Comfort Foods In The Summer

Ever have a day when you are craving some comfort food that you usually only have in the winter. No one wants to heat up the kitchen with the oven on when it is 100 degrees outside! That is why I like love my crockpot so much.

Yesterday I made Chicken and Dumplings in the crockpot and filled that empty spot without turn the house into a sauna! So Easy and soooo YUMMY!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings.

 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves ( I cut mine into chunks so it is easier to serve and eat when it is done)

 2 Tbl. Butter

 2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup

 1 onion, finely diced

 2 (10 ounce) pkgs, refrigerated biscuit dough, torn into piece

 

Directions

 1. Place the chicken, butter, soup, and onion in a slow cooker, and fill with enough water to cover.

 2. Cover, and cook for 5 to 6 hours on High. About 30 minutes before serving, place the torn biscuit dough in the slow cooker. Cook until the dough is cooked through. It will usually take anywhere from 20-30 minutes for the dough to cook through, depending on your crockpot.

*NOTE* The recipe doesn't call for these things but I love to add my own touches to any recipe. I added some baby carrots in the beginning, and a handful of frozen whole kernel corn, and a handful of frozen peas when I knew the basics where all done. About 45 minutes before I added the biscuits. Adding the frozen veggies cooled the crockpot down a bit so I wanted to make sure it was bubbling again before I added the biscuits.

Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Are you loving all the fresh fruits and veggies in your gardens and at the fabulous farmers market? And of course if you have one neighbor you have 3 offering you the "Extra" zucchini from their flourishing gardens.

Here is my favorite way to eat zucchini...of course if it involves me, it involves chocolate!
It is moist, chocolaty  and oh so yummy!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

(Makes 2 loaves or one 9X13)

 2 Cups Flour

2 tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. salt

1 ½ tsp. baking soda

6 Tabl. Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

½ Cup Vegetable Oil

1 Cup sugar

¼ Cup packed brown sugar

3 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

½ Cup sour cream

3 Cups grated zucchini

¾ Cup mini chocolate chips

 Topping

2 Tabl. Brown sugar

2Tabl. White sugar

½  tsp. Cinnamon

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Grease and flour 2 loaf pans or a 9X13 baking pan. ( I used floured cooking spray)

 

Directions:

 With a hand mixer or stand mixer beat oil, eggs and both sugars until well combines and slightly fluffy.

Add vanilla and sour cream and mix until just combined.

Gently stir in your zucchini.

 

In another bowl   mix together your flour, cinnamon, salt, baking soda and cocoa powder.

 

Add all of it but just a hand full to the wet mixture.  With a large spoon mix it together.

Mix your chocolate chips with the handful of flour fixture so that they are coated. Doing this keeps your chips evenly distributed and they don’t all sink to the bottom. Once they are coated add it all to the mixture and gently mix in.

 

Pour into your pan or pans and evenly sprinkle with your topping mixture.

Bake for 50-60 minutes. I usually set the timer for 45 minutes and check it. Sometimes depending on the oven it is done. Use a toothpick to check.

Taco Casserole

What a yummy and oh so easy dinner this was! I usually don't do casseroles in the summer because I don't want to heat the house up with the oven. But it only took 20 minutes and the results were fantastic. Plus I had everything to make it except the bag of chips.

Made this Taco Casserole for dinner tonight. So good and so easy! I forgot to take a picture so I got this one from Pinterest.

Easy Taco Casserole
1 pound lean ground beef
1 can Ranch Style beans
1 10-12 ounce bag tortilla chips, crushed 

1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes
1 small onion, chopped
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 package taco seasoning
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup water
sour cream and salsa for serving

  Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large skillet, brown meat and drain off fat. Stir in beans, tomatoes, onion, taco seasoning, soup and water. Simmer over medium-low heat until everything is well combined and heated through.

Grease a 9×13 casserole dish. Put down a layer of crushed tortilla chips, followed by a layer of the meat/bean mixture, then half of the cheddar cheese. Repeat layers. Cover with foil and bake for 20-30 minutes, or until bubbly.

Let sit for 5-10 minutes before serving. Top with sour cream and salsa.

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** I don't happen to like Ro-Tel brand tomatoes. I used a can of Western Family Brand  Petite Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies.***

 

Snicker, Apple Salad

This is one of my very favorite cool summer desserts. Yes, it is a dessert....don't let the word SALAD fool you. Unless you want it to and then just eat it first...LOL

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 (12 ounce) container Cool Whip, thawed
• 6 Snickers candy bars
• 4 -6 granny smith apples (you can vary the apple with successful results if you choose to, but I would NOT recommend a soft variety.

      Directions:

1. Mix cream cheese and powdered sugar until thoroughly blended.
2. Fold in Cool Whip.
3. Cut Snickers into bite size chunks and add to cream cheese mixture.
4. Chop the apples into chunks and stir.
5. Chill 1 hour before serving.
6. Chilling longer than an hour or two can make it get soggy. Don't let it chill over night.
7. I just make it in a big bowl and let everyone serve themselves.

 

Mile High Buttermilk Biscuits

Being born and raised in the south I grew up on biscuits. Biscuits and gravy, biscuits and jam, biscuits and ham, biscuits and ....more biscuits. When I moved to Utah I heard over and over about the wonderful biscuits at Ruths Diner....and the rumors were TRUE!! Then a few days ago I was poking around the blogging world checking in on some of my favorites and found this yummy recipe on Deals to Meals. OMGosh....they are soooo good.

Ruth's Diners Mile High Biscuits


3 c. flour (I have used 1/2 white flour and 1/2 wheat and they turn our great!)

1 1/2 t. salt

1 T. sugar

1 1/2 t. baking powder

1 stick butter

3/4 c. buttermilk (I have made these with buttermilk as well as the 'homemade' buttermilk version of 3/4 c. milk + 2 T. lemon juice and they work out amazing either way)

1 egg

1/4 c. water

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine flour, salt, sugar, baking powder and butter until crumbly. Mix in buttermilk, egg and just enough water to make a workable dough. Mix the dough until it is just barely combined (don't over mix). Roll the dough onto a floured cutting board about 1 inch thick. Cut with a 2 inch biscuit cutter, or a 2 inch round cup. Place on a greased baking sheet (touching each other) and bake 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Makes about 12-15 biscuits, depending how thick you make them.

Tips to making awesome biscuits:

*ONLY hand mix your dough. Don't mix in a Bosch or with a hand mixer. The dough will be too tough and the dough will become dry if you use a mixer. You don't want to over mix this recipe. The best way to mix this dough is with a pastry cutter or using two knives and cutting the dough back and forth. This method takes a little longer but will ensure the perfect biscuit. You want pieces of butter left in your biscuit, that is what keeps the dough light and flaky.

*Next tip is to keep your biscuit dough fairly thick. You want a tall and thick biscuit more than you do a thin and hard biscuit. Keeping the dough thick will ensure a chewy and soft biscuit. I keep my dough about 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick (cooking times may vary depending how thick you make them).

Treat Exchange

In December I hosted my first Annual Treat Exchange and Brunch. I think it was hit...thanks to the yummy recipes from Pinterest, and some of the most amazing ladies I have the pleasure of calling my friends!

Even though for many of the ladies this was their first "Treat Exchange" I love that they took the time to make their treats look so cute!! Good job ladies. Can't wait for next year!!

I wanted to make one savory and one sweet casserole, you know you have to have some sweet with the salty...it's a must! I chose this yummy Croissant, egg, sausage breakfast casserole and OMGosh...everyone loved it!!

Yummy Egg Casserole

Ingredients

1 8-ounce can refrigerated crescent dinner rolls

1 pound Jimmy Dean Original Recipe Sausage Roll ( or you could use the spicy one)

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

4 eggs, beaten

3/4 cup milk

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425 °F. Crumble and cook sausage in medium skillet over medium heat until browned. Drain.

Line bottom of greased 13 x 9 inch baking dish with crescent roll dough, firmly pressing perforations to seal. Sprinkle with sausage and cheese.

Combine remaining ingredients in medium bowl until blended; pour over sausage.

Bake 15 minutes or until set. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting into squares; serve hot. Refrigerate leftovers.

* I also cooked a pound of bacon and added that as well. I cooked my sausage and bacon the night before and then just put it in the fridge until I was ready to put the casserole together the next morning*

I am not kidding when I said they loved it, my guest were kind of hanging out at the island in my kitchen hovering around the casseroles...LOL

Now for the sweet!!

(I didn't get a picture of mine. This picture is from Pinterest)

Cinnamon Roll French Toast Casserole


Ingredients


1/4 cup melted butter

2 cans (12.4 oz each) Pillsbury® refrigerated cinnamon rolls with icing

5 eggs

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup chopped pecans

3/4 cup maple syrup


Garnish

Icing from cinnamon rolls

Powdered sugar

Maple syrup, if desired


Directions

Melt butter and pour into an ungreased 13×9 inch glass dish. Separate cans of dough into 16 rolls reserving the icing for later use. Cut each roll into 8 pieces and add to buttered baking dish.

Beat eggs in medium bowl. Add cream, cinnamon and vanilla and beat until well blended. Pour over cut pieces of cinnamon roll pieces.

Sprinkle with pecans and drizzle 3/4 cup syrup over the top. Bake at 375 for 20 to 28 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 15 minutes.

(I only put pecans on one half because I have a daughter who doesn't like nuts)

Remove the covers from icing and microwave on medium or 50% power for 10 to 15 seconds. (Should be thin enough to drizzle.) Drizzle icing over the top. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve with syrup if desired. Yum!

I will be linking up with Between Naps On The Porch.

And
Wow Us Wednesday