Coconut Rice

2 cups Instant Rice
1 cup of Water
1 cup of Coconut Milk
Salt/Pepper to taste

Bring to boil. Cover. Remove from heat. Let set 5 minutes. Serve.

**This rice is wonderful served with Hawaiian chicken.

Grilled Hawaiian Chicken

Hawaiian Grilled Chicken

3 pounds of boneless skinless chicken thighs

2 cups soy sauce (the soy sauce and water just needs to be a 1:1 ratio)

2 cups water

1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 bunch of green onions, chopped (reserve some for garnish)
1/4 cup of a white onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon of sesame oil
1 (13.5 ounce) can of coconut milk

Trim chicken thighs of any visible fat. Mix soy sauce, water, brown sugar, onions, garlic, sesame oil, and coconut milk in a large bowl. Marinade chicken for at least 4 hours or overnight to make sure the flavor gets infused.

Grill chicken at a low heat so that the marinade does not burn for 5-7 minutes per side or until done. If you do not have a grill you can use a indoor grill pan.

**I saved the marinade after I put the chicken on the grill. I boiled it for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, and used it as a gravy- DELISH!!!! Just let it begin to thicken.
I served this chicken with coconut rice.

Chicken Pillows

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup sour cream
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
3 tbsp fresh chives (or 1 1/2 tbsp dried)
2 tbsp minced onion
3 cups chicken breasts, cooked and diced
2 (8 ounce) cans crescent rolls
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup(ish) seasoned bread crumbs

Gravy: (optional- we don't like it)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 (0.87) package chicken gravy mix

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat cream cheese and sour cream until well combined. Mix in salt, pepper, onion, chives. Stir in diced chicken.
Take crescent rolls; take 2 triangles and push them together at the perforated seam to make a square. Seal the perforations well so your filling doesn't ooze out. Divide mixture evenly into the 8 squares. Fold the corners to the center over the chicken mixture forming a pillow.

Roll each pillow in melted butter. Roll in bread crumbs. Shake off any excess. Place pillows on cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until the rolls are cooked through and the rolls are golden brown in color.

Make gravy by mixing one package of chicken gravy mix, one can of cream of chicken soup and 1/2 can of water in a small pot. Mix together and heat until warm.
Thank you Kristy for the recipe!

Mashed Potato Casserole

5 cups mashed potatoes (I used 7 medium russet potatoes)
1/2 cup milk
1/4 melted butter
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 pkg bacon, cooked, crumbled
1/4 cup chopped scallions
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven 350 degrees.

Peel, dice, and boil potatoes for about 10 minutes or until soft. Drain potatoes and beat with a mixer until desired consistency (I like little chunks of potato). Add milk, cream cheese, sour cream, garlic powder, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Stir in 1 cup cheese, bacon and scallions.

Pour into 9x13 baking dish. Top with remaining cheddar cheese. Bake for about 10 minutes- until cheese is melted.

Easy/Yummy Breadsticks

Breadsticks

3 cups warm water

4 Tbsp. sugar

2 Tbsp. yeast

Let that sit for 5 minutes. Then add:

7 cups flour

2 teaspoons salt

Mix until smooth then let raise for 10 minutes. Roll out dough into a large square on a floured surface. Brush with melted real butter mixed with garlic, like for garlic bread. Fold in half and cut into 1 inch strips. Twist and place on a cooking sheet. Brush with garlic butter and grated parmesan cheese. Let sit for 15 to 20 minutes to raise. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Brush with more garlic butter & sprinkle with more parmesan cheese at this point if you like.

Serve with marinara or alfredo sauce for dipping.