Glorified Hash Browns

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I love allrecipes.com.  I find so many winners there.  This one is delicious and just about the easiest thing you could ever throw together.  The chive and onion cream cheese adds a nice twist.  I served this dish with this egg casserole at a family dinner and got rave reviews for both.  And it very well could have been the most simple meal I have ever entertained with.  Try it and let me know what you and your guests think.

{What you need}

2 (10.75 oz ea.) cans cream of celery soup, undiluted

2 (8 oz ea.) containers chive and onion cream cheese

1 (2 lb.) package froze cubed hash brown potatoes

1 cup (or more) shredded cheddar cheese

Microwave the soup and cream cheese for about 3-4 minutes, or until cream cheese is melted.  In a large bowl, combine soup mixture with potatoes and stir until evenly coated.  Bake for 35-40 minutes in a greased 9x13 casserole dish.  Sprinkle the cheese on top and bake for about 3-5 more minutes, or until the cheese is melted.  That's it!  So good...

(compliments of Betty Sitzman)

Carrot Ginger Soup

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John took me to the cutest little hippy diner last night for our date night and we had this amazing soup.  I looked up the recipe right when we got home and found this one, rated 5 stars from The Food Network.  This will surely be a fav in our fam for years to come.  Plus it's snowing in our town right now, and it's the perfect ticket for warming the cockles.  Such a great, unique combo of flavors.

{What you need}

2 Tablespoons butter

2 onions, peeled and chopped

6 cups chicken broth

2 pounds carrots, peeled and sliced (chopped mini carrots do, too)

2 Tablespoons fresh ginger, grated

1 cup whipping cream

salt and pepper (white pepper is best)

sour cream

parsley sprigs for garnish, if desired

In a large pan, saute onions in the butter until onions are translucent and limp.  Add broth, carrots, and ginger.  Cover and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer until carrots are tender when pierced.  Remove from heat and transfer to a blender.  Do not fill the blender more than half full.  Do this in batches if you need to.  Cover the blender and put a towel over it.  Be careful when blending hot liquids in a blender as the liquids can spurt out and burn you.  Pulse the blender to start and then puree until smooth.  Return the soup to the pan and add the cream and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Add the sour cream and parsley right before serving.

Colleen's Over Night French Toast from Kneaders

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Those of you in Utah or Arizona have most likely heard of Kneaders Cafe and Bakery.  That place is divoom.  If you aren't around those parts and don't have access to a Kneaders, any type of chunky cinnamon bread will be great in this recipe.  Skip down to the bottom for a simplified version of the instructions if you don't have time to make this the night before.  Great for Sunday morning breakfast or fancy brunches!  Serves 6-8.

{What you need}

1 loaf Kneaders Chunky Cinnamon Bread, sliced in 8 pieces

8 eggs

1 T brown sugar

1 T vanilla

3 c. milk

3/4 t salt

2 T butter

Butter a glass baking dish generously (9" x 13").  Place the bread in the baking dish.  Set butter aside.  Mix all remaining ingredients and pour over the bread.  Cut butter into small pieces and dot over the top. Cover and refrigerate overnight or at least four hours.  Uncover and bake 45-50 minutes at 350.  Serve with whipped cream and strawberries.

*For good ol' fashioned french toast style, combine all ingredients (except the bread) in a glass dish and whisk together.  Saturate each slice of bread in the egg batter and fry on a greased skillet over medium heat.

(compliments of Kneaders Cafe and Bakery)

Chocolate Lava Dessert

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I kind of just had to throw this together because I was running out of time before I had to leave for work, and I wanted this ready to throw in the oven when I got home so it would be ready to go after our Valentine's Day dinner.  Consequently, I kind of had to improvise.  I was a little nervous how it would turn out, but when John and I had the first bite, we were SHOCKED at how delicious it was.  John's words: "This is the...best...chocolate...dessert...I have ever...had."  So here is my twist on this recipe form The Sister's Cafe.

{What you need}

2 2/3 cups (19 oz.) semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup butter

1 cup half and half

1 cup sugar

8 eggs

2 Tablespoons vanilla extract (yes, Tablespoons)

Spray an 8x8 casserole dish with Pam.  In a saucepan, combine chocolate, butter, cream, and sugar.  Cook over low heat until chocolate is melted, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat and stir until smooth.  Pour into a large mixing bowl; cool.  In another mixing bowl, beat eggs on high for 3 minutes or until fluffy.  Beat into chocolate mixture, a third at a time, until blended.  Stir in vanilla.  Pour into prepared pan, place on a baking sheet.  Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with moist crumbs (top may crack).  Let it sit for about twenty minutes, ladle out a serving on a plate or bowl (will be a thick "lava" under the top cake layer.  And it won't really have a ton of form once you serve it up.).  Serve with strawberries and whipped cream.  Die happy.  Is also delicious cold.  It tastes like a super thick brownie batter.  Wowzers.

Rice Pilaf

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I could live off this stuff.  Such a great accent to a flavorful main dish.  Like this one.  Serves 6.

{What you need}

3 T butter

3/4 cup orzo

3/4 cup diced onion

3 cloves garlic, minced (I used 1 1/2 teaspoons store bought minced garlic)

3/4 cup uncooked rice (I used jasmine)

3 cups chicken broth (I used 3 cups water and 3 bouillon cubes)

Over Medium-low heat, melt the butter in a medium sauce pan.  Add the orzo and stir until orzo is browned.  Add the onion and stir until onion is translucent.  Add the garlic and stir for one minute.  Add the rice and chicken broth.  Turn the heat up to high and bring to a boil.  Cover and turn heat down to medium low and simmer until rice is cooked, about 20-25 minutes.  Let stand 5 minutes and fluff with a fork. MMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmm.

(compliments of Sarah at allrecipes.com)

Baked Pesto Chicken

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Delicious and elegant and oh, so EASY!  I made this for John for our romantic Valentine's dinner.  It was incredible.  I prepared it in the morning and then stuck it in the oven about 20 minutes before we were ready to eat.  Easily doubles.  (Yours will look a little different than the photo above.  That one doesn't have breadcrumbs.)

{What you need}

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, thawed

1/3 cup prepared pesto

1 1/2 t. sour cream

1 1/2 t. mayonnaise

2 T. shredded Parmesan cheese, plus a little extra

2 T. pine nuts or walnuts, crushed

about 3 cups bread crumbs

In a medium dish, combine pesto, sour cream, mayo, 2 T parm, and nuts.  In a separate medium dish put the breadcrumbs.  Spray a medium dish with Pam.  Take your chicken breasts and spread the pesto mixture all over each one, coating each breast as much as possible.  Dip the pesto-covered chicken in the bread crumbs and coat as much as possible.  Place each breast in prepared dish.  Sprinkle extra parmesan cheese on top.  Bake at 450 for 15-25 minutes, or until chicken is done.  I served it with this and this.  So yum!

(inspired by this recipe from The Sister's Cafe)

Jill's Bean Dip

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Jill has been a loyal contributor to Nummies since it's dawn.  We love her around our house.  For many, many reasons.  This bean dip being one of them.  Check out her food blog if you want your socks knocked off.

{What you need}

2-3 cans diced green chilis

2 can spicy jalapeño rosarita retried beans

1/2 sweet onion diced

1/2 cup sour cream

1 8oz. Cream cheese

Cilantro chopped

Cheddar cheese shredded 

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and then pour into a 9x13 cake pan. Cover the top with more shredded cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes uncovered.

(compliments of The Hart of Good Eats)