You could bake a ham. A whole ham on the table makes a pretty presentation, but it is much easier to bake it the day before, slice it and refrigerate. The cooking instructions, based on whether it is a ready-to-cook ham or a ready-to-eat ham, will be on the back of the label. A mixture of brown sugar, pineapple juice and a little honey makes a nice glaze.
And chicken! LOL
You can also use fresh, sauted mushrooms. This can be made a day ahead, covered and refrigerated then baked. You could also cook this a crock pot; on low for 6-8 hours.
Italian Chicken
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 envelope Good Seasons Dry Italian Dressing
1/2 cup white wine or chicken broth
1 jar sliced mushrooms, drained
Place chicken in a sprayed 9x13 baking dish. Combine soup, dressing mix, wine, and mushrooms; pour over chicken. Cover and bake at 350 degrees approximately 1 hour.
Creamy Italian Chicken
6 boneless chicken breasts, cubed
1 stick butter
1 jar sliced mushrooms, drained
1/2 cup chicken broth or white wine
1 envelope Good Seasoning Italian dressing mix
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 can cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
Saute chicken in skillet with butter; transfer to 9x13 baking dish. Add broth, dressing mix and mushrooms to skillet. Stir and bring to a boil; remove from heat. Stir in cream cheese, soup and sour cream. Pour sauce over chicken and bake for 30 minutes at 325 degrees.
*For crock pot, do not saute chicken in butter. Place chicken in crockpot; top with mushrooms. Combine broth and dressing mix; pour over chicken. Cook on low 6 to 8 hours. 30 to 45 minutes before serving, stir in cream cheese, soup and sour cream.
This can be made a day ahead (without the topping) covered and refrigerated. Mix the topping just before baking.
Chicken Pot Pie
3-4 cups cubed, cooked chicken
1 (16 oz) pkg frozen peas and carrots
2 hard boiled eggs, sliced
Salt, pepper and garlic powder, to taste
2 cans cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup
1 cup chicken broth or milk
2 cups Bisquick mix
1 1/4 cups milk
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 stick butter, melted
Place chicken in a sprayed/greased 9x13 baking pan. Top with veggies then eggs. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Combine soup and broth then pour over casserole. Combine Bisquick, milk and garlic powder then pour over casserole. Drizzle butter over crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes until crust is golden brown.
For a crowd, I would cut the breasts into several pieces. This can be made ahead, covered and refrigerated before baking.
Lemon Chicken
6 chicken breasts, pounded thin
1 cup flour
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper
1 stick butter
10 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 tsp chicken bouillon
2/3 cup water
2 tbsp lemon juice
6 paper-thin lemon slices
Combine flour, garlic, onion, paprika, salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour mixture. Melt butter in skillet and brown chicken for several minutes on each side. Remove chicken and place in a large baking dish. Saute mushrooms and spoon over chicken. Add bouillon, water and lemon juice to pan and bring to a boil, scraping browned bits from bottom of pan. Remove from heat and pour mixture over chicken. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. To serve, top each piece of chicken with a slice of lemon and spoon sauce over chicken.
This can be made a day ahead (without topping) covered and refrigerated. Make butter/cracker topping just before baking.
Ritzy Chicken Casserole
6-8 boneless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 1/2 sticks butter, divided
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom or cream of celery soup
2 sleeves Ritz crackers, crushed
Cut breasts into several pieces. Season with salt and pepper. Saute chicken in skillet with 1/2 stick butter. Transfer cooked chicken to a 9x13 baking dish. Combine cream cheese, sour cream, and soups; pour over chicken.
Melt remaining stick of butter in skillet. Add crackers and stir until coated. Sprinkle crackers over soup mixture. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
Chicken Casserole
3 cups cooked chicken
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 cups uncooked macaroni
2 cups milk
Topping:
1 stick butter
1 sleeve Ritz crackers, crushed
Combine ingredients, except topping, and pour into sprayed 9x13 baking dish. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Melt butter in skillet; stir in crackers. Remove casserole from oven and stir well. Sprinkle topping over casserole and return to oven for 30 more minutes.
Paula Deen's Chicken Casserole
1 fryer, cooked, boned, cut into small pieces (reserve broth)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup chopped onion
4 eggs
1 stick margarine, melted
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 pkg cornbread stuffing mix like Pepperidge farms
1 cup milk
1 can cream of chicken soup
Combine chicken, mayo, onion and set aside. Combine 2 eggs, margarine, chicken broth and stuffing mix and set aside. In small bowl, lightly beat 2 eggs and milk. Spray large casserole dish with cooking spray. In bottom of dish spread half stuffing mix; then layer with chicken mix. Add second layer of this. Pour egg and milk mixture over top layer of stuffing mixture. Refrigerate overnight. Preheat oven to 350 and spread cream of chicken soup on top of casserole and bake 45 minutes.
If you want to make a regular cake, you can bake it up to 2 weeks before. When the cake cools completely, wrap it in plastic wrap then in foil and freeze. It does not take long for the cake to thaw, (and it will taste like you baked it that day) so you can frost it the day of or the day before the party. Boxed cake mixes and canned frostings these days are great and very convenient!
This is my favorite apple pie. It's really very easy to make and many people have told me it's the best apple pie they have ever had!
Alabama Apple Pie
5 to 7 Granny Smith apples
1 stick butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 Tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup water
1 double crust refrigerated unbaked pie crusts
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Unroll one pie crust and place in deep dish pie pan. Unroll second crust and cut into 1/2 inch strips. Peel and core apples then slice into 1/4 inch slices. (If apples are too tart, sprinkle with a tbsp of sugar.)
Melt butter in sauce pan, add sugar, brown sugar, flour and cinnamon, stirring until mixed. Add water and continue stirring. Cook on medium high heat until mixture foams and boils. As soon as mixture boils, turn heat to very low, continue stirring and let simmer for 6 to 8 minutes, allowing sugars to dissolve and mixture to thicken.
Place apples in crust. Pour 1/2 of mixture evenly over apples. Place strips of second pie crust over apples, making lattice design. With a pastry brush, brush some of mixture over lattice crust until coated. Slowly pour the rest of mixture over crust, allowing mixture to seep down into pie.
Place pie pan on a cookie sheet. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Continue to bake for 40 to 45 minutes.
Another very easy holiday pie is a sweet potato pie. I made one for Thanksgiving and it was great. I bought a can of Bruce's sweet potato pie filling and added eggs and evaporated milk as called for. My family has a sweet tooth, so added a can of sweetened condensed milk to it. I used a refrigerated unbaked pie crust, put it in a deep dish pie pan and baked as directed on can. Yummy!
Here's a great no-stress cake that can be made the day of or the day before. I think some people call this an Earthquake Cake.
German Chocolate Cream Cheese Cake
1 cup pecans, chopped
1 cup coconut
1 German chocolate cake mix
8 oz cream cheese, softened*
1 lb (4 cups) powdered sugar
Spray or grease a 9x13 pan. Spread pecans and coconut evenly on bottom of pan. Mix cake according to directions on box. Pour batter over pecans and coconut. Mix cream cheese and powdered sugar together. Drizzle or drop spoonfuls all over batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.
*Place cream cheese in microwave for 15 to 20 seconds to soften.