White Chicken Chili

Makes 4-6 servings

Ingrediants:
3-16 oz cans, great northern beans, drained & rinsed
4 cups chicken broth or stock
2 medium sweet onions
4 garlic cloves, minced
2-4oz cans chopped green chiles
2 lbs boneless/skinless chicken breast, cooked and chopped/shredded
olive oil
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (red pepper)
2 tsp ground cumin
salt & pepper to taste
16 oz shredded monterey jack cheese
sour cream

Directions:
Heat oil in large heavy pot to med/high.
Add onions & saute until translucent, about 10 minutes.
Add garlic, chiles, chicken, cumin, and cayenne pepper Saute 2 minutes.
Add beans and chicken broth.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer at least 30-45 minutes, longer if possible.
Add half of the shredded cheese.
Add salt & pepper to taste if desired.
Serve with remaining cheese and sour cream.

Mmmm Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

8 ounces (about 1 cup) sour cream

1/4 cup milk

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 half-pints fresh blueberries, picked through for stems

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place 16 paper liners in muffin pans.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla, sour cream, and milk.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
With the mixer on low speed add the flour mixture to the batter and beat until just mixed. Fold in the blueberries with a spatula and be sure the batter is completely mixed.

Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin pans, filling each cup just over the top, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the muffins are lightly browned on top and a cake tester comes out clean.

Cream Cheese and Prosciutto Stuffed Chicken

This is not for a quick and easy dinner, but I promise you that it won't be disappointing. This recipe does take a little extra work, but as long as you have the time it's not impossible.

Ingredients:

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
• 1/2 cup minced red onion
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 8 slices prosciutto (for a cheaper meal, you could prob use thinly sliced ham or salami)
  
• 8 leaves fresh basil
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups chicken broth

Directions:

1. Mix the cream cheese, red onion, garlic, and black pepper together in a small bowl; set aside. Place the chicken breasts between two sheets of waxed paper on a solid, level surface. Firmly pound the chicken with the smooth side of a meat mallet to a thickness of 1/4 inch.
2. Spread the cream cheese mixture over the flattened chicken breasts, then place two slices of prosciutto and two leaves of basil over the cream cheese on each breast. Roll the chicken breasts over the filling, and secure with toothpicks. Cover, and refrigerate 1 hour to overnight. (I actually didn't do the refrigeration bc I had no time and it still came out fine)
   
3. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken breasts; cook until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan, and set aside. Whisk the butter and flour into the skillet until the butter melts and the flour turns golden, about 1 minute. Pour in the chicken broth, and return to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer for a few more minutes. Return the chicken breasts to the skillet, and cover; cook until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, about 5 minutes.

I served this with steamed veggies and a sweet potato and it was AMAZING! I'm telling you, it's the creamiest and yummiest version of just a plain chicken breast.

Enjoy!

Pepperoni Roll-Ups

Totally pumped to start this!! This recipe is SUPER easy and SUPER good!


1 tube refrigerated crescent rolls
16 slices pepperoni, cut in half (*I used more cause I like more pepperoni)
4 pieces string cheese (1 ounce each), cut into quarters
3/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning, divided
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
(*I didn't measure either of the seasonings, I just sprinkled over rolls)

• Unroll crescent dough; separate into triangles. Cut each triangle into another triangle.
• Place eight pepperoni pieces on each triangle or to your liking.
• Place a piece of cheese on the long side of each triangle; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning.
• Roll up each, starting with a long side; pinch seams to seal. Sprinkle with garlic salt and remaining Italian seasoning.
• Place 2 in. apart on a greased baking sheet.
• Bake at 375° for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.
• Serve warm with ranch or pizza sauce on the side if desired or good without either!

Apple Salad

Oh how exciting! I have always wanted to have a blog I guess this is the first step! So here is an amazing recipe that is easy and affordable! I like to make the dressing the night before so all the flavors can blend together!

Salad:
1 head of lettuce
1 1/2 bag of fresh spinach
2 large apples diced and coated in lemon juice
1/2 pound baby swiss cheese cubed
1 can of cashews

Dressing:
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1 tbsp chopped onion
1 cup salad oil
1 and 1/2 tbsp poppy seeds

*mix together and food processor or blender and enjoy!

Lets Get it Cookin'

This is the first post on the Toledo Friends & Food blog, created for sharing yummy recipes with each other. It'll be simple to use and hopefully a "favorite" on your computer.

To get it started, I've shared one of my very favorite recipes that I tried for the first time last night. It was so delicious and so easy, so that makes it a hit for anyone!

White Pizza
1 cup of ricotta cheese
1 cup of mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon of oregano
1 teaspoon of basil
1 1/2 teaspoons of garlic salt
1 onion
2 Roma tomatoes
1 Boboli crust (I used thin crust)

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Mix first 3 ingredients together and spread cheese mixture on the crust.
3. Sprinkle on top of cheese the oregano, basil, and garlic salt.
4. Chop the onions and slice the tomatoes and place on top.
5. Put in oven for 10-15 minutes.

The outcome is creamy and so, so good - and the whole preparation takes less than 10 minutes!