VALENTINE DAY MENU/...and recipes!!

Veggies and Crackers with Creamy Ranch Dip/Appetizer
Smothered Chicken/Main Entree
Oven Baked Zesty Potatoes/Side Dish
Spring Salad Mix with Dressing/Salad
Crumb Green Beans/Vegetable
Strawberry Icebox Cake/Dessert
Welch's Sparkling Grape Juice/Beverage
Cappuccino

VEGGIES AND CRACKERS WITH CREAMY RANCH DIP

Ingredients for dip:
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup ranch dressing
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup real bacon bits
2 Tbsp. sliced green onion

           Mix all the ingredients and refrigerate. Serve with assorted crackers or cut up vegetables. Makes about 1 and 1/2 cups.

          P. S. Leftover dip makes a tasty sandwich spread.

 

SMOTHERED CHICKEN

Ingredients: 4 boneless chicken breasts
Garlic Salt
Coarse seasoned pepper
1 Large sweet onion
1 large green pepper, 1 large red pepper
1 large yellow pepper
1- 8 ounce can mushrooms (drained)
8 ounces shredded provolone cheese
8 ounces shredded mild cheddar cheese

       In a 350 degree oven, place chicken breasts on an un-greased cookie sheet. Season with garlic salt and seasoned pepper and bake uncovered for about 30 minutes. Brown the chicken, but DO NOT brown too much to dry out.

     While you are baking the chicken, slice all the peppers and onion and place in a frying pan with NO margarine or oil. Put on medium heat, place lid on and let simmer until the vegetables are all limp (but not too overcooked). Add the mushrooms and cook about 15 minutes longer. Shut off heat and set aside.

     When chicken is ready, remove from cookie sheet and place in large baking dish. Put peppers, mushrooms, and onions on top of each chicken breast evenly. Sprinkle the provolone and cheddar on top as well. Return the baking dish to the oven and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes or until the cheese is nicely melted. At this time, cover lightly with foil, turn off the oven and let sit until you are ready to serve.

ZESTY OVEN-BAKED POTATOES

Ingredients:
2 LARGE Idaho or Russet potatoes
Margarine spray
Seasoned pepper
Herb and garlic seasoning
Parmesan cheese
Garlic salt

      Scrub the potatoes really good and dry. Using a very sharp knife, score the potatoes on top (or cut into it like 'tic-tac-toe').  Just enough that it cuts into the potato, but NOT cutting it in half.

     Spray well with the butter spray (0 fat) and sprinkle with the seasoned pepper, garlic and herb seasoning, parmesan cheese and a light sprinkle of garlic salt.  Re-spray the butter on top of this to keep the seasonings all in tact.

     Bake in a 375 degree oven for an hour. You may need to add some water in the bottom of the cookie sheet to keep it from smoking up your kitchen, plus the water makes steam which causes the potato to cook faster. You don't want to cover them because you want them to have a nice crispy, seasoned top.

     Test with a fork for tenderness and when it's done, remove and place in the microwave while you're getting the chicken ready to serve.    The potato is so tasty, you don't even need any butter or sour cream on top,  but if you're daring  and in the mood  for some good eating, go ahead, take risks and put some butter and sour cream or French onion dip on top (maybe even some shredded cheese).
 

 
 

CRUMB GREEN BEANS

This is a neat way my mother used to 'fancy up' the green beans... So I thought I'd share it.

Ingredients:
2 cans green beans
1/4 pound of saltines, (crushed)
1/2 stick margarine
Ground pepper
Garlic salt

      Place the green beans in a sauce pan along with some pepper and garlic salt to heat through with the lid on. In the meantime, melt the margarine in a frying pan and add the crushed cracker crumbs to it... On medium high heat, stir the crumbs lightly and toss and continue to mix so they do not burn... You want them to lightly brown and crunch up . When this is done, turn off the heat and remove pan from the burner.

     Now that the beans are cooked through and heated well, drain the fluid from them... Place the green beans in the serving bowl... and sprinkle the buttered crumbs on top of the and lightly toss.

     DO NOT COVER and DO NOT put crumbs on until right before you are ready to eat. They will get soggy  and that's not what you want to do.
         This will become a family favorite,  especially for those who don't like green beans. 

 

STRAWBERRY ICE BOX CAKE

Ingredients:
1 pkg. strawberry gelatin   

   2 pkgs.- 10 oz. frozen sliced strawberries           
2 T. sugar     
             2 small angel food cakes (torn into pieces)                       
3 c. whipped topping

      Dissolve gelatin into 1/4 c. boiling water. Add strawberries, sugar and salt. Stir until thick. Fold in whipped cream. In a 9" x 13" pan and cover the bottom with cake pieces. Pour 1/2 of the strawberry mixture over top. Repeat the layers and cover and refrigerate. If you would like, it would be nice to put whipped topping over the entire top and perhaps a few of the left over strawberries for a nice finishing touch...Now it's time for that bubbly grape juice or some cappuccino...and a little smooch for your honey!!!!

          HAPPY VALENTINES DAY... and enjoy your meal...