Cream of Broccoli Soup!

Ingredients
•4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
•1 1/2 pounds fresh broccoli
•1 large onion, chopped
•1 carrot, chopped
•Salt and freshly ground black pepper
•3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
•4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
•1/2 cup cream
•Homemade Croutons, recipe follows
Directions
Melt 4 tablespoons butter in heavy medium pot over medium-high heat. Add broccoli, onion, carrot, salt and pepper and saute until onion is translucent, about 6 minutes. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute, until the flour reaches a blonde color. Add stock and bring to boil.

Simmer uncovered until broccoli is tender, about 15 minutes. Pour in cream. With an immersion blender, puree the soup. Add salt and pepper, to taste, and then replace the lid back on the pot. Serve hot with Homemade Croutons.


Homemade Croutons:
•Day old French bread
•Olive oil
•Salt and freshly ground black pepper
•1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut bread into cubes and place in a large bowl. Drizzle cubes with olive oil, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Mix well.

Spread seasoned bread onto a sheet pan and bake for about 15 minutes.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Baked French Toast Casserole!

*This is Paula deens recipe sooooo good.*

Prep Time:20 minInactive Prep Time:8 hr 0 minCook Time:40 minLevel:
EasyServes:
6 to 8 servings. Ingredients
•1 loaf French bread (13 to 16 ounces)
•8 large eggs
•2 cups half-and-half
•1 cup milk
•2 tablespoons granulated sugar
•1 teaspoon vanilla extract
•1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
•1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
•Dash salt
•Praline Topping, recipe follows
•Maple syrup
Directions
Slice French bread into 20 slices, 1-inch each. (Use any extra bread for garlic toast or bread crumbs). Arrange slices in a generously buttered 9 by 13-inch flat baking dish in 2 rows, overlapping the slices. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and beat with a rotary beater or whisk until blended but not too bubbly. Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture. Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spread Praline Topping evenly over the bread and bake for 40 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden. Serve with maple syrup.


Praline Topping:
•1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
•1 cup packed light brown sugar
•1 cup chopped pecans
•2 tablespoons light corn syrup
•1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
•1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend well. Makes enough for Baked French Toast Casserole.


.

Crispy Cheese Potato's!

6 Cups thinly sliced potato's
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp butter melted
1 4oz pkg shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs or panko bread crumbs

1) pre-heat oven to 425*F
2) Par boil sliced & peeled potato's
3) Grease a 13x9 baking dish
4) after straining potato's toss them and salt together. Arrange potato's in an even layer in dish.
5) drizzle butter over potato's
6) Sprinkle cheese and then bread crumbs over potato's
7)Bake 20 minutes or until fork tender & cheese is melted.
(makes 10 servings)

Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake!!

Ingredients
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crust
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 pinch ground cloves
1 pinch ground nutmeg
1/2 cup frozen whipped topping, thawed
Directions
1.Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2.In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Blend in eggs one at a time. Remove 1 cup of batter and spread into bottom of crust; set aside.
3.Add pumpkin, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg to the remaining batter and stir gently until well blended. Carefully spread over the batter in the crust.
4.Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until center is almost set. Allow to cool, then refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight. Serve whipped topping on side or decorate pie with it.

(this was AMAZING! it went so fast at the dinner party I had, everyone loved it)Oh & It's super easy, no one believed I made it from scratch.

Easy Slow cooker Chicken!

Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
1 (.7 ounce) package dry Italian-style salad dressing mix (good seasons Italian)
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed mushroom soup
1 (8 ounce) container chive and onion cream cheese ( I took regular cream cheese & mixed in my own onion & chives *use fresh or dried*)
1/2 cup dry white wine
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
Directions
1.Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, and stir in the salad dressing mix, mushroom soup, cream cheese, and wine until the sauce mixture is hot, smooth and well combined. Place the chicken breasts into the bottom of a slow cooker, and pour the sauce mixture over the chicken. Cover and cook on Low setting until chicken is tender, about 6 hours

* You can put 6 chicken breasts in, there will be plenty of gravy to go over noodles or rice*

Creamy Cabbage and Apples!

Ingredients
1 teaspoon olive oil
6 slices bacon, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon white sugar, or to taste
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 head green cabbage, cored and chopped
2 large Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and thickly sliced
1/2 cup chicken stock, or as needed
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 pinch nutmeg
1/2 cup sour cream
Directions
1.Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven. Add the bacon and cook and stir until most of the fat is rendered, and the bacon is lightly browned but still slightly limp, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a small bowl; do not drain. Pour off any excess bacon fat in the pan, according to your taste.
2.Stir the onion into the pot, season with salt and pepper, and cook and stir over medium-high heat until onion is translucent. Sprinkle in the sugar, then stir in the vinegar-stand back or you'll get a nose full! Scrape up the delicious brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the cabbage, stirring well to combine.
3.Cook, uncovered, until cabbage is reduced and starts to soften, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in apples, stock, and coriander seeds. Cover, reduce heat to medium low, and cook for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add more stock as needed, and continue cooking until the cabbage is soft, but not falling apart.
4.Just before serving, remove the cover and stir in the bacon with its juices. Cook over medium-high heat until any remaining liquid is reduced to a syrup and the mixture is piping hot, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in nutmeg, and fold in the sour cream. Your digestive tract will thank you.

Ham & Potato Soup!!

Ingredients
3 1/2 cups peeled and diced potatoes
1/3 cup diced celery
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
3/4 cup diced cooked ham
3 1/4 cups water
2 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon ground white or black pepper, or to taste
5 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
Directions
1.Combine the potatoes, celery, onion, ham and water in a stockpot. Bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the chicken bouillon, salt and pepper.
2.In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour with a fork, and cook, stirring constantly until thick, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in milk as not to allow lumps to form until all of the milk has been added. Continue stirring over medium-low heat until thick, 4 to 5 minutes.
3.Stir the milk mixture into the stockpot, and cook soup until heated through. Serve immediately.

Banana Cake with Whipped Cream cheese frosting!

Ingredients
3/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups white sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup sour milk
1 cup mashed bananas
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
Directions
1.In a large bowl, mix together butter or margarine, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Set aside.
2.In another bowl, sift together flour, salt, soda, and baking powder. Add these dry ingredients to the creamed mixture. Add sour milk and bananas to the batter. Beat together well.
3.Line two 9 inch round cake pans, or one 9 x 13 inch pan with wax paper; the pans can be greased and floured instead, if desired. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 17 to 20 minutes for the layered cakes, or for 25 to 40 minutes for the sheet cake.

Whipped Cream Frosting!!
Ingredients
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup white sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
Directions
1.In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar salt and vanilla until smooth. In a small bowl, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Fold into the cream cheese mixture.