Mini Chicken Pot Pies with Herb and Cheese Biscuit Toppers

 After an amazingly warm September and October, I'm sitting at my kitchen counter and the snow is beginning to fall.  Chicken Pot Pie is the ultimate cold weather dish, and this update on the classic will get you in the mood for the winter weather coming. Mini Chicken Pot Pies with Herb and Cheese Biscuit Toppers are filled with comfort food goodness!

I've given two ways to make this dish: a busy-day canned soup variety that takes a few minutes to dump and bake and then a from scratch recipe for those who have a little more time. Either way, this dish is hearty and will make even the pickiest eater happy! 

Mini Chicken Pot Pies with Herb and Cheese Biscuit Toppers
A Bountiful Kitchen

filling:
1 tablespoons butter or olive oil
2 carrots ( or about 1 1/2 cups baby carrots, cut up)
1 cup of celery, chopped (or more carrots if you aren't a fan)

1 cup broccoli, chopped
1 cup onion, chopped I like sweet onions but white or yellow work as well
3 cups cooked, chopped chicken (or rotisserie chicken, cut up)

1 tablespoon dried tarragon, optional 

sauce:
6 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup sifted flour
2 teaspoons chicken stock concentrate*
1-2 cups water or milk
-OR-
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can milk

Cream Biscuit Topper
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon  baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 c cream
3 fresh basil leaves, chopped (or other herbs, about 2 tablespoons)
1 cup cheese, grated

Prepare the biscuits (directions below) and set aside.
Pre heat the oven to 375 and set rack in middle of oven. 

Saute carrots, celery, onion and tarragon together in a large stockpot for about about 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat add chopped broccoli, place lid on pan and let sit for 5 minutes.
In another pan, over medium heat melt 6 tablespoons butter and add 1/2 cup sifted flour. Whisk until smooth. Add 1 teaspoon salt and pepper each and 2 teaspoons chicken stock concentrate. Whisk until smooth. Slowly pour 1 1/2 cups water or milk into pan whisking until smooth and bubbly. If the mixture gets too thick, add a little more milk or water. The mixture should be the consistency of gravy. Pour this mixture over the cooked vegetables.
If you are using the soup method, add the soup and can of milk directly to the vegetable mixture after the vegetables are finished sitting for 5 minutes covered. Mix until the soup and milk are blended into the vegetables. Do not add salt to this mixture until you taste, the soup usually has enough salt included. 

Add cooked, chopped chicken to the vegetable/gravy mixture. 

Place ramekins on a cookie sheet.
Fill greased ramekins (about 8) or a 9x13 pan with vegetable, chicken and gravy mixture. Top each with a biscuit. Bake for about 12-15 minutes or until mixture is bubble and biscuits are golden. 

prepare biscuits:

Mix all dry ingredients together in large bowl. Add cream all at once, fold until dry mixture is absorbed. Fold in herbs and cheese.  If the mixture is too dry, add a tablespoon or two of additional cream. Pat out on floured surface to about 3/4 inch thick. Cut with round biscuit cutter or glass. The biscuit recipe usually makes about 12- 2 1/2 inch biscuits. 

Tips:
-*Stock concentrate is sold in many forms. It enhances the flavor of the gravy. Knorr and Swanson both sell stock concentrate. Knorr is sold in a little "cup" about 4 cups to a package the little cups are equal to about 1 tablespoon of flavoring ( one of the cups will be perfect in this recipe) . Swanson sells their product "Flavor Boost" in a box with 8 liquid packets included. You can also buy stock concentrate in jars at food specialty stores. These are usually sold in 2 cup (actual 2 cup measurement) jars that need to be refrigerated after opening. I always look for products that are MSG free. A crumbled bullion cube will also work.
-The biscuit can be made without the herb and cheese added. I used Smoked Gouda, but any cheese will work.
-You may use any combination of veggies. I strongly suggest using onions because of flavor, but green beans, peas, corn may be substituted for the other veggies.
-I frozen the leftovers by placing the entire ramekin in a Ziplock bag in the freezer. To use, let sit on counter for about one hour. Heat, covered for about 45 minutes at 350.
-To make this "quick and easy", use a can of soup and milk and a can of biscuits in place of the roux and cream biscuits. 

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Honey Lime Pork Tacos with Sweet Green Chili Sauce

What are you doing May 5?  Instead of heading to your favorite Mexican restaurant to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, why not create a tradition of celebrating in your home? The folks at Snake River Farms sent me a couple of  Kurobota Pork Roasts which I used in this recipe for Honey Lime Pork Tacos with Sweet Green Chili Sauce.
The incredibly tasty roast, combined with the lime, honey, jalapeño and green chiles made for a memorable meal. One of those meals you hope will be lunch the next day as well. The roast is one I haven't heard of or cooked previously. It was a collar roast. I've cooked Pork Shoulder, and Butt and Brisket, but never Pork Collar Roast. All I have to say is the flavor was incredible. There was a bit of marbling in the meat, which tends to disappear if you slow cook the roast and then shred, but is more visible when roasting over the grill or in the oven and then slicing.

I cooked two 4.5 lb roasts, two different ways: the first roast was slow cooked in the oven with a honey lime marinade, which I let sit overnight before cooking. The second roast was cooked over low  (about 300) heat on my gas grill for about 1 hour and 20 minutes. I checked the meat about every 10-15 minutes on the grill and flipped it  each time I checked the temperature. When the internal temperature reached 185 degrees I removed it from the grill and let sit for about 10 minutes before slicing.  I liked both methods. Slow cooking in the oven or crock pot is definitely the most simple way to cook a roast. Just marinate, brown, place in oven, cover tightly and let cook until the meat falls apart. The roasting method takes a bit more care, but I believe yielded a better tasting finished product. Either way, you're going to love this dish.
Happy 5th of May!

Honey Lime Pork Tacos with Sweet Green Chili Sauce
A Bountiful Kitchen

Honey Lime Marinade:
1/4 cup honey
2 limes, or 1/4 cup fresh juice
1 tablespoon smoke (liquid) flavoring
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 jalapeño, most of the seeds removed, chopped
1 4-5 lb pork collar or shoulder or Boston Butt Roast

Green Chile Lime Sauce:
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
1/3 cup honey
1/2 cup apple juice
1/2 - 1  jalapeño, chopped
7 oz can green chiles

for tacos:
Corn tortillas
green and purple cabbage, sliced thin
green onions, chopped
chopped cilantro
thin sliced radish

Make marinade:
Mix marinade ingredients in a ziplock bag.
Score the meat lightly, by taking a sharp knife and going across the meat in long strips (about 1-2 inches apart). Then cross the slits in a diamond pattern going back across the meat diagonally.
Place the meat in the refrigerator from 2-24 hours.

Cook meat:
When ready to cook, remove the meat from the marinade. Let excess juice drip off into bag, discard marinade and bag. Place meat on a plate.
Heat a small amount of olive oil in a dutch oven. Sear the meat on all sides, just until browned. Remove the pan from heat. Pour about 2 cups of chicken or vegetable broth into the pan.  Sprinkle meat generously with salt and pepper. Cover tightly (see tips below). Place in oven and cook for about 6-8 hours at 250 degrees. Mine was done close to the 6 hour mark.
When meat is done, place on cutting board. Let sit for about 5 minutes, then shred or slice thin across the grain. Or shred in pan, and then remove meat from pan. Remove any excess fat before serving.
If roasting over bbq grill or in oven, see directions above in post.

Assemble:
Cook corn tortillas on a lightly greased pan over medium high heat just until soft on each side, or heat a small amount of canola oil in a fry pan and cook tortillas, flipping once. After the tortilla is cooked on one side, flip and fold in half. Drain on a paper towel after cooking.
Place some of the sliced meat on the tortilla, top with green chili lime sauce, top with additional desired toppings. Serve immediately.
Yield about 8-10 servings
(3-4 tacos per person)

Tips:

-Make sure the seal is tight on the pan when slow cooking. You can do this by placing plastic wrap, (yes plastic wrap) over the top of the pan before placing the lid on. Press the lid down to form a tight seal on top of the wrap.  Doing this will create a seal so the liquid does not escape. It will not melt on the pan at a low temperature. This is only necessary if the lid on the pan does not form a tight seal.

This post was sponsored by Snake River Farms.

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Bowtie Pasta with Sausage, Tomatoes and Cream

I love recipes that are simple enough for a weeknight, but  are also special enough to be served to dinner guests. This recipe hits the jackpot for a dish that falls into both categories. 

My friend Laurie, also famous for a few other recipes on this blog (Laurie and Amy's Amazing Chocolate Cake,  Laurie's Amazing Carrot Cake,  Laurie's Creamy White Chili,  Laurie's Lemon Bars ) gave me this recipe. If you're new to ABK, here's a tip- anything with this woman's name on it is amazing and worth making. 

This dish is perfect for almost any occasion. I mean, really now. Who doesn't love pasta, cream, tomatoes and cheese?? 

Throw in a little sweet Italian sausage. Perfection in a bowl. 

Oh, and I forgot to mention. It takes less than 30 minutes start to serve. 

You're going to love this. 

And your family will too. 

Bowtie Pasta with Sausage, Tomatoes and Cream

Laurie Cutler (with slight alterations and additions)

1- 1 lb package bow tie pasta

1 lb sweet Italian sausage

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 cup chopped onion

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

1 lb fresh mushrooms, washed and sliced

3- 14.5 oz cans Italian style diced tomatoes, drained 

1 1/2 cups heavy cream 

1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese

salt to taste

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

additional Parmesan or Romano cheese, fresh grated

Cook pasta in boiling water according to package directions. Drain, toss with a little olive oil and set aside. 

Using medium-medium high heat cook sausage, red pepper flakes, chopped onion and sliced mushrooms in large pan until sausage is browned a bit, breaking up sausage into bite size chunks while cooking. This takes about 5 minutes. Add garlic during last minute of cooking.  Drain the grease. Pat sausage mixture with paper towels to remove excess grease from meat. 

Stir in tomatoes, cream and salt. Simmer until mixture is thickened a bit, about 8-10 minutes. Add about 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese to sauce.  

Stir cooked pasta into sauce, or pour sauce over cooked pasta on platter. Sprinkle with chopped fresh basil and grated Parmesan or Romano cheese. 

Serves 6 as a main dish

See tips below for making this lower in fat. 

Tips:

-I use a mixture of part sweet Italian sausage and part spicy sausage. 

-You may use part half and half, and part cream.

-I have used both Italian chopped tomatoes, or cans of plain chopped tomatoes. 

-To lighten this up, you could use 2-3 chicken breast halves and all half and half. Crush two of the cans of tomatoes before adding to the pan with a masher, or pulse in a blender for a few seconds. 

-When tomatoes are in season, use fresh juicy tomatoes, such as beefsteak tomatoes.  Chop several into a bowl, scooping juice into the bowl as well. Measure out about 5 1/2 cups of fresh tomatoes and juice. Add 2 teaspoons of salt, pinch of sugar and any of the following fresh or dried herbs( about 3 tablespoons fresh each, 1 tablespoon dried)  parsley, thyme, oregano. 

-This can also be made in the slow cooker. Cook the sausage, drain and place in slow cooker. Add the rest of ingredients, except the cream. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. 

last half hour of cooking, add the cream. Stir and turn temperature to high. Serve as directed over cooked pasta, top with fresh basil. 

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Our Favorite Chicken Divan

If you were to ask my kids what their favorite dinner was growing up, bets are they would all say the same thing. We called it "Chicken, Broccoli and Rice", but it is known to most as Chicken Divan. There are several ways to make Chicken Divan, the super simple canned soup route or the made from scratch version. It's one of those- adult version or kid version recipes.
My kids love both. When I was in a hurry, I could have dinner on the table in less than 20 minutes start to finish with the canned soup version, but the from scratch version doesn't take much longer, and in my opinion,  tastes waaay better. My favorite way to serve this dish is to bake it in the oven after making the sauce. I love the way the dish tastes when the sauce is spread over the rice and baked for a few minutes. But serving it straight from the stove top works too.
Oh, one more thing. If you're looking for a way to get your kids to eat broccoli, this dish should do the trick.

Our Favorite Chicken Divan aka  Chicken, Broccoli and Rice Dinner
A Bountiful Kitchen
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6-8 cups cooked rice ( I like Pearl or Japanese style rice for this dish)
4-5 cups chopped broccoli
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
1- .49 oz packet chicken flavoring*
1 teaspoon each salt and pepper
4 cups milk (skim)
1 cup mayo (regular or low fat)
4 cups cooked chicken
1 cup milk
1-2 cups grated cheddar cheese

Cook rice, set aside.
Steam broccoli by placing on a plate or non metal pie plate with about 3 tablespoons of water, cover with a damp paper towel and microwave on high for about 3 minutes or until bright green. Remove and set aside.
Melt butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add flour and cook while whisking and butter and flour make a smooth paste. Cook for about 2 minutes. Add one package liquid chicken flavoring and salt and pepper. Slowly add milk to the mixture a little at a time, whisking while adding milk.
Cook until mixture thickens, about 3-4 minutes on medium-medium high heat. Continue whisking.
Add mayo, whisking until smooth. Add broccoli, chicken and cheese. If the mixture is too thick, add an additional cup of milk until desired consistency.
If baking (not necessary) grease a 9x13 pan. Spread cooked rice (it's okay if it is still hot) into the dish. Pour chicken and broccoli mixture over the rice. Bake for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Top with additional grated cheese last ten minutes of baking.
If serving without baking all ingredients together, scoop rice onto individual plates and spoon broccoli and chicken mixture over the top of the rice.
Serves about 6

Alternative super quick and easy recipe, aka :

Foster Children's  Favorite Chicken, Broccoli and Rice Dinner

6-8 cups cooked rice
4-5 cups chopped broccoli
4 cups chicken (about 2-3 large chicken breast halves)
2 tablespoon olive or canola oil
salt and pepper
2 can cream of chicken soup regular or low fat
2 cans milk
1 cup mayo light or regular
1-2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice
2 cups grated cheese
more milk to thin, if necessary

Chop broccoli, set aside.
Cut up the chicken and place in a large pan with oil over medium-high heat. Cook until no longer pink, about 3-4 minutes. Add chopped broccoli to chicken in pan, cook until broccoli is bright green (about 3 minutes) . Add salt and pepper. Whisk in the soup, milk, mayo, lemon juice and grated cheese. Continue to cook until smooth and cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.
Serve over top of cooked rice.

Tips:
-*I like to use Swanson brand "Flavor Boost" 100% Natural Concentrated Broth. There are 4 packets to a box. You may also use bullion cubes(2) or other types of chicken flavoring. It is not necessary to use the flavoring in the second recipe, the canned soup has plenty of chicken flavoring.

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Snake River Farms Kurobuta Ham with Grilled Pineapple and Pomegranate Pineapple Glaze and Giveaway Winner!

Now that Thanksgiving is in the rear view mirror, and Christmas is just around the corner, the big question is- What to serve for Christmas dinner? I'm all about planning our Thanksgiving menu for weeks ahead, and spending hours in the kitchen preparing Thanksgiving dinner. But Christmas is a little different for me. Years ago, I gave up spending Christmas in the kitchen.  It's more of a stay in my jammies,  eat breakfast casserole, and enjoy the family type of day. I usually serve either ham or beef on Christmas day. Both are relatively simple to place in a pan and roast, leaving precious time to make a couple of simple side dishes (which I usually prepare a day or two ahead).  Those dishes can just be heated or pulled out of the fridge and served.




This year, I'm serving a Snake River Farms Kurobuta Ham. Snake River Farms is a family owned business that was founded in 1968. They are located in Boise, Idaho and are a business dedicated to producing the highest quality beef and pork in the USA. Snake River Farms are involved in every step of the beef life cycle including ranching, feeding, animal nutrition, processing meat, marketing and sales.

How much of a difference can there be in meat, you say? And particularly in ham?   I've cooked everything from grocery brand hams, to ham from specialty stores and mail order businesses, to spiral sliced hams sold in national chains. The Kurobuta hams from Snake River Farms come from 100% purebred Berkshire hogs grown in a network of small family farms using a slow fed process.  This is hands down the best ham I've ever eaten.
Ever.
In my life.
It has the perfect blend of salt, sweet and smokey flavors.  The Kurobuta ham is "...considered to be equivalent in status to Kobe beef." It's so tender, a butter knife is all you need at your place setting. I love it served with a bit of grilled fresh pineapple and some Pomegranate Pineapple Glaze. This dish takes about 10 minutes to prepare (the glaze).  Place it in the oven and you're free to watch another round of It's a Wonderful Life!

Want one for your holiday table? I've got an exclusive offer on a free ham for you and your holiday guests from Snake River Farms, enter below. Trust me. You want this ham on your table!
If you don't happen to win the ham the awesome folks at Snake River Farms are also offering a coupon code for free shipping, just use the code BOUNTIFUL when checking out. Make sure to order early so your ham will have time to ship and thaw.
Good luck!

Baked Ham with Grilled Pineapple and Pomegranate Pineapple Glaze
A Bountiful Kitchen
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** Snake River Farms Kurobuta hams are shipped frozen, make sure to allow enough time for  shipping and for ham to properly thaw in refrigerator before roasting- about 4-5 days. All Snake River Farms hams are fully cooked, but SRF recommends cooking in 325 degree oven, 20 minutes per pound allowing internal temperature to reach 140 degrees.

1 - Bone in Kurobuta Ham, 12-15 lbs*
1 Fresh Pineapple

glaze:
1 1/2 cups pomegranate juice (sold in refrigerated section of grocery)*
8 oz can crushed pineapple, not drained, or 8 oz fresh chopped pineapple
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup cold water
2 teaspoons cornstarch

Ham and oven prep:
About an hour before cooking, remove ham from refrigerator. Unwrap and place on roasting rack or place in roasting pan or pan that will hold the meat and catch the juices, fat side up.
Place rack on lower third of oven, remove any racks above that will interfere with cooking of ham.
For sauce:
In a small saucepan whisk together juice, crushed pineapple, brown sugar, soy sauce, mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Cook over medium high heat for about 5 minutes.
Whisk together 1/4 cup cold water and 2 teaspoons cornstarch in a measuring cup until smooth.
Slowly add the cornstarch mixture to the juice mixture in the pan, leaving the pan on heat. Reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook and whisk until slightly thickened. This will take about a minute. Cook for about 2 minutes and reduce heat again to low. When sauce is thickened a bit, turn heat off and leave on stove.
Place ham in oven for about 1 hour, uncovered.
After one hour,  slide rack out of oven, and pour about 3/4 cup of glaze over ham, making sure to cover all surfaces facing upward. Use a brush if needed. Slide the ham back in the oven, continue to cook until internal temperature reaches 140 degrees.
Remove from oven. Place a little more glaze on the ham if desired. Serve the remaining glaze with the ham on the side.

For grilled pineapple:
Lay pineapple on side, cut off top and end. Slice the remaining pineapple into 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices.
Brush pineapple lightly with olive oil or canola oil. Grill over medium high heat on bbq grill until lightly golden, or broil on cookie sheet in oven for about 2-3 minutes or slightly softened.

Tips:
-Allow several days for ham to thaw in refrigerator.
-Use a meat thermometer to gauge the internal temperature of ham. I like the oxo instant read thermometer, or a good old fashioned meat thermometer from the grocery store will work as well.
-If you purchase a 14 lb ham, you will need to allow 4-4 1/2 hours for warming in oven. Also allow about 10-15 minutes before carving ham after removing from oven.
- If you are not using an instant read thermometer, make sure your thermometer is facing the oven door, so you can peek at it occasionally and see the internal temp of the ham. You don't want to have to open the oven every time you take a peek at the meat!
-If your ham looks like it is drying out, cover loosely with foil and continue warming.
-If you like to serve lots of sauce with your ham, double the sauce recipe.
-*you may use a boneless ham as well, the cooking/warming time will need to be reduced most likely. Follow package instructions.
-**You may also substitute cherry or orange juice for the pomegranate juice.


Congratulations to R. Labrum, you have won a Snake River Farms Kurobuta Ham! Please email me at Fostersi at msn dot com to claim your prize.

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Tacos Al Pastor with Guacamole Taquero

Don't you love it when you get the scoop on an  off the beaten path not in the guide book  type of restaurant?  Last year, my friend Janis (who lived in Mexico for three years)  told me about her favorite go-to, casual Mexican restaurant.
Chunga's in SLC.





















WHAT?
Could it be the same place my teenage son had told me about a couple of years earlier? Saying they had "the best food, EVER!"  Any restaurant that makes burritos the size of your head is a winner in Jake's book. My tendency is to not believe Jake when he gives his stamp of approval on any restaurant, since McDonald's often falls into that category.

I was skeptical, but Janis seemed to be a person with good taste, so I decided to go against my initial impression and give it a try.
Oh.
My.
Here's my Insta of that day.
Loved it.

The Tacos Al Pastor were my favorite. I remembered my son Stephen talking about Tacos Al Pastor being one of his favorite meals when he lived in Puebla, Mexico.  I'm a sucker for anything savory and sweet, so this dish is right up my alley. It's the only thing I order at Chunga's and one of my favorite go-to places now.

You're going to love this make at home version. I found the recipe on Epicurious.com and made a few changes to make the process a bit more simple. We love the combination of flavors in this recipe. Perfect summer dish, no need to heat up the oven, just fire up the grill.
Speaking of summer, it's almost halfway over!
Yikes.






































Tacos Al Pastor with Guacamole Taquero (Taco Shop Guac)
Adapted from Epicurious
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1 large white onion
1  fresh ripe pineapple

marinade and meat:
1/2 cup orange juice, fresh squeezed is best
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
1/4 cup guajillo chile powder (or any type of chili powder will work)
3 garlic cloves, halved
2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano (preferably Mexican)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 large or 2 small chipotle chiles
2 1/2-to 3-pound boneless pork loin, cut into 1/2-inch slices

Corn tortillas

toppings:
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup chopped cabbage, optional
remaining chopped onion
Guacamole Taquero  (Taco shop guac- optional) for topping tacos
lime wedges

Early in the morning, or preferably the day before serving:
Coarsely chop 1 onion, divide into two even portions.
Place pineapple on cutting board. Slice the top off and discard. Slice about 1/2 inch off bottom of pineapple as well. Cut off the remaining peel or skin and discard, making sure to remove all bits of outer covering of pineapple. Slice in half, long way. Slice into half again. You should have four, long wedges of pineapple. Remove the core by slicing each wedge length wise down the middle. Remove all of the hard core and discard. Place one of the four wedges on cutting board and chop coarsely. Set other four wedges aside.
Place chopped onion and chopped pineapple in blender. Add orange juice and next 7 ingredients; puree marinade until smooth. Place pork in large resealable plastic bag. Add marinade and seal bag, releasing excess air. Turn to coat. Chill at least 4 hours and up to 1 day.
The following day, or later in the day:
Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat).
Grill remaining  wedges of pineapple until warm and slightly charred,  6-8 minutes per side. Remove from heat, set aside.
Grill pork with some marinade still clinging until slightly charred and cooked through, 2 to 4 minutes per side. Do not over cook.
Transfer pineapple and pork to work surface; chop pineapple into 1/2-inch cubes. Chop pork. Set aside.
Chop remaining onion half and place in medium bowl. Add cilantro; toss to combine. Grill tortillas until warm and slightly charred, about 10 seconds per side.
Serve pork-pineapple mixture with onion-cilantro relish, cabbage (if desired)  Guacamole Taquero, and lime wedges.

Tips:
-How to make your own guajillo chile powder: finely grind about 6 large dried seeded guajillo chiles in a spice mill to yield about 1/4 cup powder.
-You may serve this dish with a variety of toppings and or salsas. I love grated cabbage on tacos, even when they aren't fish tacos. Sliced cucumbers are a perfect addition, and always served at Chunga's.
-All of the prep- marinating the meat, grilling the pineapple, chopping the onions and cilantro and preparing any sauces served with the tacos may be done ahead. On the day of serving, simply cook the meat and chop. Grill the tortillas and serve.
-Pork loin is easily overcooked. I tried two methods, grilling and cooking in the oven. I preferred the taste of cooking over the grill. A Pork Butt will also work. Since about 1/2 of the butt meat is lost in fat removal, use a 5 lb Boston or Pork Butt. Marinate overnight. Cook on low for about 6 hours, remove fat and serve. Or, cook in 275 oven for about 6 hours. Shred and remove fat.

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Best BBQ Chicken Thighs with Honey-Orange BBQ Sauce

Chicken topped with Honey-Orange and Fresh Grated Ginger BBQ Sauce

How do you feel about chicken thighs? Before you make a face, or tell me they're too high in calories, or you only eat all-white chicken meat, hear me out. It's Father's Day on Sunday, and I have a feeling Dad wants you to keep reading...

Here are my "Top five reasons why you should barbecue thigh-meat for Dad on Sunday" :

1. All of the cool kids are eating thighs. Not really, but they are regularly found on menus at upscale restaurants.  Wait. What did Dad tell you about the cool kids? 
Disregard this reason. Go on to reason #2...

2. It's about 10 times more delicious and flavorful than a piece of white breast meat. 
I am not lying.  Don't look at me that way. Do I sound like your dad? 

3. Thighs are more difficult to over-cook than white meat. Always moist and delicious. I have never overcooked a piece of thigh meat. Not. one. time. It may be impossible to overcook thigh meat. Ask Dad about this. Most dads have a PHD (or equivalent) in grilling. 

4. A thigh costs about 1/2 the price of white chicken meat. I paid about $4 for 8 thighs.  
Dad loves it when you save $$$!!!  He'll be so proud. 

5. And finally, reason #5 why you should cook thighs for Dad on his special day...He'll love it. 

Best BBQ Chicken Thighs with Honey-Orange BBQ Sauce
A Bountiful Kitchen
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Sauce:
4 tablespoons  OJ concentrate (from a frozen can, thawed)
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons fresh grated ginger
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce ( I prefer Very Teriyaki brand)

8 thighs, bone in, skin removed
salt and pepper

Whisk all sauce ingredients together in small bowl.  Remove about 1/2 cup of sauce and set aside.
Place thighs in a dish and salt and pepper generously on both sides. Spoon the 1/2 cup of reserved sauce over the chicken to coat well. The chicken may be stored in refrigerator up to two days before cooking in sauce.
When ready to cook, remove chicken from refrigerator, and place on counter for about 1/2 hour.
Coat grill with a light layer of oil or  cooking spray. Heat grill to medium high heat. Place chicken on grill and cook for about 8-10 minutes per side. You may baste the chicken with the remaining sauce (that has been set aside and not used on the chicken) or drizzle the sauce over the chicken after it is cooked, or serve it on the side.
About 4 servings.

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Spinach, Chicken and Bowtie Pasta Salad for 100

Salad for 100, anyone?

Last summer, I made this salad three times, in two months, for groups of 100 or more.

Spinach, Chicken and Bowtie Pasta Salad is one of my all-time favorite pasta salad recipes. Here's why:  It sits well at a gathering (no mayo in the dressing). Perfect for weddings, funerals, missionary farewells and homecomings, Girl's Camp, family reunions, church parties and school events.  It's easy to make in large quantities.  Even though it looks summery it can be made year-round. AND last, but not least, everyone loves it.
The original 12-15 serving recipe is posted here . I've had oodles of requests over the years for a large quantity recipe, so I decided it would be best to re-post the recipe with directions to feed 100.
Make sure to read my tips short story (below the recipe) for all of the info you'll ever need (or want) to make pasta salad for the masses.
Happy salad making, my friends.

Got Chicken?

First three layers. 

Starting to look like something I'm interested in eating...

This was taken at Girl's Camp. I think we served 300 with these salads.
It was like the loaves and fishes. Kind of. 

Spinach, Chicken and Bowtie Pasta Salad for 100

A Bountiful Kitchen, adapted from Favorites cookbook
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Pasta:

5 lbs Bowtie pasta

Salad dressing:

2 2/3 cups vegetable or canola oil

1 1/3 cups Veri Veri Teriyaki Sauce, shaken

2 2/3 cups cider vinegar

1 1/3 cups granulated sugar

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons pepper

Salad ingredients (veggies and fruit) :

4 Costco tubs of Spinach ( 1 lb each)
8- 8 oz cans water chestnuts, drained and chopped into matchstick pieces
6 bunches green onions, chopped

48 oz - (1 large bag) Craisins 

12 cans mandarin oranges, drained well

2 cups sesame seeds, toasted

48 oz honey roasted peanuts or cashews

15 lbs chicken breasts, marinated (ingredients below), cooked, cooled and sliced

Teriyaki marinade for chicken:

6 cups soy sauce

2 cups sugar

1 Tablespoon or about 4 cloves garlic, crushed or chopped

1 Tablespoon pepper

Mix teriyaki marinade for chicken. 

Marinate chicken overnight, or at least 6 hours. Place the chicken in Ziplock bags and mix the marinade in a bowl, then pour into the bags over the chicken. The chicken may be taken directly from the freezer and set in the refrigerator in marinade for up to two days before cooking. 

After the chicken is marinated, place the drained chicken on baking sheets and broil the chicken for about 7-10 minutes (about 2-3 inches from element), or bake at 350 for about 45  minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in the middle.  Cool completely, trim off any fat and cut into slices. Set in refrigerator until ready to assemble salad. The chicken may be cooked up to three days before serving salad.
Discard any leftover marinade, DO NOT use the marinade in the salad dressing. 

Cook the pasta al dente, according to package directions. Drain, rinse quickly with cold water and toss with a tablespoon olive or canola oil  or a little of the Veri Teriyaki sauce and place in refrigerator in covered containers (I use gallon Ziplock bags) until ready to assemble salad. May be cooked up to three days before serving.

Blend the salad dressing ingredients together using large bowl or blender. Mix well. Keep refrigerated until ready to use.

Assembly:
May be done early in the day, or the day before serving.
Using two large containers, layer the ingredients to the salad in the following order (see photos)
Pasta, chicken, spinach, chopped water chestnuts, chopped green onions and Craisins. Make sure the water chestnuts are drained well.
Cover and refrigerate.
When ready to serve, add the following to the top of salad:
Drained mandarin oranges, toasted sesame seeds, honey roasted peanuts.
Mix the prepared salad dressing well, pour about 2 cups onto each container of salad, tossing gently so the mandarin oranges do not break apart. Add more salad dressing, sparingly, as needed.
Serve individually onto plates, or in a salad bowl.
Sprinkle with additional sesame seeds and nuts if desired.

Tips:

-This salad may be prepared in advance. When I'm making salads in large quantities, I usually start the day (or two) ahead with any of the steps that can be done early. Read this recipe carefully for instruction on make ahead.
-If you are serving this with a main dish, say at a barbecue, you may leave out the chicken. Or half the chicken (and marinade).
-This salad is a hearty serving of a main dish salad. It will yield 100 generous lunch size portions of salad. If served with a roll and dessert, it should satisfy most appetites. If you are serving the salad on a buffet, with other salads or sides, this should serve up to 150 as a side dish. 

-For the chicken, I buy Costco 10 lb bags of frozen- boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Usually the Tyson or Foster Farms brands. They are generally trimmed of most fat so the prep work is minimal regarding trimming the chicken. I use the chicken right out of the freezer, no thawing needed.
If you are trying to cut costs, use less chicken. This recipe may be adjusted to serve 100 with 10 lbs of chicken (instead of 15). Cut the teriyaki marinade for the chicken in half as well.
-Teriyaki Sauce for dressing on the salad- I like  Soy-Vay "Veri Veri Teriyaki"  for this recipe. It is highly concentrated, so you will use less than when using another brand. It can usually be purchased at most grocery stores and Walmart or Costco. I've also seen it online at Amazon.  Make sure to shake the bottle before using.

- Purchase Honey Roasted Planters Peanuts at Walmart in large size containers compared to the containers sold at the grocery, they are quite a bit less expensive. I love this recipe made with honey roasted cashews, but they cost quite a bit more than peanuts, so I usually stick with peanuts when making a large quantity.
-Less is more with regard to salad dressing. Use less dressing than you think you need initially. Let it sit for a few minutes and see how much has soaked into the pasta, and how much has settled to the bottom of the serving bowl. Add more dressing if needed. I rarely use all of the dressing.
-Purchase sesame seeds in bulk at the grocery in the health food aisle or in the Asian section of the grocery. The cost is significantly less than if purchased in the spice section.
-Toss the peanuts and the sesame seeds last onto the salad to preserve the crunch of the nuts.

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Southwest Slow Cooker Chicken

Have you heard? We're on a roll at A Bountiful Kitchen. Super simple. Quick and easy.  Last week I posted Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken, and Baked Taco Rollups.  This week, Southwest Slow Cooker Chicken.

It doesn't get easier than this. This is a dump-and-cook-in-the-crockpot recipe. You can serve it over rice, on tortilla chips, on a bed of lettuce, or in a taco (soft or hard shell). We usually eat it rolled up in a soft flour tortilla, with some lettuce and tomato. This is, by far, my favorite slow cooker recipe.

I'm betting it will be yours too.

Southwest Slow Cooker Chicken
A Bountiful Kitchen
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4 frozen chicken breast halves
2-3 cups salsa (red or green) I prefer green
1- 15 oz can black beans, drained
1 small bag of frozen corn or 1-15 oz can corn, drained
salt and pepper
2 cups grated cheese (cheddar, monterey jack, pepper jack if you like it spicy)
4 oz cream cheese (regular or low fat)

Coat the inside of a slow cooker with cooking spray.
Place the chicken in the cooker, salt and pepper generously.
Pour the salsa over the chicken.
Pour the drained black beans and corn on top of the chicken and salsa.
Cover with lid and cook on low for about 3 1/2 hours.
When the chicken is done, Spread the grated cheese over the top of the mixture in the slow cooker, and then top with 4 oz of cream cheese. Cover and let cook for another 1/2 hour.
Remove lid and gently break up the chicken. Spoon the mixture over tortilla chips, shredded lettuce or  taco shells.
Serves 6-8

Tips:
-The cooking time may vary, depending on the size of your slow cooker and how hot it cooks.
-Don't worry about thawing the chicken, it will cook up just fine!

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Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken

We are now two weeks into the new school year.
Adjustment time. As in- get my act together and figure out what I'm making for dinner before 6 pm.  I'm always looking for quick-fix dinner ideas. This recipe takes a little thought ahead of time, but you're set when the "What's for dinner??" question surfaces. It's simple and a complete meal when served with a dish of stir fried veggies.
The leftovers would be perfect for lunch served over some greens tossed with a little Balsamic dressing.
Lunch for Momma.
That's what I'm talking about.

Slow Cooker Sesame Chicken

Adapted from LDS Living Magazine online
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4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, fresh or frozen*
1/2 cup honey
½ cup soy sauce
1 cup diced onion
¼ cup ketchup
2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

1/2 teaspoon pepper

-------------------------------------
1 heaping tablespoon cornstarch
1/3 cup water
Sesame seeds

In slow cooker, combine honey, soy sauce, onion, ketchup, oil, garlic, pepper flakes and pepper. Place chicken in cooker, turn to cover with sauce. 

Cook on low 3 to 4 hours or just until chicken is cooked through. 

Remove chicken from slow cooker, leaving sauce in ceramic insert. 

Turn heat to high on slow cooker.

Whisk cornstarch into water and pour into slow cooker. Whisk to combine with sauce. Replace lid and cook sauce on high 10 more minutes or until slightly thickened.

Shred chicken, then return to pot and toss with sauce before serving. Sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired and serve with rice.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Tips:
-*I usually just throw chicken into the slow cooker frozen. It cooks in 3-4 hours on low. No thawing needed!

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Baked Ziti (new and improved) and Girl's Camp 2013

Last week I joined 300+ young women and their leaders in the mountains above Heber City. Depending on the day, we had between 330-350 girls and leaders in attendance.
With a crew of 7 joyful, hardworking women, we planned, cooked, and served about 3300 meals in 5 days. Did you just go back and re read that? Me too. Our meals included some ABK favorites: Teriyaki Spinach Pasta Salad,  Southwest Salad with Cilantro Honey Lime Dressing, Sweet Baked Beans (click on links for recipes) , and our favorite pasta- Baked Ziti. Ziti for camp? You know how they say food always tastes better when you're camping? I never fell for that line, but it's true if you are eating Baked Ziti.
We also made some new favorites I'll post in the next few weeks:  Kash's Black Cherry Chocolate Dutch Oven Cobbler, Janis' Hot Fudge Sauce, Slow Cooked Roast for French Dip and Cooler Corn for 350.  

Here are a few pics of our adventures in the mountains  kitchen...

The kitchen crew: Janis,Jenny,Brenda, me, Michelle, Mims, Stephanie, Kash.
Amazing women. 

Remember when I first posted Cook's Illustrated Baked Ziti  back in 2009? After making the Cook's recipe several times, I decided it needed a little tweaking. The biggest issues I had with their recipe were:

1. It was a bit on the dry side, especially when heating up for leftovers. 

2.There were too many steps (dishes to pour in and out of and other unnecessary complications). The recipe needed to be streamlined. 

I set out to make a dish with more sauce and easy to create in about 30 minutes. 

The result-we love this dish. 

The girls loved this dish. 

All 300 of them. 

Baked Ziti

A Bountiful Kitchen, adapted from Cook's Illustrated

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1 pound Ziti or other short, tubular pasta (it is usually easier for me to find Rigatoni)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 medium garlic cloves , minced
2-15 oz can tomato sauce

1-8 oz can tomato sauce
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
salt and pepper, about 1 teaspoon each
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves, divided
1 teaspoon sugar
Ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 cup heavy cream

1 pound whole milk cottage cheese or low fat  cottage cheese
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 ounces grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 1/2 cups)
8 ounces low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella cheese , cut into 1/4-inch pieces (about 1 1/2 cups)

Cook pasta for about 9 minutes. Drain and set aside. 

Place oil and garlic in large pan and sauté over medium heat just until fragrant. Add all of the tomato sauce, chopped tomatoes, sugar, oregano, salt and pepper and cook for about 10 minutes until thickened a bit. Turn off heat and add 1/2 cup of chopped basil. 

Pour heavy cream into a second large saucepan. While cream is cold, whisk in 1 teaspoon of cornstarch.  Simmer over medium heat for about 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and add 1lb of cottage cheese, 2 beaten eggs, 1 cup of the tomato sauce mixture, and half of the Parmesan and cubed mozzarella (reserving the remaining Parmesan and mozzarella for top of dish). Stir until combined (this mixture will now be a light red/pinkish color). 

Add the cooked pasta to the cream mixture. Stir until all of the pasta is coated. 

Pour into a greased 9x13 pan. Pour remaining tomato mixture over the top and sprinkle the remaining cubed mozzarella and Parmesan cheese on top of the pasta in dish. Top dish with remaining chopped fresh basil ( I like to save a few leaves for after baking as well for color). 

Cover dish tightly with foil. Bake at 350 degrees on middle rack of oven for 30 minutes with foil, then remove foil for last 30 minutes. Let sit for about 10 minutes before serving. 

Tips (longer than the recipe):
-We made 17x this recipe for the girls and divided it into 8 large (20 3/4 x 12 3/4x 3 inches deep-disposable foil steam table pans) The pans served about 35-40 each.
-We prepared the Ziti and covered each pan with foil until baking. The dish was prepared Saturday morning, and was baked Monday late afternoon. It was as good as if it were prepared on the same day.
-This dish may also be frozen after ingredients are poured into the pan.  About two hours before baking, remove from freezer and set on counter. When ready to bake, place in oven at 325 for 1 1/2 hours on middle rack.  After 1 1/2 hours, turn oven to 375, remove foil,  and bake an additional 15 minutes. Allow more time if multiple pans are being baked in the same oven (about 15  minutes per pan, while covered).
-If you don't have a basil plant, or enough basil to make this dish, I suggest a trip to Trader Joes, where you can buy (the biggest basil plant you have ever seen in your life) for $2.99 . That's right $2.99.  We used three trees plants to make 17 times this recipe, it was more than enough fresh basil for our Ziti-a-thon.
-When I first started making this dish as a child (jk) , I thought fresh mozzarella was always the best choice when following a recipe that called for mozzarella. Not so. It has way too much moisture for this dish. A firm mozzarella, that can easily be cut into cubes works best. It melts into the pasta dish without leaving water in the bottom of the dish.
-If you are making this recipe in large quantity, I found that the #10 cans found at Costco and other restaurant suppliers will cover 3x this recipe for the tomato sauce. So instead of: 2-15 oz cans and 1-8 oz can of tomato sauce for every three times this recipe, I used 1 #10 can of tomato sauce (approx 96 oz), and one additional 15 oz can of tomato sauce. If you 6x the recipe, use 2 #10 cans of tomato sauce and one #10 can of diced tomatoes.

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