Chicken Parmesan

Chicken Parmesan
4 chicken breasts
2 eggs
1 c seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 c parmesan cheese
1 t garlic salt
8 slices mozzarella cheese

Mix bread crumbs, cheese, and garlic salt.

Pound chicken between wax paper until doubled in size. Cut in half.

Beat eggs. Dip chicken in egg then into bread crumb mix. Fry in 1/4 c oil until brown on both sides. Place in dish and cook covered at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Add a slice of mozzarella and cook 5 additional minutes.

Serve w/ noodles and top with Alfredo or Marinera sauce.

Here is the alfredo recipe I used.

Spinach Alfredo Sauce

This goes well with the Parmesan Chicken recipe.

8 oz cream cheese
1/2 c milk
1 cube butter or margarine (I prefer butter)
1/3 to 1/2 c parmesan cheese
1 t garlic powder

Cook over medium low heat in a saucepan until all melted.

Pour over 10-12 oz. pasta.

Variations: Can add diced chicken or crumbled bacon.

For Spinach Alfredo:
Saute 2 cloves garlic. Add 1/2 chopped onion. When onion is ready, add 2 cups fresh spinach. Stir fry until spinach begins to wilt (about 2 minutes). Add to prepared alfredo sauce.

Creamy Chicken Lasagna

Creamy Chicken Lasagna

8 oz lasagna noodles

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1/2 c Parmesan cheese

1 c sour cream

3 c diced, cooked chicken

2 c mozzarella cheese

Cook noodles according to package directions, drain.

Mix soups, Parmesan cheese, sour cream, and chicken.

Put 1/4 of creamy chicken mixture in a greased 9x13 pan.

Alternate layers for 1/3 noodles, chicken mixture, and mozzarella cheese.

Bake uncovered at 350 for 40 minutes.

Notes: I don't like cream of mushroom soup so I just used two cream of chicken soups. Also, I added two heads of steamed broccoli to my chicken mixture and it was fantastic. You could also add mushrooms to it, or spinach for more color.

Peanut/Rice Bowl

I successfully made a dinner that Craig said was "to die for". Here it is:

Peanut/Rice Bowl (serves two)

1 1/2 c. cooked rice
1 c. peas
2 carrots julienned
2 scrambled eggs
1/4 c. peanut sauce (recipe below)
peanuts
scallions

Pile all ingredients into a bowl.

Recipe for peanut sauce.

1/2 tsp oil
1 clove minced garlic
2 tsp fresh ginger (or a couple of dashes dried)
1/2 tsp chili paste (I just used 1/2 tsp chili powder
½ c. lowfat coconut milk
3 tbsp unsweetened peanut butter
1 ½ tsp sugar (if I didn’t have unsweetened peanut butter, I’d probably omit the sugar)
1 ½ tsp soy sauce
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
juice of 1/2 lime
sriracha

1. warm oil in small saucepan over medium-low heat

2. sauté garlic and ginger 3 minutes

3. add chili then coconut milk. Bring to a boil.

4. add peanut butter and mix well. Then add sugar, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and fish sauce. Simmer 5 minutes.

5. squeeze in lime then add sriracha to taste.

Spinach Stuffed Pork Loin

I apologize for the poor pictures. Photography is not my speciality. Also, I didn't have any kitchen string so I used toothpicks to hold it together.

Spinach stuffed porkloin

1 pork tenderloin (about 1 pound)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste (about 1/2 teaspoon)
4 slices swiss cheese
2 cups fresh spinach
2 thin slices deli ham (1/2 ounce each)

Directions
Cut a lengthwise slit down the center of the tenderloin to within 1/2 in. of bottom. Open tenderloin so it lies flat. On each half, make another lengthwise slit down the center to within 1/2 in. of bottom.

Cover porkloin with plastic wrap and flatten to 1/4" thick.

Salt and pepper porkloin and sprinkle with half of the garlic powder.

Layer with the cheese, spinach and ham. Press down gently.

Roll up jelly-roll style and tie with kitchen string.

Sprinkle with remaining salt, garlic powder and pepper.

Place on a rack in a shallow baking pan. Bake about 25 minutes at 425° (thermometer reads 160°).

Notes: Salt very lightly, most porktenderloin is already salty. I only had shredded swiss, so that's what we used. A little bit messier but I think the cheese was distributed more evenly. We had leftover Easter ham, so that is the ham I used but still thinly sliced. This is a great easy recipe but looks so gourmet!

Tomato Pie

Super yummy though my kids thought it was a bit strong in the spices so you could easily cut back on those a little, I suggest not too much though. :) I based this recipe from here !

Tomato Pie

Ingredients
• 1 (9 inch) deep dish pie crust
• 6 large Roma tomatoes, peeled and sliced (don't drain)
• 3 Tbs dried basil
• 1 ½ Tbs dried minced onion
• ½ pound bacon - cooked, drained, and chopped
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ fresh red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
• ¼ cup mayonnaise
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Mix tomatoes, basil, bacon, garlic powder, oregano, and red bell pepper in a bowl, place inside pie crust. Then in the bowl mix cheese with mayonnaise. Place cheese mixture over top of pie. Cover loosely with aluminum foil tent.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes. Remove foil from top of pie and bake an additional 15 minutes. Serve warm or cold.


Basic Pie Crust --super easy!

Ingredients
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup shortening, chilled
• 3 tablespoons ice water
Directions
1. Whisk the flour and salt together in a medium size bowl. With a pastry blender, cut in the cold shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Drizzle 2 to 3 tablespoons ice water over flour. Toss mixture with a fork to moisten, adding more water a few drops at a time until the dough comes together.
2. Gently gather dough particles together into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for at least 30 minutes before rolling.
3. Roll out dough, and put in a pie plate. Fill with desired filling and bake.

Foil Wrapped Dinners

Foil Wrapped Dinners

(before hitting the oven)

Finished product


Foil Wrapped Dinners
1 - 1 1/2 lbs beef
1 10 oz package frozen green peas
4 medium carrots
8 cherry tomatoes
4 med potatoes
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 envelope onion soup mix

1) Mix together can of cream of mushroom soup and onion soup mix.
2) Place 1 chopped carrot, 1 chopped potato, and 1/4 of meat down on a square of aluminum foil.
3)Place 1/4 of mushroom soup/onion soup mixture over the top of the meat.
4)top with peas & tomatoes
5) Wrap securely in foil & place on a baking sheet.
6) Bake 35-45 minutes @ 450 degrees until meet is tender.

Notes: This is an extremely versatile dinner. You can use any kind of meat you want- pork, beef, or chicken. I actually used pork in these pictures. You can add or omit any vegetables you want- for one of my kids, there was no peas, one wanted extra carrots and one wanted broccoli. Also, I put chopped onions and mushrooms in my husbands. Also, you can change up the flavors of the soup- we actually like the cream of celery soup the best. And of course I always add pepper.

Townhouse Chicken

This is not the greatest picture but I can't seem to figure out how to do great shots of food. Oh well. On to the recipe!

Townhouse Chicken

3-4 cooked chicken breasts

1 can cream of chicken soup

8 oz sour cream

(note: equal parts of sour cream and chick soup if you like it creamier)

1 pkg ritz crackers (off brand, okay), crumbled

1/2 stick butter, melted

2 T poppy seeds

2-3 cups cooked rice

1. Combine chicken, cream of chicken, and sour cream in a bowl.

2. Stir crumbled crackers into melted butter. Add poppy seeds.

3. Place rice on the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Spread chicken mixture over rice and then sprinkle crackers on top.

4. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

Notes: This meal re-heats very well. Also, you can omit the poppy seeds if you would like but the color is nice. I also added some minced onion to my chicken mixture and some pepper. This will serve 6-8 people. It makes quite a bit. Also, my pickiest eater asked for seconds.

Slow Cooker Tamale Pie

The original recipe you can find HERE at allrecipes.com. I had to alter it a little bit with ingredients that I had. This is my recipe:

1 pound ground beef, browned & drained
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn (drained)

1 can olives (chopped)
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 can tomato sauce + 1 can water

1 Tablespoon chili powder
(Also, you could add one can green chilies for a bit more spice)

----

1 (8.5 ounce) package corn bread/muffin mix
1/3 cup milk
1 egg
2 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1. Place the hamburger through the chili powder in your slow cooker and mix slightly.

2. In a bowl, combine the corn bread mix with milk, egg, and butter, and stir until just mixed. Stir in the Cheddar cheese. Spoon the corn bread mixture over the beef mixture in the slow cooker.

3. Set the cooker to Low, cover, and cook until the corn bread topping is cooked through and set (4-5 hours, mine was closer to 4).

Top with cheese, salsa, sour cream, chilies, etc.

Enjoy!

Grilled Pizza

Grilled Pizza! Mmm!!

Pizza Dough (By Rebecca T)

1 C hot water

1/2 c margarine

1 T yeast

2 1/2 c flour

1 t sugar

1 t salt

Melt margarine in hot water. Add yeast and sugar and sit for 5 minutes. Add flour and salt and knead well. Roll.

Place rolled dough on a hot grill 5 minutes (with grill cover). Turn dough over, remove from grill and put your toppings on the grilled side (do the cheese last). Return the dough to the grill for 5-7 minutes.

Or, place the dough in your pan or stone, place toppings on, and bake at 450 for 12-15 minutes.

*We grilled the pizza and I have a couple of recomendations. Next time, we will make smaller, personal pizzas as they are easier to turn and handle. Also, take the dough off the grill to do the toppings. When we removed the dough, we lifted one side and slid a large cutting board under it. Also, I substituted half whole wheat flour for white and added 1 tablespoon of Italian seasonings. Toppings we used were sausage, olives, onions, pineapple, green pepper, onions, zuchini. Also, I am not a sauce person so we omit the sauce from the pizza. Instead, I sprinkle it with a little bit of parmesan cheese and some basil, oregano, and garlic powder.

Enjoy!

Lauri's Hamburger Buns

Lauri's Hamburger Buns

5 C flour

2 pkg yeast (2 T)

1 T salt

2 T butter at room temp

2 C warm water

Dissolve yeast in water. Add remaining ingredients. Knead 6-8 minutes. Let rise until double (about an hour). Shape into 12 balls. Place on a greased pan for 5 minutes. Flatten with the palm to 1" thick and about 4" diameter. Let raise until puffy (about 30 minutes). Brush bun with milk & sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

*The first time we made them, they were really bland. Of course I had to try it again and change some things. I did half whole wheat flour and half white flour and added 1 Tablespoon of ground flax seed and 1 t garlic powder. I would make them this way again. My boys LOVEd them.

Soft Dinner Rolls

This is one of the best roll recipes I have found.

Rolls

1/2 c sugar

2 teaspoons salt

2 Tablespoons yeast

2 1/2 C flour

Combine in a bowl

2 c milk

1/2 c butter

Place in a microwave safe bowl and heat until melted and hot (about 2 minutes). Stir into the dry ingredients.

Add 2 beaten eggs and beat until smooth. Stir in about 4 more cups of flour, one at a time. Dough will be sticky.

Turn onto floured surface and knead for 5 minutes.

Cover loosely and let rise until doubled- about 1 hour.

Shape into balls (golf ball size) and drop onto a greased cookie sheet.

Let rise 1/2 to 1 hour.

Cook at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

*I used half whole wheat in this recipe and added an extra half teaspoon of salt and they turned out great.

Corn Chowder- Slow Cooker Recipe

Corn Chowder- Slow Cooker Style

Corn Chowder

5 medium potatoes, skin on and cubed

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 pint half and half

1/2 c milk

1/2 pkg bacon, cooked & crumbled

1 onion, chopped and sauted

2 cloves minced garlic

1 can creamed corn

1 c grated cheddar cheese

salt & pepper to taste

Throw it all in a crockpot. Cook on low for about 4 hours or high for about 2 hours just until potatoes are tender.

*Instead of the half and half, I used 2 cups milk and 3 T butter. The soup was a bit lighter.

French Dip Sandwiches

Ingredients
French bread loaf (1 or 2)
1 roast
1/2 purple onion, sliced
provolone cheese, sliced (can work with swiss too)
mayo
season salt
Italian seasoning
paprika
au jus season packet

1. Place the roast in the crock pot. Add 2 cups of water and the au jus season packet. Cook on low for 8 hours.
2. Cut the french bread loaf in half lengthwise to open for sandwiches.
3. Mix together the mayo, season salt, Italian seasoning, and paprika to taste. Spread on both sides of the bread.
4. On one side of the bread, place the roast beef (in slices or shreds), cheese, slices of onion. Put both sides of bread on cookie sheet, face up.
5. Bake in 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and a little brown.
6. Cut into sandwich size. Ladel the juice from the crock pot to bowls to place on the table.
7. Enjoy!

PIZZA

Pizza Dough

1 cup hot water
2 TBS olive oil
1 TBS yeast
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
approximately 2 1/2-3 cups flour
Dissolve yeast & sugar in hot water. Let stand for 10 minutes. (Should get foamy) Add oil, salt, and gradually add flour. Knead into ball & cover with oil. Let rise in bowl until 2X size. (I stick mine in the microwave-to rise) Roll out on stone and bake at 350 until cooked through middle. 12-20 minutes, depends on your topping

Chicken Enchiladas to die for!!!

Chicken Enchiladas with Roasted Tomatillo Chile Salsa

Roasted Tomatillo Chile Salsa:
1 pd tomatillos, husked
1 white onion
4 garlic cloves
2 jalapenos
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
½ c chopped cilantro leaves
½ lime, juiced


Enchiladas:
Extra-virgin olive oil
½ medium onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 ½ tsp ground cumin
¼ c all purpose flour
2 c chicken stock, store bought
Chopped cilantro leaves
1 deli roasted chicken (about 3 pds) boned, meat shredded
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
10 large flour tortillas
2 c sour cream
Chopped tomatoes and cilantro leaves for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

For the salsa: on a baking tray, roast tomatillos, onion, garlic and jalapenos for 12-15 minutes. Transfer the roasted vegetables and any juices on the bottom of a tray to a food processor. Add the cumin, salt, cilantro, and lime juice and pulse mixture until well combined but still chunky.

Enchiladas: meanwhile heat a 2 count of olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and caramelized-this should take 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and cumin then cook for a further minute. Sprinkle on the flour and stir to ensure the flour doesn’t burn then gradually add the chicken stock to make a veloute. Continue stirring over a low simmer until the flour cooks and the liquid thickens. Turn off the heat, add half of the roasted tomatillo Chile salsa, some additional fresh cilantro and fold in the shredded chicken meat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Change the temperature of the oven to 350 degrees and begin assembling the dish. Take a large baking dish and smear the bottom with some of the reserved tomatillo salsa. Now take the tortillas and briefly flash them over the stove-top flame (or put them briefly under the broiler if using an electric stove) Using a shallow bowl, coat each tortilla lightly with the reserved salsa mix. Put a scoop of the chicken-enchilada mix on top of the tortilla followed by a sprinkle of the shredded cheese. Fold the tortilla over the filling and roll like a cigar to enclose it. Using a spatula place the tortillas in the baking dish and continue to do the same with all the tortillas. Finally pour over some more of the salsa and top with remaining shredded cheese. Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes until bubbly and cracked on top. Garnish with cilantro and tomato.

Individual Meat Loaf Cups

This was my April Fool's Dinner this year. I plan to make them again but without the food coloring in the potatoes!


You can find the original recipe here.

Meat Loaf
1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
3 tablespoons ketchup
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Potato Frosting
3 cups mashed potatoes
Food coloring

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Line 12 muffin tin cups with foil bake cups.

2. In a large bowl, mix together all of the meat loaf ingredients until well combined. Divide the mixture evenly among the lined cups (the liners should be about three quarters full).

3. Place the filled muffin tins on cookie sheets and bake the cupcakes for about 15 minutes or until cooked through.

4. Divide the mashed potatoes among three small bowls and stir a few drops of food coloring into each batch to create blue, yellow, and pink pastel frostings. Spread a generous dollop on each cupcake.

Makes 12 cupcakes.

Shrimp Enchiladas

Shrimp Enchiladas



Shrimp Enchiladas
1/2 cup sweet red pepper, chopped
1/2 cup onion, minced
1/2 cup green pepper, chopped
1/4 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 cup whipping cream (evaporated milk)
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
3 cups Monterey Jack cheese, divided (you can use half pepper-jack cheese for great results)
1/2 cup sour cream (plain yogurt)
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 cup onion, chopped2 cups ripe tomatoes, chopped (1 can tomatoes, drained)
8 (9-inch) flour tortillas

Saute red pepper, onion and green pepper in 1/4 cup butter until crisp-tender. Add oregano, salt, garlic powder, pepper, cayenne pepper, cream and flour; blend well. Continue cooking for 3 minutes or until slightly thickened. Add 1 1/2 cups cheese; stir until melted. Add sour cream, stir to blend. Set aside.

In another skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Saute shrimp and 1/2 cup onion until shrimp are pink. Remove shrimp and chop; return to butter and onion. Add chopped tomatoes and 1/2 of the cheese sauce. Spoon 1/3 cup shrimp mixture into each tortilla. Sprinkle cheese on top of shrimp mixture. Roll up tightly. Arrange seam side down in a 9X13-inch glass baking dish. Spoon remaining cheese sauce over tortillas and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes.

Taken from My Kitchen Cafe.

Thanks for the first recipe, Shannon! :)