Banana Bread

We love banana bread at our house.  All of us do, but no one more than Cam.  This kid would eat it for days and until he was sick and not quit.  He danced around the kitchen singing a song about how much longer it would be until he could eat a banana muffin the last time I made them.  It is super easy and has a surprise ingredient that takes it to the next level. 

1 1/4 cups sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened (1 cube)

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (3-4 medium)

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 t vanilla

2 1/2 cups flour

1 t baking soda

1 t salt

1/2 (ish) cup sugar - set aside for later

Optional add-ins

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup chocolate chips

Move oven rack to low position (for bread only.)

Preheat oven to 350*.

Grease bottoms of bread pans or muffin tin or use paper liners.

Mix sugar and butter in large bowl

Stir in eggs until well-blended.

Add bananas, buttermilk and vanilla.

Beat until smooth

Stir in flour, baking soda and salt until just moistened.

Pour into pans or fill muffins cups 2/3 full.

Sprinkle sugar generously on top.

Bake loaves for 45-55 mins.

Bake muffins for 17 mins.

Makes 2 loaves or 24 muffins.

Notes:

1. I always lower my rack for the bread but not the muffins.  It really does make a difference.

2. DO NOT overmix the flour.  Your bread or muffins will fall. When it says "barely moistened" do it exactly. 

3. I love this with nuts AND chocolate chips, but my family doesn't so I don't do it often.  It is to die for that way!

4. The sugar on top is a little secret my mom learned from our home teacher in our ward in California who was a manager at Marie Calendar's. It is SO good!

5. I use a 24-cup muffin tin that I got HERE. I love this thing.  It does have a dark coating so my bake time is based on that. If you use a light pan you may want to add a couple minutes to your time.

6. If you don't have buttermilk, don't worry! I rarely use actual buttermilk. To make your own, put 1/2 t of lemon juice or white vinegar in a measuring cup, then add milk to make a 1/2 cup. Stir together and let sit for a couple minutes.

Cream Cheese Chicken Crescents

This is a meal I loved as a kid.  To be honest, I am not sure if I make it like my mom did, but it tastes like I remember, so it must be close!

3-4 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

1 cup finely diced celery

3/4 cup finely diced onion

1 t black pepper

4 T butter

8 oz cream cheese

1 tube of crescent rolls (I get the ones that are "bigger" and they are 8 to a pack)

Preheat oven to 350*.

Saute celery and onion in butter and black pepper until onion is caramelized. 

Combine veggies with cream cheese and shredded chicken.

Open each crescent roll and spread out and flatten.

Place 1/3 cup of chicken mixture in each crescent roll.

Roll shut and seal edges so the chicken is completely enclosed.

Bake for 15 mins.

Notes:

1. I combine two cans of cream of chicken soup and 1 1/2 cans of milk and heat to use for a "gravy."

2. Serve with rice and put the "gravy" on that as well.

3. Good leftover if you reheat in a toaster oven or air fryer, otherwise they get soggy.

4. I will only get the Pillsbury brand crescent rolls.  The cheap ones are awful.

Swiss Cheese Chicken

This is a family favorite.  I usually wait for the fall and winter to make it since the oven needs to be on for quite a while.  My whole family loves it but Brady and Kate will eat it until they're sick. I love this dish if I am serving company since it is easy but it seems "fancy." The reason it is so good is because you cook it "low and slow." That will always make your meat super tender.

4-6 chicken breasts

6-8 slices of Swiss Cheese

3 cans cream of chicken soup

1 1/2 cups sour cream

1 sleeve Ritz crackers (or similar)

1 cube butter

Preheat oven to 275*. 

Spray 9x13 pan. 

Place chicken breasts in pan. (I will sometimes leave them frozen, but I try to thaw them.)

Cover chicken with cheese slices.

Combine soup and sour cream and spread over cheese.

Melt butter and stir in crushed crackers.

Sprinkle over soup mixture.

Bake UNCOVERED for 2 1/2 hours.

Serve sauce over rice. 

Notes: 

1. The butter will separate a little while cooking.  Just give the sauce a little stir and you're good.

2. I love to serve this with peas and mix them with the rice and sauce. SO yummy.  No one else likes this. :)

3. I have used pepper jack cheese and stuffing mix instead of the crackers and this is also delish!

4. This is mine and Brady's "date night at home" meal.

5. I would imagine you could use almost any cheese and soup combo and have a yummy dish.  If you try that, let me know! 

6. Be sure to plan ahead since this is not a last minute meal. 

7. This freezes really well.  Freeze the chicken raw with the cheese and the soup mixture on top. Thaw and add butter and crackers and cook as directed.