How to Pressure Can Chicken

The first time I heard my friend mention that she bottles chicken I thought, "Whoever heard of canning chicken??!"  It sounded like a pain to me. My interest wasn't piqued until I went to her house for a birthday lunch one day and ate some delicious chicken chowder she had made.  The soup was yummy, but the chicken in it was to die for!  It was so.... so.... shreddable.  Yes, that's the perfect adjective!  It was moist and fell apart with the slightest pressure.  It was NOT like crockpot chicken breasts that turn grainy and ironically dry after cooking. It was NOT like boiled chicken that can get rubbery.  No, this stuff was the perfect, moist, shredded chicken.  I asked her how she made the chicken for the soup and she said she just used a bottle of her canned chicken.  Canned chicken tastes like this?!  Now I was all ears!  She told me that she buys fresh Tyson chicken breasts when they go on sale at our local grocery store for $1.88 per pound. Then she loads up on them and cans them and uses them for any and every recipe that calls for cooked chicken. The next time I saw the chicken on sale (which is quite frequently at my store), I bought a lot and went to her house for a demonstration. Isn't she a good friend?  Then I borrowed her Presto pressure canner and canned chicken two more times. By then I was hooked.  My husband bought me a big All American pressure canner as a surprise, and now I absolutely can't live without the convenience and deliciousness of canned chicken! I use my canned chicken in any recipe that calls for cooked chicken.  For example, I've used it in Enchiladas, Chicken & Dumplings (pictured above with canned chicken), Chicken Noodle Soup, Enchilada Casserole, Broccoli Chicken & Swiss Soup, Pasta Dishes, Wraps, Pot Pie, BBQ Chicken Pizza, etc etc etc!   It makes preparing dinner a SNAP. Seriously, think of it.  Skipping the step of preparing and cooking the chicken cuts down on the meal preparation time by a TON!  Now add the fact that you buy all that chicken at a great deal (way cheaper than buying frozen breasts), PLUS consider that the chicken tastes so moist, flavorful and has the perfect shredded texture. Sold yet?  Oh yeah, one more thing - canning chicken is SO EASY.  It's as simple as putting some salt and bouillon in an empty jar and pushing some raw chicken in there and then canning it. It's ridiculously simple. In fact, this would be a great thing to start on for a beginning canner.

Here's how to do it. :)
I listed the ingredients and equipment needed below. A word about pressure canners: You will need a 23 Quart liquid capacity pressure canner, which holds 18-20 Pints or 7 Quarts.  This is the canner that you'll see in these pictures.  You can buy the Presto brand for around $70. I recently got a 30 Quart liquid capacity All American canner, which can hold 14 Quart sized jars (or 19 Pints). But the 23 Quart liquid capacity works great because you really probably want to can pints anyway, since a pint holds about the amount of chicken you would use in one meal. When I use my quarts of chicken, I usually use half the jar one night and store the leftovers in the fridge for another night that week. One more thing: Read your pressure canner's instruction manual first. It will help you understand what the gadgets are on the canner and their names, and you'll feel more comfortable using it the first time. For more information on canning poultry, research government or university extension websites, such as National Center for Home Food Preservation (this is a fantastic website; I especially thought this publication from the University of Georgia cooperative extension office was helpful: Preserving Food), or The Ohio State University Extension. I read a lot of these websites and pamphlets before I began canning, since I like to make sure that I am doing it perfectly correct. :)

One more thing: The below directions are for a 23 Quart liquid capacity pressure canner (such as the Presto brand my friend has), which is a dial-gauge pressure canner. For instructions specific to a 30 Quart liquid capacity canner (like my All American), which is a weighted-gauge pressure canner, open this Google document: Canning Chicken in a 30-quart weighted-gauge pressure canner. Remember, my instructions below are not meant to replace the important step of reading your Pressure Canner's user manual instructions. I am only offering my instructions as an additional help. :)

Leave a comment if you have any questions.  Happy canning!

Canning Chicken in a Pressure Cooker – Raw Pack
Submitted by Erin ~ The Sisters Cafe


Ingredients:

• Fresh (not frozen) boneless chicken breasts. 7 quarts will require about 25-30 pounds of chicken. 20 pints will require more (my guess is 35-40 pounds.)


• Salt. Canning or pickling salt is recommended because table salt contains a noncaking filler which may cause cloudiness in the bottom of the jar. (However, we use table salt anyway.)


• Chicken bouillon granules. (The dry kind; not ‘Better than Bouillon’ varieties)

Equipment:

• 23-Quart liquid capacity pressure canner.  It has 7 quart capacity or 20 pint capacity (if you have two racks -one for the bottom of the canner and one between layers of pint jars. Otherwise it can hold 18 pints stagger stacked).


• 18-20 pint-sized glass jars or 7 quart-sized glass jars, brand new lids, and bands (the bands don’t have to be new).

Directions:

1. Prepare chicken: Remove any excess fat from the fresh chicken breasts, then cut in large chunks (4 or 5 pieces per breast). Set aside in the refrigerator until you are ready to fill the jars.


2. Warm up the canning jars by running them through a dishwasher cycle (heated dry turned on) without any detergent. Leave door closed until ready to fill jars.


3. Heat 3 quarts of water.  You will be pouring this into the canner. (You don't want to boil it, but it just needs to be hot. For raw packed foods (like as in this instance), the water should only be brought to 140 degrees F.)


4. Wash lids with soap and water and set aside. Preheating lids is NOT necessary. However, if you want to, cover lids with water in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer (180 degrees F) over medium heat for 10 minutes.  Keep lids hot until ready to use. To prevent seal failure, do NOT boil lids.


5. Using your warmed up pint-sized jars, pour ½ tsp salt and scant ½ tsp chicken bouillon granules into the bottom of each jar.  If using quart-sized jars, use 1 tsp salt and a scant 1 tsp chicken bouillon granules.

6. Loosely fill jars with chicken chunks, leaving 1 ¼ -inch headspace for expansion during processing.  Do not add any water or broth. The meat will form its own liquid as it cooks in the canner.  (FYI, in case you are wondering, this picture does not show 1 ¼ -inch headspace. So leave more headspace than shown.)

7.  Wipe the rim of the jar with a clean, damp paper towel to remove any bits of chicken or grease that may interfere with the seal. Center a lid on the jar. Apply band and adjust until fit is fingertip tight.

8.  Pour 3 quarts of boiling water into the canner, up to the 3 quart water line marked on the inside (in my canner, this is the lowest line marked near the bottom; your instruction manual will confirm if this is the case for your canner).  Always add water before setting jars in the canner.  Set the rack inside and evenly place jars on the rack. The jars may touch. If you have an extra rack to place between the layers of the pint jars, you may set 10 pint jars on the bottom, put the rack on them, then stagger stack 10 more jars on the top layer. If you do not have an extra rack, you may only be able to stagger stack 9 jars on the top layer.  (Stagger stack means you place one jar on top of two.)



9.  Cover. Do not place the pressure regulator on the vent pipe yet. Turn heat on high.

10.  When steam begins flowing steadily out of the vent pipe (for me, it usually heats for about 15 minutes before this occurs), put timer on for 10 minutes. Maintain a moderate steam flow. This procedure is called “exhausting”.



11.  After the 10 minutes are up, put the pressure regulator on the vent pipe, increase the heat to high, and wait for the pressure to reach 11 pounds pressure (if you are below 2,000 feet altitude).  (Plan on 5-10 minutes to reach pressure.)  (Process at 12 lbs for 2,001-4,000 feet altitude, and 13 lbs for 4,001-6,000 feet.)

12.  Once your pressure has been achieved, put the timer on for 75 minutes if using pints and 90 minutes if using quarts. Adjust your heat so that the correct pressure is maintained. To do so, you will need to keep checking it.

13.  When the time is up, turn off heat. Wait for the pressure to drop. Pressure is completed reduced when the air vent/ cover lock has dropped and no steam escapes when the pressure regulator is tilted.  This may take 45 minutes or longer. (Leave the pressure regulator on the vent pipe during this time.)

14.  When pressure has been completely reduced (and the air vent/cover lock has dropped), remove pressure regulator from vent pipe and let canner cool for 10 minutes.

15.  Take the jars out of the canner and set on a towel to cool. (FYI, the liquid in the jars will not reach up to the top. If you notice some chicken juice residue on the outside of your bottles, that’s okay. Sometimes they can leak if they have been packed too tightly, but it doesn’t wreck the seal.) Do not disturb the cans as they cool. After the recommended 12 hours, you may wipe the jars off, test the seals, remove bands, date the lids with a permanent marker, and store in a cool, dry place. (If any of the lids have not sealed, you will want to place the jar in the fridge for immediate use or reprocess it, before the 12 hour cooling period of course. To know if it is not sealed before the 12 hour mark, look at the lid closely to see if it has flattened or turned concave on the top. If it has, it is sealed. If it is convex, it may not have sealed and I would store it in the fridge until you can manually test it by pressing the center of the lid and seeing if it flexes up and down when pressed.)

Ham & Havarti Panini

When my friends and I got together for a luncheon a few months ago, our friend, Annie Christensen, made these delicious Ham & Havarti paninis for everyone.  They were so yummy!  We all thought they were fantastic.  Annie buys her Havarti and sourdough bread at Costco and stores extra loaves in the freezer so she’s never without. :) Try pairing these sandwiches with a warm soup for a delicious meal.

Ham & Havarti Panini
Submitted by Erin Walker – The Sisters Café

presliced sourdough bread
sliced Havarti cheese
sliced Ham
butter

Layer the sandwich with quantities according to your preference: bread, cheese, a thick layer of ham, cheese, bread.  Butter the outside of the sandwich.  Heat in a Panini press or an indoor electric grill.

*To make ahead: You can assemble the sandwiches and then place them back into the bread bag and keep in the refrigerator until you wish to serve them, at which point you can put them straight onto the Panini press.

Gingerbread Cookies

My friend, Jen Johnson, makes these yummy gingerbread cookies every Christmas. She even made them in the Fall too, in the shapes of maple leaves with pretty outlines piped along the edges. At Christmas time, she cuts them out using small (like, two-bite-size) gingerbreadman and snowman cutters.  They are soft and sweet, and a hit at any party. She says the best thing about them is that they freeze super well. So well, in fact, that they are actually softer after being frozen and then defrosted. I had fun making them for my preschooler’s Christmas party yesterday. I also delivered some to friends last night and one friend texted me when she found them on her doorstep, “These are too cute to eat!” J  They are cute and also yummy, so it’s a win-win! Hope you enjoy!

 Rolled Gingerbread Cookies

Submitted by Erin ~ The Sisters Café .com

1 cup shortening (I use butter flavored)
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup molasses
2 T vinegar
4 cups flour
1 ½ tsp soda
½ tsp salt
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4  tsp ground cloves

Cream shortening and sugar.  Beat in egg, molasses, and vinegar.  Sift together dry ingredients; blend in.  Chill at least 3 hours.
Roll dough ¼" thick on lightly floured surface. (I would highly recommend a silicone rolling mat. Mine is 24x16 inches.)



Cut in shapes.  Place 1 inch apart on greased cookie sheets (or a cookies sheet lined with a silicone mat or with parchment paper).   Bake at 375 for 5-8 minutes. The length of time depends on how large you cut your cookies. I baked mine for 7 or 8 minutes. Makes about 4-5 dozen.

To make icing:
Beat powdered sugar and a few Tablespoons of water together until it reaches a thick, non-runny consistency. It should be even thicker than molasses. Fill a frosting piping bag with the icing and use a Wilton size 3 or 4 tip. (Of course you can use a plastic bag with the corner snipped too. You won’t have the control that you get with a frosting tip, but it will do the job.)

Classic Pancakes

For the past few years I have exclusively been making buttermilk pancakes or waffles, or sourcream pancakes or waffles… or buttermilk whole wheat or oatmeal or-  ...you get the point. Anything but plain old pancakes with regular milk and no extra ingredients.  Until the other day, when, as I was flipping through my recipes, my long-forgotten original pancake recipe caught my eye. I decided to try them out again for old times sake.
WOW.  I definitely should not have snubbed these delicious ‘plain’ pancakes. Seriously, they were amazing. The perfect sweetness and texture, and so light!  And not a hint of greasiness that other buttery pancakes or waffles can acquire. I also liked how, when they were fresh off the griddle, they had a sweet crust on the outside with a soft, fluffy inside. My usually even-keel husband pronounced them the best pancakes ever, and his new all time favorite. Needless to say, we’re hooked, and we’ve been eating these for breakfast a lot lately. :)
This is the simple, classic Pancake in all its original glory.  Enjoy!

Classic Pancakes
submitted by Erin - thesisterscafe.com

2 eggs, separated
2 c. milk
½ c. oil
2 c. flour
1 Tb baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 Tb sugar

Beat egg whites until stiff; set aside. Combine yolks, milk and oil. Stir together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar and add to yolk and milk mixture; mix well. Fold in the egg whites gently with a spoon so you can still see streaks of the whites in the batter. Scoop onto hot griddle (around 275° works well for me) using a large soup spoon. (Each pancake should only be a few tablespoons of batter.) Flip when bubbles pop on the top, or when pancake is golden underneath.

Chicken Pot Pie

I like chicken pot pie, but the recipes I have had have been too time intensive for me to make them often, or much at all. After some time, I came up with this chicken pot pie version, in which I combined the recipes and simplified them into what I penciled-in as my 'quick' version. Last time I made this, it was so delicious and easy that I decided it was worthy of The Sisters Cafe. :) I hope you enjoy!

Chicken Pot Pie
submitted by Erin - The Sisters Cafe

2 large chicken breasts
5 T. flour
2 tsp dried parsley
2 tsp dried thyme
½ tsp pepper
2 ½ tsp chicken bouillon granules (about 2 ½ cubes)- I prefer using "Better than Bouillon"
4-5 T. butter
1 onion, chopped
1 head broccoli, cut into small bite sized pieces (or 1 bag frozen broccoli carrot mix)
1 ½ c. frozen peas
2 c. reserved chicken broth
1 c. skim milk

Prepare Barefoot Contessa’s pie crust recipe below; use half the pie crust dough for this pot pie. Or you may use your own recipe for a pie crust.
Boil chicken breasts in water, cool and chop. Reserve 2 cups of the broth.

Combine  flour, parsley, thyme, pepper, and chicken bouillon. Set aside.  Melt 4-5 T. butter in a large pan and add chopped onion and broccoli. Saute until broccoli is tender, then add peas.  Simmer until veggies are thawed and onions are cooked a little.  Add flour mixture, stir to coat.  Add 2 c. reserved chicken broth and skim milk.  Simmer until thickened. Add chicken pieces. Pour into a glass 9x13 baking dish.

Roll out pie crust thinly and lay on top. Cut off extra dough, leaving an inch of overhang (if there is any hanging over in the first place – this isn’t that big of a deal). Tuck in the extra dough around the edges. (*Be sure to roll out the pie crust very thin so it gets crispy throughout; otherwise, if it is too thick, the bottom of the crust will taste raw.) Cut some slits in the top of the crust.
Bake at 400° for 35 minutes or until the crust is golden.

 

Barefoot Contessa’s Pie Crust Recipe
(This makes two 10-inch pie crusts. Only use half of this dough for the pot pie.)

12 Tbs (1 1/2 sticks) very cold unsalted butter
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 Tbs sugar
1/3 cup very cold shortening (I always use butter flavored shortening)
6-8 Tbs (about 1/2 cup) ice water

Dice the butter and return it to the refrigerator while you prepare the flour mixture. Place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse a few times to mix. Add the butter and shortening. Pulse 8-12 times, until the butter is the size of peas. With the machine running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse the machine until the dough begins to form a ball. Dump out onto a floured lightly- silicone mat, divide into half, and roll each half into a ball and flatten into a disk. (Handle the dough as little as possible, to prevent overworking it.) Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Using a rolling pin, roll each disk out on a lightly-floured silicone mat into a circle, rolling for the center to the edge, turning and flouring the dough to make sure it doesn’t stick to the mat. Fold the dough in half, place in a pie pan, and unfold to fit the pan. Repeat with the the other half and use it as a top crust or another base pie crust.

*For this pot pie recipe, you only need one of the halves of pie crust dough. The other half may be kept in the disk, wrapped in seran wrap and placed in a freezer gallon-sized bag and kept in the freezer until you need it for another recipe.  At which time you may take it out of the freezer, let it soften for only a few minutes until it is workable, and roll out as usual.

Chicken Lazone

I found this recipe on food.com, posted by ‘Luby Luby Luby,’ with the description that it is comes  from the restaurant  “Brennan’s” in New Orleans.  I reduced the butter and cream it called for, and I thought it was fabulous. But if you care to make it the way it was originally, it called for ¼ c. butter and ½ c. heavy cream.
The chicken turned out exactly as I had hoped. It was flavorful and moist, and there was just enough sauce to enjoy it on the mashed potatoes as well. Yummy!  I served the chicken with Wonderful Mashed Potatoes, corn on the cob, and a Spinach, Apple, and Pecan Salad.

Chicken Lazone
Submitted by Erin  ~ The Sisters Cafe

1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
4 whole boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 T. butter, divided
5-6 T. heavy cream

Combine the seasonings and coat chicken breasts.
In a large sauté pan melt the butter and cook chicken over medium heat for about 7 to 8 minutes, turning once.
Pour the cream into the skillet and lower the heat.
Simmer for several minutes, stirring until the sauce thickens.
Place chicken breasts on four plates (I would recommend serving them on a bed of mashed potatoes) and top with the sauce.

Frozen Burritos

When my husband and I were newly weds, we lived in a one-bedroom apartment and both attended university full-time. When we visited his parents in Montana, his mom made a huge double-batch of freezer burritos and sent them home with us.  I remember many times when we packed the burritos with us to go on campus because we knew we would be there late.  During the day we just stored them in the fridge in my husband's research office. They were so convenient!
I had a new baby a few weeks ago, and before she arrived, I made a batch of these burritos. Wow - if these came in handy when I was a college student, they were truly a lifesaver when, after a busy day, I was scrambling at 6pm to feed three little kids and myself, while my husband was still at work and I had a new baby to nurse. Not only are they quick and convenient, but they are tasty too! And my kids love them. Between lunches and last-minute dinners, we burned these through burritos at a fast rate, and now that we are all out, I'm missing them!

Frozen Burritos
Submitted by Erin  - thesisterscafe.com

1 ½ lbs hamburger
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp garlic salt
a few grinds of pepper
1 (31 oz) can refried beans
1 (7 oz) can chopped green chilies
1 (about 10 oz) bottle mild red taco sauce
Half of a 10-oz can green enchilada sauce (or you can use about 5 oz from a bottle of green taco sauce)
¾ tsp cumin
¼ c. Pace chunky salsa
24 large flour tortillas
1 to 1 ½ lb shredded cheddar cheese

Brown hamburger with onion and drain excess grease.  Add remaining ingredients except tortillas and cheese and heat through.  (You may add salt to taste.) Lay out tortillas and divide meat mixture and cheese among them.  Roll up in plastic wrap, place in gallon-sized ziplock freezer bags, and freeze.
To serve, place one wrapped frozen burrito on a plate and microwave for 1 ½ minutes or so. Using kitchen shears, slice through the plastic wrap along the length of the burrito and discard. (If you discover the middle is still cold, heat it up a little more in the microwave.)
This recipe may be doubled.

Assembling the burritos:

 
Wrapping them up in plastic wrap:

 

Ready to pop in the freezer:

 

Beef Stroganoff

This is the best beef stroganoff I’ve had.  I’ve made lots of different recipes – some with gravy packets, some with sour cream, some with soup, and some without any processed ingredients in it at all.  This one is the best.  I hardly EVER cook with processed foods like cream of mushroom soups (I don’t particularly even like the taste of them), but there are a few select recipes that I use them for, and this is one of them.  It is really good.
Your cut of meat will make all the difference in this recipe.  My last roast turned out fabulous and was labeled ‘underblade’ (regularly $4.99/lb although I bought it on sale). Just remember this rule of thumb: your roast needs to have some fat marbling in it if you want it to be tender and fall apart after cooking. Ask your meat department for help if you don’t know what cut to buy.  Don’t use a Bottom Round or Top Round roast as they are too lean and will most likely turn out dry.
Be sure to not over-stir the meat when you are adding the remaining ingredients.  I mixed it up a little too much this last time; usually we like the meat to be a little chunkier than what is pictured. (It still tasted great, though.)  I served this on Fathers Day recently and of course it was a hit.  I hope you enjoy!

Beef Stroganoff
Submitted by Erin ~ The Sisters Cafe

2 lb Beef Chuck Pot Roast
1 ½ T. beef bouillon
2 T. Worcestershire sauce
2 T. water
1 medium diced onion
9 oz sliced FRESH mushrooms
1 can cream of golden mushroom soup
8-oz softened Neufchatel cream cheese
noodles

Combine roast, bouillon, Worcestershire sauce, and water in a crockpot. Cook on low for 5 hours.  In a bowl, mix together the onion, fresh mushrooms, and can of soup and then gently stir into the crockpot, breaking up the meat into very large pieces, and cook on high for 2 hours.  Carefully stir in the cream cheese without over mixing the meat – you want to keep the meat in bite-sized chunks rather than have it all shredded up.  Serve over noodles.

Recipe Source: adapted from this allrecipes.com recipe.

Teriyaki Chicken Tinfoil Packets

I have a confession to make.  I don’t like to eat my vegetables.  Luckily my children haven’t noticed yet that I give myself a *small* helping of peas with dinner.  I wonder if that saying ‘do as I say and not what I do’ will have any influence in this case. Probably not.  Well, this is one meal where it's easy for me to be a good example - I actually gobble up my veggies in this teriyaki dinner and love it.  It’s marvelous!  I have been loving this dinner idea ever since my sister-in-law, Emily, introduced me to it. All the veggies are steamed in the tinfoil packets with the teriyaki chicken, so when it’s time to eat, we open up our packets and pour the chicken, vegetables, and juice over a bowl of rice for a delicious and wholesome meal.   Love it! There’s no mess and no trouble, and it helps me enjoy my veggies!  Plus I regularly clear out all the leftover vegetables in the fridge.  Seriously a big WIN.  I hope you enjoy!

 

Chicken Teriyaki Tinfoil Dinner
Submitted by Erin  ~ thesisterscafe.com

4 chicken breasts
Veri Veri Teriyaki sauce (the best!)
About 6 cups of any combination of vegetables – my favorites are broccoli, carrots, white onion, and red bell peppers, plus I usually add whatever else I have on hand (such as sweet potatoes, celery, or zucchini).
Hoisin sauce
Olive oil

Cut up the chicken breasts into bite-sized chunks. Pour some teriyaki sauce over them and marinate for a few hours or overnight.  Cut up all the vegetables into large chunks. (For instance, I will peel one medium carrot and cut it into 3 or 4 pieces.)  Toss the vegetables with a few tablespoons of olive oil and a few tablespoons of hoisin sauce until they are coated.
Place four or five large rectangles of tin foil on the counter and divide the chicken among them.  Divide the vegetables among them, stacking the vegetables on top of the chicken in the middle.  Seal the packets by bringing up opposite sides and folding them together, making a cylinder. Then fold up the ends, pouring some leftover teriyaki marinade into the packets before sealing them.
Place packets on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 for about 40 minutes to an hour. Check for doneness by opening up a packet and checking the veggies and chicken.
Put brown rice on the stove to cook at the same time as you place the packets in the oven.
Serve packet contents (including juice) over bowls of rice.

Broccoli Chicken and Swiss Soup

This delicious soup recipe comes from my friend, Danyal Niedermeyer. She brought it to a church activity for the adult women in our congregation, and I have to confess that I had like three bowls of it!  It was SO good!  When I found out that Danyal made it, I told her how much I loved it. She said that when she was growing up her aunt would make it for all the family, and she remembers being so excited to go to her aunt's house just because of the soup!  :)  Now that has got to tell you how tasty this soup is!  :)   Hope you enjoy it, too!

Broccoli Chicken & Swiss Soup
Submitted by Erin  ~ The Sisters Cafe.com

1 whole cut-up chicken (I found the "whole cut-up chicken" packages next to the family roaster chickens at the grocery store. FYI, they are fresh, not frozen. Or you can use 5 or so chicken breasts.)
1 large can chicken broth along with some chicken bouillon cubes
2 cups carrots, peeled and sliced on the diagonal
1 small onion, chopped
1 (16-oz) bag frozen chopped broccoli
Flour, water, and milk
1 (12-oz) package of Kraft Swiss cheese containing 16 individually wrapped slices
Salt and pepper to taste

Boil chicken pieces in chicken broth, bouillon cubes, and some salt and pepper.  Add only as much water as needed to cover the chicken.  It will take about 15 minutes for the chicken to cook. Debone cooked chicken, reserving the chicken meat. If using a whole chicken, skim off most of the clear liquid fat accumulated on top of the broth. (If there seems to be a lot of broth, you can take some out and reserve it to the side, to be added later if necessary. This might help prevent your soup from being too watered down.) Return chicken meat to the broth and add sliced carrots and chopped onions. Simmer until veggies are cooked, about 10 minutes or so.  Add frozen broccoli and simmer until broccoli is cooked, 5-10 minutes. Add a few tablespoons of flour to some cold water and shake together to make a flour paste. Stir paste into the soup to thicken slightly. (If necessary, you may thin the soup with milk, although it was not necessary for me.)
Stir in cheese slices until melted. Add salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Peanut Ginger Chicken with Mango Salsa and Coconut Rice

Let me just say, this dish is FABULOUS!  Seriously, one of my new favorites.  I found it while surfing recipes online. :)  This was from Hilary's Health Blog.  The peanut-ginger chicken is yummy, the rice is sweet and creamy, but the mango salsa just makes it out-of-this-world. Yum!  Be sure to use a soft, ripe mango.  Who would think that mango, cucumber and cilantro would make the yummiest salsa?!
My husband was raving about how delicious dinner was.  We were actually babysitting our friends' four kids, so we had seven kids in the house including ours (all under the age of 7 :), and I was planning on feeding them after my husband and I ate our dinner.  Well, he liked it so much that he said, "Let's not feed this to all the kids.  Let's just keep it and give them something else..." so we made ham, cheese, & tomato sandwiches for them out of the French Bread I had just taken out of the oven. :)  So funny!

I know that this recipe might seem intimidating. But when you break it down, it is actually one of the simplest meals ever:
Step 1 - make the marinade the night before and put the raw chicken in it.
Step 2 - chop up the mango and cucumber and mix up the salsa that afternoon.
Step 3 - just before dinner, put the rice on to cook.
Step 4 - cook the chicken.

simple.

Peanut-Ginger Chicken with Mango Salsa and Coconut Rice
Submitted by Erin  ~  thesisterscafe.com

Peanut-Ginger Chicken Marinade
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I prefer using most of a 3-lb bag of defrosted chicken tenderloins)
½ cup boiling water
½ cup creamy peanut butter
¼ cup bottled chili sauce
3 T. soy sauce
2 T. olive oil
2 T. vinegar
1 T. grated fresh ginger or 1 t. ground ginger (I use fresh)

In a medium mixing bowl, gradually stir water into peanut butter. (The mixture will stiffen at first.) Stir in chili sauce, soy sauce, olive oil, vinegar, and ginger. Add chicken; stir to coat it with marinade. Chill in refrigerator for at least 12 hours or up to 24 hours.

Mango Salsa
1 cup chopped fresh mango
1 cup peeled, seeded, and diced cucumber
3 ½ T. sugar
1 T. canola or olive oil
1 T. vinegar
1 T. lime juice
½ c. fresh cilantro, chopped

In a medium mixing bowl, combine chopped mango, cilantro, cucumber, sugar, olive oil, vinegar, and lime juice. Cover and chill in refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to 2 hours.

Coconut Rice
2 c. coconut milk
1 ½ c. white rice
1 c. water
3 ½ T. sugar
½ t. salt

Combine the coconut milk, rice, water, sugar, and salt for the rice in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, stir once, then cover and cook for 18-20 minutes, or until rice is tender. Fluff with a fork, cover, and keep warm until serving. (You can also use your rice cooker.)

To Serve
At dinner time, grill the chicken. Or, in my case, I layered the chicken in a broiler-safe pan lined with tin foil (I spooned the excess marinade over the chicken) and put it 10-12 inches under the broiler for 5-7 minutes on both sides. The chicken should have slightly blackened edges. (Similar to our Chicken Tikka Masala recipe, that I love.)  Chicken baked this way always turns out moist and tender for me. Serve chicken with the mango salsa over the hot coconut rice. Makes 6 servings.

Scalloped Potatoes

These scalloped potatoes are a delicious side to a multitude of main dishes.  This time I served them alongside Pork Tenderloin with Chimichurri (which is delicious, by the way), Green Beans with Honey Cashew Sauce, and a garden salad with homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing.  I have had this recipe for years; I'm not sure where I got it originally but it must have been from a newspaper or something similar, since it has nutrition information.  Since onions, potatoes, and cheddar cheese are ingredients I always have on-hand, this dish can come together without a trip to the store.  It's delicious! Hope you enjoy!

Scalloped Potatoes
submitted by Erin  ~  thesisterscafe.com

3 Tb butter
1 small onion, minced
3 Tb flour
1 tsp salt
1 ½ c. milk
¼ lb sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (1 cup)
5 medium-sized potatoes (about 2 lbs), peeled and thinly sliced
¼ tsp paprika

About 1 ½ hours before serving, preheat oven to 375°.  In 2-quart saucepan over medium heat, in hot butter, cook onion until tender, about 5 minutes.  Stir in flour and salt until blended; cook 1 minute.  Gradually stir in milk and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens slightly.  Remove saucepan from heat; stir in ¼ c. shredded cheese.  In shallow 2-quart casserole, arrange half of the potato slices; pour half of the sauce on top; sprinkle with half of remaining cheese; repeat.  Sprinkle with paprika.  Bake, covered, 45 minutes.  Uncover and bake 15 minutes longer or until potatoes are tender.  Makes 6 accompaniment servings.

Each serving: About 255 calories, 14 g fat, 28 mg cholesterol, 585 mg sodium.

Crispy Baked Chicken Nuggets with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

When I plan my weekly menu I sometimes ask my boys for requests and these Chicken Nuggets are almost  always called out. They absolutely love them.  When I make these I have very happy boys at dinnertime!   I have a hard time serving my family the commercially prepared, pressed meat and deep fried variety, so I was happy when my sister Erin shared with me this much healthier recipe.  The best part of preparing these chicken nuggets is that my boys LOVE to crush the crackers that are needed for the coating.  I usually put the crackers in a sealed ziploc and let them pound their little fists on them like crazy.  This is a very exciting night to help with dinner...so much better than setting the table or making a salad:)  In the picture above, our crackers were not crushed very fine--like the recipe suggests. we must have been in a hurry that night:)  Also, pictured next to the Chicken Nuggets are our favorite homemade fries.  They are so good!!  I will share the secrets to crispy and delicious baked french fries with you next!

My weekly menu here.

Crispy Chicken Nuggets with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce
submitted by Melanie~The Sisters Cafe

1 lb Chicken breat halves (boneless, skinless)
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp parsley flakes
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
1/8 tsp salt
dash of black pepper
1 egg beaten
2 TB milk
30 rich round crackers (Ritz type, wheat or regular)--finely crushed (approx 1 1/4 cups)

Cut chicken into 1 1/2 in pieces.  In a plastic bag combine flour, parsley flakes, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper.  Add chicken pieces, a few at a time, to the flour mixture.  Close the bag and shake to coat chicken. Set chicken aside.

In a bowl stir together egg and milk.  In a second bowl place your crushed crackers.  Dip coated chicken, a few at a time, in the egg mixture and then roll in the crushed crackers to coat.  Place in a single layer on a large baking sheet.  Bake in a preheated 425 degree oven for 10-12 minutes until chicken is no longer pink.

Serve with Honey Mustard Dip

Honey Mustard Dip
1/2 cup mayonnaise (lowfat is fine)
4 tsp Dijon mustard
1 Tb honey

Combine ingredients for dip in a small bowl, stirring until well combined.  Cover and chill until serving time.

Cheesecake with a Graham Cracker Crust

This is my basic, go-to cheesecake recipe that has a graham cracker crust.  For being so simple, it is surprisingly fabulous!  The graham cracker crust is a must. And the faint lemon flavor is delish.  My good friend, Jen Johnson, made this for a fondue baby shower a while back. She had a whole spread of yummy things to dip in the fondue, but I couldn't get past the cheesecake and strawberries.  Needless to say, I asked her for the recipe!  :)  When I hosted a fondue party last week, this cheesecake was the perfect dipper!  Granted, we didn't actually dip them as often as we just drizzled the fondue on top of the cheesecake squares.  Anyway, it was yummy! When I made it for the party, I doubled the recipe and baked it in a glass rectangular 9x13 pan.  I had to increase the time when I doubled the recipe, but it wasn't by much.
You could, of course, serve this in traditional triangular slices with some fudge sauce and strawberry slices as a garnish.  It is great!

Cheesecake
Submitted by Erin  ~  The Sisters Cafe

Crust:
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar

Filling:
2 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
1 can sweetened condensed milk
3 eggs
1/4 cup lemon juice


Directions:

Crust:
Combine butter, graham cracker crumbs, and sugar. Press into the bottom of a 9" springform pan.

Filling:
In a large mixer bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Add sweetened condensed milk and beat until smooth.
Add eggs and lemon juice and mix well; pour over crust.

Bake for 50 to 55 minutes at 300 degrees F. Cake is done when it springs back when lightly touched. Cool to room temperature and then chill until serving.
Garnish as desired.

Candied Popcorn

I wanted to make some neighbor gifts yesterday, but I didn't have time to make and wrap individual caramels, nor make toffee and package it up, like I usually do.  So instead I whipped up a triple batch of this candied popcorn, scooped it up into bags, and tied it with a bow and our Christmas card. Viola!  This is a fast and delicious alternative to the classic candy-thermometer caramel popcorn that I usually make at Christmas time.  My friend Britni Hamblin brought some over a couple weeks ago, and I thought it was so delicious, and had such a pretty presentation, that I asked her for the recipe.  Thanks so much for sharing, Britni!

Candied Popcorn
submitted by Erin  ~ The Sisters Cafe

3 to 3 1/2 batches of air-popped popcorn (each batch is 1/2 c. unpopped corn kernels. So this would be the equivalent of 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups of unpopped corn kernels)
2 cubes butter (1 cup)
1 1/3 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. light corn syrup

First, pop all your popcorn.  Shake the popcorn and then scoop the top layers into a couple large mixing bowls. Leave the heavy and/or unpopped kernels behind. (This is important so no one breaks their teeth on your popcorn. :) )
Melt butter in a large pan.  Stir in sugar and corn syrup. Stir until all the sugar is dissolved. Continue stirring, on medium-low heat, until the mixture is completely smooth.  (It may bubble once or twice, but don't allow it to simmer or boil; if it does then the caramel mixture will be harder when it cools, which makes for brittle popcorn instead of soft popcorn.)  Turn heat off.
Using a ladle, drizzle the sugar mixture over a portion of your popcorn.  Then mix it with a spoon, add another portion of fresh popcorn, drizzle the mixture over it, and stir it around, etc.  Continue until all your mixture is evenly distributed on the popcorn.   (You do not necessarily have to use all your popcorn.  If you use less (ie, 3 batches), it will have a thicker coating. If you use more (ie, 3 1/2 batches), it will have a lighter coating.)
I packaged my candied popcorn into gallon sized twist-tie bags I bought at the grocery store. Or you can store it in a tupperware for a few days.  Or serve it right away!  Enjoy!

Salt Dough Ornaments

Making salt dough ornaments is a fun family tradition for Christmas-time that we do in our home.  The kids love creating these fun ornaments to give away as gifts to their school teachers, church teachers, and grandparents.  They feel extra excited to offer these special people a gift that they made themselves.  :)
Making these ornaments is very easy!  I hope you enjoy this with the children in your life!

Salt Dough Ornaments
submitted by Erin  ~ The Sisters Cafe

1 cup salt
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup luke warm water (or perhaps a bit less)

Mix salt and flour together and add water. Mix well until dough forms a ball. If it is sticky, add a little flour. Knead in a standing mixer for 5 minutes, or until smooth.  (You may also knead it by hand.)  Empty dough on a floured surface and knead a few times until it is not sticky and can easily be rolled out.  (You can store the dough in an airtight container for a few days before proceeding.)

Roll out to about a 3/4 inch thickness. Using cookie cutters, cut out Christmas shapes.

Place on a greased cookie sheet and poke one hole in the top of each ornament using a chopstick, skewer, or straw. (Be aware that the hole will close up a little as the dough expands and bakes.) Bake in a 200 degree oven for 1 to 2 hours, or until dry. (Pictured below before being baked.)
For a family fun night, gather the family together and paint the dried and cooled ornaments. (I highly recommend Crayola Washable Kids Paint in 10 (2-oz each) assorted colors. You can buy them at Walmart for $5 or so, and they are much more washable than regular craft paints.) Even my little 21-month old loved this!

Tie a square knot around the holes of the ornaments using string, and attach green wire hooks (purchased in the Christmas isle at grocery/market store) to the ornaments so they can hang on a Christmas tree.
This year my 1st grader gave an ornament to his teacher at school, taped to a potted poinsettia with a handmade card and some homemade caramels.  He wrote on the back of his ornament with a black permanent Sharpie marker. He was very excited to give it to his teacher. :)

Merry Christmas, everyone! And have fun making these ornaments at home!

Children's Homemade Play-do

Making homemade play dough is a super fun activity for the kids, especially in the wintertime when they are cooped up inside. They love to help make the play-do and since exact measurements are not crucial, they can help out more than they otherwise could. The play-do this recipe makes is soft and supple, and the kids love playing with it while it is still warm. We doubled the recipe last time when it was three kids, and it was more than enough and to spare. If you are making it for three or so children, you probably don’t need to double it.  My daughter wanted pink this time, so that is what we made. But you can make it any color you like.  Enjoy!

Homemade Play-do
Submitted by Erin  ~ The Sisters Cafe

1 cup flour
½ cup salt
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 cup water
2 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon food coloring

Combine flour, salt and cream of tartar in a large saucepan. Gradually stir in water, oil and food coloring. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until a ball forms and cleans the sides of the pan. Stir it around a few more times to ensure that it is all thickened and then remove it from the heat. Dump the dough out and allow it to cool until you can handle it, and knead it until it is nice and smooth.  Let the children play with it while it is still warm because that makes it more exciting!
Store it in a ziplock bag, with the air squeezed out. It will last for months.

Giveaway Winner!

The winner of the Rhodes Cookbook Giveaway from last week is Comment #55, from Michelle.

Congratulations, Michelle!
Please email us at contact@thesisterscafe.com with your home address and we will have your awesome cookbook sent to you!

For all of you who are baking and cooking up a storm this week in preparation for THANKSGIVING DINNER, check out the sidebar on the right for some of our favorite Thanksgiving dinner recipes.
For two amazing ways to prepare your turkey check out our Brined Roast Turkey and  Thanksgiving Turkey recipes, or go here to look at all our roll recipes, or here to look at all our pie recipes.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Cream Cheese Ring and a GIVEAWAY!

I was a guest blogger today over at Rhodes Bake-n-Serve Bread and I featured a recipe for a Cream Cheese Ring. This Cream Cheese Ring is a sweet strudel bread filled with cream cheese and prepared cinnamon-roll style for a gorgeous presentation.  It is always a hit with friends and family!  You can see the post and recipe here.

***It’s a GIVEAWAY!***  ---11/20/11 Giveaway Closed


We will be giving away one copy of their cookbook, Home Baked Family Favorites.  It is a fabulous cookbook full of 170 photographed recipes!
To enter, go to the Rhodes Blog and tell us what recipe you would like to try, then leave a comment on this post.  Comment before Sunday, November 16, at midnight Eastern Standard Time zone.

For extra entries:
*Become a Sisters Cafe follower (see links on our sidebar to the right)
*Like Sisters Cafe on Facebook
*Like Rhodes on Facebook
*Follow Rhodes on Twitter
*Subscribe to Rhodes YouTube Channel (see links below)

Chili

This is my mother-in-law, Michel Walker's recipe,  and my personal favorite version of classic chili. The first time I had this was at my in-law's cabin in Idaho, and I was amazed by how delicious it was!  By the way, Fritos and sour cream are a must!  I use my food storage pinto beans with this recipe, but you can also use canned pinto beans. I serve this around Halloween-time every year.  I particularly like to serve it with Brittany's JalapenoCheddar Cornbread. It is the moistest and tastiest cornbread I've ever had. Yum!

Chili
Submitted by Erin  ~ The Sisters Cafe

2 to 2 1/2 pounds ground beef
2 medium onions, diced
3 cups of dry pinto beans, soaked overnight (or 3 large cans (29 ounces each) pinto beans, drained)
46 oz. (one large can) tomato juice
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1-2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 bay leaves
Cheddar cheese, Fritos, and sour cream, for serving

Measure three cups (which is 1 ½ lbs) of pinto beans out and look through them for small pebbles. Rinse them off, and place them in a large bowl.  Soak the dry pinto beans in about 15 cups of water. Measuring the water is not necessary; just add water until they are covered by a few inches of water on top. In the morning, the beans will have absorbed a lot of the water. Rinse the beans and place in a large pot with plenty of fresh water and simmer for 2 hours with the lid cracked.  *Instead of using dry pinto beans, you may use 3 (29-oz) cans of pinto beans. One 29-oz can is equal to 3 cups of cooked beans, or 1 cup of dry beans. Beans triple in volume after being cooked.*

After beans are cooked, drain liquid reserving about ½ cup of liquid, and set beans aside. In the same pot, brown the hamburger and onion. Drain grease. Add all remaining ingredients, including the cooked beans, and stir to combine.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat and simmer for 1-4 hours, stirring occasionally. Serve topped with shredded cheddar cheese, a handful of Fritos, and a dollop of sour cream.