Easy Breakfast Crescent Braid

I'm notorious for NOT posting the theme. Sorry. At least I'm contributing something every now & again:) I do want to tell you that I got this latest recipe from an awesome website called Our Best Bites. The recipe and pictures are courtesy of ourbestbites.com. If you need a picture tutorial to help you understand it, visit the site. There are step by step pictures to help.

Easy Breakfast Crescent Braid

1 roll Pillsbury Crescent Recipe Creations (these are the ones that are just a sheet of dough; no perforations)
Scrambled Eggs
4-5 strips bacon (sausage would be great too)
1/2 C grated cheese , or more...
optional: Hot sauce

Scramble eggs in a skillet. Since this will cook again in the oven, under cook your eggs. You want them to be cooked enough to hold together, but leave them a bit wet. Cook bacon strips and set aside. (I bake my bacon in the oven. Just lay flat on a foil lined cookie sheet and bake at 400 for about 12 minutes or until crisp) Next, use a rolling pin and a lightly floured work surface to roll out the crescent dough to about 10 in x 12 in. Lay the eggs down the center of the rectangle, leaving room on both sides and the 2 ends. Top with bacon, cheese, and a couple shots of hot sauce if you want.

Use a pizza cutter to slice even slits on the sides of your rectangle. Fold over both ends.

Now starting on one end, bring the side pieces in and overlap them. You'll want to alternate- one from the right, then one from the left and so on and so on. Keep doing it until you get all the way to the end. When you get to the end, just tuck where you can to make it pretty!

Bake according to package instructions. It might take a little longer than the package directs because of the way it's braided. And actually, if you want it shiny on top, give it a quick egg wash before you bake. When it's done, it should be golden brown on top. Remove from oven and let cool for about 5 minutes. Slice on a slight diagonal and eat immediately!
YUM!

Taco soup

1 1/2 lbs hamburger
1 chopped onion
1 can (15oz) can chili beans
1 can (15oz) Kidney Beans
1 can (15oz) Pinto beans
1 can (15oz) Stewed Tomatoes (pureed in blender)
1 can (15oz) corn (undrained)
1 can (16oz) v8 Juice
1 can (15oz) tomato sauce
1 package of Taco Seasoning

Brown hamburger. Put all ingredients together in a stock pot. Heat until warm. Server over crushed chips and top with cheese, sour cream and olives

Other ingredients
tortilla chips or Frito's
Sour Cream
Grated Cheese
olives

White Chilli

This is yummy and easy! It is one of my favorites!

Saute:
1 lg onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tb olive oil

4 cups cooked chicken, diced
4 cans (15 oz) white kidney beans or canolini beans, rinsed and drained
1 can garbanzo beans
2 cans chicken broth
1 can chopped green chillies
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Add all other ingredients to saute mixture. Cook on low in crockpot for 7 hrs and high for last hr.
Serve with monteray jack cheese and tortilla chips. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro.

Pumpkin Stew

• Large Pumpkin (it needs to be flat on the bottom)
• 2 lbs ground beef
• 1-2 bottles spaghetti sauce
• 1-2 bags mixed veggies (and variety you choose )
• 1 onion
• salt and pepper
• you can also add fresh potatoes and carrots if you want

Clean out your pumpkin, it will be your pot. Put it in a shallow dish with an inch or so of water. Brown meant and onions. Put into the pumpkin and add spaghetti sauce. Stir together. Put pumpkin in the oven @ 350 for 2 1/2 - 3 hours. Steam veggies. After the pumpkin comes out of the oven add veggies.

I tried to scale this recipe down, a teacher I worked with makes this every year for her class near Halloween, It might still make a lot. I've also known people to make the stew on the stove (and just add everything together plus a little water until you have the consistency you like) and cook the pumpkin separately if you don't want a lot of pumpkin flavor in the soup. Hope it isn't too vague for anyone that really wants to try it!

Chicken Soup with Spinach and Wild Rice

WHAT YOU NEED:

• 3 cup water
• 14 floz low sodium chicken broth
• 10 3/4 floz Soup, cream of chicken, condensed, canned
• 2/3 cup wild rice , rinsed and drained
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 3 cup cooked chicken breast, diced (or turkey)
• 2 cup fresh chopped spinach , shredded

WHAT YOU DO:

• In a 3 1/2 or 4 quart slow cooker combine water, chicken broth, chicken soup, wild rice, thyme and pepper.
• Cover and cook on low heat setting for 7 to 8 hours or on high heat setting for 3 1/2 to 4 hours.
• Just before serving, stir in chicken and spinach. Enjoy! (MAKES 6 SERVINGS)

Idaho Baked Potato Soup

2/3 C butter
2/3 C all-purpose flour
7 C Milk
4 large baked potatoes (peeled and cubed)
4 green onions
12 bacon strips (crumbled)
1 C Sour cream
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients and heat through.

Cheese and broccoli soup

This is one of my favorite soups, and it's pretty easy, but be warned,

it feeds an army! (well, probably only 8-10 :) )

Cheese and Broccoli Soup

3-4 carrots (grated)

1/2 Onion (chopped finely)

1 bunch broccoli (chopped)

3-4 sticks of celery (chopped)

3 quarts boiling water

6 chicken bullion cubes

1 tsp sugar

1 1/2 cup flour (for thickening to taste)

2 cubes of butter

16 oz Velveeta cheese, cut into small cubes

Bring water to a boil and add the bullion and sugar. Dissolve. Add cut up veggies. While veggies cook, melt the butter in a saucepan and add flour (for best results use real butter and mix the flour and butter with hand mixer). Add flour/butter mixture to veggies stirring constantly. Add cheese and continue stirring until cheese is melted completely. Enjoy!