Asian Chicken & Rice Bake

This is another one of those awesome Campbell Soup recipes that you can vary in so many ways by substituting or adding ingredients . . . like adding fresh mushrooms to this recipe.

From: Campbell's Kitchen

Prep: 5 minutes
Bake: 45 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

3/4 cup uncooked regular long-grain white rice
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts halves
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Golden Mushroom Soup
3/4 cup water
2 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp. cider vinegar
2 tbsp. honey
1 tsp. garlic powder
Paprika

Directions:

Spread the rice in an 11 x 8-inch (2-quart) shallow baking dish. Top with the chicken.

Stir the soup, water, soy sauce, vinegar, honey and garlic powder in a medium bowl. Pour the soup mixture over the chicken. Sprinkle with the paprika. Cover.

Bake at 375°F. for 45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

Tip: Add 2 cups frozen broccoli flowerets to the rice before baking.

Variation: Sprinkle with toasted sesame seed after baking.

Lemonade Party Cake

This recipe immediately caught my eye on Betty Crocker.com and now I have to find an excuse to make it . . . the only thing I will do different is make a cream cheese frosting.



Prep Time: 20 min
Start to Finish: 3 hr 10 min
Makes: 12 servings


1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® lemon or yellow cake mix
Water, vegetable oil and eggs called for on cake mix box

1 can (6 oz) frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 container Betty Crocker® Whipped fluffy white or fluffy lemon frosting
Yellow colored sugar, if desired



1. Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Make cake as directed on box for 13x9-inch pan. Cool 15 minutes.

2. Mix lemonade concentrate and powdered sugar. Pierce top of warm cake every 1/2 inch with long-tined fork, wiping fork occasionally to reduce sticking. Drizzle lemonade mixture evenly over top of cake. Run knife around sides of pan to loosen cake. Cover and refrigerate about 2 hours or until chilled.

3. Spread frosting over top of cake. Sprinkle with sugar. Store covered in refrigerator.


High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): Follow High Altitude directions on cake mix box.

Campbell's® Lemon Broccoli Chicken

I've mentioned that since I've become a widow cooking for one has become a chore and I use many shortcuts to make quick and easy meals. One of my secrets is using Campbell Cream Soups . . . their recipes are among my favorites . . . some I have used for years and years.

With the following recipe, I would use left overs from a previous meal . . . my favorite thing to do. For example, I'll cook a batch of chicken and vary the recipes so that I'm not bored with the same meal every night. Same with the broccoli . . . I'll steam a bunch at one time and use it for this recipe one night, another night a frittata . . . etc.

Another thing I love about these recipes . . . you can make different variations. I love mushrooms, so I would add mushrooms to this recipe if I have them available. How about using pork chops instead of chicken? The possibilities are endless . . . there is no need to be bored with recipes!



From: Campbell's Kitchen

Prep/Cook: 20 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1 lemon
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 can (10 3/4 oz.) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Broccoli Soup (Regular or 98% Fat Free)
1/2 cup milk
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
4 cups hot cooked regular long-grain white rice

Directions:

CUT 4 thin slices of lemon. Squeeze 2 tsp. juice from remaining lemon.

HEAT oil in skillet. Add chicken and cook until browned.

ADD soup, milk, lemon juice and pepper. Top chicken with lemon slices. Heat to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat 5 min. or until done. Serve with rice.

Baked Smoked Ham

Ever since I found this recipe on David Ruggerio's PBS cooking show "Little Italy" (at least 15 years ago), it has been MY recipe for baked ham. I had tried various recipes, but this is "the one", even though it can get very messy putting the brown sugar on a very hot ham and ending up with burning hands. It is worth it!!

David Ruggerio remains my absolute favorite television chef even though he has not been on television since his unfortunate legal problems . . . not for me to judge! I do miss his sparkling wittypersonality, awesome recipes and "back in the day" stories that parallel my background and reminded me of my childhood . . . well, yeah, he's a sicilian italian. Come back David, your biggest fan misses you!

Here is the recipe for the most awesome baked ham ever . . .

1 large smoked ham, about 12 to 18 pounds
whole cloves
3 cups pineapple juice
I pound dark brown sugar
One 16-ounce bottle dark corn syrup

Preheat the oven to 325° F

Place the ham in a shallow pan. Score the fat and cover it with cloves. Pour the pineapple juice over the ham and bake for 12 minutes per pound.

After baking 1 1/2 hours, remove the ham from the oven and carefully (watch out . . . it is very hot) pat the brown sugar on top, completely covering the top of the ham. Gently pour the corn syrup over the ham, being careful not to disturb the sugar covering. Continue baking, basting every 15 minutes.

Remove the ham from the oven and continue basting until it is cooled, leaving a beautiful glazed look.

I use the remaining syrup as a "gravy" for the ham . . . added cornstarch makes it thicker. I don't measure . . . take a little cornstarch at a time until you get the desired consistency.

A video clip from the series "Little Italy"