French Bread, Chicken Pockets and Cinnamon Rolls

I got this wonderful bread recipe when I married into the Jolley Family.  It is called 2 Hour French Bread and it is super easy. I always made French bread out of it and then one day I decided to make cinnamon rolls out of it.  I used the dough for scones and breadsticks as well.  One day, I had a bright idea. I loved though chicken pockets made with pop and fresh croissants but with a big family and on a limited budget I thought maybe I could make the same recipe with my French bread.  Wow did they turn out so much better than with the store bought rolls. 

This recipe is just stirred together.  In the picture above, it looks kind of a mess.  I promise you, if you will follow the recipe exactly it will turn out every time.  And you can use it for anything you would like!

Can you believe that is even the same bread as in the first picture.  It makes the most wonderful dough to work with. Anyway, make it into bread or rolls, or fill it with anything you can imagine. I will share some ideas with the recipe.  It's long so take a minute to look through all the ideas.

 Roll out for cinnamon rolls or orange rolls or even add raspberry jam to make sweet rolls.

 I spread butter over the dough and then sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.  Then I roll them up!

 Place on a sprayed pan.  I usually put them a little closer together than I did tonight!

 Let raise until double.  Bake at 400* for about 14 minutes!

Cool the rolls and then frost with your favorite frosting.

CHICKEN POCKETS:

 Mix together the cream cheese, onion, salt, pepper, melted butter and milk with a mixer

It will be very creamy and yummy!

 Add in the cubed chicken and mix it well

 Roll the dough out like for the cinnamon rolls and cut into about 3-4 inch squares.  Put a big spoonful of the chicken cream cheese mixture in the center.

Bring opposite corners of the dough up and pinch them together into little pockets. Roll them in melted butter and then in a mixture of Italian Style bread crumbs and Parmesan Cheese.

Bake at 400* until golden brown and hollow sounding when you thump on them.  (Around 16-20 minutes)

 

I make a gravy out of the chicken broth from when I baked the chicken but you can make your own gravy or use a can of Cream of Chicken soup. Anyway, these are little pillows of heaven that can bring comfort on a stormy winter night.  I hope you enjoy!

2 Hour French Bread

 

 

6 Cups Flour                                                                           1 Tbls. Salt

1 Pkg (or 1 tbls) Yeast                                                            1/3 cup Oil

3 Tbls. Sugar                                                                           2 1/2 Cups Hot Water

 

Mix the 3 cups flour, yeast, sugar and salt.  Add the water and the oil.  Mix together with a spoon and then add 3 more cups flour. Leave spoon in the bowl and stir down every 10 minutes for a total of 50 minutes.  Dough is ready to use.  Roll into bread loaves and let raise until double.  Can brush with whipped egg white for a crustier crust.  Bake at 400° for 20 minutes.   Makes 2 loaves French bread.

Chicken Cream Cheese Pockets

1 8-oz. pkg Cream Cheese                                                    4 Tbls. melted butter

4 Tbls. Milk                                                                              2 Tbls. grated onion

1/2 tsp. salt                                                                              1/4 tsp. pepper

4 cups cubed cooked chicken                                                Melted butter or margarine

Italian seasoned breadcrumbs.

 

Mix with a mixer all of the ingredients except the chicken, bread crumbs and butter to roll the rolls in.  Add the chicken and stir together.  Roll the dough like for cinnamon roll except thinner.  Cut into 4-inch squares.  Put a spoonful of filling in the center of each square.  Pull up opposite corners and seal well.  Dip in melted butter and then in breadcrumbs.  Put seam side down on a cookie sheet.  Do not let rise.  Bake at 400° for 16-20 minutes.  Serve with chicken gravy over the top.

 

 

Pizza in a Loaf

1-1/2 lbs. lean ground beef or sausage                      1 minced onion

1 can or jar of your favorite pizza sauce                    grated cheese

Any other pizza toppings

Brown meat & onion until done.  Drain.  Add pizza sauce and mix together.  Roll bread dough to fit into a greased jelly roll size cookie sheet.  Put meat mixture down the middle 1/3 of the dough.  Add any other pizza toppings you like and cheese.  Make 1 inch slits diagonally about 1 inch from the filling to the edge.  Fold over edges left side then right side and repeat until completed.  Do not let rise.  Bake immediately at 400° for 16-20 minutes.  Serve hot.

Stroganoff Pockets

1 lb. lean ground beef                                                             diced onion

1 can cream of mushroom                                                     1/2 cup sour cream

Italian seasoned bread crumbs                                               melted butter

Brown beef and onion.  Drain.  Add soup and sour cream. Cool.  Roll out bread and cut into 4-inch squares.  Put a spoonful of mixture in the center of each square (can use grated cheese too).  Pull up opposite corners and seal.  Dip in melted butter and bread crumbs.  Do not let rise. Bake at 400° 16-20 minutes.

 

Breakfast Pockets

Scrambled eggs                                                                      ham or bacon

Grated cheese                                                                        any other toppings

Roll bread out and cut into 4-inch squares.  Layer with egg, meat, cheese, etc.  Pull up opposite corners and seal.  Place seam side down.  Do not let rise.  Bake at 400° for 16-20 minutes.

Sloppy Joe Pockets

Roll out bread and cut into 4-inch squares.  Fill with your favorite sloppy joe mixture.  Pull up corners and seal.  Bake, seem side down, 400° 16-20 minute.

 

Taco Pockets

 

Taco filling                                                                               grated cheese

 

Roll out bread dough and cut into 4-inch squares.  Fill and seal.  Bake at 400° for 16-20 minutes.  Can serve with an enchilada sauce over the top.

 

 

 

 

Parmesan Rolls

Melt butter or margarine and mix in grated Parmesan cheese.  (Consistency should be like pancake batter).  Make rolls about the size of a large walnut.  Roll in the cheese mixture so it is completely covered.  Put on pan and let rise until doubled.  Bake at 375° for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

 

Orange Rolls

1 Cube Butter or Margarine, softened

1 Cup Sugar

Grated Orange Rind (Fresh)

 

Mix butter and sugar (Do not melt butter).  Add the grated orange peel and mix. Make rolls the size of large walnuts.  Put a dab of mixture on the top of each roll.  Let rise until double.  Bake at 375° for 15-20 minutes.  NOTE:  Sugar will burn if you are not careful.  It is helpful to use a coated baking sheet.

 

 

 

Copy Cat Chili's Chicken Fajitas

I decided to serve a taco bar for my kids that came for Sunday dinner.  I looked up a copycat Chili's fajita recipe on Pinterest and thought I would try it. It actually turned out yummy so I thought I would share!

I had thought maybe I would just cook the chicken in a pan but then I thought how much better it would be on the grill.  Chicken doesn't take as long to marinate as beef so I marinated it for only about 4 hours.  It grilled up beautifully!

The extra marinade at the end of the recipe made a difference.  Make sure you use it.  Enjoy this recipe.  It's both easy and yummy!

Copy Cat Chili's Fajitas

      Ingredients: 

1/4 Cup Fresh Lime Juice

3 tbs. Olive Oil

1/2 tsp. Liquid Smoke

3 tsp. Soy Sauce

1 tsp. Salt

1/8 tsp. Pepper

4 Cloves Garlic, crushed

1/2 tsp. Cayenne Pepper (it does make it a little spicy, if you like more mild add 1/8 tsp)

Steaks (I used 1 Flat Iron Steak 2-3 lbs). You can use chicken if you want. 

1 Onion

1 Green Bell Pepper 

1 Red Bell Pepper

1 Orange Bell Pepper 

Marinade to make for later (in a separate bowl):

2 tbs. Water

1 tsp. Soy Sauce

1/2 tsp. Fresh Lime Juice

Dash of salt and pepper

How to Make: 

1. First you will want to make your marinade for the steaks! I grabbed a gallon ziploc bag and poured it into that. Add your 1/4 cup fresh lime juice, oil, garlic, soy sauce, liquid smoke, cayenne, pepper and salt. Then add your steak and seal the bag up. Mix it around a little bit. It needs to marinade at least 4 hours all the way up to 24 hours. The longer you marinade the stronger the flavors will be.

2. Next you want to add your marinade to make for later ingredients into a bowl to store in the fridge. You will use this once the fajita’s are cooked, you will pour this over the veggies and steak for a little more flavor. Combine the ingredients listed above for the extra marinade, water, soy sauce, lime juice, and salt and pepper.

3. Once your meat has marinaded long enough, turn out your grill, I used our Green Mountain Grill, and turned it to 400 degrees. It is okay to use a charcoal grill. You will toss your steaks on and cook like you would any steak. Once they are done pull them off, and let cool a few minutes and then cut into strips!

4. In a pan add a little oil to the pan and toss in your diced peppers and onion. Cook until they get a bit soft, it won’t take very long, 5 minutes or so. Once they are cooked, toss in your steak, and use that marinade you made and put in the bowl, and pour over the veggies and steak. Stir well, and serve!

5. I had sour cream, shredded cheese, and salsa on hand. Serve on warm tortilla’s, and enjoy!

Shish-ka-bob Marinade and CRACK Rice

One of the very most favorite meals my family enjoys together is shish-ka-bobs and this most amazing rice pilaf.  My son-in-law affectionately calls it CRACK rice because it is so addictive!

I marinate the beef in this recipe but I marinate the chicken in Italian Salad Dressing.  We also do breakfast sausage and sometime brats cut into pieces.  You can put anything you love on a shish-ka-bob.  The beauty is that we let everyone make their own. Some make theirs with only meat and some have a little meat and more veggies.  You can also blanch mini carrots and summer squash in chunks and then wrap them in bacon.  MMMM! YUMMY!  We have a nifty shish-ka-bob cooker but we have done them on our gas grill as well. Go nuts! You will LOVE this recipe!

I cut the meat and add the marinade the night before so it has plenty of time to soak into and tenderize the meat.  You will notice that there is a LOT of salt in the recipe. The salt is what tenderizes the beef and it works great and tastes SO good!  Try it out and enjoys it completely!

Julie’s Shish-ka-Bob Marinade

*I usually do enough beef that I triple and sometime 4 x this marinade.  Use beef cut into bite sized pieces.  I usually use sirloin steaks, rump roast or beef chuck roasts

¼ cup oil                                            1 tsp. onion salt

¾ tsp. garlic salt                                1 tsp. oregano powder (I use flakes and crush it)

1 tsp.  mustard                                  2 Tbls. Vinegar

1 tsp. celery salt                                ½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper                                                1 small bay leaf crushed

Mix and bring to a boil.  Cool and pour over meat.  Let set overnight!

Rice Pilaf  (Nicknamed CRACK rice because it’s so addicting)

¼ lb. butter

2 cups rice

2-3 chopped green onions (or finely diced yellow onion)

Brown together and then add:

5 cups hot water

10 beef boullion cubes

Brown the rice and onions in butter over medium heat.  Be careful not to burn.  Add hot water and boullion.  Cover and put in the oven.

Bake at 400* for 30 minutes, stir

Bake another 15 minutes

Creamy LowFat Chicken Divan

So I really love creamy, yummy comfort food and as you know, when you are trying to lose weight those kinds of dishes don't fit into the diet. So, I made up this recipe as next to no fat and lower in calories. Then on my Weight Watchers online I fed in the recipe into the recipe builder and wah-la, it figured the points for me. This recipe is YUMMY! I am really proud of myself for coming up with it. Give it a try. You will probably like it too. I usually add a little more curry to mine cause I like it to have a kick! This recipe serves 4 and is only 6 points+ per serving.









The main ingredients. If you have never tried fat free half and half, you have to give it a try.












Mix the cornstarch with the broth and half and half. Stir over medium heat until it starts to boil, stirring constantly. Boil for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the cream cheese. Add the lemon juice and curry powder. Stir til combined.












Layer in a casserole the broccoli, the chicken and top with the sauce. Cover with foil and bake at 350* for 30 minutes or until it is hot and bubbly.











After sprinkling the parmesean cheese on top I turned the oven to broil just so it would start to brown a little. MMMM This recipe really hits the spot. Even if you aren't trying to lose weight, why not try something wonderful without all the calories. You can serve with noodles, baked potato or rice-Whatever you love. Give it a try.


Creamy Low Fat Chicken Divan

Weight Watchers 6 points+ per serving
Serves 4


1/4 cup cornstarch
1-1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup fat free half and half
2 Tbls. Neufchatel Cream Cheese
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
1 to 3 tsp. curry powder (depending on how hot you like it)
2 cups frozen or fresh chopped broccoli. (If you use fresh you might want to cook it part way. If frozen just add it right from the freezer)
2 cups cooked chopped chicken
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese


Mix the cornstarch, broth and half and half together and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until it comes to a boil. Continue to cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in the Neufchatel cream cheese, the lemon juice and the curry powder.

Layer in a casserole dish, broccoli, chicken and pour the Sauce over the top. Cover and bake at 350* for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Uncover and top with 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese. Bake until melted.

Serve with noodles, rice or a baked potato

Weight Watchers Broccoli Beef

Well, so I jumped on the Weight Watchers band wagon and I guess if I am going to keep this blog going, I'm going to have to try recipes that fit into my new lifestyle. I hope you will still try these out. I will be a good judge of if they are good or not and I probably WON'T be posting anything that is not good. So I tried out this broccoli beef recipe and totally loved it. It is easy to make and very very tasty. I love this kind of stuff anyway so it will fit right into my recipe book. I was lazy and didn't take a bunch of pics with this one but I hope you will try it anyway. I did make a couple of changes though. Some out of necessity and some out of laziness. It calls for fresh ginger and I didn't have any so I used my ground ginger and used only about half. I used beef broth instead of chicken-that just seemed like a no brainer to me. And I used garlic powder instead of the fresh stuff-that was the laziness. I also added onions because I didn't have enough broccoli and didn't want to go out into the cold to buy more (the laziness again). I liked it and think next time I will also add fresh mushrooms. Add what you like or keep it simple. Just sayin:)




Give it try. Even if you aren't watching what you eat, this is a good recipe to hold onto. You can serve it with rice, noodles, or eat it plain. Have fun:)


Weight Watchers Broccoli Beef

Ingredients
2 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch, divided
1/4 tsp table salt
3/4 pound(s) uncooked lean trimmed sirloin beef, thinly sliced against the grain
2 tsp canola oil
1 cup(s) reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided
5 cup(s) uncooked broccoli, florets (about a 12 oz bag)
1 Tbsp ginger root, fresh, minced
2 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste
1/4 cup(s) low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup(s) water


• On a plate, combine 2 tablespoons cornstarch and salt; add beef and toss to coat.
• Heat oil in a large nonstick wok or large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef and stir-fry until lightly browned and cooked through, about 4 minutes; transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon.
• Add 1/2 cup broth to same pan; stir to loosen any bits on food on bottom of pan. Add broccoli; cover and cook, tossing occasionally and sprinkling with a tablespoon water if needed, until broccoli is almost crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Uncover pan and add ginger, garlic and red pepper flakes; stir-fry until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• In a cup, stir together soy sauce, remaining 1/2 cup broth, remaining 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch and water until blended; stir into pan. Reduce heat to medium-low and bring to a simmer; simmer until slightly thickened, about 1 minute.
• Return beef and accumulated juices to pan; toss to coat. Serve. Yields about 1 1/4 cups per serving

Savory Crumble Topping for Chicken Pot Pie

This is comfort food to the max. I love it when the weather turns chilly and I want to start baking again. I saw this recipe on America's Test Kitchen and thought that I just needed to try it. I'm glad that I did. It really is very good. I hope you will try it. It could be used on your favorite potpie recipe. I included our favorite chicken potpie recipe incase you don't have one and I am including the crust recipe that I usually use on my potpie in case you want to try that too.








The recipe calls for a 2-1/1 quart casserole dish but I wanted to try individual servings. That was fun and would make for a fun party but for most family meals, I would just put it in the casserole. I double the recipe when I use a 9x13.






I love this potpie and I did like the savory crumble topping. I love my crust that I use on this potpie and have a feeling that's what I will use the most. I am really glad I tried this recipe, though, and who knows, I will probably make it again.



Savory Crumble Topping for Pot Pie
From America's Test Kitchen

2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
6 Tbls. unsalted butter cut into 1/2" cubes, chilled
1/2 cup grated parmesean cheese
3/4 cup +2 Tbls. cream

Preheat oven to 450*

Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper in a large bowl. Sprinkle the butter pieces in and incorporate with your fingers until it resembles coarse cornmeal. Stir in the parmesan, then add the cream and stir until just combined. Place on a lined, rimmed baking sheet and bake 10-13 minutes until becoming fragrant and browning. Cool.

Crumble into pieces and sprinkle over the pot pie. Bake until the filling is bubble and the crumble is browned.


Cheddar Chicken Potpie

1-1/2 cups chicken broth
2 cups cubed peeled potatoes
1 cup sliced carrots
1/2 cup sliced celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup flour
1-1/2 cup milk
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
4 cups cooked diced chicken
1/4 tsp. poultry seasoning
salt and pepper to taste

In a large pan, bring the broth to a boil. Add the vegetables and cook until fork tender. Blend the flour with the milk and add into the broth. Stir to thicken. Add the chicken, cheese and poultry seasoning. (Can add frozen peas if you want). Pour into a 2-1/2 qt. casserole. Top with crust or savory crumble topping. Bake until bubbly and crumble is brown. If using a crust bake for 15-20 minutes or until crust is browned.

Potpie Crust

1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup shortening
1 egg

Mix the flour and salt together. Cut in the shortening. Add the egg and mix together. Roll out on a floured board and place on the potpie. It usually comes up in pieces so I kind of just fit it together but it is so so good.

Easy Chicken Enchilada Casserole

So this enchilada casserole is not a new recipe. My family has loved it for a long time but I thought I would share it. This is a mutated recipe from my chicken enchiladas. I adapted it years ago for girls camp in a dutch oven. Needless to say it has become a favorite in my family and with past young women's groups. It is easy. We use chicken but you could sub out with beef if you want. Actually, you could make it the way you love it. The sauce is easy. It was introduced to me in college from a roommate and we absolutely love it. El Pato sauce is found by the tomato sauce in the grocery store and it is yum. I have tried other brands of Mexican tomato sauce but I keep coming back to El Pato-it's the best!









This is just a layer kind of casserole. I start with just a small amount of the sauce in the bottom of a greased (spray) casserole dish. The spray just helps clean up of the dish easier. Add half of the crushed chips, chicken, sauce and cheese. The next layer should stop with the sauce. Cover with foil and bake at 350* until it is bubbly into the center.










When the casserole is hot and bubbly, remove from the oven and add chips to the top and cheese. Return to the oven and leave it long enough to melt the cheese and it starts to brown. If you can't wait like me, you can turn on the broiler and get it to that point quicker.









After you scoop it up onto a plate, you can top it with sour cream and lettuce if you like. You could add olives, or chopped green onion or whatever you love. It is just Delish!





This casserole is just so good and so easy to assemble. If you love comfort food with a little kick, you will love this little dish. You can add whatever you love in enchiladas, my family just really loves it with chicken. Give it a try-you won't be sorry.





Easy Chicken Enchilada Casserole

4 c. cooked chicken cubed or shredded
Corn tortilla chips (it's a guess)
3 c. cheese shredded
1 can El Pato sauce
1 can tomato sauce
2 cans cream of chicken soup
sour cream
lettuce

Cook up the chicken or shred a rotisserie chicken. Mix the sauce using the El Pato sauce, tomato sauce and soup. Crush up some of the chips. Shred the cheese. In a casserole dish start with a small amount of sauce, add half the crushed chips, half the chicken, half the sauce and half the cheese. Repeat layers to the sauce. Bake until bubbly. At the end add some chips broken into bigger pieces and top with cheese. Return to the oven until the cheese is bubbly and it's starting to brown. Top with sour cream and lettuce if you like. YUMMY!