Saturday, July 30, 2005

I Love Paula Deen!



I love getting up each Saturday and knowing that Paula will be making something fabulous for me on the Food Network. She uses tons of butter and cream cheese. How can you go wrong with butter and cream cheese? Today she made these yummy little biscuit chili cups, mini Mexican pizzas, and little banana parfaits. Delish! I love that she uses everyday ingredients and rarely uses complicated cooking methods. Many of her recipes remind me of Pampered Chef recipes. I love Pampered Chef. I've even been a consultant at two different times in the past.

I am planning to make this recipe today. I just haven't figured out what to make to accompany it. Paula served it with chicken and dumplings. I'm not really up for doing the whole chicken and dumplings thing today, though chicken and dumlings is one of my favorite foods.

I'm still looking for a good recipe to take to a birthday party tomorrow. My friend, Becky, is throwing a Scooby Doo bash for her son, Matthew's, fourth birthday. It's an outdoor affair, so I'm thinking the chili biscuit cups will have to wait for a cooler day. Maybe I'll make Club House Chicken Squares. They're yummy and always a hit. I'll think about that.

Club House Chicken Squares
2 packages (8oz) refrigerated crescent rolls
1 package (8oz) cream cheese, softened
2 tbsp mayo
1 small clove garlic, pressed
1 tsp All Purpose Dill Mix (optional)
1 can (10 oz) chunk white chicken, drained and flaked*
1/2 small cucumber
2 plum tomatoes
1/2 cup (2 oz) shredded cheddar cheese
6 slices bacon, crisp-cooked and crumbled

Oven to 375

Unroll one package of crescent rolls across one end of the bar pan with longest sides of dough across the width of the pan. Repeat with other package. Use the baker's roller to seal the perforations and press up the sides to form a crust. Bake 12-15 minutes, till golden, then remove to stackable cooling rack and cool completely.

Place cream cheese, mayo, garlic and seasoning mix in a bowl, mix until smooth. Spread this mixture over the cooled crust using the large spreader. Sprinkle chicken over filling. Score cucumber lengthwise. Remove seeds with corer. Thinly slice using slice & grate. Cut slices into quarters. Slice tomatoes in half lengthwise and remove seeds. Dice tomatoes. Grate cheese. Sprinkle cucumber, tomatoes, cheese and bacon over filling. Slice with pizza cutter and serve.

If I didnt' have this desire to save the children of the world, I would be quite content staying home to play June Cleaver. I'm actually highly qualified. My master's degree actually reads "Masters Degree in Home Economics Education." They have sinced changed the name to "Family and Consumer Sciences." More politically correct, but I kind of like the retro chic of my home-ec degree. I'm off to surf the Food Network archives a little further. I can't think of a better way to spend a Saturday morning.

3 comments:

1UP RPG said...

We love Paula, too! She is so much fun to watch, and I almost always want to eat what she's cooking. If you need someone to taste test any of those recipes, let me know.
-Bob

1UP RPG said...

Seriously. When mom was was here after Eli was born we fed each other's Food Network obsessions. I am starting to plan a girls' vacation next year (my mom, sister and I) to Savannah, GA just so we can go to the Lady & Sons. They offer group cooking classes with Paula but they are over $250 a pop...I wish I could write a scholarship essay to get in (I used to be good at those)...but I might just start saving my pennies! :)I love her, too! Eva lets me watch a little of her during the day (can't expect a 3 yr old to stay interested in a food show TOO long) and likes her because Paula reminds her of Nonni (my mom). I think it is the eye make up.
Brooke

Dottie said...

Oh now I am really hungry! I will have to start watching, if only someone would come cook it for me....