Fast n Easy Chicken and Dumplings

 

I had some biscuits that needed used and I found this gem!  Def a keeper for a warm and cozy meal without a ton of fuss!

*Adapted from Pillsbury Easy Chicken and Dumplings

Ingredients

1carton (32 oz) Progresso™ reduced-sodium chicken broth (4 cups)

3cups shredded cooked chicken (about 1 1/2 lb) OR 2 can of chunk canned chicken breasts

1can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup

1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning

1can (16.3 oz) Pillsbury™ Grands! biscuits (8 biscuits)

1bag of steamed mixed veggies

 

Steps

1  In 4- to 5-quart Dutch oven, heat broth, chicken, soup and poultry seasoning to boiling over medium-high heat; reduce heat to low. Cover; simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Increase heat to medium-high; return to a low boil. Add steamed mixed veggies

2  On lightly floured surface, roll or pat each biscuit to 1/8-inch thickness; cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips.

3  Drop strips, one at a time, into boiling chicken mixture. Reduce heat to low. Cover; simmer 15 to 20 minutes, stirring every five minutes to prevent dumplings from sticking.

Enjoy!

 

Easy Cheese Danish

 

I made these for the Hubs since he is a big fan.  Turned out great and I have made them several times since!

*adapted from Cincy Shopper

Ingredients

• 8 uncooked Crescent Rolls 1 large or 2 small cans
• 4 oz softened Cream Cheese
• 1/2 cup Sugar divided
• 1 1/2 tsp Vanilla
• 2 tbsp melted Butter
• 1 cup Powdered Sugar divided
• 2 tsp Milk

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Grease a cookie sheet and set aside.
• Beat together cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/2 cup Powdered Sugar and 1/2 tsp vanilla in medium bowl until blended.
• Unroll dough into 4 rectangles and seal perforations by pinching.
• Brush each rectangle with melted butter and sprinkle with a tablespoon of sugar.
• Roll each up log ways and pinch to seal.
• Coil into a spiral and slightly press down middle to make room for cream cheese filling.
• Place on prepared cookie sheet.
• Top each with about 1/4 of cream cheese mixture.
• Bake until golden brown (about 16-18 minutes).
• In a small bowl, combine remaining powdered sugar, milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla and stir until smooth.
• Drizzle over each roll.

Beef Vegetable Soup

 

Nothing better than a bowl of warm beef veggie soup on a cold winter day!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs slow cooked roast beef*
• 2 1/2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 3/4 cups chopped yellow onion (1 large)
• 1 1/4 cups peeled and chopped carrots (3 medium)
• 1 cup chopped celery (3 medium)
• 1 1/2 Tbsp minced garlic (4 cloves)
• 8 cups low-sodium beef broth or chicken broth
• 2 (14 oz.) cans diced tomatoes
• 1 1/2 tsp dried basil**
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1 lb red or yellow potatoes, chopped into 3/4-inch cubes
• 1 1/2 cups (5 oz.) chopped green beans (trim ends first)
• 1 1/2 cups frozen corn***
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
• *if you don't have fresh veggies, a bag of steamed mixed vegetable will work as well. 

Instructions

• Slow Cook a beef roast until fall appart tender.
• Add another 1 Tbsp oil to a dutch oven then add onions, carrots, and celery then saute 3 minutes, add garlic saute 1 minute longer.
• Pour in broth, tomatoes, browned beef, basil, oregano, thyme and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer, stirring once or twice throughout, for 30 minutes.
• Add potatoes then continue to simmer, covered, 20 minutes (you can also add green beans with potatoes if you like them very soft).
• Stir in green beans and simmer 15 minutes longer, or until all of the veggies are tender and add the beef.
• Pour in corn and peas and simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes. Let simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in parsley and serve warm.
• 
  
• *Recipe adapted from Cooking Classy

Brined and BBQ'd Chicken

Hubs had a special request to BBQ some chicken for a small group and since it was a first - we did our research on HOW TO do this successfully.  We learned it all starts with a magic brine and boy was it good!  This method by far is our favorite!

• *adapted from louisiana.kitchenandculture
•  2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs or 2 pounds boneless/skinless chicken breasts
• olive oil as needed
• barbecue sauce (recipe follows)

 

Brine:

• 2 quarts water
• 1 cup salt
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• ¼ cup granulated onion
• ¼ cup granulated garlic
• 2 Tbsp cayenne pepper (optional)

 

BBQ Sauce

• 1 cup coarsely chopped onion
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1½ cups ketchup
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons mustard
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/4 cup sweet relish
• 1 cup brown sugar
• salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste

Directions:

Brine

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.  Add chicken pieces and submerge completely; top with a small saucer with a weight on top if necessary to keep chicken submerged. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.

Sauce

Finely dice onion and garlic. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat; add chopped mixture and cook, stirring, until very soft, 10 to 12 minutes. Do not brown. Stir in chili powder and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add smoked paprika; cook, stirring, for about a minute to give the paprika time to absorb some of the oil.

Add remaining ingredients except for salt, pepper, and cayenne, return to heat, bring to a high simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Taste and adjust any of the ingredients until desired taste is met, adding salt, pepper, and cayenne as needed. Continue to cook, stirring often, until thickened and reduced to about 2 cups.

Sauce will keep, refrigerated, for up to 4 days. Leftovers are excellent stirred into baked beans.

Chicken

Remove chicken pieces from brine and discard brine; place on a rack or platter and allow to come to room temperature, about 1 hour.

Preheat a grill to 375ºF.

Rub chicken pieces all over with olive oil and season with black pepper and a light coat of BBQ Sauce. Place on the grill, (skin-side down if pieces have skin), cover, and cook, undisturbed, for 5 minutes. Turn chicken, baste the skin generously with barbecue sauce, cover, and cook for another 5 minutes. Turn and baste; cook until skin is browned and sticky, checking internal temp every 5 minutes. If desired, repeat process once to further glaze chicken. It should register 160ºF at the thickest part. Remove to a platter and allow to rest for 5 minutes, then serve. Enjoy!