Chicken Tetrazzini

Happy New Year!

I made this recipe from the same cookbook as I made my recently posted breakfast casserole from, after hearing that this version of chicken tetrazzini was really good. And it is so, so good! It's a more simplified version of the dish, with fewer ingredients than most versions, but such good flavor. I liked the simplicity of ingredients, and the chicken broth and white wine are always a wonderful combination in my opinion. This was a very simple dish to make, and I actually baked half of it for my family of four and froze the remaining half for a future dinner. Everyone loved this dinner and I will be sure to make it again!

I did not get a photo, but don't let that stop you from trying this recipe!

Chicken Tetrazzini

From Tables of Content, a Junior League of Birmingham cookbook

I N G R E D I E N  T S :

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

6 Tbsp white wine

1 tsp salt

1 tsp white pepper

3 cups chopped cooked chicken breasts

8 ounces angel hair pasta

1/2 cup (2 oz) shredded parmesan cheese

2 Tbsp butter

1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs (here is a link for making your own)

1/4 tsp salt

D I  R E C T I O  N S :

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Melt 1/2 cup butter in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Whisk in the flour until blended and cook for 1 minute, whisking constantly. Stir in the cream, broth, wine, 1 tsp salt and white pepper and bring to a boil.

Cook for 8 minutes or until thick and bubbly, whisking constantly. Remove from the heat and stir in the chicken, pasta and cheese. Spoon the pasta mixture into a greased 9x13 baking dish.

Melt 2 Tbsp butter in a skillet. Brown the bread crumbs in the butter and remove from the heat. Stir in 1/4 tsp salt and sprinkle the bread crumb mixture over the top of the chicken mixture. Bake for 20 minutes of until brown and bubbly.

cheesy broccoli quinoa casserole

Raise your hand if you are always seeing recipes with quinoa these days and hearing about how nutritious it is! I've known how healthy it is for some time now (amongst other things it is the most complete protein of any grain and a good source of vitamins and minerals...here is an article I found on its many benefits, if you are interested), and wanted a good recipe to try for nights when we have vegetables and need something with protein. This recipe looked good, and it was! I didn't even add the cooked chicken since we were having a meatless meal, and it was great. My whole family liked it, and I have already made it twice this past month. This was a great casserole type dish, but it is healthy, and loaded with protein. It has a great flavor. The first time I made it, I only had half the amount of quinoa I needed, so I used a smaller amount, omitted the chicken, and used the full amounts of other ingredients. It gave me a lot of cheese sauce, but it was still really good! This is a great healthy alternative to broccoli chicken casserole, or a good meatless dish if you omit the chicken.

Cheesy broccoli quinoa casserole

From Annie's Eats

Makes about 8-10 servings (I usually divide this recipe in half and it more than enough for the four of us to have at dinner)

I N G R E D I  E N T S :

1½ cups quinoa

1 head broccoli, cut into small florets
3 tbsp. unsalted butter
3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 shallots, diced (I didn't have any-you can substitute with onion or even a dash of onion powder)
2 cups milk (low-fat is fine)
¼ tsp. garlic powder
¼ tsp. dry mustard
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper (I omitted)
Salt and pepper, to taste
8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded*
2 cups shredded cooked chicken

D I R E C  T I O N S :

Cook the quinoa according to the package directions.  Meanwhile, place the broccoli in a saucepan and add a couple inches of water.  Cover and bring to a boil over high heat.  Let boil just 1-2 minutes more, until the broccoli is crisp-tender.  Drain immediately and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking.  Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 400˚ F.  To make the cheese sauce, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Whisk in the flour, shallots, garlic powder, dry mustard and cayenne.  Continue whisking the mixture until it is light golden, about 1-2 minutes.  Slowly whisk in the milk.  Allow the sauce to simmer, stirring frequently, until the mixture bubbles and thickens, about 5 minutes.  Remove from the heat.  Whisk in the cheddar until melted and smooth.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  In a large bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, broccoli florets, shredded cooked chicken and the cheese sauce.  Fold together gently until evenly combined.

Transfer the mixture to a lightly greased casserole dish.  Bake until the top is lightly browned, about 20-25 minutes.  Serve warm.

Baked Ziti

I ran across this recipe a while back and decided to try it out tonight. We really enjoyed this dish and it wasn't hard at all to make. The original recipe calls for turkey italian sausage but, since I'm not usually a big fan of sausage unless it's in breakfast food, I decided to go meatless. The taste was great, it was filling, and we didn't miss the meat at all (and it also made for a cheaper meal, which is always a plus!). I made this but, since we couldn't possibly eat the entire dish and I'm in the process of stocking my freezer, I froze half of it, and we still had enough left over from dinner to have for leftovers later this week. If you are looking for a recipe for baked ziti, this is a great one to try. 

Baked Ziti

Recipe here from Annie's Eats

My changes/comments are noted below in italics

I N G R E D I E N T S :

1 lb. whole milk or 1% cottage cheese (I used cottage cheese but ricotta would be great as well.)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 oz. grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 1/2 cups), divided
Table salt
1 lb. ziti
1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
20 oz. turkey Italian sausage (I did not use any meat and it was great. Just depends on if you want meat or not.)
1/2 cup yellow onion, finely chopped
5 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 (28 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp. chopped fresh basil leaves, divided (I only had dried basil, so I used 1/3 of the amount it calls for)
1 tsp. sugar
Ground black pepper
3/4 tsp. cornstarch
1 cup heavy cream (or whole milk) (I used whole milk)
8 oz. low-moisture mozzarella, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

D I R E C T I O N S :

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350° F.  Whisk cottage cheese, eggs, and 1 cup Parmesan together in a medium bowl; set aside.  Bring a large pot of water to boil.  Stir in 1 tablespoon salt and the pasta; cook until pasta begins to soften but is not yet cooked through, 5-7 minutes.  Drain the pasta and leave in colander.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Crumble in the turkey sausage and cook until nearly browned.  Add in the onion and garlic and continue to cook until the onion is softened and the sausage is completely browned.  Stir in the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and oregano; simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes.  Off the heat, stir in 1/2 cup basil and the sugar, and season with salt and pepper.  

In a small bowl stir together the cornstarch and heavy cream.  Transfer the mixture to the now-empty stockpot over medium heat.  Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened, 3-4 minutes.  Remove the pot from the heat and add the cottage cheese mixture, 1 1/2 cups of the tomato sauce and 3/4 cup mozzarella.  Stir to combine.  Add the pasta and toss to coat thoroughly with the sauce.

Transfer the pasta to a 9×13″ baking dish and spread the remaining tomato sauce evenly over the top.  Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan over the top.  Cover the baking dish tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

Remove the foil from the pan and continue to cook until the cheese is bubbling and beginning to brown, about 30 minutes longer.  Cool for 20 minutes.  Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons basil and serve. 

Inside out Ravioli

This is a very simple dish to make. The recipe calls for store-bought sauce, which I don't normally use, but I have to admit that it was a huge time saver. Rather than making one 9x13 dish, I made two small round pans and froze them because I'm having a baby in May and am currently stocking my freezer for meals in preparation. While we haven't actually had this meal yet, the few bites I sampled before freezing the dish tasted good, so I'm looking forward to trying it out in a few weeks!

Inside Out Ravioli

adapted from a recipe in The Christmas Cottage Cookbook

I N G R E D I E N T S :

1 (10-oz) pkg. frozen chopped spinach, cooked acc. to pkg. directions-reserve the water from cooking.

1 lb. ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped

1 (15-oz) jar spaghetti with mushrooms (I used Ragu super chunky mushroom)

1 (8-oz) can tomato sauce

1 (6-z) can tomato paste

1/2 cup soft bread crumbs (all I had was panko so I used that, but any is probably find)

1/4 cup oil

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 (8-oz) pkg. shell macaroni, cooked

D I R E C T I O N S :

Bring a pot of water to a boil, and cook macaroni shells according to package directions.

Meanwhile, cook spinach according to package directions; drain well, reserving liquid. Set aside.

Brown ground beef with onion. Once finished,  add spaghetti sauce, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and spinach liquid. Simmer 10 minutes.

Combine spinach with bread crumbs, oil and cheese. Mix well and add to cooked macaroni shells.

Pour meat sauce over top of shell mixture, and stir until combined.

Spread in 9x13 baking dish (or two 8x8 or small around pans). 

Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Serves 6-8.

mexican lasagna

The picture just doesn't do this dish justice!

Have you ever had mexican lasagna? I never had, but I thought it sounded good. I searched for the right recipe, but just never found one that sounded exactly like I wanted. So, I looked at several variations, thought about how I would want one to taste, and came up with my own. I wasn't sure how it would turn out, but I knew we would would either love it or hate it! So, I was pleasantly surprised to hear my husband immediately say how much he loved it, and that he could eat it all the time. Yay! He even said, "you need to put this one on the blog!". That said, I knew it must be worthy of a post. This lasagna has the basic makeup of a traditional lasagna, but uses southwestern and mexican flavors and ingredients instead. This recipe makes 1 9x12 lasagna, but I divided it up into 8x8 pans and somehow managed to get 3 8x8's out of it by using slightly thinner layers. Two went into the freezer and we can't wait to eat them soon, and I will definitely be making this again!

Mexican Lasagna

I N G R E D I E N T S :

2 Tbsp. oil (I used XVOO)

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 onion, chopped

1 bell pepper chopped

1 lb ground beef

Taco seasoning-one package, or click here for a make-your-own substitute

1/2 cup water

28 ounce diced tomatoes, drained (you might leave a little water, but drain most of it)

1 14-oz can of tomatoes and green chilis (rotel...and I used mild because I didn't want a lot of heat)

1 cup salsa, divided into two 1/2 cups

15 oz ricotta (I know, this is an italian ingredient, but the flavor and texture does go well with the dish)

1/2 cup sour cream

2 cups frozen corn, thawed

8 tortillas (i used whole wheat, but just use whichever type you prefer)

16 oz monterey jack cheese

D I R E C T I O N S :

In a large pot or dutch oven over medium high heat, saute onion, garlic, and bell pepper until tender. 

Add in ground beef, and cook thoroughly. I usually turn the heat up to high halfway through, and I also stir it the entire time so it will break up well. Once beef is completely cooked, drain off fat. 

Add taco seasoning, 1/2 cup water, and turn heat to low, stirring and letting simmer for 3-5 minutes.

Add tomatoes, rotel, and 1/2 cup of the salsa. Let everything simmer for around 15 minutes, or longer. I let it simmer uncovered so that the liquid will reduce. If you don't have much liquid, then you can cover it and let it simmer.

Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, combine sour cream, remaining 1/2 cup of salsa, and 2 cups of corn together, and stir well.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Once the sauce has had time to cook and reduce a little, begin assembling your lasagna. Using a slotted spoon for the sauce, place a small layer of sauce in the bottom of your baking dish. 

On top of the sauce, make a layer of tortillas (where you would normally use lasagna noodles). I used 1 large tortilla for every layer in my 8x8 pans, but if you have a 9x12 you will need two large tortillas, side by side. You can break them up into strips, or leave them whole (I left them whole because they get cut up anyway). 

On top of the tortillas, place a thin layer of the ricotta/salsa/corn mixture. Then sprinkle some of the monterey jack cheese. Repeat layers in the following order: Tortillas, meat sauce, ricotta mixture, and monterey jack. You'll make 3-4 complete layers, depending on how much of everything you use per layer and how many tortillas use have (just like a lasagna). You should end with one last layer of tortillas, sauce, ricotta mixture, and then a generous layer of monterey jack.

Place in oven, and bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly but not overly browned.

This is a great dish to freeze, so if you are making it for just 2-3 people, you can always break it up into 2 or 3 8x8 pans and freeze some of it instead of just keeping it around for leftovers all week. 

Best ever cheesy new potatoes

This dish is delicious!! We had company over a couple of nights ago and I wish I would have doubled this recipe because I could have eaten twice as much. These are super simple and will be a go-to recipe for sure. This may not be the healthiest dish, but it is worth it. Trust me when I say you should make this!

Best ever cheesy new potatoes

Adapted from a from a recipe in Food for Thought

I N G R E D I E N T S :
10 coarsely chopped small new potatoes

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper (or 1/8 tsp. ground red pepper if you 
like more heat-I used black)

Optional, 1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped (my husband dislikes 
tomatoes so I left it out)

D I R E C T I O N S :

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large saucepan, cook the potatoes and chopped onion, covered, 

In a small amount of boiling water for 12-15 minutes, or until tender.

Drain potatoes. Stir in remaining ingredients.

Spoon into 1-quart rectangular baking dish.

Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes, or until heated through.

PW's Chicken Pot Pie

I made Pioneer Woman's chicken pot pie last night, and simply fell in love. So okay, everyone, promise me you will try this recipe. It's Ah-mazing! You won't regret it. If I could say anything to the pioneer woman right now, it would go something like this:

Dear Ree (since we are on a first name basis and all...),

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for this recipe. You did it again. Oh my, this is the best chicken pot pie I've ever tasted- not because of my stellar cooking abilities, but because of you, PW. You were awesome to share it with us in your cookbook, and I am forever grateful. This is hands down one incredible tasting dinner, and I had to restrain myself from eating half the pie in one sitting last night so that we could have little left over for tonight. My husband is smitten as well, and we will be feasting on this meal on a regular basis. I doubled the recipe, and the one in the freezer is already calling my name. You are awesome. My picture does not do this dish justice.


Well, now that I've gotten that out, here is the recipe. In case you haven't already caught on-this is definitely a must try. It's simple, satisfying, and delicious. I would make this for company or to take one to a friend in a heartbeat.

PW's Chicken Pot Pie
From The Pioneer Woman Cooks


My comments in italics
Makes one 9-inch pie

I N G R E D I E N T S :

3 celery stalks
3 medium carrots, peeled
1 large yellow onion
4 Tbsp. (1/2 stick) butter
1/2 cup frozen peas
2 cups cooked chicken, cut into bite sized pieces (I boiled two frozen chicken breasts per pie)
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 chicken bouillon cube
1/2 cup white wine (optional) (I left this out, but I'm sure it would be a great addition)
1 cup heavy cream (all I had was half and half, and it was just fine)
 I also added some shredded mild cheddar cheese to mine-probably between 1/4-1/2 cup
1 tsp. ground thyme (I only used half of this because I am sensitive to the taste and didn't want too much)
1 tsp. kosher salt, or more to taste
Black pepper to taste
1 pie crust (I cheated and used store bought)


D I R E C T I O N S :

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Begin by finely dicing the vegetables. Slice the celery stalks into narrow strips, then slice in the other direction to create a fine dice.

Repeat this process with the carrots and onion.

Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery and peas. Saute until the vegetables start to turn translucent, a couple of minutes.

Add the chicken and stir to combine. Sprinkle the flour evenly over the vegetables and chicken and stir to combine. Cook for a couple of minutes, stirring gently.

Pour in the chicken broth, stirring constantly. Stir in the bouillon cube and wine, if using. The flour will combine with the chicken to create a delicious gravy.

Pour in the cream (and cheddar cheese if you choose) and stir. Allow the mixture to cook over low heat, thickening gradually, about 4 minutes. Season with thyme, salt, and pepper. Remove from heat. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed. Be sure its adequately salted!

Pour the chicken mixture into a deep pie pan or small casserole dish.

Roll out the crust so that it's 1 inch larger than the pan. Place the crust on top of the chicken mixture and cut small slits in the top. Press the crust gently into the sides of the dish to seal. I don't worry about making a perfect edge on my chicken pot pie because 1) it looks more rustic and B) I'm lazy and hungry, and I want to eat (PW's words-I agree!).


Bake for 30 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Use a large spoon to serve.

Baked chicken and veggies

Don’t you just love it when you try a new meal that is really easy and are surprised by how tasty it is? Well, this meal certainly falls into that category. Last week I bought two bags of frozen chicken breasts on sale, so the other day I was rummaging around seeing what I could make with some of that chicken for dinner. I looked through a little recipe booklet I had received over email and noticed I had everything on hand to make this. It was so easy to make, and it really is delicious and satisfying. I think my husband liked it more than anything I had made in a while! It’s comfort food, but not high in fat or calories. The only unhealthy ingredient is the cream of chicken soup, and I figure a little of that here and there won’t kill anyone. I literally threw this dish in the oven for a couple of hours and had a complete meal, other than some spinach I made for a green side.

This recipe calls for bone-in chicken breasts, but I used frozen, unthawed boneless, skinless chicken breasts and simply increased the cooking time from 1 hour to 2 hours. I loved how done the vegetables were after cooking the dish for this time.

Baked Chicken and Veggies

From Simple Suppers for Busy Moms

I N G R E D I E N T S :

4 bone-in chicken breasts, remove skin (I used unthawed, frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts)

1 large potato, sliced (I used a few new potatoes and quartered them)

1 bag peeled mini carrots (I sliced up some regular carrots)

1 onion, quartered

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 package Good Seasons dressing mix (I found a spice mix recipe online for a substitute. See below)

Salt and pepper

Paprika

Good Seasons Italian Salad Dressing Recipe 

(click above on title for a link to the site)

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 clove garlic (I used the equivalent to 1 clove in garlic powder; I think it was 1/4 tsp.)

1 tsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. dry mustard

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1/4 tsp. dried basil

freshly ground pepper to taste

D I R E C T I O N S :

Season chicken with salt, pepper and paprika. 

Placed in a greased 9x13 pyrex and add veggies around chicken.

Stir together soup and dressing mix and pour on top.

Cover with foil.

Bake at 350 for about 1 hour (if using frozen, unthawed breasts, increase cooking time to 2 hours)

Lasagna

This past week was my turn to host and serve the main course for a cooking club I've been part of. We have gone through Tables of Content, by the Junior League of Birmingham, so everything we made is in it. Here is the lasagna recipe. It was tasty and not at all complicated. I made the meat sauce the day before I prepared it, so it was really easy to put together. Sorry...no picture. But we all know what this stuff looks like!

Lasagna
From Tables of Content
by the Junior League of Birmingham

I N G R E D I E N T S :

1 pound ground beef
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
3 tomato paste cans water
1 envelope spaghetti seasoning mix  (I used McCormick's brand)
3 cups cottage cheese
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp. fresh parsley (I just sprinkled in some dried parsley)
8 no-boil lasagna noodles (Use these-trust me. They are your friend!)
1 pound mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced (I used shredded)
Grated parmesan cheese to taste

D I R E C T I O N S :

Brown the ground beef with the garlic in a skillet over medium-high heat, stirring until the ground beef is crumbly; drain.
Mix the tomato sauce, tomato paste, water and seasoning mix in a bowl and add to the ground beef mixture.
Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Mix the cottage cheese, egg and parsley in a bowl.
Spread 1/3 of the ground beef mixture in a 9x13-inch baking dish sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
Layer with 1/2 of the noodles, 1/2 of the cottage cheese mixture and 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese.
Top with 1/2 of the remaining ground beef mixture, the remaining noodles, remaining cottage cheese mixture and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Bake, covered, for 30 minutes. Remove the cover and bake for 30 minutes longer.

Baked chicken with vegetables in white wine

Here is another easy dinner you can make with FROZEN chicken straight out of the bag. I'm trying to come up with lots of recipes to do this with because it makes for such little preparation and no having to clean up after handling slimy, raw chicken. This is a spinoff of the pork chops in white wine dish I've posted on here, and I got the idea of this variation from my sister. The end result is like a chicken version of a pot roast, complete with a very yummy sauce/gravy that is made from everything baking together. This is a nice one dish meal that is low fat, healthy, and a good combination of protein and vegetables. No picture this time but, like a pot roast, its aesthetic qualities just wouldn't do it justice. Enjoy!

baked chicken with vegetables in white wine

I N G R E D I E N T S :

2-3 pieces of frozen chicken (or more if they are small and will fit into a 9X12 dish)
4 carrots (or more, or less...), peeled and cut into 2-3" long pieces
1 onion, chopped
2 pieces of celery, cut into 2-3" long pieces
3 baking potatoes or several small new potatoes. peel baking potatoes but you don't have to peel the new potatoes, and cut into chunks.
1/3-1 cup white cooking wine (you can use 1 cup and less broth but I only had 1/3 cup)
1 tsp soy sauce (my sister uses 2 Tbsp and likes it, so you might want to try more for more flavor).
1 cup chicken broth or 1 cup water with 1 bullion cube (you can also omit this or use less, and use more cooking wine)
salt and pepper to taste

D I R E C T I O N S

Preheat oven to 350.

Clean, peel, and chop the vegetables while oven preheats.

In a 9x12 pan, place frozen chicken breasts. Place vegetables on top. Season with salt and pepper.

Mix wine, broth, and soy sauce together. Pour over vegetables and chicken.

Cover dish with foil, and bake at 350 for 1 1/2-2 hours, or until chicken is done. If you cook it a little longer than you need, it's okay-like a roast, the chicken just seems to get more tender as it cooks in the sauce.

Chicken Italiano

Tonight I tried a new recipe from an email I recently received of a collection of quick, simple, and tasty dinner recipes that was put together by some moms. I have been eager to try one of the many that claims to have a preparation time of under 15 minutes. A friend of mine had mentioned that this dish is great, so I decided to make it tonight. I was so impressed! It was extremely easy to prepare-you take frozen chicken (yes, frozen!), top it with a few tasty ingredients, plop it in the oven, and there you have it. I love how easy it was, and we really liked the flavor of mushrooms, artichokes, parmesan cheese, and italian seasonings (how can you go wrong with those ingredients?). This will certainly be a meal I make again!

Chicken Italiano
from Simple Suppers for Busy Moms

I N G R E D I E N T S :

3-4 FROZEN boneless, skinless, chicken breasts (you can also use thawed if that is what you have)
3/4 cup italian dressing
1/2 cup fresh mushrooms (optional, but I actually used more because we love them)
1 can quartered artichokes, drained
1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup italian breadcrumbs
1/2 stick melted butter

D I R E C T I O N S :

Place (frozen) chicken breasts in greased casserole dish. Pour dressing on top. Add mushrooms and artichokes. Sprinkle with Parmesan and breadcrumbs, then melted butter. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

King Ranch Chicken

This is a classic casserole recipe, and a great meal to have on hand. Good to double and freeze, this makes for good comfort food to pop in the oven after a long day!

I N G R E D I E N T S :

1 large onion, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
Vegetable cooking spray
2 cups chopped and cooked chicken breasts
1 (10-oz) can cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 (10-oz) can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 (10-oz) can diced tomato and green chiles (rotel or generic brand, mild or medium)
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
12 (6-inch) corn tortillas (I think I used flour tortillas, instead)
1 (8-oz) bag shredded cheddar cheese

D I R E C T I O N S :

Saute onion and bell pepper in a large skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat 5 minutes, or until tender.

Stir in chicken and next 6 ingredients; remove from heat.

Tear tortillas into 1-inch pieces; layer half of the tortilla pieces on the bottom of a 13x9-inch (or 2 8x8-inch) baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with half of the chicken mixture and half of the cheese. Repeat layers, ending with cheese.

Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until bubbly.

swiss chicken

a friend passed this recipe along to me, and i thought i would give it a try. we had it last night for dinner, and it was really good. this dish could not have been easier to prepare. simple, affordable, and quick, this is a perfect meal to make when you just don't want to spend much time in the kitchen, as it takes under 10 minutes to put together.

swiss chicken casserole
from all recipes

I N G R E D I E N T S :

6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (i only used 3 and cooked i in a slightly smaller dish)
6 slices Swiss cheese (again, i only used 3)
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1/4 cup milk
1 (8 ounce) package dry bread stuffing mix
1/2 cup melted butter

D I R E C T I O N S :

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish (or a smaller dish if making less).
Arrange chicken breasts in the baking dish. Place one slice of Swiss cheese on top of each chicken breast. Combine cream of chicken soup and milk in a medium bowl, and pour over chicken breasts. Sprinkle with stuffing mix. Pour melted butter over top, and cover with foil.
Bake 50 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.

poppy seed chicken

this dinner is delicious! this is a great meal for your family, or to take to someone who is sick or just had a baby. now, i will warn you-this isn't on my top 5 list of most nutritious meals. and i know a couple weeks ago, i wrote about how i don't usually like recipes that call for a lot of creamy soups. perhaps i was a little too harsh. trust me-this one is worth it! it is so easy, but tastes wonderful. i guarantee that your friends and family will love it. this is also a great meal to freeze. last week i doubled the recipe and divided it into 4 smaller batches. we had one for dinner and i froze the other batches in 8x8 pans. this is a great meal to have on hand for a comfort food type dinner! i completely forgot to take pictures, and i also made a recipe for bean bundles, which are also extremely easy, delicious, and impressive looking. i will post the bean bundles the next time i make them (i also doubled that recipe and froze three small batches, so i'm sure we'll be eating one soon!), i'll be sure to take pictures and post them so that you can see what they look like before you make them.

poppy seed chicken
from the christmas cottage cookbook

I N G R E D I E N T S :

4-6 chicken breasts (i use boneless, skinless chicken breasts)
1 cup sour cream
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 small package of slivered almonds

topping:
1 stick butter, melted
2 Tbsp. poppy seeds
1 stack Ritz crackers, crushed


D I R E C T I O N S :

cook chicken (i usually boil or poach it). cut into bite-sized pieces and mix with sour cream, soups and almonds. pour into a 13x9x2-inch casserole dish (or 2 8x8 dishes). mix the topping ingredients together and drizzle on top of casserole. bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. it will be bubbly around edges. serve over lipton's (or knorr brand) chicken-flavored rice, if desired*.

*i make this with the chicken flavored rice (so easy) and bean bundles (recipe to come soon). It is delicious!

my two casseroles...

if it ain't broke, don't fix it. that's how i feel about these two dishes, which are really my only go-to casseroles. these are really simple, traditional sides without any fancy twist or expensive ingredients, and my husband would probably like for me to cook them at least once a week. growing up, my family never made casseroles, so i wasn't used to them beyond church dinners, and i must admit that i usually didn't care for many of the gooky "cream-of-this-or-that" concoctions that awaited us. in fact, i must admit, i still stereotype most recipes that involve the very word "casserole". my husband's family, however, makes both a squash casserole and a broccoli casserole that i really like. no funny hidden ingredients, not overly gooky, very simple to make, and very yummy. great to double or triple and freeze. they aren't fancy, and they aren't extremely healthy, but here they are. there are no pictures, because, let's face it-casseroles usually aren't considered pretty in appearance, no matter how good they taste!

broccoli casserole:

I N G R E D I E N T S :

2 bags frozen chopped broccoli
3/4 stick butter (i use less...just 3 or so tablespoons)
4-5 (or more, depending on how cheesy you like it) slices of kraft american cheese (or cheese of choice, and you can even use an 8 ounce block of american cheese if you want it really cheesy)
1 roll ritz crackers

D I R E C T I O N S :

preheat oven to 350 degrees.

cook two packs of broccoli in a small amount of water (1/2 cup or so) for about 7 minutes, or until tender, and drain. you can also steam the broccoli for 10 minutes, which better retains the nutrients.

for ritz crumbs, you may either crush the crackers and use them, or if you really want to make it tasty (and fatty!), melt a few Tbsp. butter in a pan and stir crumbs into it.

mash broccoli with a fork or beaters until pureed. add the butter and cheese, and stir while broccoli is still hot.

spray dish with cooking spray and pour 1/2 of the broccoli mixture into the dish. cover with half the crumbs. repeat broccoli and crumbs.

bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees, or until crumbs are a golden brown.


squash casserole

I N G R E D I E N T S :

3 lbs squash, sliced or diced
1 Tbsp, butter
2 Tbsp. diced onion, optional
1 can cream of mushroom soup ( i usually don't use the entire can...more like 1/2-3/4 of it)
1 bag shredded cheddar cheese
1 roll ritz crackers

D I R E C T I O N S :

preheat oven to 350 degrees.

boil sliced squash (and onion, if using) in butter and a small amount of water (1/2 cup or so) until tender, or steam for about 10 minutes or until easily mashed with a fork. drain water and mash or beat squash until pureed.

crush roll of ritz crackers. if you want, you can mix with some melted butter. i don't do this, but i am sure it would taste good.

spray dish with cooking spray. add 1/3-1/2 of squash mixture to dish. spread a small layer of mushroom soup over the squash, then top with a layer of cheese and a layer of ritz crumbs. repeat other third or remaining half of squash, then soup, cheddar, and crumbs, ending with crumbs (you'll have 2 or 3 layers, depending on how you divided up the squash).

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, or until crumbs are a golden brown.

if you want to freeze these, assemble and then freeze prior to baking. to bake after they are frozen, i usually just cook them at 350 for 1 1/2 or 2 hours and i tent them with foil until the last 30 minutes. you could also thaw them and then bake for the regular amount of time.

blue corn chip casserole and sauteed corn

Tonight I tried this new recipe, and it was pretty tasty and very, very easy to make! I'm not a big casserole person, but this one sounded good, honestly, just because I love those blue corn chips by Garden of Eatin, and I thought they would be good in a mexican casserole dish. I altered the original recipe somewhat, so I'll just put the adapted version on here. My husband really liked this dish a lot, so I'm sure I'll be making it again. It's not the most nutritional meal I've made, but that's okay. A casserole can't hurt every now and then, can it?
I made this with spanish rice, spinach (had to have something green...), and sauteed corn, which I have also included the recipe for.

BLUE CORN CHIP CASSEROLE
Adapted from The Christmas Cottage Cookbook

I N G R E D I E N T S :

1/3 cup onion
1 lb. chicken (original recipe says to use chicken or ground beef)
1 tsp. oil
1/2 tsp. garlic salt (or more, to taste)
1/2 tsp. cumin (or more, to taste)
1/2 tsp. chili powder (or more, to taste)
2 (8-oz) cans tomato sauce *
1 cup ricotta cheese (original calls for cottage cheese, but i always prefer ricotta in dishes)
1 cup sour cream
1 (4-oz) can chopped green chilies
1 cup black olives (I did not use these)
1 (8-oz) bag blue corn chips (I like Garden of Eatin much better than other brands)
1 lb. Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded

D I R E C T I O N S :

If using chicken, boil or poach, and then chop up. Place in skillet along with a small amount of oil and the onions. Sprinkle the chicken and onions with garlic, cumin, and chili powders, and brown until onions are soft and clear (if using beef, you would simply brown the beef with the onions instead of cooking it beforehand).
Add tomato sauce and simmer for about 15 minutes.
Combine ricotta cheese, sour cream, chilies, and olives (if using) in a small bowl; mix well. Crush chips and place a layer in the bottom of a 3-quart casserole dish. Top with a layer or meat mixture, then a layer of cheese mixture, and then a layer of shredded cheese. Repeat layers and end with the chips (oops...I did not see that last part, so I didn't have any chips left and just ended with the shredded cheese).
Bake in 350 degrees oven covered for 35-40 minutes and then uncover and bake for remaining 10-15 minutes.

*I did not think I had enough sauce and chicken to really spread over the whole pan twice. I would add a third can of tomato sauce and even some extra chicken next time ( I think I had a pound, but I may have had just under).



Sauteed Mexican Corn
This is just a little side dish I threw together, because I can't ever come up with good vegetable sides for mexican food. I found a similar recipe on allrecipes.com and tweaked it. I don't have precise measurements, but it's very easy to make.

I N G R E D I E N T S :

oil
frozen corn
about 1/3 cup onion
chili powder
garlic powder
cumin powder
salt
pepper

D I R E C T I O N S :

In a cast-iron skillet, saute onion in oil until onion is soft and clear. Add frozen corn and stir so that it is coated with a little of the oil. Sprinkle chili, garlic, and cumin powders, along with salt and pepper, to taste. Saute on medium-high heat for about 10 minutes, or until corn is heated and starting to brown just a little bit on some of the edges.