​Cake:
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
pinch salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 ¼ cups sugar
1 cup sour cream
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla

Filling:
1 ½ cups chopped pecans
¾ cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Glaze:
½ cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk
 
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees and grease a 9x13 inch dish.  Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
 
2.  In large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy; beat in sour cream until well mixed.  Beat in eggs one at a time, then vanilla.  Fold in flour mixture until just incorporated.
 
3.  In a small bowl, stir together filling ingredients.
 
4.  Spoon half of batter into prepared dish; smooth out.  Sprinkle with half the pecan mixture.  Top with remaining batter; smooth top gently.  Scatter remaining pecan mixture over batter and swirl gently with a knife or offset spatula.
 
5.  Bake until tester comes back with just a few moist crumbs, about 40-45 minutes.  Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.  Stir together powdered sugar and milk until smooth; drizzle over cake.  Cool completely before cutting. 

​8 ounces penne
3 tablespoons butter
½ cup sliced green onions
3 tablespoons flour
salt and pepper
dash nutmeg
1 cup chicken broth
2 cups half and half
2 ½ cups cooked chicken or turkey, cubed
¼ cup sherry or white wine
¾ cup parmesan cheese, divided
¼ cup slivered almonds
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
 
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Cook pasta until slightly underdone; drain thoroughly. Place in prepared dish and set aside.
 
2. In the pasta saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add green onions and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour, salt, pepper and nutmeg; add broth and half and half all at once. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a gentle boil. Remove from the heat and stir in chicken, sherry, and ½ cup parmesan cheese. Toss to coat.
 
3. Transfer mixture to prepared dish and combine with pasta. Sprinkle with remaining cheese, almonds, and parsley. Cover tightly with foil and bake until bubbly and heated through, about 30 minutes; remove foil and bake another 5 minutes or until cheese is golden. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
 
Revised November 2017

​3 large bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts
12 cups water
2 tablespoons powdered chicken base
5 stalks celery, roughly chopped
1 onion, cut into wedges
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
pepper to taste
2 cans (10.75 ounces each) cream of chicken soup
1 pound spaghetti, broken in half
3 cups shredded colby-jack cheese
 
1. In a large stockpot with a lid, cover chicken breasts with water. Bring to a boil over medium-high. Stir in chicken base, celery, onion, seasoned salt and pepper. Reduce to medium-low, cover loosely, and simmer for 25-30 minutes. Remove chicken to a pie plate and set aside. With a slotted spoon, remove vegetables from broth. Reserve to add to casserole or for another use or discard. Carefully remove 2 cups of broth and set aside.
 
2. Preheat oven to 375 and spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Bring remaining chicken broth in pot to a boil; cook spaghetti in broth until almost cooked through (do not overcook). Meanwhile, remove cooked chicken from bones and dice. Drain spaghetti and return to pot; add diced chicken, reserved chicken broth, cream of chicken soup, and half the cheese. Combine thoroughly and transfer to prepared dish.
3. Sprinkle with remaining cheese, cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove foil and bake until bubbly, about 10 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Revised November 2017

​3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved horizontally
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
salt and pepper
½ cup flour
3 cloves garlic, minced
juice of 1 lemon
¾ cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons capers, drained
minced parsley for garnish (optional)
 
1. In a large skillet, heat olive oil and butter over medium-high until hot but not smoking. Meanwhile, stir together salt, pepper, and flour on a plate. Coat chicken pieces with flour mixture and brown gently in skillet, three at a time, without crowding and turning once. Remove to a plate and discard remaining flour.
 
3. Lower heat to medium-low and whisk garlic into skillet; cook, stirring, until softened but not browned, about 1 minute. Add lemon juice, chicken broth, and capers and whisk together until mixture reaches a simmer. Return chicken to skillet and turn to coat; simmer until chicken is heated through. Garnish with minced parsley if desired before serving.
 
Revised November 2017

​4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved horizontally
8 thin slices Swiss cheese
8 thin slices ham
¼ cup flour
½ teaspoon ground mustard
salt and pepper
3 tablespoons butter
½ cup dry white wine
½ cup chicken broth
½ cup half and half
 
1. Rinse chicken breast halves and pat dry. Place a cheese and ham slice on each breast and roll up tightly. Secure with toothpicks. Tuck in or trim any overhanging cheese or ham. In a shallow dish, stir together flour, mustard, salt and pepper; dredge breast rolls to coat thoroughly, shaking off excess.
 
2. In a large covered skillet, warm butter over medium heat and sauté chicken, turning, until browned on all sides. Add wine and broth; bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 20 minutes, turning chicken and spooning liquid over, until chicken is no longer pink.
 
3. Transfer chicken to a plate and remove toothpicks; tent with foil to keep warm. Blend the cornstarch with the half and half in a small bowl; slowly whisk into skillet. Cook, stirring, until thickened, and serve over chicken.
 
Revised November 2017

​1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
½ cup finely chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can (15 ounces) petite diced tomatoes, undrained
1 canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce
1 can (14 ounces) chicken broth
8 ounces rotini or penne
1 can (14 ounces) corn, rinsed and drained
 
1. In a deep covered skillet, heat oil over medium high. Add chicken in a single layer and cook, undisturbed, for 2 minutes. Turn chicken and cook until browned. Reduce heat to medium, add onion and garlic and sauté until softened (don’t allow garlic to brown).
 
2. Meanwhile, pulse tomatoes and chipotle in food processor until smooth. Add to pan and stir to combine; stir in broth and pasta. Bring to a boil, then cover loosely and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until pasta is nearly done. Add corn and cook until heated through and pasta is al dente.
 
Revised November 2017

​¾ cup soy sauce
¾ cup Italian dressing
½ teaspoon garlic powder
4 bone-in chicken breasts, skin removed
 
1. Combine first three ingredients; reserve ½ cup and place remaining mixture in a large ziptop bag. Add chicken, turn to coat, and refrigerate all day, occasionally rearranging chicken.

2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and lightly coat a shallow baking dish with cooking spray. Shake chicken pieces to remove excess marinade and place in dish, bone side up, and cover with foil. Bake for 20 minutes, then turn chicken, drizzle with reserved marinade, and bake until no longer pink inside, about 10-20 minutes depending on size.
 
Revised November 2017

4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 ½ teaspoons seasoned salt
1 ½ teaspoons oregano
1 ½ teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into thin strips
1 small onion, peeled and julienned
1 red bell pepper, seeded and julienned
1 green bell pepper, seeded and julienned
flour tortillas, warmed
shredded cheese
sour cream
guacamole
 
1.  In a large ziptop bag, combine 2 tablespoons oil, lemon juice and seasonings.  Shake well to combine.  Add chicken and turn to coat; refrigerate for 1-4 hours.
 
2.  Heat oil in a large nonstick or cast iron skillet over medium-high.  Sauté chicken and marinade in batches, adding more oil as needed, until cooked through.  Remove from skillet and set aside. 
 
3.  Add onions to pan and sauté until beginning to soften, 2-3 minutes.  Add peppers and cook, stirring often, until vegetables are crisp-tender, 5-6 minutes.  Add chicken and any juices on plate back to skillet and stir to combine and heat through.
 
4.  Fill tortillas with vegetables and chicken and top with cheese, sour cream and guacamole as desired. 
 
Revised November 2017

​10 tablespoons cold butter, divided
½ small onion, finely chopped
3-4 stalks celery, sliced
3-4 large carrots, peeled and sliced
2 ½ cups flour, divided
5 cans (14 ounces) chicken broth
4 cups diced cooked chicken
salt and pepper
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon parsley
1 cup milk
 
1. In a large Dutch oven, melt 6 tablespoons butter over medium. Add onion, celery, and carrots and cook until onion is translucent, about 4 minutes. Add ½ cup flour and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Gradually whisk in broth, stirring constantly, then raise heat to medium-high and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in chicken and season with salt and pepper.
 
2. For dumplings, whisk together 2 cups flour, baking powder, generous dash salt, and parsley. Cut in 4 tablespoons butter. Stir in milk. Drop heaping spoonfuls of batter on top of chicken mixture. Cover and simmer until dumplings are cooked through, about 15 minutes.
 
Revised November 2017; revised January 2019

​2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper
¾ cup chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon Italian seasoning
3 cups loosely packed baby spinach, chopped
½ cup oil-packed sun dried tomatoes, drained, julienned
¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese
 
1.  In a large skillet, heat oil and butter over medium-high.  Slice chicken horizontally into 6 cutlets.  Pat chicken dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Brown 3 cutlets for 2-3 minutes on each side; remove to a plate and repeat with remaining cutlets. 
 
2.  Deglaze skillet with chicken broth, whisking to incorporate browned bits.  Add cream, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning.  Combine thoroughly and bring to a simmer.  Add spinach and tomatoes and cook until spinach is wilted.  Return chicken to pan and heat through.  Sprinkle with parmesan cheese before serving.
 
Added April 2018

​2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper
½ cup white wine
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
½ cup heavy cream
minced parsley for garnish
 
1.  In a large skillet, heat oil and butter over medium-high.  Slice chicken horizontally into 6 cutlets.  Pat chicken dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Brown 3 cutlets for 2-3 minutes on each side; remove to a plate and repeat with remaining cutlets. 


2.  Deglaze skillet with white wine, whisking to incorporate browned bits.  Bring to a simmer and reduce heat slightly; stir occasionally until wine is reduced by half in volume.  Whisk in mustard and cream until smooth and bubbly.  Return chicken to pan and turn to coat; heat through.  Season with additional salt and pepper if needed and sprinkle with parsley before serving. 
 
Added April 2018

​1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
2 tablespoons sesame oil, divided
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 tablespoon Asian chili-garlic sauce
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 can (14 ounces) reduced-sodium chicken broth
¼ cup rice vinegar
2/3 cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
hot cooked rice
2 green onions, sliced
 
1. In a zip top bag, combine ginger, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, honey, curry powder, and chili-garlic sauce. Slice chicken into thin strips, add to bag and shake to coat. Refrigerate for several hours.
 
2. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high; when hot, add chicken with marinade and quickly spread in an even layer. Allow to cook undisturbed for 2 minutes to sear, then turn chicken and sear remaining side.
 
3. Push chicken to sides of pan and add remaining sesame oil, broth, vinegar, peanut butter, and soy sauce to center of skillet. Stir well to combine. When sauce ingredients are well combined, stir in chicken to coat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until sauce is thickened and chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes.  Serve over rice and garnished with green onion.
 
Revised November 2017

​1 package (12 ounces) refrigerated vegetable stir fry mix
½ cup reduced sodium chicken broth
½ cup reduced sodium soy sauce
1/3 cup honey
4 teaspoons cornstarch
red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
salt and pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
hot cooked rice
sliced green onions, for garnish
 
1.  Cook vegetable mix in microwave according to package directions; set aside.  Stir together broth, soy sauce, honey, cornstarch, and red pepper flakes to taste; set aside.
 
2.  Heat oil over medium high in a large skillet.  Season chicken lightly with salt and pepper.  Brown in two batches until cooked through; transfer to plate.
 
3.  Cook garlic in skillet for 30 seconds; stir in chicken and vegetables; heat through.  Add sauce to skillet and cook, stirring, until bubbly and thickened.  Serve with rice, garnished with green onions.
 
Added May 2019

​Cake:
1 cup water
½ cup butter
¼ cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
½ cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
 
Frosting:
¾ cup butter
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup peanut butter
3 ½ cups powdered sugar
 
1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line a 12x17 pan with parchment paper trimmed to fit. 
 
2.  In a small pan, bring water to a simmer over medium-high.  Add butter and peanut butter and whisk until smooth and combined.  Bring just to a boil, then remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly.
 
3.  In a large bowl, stir together sugar, brown sugar, flour, salt and baking soda.  In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla.  Use a rubber spatula to incorporate water/peanut butter mixture and egg mixture into dry ingredients.  Transfer to prepared pan and bake until edges are slightly browned and center springs back when touched, about 15-18 minutes.  Set on a wire rack to cool.
 
4.  While cake is baking, melt butter in a small pan over medium.  Add buttermilk, vanilla, and peanut butter and bring to a boil.  Transfer to a large bowl.  Sift powdered sugar into bowl and fold into peanut butter mixture until incorporated.  Beat with a wooden spoon until smooth and glossy.  Drizzle over warm cake and gently spread to coat with an offset spatula. 
 
Revised November 2017

​1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 teaspoons baking powder
2/3 cup milk
4 cups peeled, thickly sliced peaches
1/3 cup brown sugar
¼ cup cold butter
whipped cream or vanilla ice cream for serving
 
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 2 quart baking dish with cooking spray.
 
2. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cinnamon and baking powder; stir in milk. Pour into prepared dish. Add fruit in an even layer over flour mixture. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Grate butter over brown sugar as evenly as possible.
 
3. Bake until puffed and deep golden brown, about an hour. Let stand for ten minutes before serving. Top with whipped cream or ice cream if desired.
 
Revised November 2017

​pastry for a single crust pie
2 eggs
¾ cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ginger
¼ teaspoon cloves
1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
whipped cream, for serving
 
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line a pie plate with piecrust. Beat eggs in a large bowl until frothy. Stir in remaining ingredients until smooth. Transfer to prepared pie plate.
 
2. Bake for 15 minutes; reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake until knife comes out clean, about 40-50 minutes. Cool on wire rack to room temperature, then refrigerate until serving. Top with whipped cream.

Revised November 2017

​1 ½ cups fine vanilla wafer crumbs
3 tablespoons butter, melted
32 ounces cream cheese, softened, divided
1 cup sugar, divided
3 teaspoons vanilla, divided
3 eggs
1 tub (8 ounces) whipped topping, thawed
 
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a 9-inch springform pan, toss wafer crumbs and butter with a fork until well combined, then press onto bottom of pan.
 
2. Beat 24 ounces of the cream cheese with ¾ cups sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat on low until smooth and well-combined, scraping down sides and bottom of mixing bowl. Transfer to prepared crust and bake until slightly browned on top and the center seems somewhat set, about 60 minutes. Run knife around edge of crust to loosen. Cool completely on a wire rack.
 
3. Beat remaining 8 ounces cream cheese, remaining ¼ cup sugar and remaining teaspoon vanilla until combined. Firmly whisk in whipped topping until smooth. Spread over top of cheesecake. Chill for 4-5 hours and remove side of pan before serving.
 
Revised November 2017

​1 cup butter
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla
2-3 tablespoons cream
pinch salt
 
1.  Beat butter in a large bowl until fluffy.  Gradually incorporate powdered sugar on low; add vanilla, 1-2 tablespoons cream, and salt. Increase mixer speed to high and beat until desired consistency is reached, adding additional cream as necessary. 
 
Added May 2018

​25 whole Oreo cookies
5 tablespoons butter, melted
1 jar (13 ounces) Nutella
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 tub (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed
mini chocolate chips, for garnish
 
1.  Crush the cookies to crumbs in a food processor; add butter and pulse to combine.  Transfer to a 9-inch pie plate and press evenly along bottom and up the sides.  Freeze for 30 minutes.
 
2.  Beat together Nutella and cream cheese until smooth; fold in whipped topping.  Transfer to crust and spread until smooth.  Refrigerate 4-5 hours or overnight.  Garnish with mini chocolate chips before serving.
 
Added September 2018

​3 cups sweetened condensed milk
¾ cup sour cream
¾ cup key lime juice
zest of one lime
1 prepared graham cracker crust
sweetened whipped cream and thin lime slices, for garnish
 
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Thoroughly combine milk, sour cream, key lime juice, and lime zest; transfer to crust.  Bake for 15 minutes; do not allow to brown. 
 
2.  Cool on a wire rack to room temperature before transferring to refrigerator to chill completely.  Garnish with whipped cream and lime slice before serving.
 
Added September 2018

​pastry for single-crust pie, unbaked
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
¼ cup cornstarch
2 cups half and half
4 egg yolks
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
2 ½ teaspoons vanilla, divided
1 ½ cups cream
additional sweetened flaked coconut, toasted, for garnish
 
1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a 9-inch pie plate with crust and crimp edges.  Prick bottom with a fork and bake until golden, about 15 minutes.  Cool on a wire rack. 
 
2.  In a heavy saucepan, whisk together the ½ cup sugar and cornstarch.  In a glass bowl or measuring cup whisk together half and half and egg yolks.  Gradually incorporate into sugar mixture and bring to a boil over medium, whisking constantly.  Stir and boil for 2-3 minutes and remove from heat.
 
3.  Stir in butter, coconut, and 1 teaspoon vanilla.  Let stand for 15 minutes, whisking occasionally to release heat.  Transfer to piecrust, smooth, top, and chill for 1 hour.
 
4.  Beat cream, remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and remaining 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla until soft peaks form.  Spread or pipe over filling and garnish with toasted coconut before serving.
 
Added September 2018; revised January 2019

​3 cups cake flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 cup butter, softened
½ cup shortening
2 ½ cups sugar
5 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup milk
 
1.  Preheat oven to 300 degrees; lightly grease and flour a 10 inch bundt pan.  Whisk together flour and baking powder; set aside.
 
2.  Cream together butter, shortening, and sugar until light and fluffy.  Thoroughly beat in eggs, one at a time, then beat in vanilla.  With mixer on low, add flour mixture alternately with milk, starting and ending with flour. 
 
3.  Transfer batter to prepared pan.  Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 80-90 minutes.  Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
 
Added May 2019

​1 can (12 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
1 carton (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 tube (3 ounces) powdered lemonade drink mix, such as Crystal Light
8 ounces sour cream
1 prepared graham cracker piecrust
 
1.  Whisk together first four ingredients until smooth.  Transfer to piecrust and smooth top.  Cover and refrigerate 2-3 hours until firm enough to slice.
 
Revised November 2017

​1 ¼ cups sugar
¼ cup flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
 
1. In a medium saucepan, stir together the sugar, flour and salt. Whisk in milk until smooth.  Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thick, about 5-7 minutes.  Remove from heat and set aside.  Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally, about 2 hours. 

2.  In a large bowl, beat butter until light and fluffy; gradually beat in milk mixture and vanilla.  Beat on high until very smooth and fluffy, about 5-7 minutes.
 
Revised November 2017, November 2020

​2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
¾ cup baking cocoa
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup strong brewed coffee, room temperature
1 cup milk
2 eggs
 
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees; generously grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan or 2 9 inch round pans.
 
2. In a large bowl thoroughly whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add oil, coffee, milk and eggs and beat on low until incorporated, then for two minutes on high. Batter will be thin.
 
3. Transfer to prepared pan(s) and bake until well-risen and center springs back when touched, about 45 minutes for a 9x13 inch pan and 30 minutes for round pans. Run a knife around edges and cool in pans on wire racks for 15 minutes before turning out to cool completely.
 
Revised November 2017