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  • How To Make Creamy Dreamy Chicken and Spirals Casserole

    Ingredients

    2 cups rotini pasta
    1/4 cup butter
    3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
    1 3/4 cups milk
    3 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
    1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, cubed
    1/4 cup white wine
    1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard
    3 pinches ground nutmeg
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    2 cups chopped cooked chicken
    10 buttery round crackers, crushed
    2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
    2 teaspoons butter, melted

    Directions

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly spray a 9×13-inch pan with cooking spray and set aside. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

    Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add flour a tablespoon at a time and stir until smooth. Gradually stir in milk. Bring to a low boil, and cook for one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in cheddar cheese until melted. Stir in cream cheese and until melted. Add wine, and season with mustard, nutmeg and salt.

    Pour cooked noodles in pan. Layer chicken pieces over the noodles. Pour sauce over the chicken. In a small bowl, mix the cracker crumbs, parmesan cheese and butter, and sprinkle over the sauce.

    Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until edges of casserole are bubbling. Remove from oven, and stir to thoroughly coat pasta and chicken and to keep top of casserole from hardening. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

  • Recipe For Beef Tenderloin With Roasted Shallots

    Ingredients

    3/4 pound shallots, halved lengthwise and peeled
    1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
    salt and pepper to taste
    3 cups beef broth
    3/4 cup port wine
    1 1/2 teaspoons tomato paste
    2 pounds beef tenderloin roast, trimmed
    1 teaspoon dried thyme
    3 slices bacon, diced
    3 tablespoons butter
    1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
    4 sprigs watercress, for garnish

    Directions

    Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). In 9 inch pie pan, toss shallots with oil to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Roast until shallots are deep brown and very tender, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.

    In a large saucepan, combine beef broth and port. Bring to a boil. Cook over high heat until the volume is reduced by half, about 30 minutes. Whisk in tomato paste. Set aside.

    Pat beef dry; sprinkle with thyme, salt and pepper. In a large roasting pan, set over medium heat on the stove top, saute bacon until golden. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels. Add beef to pan; brown on all sides over medium high heat, about 7 minutes.

    Transfer pan to oven. Roast beef until meat thermometer inserted into center registers 125 degrees F (50 degrees C) for medium rare, about 25 minutes. Transfer beef to platter. Tent loosely with foil.

    Spoon fat off top of pan drippings in roasting pan. Place pan over high heat on stove top. Add broth mixture, and bring to boil; stir to scrape up any browned bits. Transfer to a medium saucepan, and bring to simmer. Mix 1 1/2 tablespoon butter and flour in small bowl to form smooth paste; whisk into broth mixture, and simmer until sauce thickens. Whisk in remaining butter. Stir in roasted shallots and reserved bacon. Season with salt and pepper.

    Cut beef into 1/2 inch thick slices. Spoon some sauce over, and garnish with watercress.

  • How To Make Awesome Red Wine Pot Roast

    Ingredients

    3 pounds boneless beef chuck roast
    2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
    2 tablespoons canola oil
    1/2 cup water
    1/2 cup red wine
    1 teaspoon dried basil
    1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
    1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
    1 teaspoon salt
    1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
    1 onion, sliced
    6 red potatoes, washed and halved
    6 carrot, peeled and cut into 2-inch lengths
    8 pearl onions, peeled and halved

    Directions

    Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

    Sprinkle the roast evenly with the flour and set aside. Heat the canola oil in an oven-proof Dutch oven with lid over medium-high heat. Brown the roast on all sides, about 10 minutes total; remove from the heat. Pour in the water and wine. Sprinkle with the basil, marjoram, thyme, salt, and pepper. Arrange the onion slices on the roast.

    Replace the cover and bake in the preheated oven for 3 hours. Add the potatoes, carrots, and pearl onions. Pour in additional water if the roast looks dry. Continue baking covered until the roast pulls apart easily with a fork, about 1 hour longer.

  • Seafood And Cabbage Salad Recipe

    Ingredients

    2 1/2 cups shredded cabbage
    1 cup shredded red cabbage
    1 head fresh broccoli, cut into florets
    1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
    1 red bell pepper, sliced
    1 pound imitation crabmeat, coarsely chopped
    3/4 cup light mayonnaise
    1/4 cup lemon juice
    2 tablespoons white sugar
    3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
    1 clove crushed garlic
    1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
    1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

    Directions

    In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, lemon juice, sugar, white wine vinegar, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper, and chile sauce.

    In a large bowl, combine cabbage, broccoli, bell peppers, and crab. Toss mixture with dressing. Cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve.