Rhina's Chicken Casserole

This casserole is sooooo yummy. Again, one of Rhina's recipes (she rocks!).

2 c diced cooked chicken
cream of mushroom soup
3/4 c mayo
1 c diced celery
1 c cooked rice
1 tsp grated onion
1 tbsp lemon juice
4 oz mushrooms
1/2 c water chestnuts
1 c cornflakes (mixed in 3 tbsp of melted butter)

Mix & put cornflakes on top. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes (until hot & bubbly).

Reality Notes: You can use canned chicken for this too. You can prepare this ahead of time and refrigerate until you are ready to cook it. And I prefer Frosted Flakes instead of plain cornflakes. :)

Irish Potato Casserole

My step-mom, Rhina, is the best cook I know. Here's one of my personal favorites. Do not expect left-overs with this one.

8-10 medium potatoes
1 8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 c melted butter (1 stick)
1/2 c chopped chives
2 tsp salt

Cook potatoes, drain and mash. Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add potatoes and other ingredients. Beat until smooth. Spoon into lightly buttered dish. Cover & refrigerate overnight. Bake at 350 for 30 min.

Reality Note: Use fresh chives - they make the dish taste so much better. Yukon Gold potatoes taste really good but they make the casserole look yellowish.

Pastel Jello Cookies

These are a childhood favorite. Mom used to make them around every holiday with us in a different flavor with different holiday cookie cutters. I still absolutely love them. We were making orange pumpkins today although my favorite are pink hearts in February and green shamrocks in March. Hope you enjoy the kid friendly recipe!

Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cups butter (softened)
1 cup sugar
1 pkg jell0
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

Directions:
- Mix butter, sugar, and jello. Beat well.
- Add egg and vanilla.
- Add rest of ingredients and mix well.
- Chill dough.
- Roll out to about 1/8 inch thick and cut with your favorite cookie cutters.
- Bake at 350 for about 8 minutes.

Tips:
- Don't over bake these. They don't spread, rise, or brown much-- so be careful not to overcook them. They are much better a little undercooked than overcooked. Bake time depends a lot on your oven.

Delicious Baked Potato Soup Recipe

Here is a great potato soup recipe I found in Cooking Light. It's easy, though peeling the potatoes does take a little time, makes a lot for leftovers or company and absolutely delicious. This is one I actually make just like the recipe says. It needs no tweaking! Enjoy!

Baked Potato Soup

4 baking potatoes (about 2 1/2 pounds)
2/3 cup all-purpose flour (about 3 ounces)
6 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
1 cup (4 ounces) reduced-fat shredded extrasharp cheddar cheese, divided
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup reduced-fat sour cream
3/4 cup chopped green onions, divided
6 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
Cracked black pepper (optional)

-Preheat oven to 400°. -Pierce potatoes with a fork; bake at 400° for 1 hour or until tender. Cool. Peel potatoes; coarsely mash.
-Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Place flour in a large Dutch oven; gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Cook over medium heat until thick and bubbly (about 8 minutes). Add mashed potatoes, 3/4 cup cheese, salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, stirring until cheese melts. Remove from heat.
-Stir in sour cream and 1/2 cup onions. Cook over low heat 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated (do not boil).
-Ladle 1 1/2 cups soup into each of 8 bowls. Sprinkle each serving with 1 1/2 teaspoons cheese, 1 1/2 teaspoons onions, and about 1 tablespoon bacon. Garnish with cracked pepper, if desired.