Retreat Recipes

1 pound frozen hash browns

2 cans chicken stock

1 tbsp butter

1/2 oni0n, pureed in food processor

1 can of Cream of Chicken soup

1 tsp black pepper

1 block cream cheese

1 cup cheddar cheese

1/2 pound cripy bacon, crumbled

1. In a pan, melt the butter.  Add pureed onion and cook down until translucent.

2. In a slow cooker, combine hash browns, broth, soup, onion, and pepper.

3. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours. 

4. Transfer 1/2 of the mixture to a blender and pulse until creamy.  Add back to original pot.

5. Add the cream cheese and cook 30 minutes or until cream cheese is melted, stirring occasionally, until combined.

6. Add half of the cheese and half of the bacon and blend.

7. When serving, top with cheese and bacon if desired.

1 box of dried ziti

1 jar of preferred pasta sauce (I use Prego mushroom)

1 block of mozzarella cheese, shredded

1 pound of Italian sausage

1 tbsp Italian seasoning

1. Cook pasta according to directions.

2. Cook sausage in a pan, breaking it up into small pieces as it cooks.

3. Drain any oil from sausage.

4. Drain pasta and add sauce, sausage, seasonings and cheese.

5. Place in a baking dish and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

1 pound Italian sausage

1 ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes

4 slices bacon

1 large onion, pureed in food processor

1 tbs minced garlic

5 (13.75 ounce) cans chicken broth

6 medium potatoes, thinly sliced on a mandolin

1 cup heavy cream

8 ounces fresh spinach, tough stems removed

1. Cook Italian sausage and red pepper flakes in a pot over medium-high heat until crumbly, browned, and no longer pink, 10 to 15 minutes. 

2. Drain oil from sausage mixture and set aside.

3. Cook bacon in the same pot over medium heat until crisp, about 10 minutes. 

4. Drain grease from bacon, leaving a 2 tablespoons with the bacon in the bottom of the Dutch oven. 

5. Stir in pureed onion and garlic; cook until onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.

6. Stir in chicken broth and bring to a boil over high heat. 

7. Add potatoes and simmer until fork tender, about 20 minutes.

8. Reduce heat to medium; stir in cream, cooked sausage, and spinach. 

9. Cook and stir until spinach has wilted and sausage is warmed through; serve.

1 stick of butter

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

2 tsp minced garlic

1/2 tsp Italian seasonings

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

2 cups freshly grated Parmesan (not from a can)

1. Simmer butter and cream to a large skillet over low heat for 2 minutes.

2. Whisk in garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper for one minute.

3. Whisk in the parmesan cheese until melted.

4. Serve immediately over pasta.

2 packages of cheese tortellini, cooked according to package directions

6 baby cucumbers, sliced into 1/2 inch slices

8 ounces cherry tomatoes, each sliced in half

1 package of fresh mozzarella pearls, separated

1/2 cup Italian dressing (I used Olive Garden)

1. Fold all ingredients together in a large bowl.

2. Refrigerate until ready to serve. (Best served after it has a day to marinate.)

2 cups of wild rice mix, prepared according to package directions with spice of your choice

2 cans of black beans, rinsed

1 can of water chestnuts, rough chopped

1 block of mozzarella cheese, shredded

2 tbsp of spice of your choice

1 cup of Panko bread crumbs

1. Fold all ingredients together in a casserole dish.

2. Sprinkle bread crumbs over the top.

3. Bake in a 350 oven for 20-30 minutes.

6 ounces white chocolate chips

1 package plain white cake mix

1 stick butter, melted

1 cup whole milk

3 large eggs, whisked toghether

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350. 

2. Brush three tin cake loaf pans with ghee, then dust with sugar. Shake out excess sugar.

3. Melt the white chocolate in saucepan over low heat until melted, stirring constantly so it does not burn. Set aside to cool slightly.

4. Place cake mix, melted butter, milk, eggs, vanilla and slightly cooled white chocolate in mixing bowl.

5. Blend with mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Stop machine and scrape down sides of the bowl. 

6. Blend with mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes more, scraping down sides again, if needed. The batter should look well blended. 

7. Divide batter evenly among the prepared pans. Place pans in oven.

8. Bake the loaves until they are light brown and spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 40-45 minutes.

9. Remove pans from oven and cool on wire racks for 10 minutes. 

10. Run a dinner knife around the edge of the loaves and invert them onto racks. Turn on one side and let cool completely, 35-40 minutes, before serving.

2 sticks of butter, softened

2 eggs

1/4 cup white sugar

3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 box instant vanilla pudding

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 3/4 cup flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 package milk chocolate chips

1. Heat oven to 375.

2. Mix butter and eggs until creamy.

3. Add sugars, pudding and vanilla and blend.

4. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl and whisk together.

5. Add dry ingredients to first mixture and blend well.

6. Fold in chocolate chips.

7. Drop batter by teaspoonfuls onto a baking stone, two inches apart.

8. Bake on top rack for 6 minutes and then bottom rack for 6 minutes.

9. Remove stones to cool.

10. With metal spatula, remove cookies to wire rack to cool.

2 cans of cooked chicken, drained and shredded

1/2 cup of mayonnaise 

1 tsp poultry seasoning

1/4 cup dry roasted sunflower seeds

Croissants

1. Combine the first four ingredients in a large bowl.

2. Cut croissants in half.

3. Spoon chicken mixture onto croissant, adding lettuce leaf if desired.

1 lb chicken, diced and sauteed in 1 tsp butter and 1 crushed glove of garlic

5 cups raw spinach, cut into strips and sauteed in 1 tsp butter and 1 crushed glove of garlic

1 can artichoke hearts, processed in a blender to a fine chop

1 cup wild rice mix, cooked according to directions with 1 tsp butter and 1 tsp garlic salt

1 cup basmati, cooked according to directions with 1 tsp butter and 1 tsp garlic salt

1 block mozzarella cheese, shredded 

1. Cook spinach

2. Cook chicken

3. Cook rices

4. Combine all ingredients and bake 25 minutes at 350 degrees or until hot and melty.