Chicken Artichoke Casserole

Continuing with our California theme of vegetables I found this recipe for Chicken artichoke casserole. I actually found this in Women's World magazine while we were in California. I hope you will give it a try.

Basic things for a casserole.  The only different things were the croutons and asiago cheese.

Saute onions and bell pepper in a little olive oil.  The recipe calls for red bell pepper and the red can be pretty and a little sweeter in a recipe I used what I already had, green pepper.

In a saucepan I emptied a jar of alfredo sauce.  The recipe calls for refrigerated sauce but I use the jar kind I had in the pantry.

To the sauce I added 1/2 c reduced fat mayo

One can of artichoke hearts chopped.

3 cups chopped cooked chicken

1 cup shredded asiago cheese.  I had to grate this myself because I could not find shredded asiago cheese at the grocery store.  I think you could probably use an Italian blend cheese in place of this if you can not find it.

Mix well and pour into a casserole dish that has been sprayed with non stick spray.

This was the fun part.  I need to crush 1 1/2 c cheese croutons.  I opened the bag to let the air out and then used my rolling pin to beat them into crumbs.  It works really well.

Sprinkle the croutons on top.  Place in a preheated 350 oven.  Bake uncovered 30-35 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

The finished product.

You can add some chopped scallions on top.

Chicken artichoke casserole recipe

1 T olive oil
1 red pepper chopped 1 cup
1/4 c onion
3 c chopped cooked chicken
1 can artichoke hearts drained and chopped
1 container alfredo pasta sauce
1 c shredded asiago cheese
1/2 c reduced fat mayo
1 1/2 c cheese croutons, coarsely crushed
additional sliced scallions

Blackberry Crumble

I like blackberries and my husband doesn't so when my friend that was coming for lunch said she would like blackberry pie when I asked what she wanted for lunch, I jumped on it.  I had a bag of homegrown blackberries in the freezer that my daddy picked this summer so I was set.  I wanted to make something different than just the regular cobbler.  So where do you go when you are looking for new recipes...Pinterest.  I think you will enjoy this recipe and you could probably make it with different fruit if you do not care for blackberries.

This recipe is in two parts.  You will want to start with 1 quart of blackberries thawed, sugar and vanilla.

Put your berries in a dish and mash them with a fork. This releases the juices.

Now sprinkle 3/4 c sugar on top of the berries.

Then add about 1 tablespoon vanilla to the mixture.  I didn't measure the vanilla just eyeballed it.

Then mix it up well and let it sit for a few minutes while you make the topping.

This is the ingredients for the crumble topping.

You will use 3/4ths of the stick of butter in the crumble so put the other 1/4 on top of the berries.

In a bowl add 1/2 heaping cup of oats.

1/2 heaping cup of flour.  I used plain flour because it was handy.

1/2 c brown sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

Cut the 3/4 stick of butter into pieces and put the whole mixture in a food processor to mix well.  You can do this by hand with a pastry cutter as well.

This is what the topping will look like.

Sprinkle the topping on top of the berries.  Place the pie in a preheated 350 degree oven.  Bake for about 35-40 minutes. I guess I was so excited to visit with my friend I forgot to take a picture of the finished produce.  Serve warm with ice cream.

Blackberry crumble recipe

1 qt blackberries

3/4 c sugar

1 T vanilla

1/2 c heaping cup oats

1/2 c heaping flour

1/2 c brown sugar

2 t cinnamon

1 stick butter

Sugar Snap Peas with Buttered Pecans

I have been looking for a recipe for sugar snap peas for a while.  Then I found this one and had to try it.  I know a lot of people are not fans of sugar snap peas or snow peas.  I usually call them snow peas.

Very, very simple recipe.  Only three ingredients.  Can't beat that.

In a large skillet brown 1/2 c chopped pecans in 1/4 c butter.

Add 3 boxes of thawed snow peas.  I only used two boxes.  That was plenty for us.  Next time I think I will steam the peas to get them hot and then just toss in the pecans right before time to eat.  I let these cook a little bit too long.  Not that they were bad but they didn't have a crunch to them.

Toss them well.  Cook until heated.

Then serve.  They made a nice addition to my cornish game hen dinner.

Sugar Snap Peas with buttered pecans recipe

1/4 c butter
1/2 c chopped pecans
3 boxes frozen sugar snap peas thawed

Glazed Cornish Hens

I have had this recipe for a very long time.  We first made these in my high school home ec class.  We made these for some DAR dinner.  They made a very elegant looking meal that is very easy and cheap.  Cornish hens are not very expensive and you can find  them anywhere.  Most people probably have never made them because they thought they would be difficult to cook or taste funny.  They are just like chicken and can really dress up a special occasion.

This is all you need for really tasty cornish hens.

Wash the hens just like you would a whole chicken or turkey.  The good thing is you don't have to look for the little plastic bag in the end of the hen.

Quarter a onion and lemon.

Insert one piece of onion into each of the hens.

Then put a piece of the lemon in each hen.

Spray them well with spray butter.  You can use stick butter if you like.

Put a little salt and pepper on the hens. Place the hens in a preheated 350 oven.  Cook for 45 minutes.

To make the glaze for the hens start with 1/2 c apricot preserves.

1 T lemon juice.  I used the other half of the lemon and used fresh squeezed.  Normally I use bottled lemon jucie.

Squeeze it all out.

Add 1 t lemon zest.

Be sure and gett it all from the back of the zester.

Put it on the stove to get warm and for the preserves to melt.

The hens after 45 minutes. Take them out of the oven...

Baste the hens with some of the apricot glaze.

Put them back in the oven for 15 minutes.

After the 15 minutes.  Take them out again.

Baste them again.  Put back in the oven for another 15 minutes.

After the second 15 minutes.  They are ready to eat.  That is all there is to making cornish hens.

But don't they look really fancy on the plate?


Glazed Cornish Hens Recipe

2 Cornish game hens thawed
1 small onion cut into wedges
1 lemon cut into wedges
2 T butter softened or spray butter
salt and pepper
1/2 c apricot preserves
1 T lemon juice
1 t lemon zest.