Mom's Rice

My mother in law makes this rice & it is so good! I think I could eat the entire pan by myself. So super yummy! You won't regret trying this recipe out. Great with chicken, beef or pork.

Serves 4-6


1 (10 3/4 ounce) can French onion soup
1 (10 3/4 ounce) can beef consomme
1 cup long-grain white rice, uncooked
1/2 stick butter
1 small can sliced mushrooms

Place rice in a 9x9-inch deep casserole dish
Mix French onion soup and consomme; pour over rice.
Cut butter in pats and place in dish.
Cover and bake 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Herbed Chicken in Pastry

Found this yummy recipe on Campbell's website. It was really good. I can't wait to try it with a different stuffing, like a jelly with cream cheese or french onion dip. I served it with oven baked tomatoes.

Serves 4

1/2 of a 17.3-ounce package Pepperidge Farm® Puff Pastry Sheets (1 sheet), thawed
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
Ground black pepper (optional)
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1 pound)
2 tablespoons butter
1 container (4 ounces) garlic & herb spreadable cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Heat the oven to 400°F. Beat the egg and water in a small bowl with a fork or whisk.
Season the chicken with the black pepper, if desired. Heat the butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 10 minutes or until it's well browned on both sides. Remove the chicken to a plate. Cover the plate and refrigerate for 15 minutes or up to 24 hours.
Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Roll the pastry sheet into a 14-inch square. Cut into 4 (7-inch) squares.
Spread about 2 tablespoons cheese spread in the center of each pastry square. Top each with 1 tablespoon parsley and 1 chicken breast. Brush the edges of the pastry squares with the egg mixture. Fold the corners of the pastry squares to the center over the chicken and press to seal. Place the filled pastries seam-side down onto a baking sheet. Brush the pastries with the egg mixture.
Bake for 25 minutes or until the pastries are golden brown. Let the pastries cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes.

Gorilla Bread

If you like monkey bread, then you will like Gorilla bread. Yummy Yummy Yummy!!!! A friend posted that she was making this & I had to try it. I have posted the recipe as it was given, but I put a note at the bottom on how I think the recipe could be improved.

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
2 cup packed brown sugar
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
2 (12-ounce) cans refrigerated biscuits (10 count; pay attention to the ounce size of the can)
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts (optional)


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.


Spray a bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray. Mix the granulated sugar and cinnamon. In a saucepan, melt the butter and brown sugar over low heat, stirring well; set aside. Cut the cream cheese into 20 equal cubes. Press the biscuits out with your fingers and sprinkle each with 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon sugar. Place a cube of cream cheese in the center of each biscuit, wrapping and sealing the dough around the cream cheese. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the nuts into the bottom of the bundt pan. Place half of the prepared biscuits in the pan. Sprinkle with 1/2 of the cinnamon sugar, pour half of the melted butter mixture over the biscuits, and sprinkle on 1/2 cup of nuts. Layer the remaining biscuits on top, sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon sugar, pour the remaining butter mixture over the biscuits, and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of nuts. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes. Place a plate on top and invert.


Note- I think it would be better if you mixed 3 tablespoons of cinnamon sugar into the cream cheese. That way it is cinn. & sugar cream cheese & you don't end up with a bite of unflavored cream cheese.

Can be served as dessert or as breakfast with a cup of coffee.

Yum Yum Chicken

Ok, so yeah, I think they could have come up with more of a creative name. However, I have to say it is yummy!

chicken (any kind, boneless works the best but can be bone-in, about 2 pounds, can be frozen also)
1 can cream of chicken
1 can cream of celery or mushroom works well
1 box of stuffing mix (unprepared/no liquid)
slices of cheese (american, muenster, swiss, whatever you like I think shredded works best)

Layer like this in crock pot...
1/2 box of stuffing, then layer the chicken , cheese slices (or whatever cheese you need to use up in the fridge) next to cover chicken, then pour the soups over top, dump in stuffing mix.
Cook for 6 hours on low...PERFECTION!
You add NO LIQUID to this recipe at all, except the soups. After you make it, you can of course tweak it to your liking :)


I turned the crockpot on, but forgot to plug it in. So you can also do this in the oven at 350 for 1 hour

Sweet Potato Casserole

I love sweet potato casserole. So, I thought I would share my favorite recipe with you.


Serves 6-8

6 cups mashed sweet potatoes (5 to 6 potatoes, or see note for canned)
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups mini marshmallows

Oatmeal Streusel:

1/4 cup quick oats
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons cold butter

Rub a little vegetable oil on the skin of each sweet potato and bake them in a preheated 400 degree oven for 60 to 70 minutes or until they are tender. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, scrape out the insides and use an electric mixer on high speed to beat the potatoes until they are mashed and smooth. Measure exactly 6 cups of the mashed sweet potato into a large bowl.
Add 3/4 cup brown sugar, heavy cream, melted butter, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, and salt into the sweet potatoes and mix well with the beater until all the ingredients are incorporated. Pour this mixture into an 8x8-inch baking dish.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine the oats with 2 tablespoons brown sugar, all-purpose flour, and 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl. Cut the cold butter into the dry mixture using a pastry knife or a fork. You should have a crumbly mixture with pea-size bits. Sprinkle this oatmeal streusel over the sweet potato mixture and pop it into the oven for 70 to 80 minutes or until the top begins to brown slightly.
When you remove the casserole from the oven immediately spread the marshmallows over the top. Let this sit for about 10 minutes. The heat from the casserole will melt the marshmallows, and then it's ready to serve.

Running out of room in your oven for the holiday? Place sweet potato mixture into a pammed sprayed crock pot. Place streusel over top & cook on high for 4 hours. Take lid off & sprinkle marshmallows on top. Let the heat melt the marshmallows!

Don't wanna mess with cooking the sweet potatoes? Used canned yams instead. It took about 2 large cans Bruces yams & 1 small can.

Party Chicken

Who comes up with some of these names? I mean party chicken, what is so partyish about it? I have to admit I was a little skeptical about this dish. Once I made it, it did not look good at all. However it was easy to make & tasted surprisingly good. The only thing I think I wold change would be to add some garlic. It needed a little extra something & I think that was it.

The one good things about this recipe was I had all the ingredients except for one. Pretty much everything was a staple in our house except for the bread crumbs.

Serves 4

Cooking spray
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup flour
Large zip-top bag
1 1/2 lb chicken fillets
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 (10.75-ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 cups panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
Aluminum foil

Directions

Preheat oven to 425°F. Coat 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray.

Place flour in large zip-top bag. Season chicken with pepper; add to bag. Seal bag; shake to coat. Remove chicken from bag; shake off excess flour. Arrange chicken in baking dish.
Combine soup and mayonnaise; spread evenly over chicken. Stir panko and cheese into softened butter, mixing until crumbly. Top chicken with cheese mixture; cover dish with foil. Bake 10 minutes.
Remove foil. Bake 10–15 more minutes or until top is golden and chicken is 165°F. Serve.

Chicken/Tuna Cakes

This recipe was originally for tuna cakes, but since I am allergic to fish I made them with chicken instead. These were a great summer dinner or lunch meal. The leftovers were good too. I wouldn't change a thing, however the hubby wants me to add bacon to it the next time I make them. Went great with a cucumber salad (see separate recipe.)

Serves 6

2 cans (6 oz. each) chicken or tuna in water, drained, flaked
1 pkg. (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Chicken
1 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese
3/4 cup water
1 carrot, shredded
1/3 cup Mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. Sweet Pickle Relish ( we don't use pickle relish ever, so I just chopped up dill pickles really finely)

Directions

MIX all ingredients. Refrigerate 10 min.
HEAT large nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium heat. Use ice cream scoop to add 1/3-cup portions of tuna mixture, in batches, to skillet.
FLATTEN into patties with back of spatula. Cook 6 min. or until golden brown on both sides, carefully turning patties over after 3 min.

Lasagna Soup

Who doesn't like Lasagna? Ok, well I am sure there are a few of you out there. Such a simple, easy & oh yeah delicious soup. Would be great as an alternative to serve at a football party, or to bring for a pot luck or for someone who needs a meal. Like new parents or someone who just had surgery. I would suggest though if you are going to freeze it, not to put the noodles in it.

Now I have to admidt that I did not make the crostini. We had regular garlic bread. I also forgot to add the parmesan into the soup. It still tasted great & leftovers were even better!

Serves 8-10

1 lb ground chuck
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon thyme
1 tablespoon firmly packed brown sugar
1 (32 ounce) box chicken broth
2 (14.5 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cup broken lasagna noodles
1 (5 ounce) package grated parmesan cheese
2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
garlic crostini, recipe follows (optional)



Directions

In a large Dutch oven, combine ground chuck, onion, bell pepper and garlic. Cook over medium-high heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until beef is browned and crumbles. Drain well.

Stir in thyme, brown sugar, broth, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. Add noodles, and simmer until noodles are tender. Stir in Parmesan cheese.

Preheat broiler. Ladle soup into 8 to 10 ovenproof bowls. Evenly sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Broil soups, 6-inches from heat, 3 to 4 minutes, until cheese is browned and bubbly. Add a garlic crostini slice on top. Serve immediately.



Garlic Crostini:
1 thin French baguette
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves smashed garlic
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Apple Chicken

So, yet another new recipe. I couldn't decide between this & chicken parmesan. Well this won the dinner battle & it was yummy. I think the best part is that my 23 month old couldn't tell the difference between the apples & onions, so she ate both. She kept asking for more apples. I liked it with a little extra salt & pepper. Jon put hot sauce on his. Was great over rice.

Serves 4

6 teaspoons olive oil or canola
2 tart apples, thinly sliced (or whatever you happen to have in the fridge)
1 medium onion, sliced
1 tablespoon dried thyme
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, sliced
1 cup apple juice
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
Flour for dredging
salt & pepper to taste

In heavy skillet, heat 2-3 teaspoons oil over medium-high heat; cook apples, onion and thyme for about 4 minutes, or until just tender but still a bit crisp. Remove to bowl and set aside. Dredge chicken in flour. Add remaining 2-3 teaspoons of oil to skillet; cook chicken, turning once, for 2 to 4 minutes or until golden brown on both sides. Remove chicken from skillet. Pour juice and the cider vinegar into the skillet, scrape up all the brown bit from bottom of pan. Add chicken back into skillet & cover and simmer (do not boil) for 8 to 10 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear. Return apple mixture to pan and heat through, season with salt and pepper. Spoon apple mixture around cooked chicken.

White Chicken Chili

I don't remember where I found this recipe, but it is super easy & delish!

2- 15 oz. Great Northern Beans, drained
8 oz cooked & shredded chicken breast (I used 12 oz canned chicken)
1 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 cup bell pepper (any color)
2 jalapeno chili peppers, stemmed & seeded (I used a can of chopped green chili's & a few pickled jalapeno's)
2 cloves garlic minced
2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried oregano
3 1/2 cups chicken broth
sour cream
cheddar cheese
tortilla chips (optional)

1. Combine all ingredients except for the sour cream, cheese & chips in a slow cooker.
2. Cover cook on low 8-10 hours or high 4-5 hours
3. Ladle into bowls & top with sour cream, cheese & chips

Mac-n-Cheese

My friend Melanie made mac-n-cheese one time for a party. Well, lets just say it was awesome. There are no exact measurements for this recipe, so it is easy to make as little or as much as you want.

24 ounces of macaroni noodles
milk
3/4 of a block (the big block) of velveeta
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese or cheese of your liking


Cook noodles, but do not cook all the way. If you do, your macaroni will be mushy. Drain noodles & place back on stove top over medium heat and cover with milk. Dice up large block of velveeta (about 3/4 of a block) and add to noodle/milk mixture
continue stirring until the cheese is melted. Add salt and pepper to taste
place in 9x13 baking dish
cover with cheddar cheese
Bake on 350 for about 20 minutes until the cheese is completely melted and the mac is bubbling

Peach Dump Cake (Cobbler)

While the name is absolutely horrible. This recipe is actually wonderful. Great for a no fuss dessert to take to a party. Don't expect a cake to pop out of your crockpot, it is more of a cobbler. Great with vanilla ice cream. I have made this twice now. 1st time without brown sugar, 2nd time with. In my opinion the brown sugar makes it a little to sweet for my taste buds. So, I will continue to make it without the brown sugar. But everyone's tastes are different. Don't like peaches? You can easily substitute canned blueberries, apples, or cherries.

24.5 oz jar of sliced peaches in light syrup (large can)
1 package yellow cake mix
1 stick butter (1/2 cup), cut into 16 pieces
1 cup brown sugar (optional)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Layer ingredients in a 13 X 9 dish, in order starting with the peaches.
Bake for about 40 minutes.
Serve warm or cold… with or without ice cream.

Crockpot method

Dump the peaches in the crock pot or slow cooker. Pour cake mix over top of peaches & top with butter slices, brown sugar & walnuts.
Cover and cook on low for 3 hours. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream if desired.

Enjoy!

Gyoza's

Gyoza's are also known as Japanese potstickers.

I will warn you, this recipe is very time consuming. However, it is well worth making. I am putting 2 different cooking methods on here. However we fry both sides of the gyoza. We prefer them that way.

Serves 6 for dinner or 10-12 as an appetizer

1 pound ground pork
1 1/2 cup cabbage ( I just use the slaw mix)
2 green onions, diced
2 teaspoons ginger (dry)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon hot chili oil, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
vegetable oil for frying
wonton wrappers
Makoto ginger dressing- optional (found in the produce section)

In a medium bowl combine, pork, cabbage, onions, ginger, eggs, soy sauce, hot chili oil & sesame oil.
Lay wonton wrappers in front of you, place a small teaspoon worth of filling in the center of the wrapper. Wet edges of wrapper. Fold the sides of the wrapper to form a triangle, then pinch the edge to seal. Continue with the rest, until the filling is gone.

Cooking options

Heat 1-2 table spoons oil in a heavy fry pan over medium heat. Add 12-15 of the goya's and cook for 2 minutes, or until golden brown on the bottom. Add 1/2 cup water to the pan. Cover the gyoza's and cook until the water is absorbed (5-7 minutes). Repeat with the remainder gyoza's.

Heat about an 1/2 inch of oil to heavy fry pan over medium heat. Add about 10 gyoza's to the pan & cook about 2 minutes until golden brown. Turn the gyoza over & cook 2 more minutes or until golden brown. Place gyoza's on paper towel to drain & repeat cooking until all gyoza's are cooked.

To keep gyoza's warm, I place them in a 9 X 13 pan & place in a 250 degree oven just to hold until ready to serve.

Serve over rice & salad. with your favorite dipping sauce (ours is the makoto ginger dressing).

Taco Soup

Way back in high school, yes I said high school. We made this recipe. I have made it ever since. It is super easy, delicious, plus it is freezer friendly. While it is very similar to the chicken taco soup, this is made with beef. You can substitute the ground beef with chicken or turkey if you would like. Make sure you make it in a big pot, it makes a lot. Would be great to serve for a football game.

Serves 8-10

Note- this picture was taken before all the fritos & cheese were added.

1 pound ground hamburger
1 med. onion chopped
1 green pepper chopped
1 -15 oz can kidney beans
1- 15 oz can black beans
1- 15 oz can pinto beans
1 large or 2 - 15 oz cans diced tomatoes
1- 16 oz bag frozen corn
1 pkg taco seasoning
3 cups water
sour cream
cheese
Fritos

1. Brown hamburger meat with onion & bell pepper, drain
2. In a big pot add meat mixture, beans, corn, tomatoes, seasoning & water. Simmer for 30 minutes
3. Ladle into bowls & top with sour cream, cheese & fritos.

Italian Pie

So once again, I saw a new recipe & have to try it. It was great, definitely a keeper in my book. I ended up just buying stuff for this recipe at the store. I found out it is around $4 per serving. Put it will a little side salad & some bread & presto, you have dinner. It was quick to make to, which is always a plus in my book.

Serves 8

Ingredients:
1 (10-oz) box frozen chopped spinach
6 slices salami (1 1/2 oz)
1 1/4 lb ground meatloaf blend (beef/pork)
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1/4 cup diced pimientos, drained
1/4 cup turkey (or regular) pepperoni (1 oz)
1 (13.75-oz) jar bruschetta spread
2 eggs (or 1/2 cup egg substitute)
2 cups shredded Italian-blend cheese
1 ready-to-bake rolled pie crust


Preheat large sauté pan on medium-high 2–3 minutes. Add ground meat and Italian seasoning; brown 5–7 minutes, stirring to crumble meat, or until no pink remains. Drain spinach thoroughly by pressing firmly against colander.
Stir pimientos, pepperoni, salami, spinach, and bruschetta spread into meat. Transfer to a medium bowl and set aside 1–2 minutes to cool.
Stir in eggs and cheese, then transfer to a 9x13-inch baking dish. Unroll pie crust over meat mixture. (Stretch dough to fit or use extra dough that overlaps sides to cover extra space at each end of the baking dish; press edges together on each end.) Trim and seal or crimp edges.
Cut two small slits in center of crust. Bake in a 425 degree oven 25–30 minutes or until mixture is bubbly and crust is golden. Serve.

French White Burgundy Chicken and Egg Noodles

I saw this recipe on the food network. It looked so yummy. Well...it was! The chicken was so tender. I did however have a few problems with this recipe. First was I could not find a french Burgundy wine. So, I substituted a Chardonnay for it instead. I thought I had egg noodles in the pantry, but I did not, so I ended up with penne noodles instead. I could not find frozen pearl onions, so I chopped up a few (3) medium sized onions instead. I have to admit I did not add the nutmeg nor the flat leaf parsley.

Note- the only reason you chop the bacon is so that it cooks faster. You just need the bacon grease, which in my opinion adds a lot of flavor.

Serves 6

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
4 slices good quality bacon, chopped
1/2 cup all-purpose flour plus 2 tablespoons
2 pounds chicken tenders, cut into 1 1/2 to 2-inch pieces
Salt and pepper
1/2 pound button mushrooms, quartered
3 ribs celery from the heart of the stalk and leafy tops, chopped
1 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 parsnips, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme, 4 to 5 sprigs
4 tablespoons butter, divided
2 cups white French burgundy wine, 1/3 bottle
1 cup chicken stock
2 cups frozen pearl onions
1 pound extra-wide egg noodles
Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
A handful flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Directions

Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat with extra-virgin olive oil. Add bacon and cook until crisp, about 5 minutes, remove with slotted spoon.

Heat a pot of water to boil for egg noodles.

While bacon crisps, scatter 1/2 cup flour on a shallow dish. Season the chopped chicken with salt and pepper and add to flour. Toss the chicken to coat and shake off the excess as you add it to the hot bacon drippings. Lightly brown the chicken about 3 minutes on each side then remove. Add mushrooms to the pan and add the celery, carrots and parsnips as you chop them Season with salt, pepper and thyme. Cook vegetables 5 to 6 minutes to tenderize them. Scoot vegetables off to the sides of the pan forming a well. Add 2 tablespoons butter to the well and melt them whisk in 2 tablespoons flour. Whisk wine into roux, shake pan to combine then stir in stock. Add chicken back to the pan and stir in the onions. Simmer the chicken 10 minutes. Adjust seasoning.

Salt water for egg noodles. Add noodles and cook to al dente. Drain noodles and return to hot pot. Add 2 tablespoons butter to noodles and toss to melt. Season noodles with nutmeg, salt and pepper, to taste, and garnish with parsley.

Cheese and chocolate tunnel cake

So, I saw this recipe & I had to try it. Even though I don't like chocolate cake. I know I'm weird. It was so simple & easy to make & tasted delicious. I served with with whip cream & vanilla ice cream.

1 cake mix, two-layer chocolate with pudding (plus eggs & water that is called for on the box)
1/3 c butter
16 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 c sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp butter, melted
2 oz semi-sweet chocolate
2 tsp corn syrup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare cake mix according to package directions, substituting butter for oil; reserve 1 cup of batter.
Pour remaining batter into a 12 cup greased and floured fluted tube pan.
Combine cream cheese and sugar, mixing well at medium speed on an electric mixer until well blended; blend in eggs, one at a time.
Pour over batter in the pan; spoon reserved batter over cream cheese mixture and bake 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 30 minutes; remove to a wire rack.

Combine melted butter, chocolate and corn syrup in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat until chocolate is melted.
Pour over cooled cake.

Note- due to the fact that there is dairy in the cake. If you are serving the cake that day, I would think it is ok to leave out. However, I would refrigerated any leftovers.

Dorito Chicken

I had heard of this recipe before, but never tried it. Today I gave it a shot. While you can bake this in the oven, I turned mine into a crockpot recipe.

2 to 3 cups diced cooked chicken, or raw if using the crockpot
1 cup sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can rotel
1 cup grated Cheddar cheese
1 bag (medium size, about 6 ounces) bag of Doritos, crushed

Directions for the oven
Grease or spray a 2-quart casserole dish. Cover bottom of casserole with half of the crushed Doritos. Mix all other ingredients , except cheese ,and place on Doritos. Put remainder of crushed Doritos on top of this. Add cheese on top. Ready to bake ! Bake at 350° for 30 to 40 minutes.

Directions for the crockpot
Place chicken in crockpot (I used 3 frozen boneless chicken breast).
Combine the other ingredients except for the Doritos. Pour over chicken. Cover, cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4 hours. When ready to serve top with crushed Doritos.

The verdict!!!

I thought this recipe was a keeper. Jon thought it could use a little more hot sauce, but it was spicy enough for me. If I were to make this in the crockpot again, I would add the sour cream & cheese at the very end. I think it would make for a smoother sauce. I served it over rice with some corn. I thought the chi-chi's corn cake stuff would have made an excellent side to this dish. Maybe next time!

Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

Ok, this sounded like an awesome recipe & it was! It took me 15 minutes to get it ready to go into the oven & 15 minutes to bake it. Talk about a fast dinner. I did think it needed something like cream cheese. A friend said her recipe calls for a block of it. Well...that will be another day! Leftovers heated up just fine too!

Serves 6-8

1 Tbsp. olive oil
16 corn tortillas
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese (I just used the mexican cheese, lactose free use cheddar)
3 cans (12.5 oz) chunk chicken breast, drained and loosely shredded or equivalent fresh, cooked chicken breast
1 onion, diced
2 cans (10 oz) green chile enchilada sauce
1 can (4 1/2 oz) chopped green chiles, if desired
sour cream, if desired

Saute the diced onion.
Lightly spray a 9×13″ baking dish or large, oblong crock pot with non-stick spray.
Layer the following into the cooking container:  4 corn tortillas, 1/3 of sauteed onions, 1 can of chicken, 1/2 cup cheese, 1/2 can of enchilada sauce.  Repeat two more times.  Top with the last four corn tortillas and the last 1/2 can of enchilada sauce and last 1/2 cup of cheese.
If cooking in a traditional oven, bake uncovered 15 minutes at 350F.  If cooking in a crock pot, cook on low 2-4 hours.

Short Ribs

I was watching Down Home with the Neelys on food network when they came on. I watched the episode & the short ribs & they looked so yummy. I thought about it for a couple of days & decided to make them, however I was going to make them in my crockpot instead of the way they did it. They were so good. Leftovers were yummy too!

Servings 4-6

1/4 cup olive oil, divided
6 pounds beef short ribs
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
1 carrot, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cups dry red wine
3 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes, in thick puree
3 thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
1 orange, zested
1 tablespoon chopped parsley leaves, for garnish

Please read note at bottom if going to make them in the crockpot.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Heat about 2-tablespoons of the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over high heat. Season the short ribs well with salt and pepper. Over medium heat, brown ribs for 6 minutes on each side. You will need to do this in batches. Remove the browned short ribs to a plate and repeat with remaining ribs and oil.
Add onion, carrots, garlic, celery, and salt and pepper to the Dutch oven (large pot) and saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and wine to the vegetables and cook, stirring, about 1 minute. Add the stock, diced tomatoes, thyme, and bay leaf. Return the browned short ribs and any juices that have accumulated back into the Dutch oven. Add orange zest. Cover with a heavy lid and place in the oven and braise for 3 hours or until the meat is very tender.
Once the ribs are tender, remove the ribs to a platter. Taste for seasoning. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Serve the short ribs over mashed potatoes. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley.

Note- If using the crockpot, do not heat up oven. After browning the short ribs, place them in crockpot. After adding the stock to the pot where you cooked the short ribs, pour this mixture into the crockpot. Be-careful as it will be hot & might splash.

Chicken Pot Pie

Wow...this is along the same lines as the cheeseburger pie. So super easy. It was yummy on top of that too. Of course we thought it needed garlic. But, we really like garlic in just about everything so can you blame us?

Serves 6-8

1 2/3 cups Green Giant® Valley Fresh Steamers™ frozen mixed vegetables
1 cup cut-up cooked chicken (I used leftover grilled chicken)
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) condensed cream of chicken soup
1 cup Original Bisquick® mix
1/2 cup milk
1 egg

Heat oven to 400ºF. Mix vegetables, chicken and soup in ungreased glass pie plate,
9x1 1/4 inches. Stir together remaining ingredients with fork until blended. Pour into pie plate. Bake 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Bruschetta'n Cheese- Stuffed Chicken Breast

I gotta say this recipe was surprisingly yummy. I of course only made 1/2 the recipe since there is just the two of us. It was pretty good in the oven but I think it would be just as good grilled! I was a little disappointed in the amount of waste I had with the stuffing mix. It just seemed like a total waste.

Serves 8

1 can (14-1/2 oz.) Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained
1-1/4 cup shredded Mozzarella Cheese, divided
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil or about 2 Tablespoons dried
1 pkg. (6oz) stove top stuffing mix for chicken ( I used about 1 1/2 cups stuffing mix from the stove top canister.
8 small boneless skineless chicken breast halves (about 2 pounds) or chicken cutlets
1/3 cup Roasted Red Pepper Italian with Parmesan Dressing (I didn't have this, so I just used Italian dressing with some parm & added a few red pepper flakes).

Preheat oven to 350. Combine tomatoes with their liquid, 1/2 cup of the cheese, basil & dry stuffing mix; stir until moistened.
Place 2 chicken breast halves in a large freezer-weight resealable bag. Pound chicken with side of heavy can, rolling pin, meat mallet or skillet until chicken is 1/4-inch thick. Repeat with remaining chicken breast halves, adding 2 at a time to the bag. Place chicken top side down, on large cutting board; sprinkle evenly with stuffing mixture. Starting at one side of the breast, tightly roll up chicken (I had to use tooth picks to keep it from unrolling). Place seam-side down, in a 13 X 9-inch baking dish. Drizzle evenly with dressing.
Bake 40 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup cheese. Bake an additional 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through (170 degrees) & cheese is melted.

Note- I have not tried it, but I am sure it would be good. For a south west dish, prepare as directed substituting diced tomatoes with bell or jalapeno peppers for the Italian ones. Substitute mexican style cheese for the mozzarella & cilantro for for the basil.

Wilted Radicchio Endive and Asparagus Salad

Well, this was a pretty good salad. However it is not very budget friendly. I think next time I make this, I will skip the Radicchio & Endive & just put it over some Romaine.

Serves 8

3 Tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 Bunch Asparagus, trimmed & cut into 2-inch pieces
Salt & Pepper
1 head 2Radicchio, quartered lengthwise & thinly sliced crosswise
1 pound endive (about 3 heads) halved length wise & thinly sliced crosswise
1 tablespoon chopped pepperoncini
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup chopped parsley

In a medium sized non-stick skillet heat 1 teaspoon olive oil over med heat. Add asparagus & cook until bright green & crisp & tender, about 2 minutes; season with salt & pepper. Transfer to a large bowl & toss with radicchio, endive & pepperoncini.
In the same skillet, heat the remaining 3 Tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the vinegar & season with salt & pepper. Cook until slightly reduced 2-4 minutes. Pour over salad & add parsley, toss to coat.

Black Pepper Beef and Cabbage Stir Fry

This is yet another quick fix meal. It is a very simple stir fry type dish. Isabel who is 18 months will also eat some of this one. Serve with rice. Serves 4.

2 Tablespoons veg oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pound ground beef
1/2 small head of cabbage, shredded (I use the bagged cole slaw mix a lot of times)
1 red bell pepper, cut into stripes (the red is just for color, you could use green for a better budget friendly meal)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Heat wok or large skillet over med-high heat, and add oil. Saute garlic for 5-10 seconds, the add ground beef. Cook beef until evenly browned, drain off fat.  Stir in cabbage & bell pepper, cook until vegetables are tender. Combine soy sauce, cornstarch & water, and stir into beef mixture. Season with pepper. Cook, stirring until sauce has thickened (about 5-8 minutes).

Note- sometimes I add some chopped baby carrots depending on my mood & of course depending on what is in the fridge.

Chicken Taco soup

I love this recipe plus it is freezable! So, when you make to much, just freeze it,then on a busy night pull it out! I also think this would be a great item to bring to a football party. You could very easily serve this at a party or as a dip. Just make sure to provide plenty of chips!

1 onion, chopped
1 (16 ounce) can chili beans
1 (15 ounce) can black beans
1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn,drained
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle beer or chicken stock
2 (10 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained
1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning
3 whole skinless, boneless chicken breasts (can use frozen chicken breast)
shredded Cheddar cheese (optional)
sour cream (optional)
crushed tortilla chips or fritos (optional)

Place the onion, chili beans, black beans, corn, tomato sauce, beer/chicken stock, and diced tomatoes in a slow cooker. Add taco seasoning, and stir to blend. Lay chicken breasts on top of the mixture, pressing down slightly until just covered by the other ingredients. Set slow cooker for low heat, cover, and cook for 5 hours.
Remove chicken breasts from the soup, and allow to cool long enough to be handled. Stir the shredded chicken back into the soup, and continue cooking for 2 hours. Serve topped with shredded Cheddar cheese, a dollop of sour cream, and crushed chips, if desired.

Chicken Marsala

I love Chicken Marsala! So, once again I had to give it a shot. Unfortunately, it was not as good as I hoped. It did however taste better the second day. I love leftovers! With all that being said, if I were to make it again I would add some fresh garlic or granulated garlic. I used cooking Marsala & did not use Marsala wine, so I might also try that. But, I found a creamy chicken marsala, so of course I will be trying that before I make this again.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon basil
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup of flour
1/2 cup Marsala wine
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 cup sliced mushrooms

Mix the flour with the salt, pepper & herbs and cover the chicken breast in this mixture. In a skillet brown the chicken breast with a little of the olive oil on both sides and place in the Crockpot. In the same skillet add the mushrooms & onions to pan with a little olive oil. Cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add the wine to the mushrooms & onions and let heat for about 10 minutes, while tossing and stirring. Pour the sauce over the top of the chicken in the crockpot. Allow to cook on low for 4-6 hours.

Now, if doing it all on the stove top, cover & cook on low for 4-6 hours.

Greek Style Beef and Pasta

Once again I saw this recipe, & just had to try it. It was very good even though I did not eat the feta cheese myself. The hubs did though. In my book it is a keeper!
Serves 5

2 1/2 cups uncooked penne pasta (8 oz)
2 slices bacon, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano, undrained
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (about 4 oz). Or I used Parmesan cheese on mine!

1. Cook and drain pasta as directed on package; cover to keep warm.

2. Meanwhile, in 12-inch skillet, cook bacon and onion over medium heat until bacon is crisp, stirring frequently. Add ground beef. Cook 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is thoroughly cooked; drain.

3. Stir in olives, tomatoes, tomato sauce, oregano and salt. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly heated. Serve over cooked pasta; sprinkle cheese over top.

Note- Parmesan cheese does not contain lactose & if you like feta, as long as it is made with goat or sheep's milk you are fine. Make sure you look at the label.

Pepperoncini Cream Cheese Dip

Easy dip to make & bring to a party. I will let you know that it taste better after it sits in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

1- 10 ounce jar of Pepperoncini's drained & stemmed
1- 8 ounce package of cream cheese at room temp
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup sour cream

In a food processor combine the first 3 ingredients.
Pulse until well blended.
Stir in sour cream & refrigerate for about 30 minutes or until ready to serve.

Serve with crackers. We used wheat thins & triscuits.

Beef Tips and Gravy

This has got to be the best & easiest Beef tips & Gravy recipe ever! It is so simple. The beef just falls apart. The hardest part is cutting up the beef.


Ingredients
2 pounds Beef sirloin roast/tip (or beef stew meat)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
2- 1 ounce envelope brown gravy mix

Directions
Cut beef into 1 inch cubes
Place beef cubes in a pot of water & bring to a boil. Keep boiling for about 20 minutes. Set aside 2 cups of the broth then drain the beef.
In crockpot add soups & brown gravy mix, mix well
Add the 2 cups of broth to crockpot, along with the beef tips. Stir well.
Cover & cook on low for 6-8 hours.

To cook on stove top, simmer for at least 30 minute or as long as you wish,(stirring occasionally.


Serve over rice, potatoes or egg noodles. Don't forget the bread to mop up the sauce!

Cake

So, I know you are not going to try & re-create this, but I liked how this turned out so I thought I would post a picture to share.

Chocolate Lava Cake in the Crockpot

So, I read over this recipe. It sounded to good not to try. It looked a little weird when I made it, but it tasted awesome. It was so easy to make. I served it with Vanilla Ice Cream & cool whip. Yummo!!! This is a keeper. Can't you just taste the gooey goodness? There was one down side to this recipe. At 2 hours, I started smelling burnt cake & I did not use a liner. It did not jiggle, so I went ahead & turned it off. The burnt cake on the side of the crockpot was so hard to scrub off. Even after soaking it over night, it took a while to scrub.


1 package devils food cake mix ( I used some Betty Crocker pudding kind)
3 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 2/3 cups water
1 package Chocolate Flavor Instant Pudding Mix (3 oz)
2 cups cold milk
1 bag (12 oz.) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Now you can use a crockpot liner on this if you have one. It does burn quite easy.
Preparation:
Prepare cake mix into batter using eggs, oil, and water. Pour into crock-pot.

Prepare Jell-O Instant Chocolate Pudding Mix using milk. Pour this over cake mix in crock-pot. (Do not allow to set up). Sprinkle chocolate chips all over the top of the batter.

Cook in crock-pot on high setting for 2 1/2 to 3 hours with liner (Mine took 2 hours without the liner) until cake is moist but not jiggle, and little volcanoes of spitting chocolate appear on top. Serve with ice cream, whipped topping, or on its own for a really special dessert.

Impossibly Easy Cheeseburger Pie

I got this recipe off the Betty Crocker's website. I read over it, after it was suggested to me, of course I read the reviews & changed it up a little bit. It was so super easy & delish. Next time though, I think I will add a few jalapeno's for some spice.


1 lb ground beef (at least 80%)
1 large onion chopped
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups shredded cheese
1/2 can diced tomatoes - drained(optional)
1/2 cup Original Bisquick® mix
1 cup Milk
2 Large Eggs

Heat oven to 400°F. Spray 9-inch glass pie plate with cooking spray.

In 10-inch skillet, cook beef, onion & garlic over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is brown; drain. Stir in salt. Let cool for a few minutes. Stir in cheese & tomatoes. Dump this mixture into a pie plate.

In small bowl, stir remaining ingredients with fork or wire whisk until blended. Pour into pie plate.

Bake about 25 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand for 5 min. before serving.

High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): Bake 30 to 35 minutes.