Slow Cooker Chicken Alfredo

Slow Cooker Chicken Alfredo 

 1 Prep: 5-10 mins. Cook: 6-8 hours on low. 4 hours on high. 

Ingredients

 1    4 pieces of boneless, skinless chicken breasts (frozen/fresh), chopped

 2    1 can of whole kernel corn

 3    2 jars of your favorite Alfredo sauce

 4    1/2 cup yellow onion, chopped

 5    1 garlic clove, minced

 6    frozen broccoli and chopped carrots, add as many as desired

 7    parmesan cheese 

 8    pepper to taste

 9    white rice

Directions

 1    Add chopped chicken, Alfredo sauce, corn, onion, garlic, carrots and broccoli in a large slow cooker   and stir. 

 2    Cover Alfredo chicken with a layer of parmesan cheese

 3    Cover with lid and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4 hours. 

 4    Serve on top of white rice and pepper to taste

Funeral Potatoes: Hash Brown Casserole

The best recipe you will ever know! Not only to impress your guest but also your family! Don't expect much leftovers after this one!

Funeral Potatoes

INGREDIENTS

20 oz.    thawed hash brown potatoes

1           8 ounce can of cream of chicken soup

1           8 ounce tub of sour cream

1           sleeve of ritz crackers

1 lb.      cheddar cheese

1/2 cup butter

DIRECTIONS

1.   Preheat oven to 365 degrees.

2.   Melt 1/4 cup butter in 13x9 in. casserole dish.

3.   Combine soup and sour cream, whisk together.

4.   Place hash browns over the melted butter and add the cream/soup mixture thorough then add the cheese on top.

5.   In separate bowl, crush ritz crackers.

6.   Melt the remaining butter and add to cracker mix.

7.   Place cracker mixture over the cheese and place in oven for 40 minutes.

Mini Chocolate Fudge Pudding Pies

With this recipe I honestly had a hard time putting it in words. So that's why there are more pictures than my usual recipes. I barely got the picture below before my husband started devouring them. He absolutely LOVED these little pies of delight! 

After the recipe I have added some other pointers so be sure to read all the way through!

Mini Chocolate Fudge Pudding Pies

Ingredients

 1 Sugar Cookie Dough (refrigerated)

 2 1 box of Chocolate Fudge Pie Filling Pudding 

 3 Whipping Cream

Directions

 1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

 2      Spray mini muffin pan with non stick spray. Roll chilled sugar cookie dough into small balls and place into mini muffin pan. 

 3 Bake for 10-12 mins or until a little golden brown. Cookies will sink in pan.

 4 Make pudding as directed on box. While still liquid and warm spoon pudding into each cookie crust. 

 5 Chill in the refrigerator until pudding hardens. 

 6 Serve with whipping cream on top. (optional)

The sugar cookie dough can very well be pre-made ready to cut Pillsbury or Western Family sugar cookie dough. Right after I baked the "crust" I gently pressed down into each one to give it more of a bowl than the natural sink gave. 

Even better... It only has to chill for less than an hour! Just enough to get the pudding stiff. I made some more the night after with already completely chilled pudding and it still worked out perfectly. 

Seriously the easiest most delicious recipe I have ever made! Enjoy!

Marvelous Russian Tea Cakes

With this holiday classic you can't go wrong! I made a ton of these last year for quick presents to neighbors and friends and they loved them! Not to mention we couldn't get enough of them at home.

Marvelous Russian Tea Cakes

 1       Prep:  10 mins. Bake: 10 mins.

Ingredients

 1       1 cup butter, softened

 2       1/2 cup powdered sugar

 3       1 teaspoon vanilla

 4       2 1/4 cups Gold Medal all-purpose flour

 5       3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts nuts

 6       1/4 teaspoon salt

 7       Powdered sugar

Directions

 1 Heat oven to 400ºF

 2       In a large bowl, mix butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar and the vanilla. Stir in flour, nuts and salt until dough holds together.

 3       Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place about 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet

 4       Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set but not brown. Remove from cookie sheet. Cool slightly on wire rack.

 5      Roll warm cookies in powdered sugar; cool on wire rack for about 15 mins then roll in powdered sugar again.

How to Brine a Turkey : The Simple Way

It's that time of year for that great Thanksgiving feast! And if you're like me you're going to want your turkey to be delicious and moist (no one wants to eat a dry turkey). So the best way to ensure the moistest turkey is to brine.

Keep in mind this is my way of brining and there are many different ways to do it and many different ingredients you can add to your brining solution.

Turkey Brine

 1 Thawing the Turkey: 24 hours for every 5 pounds of Turkey.

 2 Allow 24-48 hours for brining before roasting.

Ingredients

 1 1 turkey, any size

 2 1 gallon of cold water (16 cups)

 3       3/4 cup of salt

 4 fresh thyme (optional)

 5 fresh rosemary (optional)

 6       fresh sage (optional)

Directions

 1 Prepare the Brining Ingredients -  In a large pot add the water and salt then stir until salt is  dissolved. With kitchen scissors cut the desired amount of fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary, sage) into the pot.

 2 Cleaning the Turkey - Take the turkey out of the fridge. Remove any packaging and the bag of giblets (check in the body cavity and in the neck cavity). Place Turkey in a cleaned sink and thoroughly wash with cold running water. Be sure to rub the cold water around the entire turkey inside and out, lifting legs and wings to get underneath. Once the water going through the turkey is clear place into brining pot submerging turkey into water. Add more cold water if needed.

 3 Finishing the Brine - Place the pot in the fridge uncovered 24-48 hours before roasting. The day of roasting wash brine off turkey and discard brine. Prepare turkey as desired.

Mama's Favorite Grape Salad

This is an AMAZING side dish. Every time I have made it someone has said they loved it! So I thought I'd spread the joy. Enjoy=)

Mama’s Favorite Grape Salad

 1 Prep: 20 mins.

Ingredients

 1 2 pounds green seedless grapes

 2 2 pounds red seedless grapes

 3 8 ounces sour cream

 4 8 ounces cream cheese, softened

 5 1/2 cup granulated sugar

 6 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, to taste

Topping 

 1 1 cup brown sugar, packed, to taste

 2 1 cup crushed pecans, to taste

Directions

 1 Wash and stem grapes.

 2       Cut grapes in half and set aside.

 3       Mix sour cream, cream cheese, white sugar and vanilla. 

 4       Stir grapes into mixture, and pour in large serving bowl.

 5 In a separate bowl combine brown sugar and pecans and mix.

 6 Sprinkle topping over top of grapes to cover completely.

 7 Chill in fridge overnight.

Creamy Hot Cocoa

Creamy Hot Cocoa 

 1 Prep: 5-10 mins. 

Ingredients

 1 3 cups powdered milk

 2 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

 3 2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar (powder sugar)

 4 2/3 cup powdered non-dairy creamer

 5 1 pinch of cayenne pepper, or more to taste

 6       1/2 teaspoon salt

 7 1 (5 ounce) package instant chocolate fudge pudding.

Directions

 1 In a large mixing bowl, combine powdered milk, cocoa powder, sugar, powdered creamer, salt, cayenne pepper, and instant pudding. Stir till thoroughly combined. Store in an airtight container.

 2 Add 1/3 cup cocoa mixture to an 8 ounce mug of hot milk. 

 3     Top it off with whipped cream or mini marshmallows, if desired. 

And if you're really feeling adventurous try stirring your delicious hot cocoa with a candy cane! Yum! 

For directions on how to make your very own personalized hot cocoa gift basket for under $10 check out my DIY blog: 2-DIY-4.