The Cooking Family

Smothered Barbecue Chicken

Smothered Barbecue Chicken
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Smothered Barbecue Chicken
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
 

I've done this recipe before with frozen mesquite chicken breasts, however I haven't been able to find them recently so I developed this recipe using fresh chicken breasts and liked the result even better. This pairs well with our cinnamon apples, check out our recipe for these on our website. We made it for company last night and they loved it. We hope you like it too.

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: barbecue chicken, chicken recipe, smothered chicken
Author: Tracy
Ingredients
  • 4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 pack McCormick Grill Mates Mesquite Marinade (1.06 oz)
  • 4-6 pieces bacon (one for each chicken breast)
  • 6 oz. barbecue sauce (I used Sweet Baby Ray's Hickory and Brown Sugar)
  • 1 small onion
  • 1 small bag shredded cheddar cheese
  • butter (to saute onions)
  • olive oil (to sear chicken)
Instructions

  1. Cut excess fat off of your chicken.

  2. Make your mesquite marinade according to package instructions. Marinade for 10-15 minutes.

  3. Remove your chicken from the marinade and discard the marinade. Sear your chicken on all sides.

  4. Place chicken in baking dish and cook for 25 minutes at 350 degrees.

  5. Slice your onion and place to the side about 10-15 minutes before your chicken is ready to come out of the oven.

  6. Cook your bacon after slicing the onion. Blot excess grease off the bacon. Place to the side.

  7. Remove the chicken from the oven.

  8. Spread one thin layer of barbecue sauce over the top of each chicken breast.

  9. Sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese over the barbecue sauce.

  10. Break each bacon strip into 2-3 pieces and cover the cheese.

  11. Add another layer of barbecue sauce, this one a little thicker than the first.

  12. Add another layer of shredded cheese.

  13. Return dish to oven and cook for another 5 minutes.

  14. While your chicken is cooking saute your onions in butter.

  15. Pull your chicken out of the oven. Serve with sauteed onions over the top.

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Juanita’s Lasagna

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Juanita’s Lasagna
Prep Time
3 hrs 15 mins
Cook Time
45 mins
 

This is another family favorite. This recipe is the best lasagna I've ever tasted. I can still remember going into Grandma's house and smelling this lasagna cooking in the oven. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: homemade lasagna, lasagna
Author: Juanita
Ingredients
  • 2 28 oz. cans of tomatoes with juice
  • 2 28 oz. cans of tomato paste
  • 1 large chopped onion
  • 6 cloves minced garlic
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
  • 6 bay leaves
  • 1 1/2 tsp. sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp. ground fennel
  • 1 tsp. basil
  • 1 tsp. oregano
  • 24 oz. cottage cheese
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 8 oz. can grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 pkg. swiss cheese
  • 1 pkg. lasagna noodles
  • salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Sauce

  1. Saute onion and garlic in olive oil over medium heat until soft and set aside.

  2. Cook ground beef in a large pan or dutch oven, drain and return to pan.

  3. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, onion, garlic and remaining seasonings to the ground beef.

  4. Stir well, cover and simmer 3 hours.

  5. Remove bay leaves when finished.

Cheese Mixture

  1. While sauce simmers lightly beat the egg, combine and mix with cottage cheese and parmesan cheese.

  2. Chill until ready to use.

Lasagna

  1. Cook the lasagna noodles per package instructions and drain.

  2. Spray or oil a 13 x 9 casserole pan.

  3. Put enough sauce to cover the bottom of the pan.

  4. Add a layer of lasagna noodles over sauce.

  5. Remove cheese mixture from the refrigerator and stir. Then spread cheese mixture on top of noodles.

  6. Repeat layers making 2 or 3 layers, finishing with a layer of sauce.

  7. Cover with Swiss cheese slices. Swiss cheese can be replaced with Mozzarella, Italian cheese blend or your cheese of choice. Juanita always used Swiss.

  8. Cover with aluminum foil. I insert several toothpicks into the lasagna before covering with foil to insure it doesn’t stick to the cheese.

  9. Cook 45 minutes to an hour, or until lasagna is bubbly around the edges. Remove the foil for the last few minutes to lightly brown the cheese.

  10. Cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.

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The Best Italian Meatballs

Italian Meatballs
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The Best Italian Meatballs
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
3 hrs
 

These are Italian meatballs, just like they make in Italy. These are the best I've ever tasted. I remember eating these at Grandma's house. They were always a frequently requested family favorite. We hope you like them as much as we do.

You can also use this recipe to make Italian meatloaf. The meatloaf recipe follows the meatball recipe.

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: homemade meatballs, italian meatballs
Author: Juanita
Ingredients
Spaghetti Sauce
  • 2 20 oz. cans of tomatoes
  • 2 large cans of tomato paste
  • 1 large chopped onion
  • 6 cloves of garlic, minced (can substitute 2 – 2 1/2 tsp. garlic powder)
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 6 bay leaves
  • 1 1/2 tsp. sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp. ground fennel seed (or anise seed)
  • basil, oregano, salt, pepper all to taste
Meatballs
  • 1 lb. ground beef
  • 1/2 lb. ground pork
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 beaten eggs
  • 5-6 slices soft bread crumbs (or 1 1/2 cups dry)
  • 1 Tbsp. salt
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
  • 2 Tbsp. clipped fresh parsley
  • pepper to taste
Instructions
For Sauce

  1. Saute your onion and garlic in olive oil until soft.

  2. Add tomato paste and 2 paste cans worth of water, tomatoes and your seasonings and mix well.

  3. Simmer 3 hours. Serve over spaghetti with the meatballs listed below.

Meatballs

  1. Mix all ingredients thouroughly and form into small balls.

  2. Brown the meatballs.

  3. Add to the sauce above the last one and a half hours of cooking.

Meatloaf

  1. To make a meatloaf from the meatball recipe follow the steps below.

  2. Form into large loaf.

  3. Cook at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

  4. Brown under broiler for a minute or two.

  5. Baste with spaghetti sauce recipe listed above and cook for an additional 30 minutes.

  6. Top with mozzarella for last minute of cooking.

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Juanita’s Rice Pudding

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Juanita’s Rice Pudding
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
1 hr 30 mins
 
Course: Dessert, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: rice pudding
Author: Juanita
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup uncooked rice
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 quart milk
  • 1/8 lb. butter
  • pinch of salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • pinch of nutmeg
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
Instructions

  1. Boil the uncooked rice, water, milk, butter and salt for one and a half hours. Stir occasionally.

  2. Beat lightly your eggs, sugar and nutmeg.

  3. Turn down the pot to low and add egg mixture slowly.

  4. Slowly add your vanilla and raisins and cook on low until thick enough to coat the spoon, stirring occasionally.

  5. Remove from heat and sprinkle additional nutmeg over top before serving.

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Hasselback Potatoes

Hasselback Potatoes
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Hasselback Potatoes
Prep Time
7 mins
Cook Time
1 hr 30 mins
 

We made these for Mother's Day this year for something special during the pandemic. They came out wonderful and everyone enjoyed them. They were a hit with our family as I'm sure they will be with yours.

Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: hasselback potatoes, potato side dish
Servings: 4 people
Author: Walter
Ingredients
  • 4 potatoes, washed
  • 1 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp. rosemary
  • 1 1/2 tsp. pepper
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 stick of butter melted
  • shredded cheese (optional)
  • sliced ham (optional) – can use bacon bits as well
Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

  2. Wash potatoes.

  3. Melt your butter in microwave safe bowl. Add rosemary, salt, and pepper and mix.

  4. Cut your potatoes most of the way through. Leave about a quarter inch.

  5. Brush half of the butter mixture over the cut potatoes including the sides.

  6. Cook for 1 hour 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

  7. Pull out potatoes and brush last half of mixture over potatoes.

  8. Add shredded cheddar cheese and ham or bacon bits in between the cut slices of potatoes. (Optional)

  9. Cook for 10 more minutes.

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Steve’s Meatloaf

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Steve’s Meatloaf
Prep Time
8 mins
Cook Time
1 hr 20 mins
 
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Author: Steve
Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
  • 3/4 cup Quaker quick oatmeal (or breadcrumbs)
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup finely diced onion
  • 1 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1 1/4 tsp. black pepper
  • 1/2 cup ketchup
  • 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
  • 1 Tbsp. mustard
Instructions

  1. Combine beef, oatmeal (or breadcrumbs), milk, egg, onion, salt and pepper.

  2. Make sure it is mixed well and place in pan.

  3. Mix ketchup, brown sugar and mustard in a small bowl and pour over the top of the meatloaf. Save a little to add to the top at the end of baking.

  4. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 20 minutes.

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Fluffy Muffins

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Fluffy Muffins
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
 
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Author: Randy
Ingredients
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1/4 cup shortening, melted
  • 2 cups flour
  • 3 tsp. baking powder
  • 3 Tbsp. sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
Instructions

  1. Mix milk, egg, and shortening.

  2. Sift remaining ingredients together and lightly add to previous mixture. Do NOT beat.

  3. Pour batter into a greased muffin pans, 2/3 of the way full.

  4. Bake at 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

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Sally’s Broccoli Casserole

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Sally’s Broccoli Casserole
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
 
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Author: Sally
Ingredients
  • 1 package frozen broccoli (approximately 10 oz.)
  • 1 jar Cheez Whiz
  • 1 sleeve Ritz crackers (or similar cracker)
  • 1 stick butter
Instructions

  1. Cook frozen broccoli according to package.

  2. Mix broccoli with Cheez Whiz and pour into casserole dish.

  3. Crush one sleeve of Ritz crackers, or similar cracker, and sprinkle on top.

  4. Melt one stick of butter and pour over the top of the crackers.

  5. Cook at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

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Crispy Baked Chicken

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Crispy Baked Chicken
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
40 mins
 

This was one of my mother's recipes and a family favorite. However she never listed measurements, so over the years I've experimented and found the correct measurements for this delicious recipe. I recommend skin-on, bone-in thighs for best results. It produces a nice juicy inside and a crispy outside. Enjoy!

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: baked chicken, baked chicken recipe, crispy crust chicken, juicy baked chicken
Servings: 6 people
Author: Steve and Juanita
Ingredients
  • 6-8 chicken thighs (2.5 – 3 lbs.), bone-in and skin-on (prefer thighs, but can substitute legs)
  • 3 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 4 tsp. salt
  • 2 tsp. black pepper
  • 4 tsp. dry mustard
  • 4 tsp. smoked paprika
  • 6 tsp. light brown sugar (can substitute with 6 tsp. Splenda brown sugar blend)
  • 4 tsp. garlic powder
  • 4 tsp. onion powder
  • 4 tsp. Italian dry herbs
Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. 

  2. Lightly spray a 9 x 13 casserole dish with Pam or coat with vegetable oil.

  3. Add all the dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.

  4. Rub the chicken pieces with olive oil.

  5. Drop the coated chicken pieces into seasoning bowl and toss until well coated.

  6. Place in casserole dish and bake at 425 degrees uncovered for 35-40 minutes, or until meat temperature reaches 165 degrees.

  7. Finish by broiling 1-3 minutes to get a nice crispy skin. Can be served as is or with your favorite dipping sauce.

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Ginger, Scallion, Garlic Shrimp

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Ginger, Scallion, Garlic Shrimp
Prep Time
25 mins
Cook Time
5 mins
 
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Author: Steve
Ingredients
  • 1 large egg white
  • 1 Tbsp. corn starch
  • 1 – 1 1/2 tsp. sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
  • 1 1/2 inch piece of ginger, scraped and finely chopped (approx. 1 Tbsp.) – must use fresh ginger, not the powder
  • 1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
  • 3 scallions, halved and cut into 1 inch pieces (set aside dark green parts)
  • 1 1/2 lbs. large shrimp, shelled and de-veined
  • 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped (approx. 3 Tbsp.) – must use fresh garlic cloves not powder
Instructions

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg white with corn starch, sugar, salt and pepper until a paste forms.

  2. Add the shrimp. Toss to coat. Set aside for 10 minutes to marinade.

  3. In a small bowl combine the garlic and ginger. Set aside. Must use fresh garlic and ginger – powder will not work in this recipe.

  4. Heat oil in a large, heavy skillet over high heat for 3 minutes. Must get to 350 degrees.

  5. Add the shrimp and the white and light green scallion pieces. Stir to coat with oil.

  6. Cook, stirring consistently until the shrimp are cooked through, about 1 minute more.

  7. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

  8. Transfer to large platter and serve with steamed rice.

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