Curry Chicken

My husband rarely makes a request for a meal, but this particular dish is one of his favorites. He asked me several weeks ago to make it for him and I finally got around to it this week. I’m always more than happy to throw stuff in a Crockpot and come home to a meal, so this recipe meets my stamp of approval. Prep everything in the morning or the night before and serve some rice on the side. If you’re a fan of curry you won’t be disappointed in this no fuss recipe!

Curry Chicken

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1 1/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 yellow bell pepper, chopped

1 small onion, sliced

1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup golden raisins

1/2 cup shredded coconut

3 tablespoons curry powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk

1 tablespoon cornstarch

3/4 cup lightly salted cashews, coarsely chopped

Hot cooked rice

In a 3 1/2 to 4 quart slow cooker combine chicken, peppers, onion, jalapeno, garlic, chicken broth, raisins, coconut, curry powder, salt, cinnamon, and cayenne. Cover; cook on low-heat setting for 8 1/2 to 9 hours or on high-heat setting for 4 to 4 1/2 hours.

In a small bowl, stir the coconut milk and cornstarch until smooth. Stir into chicken mixture. If cooking on low-heat setting, turn to high-heat setting. Cover, cook an additional 15 to 20 minutes or until slightly thickened.

Serve over rice and sprinkle with nuts.


Source: Better Homes and Gardens

Sausage Pinwheels

When I was looking for something to serve with our Cheddar Soup I came across this recipe and thought it sounded perfect. I was a little worried that the biscuits would cause me some trouble and almost bought crescent rolls instead. I’m glad I stuck with the biscuits because you can’t beat the flavor of sausage and biscuits together. The biscuits provided a buttery-moist breading for the sausage and cheese. I’m looking forward to eating the leftovers for breakfast this week!

Sausage Pinwheels

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1/4 cup cornmeal (I used about 1/8 cup)

1 (12oz) can refrigerated biscuits

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup crumbled, cooked spicy pork sausage

1/4 cup chopped green onion

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.

Sprinkle a clean working surface with cornmeal. Roll biscuit dough into a 9 x 13 inch rectangle. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese, sausage, and green onion, leaving a one-inch border on each side. Roll up, starting at long side, jelly-role fashion, and slice into 1 1/2 inch pieces.

Place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes.

Serve warm.


Source: Cooking with Paula, November/December 2008

Cheddar Beer Soup

Cheddar soup is not a soup that I regularly make, but with the rainy, cold weather we have been having lately it sounded wonderful. This is actually only the second time I’ve had Cheddar Soup and the first time I have made it. Several years ago when I was dating my husband, his wonderful and talented  sister Melinda (check out her blog) invited us over for dinner and made a similar soup for us. (Melinda I don’t even know if you remember this!)  I remembered liking the soup, but I couldn’t recall how it tasted. The cheddar mixed with the beer creates a great combination of flavor. It’s very rich and filling, perfect for a cold Fall day.

Cheddar Beer Soup

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4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1/2 cup yellow onion, chopped

1/2 cup celery, chopped

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1/2 cup all purpose flour

2 cups chicken broth

1 (12 oz) bottle dark beer (I used Sam Adam’s Octoberfest)

1 cup whole milk ( I used 2%)

1 tablespoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

1/4 teaspoon dry mustard

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

In a large Dutch over, melt butter over medium heat. Add bell pepper, onion, celery, and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes, or until onion is soft. Add flour to the vegetable mixture and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in broth, beer, and milk, whisking to break up any lumps. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, whisking frequently.

Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 10 minutes or until soup begins to thicken. Add paprika, red pepper, mustard, and Worcestershire, stirring until combined. Add cheddar cheese, stirring until cheese is melted.

Serve immediately.


Source adapted from: Cooking with Paula Deen, November/December 2008

7 Layers of Goodness

Craving something sweet, but can’t decide what to make? How about a dessert with a little bit of everything? This dessert bar has been around for a long time, but still hits a sweet spot when you are craving multiple things. The graham cracker crust is the perfect base for all the nuts and chips you can handle. I will say I was surprised by the amount of sweetened condensed milk the recipe called for. I didn’t write the actually amount needed on my grocery list, so I had to go back to the store to buy another can. (FYI: My local grocery store only carries 14oz cans of sweetened condensed milk; your store might be similar, prepare to buy 2 cans!) This recipe does make more than enough, so feel free to ½ the recipe if you are feeding a smaller crowd.

Baked Bars

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For the crust:
2 cups sweetened shredded coconut

2 1/2 cups finely ground graham cracker crumbs

1 cups unsalted butter, melted


For the filling:


1 1/3 cups walnut halves, toasted and chopped

1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

3/4 cups white chocolate chips

3/4 cups butterscotch chips

3 1/4 cups sweetened condensed milk (26 oz)


Make the Baked Bar crust:


Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Line a  9×13 inch baking pan with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.

On a parchment-lined baking sheet, spread out the coconut. Put the baking sheet in the oven and toast the coconut until it starts to turn golden brown, 7-10 minutes. Remove from the oven, toss the coconut, and return it to the oven for 3 more minutes.

Put the graham cracker crumbs in a large bowl, add the toasted coconut, and toss with your hands until combined. Add the butter. Use your hands to combine the mixture, then turn it out into the prepared pan. Using your hands, press the crust into an even layer on the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Use the bottom of a measuring cup to create a perfectly even crust.

Refrigerate the crust for 15 minutes, then bake for 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack and let the crust cool completely.


Make the Baked Bar filling:


Increase the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.

Evenly spread the nuts in the bottom of the crust.

Spread the chocolate chips over the walnuts, followed by the white chocolate, followed by the butterscotch chips.

In a steady stream, pour the sweetened condensed milk evenly over the filling. Shake the pan very gently to make sure the sweetened condensed milk is evenly distributed.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, rotating the pan every 10 minutes, until golden brown and bubbly. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely. Cut into squares and serve.


Source adapted from: Dinner & Dessert, originally from Baked: New Frontiers In Baking by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Buffalo chicken wings are one of those comfort foods that I love to have, but they are so messy to eat. This dip has the perfect flavor of buffalo wings, but in the convenience of a dip. Let chips or celery sticks do the messy part while you take in the this spicy buffalo chicken hands free! If that’s not enough to convince you, this recipe is also straight from the Crockpot.  Throw all the ingredients in the pot and in about 3 hours you have the next best thing to actual chicken wings… perfect for those lazy football Saturdays!!

Buffalo Chicken – Cheese Dip

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1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 onion, chopped

3 cups shredded cooked chicken

3/4 to 1 cup hot sauce (I used Frank’s)

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided

Celery sticks and/or Tortilla chips

Heat oil in a non stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, and cook 4 minutes or until onion is tender.

Combine onion, chicken, hot sauce, cream cheese, and 1 cup Cheddar cheese in a 2 or 3 quart slow cooker.

Cover and cook on low 2 1/2 hours. Remove lid, sprinkle top with remaining 1 cup cheddar cheese. Cover and cook on low 30 more minutes or until cheese melts. Serve with celery sticks or tortilla chips.


Source: Southern Living Slow Cooker Cookbook, 2006