Zucchini Chips

Zucchini Chips
1 large zucchini, thinly sliced into rounds
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
Preheat oven to 225 degrees F (110 degrees C). Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.  Place zucchini slices in a single layer on paper towels, cover slices with more paper towels, and gently press to squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Arrange zucchini slices onto the prepared baking sheets, taking care not to overlap slices.
Brush zucchini slices with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with kosher salt.  Bake zucchini slices in the preheated oven until browned and crisp, about 2 hours. Let cool before serving. Store in an airtight container up to 3 days.

Feta Chicken

Feta Chicken
6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
6 ounces tomato basil feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup Italian-style dry bread crumbs, divided
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.  Place chicken breasts between 2 pieces of waxed paper. Gently pound chicken with flat side of meat mallet or rolling pin until about 1/4 inch thick; remove wax paper. Place 1 ounce of feta cheese in the center of each chicken breast, and fold in half.  Spread 2 tablespoons bread crumbs in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Arrange chicken in the dish, and top with remaining bread crumbs.  Bake 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.

Jalapeno Chicken

Jalapeno Chicken
6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - pounded to 1/4 inch thickness
1 (16 ounce) bottle Italian dressing
3 fresh jalapeno peppers, halved lengthwise and seeded
1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
6 slices bacon
toothpicks
Place chicken breasts in a dish with the Italian dressing. Cover, and marinate in the refrigerator at least 2 hours.  Preheat the grill for high heat.  Stuff each jalapeno half with cream cheese. Roll chicken breasts around jalapeno peppers. Wrap each chicken breast with a slice of bacon. Secure with toothpicks.  Lightly oil the grill grate. Arrange wrapped chicken breasts on the prepared grill. Cook for 20 minutes, turning frequently, or until bacon is browned and the chicken juices run clear.

Reese’s Banana Bread

Reese’s Banana Bread
3-4 ripe bananas
6 Tbls butter softened
3/4 c light brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 c flour, divided
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
8 oz bag of Reese's Minis
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup Reese's Peanut Butter Chips
For topping:
10 Reese's Miniatures, roughly chopped
1/4 Reese's Peanut Butter Chips, melted
1/4 chocolate chips, melted
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Peel and mash the bananas.  Add in the egg, butter,brown sugar and vanilla and mix until well combined.  Combine 1 cup of flour and remaining dry ingredients, reserving 1/4 cup of flour. Add the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Do not overmix.  Combine Reese's Minis, Reese's Peanut Butter, Chips, and chocolate chips in a bowl. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup of flour over the candy and gently coat the candy and chips with flour.  Add to batter and mix just until combined.  Grease and flour a 9 in x 5 in loaf pan and then pour the mixture in.  Let the bread bake for 65-70 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing.

Crock Pot Balsamic Roast

Crock Pot Balsamic Roast
4-5lb beef roast
1 1/2 c. beef broth
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
3 cloves garlic, pressed
1 lb baby carrots
2 lbs baby red potatoes, quartered
In a small bowl whisk together beef broth, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, salt, red pepper flakes and garlic.  Place beef roast in crock pot. Top with carrots and potatoes. Pour liquid mixture over the beef, carrots and potatoes.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

'Buffalo Chicken Texas Toast'

'Buffalo Chicken Texas Toast'
6 slices Texas Garlic Toast
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
2/3 cup buffalo wing sauce + extra for drizzling
1 tablespoon butter
3 tablespoons ranch dressing
Shredded cheddar cheese (16 oz)
6 ounces crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
4 green onions, sliced
Top-Rated Olive Oil
Bake Texas Toast according to package directions.  Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add olive oil. Toss chicken with salt and pepper, then add to the skillet and cook until browned on all sides (about 10 minutes).  Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds, then add in buffalo wing sauce and butter. Stir to toss and coat.  Remove garlic bread from oven and switch oven to broil. Brush each slice first with ranch dressing, then with buffalo wing sauce. Sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese and top with chicken and Gorgonzola.  Broil toast 2-4 minutes, watching closely and rotating the pan as needed. Remove and top with another drizzle of buffalo wing sauce and green onions.

Cheese Tortellini and Sausage

Cheese Tortellini and Sausage
1 (19 oz.) bag frozen cheese tortellini
1 lb. sausage (I prefer Italian)
1 bag fresh spinach
2 cans Italian style diced tomatoes
2 cans low-fat chicken broth
1 (8 oz.) cream cheese, cut into cubes
Brown the sausage in a skillet on the stove top until cooked and crumbled.  Drain.  Add the sausage and remaining ingredients to a 6-quart slow cooker.  Stir to combine.  Cook, on LOW for 5 hours, stirring twice during cooking.

Cheesy Potatoes

Cheesy Potatoes
6 medium potatoes
1/4 cup butter or 1/4 cup margarine
10 3/4 ounces cream of chicken soup
1 pint sour cream
1/3 cup chopped green onion (4-5)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Boil potatoes in skins; peel and grate.  Heat ¼ cup butter with cream of chicken soup over medium heat.  Blend sour cream, onions and cheese into soup until cheese is melted.  Stir in potatoes.  Place in buttered 9x13 inch baking dish.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Bake for 45 minutes.

Creamy Lemon Chicken

Creamy Lemon Chicken
2-4 chicken breasts
1/2 cup all purpose flour
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
4 tbsp butter
1 cup chicken broth (I use a bullion cube and a cup of water)
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 cup heavy cream
1 medium onion sliced in rings
Combine flour, salt, pepper, garlic powder and the chicken breasts (2 at a time) in a large Ziploc bag.  Shake ingredients in the bag to coat the chicken with the flour mixture.
In a large, deep frying pan, brown the chicken in butter until both sides of chicken are browned.  Add the chicken broth, lemon juice, cream and onions.  Cover the pan and simmer for 30 minutes, until chicken is tender.  When finished, add a bit of parsley and serve.

Cool Whip Cookies

Cool Whip Cookies
1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
2 eggs
1 (18.25 ounce) package lemon cake mix
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar for decoration
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease baking sheets.  Beat together the whipped topping and eggs together. Add the lemon cake mix and continue to mix. Dough will be thick.  Drop by teaspoonfuls into a bowl of confectioners' sugar and roll to coat. Place cookies on the prepared baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 8 minutes.

Saltine Toffee Cookies

Saltine Toffee Cookies
4 ounces saltine crackers
1 cup butter
1 cup dark brown sugar
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C).  Line cookie sheet with saltine crackers in single layer.  In a saucepan combine the sugar and the butter. Bring to a boil and boil for 3 minutes. Immediately pour over saltines and spread t cover crackers completely.  Bake at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) for 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips over the top. Let sit for 5 minutes. Spread melted chocolate and top with chopped nuts. Cool completely and break into pieces.

Chicken-n-Hominy Soup

Chicken-n-Hominy Soup
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 (49.5 fluid ounce) can chicken broth
1 (29 ounce) can hominy, undrained
4 cooked skinless, boneless chicken thighs, chopped
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes in juice
1 (14.5 ounce) can water
6 green onions, sliced
1 lime, juiced, or to taste
1 dash hot sauce, or to taste
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat; stir cumin and paprika into hot oil until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add broth, hominy, chicken, diced tomatoes and juice, water, green onions, lime juice, and hot sauce to seasoned oil; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until flavors have blended, about 15 minutes. Garnish soup with cilantro just before serving.

Zannie's Black-Eyed Pea Dip

Zannie's Black-Eyed Pea Dip
1 can (14-ounce) Can Black-eyed Peas
1/4 whole Onion, Chopped Fine
1/4 cup Sour Cream
8 slices Jarred Jalapenos
1 cup Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
3 Tablespoons Salsa
 Hot Sauce, to taste
 Salt And Black Pepper To Taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drain black-eyed peas and partially mash, leaving some whole.
Add all other ingredients, stirring to combine.  Spread into a 1 1/2 quart baking dish and bake for 20 to 30 minutes until hot and bubbly.  Serve with tortilla chips!
*Note: if you have them available, you can use the canned black-eyed peas and jalapenos (they're canned together.) If you do this, you can omit the extra jalapenos.