French Toast Casserole

This is another wonderful recipe that I found on Pinterest.  I made this French Toast Casserole last Sunday and it was a hit!  This is very easy to make and your family will just love it!

Recipe taken from:  http://sheldonrachel.blogspot.com/2009/03/french-toast-bake.html

Ingredients:

1/2 cup melted butter (1 stick)
1 cup brown sugar
1 loaf Texas toast
4 eggs
1 1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
Powdered sugar for sprinkling

Directions:

 

1. Melt butter in microwave & add brown sugar, stir
2. Pour butter/sugar mix into bottom of 9 x 13 pan and coat the bottom of the pan
3. Beat eggs, milk, & vanilla
4. Lay single layer of Texas Toast in pan
5. Spoon 1/2 of egg mixture on bread layer
6. Add 2nd layer of Texas Toast
7. Spoon on remaining egg mixture
8. Cover & chill in fridge overnight
9. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes (covered for the first 30 minutes)
10. Sprinkle with powdered sugar
11. Serve with warm maple syrup, if desired. 

 

When serving, flip the french toast over so the brown sugar and butter are on top!  Enjoy!

Easy and Quick Chicken Cordon Bleu

This is a super easy and simple Chicken Cordon Bleu recipe.  This is not the most extravagant I've had, but it sure it good on a busy night! 

How to make it:

3 chicken breasts, cut into tenders (or you can buy chicken tenders)
1 package Crescents
Swiss Cheese
Ham

Cook the chicken tender a skillet with 1 tbsp oil.  Cook until done.  Lay out the crescents and place cooked chicken tender, ham, cheese, and roll up the crescent.  Place a toothpick or two through it to hold everything in place. Bake at 375 for about 15 minutes or until the crescents are golden brown.

If you do not want any chicken showing, press two crescents together and fold over the chicken, ham, and cheese! 

Enjoy!

Sides:  We had salad and mashed potatoes with this.

Garlic Parmesan Crusted Chicken

This Garlic Parmesan Crusted Chicken is such a delicious, unhealthy way to eat chicken.  Everyone in my crowd just loved this recipe!  I will definitely make it again!  I found this recipe on Plain Chicken blog.  I hope you enjoy!

How to make:

 

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 3/4 inch thickness

 

Marinade:

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup ranch dressing

3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp vinegar

1 tsp lemon juice

1 Tbsp minced garlic

1/2 tsp pepper

Ranch Spread
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 cup ranch dressing

Parmesan Crumb Topping
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1 teaspoons garlic salt,
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan
2 tablespoons melted butter

1 cup shredded provolone

Combine ingredients for marinade and pour over chicken. Let marinate in refrigerator for 2-3 hours or overnight. Grill or bake in oven, until chicken is done.

While the chicken is cooking, prepare the ranch spread and Parmesan crumb topping.

For the ranch spread, mix 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan and 1/4 cup ranch dressing. Set aside.

For Parmesan crumb topping, mix bread crumbs, garlic salt, shredded Parmesan and butter. The crumbs should be evenly moistened.

Position rack in center of oven. Preheat broiler.

Transfer cooked chicken to oven-safe casserole dish. Spread 2 tablespoons ranch spread on each breast, then top with provolone and Parmesan crumb topping. Place chicken under broiler and cook until cheese melts and crumb topping begins to turn light brown. Serve immediately.  We ate steamed vegetables with this meal and cranberry sauce with this meal.

Cuisine Magazine Peachy Pork Chops

Check out Cuisine Magazine's website for this Peachy Pork Chops Recipes!  This will be going on my menu for next week!

Plain Chicken's Cream Cheese White Chicken Chili

Photo taken from Plain Chicken

I found this recipe on Pinterest and it has to be the most fabulous, delicious, mouth watering white chicken chili I have ever eaten!  This will be a frequent menu item! 

I fixed this recipe this past Wednesday after my friend raved about it.  You will not be let down with this great recipe!

Ingredients:
1 can black beans
1 can corn, undrained
1 can Rotel, undrained
1 package ranch dressing mix (or onion soup mix to give it a different flavor)
1 tsp cumin
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 8 oz package light cream cheese
2 chicken breasts

Drain and rinse black beans. Place chicken at bottom of pot, then pour out whole can of corn (undrained), rotel, and black beans.

Top with seasonings and ranch mix. Stir together. Place cream cheese on top. Cover with lid and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Stir cream cheese into chili. Use 2 forks to shred chicken. Stir together and serve.

And don't forget to save some in a container to take to work!  After heating this up in the microwave, all your coworkers will be asking for the recipe!

 I took this recipe from Plain Chicken
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Spicy Tuna Cakes



Photo taken from food.com

These tuna cakes are probably the best that I have ever made.  They don't even taste like tuna!  I know that frying tuna is not the most healthy way to eat it, but it sure was delicious! 

Ingredients: 

3 (6 ounce) cans tuna  (drained)

1 1/2 cups Italian breadcrumbs

2 eggs (slightly beaten)

4 tablespoons mayo

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard  

2 tablespoons lemon juice 

1/2 cup onion (finely diced)

2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon red curry powder

1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning

1 teaspoon garlic 

1 teaspoon Lawry's Seasoned Salt

1 teaspoon Tabasco Sauce

1 teaspoon black pepper

To prepare:

Mix all the ingredients, like you would for a meatloaf.  Pour oil into a pan and heat over medium to medium high heat.  Drop mixture by heaping tablespoon into pan and press to for cake with the back of your spoon.  Cook on each side for about 3-4 minutes or until golden brown.  Place cakes on paper towel or brown bag to help drain the oil.  Serve with your favorite sauce!  We used Franks Red Hot! 

This recipe was taken from food.com

Brown Sugar and Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin

In the Crock pot:
1 (2 pound) boneless pork tenderloin (or regular pork loin)
1 tsp ground sage
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 cup water

Glaze:
1/2 cup brown sugar 1 TBS cornstarch
¼ cup balsamic vinegar ½ cup water
2 TBS soy sauce

Combine sage, salt, pepper & garlic. Rub over roast. Place in slow cooker with 1/2 cup water. Cook on low 6-8 hours.

About 1 hour before roast is done, combine ingredients for glaze in small sauce pan. Heat & stir until mixture thickens. Brush roast with glaze 2 or 3 times during the last hour of cooking. Serve with remaining glaze on the side.

I also made this glaze for a tenderloin my husband was grilling.  It turned out great too!

Easy Chicken Curry

I made this dish for dinner tonight and it was fabulous!  My family really enjoyed it. I have tried a few different chicken curry recipes and I think I have found the one!  My husband would like it more spicy, but he added hot sauce to his, so he was happy!



Easy Chicken Curry

1 tablespoon butter 

1/2 medium onion, finely chopped

1 small green apple, peeled, cored and finely diced

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 tablespoon corn starch

1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder 

1/4 cup whole milk

1 cup chicken broth

1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

3 cups cooked chicken

Melt butter in large skillet over medium low heat.  Cut chicken into 1/2" pieces and place in skillet.  Cook each side for just a few minutes.  Add the onion, apple and garlic and mix well, cook, covered over low heat until the onion is tender and translucent, about 12 minutes.  Then add the curry powder to the onion mixture and mix well.  Dissolve cornstarch in the milk and add it to the mixture.  Add the chicken broth and mix well.  Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened.  Add the lemon zest and lemon juice and mix well.

Serve over rice!  The recipe said you can also serve this with condiments such as chutney, raisins, diced bell peppers, cucumber, tomato, pineapple, papaya, mango, banana, kiwi, chopped scallions, hard-boiled eggs, peanuts or toasted almonds.  I didn't jazz it up at all!  We just ate steamed broccoli on the side!
Recipe taken from Food.com

Turkey, Brie, and Cranberry Panini

Need an idea for you leftover turkey?  Try a turkey, brie, and cranberry panini.  Use your leftover turkey and cranberry sauce for an amazing sandwich.  Last night, we used sourdough bread, but any kind would work.  We used baby brie and sliced it up and placed on the turkey and then added the cranberry sauce.

Enjoy!

Smothered Enchiladas

My good friend Elizabeth shared this amazing recipe with me.  I must pass it on, since it is that good!

1 lb ground beef (or chicken)
1 packet Taco Seasoning (or 2 tbsp homemade taco seasoning)
1 can Green chilies
1 can Rotel or regular diced tomatoes
1 small onion, chopped
1 can cream of chicken soup
Shredded Mozzarella
Sour Cream
Flour Tortillas

Brown the beef in a skillet and then drain.  Add the taco seasoning (and just a tbsp or two of water).  Stir into the beef and add the Rotel/tomatoes, onions, and 1/2 of can of green chilies.  Cook the liquid down a bit.  While this is going on, mix 1/2 can of green chili's, sour cream, and cream of chicken soup. Spread 1/2 of this mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.

When the beef mix is ready, spoon 1/4-1/2 cup of mixture in the center of a tortilla.  Roll it up and place it seam side down over the sour cream layer in the baking dish.  Repeat for about 10 tortillas.  Spread the other 1/2 of mixture over the top of the tortillas.  Top with the mozzarella and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until it is hot and bubbly.  Enjoy!

Reachel Rays Mexican Chicken Lime Soup

Taken from Reachel Ray 



Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, finely chopped, plus 2 tablespoons adobo sauce

6 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Juice of 2 limes

Salt and pepper

1 hass avocado, thinly sliced lengthwise into 12 pieces

Crushed tortilla chips

Directions:

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, lower the heat to medium and cook until the onion begins to brown, about 7 minutes. Increase the heat to high, push the vegetables to the side of the pan, add the chicken and cook, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chipotles and adobo sauce, then stir in the chicken broth. Lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, skimming any foam. Stir in the cilantro and lime juice; season with salt and pepper. Place 2 avocado slices in each of 6 soup bowls and pour in the soup. Top with the tortilla chips.

McCormick White Chicken Chili Recipe

My coworker introduced me to this delicious White Chicken Chili Recipe!  I encourage you to try it!  It is very simple and quick to make.  We needed a quick dinner last night since we had to be at Owen's school by 6:00pm for the back-to-school night.  This recipe came in handy. 

The original recipe came off the back of the McCormick White Chicken Chili Packet, but I tweaked it a little.

Ingredients:

1 can white kidney beans

1lb chicken boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 cups chicken broth (recipe calls for 1 cup water, but I doubled the amount and used broth)

1 packet McCormick White Chicken Chili Packet

1/2 onion, chopped

Prepare the chicken by rinsing it off in the sink.  Then on a cutting board, cut the chicken into 1/2 inch pieces.  Place in the skillet on medium heat and cook until no longer pink.  Add 1/2 onion to the chicken.  Cook for about 3 minutes and then add beans, seasoning packet, and 2 cups of broth.  Let this come to a boil and then reduce heat to medium-low.  I let this sit on medium low for about 30 minutes before eating (The recipe on the packet says only 15 minutes of cooking and it's ready, but I wanted it to get happy!).  The broth reduces and the chili thickens up! 

You can also add a can of diced tomatoes to this or a can of corn!  We have added the tomatoes before, but not the corn.  I had a can of diced tomatoes with green chili's that I thought would taste great in this chili, but I wanted my children to eat without complaining of the spices! 

Enjoy!

Bacon Wrapped Chicken Teriyaki Skewers

I had high hopes for these bacon wrapped chicken teriyaki skewers!  Anything wrapped in bacon should be good, right?  I was disappointed in these skewers for two reasons:

1.  It was pouring down rain outside while my husband was trying to grill, so some of the pieces got burned
2.  The teriyaki sauce (out of the bottle) was very salty!

I should have followed the directions from the recipe on Pie Birds and made my own teriyaki sauce, but I was feeling lazy.  Next time I make these I will be making my own teriyaki sauce!

Ingredients:

1 lb chicken breast, cut into1 inch pieces
1 can of pineapple chunks
1 lb of bacon
skewer sticks
homemade teriyaki sauce (or bottled with no salt added)

Before you get started layering the skewers, prepare your meat and bacon.  I cut the chicken breast into 1 inch pieces and sliced the bacon strip into thirds as seen below:

Place a 9 x13 dish on your counter, so you can put the finished skewers in it. You are ready to begin!

1. Wrap a piece of bacon around each chicken piece and place on the skewer.

2. Place a pineapple chunk on the skewer.

3. Repeat until the skewer is full.

4. Once all the skewers are filled, pour the teriyaki sauce over the skewers.

5. Place in the refrigerator for 2-4 hours to give the skewers time to get happy in the sauce.

6. Grill the skewers over medium high heat. Rotate to cook evenly- make sure not to burn them! Check the temperature. The chicken should be at 180 degrees before removing from heat.

7. Let the skewers rest for a few minutes before eating!

Sweet Hawaiian Burgers

My husband found this recipe somewhere on the Internet and it turned out AMAZING!  I am sure you will love it as much as we did!  Here it is:

2lbs Ground Beef
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder
1 Large Onion, diced
1 TBSP Butter
Sliced Sharp Cheddar Cheese
Sweet Hawaiian Rolls

Mix the ground beef, salt, pepper, and garlic powder together in a bowl.  Form the patties (you can make as many as you want).  We made 7 with 2 lbs of meat.  Then grill the burgers.  While grilling, saute the onions in butter on the stove.  Once the burgers are done, place slices of sharp cheddar on them.  Let them melt and then remove burgers from the grill. 

Let the burgers rest for a few minutes.  Then place a burger on the bun and add the sauteed onions and enjoy!  This is a wonderful, sweet burger! 

A picture of this delicious burger will be posted soon!

Lasagna Recipe

I fixed lasagna this evening for dinner.  I have been using this recipe for years, with a few modifications.  The recipe came from a family friend, Dana.  I think I recall getting this recipe with one of my gifts at a wedding shower.  Well here is the recipe...

2 cans spaghetti sauce
1 lb ground beef
1 onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 pack of uncooked lasagna noodles
2 eggs
1 container ricotta cheese
3 cups mozzarella
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper

Set oven to 350.  Cook the ground beef, onion, and garlic.  Drain.  Then add one can of spaghetti sauce to the meat.

Combine the cheeses, eggs, salt, and pepper in a separate bowl. 

Open the other can and pour 1/2 of the spaghetti sauce in the bottom of a 9 x13 dish. 

Layer uncooked noddles, meat mixture, cheese, and then repeat.  Once you have used up the mixture of meat and cheese, pour the other 1/2 can of sauce around the edges and top of the lasagna.  Bake uncovered for 1 hour at 350.  I usually place a baking sheet under the lasagna, sometimes it bubbles over the edge.  Enjoy!


Tonight we ate a Grapefruit Avocado Salad and bread with the lasagna.  My co-worker shared this recipe with me.  Take romaine lettuce and place on the bottom of the bowls.  Then slice grapefruit and avocado and place them on top of the salad.  You can make them look pretty by making a pattern of grapefruit, avocado, grapefruit, etc.  Then serve with Italian Dressing out of the bottle!  I really enjoyed this salad, but my husband thought it was too sour!  He's not a big grapefruit fan to begin with!  My children did eat some of the salad, too!

Diablo Quesadillas

These Diablo Quesadillas were excillant!  We have a local restaurant, Macados, which serves these and I wanted to recreate these.  I had leftover cooked, split chicken breasts from earlier in the week and I used that for these.  Here is the recipe:

Monterrey & Colby Shredded Cheese
Cooked Chicken
Salsa
Bacon bits
Sour Cream
Tortillas

I did not measure the amounts of the ingredients, I just piled them onto the tortilla.  Place a small amount of butter on the heated pan and lay the bottom tortilla down.  Place cheese, chicken, bacon bits, and a few spoon fulls of salsa on the tortilla.  Then add a few more sprinkles of cheese and top the quesadilla with another tortilla.  Spread a little bit of butter on the top of the tortilla.  Let the quesadilla cook for a minute or two and then flip.  Be careful when you flip the quesadilla so that everything doesn't fall out!  Once the quesadilla is cooked, let it cool on a plate for about a minute.  Then slice it and add sour cream and salsa to the top!  Enjoy!

This recipe is super easy and very kid friendly!  My daughter didn't want shredded chicken in her quesadilla, so I just added cheese and bacon! 

Sour Cream Enchiladas

Tonight's Menu:  Sour Cream Enchiladas with Streamed Broccoli

Sour Cream Enchiladas

I was so excited to eat these I forgot to take a picture of the final product! 

Sauce:
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup sour cream
1 can diced green chilies ( 4 oz)
1/2 tsp salt

Filling:
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
2 cup shredded cooked chicken
1/2 cup chopped green onions (scallions)
1 package (12) of small corn or flour tortillas-  I used flour!

Cook Chicken (if you don't already have some on hand).  I baked 3 split chicken breasts with a little bit of veggie oil, salt, pepper, and Emeril's Essence.  I could have just made a meal out of this chicken...it was so yummy!  But, I had to shred 2 cups for the recipe.  I put the rest of this juicy, crispy chicken in the fridge for chicken salad sandwiches tomorrow.

Mix together the sauce in a sauce pan over low heat (I skipped this step and it turned out great!  I mixed in a big measure cup without heat).  Stir to make sure all the chunks are gone.  Remove from heat.  Mix filling together.  Place about 1/4 cup of filling into a tortilla, 1 tbsp of sauce, and roll it up.  Place it seam side down, side by side.  Once you have made all the enchiladas, pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas.  Then sprinkle with cheese before baking. 

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  I steamed a head of broccoli to accompany this meal.

My daughter had a friend over this evening and she said, "This is the best thing I've eaten since my mom made enchiladas!"  :) 

*If you want to make this recipe a little healthier, use fat-free sour cream and fat-free cream of chicken soup.

Thanks Pie Birds, Buttons, and Muddy Puddles for the recipe!

Ma's Beef Kabobs

My grandmother passed away 6 years ago, July 3rd.  I have found myself making some of her recipes recently.  A few days ago it was the banana pudding and today it is the beef kabobs.  As I was cooking the marinade, the aroma brought back memories of my childhood at my grandparents.

Beef Kabobs

1/4 cup dry onion soup mix
2Tbsp sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup catchup
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup veg. oil
1 Tbsp prepared mustard
1/4 tsp kosher salt
dash of hot pepper
1 1/2 lb sirloin

In a saucepan, combine all ingredients, except for the steak, and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.  Cool completely.  Cut steak up into 1 inch cubes.  Add the meat to the cooled sauce and stir to coat meat.  Let this stand at room temperature for 3 hours or refrigerate overnight.

To prepare, drain the sauce from the meat and save.  Cut up any type of veggies you would like on the kabobs.  We sometime use pineapple, green peppers, cherry tomatoes, and onions.  Alternate meat in with the veggies.  Grill over medium coals for 20 to 25 minutes, turning once and brushing with the sauce two or three times.  Heat the remaining sauce and serve with the meat.  It is delicious!

Freezer Burritos

After reading a few blogs on freezer cooking, I decided to give it a try!  The only freezer cooking I've done is a few meals (lasagna, chicken spaghetti, and meatloaf) before I went on maternity leave with #3!  This is very easy and quick to fix. 

Ingredients:
20 tortillas
2 Large cooked chicken breasts (bones removed and chopped)
1/2 jar of salsa
2 cups of cheddar cheese
1 large can of refried beans

Mix all the ingredients together and spoon about 1/4 cup of the mixture into the tortillas.  Wrap the burritos in wrap or place in a baggie.  I wrapped each one individually.  My husband and I have been taking these to work all week long!  I have been placing them in the microwave with a damp paper towel over the burrito, but you can also bake them at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes! 

My husband wants me to try some different varieties, so I am going to try beef burrito next time with ground beef. 

I took this recipe from www.moneysavingmom.com.

Homemade Pancake Recipe

My family loves pancakes.  We usually eat pancakes 3-4 times per month.  Growing up my parents never made homemade pancakes, it was always Bisquick.  I don't like spending $3-4/box on Bisquick, so I went searching for an awesome homemade recipe.  I have tried several recipes and this one seems to be a winner! 

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon white sugar

1 1/4 cups milk

1 egg

3 tablespoons butter, melted

1 tbsp vanilla extract

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Make a well in the center and pour in the milk, egg, vanilla, and melted butter; mix until smooth.  Heat a lightly oiled griddle or over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.          

These pancakes freeze well, too!  I place a baggies full of pancakes in the freeze for a quick, easy meal in the mornings for my children.