Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken *

1 small onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1a/2 cup honey

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup ketchup

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Salt and pepper to taste

1 green onion, thinly sliced for garnish

Sesame seeds for garnish

In a large bowl, combine onion, garlic, honey, soy sauce, ketchup, vegetable oil and red pepper.  Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper, to taste.  Place chicken thighs into a slow cooker.  Add honey mixture and gently toss to combine.  Cover and cook on low heat for 3 hours and 30 minutes.  Remove chicken thighs from slow cooker and shred.  Return chicken to pot with juices.  Cover and keep warm for an additional 30 minutes.  Serve with green onions and sesame seeds as garnish

Serves 4

Crunchy Slaw *

Salad:

1 head green cabbage, finely chopped

8 green onions, finely chopped

1/2 cup sliced almonds

1/2 cup sesame seeds

1/4 cup butter

2 (3 oz each) packages ramen noodles, flavor packets discarded

Dressing:

2 Tbsp sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3 Tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Mix cabbage and green onions in large bowl.  In a small saucepan over medium heat, brown the almonds and sesame seeds in the butter.  Combine the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and stir well.  Just before serving, add sesame seeds, almonds, and crushed RAW ramen noodles to the cabbage and green onions.  Pour the dressing, a little at a time, over the salad and mix.  

Serves 12

Perfect Coffee Cake *

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

3 cups plus 1 Tbsp all purpose flour

3/4 cup chopped pecans

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

3/4 cup butter, softened

2 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

3 large eggs

16 oz sour cream

1 cup powdered sugar

4-6 tsp milk

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease bundt cake with nonstick cooking spray and dust with 1 Tbsp flour.  In bowl, combine baking powder, baking soda, salt and 3 cups flour.  In small bowl, combine pecans, brown sugar, cinnamon, and remaining flour.  In large bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat granulated sugar, butter, and vanilla until creamy.  Beat in eggs, 1 at a time.  Alternately beat in flour mixture and sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture.  Beat just until blended, occasionally scraping bowl.  Evenly spread 2 cups batter in prepared pan; sprinkle with half of nut mixture.  Top with 2 cups batter.  Sprinkle with remaining nut mixture, then spread with remaining batter.  Bake 55-60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool cake in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes.  With knife, loosen cake from pan; invert onto rack to cool completely.  Prepare glaze,  In small bowl, stir powdered sugar and milk until smooth.  Drizzle glaze over cooled cake.  

Makes 16 pieces

Sloppy Joe Casserole *

1 pound ground beef, cooked and drained

1 can original sloppy joe sauce

1 can crescent roll (in full sheet form if available)

1/ 2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Heat oven to 375.  In skillet, mix beef and sloppy joe sauce.  Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally.  Meanwhile, unroll dough.  Pour beef mixture into ungreased 12x8 dish.  Place crescent dough over beef mixture.  Bake uncovered 13 minutes.  Sprinkle with cheese; bake about 2 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

Garlic Shrimp Angel Hair *

8 oz uncooked angel hair pasta

3 Tbsp butter

4 1/2 tsp all purpose flour

2 cups half and half cream

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

2 Tbsp prepared pesto sauce

2 Tbsp minced garlic

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 cups broccoli florets

1 pound uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

Cook the pasta according to the package directions.  Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, melt 1 Tbsp butter over medium heat.  Stir in flour until smooth.  Gradually add cream.  Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.  Stir in grated parmesan cheese, pesto sauce, 1 Tbsp garlic, Worcestershire sauce, crushed red pepper, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper.  Keep warm over low heat, stirring occasionally.  In a large skillet, saute broccoli in remaining butter for 5 minutes.  Add shrimp and remaining garlic; cook and stir until shrimp turn pink.  Stir in cream sauce.  Drain pasta; add to shrimp mixture and toss to coat. 

Serves 4

Spicy Bacon Chicken Bites *

1 bag frozen precooked popcorn chicken

1 (12 oz) bottle wing sauce of your preferred flavor

1 stick of butter

1 pound bacon, cut in half

2 jalapeno peppers, cut into slices

Heat wing sauce and butter over medium, stirring until butter is melted and everything is combined. Pour bag of chicken in large bowl.  Pour the hot sauce over the frozen chicken and stir.  Take one piece of popcorn chicken and one jalapeno and wrap in half slice of bacon.  Secure with toothpick if needed.  Cover cookie sheet with foil.  Place chicken on cookie sheet.  Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes, until bacon is crispy.

Fettucine Carbonara *

8 oz fettuccine, uncooked

1 cup frozen peas

1/4 cup light cream cheese spread

1/4 caesar reduced fat dressing

1 Tbsp flour

1 cup fat free milk

6 oz smoked ham, cut into short strips

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

3 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese

Cook pasta as directed on package, adding peas to the cooking water for the last 3 minutes of the pasta cooking time.  Meanwhile beat cream cheese spread, dressing, and flour in small saucepan with whisk until well blended.  Gradually add milk, stirring constantly until mixture is well blended.  Add ham; cook on med-low heat 5 minutes or until heated through.  Drain fettuccine mixture; return to saucepan.  Add sauce mixture; mix lightly.  Cook an additional 2-3 minutes or until heated through.  Top with parsley and Parmesan cheese.

Serves 4