Kayla's June Bunko Recipes

Marinated Chicken:

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/marinade-for-chicken/detail.aspx

Pear-Walnut Salad, minus the croutons, and she added feta.  

http://whatscookingamerica.net/Salad/SaladPearWalnuts.htm

Raspberries & Cream Streusel Squares

Prep time 20 min Bake time 30-35 min.

Crust

3/4 cup butter, melted

2 1/2 cups flour

3/4 cup powdered sugar

Filling

1 jar (12 oz) seedless raspberry or apricot jam

1/4 cup flour

Topping

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup walnut halves, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350*F. For crust, place butter in microwave safe bowl on high for 1 minute or until melted. Add flour and powdered sugar; mix until crumbly. Reserve 1/4 cup of the crust mixture for the topping. Sprinkle remaining crust mixture evenly over bottom of stoneware bar pan; roll to an even thickness using lightly floured roller.

2. For filling, combine jam and flour in bowl; mix until smooth. Spread jam mixture evenly over crust.

3. For topping, place cream cheese in microwave safe box. Microwave on high 30 seconds or until softened. Add powdered sugar; whisk until smooth. Spread over top of jam layer. Chop walnut, then combine nuts and reserved crust mixture; sprinkle evenly over topping.

4. Bake 30-35 min  or until edges are a light golden brown. Remove from oven; cool completely. Cut into squares.

Twice Baked Potatoes
12 baker potatoes, oven baked works best

1 cube butter

2 cups sour cream

1 lb cheese, grated

1/4-1/3 cup bacon bits

salt and pepper to taste.

Cut baked potatoes in half, long ways. Scoop out insides into mixing bowl with chunked butter. (I use my KitchenAid bowl, since it works best to mix it all in.) Mash them and add sour cream, approx 1/2 cup cheese and bacon bits. Mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Spoon mixture back into potatoes and top with cheese. Bake at 350* for 30 min. 

These are great for making ahead and heating right before serving, although they will need baked longer if made ahead. Serve with ranch dressing.

Shannon A.'s April Bunko Recipes

Ham party rolls (made with sweet Hawaiian bread rolls):

http://m.allrecipes.com/recipe/216756/baked-ham-and-cheese-party-sandwiches

Pull apart bread:

Large French loaf cut in cubes but not all the way through

1 cube of melted better with garlic seasoning

Sun dried tomatoes diced

Canned artichokes diced

2 green onions sliced

Mozzarella cheese

Feta cheese

Parmesan cheese

Put all ingredients in between the cubed bread pieces

Bake at 325 degrees until cheese is melted

Chicken Caesar pasta salad:

Whole wheat rotini

Romain lettuce chopped

Grated Parmesan

Caesar dressing 

Croutons

Marinated/ grilled chicken (marinated in balsamic vinegar, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper)

Oatmeal lemon cream bars:

http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2012/04/29/oatmeal-lemon-creme-bars/

Dill chicken:

Chicken breasts pounded thin (I normally put the chicken between two pieces of wax paper and hit with a frying pan)

Mix:

Softened Cream cheese

2-3 green onions

Dill

Salt and pepper

Spread over chicken breast and roll

Wrap in bacon or turkey bacon

Bake in pan with a few tbsp of butter 

 

Carrot Cake:
4 eggs
3/4 C canola oil
1/2 C applesauce
2 C sugar - 1 brown, 1 white
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
2 C flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
3 C grated carrots (about 4 large carrots)
1 C chopped pecans or walnuts
1 8 oz. can crushed pineapple, drained

FROSTING
1/2 C butter, softened
8 oz cream cheese, softened
31/2 - 4 C confectioner's sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 C chopped pecans or walnuts for edge of cake

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350,  grease and flour a 9X13 pan
In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, sugars and vanilla.  Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Fold in carrots, pineapple, apple sauce, and nuts.
Bake in preheated oven 40-50 minutes (25-30 minutes for two round pans) or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
To make frosting; combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy.  Allow cake to fully cool before frosting.
Press nuts in the edges of the cake.

Molly's Chicken Parm, Broccoli, & Chocolate Covered Strawberries

CHICKEN PARMESAN

Place frozen chicken breasts in a casserole dish.  Spread tomato sauce over the chicken breasts and sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic.  I then generously sprinkle it with parmesan cheese, cover with tin foil, and cook it in the oven at 350 for about 2 hours.  I think cooking the breasts from frozen makes them more tender and flavorful.

GARLIC NOODLES

Just cook spaghetti noodles as directed and then add some butter, salt, pepper and garlic salt to taste. Voila, done, simple and yummy!  One of my kid's most favorite way to eat noodles.

ROASTED BROCCOLI

Put 2 tbsp olive oil and salt and pepper in a gallon size bag.  Clean and cut up broccoli and shake in bag.  Cover a baking sheet in tin foil and lay out broccoli flat.  Sprinkle fresh garlic on top and cook in the oven at 425 for 35-40 minutes or until broccoli has reached desired softness.  Cook time will vary from oven to oven. 

CHOCOLATE COVERED STRAWBERRIES

I just melt a bag of milk chocolate and a bag of semi sweet chocolate chips in a casserole dish in the oven @ 200 until the chocolate is melted.  It usually takes around 20 minutes.  Wash and prepare strawberries while the chocolate is melting.  Make sure that the strawberries are as dry as possible before you dip.  Then I just stir up the chocolate and dip them.  EASY PEASY!

The whole evenings meal was VERY simple and EASY!  Hope you enjoy the recipes.

Shannon's Turkey Tetrazzini

For November Bunko, Shannon made a delicious Turkey Tetrazzini. The recipe link is here!

Jennifer's September Fall Soups & Cupcakes

Jennifer hosted Bunko this past September, and she treated us to some very yummy fall soups and delicious cupcakes. Here are her recipes:

Italian Sausage and Pasta Soup: Recipe here. The only change she made was to boil the pasta separately, and then add the pasta to the soup.

Spicy Chicken Tortilla Soup (Jen doubled the recipe, as it makes small servings)

2 T vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped
4 1/2 oz canned green chilies, chopped
2 t minced garlic
15 oz canned stewed tomatoes
13 3/4 oz beef broth
10 3/4 oz canned cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 t salt
1 t sugar
1/2 t lemon pepper
2 t Worcestershire sauce
1 t chili powder
1 t cumin
1 t Tapitio (or Tabasco)
2 cups shredded, cooked chicken
4-8 corn tortillas, in strips
2 avocados, in chunks
2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese

In a large pot, heat oil. Saute onion, chilies, and garlic, Add tomatoes, beef and chicken broth, cream of chicken soup, salt, sugar, lemon pepper, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, cumin, and Tapitio. Simmer 1 hour.

To serve, combine 1/4 cup chicken, tortilla strips as desired, and several avocado chunks in each of 8 soup bowls. Pour soup into bowls. Top generously with grated cheese and serve immediately.

Beautiful Bean Salsa

2 28-oz cans of Bush's Boston Recipe Baked Beans
1 cup dried apricots, chopped
2 2.5-oz cans of chopped black olives, drained
2 10-oz packages of frozen corn, thawed
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1/2 cup lime juice
1 T chopped jalapenos
1 t cumin

Mix all ingredients and refrigerate 1 hour to let flavors blend. Serve with tortilla chips for dipping.

Pink Champagne Cupcakes: Recipe here. She used strawberry champagne and only 1-2 drops of food coloring.

Vanilla Almond Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Buttercream: Recipe here.

Good-bye lunch for Shannon Crain

We are having a good-bye lunch for Shannon Crain tomorrow @ wingers @ 11:30.  Everyone from Bunko is invited.  We will be so sad to see her go! 

Ugly Sweater Bunko and Jaime's Bloomin' Onion Bread, Spinach Lasagne, and Taco Soup

Jaime went all out for her ugly sweater party, including making a fabulous meal AND ugly-sweater brooches for us to wear. Check out the pictures on her blog here!

Here are her recipes!

Bloomin' Onion Bread: Click here

Healthy Spinach Lasagne Rolls: Click here

And here are the soup recipes that she made for Sarah's shower:

Taco Soup:

Cook 1lb hamburger like you would if you were making taco's w/ a packed of taco seasoning. When done and drained combine it with 1 can corn, 1 can black beans (drained), 1 can diced tomatoes in a pot. I add a half cup or so of water cause I like it to be a little thinner. When it is all stirred together and heated throughout, serve on a bed of tortilla chips and top with sour cream, and cheese.