Parmesan Garlic Breadsticks

See those breadsticks above??  Well, they mark a red letter day in my life.  Seriously.  Making any kind of homemade bread has never really been my forte. My first attempt at making bread turned out pretty bad  ( was a lot younger then, but still....).  Picture this:  my family sitting around the table to enjoy a meal.  Everyone takes one the rolls I have attempted to make, and no one really says a word because they are trying to be nice about it.  Then, my little brother accidently drops one on his plate, and we all thought it would shatter his plate!  Needless to say, they turned out really hard.  We all just bust up laughing, and had a good laugh about it.  Well, it's taken me a long time to attempt any kind of bread since then, but this recipe was delish!  Even I could do it.  So, friends, here you have it.  The fool proof, delicious, Parmesan, garlic breadstick  recipe.  Enjoy!

Printable Version


Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups warm (105-115 degrees) water
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
3-4 1/2 cups flour

Directions:
1.  In a large bowl (the bowl of your mixer, if you have one), combine water, sugar, and yeast. Let stand for 10 minutes or until yeast is bubbly.
2.  Add salt and stir. Add 1 1/2 cup flour and mix well. Gradually add more flour (usually between 3-4 cups, depending on your elevation and your humidity) until dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl and it barely sticks to your finger.
3.  Spray a glass or metal bowl with cooking spray and place dough in the bowl. Cover and allow to rise for 45 minutes or until doubled in bulk.
4.  Remove from bowl and place on a lightly-floured surface. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Roll into a rectangle and cut into 12 strips with a pizza cutter.
5.  Take one dough strip at a time, drape over your forefinger and twist the dough. Place on baking sheet and repeat with remaining 11 pieces of dough. Try to space them evenly, but it's okay if they're close.
6.  Cover pan and allow dough to rise for another 30 minutes. When there's about 15 minutes to go, preheat your oven to 425 degrees. 
7.  When done rising, bake for 9-12 minutes or until golden brown. Rub some butter on top of the breadsticks and sprinkle with parmesan cheese and garlic salt. 


Source:  Our Best Bites

Sour Cream Potatoes

Alright.  It's time for another recipe with CHEESE :)  I got this recipe from my wonderful mother-in-law, who is the best there is at freezer meals.  These potatoes are amazing, and we love to pull these out of the freezer for the side of any meal!  These make three, one gallon bags full, so if you are planning on making this for just one meal, I would definitely cut this recipe down quite a bit.  But, I would definitely recommend making it all and freezing it.  It is so nice just to pull them right out of the freezer, pop them in the microwave, and WA - LA..... goodness.  Enjoy!

Printable Version


Ingredients:
1 1/2 - 2 cubes butter, melted

3 cans cream of chicken soup

3 cups sour cream

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

12 green onions, steamed and chopped

1 1/2 - 2 cups cheddar cheese

shredded frozen potatoes (108 ounces)

Directions:
1.  In a large bowl, combine all ingredients.  

2.  Divide into 3, 1 gallon bags, freeze.

3.  To serve, thaw and bake at 350° for 30-60 min until hot.  Sprinkle with more cheese the lat 10 minutes.  Or, if you are like me, use the microwave for speedy heat up!

Broccoli Bacon Salad

Once in a while I need to eat my vegetables with some pizazz :)  I got this recipe from a family member of mine, and it is SO good!  This salad makes me want to eat my broccoli.  If you need a delicious vegetable or salad to go on the side of any meal, this one is definitely a good choice :)  Enjoy!

Printable Version

Ingredients:

8 slices bacon, cooked
4 heads broccoli, chopped
1/2 cup fresh parmesan cheese, shredded
1/2 cup craisins or raisins (optional)
1/2 large red onion, chopped (optional)

Dressing:

1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2/3 cup mayo
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/8 cup white sugar
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp salt

Directions:

1.  Crumble the bacon into small pieces.  Combine bacon, broccoli, cheese, and onion in a large bowl.
2.  In a small bowl, combine sauce ingredients.  Toss sauce with salad until mixed well.
3.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.  Add craisins right before serving.

*Hint:  If you are planning on having this salad a while after you make it, it doesn't keep very well in the fridge.  I would wait to mix the dressing in with the rest of the salad until ready to serve.

Chicken Bowtie Pasta Salad

Every week I find myself making this salad :)  I love how it is still as good as it was the first time after it's been in the fridge a couple days.  My husband and I whip this up every week and find ourselves eating it for a quick and easy lunch, pulled straight from the fridge.  It's also great on the side on any meal!  It's a great, light combination of fresh fruit, veggies, chicken, pasta, draped with a delicious sauce.  Eat up!

Printable Version

Ingredients:
2 lbs. shredded chicken
12 oounces bowtie noodles, cooked
12 ounces tri colored spiral noodles, cooked
2 cups celery, chopped
2 cups grapes
2 cans mandarin oranges
1 large can pineapple tidbits (optional)
12-16 cashews, halved (optional)
1 bag craisins (optional)

Sauce:
1 cup mayonnaise
1 (16 ounce) Kraft coleslaw dressing

Directions:
1.  Mix all salad ingredients together (except cashews and mandarin oranges).
2.  Blend sauce ingredients, pour over salad, and mix well.

3.  Add mandarin oranges.  Toss gently.