Parmesan Ranch Chicken

This is so good, and so easy! Totally company-worthy!! I don't like parmesan cheese, and my dad doesn't like ranch, but we all love this recipe. You should totally try it, it is one of our favorites. It's a winner times ten!!
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Parmesan Ranch Chicken

Recipe Adapted from Lion House Classics

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3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/3's (strips)

1 cup cornflake crumbs

1 cup shredded parmesan cheese

2 heaping tablespoons dry ranch dressing powder

1/2 c. (or so) milk

jar of your favorite marinara sauce, heated

bowtie pasta (I just use the whole box/bag), cooked

additional shredded parmesan cheese for garnish

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Combine and mix cornflake crumbs, parmesan cheese, and ranch powder in a bowl. Put 1/2 c. (or more if needed) in a seperate bowl. Roll chicken 1/3's in milk, then into crumb mixture. Place in greased 9x13 pan (sometimes it takes 2 pans to fit all the chicken pieces because you don't want them to touch). Sprinkle leftover crumb mixture on top of the chicken. The more "breading" the better! (In fact, if you run out, it's totally worth making more for the tops.) Spray tops of chicken with Pam (it will keep them moist!) Bake 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until done. Serve on a bed of bowtie pasta, pour some marinara on top and sprinkle with paremesan. Enjoy!

Delicious Chicken Hoagies

Delicious Chicken Hoagies

Recipe Adapted from Betty Crocker

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2-3 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs

3 T. Caribbean Jerk seasoning (or more depending how spicy/flavorful you want it)

1 red pepper, sliced

1 green pepper, sliced

1 onion, sliced

3/4 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup ketchup

6-8 of your favorite hoagie buns

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Place sliced peppers and onions in the bottom of a crockpot. Rub jerk seasoning on chicken, and place on top of peppers/onions. Mix broth and ketchup in small bowl, and pour around chicken. Cook on low 6-8 hours, or high 3-4 hours. Shred chicken in crock pot with 2 forks (or you can remove it and put it on a cutting board, shred it, and put it back in the crock pot). If you want it spicier, put more jerk seasoning in, if it's too spicy, add more ketchup/broth mixture. Scoop out chicken mixture, let it drain a little, fill buns, and enjoy!! I served this to my husband and his friend, and they LOVED it!

The BEST Caramel Apples

So technically this isn't a "recipe" per se, it is more of a formula for the best caramel apples ever!

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2 bags Kraft caramels

3 T. water

10 popsicle sticks

10 apples (**see note)

2 packages white chocolate chips

cinnamon/sugar mixture

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Wash and dry apples, make sure you remove the stickers. Push a popsicle stick into each apple. Refrigerate overnight (or at least a few hours, you want the apples COLD to harden the caramel quicker). In fact, I usually pop them from the fridge to the freezer for about 15 minutes before I dip them so they get really cold (but not frozen).

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Unwrap the caramels, and put them in a double boiler with the 3 T. water. If you don't have one, I imagine you could use the microwave, or directly on the stove (don't let it burn!). Keep over the heat until they melt, stirring occasionally. Once it's melted, dip the apples one at a time. Let each apple drip over the unused caramel for a bit before putting them on a GREASED (I sprayed it with Pam) cookie sheet. Keep the caramel in the double boiler (base with hot water and all) so the caramel stays soft. If it starts to get hard, reheat it.

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Melt the white chocolate chips in a microwave safe tupperware. Melt them in 30 second increments, stirring between each one. If you get it too warm, it will melt off your apples. You want it so when you start to stir, it seems like only half the chocolate is melted. Keep stirring and the heat from the melted ones melts the others perfectly. Hope that makes sense.

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Now for the melted chocolate. You can't really dip the apples, you kind of use the back of a spoon and rub it on. Once it's covered in white chocolate, sprinkle cinnamon/sugar on them (quickly before the chocolate dries). I do it over a bowl, so I can reuse the cinnamon/sugar that falls off.

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Place back on your greased cookie sheet. Once the chocolate hardens (which shouldn't be too long if you do the chocolate right), slice and enjoy!! Store uncut apples in the fridge. They'll stay good for a few days!

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**When choosing apples, you have to decide how sweet/sour you want them. If you like a really tart apple, use a Granny Smith. If you want a little sweeter, use Braeburn. If you like really sweet (like me) use Fuji. All these are crisp and delicious!!!

First things first...

Well I am totally new to the whole blogging thing...especially the idea of having a recipe blog. So this first post is more practice for me. My hopes in starting this blog is to share tons of awesome recipes!! I will never post anything unless I've made it, so everything will be tried-and-true. Thanks for following, enjoy!!!