Tempt My Tummy Tuesday - Poppy Seed Chicken

My awesome cousin Jenn gave me this recipe a few months after she married Pepper and was pregnant with their first son (they now have 4 boys and live in ALASKA! In August they are heading to New Zealand for 6 months!). This easily became one of my favorites when I moved to New Hampshire in 2004 but I haven't made it in a LONG time! Mainly because hubby HATES sour cream.

Anyone have any substitutes for the sour cream in this recipe? He also doesn't like yogurt (which I put on my tacos and in chili in place of sour cream) or cream cheese.

I hope you enjoy this recipe.

Poppy Seed Chicken
3 Boneless skinless chicken breasts
8 oz. sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup

Topping:
1 stack of Ritz crackers
1 stick of butter
2 T Poppy Seeds

Directions:

Place chicken breasts into a baking dish. Mix the sour cream and soup and pour over the chicken and sprinkle on the topping.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes (or until chicken is fully cooked).

I like to serve this over egg noodles with some string beans!

Tempt My Tummy Tuesday - Mom's Famous Banana Bread!

In honor of being in PA over Memorial Day weekend, I am going to share my Mom's FAMOUS banana bread recipe with you! I just LOVE it! Sisterr and I grew up eating this as an after school snack, for breakfast or really, whenever! It's good with peanut butter or cream cheese. But I believe it's best with nothing on it!

Enjoy!

Mom's Famous Banana Bread

• 1/3 c butter or margarine, soft-not melted
• 1 c sugar
• 2 eggs, room temp works best
• 3 ripe bananas (small to medium work best), mashed
• 1t baking soda
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/3 c milk
• 1t lemon juice or vinegar
• 2c all-purpose flour
• 1/2 c chopped nuts or chocolate chips (optional)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Liberally grease 9X5 loaf pan.
• Add lemon or vinegar to milk and set aside to curdle.
• Cream butter and sugar then gradually add the eggs one at a time. It's OK if the eggs turn some of the butter into small lumps but this won't happen if the eggs are room temperature. Beat until well combined.
• Mix in the bananas then the soda and salt.
• Add the flour and milk alternately.
• Stir well after each addition.
• Add nuts or chips if desired.
• Pour into loaf pan and bake for 1 hour or until the bread springs back when lightly touched in the center.
• Cool in pan on wire rack.

The bread will have a better flavor if allowed to sit overnight before eating.

Tempy My Tummy Tuesday - Kelly’s Chicken Enchiladas

This recipe is another special one. My dear middle school friend, who moved to ABQ right before we started high school and then a year ago she and her hubby moved to Salem, Oregon, made this recipe for us on New Years Eve 2006!!

Kelly and Nathan were in PA visiting her oldest brother and decided to drive to State College for a quick visit with me and my family while we were in town for New Years. My Mom wanted to have a taste of New Mexico to go along with the PA Dutch food we were having that night.

This recipe has since been an old stand by and Danny LOVES to make it!!

Kelly’s Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients:

• 4 Chicken Breast Halves (Boneless, Skinless)
• 2 Medium White Onions (Quartered)
• 4 Cloves Minced Garlic
• 1 Tbsp. Onion Powder
• Salt
• Pepper
• 4 cups (or more if you want) Cheddar Cheese (Shredded)
• 12 Corn Tortillas
• Vegetable Oil
• 1 Can of Cream of Chicken Soup
• 1 Can of Cream of Mushroom Soup
• 2 Small Cans Chopped Green Chile (Optional - I HATE spicy food and these green chile's are NOT spicy at all, they add wonderful flavor. Also we use 1 large can instead of the 2 small cans.)
• Milk

Directions:

• Boil chicken in a large pot with onion, garlic, onion powder, salt and pepper for approximately 1 hour or until chicken falls apart easily when pulled.


• Shred chicken by using two forks and pulling in opposite directions (set aside).


• Heat a small amount of oil in a skillet and fry each tortilla one at a time for about 20 seconds on each side. Place tortillas on paper towels to drain.


• In a mixing bowl, combine both cans of soup with the green chile (if using) and enough milk to slightly thin mixture to a sauce. (We don't drain the cans nor do we add the milk and this turns out just find).


• In a 9”x13” pan, first layer 6 tortillas to cover the bottom of the pan followed by a layer of sauce, a layer of chicken, then a layer of cheese. Each layer should use about half of each ingredient. Once the first layering is complete, repeat the process for a second time to use the remaining half of the ingredients.


• Bake in a 350o oven for approximately 30 minutes or until cheese is melted across the top of the dish.


• Let cool for 5-10 minutes to set ingredients and enjoy!

Tempt My Tummy Tuesday - Nana's Wacy Cake with Peanut Butter Icing!

**UPDATED - I just learned from my Mom that my Nana spelled it Wacy Cake, not Wackey Cake**

This is my entry for Tempt My Tummy Tuesday!!

My Nana (paternal grandmother) was a baker from what I understand. She died when I was very young so I don't have many memories about her, or my Pop-Pop but I do have her Wacy Cake recipe and my mom has Nana's handwritten recipe - which I hope to someday have a copy of!

I am using the spelling Wacy because that is how Nana wrote it on the recipe my Mom has - I know it's wrong, but this misspelling makes it all the more special for me!

I made Nana's Wacy cake with peanut butter icing to celebrate my husband's Gram's birthday a few weekends ago. And she LOVED it!! She said that the icing tasted like her peanut butter fudge.

Now, i have to share this recipe. I hope that this SUPER easy cake and icing makes you feel all warm inside, just like it does for me and did for hubby's Gram!

Nana's Wacy Cake
3 c flour
2 c sugar
6 T cocoa
2 t baking soda
1 t salt
2/3 c oil
2 c water
2 t vanilla extract

2 T vinegar

Spray a 9x13 pan and preheat the oven to 350. Mix all the ingredients together, except for the vinegar. Once everything is mixed, add the vinegar, give it a quick stir and quickly pour into the greased pan. It's OK if the cake batter starts to turn colors, it's the vinegar and baking soda reacting which will make the cake rise! Bake for 45-50 minutes.

Peanut Butter Icing

1 store bought tub of vanilla icing (I use Betty Crocker, but any brand will work)
1/2 cup peanut butter (I use Jiff, but again any brand will work)

Place ingredients into a bowl and mix until well combined. Spread on cooled Wacy cake and enjoy!!

Tempt My Tummy Tuesday - Cinco de Mayo

This is my first attempt at joining BlessedwithGrace's Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays!

I receive A LOT (and I seriously mean A LOT) of cooking newsletters. Now I don't do a majority of cooking (Danny does because he is entirely tooooo picky about his food) but I do LOVE to cook and read recipes.

This recipe came from Betty Crocker's latest newsletter.

Betty Crocker's Seven-Layer Bean Dip

1 can (16 oz) refried beans
1 package (1 oz) taco seasoning mix
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1 can (4.5 oz) chopped green chiles
1 cup Thick 'n Chunky salsa (any variety)
2 cups shredded lettuce
2 cups shredded Cheddar or Mexican cheese blend (8 oz)
1 can (2.25 oz) sliced ripe olives, drained (1/2 cup)
1 medium tomato, diced (3/4 cup)
Tortilla chips, bell pepper pieces or zucchini slices, if desired

Directions:

1. In medium bowl, mix refried beans and taco seasoning mix. Spread mixture on large platter.
2. In another medium bowl, mix cream cheese and chiles. Carefully spread over bean mixture.
3. Top with salsa, lettuce, cheese, olives and tomato. Refrigerate until serving time. Serve with tortilla chips.

Personally, I HATE olives, so I wouldn't add them to this recipe. I think I would also try this recipe without the cream cheese but use plain yogurt. I prefer plain yogurt on my tacos so this would be a good substitute I think.

I think I might make this tomorrow night - I know it's the day after Cinco de Mayo but tonight it chorus rehearsal and we have our concerts in 1 WEEK! So our celebrations have to be postponed 1 day.

My husband HATES cream cheese, sour cream, yogurt and really only likes melted mild cheddar cheese on his tacos. So really this recipe isn't something he would eat. That's OK - he'll eat chips and super super hot salsa. He LOVES spicy food, while I can't stand it!