We need a name....

We've done several variations on this.  The original recipe is HERE and it's called Onion-Beef Muffin Cups.  Even though it's descriptive, we don't really like the name and would like a new name for our own variation.

Jackson wants to call them Dragon Food.  Ilana wants to called them Puffy Mountains or Mini Volcano's.  We need help deciding what to call them or coming up with another name.  Any suggestions?

We've done one with chicken and cheese inside.  It was ok.  The variation pictured here is cut up sandwich ham, half colby jack and mozzarella cheese with a pat of cream cheese on top and then all folded into the bread.  It was the yummiest variation by far.  All of the kids loved them.  They are fun for the kids to hold and eat.  Let me know if you come up with any variations of your own.  The recipe is below.

Ingredients:
1 can large flaky biscuit dough
cut up sandwich ham
mozzarella cheese
colby jack cheese
cream cheese

Open can of biscuit dough and gently stretch out each piece before laying it over the ungreased muffin cup.  Place ham in the bottom of each cup.  Layer with yellow and white cheese.  Put a pat of cream cheese over other cheese and close the top of the dough to seal the filling in.

Bake at 375 for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.  Let stand for 2 minutes before removing from pan.  Serve warm.  Yield: 4 servings. 
Enjoy and Happy Eating!

Onion-Beef Muffin Cups

We got this recipe from Taste of Home Magazine.  These are a fun little way to do dinner.  The kids love to help from beginning to end.  Usually I hate anything made with store bought dough but these I really like.  I need to learn how to make my own dough so they could be fabulous. We have made some other variations on this recipe and really liked the results.  I will show pics of our other creations in another post. 

Ingredients:
3 medium onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup butter
1 boneless beef top sirloin steak (1 inch thick and 6 ounces), cut into 1/8 inch slices
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup beef broth
1 tube (16.3 ounces) large refrigerated flaky biscuits
3/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

In a large skillet, cook onions in butter over medium heat for 10-12 minutes or until very tender.  Remove and keep warm.  In the same skillet, cook steak for 2-3 minutes or until tender.

Return onions to pan.  Stir in the flour, brown sugar and salt until blended; gradually add broth.  Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 4-6 minutes or until thickened.

Separate biscuits; split each horizontally into three portions.  Press onto the bottom and up the sides of eight ungreased muffin cups, overlapping the sides and tops.  Fill each with about 2 tablespoons beef mixture.

Combine mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese; sprinkle over filling.   Fold dough over completely to enclose filling.  Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese.

Bake at 375 for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.  Let stand for 2 minutes before removing from pan.  Serve warm.  Yield: 4 servings. 

Baked Potato Soup

This is my all time favorite soup!  So yummy. Total comfort food:)

4 large baking potatoes
2/3 cup butter
2/3 cup flour
6 cups milk
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
4 green onions chopped
12 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
8oz sour cream
11/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

*Have all ingredients ready before you begin cooking, otherwise you will burn the soup.
**I bake the bacon in the oven on a cookie sheet.  It is faster and doesn't splatter everywhere.  You have to check often so you don't burn it.  Often we use turkey bacon but you can use whatever you like best.

Bake potatoes and let them cool.  (I boil them instead and after they cool I cut them long ways and scoop out the pulp, leaving it chunky.)

Melt butter in a large heavy sauce pan over low heat;  add flour a little at a time, stirring until smooth.  Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Gradually add 6 cups of milk,  cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture is thickened and bubbly.

Add potato pulp, salt, pepper, and 2 Tbsp green onions, 1/2 cup bacon, and 1 cup cheese.

Heat thoroughly.  Stir in sour cream.  Add extra milk if necessary, I usually add 1 to 2 cups more milk.  Serve with remaining onion, bacon and cheese for garnish.

Mexican Lasagna

 This  is one  Jason really likes.  I got it from a Taste of Home magazine a while ago.  For some reason it tastes better the second day as left overs.  Be careful not to over cook the chicken, it can get dry really easy.

Ingredients:
1 cup chopped onion
1tsp minced garlic
1Tbsp vegetable oil
4 cups cooked cubed chicken
3 cans (10 oz) enchilada sauce
2 eggs
1 carton (15 oz) ricotta cheese
1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro (it over powers the recipe, I suggest much less)
12 no-cook lasagna noodles
4 cups (16 oz) shredded Mexican blend cheese

1. In a large skillet, cook onion and garlic in oil over medium heat until tender.

2. Stir in chicken and enchilada sace.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for  5 minutes or until slightly thickened.

3.  Meanwhile in a small bowl, combine the eggs, ricotta cheese and cilantro. 

4.  Spread 3/4 cup chicken mixture into a greased 13in x 9in x 2in baking dish.  Layer with 3 noodles, 2/3 cup ricotta mixture, 3/4 cup chicken mixture and 1 cup shredded cheese.  Repeat layers twice.  Top with remaining noodles, sauce and shredded cheese.

5.  Cover and bake at 375 for 30 minutes.  Uncover; bake 10-15 minutes longer or until bubbly.  Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting. 

Prep time:  25 minutes
Bake time: 40 minutes +
Yield: 10-12 servings

Chicken English Muffins

This is one of my favorites for when we are going on a road trip.  They can be eaten hot or cold.  They are easy to handle with no cutlery or plates required.  I usually make up a double batch as they go fast.  I got the recipe from my step mother-in-law and have typed it up as the original writer put it with just a few of my own changes.  I don't actually know Cindy Sower.

Ingredients:
1 cup cooked chicken cubed (If you cook chicken breasts you can shred them warm)
3 oz package cream cheese softened
3 tablespoons finely chopped or grated onion
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 egg white
1 tsp dijon mustard
1/2 to 3/4 tsp sugar
grated mozzarella cheese
English Muffin halves
chopped celery (optional:  gives a little crunch and color)


Combine mayonnaise, cream cheese, egg white, onion, mustard, sugar and blend them together...then add parmesan.  Once you have done this you may add the chicken and mix together.

I usually mix it together the night before I want to make it and put it in the refigerator to set.  This usually gives it a better flavor and is easier to work with the next morning.

On a braoiler pan lay out your muffin halves.  Take a fork and scoop some of the  mixture and put it on the muffin.  You be the judge on how thick you want it.  Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over each muffin; don't be afraid to be a little generous.

Broil until golden brown, about 10-12 minutes.  Watch carefully as they can burn easily.  Suggested to broil from the middle of the oven (where you bake cookies).  If your oven broils really high, turn it down a little. 

As I said we usually make the chicken mixture the night before.  I usually make a double batch, and use the larger cream cheese (the 8 oz and use it all, makes it creamier).  The muffins are great leftovers.  You can put them in Tupperware or in Ziploc bags and put them in the refrigerator.  You can eat them cold if you take them on a picnic or road trip or just throw them in the microwave.

When I go to a party, I usually broil them right before I leave the house.  I put aluminum foil in a dish and put the muffins on top.  I usually cut them in half for parties and put foil over them but not to tight or they become mushy.

After Thanksgiving we use our left over Turkey to substitute for the chicken.
Enjoy!
Cindy Sower

Ranch Chicken Pasta with Spinach

I got this recipe years ago (11 to be exact) from the lady that does my mom's nails.  I forgot about it for a really long time and have recently started using it again.  It has become one of my very favorites.  A little while ago I made this and put it in a casserole dish for a friend when she had a baby.  She loved it and wanted the recipe so I thought it would be easiest to just start a blog and put it on along with some other favorites.  Enjoy!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ingredients:
Bag of baby Spinach
Chicken (Rotisserie)
Pasta (any type)
Fresh Salsa (or chopped raw onion and tomato)
Ranch Dressing
Shredded Parmesan Cheese
Servings:  Plenty for 4-6 people

Cook the pasta, drain and return to pot.  Add a little butter or oil to keep it from sticking to itself.

Heat a pan on the stove. Get it hot before you drizzle some ranch dressing on it, about 1/2 a cup depending on how much chicken you put it.  Let the dressing get a little bubbly and hot.  Put the chicken in and saute it in the Ranch Dressing just enough to coat the chicken. Saute until the dressing has reduced to an oil.  If you can cook it high and get a slight sear on the chicken it tastes great.  Best if the chicken is already cooked before you put it in the pan.  That is why I use the rotisserie chicken you buy at the grocery store, that and it doesn't get dry.  Any chicken will work though.

Rinse baby spinach.  Put a handful on a plate and microwave it for 10-20 seconds. It will lay flat on the plate.  The small water droplets from the rinsing will keep the spinach from drying out.


Cover the spinach with a layer of cooked pasta.

Put a layer of fresh salsa on top of the pasta.  (I didn't have salsa when I made this last so I just chopped up some raw onion and cherry tomatoes and it worked great.  I think I liked the taste better actually.)


Put the chicken on top of the salsa and then sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over everything.  You can add salt and pepper if you would like.



Then for dessert.  This has got to be the yummiest thing in the frozen food section of any grocery store.  It's the Hersey's chocolate pie.  I usually restrict myself and only buy one when I have company coming over. That way I am less likely to eat the entire thing by myself.  :)

In the beginning...

In the beginning, there was a girl that moved...a lot. Since she moves a lot it is fairly reasonable that she will lose many of her worldly possessions at one time or another. Due to this eventuality, said girl has decided to put some of her life on the WWW. First up was family pictures and events, enter The Blog of Luke (lukefam.blogspot.com) and Facebook. Second came crafting projects, enter Finding My Stamp (findingmystamp.blogspot.com). Now, said girl is adding her favorite recipes to the mix, enter Finding My Recipe. No, said girl isn't very original when it comes to naming her blogs. However, said girl does loves to try new recipes. So feel free to send your favorites in and let said girl do the work of putting them on the web so you won't lose your favorites either. You can also try the recipes and give your very own critique in the comments section. Happy eating everyone.