Chicken with Zucchini (crock pot)

So I didn't take a picture but this recipe was pretty tasty and easy.  I downloaded the Kindle Book 35 Slow-Cooker Chicken Recipes by Jean Pardue (mostly because it was free) and tonight I tried this recipe.  I like to have paper copies of my recipes and you can't exactly print from a Kindle book, or at least I don't know how to so I was planning on typing it out so I could print it and decided to put it on the never used blog.

Ingredients:
2-3 boneless chicken breasts
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/4 cup four
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 pound zucchini, cut into thin slices
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 (4 oz) can mushrooms, drained

Directions:
Sprinkle seasoned salt over chicken.
Mix flour, salt, pepper, cheese and paprika and coat mixture over chicken.
Put zucchini in bottom of slow cooker.  Pour chicken on top.
Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or until tender.
Add mushrooms and turn to high.  Cook for an additional 15-20 minutes.  (I know most people don't like mushrooms and these could definitely be omitted and still be tasty but my whole family loves mushrooms)

Chicken & Corn Chili

Ok, let me start off by saying that I have been in a dinner rut for a while now. I never know what to make, deciding what to make for dinner is the most annoying decision of the day!  Ugh! I flip through my recipes and am always missing a key ingredient (usually produce or milk products), nothing sounds good, or it takes too long to make (since I usually have two adorable little boys pulling on my legs and demanding attention when I make dinner).  The key ingredient problem could probably be solved if I made a weekly meal plan but I tried that a while ago and when I made my lists the food sounded good but it didn't always sound good on the day I scheduled to make it, or we would unexpectedly be invited to dinner, or we would go out because I didn't feel like cooking, or bla bla bla.  The point is I would greatly appreciate some new dinner ideas!  I would also prefer quicker ideas, but I really just need some new ideas and will take anything.  Pretty PLEASE?!!

Let me also state that this tastes A LOT better than it looks!  I actually didn't think it looked appetizing but it sure tasted yummy (especially once you put the cheese on top).  I also didn't think to take a picture until I had dinner cleaned up, so you get a picture of Josh's lunch in Tupperware.

2 TBS Olive Oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, cored and chopped (I used colored peppers)
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander (I could have sworn I had this but I couldn't find it in my spice cupboard so I substituted for cayenne pepper which is probably not even close but hence it is what I used)
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 can (14.5 ounces) chicken broth
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained
1 1/4 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1 box (10 ounces) frozen corn
2 cans (15 ounces) cannelli beans, drained and rinsed (I used great northern cuz it is what I had. Also it wasn't until I went to type this that I realized it called for two cans. I only put in one, must have read the instructions wrong.)
salt to taste
shredded cheddar cheese

1. Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onion and pepper. Cook, stirring 5 minutes. Stir in cumin, coriander and chili powder; cook 1 minute.

2. Stir in chicken broth and tomatoes. Bring to a simmer. Add chicken. Cover and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

3. Stir corn, beans and salt into pot. Heat through. Spoon into bowls and top with shredded cheese.

This recipe came from the FEB 2011 familycircle.com magazine that I ripped out quite a while ago but just made. Glad I finally got around to making it.

Spinach, Artichoke, and Ricotta Lasagna

Dear people, Hello! It has been a long time since there has been a recipe added. Tag, your it :) But please forgive the picture, I didn't think about taking one until it was all put away so you get a picture of Josh's lunch. This was delicious!!  Zach even ate a bunch of it, but maybe I am really lucky... he seems to eat most anything I make for dinner.  This recipe came from Precious For the Love of Lasagna cookbook.

 

8 oz. shredded mozzarella
15 oz. container ricotta
1 egg
2 cups onions, 1/4-inch dice (I used one whole onion because who seriously measures out two cups?)
10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, and squeezed dry (I used a 12 oz bag)
4 1/2 cups bechamel sauce (see recipe below)
12 sheets no boil lasagna noodles
3 cups artichoke hearts in brine, quartered (bought from Costco)
3 oz. shredded Parmesan, about 1 1/2 cups
Preheat oven to 400. Mix ricotta and egg in a small bowl.
Saute the onions in oil in a large saute pan on medium until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the spinach and season with salt and pepper (I didn't).
Spray 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Spread 1 1/2 cups bechamel sauce on the bottom of the pan and top with four noodles.
Layer with 1/2 of the ricotta, 1/2 of the spinach mixture, 1/2 of the artichokes, 1 cup bechamel, 1/2 of the mozzarella, and 1/2 cup of the Parmesan.
Continue layering with 4 more noodles, the rest of the ricotta, spinach mixture, artichokes, mozzarella, 1 cup bechamel ( I only used 1/2 cup here so there was enough for the top), and 1/2 cup of Parmesan.
Cover with parchment and then aluminum foil.  Bake for 40 minutes until slightly bubbling.  Remove foil and parchment and continue to bake until top is browned, about 10 minutes more.  Cool 10 minutes before serving to allow lasagna to set up. 
{{I forgot the mozzarella and Parmesan on the first layer but did put it on the second layer and it still turned out delicious.. Mind you I didn't put all of it, just what was requested for one layer.  Maybe that made it healthier  ;) }}


Bechamel Sauce
5 Tbsp. unsalted butter (I used salted)
4 shallots or 1 medium yellow onion, minced
3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup all purpose flour
3 1/2 cups whole milk (I used 2%)
3/4 tsp. nutmeg, grated (umm is that just your normal spice nutmeg?  that's what I used)

Melt butter until foaming in medium sauce pan on medium.
Add shallots or onion and garlic and cook until soft and translucent, about four minutes.
Stir in flour and cook for about 2 minutes making sure not to brown.
Whisk in milk slowly and bring mixture to boil.  Stir in nutmeg.  Season to taste with salt and pepper (again I didn't do this, and it really didn't need it).
Reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes, whisking occasionally.

Honey Mustard Chicken

Well hello again! My Aunt Toni gave me this recipe a couple of years ago and I had forgotten all about it until she mentioned it the other night. I decided I better blog about it so we don't forget about it again! Please forgive my horrible picture, the camera must have been on a weird setting. Seriously the best recipe because it is so yummy and it only uses 4 ingredients that we all usually have at home! Don't worry, the mustard really isn't overpowering. Lizy, my picky eater, went back for thirds!

4 chicken breasts "butterfly" thick pieces while slightly thawed

1/3 cup butter

1/3 cup honey

2 tablespoons mustard

1/4 teaspoon salt

Oven @ 350 degrees...Place chicken in shallow baking dish. In saucepan combine rest of ingredients and stir til butter is melted. Pour over chicken and bake for 45 to 60 minutes...basting every 15 minutes.

I made another batch of sauce and served that over rice

I doubled this recipe for my family and used chicken tenders instead of breasts. If you use breasts make sure they are thinner so the chicken can really soak up the sauce. Real butter is a must with this recipe people!! Don't forget to baste every 15 minutes! I also made another batch of sauce to serve over the rice. If your family is a saucy family I'd even double the sauce to serve on the side. It is super delish on the rice!!

Ranch Baked Chicken

(Picture thanks to here.)

Okay, anybody here? I once again didn't take a picture and I've made it twice in the last week! Honestly, I think this is my new favorite chicken. I've paired it with rice and baked broccoli and peas. ALL of which the kids LOVE!!!

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter

3 garlic cloves, finely minced (see garlic tutorial here)

2 thick slices whole wheat bread (for about 2 cups fresh bread crumbs)

1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside. Combine butter and garlic in an 8- or 10-inch skillet. Heat over medium heat until the butter has melted. Pour the butter/garlic mixture into a shallow pie plate or similar dish and cool to room temperature.

In the bowl of a food processor, tear the bread into large chunks, and pulse until the bread is ground into crumbs. Pour the bread crumbs into a shallow pie plate or shallow bowl and toss with the Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.

Dip each chicken breast in the melted, cooled garlic butter. Transfer to the bread crumb mixture and turn until coated on all sides. Arrange the chicken in one flat layer on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle any of the remaining melted butter over the chicken. Bake the chicken until it is lightly browned and just cooked through, 40-50 minutes. The baking time will depend on the thickness and size of the chicken you are using. Don’t overcook or the chicken will be dry.

Recipe Source: adapted from Sara Moulton and www.Melskitchencafe.com

*Note: If you don’t have a food processor to make fresh bread crumbs, you can try using a blender and pulsing the crumbs or try using panko bread crumbs (usually found in the Asian foods aisle). If you are using a food processor, you can also add the Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to the bread crumbs and pulse to combine to create an even finer crumb.

Ashley's Two Cents: I used hamburger buns as the bread crumbs and for the parmesan cheese- it was the shake out kind used for spaghetti. My little add-in was half a packet of Ranch Dressing Mix added to the bread crumb mixture......LOVED IT! I also only used 3 chicken breasts, but there was definitely enough to make the extra.

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

I have my own recipe for chicken enchiladas that I've used for years but after making this one I don't think I can ever go back. SO GOOD! The only things I did differently were using colby jack cheese (when I went grocery shopping and looked at my list I thought I wrote Monteray jack on accident so I bought colby jack) and I used corn tortillas because Josh complains when they are flour.

*Serves 4-6

Filling:
3 cups cooked, chopped chicken
2 (4 oz.) cans of green chiles, lightly drained
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, cubed
1 can white or black beans, rinsed and drained (you can really use any type of bean you prefer here)

Sauce:
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped onion (about 1/2 medium onion)
2 tablespoons flour
1/3 cup chicken broth
¼ cup milk
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 can (7 ounce) green chile enchilada sauce
½ cup sour cream

8 ounces (about 2 cups) Monterey jack cheese, shredded
8 medium (soft taco size) flour tortillas
Handful of chopped fresh cilantro

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium bowl, combine the softened cream cheese and green chiles. Mix well. Add the chicken and black beans. Mix to combine. Set aside.

In a large nonstick skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens and starts to turn translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir well. Cook for 1 minute, stirring. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and milk. As you whisk and the mixture cooks, the flour will get less lumpy around the onions and the mixture will become smooth. Cook over medium heat until the mixture is bubbling and has thickened, about 4-5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the enchilada sauce and sour cream.

Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking dish. Spread about 1/4 cup of the sauce on the bottom of the dish. Fill each tortilla with about ½ cup of the chicken/cream cheese filling. Top with a small handful of shredded cheese, a couple tablespoonfuls for each enchilada. Save at least 1/2 cup cheese for the top of the enchiladas. Roll the tortillas up and place seam side down in the prepared baking dish. Continue filling enchiladas until the dish is full (I can easily fit 8 enchiladas in one pan).

Pour the white sauce over the top of the enchiladas. Top with remaining cheese. Bake for 20-30 minutes until the enchiladas are bubbling, hot and lightly browned. Sprinkle fresh cilantro over the top and serve.

Honey Glazed Chicken

First of all, I'd like to apologize for not taking my own pictures lately. By the time I think of it it's already gone or my picture doesn't do the food justice. So once again I borrowed the picture and recipe from here.

Honey Glazed Chicken

from Kristin E.

2 lbs of diced uncooked chicken breast

1/3 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

4 TB butter

1/4 cup honey

3 TB lemon juice

2 TB soy sauce

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

Heat oven to 350. In a shallow dish combine the flower and seasonings. Dip each piece of chicken in flour mixture and coat evenly.
Melt 2 TB butter in a shallow baking dish, large enough to accommodate chicken in a single layer. Arrange chicken in pan and bake uncovered for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt remaining butter and add honey, lemon juice, soy sauce and ginger.

After chicken has baked the 30 minutes, turn each piece over and pour sauce mixture evenly over chicken. Bake another 30 to 40 minutes basting frequently.

Serve over rice. I usually double the sauce ingredients to make more to serve over the rice.

*I would definitely suggest doubling if not tripling the sauce recipe. Also I ended up using half lemon juice and half orange juice.....I ran out of the lemon juice. I mixed brown and white instant rice and served ours with broccoli. YUM!

Raspberry Lime Ricky

(Picture from here!)

I came acrossed this recipe last year when Mel posted this. I knew it was love at first site. It's so refreshing and once it's made you can keep enjoying this drink until it's all gone!

12 oz. package frozen raspberries

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup water

4 teaspoons grated zest and 1/2 cup juice from 4 limes (It took 4 limes to get the 1/2 cup juice but I only used the zest from 3 limes – it was plenty)

Club soda, chilled

Ice

Heat raspberries, sugar, and water in a saucepan over medium heat until the raspberries begin to release their juices, about five minutes. Mash the berries with a potato masher until the berries break down, then stir in the lime zest and juice. Simmer until the mixture is slightly thickened, about five minutes.

Pour the raspberry mixture through a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl, pressing on solids to extract the liquid. This works best done in batches so the seeds don’t clog up the bottom of the mesh strainer. You should end up with about 2 1/2 cups syrup. Discard the berry solids. Refrigerate the syrup until completely cool, at least 30 minutes or up to 1 week. To serve, combine 3/4 cup club soda and 3 tablespoons syrup in tall, ice-filled glasses.

Thai Chicken Pasta

The Chili-Garlic Sauce looks like this: (I found some at Walmart but it wasn't garlic! Ooops! It was HOT chili sauce. I just added a little extra garlic and used what I bought and it worked.)

What you'll need:

12 oz Linguine

2-3 Cooked Chicken Breasts (cubed or shredded)

Sauce:

1 tablespoon Sesame Oil

1/2 cup Green Onions, chopped

1 C finely shredded Carrots

3 tbsp minced Garlic (yes 3, but it's really not too much, promise)

1/2 tablespoon ground ginger or 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced

1/2 cup Honey

1/2 cup creamy Peanut Butter

1/2 cup Soy Sauce

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 teaspoon chili-garlic sauce

Cilantro and additional green onions to garnish. (I left out the cilantro)
Peanuts to taste, chopped

Directions:

Break pasta into thirds and then cook pasta according to box directions. Drain, return to pot, and then set aside.

Heat 1 TBS of sesame oil in heavy pan over medium-high heat. Add green onions, carrots, garlic, and ginger. Saute until vegetables are softened, about 4 minutes.

Combine honey, peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and chili-garlic sauce in a bowl and mix well. Add to vegetables. Add chicken. Simmer sauce for 2-3 minutes. Pour sauce over pasta and toss well with the chopped peanuts.

Notes:

I found this recipe here and here. The ingredients reminded me of my favorite pasta dish at The Cheesecake Factory. I added the chopped peanuts to the recipe. I loved it!! It came together really fast and was surprisingly simple. I think once you've made it the first time you'll have all the liquid ingredients on hand so that will help with future shopping lists:) Also, I don't think you can buy just 12oz of pasta. I only found 16oz boxes so I cooked it all. When it was drained I set aside some plain before I added the sauce. Lizy is a weirdo about new food so she was able to eat the plain noodles tossed with butter and parmesan cheese. You could also half this recipe.

Creamy Mushroom Soup

From Betty Crocker International Cookbook. Fresh mushrooms are key here. Just rinse them under water and pat dry. DO NOT soak them.

INGREDIENTS:

* 8 ounces FRESH mushrooms (not canned or dried)

4 tablespoons butter

1 medium diced onion

1/4 cup white all purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp white pepper

1 can condensed chicken broth (~10 oz)

1 soup can water

1 cup half & half (or cream if you want a real creamy soup)

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Slice enough mushrooms to measure 1 cup.
• Chop remaining mushrooms.
• In 3 quart saucepan, saute sliced mushrooms 2 Tbs of the butter until golden brown & remove from pan & set aside.
• Cook remaining chopped mushrooms and onion in remaining butter until onion is tender.
• Stir in flour, salt, and white pepper.
• Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, about 1 minute then remove from heat.
• Stir in chicken broth and water
• Heat to boiling stirring constantly - boil for about 1 minute.
• Stir in half& half & sliced mushrooms & heat (but not boil).

Makes about 5-6 servings of the best mushroom soup you ever had.

This was delicious! I know a lot of you won't make this because way too many people don't like mushrooms and think of them as "fungus." Even my picky eater Zach ate and LOVED it! I gave him some in a bowl and gave him stick pretzels and told him it was "dip," but soon after he saw mom and dad eating with a spoon he also picked his up and ate with his spoon. He kept asking for more which is saying something. Yum Yum Yum :)

Zesty Chicken with Corn Salsa

I got this recipe from eatbetteramerica.com. I used the whole can of kidney beans not just 1/2 cup and I also used a regular size can of corn. Who has ever seen a 7 oz can of corn? not me :) This was a really fast, simple recipe and it tasted delicious! Josh thinks next time I make it he might grate some cheddar cheese to put on top but still told me I could make the recipe once a week and he'd still happily eat it. Zach ate all the veggies but I think the chicken may have had too much chili powder for him so maybe if your feeding children cut back a little on the chili powder.

Prep Time:15 min

Start to Finish:30 min

makes:4 servings

2	teaspoons chili powder
2	teaspoons brown sugar
1	teaspoon ground cumin
4	boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/4 lb)
2	tablespoons olive oil
1	can (7 oz) Green Giant® whole kernel sweet corn, drained
1/2	small red bell pepper, chopped
1/2	small cucumber, seeded and chopped
1/2	cup red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
3	tablespoons lime juice
1/4	teaspoon salt

1.	In cup, combine chili powder, brown sugar and cumin. Rub both sides of chicken breasts with the spice mixture.
2.	In large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Cook chicken in hot oil 12 minutes, turning occasionally, or until instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest portion reads 160°F and juices run clear.
3.	Meanwhile, in medium bowl, stir together corn, red pepper, cucumber, kidney beans, lime juice and salt.
4.	Evenly divide corn salsa onto 4 plates. Top each with a chicken breast.

BYU Mint Brownies

BYU mint brownies are one of my favorites! I found this recipe in a Utah Valley magazine a few months ago. It is awesome.

1 box of brownie mix

(I like Betty Crocker Hershey Supreme Brownie Mix w/Frosting Pouch)

Walnuts (optional)

5 tablespoons butter, softened

dash of salt

1 tablespoon of light corn syrup

2 1/3 cups powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon mint extract

food coloring

3 tablespoons milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make brownies according to the box directions. Add 1 cup chopped walnuts if desired. Bake in a 9x13 dish.

To make the mint frosting combine butter, salt, corn syrup, and powdered sugar.

Beat until smooth and creamy, but it will look a little crumbly. Add the mint extract and food coloring. Mix in and then add the milk gradually until the frosting is a little more runny than cake frosting.

Spread the mint frosting over the cooled frosting and then place in the freezer for a short period of time to stiffen. Take brownies out of freezer and immediately frost with chocolate frosting.

I like just mint frosting on the top. Most like the chocolate too. If the chocolate frosting is too much just drizzle stripes instead of full on frosting it. So tasty!!

Caramel Clumpies

Josh found this recipe on the Despicable Me blu-ray and thought it sounded good so we made them.

10 tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
1 egg
½ teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
A pinch of salt
2 ½ cups rolled oats
7 oz chewy caramels, coarsely chopped

Directions: In a large bowl, beat together the butter and both sugars. Add the egg and vanilla and beat well until light and fluffy. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Add to the butter, sugar, egg and vanilla mixture and mix in well. Finally add the oats and caramels and stir. Chill dough for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350F. Drop by spoonfuls onto parchment paper lined baking sheets.
Bake for 10-12 minutes just until brown but do not over-bake or they will lose their “clumpiness”. Slide parchment paper and cookies onto counter top to cool. Enjoy!

If you like oatmeal and caramel then you'll like these cookies :) I've eaten way too many already!

Chicken Pot Pie Crumble

I got this recipe from http://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/

1 1/2 Lbs chicken
3 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion , chopped fine (about 1 cup)
3-4 carrots, peeled and sliced (about 1 cup)
1/2 c. celery, chopped fine
salt and pepper (to taste)
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 c. flour
1 c. milk
3/4 c. frozen peas

Crumble Topping:
2 c. flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
6 Tbsp unsalted butter , cut into 1/2-inch cubes and chilled
3/4 c. Parmesan cheese
1 c. heavy cream

FOR THE CHICKEN: Bring chicken and broth to simmer in covered Dutch oven over medium heat (If you don't have a dutch oven, just use a stock pot). Cook until chicken is just done (8 to 12 minutes). Transfer cooked chicken to large bowl. Pour broth through fine-mesh strainer into liquid measuring cup and reserve. Do not wash Dutch oven.

FOR THE TOPPING: Combine flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne in large bowl. Sprinkle butter pieces over top of flour. Using fingers, rub butter into flour mixture until it resembles coarse cornmeal. Stir in Parmesan. Add cream and stir until just combined. Crumble mixture into irregularly shaped pieces onto a baking sheet. Bake at 450-degrees until fragrant and starting to brown (10-13 minutes). Set aside.

FOR THE FILLING: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in now-empty Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, celery, salt and pepper. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender (about 5 minutes). While vegetables are cooking, shred chicken into small bite-size pieces. Transfer cooked vegetables to bowl with chicken; set aside.

Heat butter in empty Dutch oven over medium heat. When foaming subsides, stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Slowly whisk in reserved chicken broth and milk. Bring to simmer and stir until sauce thickens, about 1 minute. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and stir chicken-vegetable mixture and peas into sauce.

Pour mixture into 9x13 pan (or if you have small individual-sized oven-safe dishes, you can use those-- see picture above). Scatter crumble topping evenly over filling. Bake on rimmed baking at 400-degrees sheet until filling is bubbling and topping is well browned (about 12-15 minutes). Serve hot and enjoy!

We LOVED this recipe, it got the stamp of approval from Josh, Steph and even Zach! I omitted the celery and put in a few more carrots.

Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscano

INGREDIENTS
1 lb ground Italian sausage
1½ tsp crushed red peppers
1 large diced white onion
4 Tbsp bacon pieces
2 tsp garlic puree
10 cups chicken stock
2 cubes of chicken bouillon
1 cup heavy cream
1 lb sliced Russet potatoes, or about 3 large potatoes
¼ of a bunch of kale

1. Sauté Italian sausage and crushed red pepper in a large pot. Drain excess fat, refrigerate while you prepare other ingredients.
2. In the same pan, sauté bacon, onions and garlic over low-medium heat for approximately 15 mins. or until the onions are soft.
3. Add chicken bouillon and stock to the pot and heat until it starts to boil.
4. Add the sliced potatoes and cook until soft, about half an hour.
5. Add the heavy cream and just cook until thoroughly heated.
6. Stir in the sausage and the kale, let all heat through and serve. Delicious!

Baked Ziti

I found this

foodblog when a friend of mine posted this recipe on FB.

I was a little skeptical when it didn't have much to it, but we had this tonight and I think it was a hit. It's filling and makes a large 9x13.

INGREDIENTS

1 pound dry ziti or mastaccioli pasta

2 cups onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic

1 pound lean ground beef

2 (26 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce**

6 ounces provolone cheese,

sliced16 ounces sour cream (fat-free is OK)

6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded

3 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti pasta, and cook until al dente; drain.

In a large skillet, brown onion, garlic and ground beef over medium heat. Add spaghetti sauce; warm through.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil or spray a 9x13 inch baking dish.

Layer as follows:

1/2 of the ziti

Sour Cream

Provolone cheese

1/2 sauce mixture

remaining ziti

mozzarella cheese

remaining sauce mixture

Top with grated Parmesan cheese.

Bake uncovered for 45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheeses are melted.Allow to rest on counter for 3 to 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!!

**Be sure to buy a nice, flavorful sauce or it will be bland!

***Ashley's tweeks: Less chopped garlic, added garlic salt instead.

Omitted the onion and used onion powder.

Chicken Broccoli Supreme

I found this recipe on the Get off your Butt and Bake website. Yummy!! You have to make this!

I went out shopping so I printed this recipe off and handed it to Jeff to make and have ready when I got home:) Bless his heart. He said it went together quickly and was easy to make.

Ingredients:

1 lb. fresh broccoli. Break into pieces and steam for 2 minutes

3 cups cooked chicken breasts broken into small pieces

3 cups grated cheddar cheese divided

2 tubes Ritz Crackers

1 stick melted butter

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

Sauce:

1/3 cup butter, melted

1/4 cup cornstarch, dissolved in 1/2 c COLD water

1/3 cup chicken broth

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 cups milk

1 1/2 cups of the above cheddar cheese

Directions:

In greased 13x9 pan layer the broccoli and chicken, then set aside. In saucepan over medium heat combine the melted butter, cornstarch dissolved in water, chicken broth, seasonings, and milk. Stir well, and continue stirring until sauce has thickened. Turn heat down to low and add 1 1/2 cups grated cheese. Stir until melted. Pour over the chicken and broccoli. Top with 1 1/2 cups grated cheese.

Melt the butter and add the poppy seeds. Stir well. Crush the Ritz crackers in a large zip-lock bag with a rolling pin. Don't crush too small. Add crumbs to the melted butter. Sprinkle crumbs over the top of the grated cheese.

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

**This was SO super good! My kids gobbled it up in no time! The sauce is like a cheese sauce but not too liquidy or overwhelming. I left out the poppy seeds because they freak my kids out. I like this recipe because it is a casserole without cream of something soup!! It makes me feel like there is less sodium:) Also, if you used less cornstarch and didn't make the sauce so thick I bet it would make a good cheese sauce for potatoes or veggies.

Spinach and Rice Casserole

I got this yummy recipe from eatbetteramerica.com

2 teaspoons olive oil
3 medium carrots, chopped (1 1/2 cups)
2/3 cup chopped celery
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 3/4 cups water
1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup
2 boxes (9 oz each) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained
1 1/2 cups uncooked instant brown rice
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup diced cooked ham
3/4 cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese (3 oz)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray.
2. In 3-quart saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add carrots, celery, onion and garlic; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add water and soup; heat to boiling. Add spinach, rice, Italian seasoning and pepper; return to boiling. Remove from heat; stir in ham, 1/4 cup of the Cheddar cheese and the Parmesan cheese. Spread in baking dish. Cover with foil.
3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until bubbly. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese. Let stand uncovered 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

This recipe was delicious! I had two 12 oz packages of spinach that I used because it was what I had. I also omitted the celery(gross!). Plus my family is a cheesy family so I put on more than the recipe suggested.
The website also gave this tip...For this recipe, be sure to use instant brown rice. Regular brown rice requires a different amount of liquid and takes longer to cook.
However I have a ginormous bag of brown rice that I got from Costco that will go bad if we don't start eating it so I think next time I may attempt to use less water and use precooked brown rice, it may not turn out but its worth a shot.

Old Fashioned Beef Stew

(Give your beef a good coating of flour. Make sure your pan & oil are hot and brown those edges good!)

(This is what it looks like after all the ingredients are combined and ready for cooking)

YUM!! If I think back to my favorite dinners as a child my Grandma Liz's beef stew was one of the top five. She would make it on cold snowy days along with cheese biscuits. I remember the smell filling her house. I remember my Grandpa in his hoody sitting in his recliner saying it was a good day for stew and a fire as he would watch the snow falling in the morning. I remember setting the table with the stone colored bowls rimmed with a light brown stripe. I remember us girls fighting over who got the brown cup. I remember my Grandma never sitting down until everyone was served and ready to eat. I remember the feelings of comfort and love, especially on beef stew nights. I have searched high and low for a recipe that could even slightly compare to my Grandma's stew. She never had actual recipes for a lot of her famous dishes. This one was the most similar to the ingredients I remember her using. It's from the Get off your Butt and Bake website. Ingredients: 2 lbs. of stew meat, cut into 1 inch cubes 1/2 cup flour 2 tablespoons of oil 1 bay leaf 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 1 onion chopped (optional) **I used onion flakes to taste instead so my kids wouldn't freak out. 2 beef bouillon cubes 1/2 tsp pepper 2 tsp salt 2 tsp sugar 6 carrots, peeled and sliced 1 cup celery, sliced (optional) **I love celery but she said you can use 1 tsp of Bon Appetit seasoning instead. 4 large potatoes, peeled and cubed 4 cups of water Directions: Coat meat with flour; set excess aside. (I didn't have excess. I used 1/2 cup to coat and 3/4 cup later to thicken) In large skillet heat oil. Brown meat on all sides. In crock pot, combine browned beef, bay leaf, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, onion, bouillon cubes, pepper, salt, and vegetables. Pour water over all of it. It will be almost to the top of your crock pot. Cover and cook on LOW for 8-10 hours. After that time turn your crock pot to HIGH. Thicken with flour left over that has been dissolved in a small amount of warm water. (I just took out some of the broth from the crock pot and used that to dissolve the flour before adding it back to the stew) Cover and cook on high for 15-20 more minutes or until slightly thickened. Makes 6-8 servings. Serve with a green salad and bread.....or cheese biscuits! (My Grandma's stew was a little thicker than this recipe makes it. The flavor however was extremely close. YaY!! That is why I used more flour to try for the thicker broth. Next time I will be making it even thicker.)

Granny B Pink Cookies

I roll out the sugar cookies on wax paper with powdered sugar so they don't stick. Yum! Look how puffy they are! Just like good ol' Granny's

I am a Pink Cookie freak. So are many people I know. My friend, Amy (a fellow freak), found this recipe on her sister's blog and gave it to me the other day. I couldn't wait to try it especially for Valentines Day. Today was the test run and they are awesome!!! Sugar Cookies:

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

3 cups of flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup sour cream

Cream butter and sugar together. Slowly add eggs and vanilla. Sift dry ingredients together. Add dry mixture to the wet mixture along with the sour cream. Mix until smooth.

Chill 2 to 3 hours.

Roll out 1/4-1/3" thick depending on your preference and cut into shapes.

Bake at 375 degrees for 6 to 8 minutes or until golden brown on bottom. Let cool.

Frosting:

4 Tablespoons butter

2 1/3 cups powdered sugar

milk

3/4 teaspoon vanilla

(for chocolate frosting add 3 tablespoons cocoa)

Put butter in bowl and beat with electric mixer until fluffy. Then add about half of the powdered sugar. Beat in 1 tablespoon milk and the vanilla. Slowly add in the rest of the powdered sugar. Add more milk if needed. Add food coloring if desired.

*I cooked mine at 350 for 9 minutes because I'm a dork and thought that is what I read! They turned out just fine so if you do it right at 375 I'd say cook them for 8-ish minutes depending on your oven. Just don't over cook! I let mine chill on the cookie sheet for 1 minute before removing to the cooling rack. Also, I used almost twice the milk it called for. I got 24 medium sized heart cookies out of the dough. I doubled the frosting recipe and it was perfect for the 24 cookies. If you are making the cookies larger I'd triple the frosting recipe.

*Update 4/7/11* I added approx. 3-4 tablespoons of cream cheese to a doubled batch of the frosting to make it a little less sugary. It was awesome! I think it's the best frosting I've made so far:)