Cheesy Potato Breakfast Bake

I made this for breakfast on Christmas morning. I had bought a bunch of cottage cheese when it was on sale and realized that I still had a bunch leftover. I thought this was great! It was so easy to put together and delicious to eat! I'll definitely use it going forward with company!

Cheesy Potato Breakfast Bake

Cheesy Potato Breakfast Bake-adapted from TheKitchenCookie
Total Time: 1 hour
Serves 6

• 1 bag frozen shredded hash browns
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1/4 cup onion, chopped
• 8 ounces mushrooms, chopped
• 1 pound cooked ham, diced
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided.
• 24 ounces small curd, fat free cottage cheese
• 6 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Layer, in order, in a 9x13 inch baking pan hash browns, butter, onion, mushrooms, ham, 1 cup cheddar cheese, and cottage cheese. Top with eggs, and remaining cheese. Cook in oven for about one hour.

Light Chicken Wild Rice Soup

This definitely wasn't one of the best soups I've ever had, but I'd still make it again. It's great in the wintertime!

Light Chicken Wild Soup-adapted from Pillsbury's Fast and Healthy Cookbook
Total Time: 20
Serves 6

• 3 cooked chicken breasts, cut into 3/4 inch pieces
• 1 box fast-cooking long-grain and wild rice mix
• 2 cans fat free chicken broth
• 4 cups milk
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons diced pimentos
• 1 tablespoon dry sherry

In a large saucepan, mix chicken, rice and broth. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 5 to 10 minutes or until rice is tender.

In a small jar with tight fitting lid, shake 1 cup of the milk and flour until well blended.

Add flour mixture, remaining 3 cups milk, pimientos and sherry to rice mixture; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until soup is bubbly and thickened.

Onion Veggie Dip

I made this dip for a family holiday party. To be honest, we didn't really eat much of it as there was so much other food around. I liked it, but would definitely have to make it again.

Onion Veggie Dip-adapted from Taste of Home
Total Time: 30 Minutes
Makes 2 cups

• 2 cups sour cream
• 3 tablespoons dried minced onion
• 3 tablespoons dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
• Assorted vegetables

Combine first four ingredients. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. 

Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes

I love mashed potatoes. And I tend to think that I make some of the best potatoes. I hate peeling them, so I don't-I just throw them in quartered. I then usually add some milk, butter and seasoned salt and pepper. If I have any shredded cheese or sour cream, I'll add those too.

This is a recipe I've been wanting to try for awhile now. This is a great recipe when you have some buttermilk left over from a recipe and you don't know what you're going to do with it! I'll definitely make it again!

Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes-adapted from Meals Made Easy by Real Simple
Total Time: 30 Minutes
Serves 6

• 3/4  pound russet potatoes, quartered (and peeled, if desired)
• 2  teaspoons  kosher salt
• 4  tablespoons  butter
• 1  cup  buttermilk
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8  teaspoon  freshly grated nutmeg

Place the potatoes in a saucepan with 3 quarts of cold water and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain well and return to saucepan; mash.

Put all ingredients into the same pan and mix well until heated through.

Chicken and Brown Rice Casserole

I made this recipe while I went to work one day, and then we ended up having other plans that night. So the slow cooker went straight into the fridge. Eating this the next day wasn't very good. However, the blog I found it on (A Year of Slow Cooking), said it was great so I'm going to try it again someday!

Chicken and Brown Rice Casserole-adapted from Make it Fast, Cook it Slow by Stephanie O'Dea
Total Time: 8 hours
Serves 6

• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1 1/2 cups raw brown rice
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1 small onion, diced
• 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
• 5 boneless chicken breasts

Combine all of the chicken broth and 1/2 cup of milk in a sauce pan and heat over medium heat on the stove. In a separate bowl, whisk the remaining 1 cup of milk with 3/4 cup flour.
When the broth and milk have begun to boil, reduce heat, and slowly stir in the milk and flour mixture. When everything is fully incorporated, set the pot aside to cool.

Spray the inside of your crockpot with cooking spray.

Add the rice and seasonings to your crock. Chop up the onion, and add it with the mushrooms. Stir in your broth, flour, and milk mixture. The rice will turn a bit red from the paprika.

Lay the chicken pieces on top. 

Cover and cook on high for 4 hours, or low for about 8. I cooked ours on high for 4, and let it stay warm for another 2.

When you take the lid off of the crockpot, stir the rice. If the rice is fully cooked and you have extra liquid, keep the lid off for about 15 minutes. The liquid will absorb quickly.

Balsamic Chicken and Peppers

This is a recipe that didn't blow me away, but is something that could get added to the regular list of meals. I usually have all the ingredients on hand, so that wouldn't be a problem.

Balsamic Chicken and Peppers-adapted from Taste of Home

Total Time: 25 Minutes

Serves 4

• 4 chicken breasts
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 each medium sweet yellow, red and orange peppers, julienned
• 1 small onion, sliced
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Sprinkle chicken with pepper and salt. In a large skillet, cook the chicken in 1 tablespoon of oil until cooked through. Drain and remove chicken.

In the same skillet, saute peppers an onion in 1 tablespoon oil until tender. Return chicken to the pan. Add vinegar; heat through.

Mushroom-Herb Chicken

I've been so behind on my blog posting, that this recipe doesn't really stick out. It's definitely not bad, but I don't think it stood out as amazing to us.

Mushroom-Herb Chicken

Mushroom-Herb Chicken-Adapted from Weight Watchers Five Ingredient 15-Minute Recipes
Total Time: 25 Minutes
Serves 4

• 4 chicken breasts
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 shallots, peeled and sliced
• 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
• 1/3 cup dry sherry
• 1 teaspoon dried marjoram, crushed

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper; coat with cooking spray. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook 5-6 minutes on each side, until browned. Remove from pan and keep warm.

In the same skillet, coat with cooking spray and add mushrooms and shallots. Cook 1 minute, continuously stirring. Stir in sherry and marjoram. Return chicken to pan; cover and cook 3-4 minutes or until mushrooms are tender. 

Place chicken on a plate, and pour mushroom mixture over chicken.

Feta Pasta Salad

I'm learning to love pasta salads! The antipasto pasta salad I made recently was a favorite, but this one is really good too! It was really easy and had some great flavors to it! It's great for a gathering!


Total Time: 20 MinutesFeta Pasta Salad-Adapted from LuLu's Recipe Box
Serves 10

• 12 ounces bowtie pasta
• 1 whole red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/4 white onion, chopped
• 6 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup black olives
• 8 ounces crumbled feta cheese

Dressing

• 1 envelope Good Seasons Italian Dressing Mix (make According To Directions On Envelope)
• 3 teaspoons dried parsley
• 3 teaspoons dried basil
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon sugar

Cook pasta according to directions on package. Drain and rinse with cold water. Prepare all of the vegetables.

For the dressing, prepare the Good Seasons Italian dressing according to the package instructions with vinegar, olive oil and water. Then add the rest of the dressing ingredients. Shake well in a dressing bottle or small tupperware container.

Combine pasta, cheese and vegetables in large bowl. Add salad dressing and toss lightly with minced fresh basil.

Store in the refrigerator in a covered container.

Chocolate-Pumpkin Cake

I made this cake for my friend Shea's birthday and it was really good! I was most proud of the fact that the frosting actually turned out like the picture (see below)! We actually had an interesting time making this cake. I was preparing it at our house, and put it in the oven for the allotted amount of time. However, we decided we had to leave earlier, so it was pretty much par-baked, put in a car for an hour, and then finished getting baked. It still turned out well!

Chocolate-Pumpkin Cake

Chocolate-Pumpkin Cake-Adapted from Betty Crocker's Fall Baking

Total Time: 2 hours 25 minutes

Serves 16

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/3 cups packed brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 can pumpkin
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 1/4 semisweet chocolate chips

Glaze

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 2-3 tablespoons milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

• Heat oven to 350°F. Grease tube cake pan with cooking spray. In medium bowl, mix flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.
• In large bowl, beat butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating on low speed after each addition until blended. Add pumpkin and 2 teaspoons vanilla; beat on medium speed until blended. On low speed, beat in flour mixture alternately with 1/2 cup milk until smooth. Stir in 1 cup of the chocolate chips. Spoon batter into pan.
• Bake 55 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour. In medium bowl, mix all glaze ingredients until smooth and thick. Drizzle glaze over cake. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips.
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Best of Heat's Kitchen-December 2012

I slacked a bit on posting in December, but already have a lot set up for January! Either way, here's the most popular Heat's Kitchen articles from December!

1. Buttermilk Corn Muffins by Betty Crocker

2. Baked Spaghetti from the General Store of Minnetonka's Cookbook

3. Artichoke Chicken from Sugarlaws

4. Cadbury Creme Eggs from Instructables

5. Artichoke Hummus from Cookin' Canuck 

Scalloped Potatoes & Ham

A friend of ours had a potluck for her birthday/the holiday season and I made these potatoes. I wanted something I could put in the slow cooker because I knew she was making a turkey, and I didn't know how much space there would be in the oven. The funny thing is, almost everyone there brought something in the slow cooker (even the turkey!). It was a slow cooker party, and it was amazing. Even funnier, I think every single dish has some sort of meat in it!

Overall, these potatoes were really good. I was a little skeptical about making potatoes in the slow cooker, but in all honesty, they turned out well! They were relatively easy to get ready, with the exception of peeling and slicing the potatoes. But in the end, the potatoes turned out really well cooked and with a lot of flavor to it!

Photo Courtesy of Taste of Home

Scalloped Potatoes & Ham-Adapted from Taste of Home
Total Time: 8 Hours
Serves 16

• 1 can condensed cheddar cheese soup
• 1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1 cup milk
• 10 medium potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
• 3 cups cubed cooked ham
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon pepper

Combine soups and milk in a small bowl. Layer half the potatoes, ham, onions and soup mixture in a greased 5-quart slow cooker. Repeat layers. Sprinkle with paprika and pepper.

Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or until potatoes are tender.