Rants, Raves and Recipes

Twice baked Sweet Potato Casserole with Bacon

2011-12-14T12:13:00.001-06:00

Here's what to do with all those sweet potatoes you've got lying around :) I LOVE sweet potatoes, but not everyone does. I'm the only one in our family who does. Tim will tolerate them but that's it. Well I found this recipe in the Pillsbury Annual Recipes 2010 cookbook and I just had to try it! I mean come on it has bacon in it! It was awesome! It made me love sweet potatoes even more! The kids ate it ok but Tim actually liked it! I give this recipe a 5! As always my variations will be in red.

Ingredients:

6 lb dark-orange sweet potatoes (9 large or 12 medium)

8 oz bacon (8 to 10 slices) (I used real bacon bits)

1/4 cup Progresso® panko crispy bread crumbs or Progresso® plain bread crumbs

1 tablespoon butter or margarine, melted

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened

2 medium green onions, chopped (2 tablespoons)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions:
1 Heat oven to 350°F. Line 15x10x1-inch pan with foil; spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. Pierce sweet potatoes several times with fork. Place in pan. Bake about 1 hour 15 minutes or until tender. Cool 10 minutes. When potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel potatoes and cut out any eyes or dark spots.

2 Meanwhile, cook bacon as desired until crisp; chop. In small bowl, mix bread crumbs and 1 tablespoon butter; set aside.

3 In large bowl, mash potatoes with potato masher. Stir in chopped bacon, sour cream, 1/4 cup butter, the onions, salt and pepper until well blended. Spread mixture in baking dish, or form individual servings in dish with 1/2-cup ice cream scoop or measuring cup. Sprinkle crumb mixture evenly over top.

4 Bake 20 to 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated and bread crumbs just begin to brown.

Pumpkin pie!

2011-11-02T00:08:00.002-05:00

Ok it's November! Time for pumpkin pie! We were slackers this year and didn't get around to carving and decorating pumpkins this year. We have 3 of them and they happen to be the pumpkin pie pumpkins so I would feel bad letting them go to waste and I heard that making your own pumpkin puree for pumpkin pie is so much better than canned so I thought I'd give it a try! It was great! Something was a little off with the crust (that's what I get for using store bought) but the pumpkin was amazing! I had never roasted a pumpkin before so I looked it up on, you guessed it, Our Best Bites! That recipe comes complete with step by step picture instructions. They have everything on there! So here you go again getting 2 recipes in one! Giving it a 5!

Pumpkin Puree:

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice pumpkin in half and remove stem. You can cut it in quarters if you want, or just leave it halved. It doesn’t really matter. I cut mine in quarters so you could see the insides better.

Step 2: Using a spoon, scrape out all of the stringy stuff and the seeds. If you want to toast the seeds (shown below), make sure to save all this junk in a bowl and not the trash can! You’ll be left with just the pumpkin rind and the flesh.

Step 3: Spray a foil-lined baking sheet with non-stick spray. Place your pumpkin cut-side down on the sheet. Also, during this step, I would recommend covering the pumpkin with another piece of foil. I’ve never done that before, but I noticed the sticker on my pumpkin advised doing so. And I figure those pumpkin people might know a little somethin’ somethin’ about roasting pumpkin. Mine sometimes turn out a bit dry and I think covering them with foil might help keep some extra moisture in. On the flip-side, depending on your pumpkin, it may be overly moist instead. See the solution to that in step 6!

Step 4: Cook pumpkin in your 350 degree oven for 50-60 minutes or until it’s tender when pierced with a fork. When done, remove from oven and let cool on the baking sheet.

Step 5: Use a spoon to scrape out the flesh and discard the skin/rind. It should be super soft and easy to scoop right out, kind of like scooping out an avocado.

Step 6: Place pumpkin pulp in a food processor and process until smooth. (Or you can just mash it with a fork or potato masher) Now. If your pumpkin is on the dry side, you can add a little water (or juice depending on what you’re making) at this point to get the consistency you want. My pumpkin was dry and I was aiming for the consistency of canned pumpkin so I slowly drizzled in about 1/4 cup of water until it had the right feel. If it’s too moist, just put your puree in a strainer to let some of the moisture seep through.

At this point you can use it in any recipe that calls for pumpkin puree or canned pumpkin. (Check out some of my faves at the end of this post!)
FYI: I used a 2-lb. pumpkin and it yielded 1 3/4 C puree. And if you are trying to gauge- One 15 oz. can equals 1 3/4 cups pumpkin puree and one 29 oz. can (the biggie) equals 3 1/2 cups pumpkin puree. So my 2lb pumpkin was almost exactly equal to one can.

And now onto the pumpkin pie recipe I used. Which was actually the one off of the Libby's canned pumpkin label!

Ingredients:

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

2 large eggs

1 can (15 oz.) LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin (or 1 3/4 cups of the pumpkin puree)

1 can (12 fl. oz.) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk

1 unbaked 9-inch (4-cup volume) deep-dish pie shell

Whipped cream (optional)

(I used pumpkin pie spice instead of the cinnamon, ginger and cloves)

Directions:

MIX sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk.

POUR into pie shell.

BAKE in preheated 425° F oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° F; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate. Top with whipped cream before serving.

Italian Meatball Soup

2011-11-01T23:58:00.001-05:00

Ok I'm really on a roll with Our Best Bites! I am loving their recipe book! This recipe comes from them again! It was awesome! It's actually 2 recipes in one since you make your own meatballs to go in the soup. My kids kept asking for more meatballs and more noodles. Well at least they ate it! I was looking for a recipe to use up the spinach from our co-op and this worked wonders! I give both recipes a 5!

Here's the meatball recipe first:

Italian Meatballs:
1/2 lb. lean ground beef (I actually used ground turkey instead)
1/2 lb. Italian sausage
1/4 c. dry bread crumbs
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 Tbsp. dehydrated onion
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 Tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. parsley
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. salt*
*If you want, you could substitute all the Italicized ingredients with 3 Tbsp. garlic bread seasoning found here.

Gently combine meatball ingredients in a medium bowl. Shape into balls, whatever size you like, but I prefer using my standard cookie scoop (about 1 Tbsp.) to shape meat into balls and then rolling it between my hands to make them even more round. Place on a broiler pan and broil until the meatballs start to brown–I actually use my toaster oven. Just because I can. Remove from oven and set aside until ready to use (or freeze for later use).

And now the soup recipe:

Italian Meatball Soup

Ingredients:

1 recipe of Italian Meatballs
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion chopped
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
5 (14 oz) cans chicken broth
1 cup water
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 Tbsp italian seasoning
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 cup small pasta uncooked
2 cups spinach, thinly sliced

Directions:

1. When preparing the meatballs, make them small and bite-sized. Broil the meatballs according to the recipe directions until they are just brown and can maintain their shape.

2. While the meatballs are cooking, heat 1-2 tablespoons olive oil in a large stockpot. Saute the onions and garlic until translucent. Add broth, water, tomatoes, and Italian seasoning. Heat to boiling. Gently add the meatballs, carrots, pasta and spinach. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through, the carrots are tender, and the pasta is al dente.

Chicken and Dumplings

2011-10-17T18:53:00.002-05:00

Ok I just made an amazing dinner tonight! How amazing might you ask? So amazing that all 3 children had 2nds and my oldest had 3rds! 3 helpings of dinner?! That is unheard of! So if you like chicken and dumplings, you have to try this recipe. It comes from Our Best Bites cookbook and it is, you guessed it, amazing! I give this recipe a definite 5!

Ingredients

6 cups chicken broth (1 1/2 boxes or 3 cans) OR 6 c. water + 6 chicken bouillon cubes
1 lb. cooked chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces (I use 1/2 of a fauxtisserie chicken and it’s FABULOUS! You could also use leftover rotisserie chicken from the grocery store)
1 c. sliced carrots
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 onion, minced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 bay leaf
1 handful of chopped fresh parsley (or 1 Tbsp. dried parsley)
1/2 tsp. basil
1 14-oz. can evaporated milk (fat free is fine)
1 recipe of Bisquik dumplings (recipe is on the box) or 1 small package of Kluski noodles

Directions

In a large pot, heat some olive oil over medium heat and add onions and garlic. Saute for a few minutes and then add chicken broth, chicken, bay leaf, and basil. Bring to a boil. Add carrots and celery and reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook until carrots and celery are tender. When carrots and celery are almost done, add chopped parsley. Add evaporated milk. Increase heat to boiling and add noodles or add prepared Bisquik by small spoonfuls (they’ll really puff up while they’re cooking). Cook until noodles are tender or until dumplings are cooked through (they should appear moist but feel firm; this is after about 4-5 minutes).

Note from author: One other thing–if you know you’ll have leftovers, only add dumplings or noodles to what you know you’ll eat immediately. The noodles/dumplings will soak up all the liquid in the soup when you store it as leftovers, so you’ll have overly-mushy noodles and chicken with no broth if you don’t. The other thing you can do is add all of the dumplings or all of the noodles, and then store the dumplings or noodles separately from the rest of the soup. That’s easy to do with dumplings, not so much with noodles.

Stuffed Bell Peppers

2011-09-16T14:24:00.000-05:00

Our co-op has been getting a lot of green and some red bell peppers so my fridge is overloaded with them and I thought I'd try my hand at making stuffed peppers. I found a great recipe on the Skinny Taste blog that I have just loved! I've made it twice now and it's just amazing. I then talked to my friends in our produce co-op and have since gathered a few other recipes to try out so I'll share those as well. My favorite part about the one I've tried is that it's low in calories! I am loving this blog! Anyway, I give this recipe a 5! As always my changes or comments are in red. What are your favorite stuffed pepper recipes?!

Ingredients

1 lb lean chopped turkey meat (or ground beef)
1 garlic, minced
1/4 onion, minced (I used green onions)
1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cumin powder
salt to taste
3 large sweet red bell peppers, washed (in her blog she really emphasizes using red, I tried green, red is better)
1 cup fat free chicken broth
1/4 cup tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups cooked rice
Olive oil spray
1/4 cup reduced fat shredded cheese

Directions

Heat oven to 400°. Spray a little olive oil spray in a medium size saute pan and heat on a medium flame. Add onion, garlic and cilantro to the pan. Saute about 2 minutes and add ground turkey. (If you use ground beef, you'll want to drain the fat first then add the onions, garlic and cilantro to cook) Season with salt and garlic powder, and cumin and brown meat for several minutes until meat is completely cooked through. Add 1/4 cup of tomato sauce and 1/2 cup of chicken broth, mix well and simmer on low for about 5 minutes. Combine cooked rice and meat together.

Cut the bell peppers in half lengthwise, and remove all seeds. Place in a baking dish. Spoon the meat mixture into each pepper half and fill it with as much as you can. Place all stuffed pepper halves on the baking dish and pour the remainder of the chicken broth on the bottom of the pan. Cover tight with aluminum foil and bake for about 35 minutes. Top with shredded cheddar cheese and enjoy. (I top them with cheese before I cook them and they come out great!)

Now for the other stuffed pepper recipes:

Super Easy stuffed peppers from Jena Sivula

Ingredients:

2 Large or 4 small bell peppers

1 box Spanish Flavor Rice-A-Roni (I use the Whole Grain Brown Rice Variety in the Red Box)

1/2 lb. ground beef or turkey (you can use more than this but I wouldn't use less)

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (once again, you can use more but I wouldn't try less)

1 chopped fresh tomato (optional)

Directions:

Brown the ground beef. Cook up the rice a roni per package directions (I leave out the oil. you could do this in the pan with the beef and save a dish). Make the peppers into boats/shells by cutting off the tops and seeds of the small peppers or cutting large ones in half and de-seeding. Place in a shallow baking dish (with a lid if you want to cook it in the microwave). Mix the beef, rice, tomato, and half the cheese together. At this point you could also add corn or chopped peppers if you want. Stuff the mixture into the shells, mounding on top if necessary. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Add 1/4 cup of water to the bottom of the pan. Cover with foil and bake at 350 F for 20-25 minutes (depending on how crunchy you want the peppers, colored bell peppers will cook faster) OR cook in the microwave for 8-9 minutes. You can put these together up to a day before and keep them in the fridge before cooking.

Enjoy! Serve with sour cream and salsa, if desired.

Southwest Stuffed Bell Peppers (Our Best Bites)
Ingredients:

4 very large or 6 medium sweet peppers (red, yellow, or orange)
1 Tbs salt
1/2 C white rice (or brown if you want to take the time to cook it), quinoa also works
2 Tbs olive oil
1 onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 – 1 jalapeno, minced (or you could sub a small 3oz can of mild green chilies)
1 14oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn kernels
2 green onions, sliced
1/2-1 tsp chipotle chili powder (you can start with 1/2 and add more to taste)
1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/4 black pepper, plus more to taste
1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, preferably fire roasted
1 1/4 C jack or pepperjack cheese, divided
3-4 Tbs chopped fresh cilantro
tortilla chips, just a handful and more for serving if desired.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Prepare peppers by washing, slicing tops off, and removing insides. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon salt. Boil whole peppers for about 3-4 minutes, until they begin to soften. Remove from water with tongs and place on paper towels to drain.
Add rice to boiling water and cook until tender, about 13 minutes. Drain thoroughly.
Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, garlic, and jalapeno (or chilies) and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add corn, beans, green onions, chipotle chili powder, kosher salt, and pepper. Stir until corn and beans are heated through, about 5 minutes. Place peppers in a baking dish. Remove skillet from heat and add rice, tomatoes, 1 cup cheese, and cilantro. Stir to combine well and give it a taste. Add additional salt, pepper, and chipotle powder to your liking. Then evenly divide mixture between peppers.

Top peppers with remaining 1/4 cup cheese (or more if you can fit it on there :) and crushed tortilla chips.
Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

2011-07-13T20:07:00.000-05:00

I'm on a bread kick these days, must be the diet. Anyway I'm loving this recipe from Our Best Bites. It turned out great and my house smells amazing! I know this is the time of year (or getting close to) when your garden may be overflowing with Zucchini. Here's one more way to make use of it all! Delicious! I give it a 5! I didn't have any chocolate chips (bummer) and I used applesauce instead of the oil to make it a little more healthy so mine didn't raise as much and yours will be sweeter with the chocolate chips.

Ingredients:

2 C flour
2 t cinnamon
1/2 t salt
1 1/2 t baking soda
6 T unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 C canola oil
1 C sugar
1/4 C brown sugar
3 eggs
2 t vanilla
1/2 C sour cream
3 C grated zucchini
3/4 C mini chocolate chips

Topping:

2 T brown sugar
2 T white sugar
1/2 t cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour 2 loaf pans and set aside. I actually used one 8" disposable pan to give away and a larger 9" one for me and the batter divided perfectly. So you should get 2 very full 8" pans or slightly less full 9". Do one of each like I did!

Mix topping ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

Place flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.

With a stand or hand mixer beat oil, white sugar, brown sugar, and eggs until combined and slightly fluffy, 1-2 minutes.

Add vanilla and sour cream and mix until combined.

Gently stir in the grated zucchini.
Take a spoonful of the flour mixture and stir in with the chocolate chips (that will help keep them evenly distributed.) If you only have regular chocolate chips, or a chocolate bar, just give it a chop so it's the size of mini chocolate chips. Stir remaining flour mixture into batter and mix just until combined. Add chocolate chips and stir to combine.

Divide the batter between the two pans. and sprinkle topping over each.

Bake in your preheated 350 degree oven for 50-60 minutes. I set my timer for 45 minutes and then keep an eye on it for the remainder. Ya never know how different ovens handle things.

When it's done a toothpick or skewer should come out without goopy batter on it and the top will be gorgeous and cracked with sugar.

Let it cool on a rack for 5-10 minutes and then remove from pans. You definitely have to eat a slice warm. And slathered with butter.

Fresh Pear Bread

2011-06-21T19:29:00.001-05:00

My kids have a hard time eating pears by themselves and since we got a lot of them in our recent produce co-op I needed to find something to put them in so they didn't go to waste. I also wanted to be able to eat it without feeling guilty so I found this low fat/calorie recipe and it turned out great! I give this recipe a 4! It's around 148 calories a slice so not bad! This recipe was also on allrecipes.com but with the full fat ingredients (oil instead of a banana and walnuts instead of oatmeal).

Ingredients

3	eggs
1 1/2	cups sugar
3/4	cup banana, mashed
1	teaspoon vanilla extract
3	cups all-purpose flour
2	teaspoons baking powder
2	teaspoons ground cinnamon
1	teaspoon baking soda
1	teaspoon salt
4	cups pears, peeled, cored and finely chopped
1	teaspoon lemon juice
1	cup oatmeal

Directions

In a mixing bowl, combine the eggs, sugar, banana and vanilla; mix well. Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and salt; stir into the egg mixture just until moistened. Toss pears with lemon juice. Stir pears and oatmeal into batter (batter will be thick). Spoon into two greased 9-in. x 5-in. x 3-in. loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees F for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

Enchilada Chicken Soup

2011-05-24T23:46:00.002-05:00

This was such a great, quick and easy recipe! I was very surprised that it turned out great. Our family loves soup and we love mexican so this is a great blend! I would give this a 4.5! The only thing I changed was that I didn't use canned chicken...I'm not a huge fan of that. So if I were you, I'd use shredded chicken breast instead of the canned. But that's just me!

Ingredients

1 can (11 ounces) condensed fiesta nacho cheese soup, undiluted

1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted (98% fat free kind)

2-2/3 cups whole milk (I would use a lesser milk fat)

1 can (10 ounces) chunk white chicken, drained (again use shredded chicken breast instead)

1 can (10 ounces) enchilada sauce

1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies

Sour cream
Directions

In a large saucepan, combine the soups, milk, chicken, enchilada sauce and chilies. Cook until heated through. Serve with sour cream. Yield: 7 servings

7-up Biscuits

2011-01-30T21:30:00.001-06:00

So tonight I made Chicken and Gnocchi soup like you would get at Olive Garden (it's the boys' favorite) and I made these 7-up Biscuits to go with it. Remember how I said in the last post that I wasn't very good at making bread type things? Well this was no exception. I got this recipe from Mylitter.com and it seemed so simple so I had to try it. Well I made 2 separate batches the other night and the dough just didn't rise! They were hard as rocks! I couldn't understand what I had done wrong! Then I looked at my Bisquick package and it was expired!!! I mean 2009 expired! You can tell we don't use Bisquick that much around here! Well tonight I decided to try it again with not so expired Bisquick (only a few months past the date) and they turned out pretty good! They taste like the biscuits you would get at KFC or Popeye's! They didn't rise as much as they should though so maybe I should buy some new bisquick. So give it a try! I give this recipe a 4.5! PS: If you want you can "follow" this blog (over on the right) so when you log into your blogger dashboard you can see when I post a new recipe!

Ingredients

2 cups Bisquick
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup 7-up
1/4 cup melted butter
Directions
1. Cut sour cream into biscuit mix, add 7-Up. Makes a very soft dough.

2. Sprinkle additional biscuit mix on board or table and pat dough out. Melt 1/4 cup butter in a 9 inch square pan. Place cut biscuits in pan and bake at 450 degrees until golden brown.

Best Banana Bread Recipe!

2011-01-26T13:43:00.005-06:00

Ok guys I am really no good at making anything that resembles bread so when I first looked at this banana bread recipe I thought, oh I'll just ruin it if I try. But I tried it out and it was awesome! It can't be wrecked! I always have those few bananas that nobody ate in time so they just turn to mush, now I have something to do with them and they won't go to waste! This recipe came from our Provo ward's recipe book c/o Jessica Mathews! It rocks! It makes 2 loaves. I give this recipe a 5!

Ingredients

1/2 cup margarine
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs, beaten
3 medium RIPE bananas, mashed
2 Cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup sour cream

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour 2 loaf pans. Cream the margarine and sugar
together. Then add eggs and bananas. Mix well.

2. Sift flour, baking soda, and salt together and add to mixture. Then add vanilla
(and any other mixins like nuts, chocolate chips, etc.) Fold in sour cream.

3. Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes or until toothpic comes out clean.

Bakers note:

The bananas make the difference between good banana bread and REALLY good banana bread. When the banana gets to the point that it is so brown I wouldn't think of eating it, I put them in the freezer and just thaw them out on a plate on the counter when I need them. When they are thawed out they will be a soup, slimy mess. They are perfect! Always have a freezer full of bananas!

THANKS JESSICA!!!

Potato Broccoli Cheese Soup

2011-01-14T20:20:00.012-06:00

Hey everyone! Hope you're making it through the cold weather months and staying warm. The recipe I have to share with you today will help keep you warm! Who doesn't like soup when it's cold outside?! Anyway, this "recipe" comes from my Mother-in-Law and I put the word recipe in quotation marks because it's one of the recipes that can be adapted and put together pretty much anyway you want but it makes one awesome soup! There will be a lot of commentary with the instructions and ingredient list so you can see what I mean about adapting it. I definitely give this recipe a 5!

Ingredients

-Fresh broccoli chopped up (you can also use frozen) use as much or as little as you want

-Chicken Broth/vegetable broth (again use as much or as little as you want, we like to make a big batch at once because this soup gets better as the days go by, it's great for leftovers!) I used about 32 oz. or 4 cans of broth

-potatoes cut up small (again as much or as little as you want and it can be cut up as big or as little as you want)

-chopped carrots (as big or as little, as much or as little as you want)*
-chopped onions (ditto)*-cornstarch (for thickening use as much or as little depending on desired thickness)
-shredded cheddar cheese (as much as you want, the more the better!, I used about 3-4 handfulls)
-salt and pepper to taste

*as a side note to the onions and carrots, if you have little kids who don't like this kind of thing, then put them in a food blender and get them as finely chopped as you can so they kind of blend into the soup.

Directions
Put all ingredients except for the cornstarch and cheese into a pot and bring to a boil. Then simmer until the potatoes and other vegetables are tender.

Add the cornstarch to desired thickness, then add in the cheese until melted. Salt and pepper to taste.

Variations: there are many! Use other vegetables if you want. Also if you don't have potatoes on hand (like I didn't tonight) use instant potato flakes instead and then you can skip the cornstarch because the potato flakes will thicken up the soup themselves.

Sweet Potato Black Bean Stew

2010-11-21T18:12:00.005-06:00

One of the many free magazines I receive is called Ready Made. I'm not sure how to describe it but it's kind of a "green" magazine where they make stuff out of the stuff you already have. It's pretty interesting. Anyway I found this recipe and I had a lot of sweet potatoes from the farm co-op we're getting vegetables from so I thought I'd try it. It reminds me of tortilla soup. So this is a different way to make tortilla soup. I'll write in my changes in bold. Since we have little kids, I omitted a few things so it wouldn't be spicy. I give this recipe a 5!

Ingredients

1 Tbsp canola oil (I used cooking spray)
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1-inch cubes (I actually used 3)
1 onion, peeled and roughly diced
1 red pepper, seeds removed and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
1 jalapeno, diced (I didn't use this)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp cayenne pepper (I didn't use this)
3 cups vegetable broth (I used chicken broth)
1 (14.5oz)can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14.5 oz)can diced tomatoes with juices (you could use tomatoes with diced chiles)
1 cup frozen corn (I used 1 can corn)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup lime juice
shredded cheese to serve
I added some chicken as well

Directions

1. Heat canola oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add sweet potatoes, onion, red pepper, jalapeno, and garlic, stirring to coat. Saute until onion and peppers are soft, about 4 minutes.

2. Add chili powder, cumin, and cayenne pepper and stir well. Reduce heat to medium, cover pot, and allow sweet potatoes to soften, about 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. After sweet potatoes are fork tender, add broth, black beans, and tomatoes. Bring stew to a boil, stirring well and scraping the bottom of pot to incorporate all of the spices. Add corn, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook for an additional 15 minutes.

4. Before serving, stir in cilantro and lime juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve stew with cheese and additional cilantro if desired.

Tres Leches Cake

2010-06-19T19:39:00.004-05:00

For Tim's birthday I made one of his favorites. He's always talking about this cake so when I found this easy recipe at kraftfoods.com I knew I had to make it. It turned out pretty good. However, I'm not a fan of mushy cake so this cake to me was much better after it had been refrigerated for a few hours. Tim said it tasted pretty much like some of the ones he's had in restaurants so that's good enough for me. I give this recipe a 4.5!

Ingredients

1 pkg (2 layer size) white cake mix
4 squares Baker's semi-sweet chocolate, divided
1 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 can (12oz) evaporated milk
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup thawed cool whip

Directions

1. Prepare cake batter in 13x9 cake pan as directed on package. Cool cake
in pan 10 min. Pierce cake with large fork at 1/2 inch intervals.

2. Melt 3 chocolate squares as directed on package; set aside. Blend
milks and sour cream in blender until smooth. Add melted chocolate; blend well.
Pour over cake, repiercing cake until all liquid is absorbed. Refrigerate 1
hour.

3. Meanwhile make curls from remaining chocolate square: Warm the
square of chocolate by microwaving it unwrapped on high for a few seconds or
until you can smudge the chocolate with your thumb. Hold the square steadily and
draw a vegetable peeler over the flat bottom of the square slowly to make long
curls. Do the same over the short side of the chocolate for shorter curls.

4. Frost cake with cool whip; top with chocolate curls. Keep
refrigerated.

Ham and Asparagus Chowder

2010-06-03T18:27:00.004-05:00

This looked so good in the book and I love asparagus so I had to try it. I found it in my Pillsbury Annual Recipes 2008 cookbook. It turned out nice and thick with great flavor. It's been awhile since I made it so I can't remember what I did differently to it. I probably sprinkled cheese on top to serve it. I give this recipe a 5!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups cubed unpeeled red potatoes
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cups cut asparagus
1 1/2 cups cubed cooked ham
1 (10 3/4 oz) can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup milk
pepper to taste
(cheese to top)

Directions:

In a saucepan, heat potatoes and water to boiling. Reduce heat to
medium. Cover; cook about 5 minutes or until potatoes are
crisp-tender.

Add asparagus and ham. Cover; cook 3 to 5 minutes or until thoroughly
heated. Stir in soup and milk. Heat to boiling over high heat,
stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with pepper (and cheese) before
serving.

Olive Garden Style Chicken and Gnocchi Soup

2010-02-04T22:46:00.006-06:00

If you have ever gone to Olive Garden for lunch, you've probably ordered the soup, salad and breadsticks at some point. We always do and we were very pleased to see a new soup added to their menu as of late. The Chicken and Gnocchi soup is amazing! I knew it was a recipe I needed to find when I saw my kids eating bowl after bowl of it! Here's one I found and tried. It turned out pretty good and almost exactly tasting like the real thing. I will give it a 5 star rating!

Ingredients

3-4 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups half-and-half (evaporated milk works as well)
1 stalk celery, diced
1 garlic clove, chopped
1/2 carrot, shredded
1/2 onion, diced
1 cup fresh spinach, chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil (I use pam cooking spray)
1 tsp thyme
salt and pepper
16 oz potato gnocci
1 Tbsp cornstarch (optional)

Directions

Saute the onion, celery, garlic, and carrot in oil over medium heat until onion is translucent. (I just spray the pan with pam instead of using oil)

Add chicken, chicken stock, half and half, salt and pepper, thyme. Heat to boiling, then add gnocchi. Gently boil for 4 minutes, then turn down to a simmer for 10 minutes.

Add spinach and cook for another 1-2 minutes until spinach is wilted.

Optional: Heat to boiling and add cornstarch dissolved in 1-2 Tbsp water at this point if you want a thicker soup. (I skipped this step)

Egg allergies anyone?

2008-07-25T17:12:00.003-05:00

So we found out a while ago that our son is allergic to eggs and at the moment that means anything that has eggs in it whether baked or not. As soon as I found out I ran over to the health food store and bought myself a very expensive box of Ener-G egg substitute. I have tried using this in baked goods but things just never seemed to come out right. Especially my cakes...which turned out to be crumbles because they just wouldn't stay together. So just a week ago my sister-in-law (thanks Teresa!) gave me a much better way to substitute for eggs in a recipe. She used plain gelatin which is much cheaper and worked so much better! I know most of you who read this do not have an egg allergy in your family but I thought hey this makes the recipe have less fat, cholesterol and who knows what else and still tastes like there's an egg in it. I made a batch of cookies for my son and they turned out great! So here it is:

This recipe equals 1 egg

1 tsp plain gelatin

3 Tbsp cold water

2 Tbsp & 1 tsp boiling water

Stir together, however, do not mix it up until you are ready to add it to your other ingredients.

Magic's Green and White Chicken Soup

2008-06-07T22:43:00.006-05:00

Here is another recipe from Allrecipes.com that uses both cilantro and spinach. It turned out pretty good but needed some extra salt and pepper. I guess the recipe says use it "to taste" and I guess my taste needs a lot for this recipe. It smelled so good but then you took a taste of it and the flavor just wasn't there till you added a little more salt. Anyway, still good and I do recommend it. The only thing is I didn't make the noodles by hand since we have an egg allergy so I just substitued packaged noodles. I also didn't use kale, I just used more spinach. I give the recipe a 4.5! Sorry no picture this time...

INGREDIENTS

1 (4 pound) whole chicken, cut into pieces (I used about 4 chicken breasts)
2 medium heads garlic, chopped
(if you're not making homemade noodles skip the next 5 ingredients)
3 tablespoons butter
2 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
4 egg yolks
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped
1 bunch kale, torn into small pieces (or just use more spinach instead)
1 bunch fresh spinach, stems removed, torn into small pieces
2 bunches green onions, chopped
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon curry powder
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
salt and cracked black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Place chicken and garlic in a large pot and with water to cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, until meat is very tender, 30 minutes to 1 hour. Remove chicken from pot and let rest until cool enough to handle. Remove skin and bone and tear or chop meat into bite-size pieces.

(If you're not making homemade noodles skip this next step)

In a large bowl, beat together butter, flour and salt to form a mealy mixture. Beat in eggs and egg yolks to form a stiff dough. Divide dough into thirds and roll each third out onto a floured surface to 1/8 inch (3 mm) thickness. Let rolled pieces of dough rest on racks for 20 minutes.

While dough is resting, stir chicken meat, cilantro, parsley, kale, spinach and green onions into broth. Season with Italian seasoning, curry powder and balsamic vinegar. Simmer over low heat, adding more water if necessary. Slice the noodle dough into 1/2-inch (1.2 cm) widths. Bring the soup to a light boil and drop noodles into the soup a few at a time. Cook until noodles are tender, 5 minutes. (If using prepackaged noodles cook them on the stove until almost done, drain, then add them to the soup to cook the extra 5 minutes). Season soup with salt and pepper and serve.

Black Bean Spinach Pizza

2008-06-05T21:50:00.006-05:00

I found this recipe at Allrecipes.com because I was looking for a recipe that specifically had both spinach and cilantro in it. My in laws gave us a bunch of both from their garden and I didn't want it to go to waste! It was supposed to be a vegetarian pizza but I added chicken to it as well. It turned out so good! Tim said it was his favorite pizza I've ever made. So I definitely had to share! I of course give it a 5!

INGREDIENTS

1 (10 ounce) package prebaked Italian bread shell crust (I used Pillsbury's pizza dough)
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed, drained, and mashed
1/3 cup chopped onion (I used green onion)
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup salsa (I used salsa verde)
1/2 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry (I used fresh spinach)
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 chicken breast cut up

DIRECTIONS

Place the crust on an ungreased 12-in. pizza pan (I prebaked the pizza dough I used). Combine the beans, onion, chili powder, cumin and garlic; spread over crust. Layer with salsa, spinach and cilantro. Sprinkle with hot pepper sauce and cheeses. Bake at 450 degrees F for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown (I baked it at 400 degrees for 8 minutes according to the dough package).

The Ultimate Test

2008-04-13T19:07:00.005-05:00

Using the Orange Puree I tested the secrets of the sneaky chef to see if it was possible to hide vegetables in Macaroni and Cheese. I of course tested this out on my 2 1/2 year old. I also added some diced ham because it was for Sunday night dinner.....don't judge me......I am pleased to say that it worked pretty well all except for that one chunk of carrot that must not have been chopped well enough but I quickly scooped it out and no one knew. The only thing I would say if you're going to just do straight up macaroni and cheese is to add a little salt. The blandness of the puree transfers to the macaroni a little. You could also add some extra shredded cheese and be fine as well. I give this recipe a 5 just for the pure sneakiness of it!

So it's not much of a recipe:

1 box of Macaroni and Cheese (follow directions on package)
1/4 cup Orange Puree
salt to taste

optional: cooked, diced meat of your choice; shredded cheese

Pesto Lasagna Rolls

2008-04-07T20:04:00.008-05:00

This is a Taste of Home recipe I used in conjunction with the White Puree recipe. It turned out great and no one could tell there was zucchini and cauliflower in it. The recipe actually did call for some zucchini in it which is why I thought this puree would work well mixed in with the cheese mixture. So instead of the zucchini I added 1 cup of White Puree. Instead of the first 4 ingredients I just used already made pesto sauce. One other thing I added was some chicken to the cheese mixture...just to give us some meat :) Oh and I give this recipe 4.5 stars (I needed more pesto sauce).

Ingredients

2 cups Fresh basil leaves
2 cloves Garlic
1 cup(3oz) shredded Parmesan Cheese, divided
3/4 cup Olive oil
15 oz Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1 Egg, beaten
1 cup Diced zucchini
16 Lasagna noodles, cooked drained and cooled

Preparation

Prepare pesto sauce in covered blender or food processor by processing basil with garlic until chopped. Add 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese; process until well mixed. With machine running, slowly add oil and coninue processing until smooth. Set aside. In medium bowl, combine ricotta and mozzarella cheese, remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and egg; blend well. Fold in zucchini (or fold in White Puree).

Spread 2 heaping Tablespoons cheese mixture on each lasagna noodle.
Roll up each noodle length wise and stand vertically in greased 11x7-inch baking
dish. Pour pesto sauce over lasagna rolls; cover and bake in preheated 350* F.
oven 40 minutes or until bubbly and heated through.

Can you be a sneaky chef?

2008-04-07T19:38:00.004-05:00

Yes you can! So I checked out from the library, The Sneaky Chef and Deceptively Delicious. Both cook books talk about hiding fruits and vegetables in puree form in almost any recipe you can think of even desserts! So I had to try it out since we've been lacking in the fruit/vegetable department as of late. Both books are doing the same thing but they are going about it just a little differently than the other. In Deceptively Delicious you basically take a single vegetable or fruit and puree it in a blender/food processor until it's smooth and then either use it right away in a recipe or store it in the fridge for a few days or the freezer for 3 months. You can use any vegetable but you only use one vegetable in each puree (if that makes sense).

In The Sneaky Chef you have 6 different purees that are categorized by their color, a couple of juice recipes, a better breading recipe and a healthier flour blend to use in any baked good you make. With these color organized purees you put in at least 2 different vegetables/fruits in it together. For me, this way was easier so I only had a few different purees in my freezer but those purees could be used in a number of different recipes depending on the color of the food in the recipe I was making.

But both books have great recipes and ideas for making any recipe you already have or any boxed item (ie: macaroni and cheese) be better for you just by adding a puree you made ahead of time and are storing in your freezer.

I decided to make 4 of the purees just to start out and see if it was something I could do easily and something that wouldn't be too much of a hassle. It took me about 2 1/2 hours for the 4 purees and I made double batches of each and that's start to freezer time. That wasn't too bad but we'll see how long these purees last me and how often I'll actually have to set aside that 2 1/2 hours to make more.

After reading through the books I got a pretty good idea of how to tell what puree I would add to whatever recipe I was using. Meaning, I didn't have to just use the recipes in their books. Which makes this entire process a lot more appealing so that I'm not just confined to one set of recipes for it.

Ok I know this is long and according to Tim it's legal to post these recipes so I'm going to give you the 4 puree recipes I made and see for yourself if it's something you want/need in your food. The 4 I chose were used in the majority of the recipes in the book.

Purple Puree

- 3 cups raw baby spinach leaves (1 cup frozen chopped spinach, or frozen chopped collard
greens)
- 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (no syrup or sugar added)
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/2 tablespoons water

> If using raw spinach, thoroughly wash it, even if the package says "prewashed." Bring spinach or collards and water to boil in a medium pot. Turn heat to low and allow to simmer for 10 minutes. If using frozen blueberries, quickly rinse them under cold water to thaw a little, and then drain.

> Fill the bowl of your food processor with the blueberries and cooked spinach, (or collards) along with the lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of water, and puree on high until as smooth as possible. Stop occasionally to push top contents to bottom. If necessary, use a second tablespoon of water to make a fairly smooth puree.

> This amount of spinach and blueberries makes only about 1 cup of puree. Double the recipe if you want to store another cup of the puree. It will store in the refrigerator up to 2 days, or you can freeze 1/4 cup portions in sealed plastic bags or small plastic containers.

Orange Puree

This makes about 2 cups of puree. Double the recipe if you want to store another cup of puree. Store in refrigerator up to 3 days, or freeze one-quarter cup portions in sealed baggies or small plastic containers.

- 1 medium sweet potato or yam, peeled and rough chopped;
- 3 medium to large carrots, peeled and sliced into thick chunks;
- 2-3 tablespoons water

> In a medium pot, cover carrots and potatoes with cold water and boil for about 20 minutes until yams, and especially the carrots, are very tender. If the carrots aren't thoroughly cooked, they'll leave telltale little nuggets of vegetables, which will reveal their presence (a gigantic NO-NO for the sneaky chef).

> Drain the potatoes and carrots and put them in the bowl of food processor with two tablespoons of water. Puree on high until smooth; no pieces of carrots or potatoes should remain. Stop occasionally to push the contents from the top to the bottom. If necessary, use the third tablespoon of water to make a smooth puree, but the less water the better.

White Puree

Makes about 2 cups of puree. Double recipe if you want to store even more, which can be done in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or freeze 1/4 cup portions in sealed plastic bags or the small plastic containers.

- 2 cups cauliflower, cut into florets
- 2 small to medium zucchini, peeled and rough chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1-2 tablespoons water, if necessary

> Steam cauliflower in a vegetable steamer over 2 inches of water, using a tightly-covered pot, for about 10 to 12 minutes until very tender. Alternatively, place cauliflower in a microwave-safe bowl , cover with water, and microwave on high for 8 to 10 minutes until very tender.

> While waiting for the cauliflower to finish steaming, start to pulse the raw peeled zucchini with the lemon juice only (no water at this point). Drain the cooked cauliflower. Working in batches if necessary, add it to the pulsed zucchini in the bowl of the food processor with one tablespoon of water. Puree on high until smooth. Stop occasionally and push contents from the top to the bottom. If necessary, use the second tablespoon of water to make a smooth (but not wet) puree.

White Bean Puree

1 15-ounce can white beans (great northern, navy, butter or cannellini)
- (If you are starting with dry beans, soak 1 cup for an hour, then cook according to instructions.) - 1 to 2 tablespoons water

> Rinse and drain the beans and put in the bowl of your food processor. Pulsing in on/off turns, puree the drained beans with just 1 tablespoon of water in processor until smooth, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bowl. The goal is a smooth, but not wet, puree. (You are aiming for the consistency of peanut butter.) If necessary, thin with a little more water by one teaspoonful at a time until there are no flecks of whole beans visible.

> Store in the refrigerator up to 3 days, or freeze 1/4 cup portions in sealed plastic bags or small plastic containers. Makes about 1 cup of puree. Double this recipe if you want to store another cup of puree.

Pineapple Ham Bake

2008-02-08T11:51:00.003-06:00

Another good recipe from the Taste of Home cookbooks! I made up some rice and green beans to go along with this and it was great! I give this recipe a 5!

SERVINGS: 8
CATEGORY: Main Dish
METHOD: Baked
TIME: Prep: 10 min. Bake: 30 min.

Ingredients:

2 cans (8 ounces each) unsweetened crushed pineapple
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon vinegar
2 teaspoons ground mustard (I used regular yellow mustard and eliminated the vinegar)
1 pound fully cooked ham, cut into 1/4-ince pieces

Directions:

Combine the first four ingredients in an ungreased 2-qt. baking dish; mix well. Stir in ham. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30-40 minutes or until heated through. Serve with a slotted spoon. Yield: 8 servings.

Cayenne-Rubbed Chicken with Avocado Salsa

2008-01-17T19:10:00.002-06:00

Ok so after a long hiatus I'm back! I have plenty of recipes to share but don't have time to blog them all so I thought I'd start with this one that I made just the other day. It comes from the Everyday Food magazine which I just started subscribing to. A lot of the recipes in there are a lot more time intensive than I would like but this one was quick and easy and really light tasting. I served it with rice and steamed vegetables. I loved it! I give it a 5!

Coarse salt and ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6 to 8 ounces each)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium red onion, finely diced
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 Hass avocado, pitted and cut into chunks (I just used a regular avocado)

1. In a small bowl, combine 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and cayenne; rub all over chicken.

2. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium. Add chicken, and cook until browned on the outside and opaque throughout, 8 to 10 minutes per side.

3. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine onion and lime juice; set aside. Just before serving, fold avocado chunks into onion mixture; season with salt and pepper. Serve chicken topped with salsa.

Pasta with Pumpkin and Sausage

2007-11-08T00:14:00.002-06:00

For all of you who have leftover pumpkin after the Thanksgiving holidays, I thought I'd share this recipe I found from Rachael Ray's 30 Minute meals cookbook. We all loved it! The leftovers were gone in 2 days! It sounded weird at first but I thought I'd try it out and was very pleased! I went a little easy on the nutmeg with this dish since the last dish I used it on turned out nasty! I give this recipe a 5!

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon
1 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage
4 cloves garlic, cracked and chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
4 to 6 sprigs sage leaves, cut into chiffonade, about 2 tablespoons
1 cup dry white wine (I used more chicken broth)
1 cup chicken stock, canned or paper container
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup (3 turns around the pan) heavy cream
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, ground or freshly grated
Coarse salt and black pepper
1 pound penne rigate, cooked to al dente
Romano or Parmigiano, for grating

Heat a large, deep nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and brown the sausage in it. Transfer sausage to paper towel lined plate. Drain fat from skillet and return pan to the stove. Add the remaining tablespoon oil, and then the garlic and onion. Saute 3 to 5 minutes until the onions are tender.

Add bay leaf, sage, and wine to the pan. Reduce wine by half, about 2 minutes. Add stock and pumpkin and stir to combine, stirring sauce until it comes to a bubble. Return sausage to pan, reduce heat, and stir in cream. Season the sauce with the cinnamon and nutmeg, and salt and pepper, to taste. Simmer mixture 5 to 10 minutes to thicken sauce.

Return drained pasta to the pot you cooked it in. Remove the bay leaf from sauce and pour the sausage pumpkin sauce over pasta. Combine sauce and pasta and toss over low heat for 1 minute. Garnish the pasta with lots of shaved cheese and sage leaves.

Southwestern Chicken and Black Bean Burritos

2007-10-04T19:33:00.002-05:00

This is also from Rachael Ray's 30 minute all occasion cookbook. We had this one tonight and it turned out great! I added cilantro to it because I need to get rid of it and it gave it added flavor. I also added cheese because what burrito is complete without cheese? I give this recipe a 5! (again sorry no picture)

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
a couple shakes cayenne pepper sauce, such as Frank's Red Hot or Tabasco
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (I used pam cooking spray)
1/2 medium spanish onion chopped (I just used regular yellow onion)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (15 oz.) black beans, drained and rinsed
3 Tbsp smoky barbecue sauce
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 heart of romaine, shredded
6 scallions, thinly sliced
2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
4 large flour tortillas, flavored or plain

Rub chicken with cumin, chili powder, and cayenne sauce. Heat a griddle pan to high. Cook chicken breasts 4 minutes on each side and remove from heat.

While chicken is cooking, heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Go once around the pan with oil. Cook onions and garlic until onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Add beans and barbecue sauce. Chop cooked chicken breasts and drop into barbecued beans. Heat mixture through. Season with salt and pepper.

Place a tortilla on a plate and pile chicken and beans in center. Top with lettuce, scallions, and tomatoes. Wrap, roll, and repeat with remaining tortillas and filling. Serve with chips and salsa.

Sausage, Beans, and Broccoli Rabe "Stoup"

2007-10-04T19:14:00.001-05:00

I recently picked up the Rachael Ray 30 minute meal cookbook for all occasions and have been trying out some of the recipes. This one was the first I tried and it turned out amazingly good! I didn't use broccoli rabe because I figured Wal-Mart wouldn't have it and I didn't want to take the time to search for it so I just used regular broccoli. I also added freshly chopped mushrooms since we had a bunch to get rid of. Hope you enjoy it! I give it a 5! (Sorry no picture this time!)

2 Tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil (I just spray the pan with Pam cooking spray)
1 lb bulk Italian sweet sausage (just used regular Jimmy Dean sausage)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 starchy potato, peeled and chopped into small dice (I used red potatoes)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 can (15 oz.) white beans, drained (I used Great Northern beans)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 bunch broccoli rabe, chopped (3 cups) (I used regular broccoli)
1 quart chicken broth
Grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Romano cheese, for serving

Heat a medium pot or a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and sausage and brown, crumbling with a spatula. Add onions, carrots, potatoes, garlic, bay leaf, and beans. Season with salt and pepper. Cook to begin to soften the vegetables, 5 minutes. Add broccoli rabe and cook just until wilted. Add chicken broth and cover pot. Raise heat and bring stoup to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook 15 minutes. Remove bay leaf, adjust seasonings, and serve stoup with grated cheese for topping.

Creamy Chicken Macaroni

2007-09-13T19:37:00.002-05:00

Tonight's meal was again from the newest Kraft Food and Family magazine and was one of my favorite types of meals, a one pot dish! Love it! Less mess and only one pot to clean afterward. I didn't have any paprika in the house....among all my thousands of spices so I used Old Bay seasoning instead....didn't do much for the chicken so I give this recipe a 4.5!

1 Tbsp. oil
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1/4 cup chopped onions
1 tsp. paprika
2 cups water
2 cups small broccoli florets
1 pkg. (7-1/4 oz.) KRAFT Macaroni & Cheese Dinner
1/2 cup BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream

HEAT oil in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken and onions; cook and stir 5 min. Add paprika; cook and stir 1 min.

STIR in water, broccoli and Macaroni; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover. Simmer 10 min. or until macaroni is tender and chicken is cooked through, stirring occasionally.

ADD Cheese Sauce Mix and sour cream; stir until well blended. Cook 2 min. or until heated through, stirring occasionally.

Speedy Chicken Stirfry

2007-09-13T19:31:00.003-05:00

It's that time again, when Kraft Food and Family sends me another magazine and I use it A LOT! I loved this recipe and there are no leftovers since those were eaten today so you know it was good when the leftovers are no longer around. My favorite part of this recipe is the Kraft Asian dressing, I love all the flavors they have that help make a dish wonderful! I give it a 5!

8 oz. angel hair pasta (capellini), uncooked
2 cups small broccoli florets
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
1/2 cup KRAFT Asian Toasted Sesame Dressing
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/4 tsp. each: ground ginger, garlic powder, crushed red pepper
1/3 cup chopped PLANTERS Dry Roasted Peanuts

COOK pasta as directed on package, adding broccoli to the boiling water for the last 3 min. of the pasta cooking time.

MEANWHILE, spray large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; heat on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 6 to 8 min. or until cooked through, stirring occasionally. Stir in dressing, soy sauce, ginger, garlic and crushed red pepper; cook 1 min., stirring occasionally.

DRAIN pasta mixture; place in large bowl. Add chicken mixture; mix lightly. Spoon evenly into four serving bowls; sprinkle with the peanuts.

Chicken Waikiki Beach

2007-08-24T16:04:00.002-05:00

Doesn't the recipe name just sound so exotic? Well now that I'm back to actually cooking meals instead of take out or frozen meal stuff I thought I'd post one of the new things I tried. This recipe came from a Fundcraft Cookbook Sampler and it's by someone named Sue Dowell. It was great and we're working on downing the leftovers! I give this recipe a 5!

1 chicken cup up (I used 2 chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces)
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup oil
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Heat oven to 350. Coat chicken with flour. Heat oil (I just use cooking spray) in a large frying pan and brown chicken on all sides. Remove to a shallow roasting pan; arrange pieces, skin side up. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Prepare sauce.

Sauce:

1 (1lb. 4oz.) can sliced pineapple
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/4 tsp ginger
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 large green pepper, sliced (I used orange)

Drain pineapple syrup into a 2-cup measure. Add water to make 1 1/4 cups. Mix in cornstarch to dissolve. In medium saucepan, combine sugar, syrup with cornstarch, vinegar, soy sauce, ginger and bouillon cube. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. Pour over chicken. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Add pineapple slices and pepper slices. Back 30 more minutes. Serve with rice and enjoy! (Now I thought that was quite a bit of cooking time an hour after you've already browned the chicken? So I did 15 minutes and 15 minutes and it was fine....I had a starving family waiting for dinner!)

Black Beans and Cheese Enchiladas

2007-05-23T18:06:00.003-05:00

So it's been forever since I posted a new recipe, but after I made this really easy recipe I knew I had to post it. I found this recipe on the Betty Crocker website. I was looking for a recipe to use the rest of a steak that I had already cooked up. This recipe doesn't call for meat but I added the steak and also a can of green chiles before putting the bean mixture into the tortillas. This was so easy I'm sure without adding those 2 things it would be even easier for those of you who don't want to add any meat to it. I give this recipe a 4.5!

1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped (1/2 cup)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 can (15 oz) Progress® black beans, drained, rinsed
1 package (11.5 oz) Old El Paso® flour tortillas for burritos (8 tortillas), heated
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese (8 oz)
1 can (10 oz) Old El Paso® enchilada sauce
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (2 oz)Old El Paso® Thick 'n Chunky salsa, if desired

1.Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray 11x7-inch (2-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. Heat oil in 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cumin; cook and stir until onion is tender. Stir in beans.

2.Place about 3 tablespoons bean mixture in center of each warm tortilla. Top each with 1/4 cup Monterey Jack cheese. Roll up tightly; place, seam side down, in baking dish. Spoon enchilada sauce over tortillas. Spray sheet of foil with cooking spray; cover baking dish with foil, sprayed side down.

3.Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Sprinkle with Cheddar cheese. Serve enchiladas with salsa.

Cheesy Stuffed Shells

2007-04-17T22:47:00.002-05:00

Tonight's recipe was a lot easier than the last one. It came from (of course) the Kraft Food and Family magazine. Usually when I see italian meals with something stuffed it takes forever or it's just complicated to make. But this was a breeze. No meat in this recipe just some spinach and cheese. I added a can of mushrooms since Aiden is a huge fan of mushrooms and I know I can get him to eat longer if they're in there. Otherwise, I just made the recipe as is. I give it a 5!

1 container (16 oz.) BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Low Fat Cottage Cheese
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well drained
1 cup KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Reduced Fat Mozzarella Cheese, divided
1/4 cup KRAFT 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
20 jumbo pasta shells, cooked, drained
1 jar (26 oz.) spaghetti sauce
1 large tomato, chopped

PREHEAT oven to 400°F. Mix cottage cheese, spinach, 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning until well blended. Spoon 1 heaping Tbsp. of the cheese mixture evenly into each pasta shell.

COMBINE spaghetti sauce and tomatoes; spoon half of the sauce mixture into 13x9-inch baking dish. Place shells, filled sides up, in baking dish. Spoon remaining sauce mixture over shells. Cover with foil.

BAKE 25 min. or until heated through. Uncover; top with remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese. Bake, uncovered, an additional 2 min. or until cheese is melted.

Green Chili Chicken Enchilada Casserole

2007-04-17T13:16:00.002-05:00

I have officially become a magazine mom. I subscribed to Family Fun magazine and just love it. That is where last night's recipe came from. I looked at it last week before I needed to go grocery shopping because there were things in this recipe that I have never bought before but have always wanted to cook with like tomatillos. Some of the mexican restaurants around here have great salads with this tomatillo ranch dressing that is amazing! If I find a good recipe for it I'll let you know. Anyway this was an amazing dish! We just had leftovers for lunch and there is only one enchilada left so you know this was good. Tim raved about all night! That always makes you feel good. Even Aiden gobbled it down. I do have to say that this wasn't an easy recipe meaning it took longer than my normal 30 minute meals since you have to prepare the sauce and then the enchiladas. But it was worth it. This recipe is a lot easier if you own a food processor of some sort or a blender. I give this recipe a 5!

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:

For the Sauce:
2 pounds tomatillos
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup chopped white onion
1/3 cup chopped cilantro, lightly packed
1 (4-ounce) can diced green chilies, drained
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup whipping cream

For the Enchiladas:
12 (6-inch) corn tortillas (I used burrito size flour tortillas)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 1/2 cups grated Cheddar
1 1/2 cups grated Monterey Jack
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. To make the sauce, husk the tomatillos, and rinse them under warm water to remove any stickiness and dirt. Broil the tomatillos on a foil-lined baking sheet 1-2 inches from the heat, turning them once, until they are softened and slightly charred, about 7-9 minutes.

2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the white onions and saute until golden brown about 5 minutes.

3. Transfer the tomatillos to a blender and add the sauteed onions, cilantro, green chilies, cumin, sugar, and salt and puree until smooth.

4. Return the tomatillo sauce to the skillet and cook it over medium heat until thickened, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. Add the broth and cream and continue cooking until the sauce is slightly thickened and not watery, about 5-8 minutes. Add more salt if desired. (This sauce has more of a sweet taste to it).

(I skipped this next step since I used flour tortillas instead of corn)
5. To make th eenchiladas, brush both sides of the tortillas lightly with oil and lay them on a cookie sheet in stacks of two. Heat them in a 375 oven just until they're soft and pliable, about 3 minutes.

6. In a large bowl, combine the chicken, half of the cheddar, half of the monterey jack, the chopped onion, and the salt. Add 1/2 cup of the sauce to the chicken mixture and toss to combine.

7. Spread a third of the remaining sauce in the bottom of a 9X13 inch baking dish. Place 1/4 cup of the chicken mixture in the center of a tortilla. Roll up the tortilla and place it seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat with the other tortillas. Pour the rest of the sauce over the enchiladas. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the casserole.

8. Bake the casserole at 375 until the enchiladas are heated through and the cheese is bubbly and starting to brown, about 20-30 minutes. Severs 6-8 people.

Creamy Lemon Squares

2007-04-11T22:48:00.002-05:00

Since I've gone through all the dinner recipes I wanted to use from this issue of Kraft Food and Family, I decided to make some of the desserts from it. I was craving sugar like mad since I had to sort of fast for some physical...so I made a dessert to take my mind off food. Sounds nuts right? Well it helped a little because I knew I'd be able to eat it later. So anyway, I love lemon bars (especially from a box) but when I saw this recipe and saw that I had all the ingredients on hand I decided to give it a try. It was great! Never have I had lemon bars come out so good! I definitely give this dessert a 5!

20 Reduced Fat NILLA Wafers, finely crushed
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) cold margarine
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Neufchatel Cheese, 1/3 Less Fat than Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 Tbsp. flour
3 Tbsp. grated lemon peel, divided
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp. CALUMET Baking Powder
2 tsp. powdered sugar

PREHEAT oven to 350ºF. Line 8-inch square baking pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan; set aside. Combine wafer crumbs, 1/2 cup flour and the brown sugar in medium bowl. Cut in margarine with pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs; press firmly onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake 15 min.

MEANWHILE, beat Neufchatel cheese and granulated sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs and 2 Tbsp. flour; mix well. Blend in 1 Tbsp. lemon peel, lemon juice and baking powder; pour over crust.

BAKE 25 to 28 min. or until center is set. Cool completely. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and remaining 2 Tbsp. grated lemon peel just before cutting into squares to serve. Store leftover squares in
refrigerator.

All in one pot saucy pasta

2007-04-11T22:42:00.002-05:00

That's quite a long name for quite a tasty dish. Tonight's meal came from the Kraft Foods website (I already exhausted the dinner recipes from the magazine). And I finally got to use my brand new pan! It turned out great and my pan was fantastic (although I did have to use a cookie sheet as a lid). There were plenty of leftovers, not because we didn't like it but because the one pot meals usually make a ton of food! Aiden liked it because it had mushrooms in it and then decided the wall needed a new coat of paint....spaghetti sauce red. Nice... I give this recipe a 4.5!

1 lb. extra lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cups rotini pasta, uncooked (any pasta would work here)
3-1/2 cups water
1 jar (26 oz.) spaghetti sauce (about 3 cups)
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup chopped red peppers
1 cup KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese

BROWN meat large deep skillet; drain. Add onions; cook until tender.

ADD pasta, water and spaghetti sauce. Bring to boil; cover Reduce heat to low; simmer 15 min., stirring occasionally. Add mushrooms and red peppers; cook 5 min.

SPRINKLE with cheese.

Crustless Bacon and Cheese Quiche

2007-04-03T22:55:00.002-05:00

Tonight's meal was again from the Kraft Food and Family magazine, Spring 2007 issue. I have always loved breakfast foods for any time of day....I'm weird like that...but Tim doesn't like to eat pancakes, waffles or french toast for any time other than breakfast. So I compromise by making things with eggs so I can get my breakfast fix whenever I want....maybe it's the pregnancy. Anyway, this quiche was great! My tweaks: I don't ever buy green onions so I never have them on hand. I just sprinkled the mushrooms with onion powder while I cooked them. I also added 1 can of diced green chiles for a little more flavor. Again, Aiden just picked out the mushrooms and got one bite of eggs in there but Tim and I ate to our hearts content...ok so maybe just Tim did. It was a great dish though for any meal. I give this recipe a 4.5!

1 cup sliced green onions (about 5 medium)
1 cup chopped tomatoes (about 1 medium)
12 slices OSCAR MAYER Bacon
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms (4 oz.)
12 eggs
1/3 cup BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream
1 cup KRAFT Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 cup KRAFT Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

PREHEAT oven to 325ºF. Reserve 2 Tbsp. each onions and tomatoes; set aside. Cook bacon in large skillet until crisp. Remove bacon with slotted spoon to paper towel-covered plate, reserving 1 Tbsp. of the bacon drippings in skillet. Add mushrooms to skillet; cook and stir 2 min. or until tender. Remove from heat. Chop bacon. Add to mushrooms along with the onions and tomatoes; mix well.

BEAT eggs and sour cream with wire whisk until well blended. Pour into greased 13x9-inch baking dish; top with bacon mixture and cheeses.

BAKE 30 min. or until center is set. Sprinkle with reserved onions and tomatoes. Let stand 5 min. before cutting into pieces to serve.

Lemon Shrimp Pasta Salad

2007-04-02T23:48:00.001-05:00

Tonight's meal came from the Kraft Food and Family magazine, Spring 2007 issue. I of course tweaked it a bit to my liking but it turned out great and had amazing flavor. Now I think this is supposed to be served lukewarm to cold (like most pasta salads) but I really wanted something hot for dinner so I thawed my frozen shrimp in a collander and when it was time to drain the noodles and asparagus, I drained them over the cold thawed shrimp, thus making everything warm and toasty! The cheese melted into it too making it extra good. The only thing that wasn't cooked or warmed were the tomatoes that were mixed in after. The only downside is that Aiden wouldn't eat more that 3 noodles out of it....too much flavor for him I guess. Tim and I loved it though and there were plenty of leftovers to go around. I give this recipe a 4.5!

3 cups (8 oz.) farfalle (bow-tie pasta), uncooked (I used garden rotini)
1 lb. fresh asparagus spears, cut into 2-inch lengths
1 cup KRAFT Light Zesty Italian Reduced Fat Dressing
1 tsp. dried oregano leaves
1 tsp. grated lemon peel
1 lb. cooked large shrimp (20 to 25 count) (I used a lb. of the small shrimp)
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes (I used regular tomatoes)
1 pkg. (8 oz.) KRAFT Natural 2% Milk Reduced Fat Colby & Monterey Jack Cheese Crumbles (I used regular shredded cheese)

COOK pasta as directed on package, adding asparagus to the cooking water for the last 3 min. of the pasta cooking time; drain. Rinse with cold water; drain well.

MEANWHILE, mix dressing, oregano and lemon peel.

PLACE pasta mixture in large bowl. Add dressing mixture, shrimp, tomatoes and cheese; mix lightly. Serve immediately. Or, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

A new toy!

2007-04-02T23:27:00.001-05:00

I wasn't sure which blog to post this to but then I realized, if you're like me and you love the all-in-one pot meals, then you'll definitely appreciate my latest find. I am all about never paying full price if I don't have to, which is why I frequent stores like TJ Maxx and Ross dress for less. What I love is that these stores are like Walmart (they have everything) but cheaper if you can imagine it. So a couple weeks ago I had my eye on a 12" deep skillet. I've been wanting one ever since I discovered the all-in-one pot recipes, however, my 12" skillet isn't deep enough and the food always slops over the sides. Thus started my search for a deep skillet. And I found it at Ross. Everytime I went to the store after I found it I would walk down that aisle and it would be there waiting for me to buy it. And today....I finally broke down and bought it! Not too shabby for $14! It's a non-stick Farberware 12" deep skillet and I can't wait to use it! The recipe I made tonight I thought was an all-in-one pot recipe but it turned out not to be so I have to try out my new skillet another night. But would you look at this beauty!

Quick-fix Beef Burrito Skillet

2007-03-26T22:24:00.002-05:00

It's that time of year again! The time when the new Kraft Food and Family magazine comes out. They only come out about 5 times a year so when they do I had a ton of new recipes to try! I love this magazine. If you don't already get it, sign up for it, it's free! Anyway, off my soapbox....I love the recipes that are all in one pot/skillet/pan. That way there's less dishes to do at the end. So this one was definitely going to be tried. It turned out great and Aiden loved that it had beans in it. One of his favorite foods...next to pizza. I give this recipe a 4.5! (oh and by the way, you don't have to use the brand name ingredients it calls for...just whatever you normally buy!)

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 pkg. (1-1/4 oz.) TACO BELL HOME ORIGINALS Taco Seasoning Mix
1 can (19 oz.) kidney beans, drained, rinsed
1 cup TACO BELL HOME ORIGINALS Salsa
1 cup water
4 flour tortillas (6 inch), cut into 1-1/2-inch squares
1 cup KRAFT Mexican Style Shredded Four Cheese
1/3 cup BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream
1/3 cup chopped green onions (about 1 large)

BROWN meat in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat;
drain.

ADD seasoning mix, beans, salsa and water; stir. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 5 min.

STIR in tortillas; top with cheese. Cover; let stand 5 min. or until cheese is melted. Top with sour cream and onions.

Nona's Yummy Lasagna

2007-03-13T23:49:00.002-05:00

So I made this recipe a couple days after my family left (just haven't had time to post it) and loved it! This also comes out of the ward cookbook. I just love lasagna (except for that nasty seafood one I tried a while back) and this one was easy...and delicious. I had it for lunch the next 2 days afterwards until all the leftovers were gone. Yeah it was that good....I thought about it all the time. Tim was bummed when I told him I had finished off the lasagna...good thing I had some other left over he wanted to eat instead. So I definitely give this recipe a 5!

9 lasagna noodles
1lb. ground beef
Desired amount of onions (I loved
that I got to pick!)
2 (8oz.) cans tomato sauce
1/8 c. Italian seasoning
1 to 2 cups cottage cheese
1/2 to 3/4 cup sour cream
grated cheese

Boil water. Cook the lasagna noodles until tender. To make the meat
sauce, brown the ground beef and onions in a large skillet. Stir in the tomato
sauce and Italian seasoning. Simmer, stirring occasionally. Take off heat. Add
the cottage cheese and sour cream. Lightly grease a large baking dish. Spoon in
enough meat sauce to lightly cover the bottom of dish. Top with 3 strips cooked
noodles. Spread meat sauce over noodles and sprinkle cheese on top. Repeat
layers, ending with meat sauce (I actually ended with cheese on top). Bake
covered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Let stand 5-10 minutes to set layers.

(Note: You can use dry noodles instead of boiling the noodles before hand. If you do this, pour 1/2 cup water over the layered lasagna and let it sit for 15-30 minutes before baking.) -Natalia Magnusson

Taco Soup

2007-02-03T15:02:00.002-06:00

This was yet another recipe from the ward cookbook. It was so easy to make and turned out great! I give this recipe a 5!

1 lb. ground beef
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1 can pinto beans
1 can Rotel tomatoes (I used diced tomatoes)
1 can red beans (I used kidney beans)
1 can corn

Brown meat, drain. Add taco seasoning and all other cans undrained. Simmer till flavors are mixed. --Dixie Baker

I also added shredded cheese on top and a little sour cream. Then we ate it with tortilla chips. It was great!

Garden Risotto

2007-01-29T12:03:00.003-06:00

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

2007-01-29T11:56:00.001-06:00

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

2007-01-19T15:23:00.002-06:00

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

2007-01-09T20:23:00.002-06:00

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

2007-01-09T20:11:00.002-06:00

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

Asian Orange Chicken

2006-12-08T20:18:00.002-06:00

Thanks to the baby on the way, I had the craving for Orange Chicken from a chinese restaurant. Unfortunately, we have been eating out too much so I had to go and find a way to make it. Well I found it on allrecipes.com and it actually tasted like the orange chicken you get from Fortune Chinese (a cheap chinese restaurant a few blocks away) so I was in heaven. The only difference I made was in the vinegar...I didn't have rice vinegar so I used apple cider vinegar instead...tasted just fine to me. Even Aiden ate it, it was gone quicker than I could put it on his tray! I give this recipe a 5!

INGREDIENTS
Sauce:
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons orange juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup rice vinegar
2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons chopped green onion
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water

Chicken:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil

DIRECTIONS
Pour into saucepan 1 1/2 cups water, orange juice, lemon juice, rice vinegar, and soy sauce; and set over medium-high heat. Stir in orange zest, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, and chopped onion. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat, and let cool 10 to 15 minutes.

Place chicken pieces into a resealable plastic bag. When contents of saucepan have cooled, pour 1 cup of sauce into bag. Reserve remaining sauce. Seal bag, and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

In another resealable plastic bag, mix the flour, salt, and peppers.
Add marinated chicken pieces, and shake to coat.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place chicken in skillet, and brown on both sides. Remove to paper towels, and cover with aluminum foil.

Wipe out the skillet, and add the sauce. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Mix together cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water, and stir into sauce. Reduce heat to medium low; stir in chicken pieces, and simmer, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Grands! Barbecups

2006-11-17T12:04:00.002-06:00

Last night I made this recipe from the Pillsbury website. It turned out great and was pretty easy to make. Then while Tim was eating, he told me at least 4 times how much he liked it and ended up having 3 cups! Even Aiden ate some of it. I give this recipe a 4.5!

1 lb lean ground beef
1 small onion, chopped (1/4 cup)
3/4 cup barbecue sauce
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 can (16.3 oz) Pillsbury® Grands!® Flaky Layers refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
3/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (3 oz)

1 . BROWN beef and onion; drain. Stir in barbecue sauce and brown sugar; cook 1 minute.

2 . PRESS or roll each biscuit to 5 1/2-inch round. Place 1 biscuit in each of 8 greased regular-size muffin cups (for 12-cup muffin pan, use 8 outside cups for best baking results). Firmly press in bottom and up sides, forming a 1/4-inch rim. Fill with beef mixture; sprinkle with cheese.

3 . BAKE at 350°F 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 1 minute, remove from pan.

Prep-Ahead Mashed Potatoes

2006-11-08T11:14:00.003-06:00

Last night I made a regular home cooked meal complete with meat, mashed potatoes and vegetables and plenty of A1 sauce! The recipe I used for the mashed potatoes was amazing. I did all but the mushroom part...I'm sure that part is good but I just wanted mashed potatoes and I happened to have 5 perfectly good red potatoes sitting on the counter and I didn't want them to go to waste. So when I saw this recipe in the Kraft Food and Family, Holiday 2006 issue, I had to try it. I love mashed potatoes of all kinds and this one added sour cream and cream cheese to it, how could that be bad? And I got to use my potato masher for the first time! I was so excited! I just bought that masher a month ago (that's right I went through 2 1/2 years of marriage without a potato masher) because Tim decided it was one of those "kitchen gadgets" we didn't really need when we first got married. Needless to say we had some interesting times between now and then trying to mash up potatoes...forks just don't cut it. Anyway, my potato masher worked wonders...who knew mashing potatoes could be that easy? Well I did acutally...but was never able to have that "luxury" until now. Oh and Tim liked the potatoes, he actually was starving while I made dinner and since the potatoes were done first he decided to have a few scoops ahead of time. Then after dinner a couples hours later he decided to eat some more potatoes because he was still hungry! I definitely give this recipe (without the mushrooms) a 5! You'll have to try the mushroom part and tell me if it's good.

Ingredients(if you're just making the potatoes you need all but the last 3 ingredients)

3 lb. red potatoes (about 10 medium), cut into chunks
1 cup BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream
4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, cubed
1/4 cup milk
2 Tbsp. butter
1 pkg. (8 oz.) fresh
mushrooms, sliced
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme

(and do all but the last 2 steps if just making the potatoes)

PLACE potatoes in large saucepan. Add enough water to completely cover potatoes. Bring to boil on high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook 15 min. or until potatoes are tender.

DRAIN potatoes; return to saucepan. Add sour cream, cream cheese and milk. Mash with potato masher to desired consistency. Spoon into microwaveable serving bowl; cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until ready to use.

MEANWHILE, melt butter in large skillet on medium-high heat; add mushrooms. Cook 5 min. or until mushrooms are tender, stirring frequently. Spoon into small bowl; cover. Refrigerate until ready to use.

VENT plastic wrap covering potatoes. Microwave on HIGH 6 to 8 min. or until heated through; stir. Top with mushrooms. Microwave, uncovered, an additional 2 to 3 min. or until heated through. Sprinkle with thyme.

Perfect Apple Pie with No Fail Pie Crust

2006-11-01T18:58:00.002-06:00

Tonight I'm giving you 2 recipes in one....this is my mother-in-laws recipe. We had her apple pie last night and I knew I had to have the recipe, it was delicious! I'm not very good at making pie crust though so when she told me that this recipe was really "no fail" I had to try it to believe it. She was right, this was the easiest pie crust recipe I've ever made. And my apartment smells like apple pie....mmmmmmmm! I give these recipes both a 5!

No Fail Pie Crust

Sift together:

2 1/2 cups flour
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp salt

Blend in well 1 cup shortening.
Beat together and add the following to the flour mixture.

1 egg
1 Tbsp. vinegar
1/4 cup water

It makes 2 one crust pies or 1 two crust pie.

Perfect Apple Pie

6 or 7 tart apples
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
Dash of nutmeg
Dash of salt
Pastry for 2 crust (9 inch) pie
2 Tbsp. butter

Pare apples and slice thin. Combine sugar, flour, spices and salt; mix with apples.

Line 9 inch pie plate with pastry. Fill with apple mixture. Dot with butter. Adjust top crust. Sprinkle with sugar.

Bake at 400 for 50 minutes or until done. You can use 2 (number 2) cans of sliced pie apples instead of fresh apples.

Cacciatore-Style Chicken Bake

2006-09-27T19:24:00.002-05:00

Tonight's meal again came from the Fall issue 2006 of the Kraft Food and Family magazine. It turned out great and I thought that maybe next time I make it I'll make pasta to put it on. I love the recipes that are done all in one pan. It didn't take long to make either. The only difference I made was that I added cheese before putting the stuffing on top. I give this recipe a 5!

1-2/3 cups hot water
1 pkg. (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Chicken
1-1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 small each: red and green pepper, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 jar (14 oz.) spaghetti sauce

PREHEAT oven to 425°F. Add hot water to stuffing mix; stir just until moistened. Set aside.

PLACE chicken, peppers and onions in 13x9-inch baking dish; mix lightly. Pour spaghetti sauce over chicken mixture; top with prepared stuffing.

BAKE 30 min. or until chicken is cooked through.

Ham and Cheese Stuff' n Puff

2006-09-20T22:01:00.002-05:00

Well despite the dumb name that tonight's dish has, it was actually pretty good. It of course comes from the Fall 2006 issue of the Kraft Food and Family magazine (I haven't used all the recipes yet!) and this one was no different than the last....fabulous! It was also easier to make too. The only thing I changed was the ham...I don't buy boiled ham...lunch meat is just about the same and I do buy that so that's what I used chicken breast lunch meat. It was just fine. Just realize it takes an hour to bake so save enough time for it. I give this recipe a 5!

5 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped broccoli, thawed, drained
1 pkg. (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Chicken
9 oz. (1-1/2 [6-oz.] pkg.) OSCAR MAYER Smoked Ham, chopped
1 cup KRAFT Shredded Cheddar Cheese, divided

PREHEAT oven to 375°F. Beat eggs, milk and sour cream in large bowl with wire whisk until well blended. Add broccoli, dry stuffing mix, ham and 1/2 cup of the cheese; mix lightly.

POUR mixture into 2-qt. baking dish or 9-inch pie plate; cover loosely with foil.

BAKE 1 hour. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake 5 min. or until cheese is melted and mixture is cooked through.

Farmhouse Chicken Dinner

2006-09-13T19:20:00.002-05:00

Ever since I got the new Kraft Food and Family magazine, Fall 2006 issue, I have been using it nonstop (that was 2 days ago). Tonight's meal was fabulous. It was so good that I was glad I made the full 4 servings so that there were left overs. I mean, so good that when I was close to finishing my serving, I was wishing that I wasn't so full so I could eat more. I didn't though...that would have been piggish (is that a word?). As for the chicken itself, I hardly ever buy meat with the bone still in so I just used boneless chicken breasts and I didn't have brown rice so white rice works just as well. Anyway, you have to try this recipe and tell me if you thought it was as good as I did. I definitely give this recipe a 5!

1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp. pepper
4 small bone-in chicken breast halves (1-1/2 lb.), skin removed
1/4 cup KRAFT LIGHT DONE RIGHT! Zesty Italian Reduced Fat Dressing
2 cups baby carrots
1 medium onion, cut into wedges
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided
2 cups MINUTE Brown Rice, uncooked
4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA
Neufchatel Cheese, 1/3 Less Fat than Cream Cheese, cubed
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

MIX flour and pepper in shallow dish. Add chicken; turn to evenly coat both sides with flour mixture. Shake off excess flour mixture. Heat dressing in large nonstick skillet on medium heat. Add chicken, meat-side down; cook 5 to 6 min. or until golden brown. Turn chicken over; add carrots, onions and 1 cup of the broth. Cover. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 20 min. or until carrots are tender and chicken is cooked through (180°F).

MEANWHILE, cook rice as directed on package. Spoon onto serving platter. Use slotted spoon to remove chicken and vegetables from skillet; place over rice. Cover to keep warm.

ADD Neufchatel cheese and remaining broth to skillet; increase heat to high. Cook until cheese is melted and sauce is well blended, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 3 to 5 min. or until sauce is slightly thickened, stirring occasionally. Spoon over chicken and vegetables; sprinkle with parsley.

Blushing Apples

2006-09-12T22:18:00.002-05:00

Now here's an interesting recipe I found in the Kraft Food and Family magazine, the new fall issue 2006. I sounded interesting and looked good so I made it. It only has 5 ingredients and basically tastes like apple pie without the crust. It turned out pretty good. I didn't have Granny Smith, McIntosh or Golden Delicious apples so I just used the Red Delicious ones I had in the fridge. They were a little bigger than a "medium apple" so they needed to simmer a little longer than called for. I also served it with French Vanilla flavored Cool Whip, it added a nice touch. I give this recipe a 4.

2 pkg. (4-serving size each) JELL-O Brand Cranberry Flavor Gelatin
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 qt. (4 cups) water
4 medium apples, such as Granny Smith, McIntosh or Golden Delicious
1/2 cup thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping

COMBINE dry gelatin mix and cinnamon in 3- to 4-qt. saucepan. Add water. Bring to boil on medium-high heat, stirring frequently until gelatin is completely dissolved.

PEEL and core apples. Add to gelatin mixture in saucepan; partially cover saucepan with lid. Return to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 10 to 15 min. or just until apples are tender, gently turning apples every 5 min. Remove apples from liquid; reserve liquid for another use (see Tip below) or discard.

SERVE apples warm. Or, cool and store in tightly covered container in refrigerator at least 1 hour or overnight. Serve each apple topped with 2 Tbsp. of the whipped topping. Garnish with fresh mint, if desired.
TIP: After draining the cooked apples, pour the cooking liquid evenly into eight dessert dishes. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or until set for a refreshing JELL-O snack!

Carmelized Garlic Chicken

2006-09-11T21:42:00.001-05:00

This recipe comes from the Pillsbury website. This was one of the easiest recipes to make and it turned out great. It only uses 4 ingredients and tasted great! Too bad I didn't make a ton for Tim to have seconds...he ate the rest of the side dishes instead. This makes 4 servings but I only made it for 2 so you can scale it anyway you want. I give this recipe a 5!

Ingredients
2 teaspoons olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 teaspoons brown sugar
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

Directions

1 . Heat oven to 500°F. Line shallow roasting pan with foil; spray foil with nonstick cooking spray.

2 . Heat oil in small nonstick skillet over medium-low heat until hot. Add garlic; cook 1 to 2 minutes or until garlic begins to soften, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; stir in brown sugar until well mixed.

3 . Place chicken breast halves in sprayed foil-lined pan. Spread garlic mixture evenly over chicken.

4 . Bake at 500°F. for 10 to 15 minutes or until chicken is fork-tender and juices run clear.

Cheesy Green Chile Twists

2006-09-01T23:27:00.004-05:00

I've been on vacation and therefore haven't been cooking and tonight I didn't make dinner either. I thought I was going to be making dinner but Tim's brother stopped by with his family and they wanted to go out to eat (I'm not complaining) but I had already started part of the dinner so I had to make it anyway....and here it is. It comes from the Rhodes Rolls recipes that I get in my email from time to time. They turned out really well even though we only "tasted" them since we were going out to eat....I guess we'll eat them tomorrow. The only problem I had was rolling them out in the 18X12 rectangles they wanted...who knows what size the rectangles I rolled out were so I didn't end up making 12 twists but more like 8 and then I cut them in half because they were so big after they baked. But really...they tasted really good. Any recipe that has green chiles is "usually" good. I give this recipe a 4.5

Ingredients

24 Rhodes™ Dinner Rolls, thawed and risen
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 cans diced green chilies, drained
grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Combine 12 rolls together and roll into an 18x12-inch rectangle. Repeat with remaining 12 rolls. Brush both dough rectangles with butter. Combine cheese and green chilies and sprinkle over one dough rectangle. Top with remaining dough rectangle, butter side down. Cut into twelve 1 1/2-inch strips. Twist each strip several times. Place at least one inch apart on large sprayed baking sheets. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and let rise 30 minutes. Bake at 350°F 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned.

Salsa Chicken Fiesta

2006-08-11T21:04:00.002-05:00

Tonight's recipe came from the Betty Crocker website. This recipe is for 2 servings so I doubled it and put it in a 9x9 square baking dish instead of a bread pan. It wasn't half bad considering it only has chicken, salsa, cheese and a bisquick mixture in it. It was really easy to make and only bakes for 20 minutes. Which was good since I didn't figure out what to make for dinner until last minute. So I give this recipe a 3.5

Ingredients
1/3 cup Bisquick Heart Smart™ mix
1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons fat-free egg product or 1 egg white
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese (1 1/2 oz)
1 large boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup Old El
Paso® Thick 'n Chunky salsa

1 . Heat oven to 400ºF. Spray 8x4-inch loaf pan with cooking spray. In small
bowl, stir together Bisquick® mix, water and egg product; spread in pan. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of the cheese.
2 . In 10-inch nonstick skillet, cook chicken over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until outsides turn white; drain. Stir in salsa; heat until hot. Spoon over batter in pan to within 1/2 inch of edges.
3 . Bake about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons cheese. Bake about 2 minutes longer or until cheese is melted; loosen from sides of pan.

Made over Chicken Tetrazzini

2006-08-09T16:02:00.002-05:00

I made this one a couple days ago and the leftovers are already gone so it was pretty good. It comes from the Kraft Food and Family magazine, Spring 2006 issue. It wasn't too difficult to make either which I love. It called for red peppers but I was fresh out so I used green....I'm not sure what the difference is other than the color. To me, this dish tasted like tuna noodle casserole but it was chicken. Go figure. If you end up making this one, comment on what you thought about the taste. I give this recipe a 4.

Ingredients

1/2 lb. (8 oz.) spaghetti, uncooked
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 medium red pepper, chopped
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Neufchatel Cheese, 1/3 Less Fat than Cream Cheese, cubed
1/4 cup flour
1 can (14 oz.) fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
3 Tbsp. KRAFT 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese, divided
1/2 cup KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Reduced Fat Mozzarella Cheese

PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Cook pasta as directed on package. Meanwhile, spray large nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Add chicken, peppers and mushrooms; cook and stir 5 min. or until chicken is no longer pink. Remove from skillet; set aside.

PLACE Neufchatel cheese, flour and broth in skillet. Cook and stir with wire whisk until boiling. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 5 min., stirring frequently.

DRAIN pasta; return to saucepan. Add Neufchatel cheese mixture, chicken mixture and 2 Tbsp. of the Parmesan cheese; mix well. Spoon into 2-qt. round casserole dish; cover with foil. Bake 25 min. Top with mozzarella and remaining 1 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese; continue baking, uncovered, 2 min. or until mozzarella cheese is melted.

Layered Fiesta Casserole

2006-08-03T19:54:00.002-05:00

This recipe has been one of the better ones I've found in the Kraft Food and Family magazines. This one happened to be in the Fall 2005 issue. It's also a good source of vitamin C and calcium and low calorie all in one dish. You can't beat that. Tim of course is chowing down on his second helping as I type this so that's always a good sign. I of course give this recipe a 5!

Ingredients

1 lb. extra lean ground beef
1 green pepper, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 jar (16 oz.) TACO BELL HOME ORIGINALS Thick 'N Chunky Salsa
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen corn, thawed
12 corn tortillas (6 inch) (I used the 10 inch and used flour and only used 8 tortillas)
1-1/2 cups KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Reduced Fat Sharp Cheddar Cheese, divided

PREHEAT oven to 375°F. Brown meat with peppers in large skillet, stirring frequently; drain. Stir in salsa, tomatoes and corn; bring to boil.

SPOON 1 cup meat mixture onto bottom of 13x9-inch baking dish. Top with 6 tortillas, overlapping as necessary. Spoon half of the remaining meat mixture over tortillas; top with 3/4 cup of the cheese. Top with remaining 6 tortillas and meat mixture. Cover with foil.

BAKE 25 to 30 min. or until heated through. Remove from oven; uncover. Sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup cheese. Let stand 5 min. or until cheese is melted.

(I also added low fat sour cream on top! YUM!)

Chicken Enchiladas

2006-08-01T18:52:00.001-05:00

Tonight I'm giving out the best recipe in the world for chicken enchiladas. This recipe actually comes from the kitchen of my mother so no links to this one. I'm sure her mother used it as well so it's been going through the generations. Now I'm not being biased because it's my mom's recipe. These actually are the best chicken enchiladas you'll ever have! So of course I give this recipe a 5!

Ingredients

2 cans of cream of chicken soup
2 cups of diced chicken or turkey
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup diced green chiles (4oz can) not drained
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups grated cheese
1/2 cup chopped onions
tortillas (about 10 if you squeeze them in)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine soup, chicken, sour cream, chiles, and salt. (my variation: leave the chicken separate)

2. Combine cheese and onion.

3. Use a 9x13 baking dish to put enchiladas in. Put cheese mixture in the center of tortillas and roll them up. (my variation: also add chicken to center of tortillas). Line up the tortillas in the dish this is where, if you squeeze them in, you can fit 10 in the dish.

4. Pour soup mixture over the top of the rolled up tortillas. (my variation: if there is any chicken left over I then add it to the soup mixture)

(my variation: top with shredded cheese)

5. Cover dish with foil and bake for 25 minutes.

Easy Beef Stroganoff

2006-07-25T23:37:00.002-05:00

I got this recipe when I printed out a coupon for Tyson chicken strips. I never actually bought the Tyson chicken because it wasn't sold where I grocery shop. But of course this recipe calls for the pre-seasoned steak strips so it wasn't as easy as the recipe says it was. The only difference, I had to cook and season the steak myself and cut it into pieces. Not too hard. It actually turned out to be pretty good. I give this recipe a 4.

Ingredients

1 package (6 oz) Tyson Seasoned Steak Strips
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/4 cup water
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
4 oz. cream cheese
2 cups cooked egg noodles

1. Combine steak strips, soup, water and Worcestershire in skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir about 10 minutes or until bubbly. Reduce heat to medium low.

2. Stir in cream cheese until melted.

3. Serve over hot noodles. Refrigerate leftovers.

Now the funny thing about this recipe is that it says it serves 2. So why would you need to refrigerate leftovers? Well I made it and I had leftovers so does it really serve 2 or 3?

Easy Lasagna

2006-07-19T23:59:00.002-05:00

Tonight's recipe came from the kitchen of Lucinda Hopkins. She gave a little class about "Budget meals made fun and simple" and this was one of the recipes from the class. I have to say it was pretty easy to make, you didn't even have to cook the noodles first. The directions were a little sketchy so I improvised and it turned out pretty great. I give this recipe a 4.5

Ingredients

1 pkg. lasagna noodles
spaghetti sauce (here's part of the sketchyness...how much? maybe a cup or two)
cottage cheese (again I guessed it was about a 16 oz package of it)
shredded cheese (however much you want to use)
1 lb. hamburger
onion (I cut up almost a whole medium sized onion for this)
1 Tbsp. parsley flakes
2 eggs

Directions

Brown hamburger with onion. Salt and pepper to taste. Mix cottage cheese with 2 eggs and parsley. In 9X13 pan, put a little spaghetti sauce in the bottom, then 1 layer of noddles (uncooked), then the cottage cheese mixture, then hamburger, spaghetti sauce again and cheese. Repeat. Put 1/4 cup of water in the pan--cook covered for 1 1/2 hours. (now here she didn't say what temperature so I just guessed at 350F and I only cooked it for 1 hour 15 minutes and it turned out just fine).

Chicken Fingers with Honey Mustard

2006-07-18T19:56:00.002-05:00

I know it's been a while since I've posted a recipe...that's either because I barely cooked during the week or what I made wasn't good enough to be posted....or it was a repeat. But tonight I made a recipe from the Easy Everyday Cooking recipe cards. Apparently this is an appetizer but I made it as a dinner with salads and fruit. It turned out great and we had no left overs! I give this recipe a 5!

Ingredients

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (I used 2)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper (I used Mrs. Dash's Southwest Chipotle seasoning)
3/4 cup milk
1 cup vegetable oil for frying ( I used enova oil)

HONEY MUSTARD
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup dijon mustard

1. Cut chicken into 1/2 X 2 inch strips. For honey mustard sauce, blend honey and mustard in a small bowl. Set aside.

2. Mix flour, salt and pepper in a shallow bowl. Dip chicken in milk. Roll in flour mixture to coat well. Place chicken on waxed paper (I just put them directly into the pan of oil)

3. Pour 1/4 inch of oil into a large heavy skillet. Heat over medium-high heat to 350F or until a cube of white bread dropped in oil browns evenly in 1 minute.

4. Divide chicken into batches. Place chicken in an even layer in hot oil. Fry, turning once, for about 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown and crisp. Drain on paper towels. Serve with sauce.

Southwestern Chicken with Black Beans and Rice

2006-06-28T22:17:00.001-05:00

Tonight I wanted something with a zing to clear out my stuffed nose. I found a recipe that would do just that from the Kraft Food and Family magazine, fall 2005 edition. This little beauty combines my favorites, chicken, black beans and gives it a kick with some hot sauce. I chose tabasco sauce and even though it said to add just 1/2 tsp. I added about a full tsp. to make it even hotter. I also used white rice instead of brown...only because I didn't have brown. I used turkey breast lunch meat instead of ham as well. I'll have to say the recipe wasn't half bad and did have that extra kick I was looking for. The other good thing is that it was a recipe made for 2 people. I give this recipe a 4.

1/4 cup KRAFT Zesty Italian Dressing
2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 oz. each)
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 can (14 oz.) stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 cup rinsed and drained canned black beans
3 slices OSCAR MAYER Thin Sliced Honey Ham, chopped
1/2 tsp. hot pepper sauce
1 cup MINUTE Brown Rice, cooked

HEAT dressing in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken and onions; cook 4 min., turning chicken over after 2 min.

ADD tomatoes, beans, ham and pepper sauce. Reduce heat to low. Simmer 10 min. or until chicken is cooked through, turning chicken over after 5 min.

SERVE over hot cooked rice.

Tuna and Green Chile Melt

2006-06-14T19:42:00.001-05:00

Tonight's meal came from the Pillsbury Bake off. This recipe was the $10,000 3-a day dairy award winner. I'm always a little wary when a recipe calls for tuna but this one turned out great! There was hardly even a tuna taste! I didn't use the low fat mayo and I skipped the egg yolk sesame seed step since I didn't have sesame seeds. I also didn't have cajun seasoning so I used Essence of Emeril which I figured would give the same POW effect! Definitely one I'll make again. I give this recipe a 5!

Ingredients:
1 can (16.3 oz) Pillsbury® Grands!® Homestyle refrigerated reduced-fat buttermilk biscuits
1 egg yolk
1/4 teaspoon water
1 tablespoon sesame seed
1/3 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise or salad dressing
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1 can (4.5 oz) Old El Paso® chopped green chiles
2 cans (6 oz each) albacore tuna in water, drained
2 cups shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese (8 oz)
Chopped tomato, if desired
Shredded lettuce, if desired

Preparation Directions:
1 . Heat oven to 350°F. Spray large cookie sheet with cooking spray. Separate dough into 8 biscuits; place 2 1/2 inches apart on cookie sheet. With bottom of flat 2-inchdiameter glass or with fingers, press biscuits into 3 1/2-inch rounds with 1/4-inch rim around outer edge.
2 . In small bowl, beat egg yolk and water with fork until well blended. Brush over tops and sides of biscuits. Sprinkle each with sesame seed. Bake 13 to 17 minutes or until golden brown.
3 . Meanwhile, in medium bowl, mix mayonnaise, cilantro, salt, pepper, Cajun seasoning and green chiles. Stir in tuna; set aside.
4 . Set oven control to broil. Spoon about 1/4 cup tuna mixture into indentation in each biscuit; sprinkle each with 1/4 cup cheese. Broil 4 to 6 inches from heat 1 to 2 minutes or until cheese is melted. Carefully remove biscuits from cookie sheet. Garnish with tomato and lettuce.

Cream Cheese Squares

2006-06-13T21:01:00.001-05:00

I made dessert again tonight.....I just love dessert. The recipe comes from the Kraft Food and Family magazine, summer 2006 issue. Very yummy and very easy to make! I only had one can of crescent rolls so I just made half the recipe in a 9x9 square pan. I give this recipe a 5!

2 cans (8 oz. each) refrigerated crescent dinner rolls, divided
2 pkg. (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
1 egg, slightly beaten
3/4 cup sugar, divided
2 Tbsp. ground cinnamon

PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Unroll 1 of the cans of crescent dough. Press onto bottom of greased 13x9-inch baking pan to form crust, firmly pressing seams together to seal.

BEAT cream cheese, vanilla, egg and 1/2 cup of the sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Spread onto crust.

UNROLL remaining can of crescent dough onto large sheet of wax paper. Pat out dough to form 13x9-inch rectangle, pressing seams together to seal. Invert over cream cheese mixture to form top crust; discard wax paper.

BAKE 30 to 35 min. or until golden brown. Combine remaining 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon in small bowl; sprinkle over squares before cutting.

Beef Enchiladas

2006-06-08T21:19:00.001-05:00

Tonight's meal came from the 10th Edition Betty Crocker cookbook. Great enchiladas! Probably not so great for you but you can take shortcuts to cut out the fat. I give this recipe a 5!

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1/2 cup sour cream (I used light sour cream)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley (I used dry)
1/4 tsp pepper
1/3 cup chopped green bell pepper
2/3 cup water
1 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1 can (4.5oz) chopped green chiles, drained
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
8 corn tortillas (I used flour)
Shredded cheese, sour cream and chopped onions, if desired

1. Heat oven to 350 F

2. In a 10-inch skillet, cook beef over medium heat 8-10 min., stirring occasionally, until brown; drain. Stir in onion, sour crea, 1 cup cheese, the parsley and pepper. Cover and remove from heat.
3. In 2-qt saucepan, heat bell pepper, water, chili powder, oregano, cumin, chiles, garlic and tomato sauce to boiling, stirring occasionally; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered 5 min. Pour into ungreased 9 in. pie plate.
4. Dip eat tortilla into sauce in pie plate to coat both sides. Spoon about 1/4 cup beef mixture onto each tortilla; roll tortilla around filling. Place seam side down in ungreased 11x7 inch glass baking dish. Pour remaining sauce over enchiladas.
5. Bake uncovered about 20 min. or until bubbly. Garnish with shredded cheese, sour cream and chopped onions.

Rosemary Pork Roast

2006-06-01T19:16:00.001-05:00

Today's recipe came from Allrecipes.com. I was looking through our junk mail fliers and actually looked at the grocery ads. I saw that Smith's has pork loin on sale for 1.69/lb. Which is pretty good since the other ad was for Albertson's and their pork loin was on sale for 2.99/lb. I have never made pork loin before so I thought this would be a good time to try it. So I ran to Smith's bought their smallest pork loin which was 8 lbs and came home and cut it into 4 pieces to freeze, because come on there's only me and Tim and there's no way we're eating 8lbs of pork loin in one sitting. This recipe came out great! The pork was really tender. I baked it on a broiler pan and didn't have to touch it while it cooked. I give this recipe a 5! PS. on Allrecipes.com you can change the amount of servings you want to make and it will calculate the recipe out for you. Very handy. This recipe is for 6 servings.

INGREDIENTS:
3 pounds pork tenderloin
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons dried rosemary

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Rub the roast OR tenderloin liberally with olive oil, then spread the garlic over it. Place it in a 10x15 inch roasting pan and sprinkle with the rosemary. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 2 hours, or until the internal temperature of the pork reaches 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).

Quick Fettuccine Cacciatore

2006-05-22T20:22:00.001-05:00

This recipe brought me back to the reason I love to cook.....because the food is so good! It came from the Spring 2006 Kraft Food and Family magazine. It looks like the Food Family magazine is sending out it's Summer 2006 issue! I'm pumped for some new recipes! I used regular spaghetti and Basil seasoning instead of the fettuccine and fresh chopped basil. Tim had seconds on this dinner so you know it's good. I definitely give this recipe a 5!

8 oz. fettuccine, uncooked
2 tsp. vegetable oil
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, chopped
1 cup each: sliced green peppers and sliced mushrooms
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
1/4 cup KRAFT Zesty Italian Dressing
1/2 cup KRAFT Shredded Italian Mozzarella/Parmesan Cheese Blend
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

COOK pasta as directed on package.

MEANWHILE, heat oil in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook and stir until no longer pink. Add peppers and mushrooms; cook 3 min., stirring occasionally. Stir in tomatoes with their liquid and the dressing. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 5 min. or until chicken is cooked through.

TOSS pasta with the chicken mixture; sprinkle with cheese and basil.

Parmesan-crusted Chicken

2006-05-19T18:44:00.001-05:00

Well from last weeks near disaster seafood lasagna of which 1/3 still remains in our fridge....and will eventually just make its way to the trash.....here's a better recipe! It comes from the Everyday Food magazine (one of Martha Stewart's spin off magazines). I got it for free in the mail and didn't subscribe for it so don't hate me for using it! It turned out pretty good. The picture I have is not the one used in the magazine.....they don't have the recipe on their website anymore...dumb....oh well. So it will look different than this picture but it gives you an idea. Also when it calls for fresh lemon juice make sure you use a real lemon and squeeze out the juice. If you don't have one then the little lemon bottles work but use less than what it calls for because that stuff is strong! Anyway I give this recipe a 4 ENJOY!

4 slices firm white sandwich bread, torn into large pieces
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp coarsely chopped fresh parsley
coarse salt and ground pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten (poor egg)
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast cutlets (I used chicken breasts so it takes more time to cook them)
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp cold butter, cut into small pieces

1. In a food processor, pulse bread, parmesan cheese, parsley, and 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper until fine crumbs form. Transfer mixture to one shallow bowl; place egg in another bowl.
2. One at a time, dip each chicken cutlet into egg, let excess drip off, then dip into breadcrumb mixture. Press on crumbs firmly.
3. Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook cutlets, two at a time, adding remaining Tbsp oil for second batch, until cooked through, 2-3 minutes per side.
4. Wipe skillet clean. Add lemon juice and 1/4 cup water, cook over low until steaming. 1 minute. Add mustard. Remove pan from heat and stir in butter until combined. Serve cutlets with sauce.

No-Fail Baked Seafood Lasagna

2006-05-09T11:37:00.001-05:00

This recipe comes from the Spring 2006 issue of the Kraft Food and Family magazine. It's funny that this recipe says it's a "no-fail" recipe because this happened to be one of those recipes that Tim said "wasn't bad, but wasn't his favorite". I thought for sure it would be a hit because it had shrimp in it, which is Tim's favorite thing to eat. I thought it was pretty good but it was a little too sweet. The recipe calls for just a little bit of nutmeg and I used imitation crab meat instead of canned crabmeat which already has a slight sweet taste to it. So instead of nutmeg I think I would just add salt. We'll be adding salt to the leftovers. I give this recipe a 3.

3 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. flour
3 cups milk
1/2 cup KRAFT 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained
1 cup BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Cottage Cheese
1 cup KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese, divided
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
9 lasagna noodles, cooked, drained
1/2 lb. fresh or thawed frozen cleaned medium shrimp (31 to 35 count), cooked
2 cans (6 oz. each) crabmeat, drained, flaked
PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Melt butter in large saucepan on medium heat. Add flour; stir with wire whisk until well blended. Gradually add milk, mixing well after each addition. Bring to boil on medium heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low; simmer 3 to 5 min. or until thickened, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in Parmesan cheese; set aside. Combine spinach, cottage cheese, 2/3 cup of the mozzarella cheese and the nutmeg.
SPREAD 1/4 of the Parmesan cheese sauce onto bottom of 13x9-inch baking pan. Cover with 3 of the lasagna noodles and layers of 1/2 each of the shrimp, crabmeat and spinach mixture; top with 1/4 of the Parmesan cheese sauce. Repeat layers, starting with the noodles. Top with remaining 3 lasagna noodles, remaining Parmesan cheese sauce and the remaining 1/3 cup mozzarella cheese. Cover with foil.
BAKE 25 min. Uncover; bake an additional 20 min. or until lasagna is heated through and top is lightly browned. Let stand 10 min. before cutting into 12 pieces to serve.

Pineapple-Black Bean Enchiladas

2006-05-04T11:44:00.001-05:00

Last night I made a dish from a recipe I got on the Pillsbury website. It won the prize for the America's Favorite Recipe at the Pillsbury Bake off so I thought I'd try it out. It was awesome! You hardly even noticed that it was a vegetarian dish. It called for red enchilada sauce so I went to the All Recipes website for a recipe on that since that was the one ingredient I didn't have. So I made my first vegetarian dish and my first try at enchilada sauce. I'll post both recipes here. I think it turned out great! We had some people over for dinner that night and when I told them it didn't have any meat in it, they were like "are you serious?". It was pretty funny. Anyway I give both of these recipes a 5!

Pineapple-Black Bean Enchiladas

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 can (20 oz) pineapple tidbits in juice, drained, 1/3 cup juice reserved
1 can (15 oz) Progresso® black beans, drained, rinsed
1 can (4.5 oz) Old El Paso® chopped green chiles
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 cups shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese (12 oz)
1 can (10 oz) Old El Paso® mild enchilada sauce
8 whole wheat flour tortillas (8 or 9 inch)
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
8 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. In 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper; cook 4 to 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in pineapple, beans, green chiles and salt. Cook and stir until thoroughly heated. Remove skillet from heat. Stir in 1/2 cup cilantro and 2 cups of the cheese.
2. Spoon and spread 1 tablespoon enchilada sauce onto each tortilla. Spoon about 3/4 cup vegetable mixture over sauce on each. Roll up tortillas; place seam side down in baking dish.
3. In small bowl, mix reserved 1/3 cup pineapple juice and remaining enchilada sauce; pour over entire surface of enchiladas in dish. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese. Spray sheet of foil large enough to cover baking dish with cooking spray; place sprayed side down over baking dish and seal tightly.
4. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, removing foil during last 5 to 10 minutes of baking, until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly. Top each baked enchilada with 1 tablespoon sour cream and 1 teaspoon cilantro.
Ten Minute Enchilada Sauce
INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons self-rising flour
1/4 cup New Mexico or California chili powder
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion salt
salt to taste

DIRECTIONS:
Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in flour and chili powder, reduce heat to medium, and cook until lightly brown, stirring constantly to prevent burning flour.
Gradually stir in tomato sauce, water, cumin, garlic powder, and onion salt into the flour and chili powder until smooth, and continue cooking over medium heat approximately 10 minutes, or until thickened slightly. Season to taste with salt.

Philadelphia Cherry Danish Dessert

2006-05-02T22:01:00.001-05:00

Coming to you live from the Kraft Food and Family Magazine, holiday 2005 issue...are you catching the trend? I love this magazine! And did I mention it's free! I love that part too. So yesterday I decided to make a dessert....now can that really help my waistline? I think not but did it taste good? You better believe it! I mean who doesn't love dessert and you all know how much I LOVE cherry pie filling! I give this recipe a 5!

2 cans (8 oz. each) refrigerated crescent dinner rolls, divided
2 pkg. (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar, divided
1 egg white
1 tsp. vanilla
1 can (20 oz.) cherry pie filling
3 Tbsp. milk

PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Unroll 1 of the cans of crescent dough into 2 long rectangles. Place in greased 13x9-inch baking pan; press onto bottom of pan to form crust, firmly pressing seams together to seal.

BEAT cream cheese, 3/4 cup of the sugar, the egg white and vanilla with electric
mixer on medium speed until well blended. Spread onto crust; cover with pie filling. Unroll remaining can of crescent dough; separate into 2 long rectangles. Pat out to form 13x9-inch rectangle, pressing seams together to seal. Place over pie filling to form top crust.

BAKE 25 to 30 min. or until golden brown; cool slightly. Gradually add milk to remaining 3/4 cup sugar, beating with wire whisk until well blended. Drizzle over warm dessert. Cut into 24 rectangles to serve. Store leftover dessert in refrigerator.

Bruschetta 'n Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts

2006-05-01T19:35:00.001-05:00

Tonight's meal again taken from the Kraft Food and Family Magazine, spring 2006 issue. It turned out great! I thought it was going to be hard to make but it was quick and easy and I even made Tim pound the chicken flat....how nice was he to offer help :)

The recipe calls for 8 pieces of chicken but I only used 4 because let's face it, we don't need to eat 8 pieces of chicken and I don't need 6 pieces left over to eat the rest of the week. It worked out fine with four, I just poured the rest of the mixture on top of it when I baked it. I give this recipe a 5!

1 can (14-1/2 oz.) Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained
1-1/4 cups KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese, divided
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1 pkg. (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Chicken
8 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (2 lb.)
1/3 cup KRAFT Roasted Red Pepper Italian with Parmesan Dressing
PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Combine tomatoes with their liquid, 1/2 cup of the cheese, the basil and dry stuffing mix; stir just until moistened.
PLACE 2 chicken breast halves in large freezer-weight resealable plastic bag. Pound chicken with side of heavy can, rolling pin or meat mallet until chicken is 1/4-inch thick. Repeat with remaining chicken breast halves, adding 2 at a time to bag. Place chicken, top-sides down, on large cutting board; spread evenly with stuffing mixture. Starting at one of the narrow ends, tightly roll up chicken. Place, seam-sides down, in 13x9-inch baking dish. Drizzle evenly with dressing.
BAKE 40 min. Sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup cheese. Bake an additional 5 min. or until chicken is cooked through (170°F) and cheese is melted.

Marvelous Mini Meatloaves

2006-04-24T20:36:00.003-05:00

Another great recipe from the Kraft Food and Family Magazine, Fall 2005 issue. This recipe was great and easy to make. It was also the first recipe I've made in my new oven! I used the BBQ version of the recipe but you can make 4 different kinds of meatloaves depending on the seasoning, add-in choices and cheese you use. The link shows you the different variations. I give this recipe a 4

1lb ground beef
1 pkg(6 oz.) stuffing mix
1 cup water
1 tsp. garlic powder
3/4 cup BBQ sauce
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375. Mix meat, stuffing mix, 1 cup water and garlic powder until well blended. Press into 12 muffin cups sprayed with cooking spray. Make an indentation in the center of each with spoon.
2. Spoon BBQ sauce into center of each meatloaf.
3. Bake 30 min. or until meatloaves are cooked through. Top with cheese; continue baking 5 min. or until cheese is melted.
Makes 6 servings.

Catalina Chicken

2006-04-21T19:13:00.001-05:00

Tonight's meal again comes from the Food and Family Magazine, holiday 2005 issue. It turned out great. The only alteration I made was on the sauce. I didn't want to have to use just 1/2 a packet of dry onion soup mix and I really didn't think that was enough sauce for 6 pieces of chicken so I used the whole packet and a full cup of the catalina dressing and apricot jam. Here's the recipe:

2 tsp. vegetable oil
6 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (about 1-1/2 lb.)
1/2 cup KRAFT CATALINA Dressing
1/2 cup apricot jam
1/2 pkg. dry onion soup mix (about 3 Tbsp.)
PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Heat oil in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 4 min. on each side or until browned. Remove chicken from skillet; place in 3-qt. baking dish.
MIX dressing, jam and soup mix in small bowl. Pour over chicken.
BAKE 45 min. or until chicken is cooked through.

Key Lime Margarita Pie

2006-04-14T13:52:00.001-05:00

Tonight's meal was ordinary...just some shrimp, noodles and vegetables. But tonight I made a dessert! That's right. It is Tim's last day of classes for the semester so I thought this would be nice. It was awesome! This recipe was again from the Kraft Food and Family magazine summer 2005 issue. It has such an awesome lime flavor to it. The kool-aid really gives it a kick. I give this recipe a 5!

1-1/4 cups crushed pretzels
1/4 cup sugar
6 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup lime juice
1 env. KOOL-AID Lemon Lime Unsweetened Soft Drink Mix
1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided
MIX crushed pretzels, sugar and butter. Press firmly onto bottom and up side of 9-inch pie plate.
Refrigerate until ready to fill.
COMBINE condensed milk, lime juice and drink mix in large bowl until well blended. Remove 1/2 cup whipped topping; set aside. Gently stir in remaining 2-1/2 cups whipped topping. Pour into crust.
FREEZE 6 hours or overnight. Let stand at room temperature 15 min. or until
pie can be cut easily. Garnish with reserved whipped topping before serving.
Store leftover pie in freezer.

We'll see if it makes it in the freezer for 6 hours. All I did was taste the mixture of the ingredients and I almost ate the whole thing right then.

Easy Feta Chicken Bake

2006-04-13T13:50:00.001-05:00

Tonight's menu again came from the Kraft Food and Family magazine Winter 2006 issue. This recipe was basically part of an ad for Athenos Feta cheese so I'm not sure if it will be on the Kraft website or not. It was amazing! So much flavor on chicken! I definitely give this recipe a 5!

Prep: 10 min Total: 50 min.

6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (I just used 4 chicken breasts)
2 Tbsp. lemon juice, divided
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 cup (4 oz) Crumbled Feta cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped red pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley (I just used dried)

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Arrange chicken in a 13x9-inch baking dish (I used 9x9 dish since I only used 4 pieces of chicken).

Drizzle with 1 Tbsp. of the lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Top with feta cheese; drizzle with remaining 1 Tbsp. lemon juice.

Bake 35-40 min. or until chicken is cooked through. Sprinkle with red pepper and parsley.
Makes 6 servings.

I actually didn't read the last part of the directions closely so I actually cooked the chicken with the red pepper and parsley already on it and it turned out great!

Mini Ham and Cheese Calzones

2006-04-12T13:44:00.001-05:00

Tonights dinner was once again taken from the Kraft Food and Family magazine, the winter 2006 issue. They were completely easy to make and turned out great! You can basically put whatever you want in them (I'm not a fan of ham). I give this recipe a 3.

Prep: 15 min. Total: 30 min.

1 can (11 oz.) refrigerated soft breadstick dough
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
12 slices Honey Ham cut in half
2 Tbsp. grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400F. Unroll dough; separate into 12 breadsticks. Cut each breadstick crosswise in half; flatten dough to 2-inch width.

Spoon 1 tsp. cheese onto center of a ham piece. Fold ham piece over cheese to create a tight roll. Place ham roll near the end of a piece of breadstick dough, leaving a border. Fold dough over ham, pinching edges to seal. Repeat process for all ham pieces. Place calzones on baking sheet.
Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Bake 12-15 min. or until golden brown. Makes 24 servings.

This recipe is for use in making party food but I used it as a dinner with adjustments. Instead of breadstick dough, I bought the french bread refridgerated dough and cut it in half to make 2 sandwiches. I then unfolded the dough and rolled the meat and cheese into it (I used chicken breast). You could also put in some vegetables. We used different mustards to dip the sandwiches in but you could use different things like ranch dressing or Dijon Mustard.

Chops-on-Top Pork & Stuffing Supper

2006-04-10T13:41:00.001-05:00

Tonight's dinner was from the Food and Family magazine, the holiday 2005 issue. It turned out great! What's not to love? You get every food group (except dairy) all in one pan! Easy clean up too.
I give this recipe a 4

Prep time: 15 min. Total time: 35
min.

6 boneless center-cut pork chops. ( I used 4 and it worked just as well)
2 Tbsp. Honey Dijon Mustard
2 Tbsp. margarine (this is only to coat the pan while you cook the chops so I just used cooking
spray)
1/4 cup Catalina dressing
3 large carrots, thinly sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 large red apples, unpeeled, coarsely chopped (about 2 cups)
1 pkg (6 oz.) Stuffing Mix for Chicken
1. Coat chops with mustard. Melt margarine in large deep nonstick skillet on medium heat. Add chops; cook 6 min. on each side or until browned and juices run clear. Remove from skillet; set
aside.
2. Add 1 1/2 cups water, dressing and carrots to skillet. Cook 6-8 min. or until carrots are tender. Stir in apples and stuffing mix.
3. Return chops to skillet; cover. Turn off heat. Let stand 5 min.

Makes 6
(or 4) servings.

Beef Rice Skillet

2006-04-07T13:39:00.001-05:00

Last night I made a recipe out of the Kraft Food and Family magazine. Check out the link to sign up for this free magazine. There are tons of recipes and they're all easy! The best part is the magazine is FREE and it's not just a one issue type FREE. Anyway there's my plug for Food and Family. So this meal was really easy to make and I didn't have to cook anything ahead of time. I just put it all into the skillet and cooked it together. Here's the recipe:

1lb. beef steak, cut into strips
1 1/2 cups minute rice
1 can (14 1/2 oz.) beef broth
1/4 cup water
1 can (7oz.) sliced mushrooms, drained
2 cups thinly sliced carrots
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1. Spray large skillet with cooking spray. Add meat; cover. Cook on medium-high heat for 10 min. or until cooked through, turning meat over after 5 min.
2. Add liquids and rice; mix well. Bring to boil.
3. Stir in mushrooms, carrots and seasonings; cover. Bring to boil once more then turn off and let stand for 5 min.
Makes 4 servings.

Spaghetti Carbonara

2006-04-06T13:36:00.001-05:00

Last night I made a recipe from the Everyday Food magazine I got in the mail. It turned out pretty good and was a good change from lugging out the big crockpot. Tim liked it...he had seconds, you know it's good when your husband has seconds of what you make. The recipe was in the March 2006 issue of the magazine. It's a spin off of the Martha Stewart magazine empire. It's actually a really good magazine, I got this one for free to see what it was like. I give this recipe a 3.

Here's the recipe:

Serves 4
Prep time: 30 min.
Total Time: 30 min.
1 lb spaghetti
8 oz bacon (8 slices). cut 1 in. thick crosswise ( I used turkey bacon)coarse salt and ground pepper (I just used regular salt and pepper)
3 large eggs
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
1/2 cup half and half
1. Set a large pot of water to boil (for pasta). In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat, stirring occansionally, until crisp, 8-12 min.; tranfer to a paper towel lined plate.
2. Salt boiling water generously; add pasta and cook until al dente, according to package instructions. (I'm guessing al dente means done).
3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together eggs, Parmesan, and half and half. Set aside.
4. Drain pasta, leaving some water clinging to it. Working quickly, add hot pasta to egg mixture. Add bacon; season with salt and pepper, and toss all to combine (heat from pasta will cook eggs).
Serve immediately, sprinkled with additional Parmesan cheese.

Chicken and Vegetable Chowder

2006-04-04T13:33:00.001-05:00

This recipe comes from the Famous Brand Name recipe website and it turned out great! I figured I'd get one last hot winter meal in before it really gets warm outside....it went great with the bread bowls I made before. I give this recipe . For anyone who doesn't want to go through the link above, here's the recipe:

Ingredients
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of potato soup
1 package (10 ounces) frozen broccoli florets, thawed
1 cup sliced carrots
1 jar (4-1/2 ounces) sliced mushrooms, drained
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup whole kernel corn
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/3 cup half-and-half
Slow Cooker Directions
1. Combine chicken, broth, soup, broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, onion, corn, garlic and thyme in slow cooker; mix well.
2. Cover; cook on LOW 5 to 6 hours.
3. Stir in half-and-half. Cover; cook on HIGH 15 minutes or until heated through.

Variation Add 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Swiss or Cheddar cheese just before serving, stirring over LOW heat until melted.

Chicken Enchiladas

2006-03-30T13:32:00.003-06:00

Tonight was Chicken Enchiladas on pg 93*. This was an interesting recipe....it was more like enchilada lasagna than regular enchiladas. It was just layers of the ingredients. She only calls for 2 layers but I made 4 since I have a 5qt crock pot. It turned out awesome! I only cooked it on high for like an hour and a half.....basically you're just heating it up since you have to cook the chicken ahead of time. It was still awesome! You know those left overs will be gone quick! I give this recipe a 5 that's right 5 stars!

Ingredients

2 dozen corn tortillas
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1 bottles (10 oz) green taco sauce
1/4 cup dried minced onion
1 can (10 3/4 oz) cream of mushroom soup, condensed
1 can (4 oz) diced green chilies, with liquid
2 cups grated cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

In a greased slow cooker, layer half of each ingredient in the order listed above. Repeat with second layer. cover and cook on high heat 30 minutes and then on low heat
an additional 3 hours. Makes 4-6 servings.

*see first post for referred cook book.

Savory Chicken Crescent Squares

2006-03-28T13:31:00.001-06:00

Tonight I made another meal out of the "Favorite Recipes from Quilters" cook book. Savory Chicken Crescent Squares. These actually turned out pretty good. One word of caution....don't get the crescent rolls out of the fridge until you're ready to put them together. The dough gets too soft and it hard to make it stay together. Despite that, it was a great meal! I give this recipe . Recipe follows:

3 oz. cream cheese, softened
3 Tbsp. margarine, softened
2 cups diced, cooked chicken
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp milk
1 tsp. minced onion
8 oz. pkg crescent rolls
1 tbsp margarine, melted
3/4 cup seasoned croutons, crushed

1. Cream together cream cheese and 3 Tbsp. margarine. Add chicken, salt, pepper, milk and onion and mix well.
2. Separate crescent rolls into 4 rectangles. Press performations firmly to seal. Spoon 1/2 cup meat mixture into center of each rectangle. Pull corners of dough to top and twist slightly. Seal edges
3. Arrange in small rectangular baking dish (I used a baking sheet). Brush tops with 1 Tbsp. margarine. Sprinkle with croutons.
4. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

Chicken Fajitas

2006-03-22T13:30:00.003-06:00

Tonight....Chicken Fajitas on pg 90*. This was a really quick and easy recipe. It was awesome, I didn't even have to thaw the chicken! It turned out great. I only used 4 chicken breasts and we still had a ton of leftovers! I give this recipe a 4
*see first post for cook book name

Ingredients

4-6 frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 1/2 cups salsa
1 green pepper, thinly sliced
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 large onion, thinly sliced
soft flour tortillas

Directions

Place all ingredients except tortillas in a greased slow cooker. Cover and cook on high heat 5-6 hours or on low heat 10-12 hours. Just before serving, remove fajita mixture with a spoon and shred chicken using 2 forks.

Place about 2 rounded tablespoons of chicken mixture in each flour tortilla and top with desired condiments. Fold and roll, Makes 8-10 servings.
Condiments for fajitas can include guacamole, sour cream, grated lettuce, grated cheese, and fresh salsa

Family Favorite Brisket

2006-03-21T13:30:00.001-06:00

Last night I made brisket for the first time. The recipe is found on page 61*. This was also the first time I did a rub into meat of any kind. Let me tell you cutting off all that fat and then rubbing spices into meat isn't my favorite past time but, man it really did taste good. My sister even liked it and ate 3 pieces when she doesn't really eat a ton of meat. So I give this recipe a 5!

Ingredients

4 lbs fresh beef brisket
1 tsp salt
2 tsp dry mustard
2 tsp paprika
1/2 to 1 tsp garlic powder
pepper to taste

Directions

Trim all excess fat from meat. Combine seasonings until well blended;
rub into brisket. Place meat in greased slow cooker, with the side that
had more fat on top, cutting to fit if necessary. Cover and cook on low
heat for 10-12 hours. Remove meat from liquid and cut across grain into
thin slices. Makes 4-6 servings.

*see first post for recipe citation information.

Relief Society food

2006-03-17T13:29:00.000-06:00

Last night I didn't have to cook because it was Enrichment night! Don't you just love going to Enrichment and being fed....in more ways than one! We had a soup and salad buffet style dinner and it was great! What did my husband get? "Quality Time" with our son and reheated left overs!

Pork Chops and Mushrooms

2006-03-15T13:28:00.002-06:00

The ides of March...

We don't really eat much pork in this family but I bought some to try out these recipes. Tonight's meal was Pork Chops and Mushrooms on pg 103*. This recipe actually turned out great! The only thing I changed was the amount of time I cooked it. It called for 6-8 hours on low and I cooked it for 3 hours on low. The pork chops came out great! I give this recipe a 4

Ingredients
4 boneless pork chops, 1/2 inch thick
2 medium onions, sliced
1 can (4 oz) sliced mushrooms, drained
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
1/2 cup water
1 can (10 3/4 oz) cream of mushroom soup, condensed

Directions

Place meat in greased slow cooker. Top with onions and mushrooms. In a separate bowl, combine soup mix, water, and soup. Pour over mushrooms and pork chops. cover and cook on low heat 6-8 hours. Makes 4 servings.

*see first post for cook book name

Scalloped Chicken

2006-03-14T13:27:00.002-06:00

Tonight was Scalloped Chicken on pg 70*. This was one of the easiest recipes. Just a box of scalloped potatoes (I used augratin potatoes), a can of white meat chicken and some water. And it tasted great! I'm sure you could use any box of potato type stuff with it. You didn't even have to prepare the potatoes ahead of time. Very easy! Mine came out kind of watery so I just added some potato flakes to thicken it up and it was great! I give this recipe a 4

Ingredients

1 box (5 oz) scalloped potatoes, including seasoning packet
1 can (8 oz or larger) white meat chicken
3 3/4 cups water

Directions

Put potatoes in greased slow cooker first, followed by seasoning packet and
chicken. Pour water over all. Cover and cook on high heat 1 1/2 - 2
hours or on low heat 4-5 hours. Makes 4-6 servings.

*see first post for cookbook

Crab Corn Bisque

2006-03-13T13:26:00.001-06:00

Well since I'm nearing the end of the recipes in the crock pot cook book....well more boring of them really, I thought I'd give you the recipes that I find in other places that I make and like. Tonight was Crab Corn Bisque and it's found in the "Favorite Recipes from Quilters" cookbook on pg 55. I found quite a few recipes I've liked in this book so maybe you will too. I was a little skeptical of this recipe since you make it entirely in the microwave but it turned out pretty good. I give this recipe a 3

Makes 6 servings

2 Tbsp. margarine
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/4 tsp. thyme
10 3/4 oz. can cream of potato soup
1 1/2 cups milk
17 oz. can creamed corn
12 oz. imitation crab meat

1. Melt margarine in a 3-quart casserole dish in microwave on high.
2. Add chopped vegetables and thyme and cover with plastic wrap which has several slits in top. Cook in microwave on high for 5 minutes, stirring one time.
3. Stir in all remaining ingredients, cover with vented plastic wrap and microwave on high for 7 minutes or until boiling hot. Serve.

I cooked up some crescent rolls to go with it!

Easy Flank Steak

2006-03-09T13:25:00.002-06:00

Well tonight we had Flank Steak on pg 58*. It actually turned out really good! You could probably use this same recipe with chicken too. I just used a regular round cut steak (even though she call for flank steak). I don't really even know what that is. The other thing is I shortened the time for cooking. The recipe calls for 1 1/2 lbs of the steak and I think mine was only 1lb. But the recipe called for cooking it on low for 8-10 hours.....so I put it on low and at 2 1/2 hours it was basically done so I put it on warm for another 30 minutes and then we ate it..... It was completely done and very tender! I give this recipe a 4!

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs flank steak, cut to fit in
slow cooker
1/3 cup water
1 can (4 oz) chopped green chiles, with liquid
2 Tbsp vinegar
1 1/4 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Directions

Place meat in greased slow cooker. Combine other
ingredients and sprinkle over the top of meat. Cover and cook on low heat
8-10 hours. Makes 4-6 servings.

*see first post for cookbook name

Cheesy Chicken Noodles

2006-03-03T13:24:00.002-06:00

Tonight....Cheesy chicken noodles. On pg 74. * It turned out pretty good. The recipe called for 6 chicken breasts but I thought, hey that's a lot of chicken to make for 2 people so I only used 4. The sauce turned out a little runny though so if you're going to use less chicken then next time I would use less milk in the recipe than what it calls for to thicken up the sauce. Still a great meal. I give the recipe a 3. I'll make this one again.

Ingredients

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 cans (10 3/4 oz each) broccoli cheese soup, condensed
2 cups milk
1/2 cup dried minced onion
1/2 tsp dried basil
salt and pepper to taste
egg noodles, already cooked

Directions

Place chicken in greased slow cooker. Combine remaining ingredients
except noodles and pour over chicken. Cover and cook on high heat 1 hour
and then reduce to low heat and cook 5-6 hours. Serve over hot cooked
noodles. Makes 6 servings.

*See first post for cookbook title.

Sweet and sour beef

2006-02-28T13:23:00.001-06:00

Tonight's meal was Sweet and Sour Beef. Let's just say I won't be making this recipe again. It's just beef, carrots and sweet and sour sauce. Not much to it. And to quote Tim "It's not disgusting or anything but it's not my favorite" now there's a first from his mouth. I have to admit it wasn't my favorite meal either.....I give this recipe 1/2 a star.

Ingredients

2lbs stew meat, cubed
1 bottle (10 oz) sweet and sour sauce
1 cup shredded carrots
4-6 cups hot cooked rice

Directions

Combine all ingredients except rice in greased slow cooker. Cover and
cook on low heat 6-8 hours. Ladle over hot cooked rice. Makes 4-6
servings.

Sunday Chicken

2006-02-26T13:22:00.002-06:00

Tonight's meal was Sunday Chicken on pg 78*. Which is fitting because it is Sunday. This was a great recipe, it's really simple too. Just watch it if you end up cooking it on high heat...it doesn't really need the full 4 hours. It can be served over rice or noodles too. It makes a lot of sauce if you only make 4 pieces of chicken in it. But you do have the option to make 6 pieces instead. I give this recipe a 4!

Ingredients

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 cans (10 3/4 oz each) cream of chicken soup, condensed
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
1 cup sour cream or 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese

Directions

Place chicken in greased slow cooker. Mix remaining ingredients
except sour cream and pour over chicken. Cover and cook on high heat 4
hours or on low heat 6-8 hours. One hour before serving stir in sour
cream. Makes 4-6 servings.

*Refer to first post for the name of the cookbook.

Burton's Minestrone

2006-02-16T13:21:00.002-06:00

Tonight's recipe was Burton's Minestrone on pg 31. This food didn't burn which was nice.....and Tim really liked it. I however thought it could have been better and I will make the following adjustments to it when I make it again....It calls for 2 cans of pork and beans.....well you can taste it pretty well I thought and that's not what Minestrone soup is supposed to taste like so instead I would add 4 cans of Minestrone soup instead of 2 and the pork and beans. The other adjustment I would make is the Worcestershire sauce....you could taste that pretty strong too. If you like the stuff then leave the amount the way it is...if not, I would use less of it say maybe just a tablespoon of it. Otherwise the soup was really good and I'm sure it'll be even better when I make it again. I give this recipe 3 1/2 with the possibilities of it being better next time.

Ingredients

1/2 to 1lb ground beef, browned and drained
2 cans (10 3/4 oz each) minestrone soup, condensed
2 cups water
2 cans (15 oz each) pork and beans
1 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup dried minced onion or 1 large fresh onion chopped
1 1/2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp oregano

Directions

Combine all ingredients in greased slow cooker. Cover and cook on low
heat 3-5 hours. Makes 4-6 servings.

Simple Beef Stroganoff

2006-02-15T13:18:00.002-06:00

So last night was Beef Stroganoff on pg 54. It turned out pretty good. I did have to watch it closely so it didn't burn. The recipe says cook on low for 6-10 hours, so I figured 4 hours on high was just as good. Well at 2 hours on high I had to turn it to low and after another hour and after adding the sour cream it only cooked for another 30 minutes. There isn't much liquid in this one, so watch this one carefully. I give this recipe a 3 1/2 it was good but it wasn't my favorite thing from this book. I will make it again though.

Ingredients

1lb stew meat, cubed
1/2 cup dried minced onion
1 can (10 3/4 oz) cream of mushroom soup, condensed
1 can (4 oz) mushrooms, drained
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1 cup sour cream or 1 package (8oz) cream cheese

Directions

Combine all ingredients except for sour cream in greased slow cooker.
Cover and cook on low heat 6-8 hours. Add sour cream the last hour of
cooking. Makes 4-6 servings.

Spoon over hot noodles.

Broccoli-Cheese Soup

2006-02-12T13:16:00.002-06:00

And for tonight.....broccoli-cheese soup on pg 41 of the "101 things to do with a slow cooker" cook book. This recipe called for 2 packages of frozen chopped broccoli but I used fresh broccoli instead that I cut up myself. Since there wouldn't be any water coming from the non frozen broccoli, I added just a little bit of water. This recipe turned out pretty good, it did need a little more salt than called for but maybe that's just my taste. Also it called to cook it on 2-3 hours on high....I would make sure you turn it off at 2 hours. I let mine go a little bit longer and it started to look like it was going to burn on one side. I give this recipe a 4, Tim seemed to like it a lot, he'll be taking it for lunch tomorrow while he's at school so that must mean it was pretty good!

Ingredients

2 packages (16 oz each) frozen chopped broccoli
2 cans (10 3/4 oz each) cheddar cheese soup, condensed
2 can (12 oz each) evaporated milk
1/4 cup dried minced onion
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Directions

Combine all ingredients in greased slow cooker. Cover and cook on
high heat 2-3 hours or on low heat 4-5 hours. Makes 4-6 servings

Tortilla Soup

2006-02-07T13:15:00.002-06:00

Tonight's meal.....Tortilla soup on pg 39. This was actually a really good recipe and tasted like tortilla soup you'd get in a good mexican restaurant. So I definitely recommend it. The only downside is you have to cook and shred the chicken first before even putting it in the crock pot. Make sure you read that part of the recipe before you try putting it all together....what I did to make the cooking and shredding part go fast is I used my fake George Foreman grill which cooks meat really quickly so it didn't take as long as it normally does. This recipe calls for Cumin.....what the heck is that? Well I didn't know until I bought it for this recipe and let me tell you it has a very distinct smell. It's the smell of a taco seasoning packet you buy at the store. Well anyway it makes your house smell great while it's cooking and it tastes great too! I give this recipe a 4 I will definitely make this one again.

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1/2 tsp minced garlic
2 cans (14 oz each) chicken broth
2 cans (14 oz each) stewed tomatoes, chopped with liquid
1 cup medium salsa
2 Tbsp dried cilantro
1 Tbsp ground cumin
3-4 flour or corn tortillas, cut into 1/2 inch strips
cheese, grated

Directions

Combine all ingredients except tortillas strips in greased slow
cooker. Cover and cook on high heat 4-6 hours or on low heat 8-10
hours. Ladle hot soup into individual serving bowls over strips of flour
tortillas and grated cheese. Makes 6-8 servings.

Devils food cake....

2006-02-05T13:10:00.000-06:00

Well tonight I made the Italian Chicken and Mushrooms again, this time I actually had mushrooms. It's my sister's birthday so I thought I'd make dinner for her. I was going to make one of the cake recipes in the cookbook but I used the crock pot for dinner so I just made a Devils Food cake but with some modifications.....I added some chocolate chips and a can of cherry pie filling. When you add pie filling to a cake mix, you should mix it by hand so that the pieces don't get chopped to bits. That way you have full cherries inside the cake. I took turns with each hand mixing 100 beats so that my right arm muscles don't get bigger than my left. :) Then I iced it with cream cheese frosting (not frosting I made thank goodness but from a cannister) :) We'll see how she likes it.

Burritos

2006-02-02T13:09:00.002-06:00

Happy Ground Hog's Day!

Tonight's dinner, Burritos on pg 57. This was a great idea for a meal and of course it feeds a lot of people again so be prepared for leftovers if it's only for 2 people. I made a few adjustments on this recipe. It called for 2 cans of refried beans but I only had one so I substituted a can of black beans for the other and it worked fine. I'm sure you could substitute both cans for whatever beans you want. I also added a can of green chiles just to give it a little bit of a kick. It turned out great! The only thing is I went to cook it on low for 6 hours like it calls for and at 3 hours of being on low it started to burn on one side.....maybe my crock pot is retarded or maybe this girl just likes to cook things a little too long. Anyway I only left it on low for about 3 hours then turned it to warm for the next hour and then turned it completely off and it was still warm an hour later when we were ready to eat it.

So the moral of the story is make sure you check on your food if you're not used to your crock pot even if you're cooking on low. I give this recipe a 4, I would have given it 5 except for the burning at 3 hours of low cooking.....it was really good though!

Ingredients

1lb ground beef, cooked and drained
2 can (16 oz each) refried beans (or black beans)
1 envelope taco seasoning
1 can (8oz) tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
flour tortillas

(I added 1 can of green chiles)

Directions

Combine all ingredients except for tortillas in greased slow cooker.
Cover and cook on low heat 6-10 hours. Spread hot bean mixture on flour
tortillas. Fill with favorite burrito toppings. Fold and
enjoy. Makes 4-6 servings.

Burrito toppings might include tomatoes, whole kernel corn, green onions,
cheese, guacamole, caramelized onions, and red or green salsa.