Gail's Recipe Station

Gail's Version of Olive Garden's  Chicken Marsala Recipe (TNT) Ingredients: 2 thick chicken breasts, boneless & skinless 1/2 cup flour Salt to taste Pepper to taste Dried oregano to taste 2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil 2 Tbsp butter 1 cups fresh baby Portabella mushrooms, sliced 1/2 cup Marsala wine (I use Taylor's brand) Directions:  Slice thick chicken breasts to equal four 1/4" thick chicken breasts.  Combine flour, salt, pepper and oregano in a mixing bowl. Dredge chicken pieces in the flour, shaking off any excess. Heat oil and butter in a skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken breasts on medium heat for about 2 minutes on the first side, until lightly browned. Turn breasts over to cook other side, then add mushrooms to skillet. Cook breasts about 2 more minutes, until both sides are lightly browned. Continue to stir mushrooms (be careful to avoid stirring chicken as much as possible). Add the Marsala wine around the chicken pieces, then c...

Italian Cucumber Appetizers (TNT) Makes about 25-30 appetizers 1 pkg. {8 oz.} cream cheese, softened 1 packet dry Italian dressing 2 baguettes (see note below) 1 English Cucumber, sliced into thin rounds (see note below) Mix cream cheese and italian dressing packet together until smooth. Cut baguettes into thin slices {1/2 inch} and toast until lightly brown. Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over baguettes slices. Top each with a cucumber slice. Gail’s Notes: Rather than use fresh baguette slices, I use Stacy's Bake Shop Herbed Baguette Bakery Crisps, which are totally awesome in taste and a whole lot less work (I've also made these using slices of cocktail rye bread--those always turn out tasty as well). I also prepped the cucumber slices by placing them on paper towels sprinkled with salt, then salted the tops of the slices and placed another paper towel over the top, then let sit to long enough to allow some of the moisture in the slices to drain out a bit (to m...

Bacon and Potato Bake (TNT) 4 cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes 1/2 cup onion (finely chopped) 8 ounces bacon, cooked and crumbled 6 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese 1 12 oz. can Evaporated Milk (see *note below) 1 large egg, lightly beaten 1 1/2 teaspoons seasoned salt Directions:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8-inch-square baking dish with cooking spray. Layer 1/2 potatoes, 1/2 onion, 1/2 bacon and 1/2 cheese in prepared baking dish. Repeat layering with remaining ingredients. Combine evaporated milk, egg and seasoned salt in small bowl. Pour evenly over potato mixture and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes. Uncover, then bake for an additional 5 minutes. Let stand for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Gail's Note:  This was very good (Paul really liked it, too--which isn't surprising as he loves breakfast-type foods) and so easy to make! I definitely recommend this to anyone who loves this type of meal. As a matter of...

Spinach and Bacon Quiche (TNT-Gail's Version) Original Recipe courtesy of Paula Deen/Food Network Total Time: 1 hr;  Prep: 15 min;  Cook: 45 min;  Yield: 8 servings;  Level: Easy 6 large eggs, beaten 1 1/2 cups heavy cream Salt and pepper 2 cups chopped fresh baby spinach, packed 1/4 cup cubed or sliced, precooked Cremini mushrooms * 1 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled 1 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese 1 (9-inch) refrigerated pie crust, fitted to a 9-inch glass pie plate Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Combine the eggs, cream, salt, and pepper in a food processor or blender.  Layer the spinach, bacon, mushrooms, and cheese in the bottom of the pie crust, then pour the egg mixture on top.  Bake for 35 to 45 minutes until the egg mixture is set. Cut into 8 wedges. Gail's Notes: I made one change to Paula's recipe and that was to add *precooked, sliced Cremini mushrooms! Talk about a good idea! It def...

Creamy Marsala Wine Sauce over Mushroom Ravioli (TNT) Prep Time: 5 mins Total Time: 20 mins Servings: 2-3 1/2 lb portabella mushroom ravioli 1 cup marsala wine   1 cup heavy cream  1/2 tablespoon olive oil  1 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms   1/4 cup thinly sliced onions (or chopped--whatever floats your boat, so-to-speak) salt and pepper to taste Fill a large pot with about 4 quarts of water. Set the burner to high and boil. Add frozen ravioli to boiling water for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally (very gently). The ravioli are done when they float to the top of the water. At the same time you are boi...

Gail's Favorite Bacon Ranch Dip (TNT)   8 oz Daisy sour cream 1 1/2 TBS Hidden Valley Ranch Dip Seasoning Mix Penzeys Ground Ancho Chili Pepper - to taste 1 or 2 chopped green onions (optional) 4 slices thick-cut smoked bacon, pre-cooked and chopped (I use Wright brand as it is truly awesome bacon!) In a mixing bowl, gently blend all of the ingredients together.  Serve immediately or place in the fridge for a couple of hours to allow flavors to meld together. Gail's Notes :  This is so easy and so tasty! Goes well with crackers and/or chips! And my guess is, it'd probably be really good as a sandwich spread, too!  

Betty White's Chicken Wings Pacifica (TNT) Makes 6 servings 3 pounds Chicken Wings 1/2 pound Butter 1 cup Soy Sauce 1 cup Brown sugar 3/4 cup Water 1/2 teaspoon Dry mustard Arrange chicken wings in shallow baking pan. Heat butter, soy sauce, brown sugar, water and mustard until butter and sugar melt.  Cool. Pour mixture over wings and marinate at least 2 hours, turning once or twice. Bake in same pan in 375°F. oven for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. Drain on paper towels before serving.  Gail's Notes :  These are absolutely incredible! I highly recommend making these the next time you plan a party and need appetizers as these are about as awesome as they get for chicken wings!  Yummmm!!!!