Buffalo Chicken Wontons

I was wondering other day what I could make for an upcoming potluck dinner at our church, so I created these Buffalo Chicken Wontons, and by the way they disappeared, I think they were a success. Hope you enjoy them as well.


4 cups boneless, skinless, chicken breast; cooked and chopped fine
 ( I seasoned my chicken and baked it in the oven, but you could also use pre-cooked rotisserie chicken if you are in a hurry)

8 oz. bleu cheese, crumbled

8 oz. pepper jack cheese, shredded

1 cup milk

1 cup mayonnaise

1 pkg. dry Spicy Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix

1 Tbs. Hot Wing wing sauce

1 tsp. Bottled hot sauce

1/8 tsp. Lawry's Seasoned Salt

1/8 tsp. Ground Paprika

1 pkg. large, square won ton (or pastry) wrappers

Garnish:
bleu cheese dressing
additional hot sauce
celery sticks

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. In small mixing bowl, combine mayonnaise, milk, and dry ranch mix. Stir with a whisk to blend well, with no lumps. Cover and chill in refrigerator, for at least one hour.
3. Meanwhile, cut each won ton wrapper into 4 squares about ( 2in. by 2 in.)
4. Place each won ton wrapper into the bottoms of a cupcake pan, pressing to form a small cup, with the pointed corners flared out toward the edges of each cup. (repeat as many times as needed to make 32 wont ton cups.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 5 minutes till edges are lightly brown. Remove pans from oven ( but leave pastries in pan while preparing filling)
6. In large mixing bowl, combine chilled mayonnaise/milk mixture, chopped cooked chicken, cheeses, wing sauce, hot sauce, and spices. Stir with large spoon to combine well.
7. Spoon two tablespoons of mixture into each pre-baked won ton cup.  Sprinkle tops of each with a little paprika. Repeat step to make 32 won tons.
8. Bake again for 4-5 minutes till cheese is bubbly and edges are lightly brown.
9. yield: 32 won tons

If desired, garnish with a dollop of bleu cheese dressing on top of each won ton, an additional splash of hot sauce, and a small celery stick.

"Country Cooking"

Hey y'all.....

As much as I love southern and low country foods, when I have a "hankering" ( a craving ) for country food ~(excuse me; my Midwest "roots" are showing) I usually fix a simple meal that reminds me of home. There may be a little German influence to it, ( and a little southerness too) but it's so good ~  you'll have to try it for yourself, and then you'll know why I consider it another classic comfort food meal. I'm posting two recipes ~ "Smoked Sausage with Sauteed Cabbage" and "Fried Apples." I usually serve a big pot of pinto beans  with it, and a pan of cornbread.  Last night I added a cup of frozen, whole kernel corn to my basic cornbread recipe, and it was really good. I do a lot of experimenting in the kitchen ~ trial and error ~ fortunately my family doesn't mind being my taste testers.  My recipes makes about 4 servings, but you can always add more sausage for heartier appetites, or even add an extra side dish of collard greens. I also like to serve fresh slices of sweet onion on the side ~ it seems to really compliment the flavors of the sausage and apples.
I hope you enjoy this as much as my family does ~  Lulabelle

Smoked Sausage and Sauteed Cabbage

1 medium head green cabbage, sliced into strips

1 medium onion (white or yellow) sliced

2 Tbls. bacon grease ( or Crisco)

2 Tbls. Granulated sugar

2 Tbls. Balsamic vinegar ( or you can sub. apple cider vinegar instead)

1/8 tsp. Lawry's Seasoned Salt

dash of cayenne pepper

1 lb. smoked sausage, sliced into 2" pieces, then split lengthwise

1/4 cup water

1. Melt grease in bottom of a large, deep skillet, over medium heat.
2. Add Cabbage, onion, sugar, vinegar, spices, and water to skillet; stir well.
3. Place pieces of sausage on top of cabbage mixture, cover with lid.
4. Cook about 20 - 25 minutes  till cabbage is tender, stirring occasionally, and adding a little more water if mixture starts to stick. 
5. You can add more cayenne pepper for a little more "kick" ~ likewise with the sugar & vinegar, Just add more or less for personal preference.
6. Yield 4 servings

Country "Fried" Apples

4 medium apples, cored, sliced into wedges, but leave peeling on

2 Tbls. butter

1/4 granulated sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp. lemon juice

1. Melt butter in medium skillet, over low heat.
2. Add remaining ingredients, stir to combine. Cover skillet with a lid.
3. Cook for 20 -25 minutes stirring occasionally, until apples are tender and are caramelized.
4. If mixture starts to stick, add a few tablespoons water.
5. Yield: 4 servings



 

Taco Soup

I don't know about you, but I just love good ole "comfort food." when the weather is a little nippy outside, nothing says comfort like a big bowl of homemade soup. Most of us don't have all day to cook like our moms & grandmas did, so for all you working moms out there, here is an easy soup that is delicious, hearty, and can be stretched to feed unexpected guests. This is a favorite of my oldest daughter ( who still lives in the midwest; and you know how cold it gets there....BRRRR) in fact she introduced me to it several years ago. I like serving it with a big pan of freshly baked cornbread, but you can also opt to serve it with tortilla chips instead.  I also like to top it with shredded cheese and a dollop of sour cream. Hope y'all enjoy it!........Lulabelle

Taco Soup

1 lb ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped

1 pkg. dry taco seasoning mix

1 pkg. dry Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix

2 large cans diced tomatoes, undrained

1 can Rotel tomatoes, undrained

1 can black beans

1 can pinto beans

1 can whole kernal corn, drained

Toppings:

sour cream

shredded cheddar cheese

1. In large skillet, brown ground beef, add onions, cook till meat is fully cooked, drain off excess grease.

  2.  In large pot, over medium heat, combine tomatoes, beans, corn, Rotel,    

       and dry seasoning mixes.

  3.  Add meat and onion mixture to pot. Stir well to combine all ingredients.

  4.  Reduce heat to simmer. Cook for an additional 20 minutes till heated

      throughly.

   5. Serve with shredded cheese, and a dollop of sour cream; with corn bread

       or tortilla chips.