Seth's Sweet Mashed Potatoes

Seth's Sweet Mashed Potatoes
We were making mashed potatoes one day and were trying to be creative and put left overs in the mashed potatoes that we thought might be interesting to try. Whipped topping was one of them. It turned out fairly decent. Yay for exploring!

2 C. Cheese, cheddar, shredded
1 C. Whipped Topping
8 Potatoes, cooked and mashed
1 C. Buttermilk
1 Tbsp. chives
1/4 tsp. Salt
4 tsp. butter

Seafood Shells

Seafood Shells
From LDS Living magazine July/August 2010
This is not necessarily a favorite in the Cannon household; however, it would be nice to have every once a while. We might later try to make it as a sauce over other kinds of noodles mixed together much like a tuna noodle casserole.

12 oz. Jumbo pasta shells (16 shells)
1 Tbsp. Oil
1 C. finely chopped broccoli florets
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 C. plain, lowfat yogurt
1/4 C. light mayonnaise or light salad dressing
1/2 tsp. dill
1/8 tsp. salt (optional)
1/4 C. shredded carrots
1/4 C. finely chopped seeded cucumbers
2 cans (6 oz. each) crabmeat, well drained and flaked
Salad Supreme seasoning

Cook pasta shells as directed on package. Drain and rinse. Place shells upside down on a paper towel to drain them more completely and allow them to cool slightly. In a small skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add broccoli and garlic. Stir and cook until broccoli is tender-crisp. Remove from heat. Combine yogurt, mayo, dill, and salt in a medium bowl. Blend well. Add carrots, cucumbers, crabmeat, and cooked broccoli mixture; blend well. Spoon 2 Tablespoons mixture into each shell. Place in a 13" x 9" baking dish. Sprinkle with Salad Supreme. Cover and refrigerate. Serve cold.
Makes 16 seafood shells.

Creamy Chicken Penne

Creamy Chicken Penne
From Taste of Home April/May 2010, Modified by Laura Cannon

Prep: 20 minutes
Total: 35 minutes
Makes 4 servings, 2 cups each

2 Cups Penne Pasta, uncooked
3/4 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced (or 12 oz. can)
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 Tbsp. olive oil
6 oz. snow peas (or Sugar Snap Peas)
1 small red pepper, chopped
2 tsp. minced garlic
2 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. Flour
1 1/2 C. Milk
4 oz. Cream Cheese, cubed
1 tsp. salt
dash pepper
1/2 C. Grated Pecorino Romano Cheese
1 Tbsp. finely chopped parsley

Cook pasta as directed on package. Meanwhile, cook chicken and onions in hot oil in large skillet for 6-8 minutes or until chicken is done, stirring frequently. (Necessary if chicken is raw.) Add snow peas, red pepper, and garlic; cook and stir 1 minute. Remove from heat; cover to keep warm.

Melt butter in medium saucepan. Stir in flour until well blended. Gradually stir in milk. Bring to boil; cook on medium heat 2 minutes or until thickened, stirring constantly. Add cream cheese, grated cheese, salt, black pepper, and parsley. Cook 1 - 2 minutes or until cream cheese is melted completely and sauce is well blended, stirring constantly.

Drain pasta; place in large bowl. Add chicken mixture and sauce; toss to coat.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Pizza

Chicken Cordon Bleu Pizza
From Taste of Home magazine, April/May 2010

Prep/Total time: 30 minutes
Yield: 6 pieces

1 pizza crust
1/2 cup Alfredo sauce
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
1 cup (4 oz.) Swiss Cheese, shredded
1 1/2 cups cubed, fully cooked ham
10 breaded chicken nuggets, thawed and cut into 1/2 in. pieces
1 cup (4 oz.) Mozzarella Cheese, shredded

Spread crust with alfredo sauce; mix garlic salt with swiss cheese and sprinkle on the sauce. Top with ham, chicken nuggets, and mozzarella. Bake at 400° for 8-10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Cranberry Juice

Cranberry Juice

Modified from Taste of Home

2 C. Cranberries
2 C. water
3 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. orange juice

Directions
In a soup kettle, bring water and cranberries to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until berries begin to pop.
Strain through a fine strainer, pressing mixture with a spoon; discard berries. Return cranberry juice to the pan. Stir in the sugar, lemon juice and orange juice. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until sugar is dissolved.
Remove from the heat. Cool. Transfer to a pitcher; Add 2 more Cups water. cover and refrigerate until chilled.


Nutrition Facts: 1 cup equals 200 calories, trace fat (trace saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 2 mg sodium, 52 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, trace protein.

Bean and Cheese Quesadillas

Bean and Cheese Quesadillas

From Family Circle magazine.

It is somewhat spicy, but the boys love it!

Makes about 6 servings; Prep 15 minutes
Cook 7 minutes for filling, about 3 minutes per quesadilla

1 Tbsp. Olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 small green pepper, seeded and chopped
15 oz. black beans, drained and lightly mashed
1/2 C. Salsa
1/2 tsp. chili powder
10 whole wheat tortillas
8 oz. Pepper Jack Cheese, shredded
1/2 C. cilantro leaves
Extra salsa for serving (optional)

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and green pepper and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in beans, salsa, and chili powder. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Spray a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Place over medium-high heat. Place one tortilla in the skillet and cook for 1 minute. Spread 1/2 C. of the bean mixture and 1/3 C. of the cheese evenly over the tortilla. Sprinkle some of the cilantro over the top. Place another tortilla on top and cook 1 minute. Press gently with a spatula and turn. Cook for 1 minute or until browned.
3. Place quesadilla on a baking sheet and keep warm in 200° oven. Repeat with the remaining ingredients to make four additional quasadillas. Allow skillet to cool slightly if it becomes too hot.
4. To serve, cut each quesadilla into quarters. Serve 3 quarters to each person (there will be 2 leftover wedges for nondieters to enjoy).

Pure Cream of Tomato Soup

Pure Cream of Tomato Soup

Edited From http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Pure-Cream-of-Tomato-Soup-40044

yield: 7 cups
double for a family of 4

Cream of tomato soup should be gentle and soothing. This is a perfect example. Adding baking soda to the tomatoes keeps the milk from curdling.


5 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion (or 1/2 tsp. onion powder)
4 tablespoons flour
3 cups milk 1 C. chicken broth in place of 1 C. water for milk)
1/2 bay leaf
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
4 cups tomatoes, chopped (fresh or canned)

Preparation
Cook the tomatoes first to soften. Melt the butter in a soup pot. Add the onion and cook over medium heat, stirring, until the onion is softened but not browned. Sprinkle the flour over the butter mixture and continue to stir and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Slowly add the milk, bay leaf, sugar, and salt and continue to cook and stir until slightly thickened. Stir the baking soda into the tomatoes. Add the tomatoes to the milk, and bring just to a simmer. Remove from the heat and put through a strainer. Taste and correct seasonings. Reheat before serving.


Laura's notes, some from comments on the page:
*Yum! A winner for everyone!
*Straining it would be more appealing, but it is still good with the pulp.
*Try using 1 C. or more of chicken sotck as liquid in recipe
*Be sure to cook the flour in oil for at least 2 minutes (foamy) otherwise your resulting soup may taste a bit floury. Don't forget baking soda! It's important!
*Try adding a little less flour
*Can also use celery, carrots, and broccoli, blended in.
*Can serve over noodles
*Mix baking soda in with hot tomatoes to make the smoothest soup
*Make white sauce part separate from tomatoes first
*If too foamy, using a little less baking soda may help


Canning instructions:
- Do everything except milk, which can be added later when about ready to use.
- Fill pint-sized hars (this recipe fills 2 jars)
- For every pint used, add 1 1/2 C. milk and reheat.
- Leave 1" headspace, 10 lbs. pressure, 20 minutes