Spicy Chicken Nachos with Pepper Cheese Plus Taco Seasoning Recipe

We have been gifted with a half dozen or so packages of prime cheeses from Wisconsin and several varieties are pepper cheeses.  Just the thing for adorning a big platter of chicken nachos for an easy one dish supper for the two of us.

This weekend I saw again them being made in TV and thought I would roll out my homemade taco seasoning and sear some chicken to start things rolling.      thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2012/04/hot-ooey-gooey-tex-mex-cheese-dip-taco.html 
 (This is the link for the taco seasoning recipe.)

Ingredients for Spicy Chicken Nachos:

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts or 3-4 boneless skinless chicken thighs
2 t. taco seasoning
2 T. butter
2 t. chili powder
1 can Rotel tomatoes with chilies
8 oz. shredded pepper cheese
corn chips
2-3 diced green onions
2 seeded diced ripe tomatoes
2-3 T. canned or fresh sliced peppers, optional
1/4 head shredded lettuce
sour cream

Melt the butter in a heavy skillet, cast iron if you have it.  Mix the taco seasoning and chili powder and season all sides of the chicken.  Sear the chicken all over then reduce the heat to medium and cook 8-10 minutes until done.  Remove the chicken to a platter and just let it sit a few minutes while you pour the Rotel into the hot skillet over the drippings and stir to loosen the bits in the pan.  Reduce the heat to a simmer.  Shred the chicken with 2 forks and return it to the pan with the tomatoes and chilies (Rotel).  Simmer 10-15 min.

Line a large serving platter with corn chips of your choice.  Ladle half of the hot chicken over the chips.  Next place a layer of half the shredded cheese.  Repeat layers with chips, chicken, and cheese.

Top the layers off with green onion slices, diced tomato, pepper slices, shredded lettuce, and sour cream.  DIG IN!  Pass lots of napkins!

This should serve 3-4 unless you have 2 starving men!  Or pass with small plates and forks as an appetizer or snack.  Serve as a dinner salad or a main dish. 

Crystal's HOT Buffalo Chicken Dip with Celery Dippers, My Holiday Find and Favorite!

My niece Crystal brought this most yummy dish to our family Christmas celebration.  When I tell you it is SO delicious we all stood around the table, celery sticks in hand in unison diving into the delicious hot bubbly dish of spicy chicken and cheese!  Believe it!

Kudos go out too to Mike and Julie for the hot pizza's they brought that had a whole banquet table of little kids eating and clamoring for more and to Chris and sons for the vat of diced fresh fruit they (the table of little kids) scarfed down after the pizza!  I thought what a good idea although unplanned at the time to have something little kids could really love and dive into! 

Ingredients for Crystal's Hot Buffalo Chicken Dip with Celery Dippers:

8 ounce Philly Cream Cheese at room temperature
2 cans drained and flaked premium chicken (Save the broth and refrigerate or freeze for use in other recipes.)
1/2 C. shredded Mexican cheese blend
1/2 C. Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing
1/4 to 1/2 C. Hot Sauce, to taste  (We got a hot pepper sauce assortment for Christmas so we tasted as we went!)
Washed, cleaned celery cut into 2-3" lengths and chilled for dippers
Crackers or other assorted veggies of your liking.

Butter a deep 9" pie plate and set it aside.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all of the ingredients using slow speed on the mixer until just combined.  Or, if you prefer a coarser texture combine everything but the chicken then flake it with a fork and blend into the mixture by hand.  Taste and adjust hot sauce as needed for desired heat.

Smooth into the prepared pie plate.  Bake 20 minutes and serve warm or at room temperature along side dippers. Cover and refrigerate any left over and reheat in a microwave for a quick snack.

Crystal doubled this recipe using a 9" x 12" baking dish o serve at a party of 30 or so adults along with with other appetizers. 

Oyster Stew, Simple yet Special Enough to Mark an Occasion.

Steaming hot oyster stew serve with crisp saltines.

Oyster Stew is another dish that often times has a love/hate evoking reaction.  Here it is a love fest as my husband loves any type of oyster or oyster dish.  It evokes lovely memories for both of us.  Brian's Grandma Ruby always served Oyster Stew on Christmas Eve and had us all over while she was still living.  I always thought that a really wonderful tradition.

Drain the liquor from the fresh oysters and reserve for the stew.

My Mother often made at my Dad's request Oyster Stew as well as Oyster Dressing for Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Today while at Sam's Club I spotted the first fresh oysters of the season and snapped up a pint of them in a heartbeat thinking Brian would be tickled to have them in a surprise supper tonight!

Ingredients for Oyster Stew:

1 pint fresh shucked oysters, drain and save the liquor
1 C. sliced celery
1/2 C. diced onions
3 T. butter
3 T. flour
2 C. milk
1 C. cream or half and half
kosher salt to taste
black pepper to taste
pinch of Cayenne pepper or a few dashes of hot sauce to taste
juice of 1/2 small lemon

Saute the vegetables.

Melt the butter and saute the celery and onions until translucent then stir in the flour to make a rue.  Add the oyster liquor, milk, and cream stirring until slightly thickened.  Simmer until the vegetables are tender. 

Add the liquor, cream, and milk.

Add the oysters and seasonings and cook a few minutes until the edges of the oysters are curled and the oysters are opaque. 

Stir in the lemon juice and correct the seasonings. Serve hot with saltine crackers.  Yield 4 servings.

ZUCCHINI RECIPIES I ADORE: Oven Zucchini Fries with Horsradish Dipping Sauce, PLUS Zucchini Spagetti with Quick Spicy Shrimp

Zucchini Fries, Chopped Steak, Tomatoes, ans Horseradish Dipping Sauce.

I love these things and could have them every day!  The recipes and my lazy steps make clean up easy too.  I made them last year but must not have posted them as I didn't find them upon looking.  Shame on me for not sharing sooner!  I am zucchini crazy this year.

I made the Spicy Shrimp with Zucchini spaghetti last week but failed to photograph.  I will add pictures soon as it wad so good I have already purchased the shrimp to make it again.  Brian loved it!

This Asian Mandolin has a Julianne Blade.

Before cooking Zucchini Spaghetti.

I only boil 1 1/2-2 minutes and wonder about trying in the microwave!

Directions for Zucchini Spaghetti:

My first "zucchini discovery" is to use the Julianne blades on my mandolin on zucchini making long spaghetti strands with it.  Just be sure to trim off the ends and remove and blemishes before Julienning.   Then I just plunge the strands into salted rapidly boiling water for 2 minutes and drain.  Top with my Spicy Shrimp and enjoy!  Two medium zucchini will serve 2 adults.

This looks and tastes terrific.

Ingredients for Spicy Shrimp:

1 pound raw peeled and de-veined shrimp
2-3 T. olive oil  (can use part butter)
1 1/2 t. hot sauce
4-6 T. of the vegetable cooking water
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a skillet and saute the shrimp until no longer translucent, just a minute or two.  Add the hot sauce and veggie water and stir cooking a minute or two to form a sauce.  Season to taste and spoon over a dist of zucchini spaghetti.   Serves 2 adults deliciously!

Delicious Zucchini Fries made in the oven.

Ingredients For Oven Zucchini Fries:

2-3 zucchini cut into 3" sticks about 1/4" in diameter: place in colander with 1-1 1/2 t, salt, toss and let drain in the sink for 1/2-1 hour before starting the recipe
2 eggs beaten
1 1/2 C. Panko (Oriental Bread Crumbs)
1/3-1/2 C. Parmesan Cheese grated
1/3-1/2 C. flour
Cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.  Cover a half sheet pan with parchment paper then spray well with cooking spray and set aside.

Using Parchment Paper and Cooking Spray makes for a fast clean up!

Shake off liquid from the zucchini.  Combine the Panko crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and flour and whisk to blend.   Dip the zucchini sticks into the egg and then toss with the crumbs.  Place close but not touching in the prepared pan.  When the pan is full spray the breaded zucchini with cooking spray and place into the preheated oven.  Set the timer for 20 minutes.  After 20 minutes turn the zucchini and return to the oven for another 20 minutes.  At the end of 40 minutes it should be hot, brown, and delicious!  Serves 2-3.  I serve with horseradish dipping sauce.

Ingredients for Horseradish Dipping Sauce:

1 C. sour cream
2 T. grated horseradish
1/2 t. Worcestershire sauce

Stir all of the ingredients together and serve.  Yield 1 cup sauce.

Chip Beef Dip/Spread (Another Oldie but Goodie!)

This is a really old old recipe that many of our family members make from different sources.  I remember as a young married living across from the A & P in Broadripple in Indianapolis and they made this dip.  We bought it so often the deli lady told me how to make it.  My sister has a similar version marked from our ex-sister-in-law so it has been around for sure.  It is really good though, I can remember my sisters and I, the three of us  polishing off a whole batch in our youth!

Ingredients for Chip Beef Dip/Spread:

2 C. sour cream
8 ounces softened Philly cream cheese
3 green onion sliced with tops very finely
1 jar dried beef
1/8-1/4 t. garlic powder
1/8-1/4 t. Worcestershire sauce

Beat the cream cheese and sour cream together until fluffy.  Stir in the rest of the ingredients and serve.  Refrigerate in a sealed container any remaining or if not serving immediately. .  It just gets better.  Today we tried with some of the new "cracker" chips.  Also very good with crunchy vegetables or to stuff celery.  Yum!  Sometimes on weekends I make this up with veggies and meat and cheese and stash in the refrigerator so we can fend for ourselves mid-day or if the kids come by early.

Yield 3 cups.

Smoked Turkey Roll Ups

These "WRAPS" were really yummy but I told Brian I think they would do better as far as holding together to use the larger size wraps the next time!  I had purchased smoked turkey at Sam's Club last week and thought this a good way to use up tortillas I had left in the refrigerator.

Ingredients for Smoked Turkey Wraps:

flour tortillas
smoked turkey
honey mustard
shredded cheese
sliced tomato
shredded lettuce or packaged salad
sliced sweet onion
sliced pickles

Place tortilla on a clean flat work surface.   Spread with honey mustard and top with cheese.  Continue layering meat and condiments leaving a margin at the edges.

When you have added all of the topping roll snugly and secure with toothpicks.  Slice into about 2" pieces and serve with plenty of napkins unless you are much neater than we seem to be!

Deviled Eggs & Red Potato Salad, Easy Last Minute Preparations for a Simplified Easter Dinner

Our family loves Deviled Eggs so I allow for about 3 per person.

Yesterday I dyed Easter Eggs and made three dozen hard cooked eggs altogether for the baskets, deviled eggs, and potato salad for Easter Dinner.  This Easter Menu is much simpler than the traditional one I usually prepare.  Because I've hurt my foot I am "cheating" and have ordered fried chicken from our local market.  It is delicious and I really don't think you can ever go wrong with fried chicken for Sunday dinner!

Easter Menu

Fried Chicken
Potato Salad
Baked Beans
Cole Slaw
Deviled Eggs
Vegetable Platter with Dip
Hot Rolls
Iced Tea
Strawberry Shortcake with Whipped Cream

So with the chicken ordered and the vegetables and dip in the refrigerator today I made the deviled eggs and potato salad.  Leaving only the slaw, baked beans, rolls, and strawberries to contend with tomorrow. The rolls are made up and in the freeze and the slaw is cut leaving only to be dressed.  I can slice the berries as the beans bake.

Ingredients for Deviled Eggs:

15 hard cooked eggs peeled and halved
1-1 1/4 C. Miracle Whip Salad Dressing
1 1/2 t. yellow mustard
1 1/2 T. pickle relish
1-2 t. sweet pickle juice
1/2 t. kosher salt
1/4 t. freshly ground black pepper
paprika for garnish

Place the halved eggs on a serving tray or large flat container for storing.

Place the Miracle Whip, yellow mustard, pickle relish, salt, and pepper in the bottom of the food processor on top of the chopping blade.  Next add the egg yolks and pulse until smooth.  Taste and add the sweet pickle juice until the desired consistency is reached.  (I do not like them "dry" and the juice helps.)

Using a spatula scrape the yolk mixture off into a gallon sized zipper bag and push to one corner.  Snip the corner forming a 3/8" to 1/2" hole and push the filling through the hole to fill the cavity of each egg. This really makes the filling of the eggs go quickly! If they are a little pointed just wet the end of your index finger with water and push down a little.  Sprinkle with paprika and store covered in the refrigerator until serving time.  Yield 30 deviled eggs.

This is a very simple but delicious potato salad.

Ingredients for Red Potato Salad:

3 pounds red potatoes. peel and quarter half the potatoes and leave peels on the other half quartering them also.  Boil in a covered pan in salted water until fork tender and drain well.
6 hard cooked eggs. peeled
3//4 C. diced celery
1/2 C. pickle relish
1-1 1/4 C. Hellman's Mayonnaise
1- 1 1/2 t. Grey French mustard
1-1 1/2 T. sugar
kosher salt
fresh ground black pepper

Place the cooled potatoes in a bowl dicing them to bite size as you go.  Add the celery, chopped eggs, and pickle relish.   This is a very basic and simple potato salad and the dressing just makes it!

Mix in a smaller bowl the Mayonnaise,  Grey French mustard, and sugar.  Poor the dressing over the salad, add the salt and pepper and toss well.  Taste and correct seasoning if needed. Refrigerate covered until serving time.  Yield 8-10 servings.

Pizza Dough Bread Sticks

This yielded about a dozen 10-12" bread sticks per half batch of dough.

Hot and Crisp from the Oven.

It flashed in my mind that the other half of the unbaked pizza dough in my refrigerator might make good bread sticks.    thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2014/01/easy-and-fast-pizza-dough-to-make-at.html     I had mixed the dough up 4 days ago and used one half of it for a large (half sheet pan sized) pizza.  The remaining dough was intended to be made up and frozen when the bread stick light came on!

To make these delicious (Best I have ever made.) light, and crisp bread sticks mix up the pizza dough as directed.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  The dough is incredibly easy to handle after refrigeration.   Just flour the rolling pin and board you are rolling onto well.  Pat and roll until about 14" thick then slice about 1/4" wide strips.   I used a pastry cutter and the fluted edge.

As you can see I used a perforated bread stick pan that was lightly floured and they did not stick a bit.  A pizza stone or parchment paper would be my next choices.

I twisted the bread sticks and lay them in rows.  Bake 10-15 minutes until golden brown.  Check the bottoms too just to be sure they are not browning too quickly.  Cool on a rack.

Helpful Hint:  For an added treat these are scrumptious dipped into home made ranch dressing.  I like my ranch dressing a little on the tart side and I add the juice of half a lemon to every batch I make up.  Yum, what a game day treat!

Doing Pie and Cookie Dough Today! Christmas Buffet Menu.

5 pie crusts

Today I have made up my recipe for 5 single crust pie crusts (or 2 double and a single)  because I am making two very special people their favorite pies to send with my husband in the morning when he leaves for work.  He can deliver them for me and they will still be nice and warm.  That sounds like a great Christmas surprise to me!  I have the pastry made up and patted out into 5 disks and wrapped in waxed paper then dropped into a plastic bag  and stashed into the refrigerator.    thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2010/07/cherry-pie.html   thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2012/11/canning-apple-pie-filling-my-revision.html     thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2012/05/raisin-pie-and-primary-election-day.html

Home canned apple pie filling

I will use my last can of homemade Apple pie filling for one pie and then I am making an very old fashioned Raisin pie.

Raisins simmering

   

Snicker doodles

Next this morning I am making up a batch of Snicker doodles    thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2010/08/old-fashioned-snickerdoodles.html   then a recipe of sugar cookie dough  thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2013/12/baking-christmas-cookies.html   and a batch of dough for painted roll out cookies.   thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2013/02/painted-hearts-cut-out-cookies-for.html   I will bake the Snicker doodles today and store the made up cookie dough to bake off tomorrow after my marathon trip to both the butcher and the market.

Since I have been troubled with bad knees I was counting the days to the injection appointment.  But, the injections bother me about a day and a half but then I jump up and feel 30 again for awhile!  Today is my first feel like 30 day.  Thus the reason I have postponed the marketing.

Planned Christmas Buffet:

This Christmas I am planning a buffet to be left out and enjoyed at will.  The ham for Thanksgiving was such a hit I am repeating it.   thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2013/03/baking-whole-ham-for-easter.html    I also ordered several pounds of the butchers delicious homemade potato salad (yes I did!)  But I will throw together some baked beans.  Thinking of a huge, maybe 4 pound platter of fresh strawberries and some chocolate ganache for dipping!  Then our other "likes" include a platter of ice cold shrimp cocktail, a cheese ball with crackers, assorted bread. thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2011/12/old-fashioned-persimmon-pudding-my.html   Assorted beverages on ice and maybe a bit of hot buttered rum!    thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2010/11/hot-buttered-rum.html

Spiced Pecans

Some spiced nuts, and of course veggies and dip.  Dessert will be Christmas cookies and a batch of Christmas rice crispy treats with red and green holiday sprinkles!  Then maybe, just maybe, I will do up a persimmon pudding with whipped cream for good measure.  

Raisin and Apple Pies

Monday Morning 7:30 AM:  The pies have finished baking and are packed for Brian's deliveries! 
Since they are still hot I dropped a cooling rack into the bottom of each of two large tote bags.  Next I covered the rack with a clean tea towel and put the aluminum pie plate in a second aluminum pie plate to sturdy up the base.  Then I rolled 2 additional clean tea towels into cylinders and used them as bumpers to keep the pie from sliding.

Tucked away to travel

The last step was to tear, fold, and enclose two ample sheets of fresh aluminum foil for the pis to be covered with when cool. 

Bacon Ranch Cheese Ball and Easy Taco Soup for Supper

Bacon Ranch Cheese Ball is Prepared and Ready for Thanksgiving.

Delicious Taco Soup.

When I saw this recipe for Taco Soup I thought it sounded just as good and easier than the one I have always made.  Plus it sounded just right for the run up days before Thanksgiving.  So, yesterday I checked my ingredients and committed to throwing it together today.  I have adapted this recipe from  highlandsranchfoodie.com    The name of the blog convinces me it has to be good!

I also want to try this cheese ball as I am certain in a household of Ranch Dressing lovers who also LOVE bacon it will surely be a hit!  I adapted this recipe from one bouncing around Pinterest right now.  It only took a bit of tweaking from me.

Ingredients for Easy Taco Soup:

1 can drained pinto beans
1 can drained kidney beans
1 can drained black beans
2 cans drained yellow corn
1 large can tomatoes broken up with your fork
2 C. beef stock
1 pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing
4 T. Taco Seasoning
2 pounds ground beef chuck
1 onion diced
2 cloves garlic minced
1/2 C. water
pinch red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste

Crumble the ground beef into a dutch oven or large heavy bottom kettle and brown over medium high heat.  Meanwhile between stirs dice the onion and garlic and add to the pot and cook along with the beef.

Add the remaining ingredients and simmer over low heat at least 15 minutes or longer watching and adding water it it becomes too thick.  Or transfer everything into a slow cooker and simmer over lowest heat setting to meld the flavors.

Serve with shredded cheese, tortilla chips, diced avocado, or sour cream.   Yield 10 servings.

Ingredients for Bacon Ranch Cheese Ball:

2-8 ounce bars of Philadelphia Cream Cheese at room temperature
1/2 C. shredded cheddar cheese
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 C. crisp cooked crumbled bacon
1 pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch Dip Mix

Place the soft cream cheese in a medium mixer bowl and beat until soft and creamy.  Add the Ranch Mix, lemon juice, Cheddar cheese, and 1/2 cup of the bacon and mix thoroughly.

Using you hands form into a ball.  Roll in the remaining bacon crumbles.  Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving with assorted crackers or crisp celery sticks.  Yield 1 cheese ball.  

This is wonderful to make ahead and cover in the refrigerator for a few days for the flavors to meld.  It is nice to have things like this tucked away during the holiday season and ready to pull our as needed,  I serve with assorted crackers, pretzels. or crisp vegetables .

Juicing Recipes and Tips.

*Our favorite juice.

There are certainly numerous ways of juicing, citrus reamers, extractors, and blender type machines are very popular.  When my parents had a home in Florida I waited excitedly for the huge boxes of fruit they picked from their trees to arrive.  We so enjoyed fresh orange and grapefruit juices like no other from them!

Now days I usually use an extractor and have gotten back into the groove since we've been sick.  If I can't get it together in the mornings it works just fine to have juices prepared as the first course of our evening meal.  This really helps meet the 5 servings of fruits and vegetables daily goal.  We so often struggle with that.

My dear friend Mickey Thienes shared with me the other day that she juices large batches and FREEZES the JUICE!  Well gees!  Why didn't I think of that?  It is such a great idea.  The down side of these machines is that you have to take them all apart and clean them after each use.  If you are like me you tire of the mess.  She also shared that Elbert's, a natural food grocery in Evansville sells 5 and 25 pound lots of organic carrots for a nominal fee.

I am currently contemplating using up about 10 pounds of apples stored downstairs and may head to town for these carrots and start a big batch to freeze right away.

*My favorite recipe (apple, celery, parsley, carrots, and beets)  I have shared with you many times but here are some others we like too!



 Ingredients for Alkaline Cocktail:
(Good for bouts of Diverticulitis.)

 1/4 head of cabbage
3 ribs of celery
1 carrots, greens removed

Push all ingredients through the hopper and enjoy.


(I seem to have a lot of Inflammation and these next two recipes I find helpful.)

Ingredients for Ginger Hopper:

1/4" slice of ginger root
4-5 carrots, greens removed
1/2 apple seeded

Push the ginger through the hopper with the carrots and apple.

Ingredients for Hawaiian Fizz:

3 pineapple rings with skin
1/2 pear
1/4 " slice of ginger root
sparkling water
pineapple spear for garnish, optional

Juice the pineapple and push the ginger through the hopper with the pear.  Pour into a tall glass and fill with sparkling water.  Garnish with pineapple spear.  YUM.

These are but a few of the many recipes and combinations out there.  My reference and guide is a book I purchased years ago,  Juicing for Life by Cherie Calbom and Maureen Keane.