Young Chefs Cookbook Winner Announced

(Image Credit)

Thanks to everyone who entered my cookbook giveaway.  A winner has been selected using random.org.  Don't worry if you didn't win, you can purchase the cookbook HERE or I have also seen it at Costco.

Plus, I have the BEST giveaway coming up on Tuesday for one of my FAVORITE products.  So, be sure to come check it out.

The WINNER is . . . Helena Chamberlain!

Congratulations!

Please contact me within 72 hours or a new winner will be selected.

Chicken, Bacon, Ham, Asparagus and Cheddar Parmesan Pasta

Is that title a mouthful or what?  Pretty much everything but the kitchen sink is in this pasta and it is SO GOOD!  

I'm not going to lie . . . this dish was quite a bit of work.  Definitely a Sunday dish and a dish you make when you have a helper in the kitchen.  All of the steps are super simple, nothing hard about it, but there is just a lot to do.

A warm bed of pasta is topped with a rich and creamy cheesy sauce, with shredded chicken, brown sugar ham, smoked peppery bacon, roasted asparagus and diced tomatoes.  It turned out amazing and tasted like a fancy Italian meal that will impress anyone who devours it.  I served it alongside some FABULOUS FOCACCIA and I savored each and every bite.

If you have any pasta loving Dad's, this would be awesome for Father's Day!

Chicken, Bacon, Ham, Asparagus Cheddar Parmesan Pasta
adapted from: Just Get Off Your Butt and Bake
(Printable Recipe) or (Printable with Picture)

1 c. cooked chicken, shredded (rotisserie)
3/4 c. ham, diced
1 Tbl. brown sugar
1/2 Lb. bacon
3/4 bunch of asparagus
olive oil
salt and pepper
1 roma tomato, diced
spaghetti noodles

Sauce:
2 Tbl. unsalted butter
3-4 Tbl. flour
1 garlic clove, minced
1 c. milk
1 c. low-sodium chicken broth
1 c. half-and-half (I used fat-free)
1/4 tsp. onion powder, or to taste
1/4 tsp. garlic powder, or to taste
1 tsp. white sugar
black pepper
1 1/2  c. Cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese, grated

Trim about an inch off the bottom of each asparagus spear and discard.  Toss asparagus with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Spread out onto a baking sheet and roast in a 400 degree oven for about 10-15 minutes, flipping halfway through.  When done, allow to cool for a few minutes, then chop into 1-inch pieces; set aside.   

Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the bacon and cook until crispy and remove to a paper towel lined plate; set aside.  Discard all but a teaspoon of the bacon grease.  Add the diced ham and 1 Tablespoon of brown sugar.  Stir together and cook until the ham is golden and sugar is absorbed, about 1-2 minutes.  Remove to a bowl; set aside.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package directions.

For the Sauce: To the same skillet, melt the butter.  Add the minced garlic and saute for about 30 seconds.  Whisk in the flour, one Tablespoon at a time, until a paste forms.  Allow to cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally.  Gradually whisk in the milk, then the broth and last the half-and-half.  Whisk until smooth.  Season with onion powder, garlic powder, sugar and black pepper.  Continue cooking until thickened.  Whisk in the Cheddar cheese and Parmesan cheese and stir until smooth.  Taste and adjust seasonings, if needed.    

Add the cooked shredded chicken, the fried ham and the chopped asparagus to the sauce and heat on low until everything is heated through.  

Serve sauce over noodles and top with diced tomato and cooked and crumbled bacon.     

Jenn's Notes:  I thought this was delicious, but I felt like the chicken could be omitted.  

Serve with:

Fabulous Focaccia Bread

Key Lime Bars with an Animal Cracker Crust

The warm weather makes me crave tart and sweet citrus desserts.

Key lime is one of those citrusy desserts and I needed some ASAP.

These are the BEST key lime bars I have ever eaten.

Cook's Illustrated tested both regular limes and key limes and the taste testers couldn't tell the difference, so for the sake of juicing 4 regular limes vs. 20 key limes, they opted to use regular limes in this recipe.

I, myself, opted for bottled key lime juice.  I really love that stuff.

I like to pour myself a glass of it and drink it on hot days.

NOT.  Just seeing if you were paying attention :)

The crust is phenomenal.  The brown sugar gives it a toasted nutty caramely flavor.  I thought it would be too much, since it is almost as thick as the filling, but it was perfect.  This crust would also be fabulous with a banana cream pie.

Key Lime Bars w/ an Animal Cracker Crust

adapted from: Cook's Illustrated
(Printable Recipe) or (Printable with Picture)

Crust:

5 oz. animal crackers (about 2 1/2 cups)

3 Tbl. packed brown sugar

pinch of salt

4 Tbl. unsalted butter, melted

Filling:

2 oz. cream cheese, softened (I used light)

pinch of salt

1 Tbl. lime zest, grated (I only added zest of 1 lime)

1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 c. fresh lime juice 

   about 4 regular limes or 20 key limes

1 large egg yolk

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, press into corners and up the sides of the baking dish, leaving an overhang to easily remove bars when done.  Spray with cooking spray.  For the crust:  Add animal crackers, brown sugar and a pinch of salt to a food processor.  Process until you have fine crumbs.  Drizzle in melted butter and pulse until crumbs are evenly moistened with butter.  Press crumbs evenly and firmly into bottom of prepared pan.  Bake until golden brown and fragrant, about 18 minutes.

Meanwhile, for the filling:  Stir together softened cream cheese, a pinch of salt and grated lime zest.  Whisk in the sweetened condensed milk.  Add the lime juice and whisk until smooth and creamy.  Last, whisk in the egg yolk.  Pour mixture over warm baked crust and spread out evenly.  Return to oven and bake until filling is set and barely beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 17-20 minutes.

Let cool on wire rack to room temperature; about 1 1/2 hours.  Cover with foil and refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours.  Remove from pan using the foil overhang; cut into 16 squares and serve.  

Jenn's Notes:  I used bottled Nellie & Joe's Key Lime Juice (found at most grocery stores) instead of fresh lime juice.  These bars are the best I have had and I wouldn't change a thing from what I did.     

Young Chefs Cookbook GIVEAWAY Plus Homemade Raspberry Cream Cheese Spread

*Giveaway is now closed.  Click HERE to see the winner*

A cookbook for kids giveaway.  

This cute book is made to help you teach your kids to cook from the ground up.  You start off simple by showing them how to crack eggs and measure flour and work up to teaching them how to get something hot out of the oven.

At the top of each recipe, there is a picture of a kitchen tool (blender, microwave, oven, etc. . . ).  So you can quickly glance at the recipe and see if your child will be able to handle it by themselves or if they will need a little adult help.  There are super simple recipes and there are more involved recipes.

Some of the recipes I can't wait to try are the Pink Smoothies, Cowboy Eggs, Blonde Trail Mix, Best Nachos Ever, Grandma's Applesauce Cookies and
Special Day Ice Cream Cake.

This time, I chose to try the raspberry cream cheese spread.  This recipe requires no adult help.  I love me some bagels and it never crossed my mind to make my own flavored cream cheese spread.  It was so easy and it was seriously DELICIOUS, not to mention a lot cheaper than store-bought flavored cream cheese.

Overall, I think this cookbook is fun and easy to follow.  If you are interested in showing your kids how to cook, then this is the perfect way to get them started.

Raspberry Cream Cheese Spread

adapted from:  Young Chefs Cookbook
(Printable Recipe) or (Printable with Picture)

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

3 Tbl. raspberry jam (or favorite jam)

2 Tbl. powdered sugar
2 bagels, cut in half

In a small bowl, mix together the cream cheese, jam and powdered sugar until smooth and creamy.  Serve on bagels or toast.

*TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY*
Simply leave me a comment on this blog post with your favorite "kid food."  If you don't have a favorite kid food, just tell me your favorite food.  If your name does not link me to a blog, be sure to leave your email address, so I can contact you if you win.  Good luck.

Bonus Entries (not mandatory): Follow Eat Cake For Dinner on Google Friend Connect, Facebook, Pinterest, Google +, email and/or Bloglovin'.  All are found on the right hand side of my blog.  Leave me a separate comment telling me which way you follow. 

Giveaway will end on Friday, June 14th and I will announce the winner on Saturday, June 15th and contact the winner via email. Winner must respond within 72 hours or a new winner will be selected.

The publisher provided me with a copy of this cookbook, but the opinions expressed herein are my own.

Chicken Broccoli Supreme - No Canned Soup

It's been awhile since I posted a chicken, broccoli and rice casserole recipe.

This one is different because it has poppy seeds in it and since Ritz crackers make everything better, I crushed them up and sprinkled them on top instead of the same-old bread crumb.  Crushed Ritz crackers not only add a rich and buttery flavor, but they give the casserole a nice soft crunch in each bite.  So so good when mixed with the creamy sauce, melty cheese and crisp broccoli.  

You might also like:

Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu Bake

Pat's Chicken & Wild Rice Casserole

Cheesy Chicken, Bacon, Broccoli and Rice Casserole

Chicken Broccoli Supreme

From: Jenn@eatcakefordinner

(Printable Recipe) or (Printable with Picture)

2-3 c. fresh broccoli, steamed
1 1/2 c. cooked chicken, shredded
1 1/2 c. cooked rice
1/2 c. Cheddar, grated, for topping

Sauce:
2 Tbl. unsalted butter, melted
3-4 Tbl. flour
1/2 c. low sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 c. milk
3/4 c. half-and-half (I used fat-free)
salt and pepper
1/4 tsp. onion powder, or to taste
1/4 tsp. garlic powder, or to taste
1/4 tsp. lemon pepper, or to taste
3/4 c. Cheddar cheese, grated

Topping:
1 pkg. Ritz crackers, crushed (I used low-fat)
2 Tbl. unsalted butter, melted
1/2 Tbl. poppy seeds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  For the sauce: In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.  Whisk in the flour, one Tablespoon at a time, until a thick paste forms.  Cook for a few minutes.  Gradually add the chicken broth, whisking constantly to prevent lumps from forming.  Gradually whisk in the milk and the half-and-half.  Season with salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and lemon pepper.  Continue cooking over medium heat until thickens and reaches a good creamy sauce consistency.  Taste and add more seasonings, if needed.  Whisk in 3/4 cup of grated Cheddar cheese and stir until melted.  

Layer the steamed broccoli, cooked chicken and cooked rice in a greased 9x13-inch baking dish.  Pour sauce over the top.  Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of shredded Cheddar cheese.  

For the topping: Combine crushed crackers, melted butter and poppy seeds.  Toss together until crackers are evenly coated in butter.  Sprinkle over the top of the casserole.  Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly and crackers are lightly toasted.  Makes: 4 big servings

Jenn's Notes: Instead of mixing my crushed crackers with melted butter, I sprayed them lightly with butter spray to save a few calories.  I figured most people won't have butter spray, so I included melted butter in the recipe instead.

Inspired By: Just Get Off Your Butt and Bake

Easy and Fabulous Focaccia Bread

Who knew homemade Focaccia Bread was SO EASY to make?

I mean, REALLY easy to make.

All you do is throw everything in your mixer and mix until combined and knead for five minutes.  Let it sit for 15 minutes, spread out onto a cookie sheet, let set 30 minutes, make indentations using your fingers, brush with olive oil and add some seasonings and bake.  No skills required here.  

The end result is AMAZING.  It tastes incredible plain, it is fabulous dipped in pasta sauce and my house smelled like an Italian Restaurant while it baked.

We even made grilled ham and cheese sandwiches with the leftover bread the next day and it still tasted amazing.

I have made this a few times now and we absolutely LOVE it.  It's my new favorite thing to serve with pasta.

Easy & Fabulous Focaccia Bread

(Printable Recipe) or (Printable with Picture)

1 c. warm water

3 Tbl. softened butter

2 Tbl. dry milk powder

3 Tbl. sugar

1 1/2 tsp. salt

3 c. bread flour

2 1/4 tsp. instant yeast

Topping:

2 Tbl. olive oil

3 Tbl. grated Parmesan cheese

1 tsp. dried rosemary

1/2 tsp. garlic salt 

Add the warm water, butter, dry milk powder, sugar, salt, flour and yeast to the bowl of your stand mixer.  Mix until combined and knead for 5 minutes on low using the dough hook.  Add more flour or water, if needed.  Dough should remain in a ball as it kneads and should not stick to the side of the bowl.  After dough is finished kneading, place it on a lightly floured surface and cover with saran wrap.  Let the dough rest for 15 minutes.  After dough has rested, knead by hand for one minute.  

Press dough into a large, greased, jelly-roll pan, until dough is about 1/4''-1/2'' thick.  It will not cover the entire surface of the pan.  Cover and let rise for 30 minutes.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Using your fingers, press dough in random spots to make indentations about 1-inch apart from each other.  Brush dough with olive oil and sprinkle with Parmesan, rosemary and garlic salt.  Bake in preheated oven for 13-15 minutes or until lightly browned.  Allow to cool slightly, then cut into squares and serve.    

Jenn's Notes: My dough was perfect with the measurements listed.  I did not have to add any extra water or flour.  I let my dough rise for about 50 minutes, because my house was cooler, so it took longer.  I did not have garlic salt, so I used garlic powder and a little salt.  I also added some Italian seasoning.  This bread is fabulous.       

adapted from: Chef-In-Training, who adapted it from Taste of Home

Easy Lo Mein

These noodles are WAY WAY good and SO DANG EASY!

The flavor is perfect.  The soy sauce is not overpowering at all like it sometimes is.  The amount of sesame oil called for is just right.  I can taste it, but it isn't overpowering either.  I recently looked up a recipe that called for 3 Tablespoons of sesame oil.  Holy cow.  I have used that stuff enough to know that is way too much and would have ruined the dish.

Three cups of slaw seems like a lot, but it somehow disappears when you add it and I think you could even add more.

I ended up using angel hair pasta noodles, because that is what I had in my pantry and I will use them next time too.  I want this for lunch tomorrow.  Although I didn't try it myself, but I think this would probably reheat well.

I swear, this one is a keeper, you gotta try it!

Perfect light and easy dish for Summer.

You might also like:
Copycat Panda Express Chow Mein
Sesame Chicken
Teriyaki Chicken and Noodle Bowl

Easy Lo Mein

adapted from: Mandy's Recipe Box
(Printable Recipe) or (Printable with Picture)

2 Tbl. soy sauce

1 Tbl. rice wine vinegar

2 Tbl. brown sugar

1/2 tsp. sesame oil

1 tsp. fresh ginger, grated

2 tsp. fresh garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. Sriracha hot sauce
2 tsp. cornstarch
2 tsp. canola oil
3 heaping cups coleslaw mix
1/4 c. green onions, chopped
6 oz. angel hair spaghetti noodles
   or chinese egg noodles

Cook noodles according to package directions.  Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, brown sugar, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, sriracha and cornstarch; whisk to combine; set aside.  Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the coleslaw mix and saute a few minutes or until crisp tender.  Add the sauce, the cooked and drained noodles and green onions.  Toss together to combine.  Cook for a few minutes and serve.  Serves: 2-4

Jenn's Notes: I have made this a few times and I make it exactly as I typed it above, using angel hair noodles.