HGG Community Forums

Here's my first contribution, it might seem like a lot but it is pretty easy and it is impressive looking!

Fruit Flan
Cake
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup flour (I'm Canadian so I just use all purpose)
1/4 cup milk
cream butter and sugar, add eggs, and mix to combine. Add baking powder and salt. Add milk and flour mix to combine. spread into a greased AND floured flan pan (if you have one) or just a round pan.
bake at 350f for 15-20 minutes, until a toothpick come out clean. Let cool completely before removing from pan

Filling
8oz (1 cup) Cream cheese
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla
Mix well, and spread over cooled cake.
Top with a variety of fruit (canned and fresh both work fine)

Glaze
2tbsp apricot jam or apple jelly
1 1/2 tsp water
melt together and brush over fruit.

Keep chilled until almost ready to serve

Lazy party buffalo chicken dip:

One can diced chicken, drained (about one breast)
8oz cream cheese
~3oz shredded cheese (I use Mexican Blend)
Hot sauce (to taste, I use ~3oz of Franks)

Optional, to taste:
Diced celery
Blue cheese or Gorgonzola (chunks or dressing)

Put ingredients into crock pot
(I use a 1.5qt one for single batch)
Turn on
Stir every once in a while
Eat when hot with some chips or whatever.

Bonus: Add milk or cream to leftovers to thin out and use as a pasta sauce (buffalo chicken Mac&cheese!)

Party Conversions:

---

3 cans drained chicken
3x 8oz bars of cream cheese
1/2 lb shredded cheese
~12 oz of hot sauce
Use a 3 or 4qt crock pot

---

6 cans drained chicken
3lb of cream cheese (6x 8oz bars)
1lb shredded cheese
1 25oz bottle hot sauce
Use a 6 or 7qt crock pot.

---

I make this at work all the time without the optional ingredients, 6x version. Total cost for the big batch is like $20 from a wholesale club. It gets destroyed.

I don't cook, really, so... Here's mine:

Easy Corn

1 can of corn of your choice.
1 spoon.
*Optional* Heat.
Enjoy!
=)) :))

I love collecting different recipes but I'm a picky eater so finding ones I'll actually eat can be tricky. I found these 2 randomly on Facebook and they've turned into favorites and are really great to bring to parties.

Chicken Parm Casserole (I'm going to copy the original recipe then explain my changes)

2 pounds boneless chicken- cut into 1 inch bites
1 large jar of marinara sauce (whatever you like)
1 bag of shredded mozzarella (don't use fresh grated)
2 cups Panko bread crumbs ( Italian seasoned)
2 tablespoons olive oil
garlic powder, seasoned salt and black pepper
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray casserole dish with cooking spray. Use garlic, seasoned salt and pepper to season chicken bites to your liking.

Put chicken in casserole. Pour in as much sauce as you want. Cover with mozzarella.

In a separate bowl mix oil and panko. Pour panko evenly over the cheese.

Cover with foil and bake for 30 mins. Uncover and bake additional 15 mins or until golden.

Serve over favorite pasta or as a side dish.

*Notes*: I use Prego Farmer's Market Classic Marinara and Progresso Italian seasoned Panko. Don't use fresh grated cheese because it is too watery in the dish...I made that mistake once and only once. Use as little or as much sauce as you like. My mom and I don't like much sauce so I only use about half a jar and serve the rest in a bowl for those that want more. You can make a bigger batch just adjust everything accordingly...I've made about 5 pounds of chicken at once.


Smothered Green Beans (aka Green Bean Casserole for those that don't like green bean casserole)

5 (15-oz) cans green beans, drained
1 pound thick sliced bacon
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1-1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Pour drained green beans in an ungreased 9x13-inch casserole.

In a large skillet, cook bacon until almost done but not too crispy. Remove from skillet, drain on paper towel and chop. Sprinkle cooked bacon on top of green beans.

Whisk together brown sugar, melted butter, soy sauce and garlic powder. Pour over green beans.

Bake uncovered for 40 minutes.

*Notes* I use smoked bacon for better taste. You can make a smaller batch... use 3 can of beans and same amount of every else.

I'll post more tomorrow I should be in bed.

My Grandma's Pumpkin Pie

1/8 tsp salt
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp ginger (we add a bit extra)
½ tsp cornstarch
1 2/3 cups evaporated milk (1 can)
1 ½ cups mashed pumpkin
Blend well in blender, bake in uncooked pie crust until barely set in center (it should still jiggle a little bit when touched like a cheesecake would, if you're not sure bake a little longer to be safe).

This makes one large pie or multiple smaller pies

Here's so recipe I have for Calzones it's from on of Gino DiCampos books and it is in my opinion the bees knees, and to turn it into pizza you basically just don't fold it in half.

This recipe makes 2.

Ingredients
-5 table spoons of extra virgin olive oil
-200g of strong white bread flour
-7g of fast action dried yeast
-A pinch of salt
-140ml of warm water
For the stuffing (this can be changed up however you like it)
-3 table spoons of extra virgin olive oil
-2 red peppers cut into thin strips
-300g of passata
-2 mozzarella balls cut up into cubes*
-10 fresh basil leaves
-12 slices of salami

Directions
1) Fry the peppers in the 3 tablespoons of olive oil for 6 minutes softened, season with salt and pepper and set aside to cool.
2) Brush 2 baking trays and a mixing bowl with olive boil
3) Put the flour, salt and yeast in a clean mixing bowl, make a well in the centre.
4) add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the water and mix with a wooden spoon to create a wet dough.
5)Kneed the dough on a lightly floured surface for 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic
6)Add the dough to the oiled bowl, brush the top of the dough with olive oil (stops it drying out) and cover with cling film.
7)Leave to rise in a warm place for 20 minutes.
8)Preheat the oven to gas mark 6
9)Put the dough on a floured surface, cut into two balls and shape them into circles that have a 22cm diameter roughly, place them on the baking trays.
10) Spread 100g of the passata on each base, arrange the mozzarella, pepper, basil and salami on top.
11)Fold the other half other to encase the filling. Pinch the edges to seal, turn the edges in making tucks at regular intervals to make a rope like effect.
12)Bake in the middle of the over for 14 minutes
13) After the 14 minutes are other brush a tablespoon of oil over each calzone and cover with the remaining passata and bake for another 2 minutes.
14)ENJOY

*He recommends using mozzarella made out of cows milk rather than buffalo as it doesn't make the base as soggy, though we can't find any up here and therefore use buffalo mozzarella but it didn't have much impact imo.

We do a lot of slowcooking for the convenience of it. Recently, hubster got me an instant pot, which will double as a slow cooker. I love that thing. Anyway, this is a favorite for us. I like chicken and noodles, but I always felt like it was missing something, or was too soupy. This works out perfectly for us. If you follow the recipe, the broth will get very thick. You can add both towards the end of the cooking process if you prefer :)

1 pkg frozen egg noodles, 24 ounce
2 can(s) cream of chicken soup, 14.7 oz each; sometimes I use 1 can chicken and 1 can cream of mushroom
1 stick (1/2) cup butter - cut into pieces
1 can(s) chicken broth, 32 oz; may want extra to thin out if too thick. The frozen noodles thicken the broth.
mixed vegetables, optional; I didn't use this time
1 tsp Better Than Bullion, optional; I add for a richer chicken flavor
6 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 4 large
salt & pepper, to taste; can add some parsley too if desired
Directions
1. Salt & pepper chicken breasts.
2. Place in the bottom of Crock Pot.
3. Spoon soup over the chicken.
4. Cut butter into several pats and place pieces evenly over soup.
5. Whisk the bouillon with the broth.
6. Pour over soup.
7. Place lid on the Crock Pot and turn to low. Cook for 6 hours.
8. Remove chicken and tear into pieces.
9. Add back to pot.
10. Now add noodles; if adding veggies add now. Cook for another 2 hours or until noodles are desired tenderness. I stir a few times during last 2 hours.