Herbed Cheese Chicken Burger with Herbed Aioli

This Chicken burger was pretty amazing! I love Ciabatta Rolls, and the Red Onion and Arugula are the perfect companions for this fresh tasting burger! Serve by itself or with a salad! This recipes yields 4 burgers

Things you will need:
1 pkg Ground Chicken
1 cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1/4 cup Chopped Fresh Rosemary
1/3 cup Chopped Fresh Thyme
1 Garlic Clove Minced
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 cup Mayonnaise
Salt
Pepper
Arugula For Topping
Sliced Red Onion for Topping
4 Ciabatta Rolls toasted

In a small bowl mix together Mayonnaise, garlic, thyme, and rosemary. Stir together. Using a whisk slowing incorporate your olive oil. Once this is mixed well put in the fridge.

In a large bowl mix together the Ground Chicken, Salt, Pepper, Cheese, and 1/3 of the Aioli mixture. Once this is incorporated really well you are ready to start making your patties. These patties are going to be really sticky, and hard to shape but they will come together! The chicken will firm up as it cooks.

I broiled these patties for about 8 minutes on each side. Because the Mozzarella Cheese is incorporated into the meat it starts to brown and bubble on the top of the patty.

Toast your Ciabatta if you prefer, dress with left over Aioli, Arugula, and Red Onion and you have one kick ass Chicken burger!

Tator-Tot Casserole

I love this recipe because it's so versatile, you can really use anything you like to make this and it's so good! Kenny's mom taught me how she makes it and I've played with it and have made it my own. Children love this recipe always a hit!

Things you will need:
1 bag Tator-Tots
1 White Onion Chopped
1 Tbsp Minced Garlic
1 lb Fresh Green Beans
1 lb Fresh Mushrooms - sliced
2 cans of Heart Healthy Cream of Chicken Soup
1 pkg Ground Chicken
2 cups Shredded Cheese

First you need to brown up the Ground Chicken. Season well with whatever seasonings you like, I use salt, pepper and a little garlic salt. Once your chicken has started to brown throw in your garlic, onions and mushrooms.

Meanwhile blanch your green beans! Boil a large pot of water. Remove the stems and the bottoms of the green beans and cut in half. Place your Green beans in the boiling water and cook for only five minutes. Have a large bowl full of ice water waiting for your green beans so you can stop the cooking process! Once you have boiled your green beans for five minutes place them in the ice water.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

Once your chicken mixture is browned and your veggies are looking tender your ready to start your casserole! In a large bowl mix the meat mixture, green beans, Tator-Tots and soup together. Once this is mixed together pour mixture into a 9x13 baking dish. Top with 2 cups shredded cheese. Bake for 45 minutes. So delicious!

Special Potatoes

This recipe is my mother-in-law Patti's, but I've tweaked it a little bit. But 95% of this recipe is Patti's. It's so good and is always a favorite for holiday dinners.

Things you need:
1 pkg Shoe string Potatoes (hash browns)
2 cans Heart Healthy Cream of Chicken soup
1 16oz Fat Free Sour Cream
3 cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese (White Cheddar is great!)
1 bundle of Green Onions chopped
2 cups Corn Flakes
1/2 stick of Butter

In a large bowl combine hash browns, Cream of Chicken Soup, Sour Cream, Chopped Green Onions and Cheese. This will need some serious elbow grease, I usually make my husband stir this mixture because it's very thick and you have to make sure that it's all stirred in and Incorporated really well.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

In a 9x13 baking dish spread your potatoes mixture in the baking dish making an even layer. Top with Corn Flakes and melted butter. Bake for 45 minutes - 1 hour. The sides will be bubbling and the corn flakes will have a golden brown toasted color.

These Potatoes are to die for and a family favorite!

Green Bean Casserole

I love Green Bean Casserole but I have a complex about using canned ingredients! This recipe is to die for when made with fresh ingredients! My brothers aren't huge fans of Green Bean Casserole but when I made this recipe they couldn't get the fork to their mouths fast enough! Try it and love it!

Things you need:
1.5 lbs Fresh Green Beans - You'll need to snap off the stems and the bottoms
1 lb Mushrooms - whatever kind you like, I like the baby portobello mushrooms for this recipe
1 pkg Bacon - Peppered bacon in this recipe is amazing but again whatever you like
1 White Onion - Chopped
1 8oz tub of Sour Cream
2 cup Mozzarella Cheese
2 cups Corn Flakes
1 stick Butter Melted

First step is to blanch your green beans, get your water boiling and add your green beans, you only want these to cook for 5 minutes. Have a large bowl filled with ice water ready for these green beans, once they have cooked for 5 minutes toss them into the ice water. This will stop the cooking process and leave your green beans nice and crunchy.

Dice up your bacon into bite size pieces and let brown up in a large skillet. Once your bacon starts to brown up add your chopped onion. Let this cook until onions are translucent, then add your mushrooms. When you cut up your mushrooms make sure you leave them a little big because when mushrooms cook they shrink. You want people to be able to tell what fresh ingredients you have in your casserole. When the mushrooms have cooked add the 8oz container of Sour Cream. Mix together.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

In a 9x13 baking dish, arrange your green beans on the bottom of the dish, layer the filling on top of the green beans evenly. Top with Mozzarella and Corn Flakes, pour melted butter on top of Corn Flakes and let bake for 45 minutes.

This honestly is the best Green Bean Casserole I have ever had!

My Dad's Deviled Eggs

I love deviled eggs and everyone has a different recipe for them! This recipe is my dad's and ultimately my favorite type of deviled egg.

Things you will need:
1 dozen eggs - boiled
1 cup Mayonnaise
1 can Ortego pickled jalapenos diced
Salt
Pepper
Paprika

After you have boiled and peeled your eggs, cut the eggs in half vertically. Remove the yolks from the egg and put in a small bowl. Once you have removed all the yolks add the diced jalapenos, 2 tsp of the juice from the can, mayonnaise, and salt & pepper to taste. Mix well. Once that's all mixed up well, place the filling in the egg where the yolk was. Sprinkle with paprika and you have delicious deviled eggs!

Peanut Butter Banana Sandwich

Growing up one of my favorite things as an after school snack was a Peanut butter & banana sandwich with a huge glass of milk. This is not my recipe, I saw this recipe on Paula Dean's show, made it and honestly it's just too good not to post on here! If you have children or are still a child at heart this sandwich is for you!




Things you need:
1/2 cup of butter softened
3/4 cup crunchy peanut butter (I use creamy but it's more of a textural thing)
3 Tbsp of Honey
1 1/2 Tspn Ground Cinnamon
3 Ripe Bananas
White Bread or Wheat whatever you prefer (I think it's best with white bread)
Toppings:
1/4 cup of Sugar
1 Tbsp of Cinnamon

In a frying pan, melt 3 Tbsp of butter. Make sure the butter doesn't burn.

In a small bowl mix together the peanut butter, honey, and cinnamon. Slice the bananas into 1/4 inch thick slices. Spread Butter on the outside of your bread, just like a grilled cheese. Spread the peanut butter mixture onto a slice of bread and cover with banana slices. Top the bread with the remaining slice of bread. Grill the Sandwich in the frying pan until golden brown.

For the topping combine the sugar and cinnamon in a shallow plate. Coat the grilled sandwiches in the mixture. Serve hot! So melty and sweet!

Lamb Meatballs

I love lamb! I know that it can be a little intimidating and people say it tastes funky but that's just not the case. These meatballs are so good and the meat is lean and delicious. Please keep an open mind and try these meatballs! You will not be disappointed! I promise you!


Things you will need:
l pkg Ground Lamb
1 Tbsp Fresh Thyme - Removed from Stem
1 Tbsp Fresh Rosemary - Removed from Stem
1 Tbsp Fresh Mint
1 Red Onion - Diced Finely
1 Tbsp Garlic
Olive Oil
8oz container Feta
1/2 cup Garlic Herb Bread Crumbs
Gorgonzola Cheese dressing


First Step - Place all of your Fresh Herbs and garlic in a food processor and start the food processor, as your pulverizing your herbs add in a little olive oil, you want it to be the consistency of a paste. Once that's complete, get a large bowl and place your ground lamb in it. Add the paste as well as the Red Onion, Garlic Herb Bread Crumbs, and feta cheese. Mix well. I take my rings off and get in there with my hands. Make sure that this is really incorporated well.

Preheat Oven to 375 degrees

Line a cookie sheet with tin foil - this makes for easy clean-up!

Once that's all mixed start making your meatballs. I make them about the size of golf balls. Make any many as you can from your mixture.

Once you have all your meatballs made, brush them the Gorgonzola Dressing covering the entire meatball.

Cook your meatballs for about 1 hour, and continue to brush on dressing about every 15 minutes.

My husband likes to eat these meatballs in a grilled pita with hummus but they are great with a salad and served just as they are. If you do want to go the sandwich route I recommend using Athenos Spicy three pepper hummus and arugula as the lettuce, so delicious, so fresh tasting!

Roasted Chicken Green Chile Enchiladas

These enchiladas are so good, and super easy to make! Plus there is always leftover filling which you can use for Nachos, quesadillas and a sandwich even! It's super yummy.

Things you will need:
12 White Corn Tortillas
1 Whole Roasted Chicken - deboned and pulled apart
2 Cans Green Enchilada Sauce
1 White Onion
4 Cups of Mexican blend Cheese
4 Roasted Green Chiles (Canned or Fresh)
Canola Oil

So first step is the filling. I always go out and just buy a Roasted Chicken at the store and just pull it when I get home. So pull your chicken and make sure your Chicken is pulled enough that it's in bite size pieces, dice up your onion and incorporate with the chicken. Dice and add the 4 roasted green chiles to the mixture. Add in 2 cups of the Mexican cheese blend. Stir together and make sure that this is well mixed. 

Next is the tortillas, for the best results with enchiladas you should always flash fry them. Which means, take a small skillet and fill with canola oil, just enough to cover the entire tortilla. Once the oil is hot, take your tortilla and place in the oil, the tortilla will immediately start to bubble, let it bubble for about 30 seconds and flip, cook on the opposite side for 30 seconds. So only a total on 1 minute cook time for each tortilla, you don't want it to be crispy you just want it cook a little. 

Get out a 9x13 Baking pan - Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Once all your tortillas are cooked you want to dip them in one can of your green enchilada sauce. Dip a tortilla in the sauce and place filling the in the middle of the tortilla and roll it up. Place in the baking dish and continue until your pan is filled with enchiladas. Pour the remaining can of Sauce over the top of your enchiladas, cover with 2cups of the Mexican Blend cheese and bake for 45 minutes. These are delicious!

Italian Shepards Pie

My Grandma always makes me a classic Shepard's Pie when she comes to visit! She knows that it's my favorite thing that she makes! So I decided that I wanted to make a Shepard's pie but mine never tastes like my grandma's so I wanted to do a new twist on the recipe. This recipe was totally just a thought and I decided to try it and it was a Success! Delicious Recipe... Ultimate comfort food.

Things you will Need:
1lbs Italian Sausage
1 White Onion
1 Red Bell Pepper
1 Zucchini
1lbs crimini mushroom (or whatever mushroom you like)
2 cans Italian Style diced tomatoes
1 8oz tub of Ricotta cheese
2 cups Mozzarella cheese
1 Tbsp Minced garlic
3 Russet Potatoes
1/2 cup Milk
1 egg
Italian Bread Crumbs
1 bundle fresh basil
1 small can of sliced black olives (optional)

Preheat large skillet to medium and lightly coat the bottom of the pan with Olive Oil. Brown your Italian Sausage, once your sausage has browned add in two cans Italian style diced tomatoes, use the juice in the can. Add minced garlic, onion, black olives and fresh basil to mixture. Let cook for about ten minutes.

Mean while, roughly chop up the zucchini, red bell pepper, and mushrooms. Preheat a skillet to medium heat and coat with Olive oil. Season your veggies with Salt and Pepper and toss in the pan. Cook these veggies until the colors are vibrant, the veggies should still be a little crunchy.

Peel and boil your potatoes, you want to make these just as if you are making Mashed potatoes. Once your potatoes are tender enough to mash, strain, and mash! Add 1/2 cup of milk, 1 egg scrambled, this is an important step, please make sure that you are beating your egg in a separate bowl and slowly add into your potatoes. After you have incorporated the milk and egg, add the mozzarella cheese! These potatoes will be thick and hard to stir! You can see the gooey-ness of the cheese in the potatoes! It's delicious!

Pre-Heat the oven to 375 degrees

In a 9x13 casserole dish add your sauce to the bottom of the pan. Get your Ricotta and just take spoon-fulls and plop it into your sauce randomly. Enough that it will melt around the sauce and give it a creamy background. Layer the veggies on top of the sauce. Then layer your potatoes on top of your veggies. Spread them out so potatoes are covering all of your mixture. Top with Italian Bread Crumbs and Parmesan Cheese.

Bake for 45 minutes or until the top is golden brown. This is so comforting and so delicious!

Chicken Chili

I really can't have a lot of red meat so I came up with this recipe so I could enjoy a good bean chili with my husband! It's very good! But it does take some time, so please make sure that if you are going to make this recipe you have lots of time! Simmer time is 5 hours! So beware! LOL!


Things you will need:
1 pkg Ground Chicken
1 White Onion
1 bundle Cilantro
2 Serrano Chiles
1 1/2 Tbsp Red Chile Powder
2 Cans Pinto Beans
2 Cans White Beans
1 Can Red Kidney Beans
1 tsp Herbed Poultry
1 tsp Garlic Salt
Olive Oil


Use a large stew pot for this recipe. The great thing about Chili is your building flavors so you can use just one pot! Lightly coat the bottom of the pan with Olive Oil and start browning your Ground Chicken. Add the Herbed Poultry and Garlic salt to the chicken. Ground chicken is great but it mostly absorbs all the flavors around it so you want to make sure and season it while your browning. Once your chicken is browned add in your 3/4 White onion roughly chopped, reserve about 1/4 of the onion for garnish. Once the onion is translucent add in the Serrano Chiles roughly chopped. Again, depending on how hot you like your chili use seeds don't use seeds, just remember the Serrano Chile is a lot hotter than the jalapeno! Let the chiles cook with the onion and chicken for about 5 minutes, then it's time to add in your bundle of cilantro roughly chopped. Stir this all together and let cook for about 10 minutes.


Now add all the beans to the pot. I drain my beans but you could use the juice if you want. Stir together and add 1 1/2 Tbsp of Red Chile Powder. If you can find it I like the New Mexico Red Chile Powder, but regular works just as good so whatever you can find! Add 4-6 cups of water, enough liquid to cover all your ingredients and to simmer down and thicken. Keep this at medium low heat for 4 1/2 - 5 hours and honestly you have the best Chicken Chili ever! So delicious and definitely worth the wait!

Beans

My husband loves this recipe! It seems like every time I ask him what he wants for dinner this is his response. This recipe originally came from my dad and I've added a few things to make it my own. I love this recipe because you literally throw everything in the pan and forget about it! You do need a pressure cooker for this recipe so if you don't have one, I'm sure you could make this using a regular chili pot but it would take some serious time.

Things You Need:
2 Cups of Pinto Beans (I don't soak them because I'm using a pressure cooker)
Ham Skanks - When you buy these at the store they come in packs of two
1 White Onion diced
1 Tbsp Garlic minced
8 cups Water
Salt
Pepper

Throw everything in the pot and cover. Let this pressure cook for about an hour and a half! It turns into this thick delicious bean stew! Definitely a winner!

Green Chile

This recipe is very close to my heart. This literally would be my last meal if I had to choose. My whole family makes this recipe and I swear everyone has their own way of making it! Well, this is MY way! LOL! It's more of a Mexican stew and is so comforting.

Things You Need:
Boneless Country Pork Ribs
White Onion
Garlic
Potatoes - peeled and chunked
Roasted Green Chile - You can get canned or fresh roasted whatever is easiest for you to get your hands on.
Flour
Olive Oil

Cut your pork into bite size chunks and coat lightly in flour.

Pre Heat your pan - Make sure you use a stew pan with a lid because covering this is what makes it thick. Eye ball the Olive Oil. Just enough to lightly coat the bottom of the pan. Once your pan is preheated throw your pork in. Let it brown and get all the flour mixed with the oil. It's ok if it looks a little chunky at this point.

Dice your Onion and throw it in the pot with the pork. Peel potatoes and chunk, try and make the potatoes chunks even for even cooking, you want to make sure you know you are biting into a potato. Not too small or they will disintegrate into your chile.  Once your onions have sweat and they are translucent go ahead and add your potatoes. Let your potatoes cook with all your goodness for about 4 minutes and then add your Green Chile. Stir and then add 4 cups of water or however much you need to cover your ingredients. Bring to a boil and cover. Let cook for about 45 minutes until a thick almost gravy consistency. So good. Serve with tortillas and sour cream! So delicious!

Mozzarella Balls

This recipe is so good! But what deep fried cheese isn't delicious! LOL!

Things you need:

Fresh Mozzarella Balls - as many as you wish to make

Eggs - beaten - about 4
Italian Bread Crumbs
Parmesan Cheese
Flour
Salt
Pepper

Cayenne Pepper

Fresh Italian Parsley (chopped finely)

Canola Oil

Take your Mozzarella Balls and remove them from the liquid. Pat them dry with a paper towel, this will help get rid of all the moisture and also help your breading to stay on.

Preheat your deep fryer or skillet and make sure your oil is hot! If you are going to pan fry these make sure your pan is deep enough to cover the cheese ball with oil.

Get a plate and place your flour on the plate. Season your flour with the Cayenne Pepper, Black Pepper, and salt. Just enough to taste.

Scramble your eggs and place them in a small to medium size bowl. You want to be able to dip your balls in there.

Also, put your bread crumbs, Parmesan Cheese and Italian Parsley on a plate.

Once you have your three stations your ready to start! Take a Mozzarella ball and roll in Flour, once it's coated in flour, dip it in the egg, then in the bread crumbs, dip it one more time in the egg and the bread crumbs. This will make the coating so crunchy and will also make it so it sticks better to the cheese. Once all your balls are coated place in your freezer for 20 minutes. This will help the egg set up and also stick better to the Cheese. After the 20 minutes put those babies in the deep fryer until golden brown! These are so gooey and delicious! Serve with your favorite marinara or ranch!

Prosciutto Green Onions

This Recipe is so easy but extremely time consuming! You need as many green onions as you will have guests x3 because people love these and they can't stop eating them!

Thing you will need:
Green Onions
Cream Cheese
Parmesan Cheese
Prosciutto

Clean your Green Onion and remove the tops, about half way down. You want these to be about two bites each green onion, so that will give you an idea of how much of the top to remove.

Leave your cream cheese out so it's room temperature because if it's cold it's super hard to mold to your Green onions. Take your cream cheese and slice it. Take the slice in the palm of your hand and wrap the bottom of the green onion. there should only be a little bit of the green onion poking out once you have wrapped the creamed cheese around the onion. Once that step is completed, roll the green onion in Parmesan cheese, coating the cream cheese, then wrap that in prosciutto! This is a taste explosion!

Enjoy!

My Dad's Salsa - Vigil Family Recipe

This Salsa is one of my favorite things EVER! It's so fresh and so delicious! My dad's family has been making this salsa as long as I can remember, and is always a must have at our family parties, our whole family loves it and it's usually gone with in the hour! And of course this recipe could feed an army so please feel free to lessen the ingredients if you don't want leftovers!

Things you need:
3 Fresh Tomatoes
2 Large Cans Whole Tomatoes with juice
1 Stock of Celery
1 Bundle of Cilantro
1 Large White Onion
4 - 5 Jalapenos
Garlic Salt
Juice of 1 Lime

Roughly chop all of your ingredients including the canned tomatoes, save the juice from the can because you want to incorporate that into your salsa. Combine veggies in a large bowl, add juice from the canned tomatoes and lime juice, salt to taste! So easy, so delicious!

Patti's Artichoke Dip

This Artichoke Dip is to die for and unfortunately I can't take credit for it! My wonderful mother-in-law taught me to make this and it's so great! Serve with diced french bread and you have a classic dip that is warm, cheesy, and comforting!

Things you need:
1 Can Quartered Artichoke hearts
1 Brick of Cream Cheese
1 Cup Parmesan Cheese
1 Cup Mayonnaise
1 Tbsp of Garlic

Leave out your ingredients so they are room temperature when you make this dip, it makes it a lot easier to work with! Especially the cream cheese.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees

Mix the Cream Cheese, Parmesan Cheese, Mayonnaise, and garlic in a medium size bowl. Mix until the consistency is smooth and well mixed. Add in Garlic and Artichoke hearts. Place in a square baking dish. Bake for 45 minutes or until top is golden brown and the edges are bubbling!

My Famous Guacamole & Home Made Chips

This recipe is always a crowd pleaser! I have actually had people tell me that they don't like Guacamole and they love this recipe! It's so easy and so delicious!


Things you will need for Guacamole:
Avocados - I usually use 6 or 7
1 White Onion
1 Bundle Cilantro
Jalapenos - Quantity is totally up to you depending on your heat level. I use about 4 or 5 jalapenos with the seeds. I like to make sure it has a kick!
1 Lime Juiced
Lawry's Garlic Salt


First you want to cut your Avocados in half and remove the seed. Then what I have found to be the easiest for mashing is score your Avocados with a knife and make a checker board, then when you get the spoon to remove the meat it comes out in little chopped pieces and it's easier to mash. Once you have mashed your Avocados, add in the juice of one lime and garlic salt to taste. Make sure your avocado mixture is a little salty because you want to season all the other veggies you'll be putting into this delicious dip!


Chop up the rest of your vegetables! The consistency of the chop is totally up to you! I like it chunky but you might want smaller pieces! Stir into your Avocado mixture and TA-DA! Total deliciousness in a bowl.


For the chips I totally cheat and buy white corn tortillas that I cut into little triangles and deep fry! Once they are all brown and crispy I pull them out and salt to taste! People can't get their hands out of this recipe and will be begging you make it over and over again! :)

The Beginning

So, there are a few things to know about me! My name is Sarah and I love to cook! It's something that I thoroughly enjoy and honestly could not be sane without. I learned how to cook from my dad! But to be honest I'm not really a recipe kind of gal so this is going to be interesting! I'm more of an eye ball it and pray it comes out well kind of gal! LOL! But have no fear fellow readers I will do my best to include measurements as well as the most delicious recipes that I have in my repertoire.

Kahuku means Perserverance in Hawaiian and is also the nickname we have bestowed upon my five month old son. Some day I hope to own my restaurant that I will name Kahuku's Corner. Hence, the blog name. Please feel free to comment, try and enjoy my recipes!