King Ranch Chicken

Butter, for the baking dish

One 10.5-ounce can cream of chicken soup 

One 10.5-ounce can cream of mushroom soup 

One 10-ounce can diced tomatoes with chiles, such as Rotel

2 Tbsp. chili powder 

½ tsp. ground cumin 

½ tsp. kosher salt 

½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

2 cups chicken broth 

16 corn tortillas, torn into pieces 

1 roasted whole chicken, cooled and torn into chunks

1 large white or yellow onion, finely diced 

1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely diced 

1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and finely diced 

1 jalapeno, finely diced 

1½ cups grated sharp Cheddar

1½ cups grated Monterey Jack cheese 

Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.

In a large bowl, combine the soups and diced tomatoes and chiles. Add the chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper and chicken broth. Then stir it all together.

Line the bottom of the baking dish with half of the torn tortillas. Layer on half the chicken. Add half the onion, bell pepper and jalapeno. Sprinkle on half the cheese and pour on half the soup mixture. Then repeat the layers.

Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes, then uncover and bake until bubbling, another 15 minutes.

To make ahead and freeze: Fold foil over the unbaked casserole and freeze until solid. Then, lift the foil-topped casserole out of the pan, wrap the whole thing in plastic wrap and freeze until needed. When ready to bake, remove the plastic wrap, put the foiled-topped casserole back into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and thaw. Bake at 350° following the baking instructions above.

This recipe can be found here.

Pecan Pie Bites

½ cup firmly packed brown sugar

6 Tbsp. butter softened

1 egg yolk

½ tsp. vanilla

1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

½ tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. salt

FILLING

1 cup finely chopped pecans

½ cup firmly packed brown sugar

¼ cup heavy whipping cream

1 tsp. vanilla

Heat oven to 350ºF. Spray 36 mini muffin pan cups with no-stick cooking spray; set aside.

Combine ½ cup brown sugar, butter, egg yolk and ½ tsp. vanilla in bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Add flour, baking powder and salt; beat at low speed until well mixed.

Shape dough into 3/4-inch balls; place each into prepared mini muffin pan cup, pressing dough onto bottom and up one-third sides of each cup, creating a shallow cup.

Combine all filling ingredients in bowl; spoon 1 tsp. filling into each cookie.

Bake 13-15 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool 10 minutes in pan on cooling rack.

Remove cookies from pans by running small knife around edge of cookie. Place onto cooling rack; cool completely.

This recipe can be found here.

Caramel-Toffee 7-Layer Cookies

½ cup butter, melted

1½ cups graham cracker crumbs

1 cup caramel bits

1 cup bittersweet (dark) chocolate chips

1 cup toffee bits

1 can (14 Oz.) sweetened condensed milk

1 cup sliced almonds

1 pinch sea salt

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Lightly grease a 11 x 7 baking pan. 

Stir together melted butter and graham cracker crumbs. Press into prepared pan. 

Add the other ingredients in order: caramel bits, chocolate chips, and toffee bits. Pour sweetened condensed milk over the top. Add the almonds. Sprinkle on a pinch or two of salt. 

Bake for 25–30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.  

This recipe can be found here.

Holiday Gingerbread Mini Loaves

2 2/3 c. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

3 tsp. ginger

1 Tbsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. allspice

¼ tsp. salt

1½ sticks unsalted butter, softened

1 c. brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3/4 c. molasses

1 c. hot water

1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease loaf pans with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, allspice and salt. Set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla extract. In a small bowl, whisk molasses and hot water until combined. Stir into egg mixture. Gradually stir flour mixture into egg mixture, forming the dough.  Stir in nuts

Pour batter into loaf pans, filling it 2/3 of the way up. Bake 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Cool 20 minutes before removing from pan; cool an additional 30 minutes.


This recipe can be found here.