Luby’s Sausage Steak

Ingredients
1 pound ground sausage
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 pound bacon, cooked crisp and chopped into small pieces
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/2 cup beef broth

Instructions
Divide ground sausage into approximately six patties.

Shape the patties into oblong pieces.

Place sausage into a 9 by 13 inch baking dish.

Cover the bottom of the dish with beef broth.

Broil the sausage patties in the oven.

Follow the directions on your oven’s broiler, on high this may only take 10-13 minutes.

Make sure the sausage is completely done.

Top with cheese, green onions, and bacon, place sausage steaks back into the oven for approximately one or two minutes to allow the cheese to melt.

Recipe found here: Luby’s Sausage Steak

Olive Garden Lasagna Rollata Al Forno

Ingredients

Five Cheese Marinara Sauce
2 cups marinara sauce
2 cups alfredo sauce
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup italian blend shredded cheese
1/4 cup red wine

Filling
1 egg
15 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese
1 (8 ounce) mozzarella cheese, grated
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 cup asiago cheese, grated
1/2 cup romano cheese, grated
1 tablespoon italian seasoning, blend
salt and pepper, to taste

Noodles
1 lb lasagna noodle
1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs

Directions:

Blend first two marinara ingredients together in a large saucepan. Add remaining ingredients and heat on medium, stirring frequently. The cheese will melt and the sauce will become creamy. Keep warm.

Set aside 1/4 of mozzarella cheese. Beat egg into a large mixing bowl and add all remaining ingredients, blending well. Keep refrigerated until you are ready to use.

Cook lasagna exactly according to package directions. Drain and rinse immediately with cold water so they are cool enough to handle.

When ready to make, spread about 1/4 cup of marinara sauce in a large 9×13 baking dish. Based upon the number of noodles in your 1 lb of noodles, divide the filling accordingly. Lay one lasagna noodle in baking dish and spread with filling along noodle. Loosely roll the noodle up, jelly-roll style. Decide if this looks about right to you. If so, keep rolling the rest of the noodles. Otherwise use more filling per noodle and discard the extra noodles.

Continue with each lasagna noodle until all noodles are rolled and arranged in baking dish. Cover each roll with remaining sauce, the remaining mozzarella cheese and top with Italian breadcrumbs.

Bake in preheated oven at 350 degree for about 35 minutes.

Recipe found here: Olive Garden Lasagna Rollata Al Forno

Ingredients
turkey bacon
eggs
Parmesan
garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Preparation
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook spaghetti until just tender, about 8 minutes, or as package label directs. Drain, transfer to a large bowl and toss with olive oil to coat. Let cool to room temperature.

Cook turkey bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove bacon to paper towels to drain. Discard all but 1 Tbsp. of fat in skillet.

Preheat broiler to high. Whisk together eggs, Parmesan, garlic, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper in a bowl. Pour over spaghetti and toss to coat. Crumble bacon into bowl and mix well.

Place skillet on stove over medium-low heat and add egg-and-spaghetti mixture, spreading into an even layer with a spatula. Cook until bottom is well-browned, about 8 minutes, sliding a spatula underneath frittata occasionally to loosen.
Place pan under broiler and cook until top is golden and set, about 3 minutes. Cut frittata into wedges and serve.

Recipe found here: Pasta Carbonara Frittata

Over the weekend we lost a friend.

This week we’re having to say goodbye to one of the most loveable, friendliest, guys you could have met. Andrew Brake had a passion for life and a love for people. He always had a big engaging smile on his face and was the kind of person that made you feel like you were good old friends even if in reality you’d only first met.  Andrew was always surrounded by people, he was outgoing and fun and traveled with an entourage. He was just the kind of person people wanted to be around.

I met Andrew first at the coffee bar. His signature drink…large vanilla bean blender. No espresso. Once one of the employees put espresso in his drink not knowing and he refused to let her make him a new one. That’s just the kind of guy he was.

Andrew had a big heart. He loved to cook for touring bands that came through the Lighthouse. His specialty…Garlic Buttered Noodles. He always made sure to bring a box of leftovers for me to try if I was working during the show. So as we remember our friend that left us too early, I feel it’s only appropriate for me to share with you a recipe for those famous noodles.  Andrew, you are already greatly missed.

Spaghetti Warehouse Spaghetti with Garlic Butter

When making this sauce, I suggest you cook this sauce slowly so the raw taste of the garlic cooks out completely. This garlic butter would taste delicious on garlic bread.
Yield: 2 to 3 servings
1/2 pound butter
2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic about 4 to 5 cloves
1/2 cup grated Romano cheese, divided
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
1/2 pound dry pasta – prepare according to package directions

In a small pot, melt 1/2 pound butter on low. Do not cook the butter on high heat, it will brown, and then burn. If you burn the butter you will need to restart the recipe. Chop garlic finely, and add to the pot. Simmer the butter sauce on low for at least 20 minutes. You want the raw taste of the garlic to cook out completely. Add about 1 tablespoon of the freshly chopped parsley to the butter sauce and mix well. Add 1/4 cup of the Romano cheese into the butter sauce about 4 minutes before serving.
Cook pasta according to package directions, and drain. In a large bowl combine butter sauce, and the pasta and mix well. Place pasta onto plates, and garnish with remaining Romano cheese and chopped parsley.

*Andrew chose to serve this dish with bow tie noodles, but any type would work just fine.

{{This recipe was taken directly from this website. I did not adapt this recipe whatsoever.}}

]]> http://reverseengineeredrecipes.wordpress.com/2012/04/09/pizza-hut-pizza-sauce-recipe/ Mon, 09 Apr 2012 18:59:57 +0000 thesarahclark http://reverseengineeredrecipes.wordpress.com/2012/04/09/pizza-hut-pizza-sauce-recipe/ This one is easy and tasty!

http://www.copycatrecipeguide.com/How_to_Make_Pizza_Hut_Pizza_Sauce

Pizza Hut Meat Lover’s Copycat

http://www.copycatrecipeguide.com/wiki/index.php?title=How_to_Make_Cheesecake_Factory_30th_Anniversary_Chocolate_Cake_Cheesecake&redirect=no

Novo’s Thai Green Chicken Curry

Thai green curry paste:

2 Serrano chiles, seeded
1/2 onion
1/4 bunch cilantro
Rind of 1/4 lemon
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
3/4 teaspoon salt
Scant 2 teaspoons ground coriander
Heaping 1 teaspoon ground cumin
Heaping 1 teaspoon Laos powder (aka ground galangal)
Heaping 1 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 cup canola oil

Coarsely chop the chiles, onion, cilantro and lemon rind, and place
them in a blender. Add the black pepper, garlic, salt, coriander,
cumin, Laos powder and

With the blender running, slowly add the canola oil to make a
paste. This makes a generous cup of curry paste, more than is
needed for the remainder of the recipe. The paste can be frozen,
then thawed as needed to be used in recipes.

Thai green chicken curry:

2 (14-ounce) cans coconut milk
1/2 cup Thai green curry paste, more if desired
2 stalks lemon grass, cut into about 2-inch pieces and smashed
(with a mallet or the heel of a knife)
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 1/2 pounds chicken thigh meat (from 4 to 5 pounds whole thighs)
2 jalapeños, seeded and chopped
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, whisk together the coconut milk,
curry paste, lemon grass, fish sauce and salt. Add the chicken and
bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook, gently simmering, until
the chicken is tender, 30 to 45 minutes.

Taste, adding additional curry paste if desired, and adjusting the
seasonings and flavorings if needed. Remove the lemon grass pieces
(or ask your guests to refrain from eating them). Stir in the
jalapeños and cilantro before serving. This makes about 8 cups of
curry. Ladle the curry into bowls.

Serves 6-8

Recipe found here: Novo’s Thai green chicken curry

If you have lived in the USA, more likely than not, you have had a burrito at Chipotle. I lived in Alpharetta, GA for 4 years, and I used to eat at a neighboring Chipotle once in 2 weeks. The “once a week” mother-ship was Sweet Tomatoes.

I was craving a burrito bowl after reading Rads’ attempt at it. My cilantro-lime rice, fajita style vegetables, mild tomato salsa, chunky guacamole, and beans were all a near perfect match to the Chipotle burrito. I give you the method (not recipes) here, have a go at it, and change whatever suits you.

Cilantro-lime rice: Cook long grain (or basmati) rice, mix in lime juice, salt, lime zest and chopped cilantro while it is hot.

Fajita style vegetables: Onions and bell peppers cut into strips, pan sauteed (or grilled) in olive oil with salt, pepper and oregano.

Beans – I couldn’t find black beans, so I used kidney beans. I added a bay leaf and roasted cumin powder to the canned beans.

Mild salsa: Fresh tomatoes, jalapenos, red onions, cilantro all chopped finely, sprinkle of lime juice and salt.

Guacamole: Mash one avocado with fork, mix in chopped red onions and tomatoes, lime juice and salt.

Here is how I tweaked some aspects:

1. I roasted the jalapenos under the broiler, peeled and chopped them. I also added one raw jalapeno. Different flavors. Almost sweet roasted jalapenos and crunchy raw ones.

2. I used Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. Healthier I think.

3. Instead of tortilla chips, I used good old potato chips (because my kids like ‘em better).

4. I didn’t do the corn salsa, because it isn’t summer and I couldn’t find corn on the cob. I don’t like canned/frozen corn. I don’t mind frozen peas or canned beans, but not corn. I’m crazy like that.

Tips:

1. Do not use normal white or yellow onions. Red onions are the way to go, because they have lesser moisture and also taste and look better.

2. Don’t let the chopped avocados sit out too long, they oxidize and turn an awful grey color, hit them with lime juice as soon as possible.

3. If you can find the giant 13″ tortillas, by all means make yourself a burrito.

4. If you like meat or chicken in your burrito, go here for the marinade recipe.

5. Add lettuce, grated cheese, or anything else you like.

6. This is a great way to use up left over steamed rice. Warm it up first by sprinkling some water and into the microwave for a few minutes.

Let me know how your attempt went.

Olive Garden Breadsticks

Ingredients
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon warm
water (105 to 115 degrees F)
16 ounces bread flour (3 cups)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened

On top:
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

Cooking Directions
Dissolve the sugar and yeast in the warm water in a small bowl or measuring cup and let the mixture sit for 5 minutes, or until it becomes foamy on top.

Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Use the paddle attachment on a stand mixer to mix the softened butter into the flour. If you don’t have a stand mixer, use a mixing spoon to combine the butter with the flour. When the yeast mixture is foamy, pour it into the flour mixture and use a dough hook on your mixture to combine the ingredients and knead the dough for approximately 10 minutes. If you don’t have a stand mixer, combine the ingredients and then knead the dough by hand on a countertop for 10 minutes.

Place the dough in a covered container and let it sit for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until it doubles in size. When the dough has doubled, measure out 2-ounce portions and roll the dough between your hands or on a countertop to form sticks that are 7 inches long. Place the dough on parchment paper-lined baking sheets, cover and set aside for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until the dough doubles in size once again.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Bake the breadsticks for 12 minutes, or until golden brown.

When the breadsticks come out of the oven, immediately brush each one with melted butter and sprinkle with a little
garlic salt.

Makes 12-13 breadsticks

Recipe found here: Olive Garden Breadsticks

Ingredients

1 onion , chopped
1 bell pepper , chopped
1 (14 ounce) can stewed tomatoes
4 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce
1 (14 ounce) can ranch style beans
1 (14 ounce) can pinto beans
1 (14 ounce) can kidney beans
1 (10 ounce) can Rotel diced tomatoes
1 (1 ¼ ounce) package McCormick mild chili seasoning
2 lbs ground chuck

Directions

1. Brown Ground Chuck. Add all canned items, including juice, into large pot.
2. Cook until onion and pepper are tender.
3. Serve. Add some cheese on top!
4. Freezes nicely!

Tip: I usually make this in a slow cooker, on high for an hour, then low for a couple of hours.
Recipe found here: Wendy’s Chili

(re-post of original post 9/5/08) This is a MUST TRY. There are few things I love more than Nothing Bundt Cakes. They are pricey, but worth it. If you don’t have a Nothing Bundt Cakes nearby the next best thing is to make your own. I have tried my hand at several bundt cakes and this one (so far) is my favorite!

1 pkg. devils food cake, German chocolate cake, or chocolate cake mix
1 pkg. instant chocolate pudding
1 c. sour cream
4 large eggs
1/2 c. water
1/2 c. oil
1 1/2 c. mini chocolate chips
2 (8 ounce) pkgs. cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. butter, softened
3-4 c. powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Mix first six ingredients together with a beater. Add chocolate chips. Pour into a greased bunt cake pan (cooking spray works best). Cook in oven at 350 degrees for 45-50 mins. Remove from oven. Let cool for 20 mins. Remove from pan. (I think it tastes best if you put it on a serving plate, wrap it well in Saran Wrap, and let it sit overnight in the fridge before frosting and serving..) In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Mix in the vanilla, then gradually stir in the powdered sugar (start with 2 cups then keep adding more until it is nice and thick). That’s it!

Okay foodies, today we are embarking on a journey through copycat recipe territory. For those of you who have already taken this journey—more power to you, but we’re taking it anyways.

Have you ever had a day at work or school that just makes you want to kick off your shoes, don your most ill-fitting sweats, and never do anything ever again, except watch re-runs of Chopped? And then all those episodes, filled with delectable mystery ingredients and so much chopping, make you hungry?

The first thing you want is food. The last thing you want is to make it.We’ve all been there.

So you go to your fave restaurant to devour something delicious, but probably not nutritious. And once your belly is absolutely swimming with all kinds of deliciousness, you realize you just consumed the food equivalent of $949,409,428 (or something like that)! Then the guilt and foodie’s remorse sets in. And little did you know that you could have made that same dish for like… so much less than said $949,409,428.

And the reason for that is (drumroll please) copycat recipes! Those little babies allow you to make that queso dip from Chili’s you love so much; you can now enjoy the exotic flavors of PF Chang’s chicken lettuce wraps from your very own dorm kitchen. All without breaking the bank.

Today I dragged my boyfriend, Joe through the aisles of Costco and Safeway– at 5 p.m., I might add; They’re not exactly zen at 5 p.m. He learned all kinds of interesting things, like how kale is at crazy low prices right now and how the purchase of half-and-half will be a twofer deal, (delicious in soups and in our nightly cups of earl gray- decaf of course)!

And guess what? I bought every ingredient I needed for a sausage, potato, and kale soup, that I swear tastes exactly like Olive Garden’s Zuppa Toscana, for under $15.00 (and that’s with the addition of a Diet Dr. Pepper and a box of hostess mini donuts).

And here is my first blog adventure–

Cut the red potatoes in thin (almost apple-like) slices, skin on.

Rough dice a yellow onion.

Wash your kale well, remove the spine (it's not quite as digestible), and tear into bite-size pieces.

Boil up those little red taters until they're al dente.

Now, begin cooking down the onion and browning the sausage. When it is cooked through, throw all of the liquid ingredients into the pot.

It will begin to thicken from the dairy components. It's finally starting to look like a soup! Simmer on low for 30 minutes-- I can't emphasize the low setting enough; milk will boil over. Believe me.

Almost there! Throw those potatoes and kale into the party for another 10-15 minutes, to get those flavors mingling.

With the addition of a toasty slice of roasted garlic bread, this dinner is about to begin.

Joe and I ate our fill of about one bowl each; this is a hearty and rich soup, let me tell ya. Or it might have been all the taste-testing I partook in throughout the process. Either way, this under $15.00 dinner will probably feed us for a few days. We’ll probably get tired of it before it runs out.

A few things that contributed to this bargain meal were decisions made in the grocery store. We decided to use a Safeway brand Italian sausage instead of Jimmy Dean, which saved us about $2.00 and tasted identical. We also noticed that the price of kale has been fairly low recently, making it a great leafy green option. Finally, we bought chicken bouillon cubes, as opposed to packaged chicken broth, saving us about $3.00.

In the end, Joe and I had a lovely night in at our own little “Olive Garden” tonight, and there is not guilt or foodie’s remorse to be spoken of.

Sausage, Potato, and Kale Soup

2 bunches Kale

6 red potatoes

1 large yellow onion

1 lb Italian sausage (I use a little less, not a huge pork fan. In fact, you could go ground turkey)

2 c chicken broth

2 c 2% milk

4 c half-and-half

1 splash heavy cream (We were out…)

Dried oregano, salt, black pepper, & red pepper flakes to taste

I love this fondue. It is one of my favorites at Melting Pot and I nailed it on the head (with a lot of help from my waiter.. he was nice enough to pretty much hand the recipe to us last time we were there). My husband and I do a fancy Christmas candlelight dinner each year and this is what we made for part of it this year. It was perfect. I am telling you, this IS the recipe.

3 oz. vegetable broth
appx. 1-2 oz. fresh spinach, chopped
appx. 1-2 oz. artichoke hearts, chopped
1 Tbsp. chopped garlic
2 1/2 oz. Butterkäse cheese* (if you can’t find this, you can substitute Farmer’s Cheese or Romanian Cream Cheese.. if you can’t find these either, see the recipe below to make your own “fake” Butterkäse.)
2 1/2 oz. Fontina cheese
1 tsp. grated Parmesan cheese
dash Tabasco sauce

Heat vegetable broth in fondue-type unit or similar cooking pot. When hot (do not bring to a boil) add  spinach, artichoke hearts, and garlic and mix well. Combine Butterkäse and Fontina and add a little bit at a time to spinach/artichoke mixture, stirring constantly until you reach your desired consistency. Stir in Parmesan cheese and Tabasco sauce. Serve with french bread pieces and/or lightly steamed vegetables.

*Fake Butterkäse (Keep in mind, the fake really isn’t quite as good so try your hardest to find the real Butterkäse. Only use this recipe if you are desperate and truly can’t find it anywhere):
Mix 1/2 brick (4oz) of cream cheese with 1/4 cup of buttermilk and 1/2 tablespoon of sour cream.. you would only use 2 1/2 oz. of this so a LITTLE more than half of what this recipe would make.

We’ll start with the sauce.  I got inspiration for my sauce from the Pomodoro Sauce recipe at  www.pomodorosauce.com.  Please note this recipe makes A LOTTA sauce, so start with a BIG pot and have extra freezer containers ready!

Ingredients
10 tbsp virgin olive oil
1 & 1/2 onion
12 cloves of minced garlic (or 7 1/2 tbsp of the ready-to-use minced kind)
11 – 14.5 oz cans of diced tomato
1-1/2 cup red pepper puree
3 – 6 oz. cans tomato paste
5 tsp sugar
1/2 cup dried basil
1 tbsp pepper
1/2 cup dried Italian seasoning
1 cup fat free half and half
Salt to taste

Directions
1.  Heat oil in a large pot.  Add onion & garlic and sauté until soft.
2.  Blend cans of diced tomatoes and add to pot.  Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat.
3.  Add red pepper puree, tomato paste, sugar, basil, pepper, italian seasonings, and salt to taste.
4.  Simmer for 30-60 minutes.
5.  Add half and half stir well.

Now that we’ve got the sauce done, let’s make the rest of it!

Ingredients
2 boxes of Rigatoni pasta
10+ cups Pomodoro Sauce (see recipe above)
1.2 lb Sweet Italian Turkey Sausage (could substitute regular sausage as well)
1 pkg sliced provolone cheese
Parmesan cheese to taste

Directions
1.  Pre-heat oven to 350F.  Spray a 13X9 inch baking dish with cooking spray.  Set aside.
2.  Cook rigatoni according to package instructions.  Set aside.
3.  Cook italian sausage according to package instructions.  Cut and set aside.
4.  Combine sausage, rigatoni, and pomodoro sauce and place in baking dish.
5.  Sprinkle Parmesan cheese to taste on top of mixture.
6.  Place sliced provolone cheese on top of mixture covering the entire baking dish.
7.  Place in the oven for 30 minutes or until heated through.
8.  Serve with additional sauce as garnish.

I wish I could show you a picture of the beautifully finished product, but we ATE IT before I could snap one . . . you’ll just have to take my word.  Oh well . . . there’s always next time!

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Linked up Here: It’s Overflowing

Here’s how I came up with my own copycat side salad version for a casual dinner we hosted.

Sweet Italian House Dressing
July 7, 2006 | Chicago Sun Times | submitted by Dennis Cottini, Glenview

Ingredients and Directions can be found by clicking HERE.

*I tripled the recipe for my copycat Portillo’s Chopped Salad

Ingredients
4 cups cooked Ditalini pasta
3 cups chopped romaine lettuce
3 cups chopped iceberg lettuce
2-1/2 cups chopped red cabbage
2 fresh tomatoes (diced)
1 cup diced green onions
1 cup chopped bacon (I used Turkey Bacon)
4 oz. gorgonzola cheese (you could add up to 8 oz. if you REALLY like gorgonzola)
Sweet Italian Dressing to taste (recipe above)

Directions
1.  Cook Ditalini pasta according to package instructions.  Cool and set aside.
2.  Put romaine lettuce, iceberg lettuce and red cabbage in a salad spinner to remove excess water.
3.  Combine romaine, iceberg, red cabbage, tomatoes and green onions in large salad bowl.
4.  Cook bacon according to package instructions.
5.  Add cooled pasta, bacon and gorgonzola cheese to salad.
6.  Add dressing (to taste) before serving.  Toss & enjoy!

Makes a great side salad for a hungry 6 .  Mmmmmm . . .

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Linked up here: It’s Overflowing

Last year my sister introduced me to Starbucks Caramel Apple Spice. It instantly became my holiday drink of choice. I would go to Starbucks all the time on cold, snowy days to get it. The downside was… it was burning a hole in my pocket (Starbucks is expeeennnsive)! Finally I decided to ask the girl at Starbucks how they make it. She said she couldn’t tell me but I could watch her. So she did it all right in front of me. When I asked her how much syrup is in one pump she said “it is supposed to be 1/4 oz. but it can vary slightly”.. that was all I needed to know.

So then I did some math. 1oz. = 2 Tbsp. so we can figure that .25oz = 1/2 Tbsp. The Starbucks people put 3 pumps of syrup in a 12oz cup, making it 1 1/2 Tbsp per 12oz of apple juice. To simplify it further…  2/3 of 12oz. is 8oz (or 1 cup) and 2/3 of 1 1/2 Tbsp is 1 Tbsp. Sooooooo, for each cup of cider you simply add 1 Tbsp. of syrup. Easy enough right? See, MOM, I didn’t waste ALL of my time goofing off in school

2 c. apple juice
2 Tbsp. Starbucks Cinnamon Dolce Syrup (buy it straight from Starbucks for about $7. It will last you a very very very long time. Totally worth it.)
Whipped cream
Caramel topping

Combine apple juice and syrup. Warm to desired heat (I did it in a hot chocolate maker and it turned out perfect. I loved the “whipped” taste it added. You could possibly try it in a blender for the same effect.. just be careful if it’s really hot). Top with whipped cream and caramel topping.

When we were little we always considered it a treat to go to Sizzler. My Dad would take us there on special occasions. As kids, we all loved Sizzler… but now, it takes some convincing to go. I know now that the reason we loved Sizzler so much was because it was something special we shared with our Dad… not the food. When we went, I would always order the Malibu chicken. I loved it then but now I think my version is much much better (for starters I don’t use frozen chicken patties). The sauce is Emily’s creation that she uses for Cap’n Crunch Chicken. It tastes so much better than the plain mayo-mustard sauce that Sizzler uses. Anyway, this recipe is for you, Dad. Thanks for always making us feel special and taking us on dates to Sizzler.

3 egg yolks
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
6 Tbsp. butter
1 c. Panko bread crumbs (Japanese bread crumbs)
1 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp. dried parsley
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
½ Tbsp. salt
1 Tbsp. ground black pepper
4 slices black forest ham
4 slices Swiss cheese

Creole Mustard Sauce:
2 tablespoons Grey Poupon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
1 teaspoon honey
Mix together and chill in refrigerator.

In a small bowl, beat egg yolks with garlic. Place chicken and egg mixture in a large Ziploc bag, squeeze out all the air and seal tightly. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight if possible. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Melt butter and pour into bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. Mix together the bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese, parsley, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Dip marinated chicken in crumb mixture. Place coated chicken in baking dish, and pour remaining egg mixture over the top. Bake for 15 min on each side or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear. Top each piece of chicken with ham and slice of Swiss cheese. Place back in the oven for about 5 min or until cheese is melted. Remove from oven and serve with Creole Mustard Sauce.

**These also make GREAT sandwiches or wraps the next day, just cut it into strips**

This is my personal version of the “Indonesian Peanut Saute” from Noodles & Co. It turned out just like it! It got my hubby’s stamp of approval. In fact, he said “this is my favorite Thai noodle dish I have ever had.. even better than Noodles & Co.”
(This makes quite a bit, probably easily feeds 4-6.)

1-2 Lbs. chicken, cut into thin strips
vegetable oil (to saute)
1 Tbsp Sriracha chili sauce (we just found this at our local grocery store. Click here.)
juice of 1 lime
3 cloves garlic, pressed
1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
3-4 shakes soy sauce
salt & pepper (to taste)
16 oz. (1 pkg.) linguine noodles
**peanut sauce (see below)
peanuts
2-3 limes, sliced

The following are all to taste, add as much or little as you want (If you do lots of veggies, I would recommend making extra sauce)
-shoestring carrots (I just used the packaged kind)
-broccoli florets, chopped
-green onion
-peanuts (chopped)
-bean sprouts

In a large skillet, saute chicken in oil, Sriracha, lime, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, salt & pepper. While chicken is cooking, prepare the linguine (to al dente) and make the peanut sauce. After the chicken is cooked, remove from the skillet and wrap in foil to keep warm. Re-oil the skillet, add vegetables and saute (except for the bean sprouts, add those a few minutes before serving so they are still nice and crunchy and don’t get overcooked). Add the chicken and bean sprouts to the skillet, cover, and reduce heat. Drain noodles and toss with a little olive oil (to keep the noodles from drying out and sticking together). Now there are 2 ways you can finish the dish: 1. mix the sauce with the noodles and TOP with veggies & chicken (this is what we did) OR 2. you can add the noodles and sauce to the skillet with the vegetables and toss until everything is well coated with sauce. Garnish with peanuts and limes.

**SAUCE:

1 c. chicken broth
6 Tbsp. (heaping) creamy peanut butter
2-4 tsp. Sriracha chili sauce — more or less depending on how hot you like it
3 Tbsp. honey
6 Tbsp. soy sauce
3 Tbsp. fresh minced ginger
4-5 cloves garlic, pressed or minced

Combine chicken broth, peanut butter, chili sauce, honey, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until sauce becomes smooth and well blended.

Piggyback Ride = Textbook Ghostbusting Move

My brother is having a birthday tomorrow. He thinks since the big day falls on a Saturday this year, he’ll escape birthday embarrassment on this glorious little website.

He’s sorely mistaken.

But that’s tomorrow, not this morning. This morning’s post goes out to him as well, for entirely different reasons.

Growing up, Baby Brother was in love with the movie, Ghostbusters. For his 3rd birthday, the parents purchased him a VHS tape of the film (believe it or not, that was a big deal back then.) My brother proceeded to watch Ghostbusters at least once a day for the next several years, until the tape wore out.

To say this kid was obsessed with Ghostbusters, is an understatement. He had every toy, gadget and piece of merchandise he could get his tiny little hands on. My father even made my bro his very own Ghostbuster jumpsuit, complete with  his name stitched in red.

With the news of a 3rd Ghostbusters movie, (sans Bill Murray WTF!?!?!) everything Ghostbusters old is new again, including long defunct Ghostbusters foodstuffs.

Meet Ecto Cooler.

Le Yum.

Created in the top-secret labs of the Hi-C beverage company, Ecto cooler made its debut in our fridge the instant it was readily available at the local supermarket.

Here’s a RADICAL (not really) commercial touting it:

For those of you whose parents wouldn’t buy sugar-laden tie-in merchandise, novelty beverages, Ecto Cooler was a triumph. The unholy concoction was a slurry of: high fructose corn syrup, preservatives and so much green food coloring, it resembled a cooling glass of TOXIC WASTE.

You can only imagine how it was received by myself and the siblings. To us, it was the nectar nECTOr of the Gods.

Unfortunately, like all limited-time children’s soft drinks themed around television and movies, Hi-C axed Ecto Cooler, but not before they re-named the green beverage and continued to sell it under the guise of several other flavor names. The flavor my Baby Bro and I first came to love as Ecto Cooler, officially was discontinued by Hi-C in 2001.

But as I said before, EVERYTHING IS NEW AGAIN Y’ALL! And if there’s one thing the Smurfs movie proved it’s: Children of the 80′s (and 90′s) will shell out BIG BUX for nostalgia. Mark my words my dear, sweet, beloved readers, Once the Ghostbusters 3 marketing machine gets in high gear: Hi-C will re-release Ecto Cooler!

“HAY CRIB KEEPER!”

Hey, what?

“What makes you so sure?”

Trust me, I know these things. But that’s a tale for another time.

In the meantime, a group of Ghostbusters die-hards that call themselves, “Ghostbusters Chicago Division” have devoted hours, weeks, months, years a lot of energy to developing the perfect Ecto Cooler copy. Using several different products, the heroes created a glorious amalgamation that will quench your craving until Hi-C whizzes churns out the real stuff.

Those of you lucky humans who were able to taste the sweet drops of destiny of Ecto Cooler, are no doubt are rejoicing this fine friday morning.

Dearest Chi-Town Ghostbusting enthusiasts,

Straight from the vault AKA my heart, I SAY: THANK YOU.

Singlehandedly, y’all recreated the most precious and divine liquid since Andre Extra Dry water.

Love,

The Crib Keeper

True Story: Just the other day Baby Bro and I were wishing we had a TALL GLASS of Ecto Cooler to share with Angry Baby. I told him it was “probably for the best that she never taste such an exquisite beverage only to have it cruelly ripped from the grocery shelves of her heart.” He agreed.

No child should ever have to bury their Soft Drink.

But now, the refreshing syrup of my youth is back. And through various specific ingredients, it lives forever.

My beloved, ghost-themed beverage has risen from the dead, like an unholy zombie, that with the proper ingredients and ratios mixed in the correct manner, can live forever (vampire-style.) Happy 2nd day of the Halloween Season!

Bonus Tip: If you drop what you’re doing and devote the rest of the workday to procuring and marrying these ingredients, you’ll have a batch ready by the weekend!!!!!

This one goes out to the Baby Bro! Don’t think I’m not going to embarass celebrate you on your birthday, I AM! -CK