Fudgies

I really wanted to bake something last night, but I only had a cake mix, and didn't want cake. Kevin's cousin, Megan once posted about Fudgies. http://sisterchefs.blogspot.com/2009/08/fudgies.html and I so I figured I would make them.

Addictive.

Ingredients:
1 box Betty Crocker Super Moist Devil's Food Cake Mix
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
some powdered sugar

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Mix the cake mix, oil and eggs in a medium bowl until all ingredients are combined. Pop the bowl in the fridge for 3-5 minutes while you get the powdered sugar out and pour it onto a plate or other flat surface.

Take the bowl of dough and roll 1 1/2 in. balls. Roll the balls in sugar and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Be liberal with the sugar.

Bake for 8-10 minutes until the center is just set.

Stuffed Twice Baked Potatoes

I made this up myself, and it turned out so delicious! :) Yummy. Kevin and Maci both enjoyed it too!

Ingredients:
4 large baking potatoes
Sour Cream-8-16 ounces
Shredded Cheese-1-2 cups
Butter-a few tablespoons
Broccoli-1 bag frozen florets or similar amount
Crispy Bacon pieces (I had cooked the night before)-5-10 pieces
Salt and Pepper

Directions:
Bake Potatoes. I cheated and used a bag that you put them in, in the microwave. While potatoes are baking, saute broccoli in butter on the stove until soft. Cut the potatoes in half, making sure to they stay in-tact. Scoop the potato out with a spoon but make sure to leave a nice shell that will hold up to stuff! I transferred the potatoes to a baking sheet covered in foil.

Put together this mixture: Potato that you scooped, sour cream, bacon, broccoli, bacon, cheese, and salt and pepper. Mix it well. Stuff that mixture onto potato shells, and top with a bit more cheese-bake for 15 minutes or so at 400 degrees until warmed through and a bit crispy on top.

Roasted Rosemary Potatoes

I loved these potatoes, they were just delicious. I was in a hurry, so I cut them a bit smaller, and roasted them at a bit higher temperature, and they still came out delicious! We had them with a pork loin and green beans.

Original Recipe: http://vegetarian.about.com/od/sidevegetabledishes/r/rosemarypotato.htm
Ingredients:

• 4-6 large potatoes, chopped into 1 1/2 inch pieces
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 1/2 tbsp rosemary
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl, toss all ingredients together until potatoes are lightly coated with olive oil.

Place potatoes on a baking pan, and bake for 25 minutes.

Remove potatoes from oven and gently toss, turning the potatoes over as needed. Bake for another 25 minutes or until potatoes are done roasting. Enjoy your rosemary potatoes!

Taco Chicken Bowls

Facebook is old news. Pinterest is the new internet addiction, it has everything! I found this http://budgetbytes.blogspot.com/2011/07/taco-chicken-bowls-1066-recipe-133.html gem of an it easy recipe recently, and it turned out great! I would add more spice though-it wasn't spicy enough for my liking:)

INGREDIENTS

1.5 lbs. chicken breasts

1 (16 oz.) jar salsa

1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained

1/2 lb. (8 oz.) frozen corn

1 Tbsp chili powder

1/2 Tbsp cumin

1/2 Tbsp minced garlic

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp salt to taste cracked pepper

2 cups dry rice

8 oz. shredded cheddar

1/2 bunch cilantro

DIRECTIONS

STEP 1: Add everything except the rice, cheese, and cilantro to the slow cooker along with 1/4 cup of water (for good measure). Give everything a good stir and make sure the chicken is covered in the mixture.

STEP 2: Secure the lid on your slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hrs.

STEP 3: Near the end of the cooking time, cook the two cups of rice according to the package directions (Bring the rice and 3 cups of water to a boil in a medium pot with a lid in place, as soon as it reaches a boil, reduced the heat to low and let simmer for 20 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving).

STEP 4: After 8 hours of cooking, carefully remove the lid of the slow cooker. Stir with a fork to shred the chicken (it should be super tender and will shred easily). Build the taco bowls by placing rice on the bottom, then the taco chicken mix, shredded cheese and fresh cilantro. (I forgot cilantro)

Crockpot Italian Chicken

Kevin really enjoyed this one! It was so-so for me:) I love crock pot recipes.

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts

1 packet dry Zesty Italian dressing (Regular is fine but I like zesty better. Sometimes I use a packet and a half.)

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened

1-2 cans cream of chicken soup (depending how cream cheesy you want it)

I added salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and some other random spices.

Directions:

Place the chicken in a crockpot and sprinkle Italian dressing over it. Combine cream cheese and cream of chicken soup in a small pot over low heat and pour over chicken. Cook on low for at least 4 hours. You can leave it in there all day. If you feel the sauce is too thick you can thin it to your preferred consistency with a little milk. Serve over pasta or rice. We served over bow ties.

Garlic Brown Sugar Chicken

My friend Jaime gave me this one:)

Ingredients

Brown Sugar, 4 tsp unpacked

Chicken Breast, no skin, 12 ounces

Garlic, 1 clove

Butter, salted, 2 tbsp

Salt, 1 tsp

Pepper, black, 1 dash

Directions

This makes four servings, 3 oz per person

1. Melt the butter in a frying pan

2. Brown the garlic in the butter

3. Add chicken breasts to garlic and butter and cook thoroughly, adding salt and pepper as you like it.

4. When chicken is fully cooked add brown sugar on top of each breast

5. Allow the brown sugar to melt into the chicken (about 5 minutes)

6. Serve with your favorite carb, and veggie or salad. We usually have rice or noodles and carrots or green beans.

No clue why this picture is mini-sized:)

Pizza Fondue

I stole this from a friend-but I didn't do it the same way because we don't have a fondue pot...it was so delicious though! I am not sure this is a real dinner item, but I have been craving pizza lately and Kevin is sick of it, so I decided to throw this in the mix for dinner, but truly its a great appetizer!

Ingredients:
1 can/jar pizza sauce
1 bag (2 cups) Mozzarella cheese
1 bag (2 cups) Cheddar or other cheese
Pepperoni-cut up and whole
French Bread

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Heat sauce and cheese in saucepan until melted, then add cut up pepperoni, as little or much as you like-I like a lot.

When all melted together, transfer to casserole dish, top with whole pepperoni slices and bake 10-15 minutes or so until pepperoni is crisp (I broiled a bit at the very end) Serve with warm crispy french bread pieces!

Mmmmmmm! (ignore the grease, I might use turkey pepperoni next time)

Herbed Oven-Fried Chicken

I enjoyed this one, I just never usually have buttermilk sitting around-but I had made bran muffins, so I needed to use it up. I made them into chicken tenders instead of breasts and served with cheesy potatoes and green beans. I found this recipe in Midwest Living Magazine.

Ingredients:

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (1-1/2 pounds total)
• 1 cup buttermilk or sour milk*
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt or 1/4 teaspoon regular salt
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 3 Tbsp. water
• 1-1/4 cups panko (Japanese bread crumbs) or fine dry bread crumbs
• 3/4 tsp. ground sage
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme, crushed
• 1/4 tsp. dried savory, crushed
• 1/8 tsp. ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Place chicken in a resealable plastic bag set in a bowl.

2. For marinade: In a small bowl, stir together buttermilk and half of the salt. Pour over chicken. Seal bag; turn to coat chicken. Marinate in the refrigerator for 4 to 24 hours, turning bag occasionally.

3. Grease a 15x10x1-inch baking pan. In a small bowl, combine egg and the water. In a shallow dish, mix panko, sage, thyme, savory, pepper and the remaining salt. Drain chicken, discarding marinade. Dip chicken pieces, one at a time, into egg mixture; coat with crumb mixture.

4. In prepared baking pan, arrange chicken so pieces are not touching. Sprinkle with any remaining crumb mixture.

5. Bake, uncovered, in a 375 degree F oven about 30 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink (170 degrees F). Do not turn pieces while baking. Makes 4 servings.

Baked Hungarian Goulash

My grandma gave me this recipe from one of her friends-it has sour cream, cream cheese, and cheddar cheese, whats not to like? Sorry this is from memory, so not a fabulous write up of a recipe;)

Ingredients:
8oz or so of pasta/noodles-we used mostacholi last night because it was on sale for 46 cents a box!
1 pound ground beef
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons butter
1 can tomato sauce (15-16oz)\
8oz-1 block cream cheese
1 cup sour cream
(the original recipe called to add green onions to the sour cream mixture, but I forgot to buy them)
Shredded cheddar cheese to top casserole

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Boil water and cook pasta to al dente. Drain.

Chop Onion and saute in butter until transparent and soft. Add ground beef, and garlic, continue to cook until browned. Add tomato sauce, and simmer until it thickens a bit.

While that thickens, soften cream cheese and combine cream cheese and sour cream.

In a casserole dish, layer noodles, sour cream mixture, then a layer of sauce. Repeat one mote time. Top with shredded cheese and bake for 25 minutes or so until the cheese is nice and gooey.

Enjoy!

Mozzarella Mushroom Chicken

My mom gave me this recipe! One of my favorites and super simple.

Ingredients:
3 chicken breasts-split into 6
1 egg
1 cup or so of seasoned bread crumbs
Mushrooms (usually fresh, sliced, but Kevin prefers the can)
Butter for browning chicken
6 or more slices mozzarella cheese
1 can chicken broth

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Coat in egg, then breadcrumbs. Brown chicken in butter in skillet.

Spray the bottom of your baking dish with pam. Put browned chicken in pan, cover with mushrooms, then place a piece of cheese(or one and a half pieces) on each chicken breast. Pour chicken broth over chicken.

Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and golden.

We served over brown rice:)

Chicken before serving:


Ready to eat!

APPLE CINNAMON BRAID

Ummmm YUM! Delicious!!

Ingredients:

1 tube (8 oz) crescent rolls refrigerated

2 TBSP plus 1/4 cup sugar, divided

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 cup finely chopped apples (also try almonds!)

1 TBSP butter, melted

1/4 tsp almond extract

ICING:

1/2 cup confectioners sugar, powdered sugar

1/4 tsp. almond extract

about 3 tsp. milk

1/4 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

Sprinkle flour onto a baking sheet. Unroll crescent dough onto pan and seal the perforations.

Combine 2 TBSP of sugar and cinnamon. sprinkle over the dough. Combine the apples (or almonds), butter, extract and remaining sugar; spread this mix length wise down the dough. On each long side, cut 1 inch wide strips into the center of the dough. Starting at one end, fold alternating strips at an angle across the filling. Pinch ends to seal up. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

For the icing, combine all ingredients and drizzle over braid. Sprinkle the top with cinnamon if desired. Serve warm.

Mini Meatloaves

Pretty tasty, we had these with Mac n Cheese:) They could use a bit more spice, I think!

Original Recipe: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/mini-meatloaves/detail.aspx

Ingredients

• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup quick cooking oats
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 pound ground beef
• 2/3 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons prepared mustard

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, combine the egg, milk, cheese, oats and salt. Add the ground beef, mixing well, and form this mixture into eight miniature meatloaves. Place these in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish.
3. In a separate small bowl, combine the ketchup, brown sugar and mustard. Stir thoroughly and spread over each meatloaf.
4. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 minutes.

Easy dinner!

Herb Roasted Beef with Potatoes and Carrots

A nice easy roast with veggies! Very tasty, we ate WAY too much:)

Original Recipe: http://www.doitdelicious.com/recipes/make_it/herb_roasted_beef

ingredients

1 lb (about 12) baby red potatoes, quartered

1 lb (about 5) carrots, peeled and cut into 3-inch sticks

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt

3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 pounds bottom round or rump roast

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tablespoon dried Italian Seasoning

directions

Heat the oven to 375°F. On a rimmed sheet pan, toss together the potatoes, carrots, 1 tablespoon of the oil, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper (12 turns on pepper mill). Spread them in a single layer and nestle the roast (fat-side up) in the middle, pushing the vegetables aside as necessary.

In a small bowl, combine the garlic, Italian Seasoning, and the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper (24 turns on pepper mill). Rub evenly over the roast. Transfer the pan to the oven and roast until a meat thermometer inserted into the center of the meat reaches desired doneness, about 1 hour for medium-rare. Let rest about 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with the vegetables.

meat temperature chart:
Rare: 115° - 120°F
Medium-rare: 125° - 130°F
Medium: 135° - 140°F
Medium-well: 145° - 150°F
Well-done: 155° - 160°F

Delish!

White Chicken Chili

My friend Melissa gave me this great recipe:) It was great! Maci even enjoyed some beans and cheese!

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 (4 ounce) can diced jalapeno peppers
• 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
• 3 cups chopped cooked chicken breast
• 3 (15 ounce) cans white beans
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Slowly cook and stir the onion until tender. Mix in the garlic, jalapeno, green chile peppers, cumin, oregano and cayenne. Continue to cook and stir the mixture until tender, about 3 minutes. Mix in the chicken broth, chicken and white beans. Simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Remove the mixture from heat. Slowly stir in the cheese until melted. Serve warm.

*Sometimes I add a can of corn to this as well, and omit the jalepenos. I cut the spices in half from the original recipe, because this is pretty hot. I like to top it with sour cream, a little extra cheese, and crushed up tortilla chips. Yum!

Ranch House Crock Pot Pork Chops with Parmesan Mashed Potatoes

These came out pretty tasty-sorry I forgot a pic:) Original Recipe: http://realmomkitchen.com/287/ranch-house-crock-pot-pork-chops-with-parmesan-mashed-potatoes/

Ingredients:

6 pork chops, 1/2 inch thick
1 packet dry Ranch Dressing Seasoning
10 oz can Cream of Chicken Soup
4 lbs peeled, cubed potatoes
5 Tablespoons real butter
1 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
6 cloves roasted garlic (directions are below)
1- 1 1/2 Cups warm skim milk (any milk will do, I used skim)
1 Tablespoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper, or to taste

Directions:

Place pork chops, Ranch seasoning and soup into a medium sized crock pot over high heat for 4 hours or low heat for 6 hours.
Place potatoes into a large pot of cold water. Place onto stove top over high heat and bring to a boil. Once water is boiling, cook for 10-12 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender. Drain and transfer to the work bowl of a stand or electric mixer. Mix on low until potatoes are mashed then add butter, Parmesan, garlic, milk, salt and pepper. Season to taste if needed. For thinner mashed potatoes add more milk, slowly until your desired consistency.
Scoop mashed potatoes onto serving plates and top with pork chops and soup gravy from crock pot. I put a little parsley on top to serve.

Roasted Garlic

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place bulb of garlic with skins on, wrap lightly in tin foil and bake for 1 hour. Remove from foil and let cool for 15 minutes. Remove garlic from skins, place in a bowl and mash with a fork until completely mashed. Set aside. One garlic bulb will have around 12 cloves.

BBQ Chicken Burgers

Original Recipe: http://www.howsweeteats.com/2011/04/bbq-chicken-burgers/

BBQ Chicken Burgers

makes 4 burgers

1 pound ground chicken breast

1/4 cup finely grated sharp cheddar cheese

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup BBQ sauce – use homemade or your favorite!

4 whole wheat buns

1 onion, sliced

1 tablespoon olive oil

BBQ sauce for topping

gouda cheese for topping

In a large bowl, combine chicken, BBQ sauce, paprika, onion and garlic powder, salt, pepper and cheddar cheese. Mix until just combined, then form 4 patties. Preheat the grill or a skillet and cook the burgers until fully cooked through. I used a skillet and cooked mine about 8 minutes per side – they were juicy and not dried out, but cooked thoroughly.

While burgers are cooking, heat a skillet on medium heat and add olive oil. Add sliced onions with a pinch of salt and saute until caramelized, about 10 minutes.

When burgers are ready, top with gouda (or more cheddar), onions, BBQ sauce and fresh romaine. I also toast the buns!

Very tasty! Picture to follow-looks nothing like the picture in the link, but still, yummy!

Easiest, most yummy chocolate cupcakes!

Ready for this? SO EASY.

Ingredients:
1 box Devil's food cake mix
1 can pumpkin
powdered sugar for sprinkling with

Directions:
Mix cake mix with pumpkin-yes its really thick. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Fill cupcake papers with the mixture. Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes. (I made 18 cupcakes)

Sprinkle with powdered sugar. SO YUMMY! Yes I just ate 3.

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

Thanks again to Ashley for this idea, I LOVE buffalo chicken anything:) This is a nice unhealthy version!

Ingredients:
Pizza Crust
Cooked, cut up chicken (I used leftover from the night before!! Save $!)
Franks Red Hot or other hot sauce
Blue Cheese crumbles
Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Cream Cheese

Directions:
Follow pizza crust instructions. (I used Pillsbury) Soften cream cheese. Mix chicken and hot sauce. Layer pizza with cream cheese, chicken mixture and top with some mozzarella and blue cheese.

Yum! :)

Turkey Feta Burgers

Thanks Ashley for the idea:) These were tasty and kinda healthy....until we added bacon, etc...:)

Ingredients:
1 pound ground turkey
Feta Cheese
Any seasonings you like...
Breadcrumbs
1 egg

Directions:
Mix turkey, breadcrumbs, egg, and seasonings (I used s&p, and italian seasoning). Score into 4 sections and make patties with a thumbprint hole in the center-fill with cheese and cover well so it doesn't leak out when melted! We used the grill pan inside because it was SO hot out! Drizzle olive oil on both sides of the patties, and grill! Serve on buttered, toasted buns.

We put bacon on them and served with green beans and pasta salad. Delicious!

New Potatoes

Mmmmm we went to the Farmer's Market today and got lots of delicious treats! For Maci, I made fresh beets, zucchini, yellow squash, and broccoli. For us....dinner consisted of steaks, the bacon wrapped green beans posted below, new potatoes from the market and some delicious asiago cheese bread we got there too! Yum. Cannot wait for Maci to try her new foods!

My grandma used to make new potatoes this way when we would freshly dig them from the garden.

Notice how many are already out of the bowl...I hardly had time to get out my camera!


Ingredients:
New potatoes-white
butter
salt
pepper

Directions:
Wash potatoes well, leave skins on. Boil them till you can prick easily with a fork. Melt butter in a skillet and brown potatoes until golden. Season with salt and pepper and enjoy. So delicious. I love summer.

Bacon Wrapped Green Beans

Thanks Laurel for this DELICIOUS way to prepare green beans. Everyone was raving over it!

Ingredients:

1 bag frozen green beans (you can use canned whole but frozen works best) **I used fresh and blanched them first**

1 package bacon with strips cut in half

salt

pepper

garlic powder

brown sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325.

Grease casserole dish with a little bit of oil/butter/pam.

Take a bundle of green beans, about 6 or so, and wrap a half slice of bacon around them, lay in casserole dish with the seam side down.

Repeat until casserole dish is full, you can crowd them pretty tight, just keep the bacon from touching other strips of bacon otherwise they will get stuck together.

Sprinkle entire dish with salt, pepper and garlic powder.

Sprinkle a little brown sugar on the top of each strip of bacon.

Bake for 15-20 minutes (I honestly forget how long to cook it, but when you smell bacon, it's pretty much done.) **I broiled them for a bit at the end to crisp them up**

Chicken Broccoli Braid

Thanks to my friend Andrea for this one:)

Ingredients

• 2 cups diced, cooked chicken meat
• 1 cup fresh broccoli, chopped
• 1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped **I omitted**
  
• 1 clove crushed garlic
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise **I used plain yogurt, I really despise mayo**
  
• 2 teaspoons dried dill weed
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons slivered almonds
• 1/4 cup diced onion
• 2 (8 ounce) packages refrigerated crescent rolls
• 1 egg white, beaten

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees F).
2. In a large bowl, toss together chicken, broccoli, red bell pepper, garlic, Cheddar cheese, mayonnaise, dill weed, salt, almonds and onion.
3. Unroll crescent roll dough, and arrange flat on a medium baking sheet. Pinch together perforations to form a single sheet of dough. Using a knife or scissors, cut 1 inch wide strips in towards the center, starting on the long sides. There should be a solid strip about 3 inches wide down the center, with the cut strips forming a fringe down each side. Spread the chicken mixture along the center strip. Fold the side strips over chicken mixture, alternating strips from each side. Pinch or twist to seal.
4. Brush braided dough with the egg white. Bake in the preheated oven 25 to 28 minutes, or until golden brown.

Chicken Crostina

Got this from the Olive Garden website per my friend LeeAnne:) I think it made way too much crust and dredging mixture, but it was yummy:)

http://www.olivegarden.com/Connections-to-Italy/Recipes/Main-Dishes/Chicken-Crostina/

Ingredients

1. 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2. 2 cups & 1 Tbsp flour
3. 1 Tbsp salt
4. 1 Tbsp pepper
5. 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
6. 1 Tbsp roasted garlic, minced
7. 1 cup white wine
8. 1 ½ cups heavy cream
9. 5 Tbsp Colavita® Extra Virgin Olive Oil
10. 1 lb linguine
11. 1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
12. 1 cup roma tomatoes, cored & diced
13. 2 Tbsp parsley, chopped
14. POTATO CRUST
15. 1 ½ cups seasoned breadcrumbs
16. ¼ cup melted butter
17. ½ tsp garlic powder
18. ¼ cup parsley, chopped
19. 1 small potato, peeled & grated
20. ¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated
21. Salt & pepper to taste

Procedures

1. MIX all ingredients for Potato Crust in a bowl and set aside.
2. MIX 1 ½ cups flour, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning in a shallow dish. Dredge chicken in the mixture, shaking off any excess. Heat 3 Tbsp oil in a large skillet. Cook chicken breasts 2 at a time over medium-high heat until golden brown and crisp, or until internal temperature reaches 165°F. Add more oil for each batch as necessary.
3. PLACE cooked chicken breasts on a baking sheet or dish and top with potato crust mixture. Transfer baking sheet to a pre-heated broiler until golden brown (1-2 minutes).
4. COOK pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
5. HEAT 2 Tbsp oil in a sauce pan. Add roasted garlic, cook for 1 minute.
Stir in 1 Tbsp of flour and wine and bring to a boil. Add cream, parmesan cheese, 1 Tbsp parsley, and tomatoes. Sauce is done when it is bubbling throughout and has started to thicken.
6. COAT pasta with sauce, then top with chicken and remaining sauce. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Asian Pork Tenderloin

Thanks to my friend Jessica for this one. It was just delicious! Picture to come when I upload:)

Ingredients

1 pork tenderloin (8-12 ounces)

1/3 cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons sesame oil

1/2 teaspoon worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon chili sauce (whatever you have on hand will work)

3 teaspoons minced garlic

2 green onions, sliced

2 teaspoons canola oil

Directions

Combine the soy sauce, sesame oil, worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, chili sauce, garlic, and half of the green onions in a large resealable freezer bag. Add the pork tenderloin and seal the bag. Marinate the pork in the refrigerator for 8-24 hours; occasionally turning the bag.

Preheat the oven to 425°. Heat the oil in a large oven-proof skillet over medium heat. Remove pork from the bag and reserve the marinade. Brown the pork on all sides; about 1-2 minutes per side. Place the pork (pan and all) into the oven and cook until a meat thermometer reads 155 degrees; 15-30 minutes. Tent with foil and let it stand for 5 minutes before slicing.

Meanwhile, bring the reserved marinade to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Cut the pork into 1/4 inch thick slices and drizzle with the sauce and remaining green onions.

Chicken Parm Meatball Subs

These were delicious! Thanks Jessica P. for sharing with me:)

Original Recipe:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/chicken-parm-meatball-subs-recipe/index.html

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds ground chicken
• 1 tablespoon grill seasoning blend (recommended: Montreal Steak Seasoning by McCormick)
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
• Handful of chopped parsley leaves
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for liberal drizzling plus, plus 3 tablespoons, 3 turns of the pan
• 2 large cloves garlic, cracked from skin and split
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, a healthy couple of pinches
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, (recommended: San Marzano)
• 1 cup chicken stock
• Salt
• Pepper
• 8 to 10 leaves fresh basil, torn or shredded
• 4 (6 to 8-inch) crusty sub rolls
• 1 1/2 cups shredded provolone

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Place chicken in a bowl and season with grill seasoning. Add egg, half of the grated cheese, bread crumbs, parsley, and a serious drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil to the bowl. Mix the meat and form 12 large meatballs. Squish the balls to flatten them a bit like mini oval meatloaves. Be careful not to form the balls wider than your bread. The flattened balls will stay put on your sub, no roll-aways! Bake the meatballs 15 minutes until golden and firm. Switch the broiler on.

While the meatballs bake, heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil and garlic and cook 5 minutes then remove the cloves. Add crushed red pepper flakes then tomatoes and stir in the chicken stock. Season the sauce with salt and pepper and simmer 10 minutes, adjust seasonings and stir in the basil. Reserve a extra sauce for dipping on dinner table.

Remove the meat from oven and loosen with a thin spatula. Turn meat balls in sauce.

Cut sub rolls making the bottom a little deeper than the top. Hollow out a little bread and lightly toast the sub rolls under broiler. Fill the bottoms of the breads with flattened balls and sauce. Combine the provolone and remaining Parmigiano. Cover the subs with cheese and return to broiler to melt the cheese until golden.

Ugh.

Somehow I just deleted all the people I follow. That sucks.

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches

Holy crap, these turned out a little spicy for my liking-I would use less sauce and we added some cream cheese to try and cool it down:)

Original recipe: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Slow-Cooker-Buffalo-Chicken-Sandwiches/Detail.aspx

Ingredients

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1 (17.5 fluid ounce) bottle buffalo wing sauce, divided
• 1/2 (1 ounce) package dry ranch salad dressing mix
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 6 hoagie rolls, split lengthwise

Directions

1. Place the chicken breasts into a slow cooker, and pour in 3/4 of the wing sauce and the ranch dressing mix. Cover, and cook on Low for 6 to 7 hours.
2. Once the chicken has cooked, add the butter, and shred the meat finely with two forks. Pile the meat onto the hoagie rolls, and splash with the remaining buffalo wing sauce to serve.

Chicken & Dumplings - Crockpot

Thanks Bonnye for sharing this with me:) Kevin and I both really enjoyed it, and it was super easy!

Chicken & Dumplings - Crockpot

• 4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast
• 1 can Fat Free Cream of Chicken Soup
• 6 biscuits (Pillsbury Golden Homestyle Buttermilk canned biscuits -2pt per biscuit)
• 1.5 cups of water
• 1/2 bag of frozen corn, green beans, carrots
• 1 Tablespoon chicken bouillon

Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces. Add all of the ingredients except for the biscuits and cook on low for 5-6 hours. Add salt, pepper and any other seasonings that you would like. In the last 30 minutes of cooking, turn your crock-pot on high and tear biscuits into 1 inch pieces and add to slow cooker.

Makes six 3/4 cup servings at 6 WW pts per serving.

Baked Ziti

Picture to follow...

Original recipe: (the only thing I added was a pound of ground beef to the top before baking)

http://www.food.com/recipe/baked-ziti-from-cooks-illustrated-354885

Ingredients:

• 1 lb 1% fat cottage cheese
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 ounces parmesan cheese, grated
• salt
• 1 lb ziti pasta
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 5 medium garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (28 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• black pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 cup heavy cream
  

  Directions:

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350°F Whisk cottage cheese, eggs and 1 cup Parmesan together in medium bowl; set aside. Bring 4 quarts of water to boil in large Dutch oven over high heat. Stir in 1 Tablespoon salt and pasta; cook, stirring occasionally, until pasta begins to soften but is not yet cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain pasta and leave in colander.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil and garlic in 12 inch skillet over medium heat until garlic is fragrant but not brown. Stir in tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and oregano; simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Off heat, stir in 1/2 cup basil and sugar, then season with salt and pepper.
3. Stir cornstarch into heavy cream in small bowl, transfer mixture to Dutch oven set over medium heat. Bring to simmer and cook until thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove pot from heat and add cottage cheese mixture, 1 cup tomato sauce and 3/4 cup mozzarella, then stir to combine. Add pasta and stir to coat.
4. Transfer pasta mixture to 13 x 9 inch baking dish and spread remaining tomato sauce evenly over pasta. Sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup mozzarella and remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan over top. Cover baking dish tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
5. Remove foil and continue to cook until cheese is bubbling and beginning to brown, about 30 minutes longer. Cool for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 3 Tablespoons basil and serve.

Chicken Spaghetti

A pioneer woman classic:)

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/06/chicken_spaghet/

Ingredients

• 2 cups Cooked Chicken
• 3 cups Dry Spaghetti, Broken Into Two Inch Pieces
• 2 cans Cream Of Mushroom Soup
• 2 cups Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
• ¼ cups Finely Diced Green Pepper
• ¼ cups Finely Diced Onion
• 1 jar (4 Ounce) Diced Pimentos, Drained
• 2 cups Reserved Chicken Broth From Pot
• 1 teaspoon Lawry's Seasoned Salt
• ⅛ teaspoons (to 1/4 Teaspoon) Cayenne Pepper
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• 1 cup Additional Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Preparation Instructions

Cook 1 cut up fryer and pick out the meat to make two cups. Cook spaghetti in same chicken broth until al dente. Do not overcook. When spaghetti is cooked, combine with remaining ingredients except additional 1 cup sharp cheddar.

Place mixture in casserole pan and top with remaining sharp cheddar. Cover and freeze up to six months, cover and refrigerate up to two days, or bake immediately: 350 degrees for 45 minutes until bubbly. (If the cheese on top starts to get too cooked, cover with foil).

Meatloaf

My dad made one more meal for us...meatloaf!

Ingredients:
2 pounds ground beef
1 cup bread crumbs
3/4 ketchup, 1/4 cup milk-mixed together
3 tsp salt
1/4 tsp thyme
1 small onion chopped fine
2 eggs slightly beaten
3-4 slices bacon




Directions:
Mix all ingredients together-except bacon, bake in 400 degree oven for 30 minutes. Lower heat to 325 degrees, put bacon on loaf, add 2 cans tomato soup around sides for gravy. Continue baking for 45 minutes.

We enjoyed this treat with mashed potatoes and corn:) Yummmm. Maybe my dad should stay and cook us up some more treats!

Chicken Cordon Bleu Pizza

My dad made this treat for us! Yummy:)

Ingredients:
1 tube refrigerated pizza crust
1 jar Alfredo
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 1/2 cups cubed fully cooked ham
10 breaded chicken nuggets thawed and cut into pieces

Directions:
Unroll dough and spread onto greased pizza pan. Bake at 425 for 8-10 minutes until edges are browned. Spread with Alfredo sauce, sprinkle with garlic salt and Swiss cheese. Top with ham, chicken nuggets, and mozzarella. Bake 8-10 minutes until golden brown.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

I love this stuff. I don't follow the original recipe I was given, but here is what I do...

Ingredients:
2 large cans cooked white meat chicken (drained)
1 bottle ranch
8oz cream cheese
Franks Red Hot to taste
Grated cheese to top-whatever kind you like

Directions:
On stove top combine ranch, cream cheese, chicken, and franks, heat until combined, then transfer mixture to pan, top with grated cheese and bake at 350 for 20 minutes or so until bubbly. Serve with tortilla chips/scoops.

Black Bean, Feta, & Rice Dip

This is a great dip, and very filling. Yum. Sorry no picture, I forgot.

1 (15oz) can of black beans (drained)
1 can petite diced tomatoes (drained)
1 1/2 cups cooked, cooled rice
4oz crumbled Feta cheese
1/2 cup Italian dressing
2T chopped Cilantro

Mix all ingredients and chill. Serve with tortilla chips.

Winter Salad

This, in my opinion is the salad that put me into labor! Thanks to my aunt's sister who made this treat as my last meal before Maci was born!

Dressing
Blend together:
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup lemon juice (juice from 1 lemon)
2 tsp finely chopped onion
1 tsp dijon mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp poppy seeds
Then add 2/3 cup oil and mix shake well
(top with dressing just before serving!)

Salad
1 large head Romaine lettuce (I just used a bag of Romaine for ease)
1 cup shredded swiss cheese
1 cup cashews
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1 cubed apple
1 cubed pear

Mix it all together and top with dressing right before serving. YUMMY!

Yum. The picture does it no justice.

Crockpot Chicken With Broccoli

Easy Crockpot Meal

Sorry for no picture, I have no idea where it is on my computer:)

http://southernfood.about.com/od/crockpotchicken/r/bl122c2.htm?r=et

Cook Time: 4 hours

Total Time: 4 hours

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless chicken breast halves
• 2 envelopes Good Seasons Italian Dressing
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened
• 1 can (10 1/2 oz.) condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1 can (4 oz.) mushrooms, drained
• 8 oz. frozen broccoli cuts
• 1 pound linguini, cooked and drained

Preparation:

Cut chicken in pieces and place in the crockpot. Mix the salad dressing mix with the water and pour over the chicken. Cover and cook on low for about 3 hours. In a small mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and soup until blended. Stir in the mushrooms and pour the mixture over the chicken. Add broccoli cuts and cook for about 1 more hour. Serve the chicken sauce over the hot cooked cooked linguini.

Cornflake-Coated Pork Chops

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 5 cups cornflake cereal, crushed (about 2 cups crushed)
• 6 boneless pork chops (about 3/4-inch thick)
• 2 teaspoons lemon pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 large lemon, halved
• Garnish: halved lemon slices

Preparation

1. Stir together eggs and milk in a shallow dish. Place cornflake crumbs in a separate shallow dish. Sprinkle pork evenly with lemon pepper, salt, and garlic powder. Dip pork chops in egg mixture, and dredge in cornflake crumbs. Place chops on a lightly greased rack on a baking sheet.

2. Bake at 350° for 30 to 35 minutes or until done. Squeeze lemon juice evenly over chops, and garnish, if desired.

**I cut this recipe in half** You can find the original recipe here.

Chicken Stroganoff

A simple variation of beef stroganoff:) I wanted it, but the beef was still frozen, and I had chicken defrosted.

Ingredients
Chicken strips/tenderloins/breasts cut up-whatever size you prefer
Olive Oil
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
A can of water
1 package of dry onion soup mix
16 oz sour cream
Wide egg noodles
Butter

Directions
Cook chicken in oil in skillet, after chicken is cooked through, mix in mushroom soup, onion soup, and a little water-maybe a can or so. Stir until all combined and bring to a boil. Let simmer until tender (cover and turn temp down). When close to serving time, cook noodles according to package, and when done, drain and add some butter to them. Right before serving add the sour cream to the beef mixture, and stir in. Once its all warm, serve over the noodles.

Crockpot Cube Steaks

Easiest thing ever...I am really going to start using my crock pot since I go back to work this week-AH! :(

Ingredients
Cube Steaks
2 cans Golden Mushroom Soup
Water
Salt and Pepper

Directions
Pop those cube steaks and the soup and a can of water in a crockpot on low all day....add some salt and pepper, and serve over some mashed potatoes=delish.

I love Sunday Supper:)

Grilled Chicken with Spinach Pesto

It was originally Grilled Chicken with Arugula Pesto, but I didn't have any arugula, so I used spinach, find the original recipe here http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/grilled-chicken-with-arugula-pesto-recipe/index.html. We had this with the Caesar Spaghetti.

With the spaghetti...

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup sliced or slivered almonds or shelled pistachios
• 1 cup packed fresh arugula leaves(Spinach)
• 1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1 clove garlic, grated or minced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breast

Directions

Heat a grill pan to high.

Toast the nuts lightly in small skillet over low heat, then add them to a food processor.

Add the arugula, basil, lemon juice, garlic, and salt and pepper, to taste, and pulse to combine.

With the processor on, stream in the extra-virgin olive oil to form thick pesto.

Lightly pound out the chicken, then rub all sides with the pesto. Spray the grill pan with cooking spray or rub with a little oil and grill the chicken 2 to 4 minutes on each side.

Cook's Note: Serve sliced on top of Caesar Spaghetti or, pile it onto ciabatta bread with sliced tomatoes and mozzarella for an outta-sight sammy.

Caesar Spaghetti

I was excited to try this one, because I love Caesar salad...:) We had it with the Pesto Chicken posted...here is the original recipe http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/food/recipes/caesar-style-spaghetti/.

Pretty good!

Ingredients

• Salt
• 1 pound spaghetti or while wheat/grain spaghetti
• 1/4 cup EVOO - Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus some for drizzling
• 6-8 anchovy filets, drained
• 4 large cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, eyeball the amount
• 2 medium heads of escarole, washed and dried
• 1 lemon
• Lots of coarse black pepper
• Freshly grated nutmeg, about 1/4 teaspoon, or to your taste
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 1/2 cups grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Directions

Place a large pot of water over high heat to boil for pasta. Once boiling, salt water and cook pasta to just shy of al dente, according to package directions or about 6-7 minutes. Heads up: you need to reserve some starchy cooking water just before draining, about 1 cup. Pasta will continue to cook as you toss it with the greens.

While the pasta is cooking, place a large skillet over medium-high heat with the EVOO. Add anchovies to the pan and cook until they've melted into the oil, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium low and add garlic, stir 1 minute then add in Worcestershire. Shred the escarole and add several handfuls at a time, wilting greens into garlic oil. Dress greens with lots of pepper and a little nutmeg then squeeze the juice of 1 lemon over the pan. Add starchy cooking water to eggs and beat together to temper them. Turn off pan heat and toss drained pasta with greens and eggs and half of the cheese to coat evenly; toss vigorously 1 minute. Dress pasta with an extra drizzle of EVOO and serve, pass remaining cheese at table.

Chicken Enchiladas

After I had Maci, our friends Heather and Adam brought us these enchiladas-which was awesome. I just made up another pan today for tomorrow's dinner:)

Before baking!


Ingredients
1 Can of Green Chili Enchilada sauce
3 Chicken Breasts (poached and shredded) (I just used the can chicken because I am extra lazy)
1 package of Cream Cheese
1/4 C Milk
1/2 C Salsa or Rotel
1/2 C Shredded Cheese (mexican blend)
1/2 tsp Cumin
1/2 tsp Chili Powder
Salt and Pepper to taste
6-8 Tortillas

Directions (or freeze/refrigerate for a meal another day!)
Pre-heat oven to 375 Pour half the can of Green Chili sauce in the bottom of baking dish. In a skillet melt cream cheese and milk. Then add rest of the ingredients til light simmer. Spoon into tortillas and place them in baking dish. Pour the rest of the Green Chili Sauce on top. Top with 3/4 C shredded Cheese. Bake for 25-30 minutes.