky parts like veins, gristle, etc. Cut the chicken meat into bite sized chunks.

Strain the broth through a strainer and clean the stock pot out to get rid of the bathtub-like ring from boiling the chicken. Return the broth and the chicken to the pot. Add the carton of chicken broth and remaining seasonings and taste the broth, adding more salt & pepper if needed. Bring to a boil.

Add the dumplings a few at a time to the boiling broth, stirring so that they don’t get clumped together. Cover the pot and simmer for 15 minutes or until the dumplings are cooked all the way through. To test this, cut a dumpling in half and see if it looks rubbery inside. If it’s white all the way through, it’s done.

If you want your soup to be thicker, you can whisk together 1/4 cup flour and 1/2 cup of half & half or milk, making sure you get all the lumps out. Add this to the chicken & dumplings and stir until the soup is thickened. Another option is to add a couple cans of cream of chicken soup or my homemade cream of chicken soup mix.

Ladle into soup bowls and prepare to be complimented. 🙂

I know you will enjoy this Chicken & Dumplings recipe. Trust me that it is worth every bit of work that goes into making it.

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Sharon Springfield

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Chicken and Dumplings Recipe

Tags Chicken, dumplings, soup

Desserts

Banana Split Pie

This delicious Banana Split Pie is not shaped like a pie, but it’s not a cake either. It’s 9 by 13 inches of creamy, fruity goodness that you may test your self control. Yes, it’s that good! This cool dessert is great for a summertime buffet or family party.

Banana Split Pie:

2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 stick of butter, melted
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 large can crushed pineapple
4 bananas, sliced
1 large carton Cool Whip
chopped nuts
Maraschino cherries
cocoa powder (optional)

Mix butter and graham cracker crumbs and press into the bottom of a 9×13″ baking dish. Thoroughly mix together the softened cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk. Spread over the graham cracker crust, followed by the pineapple and bananas. Spread with Cool Whip and top with nuts and cherries. Dust with cocoa powder (optional). Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled before serving.

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Sharon Springfield

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Banana Split Pie

Tags banana, cherries, coconut, cool whip, desserts, graham cracker crust

Bell Pepper Mushrooms Onions Side Dishes Squash Vegetables Vegetarian

Marinated Grilled Veggies

Marinated Grilled Veggies are so easy to prepare and they make a great side dish. You can cut up your veggies up to a day ahead and let them marinate until you are ready to fire up the grill. We have a grill basket that we use to make these grilled veggies.

Ingredients:

2 zucchini squash
2 yellow squash
1 sweet onion
1 red bell pepper
1 package fresh mushrooms

Wash, rinse and dry the veggies. (I always use antibacterial soap and rinse well to remove any pesticides or other cooties.) Rinse the mushrooms in just water, removing all the dirt, and set on a towel to dry. Cut off the stems.

Prepare the marinade:

In a large ziplock bag, add 3 Tablespoons olive oil, 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 1 teaspoon oregano, a dash of seasoned salt such as Everglades seasoning or Adobo seasoning. If you want to go the easy route, just use a balsamic vinagrette dressing, approx 1/4 cup.

Chop all the veggies up in bite sized pieces and add to the ziploc bag with the marinade. Seal the bag and toss the marinade over all the chopped veggies. If you are going to be cooking it right away, you can just leave it out on the counter while your grill heats. If you aren’t cooking them immediately, refrigerate until you are ready to cook.

Pre-heat your grill and the grill basket. Add approximately half of the marinated veggies to the basket. Stir to evenly distribute them in the basket. Close the grill lid and let them sizzzzzle away for a few minutes. Stir every couple minutes. When they are crisp-tender, they are done. Scoop them out of the basket into a serving bowl. Repeat with remaining marinated vegetables.

Serve as a side dish or make into a vegetarian dinner in a whole wheat wrap or on a bun.

We had ours with grilled fish and rice pilaf.

Marinated Grilled Veggies are SOOO GOOD that I would eat them every single day! Give this a try, you will love it!

Pin it on Pinterest! Here’s the link: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/280278776783968285/

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Sharon Springfield

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Marinated Grilled Veggies

Tags grilled, marinated, veggie

Cabbage Casseroles Ground Beef Main Dish Rice Vegetables

Cabbage Rolls

Cabbage Rolls Recipe

This recipe for cabbage rolls is from my mother-in-law. When I married her son, I asked her to share with me some of his favorite recipes so that I could “make it like Mom made it”. My hubby always appreciates it when I take the time to make his mom’s Cabbage Rolls, which always makes me happy too! I hope you enjoy the recipe. 🙂

Cabbage Roll Filling Ingredients:

1 pound ground chuck
1 cup cooked rice
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 small onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
dash of salt & pepper
dash of garlic powder
dash of cayenne pepper
Steamed cabbage leaves

Cabbage Rolls Sauce Ingredients:

2 cups tomato sauce
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
dash of garlic

Mix uncooked meat, cooked rice, onion, peppers and seasonings in a large bowl. Place some meat mixture in the middle of a cabbage leaf and roll up. (like you’d roll up a burrito)

Place the cabbage rolls in a 9×13″ glass baking dish or cast iron bakeware. Pour sauce over the top. Cover baking dish with foil. Bake in a 350º F oven for 40 minutes or until the meat is cooked through.

Cabbage Rolls Recipe

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Sharon Springfield

Tags cabbage, casserole, main dish, Rice

Desserts

The Best Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Post author By Sharon
Post date April 2, 2014
No Comments on The Best Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Not to brag, but I make the best pineapple upside down cake. This cake is smothered in buttery, sticky sweet pineapple and cherries. It’s irresistible and a hit at every potluck or family gathering. I’m going to teach you how you can make one too.

The Best Pineapple Upside Down Cake Ingredients:

butter
brown sugar
2 cans of pineapple slices
A jar of maraschino cherries
Yellow cake mix

The Best Pineapple Upside Down Cake Instructions:

To be authentic, you need to bake this in a cast iron skillet. This is how I learned from my Mom, an old fashioned southern cook. A 12 inch skillet does the trick. You could also use two round cake pans for one cake mix. Heat pan(s) it in the oven and melt 3 tablespoons of butter in the skillet. Remove from the oven and sprinkle brown sugar in an even layer over the butter. Drain the pineapple juice, reserving it to use later in the batter. Arrange pineapple rings in the bottom of your skillet, over the brown sugar – butter layer. Place a cherry in the middle of each pineapple ring and in the spaces between the rings. Set aside.

At this point you could either use a cake mix or whip up some homemade cake batter. Replace the liquids called for in the recipe with the reserved pineapple juice. Pour cake batter into pans and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let the pan cool for about 5 minutes.

Next comes the upside-down magic, inverting the cake. Place your cake plate over top of the cake. Carefully (using pot holders because it’s going to be hot) flip over the cake so that the cake pan is on the bottom and lift off the skillet.

Then the hard part, waiting for dessert time! Enjoy your delicious pineapple upside down cake!

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Sharon Springfield

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The Best Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Tags cake, pineapple

Casseroles Holidays Side Dishes Southern Sweet Potatoes Vegetarian

Sweet Potato Casserole

What would Thanksgiving be without Sweet Potato Casserole? In my family, I’m the one who always gets to bring it because I know the best sweet potato casserole recipe ever! My secret is the crunchy buttery topping with coconut, pecans and brown sugar. It’s so delicious and sweet that I usually eat it last, like a dessert. The fluffy mashed sweet potatoes spiced with pumpkin pie spices like cinnamon, ginger and all spice are just heavenly! So if you’re looking for the best sweet potato casserole recipe, take it from this southern girl, here’s the only one you need.

Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe – Cooking your sweet potatoes:

First of all, you have two options of how to cook your sweet potatoes. You can either bake them until they’re soft and scoop out the inside of the sweet potatoes and discard the skins, or you can peel the sweet potatoes, cube them and boil them in a pot of water until they are fork tender then drain them and mash with a potato masher. I’ve done it both ways and they both work equally well. I usually use about 5 or 6 medium sized sweet potatoes.

Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe

Ingredients:

Mashed cooked sweet potatoes
1 egg
1/3 cup milk or flavored liquid coffee creamer (hazelnut or vanilla)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Mix together the above ingredients with your mashed sweet potatoes. Spread them into a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish.

Sweet potato casserole recipe topping:

1/4 cup softened butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup pecans, chopped

Mix together the topping ingredients and sprinkle over the casserole. Bake in a 350○F oven for 20 – 30 minutes. The topping should be bubbly and browned. The smell should be amazing and will summon you to the oven when it’s getting close to done. Serve this awesome comfort food at your next Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner and everyone will be begging you for your Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe.

Remember to return often to my blog for more great recipes.

Sharon Springfield

Tags casserole, sweet potato

Crockpot Main Dish

Crockpot Balsamic BBQ Beef

This is a delicious crockpot bbq recipe with a surprise secret ingredient. Read on to find out what it is… I saw a recipe on Pinterest for Balsamic shredded beef which I started out to make, until I realized that I was out of brown sugar. Time to improvise. 😉 So I started scrounging around in the pantry and fridge for an ingredient to substitute for the brown sugar. I settled upon something sweet and brown and one of my favorite things to eat. Once I had dumped all the ingredients into the crock pot, put the lid on, and turned it to low, I ran out the door and headed to work. When I returned home, I took the roast out of the crock pot and shredded it. I spooned about 1/2 cup of the liquid from the crock pot over the beef. Fat by itself would be a terrific dinner but I had barbecue on the brain so I dumped in some sweet baby rays barbecue sauce and mixed it in. I wrapped up the barbecue in a low carb wrap with some shredded cheddar cheese and some French’s fried onions. This was truly the best crock pot balsamic barbecue beef I have ever had. Give this recipe a try and if you like it share it with your friends pin it on your Pinterest board.

Crockpot Balsamic Barbeque Beef

Ingredients:

4-5 pound chuck roast
1 cup beef broth
1/2 cup apple butter
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Your favorite bbq sauce. I love Sweet Baby Rays or Sonny’s Sweet Sauce

Directions:

Coat inside of Crockpot with nonstick spray (I coat mine with Crisco)
Cut all the fat off of roast and place into Crockpot. Add the rest of the ingredients except the barbeque sauce. Spoon the liquid over the roast, put the lid on the Crockpot and cook on low for about 8 to 10 hours.

When the meat is tender enough to separate with a fork, remove from crock and put in a casserole dish. Slice the roast crosswise into 2 inch thick slices then shred the meat with 2 forks.

Spoon a few spoonfuls of the liquid from the Crockpot over the meat to moisten it. You could just eat it like this or if you like, pour barbeque sauce over and mix it in. Serve on buns, garlic Texas toast or, my favorite way, on a low carb wrap.

(I make my famously yummy low carb bbq wraps with bbq beef, shredded cheddar cheese and French’s fried onions. Wrap it all up and dig in. It’s soooo good! )

With your leftover Crockpot Balsamic BBQ Beef, you can make Barbecue Pot Pie with Cheese Grits Crust

Remember to pin this to your recipes board on Pinterest!

Crockpot Balsamic Barbeque Beef Recipe

Sharon Springfield

Tags barbecue, beef, crockpot

Casseroles Main Dish

Barbecue Pot Pie with Cheese Grits Crust

Post author By Sharon
Post date March 30, 2014
1 Comment on Barbecue Pot Pie with Cheese Grits Crust

Barbecue Pot Pie with Cheese Grits Crust

This mouth watering casserole is something you must try. I use a sweet BBQ sauce and lots of sharp cheddar cheese in the cheese grits crust. I promise, this is one tasty casserole that you will love!

1 large sweet onion, diced
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups thick barbecue sauce
1 1/2 cups beef broth
1 pound shredded barbecued pork*
Cheese Grits Crust Batter* recipe follows
Cheese Grits Crust Batter*
2 cups water
2 cups milk
1 cup quick-cooking grits
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon seasoned pepper
dash of garlic powder
2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Cheese Grits Crust:

Bring water and milk to boil in a large saucepan; add grits, and cook, stirring often, 5 minutes or until thickened. Stir in cheese, salt, and pepper; remove from heat.
Stir about one-fourth of grits mixture gradually into beaten eggs; add to remaining grits mixture, stirring constantly.
Spoon hot grits mixture evenly over hot Barbecue Pot Pie mixture.
Bake at 425° for 15 minutes.
Yield Makes 1 (13X9 inch) crust

Barbecue:

Sauté onion in hot oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until golden brown. Stir in flour, and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Gradually stir in barbecue sauce and beef broth; cook, stirring constantly,
3 minutes or until mixture begins to thicken. Stir in pork, and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, and spoon mixture into a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish.
Spoon Cheese Grits Crust Batter evenly over hot barbecue mixture.
Bake at 425° for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and set.
*1 pound shredded beef may be substituted for pork.
Yield 8 to 10 servings

Barbecue Pot Pie with Cheese Grits Crust

Sharon Springfield

Tags barbecue, casserole, cheese grits, pot pie

Desserts

Super Sweetie Valentine Cake

Post author By Sharon
Post date February 10, 2014
No Comments on Super Sweetie Valentine Cake

Valentine’s Day Cake

Here’s a super simple idea to decorate any round layer cake in a valentine’s theme. Just make a double layer round cake and frost it with any cake / frosting combo that suits you. Then stack Kit-Kat bars around the edges, securing them with a ribbon tied in a bow. Then top the cake with Valentine M&M’s! Isn’t it just adorable? Make this Valentine’s Day extra special with this super nice cake!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

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Sharon Springfield

Tags cake, desserts

Main Dish

Chicken Sonora

One of my favorite and fastest dinners. A copy-cat of Ruby Tuesday’s dish. Also great as a meatless dish if you omit the chicken.

1 pound chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
1/2 package penne or ziti
1 12 oz. jar Alfredo sauce with sun dried tomatoes
1 16 oz. can black beans
1 10 3/4 ounce can Rotel Tomatoes

Grill or broil chicken and cut into bite-sized pieces. Boil pasta according to pkg. directions. Drain Rotel Tomatoes and black beans – rinse beans. Combine all in a pan and warm through. Serve with garlic bread and a salad.

8 Servings

Chicken Sonora

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Sharon Springfield

Tags Chicken, Pasta