White Chicken Chili

Ok, I know, I know, it's just like me to decide I'm playing at the last possible second :) Just try the recipe and I promise you'll forgive me!

White Chicken Chili

Saute these together:

2 tsp olive oil

1 lg. onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

2 chicken breasts, cut into small pieces

Add these, and simmer 5-10 minutes:

2 cans chicken broth

1 pkg. frozen white corn

2 cans diced green chilis

1 tsp cumin

2 cans great northern beans

juice of 1 lime

cilantro

Serve with tortilla chips, grated cheese, green onions, chopped cilantro, salsa, sour cream, and lime wedges.

loaded "baked potato" soup

ok girls. i'm completely going out on a limb here. i've never tried this recipe so don't hate me if you hate IT! but come on... microwaved soup? i said easy, but i guess we'll see! yum. i'm just ready for soup. it's legal in september right!?

2 medium baking potatoes, unpeeled
1 can (14 1/2 oz.) fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 cup milk
3 slices bacon, cooked, crumbled, and divided
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
2 Tbsp. sliced green onions, divided
1/4 cup sour cream

pierce potatoes; microwave on HIGH 5 min., turning over after 2 1/2 min. cut potatoes into chunks. combine potatoes, broth and milk in large microwaveable bowl. microwave on HIGH 6 min., stirring after 3 min. Slightly crush potatoes with a potato masher.

reserve 2 Tbsp. each of the bacon and cheese and 1 Tbsp. of the onions for topping; set aside. add remaining bacon, cheese and onions to soup.

serve topped with reserved bacon, cheese, onions and sour cream.

Makes 4, 1 cup servings.

shepherd's pie

this is definitely a staple in our house. i realize that this is a classic mormon dish but we love classics! and, like meredith's recipe, you usually have most of the ingredients on hand. i made this for landen one night when kristen was out of town and he loved it. so you better make this one soon, kristen (and everyone else too!)

brown 2 lbs of hamburger

add 1 chopped onion

put in a bowl and add salt and pepper to taste, 1/2 tsp chili powder, 1 can tomato soup, 1 can cream of mushroom soup, and 1 can green beans (you can add any veggie you like).

pour in a large baking dish. top with mashed potatoes and sprinkle cheddar cheese on top. bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Potato-Crusted Baked Chicken

I got this recipe from a cookbook on my shelf called, 'Great Chicken Dishes'. I was in need of a chicken recipe with only the ingredients I had in my pantry and fridge. I am excited to share a recipe that includes ingredients most of us have on hand. I am all about using everything I have in the cupboard before taking yet another trip to the grocery store. It went over really well and tastes best with ranch dressing, then again most things do!

1/3 cup grated Parmesean cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried sage (didn't have it, I used some Mrs. Dash seasoning)
2 large eggs
4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves ( about 1 1/2 lbs.)
2/3 cup dried instant mashed potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil

1.)Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a shallow bowl or pie plate mix parm cheese, salt, pepper and sage. In another bowl beat eggs w/ 1 tablespoon of water. Dip your chix into parmesean mixture and press into chicken. Dip chix in egg mixture then into potatoes, pressing them into chicken.

2.)Lightly grease baking sheet. Place baking sheet in over for 5 min. Place chicken on preheated baking sheet; drizzle olive oil over chicken. Bake for 10 min, turn chix and bake for 10-15 min longer or until crusty and golden and chix is done.

3.) All out of instant mashed potatoes? Use crushed potato chips or Cheez-its. Both taste yummy!

homemade oreos

i think we might have a recipe on here for these already, and i've always tried to figure out the yummiest one... i think i finally found it!! don't ask me why i was inspired to do yellow and teal frosting... it was just the mood i was in ok? i'm not even the biggest fan of these cookies but THESE ONES are IT!

cookies:

1 box fudge chocolate cake mix

1/2 C. veg. oil

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

{mix all of these ingredients together and bake for 8 min. at 375. cool completely and then sandwich frost with...}

frosting:

3 C. powdered sugar

1/3 C. soft butter

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

2 T. milk

{mix the powdered sugar and butter, then mix in the vanilla and milk. beat until smooth. oh and please color according to your mood. ;)}

WEEKLY CHALLENGE

ok as the official "starter" of this fabulous food blog, i think it's time i make a little challenge to all our contributors out there (jen/liz/jam/mer). i'm going to start a little

september weekly recipe challenge!

it's hard saying goodbye to summer, but now that we are getting back into the routines of school/work maybe we can get back into the routine of cooking! hello! i know i do much better in the fall/winter. something about being stuck inside...

so. here are the official rules:

1. each week will be a new "genre" to contribute a recipe to. (i.e.: dinner, dessert, appetizer)

2. each contributor needs to really really try (just kidding... this is totally MANDATORY) to add just ONE new recipe to this genre. try and keep them super simple so we can make them! i don't care if you get them from yahoo foods... just share!

3. throughout the month of september you need to try making all the recipes at least ONCE so you can VOTE!

here comes the fun part...

4. by the end of the month you get to vote for your favorite recipe from each genre (i'll make a poll on the sidebar). you can NOT vote for yourself. and whoever is the winner will be treated to dinner (split by the rest of us) at a girls night out! sound good? please tell me you're all in! i need some serious spice in my life... you know what i mean.

*so that's 4 votes a person

*i realize it's a lot of recipes to try, but only 4 dinners, 4 desserts, 4 something and 4 something isn't too much to handle in 30 days right?

let the recipe sharing begin!

monday.sept.1st: dinner

Iced White Chocolate Terrine

Whenever Emily comes to town I pretty much make her whip up this deliciousness. At least I did until she shared the recipe, and now I'm passing on the goodness!

Ingredients: 2 Tbsp sugar

5 Tbsp water

10 1/2 white chocolate

3 eggs, seperated

1 1/4 cups heavy cream

Directions:

• Line loaf pan w/ foil or plastic wrap, pressing out as many creases as possible
• Gently heat sugar and water in heavy-based pan until sugar dissolves, bring to a boil for 1-2 min. until syrupy, remove from heat
• Stir in white chocolate, let mixture cool slightly
• Beat in egg yolks, let cool completely
• Lightly whip cream until just holding its shape, fold into chocolate mixture
• Whisk eggs whites until holding soft peaks, fold into mixture
• Pour into prepared loaf pan and freeze overnight

Remove terrine from the freezer about 10 minutes before serving. Slice and serve w/ fresh berries and chocolate drizzle. Bon Appetite

Cookies n' Cream Torte

I tend to leave the cake MAKING to the experts, I just do the BAKING. It's so hard to make a cake from scratch and make it taste moist.(If you've got a secret, please share). As for me and Betty Crocker, we have our own secret. I was in a jam about what to make for a dessert to bring to a friends house for dinner. I scanned the Betty Crocker website and found a winner.

1 box Betty Crocker SuperMoist devil's food cake mix
8 Oreo's crushed
1 container Betty Crocker Whipped fluffy white frosting
8 Oreo's cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1. Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Grease and lightly flour or spray. Make cake batter as directed on box. Pour into pan.
2. Bake 30 min. or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour. I stuck it in the freezer to speed it up and make it more firm.
3. Fold crushed cookies into frosting. Put a cookie sheet on top of your cake pan and flip the cake out. Cut the cake crosswise in half. Gently place the other half aside. Spread cake with half of the frosting mixture.

4. Put the other half on and spread the remaining frosting. Spread the Oreo's on top as a garnish before you serve it.

This comes out really moist and is just as good two days later, just keep it in the fridge.

I apologize to all of you faithful 'stick a fork in it' readers out there. Thanks for tuning back in to our little abandoned blog here. It's not that we havn't been cookin' just not sharin'!

crispy coconut chicken

this one and the previous one are both new recipes that i tried last night and tonight. i liked them both and had to share. although, this one is a lot more involved. yes, i was actually good and made two "real" meals two nights in a row! i have one happy husband. enjoy!

chicken:

1 C flaked coconut

1/2 C flour

1/2 t. salt

1/4 t. black pepper

1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast halves (however much chicken the mixture will allow)

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/3 C butter or margerine melted on bottom of pan.

heat oven to 400 F. mix coconut, flour, salt, and pepper in medium bowl. dip chicken into egg, then coat with coconut mixture. place in buttered pan. bake 25 minutes or until chicken is browned and cooked through. serve with rice and...

red lobster pina colada dipping sauce:

1/2 C coco lopez cream of coconut (found in the grocery store by the daiquiri and colada mixes)

1/2 C pineapple juice

1/4 C water

2 T crushed pineapple (drained)

1 T sweetened coconut flakes

3 T + 1 t. powder sugar

1 1/2 t. corn starch

3 t. cold water

mix coco lopez, pineapple juice, water, crushed pineapple, coconut, and powder sugar in a sauce pan. heat on medium low temperature until sauce begins to simmer, stirring frequently. let mixture simmer slowly 10-12 minutes. mix corn starch and water together, add to sauce and blend well. let mixture simmer for 3-5 minutes longer while stirring during and after adding cornstarch. remove from heat and bring to room temperature.

this dinner is also really good with these rolls!

samoan sweet rolls:

1 12 oz package frozen dinner rolls, thawed

1 10 oz can coconut milk

3 T sweetened condensed milk

3/4 C white sugar

coat a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. coat your hands with cooking spray or shortening, and roll the dough balls in your hands so that they have a light coating. place in a prepared dish. set aside and let rise until doubled. (i used pillsbury frozen rolls and didn't have to let them rise at all, fyi). preheat oven to 350 F. in a small bowl, stir together the coconut milk, sweetened condensed milk and sugar. pour this mixture over the top of the rolls as evenly as you can. bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown. let cool for a few minutes before separating and serving.

whew, that's all, i promise!

quick king ranch chicken

we ate this tonight. it really is so good and so easy.

1/4 cup margarine

1 medium green bell pepper, diced fine

1 medium yellow onion, diced fine

1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup

1 can condensed cream of chicken soup

2 cans Milder Rotel diced tomatoes and green chiles

2 cups cooked chicken, cubed (i use the canned chicken)

12 corn tortillas, torn into bite-sized pieces

2 cups shredded cheddar or velveeta cheese

preheat oven to 325 degrees. in a large saucepan, saute the bell pepper and onion in the margerine until tender (about 5 minutes). add both soups, the rotel and chicken pieces and stir until the mixture is well-blended. in a 10x10 lightly oiled casserole dish, start making thin layers with the corn tortillas first, then the cooked chicken mixture and last the cheese. repeat about 3 times with the cheese on top. bake for 40 minutes, covered, or until hot and bubbly.

serve over rice with sour cream on top.

Stuffed artichokes

One of my most favorite foods is a stuffed artichoke. It looks a little scary at first like a weird flower or something, but it really is very yummy. This picture I took doesn't make it look quite as delicious as it really is, but I wanted it to be authentic. I know most of you won't make this dish, but at least give Mr. Artichoke another chance.

2 artichokes

1 cup seasoned bread crumbs

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp. minced garlic

1/4 cup EVOO

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 tbs. fresh chopped parsley

2 cups chicken stock

Wash artichokes in cool water. Sometimes they have little sharp points on the edges of their leaves, cut those off with kitchen scissors. Place a steaming basket in the bottom of a pan filled with 2 inches of boiling water and steam for 35 minutes. Set artichokes aside and let cool. In a medium size bowl pour in half of the olive oil and lemon juice (reserve other half for topping before serving), all of the cheese, garlic, parsley and bread crumbs. Mix well. Set stuffing mixture aside. take the cooled artichoke and pull back leaves exposing the center of the artichoke. Remove inner leaves and 'choke' ( the stuff that looks like hair...I know I've lost some of you already :)). Divide the mixture evenly into two parts. Open the outer leaves and with a spoon put some of the mixture at the base of the leaves. When you get to the center, fill it with the rest of the mixture. Pour remaining lemon juice and EVOO on top of artichoke. Place in a glass baking dish and fill the bottom of the dish with chicken stock. Bake for 40 minutes covered at 350 and take foil off for last 5 minutes to brown.

So, pretty much you pull off a leaf and scrape the meaty part and stuffing off then work your way to the center. The heart of the best part!

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

Chicken marinated in lime, honey, and cumin, smothered in gooey cheese, tortillas and tasty sauce.....need I say more?

3/4 cup honey
Lime juice (1-2 limes)
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cumin

1 pound chicken, cooked and shredded (I used 3 chicken breasts)
8-10 flour tortillas
1 pound monterey jack cheese, shredded
16 ounces green enchilada sauce
1 cup heavy cream

Mix the first five ingredients and toss with shredded chicken. Let it marinate for at least 1/2 hour (I tossed mine together in a ziploc bag in the morning and let it sit in the refrigerator all day). Pour about 1/2 cup enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9X13 baking pan. Fill flour tortillas with chicken and shredded cheese, saving about 1 cup of cheese to sprinkle on top of enchiladas. Mix the remaining enchilada sauce with the cream and leftover marinade. Pour sauce on top of the enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until brown and crispy on top.

Red Lobster Chedder Biscuits

These are so yummy when I go to Red Lobster I could just eat these. So in trying to be healthy I found a recipe for these babies that is low fat and the best part is they don't taste like it. YUM!

Ingredients:

2 cups Bisquick, reduced fat baking mix

3/4 cup low fat buttermilk (1%)

1 cup shredded low fat Cheddar cheese (I use regular cheese)

2 Tbsp low fat butter spread

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp dried parsley flakes crushed fine

preheat oven to 400 degrees. combine baking mix, milk and Cheddar cheese in a bowl. Mix by hand until well combined. divide the dough into 12 equal portions (about 3 Tbsp each) and spoon into a lightly greased or nonstick cookie sheet. flatten each biscuit a bit with your fingers. bake for 18-20 minutes or until the tops of the biscuit begin to brown. in a small bowl,combine the buttery spread with the garlic powder. Heat this mixture for 30 seconds in the microwave, then brush a light coating over the top of each biscuit.

makes 12 biscuits

112 calories 3 g fat each

orange julius

our "beverage" section was suffering so i thought i'd add this one too. landen's mom makes these and they are soo yummy! you can pretty much drink them any time of the day.

6 oz. orange juice concentrate (the frozen can)

1 C. milk

1 C. water

1/4 C. sugar

any fruit (i like frozen strawberries, but peaches are really yummy too!)

about 8-10 ice cubes

optional: 1 tsp. vanilla

blend everything together in your blender and please drink with a colorful straw. :)

cookie salad

{no i don't know this guy... but i think he says it all!}

so i'll be the first to admit i've been a major slacker on this blog! 100% my fault. how many blogs am i trying to run these days? maybe that was a bad idea... haha. but i love this food blog. so i dug through my recipe box, and low and behold... i actually have more than 10 recipes in there!

this one comes from my friend kalee. you might be thinking, cookies and salad in one dish? yes. it's fabulous. i sometimes crave this. and although i haven't made it for quite awhile, now that the recipe box has been dusted off, i think i might give it a try again this week! yum!

1 large carton cool whip (16 oz)

1 box vanilla instant pudding (large)

2 cups buttermilk (not kidding)

mix those first three together then add:

2 small cans mandarin oranges (drained)

1 large can pinnapple tidbits (drained)

1 pkg. Keebler fudge striped cookies (broken into bite sized pieces... this is the best part!)

mix and refrigerate!

Lion House Cheesecake

{sorry i couldn't pick which one looked yummier!! -kristen}

This is the world's best cheesecake! I tweaked it a little bit for Liz's birthday luau but the basic recipe is from the Lion House restaurant in Salt Lake City.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
3 T sugar
6 T butter or margarine, melted
3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
3/4 t vanilla

Directions:
Mix graham cracker crumbs, 3 T sugar and melted butter. Press into 10-inch deep-dish pie pan or 10-inch springform pan. Set aside.
Start the filling by beating the cream cheese on high for a couple minutes in a large mixing bowl. Add 1 cup sugar a little at a time, followed by 3 eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla and mix well. Pour filling into the crust and bake for 55 to 60 minutes at 300 degrees.

How I tweaked it:
a) My family always adds 1/2 t almond flavoring or extract. Gives it a little something extra. And I always use Neufatchel cheese instead of cream cheese. It's really pretty much the same texture and flavor, maybe even a little fluffier, but with a lot less fat. Cause I like to have my cake and eat it too! ;)
b) The luau version was topped with fruit and an apricot glaze. It looks fancy but it's super easy! Go nuts w/ the fruit....the glaze goes like this: In a small sauce pan dissolve 3 heaping tablespoons of apricot preserves and 4-5 tablespoons of sugar into 1/2 cup water over high heat. Let it bubble until thickened and drizzle over the top!

caramelettos...

or possibly better know as caramelitas? whatever the name, they are to die for!

(the deliciousness on the right)

32 caramels, unwrapped
5 Tbls milk
3/4 cup butter
1 cup flour
1 cup oats
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp b. soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 c chopped walnuts (optional:i didn't use them)

Mix butter, brown sugar, flour, oats, b. soda and salt. put half in a 9x9 pan; flatten. Bake at 325 until light brown, about 12 minutes.

Melt caramel in milk over low heat. Once the crust come out of the oven, immediately sprinkle chocolate chips and nuts on top. Pour melted caramels/milk over that. Then crumble remaining, unbaked crust mix on top. Bake 10-12 minutes longer.

Chocolate Strawberry Panini

I know this is supposed to be a dessert, but it's also the perfect combination to go with quiche and OJ at a girls brunch or baby shower. If you don't have a panini grill, don't be afraid to bust out the ol' Foreman for this one. This is Giada DeLaurentis's recipe from Everyday italian.

1/4 cup Nutella (chocolate hazelnut spread)

12 slices store bought pound cake (approx. 1/2 in. thick)

6-8 fresh strawberries thinly sliced*

Butter flavored cooking spray

1.) Heat panini grill or Foreman grill

2.) Spread Nutella over one side of the pound cake slices. Arrange the strawberries over 6 of the slices. Cover the remaining cake slices chocolate side down.

3.) Place the sandwiches on the cooking surface and grill for about 2 minutes or until golden brown grill marks appear on both sides. Cut in half to serve.

*bananas would also be screaming with the strawberries or without!

Layered Tortilla Bake

So I just ran across this recipe, I haven't tried it yet but it looked good so I thought I would share. In my efforts to be healthy it is a weight watchers meal but don't worry you don't have to use all the low fat stuff and it will be way better.
Makes 8 Servings

Ingredients
1 pound VERY lean ground beef
1 can dark red kidney beans, drained & rinsed1 can (28 oz) I will use black beans and corn

Italian Classics Kitchen Cut Roma Tomatoes with Basil(if you can't find this substitute with any other kind) I will probably use salsa or stewed tomatoes

1 can (4 oz) chopped green chile's (mild)

1 pkg (1.25 oz) McCormick's 30% less sodium Taco Seasoning

1 pkg (10 oz) corn tortillas (12, 6-inch tortillas) - Try Diane's Corn Tortilla's Thin (1 PT for 2)

1 cup (4 oz) shredded low fat cheddar cheese don't use fat free cheese yuck!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown ground beef in large nonstick skillet;drain well. Mix in beans, tomatoes, chile's and taco seasoning mix. Reduce heat; simmer 5 min. Spray 9 x 13 " baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Cut tortillas in half; place half of them in bottom of baking dish, overlapping. Spoon half of beef mixture evenly over tortillas. Cover with remaining tortillas and then remaining beef mixture. Top with cheese. Cover; bake 25 min.
POINTS: 5.5
PER SERVING: 280 Calories, 9 g Fat, 6 g Dietary Fiber
Freezer Tip: Use two 8" x 8" baking pans. (cut tortillas into 4Th's So they fit better). Cover with foil and freeze. Place in 350 degree oven straight from freezer. Bake 1 hour or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees

turkey pepperoni

ok ladies. i need to first say that i am not one who really gets into the whole organic, eating super healthy trend that seems to be going around lately. i think it's great if you are but i guess i'm somewhat against it? that's another topic...

the other day i made one of our usuals for dinner: homemade pizza. but, i accidentally bought these turkey pepperoni's. when i went to put them on our pizza i realized the mistake and almost didn't even use them because i was afraid it would ruin my pizza! but, then i decided to give it a try and test travis to see if he could tell the difference. and, guess what? he couldn't even tell. and, to be honest, i really liked it. a lot. you don't get the normal grease that comes from normal pepperoni's plus they are 70% less fat than normal pepperoni. and i really do prefer the taste. here are a few other nutrional facts:

for 17 slices:

only 80 calories compared to a normal 283

4 g of fat compared to 24 g

and only 550 mg of sodium to the 1076 in normal pepperoni!

so when making your next pizza, go turkey!

Liz's Limeade Punch

perfect for an easter feast! (or anywhere you want a yummy drink!)

2 quarts of really hot water

4 1/2 cups sugar

1 12 0z limeade

Mix and put in double Ziploc bag and put in freezer

Thaw out and add 2 liter bottle of DIET sprite when ready to serve. Make approximately 30 cups per recipe.

**i wish i had thought to cut up the limes and then it would have looked really cool

Bacon and Egg Easter Casserole

Alright, so in my fam we call it "eggs-erroneous" ( a throw back reference to the old "Ernest" movies.....you know, like "Ernest saves Christmas" or "Ernest goes to Camp"....does anyone remember those?) but I didn't want to use that title because it doesn't help you understand the deliciousness of this dish! Think all the goodness of a homemade breakfast: bacon, sausage, or ham, eggs, cheese....with the convenience of making it ahead of time! We had it almost every easter with fresh fruit on the side. Here you go:

Eggs Erroneous

7 slices white bread
1-2 cups crumbled bacon, cubed ham or sliced cooked link sausage
2 green onions, finely chopped
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
5 eggs
2 cups milk
1 tsp salt
pepper to taste


Lightly butter bread. Cut off crusts, cut into large cubes, and place in buttered 9x13 cake pan. Cover with ham or sausage, then onions, then cheese. Whip together milk, eggs, salt and pepper. Pour over other ingredients. Cover with foil and chill overnight. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

BBQ Beef Sandwiches

So Sunday I went all out and made the classic Sunday dinner, complete w/ roast, potatoes and gravy and homemade rolls....yum! But I'm the type that only likes to eat a meal, maybe, twice or three times max before I'm good and sick of it. So what do you do when Tuesday rolls around and you still have left over rolls and pot roast? BBQ Beef Sandwiches my friends! Easy, delicious, and good as new!

I started by grating up six or seven baby carrots and thin slicing a small yellow onion and half a red pepper. While those were cooking in a skillet w/ olive oil and a little crushed garlic (maybe a tbsp worth) I shredded up what was left of my pot roast. Once the onions got clear I sprinkled on 1/2 tsp of sugar plus some salt and pepper. Add about 3 tbsp tomato sauce (mine was some chunky tomato puree) and at least the same amount of BBQ sauce. I put in the shredded beef, mixed it all up and let the flavors combine while I toasted our left over rolls in the broiler. Once the rolls are done toasting, put the sandwiches together, add a salad on the side and viola: that's dinner!

Stuffed Peppers

This is my favorite and it makes great left overs.

Ingredients:

Green peppers
Tomato sauce

hamburger

White rice

cheese (optional)

season salt

egg

Cook rice, while rice is cooking cook hamburger. (I usually use about 4 large green peppers and about 1/3 -1/2 pound of hamburger, I always end up with extra rice, you can just eyeball it). when the hamburger is done put in a mixing bowl and mix about 1 can tomato sauce and 1 egg and cheese if you want. stuff each pepper with this mixture. in another bowl mix tomato sauce and season salt. pour tomato mix on top of each pepper. then leave the rest of the sauce in case you want more when you eat them. put the stuffed pepper in a sauce pan and put enough water to about a little over half way on the peppers and bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour or until the pepper is soft.

-if you have extra meat mix, i usually put it in a casserole dish or in the fridge and make Shepard's pie or something out of it the next day.

Curry Chicken

I really like the tastes Indian food has to offer, but we rarely seem to make it to an Indian restaurant. ( Punjab Cafe in Quincy is awesome) So, try this one at home, it's yummy.

1 1/2 tbs. vegetable oil

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tsp. curry powder

1 can unsweetened coconut milk

1 cup canned diced tomatoes ( I used the whole can)

2 tbs. tomato paste

1 lb. chicken breast cut into 1 in. cubes

3 cups packed fresh baby spinach (use the frozen box, so much easier)

1 cup white rice ( this makes 3 cups cooked)

Heat oil in medium skillet, add onions and salt (cook 6-7 min.). Add the curry powder and cook for another minute or so. Stir in coconut milk, tomatoes and tomato paste. Cook for 5 minutes until it starts to thicken a little bit. Add the chicken and cook for 5 more minutes. Stir in spinach and cook for 3 more minutes. Serve over rice. This makes about 4 servings. I like to put a little lime in this dish too or a little fresh garlic when you cook the onions. You can also have some Nan bread with this dish, just buy it by the bakery at the grocery store.

sweet & sour meatballs

(mine is only meat and pineapple... not those other mystery chunks)

also known as "hawaiian meatballs." i guess i'm on a kick using worchestershire tonight but this is one of our favorites!

meatballs:
1 lb. hamburger
1/2 c. dry bread crumbs
1/4 c. milk
2 Tbs. onion finely chopped
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. worchestershire
1 egg

sweet & sour sauce:
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 Tsp. corn starch
1/3 c. vinegar
1 Tsp. soy sauce
1 can (13 1/4 oz.) pineapple chunks (tidbits)
1 small green pepper coursely chopped (i usually omit this one)

cook meatballs; remove, drain fat from skillet. (ok i honestly am the worst meatball maker and have no patience, so i usually just brown it all like hamburger and call it "chunks." lame i know). in same pan... mix brown sugar & cornstartch. stir in pineapple (with syrup), vinegar, and soy sauce. heat to boiling, reduce heat and add meatballs (or meat chunks...hehe). cover; simmer for 10 minutes. stir in green pepper. cover. simmer until crisp, about 5 minutes. serve over white rice. so yum!

shish kabob marinade

so we're in target (as usual) and i say "hmmm... i really need some nice shish kabob skewers." and some of you asked, "what the heck is a shish kabob?" and now i will let you in on a little secret. if you ever need to let your husbands know how much you love them... make this. plus i'm really starting to miss summer food and this gets me pumped up!

veggie ideas:

tomatos, squash, zuchini, mushrooms, onion, peppers, pineapple (fruit), just whatever you like

and of course lots of steak!! (cut in cubes)

marinade:

1 1/2 c. vegetable oil

3/4 c. soy sauce

1/2 c. lemon juice

1/4 c. worchestershire sauce (wuster here)

2 Tbs. mustard powder

1 tsp. pepper

2 cloves garlic (i used garlic powder)

*marinade meat overnight and veggies about 3 hours before*

sounds kind of weird (and looks weirder) but i promise it is sooo delicious! my mouth is watering just thinking about it!

thread all veggies and meat on skewers however you like and grill until meat is cooked. we used a george foreman once and it was good too. there is just nothing like a grill outside in the summer though!

christensen family recipes 2008

ok ladies. i'm about to give away a big secret (and not to mention a lot of possible future posts). every couple of years my sisters, sister's-in-law and my mom compile all of our favorite recipes so that we can all add to our cooking repertouire. and guess what, you are all getting a copy!!! (i feel like i'm oprah giving away some of her "favorite things". ha) click here to take a peek. and, you all will probably notice that some of your recipes even made it in the cookbook and i didn't give you credit. sorry! i'll make sure to let them all know where they came from!

this is the third edition of the christensen family cookbook and i use it a lot. so, i hope you all enjoy!

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

This was perfect for our snowed in day. It is the best cuddle up dinner.

Homemade egg noodles:

2 eggs beaten

3 tablespoons milk

1 cup four

2 teaspoon baking powder

dash of salt

combine all, roll out real thin and cut into strips. lay on a towel to dry for about an hour.

-I ended up adding probably another 1/2 cup of flour and it doesn't matter if you let them dry or not.

soup:

chicken broth 1-2 boxs (you can add water also)

celery

carrots (you can add any other veges if you want, some people add green onions)

chicken

salt and pepper to taste

you can cook chicken in chicken broth or you can use cooked chicken (I use the rotisserie chicken you can buy in the store and then you have left over chicken for another meal). cut up celery, carrots, and boil in the chicken broth. Add the noodles and cooked chicken, (if you cooked chicken in broth just leave it in) cook for about 5-10 minutes and then it done!

- We make mashed potatoes and put a spoonful of potatoes in the bottom of the the bowl then put the soup on top. its so cozy and Yummy!

We better get cookin' ladies!

In Case We Never Make It to Olive Garden.....

Zuppa Tuscana! I can never pass this up in the restaurant and at home it's even better!

Ingredients:
4 links italian sausage, sweet or spicy
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
basil, oregano, salt and pepper
4 potatoes, sliced in half moons
8 cups chicken stock
2 cups kale, shredded
2/3 cup cream (ok, I'll be honest...I add the whole pint :))

Instructions:
Cook sausage links in a skillet while you get the onions and garlic going in a little EVOO in a soup pot. Slice up and add the sausage to onions and garlic when done. Once the onions are clear, add italian seasonings and salt and pepper to taste. Add chicken stock, then potatoes and simmer it all together until the potatoes get tender. Add the kale and let that simmer just until the greens wilt. Turn down the heat to medium low if you haven't already and add cream. Once the cream has warmed through give it a little taste test for any last second seasoning adjustments and enjoy with salad and crusty bread!

Pretzels

Ok Kristen I can help you fulfill #59 on your list. We made these with the Faith in God girls and they are way easy.

Ingrediants:

2 cups flour

2 1/4 teaspoons fast raising yeast

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 Beaten egg or melted butter

2/3 cup water

-topping of choice: rock salt, cinnamon, parmesan, cheese,etc.

Mix together water and yeast. Add oil, 1 cup flour and salt. Gradually add the rest of the four ingrediants s you knead for 5 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic. Cut dough into four equal parts and shape into a pretzel. Lay onto a greased cookie sheet and brush with beaten egg or melted butter and sprinkle with topping of choice. Bake in a preheated 425 degree oven for 10 minutes or utnil light and brown.

There's no Snickering at this recipe!

Snickers Bars

1/4 cup light corn syrup
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/8 cup peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups powdered sugar
35 individual Kraft caramels
1 cup dry−roasted unsalted peanuts
1 − 12 oz. bag milk−chocolate chips

With your mixer on high speed, combine the corn syrup, butter, vanilla, peanut butter, and salt until creamy. Slowly add the powdered sugar. When the mixture has the consistency of dough, remove it from the bowl with your hands and press it into a lightly greased 9x9−inch pan. Put in fridge.

Melt the caramels in the microwave in a bowl. When the caramel is soft, mix in the peanuts.Pour the mixture over the refrigerated "nougat" in the pan. Let this cool in the refrigerator. When the refrigerated mixture is firm, melt the chocolate in the microwave for 2 minutes. Stir halfway through cooking time. When the mixture in the pan has hardened, cut it into 2x1−inch sections.

Set each chunk onto a fork and dip into the melted chocolate. Tap the fork against the side of the bowl or pan to knock off any excess chocolate. Then place the chunks on waxed paper to cool at room temperature, or stick them in the fridge to cool faster.

cafe rio lovers only!

Café Rio Pork

Slow cook your pork roast in a crock pot with garlic and a little water until you can pull it apart. At that point add the following: 1 can diced green chilis, 1 to 2 cans of medium or hot enchilada sauce (the red stuff), depending on how much pork you use 1 can of either Dr. Pepper or Coke, at least 1 cup of brown sugar but use as much more as you want to get your sweetness, salt to taste. Make your recipe a little on the strong side as once you add it to a tortilla it mutes the flavors just a bit

Cafe Rio Creamy Tomatillo Dressing
1 package Hidden Valley Ranch
1 cup mayo 1 cup cilantro,
chopped 2 cloves garlic,
chopped 3 tomatillos - peel off paper, chop
1/3 - 1/2 cups buttermilk, to consistency you want
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)
Put in blender and mix.

Homemade tortillas
3 C. flour
1/2 C. veggie or olive oil
1 1/8 C. luke warm water
1 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. baking powder
Mix all ingredients and knead. If too hard to knead, add a little water but if too sticky add a little more flour. Let stand for about 10 minutes. Makes about 12 small balls. Flatten each by rolling them out and then cook them in a frying pan.**I usually have 2 frying pans going at once so they all get cooked faster

Cafe Rio Rice
3 c water
4 t chicken bouillon
4 t garlic –minced
½ bunch cilantro
1 can green chiles—or equivalent fresh
¾ t salt
1 T butter
½ onion
3 c rice

Blend cilantro, green chiles and onion together in food processor. Bring water to a boil and add all ingredients, simmer covered 30 minutes.

Frosted Fudgy Cocoa Brownies

These are so yummy and easy. And you can say you made brownies from scratch!

ingrediants:

1 stick of butter plus 2 1/2 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup cocoa plus 2 1/2 tablesppons cocoa

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 1/3 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup chopped peacan (optioal)

1 cup powdered sugar

1 table spoon milk

*preheat oven to 350 degrees. melt 1 stick of butter, add 1/3 cup cocoa powder and stir until blended.

*add sugar and mix well. add eggs one at a time, beat after you add. beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla, then flour and salt. stir in pecans.

*put in greased pan and bake for 20 to 25 mintues. let it cool completely.

* melt 2 1/2 tablespoons butter, add remaining 2 1/2 tablespoons of cocoa, stir until well blended. mix in remaing 3/4 teaspoon vanilla. with mixer beat powdered sugar and milk until smooth and fluffy. spread on cooled brownines.

-I usually double the reciepe and still make it in a 8 inch pan so they are thicker.

chunky crockpot chili (say that 3 times fast)

easiest chili i have ever made. ok i'm not gonna lie- it's the only chili i have ever made. i'm not really into making my own chili but this recipe is sooo yummy! perfect with cornbread muffins and honey!

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 Tbs. chili powder
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
2 cans (16 oz. each) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (15 oz.) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 c. prepared salsa (i used pace)
1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 c. diced onions (i just used a couple pinches left over from the medium onion)
4 tsp. sliced black olives
sour cream

heat large skillet over medium heat. add beef and onion, cook until beef is browned and onion is tender. drain fat. place beef mixture, chili powder, cumin, tomatoes, beans and salsa in slow cooker; stir. cover; cook on LOW 5-6 hours or until flavors are blended and chili is bubbly. season with salt and pepper to taste. serve with sour cream, cheese, onions and olives sprinkled on top!

makes 4-6 servings

Cobb Salad

This recipe is pretty much a "no-brainer", but it's healthy and easy. There are also lots of ingredients you can substitute if you don't have everything it calls for on hand. I serve this as the entire meal since it's balanced, but it makes two heaping plates full. You could easily divide it up for smaller portions of four.

1 package romaine lettuce
4 slices bacon, cooked
1 avocado
3 oz. blue cheese (this is strong, but goes well with the bacon and avocado)
1 medium tomato
3 hard boiled eggs
1/2 cup shredded cheese (any variety. I use a reduced fat Mexican)
1 cup grilled chicken or turkey, whatever you have
I throw any other veggies I have in the fridge on the salad. When I made this one I put mushrooms on it and broccoli.

Spread the lettuce evenly across each plate. Add the next 7+ ingredients to the top of the salad, arranging them in small piles around the plate. You can also make vertical lines rather than piles.
I personally think it goes best with ranch dressing.

Taco Soup

quick and easy to throw together and delicious!

shredded chicken

1 C chicken broth

1 small salsa

1 can black beans, do not drain

1 can mexicorn, do not drain

mix and heat. serve with tortilla chips, shredded cheese and sour cream.

Chocolate White Chip Cookies

1 1/4 C flour

2/3 C baking cocoa

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 C butter, softened

3/4 C sugar

2/3 C brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

2 cups white chocolate chips

Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt. Cream butter, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each one. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chips. Bake at 350 for 9-11 minutes.

Pizza Crust

This is the recipe I used for Girls Night at Jamie's a few months ago. We're eating it tonight so I thought I'd share!

Combine: 1 Tbs yeast

1 C. warm water

1 tsp sugar

Add: 1 tsp salt

2 Tbs vegetable oil

2 1/2 C flour

Mix together, knead with hand and let rise 10 minutes. Roll out onto pizza pan, poke holes with fork. Pre-cook five minutes, add sauce and toppings and cook for remaining 20-25 minutes.

Sauce:

My favorite sauce is Hannaford brand roasted garlic but this is a good homemade recipe:

14.5 oz diced tomatoes

14.5 oz tomato sauce

1 C. chopped onion

2 Tbs dried basil

2 tsp dried oregano

2 Tbs sugar

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp pepper

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, or until onion is tender. This makes enough sauce for 2-4 pizzas, depending on how much sauce you like. You can freeze the remaining sauce in zip-lock bags, each bag containing enough sauce for one pizza.

Diversity Oreos

Here's the recipe for homemade Oreo's from girls night. Kristen inspired me to do a variation of the Oreo and make a "White Oreo". I had some leftover filling from the (black) Oreo's the other night and needed to make a treat for mutual. I had a box of white cake mix in my cupbord and after reading Kristen's cookie recipe, the wheels started turning. I whipped up a batch of White Oreo's!

Cookies:
1 box *devil's food cake mix
2 eggs beaten well
1/3 cup oil
Filling:
1/4 cup margarine
2 oz. cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
Cookies:.
Mix cake mix, eggs and oil together well.
Shape into marble size balls.
Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes. They are done when the tops looked cracked.
Filling:
Mix margarine, cream cheese, icing sugar and vanilla together.
When cookies are completely cooled, frost the flat side of one cookie and then sandwich with another cookie.

*substitute white cake mix for devil's food cake when making White Oreo's

Orange Chicken

Ok girls I made this one up so feel free to edit it anyway you want when cooking. It turned out better then I thought, but I would love to hear what you added or did different.

I use Honey Orange BBQ sauce from Stop and Shop, I am not sure the brand but I will find out. I use one whole one for us so you might want to buy an extra until you figure out what works best for you.
* first I cut up some chicken into bit size pieces and put in a bowl full of the honey orange sauce.
I put that together at lunch and put it back in the fridge until I was ready to cook at dinner
( I don't know if it makes a difference I am sure it would taste the same if you didn't marinate it)
* When ready to cook put bread crumbs into a plastic bag add bowl of chicken with sauce to bag.
coat chicken completely with bread crumbs. You can add more sauce if you need to.
* Put breaded chicken on cookie sheet and bake on 350 degrees for about 15 min. or until
chicken is cooked through.
* while the chicken is cooking put Honey orange sauce in a frying pan on medium to high heat.
(cover the bottom of the pan) I put snow peas and cut up red pepper in the sauce and cooked
until tender.
* If you need to add some more sauce to pan and add chicken when done, fry the chicken in the
frying pan until it is completely coated with sauce.
* when done put chicken mixture on top of rice, I usually drizzle some orange sauce over the rice
and chicken before serving.

I promise it's easy and tastes yummy! have fun making!

rainbow chip cake mix cookies

so this is what i was "going to make" for the cookies girls night on saturday. i saw the cute pictures and was bummed i was so sick so this is what i have to share! these are seriously so yummy... and addicting.

*you can make them with your favorite kind of cake mix- i prefer rainbow chip!*

1 pkg. cake mix

1/3 c. veg. oil

2 eggs

mix ingredients with a spoon until moistened. drop with a cookie baller and bake at 375 for 6-8 min.

too bad they are so easy to make which means they are even easier to eat!

cinnamon rolls

2 cups milk, 2 cubes butter. Heat until melted (do not boil)

1/3 cup warm water, 2 TBSP yeast, 1 tsp sugar. Mix together, set aside.

Beat in bowl-3 eggs, 3/4 cup sugar, 1 tsp salt. Add 1 1/2 cups flour. Stir altogether. Pour in milk mixture. Add 2 cups flour. Mix and add yeast mixture. Add 2 1/2 cups flour. (sometimes a little more). Mix well. (i beat it in my bosch for 10 mins) It will be very, very sticky. Raise for one hour. Punch down and raise 30 minutes more.

Take 1/2 dough and put on floured surface. (try to add as little flour as possible!! you may need to add some so it won't be too sticky, but be careful!) Roll into oblong shape. Spread melted butter, cinnamon, sugar, and brown sugar on top. Raisins are optional. It takes quite a bit of cinnamon. Fold over to make 3 layers. Cut width inch wide strips. Take a strip and pull a little, twist and pinch on edge as you lay it on the prepared cookie sheet. Repeat same procedure, using other 1/2 of dough. Let raise no longer than 20 mins.

Cook at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Frost. (you can use your favorite frosting recipe)

Frosting

2 lb powdered sugar
1 cup shortening
4 Tbs butter
2/3 cup milk
3 tsp vanilla

Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf

This recipe is probably more for the man in your life. My hubby loves meatloaf and burgers, so when I found this recipe by Paula Dean I had to make it for him. I try to stick to more low-fat dinners, but sometimes it's fun to make a real artery clogger to mix things up. I made this one in a bit of a hurry and accidentally added the ketchup and mustard directly to the meatloaf. I compensated by adding a shake more breadcrumbs and it actually helped by making it really moist and juicy. Enjoy!

1 pound ground beef

10 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (I used 7 to help lighten it a bit)

1 (8-ounce) package sharp Cheddar, grated (try to get 2%, less fat)

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/4 cup bread crumbs

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/3 cup ketchup 2 tablespoons prepared mustard

1 (3-ounce) can French fried onions ( they only had a HUGE can at the store so I didn't use them)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl, combine the ground beed and next 8 ingredients, mix well.
In a small bowl, combine the ketchup and mustard. Stir 1/4 cup ketchup mixture into meat mixture, reserving remaining ketchup mixture.
Press meat mixture into a 9 by 5 by 3-inch loaf pan, or shape into a loaf and place on a rack in a broiler pan. Spread remaining ketchup mixture over loaf. Bake 40 minutes. Top with French fried onions; bake another 10 to 15 minutes, or until meat is no longer pink.

chicken n biscuits

this is like an easy "chicken pot pie" recipe. and probably a lot healthier!

ingredients:

1 (16 ounce) package frozen mixed vegetables
2 1/2 cups cubed cooked chicken
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
3/4 cup milk
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (optional- i didn't use bacon and it was still good)
1 1/2 cups biscuit/baking mix (i used one of those biscuit bags where you "just add water"-like the muffin ones... much easier)

2/3 cup milk (if you use the mix)

1 (2.8 oz.) can french-fried onions (key ingredient for flavor!)

directions:

in a large bowl, combine the vegetables, chicken, soup, milk, 1 cup cheese and bacon if desired. pour into an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish. cover and bake at 400 for 15 minutes.

meanwhile, in another bowl, combine biscuit mix and milk. drop batter by tablespoonfuls onto chicken mixture. bake, uncovered, for 20-22 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown. top with onions and remaining cheese. bake 3-4 minutes longer or until the cheese is melted.

Slow-Roasted Chicken

Tender and juicy, this is what's for dinner tonight! I love it because it looks so "Martha" but it's actually easier than any crock-pot recipe and surprisingly inexpensive (I got a 9 lb chicken for $8.50!). Feel free to get creative, but here's how I got this bird a-roastin' :

1~Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2~Rinse chicken and remove giblets (don't be scared, they're all ready for you in a little plastic bag in the chicken. this was good news for me since I don't like to get super involved with raw meat ;))

3~Drizzle bottom of roasting pan (or even a cake pan or deep, wide soup pot) with olive oil. Put in the chicken and add seasoning. I drizzled the chicken with olive oil, rubbed on a couple teaspoons of rosemary, two chopped cloves of garlic, salt and pepper, and the juice of 1/2 lemon.
4~Stick that baby in the oven and forget about it until the button pops! Rory thought this was by far the most interesting thing I've ever made so we peeked a couple times and basted the bird while we were at it. Mine took about 2 1/2 hours.

5~Remove and cover w/ foil for at least 20 minutes while you get your side dishes going. I moved the chicken to a plate and whisked a little roux into the juices and let that thicken over a hot stove: easy gravy, easier dishes :)

6~Bon appetite!

Delmonico Potatoes

These potatoes are a tradition in my family and are usually served at special occasions like Christmas Eve with stuffed flank steak and at Easter with a spiral ham. They are so easy to make and taste amazing, really creamy and you'll HAVE to go back for seconds!

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. Ore-Ida frozen Hash Browns (1 bag)
• 1 can Cream of Chicken Soup (10 3/4 oz.)
  1/2 stick of butter cut into small cubes
  1 bag Shredded Cheddar Cheese (8 oz)
• 1/3 cup Chopped Scallions
• 1 container Sour Cream (16 0z.)

In a large bowl mix defrosted potatoes, sour cream, soup, scallions and cheddar cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste. Transfer ingredients into a casserole dish and place small cubes of butter over the mixture. Bake at 325 degrees for 1hr. 30min-1 hr. 45 min or until golden brown.

White Bread

i thought a nice homemade bread recipe would go great with the soup i just posted. i grew up on this bread and love, love, love it! not to mention it is so easy, too.

4 1/2 C lukewarm water (take one of these cups and set aside with 3 Tbls. yeast)
1 1/2 T salt
1/2 C sugar
1/2 C vegatable oil
10-12 C flour

Knead 10-15 minutes in mixer with a bread hook. (i use a bosch) Oil bread bowl to put dough in and let rise. After doubled in size, shape into 5 loaves, place in tins, raise. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.

yes, i realize this makes 5 loaves, which means you need 5 loaf pans, but it is delicious!

Cream of Broccoli Soup

As promised...

3 cups water
3 tsp. chicken base or bouillon cubes
2 cups celery, finely chopped
1/2 cup finely grated carrots
3-4 potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 large bunch of broccoli, cut into bite sized pieces

Cream Sauce
1 1/2 cubes butter (and you wonder why it's so good!)
approx. 1/2 cup flour
1 quart milk
16 oz Velveeta cut into cubes

In a large stock pot combine the first six ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer. Simmer for15-20 minutes or until veggies are tender. Meanwhile, melt butter in saucepan. When completely melted, add enough flour to make a paste. Add milk all at once stirring constantly until it thickens. Add cheese and continue stirring until cheese is melted. ADd sauce to soup. Mix completely to cook until desired thickness.

dinner reality check

crock pot chicken & rice

what? i have to make dinner tonight? is anyone else having these thoughts after the much needed christmas break? i am missing my mom's home cooking already! but it's back to the basics for us! this is our very favorite/easy crock pot chicken & rice recipe adopted from my sister-in-law sarah. yum!

ingredients:

2-4 frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese (let sit out to soften)

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 pkg. italian dressing seasoning (the dried kind in the packet)

rice

stir the cream cheese, cream of chicken, and seasoning together in the crockpot. i actually start it on low and let them sit in there for about 30 min so the cream cheese is softer to stir. (but don't forget about them like i did today!) put the frozen (because i'm lazy) chicken in and cover with the mix. cook on high 4-6 hours or until the chicken is cooked and fall-apart-tender. after the first two hours when the chicken is softer i cut it up into strips for easier eating. how easy is that!?

cook the rice in a pot (or rice cooker if you're not dumb like me and know how to use the stupid thing) and smother with chicken mixture! the italian seasoning is the secret ingredient! so yum!

Yummy Breakfast

Here is a great little breakfast treat, I made it the other day and it's really easy.

Ingredients:
Hash brown patty (the frozen kind)
Bacon or Canadian bacon (cooked Cut up)
Red Bell pepper (or any other pepper)
egg- scrambled (about one egg per hash brown patty)

Cook the hash brown patty either in the microwave for about one minute, I cook the bacon in the microwave also.(just put paper towels on a plate then the bacon and cover with another paper towel, it comes out not greasy, cook about a minute per piece)In a frying pan I cut up and get the pepper soft, then scramble the egg.
add the pepper, and bacon to the scrambled egg. put the egg mixture on top of the hash brown, I drizzle ketchup and sprinkle cheese on top of that.
This is yummy your husbands will love it!