Italian Cream Cheese Chicken

Another stolen recipe, this time the original recipe can be found here. As always, there are other tasty looking recipes there, so enjoy browsing!

This one has gotten thumbs up from my family and the others I've shared this with. It tastes yummy over egg noodles, though we've had it over rice too (my husband insisted he would never like anything with egg noodles, but after tasting it with rice he decided egg noodles would be preferable with this dish). It was good over both. My biggest problem is that I normally finish cooking dinner 3 hours before I eat it myself (due to my husband's work schedule) and I have to fight to keep from stealing bites of it before dinner time! It's great, because it's a crockpot meal that if you don't remember to get around to it until after lunchtime, it can still be ready. Or if you remember first thing in the morning and choose to do it then, it sits well for a few hours until it's time to eat.

Ingredients:

2-4 chicken breasts (my family uses 2)
1 can cream of mushroom soup (or cream of whatever sounds good to you)
6oz cream cheese, room temp and cubed
1 packet dry Italian seasoning

Preparation:

Lay chicken breasts into the crock pot. Mix cream of mushroom soup and Italian seasonings and put in crock pot with the chicken (as I use only half the chicken, we also use only half the packet of seasonings, but still use the full amounts of cream cheese and soup). Cook on low for 3 hours. Add cubed cream cheese. Cook for another hour. (The first time I made this, I added the cream cheese at the beginning and it still cooked well). Shred chicken. The original directions say to remove the chicken to shred it, but I've found that after several hours in the crock pot it usually falls apart easily with a fork without having to take it out.

Serve over egg noodles (or your pasta of choice) and enjoy!

Spicy Ragout (Ragu) (Amazazing)

So I have been obsessively watching my new favorite Food Network show Chopped. I love that show! Watching it has given me tons of new ideas along with this one which is absolutely deeelicioussss!!! The cooks on the show had to make something with English cucumbers and other random ingredients and Chef Madison (who I hope wins Champions!!) made a ragout which sounded interesting too me and looked awesome. I googled and found a recipe that I modified somewhat to what I had and have made it twice this week (so far). Trust me, its amazing. If you want to add something more you could try pan fried polenta underneath it, but I was stuffed after since its so substantial. (it looks like a lot of slicing, but it took about five min to do all the prep work, really).


Ingredients

2 green onions, sliced (or 1 med. onion)
1 carrot, sliced
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1 T olive oil
1 potato, diced thinly
1 celery, sliced
1 c mushrooms, sliced
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can kidney beans
1/4 tsp pepper
hot pepper sauce or flakes to taste
dash of salt
basil
parsley


Directions

Saute green onions, carrot, garlic, and potato and olive oil in a skillet for a few minutes. Add remaining ingredients bring to simmer and cover for 20 min or so until potatoes are tender. Eat and love!

Quick and Easy Chili

This almost shouldn't be considered a recipe, because there's almost no prep work at all, but it's tasty and quick and great served with Jiffy cornbread. It takes only 10-15 minutes to prepare, depending on how long you let it simmer, and that's counting the time it takes to bake the cornbread. It's great for Hamburger Helper type nights when you don't want Hamburger Helper. My girls love it and my husband takes this to work for a filling meal.

Ingredients:

- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 small can of tomato sauce
- 1 packet of chili seasonings (found near gravy mixes)
- 2 cans of pre-cooked beans of choice (I use kidney and pinto)
- 1 can of corn
-1 can of sliced olives

Preparation:

Brown ground beef. Add tomato sauce and seasoning packet. Stir in both cans of beans, corn, and olives (all drained of course). Let simmer over low heat while covered to soften the beans and let the flavor soak in.

As for the cornbread, buy a box and read the instructions there. :-P

Jambalaya

You may notice a new recipe trend involving lots of vegetables and not so much meat...I know its kind of different from the standard a lot of us are used to, but its still super filling and ridiculously delicious. Trust me, I don't eat gross food. At least not more than once. This recipe however, may end up a staple at my house...the coconut gives it the best flavor!


Ingredients

1-2 cans dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 green pepper, chopped
1-2 stalks celery, chopped
1 T olive oil
1-2 cans diced tomatoes
1/2 cup shredded coconut
5-6 sliced mushrooms
anything else you feel like adding (yes, this can include meat if you really want it)

Directions

Saute green pepper and celery (and any other crunchy veggies you might add) in olive oil for 2-3 minutes in a medium saucepan. Add the rest of ingredients, bring to a light boil, cover and simmer for approx. 10 min.

Serve over white or brown(!) rice and seriously enjoy. Yum!

Pasta with Pancetta and Leeks

SOOOO delicious. I don't eat leftovers, but I'm wishing Jeff wasn't taking what was left for his lunch tomorrow so I could eat the rest. (Either tomorrow for lunch, or RIGHT NOW, even though I'm completely stuffed.)

It's a Pioneer Woman recipe. Almost all of her recipes I want to try but I have only tried three (the breakfast casseroles, for those of you that were awesome enough to be here for Lucas' blessing). Even though I'm going to post the recipe here (with a change or two), click on through to see the yummy pictures: the recipe.

I've seen the leeks at the grocery store, and I've seen Rachel Ray use them (you know, when I watched her show, when I had tv channels), but I've never had them (to my knowledge). I believe we have added another vegetable to our "to buy regularly" list. Beets and leeks. What's next? Super, super mild onion flavor, but not quite. (Jessica, you still have to try this recipe. Or I'll just make it when you come down next.)

It's also super easy to throw together. It takes more time than a quick, throw together meal because you have to cook the bacon, and then cook the leeks, but it's definitely going in our keep file.



Ingredients

- 12 ounces pasta (I used bowtie)
- 3 ounces chopped pancetta (I used half a pack of thick sliced bacon because that's what Walmart had)
- 3 whole leeks (mine were huge, as I was cutting them, it looked like a lot, but they cook down a lot and I wouldn't have used less - also, make sure you rinse them well; I put the sliced leeks in a bowl of cold water and swished them around for a bit, then scooped them out of the water with a slotted spoon)
- 1-2 tablespoons of butter
- 1/2 cup chicken broth (substituted for dry white wine, though... I may try it again)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- salt and pepper, to taste (didn't even realize this was in the recipe, so I didn't use any)
- Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta and set aside. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water.

Saute chopped pancetta until fat is rendered and it starts to brown. Add thinly sliced leeks and cook for 8 minutes (add butter somewhere in these 8 minutes, after bacon is browned). Pour in chicken broth, then cook an additional 1-2 minutes, until reduced. Reduce heat to low, then pour in cream. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in Parmesan shavings. Toss in pasta, adding a little pasta water to thin as needed. Serve with Parmesan shavings over the top—delicious!



Off to find more leek recipes!

Zesty Red Bean and Rice Salad

This looks kind of like the Mexican chicken and rice recipe, but is more of a salad. its still super delicious and filling. You can make it as a meal in itself or as a side, it would probably go best with a Mexican dish or grilled chicken or something. I topped it with homemade croutons and ate it alone.


Ingredients

2 C water
1 C rice (I used brown, if so add 1/2 c water)
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. cayenne pepper (or use red chili flakes)
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 C green pepper, chopped
1 can petite diced tomatoes with green chilies, drained
1 C onion, finely diced (I used one green onion)

In saucepan, add water, thyme and cayenne pepper. Bring to boil and add rice. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for 20 min. (45 for brown rice) or until rice is tender.

In a large bowl, combine rice, beans, bell pepper, tomatoes, and onion. Serve warm or cold. May top with croutons.


Homemade Croutons

3-4 slices stale bread, cubed
1 T olive oil
garlic powder
Italian seasoning
salt
pepper

Toss all ingredients together in mixing bowl, place on cookie sheet, and set under broiler. Turn after three minutes and continue until crispy all over.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients

1 celery stalk
1 med. onion (I used green)
1 T olive oil
1 T ground cumin
1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken, cubed
1 can chicken broth
4-5 C water
1 C corn
1 can diced tomatoes (drained)
1 can black beans (drained)
1/2 C peas (opt.)
1 lime or lime juice
cilantro (opt.)
dash of salt
tortilla chips or taco shells


Directions:

Mince celery and onion and place in large sauce pan with olive oil, saute until cooked slightly then add cubed chicken, stirring until cooked through. Add chicken broth and water and bring to boil. Add corn, tomatoes, beans, and peas, let simmer for 20-30 min. Before serving squeeze approx. 1 T lime juice. Bowls may be garnished with cilantro and cubed avacado if desired. Crush tortilla chips into bowl just before eating.

Mexican Chicken and Rice

I've made this a few times. I don't know the exact amounts necessary because I've lost the actual recipe (oops!), but I know the basics. The only one I'll have trouble with is the rice....


1 lb chicken (I tried sausage one time and it was really good)
1 jar salsa (I use the Church's salsa)
1 bell pepper, diced
1 onion, diced
1 cup chicken broth (I think)
enough rice (heehee)
Some grated cheese

Cook rice in rice cooker (do this a while before you actually plan on cooking because you don't want to use fresh rice with this recipe. leftover rice works too). Cube the chicken and cook it. Add bell pepper and onion and cook for a few minutes. Add the broth and salsa. Simmer for about five minutes or so. Add enough rice so that it is a rice dish and not a soup or stew. Sprinkle cheese over top. Serve with additional cheese on side.

Chipotle Pasta

This is a yummy meal that Jeff and I like. We usually have to pull out some noodles and add the sauce before we put in the chipotle for Lynne because it can be too spicy. (We eyeball the chipotle so sometimes it burns your mouth and sometimes it's barely a hint of heat.)

I just googled this pasta and I guess it's based on a Cheesecake Factory dish.

1.5 lb of pasta (we use the garden rotini from Walmart)
1 jar alfredo sauce (feel free to make your own, if you feel like it)
1 lb (or less) of chicken, cut up
1 red pepper, cut into strips (we usually make them about the same length as the rotini)
1 TBsp (I think) of chipotle paste
parmesan cheese

We have only been able to find cans of chipotle peppers, so I found this recipe to make the chipotle paste. I split it into two small containers and toss one in the freezer. I bet half-filled ice cubes would be the perfect amount, too. Perhaps I'll do that once I make the next batch.

Anyway, start the pasta cooking. Cook up the chicken and the peppers in about a tablespoon of oil. I love how it smells as the peppers are cooking. Add the alfredo sauce. This is when you would put some aside for the non-spicy lovers in your house. Add the chipotle paste and let the sauce simmer while the pasta finishes cooking. Drain the pasta and add to the sauce.

Serve, topped with grated parmesan (use real parmesan, rather than the Kraft canned stuff - tastes better).

Macaroni & Cheese

I've been testing different recipes and will still probably test a few more, but I figured I could share an easy, yummy recipe that's a staple in our house now. It's, more or less, my mom's recipe with a few tweaks to make it yummier. Lynne loves it, and we always have leftovers that she has for lunch.

1 lb of elbow macaroni
1 can of Campbell's Cheese soup
2/3 can of milk
2 c grated cheese (more if you want)
salt
pepper
nutmeg
1 can corn
bread crumbs

Cook the macaroni to just before al dente. Since you're gonna bake it, it'll cook some more. In a saucepan, mix the soup and milk until smooth. Add salt and pepper, about a teaspoon a piece. Add nutmeg, 1/2-1 teaspoon. Add in the cheese. Stir in drained macaroni and drained corn. Put in 9x13 pan and sprinkle/layer the bread crumbs on top. Cook at 350 for 10-15 minutes.

Yummy.

Ridiculously Easy and Delicious Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches

These sandwiches were a last minute buy at Wal-Mart a few weeks ago, and they were so good we got them again. Its a crock pot recipe, so you throw the chicken and sauce in and you are good to go.

Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches

1 bottle Sweet Baby Ray's Hickory and Brown Sugar Barbecue Sauce
1-2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, thawed

hoagie rolls (Wal-Mart bakery has the most delicious fresh baked rolls, look for 'em)


Directions

Put thawed chicken in crockpot and thoroughly cover with the sauce, cook on high 4-5 hours, shred with fork. Put on buttered rolls and enjoy...(these are also good with the sweet potato fries:)

Corn & Potato Chowder

This has recently become a household favorite. The original recipe is found here, but we made a few modifications to suit our family's taste and resources. The biggest ones being we use russet potatoes instead of red potatoes, the full pound of bacon to avoid having leftover bacon go bad in our fridge, and no onion, because we felt it overpowered the chowder.

It is indeed a family pleaser. Our potato-loving toddler loves it. My meat and potatoes husband loves it. And I find several opportunities to dip a spoon into the cooking pot and make sure it tastes right; After all you can't be too careful, the taste might change on you if you don't sample it frequently! It takes a little time to prepare, so it's always nice to have a second set of hands around to wrangle the kids while you are cooking.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. butter/margarine
1/4 c. flour
1 c. water
2 1/4 c. milk
2 tsp. chicken bouillon
3 medium-sized potatoes
1 can of corn, drained
1 pack of bacon
Chili powder
Pepper

Directions:

1. Cut up and cook bacon until crispy. Set on a paper towel to drain the grease.

2. Peel and dice potatoes. The smaller the potato is cut the faster it'll cook. You'll want these pretty small, otherwise they'll take forever to cook.

3. In a cooking pot, melt butter. Have flour and water on hand. Once melted, whisk the flour in to make a roux (butter and flour should be completely mixed together). Add water and whisk to dissolve the roux completely.

4. Add milk and bouillon.

5. Add potatoes and simmer over medium heat. Stir frequently as the chowder heats up (the hotter it is the more you need to stir) to avoid burning the bottom of the chowder (don't worry, it doesn't make the chowder taste burnt if you get a little burnt at the bottom). This step can take awhile (40+ minutes) Using the red potatoes, instead of the russet potatoes, may cut down on how long this will take. Or you may choose to heat it on high to cut down on cooking time, but you up your chances of getting slightly-burnt chowder stuck at the bottom of the pan to clean out later (again, this doesn't affect the taste, that I've noticed).

6. Add corn and bacon.

7. Add chili powder and pepper to taste. You can also add some cheddar cheese, salt, or hot sauce to suit your family's taste.

8. Serve and enjoy!

Oven-Broiled Tilapia and Homemade Sweet Potato and French Fries

This is a quick and easy sub for fish and chips and both the regular and sweet potato fries were amazing with the spices. Hannah liked it with ketchup on both the fish and fries. This meal is also super filling and delicious! This may be one of my new favorite meal.

Lemon Garlic Tilapia

Ingredients

4 tilapia fillets
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Spray a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Rinse tilapia fillets under cool water, and pat dry with paper towels.
3. Place fillets in baking dish. Pour lemon juice over fillets, then drizzle butter on top. Sprinkle with garlic, parsley, and pepper.
4. Bake in preheated oven until the fish is white and flakes when pulled apart with a fork, about 30 minutes.

Oven Baked Sweet Potato/Homestyle Fries


1 sweet potato and 4 regular potatoes
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1/2 t cumin
1/2 t oregano
1/2 t coriander
1 t kosher salt
1 t parsley
fresh ground pepper (about 10 turns of a pepper mill)

Directions

Slice your sweet potatoes into french fry shape and size. Regular potatoes can be cut larger, like steak fries, but not sweet potatoes which will sometimes result in a big soggy mess, so stay small to get the best results.

Put sliced potatoes in a bowl and drizzle olive oil over them, then sprinkle flavoring over and toss them to coat completely. Using Broiler, cook approx. 10 min on one side, then flip and cook another 10 min. Check to make sure they are fully cooked on both sides.


Reading this is making me hungry. I think I'm going to go finish off the leftover fries...

Slow Cooker Potato Soup with a Zip

I have made this soup a couple of times. It's great when I want potato soup but don't want to spend an hour peeling, cutting, and cooking the potatoes before I can eve start making the soup. While my mom's potato soup is yummy, this is I can throw together in the morning while Lynne's eating dinner.

Two cans of cheese soup can be used if you can't find the Fiesta cheese; it just won't have the kick that it would otherwise. It only half fills my slow cooker, though, so there's a ring at the level of the soup from the burnt on cheesy goodness, so make sure you spray your cooker. Or use one of those throw away liners.

I prefer it with rolls, but I prefer all soups (and most other meals) with rolls or bread. Lynne likes it; Jeff likes it; Melanie likes it; I LOVE it; and Greg & Zach can take it or leave it. But then Greg & Zach change their minds on what they like daily, so...

Recipe from here

Ingredients

• 5 medium potatoes, peeled, and cubed
• 2 cups cooked cubed ham
• 1 cup fresh broccoli florets, cut very fine
• 1 (10 ounce) can cheddar cheese soup
• 1 (10 ounce) can Fiesta nacho cheese soup
• 1 (14 ounce) can chicken broth
• 2 1/2 (10 ounce) cans milk, use soup cans
• paprika
  

Directions

1. Spray slow cooker with vegetable spray, than add potatoes, broccoli, and ham.

2. In a large saucepan, combine soups, and milk.

3. Heat just enough to mix until smooth.

4. add to slow cooker , stir well.

5. Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours.

6. When serving add a dash of paprika , if desired.

Online Collection of Recipes

I have a stack of cookbooks taking up precious space in my cupboard right now. But guess how often I pull them out and find a new recipe. Yeah, not often. In fact, most of my recipes are on the computer since I haven't printed off Jeff's family cookbook or my cookbook with recipes from my family. Plus, I have about a billion recipes that I have found online that I want to try out.

So, here is where I am going to list the ones that we have tried and liked. And hopefully, I'll get some help from others in the family. Ready? Let's get to cooking.