This chicken is finger-lickin' good and a quick family favorite!

3 lbs chicken thighs (you can use any chicken you like really, not only thighs)
4 - 6 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 small onion, grated or minced into fine pieces
¼ cup soy sauce (I used the reduced sodium kind)
⅓ cup ketchup
⅓ cup + 1 Tbsp honey
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1 tbsp white vinegar
1½ Tbsp brown sugar

For the Sauce:
2 tsps cornstarch
Drippings from the baking dish

Pre-heat the oven to 375°F.
In a glass 9"x10" baking dish whisk together all ingredients except for the chicken. Combine well.
Place the chicken into the dish and spoon some of the mixture over top of each piece.
Optional: You can marinade the chicken in this mixture ahead of time if you like.
Place the baking dish in the oven uncovered and bake for 45 - 60 minutes.
Once the chicken is finished cooking, remove from the baking dish and place on a serving plate.
Serve with rice, veggies or anything else you might enjoy it with!

​How to make the sauce:
Skim the fat off the top of the drippings as much as possible. 
Combine about ¼ of the drippings and the cornstarch in a small dish and set aside.
Mix it together using a whisk to make sure there are no lumps.
Pour the remaining drippings into a sauce pot and bring to a boil.
Add the cornstarch mixture and lower the heat.
Stir constantly using a whisk until the sauce reaches the desired consistency.
​Remove from the heat and serve with the chicken.

 This has been one of my favorite dishes for years! It's so easy and incredibly delicious! 

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 white onion, diced
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers (such as Rotel))
1 cup chicken broth 
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon chile powder 
1 cooked chicken, torn into shreds or cut into chunks
8 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese
10 flour tortillas
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat.
Saute onion until warmed through and somewhat soft.
Combine onion, cream of mushroom soup, cream of chicken soup, diced tomatoes, chicken broth, sour cream, cumin and chile powder together in a large bowl and stir until sauce is well-combined.

Spread a few tablespoons of the sauce in the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish.
Spread 1/2 the chicken over the sauce.
Spread about half the sauce over the chicken and top with 1/3 the cheese.
Spread a layer of tortillas over the cheese.
Spread remaining 1/2 the chicken over the tortillas, and top with almost all of the remaining sauce, reserving 1/2 cup sauce.
Top with 1/3 the cheese, remaining tortillas, the reserved 1/2 cup sauce, and remaining 1/3 cheese.
Bake casserole in the preheated oven until bubbling, about 40 minutes.
Increase the oven temperature to broil.
Broil the casserole until top is golden, 2 to 3 minutes more.
​Remove and let sit for about 5 minutes and then cut and serve!

 It's raining here, so I'm in the mood to share some comfort food recipes today!

4 cups cooked chicken, diced
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 (16 ounce) jar french onion dip
1 (10 ounce) can Rotel, drained
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 (12 ounce) package egg noodles
1 ½ cups French fried onions, crushed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Spray a 9x13-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Cook egg noodles according to package directions, drain and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine chicken, soup, dip, Rotel and cheese.
Gently fold in cooked egg noodles and pour into prepared pan.
Top with crushed french fried onions and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until heated through.

 This recipe is so easy and so packed with flavor! It's not spicy though!

1 lb chicken strips
1 tsp chili powder
4 oz green chilies
1 cup monterey jack cheese

Spray a medium size frying pan with cooking spray.
Sprinkle chili powder over chicken.
Cook chicken strips until no longer pink.
Turn stove top on low and add green chilis on top of chicken.
Cook until chilis are warmed.
Add cheese and cook until melted on top of chilis.
Put on a dish and serve with salsa on the side.

  This heartily loaded soup will go straight to your comfort zone!

4 cups chicken stock
2 tsp chicken soup base
4 large potatoes scrubbed, peeled, diced
1/2 onion chopped
1 tsp chopped garlic
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
4 oz cream cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp chives
2 Tbsp of real bacon bits

In a medium sized pot add cubed potatoes, chicken stock, and soup base.
Cook potatoes in stock over medium heat for about 12 to 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.
In a large pot heat butter over medium heat until it melts, add onions and saute until the onions are translucent.
Sprinkle flour over the butter, and cook for a minute or two. The butter and flour mixture should become fragrant.
Add potato and chicken stock by 1 cup increments and stir until soup mixture is well blended.
Continue until the all of the potatoes and stock are added.
Add the cream cheese, and stir until it has melted.
Add salt, black pepper, chives, and bacon bits.
​If desired garnish soup with shredded cheese, bacon bits, and sour cream

 This is a great recipe to make when you don't have a lot of time, and it's so yummy!

1 package linguine pasta (16oz)
1 cup chopped sweet red pepper
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/3 cup chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
2 lbs frozen cooked shrimp, thawed
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Cook the pasta according to the directions on package.
In large saucepan, heat the oil.
Saute the pepper, onion, garlic and seasonings in oil until vegetables are tender.
Add the shrimp.
Cook and stir for 2-3 more minutes or until heated through.
Toss the pasta in with the shrimp mixture.
Sprinkle with the parmesan cheese and enjoy!

  These go great with some steamed rice! Very easy to make, and tastes like restaurant quality!

2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1-1/2 lbs medium shrimp, peels and deveined
3 Tbsp Tequila
1-1/2 Tbsp lime juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp Chili Powder
4 Tbsp coarsely chopped Cilantro 

Heat butter and oil on medium heat.
Add garlic and shrimp.
Cook about 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
Stir in tequila, lime juice, salt and chili powder.
Cook 2 more minutes, stirring frequently, until shrimp are pink and glazed.
Toss in cilantro and serve over hot steamed rice.
​

 This recipe tastes exactly like Schlotzsky's Deli Bread! Fill with your favorite lunchmeats, cheese and veggies, and you're in for an all-star lunch or dinner!

Pam spray
Saran wrap
5 ovenproof, panm sprayed, cornmeal dusted soup bowl, 5" in diameter
1/2 cup warm water
1 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 package RapidRise dry yeast
3/4 cup very warm milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda softened in 1 Tbsp water
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

In a large mixing bowl, combine warm water, sugar and yeast.
Let sit for about 5 minutes until very bubbly.
With wire whisk, gradually add the flour in small bits until completely mixed.It will be thick and sticky.
Divide the dough between the 5 prepared soup bowls.
Spray the tops of each with Pam and cover with a piece of Saran wrap.
Let rise almost an hour or until above the rim of the soup bowls.
Discard Saran wrap pieces.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Bake on center rack of oven about 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Let cool in containers on wire rack, spraying the tops of each with Pam to keep soft.
Turn bowls upside down to remove bread.

To use for sandwiches:
Slice in half horizontally and grill on a lightly buttered hot griddle or toast in broiler til golden.
Fill with your favorite sandwich fixings, and enjoy!

  This is a favorite of mine to make whenever we BBQ on the weekends! Goes awesome with steaks.

2 fresh jalapeno peppers
8 medium sized shrimp, peeled, deveined and cooked
8 strips of bacon
sour cream

Cut tops off of jalapeno peppers and remove seeds. Slice each jalapeno into 4 long strips. You can do them smaller if you don't like it so hot.
Cut a slit into the back of each shrimp where it was deveined.
Place a slice of jalapeno in each slit and then cover with cream cheese. Not too much, or it melts out!
I like to microwave the bacon for a minute so that its halfway cooked.
Wrap bacon around each shrimp, securing in place with a toothpick.
Grill until bacon is nice and crispy. Watch for flare-ups on the grill or else you'll burn some bacon!
​

 A truly awesome family favorite, this is a classic that everybody loves!

1 large egg
1 cup buttermilk (or milk+1 tsp vinegar, stir and let sit for 5 min)
salt & pepper & garlic powder to taste
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup bread crumbs (I prefer Panko style)
2 medium sized beef cutlets, hand tenderized (just pound with a mallet for a while)
vegetable oil for frying

Preheat oil in large pan or deep fryer.
Stir together egg, buttermilk, salt, pepper and garlic powder.
In seperate bowl, blend together flour and bread crumbs. I like to season the flour mixture with salt, pepper and garlic as well.
Batter steaks by first dipping in flour, then egg, then flour again, coating well.
Place steaks into hot oil and fry until it turns golden brown. If doing in a pan, don't have the heat too high or else the batter will burn before the steaks get done in the middle!
Remove and drain well. Serve with gravy on top!

For gravy:
1/2 cup reserved drippings
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups milk
salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste
I usually drain most of the oil out of the pan, leaving behind about 1/2 cup oil and all the little crunchies from frying the steaks.
Gradually add the flour to the hot oil, stirring constantly to prevent scorching.
Slowly add the milk in small amounts, stirring fast and well to prevent clumping.
The secret to smooth gravy is don't stop stirring!
Keep stirring until it's nice and smooth and well mixed.
Add salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste.
If gravy gets too thick, stir in some more milk in small amounts until it's the desired thickness.