Chicken and Dumplings

I've been doing a lot of crockpot meals lately - they're so much easier to throw together and have ready in time rather than fighting the clock (and the kiddos) for a decent meal. Everyone eats this one (well, Luke picks at it and takes a few reluctant bites), so we do it every once in awhile. The sodium content has to be out of control, but it's a good way to sneak in some vegetables and I admit I love the mushy biscuits!

Chicken and Dumplings

Ingredients
3 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons butter
1 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup
1 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 onion, finely diced
2 (10 ounce) packages refrigerated biscuit dough, torn into pieces
1 can mixed veggies
1 can chicken broth

Directions

1. Place the chicken, butter, soups, veggies and onion in a slow cooker. (It will look VERY liquidy, but that's what you want.)
2. Cover, and cook for 5 to 6 hours on High or 10 hours on Low.
3. About 2 hours before serving, place the torn biscuit dough in the slow cooker. Cook until the dough is no longer raw in the center.

Chicken Veggie Burgers

It's the beginning of a new year, which means I have all sorts of outlandish goals to eat less meat, healthier meals with more fruits and vegetables, keep the kids more active, maintain my dedication to the gym, etc. I know I'm like 99% of the other people out there...these will all last a good week to 10 days before I give up and say, "screw it - it's mashed potatoes and Twizzlers for dinner!" But, for now, I'm going to go back to planning out nutritious meals.

I decided to make chicken veggie burgers tonight - a recipe I came across a long time ago that's chock full of veggies - and in my haste to get a meal on the table for the kids before they melted down, found nothing to pair it with except curly fries. Okay, so half a decent meal is an okay way to start the year, right? RIGHT?!? The boy enjoys these burgers surprisingly enough, Linds didn't mind hers, and after spitting out the first bite, Luke dipped his in ketchup and licked the ketchup off. I don't think he ingested any of the actual burger, but here's hoping he got a nutrient or two in there.

Chicken Veggie Burgers

Ingredients

1 lb ground chicken

1 cup bread crumbs

1/2 cup red pepper

1/4 cup green pepper

1/4 cup red onion

1/4 cup celery

2 T chopped parsley

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1 clove garlic, minced

1 T soy sauce

Directions

1. Preheat skillet to medium.
2. Mix all ingredients until just combined.
3. Form into 8 patties.
4. Fry in canola oil (about 4-5 minutes each side).

(Sorry for the raw burger shot - forgot to take one of them cooked.)

Sesame Chicken w/ Lo Mein

I found this recipe on Wegmans' site and it is one of my favorite make-at-home Asian dishes. It's so incredibly easy to make and doesn't take long at all. Some of the ingredients are Wegmans brand, but you can find the same ingredients in your local grocery store. The only thing I forget is that it has a bit of a spicy kick (the garlic sauce from Wegmans does, at least), so it's not too Lindsay/Luke-friendly.

Sesame Chicken with Lo Mein & Green Beans
Ingredients
12 oz pkg green beans
16 oz. lo mein noodles
1 lb chicken breast strips
3 T vegetable oil, divided
2 cloves minced garlic
1.5 cups Asian slaw
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup Wegmans Garlic Sauce (International Foods)
1 T sesame seeds

Directions

1. Blanch green beans in large pot of boiling salted water 3-4 min. Remove beans with slotted spoon; drain and set aside. Add noodles to blanching water; blanch 2 min. Drain and set aside.
2. Drizzle 2 Tbsp oil around sides of stir-fry pan; tilt pan to distribute evenly. Heat oil in pan on HIGH until oil faintly smokes. (If oil smokes too much, pan is too hot.) Stir fry chicken 4-5 min; remove from pan and set aside.
3. Drizzle remaining Tbsp oil around sides of pan; tilt pan to distribute evenly. Heat oil in pan on HIGH until oil faintly smokes. Add garlic, Asian slaw, and green beans. Stir and toss, 2-3 min. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Add chicken, noodles, and garlic sauce to stir-fry pan. Stir briefly to heat through, 2-3 min. Garnish with sesame seeds.

Cornbread Enchilada Casserole

Wow, so no gold star for keeping the blog up-to-date for me! Hehe - it's officially summer now that preschool is over and you all know how great a job I do at maintaining a cooking routine when there's no "normalcy" in my schedule. Between Luke's birthday, the kiddos' nights over with my parents and the boy's parents, and all the other craziness our schedule has endured the past two weeks, we've barely eaten at home. And when we have, it's junky quick food - nuggets, mac-n-cheese, PB&Js, burgers, hot dogs, etc.

I did manage to cook once last week and was so super excited - cornbread chicken enchilada casserole! This recipe was the most read post from the blog last year (thank you Mrs. Katie Brumbelow!) and one of my personal favorites. I was stoked to make it, seeing as I had a fresh jar of salsa from the farm with which we're doing our crop share, and at 5:00 when I opened up the crockpot, I was ready to eat it straight out of the pot. I took the first big bite and after I burnt half my mouth, I realized that it would never fly with the kiddos. The salsa, while absolutely PERFECT for me and the boy, would be just a bit too spicy for them. Linds took one sniff and said, "whoa - that is like, a hundred million thousand, seventy-hundred, sixty-two" spicy." (Yes, she is into numbers lately and strings together as many as possible to exaggerate her assuredness of something.)

Now, as I'm writing the update, I've been back and forth with Katie, and it seems as if we're planning to repeat our cooking extravaganza next week - and if so, look for some photos and a post of all the yummy stuff we're going to make! So, here's a repost of the casserole recipe, and a little tease for what's to come! ;-)

Cornbread Enchilada Casserole
Ingredients
1 small can diced green chiles (4 oz)
1/2 cup of your favorite salsa
3 to 4 chopped scallions (or 1/4 cup onion)
2 cups shredded cooked chicken (or a box of Perdue chicken shortcuts)
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can corn with red & green peppers, drained
1 (10 oz.) can enchilada sauce
1/2 cup egg substitute (or 2 eggs)
1 (8.5 oz) package corn muffin mix
1 1/2 cups (6 oz) shredded Mexican cheese
for garnish - sour cream, fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Place salsa, scallions, chicken, beans, corn, half the chilies, and enchilada sauce into the cooker; stir well. Cover with lid and cook on LOW for 4 hours.
2. Combine the other half of the chiles, corn muffin mix, and egg in a bowl. Spoon batter evenly over the bean mixture in the cooker. Cover and cook 1 hour until the crust is done.
3. Sprinkle the cheese over the corn bread, turn off the crockpot and let it sit 5 minutes until the cheese melts. Top each serving with a tablespoon of sour cream and additional cilantro. Makes about 6 servings (unless you're me, then it's like 3...haha!).

And, while I'm at it, I realize I have a few veggie friends who don't eat meat, and I wouldn't mind expanding my "meat-free" wings here and there. I'm pretty sure this would be just as delish without the chicken, so perhaps next time around I'll use mild salsa and go meat-free!

May 24 - Garlic-Lemon Double Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Linds has been begging for mashed potatoes lately and since her last day of school is Wednesday, I figured I'd make them Tuesday night as a pre-celebration. I made the taters, green beans with almonds and garlic-lemon double stuffed chicken breasts. It didn't dawn on me how much butter I used until after I was done - used a good amount over the chicken, sautéed the almonds in it, added a little to the beans, and then all the butter that goes into the potatoes...by the time I was done, my nice little meat/potato/veggie meal felt as greasy as fast food?!? It tasted great, but I'd like to just ignore the calorie count that was in that one, thankyouverymuch!

The chicken was really good...a little rich, but otherwise tasty. I mostly eyeballed amounts and used what I thought we'd eat, so there's not many measurements. I usually do two large breasts for our family, which is always plenty.


Garlic-Lemon Double Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Ingredients
oil, for greasing pan
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1/3-fat cream cheese, cut into 1/2 inch slices
shredded Cheddar cheese
milk
Italian seasoned bread crumbs
Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon minced garlic
3/4 cup butter, melted
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly coat a large, shallow baking dish with oil.
2. Pound chicken flat. Coat one side with cream cheese and sprinkle cheddar on top. Roll together and place toothpicks through to hold. Set aside.
3. Pour milk into a shallow bowl. In a separate bowl, combine breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese. Carefully dip each breast first in milk, then in breadcrumb mixture, patting lightly to firmly coat. Place breasts side by side in a single layer in pre-oiled baking dish, tucking edges under to seal.
4. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in lemon juice and garlic, and drizzle evenly over chicken.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes, or until no longer pink in center and juices run clear.

Catch-up time!

So I feel like this is completely inexcusable - I mean, really? Nearly a month since I've updated? Wow, I suck. In my defense, I started working part-time from home, so by the time the kiddos are in bed, I usually catch up on a few work things that didn't get done during naptime and then try to get a few minutes in with the boy before completely crashing. We also joined our local YMCA and I've become totally addicted to going to the gym. Let me preface this by saying that I've *never* been very much into exercising, playing sports, etc., but since joining I've learned to love running (signed up for the Broad Street 10-mile run in May) and doing Body Pump (a barbell class that makes lifting not only tolerable, but almost kind of fun!). Mentally, I feel the best that I have in a long, long time. Physically, I'm in better shape than I've been in at least six or seven years (even lost 5 or 6 lbs since the beginning of the year!).

So, I think I've made enough excuses for now ;-) I'll post a few recipes that I've made over the last couple weeks to help make up for the disappearing act. I made my baked potato pizza for the game, too, so I'll repost that favorite.

Baked Potato Pizza
Ingredients
1 large pre-made pizza crust
4 medium unpeeled potatoes, baked and cooled
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 cup (8 oz) sour cream
6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
3 to 5 green onions, chopped
1 1/2 cups (6 oz) mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
   
2. Cut potatoes into 1/2-inch cubes. In a bowl, combine butter, garlic powder and oregano. Add potatoes and toss.
3. Spread sour cream over crust; top with potato mixture, bacon, onions and cheeses.
4. Bake at 400 for 15 - 20 minutes or until cheese is lightly browned.
5. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting.

Yield: 8 slices


Beer Glazed Ham
Ingredients
1 boneless fully cooked ham (3 lbs.)
1 can beer
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 T balsamic vinegar
2 tsp ground mustard

Directions

1. Place ham on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Score the surface of the ham, making diamond shapes ½ inch deep. 
2. Set aside 2 T beer. Pour remaining beer over ham. 
3. Bake, uncovered at 350 for 1 hour. 
4. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, vinegar, mustard and reserved beer; spread over ham.
5. Bake 40-45 minutes longer or until a meat thermometer reads 140, basting occasionally.

Saucy Pepper Steak
Ingredients
1 green bell pepper, cut into strips
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into strips
1 small onion, cut into strips
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp black pepper
3 T lite soy sauce
1/2 cup BBQ sauce
2 cups hot cooked brown rice
1 lb. trimmed beef sirloin steak, cut into strips

Directions

1. Heat large nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium-high heat. Add bell peppers and onions; cook and stir 6 to 8 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Transfer to large bowl; cover to keep warm. 
2. Add meat, garlic and black pepper to same skillet; cook and stir 3 min. 
3. Add soy sauce; cook 1 min. or until meat is cooked through, stirring occasionally. 
4. Add BBQ sauce; cook until heated through. 
5. Spoon meat mixture into bowl with vegetables; toss gently. Serve over rice. 

Makes 4 servings. 330 calories, 6 g fat per serving.


Rosemary Ranch Chicken Kabobs
Ingredients
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup ranch dressing
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
1 tablespoon white sugar, or to taste (optional)
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch cubes

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, stir together the olive oil, ranch dressing, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, salt, lemon juice, white vinegar, pepper, and sugar. Let stand for 5 minutes. Place chicken in the bowl, and stir to coat with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat the grill for medium-high heat. Thread chicken onto skewers and discard marinade.
3. Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill skewers for 8 to 12 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, and the juices run clear.

Cheesy Potato and Corn Chowder
Ingredients
2 tablespoons margarine
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
3 cups peeled and cubed potatoes
1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn
1 (2.5 ounce) package country style gravy mix
2 cups milk
1 cup shredded Mexican-style processed cheese food

Directions

1. In large saucepan, melt margarine over medium high heat. Add celery and onion; cook and stir until tender, about 5 minutes.
2. Add chicken broth; bring to a boil. Add potatoes; cook over low heat for 20 to 25 minutes or until potatoes are soft, stirring occasionally.
3. Stir in corn; return to boiling. Dissolve gravy mix in milk; stir into boiling mixture. Add cheese; cook and stir over low heat until cheese is melted.

January 10 - Chicken Pot Pie

I just made one of these with my friend, Katie, and after making it with her, I decided I had to have one of my own! It turned out just the way I expected it and not only did the boy and I enjoy it, but so did Linds - even with all the veggies :) I was so, so happy - we all need more veggies in our diet. Luke boycotted dinner...again...I'm beginning to sound like a broken record, huh?!

I bought regular frozen pie crusts and when I mixed everything together, there was WAY too much filling. I mixed the veggies/chicken and sauce, then divided in two and froze the other half. Now I have another pot pie ready to go (as soon as I buy more crusts!).

Chicken Pot Pie
Ingredients
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cubed
1 cup sliced carrots
3/4 cup frozen green peas
3/4 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup sliced celery
3 medium potatoes
1 bullion cube
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
2/3 cup milk
2 (9 inch) unbaked deep-dish pie crusts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a saucepan, combine chicken, carrots, peas, potatoes and celery. Add bullion cube and water to cover and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and set aside.
3. In the saucepan over medium heat, cook onions in butter until soft and translucent. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk. Simmer over medium-low heat until thick. Remove from heat and set aside.
4. Place the chicken mixture in bottom pie crust. Pour hot liquid mixture over. Cover with top crust (making a dome on top), seal edges, and cut away excess dough. Make several small slits in the top to allow steam to escape.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving. 

January 5 - Honey Cashew Chicken

I was looking over some old blog posts and came across the night I made cashew honey chicken. It was a huge hit before, so I figured it would be a sure hit. The boy and I still liked it as much (although this time he liked the beans and not the cashews - totally opposite of before). Linds ate a little, although this was the night before she got sick, so she didn't scarf it down like she did before. Luke? Well, Luke's been boycotting dinners again. ::SIGH:: My favorite part? It's super low-cal (only 190/serving with 4 total servings in the batch - not including the rice). Here's the recipe!


Cashew Honey Chicken
Ingredients
1 package PERDUE® SHORT CUTS® Carved Chicken Breast, Honey Roasted, 6 oz.
1 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 box (9 ounces) frozen cut green beans, thawed
1/3 cup cashews

Directions

1. In small bowl, whisk together broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, cornstarch and ginger. 
2. In large nonstick skillet, stirring frequently, bring broth mixture to a boil over medium-high heat.
3. Add chicken and green beans and heat, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes.
4. Sprinkle with cashews and serve, if desired, over hot rice.

January 3 - Garlic Cheese Chicken Roll-ups

I came across this recipe on allrecipes.com and with only 5 ingredients it surely looked like a keeper! Well, the boy thought it was pretty good, I enjoyed it, but Luke? Definitely not. Lindsay? She gagged on it so badly she had to spit hers in the trashcan. Needless to say we won't be making this again anytime soon (or if we do, it will be on a night when the kids are eating something else!).

Garlic Chicken Cheese Roll-ups
Ingredients
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 cup dried bread crumbs, seasoned
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 (7 ounce) package garlic cheese spread (I used Rondele's light spread)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Pound chicken breasts until thinned out. 
3. In a shallow dish or bowl mix together bread crumbs and cheese. Dip one side of each breast into melted butter or margarine, then into crumb/cheese mixture. 
4. Place a dollop of cheese spread at one end of each chicken breast, on the side of the breast not dipped in the mixture. Roll up each breast and secure with toothpicks.
5. Place rollups in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish and drizzle any remaining butter or margarine over all. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until cooked through and juices run clear.

Best of 2010 & our contest winner!

Congratulations to Courtney Z. for winning our end of the year contest! She correctly guessed two of the three top meals and wins a 60-minute photography session with Kristina Hall Photography. I'll e-mail you soon to give you details and give you Kristi's information :) Thanks everyone for playing!

And, for the results! I'll count them down, so in third place we have...

Ham & Cheese Loaf!

First, unroll the refrigerated pizza crust on a baking sheet.

Second, lay down some slices of provolone (or your favorite cheese).

Third, place about a dozen slices of ham deli meat down.

Fourth, top with some shredded cheddar cheese (I was out, so I used Mexican cheese).And, last of all, roll the long side up, pinching the seam after it is in roll form.

Tuck ends under and bake for 35 minutes at 350. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

In second place...

Best. Steaks. Ever.

Ingredients
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon concentrated lemon juice (or 1/3 cup of fresh lemon juice)
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes

Directions

1. Place all ingredients in a large Ziploc bag. Knead bag to mix ingredients.
2. Place steaks inside bag and marinate for up to 8 hours (I did 4 hours and they were perfect).
3. Feel free to use some of the marinade on your veggies - it tastes great! Have I mentioned that?!

and *finally*...our NUMBER ONE most sought after recipe...

Cornbread Enchilada Casserole

Ingredients
1 small can diced green chiles (4 oz i think)
1/2 cup of your favorite salsa
3 to 4 chopped scallions (I used 1/4 cup onion)
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can corn with red & green peppers, drained
1 (10 oz.) can enchilada sauce
1/2 cup egg substitute (I used 2 eggs)
1 (8.5 oz) package corn muffin mix
2 Tblsp chopped roasted red bell pepper
1 1/2 cups (6 oz) shredded Mexican cheese
for garnish - sour cream, fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Place salsa, scallions, chicken, beans, corn, half the chilies, and enchilada sauce into the cooker; stir well. Cover with lid and cook on LOW for 4 hours.
2. Combine the other half of the chiles, corn muffin mix, egg substitute, and chopped red pepper in a bowl. Spoon batter evenly over the bean mixture in the cooker. Cover and cook 1 hour until the crust is done.
3. Sprinkle the cheese over the corn bread, turn off the crockpot and let it sit 5 minutes until the cheese melts. Top each serving with a tablespoon of sour cream and additional cilantro, optional. Makes about 6 servings (unless you're me, then it's like 3...haha!).

I found some of those recipes to be surprising (really? the ham and cheese loaf got that many hits?), but thinking back those were all unanimous hits in our house at one point or another. As we hit 2011 I've been deciding what I want to do with this blog, and I think I'm going to keep it going. I'm trying to incorporate some more vegetarian dishes (which we never have enough of), more fish/seafood meals, and less casserole dishes in favor of more healthy fare (although I won't lie - we'll definitely still have many of them). And as always, if you have inspiration, send it my way...I'm always looking for more :) Happy New Year, dear readers! xoxox

Cooking Extravaganza!

A wonderful friend of mine, Katie (yes, the one who gave us the hit dish Cornbread Chicken Enchiladas), is having a little baby girl in February. In her ever-so-responsible nature, she decided she wanted to freeze a whole bunch of meals so that when she and baby return home, her husband wouldn't be burdened with all the cooking and she wouldn't be even more overwhelmed with cooking on top of all the other new tasks. What better way to spend a Thursday than cooking with a great friend?!

Naturally, it's important to cook on a full stomach, so we swung to Qdobas and picked up some burritos for lunch. We also needed to get some storage containers for her food, so we hit the Target attached to the Springfield Mall. Let me tell you what - it's a two-story store (which I've never seen before) AND the coolest part was that in between the escalators in the middle, there was one for the cart?!? I was so amused watching the carts go up and down alongside the people. It's the little things that amuse me...

Anyways, we got home, scarfed down food and then went to work (oh, right, and we took a chocolate fondue break...yummmm!). We made a black bean pie (thanks to Barb C. for that recipe!), a chicken pot pie (not traditional PA Dutch...the stereotypical kind), a chicken-noodle bake, meatloaf and lasagna. When it was all said and done we had enough food for at least 15 days worth of dinners! I'd say it was a resounding success. We're hoping to get one more all-day session in so she has a  good month's worth of food.

Here's our prep area:

Here are recipes for everything we did and some photos recapping our fun :)

Black Bean Pie
Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 small green bell pepper, chopped
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained
2/3 cup salsa
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
3/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 (9 inch) unbaked 9 inch pie crusts
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). 
2. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Sauté onion and green pepper until tender. Sir in beans, salsa, red bell pepper, chili powder, cayenne and black pepper. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. 
3. Spoon half of the mixture into one of the pie crusts and cover with half of the cheese. Repeat with remaining beans and cheese. Top with remaining crust. 
4. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour. 
5. Let it sit for about 5 or 10 minutes before cutting into it so that it has a chance to firm up. 

Pre-cooked pie:

Me in my cooking glory:

Chicken Pot Pie
Ingredients
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cubed
1 cup sliced carrots
3/4 cup frozen green peas
1/2 cup sliced celery
3 medium potatoes
1 bullion cube
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
2/3 cup milk
2 (9 inch) unbaked deep-dish pie crusts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a saucepan, combine chicken, carrots, peas, potatoes and celery. Add bullion cube and water to cover and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and set aside.
3. In the saucepan over medium heat, cook onions in butter until soft and translucent. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk. Simmer over medium-low heat until thick. Remove from heat and set aside.
4. Place the chicken mixture in bottom pie crust. Pour hot liquid mixture over. Cover with top crust (making a dome on top), seal edges, and cut away excess dough. Make several small slits in the top to allow steam to escape.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.  

Chicken Noodle Bake
Ingredients
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
6 ounces egg noodles
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
1 cup crumbled buttery round crackers
1/2 cup butter

Directions

1. Poach chicken in a large pot of simmering water. Cook until no longer pink in center, about 12 minutes. Remove from pot and set aside. Bring chicken cooking water to a boil and cook pasta in it. Drain. Cut chicken into small pieces, and mix with noodles.
2. In a separate bowl, mix together mushroom soup, chicken soup, and sour cream. Season with salt and pepper. Gently stir together cream soup mixture with the chicken mixture. Place in a 2 quart baking dish.
3. Melt butter in a small saucepan, and remove from heat. Stir in crumbled crackers. Top casserole with the buttery crackers.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for about 30 minutes, until heated through and browned on top. 

Katie's chicken-noodle bake:

Our finished pies and the bake:

All stored up:

I don't have the meatloaf recipe (forgot to write it down, but I know I can still get it from Katie!), and her lasagna was simple...layers of ground beef, mozzarella cheese, marinara sauce and noodles.

Everything turned out deliciously (we, of course, had to sample!). If you have any recommendations for good freezable meals for us to make on our second go-round, post it in the comment section. We plan to make baked potato soup and her husband's going to make shepherd's pie, but we need a few more suggestions. Oh, and next time, Katie - we need a photo together!!

December 28 - Valerie's Chicken

I forgot to post dinner the other night...seriously, I think the only night I've cooked so far is Tuesday. The boy and I ate chips and dip for dinner the last two nights while the kids ate either peanut butter (almond butter) and jelly, or pasta. We're all just so sick of food! When I did cook, I made Valerie's Chicken, which is always a big hit around these parts...can't go wrong with this one :)

Valerie's Chicken
Ingredients
2 boneless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
3 oz. cream cheese
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/4 cup of cooking sherry/white wine

Directions

1. Melt butter in pan over medium heat.
2. Brown chicken breasts; season with Italian seasoning.
3. Simmer 10 minutes.
4. Combine cream cheese, soup and wine and pour over chicken. 
5. Let simmer for 20 minutes.

The recipe originally calls for 4 chicken breasts, but I find there isn't enough sauce if you do that many. If you need to do 4 pieces of chicken, DEFINITELY double the sauce (6 oz. cream cheese, 2 cans soup, 1/2 cup wine). Give it a shot with pasta and rice - I like it both ways!

November 18 - Chicken & Dumplings

I actually cooked "real food" twice last week, so as much of a funk as I'm in, we're at least getting *something* decent to eat here and there?! I made slow cooker chicken & dumplings on Thursday last week and Lindsay, Luke AND Scott all enjoyed it - I swear, it was a small miracle. I've made it before, but I couldn't remember how it was received...I was definitely tempting fate, but it was worth it.

Chicken & Dumplings

Ingredients
3 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons butter
1 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup
1 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 onion, finely diced
1 (10 ounce) packages refrigerated biscuit dough, torn into pieces
1 can mixed veggies
1 can chicken broth

Directions

1. Place the chicken, butter, soups, veggies and onion in a slow cooker. (It will look VERY liquidy, but that's what you want.)
2. Cover, and cook for 5 to 6 hours on High or 10 hours on Low. 
3. About 3 hours before serving, place the torn biscuit dough in the slow cooker. Cook until the dough is no longer raw in the center. (You can also do this as close to an hour before serving.)

I forgot to take a picture, but I have this leftover one from earlier this year, which will give you the general idea :)

30-minute meal special

So last month's Munchin Mamas meeting was themed with "under 30-minute meals." If you remember, I brought my mixed-up enchiladas (one of my favorite dishes!). I kept begging for everyone else's recipes and *finally* got them! Here are some:

Chicken and Vegetable Penne
Ingredients
1 lb. cooked chicken (cubed or I usually throw them on the grill to cook while I'm cooking everything else)
2 cups uncooked Penne pasta
1 small yellow squash, sliced
1 small zucchini, sliced
1 tsp. minced garlic
3 tbsp. butter
3 tbsp. flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. dried parsley
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. pepper
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. 
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute the squash, zucchini, and garlic in butter until tender.
3. In a bowl, whisk the flour, seasonings, and cream until smooth. 
4. Add to the skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes or until thickened. 
5. Drain pasta and add to vegetable mixture. 
6. Toss in chicken.

Catharoni and Cheese
Ingredients
1 box tricolor rotini
A few tablespoons of butter
3 tablespoons of flour
1 cup Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups shredded cheese of your choice (Cathy likes colby-jack)
3/4 cup milk
Potato chips, bread crumbs, or crunchy topping of your choice

Directions

1. Cook 1 box tricolor rotini until tender. Drain.
2. Add a few table spoons of butter and stir. If pasta doesn't look "shiney with buttery goodness" add more and stir again =)
3. Add as 3 tablespoons of flour by sprinkling a little at a time on top and mixing in. (If any of you happen to have a sifter, use it, but who has a sifter anymore?!)
4. Add about 1 cup of Parmesan cheese and stir.
5. Salt and pepper to taste.
6. Add 2 cups of shredded cheese of your choice (I like Colby Jack in this, but Cheddar works well too) and of course, stir!
7. Add 3/4 cups milk and stir. Add more if it looks dry, but make sure there isn't a puddle of milk in the bottom. Guess what you do next?? Yep, stir!
8. Top with Parmesan cheese, potato chips, bread crumbs, or shredded cheese DO NOT STIR!
9. Bake uncovered for about 20 minutes or until cheese is melted through.

October 17 - Rosemary Ranch Chicken

The whole art of the big Sunday dinner seems to be a foregone conclusion for so many families I know. Busy weeks lead into busy weekends and taking the time to put together a big meal by the time Sunday hits is last on the list of important things to do. I know I've been guilty of this lately! I've come to realize, however, that if we take the time to sit down (with the television OFF) and enjoy some food together, the kids tend to be generally happier and easier to put to bed. With this in mind, I decided to put some effort into tonight's dinner (rather than slapping together some pasta and jarred sauce like I had been thinking) and make a nice Sunday dinner.

I gave Linds a couple choices and let her pick - rosemary ranch chicken, white rice (with some of the chicken marinade over top), and braised carrots. Once 5:00 hit, she insisted on helping and I couldn't have been more excited to have her in the kitchen with me! Don't get me wrong - I absolutely love to cook on my own...but having someone there to keep me company and measure ingredients with made it all the more enjoyable.

Rosemary Ranch Chicken Kabobs
Ingredients
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup ranch dressing
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon white sugar
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, stir together the olive oil, ranch dressing, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, salt, lemon juice, white vinegar, pepper, and sugar. Let stand for 5 minutes. Place chicken in the bowl, and stir to coat with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Once preheated, bake the chicken covered in the marinade for approximately 25 minutes or until juices run clear

Braised Carrots
Ingredients
1 lb bag of baby carrots
1/2 cup water or chicken broth
1 1/2 tablespoons of butter
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in large saucepan.
2. Simmer over medium heat for 15-20 minutes or until water/broth evaporates. 

 
.

October 2 - Honey Chicken Kabobs

Miraculously, my little sister, little brother and I *all* had a Saturday with no plans, so we decided to get together. Now, you see, Steph is 25 and Zach is 22, so the fact that my Saturday was wide open doesn't say much...the fact that THEIR Saturdays were wide open was honestly an anomaly. And to make an awesome day even better, Steph brought her friend we affectionately call "Uncle Kaitlin." The kids had a blast spending time with their aunt and uncle(s?!) and it was great getting the three of us together for some silly fun. Scott was a good sport and endured the countless Seinfeld references and other assorted inside jokes (the two cases of beer they brought probably helped with that). Below is Steph, Miss Linds and me.

When I realized we'd all be here for a "lupper" (lunch/supper), I had to figure out something to make. I kind of have a reputation in my family for being a crap cook - stupid food fails that I've mentioned here if you haven't been keeping up regularly - so I needed to come up with some really impressive. I wanted to grill since it was a gorgeous day and decided to do some honey chicken kabobs, grilled veggies and rice. I also made buffalo chicken dip since it's a Hoover favorite.

Steph and Zach teased throughout the afternoon about the concoction I was making, but were quickly silenced when they started eating. Score one for me! And I think the veggies were extra delicious because I bought them at the farmer's market (and unfortunately no one will get that joke since neither of them read my blog regularly :P). Below are the pre-grilled skewered kabobs, the boy grilling (we split the task - he started them, I finished), and the food completely finished.

It was the perfect dinner to make - all the prep work was done before guests arrived and all that was left was making some rice and doing the grilling. Everything was delicious and everyone loved it! I made them pose for a photo and then pose for a "candid" photo so I could prove they actually ate it. The last one down there is of me and my broken "china" - stupid plastic utensil broke while I was trying to eat.

Here are the recipes for the marinade and for the buffalo chicken dip (thanks to Sharon Massey for her dip recipe - it's become a staple at Hoover family functions!):

Honey Chicken Kabobs
Ingredients
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup honey
2/3 cup soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch cubes
Assorted veggies and fruit (I used zucchini, red onion, green and red peppers, mushrooms and pineapple)

Directions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together oil, honey, soy sauce, garlic and pepper. Place the chicken, veggies and fruit in the bowl, and marinate in the refrigerator at least 3 hours (the longer the better).
2. Preheat the grill for medium-low heat.
3. Drain marinade from the chicken and vegetables, and discard marinade. Thread chicken and vegetables onto skewers.
4. Lightly oil the grill grate. Place the skewers on the grill. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until chicken juices run clear. Turn and brush with reserved marinade frequently.

 Buffalo Chicken Dip
Ingredients
1/2 cup hot sauce (more or less, depending on your taste)
1 cup ranch dressing
20 oz cooked chicken, chopped (I use 2 boxes of Perdue short cuts original roasted and chop it up)
2 - 8 oz blocks cream cheese, softened
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350. 
2. Mix the above ingredients and put in a pie dish and bake for 45 minutes until slightly browned and bubbling. 
3. Serve it with tortilla chips.

It was good!! :)

September 22 - Slow cooker whole chicken

After last night's dinner fiasco, I figured I'd tempt fate and try cooking an entire chicken (I mean the WHOLE bird) tonight. I've never done the whole thing, but how much different can it be cooking one in a crockpot than cooking a few "chicken boobies" (thank you, Christy, for my new chicken phrase!)? And, thankfully, it wasn't!

It was a BOGO free sale on whole chickens at Acme and all of their chickens were a solid 6 lbs. I figured $12 for 12 pounds of chicken wasn't a bad deal at all. I let the little guy cook all day in the crockpot and added some carrots 2/3 of the way through cook time. Served all of it over some jasmine rice and voila! - delicious meal. The prep was simple - skin the bird, rinse it off, pat it dry and plop it in the crockpot. Mix up the marinade and pour it in (I had to double the amounts since my bird was 6 lbs.), set it on low, and let it cook all day. It took me about 15 minutes to put together this morning and that was it for the rest of the meal.

Kathy's Delicious Whole Slow Cooker Chicken
Ingredients
1 (3 pound) whole chicken, skin removed
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic

Directions

1. Remove skin from chicken, and empty inner cavity of contents within. Pat chicken dry with a paper towel, and place inside the slow cooker.
2. In a bowl, stir together the chicken broth, soy sauce, olive oil, honey, Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, sesame oil, and minced garlic. Pour mixture over chicken, and cover.
3. Cook chicken on low setting for 8 hours, or 4 hours on high setting. 

September 15 - Garlic Ranch Chicken

I had 2 chicken breasts left in my freezer and by the time I defrosted them, I had an hour for dinner - not quite enough time to marinade and I was in no mood to grill. I checked around my cupboards and found all the stuff for garlic ranch chicken, and knowing it's one of the boy's favorites, figured it would be eaten by all with no complaint. And honestly, after listening to the kids scream and fight all day, I couldn't handle any bitching or moaning about what was being served up!

I had been craving some sweet potatoes lately, so I picked up a couple at the store and mashed those up with a little butter and brown sugar. The kiddos devoured them (Linds actually stole the last few bites off of Luke's plate), and I got my sweet potato fix. I also picked up some salad mix and served that, too, knowing the boy wouldn't eat the veggies and would need something more than just chicken.

I also cut up the chicken into smaller nugget-size pieces figuring I might be able to mask them as "new" chicken nuggets to the kids. It worked for the most part (well that and the bribe of going to the park post-dinner if all the chicken was eaten off their plates).

Garlic Ranch Chicken
Ingredients
4 boneless chicken breasts
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 T ranch salad dressing mix
1/8 tsp pepper
1 T olive oil
1 T butter

Directions

1. Flatten chicken slightly; set aside. 
2. In a shallow bowl, combine milk and garlic. In another shallow bowl, combine the flour, salad dressing mix and pepper. 
3. Dip chicken in milk mixture, then coat with flour mixture. 
4. In a large skillet, cook chicken in oil and butter over medium heat for 6-8 minutes on each side or until juices run clear. 

Yield: 4 servings. 1 chicken breast is 264 calories and 12 g fat. This is a great "quick" dinner - under 30 minutes for prep and cook.

August 16 - Rosemary Ranch Chicken

So there's been another long hiatus...I swear, once the fall hits and we have some sort of normal routine back in order that I will be better at this. For now, you better enjoy the random entries here and there ;-)

Last night I was in a grilling mood, so I decided to make rosemary ranch kabobs. As you may or may not remember, rosemary is my new favorite spice, so when I came across this recipe I just had to try it. It was quick to make the marinade and so simple! I made the rest of the corn on the cob we had from our oh-so-very-generous neighbors (thanks AGAIN Joy for sharing your produce with us!), and then Linds and I went out back and picked beans to have with it. I sautéed the beans in a little olive oil and minced onion and even the boy ate them...a first this season?!

Here's the chicken recipe...it's about 50 minutes prep time (about 15 min active prep; 35 minutes of marinating/sitting), and 10 minutes grill time. Both the boy and the kids devoured it (who wouldn't like ranch dressing on something??), and I plan to use the leftovers on a salad today. Yum!

Rosemary Ranch Chicken Kabobs
Ingredients
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup ranch dressing
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
1 tablespoon white sugar, or to taste (optional)
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch cubes

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, stir together the olive oil, ranch dressing, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, salt, lemon juice, white vinegar, pepper, and sugar. Let stand for 5 minutes. Place chicken in the bowl, and stir to coat with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat the grill for medium-high heat. Thread chicken onto skewers and discard marinade.
3. Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill skewers for 8 to 12 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, and the juices run clear.

July 1 - Hot dogs, Brats, BBQ Chicken

My brother and his girlfriend came for a visit today, so I decided to grill. I made some cheese sausages, beer brats and BBQ chicken, and paired it with a side of butter garlic 90-second Uncle Ben's rice. We had eaten a late lunch at Chick-fil-A, so it was just enough food to fill us up, but nothing too heavy.