Chicken Roll-ups

These are some of my favorite things!  They are pretty easy to make and everyone in my family loves them! (always a plus when everyone will eat what you make, right?)  I originally got this recipe years ago, from who knows where and have been making it ever since.  I don't always do it the same each time, depends on my mood but here's my basic recipe:

Ingredients:

2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (if they are small, use 3, if they are big, use 2)

8 oz. cream cheese

2-3 pgks. crescent rolls (I make my homemade ones but if you are short on time, Pillsbury will help you out)

2-3 cans of chicken gravy (once again, I make my own, but if you want to use canned stuff, it works)

1 can mushrooms, optional

2 tbs. melted butter

garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, other seasonings you prefer, just use to taste.

1/2 c. butter, melted (may need more)

1 c. bread crumbs, plain or Italian (may need more)

Here's a quick tip before you cook your chicken:  add a cube of boullion while you are cooking it and it adds lots of extra flavor.

In a bowl, combine your chicken, cream cheese, mushrooms, 2 tbsp. melted butter and seasonings.  Mix until there are no cream cheese lumps.

Spread out your crescent rolls (or roll out and cut into triangles if making your own). Place a heaping tablespoon onto the crescent rolls.

Roll up to form a bundle, starting from big end.

Roll the bundle in the melted butter, then roll in the bread crumbs.

Place on a cookie sheet.  Bake for about 14 minutes at 375, or until golden brown.

While those are cooking, either heat or make your gravy.  If you are using the canned stuff, add some onion and pepper to it to give it a bit more flavor.

Once the bundles are finished, pour some gravy over before serving.  Have a yummy dinner!!

These freeze great too so don't worry about making extras =)

Gravy Recipe

• 1 1/2 cups water
• 3 cubes chicken bouillon (let it dissolve in teh water before you add it to the pan)
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup butter
• seasonings to taste: pepper, garlic, poultry seasoning, etc

Melt half the butter in a sauce pan, saute onions.  Add the flour to make a roux (kind of like a paste). Add the other half of the butter, water, and bouillon.  Add other seasonings to taste Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook until thickened.

Pancake Mini-muffins

Mini Maple Chocolate Chip Pancake Muffins.
(Someone please come up with a shorter name for these.)

1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 egg
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar in a medium bowl. Sift together with a wire whisk.
• In another bowl, stir buttermilk, egg, maple syrup and melted butter until just combined.
• Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir with a spoon until combined.
• Stir in chocolate chips. Reserve a few chips to sprinkle on the tops.
• Bake for 8-9 minutes.

Makes 24 mini pancake muffins.

Let cool slightly and remove from the pan. You may need to use a toothpick around the edges to separate the pancake muffins from the pan.
Serve immediately with warmed butter if you like or even just with maple syrup.

Post slacking.....

Sorry for being a slacker on the posts lately.  Life has been really crazy and busy this past month.  I started back to school, just doing some online classes and they ahve been taking a lot of time.  I pend so much time on the computer with them that by the time I am done, I don't feel like posting anything or spending any more time on it.  Also, I am expecting baby #3 so that has put a damper on the cooking lately.  It's kinda hard to cook things when the smell of it makes you sick and you don't want to eat anything except saltines.  I think I am almost over the morning sickness (or in my case it is afternoon/night sickness) so hopefully I will get back in the swing of things and start baking some new yummy things to share.  So bear with me for a little bit and I'm sure those pregnancy cravings with kick in and I will be having some interesting new things =)  At least i'm hoping...I didn't get any cravings with the first two.  My husband got the cravings, not me. I want to be able to send my husband to the store at midnight for some random thing =)

Bacon Cheeseburger Roll-ups

The other blog I contribute to, Talented Terrace Girls does a monthly challenge.  One of us girls picks an object and the rest of us have to make something with it.  Usually it's some sort of craft item.  But this month I was in charge of picking so I picked my favorite recipe....my homemade crescent rolls.  They all had to make something with it.  This is what I chose.....mainly because I saw that everyone else made something sweet so I wanted to be different.  I'm glad I did because everyone loved it.  I can't take all the credit for the recipe though....I got the idea from the wonderful lady of at One Crazy Cookie.  She does a great job at making family friendly meals.  I haven't had one of her recipes not be a hit.  You should go check her out.  Anyway....back to the yumminess....I loved that these were small enough for my kids' hands.  Plus, they also freeze great so now I have something to pullout of the freezer for lunch.  There are so many things you can do with these too.  You can add onions, bbq sauce, peppers, different cheese, or sauces.  Pretty much think of your favorite hamburger, and do it!

Bacon Cheeseburger Bundles

1 lb hamburger

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup French Fried Onions

6 pieces of bacon, cooked and crumbled

3 can crescent rolls or homemade crescent rolls (see below)

1 packet dry ranch seasoning

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Season, brown and drain the hamburger.  Mix cheese, onion, and bacon into the beef mixture.

Place about 1 heaping Tablespoon of the mixture onto each crescent roll.

Fold dough over mixture. Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until light brown.

My kids dipped theirs in ranch, but you could dip yours in whatever sauce you heart desires.

To use for this recipe just make the dough, let rise and then divide in half.  Roll each half out into a rectangle and cut into triangles like the canned stuff.  This makes about 4 cans worth of rolls so the extra you can make into actual rolls and freeze for dinner sometime.

Homemade Crescent Rolls

Ingredients

4 1/2 tsp active dry yeast

3/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup shortening
4 cups bread flour
1/4 cup butter, softened

Directions
with a bread maker:
Put liquid ingredients in bread maker, then add dry ingredients. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add yeast, make sure it doesn't come in contact with liquids. Then put your bread maker on dough cycle. When that is finished, remove dough from machine.
Punch down dough. Divide in half. Roll each half into a 12-inch circle. Spread with butter. Cut into 10 to 15 wedge. Roll up the wedges starting with the wide end. Place rolls with point under on a greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise until double (about 1 hour).
Bake at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) for 12-15 minute or until golden brown. Brush tops with butter when they come out.

or without a bread maker:
Dissolve yeast in warm water.
Stir in sugar, salt, eggs, shortening, and 2 cups of flour. Beat until smooth. Mix in remaining flour until smooth. Scrape dough from side of bowl. Knead dough, then cover it and let rise in a warm place until double (about 1-1/2 hours).
Punch down dough. Divide in half. Roll each half into a 12-inch circle. Spread with butter. Cut into 10 to 15 wedge. Roll up the wedges starting with the wide end. Place rolls with point under on a greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise until double (about 1 hour).
Bake at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) for 12-15 minute or until golden brown. Brush tops with butter when they come out.

Cream Cheese Lemon Roll-ups

Do you like lemon bars?  If so, you will like this.  I love that this is a nice change up from the usual roll ups with cinnamon and sugar.  The lemon give it a nice tang but the roll mellows it out.  This is also a nice treat to have when you want something sweet, but not chocolate (that rarely happens with me.....I'm a chocoholic and I am convinced my blood cells are chocolate filled).  These are also great for summer picnics =)

INGREDIENTS:

1

package cream cheese, softened

1/4

cup sugar

1/4

cup coconut

2 tablespoon honey

2

teaspoon lemon juice

1

can (8 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated crescent dinner rolls (or use my homemade crecent roll recipe and cut in half)

Glaze

1/2

cup powdered sugar

1

teaspoon butter or margarine, softened

1

tablespoon lemon juice

DIRECTIONS:

• Heat oven to 350°F. In small bowl, mix cream cheese, sugar, coconut, honey and lemon juice with wooden spoon until smooth. Grease cookie sheet.
• Unroll dough unto work surface and roll into a large rectangle. Overlap long sides to form 13x7-inch rectangle; firmly press edges and perforations to seal. Spread cream cheese mixture on rectangle. Starting with 1 long side, roll up; press edge to seal.

Using a sharp knife or using string (I prefer string, just put it under the dough and cross the strings on top and pull tight), cut into 12 slices. Place cut side down on cookie sheet.

• Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.

•  In small bowl, mix glaze ingredients; spread on warm rolls. Cover and refrigerate any remaining rolls.

To use for this recipe just make the dough, let rise and then divide in half.  Roll each half out into a rectangle and roll up.  This will make 2 batches so either divide in half or double the filling recipe.

Homemade Crescent Rolls
Ingredients
4 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
3/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup shortening
4 cups bread flour
1/4 cup butter, softened

Directions
with a bread maker:
Put liquid ingredients in bread maker, then add dry ingredients. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add yeast, make sure it doesn't come in contact with liquids. Then put your bread maker on dough cycle. When that is finished, remove dough from machine.
Punch down dough. Divide in half. Roll each half into a 12-inch circle. Spread with butter. Cut into 10 to 15 wedge. Roll up the wedges starting with the wide end. Place rolls with point under on a greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise until double (about 1 hour).
Bake at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) for 12-15 minute or until golden brown. Brush tops with butter when they come out.

or without a bread maker:
Dissolve yeast in warm water.
Stir in sugar, salt, eggs, shortening, and 2 cups of flour. Beat until smooth. Mix in remaining flour until smooth. Scrape dough from side of bowl. Knead dough, then cover it and let rise in a warm place until double (about 1-1/2 hours).
Punch down dough. Divide in half. Roll each half into a 12-inch circle. Spread with butter. Cut into 10 to 15 wedge. Roll up the wedges starting with the wide end. Place rolls with point under on a greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise until double (about 1 hour).
Bake at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) for 12-15 minute or until golden brown. Brush tops with butter when they come out.

Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken

I love crockpot meals and I love easy meals......I don't think many meals can possible get easier than this one.    Everyone in the family loved it too.....and that's always a plus.  A great thing about this is that you can freeze the leftovers. (I love when you can reuse leftovers too) 

Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts halves (frozen is fine)

1 cup salsa

1 can condensed cream of chicken soup

1 packet taco seasoning

1/2 cup sour cream ( I used around 3/4 cup but I like it creamier)

Tortillas

Cheese (optional)

Place chicken in the bottom of your slow cooker. Sprinkle taco seasoning on chicken. In a bowl, combine soup and salsa. Pour over chicken. Cook on high 4 hours. Shred chicken with two forks and stir in sour cream. 

Serve on tortillas or as desired.  I sprinkled some cheese on them too.  I think next time I may add try it with some ranch seasoning and some velveeta cheese.  mmm.....that sounds yummy =)

Cookie Dough Cupcakes

My husband came home from a meeting Thursday night and informed me that we would be feeding the missionaries (don't know what missionaries are? LDS Church) on Saturday.  i usually like to have more time to figure out what I want to make......plus it's been a few weeks since I went grocery shopping (we were gone on vacation so I didn't go before or after) so we were limited in what to make.   But i knew one thing......I wanted to make a great dessert because those boys sure deserve something for all the good work they are out there doing.  I had this recipe pinned so I figured this was as good a time as any to try it out......only I forgot to do it Friday and I was going to be gone all day Saturday until around 4pm and they were coming at 5pm.....so I had to bust a move Saturday morning and make them.  Nothing like a sugar coma at 8am (of course I had to sample the cookie dough and then sample a cupcake).  But these were delish!  I am definitely going to make them again.  and the great things, the recipe didn't need much tweaking! (I love that!)  I got the original from Recipe Girl

COOKIE DOUGH FILLING:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons granulated white sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chocolate chips, miniature or regular

CUPCAKES:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup granulated white sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup hot water
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

COOKIE DOUGH FROSTING:
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) salted butter
1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons milk (only if the frosting needs thinning, I didn't have to use it)
2 teaspoon vanilla extract

additional mini chocolate chips for the top

Make the cookie dough filling. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. In a medium bowl, stir together the butter, sugars, milk and vanilla. Stir in the dry ingredients and the chocolate chips. Refrigerate for 15 to 30 minutes, or until the cookie dough is firm. Scoop out dough in 2 tablespoon scoops and place it on a cookie sheet. Freeze until firm, at least 30 minutes.

While the dough is freezing, make the cupcakes.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a cupcake pan with 12 liners. Sift together the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda and salt. Add the water, oil, egg and vanilla.  Divide the batter between the 12 cupcake liners. Drop a ball of frozen chocolate chip cookie dough into the center of each cupcake. If you would like the cookie dough to bake up slightly, keep the top visible as pictured in the post. If you'd like to keep the cookie dough somewhat raw, push it to the bottom of the cupcake wrapper, making sure that the batter comes up and over the dough.  Or you can put some batter in the cup, put the cookie dough in and then put more batter over top.

Bake the cupcakes for 20, or until a toothpick inserted into the cupcake portion of the cupcake (not tested through the center where the dough is), comes out fairly clean. Cool the cupcakes completely before adding the frosting.

While cupcakes are cooling, make the frosting. In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer to combine the butter and sugars until smooth and creamy. Mix in the flour and vanilla and continue to mix until all is well combined.  If it needs thickening, add more powdered sugar.  If it is too think, add the milk 1 tsp at a time

Frost cupcakes. Sprinkle mini chips on top.