Utah State Marv 'n Joes

Did you go to Utah State University, and now that you are no longer on campus, you find yourself craving those delicious open-faced, heaven sent, Marv 'n Joe sandwiches? OK, maybe you did, and maybe you didn't, but either way, you gotta make this sandwich!

Now is the season where you have tomatoes bursting out of your ears and don't know what to do with them right? This is the perfect solution!

This recipe is slightly adapted from Housewife Eclectic. She apparently got a personal lesson from Marv, himself, on how to make these. I found it a highly entertaining read- go check it out.

Marv 'n Joe

(makes 1 sandwich)

1 slice sourdough bread

approx. 1/2 tablespoon spreadable butter (or softened butter)
sprinkle of garlic salt
fresh cracked pepper
4 slices of tomato
Provolone cheese slice
Parmesan cheese (either grated or sliced works)
olive oil
Vinegar

Spread your butter on top of the sourdough bread. Sprinkle with the garlic salt and pepper. Place 4 tomato slices on your bread. Pour a small amount of olive oil and vinegar, just enough to give the sandwich a kick. Top with a piece of provolone cheese and then the parmesan.

Toss in your toaster oven or you broiler on low until the cheese is bubbly and starts to brown. The browning is very important. The edges should be brown and have a little crisp to it.

My husband absolutely LOVED these. He said they were even better than the original! I'm putting it on my Perfect Dinner Project page for a light dinner. 2 each of these were plenty filling.

Make-Ahead Sausage and Egg Breakfast Bake

I could NOT stop eating this. In fact, I wasn't feeling that well after dinner because I ate so much. It was that good! A few extra steps in this recipe for a breakfast bake but it was so worth it. My husband and sister also thought it was excellent. You could easily make this for this conference weekend or Christmas morning as a special treat. The bread is firm and not soggy, and everything is just the perfect mix. Seriously, try this recipe!

Make-Ahead Sausage and Egg Breakfast Bake
(via Mel's Kitchen Cafe)


INGREDIENTS:
1 (14-inch) loaf Italian bread, ends trimmed (I used French because I didn't want to splurge on Italian.)
1 1/2 pounds bulk pork sausage ( I used 2 lbs because of the packaging)
1 small onion, chopped fine
3 cups shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
12 large eggs, lightly beaten
4 cups 1% milk
1 ½ teaspoons table salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon hot sauce

DIRECTIONS:
Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Slice bread in half lengthwise then slice each half into ½ inch-thick slices. Spread the bread in single layers on two rimmed baking sheets and bake until golden, 10-15 minutes, flipping bread and switching and rotating sheets halfway through (or bake one sheet pan at a time). Take care not to let the bread burn – it should be golden brown and toasted. Let the bread cool for 15 minutes.

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the sausage and onion until the pork is no longer pink, breaking the meat into bite-sized pieces as it cooks.

Lightly coat a 9X13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Shingle half of the bread in the prepared pan so that the edges overlap slightly (a couple of times when I’ve made this, my slices weren’t long enough to shingle so I just placed the bread in a single layer and it worked fine). Top with half of the sausage mixture and 1 cup cheese. Repeat with remaining bread, remaining sausage mixture, and remaining cheese.
In a large bowl, whisk eggs, milk, salt, pepper, and hot sauce together. Pour evenly over the assembled casserole. Place the casserole on a rimmed baking sheet and wrap the casserole with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic wrap lightly on the top of the casserole. Fill another 9X13-inch dish with cans of food (beans, fruit, whatever) and nest the weighted dish on top of the assembled casserole. You’ll be glad you placed the assembled casserole on a rimmed baking sheet at this point as there may be a bit of spillage over the sides as the casserole compacts. This will help the bread soak up the egg mixture. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.

When ready to bake, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees F. Let casserole stand at room temperature while the oven is heating. Remove weights, unwrap casserole, and bake until the edges and center have puffed and the top is golden brown, about 1 hour. Let it cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Honey Lime Enchiladas

Maybe I should rename my blog to the following: ilovemelskitchencafesomuch! I am always amazed that her recipes go above and beyond my expectations EVERY SINGLE TIME. My favorite Mexican food is enchiladas. I've always loved the filling on the inside and beans and rice on the side. However, my husband would prefer a plethora of other choices before settling on enchiladas. That said, this blew him out of the water. He loved them and I was impressed at the intense but delicious flavor.

Honey Lime Enchiladas by Mel's Kitchen Cafe

INGREDIENTS:
6 tablespoons honey
5 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 pound chicken, cooked and shredded
8-10 flour tortillas
1 pound monterey jack cheese, shredded
16 ounces green enchilada sauce
1 cup heavy cream 

DIRECTIONS:
Mix the first four ingredients and toss with shredded chicken. Let it marinate for at least 1/2 hour (I tossed mine together in a ziploc bag in the morning and let it sit in the refrigerator all day). Pour about 1/2 cup enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9X13 baking pan. Fill flour tortillas with chicken and shredded cheese, saving about 1 cup of cheese to sprinkle on top of enchiladas. Mix the remaining enchilada sauce with the cream and leftover marinade. Pour sauce on top of the enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until brown and crispy on top.

*Freezable Meal: Freeze prior to baking. To bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake enchiladas, covered (without thawing first) for 1 hour. Uncover and bake 30 minutes longer, until brown and crispy on top.

My before picture looked awesome- the after pic is OK but I didn't have anymore daylight. So here ya go:

Baked Teriyaki Chicken (perfect for Valentine's Day)

If you need a dish to impress your man this Valentine's Day, this is the dish. This Baked Teriyaki Chicken is restaurant quality. I'm salavating just thinking about it. It tasted just as good or better the next day! I personally loved it for it's taste AND ability to make out of a cheaper cut of meat. I usually only cook with boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but I tried this recipe with breast and thighs and they both turned out great. For boneless, skinless chicken breasts, I kept at 400°F  but reduced the time to 40 minutes.
(Sorry no pic. I'll have to make again to take pictures :)

Baked Teriyaki Chicken (adapted from allrecipes.com)

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoon cold water
1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup cider vinegar
2 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
12 skinless chicken thighs

Directions:
1. In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the cornstarch, cold water, sugars, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger and ground black pepper. Let simmer, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens and bubbles.
2. Preheat oven to 400°F.
3. Cover the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish with tinfoil. Place chicken pieces into baking dish. Brush chicken with the sauce. Turn pieces over, and brush again.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Turn pieces over, and bake for another 30 minutes, until no longer pink and juices run clear. Brush with sauce every 10 minutes during cooking.

Apple Pie & Best Ever Pie Crust

I never get to make apple pie because my husband does not enjoy warm apples, but this year I got to for Thanksgiving. I know, a little late, but here it is anyways. I absolutely LOVED this pie. The filling had just the right amount of sweetness and the crust I used was flaky and perfect. First attempt at making apple pie and it was 5★ all the way!

Apple Pie (based off this recipe from allrecipes.com)

Ingredients:

1/2 C. unsalted butter

3 Tbs. all-purpose flour

1/4 C. water

1/2 C. white sugar

1/2 C. brown sugar

dash of cinnamon

5 Granny Smith Apples- peeled, cored and sliced

1 recipe for a 9-inch double pie crust (see below)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add water, white sugar,brown sugar, and cinnamon and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and let simmer.

2. Place the bottom crust in your pan. Reserve 1/4 C. liquid and set aside to brush on top of pie. Mix the remaining liquid with apples and pour into crust, mounded slightly. Cover with a lattice work crust. 3. Brush the reserved sugar and butter liquid over the crust.

4. Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce the temperature to 350° F (175 ° C). Continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes, until apples are soft.

Best Ever Pie Crust

Ingredients:

2 C. all- purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1 C. shortening

1/2 C. water

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in water until mixture forms a ball. Divide dough in half, and shape into balls. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

2. Roll out dough on a floured counter. Don't over work it. Use as directed in pie recipe.

Ultimate Breakfast Casserole

 

Sometimes, your just in the mood for breakfast for dinner. If your like me,splattering bacon, flipping pancakes,and scrambling eggs are too much work! This recipe for the Ultimate Breakfast Casserole was easy to put together and so filling! I would have this every week for breakfast or dinner. We had ample leftovers with our family of 3. Everybody loved it and couldn't wait for the leftovers. I was a little shocked something that a simple as a breakfast casserole could evoke suck emotions, but it did! Even my little toddler shoveled this as fast as he could. 

Ultimate Breakfast Casserole  (adapted from allrecipes.com) 

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1 pinch ground black pepper
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 16 ounces sour cream
• 1 (2 pound) package frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed
• 2 cups cooked ham, cubed
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 3/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup butter, melted

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
2. Season beaten eggs with pepper; pour into baking dish. In a large bowl, combine soup, sour cream, hash browns, ham, onion and cheese. Stir egg and soup mixture together and pour into baking dish.
3. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Remove and drizzle butter over top of casserole. Return to oven and bake for an additional 15 minutes, until golden.

My little bug was happy with HAPPY with this recipe!

My Rating System

I've had this system in place for a while but am trying to incorporate them into my blog. I haven't got all of them labeled but hopefully I will soon. This way you know what I think of them more clearly.

5★ = Absolute Perfection! If this recipe was on a restaurant menu, I would order it EVERY SINGLE TIME, it's that good! Other people rave about it every time I make it and always ask for the recipe.

4½ ★= Almost perfection. There is probably nothing I could do to make it a 5★ recipe but it comes pretty close. On a restaurant menu I would order it often, but not every time because I like variety. People still rave about it and will probably ask for the recipe.

4★= Really good. Everybody likes it and it tastes great!

3½ ★= Good but just not good enough to go on the PDP list.

3★= Just OK. Some people will like it and some people won't. Bland. Would make if in a dire pinch and had the ingredients on hand. Before I became a foodie, I would say most of my recipes fell into this category. Nothing to be ashamed about just OK food happens.

2★= Edible but we didn't like it. Won't make it again

1★= I'm sorry I even made this recipe. I will NEVER make it again and it will probably go into the trash.

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

 I recently came across the site Mel's Kitchen Cafe and was amazed! She has so many wonderful recipes on there. But the moment I knew she was a REAL cook was when I read she used a BOSCH mixer. I grew up a on Bosch and they are the best.


Anyways, that was besides the point. She has her recipe on her site for Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars that are divine. Like, so divine that it's the only chocolate chip cookie bar I will ever make from now on! Pretty simple too, my husband timed me and I got them in the oven within 12 minutes.


BIG SIDE NOTE: DO NOT make these for people who like their cookies right out of the oven and won't have them any other way. Took these to some family members who couldn't stand to wait and let them rest (like they are REQUIRED to do in order for them to be perfect) and kept baking them until they were completely done in the oven. They need to rest and they will be absolutely perfect I assure you!

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Printable version From Mel's Kitchen Cafe

*Makes a 9X13-inch pan of bars
2 1/8 cups (10 1/2 ounces) all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
12 tablespoons butter (1 1/2 sticks), melted and cooled slightly
1 cup (7 ounces) light brown sugar
1/2 (3 1/2 ounces) cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups chocolate chips (use your preference of semisweet, bittersweet, milk, white, peanut butter…the options are endless!)
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Adjust the oven rack to lower-middle position. Line a 9X13-inch baking pan with foil, letting the excess hang over the edges of the pan by about 1 inch so you can grab those edges and pull the brownies from the pan after they have baked. Spray the foil-lined pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Mix the flour, salt, and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside. Whisk the melted butter and sugars in a large bowl until combined. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and mix well. Using a rubber spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture until just combined; do not overmix. Fold in the chocolate chips and turn the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with the spatula.
Bake until the top of the bars is light golden brown, slightly firm to the touch, and edges start pulling away from sides of pan, 24-28 minutes. Cool on a wire rack to room temperature. Remove the bars from the pan by lifting the foil overhang and transfer them to a cutting board. Cut into 2-inch squares and serve.
Recipe Source: adapted slightly from Cook’s Illustrated

I cut mine out into Valentine's Day shapes when they were cooled off.
Here are my results:

Baked Salmon II

I love this recipe for salmon. So easy and SO DELICIOUS! Hubby said I could make this for him as often as I like, which means it's totally awesome.

Baked Salmon II

Ingredients:

2 cloves garlic, minced

6 tablespoons light olive oil

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

2 (6 ounce) fillets salmon

Directions:

	In a medium glass bowl, prepare marinade by mixing garlic, light olive oil, basil, salt, pepper, lemon juice and parsley. Place salmon fillets in a medium glass baking dish, and cover with the marinade. Marinate in the refrigerator about 1 hour, turning occasionally.
	Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
	Place fillets in aluminum foil, cover with marinade, and seal. Place sealed salmon in the glass dish, and bake 35 to 45 minutes, until easily flaked with a fork.

 Here are my results:

 

Fantasy Fudge

This fudge was a staple in our home around the holidays. I am somewhat anti-desserts because most of them are too time consuming (and we are trying to be a little healthier). That said, this fudge recipe is super easy and super delicious! It comes from the back of the Kraft Marshmallow Creme jar and I omit the nuts because they are nasty!

Fantasy Fudge
Ingredients:
3 cups sugar
3/4 cup margarine
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1 12-oz. (340 g) package semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 7-oz. (198 g) jar Kraft Marshmallow creme
1 cup chopped nuts
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
Combine sugar, margarine and milk in heavy 2-1/2 quart saucepan; bring to full rolling bail, stirring constantly. Continue boiling 4 minutes over medium heat, stirring. Remove from heat, stir in chocolate till melted. Add marshmallow creme, nuts & vanilla beat till blended. Pour into greased 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Let cool and cut into 1-inch squares.
Here are the results:

Happy Holidays!

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff I

I've been hearing from tons of people they got snow here in Utah. Thankfully, it must have skipped over our house because I'm not ready. With cold weather upon us, it's the perfect time to break out the old crock pot. This recipe is very highly rated on allrecipes.com but I've never had an opportunity to try it..... until now. I was a little weary because I've tried beef stroganoff in a slow cooker before and it turned out terrible. This, however, was EXCELLENT and I'm keeping it for sure.

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff I

Ingredients:
1 pound cubed beef stew meat
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed golden mushroom soup
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup water
4 ounces cream cheese

Directions:
1. In a slow cooker, combine the meat, soup, onion, Worcestershire sauce and water.
2. Cook on Low setting for 8 hours, or on High setting for about 5 hours. Stir in cream cheese just before serving.

Here are my results:

Caramel Filled Chocolate Cookies

If anybody ever asks me what my favorite cookies are, I tell them Caramel Filled Chocolate Cookies HANDS DOWN. I make mine with Rolos but I've made them with a king-sized Caramello bar before. They are so yummy! MY CHANGES ARE IN BOLD

Caramel Filled Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup chopped walnuts (I hate nuts so I leave these out!)
1 tablespoon white sugar
48 chocolate-covered caramel candies

Directions:
1. Beat butter until creamy. Gradually beat in white sugar and brown sugar. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine flour, baking soda, and cocoa. Gradually add to butter mixture, beating well. Stir in 1/2 cup walnuts. Cover and chill at least 2 hours. I don't chill them, I don't have patience
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
3. Combine remaining 1/2 cup nuts with the 1 tablespoon sugar. Divide the dough into 4 parts. Work with one part at a time, leaving the remainder in the refrigerator until needed. Divide each part into 12 pieces. Quickly press each piece of dough around a chocolate covered caramel. Roll into a ball. Dip the tops into the sugar mixture. Place sugar side up, 2 inches apart on greased baking sheets.
4. Bake for 8 minutes in the preheated oven. Let cool for 3 to 4 minutes on the baking sheets before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

Here are the results:


YUMMY!

The BEST Zucchini Bread

Still have more zucchini? The only way my hubby REALLY likes zucchini is in zucchini bread form. I have to admit, I have never tried another zucchini bread recipe other than this because it always gets rave reviews and I figure "Why go searching when I've got what I want." It's also great because it doesn't have any eggs or complicated directions, just mix everything together! This recipe originally appeared in my church cookbook.

Zucchini Bread
Ingredients:
1 C. sugar
1 C. brown sugar
1 C. Oil
3 C. zucchini,grated
3 tsp. vanilla
3 C. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder
3 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 C. nuts/raisins, optional (I don't put in because of my preference)

Directions:
Mix together, Bake for 1 hour at 325°F. Make 1 (9X13 inch pan) or 2 loaf pans.

Here are the results:






Right out of the oven















Yummy Goodness!

BBQ Pork Spareribs

This recipe brings back memories of Sunday dinner back home. My mom always made these and they are delicious! I usually don't cook much pork, but these are well worth it!

BBQ Pork Spareribs

Thaw bonless pork spareribs. Salt and Pepper the spareribs and dip them in flour. Brown in a large roasting pan. When browned, add mix over meat.
For mix combined:
2 small cans tomato sauce
4 tsp. worcestershire sauce
2 tsp brown sugar
1/2 C. water
1/2 onion, chopped or add dried onion
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. mustard
1tsp butter

Bake @ 350°F for 3-4 hours until tender or cook in crockpot on high for 3-4 hours.

Here are the results:

Honey Fruit Salad

I am in LOVE.......... with this fruit salad. I've made it twice now, once with strawberries, blackberries, and mandarin oranges and once with strawberries, blueberries, and mandarin oranges and both times it was delicious! 5 stars for sure!Perfect for summer gatherings.

Honey Fruit Salad

Ingredients:
2 medium firm bananas, chopped
2 cups fresh blueberries
2 cups fresh raspberries
2 cups sliced fresh strawberries 5 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon poppy seeds

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, combine the bananas and berries. In a small bowl, combine the honey, lemon juice and poppy seeds. Pour over fruit and toss to coat.

Here are the results:

Amazing Carmel Popcorn

My sister makes this amazing caramel popcorn and it is truly AMAZING. It's ooey-gooey and I don't think I need to search anymore for the perfect caramel popcorn recipe, I've found it. Pretty Easy too! We've made it a few times and love it. Here is her recipe:

Amazing Caramel Popcorn

2-3 Bags Microwave popcorn (I prefer 2 so it covers everything nicely)
1/2 C. Butter
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 C. Brown Sugar
1 C. Corn Syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract

Pop bags of popcorn and pour into large bowl, removing any unpopped kernals. Meanwhile, mix butter, sweetened condensed milk, brown sugar and corn syrup in a sauce pan over medium-high heat and bring to boil. Bring to soft ball stage. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Pour over popcorn and let cool before digging in.

Here are the results:

Orange Julius

Growing up, we mostly had this wonderful drink on a summer Sunday afternoon.

Orange Julius
1/2 (12oz) can frozen orange juice
1 C. water
1 C. Milk
1 tray ice cubes
1/3 C. sugar
1tsp vanilla

Blend until Smooth

My picture isn't the best but here are the results:

Crunchy Parmesan Baked Chicken

Wow, I have LOTS of recipes to review!I'll start with my favorite one I tried.
I was watching BYU television the other day (we don't have cable) and saw this interesting show called Food Nanny. She helps families rescue dinner time and shows them how to make quick and easy meals. The recipe featured on that episode was Crunchy Parmesan Baked Chicken- which I found the recipe online here.

YUMMY! I had my BFF over to taste test this recipe and we both agreed that we loved it! Definitely a keeper!

Crunchy Parmesan Baked Chicken

Ingredients:
⅔ cup buttermilk or buttermilk ranch dressing
2 cups panko bread crumbs (These are Japanese bread crumbs and found right by the regular ones and YES, they are a must)
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tsp. garlic salt
2 pounds chicken breast tenders
⅔ cup butter
Salt

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400°. Grease an oblong baking pan.
2. Pour the buttermilk or buttermilk ranch dressing into a wide, shallow dish or pie plate. Mix the panko, Parmesan cheese, and garlic salt in another wide, shallow dish. Roll each piece of chicken in the buttermilk and then dredge in the panko mixture to coat.
3. Arrange the chicken pieces in the prepared pan. Melt the butter in a glass measuring cup in the microwave and drizzle the melted butter over all. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the chicken is tender and no longer pink. Sprinkle with salt to taste.

Here are the results:


Now I know they just look average, but they are spectacular!

My Valentine's Day Recipes Part 2

For the first course of our fabulous Valentine's Day meal, we started with Classic French Onion Soup. It's a favorite of ours when we go out to eat, but I've just never attempted it before. This recipe turned out VERY scrumptious and pretty easy. It was the first one I found online that was in a slow cooker which made it so much easier than babysitting the onions while they cooked on the stove.

Funny side note: I cut up all the onions,sauteed them, and dumped them into the crock-pot before church. I DID take a shower right after handling the onions and before going to church. My husband was already there and when I walked in the first thing he asked me was "Did you forget to put on deodorant?" I could have DIED! I asked him if I smelt like onion and he confirmed that I did and that's what brought on the comment. I went straight back home and washed my hands with both lemony soup and then with straight lemon juice (just a little tip if you ever need to get the onion smell off) It helped tremendously but I was still self conscious the whole day!

If you make this soup, it's fabulous, but be warned, you and your house will smell like onions!

Classic French Onion Soup

Ingredients:
1/4cup (1/2 stick) butter
3 large yellow onions, sliced
1 cup dry white wine (I just left this out)
3 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) beef or chicken broth
(I used half beef and half chicken because that's what the pioneer woman does but it would have been just great with beef broth in my opinion)
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
4 slices French bread, toasted
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese
Fresh thyme for garnish

Directions:
1.Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, cook and stir 15 minutes or until onions are soft and lightly browned. Stir in wine.
2.Combine onion mixture, broth, Worcestershire sauce, salt and thyme in slow cooker. Cover; cook on LOW 4 to 4-1/2 hours.
3.Ladle soup into 4 bowls; top with bread slice and cheese. Garnish with fresh thyme, if desired.
After putting the bread and cheese on top, I put mine under a broiler until the cheese was melted, with the leftovers I put it in the microwave until the cheese was melted and I loved that extra touch.

Here are the delicious results:

My Valentines Day Recipes Part 1

We decided to stay in for Valentine's Day this year. Restaurants are crazy crowded and since I enjoy cooking, we thought it was for the best. I made FIVE new recipes for my husband and our morning started out with this wonderful quiche. I got this recipe over 10 years ago from my church and kept it for that long because I remember how wonderful it was. It was delicious (especially for my first quiche)

Brunch Quiche

Ingredients:
1/2 lbs cooked sausage or 8 sliced cooked crumbled bacon
3/4 C Swiss cheese, grated
3/4 C cheddar cheese, grated
2 green onions, chopped
4 eggs, beaten
4 fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 and 1/4 C whipping cream
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1- 9 inch uncooked deep dish pie shell

Directions:
Mix and bake in 9 inch deep dish uncooked pie shell at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.(I would go an extra 2 or 3 minutes as mine was just barely not ready) Cool slightly before serving.

Here are the results:


Here's a slice of the yummy quiche:


Don't worry, I still have 4 more other recipes to review and post this week so lots more to come!