Melissa

Chicken Artichoke Bake

1 1/2 C. uncooked squiggly pasta

1 med. onion, minced

2 C. cooked, shredded/chopped chicken

1 can (14 oz.) Italian spiced, diced tomatoes - undrained

1 can (14 oz.) artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

1/2 can black olives, sliced

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

2 C. shredded mozzarella cheese

Cook pasta. Drain and set aside. Heat oil/butter in a LARGE frying pan. Sautee onion 1 min. Add chicken, tomatoes, pasta, artichokes, olives & italian seasoning. Mix until combined. Place 1/2 mixture in greased 9x13 pan, sprinkle with 1/2 the cheese. Repeat. Bake, covered, for 25 minutes at 350. Uncover and bake another 5-10 min. to brown cheese.

Enchiladas

3-4 boneless chicken breasts

10-12 small flour tortillas

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 pkg taco seasoning, or 3 Tbsp.

1 small can tomato sauce

1/2 C. water

1 C. sour cream

shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Trim chicken breasts, cut in half the hot dog way. Lay in foil-lined baking pan, sprinkle with salt. Fold foil over to cover chicken all the way, bake for 30 minutes. Chop or shred cooked chicken, reserve juices. Mix cream of chicken soup, taco seasoning, tomato sauce, water, sour cream, and juice from chicken. Set aside 2/3 of sauce. Add chicken and any other fillings (sliced olives, sliced mushrooms, diced green chilies, etc.) to rest of sauce. Spoon into center of tortillas, wrap and place in baking dish. Pour remaining sauce over the top, sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Bake @ 350 for 20 min. covered, uncover and bake another 10 min. to brown cheese. Serve with rice.

Pork Chops with Mushroom Gravy

4-8 boneless pork chops

1/2 C. flour

1 tsp. paprika

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

2 Tbsp. butter

1 med. onion, minced

4 oz. sliced mushrooms

4 Tbsp. butter

2 1/2 C. milk

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

In a large resealable bag, combine flour, paprika, salt & pepper. Add pork chops and toss to coat. Set remaining flour mixture aside. Heat a large skillet with 2 Tbsp. butter, and sear or brown the outsides of the chops. Place in a greased 9x13 baking pan. In the same skillet, lightly saute the onion and mushrooms in 4 Tbsp. butter. Add the remaining flour mixture. SLOWLY add the milk, stirring constantly as it bubbles. (A roux - it will get thicker, then gradually thinner to create a gravy.) Let bubble a few minutes, then remove from heat and add lemon juice. Pour over chops. Cover & bake 50-60 minutes @ 350.

Grape Salad

4-6 C. red grapes, halved

16 oz. cottage cheese

1/2 pkg. jello (1.5 oz.), any flavor (strawberry is a favorite)

8 oz. whipped cream or cool whip

Combine grapes, cottage cheese and jello. Fold in whipped cream. (Makes a lot.)

Pizza Roll

1 C. very warm water

1 Tbsp. yeast

1 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. salt

2 1/2 c. flour

6-8 thinly sliced ham

pepperoni

lots of mozzarella cheese

Opt. - sliced olives/mushrooms

Hunt's pasta sauce for dipping

Sprinkle yeast and sugar over warm water, let bloom 3-4 min. Let rise once. Roll out to 9x13 rectangle. Layer ham first, then pepperoni, then all other toppings. Layer generously with mozzarella cheese. NO sauce! It will keep the dough from rising in the oven. Roll up the hot dog way, and pinch the ends closed. Lay seam side down on a greased baking sheet, and bake @ 350 for 30 min., or until lightly browned and it sounds hollow when tapped with a fingernail. Slice & serve with dipping sauce. YUMMY!

Melissa

Don't have the whole week planned out yet, but here's what I'm planning so far.

1. Patrea's flavorful pot roast - this sounds so good!

2. Moroccan Chicken

This is my sister-in-law Bethany's recipe. It's Indian, but not spicy or overwhelming. Just kind of a middle eastern flavor!

2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. ground black pepper

1 tsp. ground turmeric

1 tsp. yellow curry powder

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/3 C. butter

1Tbsp. olive oil

1 sliced onion

1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans)

2-4 C. chicken broth

Cut chicken into large, bite sized cubes. Combine spices and olive oil in gallon ziploc bag, add chicken. Shake well & refrigerate 2+ hours. Melt butter in large pot, sautee onions until golden and soft. Add chicken. Let outsides sear & brown, then add chickpeas & broth. Simmer 1 hour (or transfer to a crockpot and cook all day during church or something.)

Serve with couscous. You can get a ready to make box by the rice a roni, or get your own bulk unflavored couscous and add garlic salt, parmesan, or any other seasonings.

Basic Couscous recipe:
3/4 C. plain couscous

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/3 C. water

1-2 Tbsp. seasoning (you could use garlic, parmesan, no-salt seasoning, lemon pepper, other seasoning blends)

Bring water & salt to a boil. Stir in seasonings and couscous. Remove from heat and let sit covered for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork & serve.

2. Chicken Cordon Bleu (serves 4)

I make this all the time - it's really not as hard as it sounds!

2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (each breast serves 2)

4 slices deli ham

4 slices swiss cheese

1 C. italian seasoned bread crumbs

1/4 C. flour

1 egg

salt/pepper

Cut each chicken in half the hotdog bun way. Pound as thin & wide as possible (being careful not to smash chicken into pieces) between 2 pieces of plastic wrap, with the flat side of a meat tenderizer. Top each piece of chicken with a slice of ham, then a slice of cheese. Fold the sides in, then roll up & pin with toothpicks if needed. Toss flour with salt & pepper in shallow dish, set aside. Beat egg in shallow dish, set aside. Pour bread crumbs into shallow dish. Roll each chicken roll into flour first, then egg, then bread crumbs. Place in greased baking pan, and bake @ 350 for 20-25 minutes or until nicely browned, and chicken is completely cooked through.

Sep 5

I'm sorry I didn't post anything for last week! I did try Angela's chimichangas and Melissa's Honey Baked Chicken, both of which were so good! Here's some meals for this week!

1. White Chili

1 med onion chopped
1 T minced garlic
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp cumin
2 large chicken breasts, cooked and cut in small pieces
1 can chicken broth
1 can white beans, drained
1 can great northern beans, drained
1 can white shoe peg corn, drained
2 (4oz) cans diced green chilies
1 tsp lime juice

place all in crock pot and cook on high 4 hrs

2. Louisiana-style Red beans and rice (one of my very favorite!)

1 lb dry red kidney beans
6 cups water
5 chicken bouillon cubes
1/4 lb smoked sausage, quartered and cut into thin slices
1 onion, chopped
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 tsp cumin
3/4 tsp coriander
3/4 tsp oregano
1/8-1/4 tsp cinnamon
4 cups water
1 T vinegar
2 cups long grain white rice

1. Combine all ingredients except for the last 3 in a crock pot and cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low all day.
2. When beans are tender, mash about 90% of them against the side of the crock pot. Replace lid and turn off heat
3. Cook rice with last three ingredients
4. Ladle 1 cup of beans into individual bowls and top with 1/2 cup of rice. Serves 8


3. Coconut Rice

This was my first time making this. It wasn't coconutty enough for me so I tossed a few pinches of coconut flakes into my bowl and then it was mmmmm yummy!

2 cups white rice
1 (14 oz) can coconut milk
2 cups water
1 tsp salt
splash of white vinegar
2-3 tsp of sugar
1/4 cup chopped green onions, plus green onion tops
black pepper to taste

1. Combine rice, coconut milk, water, salt, vinegar, and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil.Cook like normal rice.
Allow to stand 5 min. Add chopped green onion bottoms, black pepper. Garnish with green onion tops and serve.

Tortilla soup in the blender

This takes me like 10 minutes, it is so easy and fast. You could use a food processor too - something that will blend your ingredients really well.

Soup Base:

2 large or 3 small roma tomatoes

2 Tbsp. taco seasoning

4 oz. sharp cheddar cheese

2-3 slices jalapeno pepper (I keep a jar of jalapeno slices in the fridge to add to thing I want to make a little spicy, and they aren't bad on subway sandwiches or hotdogs either. They would be by the pickles or banana peppers in the grocery store.)

1/4 avocado (if you have it)

1/2 tsp. garlic salt

1 small carrot

1/4 onion

1 chicken boullion cube

1/4 tsp. pepper

2 C. BOILING water

Chop up bigger ingredients, then blend/process for 2-3 minutes until everything is blended super well.

Stir in:

1/2 can pinto beans

1/2 C. frozen corn

some cooked, chopped chicken

Serves 4 - sprinkle coarsely crushed tortilla chips on top