Stuffed Bacon-Wrapped Chicken (YUM! My fav recipe!)

This is a recipe from my brother-in-law's mission and it's amazing! I make it for company and they rave every time. And...NO...you don't serve it on a bed of spinach (I guess you could), it's just pretty for the pic :)


Ingredients:
~ Chicken breasts
~ Ham slices (sandwich meat)
~ Cheddar cheese block
~ 1 pkg. cream cheese
~ 1 pkg regular bacon (the cheap stuff works best)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Half chicken breasts so they're thinner...don't just cut in half...cut them up the middle so you have two pieces the same size, just thinner...get it? Place chicken breasts, one at a time, between two pieces of saran wrap on a cutting board and pound chicken SUPER thin...even to the point where it's tearing a bit (don't skip this part, beat it good!!). If the breast is large, cut it in half again. You just want the chicken large enough to wrap around the meat once and tuck. Place a piece of ham, a slice of cheese block (as much as you want) and a thick ribbon of cream cheese on the raw chicken. (If you put the cheeses inside of the ham rolled up, and then put it in the chicken, it won't leak out during cooking). Roll up tightly. Start at one end with a piece of bacon and secure it with a toothpick. Spiral wrap the bacon around the chicken and pin end with another toothpick. (Try to close the ends so the filling doesn't seep out). I usually end up using two peices of bacon per chicken to seal it well. Place chicken in a non-greased dish (I use a 13x9 glass dish) and bake for about 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Enjoy!

Recipe from: My Brother-in-law, Richard's, mission.

Loaded Potatoes (always YUM!)

These are ALWAYS a hit! You can put all of the toppings out like you would Chinese haystacks and everyone can have at it. Great for a group or can be made very simple and quick for just your fam.


Ingredients:
~ Russet Potatoes
~ Sour Cream
~ Butter
~ Chicken or Turkey, cubed
~ salt and pepper
~ Bacon (DON'T skip this!)
~ Cheddar Cheese (or Mexican, Colby jack, whatever you like)

Directions:
~Bake potatoes in oven on 400 degrees for about 1 hour or microwave.
~Season meat with salt and pepper and grill until golden brown and cooked through, keep warm.
~Cook bacon and chop, keep warm.
~Immediately open hot potato and smother with a ton of butter and sour cream (even if you don't like sour cream!! It's a MUST for moisture and you never even taste it!) Season with salt and pepper and mash the potato well with a fork. Top with chicken, bacon and a generous amount of cheese along with additional toppings, if desired...

Additional Toppings:
~ Steamed Broccoli
~ Sauteed Mushrooms
~ Sauteed Onions
~ Sauteed Peppers
~ Cottage Cheese (in place of butter and sour cream if eating healthy - very good!)
~ Sauteed Squash, yellow or zucchini
~ Steamed Cauliflower
~ Corn

Recipe by: Uncle Mark. We had this while in Orcas Island

Bacon Cheeseburger Chicken

Ingredients:
2 T. EVOO
2 T. butter
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (i used 4)
1/4 c teriyaki sauce
1/2 c ranch dressing
1 c cheddar cheese
1/2 lb bacon cooked and chopped (homemade bacon bits)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. In a large skillet heat oil and butter over med-high heat. Pound chicken if it's too thick (the ones in the pic are too thick!) Add chicken breasts, and cook 4 to 5 min each side until lightly browned. Place chicken in a 9x13 pan. Cover with teriyaki sauce and ranch dressing. Top with cheese and bacon bits. Bake for 30 min or until chicken is cooked all the way through.


**I served this chicken with mashed potatoes with the left over bacon, cheese, green onions and sour cream mixed in. Is also great with a side salad or baked potato.

Recipe from: Sister-in-law, Liz

Zuppa Toscana (Kale Soup)

This soup is delicious. I've made my bread bowls with it twice in the past 2 weeks. My bread bowl recipe is posted and the combination is delicious! I LOVE spinach in soups and kale is exactly like spinach except it holds up better than spinach.


Ingredients:
1 lb Italian sausage
1 ¼ c. onion, diced.
2 slices uncooked bacon, diced
2 1/3 t. minced garlic
3 c. chicken broth
5-6 potatoes cut into 1/4 “ pieces
3-5 c kale, roughly chopped (I love kale, so I put in a ton!)
2/3 c whipping cream or half and half
Salt and Pepper

Directions:
Put onion and bacon in a pot, sauté. Meanwhile, shape sausage into little bite size patties and cook in a frying pan over med-high heat until cooked through; set aside. Add broth and potatoes to onion and bacon, Boil. Simmer 15 min. Add kale, sausage, garlic, cream or half and half. Salt and pepper to taste. Simmer 5 min. more. Serve hot.

Recipe from: my mom's enrichment activity

Incredible Cannery Potato Pearls

We all love the cannery potato pearls but, believe it or not, you can love them even more!! We have these at least once a week. Quick and simple and MMMM, MMMM, GOOD! No one will ever guess how simple and easy these are!


Ingredients:
Cannery Potato Pearls(as much as you want)
~Sour Cream
~Cheddar Cheese (I'm sure you can use any type)
~Bacon
~Green Onions (optional, I usually don't have them)


Directions:
Prepare potatoes according to label directions using the least amount of water suggested. I always throw the water in the microwave, much quicker than on the stove! Add enough sour cream to make smooth and creamy, I use ALOT. Shawn doesn't like sour cream but, these are his favorite potatoes! Add cheddar cheese, for 2 cups water and 1 cup potato pearls, I add a couple of handfulls. Stir in cooked bacon. ENJOY!

Recipe from: my sister, Tricia

Summer Spinach, Strawberry & Bacon Salad (the one you've been waiting for, friends!)

Absolutely mouth watering! This has been a hit every single time I’ve made it! You just can’t go wrong with this salad. There are a lot of different recipes for this type of salad floating around and this has combined the best parts of a few of them to come up with the PERFECT spinach salad.


Ingredients:
¼ c. vinegar
½ c. canola oil
1/4 c. chopped onion
2T plus ½ tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp ground mustard
1 squirt of bottled mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp poppy seed
8 c. torn fresh spinach
1 ½ green onions (optional) I never have them so I do without
6 strips bacon, cooked crispy and chopped OR packaged real bacon bits
fresh strawberries, sliced
Sliced mushrooms
Mozzarella cheese
½ c. or more of slivered almonds, caramelized (see below)

Directions:
In a small bowl mix oil, vinegar, onion, sugar, mustard, salt & poppy seed. In a separate large salad bowl place spinach and top with remaining ingredients. Toss with dressing. You probably won’t use all of the dressing, it makes a lot. Just use enough to make the salad moist and yummy. Also, if using packaged bacon bits, quickly fry them in a pan to return moisture and freshness.

Caramelizing almonds: In a saucepan, place almonds with sugar. (always use about 1/4 as much sugar as almonds). Cook and stir over medium heat. DO NOT BURN! When sugar melts and caramelizes, place almonds onto wax paper (aluminum foil works also). Separate and allow to cool. Add to salad.

Recipe from: friend, Renee Vankampen

"Baked" Potato Soup - CROCKPOT RECIPE!

This recipe is SOO delicious! It's a down-home comfort version of a loaded twice baked potato - warm and creamy, just the way potato soup should be! My sister found this recipe and it has spread through our family like wildfire. Very simple with ingredients you usually always have on hand (except maybe cream/half and half). I make home-made crescent rolls with this recipe to finish off the meal just perfectly. I'll post the delicious, flaky, perfect crescent roll recipe soon!


Ingredients:
6 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut in to 1/2-inch cubes (about 3 3/4 lbs.)
1 large onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
3 (14 oz) cans chicken broth with roasted garlic (I've used regular chick broth and added garlic)
1/4 cup butter
2 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup whipping cream or half-and-half
1 cup (4 oz) sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
3 T chopped fresh chives
1 (8 oz) container sour cream (optional)
4 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
combine first 6 ingredients in a 5-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH 4 hours or on LOW 8 hours or until potato is tender. Mash mixture until potatoes are coarsely chopped and soup is slightly thickened; stir in cream, cheese and chives. Top with sour cream, if desired, and sprinkle with bacon and cheddar cheese before serving.

Recipe from: my sister, TRICIA

Twice Baked Potatoes

SUPER EASY, semi-fancy side dish! A great alternative to mashed potatoes. This is one of our favorite side dishes and is always a hit with company. Prep Time: about 15 minutes (cook bacon, chop bacon, mix filling) Cooking Time: 1 hour to 1 hour 20 min. total

Ingredients:
• 4 Potatoes
• ½ Package Bacon (cooked and cut into small pieces), divided (OPTIONAL, but VERY good!!)
• 1 - 2 cups Cheese, divided (your fav type)
• 1 cup Sour Cream (optional)
• 4 T Butter (or more...the more the merrier!)
• Milk
Salt and Pepper

Directions:
Bake potatoes directly on rack in 400 degree oven for 45 min. to 1 hour or until “baked potato” soft. Cut top ¼ of potato skin out. Spoon potato from skin and place in a bowl. With a hand mixer, mix in sour cream, butter, ¾ of the bacon and 1 cup cheese, salt and pepper to taste; Beat well. Add milk to make mashed-potato consistency. Spoon mixture back into skins. Top with additional cheese & remaining bacon. Sprinkle with dried or fresh parsley, if desired. Put on a baking sheet in the oven for 20 more minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly but not hard and crusted.

Crispy Chicken Club Pizza Sandwiches

These are very good! I served them for dinner one night when mom was over and she loved them! This recipe is just enough for two people. You can double it if you need to.


Ingredients:
• 1 large hard roll
• about 4 Tbsp mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup shredded Monterey jack or Mexican style cheese
• 1 cup diced cooked chicken or turkey
• 1/4 cup turkey bacon OR real bacon bits
• 1 plum tomato, diced

Directions:
Cut roll in half lengthwise, spread each side with mayo. Top with cheese, meat and tomatoes. Bake at 450 degrees until cheese is melted and roll is crispy, about 5-7 minutes. ENJOY!

Perfect Omelet

This is a creation of mine that is absolutely perfect in every way…Healthy AND Delicious!!! This omelet is AMAZING!!!! I served it this morning for a friend for breakfast and she was sold on the first bite! You HAVE to try it!!




Ingredients:
• 5 slices turkey bacon
• 1-2 T EVOO
• 1 medium onion
• 1 green bell pepper
• 6 eggs
• 3/4 cup low fat shredded cheese, cheddar or any mixed blend such as “Mexican”
• 1 tomato
• Green onion
Optional garnishes: (I don’t think these are optional, I think they’re a MUST!) 
• Sour cream
• Salsa

Directions:
Fry bacon in a pan until crispy. In a separate pan, heat EVOO and fry onion and pepper until almost done and then add spinach. Stir and cook until completely wilted. Salt and then add bacon.
Crack one egg into a small bowl. Separate two more eggs, throw away the yolks and add the whites to bowl. Beat well with a fork. Spray a small frying pan with PAM and place on medium-high heat. When hot, pour eggs into pan and turn down to medium. Cook until pretty well done on one side then flip (it should flip easily and not tear at all if you let it cook enough). When you flip it, immediately spread ½ of the cheese and veggies onto one side of the omelet; fold in half and place on a serving plate. Top with tomatoes, green onion and optional garnishes. Repeat.

Makes 2 LARGE, loaded omelets