Chunky Chicks' Recipes

FREE Cupcake Recipes

2012-05-16T08:59:00.003-07:00

Cupcakes are fun for anytime but if you are having or going to a Memorial Day party these are sure to be a hit.

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Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

2011-11-28T10:54:00.000-08:00

The wind was howling, the skies were gray, it certainly looked like a wintery day, so I decided to improvise on this recipe and use the leftover chicken my husband had cooked in the crock pot to make this warm and comforting soup.

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients

1 large can canned chicken (or 2 chicken breasts boiled and deboned)

14 cups water

14 tsp. chicken soup base (or to taste)*

1 stick real salted butter

1 cup sliced carrots

2 stalks chopped celery

1 small onion chopped

1 package wide egg noodles

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

In a large stock pot, melt butter. Add celery, carrots and onion. Sauté until onions are clear – do not brown them. Add water and soup base (see note below). Add chicken and bring to a boil until carrots are tender approximately 15 to 20 minutes. Add egg noodles and continue boiling until noodles are at the desired consistency about 7 to 10 minutes, salt and pepper to taste.

*Important Notes: A word of caution: I had never used soup base before, and I found that the called for amount made this recipe way too salty. I recommend that you add the water to the vegetables, then add the soup base to the mixture a teaspoon at a time and taste test it after you have added each teaspoon. It’s much easier to add more salt later than to have the whole pot of soup too salty.

Also, this recipe makes a huge amount of soup, so I halved the water, soup base and noodles. Other than being too salty, this soup had a wonderful flavor. Serve with crackers or a nice crusty bread and a garden salad. You may want to try this recipe substituting some of the leftover Thanksgiving turkey for the chicken.

Easy Mexican Casserole

2011-11-10T15:28:00.000-08:00

I was at a football game this past weekend and I was needing a quick and easy dinner for when it was over. Another mom there jotted this down for me and it was a huge hit! I have four boys and a girl and it was gone!!! Everyone voted to have it again and when I make it again I'll get a picture, it's not as pretty as it is yummy.

Easy Mexican Casserole

1 14oz bag of tortilla chips
2 cans of Cream of Chicken Soup
2 lbs of Hamburger (I like the cheap 73/27 for this)
1 can of your favorite Rotel
1/2 cup of milk
1 taco seasoning packet
1 to 2 cups of shredded cheese (1 would do but we like 2)

Preheat oven to 325.

Brown hamburger and then follow the directions on the taco seasoning packet. While hamburger is cooking, crush up tortilla chips and put them in a 9x13 baking pan.

When seasoned hamburger is done, mix it with the soup, milk and Rotel. Pour mixture evenly over tortilla chips then top with shredded cheese. Bake about 15 mins until heated through and cheese it melted.

I served mine with Lipton Spanish Rice and re-fried beans.

Grasshopper Cake

2011-10-22T10:29:00.000-07:00

I thought when I "retired," I would have so much time to bake, cook great meals from scratch, read, shop, etc. I have quickly found out that that isn't the case. It now seems that I'm busier than ever, or maybe I'm just slower at getting things done. Anyway, I have been going through the recipes I have collected from friends and former coworkers in my 30+ years working in an office environment and attending many potluck luncheons. This delicious cake recipe came from my former aerobic dance instructor, whose name I have long forgotten.

Grasshopper Cake

Ingredients:

1 box white cake mix

6 Tablespoons crème de menthe (liqueur, ice cream topping or flavoring)

1 11-ounce jar hot fudge sauce, such as Smucker’s® or Hersey’s®

1 8-ounce carton frozen whipped topping, thawed (Cool Whip® or other)

Directions:

Prepare cake according to package directions, adding 4 tablespoons of the crème de menthe. Bane in a 9 x 13-inch pan as directed on the box; cool. When cake is cool, spread with the fudge sauce. Fold the remaining crème de menthe into the whipped topping and spread over the fudge sauce. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Cream Cheese Italian Chicken

2011-10-18T08:49:00.000-07:00

Here's another great Crock-pot meal, I got from my friend at Sassy Southern Sweets.

4 chicken breasts

1 package Italian dressing mix

1 8-ounce package cream cheese

1 – 2 cans cream of chicken soup (if you like a lot of sauce for your noodles, you will want to add 2 cans)

Place chicken breasts in the crockpot. Sprinkle Italian dressing mix on chicken. In a small saucepan, add cream cheese and soup. Cook over low heat until cream cheese is melted and the cream cheese and soup are thoroughly mixed together. Pour over chicken. Cook on low for 6 – 8 hours.

You can serve the chicken breasts whole or you can cut it into bit-sized pieces or you can shred it. My mom made it for a church potluck. She cooked the noodles, placed them in a 8 x 13 inch baking dish and put the shredded chicken and sauce on top. She said everyone thought it was really good.

Cheap and Easy Tuna Alfredo

2011-10-10T21:16:00.000-07:00

This is a fast and easy dish to make.

16oz package of bow tie pasta
1 jar of Alfredo sauce
1 cup mixed frozen veggies
1 can of tuna
Parmesan cheese

Follow package directions for bow tie pasta. At the same time you put your pasta in the water to cook add the mixed veggies. Drain and return your pasta veggie mixture to the pot. Add tuna and Alfredo sauce. Sprinkle on Parmesan cheese to taste!

Great with salad and french or garlic bread.

Shanghai Beef

2011-10-07T23:42:00.000-07:00

It's been a very busy week, so not much cooking was happening here. Two birthday parties, one evening of sandwiches and one evening of fast food. Happy did make a neat birthday cake for her youngest son, so maybe she'll post it here later. Hope you enjoy tonight's recipe.

Shanghai Beef

1 pound round steak, cut into strips

2 tablespoons cooking oil

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 ½ cups beef broth

1 can (8 oz.) sliced water chestnuts, drained

1 medium red pepper, coarsely chopped

5 scallions, cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces

3 tablespoons soy sauce

¼ teaspoon pepper

1 ½ cups dry Minute® Rice

Saute beef in oil in large skillet until browned, about 5 minutes. Add cornstarch and blend well.

Add broth, water chestnuts, red pepper scallions, soy sauce and pepper. Bring to a full boil, stirring frequently.

Stir in rice. Cover, remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Makes 4 servings.

Note: I recommend tenderizing the steak before cutting it into strips. Also, on my own plate, for a little more zip, I sometimes add peanuts, such as Planters Cocktail Peanuts, and crushed red pepper to taste.

Baileys Coffee Creamers

2011-10-04T08:50:00.000-07:00

I know, I know this isn’t a recipe, but it’s a product I found so good, I wanted to share with everyone. After months of watching commercials on a cable channel for Baileys® Coffee Creamers, these creamers are finally available in my area. The creamers are non-alcoholic and are available in seven flavors: French Vanilla, Hazelnut, Caramel, The Original Irish Cream, Crème Brulée, Toffee Almond Cream and Chocolate.

Since I am a big fan of the Baileys® Original Irish Cream liqueur, that’s the flavor of creamer I decided to try first. It is DELICIOUS! In addition to enjoying it in my second cup of morning coffee, I must admit I am guilty of just getting a spoonful when I think I need something sweet. Thick, rich and creamy. Mmmm.

Tiffany's Hearty Beef Stew

2011-09-30T16:52:00.000-07:00

There are just some things I like to throw together. Part of the fun of cooking is doing it your way, so feel free to try this out. Take out or add in whatever it is you like.

1 lb. hamburger
1 tsp. garlic
1 envelope of Lipton Beefy Onion Soup Mix
1 cup of Barley ( I really like barley! So I put in lots!)
5 small to medium potatoes peeled and diced (or be lazy and use canned ones*)
8 oz of frozen mixed veggies (green beans, carrots, corn & peas)
Pepper, garlic salt or salt to taste
1 packet of country gravy mix

Brown ground beef with garlic. I also like to sprinkle on some Lawry's garlic salt and pepper. Drain well. Put meat in a large pot, add 6 cups of water, soup mix and barley. Let simmer about 40 mins, then add one more cup of water and your potatoes. (This is a good time to put some buttermilk biscuits in the oven.) Simmer another 10 mins. Add your frozen veggies and simmer an additional 10 minutes. In a small bowl mix one envelope of country gravy mix with one cup of cold water and whisk well. Slowly stir gravy mix into stew until you reach your desired consistency. You don't have to use all of it, it's all about your personal taste.

*If you choose to use canned potatoes add them at the same time you add the frozen veggies about 50 minutes into cooking time.

Chicken Marengo

2011-09-29T22:36:00.000-07:00

Chicken Marengo

It’s been a long time since I’ve prepared this dish, but when I was going through my recipes to find something out of the ordinary for Chunky Chicks’ Recipes, I ran across this and got really hungry for it, so voila! Usually, the most time consuming part of the preparation is browning the chicken. But, tonight when I opened the package of what I thought was a cut up chicken, I found that it had only been split down the middle, so cutting it up myself added quite some time to the preparation step since it has literally been years since I have had to cut up a chicken. I suggest that you just purchase pieces you like – thighs, legs, breasts and forget the “whole" chicken thing.

Ingredients:

1 can (10 ¾ oz.) Campbell’s Tomato Soup

1 can (10 ¾ oz.) Campbell’s Golden Mushroom Soup

3 pounds chicken parts

3 tablespoons shortening

1 pound (about 16) small, whole white onions

1 medium clove garlic, minced

Preparation:

In a large skillet, brown chicken in shortening; pour off fat. Stir in remaining ingredients (I find it easier to combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl first and then pour them over the chicken). Cover; cook over low heat 45 minutes or until tender. Stir occasionally. Uncover; cook until desired consistency. This makes approximately six servings.

I serve buttered noodles, steamed broccoli and a tossed salad with this. Chocolate pudding topped with sliced bananas is a nice finish to this meal.

Crockpot Chicken with Mushroom Sauce

2011-09-28T22:50:00.000-07:00

Chicken in Mushroom Sauce

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 can (10-3/4 oz) cream mushroom soup-undiluted
1 cup (8 oz) sour cream
4 bacon strips-cooked and crumbled

Place chicken in crockpot. Combine soup and sour cream: pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until chicken is tender. Sprinkle with crumbled bacon.

Great served over rice with a salad.

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2011-09-28T05:23:00.000-07:00

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I think I'll be trying the Pumpkin Coffee Cake!

Grandma's Southern Banana Pudding

2011-09-27T19:07:00.000-07:00

I just returned from my family reunion where some of the best Southern dishes were on display and devoured with great enthusiasm. Real banana pudding, not the kind out of a box and topped with Cool Whip, was and always is, one of the favorite crowd pleasers. My grandmother prepared this for us when we were children, and I'm happy to say the granddaughters have carried the tradition on. This recipe requires a little more work, but it is well worth the time and effort.

Southern Banana Pudding

Ingredients:

3/4 cup sugar, divided

1/3 cup flour

dash salt

3 eggs, separated

2 cups whole milk

1/2 tsp. vanilla

45 NILLA Vanilla Wafers, divided

5 bananas, sliced

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Preparation:

MIX 1/2 cup sugar, flour and salt in top of double boiler. Blend in 3 egg yolks and milk (set egg whites aside to use for meringue). Cook, uncovered, over boiling water 10 to 12 minutes or until thickened, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla.

RESERVE 12 of the vanilla wafers for garnish. Spread small amount of custard onto bottom of 1-1/2-qt. baking dish. Cover with layers of 1/3 each of the remaining wafers, bananas and remaining custard. Repeat layers 2 times.

BEAT egg whites on high speed of mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in remaining sugar and cream of tartar until stiff peaks form. Spread over custard, sealing well to edge of dish.

BAKE at 350° until lightly browned - 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven. Cool slightly. Top with reserved wafers just before serving. Serve hot or cold. Refrigerate leftovers.

A truly divine dessert. My mouth is watering!

Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

2011-09-23T16:29:00.000-07:00

It's easy and amazingly enough all five of my children like it more than the box stuff.

16oz of elbow macaroni
1 lb. of cheese (I like mild cheddar but it's up to your personal taste)
1 cup of milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Cook macaroni according to package directions
Pour half the macaroni is a 9 x13" pan
Top evenly with half your cheese
Repeat above for second layer
Pour milk over the top
At this point you may salt and pepper if you like
Bake for 25 minutes

I sometimes add a pound of cooked hamburger in between the two layers.

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2011-09-23T05:26:00.000-07:00

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Creamy Southern Hash Browns Casserole

2011-09-20T16:54:00.000-07:00

These yummy potatoes are huge favorite of my family. When I have bigger family gatherings I learned quickly to make two batches and there are never any leftovers. I hope your family will love them too.

1 - 2lb. bag of Southern Style Hash Browns (thawed)
1 - 10 3/4 oz. can of Cream of Chicken Soup (print coupon)
8oz. of Sour Cream
1/2 of a stick of butter (melted)
1 1/2 cups of shredded Colby and Monterey Jack Cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine hash browns, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, and melted butter in a large bowl and stir well. Pour in a 9 x 13 baking dish and bake for 25 mins. Add cheese to the top and bake another 5 minutes. *If your hash browns are not thawed increase baking time to 60 mins.

I served mine tonight with BBQ chicken and peas. For those of you who know me, I know you can tell that's my plate because nothing is touching. :)

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2011-09-20T09:53:00.000-07:00

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Easy Chicken Paprika

2011-09-19T22:32:00.000-07:00

I really didn't think I would like this dish, but after being convinced by a good friend to try it, I am hooked! Just be careful and don't do what I did once. I grabbed the ground red pepper instead of the paprika and boy was this spicy. I liked it that way, but my husband, not so much.

This recipe comes from Campbell's Quick and Easy Cookbook.

Easy Chicken Paprika

1 tablespoon butter or margarine
4 boneless chicken breast halves
1 can (10 3/4 oz.) Campbell's Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup (print coupon)
2 teaspoons paprika
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/3 cup sour cream
4 cups hot cooked medium egg noodles

Directions

Heat butter in a skillet. Add chicken and cook until browned.
Add soup , paprika and pepper. Heat to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat 5 minutes or until chicken is done.
Stir in sour cream and heat through. Serve with noodles.

Coffee and Spice Cookies

2011-09-18T15:01:00.000-07:00

I was looking through one of my husband's late grandmother's cookbooks printed in the 1950's, when I came across this recipe for Coffee and Spice cookies. Beside the title of the recipe, it reads, "Intriguing flavors from the Far East." I couldn't help but giggle a bit over that one and since they sold them as being so exotic, I thought I'd whip some up.

Coffee and Spice Cookies

1 cup of soft shortening
2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup cold coffee
3 1/2 cups sifted flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix together shortening, brown sugar, and eggs. Stir in coffee and then the rest of the remaining ingredients. Chill at least one hour before baking. Drop teaspoonfuls about 2" apart on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake 8-10 until set. (when lightly touched with finger no imprint remains.

Makes about 6 dozen cookies.

I think these would also be good with a powdered sugar glaze.

Powdered Sugar Glaze

2 cups powdered sugar
3 tbsp. of milk

Mix together until smooth.

Creamy Buffalo Chicken Dip

2011-09-17T11:15:00.000-07:00

Whatever kind of sports fan you are, this dip is sure to have rave reviews at your next game watching get-together.

12.5 oz can breast of chicken
16 oz. cream cheese
1 cup ranch dressing
1/2 cup of pepper sauce (aka Cholula Hot Sauce) you may add up to 1 cup depending on how spicy you like it. *Get a $1.00 off Cholula by liking them on Facebook!
1 1/2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese

Mix together all ingredients and microwave stir at 1 minute intervals until dip is hot and bubbly. Serve with tortilla chips.

Snickerdoodles Cookies Recipe

2011-09-16T15:31:00.000-07:00

With fall just around the corner I have lots of favorite foods that just seem to go with the season. There's just nothing like the chill of fall in the air and warm Snickerdoodle cookies fresh out of the oven.

Snickerdoodles Recipe

1 cup Crisco
1 ½ cups sugar
2 eggs
2 ¾ cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cream of tartar
Also:

2 tsp sugar
2 tsp cinnamon

* If more sugar/cinnamon is needed for rolling, just be sure to mix with a 50/50 ratio.

Directions: Mix Crisco and sugar well in a large bowl. Add eggs. Mix again.
In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt and cream of tartar.
Pour the flour mixture into the Crisco mixture and mix well.Chill for one hour.

Roll into balls about the size of a small superball.
Combine the 2 tsp sugar and 2 tsp cinnamon in a small bowl. Roll the cookie dough balls in the sugar and cinnamon. Shake off excess coating. Make more sugar/cinnamon mixture as needed.

Bake 8 to 12 minutes on an ungreased cookie sheet at 400 degrees.

Spicy Taco Pie

2011-09-15T13:32:00.000-07:00

Another family favorite that I have cooked for years. Very simple and quick to prepare. You can add any number of garnishes to make it your own.

Spicy Taco Pie
1 large can Pillsbury Refrigerated Biscuits
1 lb. ground beef
4-oz. can of chopped green chilies, drained
1/2 cup taco sauce, such as Pace or Taco Bell
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack or Cheddar Cheese
1/2 cup shredded lettuce
1/4 cup black olives (if desired)

Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Grease a 9" deep dish pie pan.
Separate biscuits into 12 biscuits; press over bottom and sides of pan.
In a medium skillet, brown the ground beef; drain well. Add the drained green chilies and taco sauce. Stir and heat together for a few minutes.
Spoon hot meat mixture onto biscuits. Bake 11 - 16 minutes or until golden brown.
Garnish with the shredded cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and olives.

Other garnishes you might enjoy are sour cream, green onions and avocados.

PEACHY SAUSAGE BAKE

2011-09-13T13:24:00.000-07:00

When my daughters were young, I used to make this as a special breakfast treat on Sunday mornings. I haven't made it in quite awhile; therefore, no picture. The next time one of my grandchildren come to spend the night, I will definitely be making this for them and take a picture.

Peachy Sausage Bake
1 1/2 cups Hungry Jack Buttermilk, Complete or Extra Lights pancake mix
3/4 cup milk
3 tablespoons cooking oil
1 egg
3/4 lb. pound pork sausage, browned and drained
1 16-oz can (2 cups) sliced peaches, chopped and well drained (reserve the syrup)
Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 8-inch square pan or baking dish. In large bowl, combine pancake mix, milk, oil and egg. Stir in prepared sausage and peaches. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 35 to 40 minutes or until deep golden brown. Serve warm with Peach-Maple Syrup. Refrigerate leftovers. 4 to 6 servings.
Peach-Maple Syrup
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3/4 cup reserved peach syrup
3/4 cup maple flavored syrup
In a small saucepan, gradually combine peach syrup with cornstarch. Add remaining syrup. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture boils and thickens. Yields about 1 1/2 cups syrup.

Finally Fall $100 Paypal Cash Giveaway

2011-09-12T17:38:00.000-07:00

I have teamed up with Jennifers Savings and MyCouportiera and 16 other bloggers to host the Finally Fall $100 Paypal Cash Giveaway!!! The giveaway starts on September 13th and runs through September 23rd at 12:01 a.m., the 1st day of Fall! All you have to do is follow the instructions on the Rafflecopter widget. A winner will be picked with Random.org via the Rafflecopter widget. You must have a Paypal account before the end of the giveaway to win the prize. The $100 prize money will be awarded in US dollars. Check out these great sites and see what they have to offer! Thanks and Good Luck!

Chicken Broccoli Alfredo Casserole

2011-09-12T17:03:00.000-07:00

This is one of my family's favorites. It's inexpensive to make and feeds eight, which is perfect for large families like mine. Yet, another one of those recipes that I just threw together one day and everyone liked it. :)

4 cups - Cooked Chicken (boneless/skinless)
16 oz. - Penne Pasta
14 oz. - Frozen Broccoli Florets
16 oz. - Jar of Alfredo Sauce
1 cup - Milk
1/8 cup - Parmesan cheese
1/2 stack of Saltine Crackers
1 tsp of Garlic Salt (or more if you like!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook penne pasta and broccoli according to package directions. (I like to cook both of them in one pot.) Combine cooked pasta, broccoli, chicken, Alfredo sauce and milk in a larger bowl and mix. After it's mixed evenly distribute mixture in a 9x13 pan.

Crush your half a stack of crackers and mix in Parmesan cheese and garlic salt. Sprinkle evenly on top of casserole.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

I like to serve mine with a tossed green salad with Buttermilk Ranch Dressing, of course, and Baguette with real butter.