Garden Risotto

I loved this recipe (also from the ward cookbook) since it used 2 chicken breasts which is what I usually use in a recipe even if it calls for more. I also love it because you cook everything at once, there's no 50 million steps to this recipe! This also made a ton of food which is great for leftovers. Unfortunately, we have no more leftovers they were gone the next day! That's how good this stuff is! I couldn't find Orzo pasta...dumb Walmart doesn't have it so you have to go to a regular grocery store to get it. It looks like rice but it's pasta so it's in the pasta section. Instead I used small shells pasta. The difference in cooking this way is it needs a little longer to cook and extra liquid maybe a cup more. But it still turned out great! I give this recipe a 5!

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, uncooked and cut into bite size pieces
3 T. olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic
1 can chicken broth
1 3/4 cup orzo pasta, uncooked
2 cups broccoli florets
1 1/2 cup frozen corn
Salt and pepper to taste
3/4 cup parmesan cheese

In a sauce pan saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil and brown the chicken along with it. Add chicken broth, uncooked pasta and broccoli. Reduce heat to medium and cover. Stir occasionally so the orzo pasta does not stick to the bottom of the pan. This only takes a few minutes. STir in the corn, salt and pepper and cook for a few more minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the parmesan cheese. Serve immediately. --Jessica Mathews

Artichoke Dip

This stuff is amazing....if you've ever had any kind of artichoke dip at a restaurant you've been instantly hooked right? Well now you can make this addicting appetizer at home and it's really easy! We buy the spinach artichoke dip from Costco sometimes so I thought I'd try this since that stuff is gone so quick! It's great and next time I think I might try to add spinach to it. I give it a 5! I'd probably give it a higher rating but I only go up to 5.

8 oz. block of cream cheese (I used the neufatchel kind...less fat)
1 can of artichoke hearts (packed in water)
1 cup mayonnaise (I might try miracle whip next time for a less fat version)
6 oz. shredded parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Soften the cream cheese in a small mixing bowl. Drain the artichokes and chop into small chunks. Place the chopped artichoke hearts into the mixing bowl with the mayonnaise and 4 oz. of the parmesan cheese. Mix well and place in a baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and bake for 20-30 minutes. Serve with crackers, sliced French bread, chips or your favorite vegetables. --Kim Fleming

Enchilada Stack

This recipe was also from our ward's cookbook. The first time I ate it (right after I made it) it was like eating homemade hamburger helper...not bad and definitely didn't taste like it came from a box. The 2nd time I ate it (leftovers) it was much more spicy than I remember...which is great since I like spicy foods but that explained why Aiden kept whining and sticking his tongue out when he ate it! I give this recipe a 4.5!

1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
Salt and Pepper
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 (6oz) can enchilada sauce
1/2 small bottle taco sauce (I used a cup of salsa instead)
1 can copped green chiles
1pkg. corn tortillas (I used flour tortillas)
1lb grated Longhorn or Mild Cheddar cheese

Brown the ground beef and onion in a skillet. Salt and pepper to taste. Add soups, enchilada sauce, taco sauce, and chopped green chiles. Mix thoroughly and heat through. Cut tortillas in fourths. Oil a 9x13 baking dish (I used cooking spray) and place a layer of tortillas, cheese, and meat mix; continue until all but 1/4 of the cheese is gone. Should make 3 layers. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Sprinkle top with remaining cheese. Bake 15 minutes longer, until bubbly. --Jamille Sanford

Chicken Broccoli Casserole

This recipe, as I'm sure others will, comes from our ward's cookbook. It seems like a normal casserole until you get to the curry powder part. It sounded weird but it tasted great! Tim even liked this one. Aiden ate it up too! The only thing I wasn't crazy about in this recipe was that everything was cooked beforehand and then baked for 30 minutes. I like when you can just put everything in a dish and then let it all cook on it's own in the oven. I give this recipe a 5!

3 cups chicken, cooked and cubed
2 pkg. frozen broccoli spears, cooked
1/2 cup mayo
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1/2 tsp. curry powder
1/2 to 3/4 cup cheddar cheese, grated

Make sauce by mixing mayo, cream of chicken soup and curry powder. Layer in a 9x13 baking dish; chicken, cooked broccoli, mixed sauce. Sprinkle cheese on top of casserole. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Serve hot over rice or noodles. --Kate Mortensen

White Bean Chili

This recipe comes from our ward's cookbook that they just put out. So if you bought it....then it's nothing new, just a review of the recipe. I'm a big fan of chili so I knew this would be good. I really liked it and it was pretty easy to make. Tim said it wasn't his favorite thing I've ever made. But then he's not much for chili. He did say that it's better than regular chili....and yet he had 2nds! Go figure. I give this recipe a 5!

1 lb chicken, cut up
1 med. onion chopped
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2 cans white beans, rinsed and drained
1 can chicken broth
1 can green chiles
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 cup sour cream

Cook together chicken, onion and garlic powder until chicken is cooked through. Add the white beans, chicken broth, green chiles, salt, oregano, and pepper. Heat thoroughly on stovetop. Just before serving, add the whipping cream and sour cream. --Lucinda Hopkins