Monday, May 31, 2010

Steakhouse Potato Salad

Here is a great Kraft recipe for summer!  I'm not a big fan of traditional potato salad but I would be willing to try this one.

Steakhouse Potato Salad

Ingredients:
3 lb small red potatoes (about 9), quartered
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup Miracle Whip dressing
1/4 cup ranch dressing
6 slices bacon, cooked, crumbled
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
4 green onions, thinly sliced

Directions:
Place potatoes in 2 quart microwaveable dish.  Add water; cover with lid.  Microwave on high 12 to 15 minutes or just until potatoes are tender; drain.  Place in large bowl.  Refrigerate 1 hour or until completely cooled.  Mix dressings.  Add potatoes with remaining ingredients; mix lightly. 

Sunday, May 30, 2010

Pineapple-Glazed Chicken Breasts

This Pillsbury recipe has great flavor and is easy to prepare.  Dust off the grill and five it a try!

Pineapple-Glazed Chicken Breasts

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons frozen (thawed) pineapple juice concentrate
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (5 oz each)
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 slices (1/2 inch thick) fresh pineapple, rind removed

Directions:
Heat gar or charcoal grill.  In small bowl, mix mustard and juice concentrate; reserve 2 tablespoons.  Into remaining mixture, stir garlic, rosemary, salt, and pepper; set aside.  When grill is heated, rub chicken breast halves with oil.  Place chicken on gas grill over medium heat or on charcoal grill over medium coals; cover grill.  Cook 5 minutes.  Add pineapple to grill; brush with rosemary mixture.  Turn chicken; brush with rosemary mixture.  Cover grill; cook 6 to 8 minutes longer, brushing chicken occasionally with rosemary mixture and turning chicken and pineapple once, until chicken is fork tender and juices run clear.  Discard any remaining rosemary mixture.  Place chicken on serving plates.  Spoon reserved 2 tablespoons mustard mixture over chicken.  Halve or quarter pineapple slices; serve with chicken. 

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Mini Tostadas

Tostadas are fun to make and eat! This Pillsbury recipe is great for snacks and parties. Once you master this version you could get creative and create your own recipe.

Mini Tostadas

Ingredients:
1 package flour tortillas for burritos (8 tortillas)
Cooking spray
1 can (16 oz) refried beans
8 medium green onions, sliced (1/2 cup)
2 cups finely shredded Mexican cheese blend (8 oz)
2/3 cup sour cream

Directions:
Place oven rack in lowest rack position; heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray one side of each tortilla with cooking spray. With 2 1/2 inch round cutter, cut 5 rounds from each tortilla (if desired, stack 2 tortillas to cut). On ungreased large cookie sheets, place tortilla rounds with sprayed sides down. Spread each round with beans. Set aside 1 tablespoon of the onions. Sprinkle rounds with remaining onions and cheese. Bake on lowest oven rack 11 to 13 minutes or until bottoms are crisp and cheese is melted and bubbly. Top each with about 1 teaspoon sour cream and some of the reserved onions.

Friday, May 7, 2010

Cheesy Chicken Strips

You don't have to be a kid to love chicken strips. This Betty Crocker recipe adds cheese to that simple joy. This recipe will bring and even bigger smile to your face because it takes less than 30 minutes.

Cheesy Chicken Strips

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (1 1/4 pounds)
2 cups cheese-flavored crackers, crushed (1 cup)
1/2 cup finely shredded cheddar cheese (2 ounces)
1 egg
Barbecue sauce, ketchup, or ranch dressing, if desired

Directions:
Heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray jelly roll pan, 15 1/2 x 10 1/2 x 1 inch, with cooking spray. Cut chicken lengthwise into 1/2 inch strips. Mix crushed crackers and cheese in large resealable plastic bag. beat egg in large bowl; add chicken strips to egg and toss to coat. Remove chicken from egg, allowing excess to drip off; place chicken in bag of cracker mixture. Seal bag and shake to coat evenly with cracker mixture. Place chicken strips in single layer in pan. Bake uncovered 10 to 12 minutes or until no longer pink in center. Serve with dipping sauce if desired.

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Beef Taco Foldovers

Pillsbury describes this recipe as "Mexico meets Italy". Try it out and see if you agree.

Beef Taco Foldovers

Ingredients:
1/2 lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup black beans, drained (from 15 oz can)
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
1 tablespoon taco seasoning mix (from 1 oz package)
1 can Pillsbury Grands flaky layers refrigerated original biscuits
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (4 oz)
5 tablespoons salsa
5 tablespoons sour cream
Sliced green onions, if desired
Lettuce, if desired

Directions:
Heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. In 10 inch skillet, cook beef and onion over medium-high heat until beef is brown; drain. Stir in beans, tomato sauce and seasoning mix. Simmer 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until liquid is absorbed. Separate dough into 5 biscuits. Press or roll each to form 5 inch round. Spoon 1/2 cup meat mixture onto center of each flattened biscuit. Sprinkle cheese evenly onto biscuits. Fold half of biscuit over filling; press edges with fork to seal. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Top with salsa, sour cream, and green onions. Garnish with lettuce.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Pepperoni Pizza Chicken

This quick and easy Betty Crocker recipe is destined to become a family favorite! You could even use this idea as inspiration to create your own recipe.

Pepperoni Pizza Chicken

Ingredients:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 oz sliced pepperoni
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (about 2 oz)
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cups water
1 package (7 oz) uncooked elbow macaroni
1 jar tomato pasta sauce
Chopped fresh basil, if desired

Directions:
Place chicken breasts flat on cutting surface. With knife parallel to cutting surface, cut a lengthwise slit in each chicken breast, forming a pocket, keeping other 3 sides intact. Stuff each chicken breast with pepperoni and mozzarella cheese, pressing the edges of each chicken breast to seal. In 12 inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook chicken in oil about 9 minutes, turning occasionally, until well browned on both sides. (Chicken pockets will open slightly during cooking.) Remove from skillet and set aside. In same skillet, slowly add water so as not to splatter. Increase heat setting to high. Heat water to boiling. Add macaroni; cook about 3 minutes or until almost tender. Do not drain. Stir in pasta sauce. Heat to boiling. Return chicken to skillet. Reduce heat to medium. cover and simmer 8 to 10 minutes or until juice of chicken is clear when center of thickest part is cut. Garnish with basil.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Grands Chicken Bacon Quesadillas

Here is another recipe from the Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest. Everyone loves a good quesadilla!

Grands Chicken Bacon Quesadillas

Ingredients:
1 container (8 oz) sour cream
4 green onions, thinly slices (4 tablespoons)
1 package (1 oz) ranch dip mix
1 cup chunky-style salsa
1/4 cup peach preserves
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 lb sliced roasted chicken (from deli), chopped
3/4 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend or crumbled queso blanco cheese (3 oz)
8 slices precooked bacon, chopped
1 can (16.3 oz) Pillsbury Grands Homestyle refrigerated buttermilk biscuits (8 biscuits)

Directions:
In small bowl, mix sour cream, 1 sliced green onion and 1 tablespoon of the ranch dip mix. In another bowl, mix salsa, preserves and 1 tablespoon of the cilantro. Heat closed medium-size contact grill for 5 minutes; spray grill plates with no-stick cooking spray. Meanwhile, in medium bowl, mix chicken, cheese, bacon and remaining green onions, cilantro and ranch dip mix. Separate dough into 8 biscuits; press or roll each into 5 inch round. Place 1/4 cup chicken mixture on one side of each biscuit round. Fold biscuit over filling; press edges to seal. Place biscuits, two at a time, on grill; close grill. Cook 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown. Cut each quesadilla into 3 wedges. Serve with sour cream and salsa mixtures.