Sweet Potato Gnocchi and Shredded Chicken in a White Cream Sauce

I found this sweet potato gnocchi at World Market (yes....I cheated a little and didn't make homemade gnocchi - maybe when I have more time) - but this gnocchi was still delicious - a little sweet. Jeremy loved it - and well - he is the only judge of my food other than me, so his thoughts are important to me. I found the recipe for the sauce on The Barefoot Kitchen Witch, added chicken and changed the amounts of a few things.  It was my first time using fresh fennel....and I was impressed. 

Ingredients:

• 1 package of sweet potato gnocchi (or you could make your own - see link above)
• 1 lb chicken
• 1 can chicken broth (for boiling the chicken)
• 1/4 cup sliced fennel
• 1 tsp. minced shallot (I used about 1/2 shallot bulb)
• 1/4 cup sliced white onion
• 1/2 cup sliced roasted red pepper

• 3 tbsp. brown sugar
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1/2 cup cooking white wine
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 4 tbsp. butter
• 1 tbsp fresh basil (I forgot this - so I used dried basil)
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• 2 tbsp. grated romano cheese
• Handful of baby spinach
• salt and pepper

Steps:

• Boil chicken in 1 part chicken broth, 1 part water for about 45 min to 1 hour

• Cook gnocchi according to package, and drain

• In skillet - heat oil over medium heat
• Add onion, fennel and red pepper and saute for 2-3 minutes

• Add garlic and shallots - cook for 1 minute

• Add white wine, basil and brown sugar

• Add cream and reduce by 1/3

• Add butter, salt and pepper - cook, stirring occasionally until butter is melted

• Add in cooked chicken - stir

• Add cooked gnocchi and spinach

• Add romano cheese

• Stir occasionally, cooking until the thickness of your liking (only a few minutes, I turned the stove down to low during the end)

• I served mine with a little garlic bread - it was very filling - no need for lots of other sides.

• We loved it - it will definitely be made again! (and I am sure it would be good with regular gnocchi)

2 Ingredient Pumpkin Spice Cake with Cream cheese Glaze

I saw this on pinterest, just used a spice cake mix instead of yellow cake and made a cream cheese glaze. It was so moist and delicious.

Ingredients:

•1 box Spice cake mix

•1 can 100% pure pumpkin purée

Steps:
• preheat oven to 350
•mix together cake mix and pumpkin for 2 minutes.

• pour in to greased Bundt pan

• bake for about 30 minutes
• remove from oven and immediately remove from Bundt pan.

Cream cheese glaze ingredients:

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 4 tbsp milk

Steps:
• mix together sugar and cream cheese until well mixed.
• add vanilla, mix
• add milk in 1 tbsp at a time.
• pour over warm cake, let cool

• Enjoy!

Crockpot Chunky Potato Soup

Another Pinterest find - recipe found @ The Stir.
Just craving more soup now that the weather is cooling off:

Ingredients:

• 8 cups diced potatoes ( I used about 8 medium potatoes)

• 1/2 cup shredded carrots
• 1/2 cup diced celery

• 4 cans (14.5 oz each) chicken broth
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1/2 tbsp. parsley
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1/2 cup cooked, chopped bacon

• 1/2 tbsp. minced garlic
• 1 8oz. package cream cheese
• 5 tbsp. flour

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients (except flour and cream cheese) in the crockpot and mix together

• Cook on high for 4-6 hours or low for 8-10 hours
• I only cooked mine for about 4 hours, so while I was chopping the potatoes, I threw them in  pot of hot water for a few minutes to soften slightly - drained them - and then put them in the crockpot.
• About 1 hour before serving, mix in the cream cheese, mix.

• About 30 minutes before serving, remove about 1-2 cups soup and gradually mix in the 5 tbsp. flour, 1 tbsp at a time, in a separate bowl to avoid clumping.
• While stirring soup, gradually add soup/flour mixture back in to the crockpot.

• Cook for 30 more minutes and then turn crockpot to "warm" to cool off a little before serving.
• Enjoy - I added a little shredded cheese to the top of mine.

Buffalo Chicken Bites

I made these for the first football weekend too....just haven't had time to post it. I didn't eat or cook these, Jeremy was in charge of it and ate them while I was gone. They were eaten tho, so I am pretty sure they were good....I will cook them again.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups shredded cooked chicken
• about 1/2 cup hot sauce.....I didn't really measure, just added until it looked ok.
• 3 1/2 oz. softened cream cheese
• 1 3/4 cup shredded cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped green onion
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 4 eggs beaten
• about 3 cups crushed corn flakes

Steps:

• If you are making them same time/day - preheat your oven to 350
• In large bowl, mix chicken, cream cheese and hot sauce until well mixed

• Add in onion and cheese, mix.

• Form mixture into 1- 2 inch balls and set out on wax paper

• In 3 small bowls, separate flour, eggs and corn flakes.

• Drop the chicken into the flour, then eggs, then corn flakes one at a time until well coated.

• Place on to baking sheet if cooking now, or a baking sheet w/ wax paper if cooking later.

• If cooking now - put in oven for about 30 minutes to crispy golden brown.
• If cooking later - flash freeze for about 15 minutes, remove from freezer, place in freezer bags and freeze until ready to cook.
• Remove from freezer bags, place on baking sheet, cook for 30 minutes
• Serve with bleu cheese or ranch dressing.
• Enjoy!  (Sorry no pictures were taken after they were cooked....)