Tag: sour cream

Casseroles · Daily Thoughts · Starches · Uncategorized · Vegetables

Dinner Party Menu

Chocolate CastlesLeave a comment

Friday evening we had two couples over for dinner. When it was time to plan the menu, I thought about a couple of recipes which I had not made in quite a while and decided to bring them out of retirement. So as Randy barbecued chicken breast (which btw, he has totally perfected and is so good) and thighs, I made corn casserole and rice pilaf. One of the other ladies said she would bring the salad, which is one of those things that I do not make well. Maybe its because it is healthier than what I usually make, but for whatever the reason, salads are my least favorite thing to make. It surprised me to discover that neither couple had even experienced either of these recipes before, but they loved them. Then it dawned on me that they were not from the South, so had not grown up going to Southern Baptist potluck dinners. Both of these recipes were staples at the church gatherings and graced every table at Easter, Thanksgiving or Christmas. So…here you go! Your welcome!

Corn Casserole

1 box of Jiffy Cornbread mix
1 stick (1/2 cup) of unsalted butter
1 can (drained) whole kernel corn
1 can cream style corn
1 (8 oz) sour cream
*optional 1 small can diced green chiles

Spray with Pam or grease a 11×7 (or medium size pyrex baking) dish. Preheat oven to 350. Melt Butter and pour into mixing bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir until well combined. Pour into prepared baking dish and bake uncovered in preheated oven for about 40 minutes, or until lightly browned around the edges and middle is almost firm to the touch. Remove from oven and serve hot.

Rice Pilaf

1 can French Onion Soup
1 can Beef Broth
1 cup water
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
2 cups rice
1/2 cup slivered or sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a medium size baking dish that has a close fitting lid or Smaller Dutch oven. Melt the butter in the dish in oven. When butter is melted, pour the water, and both cans of soup into the melted butter. add the 2 cups of rice and the almonds and stir to combine. Bake covered in the over for about 40-45 minutes or until rice is done. Stir and serve hot.

Soups · Uncategorized

Mexican Wedding Soup

Chocolate CastlesLeave a comment

Randy and I love Italian Wedding soup, so when I saw this in the new Taste of Home Magazine, I got excited to see that I could have a recipe that would make it with a whole new taste. Am looking forward to having this soup over the weekend. Thanks Taste of Home!

1 tables veggie oil or canola

2 medium carrots, chopped

2 medium celery ribs, chopped

1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed

1/2 cup chopped onion*

1/2 teas garlic powder

2 qts chicken stock

1 cup soft bread crumbs

1 envelope reduced sodium taco seasoning

1 large egg

1 lb ground chicken

1  cup acini di pepe pasta

2 tables minced fresh cilantro

1/4 teas salt

Cubed avocado and sour cream

In a Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add carrots, celery, onion and corn; cook until tender. Stir in stock. Add garlic powder, if desired. Increase heat to high; bring to a boil.

Meanwhile, combine breadcrumbs, taco seasoning, egg and chicken; mix lightly. With wet hands, shape into 1 1/2″ balls. Reduce heat to simmer. Gently drop meatballs into stock. Cook, covered, until meatballs are no longer pink, about 8-10 minutes. Stir in pasta. Simmer, covered until pasta is tender, 6-8 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro and salt. Serve with avocado and sour cream.

*I added about 1/2 teas garlic powder and the onion to the soup.

Cakes · Fruit

Strawberries & Cream Cake

Chocolate CastlesLeave a comment

Taken straight from the new Southern Living, this cake will absolutely “WOW” your guests as it should be the centerpiece of your Easter table.

2 cups sifted cake flour

2 1/2 teas baking powder

1/2 teas table salt

1 1/4 cups sugar, divided

1/2 cup oil

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

4 large egg yolks

8 large egg whites

1 teas cream of tartar

Strawberry jam filling (use either Smuckers strawberry jam) or use the recipe given from SL which is:

4 cups mashed fresh strawberries

2 1/2 cups sugar

1 (3 oz) package strawverry-flavored gelatin

Stir together strawberries and sugar in a large saucepan; let stand 30 min. Bring strawberry mixture to a boil over medium heat; boil 5 min. Remove from heat, and stir in gelatin until dissolved; cool completely. Cover and chill 8 hours

StraPreheat oven to 350.  Stir together first 3 ingredients and 1 cup sugar in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of mixture and add oil and next 2 ingredients, and 1/4 cup water. Beat at medium high speed with mixer 3-4 min or until smooth.

Beat egg whits and cream of tartar at medium high speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tables at a time, beating until stiff peaks form. Gently stir 1/4 of egg white mixture into flour mixture; gently fold in remaining egg white mixture. Spoon batter into 6 greased and floured 8″ round cake pans.  (you can buy disposable aluminum 8″ cake pans)

Bake at 350 for 2-15 min or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 min; remove from pans to wire racks and cool completely.

Place 1st cake layer on a pretty serving plate. Spread filling between cake layers leaving a 1/4″ border around edges. (this is about 2/3 cup jam on each layer. Do not put jam on top layer. If you use the cooked SL recipe, you will need to cover the cake and place in fridge at least 8 hours.

Strawberry Frosting:

1 tables strawberry-flavored gelatin

2 tables boiling water

1 cup whipping cream

1/4 cup sugar

1 (8 oz) container sour cream

Stir together first 2 ingredients in a small bowl. Cool completely for about 20 min. Beat whipping cream and geletin together at high speed with mixer until foamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until soft peaks form. Stir in sour cream, 1/4 cup at a time, stirring just until blended after each addition. Cover sides and top of cake with Frosting. Decorate with colored sugar or edible flowers or any garnish that you desire.

Breads · Cakes · Desserts

Sour Cream Pumpkin Coffee Cake

Chocolate CastlesLeave a comment

If you are like me, your pantry has about 5-8 cans of pumpkin just sitting there waiting to be used in all types of new and exciting recipe this week. When I came across this one, it just yelled out to me, “make me, make me” so I did. It has a delicious streusel topping that just makes it even more delightful to serve for breakfast, coffee or dessert with a scoop of pumpkin ice cream or dollop of whipping cream.

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup sugar

1 teas vanilla

3 eggs

2 cups flour

1 teas baking powder

1 teas baking soda

1 cup sour cream

1 3/4 cups (16 oz) can of Libby’s Solid Packed Pumpkin

1 egg slightly beaten

1/3 cup sugar

1 teas pumpkin pie spice

Streusel:

1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

2 teas cinnamon

1/3 cup butter

1-2 cups chopped pecans (your preference)

Cream 1/2 cup butter, 3/4 cup sugar and vanilla in mixer bowl. Add 3 eggs and beat well. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and add these dry ingredients to butter mixture alternately with sour cream. Combine pumpkin, beaten egg, 1/3 cup sugar and pie spice.(DO NOT ADD THIS TO BATTER, YOU WILL BE SPOONING IT OVER THE BATTER). Spoon half of batter into a 9×13 greased baking dish. Spread to corners. Prepare Streusel as directed (see below). Sprinkle half over batter. Spread pumpkin mixture over streusel. Carefully spread remaining batter over pumpkin mixture. Sprinkle remaining streusel over top. Bake in slow oven at 325 for 50-60 min or until toothpick comes out clean.

Streusel: Cut 1 cup brown sugar, 1/3 cup butter and 2 teas cinnamon together with pastry blender until blended and looks like crumbs. Stir in pecans.

Breads · Cakes · Chocolate

Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake

Chocolate CastlesLeave a comment

Went to a brunch this morning and had the most delicious and moist coffee cake I think I have ever had. The middle of the cake had melted chocolate chips, combined with sugar and cinnamon and it looked like it had a layer of fudge right there in the middle of the cake. So naturally I had to come home to see if I could find a recipe that sounded like what I just ate. So after surfing the web, (maybe if I surfed in the water, I might loose a pound or two) AllRecipes.Com had this one that sounds and looks just like the one we had. So am sending it your way. Am going to bake it and take to art class on Friday. Am so excited to make it and well, actually I’m a little more excited about having a whole one to myself than making it, but will share it with others since I really do only surf the web.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) grease and flour a 9×13 inch pan.
  2. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and soda. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, cream the butter and 1 cup of sugar. Add eggs, sour cream and vanilla. Mix well.
  4. Add the flour mixture and combine. Batter will be thick.
  5. In a separate bowl, combine chocolate chips, 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.
  6. Spread half of the cake batter in prepared 9×13 inch pan. Sprinkle half of the chocolate chip mixture over the batter. Repeat with the remaining batter, and then the remaining chocolate chip mixture.
  7. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.