Alison's Favorite Brownie Cheesecake Cookie Cake

Mold 16 oz cookie dough on Saran Wrap in a springform pan and freeze. I used chocolate chip.

Mix up 2 boxes of brownie mix and bake in sprayed springform pan at 350 degrees till done.  The recipe says 35 minutes but that turned out to not be enough.  Make sure the brownie layer is done or else you will have a Lava cake which isn't bad but...     Cool. 

Mix 2 8-oz packages cream cheese (at room temperature), 1/2 C sugar, 1 egg and 1 t. vanilla with mixer until smooth.  Layer onto cooled brownie layer. Bake at 300 degrees for 40 minutes.  Cool.

Add frozen cookie dough layer onto cooled cream cheese layer. Bake 300 degrees for 20 minutes.

Refrigerate until ready to eat.  Enjoy!

Celeste's Yummy Pasta Salad

This is a delicious pasta salad that is great for BBQ's or any occasion.  This is a large salad that will feed many!

Cook 16 oz dry pasta such as bow ties, spiral, etc.  The picture above was actually 24 oz of bow ties since I was taking it to a large group.  Rinse the cooked pasta with cold water and drain well.

Combine pasta with:

    1 peeled, diced English cucumber    1 C. halved cherry or grape tomatoes     1 can halved black olives

    1/4 C. diced green or red onions       12 oz. cooked, crumbled bacon             Salt & Pepper to taste

In the recipe above I only used 6 oz. bacon

Mix together with 1 C. mayo and 1 T. lemon juice OR 1 - 1 1/2 C. Ranch dressing

Chill and enjoy!!

 

 

🍍 Thai Pineapple Cashew Chicken (Restaurant-Style)

 Adapted from a favorite dish of ours served at the Kamin Restaurant ~Thai Cuisine in Logan, Utah 

• The Kamin shut down sometime after we moved out of Cache Valley, but was re-opened under the name, "Thai House"
• Both restaurants offer a recipe called "Pineapple Fried Rice," that may or may not be the same dish… it was also offered with shrimp, but we preferred chicken.

Serves: 6–8

Total Preparation Time: 1 hour

Total Cook Time:  ~45 minutes

Ingredients

For the Rice

• 1½ cups uncooked jasmine rice
• 1 cup pineapple juice
• 1 cup coconut milk from a can (well shaken)
• 1 cup water
• Optional: 1 raw egg (cracked into rice before cooking)

For the Vegetables

• ¾ cup diced green bell pepper (1 medium pepper, chunky cut)
• ¾ cup diced onion (chunky)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (¾ Tbsp if using dried spice)
• 1–2 tbsp coconut oil (for sautéing)

Pineapple-Cashew Mixture

• 1½ – 2 cups fresh pineapple chunks (or canned, drained)
• ½ cup craisins (Mary's favorite) and/or raisins
• ¾ cup roasted unsalted cashews
• 1 tbsp brown sugar (adjust to taste)

Chicken Mixture

• 1½ – 2 lbs diced chicken breast
• Garlic powder (to taste)
• Seasoned salt (to taste)

Step 1 – Cooking the Rice 🍚

1. Combine rice, pineapple juice, coconut milk, and water in a pot.
2. (Optional) Crack in 1 egg and stir.
3. Bring to a low boil or simmer.
4. Immediately reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer ~18–20 minutes.
5. While the rice is cooking on low, be cooking and preparing the vegetables and pineapple and cashews.
6. Remove from heat and let sit covered 5 minutes.
7. Fluff gently.

    The rice should be lightly sweet and coconut-fragrant.

Step 2 – Sauté Vegetables 🫑

1. Heat coconut oil in skillet.  
2. Add onion + bell pepper + garlic
3. Cook 4–5 minutes until slightly tender but still bright.
4. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds more.
5. Remove to a bowl and set aside.

Step 3 – Caramelize Pineapple & Cashews. 🍍

1. In the same pan, add additional coconut oil and stir in cashews.
2. Add pineapple, raisins, brown sugar.
3. Simmer on medium until pineapple begins caramelizing.
4. Cook until cashews soften slightly but still have crunch.

    Remove to a glass bowl and let sit.

Step 4 – Cooking the Chicken 🍗

1. Season diced chicken with garlic powder and seasoned salt.
2. Cook in covered saucepan over medium heat.
3. Drain excess juices.
4. Cook until just done and moist.

Step 5 – Combine Everything 🥣

    In a large pot or wok:

• Add cooked rice, vegetables, and chicken
• Add and mix in the pineapple-cashew mixture
• Gently fold everything together until evenly mixed.
• Taste and adjust salt if needed.

Fancy Pineapple Boat Version! 🍍🍍

1. Slice a whole pineapple lengthwise (leave stem on).
2. Carefully hollow out flesh.
3. Dice pineapple and use in recipe.
4. Scoop finished mixture back into pineapple halves.

This matches the Kamin restaurants presentation and dish, as close as we can remember it.

Michael's Bacon-wrapped BBQ Chicken Cordon Bleu

 

 

Chicken Cordon Bleu is one of those recipes that feels super fancy but doesn’t actually take a ton of effort. It can be pricey if ordering at a restaurant, but at home it can be made on a budget!  In this case, I have combined the concept with a Monterey Cheese Chicken recipe from a friend, but using our families favorite cheese:  Muenster!

I've made this a few times for my family, and it has quickly became a favorite.  And its easy to make!

Serve it alongside either baked or garlic mashed potatoes, and your favorite vegetables (asparagus, steamed broccoli, or a skillet of sliced sautéed zucchini and squash), and you'll have a great dinner to feed your family or impress your guests!

Ingredients:

• Boneless Chicken Breasts
• Ham: Any flavor of deli ham works well.
• Bacon Slices (one for each chicken breast)
• Muenster Cheese (Alternatively use Swiss, which is more traditional)
• Barbeque Sauce
• Tomatoes and green onions (optional)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Brown each Chicken breast slightly, and lightly cook bacon (it will complete cooking in the oven).

Butterfly each chicken breast by slicing horizontally through the middle of the breast, taking care to not cut all the way through. Open the chicken breast up like a book.

Optional: Depending on your level of perfectionism, you can lay each chicken breast flat between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Use a meat mallet or rolling pin to pound the chicken breasts into a thin, even layer.  (I don't usually worry about this step)

Sprinkle the chicken breasts with salt and pepper (or a sprinkling of McCormick's Season-All or Mrs. Dash spice blend). Place a slice of ham and slice of muenster cheese (or Swiss) on each chicken breast.

Gently fold over each chicken breast; wrap each chicken creation with a "healthy" slice of bacon.  Hold in place with a toothpick.

Arrange completed chicken breasts in a glass baking dish; pour desired amount of favorite BBQ sauce over each chicken breast, using a basting brush to spread evenly. 

Bake the chicken for 35-40 minutes or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.

Sprinkle optional tomatoes and green onions before serving