Chicken and Rice

December 7, 2011 By

My grandma used to make the most fabulous chicken and noodles. It wasn’t a soup, but more of a thick noodley side dish. It was pretty much my favorite food of all time, with homemade noodles and tender chicken in this creamy broth concoction that was just downright delicious.

My grandma has Alzheimer’s and can’t remember any of her recipes at this point. She was an amazing cook, with all kinds of fabulous Southern recipes that our family loved. I’ll always regret that we didn’t get them written down before she couldn’t remember.

Luckily, she still remembers the more important things, like family.

I’ve tried recreating those noodles, but I just haven’t figured it out yet. In the meantime, I make this Chicken and Rice. It’s not the same, not at all, but it’s got that same comfort food feel and it just seems like food that a grandma would make you.

It’s perfectly delicious in it’s own way.

I added carrots and broccoli this time around, mostly because I was too lazy to cook vegetables in another dish. It worked beautifully. If you have a bunch of veggie haters, go ahead and leave them out.

Like most comfort foods, this is even better the next day, which is good because it makes a huge pot full.

Go make your Grandma a big bowl of Chicken and Rice and give her a big hug from me.

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Chicken and Rice

Ingredients

  • 4 quarts (16 cups) water or enough to cover the chicken
  • 1 4 pound whole chicken
  • 3-4 stalks celery, roughly chopped
  • 4 carrots, roughly chopped
  • 2 heads broccoli, roughly chopped
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
  • 3 cups long grain white rice

Instructions

  1. Place the water, chicken, celery, salt, pepper, oregano, and celery salt in a large stock pot, cover, and bring to a boil over medium heat.
  2. Reduce heat and let simmer for 2 to 3 hours.
  3. Remove chicken from the pan and set aside. Use forks (or your hands if you allow the chicken to cool a bit) to pull off small chunks of meat. Remove all of the meat from the chicken and set aside.
  4. Remove and reserve the broth from the pan (or use another large stock pot).
  5. Add 6 cups of broth, the chicken, and the rice back to the pot and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes.
  6. Stir in the carrots and another cup of broth, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes more.
  7. Continue to add broth, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes, until the rice is almost done.
  8. When the rice is getting close and should only need another 5 minutes, add the broccoli and repeat the broth, cover, simmer routine. (I prefer my broccoli still have a bit of crunch to it, but you can add the broccoli sooner if you like it softer.)
  9. Salt and pepper to taste.
http://bunsinmyoven.com/2011/12/07/chicken-and-rice/

slightly adapted from She Wears Many Hats

 

4 Comments Filed Under: Chicken, Main Dish

Beer Cheese Bread

December 5, 2011 By

I was home alone yesterday morning, so I decided to call the husband at work.

“Hey!” I said when he picked up, “I have two questions for you.”

“What’s that?”

“Well, number one, are you planning on leaving me once the kids are in college and out of the house?”

“What? No? What? Why would you ask that?”

“Just checking.”

“Are you planning on leaving ME when the kids are out of the house?”

How dare he? Why would he even think such a thing? Doesn’t he know how much I love him?

Outraged, I replied “OF COURSE NOT.”

Men are so dumb.

“So, question two,” I said. “If I put you on speaker phone will you call the dog? I want to see if she comes to the phone.”

After a big sigh, he replied, “Did you really call me at work for this?”

“Of course I did. Where else would I call you at? You’re at work, aren’t you?” Duh, I was thinking.

“Fine. I’ll do it once. I’ll say her name in my regular voice, but only one time. Ready?”

He’s so boring.

“Alright, you’re on speaker, go ahead.”

“Biscuit.”

The dog just sort of cocked her head at me, like why are you speaking to me with the boy’s voice? Total let down.

I share this story with you to illustrate how truly awesome it must be being married to me.

Not only do I call the spouse at work so that he knows I’m thinking of him while he’s away, I also bake him Beer Cheese Bread.

Okay, sure, the first time I made this he didn’t even get any. I couldn’t help it. I meant to just slice off one piece for myself and suddenly I looked down and realized that there were just a few stray crumbs left on the counter. So, of course, I bent over and licked them right up.

Yeah. This bread is just that good.

Serve it with soup or use it to make grilled cheese. Your mind will officially be blown.

The recipe below calls for baking this bread in 2 8×4 inch loaf pans, but I used 5 mini loaf pans for the pictured loaves. I had grand plans to wrap these up pretty and share them with family and friends. Once again, I accidentally ate them all myself.

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Beer Cheese Bread

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces beer (any kind, but I love Fat Tire Amber Ale)
  • 12 ounces Velveeta
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 5 cups bread flour
  • 2 packets rapid-rise yeast
  • 8 ounces cheddar cheese, cut into small cubes

Instructions

  1. In a large pot over medium heat, stir together the beer, Velveeta, sugar, salt, and butter until just melted.
  2. Remove from the heat and allow to cool until it's just warm - around 110 degrees. Too hot and it will kill the yeast, too cold and your bread won't rise! Stir occasionally as it's cooling to keep the cheese incorporated and to help speed up the cooling process.
  3. In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine 2 cups of the bread flour and the 2 packets of rapid rise yeast.
  4. Pour the warm beer mixture into the flour and yeast and turn your mixer until low speed and gradually add the remaining flour until the dough is a shaggy and cleans the sides of the bowl.
  5. Turn mixer to medium and knead dough for 5 minutes.
  6. Pour the cubed cheddar cheese into the mixer and allow it to incorporate into the bread dough.
  7. Remove the dough from the mixer and grab any stray cheese cubes from the bottom of your mixing bowl and poke them throughout the dough.
  8. Place dough in a greased bowl and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled - about an hour, but sometimes a bit more.
  9. Punch the dough down and separate into two equal balls.
  10. Place one ball of dough on a floured surface and press into a rectangle shape about 10x6 inches.
  11. Cut the dough into three long strips, leaving 1/2 inch intact at the top of the rectangle. Braid the dough and tuck the ends under.
  12. Repeat with second ball of dough.
  13. Spray two 8x4 loaf pans with cooking spray and place the loaves inside.
  14. Return to a warm spot and let rise again, about 1/4 inch above the pan.
  15. Bake for 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes, tenting the top with foil for the final 10-15 minutes of baking time.
  16. Turn the loaves out onto a wire rack to cool.
http://bunsinmyoven.com/2011/12/05/beer-cheese-bread/

adapted from Bernard Clayton’s New Complete Book of Breads

11 Comments Filed Under: Bread, Cheesy

White Chocolate Pretzel Fudge

December 2, 2011 By

I’ve been a fudge fiend ever since I was little. It’s just so sweet and sugary and delicious. My grandma always made the best chocolate and peanut butter fudge at Christmas.

I, on the other hand, had never even attempted fudge before now.

First of all, I might eat it all if I have a big pan of it beckoning me from the kitchen.

Second of all, candy thermometers cost five whole dollars and sometimes I’m extremely stubborn and cheap.

Third of all, I’m a wee bit lazy.

Then my husband mentioned dipping pretzels in the white chocolate concoction I had whipped up for him to make his daily white chocolate mocha. I knew then that it was just a matter of time.

I can’t resist making that man treats. I like him. I like him a lot.

So, here it is. Easy peasy, no candy thermometer required (although I bought one while at the store for the ingredients, anyway – because I’m insane). Seriously, if all fudge making is this easy, we are in some serious trouble.

This has a bit of a cream cheese frosting taste, but then it’s got a shot of the white chocolate and the crunch of the pretzels (they do stay crunchy, I’m pleased to say) to liven things up.

Happy holiday baking season, y’all. I’m so excited to get this party started.

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White Chocolate Pretzel Fudge

Ingredients

  • 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
  • 4 cups confectioners' sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 15 ounces white chocolate, chopped
  • 3/4 cup chopped pretzels

Instructions

  1. In the bowl of your mixer, beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until smooth and no lumps remain.
  2. In the top of a double boiler (or just a glass bowl set over a pot) over lightly simmering water, heat white chocolate, stirring until melted and smooth.
  3. Stir the melted white chocolate and pretzels into the cream cheese mixture.
  4. Spread into a parchment lined 8x8 baking dish and chill for 1 hour.
  5. Cut into 1-inch squares (or smaller - this stuff is rich!) and serve!
http://bunsinmyoven.com/2011/12/02/white-chocolate-pretzel-fudge/

15 Comments Filed Under: Bar Desserts, Dessert, Easy Breezy Chicken Squeezy

Peanut Butter Oreo Bars

November 29, 2011 By


Some people will never dip their Oreo cookies in anything but a large glass of milk. Those people are wrong. And confused. Also, strange and sad and weird.

You should really experiment with your Oreo cookies. They just beg for it. Dip ‘em in melted chocolate or caramel ice cream topping sometime. I dare you.

Read the full post and get the recipe at Aiming Low!

10 Comments Filed Under: Bar Desserts, Chocolate & Peanut Butter Treats, Dessert, Easy Breezy Chicken Squeezy, Elsewhere

Hootenanny

November 27, 2011 By

I asked my daughter if she’d like to help me make some Hootenanny for breakfast the other morning and I got this look:

That basically means something along the lines of “Mom. You’re crazy.”

Or, maybe “How did I end up stuck with the wackadoo for a mother?”

It could also mean “Yep. She’s finally lost her mind.”

Whatever. Children can be so judgemental.

Hootenanny, also called Volcano Pancakes, is a super quick, super simple breakfast that tastes like a mix between pancakes and french toast. It calls for basic ingredients that you’re sure to have around and the kids will love watching it poof up in crazy shapes.

I drenched ours in maple syrup and powdered sugar. The best days always start with copious amounts of maple syrup and powdered sugar.

That’s a fact.

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Hootenanny

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
  • 6 eggs
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
  2. Place the stick of butter in a 9x13 baking dish and put it in the oven to melt while you prepare the batter.
  3. Beat the eggs, milk, salt, cinnamon, vanilla, and nutmeg until frothy.
  4. Whisk in the flour until well combined.
  5. Pour over the melted butter in the baking dish. Do not stir.
  6. Bake for 25 minutes or until the center is set and the edges are browned.
  7. Serve with maple syrup or powdered sugar.
http://bunsinmyoven.com/2011/11/27/hootenanny/

adapted from Food.com

23 Comments Filed Under: Breakfast, Easy Breezy Chicken Squeezy
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