Tomato Pie

I've been working this summer on perfecting my version of Tomato Pie.  Today I think I finally got it.

1 frozen pie shell
1 or 2 tomatoes depending on size
1 1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup Hellman's mayonnaise
1/2 cup diced onion
salt and pepper

Peal and slice tomatoes and lay in a colinder.  Go ahead and salt and pepper them and let them sit in the sink.  This will draw some of the water out of the tomatoes. Turn oven on to 400.  Go ahead and put frozen pie shell in while it's heating up.  After a few minutes the shell will be thawed enough for you to either prick with a fork several times or slit 2 or 3 times with a knife.  Cook just until the crust starts to brown slightly.   Remove from oven and lower heat to 350.  Dice up onions enough to cover the bottom.  I used red onions but Vidalia would be just as good.  Lay tomatoes on the onion enough to cover. Stir 1 1/2 cups finely grate cheese with about 1/2 cup Mayonaise.  Use a spatula to spread the cheese mix over the tomatoes.   Return to oven until it starts to brown.  I then increased the heat to 400 to finish browning and getting the cheese all bubbly.
I found this to be a good side dish but you can make a meal out of it by adding meat.

Cook and crumble about a half pound of bacon.  Add after the onions but before the tomatoes.

Thinly slice a smoked sausage.  My new favorite smoked sausage is McCormick brand with Montreal Steak season in it.
They come in a pack of six and are slightly larger than a hot dog.  Again, add between onion and tomatoes.

BTW...They are great grilled and served in a hot dog roll with mustard (preferably grain mustard)

Chicken Bog

I have 3 nieces I love like they were my own.  The youngest, Jennifer, texted me tonight to remind me that I did not have one of her favorite recipes of mine on my blog. So here it is Jennifer's Chicken Bog.

1 pound chicken- 2 good size breast
1 lb. Smoked sausage, sliced
1 cup chopped onion
1 stick butter
2 tsp. Seasoned salt
2 tsp Paula Deens house seasoning (recipe is on this blog)
1 tsp black pepper
3 bay leaves
8 cups water
3 cups raw rice
1 tsp. Ground red pepper.  I don't like too much heat so I don't add this much.  As always I'll leave the level of heat up to you.

In a large pot melt butter add onion and smoked sausage and cook just until onion is tender.  Add water, chicken, seasonings and bay leaves.   Bring to boil.  Lower heat and cook until chicken is done.  Remove chicken.  Add rice.  Bring to boil.  Cook until rice is done.  Boil for about 10 minutes, lower heat and continue to cook until rice is tender.  About 10 more minutes. Stir occasionally as the rice cooks.  Remove bay leaves.  Shred chicken and return it to the pot.   Stir to combine and its ready to serve.

Jalapeno Popper Dip

6-8 pieces of bacon, cooked and crumbled
2-8oz packages of creamed cheese that you have allowed to soften
1 cup mayonaise, I prefer Hellmans.
4-6 diced jalepenos, I don't like so much heat so I buy the TAME jalepenos in a jar in the pickle section .
I cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded motzerella cheese
1/4 cup diced green onion
Mix together and transfer to a baking dish
Mix a cup of crushed Ritz crackers, 1/2 stick melted butter and 1/2 cup parmesan cheese.
Sprinkle on top.  Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes till its golden brown and bubbly.

Mississippi Potroast

I saw this on Pinterest but was reluctant to try it until I saw them talking about it on Good Morning America.  I'm sure glad I did.

Roast in the bottom of your crock pot (be sure to spray with Pam for easy clean up)
Sprinkle an envelope of ranch dressing mix over roast
Then sprinkle an envelope of au jus brown gravy mix over the roast
Lay a stick if butter on top
Lay 6 peperocini peppers around the edge
Cover and cook on low until roast is done and tender.
I serve it with vegetables the first night and use the left overs to Philly Cheese Steak sandwiches the second night.
I tried this with chicken and served over rice-delicious
I tried it with a pork roast-delicious as well.

Tortellini Soup

1 pound Italian sausage
onion diced
2 cans Italian tomatoes
1 tsp. Cummin
1 tsp. Oregano
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. salt
32 oz carton chicken broth
8 oz cream cheese
bag of fresh spinach
bag of frozen cheese tortellini
Brown sausage and onion. Add garlic, cummin, oregano, salt and pepper.  Add cream cheese and stir until cream cheese is melted and blended into soup. Add tomatoes.  Add chicken broth. Add spinach and let cook until spinach is wilted into the soup mix.  Add the tortellini.   Stir gently so you won't break up the tortellini.  When the tortellini
is done the soup is ready.  Only takes 2 or 3 minutes.  Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese on top and some Italian bread.

NOTE...Another version is fire roasted Rotel, salt and pepper to taste instead of Italian tomatoes and the seasonings listed. 

Cream of Mushroom Soup

With colder weather coming on I've been tackling some new soups.   Here are a couple I think you will like.

Cream of Mushroom

drizzle of olive oil
1/4 cup of butter
Small onion diced
1 teaspoon of minced garlic
2-3 cups mushrooms roughly chopped
1/4 teaspoon thyme
2 tablespoons flour
Splash of white wine-optional
3-4 cups of chicken stock
Block of cream cheese
Melt butter.  Add the olive oil. Add mushrooms and onions and cook until tender.  Add garlic just before they are done.  Add the flour and the wine.  Cook until the wine has cooked off.  Add the chicken stock. Bring to a simmer.  Add the cream cheese and stir until in melts into the soup.  The soup will thicken slightly.  Salt and pepper to taste.  It's recommended you serve with buttered crackers.  I ate mine with buttered croutons.   Of course good bread will work too.

Buffalo Chicken Chili

This was a recipe that I took to the Chili cook off at my church.  It didn't win but I had people ask for it so I know it was a hit just the same.  This is my easy version.  I revived my Crock pot for this one and I've been using since.  Don't know why I every stopped.

1/4 cup of Buffalo wing sauce
2 large boneless breast
1/2 tsp. dried Cilantro
1 can of whole kernel corn, drained
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 can white navy beans
diced onion
1 can fire roasted tomatoes
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 tsp. celery salt
1 envelope of ranch dressing mix
1/4 tsp. salt
8 oz. cream cheese.

Spray your crock pot with Pam for easy clean up.  Lay 2 large boneless breast in the bottom.  Can put them in frozen.  Add all other ingredients except for the cream cheese.  At this point you can stir it slightly just to mix the seasonings in.  Lay the 8 oz bar of cream cheese on top and put the top on. 
When the breast are cook, which should be in about 3-4 hours depending on whether you used frozen ones are not, remove them just long enough to dice or shred the chicken. Return the chicken to the crock pot and stir in the cream cheese.  You could eat it now but I let it cook just a little longer to let the cream cheese mix into the soup well.  May 30 more minutes.  It's suggested you serve with blue cheese crumbles but I'm not a big fan of blue cheese so I skipped this part.

FYI...You can adjust the heat by the kind of wing sauce you use.  I actually don't like a lot of heat so I used Franks and added another 4th of a cup once it was done and I tasted it.  I like the taste just not the heat.  This worked for me.