Dinner for Dollars

Swiss Mushroom Chicken

2011-02-22T09:07:00.000-08:00

Can we say YUM! This is a new favorite of mine. I love everything about it. This is quite an easy dish, but doesn't look it! Definitely something you could cook to impress company.

Swiss Mushroom Chicken

4 chicken breasts
1 egg
1 cup crushed butter crackers (such as club)
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 lb fresh sliced mushrooms
2 TBSP butter divided
4 slices deli ham
4 slices swiss cheese

Flatten chicken to 1/4 inches. (I take a large chicken breast and just slice it in half). In a bowl lightly beat egg. Combine cracker crumbs and salt in another bowl. Dip chicken in egg then in crumbs; set aside. In a large skillet saute mushrooms in 1 TBSP butter, remove and set aside. Add remaining butter to the same skillet and cook chicken over medium heat for 3-4 minutes on each side of until juices run clear. Top with ham slice, mushrooms and cheese. Reduce heat to low and cover until cheese melts (about 1-2 minutes)

Stuffed Peppers!

2011-02-20T11:24:00.000-08:00

I hadn't had stuffed peppers in years. My mom would rarely make them because she and I were the only ones who would eat them at home. My husband brought them up and I can't believe I had forgotten about these little gems. YUM! I got this recipe from my other aunt, Star. I'm so lucky to have so many great cooks in my family who are willing to share their recipes and I've made this one twice since she gave it to me! Seems like it's a pretty traditional stuffed peppers recipe, so probably nothing new. I'm mostly putting it on here for me. :)

Stuffed Pepper Cups

Cut of tops & remove seeds/membranes of 6 peppers, any color
Boil in salted water 5mins.
Drain and salt inside cups ( save 1/2 cup water stock from peppers)
Filling:
1 lb. Ground beef or ground turkey
1/4 cup chopped onion (optional)
1/2 tsp. Salt & dash pepper
2- 8oz. Cans tomato sauce
1/2 cup uncooked minute rice (white or brown)
3/4 cup corn, frozen
1 1/2 cup cheddar cheese
1tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Cook ground beef or turkey with onions til browned.
Add remaining ingredients including 1/2 cup of stock from boiling peppers.
Cover & simmer approx.15 mins.
Stir in 1 cup shredded cheese
Stuff meat into cups and stand upright in baking dish
Top each cup with more cheddar cheese
Bake uncovered for 20-25 mins 350 degrees.

Chicken Scampi

2011-02-17T11:18:00.000-08:00

Now that it's actually somewhat light while we are eating dinner, I'm going to try and be better at posting new recipes! This is another great recipe from my Aunt Tiffini. It sounded like something good and different.. and it sure was both! Loved it! The first time I made it I used the homemade chili sauce.. not sure who makes it, but I didn't really like it. The 2nd time I used Heinz chili sauce and it was a winner!! YUM! I now make this often. It comes together so quickly. Perfect for a busy night.

Chicken Scampi

8 cloves crushed garlic
1 T dried oregano
1 T dried parsley
4 T lemon juice
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1 c olive oil
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup chili sauce
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces

Combine together in greased 9x11 inch pan. Bake at 450 for 12-15 mins uncovered or until chicken is done. Serve over cooked angel hair pasta with Parmesan cheese on top.

Best Taco Soup!

2011-01-12T14:05:00.000-08:00

It's been forever, I know!! I will try to be better about posting! :)

Ok so I really don't like taco soup.. I've eaten it a few times because.. honestly, I didn't want to be rude. But, I'm the type of person who gets these urges to try things I haven't liked in the past.. After all, maybe it was just that recipe that I wasn't a fan of. So, I decided to give taco soup a second chance when I saw a recipe that wasn't like any of the past ones I've had. Usually they are really thin and kind of bland. The first thing I noticed about this recipe is that it was chunky. I like chunky.. plus it had diced green chilies in it.. I'll eat almost anything with diced green chilies in it. lol. I am definitely making this more often.. We ate it a few days ago and I've been eating it everyday for lunch since. It makes a TON! So, I froze some(hope that turns out).

Simple Taco Soup
2 lbs ground beef (I actually only used one.. oops.. still seemed like enough to me)
1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
1 1/2 cups water
1 (15 ounce) can mild chili beans
1 (15.25 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained (I didn't have these so I used black)
1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes
1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers (aka rotel)
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies
1 (1 ounce) package ranch salad dressing mix

In a Dutch oven or large kettle, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Add taco seasoning and mix well. Stir in remaining ingredients. Simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes or until heated through, stirring occasionally.

We topped ours with a dollop of sour cream and some cheddar cheese.. Dipped chips in it and it was oooohhh so good! I think it would also be awesome with some diced up avocado thrown on top.

Another cupcake recipe

2010-08-30T09:23:00.000-07:00

Ok I am in love with this book! 101 Gourmet Cupcakes in 10 minutes I would recommend it to anyone! I have tried several of the recipes and LOVED every one! I have to post just one more, which is my current favorite. Chocolate Peanut butter cup! TO DIE FOR! I gave up some of these babies(because I would have eaten all 24 had I not) and everyone I gave them to said the same thing TO DIE FOR! Try them for yourself. There is a whole Reese's Peanut butter cup hiding inside! Super easy and super yummy! If you like cupcakes, this book is for you!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes

1 box chocolate cake mix (I used the chocolate fudge)
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1 bag chocolate peanut butter cups (a regular bag only has 14 cups in it.. so I bought 3 of the 8 packs, had as many as I needed and it was about the same price as the bag)

Mix together cake mix, eggs, and milk. Pour 2 tablespoons of batter into paper liners and place a peanut butter cup on top then fill liners 3/4 full with more batter. Bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes or until the cake springs back when lightly touched. Remove from oven and allow to cool on wire rack. Frost when completely cooled.

Peanut butter frosting
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup butter, room temp.
2 cups powdered sugar
3-4 TBSP milk or cream
1 tsp vanilla

Combine peanut butter and butter in a large bowl, mixing together until light and fluffly. Stop mixer and add sugar, 3 tablespoons milk and vanilla. Start slow and mix together, gradually increasing the speed. Mix until smooth and creamy. Add 1 tablespoon milk if frosting is too thick.

Key Lime Pie Cupcakes

2010-07-27T10:01:00.000-07:00

So, a friend of mine brought some of these babies over to our house.. I took a bite of one and I was in heaven! I ended up eating my husbands too.. he is not big on sweets, so he was ok with it. :) Anyway, I got the recipe from my friend and also found out what book it was in. 101 gourmet cupcakes in 10 minutes. I went out and bought it! A lot of the cupcakes sound so yummy in it! I made these and took them to a family get together this weekend.. A lot of my family asked for me to post the recipe. I don't have a photo but I'll try to get one next time I make them because I KNOW there will be a next time!

(had to top with green sugar sprinkles because the grocery store I went to didn't have any limes.. how crazy?!)
Key Lime Pie Cupcakes

1 box white cake mix
3 eggs
1 cup half and half
6 Tbsp key lime juice (I just used fresh lime juice)
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 recipe whipped cream
4 Tbsp grated lime peel for garnish

Mix together cake mix, eggs, half and half and 3 TBSP lime juice. Pour 1-2 TBSP batter into each paper liner. In separate bowl, mix sweetened condensed milk and the rest of the lime juice. Evenly divide lime milk into batter filled cups. Top with remaining batter filling 3/4 full.
Bake at 350 for 15-18 mins or until cake springs back when touched lightly. Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack.
Frost with whipped cream and garnish with lime peel.

Whipped Cream
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Pour cream into large mixing bowl and start mixing at low speed. Gradually increase speed until cream thickens and soft peaks form. Turn off mixer and add sugar. Start slowly again and beat until stiff peaks form. The stiffer the cream, the easier it is to frost. keep refrigerated.

Grilled Chicken Tacos

2010-07-21T13:52:00.000-07:00

So, I don't have a photo for this.. we eat it up too fast! My husband bought this marinade and grilled us some chicken the day I got home from the hospital. IT WAS SO GOOD! I loved it up.. as I was eating it, I thought.. you know this would make excellent tacos.. my husband agreed so a few nights later we made it again and turned it into tacos. Oh man! So good! My sister-in-law was staying with us at the time and she told me she was taking me home with her because they were the best tacos she had ever had. I agree! I would have never bought this flavor of marinade.. so I'm glad my husband did. Our pantry is now stocked with several bottles of the stuff because it's on sale at Macey's for 3 for $5 right now. Yummy Yummy stuff!

Grilled Chicken Taco's

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts (or however many you think your family will need)
1/2 bottle Lawry's Havana garlic and lime marinade
Flour tortillas (get the uncooked ones.. it's the only way)
cheddar cheese
lettuce
tomato
avocado
sour cream

Marinade chicken in Lawry's marinade for 30 mins or overnight. Grill chicken until done, dice chicken into bite size pieces. Prepare tacos using chicken meat and toppings of your choice.

Easy dinner.. and SO YUMMY! Lawry's is not paying me for this post either.. but I wish they were.. with the marinade! hehe.

Brownie Bites with fluffy peanut butter frosting

2010-05-06T15:57:00.000-07:00

One word... HEAVEN! First of all, I LOVE brownies. Probably my choice of desert. But.. I also HATE IT when people call a cake a brownie.. brownies are CHEWY not cake! Anyways, these are super simple and actually just made from a box of brownie mix. The frosting though.. HEAVENLY! I had a bit left over and well.. I was sucking the left overs out of my icing bag, but don't tell. ;) I got this recipe from the same place as the cheddar biscuits. You might see alot from her blog on mine.

Brownie Bites with fluffly peanut butter frosting
from The Girl Who Ate Everything

Brownie Bites

1 boxed brownie mix (I think chocolate cupcakes would be yummy too)

1 cup Reeses Peanut Butter chips (optional)

Peanut Butter Frosting

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup creamy peanut butter

3 tablespoons milk, or as needed

2 cups confectioners' sugar

Make brownie mix according to package directions. Add peanut butter chips if desired. Pour into paper lined mini muffin pans filling each cup about 3/4 full. Bake 14-18 minutes at 350 degrees or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool.

Place the butter and peanut butter into a medium bowl, and beat with an electric mixer. Gradually mix in the sugar, and when it starts to get thick, incorporate milk one tablespoon at a time until all of the sugar is mixed in and the frosting is thick and spreadable. Beat for at least 3 minutes for it to get good and fluffy. Frost brownie bites with frosting. Pipe the frosting with a star tip if you are feeling fancy!

Wow it's been a while...

2010-05-03T17:46:00.000-07:00

Sorry! I haven't really had the desire to cook and post about it lately. Usually by the time I get dinner ready I am exhausted. Just come and see all the dishes that still need done. :) Anyways, I was so excited when I found this recipe for cheddar bay biscuits on The Girl who ate everything. They are suppose to taste just like the ones at Red Lobster. Now, I actually am not a HUGE fan of fish.. but my husband is. One time he dragged me there against my will.. and I tried these guys. OH MAN! I am somewhat willing to go with him now because of these babies. So yummy! It's been a while since I've been to red lobster.. but these were awesome and SUPER easy! I think they will be made often in our house. I would suggest using the heart healthy bisquick as the normal stuff is loaded with trans fat.

Cheddar Bay Biscuits

Biscuits:

2 1/2 cups Bisquick

4 Tbsp cold butter

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

3/4 cup milk

1/4 tsp garlic powder

Butter Glaze:

3 Tbsp butter

1/2 tsp garlic powder

3/4 tsp dried parsley flakes

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease or line one cookie sheet with parchment; set aside.

Combine Bisquick with cold butter in a medium bowl using a pastry cutter (I just used 2 forks). Don't worry about mixing too thoroughly; there will be small chunks of butter in the mix about the size of peas. Add cheddar cheese, milk, and garlic powder. Mix by hand until combined, but don't over mix.

Drop 1/4 cup portions of the dough onto the lightly greased or parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake for 13-15 minutes in preheated oven until the tops of the biscuits begin to turn light brown.

While the biscuits are baking, melt butter is a small bowl in the microwave. Stir in garlic powder and dried parsley flakes. Use a brush to spread the garlic butter over the tops of all the biscuits. Sprinkle a little kosher salt on the freshly coated biscuits. Makes one dozen.

Check out her blog The Girl who ate everything. Let's just say, you might see several of her recipes on my blog in the future!

Garden Vegetable and Chicken Skillet

2010-03-12T12:24:00.000-08:00

My mom and I went to the taste of home cooking show last year and you get a year subscription with your ticket. I picked the normal taste of home magazine and she decided to get simple and delicious then we would swap recipes. Well, I was looking at her current issue of simple and delicious and became extremely jealous!! I wish I had chosen that one, I wanted to try almost every recipe in the issue!! Luckily, I have found out that since I'm a Taste of Home subscriber I have access to Simple and Delicious online. YAY! Anyways, this was one of the recipes. The photo in the magazine looked so yummy, I couldn't help but try it. I was a little nervous about having so few ingredients that it wouldn't pack a flavor punch... but it was YUMMY! I did use 3 cloves of garlic instead of 1 because I like garlic. I also could not seem to locate my thyme spice. The only thing I could think to substitute was poultry seasoning. It was still very yummy. We even had a guest at dinner and they raved about it. Give it a try, pretty darn healthy too! We will be making this often!

Garden Vegetable and Chicken Skillet
from Simple and Delicious.

1-1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 medium yellow summer squash, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
3 cups fresh baby spinach
1 garlic clove, minced (I used 3 instead because I love me some garlic)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup uncooked instant brown rice
1-1/4 cups water
1 tablespoon lemon juice

In a large skillet, saute the chicken, squash, onion and carrot in butter for 5-6 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink; drain. Add the spinach, garlic, salt, thyme and pepper; cook 2 minutes longer.
Stir in rice and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until rice is tender. Stir in lemon juice. Yield: 4 servings.

Tomato Tortellini Soup

2010-02-08T19:06:00.000-08:00

I got this recipe out of the recent Taste of Home magazine. I thought it looked easy, tasty and something a little different from our normal. I halved the recipe because it served 10 people but when I put in half the amount of tortellini I felt it wasn't hearty enough for me, so I ended up using the whole package. I also felt it was lacking just a little in flavor, so I think next time I make it I will add more seasonings, I would recommend just adding to your taste. This is the recipe halved, so if you can double it if you want. I also made homemade bread sticks.. I got the recipe from My Kitchen Cafe. If you would like it you can go here. They were very yummy!

Tomato Tortellini Soup (5-6 servings)

1 package frozen cheese tortellini (or you could use fresh, frozen is just cheaper)
1 can healthy request tomato soup, undiluted
1 cup vegetable broth
1 cup milk
1 cup half and half
1/4 cup chopped oil-packed sun dried tomatoes
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan (I had this yummy Parmesan mix I found at walmart in the bagged shredded cheese section.. it was SO GOOD!)
Additional shredded Parmesan, optional

Cook tortellini according to package directions. Meanwhile, In a dutch oven, combine the soup, broth, milk, cream, tomatoes and seasonings. Heat through, stirring frequently. Drain tortellini; carefully add to soup. Stir in cheese. Sprinkle each serving with additional cheese if desired.

Amish Baked Oatmeal

2010-02-05T08:26:00.000-08:00

So, I know this blog is dinner for dollars.. but today I am all about breakfast for dollars. hehe. I guess you could eat this for dinner if you wanted to. I was going to wait until I got some fresh fruit to photograph this dish because well.. there's just not much to it! Wanted to give it some color.. but it's so yummy, I decided to photograph it when I made it for breakfast this morning. This is more like eating an oatmeal cookie for breakfast than eating plain old oatmeal. It crisps up nicely in the oven giving it a bit of crunch. It is so rich, you probably won't want to add any more sugar to it when it's done. Fresh fruit is super yummy in it though. It's even good reheated for 30 seconds to a 1 minute in the microwave the next day. Yum!

Amish Baked Oatmeal
(from the taste of home)

1 1/2 cups quick cooking oats
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
warm milk
fresh fruit, optional

Combine first 8 ingredients; mix well. Spread evenly in a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes(I go to 30 minutes, I like it crispy) or until edges are golden brown. Immediately spoon into bowls and add warm milk. Top with fresh fruit if desired.

Yield: 6 servings

A dinner recipe coming soon!

Skinny Scalloped Potatoes

2010-01-18T16:45:00.000-08:00

I have been wanting to make some yummy scalloped potatoes for a while.. I decided to do it yesterday. Most of the recipes I saw had heavy cream in them and being as it was Sunday and I don't have heavy cream in my fridge, I searched for a recipe that contained stuff I have.. and I found one that has stuff I ALWAYS have on hand. Let me tell you.. IT WAS SO GOOD! I love it! I made mine quite different from the recipe I found. It called for swiss cheese but I used a cheddar/jack mix. Yum! Anyways, I didn't manage to get a photo of it we ate it all! But I thought I would share it anyway, because yeah it was good! I will definitely be adding it to our cook often list. I'm thinking it would be awesome with my Salisbury steak recipe.

Skinny Scalloped Potatoes
Altered from a recipe at allrecipes.com

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup milk
2 1/2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon basil
2 pounds potatoes scrubbed clean
1-2 cups shredded cheese of your choice.

Preheat oven to 375. Rub oil over 9x13 baking dish. Thoroughly mix broth, milk, flour and basil together in a saucepan, cook over medium-low heat 3-5 minutes or until thickened; set aside. Cut potatoes into 1/8 inch thick slices. Place half of the potato slices in overlapping pattern in baking dish. Salt and pepper to taste. Spoon half the broth mixture over the potatoes and half of your cheese. Repeat. Cover and bake 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes longer or until potatoes are tender and cheese is slightly brown.

Here is the original recipe from the site.. the skinny comes from it being low in fat.. mine wasn't this low in fat.. I like more cheese and I used 2 % milk. :) But if you want the skinny.. go here.

Crockpot sweet and sour meatballs

2010-01-14T17:03:00.000-08:00

So, you know how I said I never buy frozen meatballs... well.. I was walking into Walmart the other day and walked past Subway.. The smells just made me crave a meatball sandwich, and we had hoagies at home. So, I gave in and bought some frozen ones so I could easily make me a meatball sandwich for lunch, it was divine. Anyway, so I now have some store bought frozen meatballs in my freezer and I needed to use a few things in my fridge(pineapple and the sweet and sour sauce). So, I decided to throw it all in my crockpot and see how it all tasted. YUM YUM YUM! My pregnant body could hardly handle smelling it all day, I wanted to dive in! After my husband got home I was constantly asking him if he was hungry yet.. after the 3rd no.. I decided I was going to test them out. I ate 5 meatballs before we even ate. They were so yummy and super easy! Anyway, I love this sauce and have used it on chicken before but it was very good for this too, so I would recommend getting it if you can.

I have found it's cheapest at Walmart, if you can find it at yours! Anyway here is the recipe. I wish I got paid to advertise this sauce, but really.. I just like it! I also use their fajita sauce every now and then.

Crockpot Sweet and Sour Meatballs
frozen meatballs (as many as you need for your family)
1 bottle sweet and sour sauce (I prefer world harbors)
1 can pineapple chunks or tidbits, mostly drained
1/2 of green pepper diced
Garlic salt (to taste, I probably used a teaspoon, makes it a little more savory and not so sweet)
Hot cooked rice

Combine first 5 ingredients in a slow cooker and cook for 5-6 hours on low or until heated. Serve over hot cooked rice.

I have also fallen in love with crockpot liners. They are definitely a nice thing to have, but can be a little pricey. I think it's worth it, most of the time. :)

Shout out for my friends.

2009-12-17T08:25:00.001-08:00

This sweet couple would be my friends Paige and Nick. Paige was one of the first people I met and became friends with when I moved down to St. George to go to college. We were in the same singles ward for a few years and then both got married about a month apart and went to the same married ward. Paige and Nick have been trying to adopt, and they remind us that the adoption process usually begins through a friend or family member. So, I am posting this in hopes that someone may read this and maybe pass it along. Then, maybe my friends can receive what they desire, to become parents. I know they will make the very best of parents! To learn more about them you can go to their adoption blog. http://paigeandnick.blogspot.com/

Sooner than I thought...

2009-12-04T17:15:00.001-08:00

While I am still not feeling up to cooking every night. I have been able to cook the past few nights and also had the energy to do the dishes. Which is a big improvement.. But, I don't know if it will continue or not.. we will see. I made this Veggie Meatball soup tonight and it was so yummy! It was super easy too! I know during this time of year easy meals are important to alot of people. I used my homemade meatballs but the recipe calls for frozen. So, you can make it as easy as you want. I usually make up big batches of my homemade meatballs(my hubby and I think they taste much better than the stores) and then freeze them. So, I usually have some on hand. If you would like my meatball recipe, let me know and I will post it. The recipe also calls for a can of stewed tomatoes, I think next time I will try Italian stewed tomatoes just for a little extra flavor. I also think it would be yummy with some fresh Parmesan cheese grated on top, but I didn't have any.

Veggie Meatball Soup
adapted from the taste of home

1 14 oz can Beef Broth
1 1/2 cup frozen mixed vegetables, thawed.
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 bag of frozen meatballs, thawed. (depending on how big your bag is.. I would just put in the right amount for each person in your family. I usually do 4 a person.)
2 Bay leaves
1/8 teaspoon pepper or to taste
1 cup pasta (use whatever you have on hand.. I used mini Farfalle)

In a slow cooker, combine the first 6 ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until heated through. Cook pasta as directed on package, drain. Add to soup and continue to cook for 10-15 minutes or until heated through. Discard bay leaves before serving.

Explaining myself...

2009-11-30T16:59:00.000-08:00

Well, I haven't been good at posting lately.. and it's because I haven't been cooking. I've been very sick and cooking something new and yummy just isn't going to happen for a while. I will try to get back to posting soon. But it could be a few weeks.. or even several months before I even have the energy and desire to cook and photograph something. I'll keep you posted!

Chicken Divine

2009-10-28T12:46:00.000-07:00

I know you have probably heard of chicken divan before and I'm not sure how similar this recipe is to that but most chicken divan recipes I have read didn't have noodles in them. Anyways, I got this recipe from my friends mom back when I was probably 12ish. I had some for dinner at their house and loved it so I had to take the recipe home with me. My mom has been making it ever since. It's a really easy meal and comes together quickly, especially if you already have some chicken cooked or left over turkey works nice too. My mom actually canned some chicken and I used that and it turned out great! This casserole is cooked in the microwave so if you've got everything cooked ready to go you've got dinner in 10 minutes!

Chicken Divine

1 can cream of mushroom
1/2 c mayo
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon curry powder
3 cup uncooked egg noodles
cooked chicken
cooked broccoli (you could substitute peas)
shredded cheese
Cook egg noodles as directed on package. Mix together soup, mayo, lemon juice, curry in a casserole dish. Add cooked noodles, chicken and broccoli. Mix well. sprinkle cheese on top. Cook in microwave for 10 minutes. If your microwave doesn't rotate, then rotate after 5 minutes.

Salisbury Steak and Garlic red potatoes

2009-10-17T09:02:00.000-07:00

I'm not much of a person who likes a lump of hamburger. Sure I love hamburgers but when they are on buns.. and meatloaf.. we won't even go there.. Anyways, my mom made these once when we were at her house and I wasn't excited to eat it, but I didn't want to be rude. So, I ate it anyway. Let me tell you.. AWESOME! I love these little babies. Infact, I wanted more. Now I've got the recipe and plan on making it often. It's quite simple too! Whole family raves over these little guys. Of course they may not look like a million bucks, but most comfort foods don't. I also tried this recipe for red potatoes last night. My hubby is not a big potato kind of guy, but I thought he might like this recipe that has a hint of lemon to it, and he did! Both will be added to our dinner rotation. This would also go great with home-made mac and cheese! Enjoy!

Salisbury Steak
1 1/2 pounds hamburger
1/4 cup catalina dressing
1/4 tsp celery salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

Mix and shape into patties. Cook in a baking dish at 400 for 10-15 minutes(depending on the thickness of your patties). They will not be done at this point. While that is cooking mix together, set aside.

1 envelope brown gravy mix
1 small onion thinly sliced (I didn't have an onion on hand so I just used the dehydrated)
1 cup water

When the timer goes off, pour the above mixture over patties. cover and cook 10-15 minutes or until meat reaches desired doneness. YUM!

Garlic Red Potatoes
taken from allrecipes.com

2 pounds red potatoes, cut into bite sized cubes
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1 lemon, juiced
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400. Place potatoes in an 8x8 inch baking dish. In a small bowl combine melted butter, garlic, salt and lemon juice; pour over potatoes and stir to coat. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over potatoes. Bake, covered, in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes, or until golden brown.

Lemon Pepper Chicken Pasta

2009-10-12T11:40:00.001-07:00

I have shared this recipe on my family blog before. But not with a photo and I just figured I would share it here. It is very popular in my little family. My hubby usually requests it for his birthday meal! My two year old loves it as well. My old boss made something similar to this one day for lunch and I just kind of made up my own version of it. And if you are on a diet, this recipe is not for you! :) I don't have specific measurements since I just kind of throw everything together but I will do my best!

Lemon Pepper Chicken Pasta
2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 pint grape tomatoes halved(also great if you have them in the garden. and cherry tomatoes work well too, just cut them into 4s if they are big)
Spaghetti noodles (as much as you need for your family)
Cooked Asparagus (or any green veggie your family likes, asparagus isn't cheap so I used broccoli this time.)
Lemon Pepper seasoning
Garlic Powder
Poultry seasoning
Season Salt
Right now you are probably thinking.. what is so unhealthy about this recipe? Well...
Here's the bad part...
1 stick of butter melted (this is what I use for about 5 adults, so you can do less)
fresh grated Paremsan cheese

Season chicken with just the poultry seasoning and season salt to taste. Stick it in the oven covered loosely with foil and bake at 375 for 30-45 mins. (depends on the size of the chicken)While that is cooking, get your water boiling for your Spaghetti and slice the tomatoes in half. When the chicken is done let it cool for a while. Then cube it and put it in a deep bowl. Sprinkle in the Lemon Pepper seasoning. Then shake the bowl to coat all of the pieces. You will probably want to add bits of lemon pepper at a time and shake it up several times. I just keep doing that until I can see that all of the chicken is coated with the seasoning.. Just don't under do it! (this is alot of the flavor in the dish) hehe. Set that aside. Cook up your Asparagus or whatever type of green veggie your family loves. Add garlic powder to your stick of melted butter.. Just go crazy! I love LOTS of garlic! (sorry I don't know how much I never measure it) After draining the spaghetti put it back in the pan and add chicken, tomatoes, aspargus, butter sauce and heat on low until all heated(maybe 5 mins or less). Toss and sprinkle with fresh paremsan cheese.

Thats it.. I hope that makes sense.. I just kind of typed it up.

Just some tips:

I usually cook up double the chicken. Then after I cut it and season it with lemon pepper, I freeze the extra for next time. Just pull it out to thaw in the fridge the day before you plan to make it and warm it up when you toss it together.
If you don't want to add a green veggie... just sprinkle in some dried parsley to give it some color!

Taco Casserole

2009-10-09T13:16:00.000-07:00

I adapted this recipe from my taste of home Best ever casseroles cookbook. It required to packages of taco seasoning, we don't like that stuff in our house so I made some changes to it. It was very tasty, reminded me a little of a tamale. I didn't use the 2-1/2 lbs ground beef that the recipe called for, so I should have halved the biscuit topping. I think I forgot that the recipe called for the 2 1/2 lbs and just figured it was 1 lb like most recipes. Anyway, toddler loved it, hubby loved it, I loved it.. we will be making it again! I am going to put the recipe how I made it except I will half the biscuit part for you.

Taco Casserole

1 lb lean ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 to 3 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
salt to taste
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1/4 cup water
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack or Pepper jack cheese
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup biscuit/baking mix
1 cup sour cream
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
shredded lettuce
1 medium tomato, diced
1 can sliced olives, drained.

In a large skillet cook beef and onions until meat is no longer pink, drain. Add garlic and continue to saute for 1 minute. Add chili powder, cumin, salt, tomato sauce and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in beans

Spoon mixture into a greased 8-in square baking dish. Sprinkle with Monterey jack cheese. In a bowl, combine the eggs, milk and biscuit mix until moistened. Pour over cheese.

Bake uncovered, at 400 for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned and a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Spread with sour cream. Top with cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomoato and olives. Enjoy!

Cheesy Shell Lasagna

2009-09-26T07:42:00.000-07:00

This recipe is very similar to another casserole I make. I like this one better though. It's made with the small pasta shells, which is easy for my little guy to eat and it's chunkier than the other casserole I make. We liked it so much we had it for dinner 2 nights in a row. :) Well I didn't make it twice, but we had enough left over! :)

Cheesy Shell Lasagna
Adapted from Best Ever Casseroles

1 lb lean ground beef
1 medium onion diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
2 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce
1-2 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 can mushroom stems and pieces, drained
8 oz uncooked small shell pasta
2 cups reduced fat sour cream
11 slices provolone cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

In a nonstick skillet, cook the beef, onions and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato sauce, mushrooms and italian seasoning. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions; drain.

Place half the pasta in an ungreased 13x9 baking dish(I actually used my large casserole dish). Top with half of the meat sauce, sour cream and provolone cheese. Repeat the layers. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.

Cover and bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes. Uncover; bake 10 minutes longer or until the cheese begins to brown. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.

Cheesy Vegetable Chowder.

2009-09-22T13:30:00.000-07:00

First of all, fall is definitely here! It seems it got cold over night, and I hope it stays that way. I love fall weather! Well, a few weeks ago I went to The Taste of Home Show in Ogden with my mom. They made this cheesy vegetable chowder and I knew I had to have it! I have always been a huge fan of cheesy soup with vegetables, and I knew it would be a great way to get my little guy to eat them. I made this last night and it was sooo good! My meat-loving hubby even agreed. It might seem like alot of work but it really came together fast. Because of that I would recommend to have everything chopped, grated and opened, ready to go before you even start. This is definitely my favorite soup!

Cheesy Vegetable Chowder
slightly adapted from the Taste of Home magazine

1/2 cup each finely chopped carrot, celery and onion
1/4 cup chopped sweet red pepper
8 Tablespoons butter, divided
4 cups chicken broth
3 cups fresh broccoli florets
1 medium potato, peeled and diced
3/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (You can do more but I thought this was just right)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
2 cups shredded SHARP cheddar cheese (make sure you use sharp or it might be bland)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Additional shredded cheese, optional

In a dutch oven, saute carrot, celery, onion and red pepper in 4 tablespoons butter until vegetables are tender. Stir in broth, broccoli, potato, Worcestershire and cayenne; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 10-15 minutes or until the broccoli and potato are tender.

Meanwhile in a saucepan, melt remaining butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth. Gradually whisk in milk. Bring to boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat; stir in cheese. Continue to stir just until cheese is melted. Slowly stir cheese sauce into vegetable mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with additional shredded cheese if desired.

Skillet Chili Mac with Green Chiles

2009-09-18T18:03:00.000-07:00

When I found this recipe on My Kitchen Cafe it was perfect timing. I needed a recipe using ingredients I already had on hand and I had all of this except for the cilantro. My family isn't a fan of cilantro so I guess that was ok, although I like it. Anyway this... recipe... was... AWESOME! I couldn't stop eating it and it makes so much I literally won't stop eating it for the next few days. :) But I won't mind. My whole family loved it! I will half it next time for sure. I made a few changes when I made it, if you would like the original recipe it's here (I don't like corn mixed into things). :) And if you are thinking it looks like cowboy delight.. it's not.. I hate that stuff. But this... is going on our "make often" list! THANK YOU MELANIE FOR SHARING THIS!

Skillet Chili Mac with Green Chiles
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound ground beef
1 onion, minced
3/4 tablespoon chili powder (add more if you want more heat)
1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 8 oz. cans tomato sauce
2 cups water
8 ounces (2 cups) elbow macaroni
1 4.5-oz can chopped green chiles
2 cups shredded cheese

Heat oil in a 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef, onion, chili powder, coriander, cumin and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook the ground beef until it is no longer pink. Drain off any excess fat or grease. Stir in garlic and brown sugar and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomato sauce, water, and macaroni. Cover and cook, stirring often and keeping the heat at a steady simmer, until the macaroni is tender, about 12-12 minutes.

Stir in 1 cup of the cheese and green chiles and sprinkle remaining 1 cup of cheese over the top. Cover and let sit off the heat until the cheese melts, about 2 minutes.

Post coming tonight or tomorrow!

2009-09-18T14:18:00.000-07:00

I know, it's been a while.. still.. and I promise the dinner I am making tonight I will be photographing and posting for you to see! I'm excited for this one. It's simple but sounds quite yummy! I have been making alot of the recipes that I've already posted lately. But next week I have planned at least 2 meals that I haven't shared with you! :)

Sorry!

2009-09-08T13:04:00.000-07:00

Ok so it's been a while hasn't it? Well I've been gone alot lately. I'm also a photographer and have had many sessions to work on that have kept me very busy! Taking so many photos of people, I haven't had time to take photos of any food. But I promise to post something soon!

Chicken Pillows

2009-08-19T07:18:00.000-07:00

This recipe first came to me from my friend Sandy. She wanted to make dinner for her then fiance (I believe). This was one of his favorite dishes. She asked me to help her make it and of course I did. There was enough for me and Tagg to have some as well. It was yummy but I didn't keep the recipe. Then at my church we had a little recipe night and this was a recipe submitted by one of the girls. This recipe was a little easier than the one we had made originally, so I stuck with it! I didn't know my husband was such a big fan of it until he requested that we have it and was so excited when he saw it cooking. Go figure! :) Anyway, it's super easy and I often just use a can of chicken from costco.. which makes it even easier!

Chicken Pillows

1 pkg large crescent roll
Chicken (cooked cubed or in pieces or you can use a large can)
1 (8 oz) tub onion & chive cream cheese
1/4 Tbsp. Butter or margarine
1 can cream of chicken soup set aside
Melt cream cheese & butter in microwave. Add chicken. Roll out crescents and combine 2 to make a large rectangle. Add chicken mixture and fold over and pinch to look like a pillow. Bake 350 for 18-20 min Serve with heated cream of chicken soup on top. (I usually thin it down a little with milk so it has more of a gravy texture).

Chips and Salsa Chicken

2009-08-12T07:19:00.001-07:00

When I saw this recipe on Favorite Family recipes I figured it would be a slam dunk with my hubby. See, he loves chips and salsa. He could live off of it I swear. Anyway, he didn't really care for it. Said he felt like he was eating chips and salsa and not chicken, I on the other hand loved it. I thought it was tasty. Go figure. It was a little different and I wish I had some guacamole to go with it. So, if your looking for something different, give it a try.

Chips and Salsa Chicken
from Favorite Family recipes

3 Tbsp. lime juice
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 Tbsp. honey
4 chicken breasts, halved
1 c. finely crushed tortilla chips
1 bottle of your favorite chunky salsa
1 c. shredded Monterey Jack Cheese (I only had cheddar, so I used it)
Guacamole
Sour cream
Fresh cilantro

Combine lime juice, honey, and oil. Dip chicken in lime juice mixture then coat with crushed chips. Place in ungreased 9 x 13 baking dish. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until juices run clear. Spoon a tablespoon or two of salsa over each chicken piece and sprinkle with Cheese, bake for 20 more minutes or until the cheese melts.
Serve with guacamole and sour cream and garnish with fresh cilantro.

Calzones

2009-08-06T07:38:00.000-07:00

Oh how I love Calzones. There is this little restaurant on 25th st in Ogden that has the best ever! I was craving one of theirs when I decided to give it a try. I found this recipe on allrecipes.com. It was pretty good but nothing like the Ogden restaurant. I asked my friend for her recipe and plan on trying hers soon. But for now, this one will do. It was pretty easy because you just use the refrigerated pizza dough.

Calzone (I halfed it)

1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese
2 eggs
2 tablespoons dried Italian seasoning
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry(I used fresh, chopped up)
salt and pepper to taste
2 cans refrigerated pizza dough

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
In a large bowl, mix together the ricotta cheese, eggs, Italian seasoning, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese and spinach. Set aside.
Divide the pizza dough into 8 pieces and roll each piece out to about an 8 inch circle. Spoon about 1/2 cup of the ricotta filling onto each circle, fold over and seal the edges. Place onto a greased cookie sheet.
Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until nicely browned on the tops and bottoms.

Parmesan Chicken

2009-07-31T08:00:00.000-07:00

This is another recipe from my aunt Tiffini. She is such an awesome cook. Anyway this isn't your typical Parmesan Chicken. I've made a few recipes similar to this one but they involved mayo, I really like the idea of yogurt instead. Definitely healthier! I think it would taste good if you went the spaghetti sauce route too. The chicken was very flavorful and very tender and juicy. We will definitely be making this often at our house!

Parmesan Chicken

2 cups crushed Ritz crackers

3 T grated Parmesan cheese

2 tsp garlic salt

8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts ( I never use this many for my family)

1 cup plain yogurt

1/4 cup butter, melted

Combine cracker crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and garlic salt. Dip each piece of chicken in yogurt to coat and then in crumb mixture. Arrange in greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Drizzle with melted butter. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. Top with Sour Cream chicken sauce.

Sour cream chicken sauce

2 cans cream of chicken soup

1 cup sour cream

I usually just half this sauce. In a small saucepan heat soup and sour cream together over low heat, stirring frequently.

BBQ Beef Mac and Cheese

2009-07-28T15:30:00.000-07:00

I wanted to try this recipe over at Picky Palate and had it on my menu for the week. We had my lovely Sunday Roast a few days before, so I thought instead of making it with chicken, I might as well use my left over roast instead. It was very good! I have to say I like it with or without the BBQ beef. So I just might make the recipe for the mac and cheese occasionally... even though I do have a favorite recipe for that. Another thing I was excited about was the homemade BBQ sauce. My little one is allergic to something in BBQ sauce and we haven't quite figured it out yet, but everything in the sauce wasn't something we had a problem with. And he loved it!

BBQ Chicken Crusted Smoked Cheddar Mac
(I think she made this for alot of people, I halved it and it was still quite a bit!)

1 lb mini farfalle pasta (use any pasta of choice)
5 Tablespoons butter
5 Tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
4 Cups milk, I used 2%
5 Cups shredded Tillamook smoked cheddar cheese (you could use any cheddar cheese)

2 Cups shredded BBQ Chicken HERE is the recipe(or you could use shredded beef instead)
1 Cup shredded Tillamook smoked cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and set aside.

2. Melt butter into a large dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Whisk in flour, salt and pepper; cook for 1 minute stirring. Slowly whisk in milk until smooth. Increase heat to medium high, stir continuously until liquid thickens and comes to a low boil. Reduce heat to low and stir in cheddar cheese until smooth then add cooked pasta. Pour mixture into a large baking dish then top evenly with BBQ chicken. Sprinkle with additional cheddar cheese and bake for 25-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

3. Let cool for 5-10 minutes and serve.

Pineapple Chicken.

2009-07-21T09:54:00.000-07:00

Did you use all of those pineapple slices for the Teriyaki Sandwiches? I didn't... so I made this dish to use the rest. I'm not sure where I got the recipe but I have been making it for years. Before we were even married my husband would request that I make this for him, often! It's a pretty good dish and pretty easy too! I was a little affraid of this recipe at first because I don't like Dijon mustard at all. But I put it in anyway and can't tell it's there.. so if you don't like it, try it with it in there anyway and be like me and make it a little shy of 2 tsp.

Pineapple Chicken

1 can (20 ounces) Dole pineapple slices, undrained
1 garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
6 chicken breasts (I only made 2 and used the same amount of sauce.)

Drain pineapple, reserving juice. In a medium bowl, combine reserved
juice with garlic, cornstarch, worcestershire sauce, mustard and rosemary.
Arrange chicken in a shallow baking pan or broiler-proof dish, skin side up.
Broil until browned. Stir sauce; pour over chicken.
Bake at 400 for 30 mins or until chicken juices run clear.
Arrange pineapple slices around chicken. Spoon sauce from baking pan over all;
continue baking 5 mins. 6 servings.

Teriyaki Sandwiches

2009-07-18T18:43:00.000-07:00

This was super easy and supper cheap to make. My hubby and I loved them. I was a little worried as I scooped the meat out of the crockpot because it looked a little dry, but it wasn't at all. It wasn't tough either. We were also both a little worried about the lack of cheese, but went for it anyway and it was awesome! I will definitely be making this often! (Sorry my picture is so awful.. I was so hungry I just snapped it.)

Teriyaki Sandwiches
adapted from taste of home

2 lbs boneless chuck steak (I didnt actually look at the pounds I bought but I only paid 2.17 for 4 small steaks.. PLENTY)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
4 teaspoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons pineapple juice
French rolls, split
butter
1 can pineapple slices

Cut steak into thin bite-size slices. In a slow cooker, combine the soy sauce, sugar, ginger and garlic. Add steak. Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours or until meat is tender.

Remove meat with a slotted spoon; set aside. Carefully pour liquid into a 2-cup measuring cup; skim fat. Add water to liquid to measure 1 1/2 cups. Pour into large saucepan. Combine cornstarch and pineapple juice until smooth; add to pan. Cook and stir until thick and bubbly, about 2 minutes. Add meat and heat through.

Brush rolls with butter; broil 4-5 inches from the heat for 2-3 mintues or until lightly toasted. Fill with meat and top with pineapple slices.

Key Lime Pie

2009-07-16T10:55:00.000-07:00

As I have said before, there are very few sweets my hubby will eat. He is just not into them and I think he's a little crazy that way.. but still love him. Key Lime Pie is one of the sweet things he loves, mostly because it's a little tart I think. Anyways, I used to work at a Pie shop when I was in college and Tagg loved the key lime pie there. My boss always made it so I never learned how to make it there. I found a no-bake recipe though and decided to give it a try. He thought it was better than the bakery I worked at. Which says something because we made awesome pies there. It's quite a little process, but well worth it. I recently took it to a family party and everyone liked it. It's SO refreshing on a hot summer day!!

Key Lime Pie

1 package (3 oz) lime flavored Jello
1/2 cup boiling water
1/2 cup cold water
1/2 cup fresh lime juice (2-3 fresh limes)
1 tablespoon fresh lime zest
1 can (14 oz) fat-free sweetened cond. milk (not evaporated)
1 package (8 oz) fat-free cream cheese, softened
1 cup whipping cream
1 9-inch graham cracker crust (I actually get enough filling to fill 2 crusts.)

Method:

Dissolve Jello in 1/2 cup boiling water; stir until sugar is completely dissolved in Jello. Add 1/2 cup cold water to Jello, then remove 3/4 cup and set aside. Stir lime juice and zest into remaining Jello and set aside to cool and thicken, but do not allow it to set.

Pour the 3/4 cup reserved Jello into a flat, non-stick 9-inch cake pan, cover and refrigerate. This Jello may be used as a garnish later.

Beat softened cream cheese until smooth; add sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk) and stir to blend.

Whip cream until stiff peaks form.

Beat together cream cheese mixture and Jello-lime-juice-zest mixture (product should be thick and light - but not setup). Fold in whipped cream; spoon filling into prepared graham cracker crust. Refrigerate until set (2-3 hours).

Cut pie into 10 pieces. To garnish, use a small cookie cutter to cut fun shapes from set Jello and carefully place shapes on each slice of pie. If desired, add curls of lime zest or thin slices of lime.

The recipe has you garnish with the left over jello, I've never actually done that, I just give the jello to my little guy.

Best ever - gone in minutes chicken wonton salad

2009-07-13T07:56:00.000-07:00

We had a few family get togethers last weekend and both were potluck. My aunt Tiffini used to make this salad and bring it to our parties. It was always a highlight for me. I would always hope that salad would be there. I swear I could eat the whole bowl! Anyways, it has been a few years I think since she last made it so I decided to take it on.. so I could remember why I loved it so much. Ah man it was just as good as I remembered. It was gone within minutes. It may not look like anything special.. but the flavor is AWESOME! Thanks Tiff for the awesome recipe!

Tiff's Chicken Wonton Salad

Won-Ton Salad
3 or 4 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (I had those massive chicken breasts from costco, I only used one and it was PLENTY. I also think it would be awesome using a rotisseri chicken)
2-3 bunches spinach, cleaned and torn into bite size pieces (I just bought a bag)
1 small head lettuce torn into bite size pieces
3/4 lb. swiss cheese or mozarella, grated (I use mozarella)
1 cup cottage cheese
3/4 pkg wonton skin, cut into strips and fried to crisp

Mix all these ingredients in a large bowl and pour dressing over just before serving.

Dressing
1 1/2 tsp poppyseed
3/4 c white vinegar
1 cup oil
3/4 c sugar
1 1/2 TBSP grated onion
1 1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp dry mustard

try to make dressing a few hours before serving so the flavors can mix together. (I made it the night before.. it was so awesome!)

Next up: The only sweet thing my husband will eat... Key Lime Pie!

Navajo Tacos

2009-07-02T08:38:00.000-07:00

Oh my I could eat these everyday! I usually only make them a few times a year though.. They are so easy but probably not the healthiest thing in the world. :) That's all I have to say... really, Navajo Tacos speak for themselves.

Navajo Tacos

Bread dough (I use rhodes frozen rolls. I let them rise and it usually only takes 1-2 per person, 2 if you like them big.. like me)
Canned chili (or better yet homemade chili.. you can use the left overs from this recipe if you have any)
Shredded cheddar cheese
Shredded lettuce
Chopped Tomatoes
1 can sliced olives
sour cream
oil for frying

Heat oil in fryer or large skillet. Take a handful of the bread dough and shape into a flat circle with your hands. Fry in hot oil turning when the first side is golden brown. When both sides are golden, remove and drain on paper towels. Top with chili and additional toppings. Enjoy!

(Safety tip: be careful when frying oil in a skillet, you don't want it to be too hot or else it could start a fire!)

Ranch House Crock Pot Pork Chops with Parmesan Mashed Potatoes

2009-06-29T08:55:00.000-07:00

Well, I have another favorite food blog to add to my list. Picky Palate. Everything I have tried is just awesome!!! The author has been on a few food network competitions, one of which I watched. Anyways, she had this recipe and it looked so easy and so delish! I just had to give it a try and it was fabulous!!! I just love crock pot meals that only have a few ingredients. You could use your potato pearls for the mashed potatoes. I used fresh potatoes though and oh yes, it was yummy!

Ranch House Crock Pot Pork Chops with Parmesan Mashed Potatoes
from Picky Palate

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 (I forgot to roast my garlic, :( so I just used garlic powder)
1- 1 1/2 Cups warm milk
1 Tablespoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper, or to taste

1. 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.

2. Place potatoes into a large pot of cold water. Place onto stovetop 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 consitency.

3. Scoop mashed potatoes onto serving plates and top with pork chops and soup gravy from crock pot. Enjoy!

Chicken Tikka Masala

2009-06-24T09:32:00.000-07:00

I've been curious about Indian Food for a while now. Everytime I drove past the Indian Oven on main st in Logan.. I would want to try it. I never did. I have never had Indian food in my life and going to a restaurant that serves Indian food seemed a little bit overwhelming to me. I would have no clue what to order. So, I just avoided the situation all together. Just driving by and continuing on. I was searching a few of my go-to food blogs and found that they both had a recipe for Chicken Tikka Masala. Both recipes where very similar, but had their differences. There were somethings I liked about one recipe that I didn't like about the other. One sounded spicier so I opted for the less spicey.. but I cooked it the way it suggested in the other recipe. The Recipe itself came from Favorite family recipes. It was definitely different, but good. My hubby and little guy ate it all up!

Chicken Tikka Masala
adapted from Favorite Family Recipes
Marinade
1 cup plain yogurt
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
1 tsp salt
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

Sauce
1 Tbsp butter
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
1 8oz. can tomato sauce
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1. In a large bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, 2 tsp cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, pepper, ginger, and 1 tsp salt. Stir in chicken, cover, refrigerate 1 hour.
2. Preheat a medium skillet with 1 TBSP oil. Saute chicken until no longer pink, discard marinade. Set aside.
3. Melt butter in a large skillet. Saute garlic for 1 minute. Season with 2 tsp cumin, paprika and 1 tsp salt. Stir in tomato sauce and cream. Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. Add chicken, and simmer for 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter and garnish with fresh cilantro.
4. Serve over rice.

Taco Burgers

2009-06-22T15:19:00.001-07:00

I love Tacos. They are one of my favorite foods actually. I can't get enough of them.. I like them in all forms. Soft tacos, hard tacos, taco salads and yes taco burgers. I usually just use half of the packaged taco seasonings but after I found this recipe on My Kitchen Cafe I had to give it a try. I have to say it was loaded with flavor, but not hard on your tummy like those packets tend to be. Give it a try, it's supper yummy!

Taco Burgers

For the meat
Heat in a medium skillet over medium heat:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (I used canola oil)
Add:
3/4 cup chopped onion
C
cook, stirring often, until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high and add:
1 pound ground beef

Cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until it is no longer pink, about 3 minutes. Stir in:
1 to 3 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander (I couldn't find this.. so I made it without and was still good)
Salt to taste (I used about 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon salt)

Cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add:
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced fine (I didn't add this either, didn't want too much spice for my toddler)

Cook, stirring occasionally, over low heat for 10 minutes.

hamburger buns
shredded cheddar cheese
avocado
tomatoes
shredded lettuce
thousand island dressing

Place some of the meat on the bun and top with any toppings you prefer! Try it with the thousand island, it adds a hint of tang. Enjoy!

Sweet Tooth

2009-06-17T12:48:00.001-07:00

I'm not sure if it's my lack of FUN things to do.. well I have tons of things to do but none of them very fun. But I have had a massive sweet tooth lately. So when I saw these cookies over at The Pioneer Woman I had to give them a try. They just looked sooo yummy.. what's better than melted chocolate on top of a cookie? Well, my little guy loves to cook and these were very easy so he was able to help me with them. Well, we both enjoyed the results! Sooo yummy ugh I could just eat up the whole pan!! So, if you've got a sweet tooth like me, these are an quick and easy fix!

My little guy cracks me up.. just like his momma and goes for the chocolate first.

They are finger-lickin good! and yes, he put his hat on like that.

Forget the napkins and papertowels.. have a wash cloth ready because they are messy.

Spreads

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup margarine
1 egg
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
6 to 8 ounces chocolate chips (I used milk chocolate, but use whatever tickles your fancy!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together brown sugar and margarine. Add egg and mix together. Add flour, salt, and vanilla, and mix together well.
Spread dough onto lightly greased cookie sheet to a thickness of 1/4 to 1/2-inch.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until slightly brown.
Sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over the top. Return to oven for 1 minute.
Remove and spread melted chips over the top.
Cut into squares. Enjoy!

Getting creative - Mexican Haystacks

2009-06-12T09:44:00.000-07:00

As I have said, we just moved and we actually are purchasing our first home. It has been a little bit of an adjustment for us in many ways. I'm attempting to pinch my pennies as much as possible and it's actually helped me get a little creative with my cooking. I'm sure you have heard of Hawaiian haystacks? There are other names for it but I just can't think of them right now. It's pretty much white rice with a chicken gravy with all sorts of different toppings you can mix in. I made a batch of this spanish rice and of course I had tons left over. So, the thought hit me.. Why not make Hawaiian haystacks but with a bit of mexican flare? I was a little worried about how it would turn out because I was literally just throwing things in that I had on hand, but we all loved it! Even my 2 year old ate it all up and asked for more. Best of all? I made it in the crock pot, all I had to do was reheat the left over rice and dinner was ready in minutes. You could also throw this in a tortilla and it would make an awesome burrito. That is whats for lunch today!

Mexican Haystacks

2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can diced green chili's drained
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 can reduced sodium black beans rinsed and drained or 1-1/2 cup prepared dried beans
1 can sliced olives drained
fresh diced tomatoes
shredded cheddar cheese
Hot cooked rice (Either white or this spanish rice recipe )
Any other toppings : Avocado, sour cream, lettuce, jalapenos, etc..

Place chicken in crockpot. Add soup, green chili's, cumin and garlic powder. Cook on low for 8 hours. Add in black beans and olives. Heat an additional 15-20 minutes or until heated through. Pour chicken gravy mixture over rice and add your toppings.

A yummy treat!

2009-06-09T19:24:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I know this is suppose to be a dinner blog. But I occasionally have to post a treat! What's life without treats right? I have been wanting to make these cute little things since I saw them over at picky palate, but I needed to save them for when we had guests over.. or I knew I would end up eating them all by myself. (My hubby is not big on treats) So, we had some friends come over tonight for dinner and so it was the perfect time to make them. Oh my goodness they are truly yummy! They take some time to make but are pretty easy, and well worth it. One way to save some $ on this treat is to buy your vanilla wafers at the dollar store. When I saw them at Walmart for nearly $4, I just had to try the dollar store. Sure enough they had them and they tasted just fine!

Peanut Butter-Finger Mini Cheesecakes

1 Cup ground Vanilla Wafers
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons butter
1/8 teaspoon salt

8 oz softened cream cheese
1/4 Cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 Cup sugar
1 egg
2 Tablespoons heavy cream
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 Fun Size Butterfinger Candy Bars, crushed

1 Cup semi sweet chocolate chips
2-3 Tablespoons heavy cream

2 Fun Size Butterfinger, crushed

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place cookie crumbs, sugar, butter and salt into a bowl; mix to combine. Spoon mixture into bottoms of mini cheese cake pan or mini cupcake pan(I used the mini cupcake pan with excellent results)and press. Bake for 10 minutes and remove from oven.

2. Reduce heat to 300 degrees F. In a stand or electric mixer, beat cream cheese and peanut butter until smooth. Beat sugar, egg, cream and salt until well combined. Slowly stir in crushed Butterfinger. Evenly pour batter over baked crust. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until cheesecake is set. Let cool for 2 hours, then remove from pan.

3. Melt chocolate chips in microwave in 30 second intervals until smooth. Stir in cream until smooth and glossy. If needed, return back to microwave for 15 seconds or so until smooth. Spoon over tops of cakes then sprinkle crushed butterfinger over top.

Enjoy!

Enchiladas with homemade sauce

2009-06-04T07:17:00.000-07:00

Can we say yummy?! Ok I just love this homemade sauce, so perfect... in fact I will NEVER BUY CANNED SAUCE. This is just too good for that NASTY stuff. It's a little runny so it softens the tortillas ever so slightly without making them mushy. Did I mention the flavor? OH THE FLAVOR!! :) For the filling I used my left over beef from this recipe. Try it out, you may never go back to that nasty canned sauce again.

Yummy Enchilada Sauce

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic minced
1 teaspoon onion
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 c salsa (I use medium but if you like it really spicy go for the hot stuff!)
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups water

1 - Heat the oil in large saucepan over medium heat.
Add the garlic and saute for 1 to 2 mins. Add the onion oregano,
chili powder, basil, ground black pepper, salt, cumin, parsley, salsa and tomato sauce.

2- mix together and then stir in the water. Bring to boil, reduce heat to low
and simmer for 15 to 20 mins.

Enchiladas
Corn tortillas
cheddar cheese
shredded beef (or any other meat you want to use)
oil

Preheat oven to 375. Heat oil in a small skillet. Place one tortilla in the skillet and heat on both sides until soft, not crisp.(This helps the tortilla to roll easy and not crack) Move to a 9x13 pan and fill with cheese and shredded beef roll placing seam side down. Repeat until pan is full. Top with enchilada sauce and cheddar cheese. Cover and bake for 20-25 minutes or until heated through.

Fall apart, melt in your mouth - roast

2009-06-01T15:09:00.000-07:00

I make this roast often. In fact, my husband would eat this everyday if I would let him.. but we usually have it every Sunday. He told me last night I make "the best roast ever". So, I thought I would share the recipe with you. I like to buy a cross rib roast, from my experience it always turns out soo tender. It's on sale right now at Smith's for 1.99/lb.. which is very good. I usually buy large roasts so I can use the left overs for other meals during the week, which I will share here as well.. after I make them this week. :) Another thing I like about this roast, it makes it's own gravy. I don't like gravy, but my husband does.. so I don't have to make a batch of gravy just for him, it's already done for me! Anyway here is my recipe for Sunday roast.

Sunday Roast

2-3 lb cross rib roast
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
3 tablespoons A1 steak sauce
1 table spoon Worcestershire sauce

Place roast in a crock pot and top with remaining ingredients. Cook on low for 8 hours or until it falls apart. Skim fat from the liquid in the crockpot and use the liquid for gravy.

Up next: Beef enchiladas with home-made sauce (using the left over beef)

Getting back to the norm...

2009-05-28T18:46:00.000-07:00

Well as I believe I have said before, I just moved. I finally have my kitchen unpacked and my desktop up and running so I should be back to my posting shortly. I don't have a recipe for you today but a tip of sorts. It's my little guys 2nd Birthday today and I made him mini cupcakes. I had never made them before but I just bought a box of cake mix, well.. one box made 62 of the cute little things. So, if you are thinking about making mini cupcakes using a box mix you might want to invite a lot of people to eat them with you or plan on freezing some for another day! I'm freezing half of mine and if there are any left after tonight, they will go with my hubby to his work. :) Back to my posting soon, I promise!

Cheddar Chicken Spaghetti

2009-05-12T15:12:00.000-07:00

It's been very busy around these parts and the next few weeks are going to be even busier. Last week I needed a quick meal because I needed to head out of town one evening, but I wanted to get dinner in our bellies first. I didn't have time for any trips to the store so I had to make due with what I had, which wasn't much. I began looking through one of my cookbooks for a recipe that had few ingredients that were already in the cupboard. I found this recipe for Cheddar chicken spaghetti. I maybe would have never made it had it not been simple. I actually liked it. Seems to be a very kid friendly dish as well. So, I will definitely cook this recipe again.

Cheddar Chicken Spaghetti

1 pkg (7 oz) spaghetti, broken
2 cups cubed chicken (I actually used 2 cans of chicken from costco)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the chicken, 1 cup cheese, soup, milk, salt and pepper. Drain spaghetti; add to the chicken mixture and toss to coat. Transfer to a greased 9x13 dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until heated through.

(I think next time I might add some frozen veggies to the mix)

Baked Tilapia

2009-05-02T12:01:00.000-07:00

So I am not much of a fish person. In fact the only fish I will eat are of the mild variety. Halibut, occasionally Salmon, and Tilapia. Since I don't have a love for fish I have never really cooked it because I don't buy it. hehe. I usually would only order it occassionaly in restuarants, when I am forced by my fish loving husband to eat at "those" places. Well, as I have said before, our family is on a low red meat diet.. while there is alot I can do with chicken and pork.. I decided to give the fish a try. I bought some of the frozen tilapia fillets at Costco. I found a recipe on allrecipes.com that had alot of possitive reviews. So, I went for it. Everyone at the table raved about it. Even my dad. WHICH NEVER HAPPENS!!! Since I have moved back in with my parents it has been a goal of mine to cook something that my dad loved, and everything has just been "alright". Until I made this fish. He just kept saying this is soo good. He even went so far as to say it was better than Maddox. (those in Utah may have heard of that restaurant.) I felt proud that night. :) It's been a long time coming but finally I got a positive review from my "non-picky" (as he says.......) father. Anyways, give it a try, it's very mild and tasty!

Baked Tilapia
(slightly adapted from allrecipes.com)

4 4oz Tilapia fillets (you can do more, you can do less.)
2 teaspoons butter (more or less)
Old Bay seasoning
garlic salt
1 lemon, sliced

Preheat the oven to 375. Grease a 9x13 baking dish. Place the tilapia fillets in the baking dish and dot the top with butter. Season with Old Bay seasoning and Garlic Salt to taste. Top with sliced lemon. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Cover and bake for 25-40 minutes(depending if the fish is frozen) or until flakey.

I also made a homemade tartar sauce. I didn't measure things out, just added to taste. But here is what I did.

Tartar Sauce

Mayonaise
dill pickle relish (if you don't have relish you can finely chop a dill pickle and then add a little of the juice.)
dried dill
lemon pepper seasoning

Mix together all the ingredients, add things slowly and taste as you go until you get it how you like it. I actually used an all-purpose dill mix from the pampered chef. It turned out very tasty.

Black Bean Chicken Tacos with... get this.. HOMEMADE tortillas!

2009-04-21T13:51:00.000-07:00

Ok when I first saw this recipe I was a little scared. Not of the filling of course but of making my own tortillas. I thought to myself.. SCARY! There is just no way I could possibly make homemade tortillas and have them taste good. Well, I was wrong. I regret not trying this recipe sooner. I think from now on I will always make my flour tortillas from scratch because really...it's not that hard. We always buy the ones you have to cook and those can get a little expensive. But making your own is very cheap and like I said, easier than I thought. So give it a try. You don't have to use them for these black bean chicken tacos either. But those are very tastey as well. Use them for ANYTHING you use a flour tortilla for. Don't forget the Spanish Rice! Enjoy!

Black Bean Chicken Tacos

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon cumin, divided
2 tablespoons shortening
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon warm water
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
2 cups salsa (would be soo tasty with fresh homemade salsa, YUM!)
1 can black beans rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 tsp chili powder
Shredded lettuce, shredded cheddar cheese, chopped ripe olives, sour cream and any additional toppings you enjoy.

In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and 1/2 tsp cumin. Cut in shortening until crumbly. Stir in enough water for mixture to form a ball. Knead on floured surface for 1 minute. Cover and let rest for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, combine the chicken, salsa, beans, onion powder, chili powder and remaining cumin. Cover and simmer for 12-20 minutes or until chicken juices run clear.
For tortillas, divide dough into eight balls; roll each ball into an 8-inch circle. In an ungreased skillet, cook tortillas, one at a time, until lightly browned, about 30 seconds on each side. Layer between pieces of waxed paper or paper towels; keep warm. Spoon chicken mixture over half of each tortilla and top with favorite toppings such as lettuce, cheese, olives, sour cream, etc.

BBQ Chicken Pizza with Fresh Pineapple

2009-04-17T18:44:00.000-07:00

Can we say YUM? Ok So I love California pizza kitchen and I LOVE their bbq chicken pizza but I always felt like it was lacking something.. So last time I went there I asked them to add pineapple to it. It was HEAVEN!! I didn't know until after I got the pizza that they only used fresh pineapple and oh my goodness, I think it made it even better. Anyways, I was craving it again and I don't live any where near a CPK -- Yet. So I decided to try it out for myself. I usually use Rhodes frozen bread dough for the crust because it's easy.. but about 95% of the time I forget to pull it out earlier on in the day. So, I decided to try this quick recipe for the crust from of course.. my kitchen cafe. I knew she would have something on there and she did. It was pretty tasty too. And not hard to make at all, I will definately be using that recipe for the crust more often. Oh and if you like onions feel free to add them.. I'm just not a fan. :)

BBQ Chicken Pizza with Fresh Pineapple

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into small cubes
2 TBSP BBQ sauce (I'm a fan of bulls eye)
1 TBPS oil
1/2 cup BBQ sauce
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/4-1/2 tsp basil (to taste)
1/4-1/2 tsp oregano (to taste)
1/4-1/2 tsp garlic salt (to taste)
Fresh cilantro
Fresh pineapple cut into small chunks or you could use a can of tidbits
Mozerella cheese
Prepared un-baked pizza crust

Mix the chicken with 2 TBSP BBQ sauce until coated. Heat up oil in a frying pan. Saute chicken until no longer pink; set aside. In a blender or food prosessor combine 1/2 c BBQ sauce with tomato sauce, basil, oregano, garlic salt and a handful of fresh cilantro. Pulse until combined. Roll out your pizza dough onto desired pan. Top with bbq sauce mixture, chicken, pineapple and cheese. Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes or until crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted. Top with more fresh chopped cilantro if desired. YUM!

Fast and Easy Pizza Dough
From My Kitchen Cafe

3 cups flour, more or less
1 tablespoon honey, heaping
1 tablespoon oil, heaping
1 cup warm water
1 tablespoon yeast
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

Mix all pizza dough ingredients together, except the flour. Add flour and knead for a bit then put into pan.

Fajita Night but really... Spanish Rice

2009-04-12T14:11:00.000-07:00

I have to apologize for not posting in so long. Our family is in the process of purchasing our first home and things have been a little busy. As soon as we are offically moved in and settled, I will be back to posting at least one or more times a week. But until then, it might be a little far and in between. Bear with me folks.

Fajitas are one of our favorite things. We have them probably about every 2 weeks or less. I love that they are so easy and healthy too. I have found this marinade that I love to use for the chicken and it's very yummy. I need to try out a homemade recipe though. I have one in mind. I just had some of the bottled marinade that I needed to use up. So, I will post a homemade fajita marinade recipe, if I find one I like. Anyways I am actually posting a recipe for Spanish Rice. My aunt(who is an excellent cook) made this a few weeks ago when we all got together for General Conference. I thought it was soo yummy, yet so simple. Even better.. I have everything in my storage supplies but the butter. I love that this spanish rice isn't spicey, so it's great to pair up with a spicy mexican dish to help cool down the tounge, if you know what I mean. :)

Spanish Rice

2 Cups rice, uncooked
1/2 cube butter
8 oz can tomato sauce
3 cups chicken broth (2 cans)
garlic powder
salt and pepper

Brown rice in butter in a large saucepan. Add tomato sauce, chicken broth and spices(to taste). Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer for 15-20 mins.

Note: I added a little dried parsley for some color.

Bourbon Chicken

2009-03-26T13:20:00.000-07:00

Well, here it is.. another recipe from My Kitchen Cafe. I tell you I have the same taste as the author of that blog. Every recipe I have tried of hers I have loved. So I hope she doesn't mind that I am sharing another one and will probably share more. Anyways I wasn't sure if I would like this recipe but it caught my eye. It doesn't have any bourbon in it and I have never tried a drop of any alcohol in my life so I couldn't tell you if it tastes like bourbon. I can tell you that it was very good. I didn't know what to expect, except for after reading the ingredients that it is going to be kinda sweet with a little spice. It didn't taste how I imagined but it tasted GREAT! So enjoy! I will definitely be making this one more often!

Bourbon Chicken
(taken from mykitchencafe.blogspot.com)

Ingredients:
2lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 tablespoons oil (for pan-frying)
cornstarch (for dusting, optional)

Sauce:
1 garlic clove (minced)
¼ teaspoon ginger (I used ground ginger)
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
¼ cup apple juice
1/3 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
½ cup water
1/3 cup soy sauce

Cut chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces, and if you choose lightly dust with cornstarch. Heat oil in your wok and fry chicken bits in batches until lightly browned. Drain on paper towels and set aside.

In a bowl combine all sauce ingredients. Pour into wok and bring to a boil. Add chicken bits back to the pan, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Pork and Green Chili Casserole

2009-03-19T16:15:00.000-07:00

I've posted this recipe on my family blog before.. but I wanted to post it along with a picture. My family loves this meal.. I usually cook it at least once a month if not more.. I usually always make it after we have had a pork roast because we usually have left overs. I just use the pork shredded up and really it's good both ways.. shredded pork or cubed pork loin chops. Yummy! As I said on my family blog, even my little guy eats this up. I wouldn't really think he would, but he gobbles it. Yummy!

Pork and green chili casserole
(from Taste of Home Prize Winning Recipes)

1-1/2 lbs boneless pork loin chops cut into 1/2 inch cubes (sometimes I just used the left overs from a pork roast and it works great too!)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 can (14-1/2 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cans (4 oz each) chopped green chilies
1 cup quick-cooking brown rice
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons salsa
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 to 1 cup cheddar cheese

In a large skillet, saute pork in oil until no longer pink; drain(if you are using leftovers you can obviously skip the first part). Add the beans, soup, tomatoes, chilies, rice, water, salsa, and cumin; cook and stir until bubbly. Pour into an ungreased 2-qt baking dish or 9x13 pan.
Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Sprinkle with cheese; let stand a few minutes before serving. Makes 6 servings. Enjoy!

Herbed Chicken and Tomatoes.

2009-03-16T00:00:00.000-07:00

Alright folks.. it doesn't get much easier than this.. Man this dish was just so easy. It's a slow cooker dish (which I just love) and really comes together so fast. I loved smelling this dish all day too. Well, the reason I made this dish when I did was because I wasn't going to be home at dinner time. I was actually at the cannery.. so.. It would be SO easy for any husband to put together for the family. All my family had to do was boil the pasta, cook a veggie and they were done. I don't know anyone who can't do that. This dish was really tasty and OH SO CHEAP to make!

Herbed Chicken and Tomatoes
(from the Taste of Home)

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-1/2 inch cubes
2 cans (14-1/2 oz each) Italian diced tomatoes (Make sure they are Italian style!)
1 envelope savory herb and garlic soup mix (Found by the dry onion soup mix)
1/4 teaspoon sugar
Hot Cooked pasta (I used rotini because I had it.. you could use ANYTHING)
Shredded Parmesan Cheese

In a 3-qt. slow cooker, combine the chicken, tomatoes, soup mix and sugar. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or until chicken is no longer pink. Serve with pasta; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Your done.. Easy peasy!

Next up from me: Pork and green chili casserole (Some of you already have this.. I'm just posting it with a picture.) (:

Update: Winger's Sauce and Chicken rice bowl

2009-03-13T14:52:00.000-07:00

Ok, as I said in my last post I made extra sauce because I was going to make a rice bowl with the left overs. Well, it wasn't the best idea.. Not that it didn't taste good because it did. But when I reheated the sauce it broke down and was probably as thin as water. It still tasted most excellent but if you want to make a rice bowl using this sauce, I would recommend you make the sauce as you are making the stir fry. I haven't tried it that way yet but it should hold up just fine. This meal came together sooo quickly. The thing that took the longest was cutting everything up and you could do that ahead of time if you needed to. You can add any veggie you like to it really.. Anyways here is what I did.

Chicken rice bowl with Wingers sauce

1 tsp oil
1 lb boneless chicken breasts cut into 1-1/2 inch cubes
1-2 carrots chopped ( I would have rather shredded here.. doesn't take as long to cook)
1-2 cups broccoli florets
1 medium zucchini cubed
Wingers sauce (click the link if you need the recipe)
Hot rice

In a large skillet heat up oil. Add chicken and saute until no longer pink. Add in veggies and continue to stir fry until all veggies are tender. (I added in at different times.. I added carrots first because I knew they would take the longest to cook since I just chopped them, saute for a few minutes then I added the broccoli and sauted a few mintues more.. I added the zucchini last because it takes the shortest amount of time to cook.) After all the veggies become tender stir in wingers sauce and toss to coat. Serve over hot white rice.

Talk about YUMMY and pretty healthy too! You can go crazy with your veggies.. I wish I would have had more but I just used what I had in my fridge.

Next up from me: Herbed Chicken and Tomatoes.. and OH MAN is it SOOO EASY and tasty too!

P.S. We always LOVE to hear from you! We would like to know if you tried any of the recipes we have posted here and what you think! Leave us some comments if you are out there.

Wingers Sticky Fingers!!

2009-03-10T00:00:00.000-07:00

My hubby and I love Wingers. We have forever. We have one here in our little town, but it's one of those that's well.. not as good as others. For some reason the food here tastes kind of old or something, I don't know. But when we lived in St. George it was one of our favorite places to eat. We always order their sticky fingers and just LOVE the sauce. I was so excited when I found this recipe that claimed to taste just like the real thing. I was not sure that it would but decided to give it a try and OH YES!!! Let's just say, we no longer need to go to our Wingers. I can now make this at home for less then one of us to order it at Wingers. You don't have to put this sauce on just chicken fingers. I made extra and plan on making a chicken rice bowl with veggies using this as the sauce. YUMMY! And you can mix it up with some ranch and have some yummy dipping sauce as well! So, if you like Wingers sauce, give it a try!!

Wingers Sticky Fingers
(taken from http://favfamilyrecipes.blogspot.com)

Sauce:
For the sauce:
**Covers about 8 sticky fingers
3 Tbsp. Franks Hot Sauce (It has to be Franks Hot Sauce... no other sauce will taste as good)
3/4 c. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. water

Heat up hot sauce, brown sugar and water in a saucepot until all the sugar dissolves, stirring constantly.

For the sticky fingers
1 c. oil
1 pkg. frozen breaded chicken fingers (we just bought the Tyson Crispy strips)

(You can do it this way, but we just oven baked them to make them a little more healthy.) In a frying pan, heat oil and cook chicken fingers until crispy and warm. Pour sauce over (or put them in a Tupperware with some of the sauce and shake it up until the chicken is completely covered in sauce). Serve with ranch or blue cheese dressing.

Enjoy!

Brown Butter Tortellini with Spinach and Ham

2009-03-07T16:07:00.000-08:00

I just recently bought a Pampered Chef cookbook and decided to try out this recipe first. The photo in the book just looked sooo yummy! I thought it was a pretty good dish, but it needed something. So I added a bit of Kosher Salt and pepper, that kicked it up just a bit. My dad told me I could make this again, and he is always hard to please! The recipe calls for the refrigerated cheese tortellini.. I bought my supplies at our Walmart and it was no where to be found. They must have been in the process of moving it from it's original home near the deli because when I went back a few days later it was by the hot dogs. After I couldn't find it in it's normal spot, I looked EVERYWHERE. So, I opted for the frozen kind, which I'm not sure there is all that much of a difference. And it only cost me 2.99 for a bag and it was still tasty! Here is the recipe, enjoy!

Brown Butter Tortellini with Spinach and Ham
Slightly adapted from Pampered Chef's 29 minutes to dinner cookbook.

1 pkg (20 oz) refrigerated cheese tortellini
1 pkg (6 oz) fresh baby spinach leaves
1 (8 oz) piece cooked ham steak, diced (you could easily sub chicken here)
1 large red bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup butter (DO NOT USE MARGARINE!!!!)
Kosher Salt
Pepper

Cook tortellini according to package directions. As tortellini is cooking place spinach in the bottom of a large colander. Drain tortellini over spinach. Add butter to a large skillet, heat over medium heat for 5-7 minutes or until butter is a deep brown color, occasionally swirling skillet. Immediately add bell pepper. Reduce heat to low; add ham, tortellini and spinach. Gently toss to coat. Season with kosher salt and black pepper to taste. -6 servings

Next up from me: Wingers Sticky Fingers with TASTES JUST LIKE THE REAL THING HOMEMADE SAUCE!!!!!!! YUMMY!!!

Yummy Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

2009-03-03T14:44:00.000-08:00

This is a recipe from my husbands family and I just love it. Everytime I have been to their house to visit this dish is on the menu and it makes me happy. I think this is really how I was introduced to green chilies. My mom never cooked with them and after I tried them in this dish I was hooked! I just love green chilies!! Anyways this is a great recipe. I have even used canned chicken from costco when I was in a pinch and it was still tasty! It's very simple too and you can make it more low fat by using reduced fat cream of chicken and mushroom soups.. I have also used milk in place of half and half before when I needed to, but they are much creamier and tastier when you use half and half. I have slightly adapted this recipe to my taste. Well, the only thing I've changed is I put in some cumin to taste. I probably put in about 1/2 teaspoon or more. I'm not sure since I just eye it. Anyways, these are super yummy and easy so give them a try!

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded. (you could really use any shredded chicken here. I sometimes use our left over rotisserie chicken.)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 small can diced green chilies drained (I personally like 2 cans but I'm obsessed!)
1/2 to 1 cup half and half
2 1/2 cups cheddar cheese
flour tortillas (I like to get the ones that are uncooked and cook them up, they are more expensive but worth it for the awesomeness that they are!)
1/2 tsp ground cumin (optional)

In a medium sized bowl mix together shredded chicken, diced chilies, 2 cups of cheddar cheese and cumin; set aside. In another bowl mix 2 cans of soup, add half and half to get a somewhat runny consistency.(You don't want it to be completely runny because it will break down a little bit as it heats up.) Spoon your chicken/cheese mixture into the flour tortillas and roll. Put all rolled enchiladas into a 9x13 pan. (I usually put a bit of the sauce on the bottom first) Pour sauce over enchiladas and then remaining cheddar cheese. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes or until heated.

Enjoy!

Next up from me: Brown Butter Tortellini with Ham and Spinach

Meatballs with Cream Sauce

2009-02-24T13:33:00.000-08:00

Ok so for those of you who follow my family blog you know I've already posted this recipe. But that time I didn't include a picture. So I am posting it again with a picture. I will do that probably with all my recipes that I have previously posted because I am planning on printing a cookbook hopefully by the end of the year. So.. If you didn't try these due to a lack of picture here it is.. again I made them with turkey burger here so if you use ground beef they might look slightly different. Also, if you are thinking.. wow they had green beans AGAIN.. your wrong.. it's actually asparagus. Yum! It's usually an expensive Veggie, but it was on sale last week for 1.39/lb.. so we stock up a bit! We do like our green veggies, but we also eat other varieties. For some reason everytime I cook for this blog it seems we have something green. Go figure. Enjoy! If you have already tried these let me know what you think!

Meatballs with Cream Sauce
from www.mykitchencafe.blogspot.com

MEATBALLS:
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup milk
2 T. ketchup
1 t. Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup quick oats
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1 1/2 lb. lean ground beef
3 T. flour

CREAM SAUCE:
2 T. butter
3 1/2 T. flour
1/4 t. dried thyme
1/4 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
14 oz. can chicken broth (If you want your sauce thicker, cut down the chicken broth to 1 cup)
2/3 cup milk
2 T. minced fresh parsley

In a bowl, combine all of the meatball ingredients EXCEPT the beef and flour. Add beef and mix well. Shape into balls. Roll in flour, shaking off excess. Place 1 inch apart on cookie sheet and bake, uncovered, at 400 for 10 minutes. Turn meatballs, bake 8-10 minutes longer or until no longer pink. Meanwhile, for the sauce, melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour, thyme, salt and pepper until smooth. Gradually add broth and milk; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes, until slightly thickened. If using the full can of chicken broth, the sauce doesn't thicken overly much, but it is delicious that way. If you want it slightly thicker, cut down the chicken broth to 1 cup. Drain meatballs on paper towels; transfer to a serving dish. Top with sauce and parsley. Serve over rice or egg noodles.

Next up from me: Creamy Chicken Enchiladas!

Baked Spaghetti

2009-02-16T17:50:00.000-08:00

While Spaghetti is a very cheap meal.. it can get a little boring. In fact I'm sick of just plain old Spaghetti with hamburger and sauce. But this recipe knocks my socks off. It is cooked and then baked in the oven with this creamy cheesy layer in the middle. It's so yummy. This recipe makes enough for 2 9x13 pans. I always make both and freeze one for another day. But if you don't want to do that, you can just half the recipe. I wish my picture showed the middle layer because it's just yummy! I rarely have left overs with this one and when I do, everyone fights over who gets it for lunch the next day. It's pretty easy to make too! Enjoy!

Baked Spaghetti
16 oz pkg spaghetti noodles cooked (I usually use a little bit more noodles.)
2 24 oz jars spaghetti sauce
2 lbs ground beef browned
4 T butter
4 T all-purpose flour
4 T grated parmesan cheese
2 t salt
1/2 t garlic
12 oz can evaporated milk
3 c cheddar cheese shredded and divided

Combine spaghetti noodles, spaghetti sauce and ground beef together; set aside. In a saucepan, over medium heat, melt butter; add flour, parmesan cheese, salt and garlic. Stir constantly over heat until smooth and bubbly. Add evaporated milk and one cup cheddar cheese; stir until thoroughly melted. Pour 1/4 of the spaghetti noodle mixture into each 9x13 casserole dish and pour 1/2 cheese mixture over top in each pan. Pour remaining nood mixture into casserole dishes; top with remaining cheddar cheese. Bake at 350 for 25 to 30 mins.

2009-02-14T12:46:00.000-08:00

Texas Hold-Ums Mini chipotle Beef Burgers w/ Warm Fire Roasted Garlic Ketchup

Ingredients
• 2 pounds ground sirloin
• 1 medium onion, peeled and cut in 1/2
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, eyeball it
• 2 chipotles in adobo and 2 tablespoons of adobo sauce
• 2 tablespoons grill seasoning, a couple of palm fulls, (recommended: Montreal Steak Seasoning by McCormick)
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus some for drizzling
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/4 cup vinegar
• 1 (15-ounce) can crushed fire roasted tomatoes, about 2 cups
• Salt and pepper
• 12 slices, 1/2-inch thick, brick-cut smoked Cheddar or sharp Cheddar, (recommended: Cabot), optional
• 12 small round rolls, split
• (Many markets sell mini Keiser rolls or use dinner rolls in any flavor you like)
Directions
Preheat grill pan to high.
Place the meat in a bowl. Cut the onion in half. Grate half the onion into the meat using the small grate on a box grater. Chop and reserve the other half onion. Add Worcestershire, chipotles and sauce and grill seasoning to burgers. Drizzle a little extra-virgin olive oil over the bowl and mix meat. Score the meat into 4 sections. Make 3 mini-burgers, each 3 inches wide, 1-inch thick, from each half-pound of meat.
Heat a small sauce pot over medium heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil and garlic. Cook garlic 2 to 3 minutes then add sugar and vinegar, cook 2 minutes more and stir in tomatoes. Season sauce with salt and pepper and allow it to reduce 5 to 6 minutes more.
Grill meat 2 to 3 minutes on each side and top with cheese, if you like.
Place burgers on buns and top with raw chopped onions and warm fire roasted ketchup and serve.

As a side dish I baked some homemade fries and Crunch Cabbage Salad. For the fries cut up potato's (with skins on) coat in Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Salt, Pepper, and Rosemary and place on cookie sheet at temp of 375 degrees for 20 min, then turn over and cook an addition 10 to 20 more mins. They should be golden and crispy, and totally yummy.

The Cabbage Salad is: half a head of cabbage roughly chopped, 4 tbs. Green onions, 2 pkgs. Chicken Ramen crunched up, and diced chicken. I boil the chicken with some italian seasoning in the water for 10 min. on medium to med. low heat (you don't want the water bubbling out just a light simmer) Then cool the chicken and cut up to add to the rest.
Dressing
1/3 oil
1/2 red wine vinegar
Chicken seasoning packets
1 tbs. sugar
1 pinch salt
Whisk
Toss all together in dressing and put in fridge, serve once chilled slightly.

A Treat - Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies

2009-02-12T15:53:00.000-08:00

I know this blog is for dinners but what is dinner without the occasional desert? Well, I wouldn't know.. I don't make sweets too often anymore because my hubby will rarely eat them. Sad, I know! I usually just go for a pint of Ben and Jerry's Phish Food(best flavor ever) and call it good. I do love to bake though and my toddler loves to help! So, after my husbands grandma told me about these cookies I thought I would give them a try. Afterall, I do love chocolate and marshmallow together. I think they are pretty good, but they sparked an idea that I am going to be trying out and if it's good I will post it later. They are pretty chocolatey so I would have a glass of milk close by. :)

Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies

1 3/4 c flour
1/2 tsp soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c cocoa
1/2 c shortening
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 c milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c nuts(I'm not a fan of nuts.. So I didn't use them)
Marshmallows
Chocolate frosting(I was lazy and just bought some)

Cream shortening sugar and eggs. Add dry ingredients and milk alternately. Add vanilla and nuts. Drop teaspoon full of dough onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 9 min. Take out of the oven and press 1/2 of a marshmallow into cookie. Return to oven and cook an additional 2 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for a minute on the baking sheet, then remove to wire rack. Let cool a little bit more and frost with chocolate frosting. This is a little tricky.. I put some of the frosting in the middle of the marshmallow and gently worked my way out to the edge of the cookie. Enjoy!

Next up from me : Baked Spaghetti

Broccoli Beef

2009-02-04T13:03:00.000-08:00

Greetings from Heber City! hehe. I'm just visiting here with my hubby at his grandma's for the week. Such a beautiful town! I love it! Anyways, I wanted to post my recipe for Broccoli Beef because I just LOVE it! It is often requested at our house and isn't very hard to make. I won't be including a picture... yet. I promise that I will add one as soon as I get home, which will probably be on Saturday. I will be making it for dinner that night. If you are too scared to try it out without a photo, just wait until then.. but I promise if you like broccoli beef you will love it! We all do! A little note.. The recipe calls for 1 3/4 cup beef broth. What I do is buy the beef granules (found near the bullion cubes) and make the exact amount that I need. That way I'm not throwing any out or keeping any in the fridge to probably just be thrown out because it was forgotten. It's really easy to make, you just add the granules to the amount of boiling water that you need. (it tells you on the container how man tsp to add per cup.) Just make sure you do that first so it has time to cool down before you add the other ingredients for the sauce.

Broccoli Beef

2 TBSP cornstarch
1 3/4 cup beef broth
2 TBSP soy sauce
1 TBSP brown sugar
1 clove fresh garlic, minced
1 lb boneless sirlion steak or top beef round steak cut into thin strips (I actually used 1 ranch steak that was .75 lbs for 2.99 and it fed 5 adults and my toddler, it was tender!)
4 cups fresh broccoli (you could use frozen.. but why? hehe)

In a medium size bowl stir together cornstarch, beef broth, soy sauce and brown sugar; set aside. (if you are making your own broth this can wait a minute until your broth has cooled a bit). In a large nonstick skillet fry beef over med-high heat until cooked and drain off any fat. Add in the garlic and continue to saute. Add broccoli and saute for an additional minute. Add your sauce and cook and stir until the sauce thickens. Great served over hot white rice!

Another note.. We like things saucy around here, so I usually double the sauce. Enjoy!

Tiny Spicy Chicken

2009-02-02T06:59:00.000-08:00

SMELLA VISION
So Heather and I are working on Chinese Week and well I have made a yummy dish of Tiny Spicy Chicken. So my pictures aren't as beautiful as Heather's so don't expect them to be in the future but trust me this dish is delicious! Here is the recipe for my meal, enjoy because even though is seems to take some time its worth it. Personally its as great as anything you would get at a restaurant, oh and thanks to my sister Terri for giving it to me.
Tiny Spicy Chicken!!!

3 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast cut into 1 1/2" cubes
Garlic salt
2 t. sambal chili paste (found at albertsons and macey's)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup ketchup
2 beaten eggs
Cornstarch
1 cup chicken broth
6 T. brown sugar
1 cup white vinegar

Sprinkle chicken with garlic salt, let sit 1 hour in fridge. After an hour dip
chicken into eggs first, then into cornstarch. Brown chicken in fryer until
golden brown. Put chicken in 9 x 13" pan. Mix: Chili paste, sugar, ketchup, dash salt, chicken
broth, brown sugar, and white vinegar in sauce pan until sugars are dissaolved (medium heat). Bake
chicken at 325 degrees for 1 hour turning chicken every 15 minutes. Sauce thickens as it cooks, forming
a nice coating. Rice makes a great side dish to this recipe.

Kicking off Chinese week with Sweet and Sour chicken

2009-02-01T11:28:00.000-08:00

I made this Chinese dish the other night and oh my, it was so good. The chicken was so tender and the flavor was just right. It takes a little bit of time and effort, but we all thought it was worth it! It wasn't overwhelming labor, just cooks in the oven for an hour and I wasn't aware of that, so we didn't eat until about 8 pm that night hehe. I am actually not a big fan of Chinese restaurants but I would definitely eat this any day. I made the extra pan of sauce which I felt was kind of needed, but we like sauce on our rice too. I'm not sure what restaurants do when they fry their chicken but this didn't feel as heavy with grease, since you use a tiny bit. I plan on sharing my recipe for Broccoli Beef soon, I'm not sure it will make it on the blog this week since I am heading out of town for the week but I will do my best. :) Enjoy!

Sweet and Sour Chicken (recipe from mykitchencafe.blogspot.com)
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
1 cup cornstarch
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup canola oil

Cut boneless chicken breasts into chunks. Season with salt and pepper. Dip chicken in cornstarch and then in egg. Fry in a little oil until brown but not cooked through. Place in a single layer in a baking dish. Mix sauce ingredients (below) together and pour over chicken.

Sauce:
¾ cup sugar
4 tablespoons ketchup
½ cup vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic salt

Bake for one hour at 325 degrees. Turn chicken every 15 minutes. If you like extra sauce, make another batch of sauce and bring it to a boil on the stovetop. Stir constantly and let cook over medium heat until thickened and reduced - about 6-8 minutes.

Next up.. a recipe from Sandy.

Italian Chicken Pasta

2009-01-30T14:10:00.000-08:00

We tried this dish last night and it was delish. It came together really quickly. I actually think I might like it more without the chicken but the men around these parts wouldn't go for that one bit. I got this recipe from another food blog www.mykitchencafe.blogspot.com I have tried a few recipes of hers and all but one(the chicken lo mein wasn't a hit here) has been a hit with our family. I have a few more of her recipes that I will be trying and will post them if we like them.

In other news, I have my first contributor to the blog!! YAY! My long lost sister(really best friend)Sandy. She will be helping me with this blog and I'm excited to see what she comes up with, really since we were room mates in college and she never seemed to like to cook. :) But from the sound of things it's now something she enjoys. We decided to make next week a Chinese week. We will be posting a few recipes for you to try and enjoy! If anyone else would like to be a contributor you are more than welcome!! We love new recipes too! :) Just shoot me an email. Thanks!

Italian Chicken Pastina

1 cup pastina pasta (I used macaroni, since I have it in my food storage)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup cubed chicken breast (1-inch cubes)
1/2 cup diced onion (about 1/2 a small onion)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon butter, plus more for buttering the baking dish

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until just tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Drain pasta into a large mixing bowl.

Meanwhile, put the olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes. Add the onions and garlic, stirring to combine, and cook until the onions are soft and the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes more. Put the chicken mixture into the bowl with the cooked pasta. Add the canned tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Place the mixture in a buttered 8 by 8 by 2-inch baking dish. In a small bowl mix together the bread crumbs and the Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle over the top of the pasta mixture. Dot the top with small bits of butter. Bake until the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Kicking things off with.. Chili

2009-01-28T13:26:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my new blog. Things aren't quite set up the way I want right now, but I will work on adding some design elements over time. This blog is designed to help others cook on a budget. I will also try to include recipes that will use up any food storage that you might have. It's important to store, but it's also important to use that storage and keep it rotating. I'm going to kick of my new blog with a great simple recipe for Chili made in the crockpot. I love this recipe because it's fast, I usually have all the ingredients already and I can just throw it in and forget about it until dinner time. I know everyone seems to have a different recipe for chili and this is the one that I use. This recipe includes the use of black beans which are a wonderful bean to cook with. You will find over time that I cook with them often. They are loaded with wonderful nutrients and taste great. They are a good source of fiber, protein, iron, potassium and even a little calcium. I buy a lot of these for storage because if for some reason I am unable to buy any meats in the future these guys can help up my protein intake and basically replace meat, if needs be. Same goes with almost any bean, I just happen to like the black variety. If you are not a fan of black beans you can substitute the can of black beans for an additional can of chili beans. I have also included a yummy corn bread recipe. This recipe is a sweeter cornbread and I always make it along with my homemade chili. Enjoy! Nothing like a warm bowl of chili to warm you up during these chilly days.

Crock Pot Chili (estimated cost about $6.00 without toppings)

1 lb ground beef or you could do Italian sausage or 1/2 lb of both it all tastes good.
1 can diced tomatoes undrained
2 8 oz cans tomato sauce
1/2 cup onion chopped(I use dehydrated onions.. I hate chopping onions.. I always cry)
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 heaping tsp oregano leaves
2 cans chili beans, undrained it is important you do not drain these, they are canned in a sauce that will add additional flavor to your chili. (or substitute 1 can of black beans rinsed and drained for one can of chili)

Brown ground beef in a large skillet, drain. Put beef in crockpot with everything but the beans. Cook on low for 3 to 4 hours. Add beans and continue to cook on low for another 45 mins. Serve when mixture is completely hot. Serves 6.

Sweet Cornbread
1/2 c melted butter
1 c sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 c flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 c cornmeal
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 c milk
Mix together. (batter will be thin) Bake in a greased 9x13 pan at 375 for 25 mins.