Crispy Cheddar Chicken

Ingredients

• 4 large chicken breasts
• 2 sleeves Ritz crackers
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 cup milk
• 3 cups cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley

Sauce:

• 1 10 oz. can cream of chicken soup
• 1 Tablespoon sour cream
• 2 Tablespoons butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut each chicken breast into 3 large chunks.

In a small food processor, grind up the Ritz crackers.

Pour the milk, cheese and cracker crumbs into 3 separate small pans. Toss the 1/4 salt and 1/8 pepper into the cracker crumbs and stir the mixture around to combine.

Dip each piece of chicken into the milk then the cheese. Press the cheese into the chicken with your fingers. Press the cheesy chicken into the cracker crumbs and press it in. 

Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray and lay the chicken inside the pan. 

Sprinkle the dried parsley over the chicken.

Cover the pan with tin foil an bake at 400 degrees F for 35 minutes. Remove the tin foil, bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until the edges of the chicken are golden brown and crispy. 

Into a medium sized sauce pan combine the cream of chicken soup, sour cream and butter with a whisk. Stir it over medium high heat until the sauce is nice and hot. Serve over the chicken. 

Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients

• 2 pounds red potatoes, cut into 2 inch pieces (do not peel)
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

Spray the inside of a slow cooker with cooking spray. Add chopped potatoes. Cover and cook 2-3 hours on high or 5-6 hours on low.

Add sour cream, milk, garlic, salt, and pepper to potatoes. Use a hand mixer to blend together all ingredients. Serve plain or with any favorite toppings such as gravy, or cheese and bacon. 

*This recipe can easily be doubled for large groups-- just increase the cooking time by 1-2 hours.

Caprese Panini

Ingredients

• 2 slices country-style bread, 1/2 inch thick
• Olive oil, for brushing
• 1 Tablespoon mayonnaise
• 2 slices mozzarella cheese
• 3 slices tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• Salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 fresh basil leaves

Preheat an electric panini maker. 

Brush one side of each bread slice with olive oil. Lay the slices, oiled side down, on a clean work surface. 

Spread the top of each slice with 1 Tbsp mayonnaise. Place the cheese on one slice and top with the tomato slices. Drizzle with the vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Top with the basil, then with the other bread slice, oiled side up. 

Place the sandwich on the preheated panini maker and cook according to the manufacturer's instructions until the bread is golden and the cheese is melted, 3 to 5 minutes.

Transfer the sandwich to a cutting board and cut in half.

Serve immediately. 

Serves 1.

Margherita Flatbread Pizza

Ingredients

• 2 naan bread
• Sliced fresh mozzarella cheese
• 1 tomato sliced as thin as possible
• 5-6 basil leaves
• 3 cloves garlic, pressed
• 1.5 Tbsp olive oil
• 1.5 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste

Press fresh garlic and mix with oil.

Brush the flatbread with oil and garlic with half the mixture. Place in preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 5 minutes to crisp up.

Remove from oven and place slices of cheese on top of flatbread, sprinkle with salt and pepper, the place thinly sliced tomatoes on top and repeat with a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Place back in the oven for another 5 minutes, plus extra 2-3 minutes on broil. Watch the bread closely, if its too dark before 2-3 minutes remove it from the oven.

Meanwhile mix the remaining oil and garlic with the balsamic vinegar, stirring until a smooth emulsion forms.

Chop the basil leaves.

Once flatbread pizza is baked and the edges are golden in color, remove from the oven, drizzle with however much of the balsamic vinegar mixture you would like, sprinkle with basil leaves, slice and serve and enjoy!

Loaded Oven Chili Dogs

Ingredients

• 7 hot dogs
• 7 hot dog buns
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup relish
• 15 oz. can Hormel chili
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 onion, diced

Evenly spread 2 Tablespoons of mayonnaise and 1 Tablespoon of relish into each hot dog bun, top with the (uncooked) hot dog, and place in a 9x13 baking dish. Repeat for remaining hot dogs. Evenly top each with chili, then cheese, then diced onion.

Cover with foil, and bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes.