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Friday, January 29, 2021

Chicken and dumplings Bisquick style



Delicious Comfort food, easy to make, filled with goodness and love

Ingredients
For the soup:
3-4 cups rotisserie chicken shredded (or 2 large chicken breasts cooked and shredded)
8 cups water
4 tbsp Better than Bouillon Chicken
4 tbsp salted butter
4 carrots  cut in half lengthwise and then diced
4 celery stalks diced
2 small yellow onions  diced finely
1/2 cup flour
1 cup milk
1 tsp Italian seasonings
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder

For the dumplings:
2 cups bisquick  sifted into medium mixing bowl
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp Italian seasonings
1 cup milk
4 tbsp. salted butter melted

Instructions

For the soup:

In a large bowl combine water and better than bouillon to make chicken broth. Place in the microwave for 3 minutes. Remove and stir well. Set aside.

In a large stock pot over medium heat, add carrots, celery, onion, and 4 tbsp butter. Stir well to combine. Let cook for 10 minutes, stirring often to ensure that the onions don’t burn.

Add 1/2 cup flour and stir to combine. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil.

Add the shredded chicken, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and milk. Stir well. Turn temperature to low and let simmer while making the dumplings mixture.

For the dumplings:

In a separate bowl sift Bisquick using a mesh strainer. Dump leftover Bisquick lumps in the garbage. Add salt, garlic powder, and Italian seasonings. Use a whisk to mix together.

Pour milk and melted butter. Use a spoon to combine ingredients. Note: Don’t overmix the batter. Mix until just combined.

Using a small cookie dropper, or regular tablespoon measuring spoon, drop spoonfuls of dumpling mixture into the simmering pot. Don’t stir the dumplings in, just let the dumplings fall into the simmering liquid.

Cover pot and let cook for 15 minutes. Uncover, and using a large spoon gently turn over each dumpling. Let simmer for another 2-3 minutes.

Tuesday, January 19, 2021

Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits



These biscuits are so tasty, they melt in your mouth, nice and warm and delicious, you don't have to go out to get them. Stay home and enjoy good foods.

What you need:
2 1/2 cups Bisquick baking mix
4 tablespoons cold butter 
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated 
3/4 cup cold whole milk 
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 
Brush on top
2 tablespoons butter, melted 
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley flakes 
1 pinch salt 

How to make them:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine Bisquick and cold butter. Don't combine too thoroughly. There should be small chunks of butter about the size of peas. Add cheddar, milk and 1/4 tsp garlic. Mix by hand until combined, but don't over mix. 

Drop 9 equal portions onto greased cookie sheet. Bake for 15-17 minutes or until tops are light brown. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a bowl. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder and parsley flakes. Use a pastry brush to spread garlic butter over tops of biscuits.

Swedish Meatballs



The Best Swedish Meatballs are smothered in the most amazing rich and creamy gravy. The meatballs are packed with such delicious flavor you will agree these are the BEST you have ever had!

Serves: 6
Ingredients
1 pound ground beef
¼ cup panko bread crumbs
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
¼ cup onion, finely chopped
½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
⅛ teaspoon Pepper
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 tbsp. olive oil
5 tbsp. butter
3 tbsp. flour
2 cups beef broth
1 cup heavy cream
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste

How to make it:

In a medium sized bowl combine ground beef, panko, parsley, oregano, onion, garlic powder, pepper, salt and egg. Mix until combined.

Roll into 12 large meatballs or 20 small meatballs. In a large skillet heat olive oil and 1 Tablespoon butter. Add the meatballs and cook turning continuously until brown on each side and cooked throughout. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil.

Add 4 Tablespoons butter and flour to skillet and whisk until it turns brown. Slowly stir in beef broth. Add worchestershire sauce and dijon mustard and bring to a simmer until sauce starts to thicken. Add the cream and stir in to mix then Salt and pepper to taste.

Add the meatballs back to the skillet and simmer for another 1-2 minutes. Serve over egg noodles or rice.

Thursday, January 14, 2021

Chicken Fajitas with Green Salsa

This chicken fajita recipe is very easy to make!  The chicken is flavorful and juicy while the peppers are perfectly tender-crisp! You can have delicious chicken fajitas on the table in just a few minutes, after marinating the chicken a short time. We topped it with Green Salsa makes it so delicious

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What you need:

3 chicken breasts
1 medium onion
1 lime
3 bell peppers red, yellow, green or orange
3 tablespoons olive oil divided
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin
salt to taste
Your favorite Green Salsa or make it homemade

Mix seasoning blend Slice chicken into thin strips. Cut onion & peppers into thin slices

How to Make it:

In a separate bowl, combine 1 tablespoon olive oil, juice of 1/2 lime, chili powder, paprika, onion powder, pepper, cumin and salt. Cut chicken into strips and toss with the spice mixture. Leave marinate for 30 minutes to an hour, leave out to warm up before cooking for best flavor. 

In a large skillet preheat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium high. Add 1/2 of the chicken and cook until just cooked, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside. Repeat with remaining chicken.  (You can make fajitas on the grill if you prefer)

Set chicken aside and add 1 tablespoon oil to the pan. Drain onions well and cook 2 minutes. Add in sliced peppers and cook an additional 2 minutes or just until hot. Add chicken back to the pan and stir to combine.

Add toppings how you like your fajitas, we used lots of peppers, onions and some used tomatoes too, and sour cream.

Squeeze additional lime overtop and serve over tortillas.Top with Green Salsa for extra delicious flavor 



Recipe Notes

Optional: Soaking the onions in cold water for a bit takes a bit of the "bite" out of them.

Fill your tortilla shells with your favorite toppings!

My Favorite Fajita Toppings

Homemade Salsa and sour cream, olives, shredded veggies such as carrots or cabbage, guacamole or avocados, lettuce, shredded Cheese.

NUTRITION INFORMATION

Calories: 334, Carbohydrates: 10g, Protein: 37g, Fat: 15g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 108mg, Sodium: 210mg, Potassium: 882mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 3115IU, Vitamin C: 122.9mg, Calcium: 27mg, Iron: 1.5mg

Wednesday, January 13, 2021

Cooking Good Steaks



Cooking Steak how you like it. Everyone likes steak a little different, so no recipe will keep everyone always happy. Here are some good basics to learn so you can experiment and discover different ways to enjoy and try steak.

  1. Prep5 minutes.
  1. Cook10 minutes.
  1. Resting time30 minutes.
  1. Ready in: 45 minutes.


INGREDIENTS
2 well-trimmed beef ribeye steaks, cut 1-inch thick (about 12 ounces each)
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon pepper
4 medium Portobello mushrooms, stems removed (about 1 3/4 pounds)
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt
Fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Combine thyme, garlic and pepper in small bowl; gently pound steak to tenderize, press evenly onto beef steaks. Set aside. Leave overnight or at least 3 hours before cooking
Heat up skillet up to 4-5 minutes before cooking
Place the steak into the skillet and cook until it’s easily moved. This takes between one and two minutes. Carefully flip the steak, placing it in a different section of the skillet. Cook for 30 seconds, and then begin moving the steak around, occasionally pressing slightly to ensure even contact with the skillet. Moving the steak around the pan helps it cook faster and more evenly.
Continue turning and flipping the steak until it’s cooked to your desired degree of doneness. Let the steak rest for 10 minutes before cutting in.

About halfway through cooking steaks, add mushrooms and cook in juices just a short few minutes along with steaks till choice of doneness. Garnish with parsley, if desired.

When cooking steak to your desired doneness, a meat thermometer is your best friend. A thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the meat should read:

  • Medium-rare:135º
  • Medium: 140º
  • Medium-well: 145º

Keep in mind that the steak will continue to cook a little bit after it’s been removed from the pan, so aim for a few degrees shy of your desired temperature.

Cooking

Heat the pan over a medium-high flame, and add a tablespoon of oil. Choose an oil with a high smoke point, such as grapeseed or olive oil. Place the steak into the oil-coated pan, ensuring the pieces of meat do not touch (if you are making more than one steak). When the meat hits the pan, you should hear a sizzling sound, which means the pan is hot and the perfect temperature to sear the steak.

For a one-inch steak, cook the steak for about five minutes, and turn it and sear the other side for about three minutes (for medium done).


Timing Variations

Steaks come in different varieties and different thickness. Both variables make a difference in cooking length and overall flavor. The average size of a steak is one inch, though there are thinner steaks, such as New York strips, or thicker steaks with bones, such as T-bones. Make adjustments to the cooking time based on the thickness of the steak. For example, when cooking a thinner steak (approximately one-half inch thick) on the stove, cook one side for three minutes. Then turn the steak and cook the other side for two minutes (for medium done). A thicker steak will take more time, approximately six to eight minutes on the first side and five on the second side. Add a few minutes if necessary, but you cannot reverse an over-cooked steak.


Place the spike point of the meat thermometer into the center or thickest part of the meat, being careful not to poke all the way through the steak. For rare steak (red in the center, with some pink) the internal temperature of the steak should be 140 degrees. For a medium steak (some pink in the middle, no red), the internal temperature should be 160 degrees. For a well done steak (no pink, all brown), the internal temperature should be 170 degrees.


Pineapple Upside-Down Cake



This cake smells so good when it's baking, your family will love you for making it and everyone will dive in for a piece. It's so good.

 12 Servings

Ingredients
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 can (20 oz) pineapple slices or crushed in juice, drained, juice reserved
1 jar (6 oz) maraschino cherries without stems, drained sliced
1 box *yellow cake mix(use a good brand)
*Ingredients called for on cake mix box


Directions

Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). In 13x9-inch pan, melt butter in oven. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over butter. Drop the cherries in the brown sugar then arrange pineapple on brown sugar, press gently into brown sugar.

Add enough water to reserved pineapple juice to measure 1 cup. Make cake batter as directed on box, substituting pineapple juice mixture for the water. Pour batter over pineapple and cherries.

Bake 42 to 48 minutes (44 to 53 minutes for dark or nonstick pan) or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Immediately run knife around side of pan to loosen cake. Place heatproof serving plate upside down onto pan; turn plate and pan over. Leave pan over cake 5 minutes so brown sugar topping can drizzle over cake; remove pan. Cool 30 minutes. Serve warm or cool. Store covered in refrigerator.

Monday, January 11, 2021

Crock Pot Cheesy Sausage Nachos



The creamy cheesiness is just the best dip ever, makes the best nachos you will ever eat. Top with your favorite toppings too.


Ingredients

1/2 lb. Velveeta cheese cubed(try the white cheese)
4 oz. cream cheese
1/2 lb. pork sausage cooked and drained
1 10 oz. can Rotel tomatoes and green chiles(drained)

Instructions
Spray the insert of your crock pot or use a slow cooker liner.
Add all ingredients and cook on high for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring well before serving.


Serve with tortilla chips.

Notes

Be sure to cook and drain the pork sausage before adding it to the rest of the ingredients.

Cut the half pound of Velveeta into large chunks before adding it to the crock pot.

Watch the heat of your crock pot, everyone is different.

Just give it a good stir and serve with your favorite tortilla chips. Top with diced tomatoes, onions. red are really good, sour cream, chives, green onions, black olives, refried beans, avocados. 

To make clean up easy, use a slow cooker liner. 

Cheesy Kielbasa Hashbrown Casserole Crock Pot Style



Want a quick and easy crock pot casserole? well here you have it and it's tasty delicious. I use fresh small cut potatoes and a smoked sausage of your liking and dinner will be done in no time.

Ingredients

3-4 cups. potatoes cut small
14 oz .smoked sausage( kielbasa, cut into chunks
1 small onion, diced
1/3 cup of butter , melted
2 1/2 cups shredded cheese (I used a mix of Monterey jack and cheddar)
10.5 oz can cream of mushroom(you can use cream of chicken)
1 cup whole milk

Instructions

Combine potatoes, smoked sausage, onion, and 2 cups of the cheese in a

greased crock pot.

In a separate bowl, combine cream of soup, butter and milk. Pour over hash

brown mix.

Sprinkle remaining cheese over top.

Cook on high for 3 hours.

ENJOY! It tastes so good, I serve this up with a fresh salad 

Thursday, January 7, 2021

Shepherds Pie



This is comfort food, I crave it sometimes, it's good in winter, it's good in summer, anytime really. It is everything you need in one dish. You can change up the veggies too, could also use different meats, or try it with chicken. a good sausage is awesome in it. 

What You NEED:

FOR POTATOES
1 1/2 lb. potatoes, peeled
Sea salt
4 tbsp. melted butter
1/4 c. milk or cream
1/4 c. sour cream
Freshly ground black pepper

FOR BEEF MIXTURE
1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. fresh thyme
1 1/2 lb. ground beef
1 c. frozen peas
1 c. frozen corn
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
2/3 c. low-sodium chicken broth
1 tbsp. freshly chopped parsley, for garnish 

How to make it:

Preheat oven to 400°. Make mashed potatoes: In a large pot, cover potatoes with water and add a generous pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and cook until totally soft, 16 to 18 minutes. Drain and return to pot.

Use a potato masher to mash potatoes until smooth. Add melted butter, milk or cream, and sour cream. Mash together until fully incorporated, but don't over mash, then season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Make beef mixture: In a large, ovenproof skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add onion, carrots, garlic, and thyme and cook until fragrant and softened, 5 minutes. Add ground beef and cook until no longer pink, 5 minutes more. Drain fat.

Stir in frozen peas and corn and cook until warmed through, 3 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper.

Sprinkle meat with flour and stir to evenly distribute. Cook 1 minute more and add chicken broth. Bring to a simmer and let mixture thicken slightly, 5 minutes.

Top beef mixture with an even layer of mashed potatoes and bake until there is very little liquid visible and mashed potatoes are golden, about 20 minutes. Broil if desired.

Garnish with parsley before serving.

Frito Pie in a Bowl



This is so easy and oh so good, the kids will like and so will grandma. Best of all it's easy and quick to make. You can top it how you like


What you need:
1 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 diced onion
2 cloves garlic minced
1 can (16 oz) chili beans
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes
1 envelope low sodium taco seasoning
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3 1/2 cups corn chips (Fritos)
1 1/4 cup fat free sour cream 
toppings: diced onions, extra tomatoes, avocados, green onions


How to make it:

Cook ground beef until meat is browned, add onions and garlic and cook till done, drain. Stir in beans, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, taco seasoning mix and 1/4 c. of cheese. In a bowl I place a few Fritos first and then, top with your cooked meat mixture and top with more Fritos. Spread sour cream over this. Top with your favorite toppings how you like and enjoy. 

Tuesday, January 5, 2021

Egg Rolls Homemade Takeout



Better than going out for them, these are so good, you will add this recipe to your make takeout night at home.

YIELD: 12 eggrolls

INGREDIENTS
12 egg roll wraps
1⁄2-1 lb ground pork (or chicken or beef)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1⁄4 cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 (16 ounce) bag shredded cabbage and carrot coleslaw mix (not quite the whole bag)
4 green onions, sliced
1 egg, beaten with 1 teaspoon water
oil (for frying)


DIRECTIONS

Brown pork with ginger and garlic in pan; drain any grease.

Mix salt, sugar, soy sauce and sesame oil. Add to pork and mix well.

In large bowl combine cabbage mix and green onions.

Pour hot meat over vegetables and stir well. Let cool slightly.

Lay wrap in front of you so that it looks like a diamond.

Place 3 tablespoons pork filling in center of egg roll wrapper.

Fold bottom point up over filling and roll once.

Fold in right and left points.

Brush beaten egg on top point.

Finish rolling.

Set aside and repeat with remaining filling.

Heat 2-3 inches oil in large frying pan to very hot (350ºF).

Fry a few egg rolls in pan at a time, 2-3 minutes per side.

Drain on paper towels.

Serve with sweet and sour sauce, plum sauce, hoisin sauce or jalapeño pepper jelly.