Chicken Pot Pie (from roux)

(pictured with no peas--no one in my family will eat them)

Submitted by Julie Twitchell

This is seriously the BEST chicken pot pie I have ever made. It was so good that Tyler and I ate until we were beyond full. He took some leftovers to work the next day and shared with a few coworkers. A single friend said he would pay me $25 to make him one. It is really that good!!

3 whole (6 split) chicken breasts, bone-in, skin-on (I used boneless, skinless)
3 TB olive oil
Kosher salt
Ground pepper
5 Cups chicken stock, preferably homemade (if store bought, get low-sodium)
2 chicken bouillon cubes
12 TB (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 cups yellow onion, chopped (2 onions)
3/4 Cup all purpose flour
1/4 Cup heavy cream
2 Cup medium-diced carrots, blanched for 2 minutes
1 (10 ounce) package frozen peas (2 cups)
1 1/2 cups frozen small whole onions
1/2 Cup minced fresh parsley leaves
(I added 2 cups cubed potatoes and blanched them with the carrots)

For the pastry:

3 Cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 Cup vegetable shortening or LARD
1/4 pound cold unsalted butter, diced
1/2 to 2/3 cup ice water
1 egg beaten with 1 TB water, for egg wash
Flaked sea salt and cracked black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.


2. Place the chicken breasts on a baking sheet and rub them with olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 35-40 minutes, or until cooked through. Set aside until cool enough to handle, then remove the meat from the bones and discard the skin. Cut the chicken into large cubes. You will have 4-6 cups of cubed chicken.


3. In a small saucepan, heat the chicken stock and dissolve the bouillon cubes in the stock. In a large pot or dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the onions over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes, until translucent. Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Add the hot chicken stock to the sauce. Simmer over low heat for 1 more minute, stirring, until thick. Add 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and heavy cream. Add the cubed chicken, carrots, peas, onions and parsley(and potatoes). Mix well.


4. For the pastry, mix the flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the shortening and butter and mix quickly with your fingers until each piece is coats with flour. Pulse 10 times, or until the fat is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water; process only enough to moisten the dough and have it just come together. Dump the dough out onto a floured board and knead quickly into a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and allow it to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

To bake pot pies, preheat oven to 375.

Option 1: Divide the filling equally among 4 ovenproof bowls. Divide the dough into quarters and roll each piece into an 8-inch circle. Brush the outside edges of each bowl with the egg wash, then place the dough on top. Trim the circle to 1/2 inch larger than the top of the bowl. Crimp the dough to fold over the side, pressing it to make it stick. Brush the dough with egg wash and make 3 slits in the top. Sprinkle with sea salt and cracked pepper. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling hot.

Option 2: Pour filling into a deep 9 x 13 casserole dish or two 9 x 13 shallow dishes. Roll dough out into a rectangle big enough to cover the dish. Place on top of filling. Brush the dough with egg wash and make a few slits. Sprinkle with sea salt and cracked pepper. Place on a baking sheet for 1 hour, or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling hot.

Cook's Note: You can half this recipe, make all the filling and freeze it for later use, or make a dish to share with a neighbor :)

Macaroni and Cheese(from roux)

Submitted by Julie Twitchell

This is a Martha Stewart recipe that I have had for years.

8 TB unsalted butter (1 stick), plus more for dish
6 slices good white bread, crusts removed, torn into 1/4 -1/2 inch pieces
5 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)
4 1/2 Cup sharp white cheddar cheese
2 Cup grated Gruyere cheese or 1 1/4 Cup Pecorino Romano cheese
1 pound macaroni

1. Heat oven to 375. Butter a 3 quart casserole dish; set aside. Place bread in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan, over medium heat, melt 2 TB butter. Pour butter over bread and toss. Set bread crumbs aside.
2. Measure milk and set aside.(the milk shouldn't be as cold as right from the fridge) Melt remaining 6 TB butter in a high-sided skillet over heat. When butter bubbles, add flour. Cook, whisking for 1 minute.
3. While whisking, slowly pour in milk. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until mixture bubbles and becomes thick.
4. Remove pan from heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar cheese, 1 1/2 cups Gruyere or 1 Cup Romano cheese; set cheese sauce aside.
5. Fill a large saucepan with water; bring to a boil. Add macaroni; cook 2-3 minutes less than manufacturer's directions; until the outside of the pasta is cooked and the inside is underdone. Transfer macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water and drain well. Stir macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce.
6. Pour mixture into prepared dish. Sprinkle remaining cheese and bread crumbs on top. Bake until browned on top, about 30 minutes. Transfer dish to a wire rack and cool 5 minutes before serving.

Cook's Note: I use a total of 6 cups of cheese. Gruyere and white cheddar cheese are usually expensive, so I use sharp, mild and Parmesan cheese. We usually half this recipe for our family.

Printable Version

Potato Soup(from a Roux)

Submitted by Heather Hinckley

6 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes
2 Cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups milk
3 TB butter
2 TB minced onion
3 TB flour

1. Fill pot with water and let boil; then add potatoes. Let boil until the can easily be cut(fork tender). While the potatoes boil, melt butter and saute onions for about 5 minutes on low. Add flour to butter and onion 1 TB at a time. This will form the roux. Add 1 cup of milk and whisk until it is smooth.
2. Drain cooked potato and put back in the pot used to boil them. Add the roux/milk sauce to the pot and add cheese and another cup of milk; stir until smooth.

Cook's Note: I thin the soup with another cup of milk, and I always add more cheese, and different kinds too. I like Colby Jack too. You can top this with more cheese and bacon.

Alfredo Sauce(from roux)

• 1/3 Cup all purpose flour
• 3 1/2 TB butter
• 4 Cups 1% milk
  
  In a large saucepan, melt butter on medium heat and add flour. Whisk until smooth, this is the roux. Add 1 cup of milk to the roux and whisk vigorously until smooth.
  

  Add remaining milk while still whisking. Cook over medium heat until smooth and thickened (about 15 minutes). Stir continuously to prevent burning.

Add the following ingredients until smooth--DO NOT LET IT BOIL!

• 8 oz. cream cheese
• 1 1/4 Cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 chicken bouillon cube
• 2 1/4 tsp. lemon juice
• 1 1/8 tsp. salt

It's time to sample--YEAH!
Kid tested and approved by the Normans!!

Green Beans Amandine

Submitted by Glenda Davis

3 Cups frozen regular or french cut green beans
6 tsp. water
6 tsp. butter or margarine
6 TB slivered almonds, toasted
1 1/2 tsp. lemon juice
Bacon fried and crumbled

Place green beans in microwavable bowl, and sprinkle with water. Microwave covered on high for 3-4 minutes or until tender. Let stand covered, while preparing butter mixture. Melt butter in microwave; stir in toasted almonds and lemon juice. Drain green beans. Pour butter mixture over beans and sprinkle bacon on top.

Serves 6

Sweet Potato Rolls

Submitted by Glenda Davis

2 Cups Biscuit mix
2/3 Cup mashed cooked sweet potato
2 TB margarine or butter, softened

Mix biscuit mix and sweet potato. Gently smooth dough into ball on floured surface. Knead 5 times. Roll dough into 12 inch circle; spread with margarine or butter. Cut into 12 wedges. Roll each wedge up like a crescent roll, beginning at rounded edges. Place rolls with points underneath about 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 450 for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.

Cheeseburger 'N' Fries Casserole

Submitted by Glenda Davis

2 pounds lean ground beef
1 10 3/4 oz. can condensed cream of mushroom or chicken soup
1 10 3/4 oz. can condensed cheddar cheese soup
1 20 oz. pkg frozen crinkle-cut french fries

In a skillet, brown the beef; drain. Stir in soups. Pour into a greased 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Arrange french fries on top. Bake uncovered at 350 for 50-55 minutes or until fries are golden brown.

Serves 6-8

Lemon Blueberry Trifle

Submitted by Brooke Butler

1 Frozen Prepared Pound Cake (16 ounces)

2 lemons

1 1/2 Cups milk

1 8 ounce sour cream

1 8 ounce Cool Whip

2 pkg. lemon instant pudding and pie filling (3.4 ounces each)

1 pint fresh blueberries (about 2 cups)

1 square white baking chocolate (1 ounce)

1. Cut pound cake into 1 inch cubes and place in large bowl. The first lemon will be cut in slices and used for a garnish. Zest the skin of the second lemon and set aside; juice the remaining lemon and sprinkle over the pound cake.


2. In a mixing bowl; combine milk, sour cream, half of the whipped topping and the reserved lemon zest, whisk until smooth. Add pudding mix, whisk until mixture begins to thicken.


3. Set aside 12 blueberries for garnish. To assemble trifle, place 1/3 of the cake cubes into the bottom of a chilled bowl. Use a glass bowl if you have one. Top with 1/3 of blueberries. Grate 1/4 of the chocolate over blueberries. Top with the pudding mixture, pressing lightly. Repeat layers 2 more times; reserving the remaining grated chocolate for garnish. Spread remaining pudding over entire top of trifle, creating a smooth surface.


4. Using a decorator, attach an open star tip and fill with remaining whipped topping. Decorate by piping 12 rosettes around edge of bowl. Place one lemon slice between rosettes and one reserved blueberry on each rosette. Grate remaining chocolate. Makes 10 servings or 20 sample servings.

Cook's Note: I LOVE this dish, but I like to change it up. Today at Costco the blackberries were half the price of blueberries, so I got blackberries and I used angel food cake instead of pound cake. I used sugar free cool whip, and one packet of the pudding was sugar free, fat free, the other was regular(the sugar free one is only 1 ounce so probably best to only use one). Also, if you decorate the top with cool whip by piping it, I don't think a half container is enough. You can change it up and use whatever fruit you have, or even a mixture as well as different puddings. It's a light refreshing dessert for Summer! (Source: Pampered Chef)

Cream Cheese Chicken/Crockpot Chicken

Submitted by Julie Twitchell and Laura Blair and Dorothy Breinholt

We had this a few years ago at a R.S. birthday dinner. It is delicious and it freezes really well.

4-6 chicken breasts
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 8 oz. package of cream cheese
1 pkg dry Italian Dressing mix

Place chicken(even frozen) on bottom of a crock pot. Mix soup and Italian dressing together and pour over the chicken. Cook on high for 3 hours or low for 6-7 hours. About 1 hour before serving, take chicken out and shred it. Add cream cheese to crock pot and put chicken back it. Serve with rice, noodles or mashed potatoes

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Submitted by Julie Twitchell

This is a recipe from my sister-in-law(Amy). They are a family favorite. This recipe makes about 4-5 dozen, so make sure to share with someone immediately, or else you might eat them all :)

• 4 1/2 Cups flour
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1 3/4 Cup butter flavor shortening
• 1 1/3 Cup sugar
• 1 1/3 Cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp. water
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 Cup chocolate chips(semi sweet, white or milk chocolate chips)

1. Sift flour, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
2. In a mixing bowl, cream shortening and sugar; then add water and vanilla. Add eggs one at a time until well mixed.
3. Add sifted ingredients and then chocolate chips.
4. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.