Sweet & Sour Baked Chicken

Ingredients:

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

salt & pepper

2 tbsp. cooking oil

1 (20 oz. can) pineapple chunks (with juice)

1 c. canned jellied cranberry sauce

1/4 c. cornstarch

1/4 c. packed brown sugar

1/4 c. rice or cider vinegar

1/4 c. frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed

1/4 c. dry sherry, chicken broth, or water

1/4 c. soy sauce

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

2 medium green sweet peppers, seeded and cut into bite-size strips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Sprinkle chicken lightly with salt and pepper.  In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat.  Add chicken and cook about 4 minutes or until browned, turning once.  Transfer chicken to a 9x13 pan.
2. Drain pineapple well, SAVING 2/3 c. of the juice.  Spoon pineapple chunks (not juice) evenly over the chicken in pan; set aside.
3. For sauce, in a medium saucepan, whisk together the reserved pineapple juice, the cranberry sauce, the brown sugar, vinegar, orange juice concentrate, sherry (broth or water too), soy sauce, ginger, and cornstarch (sprinkled in lightly while whisking).  Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly.  Pour over chicken and pineapple in baking pan.
4. Bake, covered, for 25 minutes.  Uncover and add sweet peppers, stirring gently to coat the peppers in the sauce.  Bake for 5 minutes longer, UNCOVERED.
5. Serve with rice.  
6. Enjoy!

Jane's Banana Bread

Ingredients:

3 rotten bananas

2 eggs

1/2 c. shortening

2 c. flour

3/4 c. sugar 

1/2 c. buttermilk

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 c. walnuts (optional)

Directions:

1. Beat together sugar and shortening.  Then, add bananas and eggs and mix until all are combined.  
2. Mix all dry ingredients in a separate bowl.  
3. Gradually, add small amounts of dry ingredients to banana mixture and beat, while adding small amounts of the buttermilk.
4. Once all are mixed into one bowl, add vanilla and STIR.
5. Add walnuts to mixture if desired.
6. Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes in a bread pan.  For muffins, bake for 18-20 minutes.

*Recipe from Jane Murphy

Applebee's Spinach Artichoke Dip

Ingredients:

* 1 (10 ounce) box frozen chopped spinach, thawed
* 1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped
* 1 cup shredded parmesan-romano cheese mix
* 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
* 10 ounces prepared alfredo sauce
* 1 teaspoon minced garlic
* 4 ounces softened cream cheese
* pepper (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine ingredients thoroughly in a bowl and spread mixture into a small baking dish (I used an 8" X 8" dish.
3. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until cheeses are bubbling and melted.

4. Serve with chips or bread and enjoy. (I toast slices of french bread....like crostinis.)

White Chicken Chili...no crockpot needed!

Ingredients:
1 tsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 rotisserie chicken (easiest way to do it)
1-1.5 (14.5 oz) cans chicken broth
1 (4 oz) can green chile peppers, chopped
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano
¾ tsp. cayenne pepper
2.5 (14.5 oz) cans Great Northern Beans, undrained
½ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Directions:
Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and sauté for ten minutes or until onions are tender. Add the chicken, chicken broth, green chile peppers, cumin, oregano, and cayenne pepper, and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to low and add the beans. Simmer for 20-30 minutes or until heated thoroughly. Pour into individual bowls and top with cheese.

Serve with cornbread.