Pioneer Woman's Perfect Potatoes au Gratin

This is a recipe that I got off of Pioneer Woman's website at http://thepioneerwoman.com/. She has a wonderful recipe collection and many have become favorites around here. I probably should get around to posting those recipes, it's just a matter of finding the pictures on the computer. I liked these and they were good but I still prefer my mom's recipe for scalloped potatoes. I think this recipe is more scalloped potatoes that are topped with some cheese then an au Gratin recipe. In my house growing up, au Gratin potatoes had way more cheese and was mixed in with the potatoes not just sprinkled on top. This is a very good recipe if you are looking for a change from regular scalloped potatoes or something new to try.

Ingredients:

4 whole russet potatoes, scrubbed clean

2 tablespoons butter, softened( I used vegetable oil as I used my Pampered Chef stoneware baking dish)

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup whole milk(I used 2% because that's what I always have on hand)

2 tablespoons flour

4 cloves of garlic, finely minced ( I used dried minced garlic)

1 teaspoon salt

freshly ground pepper to taste

1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Smear softened butter all over bottom of baking dish. Slice potatoes, then cut slices into fourths. In a separate bowl, whisk together cream, milk, flour, minced garlic, salt and plenty of freshly ground pepper. Place 1/3 of the potatoes in the bottom of the baking dish. Pour 1/3 of the cream mixture over the potatoes. Repeat this two more times, ending with cream mixture. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 20 minutes, or until potatoes are golden brown and really bubbling. Add grated cheese to the top of the potatoes and bake for 3-5 more minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly. Allow to stand for a few minutes before serving by the spoonful.

Baker's Dozen Yeast Rolls

This recipe is in the January/February 2010 edition of Simple and Delicious Magazine. I have subscribed to this magazine for years. They are a sister magazine to Taste of Home and they have wonderful recipes. This edition is full of many recipes that I will be trying. These rolls were very good and very easy to make. I used my kitchen aid stand mixer to do all the mixing and kneading. The only thing I would do different next time is bake them for a little bit longer. They were done but seemed to be doughy in texture still. The topping that goes on them is wonderful. My kids gobbled these down and loved the topping even though the ingredients didn't seem like they would go together well, they do. This recipe uses quick rise yeast which is incorporated with dry ingredients unlike regular yeast which is dissolved into the wet ingredients. I prefer quick rise yeast over regular yeast.

Ingredients:

2 - 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1 pkg. (1/4 oz.) quick-rise yeast

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup warm water (120 degrees to 130 degrees)

2 tablespoons plus 4 teaspoons butter, melted, divided

3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

2 teaspoons honey

1/8 teaspoon garlic salt

In a large bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups flour, sugar, yeast and salt. Add water and 2 tablespoons melted butter; beat on medium speed for 3 minutes or until smooth. Stir in cheese and enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 4-6 minutes(I did this in my kitchen aid stand mixer). Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Divide into 13 pieces. Shape each into a ball. Place in a greased 9 inch round baking pan. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes. Bake at 375 for 11-14 minutes ( next time I make these I will bake for 20 minutes) or until lightly browned. Combine the honey, garlic salt, and remaining butter; brush over rolls. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

Texas Sheet Cake

This is one of my most favorite recipes. This cake is so easy to make and it tastes great. The best part about it is that it is quick to make and you don't have to wait for the cake to cool down before you frost it. Usually this cake is made in an 11x15 pan but I've made in a 9x13 pan and just baked it a little longer and it turned out great.

Ingredients for cake:

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1 tsp salt

2 sticks butter

1 cup water

3 tablespoons cocoa

2 eggs

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon baking soda

In a bowl mix together the flour, sugar, and salt. Set aside. In a saucepan, add butter, water, and cocoa. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Add this mixture to the flour mixture. In another bowl mix together the eggs, buttermilk and baking soda. Then add to the flour mixture. Pour into a greased 11x15 pan and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Ingredients for frosting:

1 stick butter

3 tablespoons cocoa

6 tablespoons milk ( I use buttermilk)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 box confectioners sugar

In a saucepan (I use the same pan that I heated the water, butter, and cocoa in for the cake), melt butter, cocoa, and milk. As soon as butter is melted, remove from heat and whisk in vanilla and powdered sugar. Pour frosting over hot cake, do not let cake cool.

Alfredo Sauce

This is my brother's recipe for alfredo sauce. You can add cooked chicken or shrimp. I usually cut up boneless skinless chicken breasts into bite size pieces and saute until done. Then I remove them from the pan and keep warm. In the same pan, I make this sauce and add the cooked chicken or shrimp in at the end. I don't measure my spices, I just sprinkle them in. I go very lightly on the red pepper flakes as I don't want this too spicy.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups milk (I use 2% milk)

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon mince garlic ( this an estimate, I usually just sprinkle in dried minced garlic, so if you use fresh garlic you may want to reduce this to 1/2 tablespoon)

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon flour

1 6 oz bag shredded parmesan cheese (not the powder stuff in the green can)

Basil

Italian seasoning

Parsley ( I use dried)

Red pepper flakes

Salt

black pepper

Melt butter in saucepan with garlic and cook for about a minute. Add in flour and mix for a light blonde roux cooking for about 2 minutes. Slowly add milk in, whisking to prevent lumps. Add sprinkling of salt and then add cream. Sprinkle in basil, italian seasoning, parsley, red pepper flakes and black pepper. Stir to combine. And cook for about 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently. Wisk in half the bag of parmesan cheese ( I don't measure this either, I just grab one or two handfuls and toss it in.) Stir until cheese is melted. Add cooked chicken or shrimp. Serve over pasta of your choice.

Chicken Tortilla Soup Like Max and Erma's

I found this recipe one evening after having a bowl of Chicken Tortilla Soup at Max and Erma's. It was so good but I didn't want to have to go to the restaurant just to have this soup. I figured there must be copycat recipe on the internet and of course there was. This recipe is from Robbie's Recipe Collection at http://recipes.robbiehaf.com. It tastes very similar to the restaurant version, in fact, I've never been back to the restaurant.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter or margarine

1/4 cup flour

3 cups chicken broth

1 cup milk ( I use 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 cup heavy cream)

8 oz. Velveeta - cubed

10 oz. can RoTel tomatoes and chilies

2 cups cooked chicken, shredded ( I don't shred my chicken, I prefer chunks instead)

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. chili powder

salt and pepper to taste

flour tortillas - as needed, about 4-6 or Fritos

shredded colby jack cheese or mexican blend cheese (I use cheddar) - as needed

In a pot, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook, stirring often for 3 minutes. Slowly whisk in small amounts of chicken broth at a time, then whisk in milk. Stir in the spices (the orginal recipe says to stir in the spices after adding the Velveeta, I find it easier to add them in after the milk as they do not clump up like they do when the Velveeta is added first). Reduce heat to low and stir in Velveeta cubes, stir until melted. Stir in RoTel and chicken. Once the soup is heated through, it is ready to serve at this point. However, if you wish to make tortilla strips, it can sit over low heat while they are made. Stir the soup occasionally. For the tortilla strips, cut tortillas into strips and deep fry in 350 degree vegetable or peanut oil until golden, then drain on cooling racks. I never use tortilla strips, I find that Fritos taste just as good and saves me some time. Ladle soup into bowls and top with shredded cheese and tortilla strips or Fritos.

Chicken and Stuffing Bake

Chicken and Stuffing Bake is an easy casserole that is just good comfort food. I got this recipe from my mom years ago and I am not for sure where she got it from. Also, I just made up the name because she just gave me the ingredients list. My picture is of a half a batch not a full one. This is a great recipe if you have left over cooked chicken.

Ingredients:

Cooked chicken(about 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts)

2 cans of cream of chicken soup

1/2 can(6oz) of evaporated milk

Stove Top Stuffing Mix - made according to directions ( I always use 2 boxes for a full batch, I don't think one is enough)

season salt and pepper to taste

Mix chicken, soup, milk, season salt and pepper. Place in greased 9x13 baking dish and top with cooked stuffing. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Shrimp Cheese Ball

This recipe has been in my family for years. My mom always served it up at Christmas time and New Years Eve. I always looked forward to this dip.

Ingredients:

6 oz cream cheese softened

1 tsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. finely chopped onion

1 1/2 tsp. mustard

dash of salt and pepper

1 can of shrimp, drained (It's best to use a good quality canned shrimp. I used the Great Value brand from Walmart and it was not as good.)

finely chopped pecans to roll cheese ball in, optional

crackers of your choice

Mix all ingredients except pecans together. Refrigerate. As you can tell from my photo I did not shape the dip into a ball. That was because I was just serving this at home. For a prettier presentation you can shape the dip into a ball and roll in finely chopped pecans. Also, this dip does need to be made up ahead of time as it needs to chill for a few hours for the flavors to come together. Serve with your favorite crackers. My favorite crackers to serve with this dip is Wheat Thins.