THAT'S ITALIAN!!!!

One of greatest things about the holiday season, is planning and preparing a theme night for dinner! Here is another one of our themed dinners, that we hope you will use in your upcoming family traditions!

 Meat Manicotti Recipe:

8 manicotti shells
1 lb.ground beef
1/4 lb.Italian Sausage ( We like to use regular sausage)

1 cup mozzarella cheese(grated)
1 cup cheddar cheese(grated)
4 oz. cottage cheese
4 oz. Ricotta cheese
1/4 cup cracker crumbs (saltine)          
1 small onion (chopped)
2 garlic cloves (minced)
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 Tablespoon parsley flakes
salt and pepper to taste
2 eggs beaten  

Directions:

Cook manicotti according to directions on the box. Saute onion and garlic- add meats and cook until done. (Drain) Add spices. Put meat into a bowl and add cheese, eggs, cottage cheese, crumbs, and parsley. Mix together and stuff into cooked noodles. Lay single layer in 9x13 pan. Pour sauce over top. Bake at 325 degrees covered for 30 min. and uncovered for 10 minutes.

Sauce: Bottled spaghetti sauce or use our homemade tomato sauce that is on our blog ,and add your favorite Italian spices to it.









Stuffed Mushrooms Recipe:

2 pkgs. jimmy dean sausage
1- 8 oz. pkg, cream cheese                          
1 bunch green onions minced
1 Tablespoon minced green pepper
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Directions: Brown sausage. Drain grease. Press into paper towels to get as much grease out as possible. Mix sausage with cream cheese, onion, green pepper, and parmesan. Clean mushrooms. Remove stems and fill with sausage mixture. Dip tops into Italian bread crumbs. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 min.







Seasoned Swirl Rolls-

24 frozen rolls
1 Tablespoon seasoning blend (we use Italian seasoning blend for pizza and pasta)
1 Tablespoon dried oregano
1 Tablespoon dried basil or parsley
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup melted butter

Directions: Combine seasoning blend, oregano, basil, and cheese. Roll each roll into 10 in. snake rope and brush all sides with melted butter. Sprinkle one side with herb mixture. Roll up rope into a ball, seasoned side in. Place in muffin tins sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Cover with wrap and let rise to double the size. Remove wrap and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 min. Remove from pan to let cool.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Cake

Cake Recipe:
Make a yellow cake mix, make 2 oblong cakes by splitting cake mix in half.
(If you want to make up both cakes do the following for each cake)

Frosting Recipe-
Combine:
1- 8 oz. pkg.cream cheese
2 cups powdered sugar                                    


Mix:
2 pkg.dream whip


Add Dream whip and cream cheese mixture. Put until of cooled cake and refrigerate. Mix up and cook 1 large pkg. strawberry Danish dessert. (Use fruit variations: by using juice from frozen strawberries as part of water). After cooled add to packages. Frozen strawberries or 2 cups fresh strawberries. Cool and spread on top of cake and keep refrigerated.

Chinese Cuisine

With the holiday season upon us watch for some new party themed dishes, and of course treats of various kinds for sharing.



 For our first holiday themed night we included a fun Chinese New Year celebration! Check out the recipes below!

Chicken Ala King:

In a large pan cook:
2 squares of butter
1 cup chopped celery
1- 4 oz. can of mushrooms or 1/4 cup fresh mushrooms
2 cups chopped chicken

Whisk together and add:                                                          
1/4 cup flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup milk
chopped pimentos (optional)
1 tablespoon parsley flakes
Season to taste with onion salt, black pepper, garlic salt.


(We add a couple drops of yellow food coloring to add color)

Serve over rice with shredded cheese and oriental noodles.


Pot Sticker Filling:

Ingredients- makes about 40 pot stickers

2 gloves garlic minced
1/4 cup fine diced white onion
1 lb. ground beef
Add granulated garlic to taste
Add salt & pepper to taste
Add Tabasco sauce to taste
Add worcestershire sauce to taste
1 head of finely chopped cabbage
1 package pot sticker wraps
1 cup shredded carrots

Directions:
- Sweat the garlic cloves, and onions until translucent
- Add meat and cook until done
- Add granulated garlic, salt & pepper, tabasco sauce, and worcestershire sauce
- Let cool for 30 min.
- Add Cabbage
-Fill pot stickers
- Cook in canola oil until lightly brown
- Cool and Serve with soy sauce


Oriental Chicken Wings:

2 1/2 lbs. chicken wings
1 cup corn starch
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp/.garlic salt
2 eggs (beaten)

Sauce:
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup pineapple juice
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1 tsp. accent

Discard wing tips, ( other pieces of the chicken can be used- adjust the cooking time accordingly) and then cut in half. Rub garlic on chicken and let sit for 30 minutes. Put corn starch in paper bag, put wings in bag and shake. Dip coated wings in beaten eggs. Then fry until golden brown. Combine sauce ingredients, pour over wings and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.