Granola Bites

Hello Little Balls of Yum!

These are loved by every member of my family. I can't make them often enough without them disappearing the by that night or early the next day. Its a fight to get the last one. Its the perfect little compact snack food

Granola Bites

1 cup oatmeal (I used quick oats)

1/2 cup peanut butter (or other nut butter)

1/3 cup honey

1 cup coconut flakes (I found light dehydrated Coconut flakes, it reduced the calories a great deal but still kept flavor)

1/2 cup ground flaxseed

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

1 tsp vanilla

Mix everything above in a medium bowl until thoroughly incorporated OR I found it easier to throw it into a food processor and pulse it a few times. Let chill in the refrigerator for half an hour. Once chilled, roll into balls and enjoy! Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Chip Chicken Pops

Feed them chicken, covered in chips....on a stick. Yeah exactly!

Another popular appetizer from the Super Bowl of all Super bowls. You could do a lot with these and play around with the different flavored chips.

By the way, have you noticed the heavily featured mauve countertop in my kitchen? I usually try to hide it but in my haste to take the pictures I just laid it all out there for the world to see. I hated in when we moved in in 2002, and by golly I hate it more 10 years later. Someday when we are ready to move, I will get a brand new kitchen.....and yes, you read that correctly, by the time we re-do we will be moving. So don't judge me on my mauveness.

Chip Chicken Pops

adapted from All Recipes

Ingredients

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts - cut into strips

1 egg

2 tablespoons milk

2 cups crushed potato chips (I used ½ regular, ½ sour cream and onion

lollipop sticks from a craft or party store

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a baking sheet.

Crush potato chips in a bag with a rolling pin or throw them in a food processor. In a large bowl, whisk together egg and milk. Dip the chicken into the egg mixture, then coat well with potato chips. Spread the nuggets onto a wire rack placed on top of a baking sheet.

Bake for 10 minutes. Turn nuggets over, and bake for 10 minutes more, until golden brown. Remove baking sheet from oven, and insert a lollipop stick into each nugget.

I served with 1/2 honey & 1/2 Spicy Mustard Mix

Meatloaf Muffins

Not much to say about these little beauties. I have been making this recipe a long time and I love it. I love stove top stuffing. I can eat it right out of the pot. So naturally mix it into anything and I love that too. I like the whole meatloaf muffin concept because they are cuter then a slab of meatloaf on the plate. I can see mixing some mashed potatoes with food coloring and frosting these bad boys for the kids. What kid wouldn't eat a muffin with potato frosting?
Meatloaf Muffins

Ingredients
1lb of lean ground beef I use 93% lean
1 box stove top stuffing mix
2 eggs
1 cup water
¼ cup ketchup
Salt & Pepper to taste—I don’t add salt because I feel like the stuffing is salty enough
Additional Ketchup or BBQ Sauce for the tops

Directions
Mix Water and Stuffing in a large bowl
Add the remaining ingredients and mix until combined
Spoon into a greased 12 muffin pan
Squirt ketchup or BBQ sauce on the tops
Bake in pre-heated over for 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees

YUM!!!

Hearty Tex-Mex Squash Chicken Casserole

This is the first recipe of my stack of casseroles. I was actually looking for one I found in the summertime that I was waiting for the weather to turn colder to make and I lost it---but I found a whole bunch others so I can dwell on what might have been.

Hearty Tex-Mex Squash-Chicken Casserole
Borrowed from Southern Living

Ingredients
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
3 medium-size yellow squash, thinly sliced
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons peanut oil --–I used EVOO---
3 cups shredded cooked chicken or turkey
12 (6-inch) corn tortillas, cut into 1-inch pieces ---I used Flour tortillas---
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of celery soup, undiluted* --used regular full fat--
1 (8-ounce) container sour cream* ---used low fat---
1 (8-ounce) jar picante sauce ---I used ½ jar of salsa---
1 (4.5-ounce) can chopped green chiles, undrained
1 (1.4-ounce) envelope fajita seasoning
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, divided* --used regular---

Preparation
Drain chopped spinach well, pressing between paper towels to remove excess moisture.
Sauté squash, bell pepper, and onion in hot oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat 6 minutes or until tender.

Remove from heat.

Stir in spinach, chicken, next 6 ingredients, and 1 1/2 cups cheese.

Spoon into a lightly greased 13- x9-inch baking dish.
Bake at 350° for 30 minutes.

Sprinkle evenly with remaining 1/2 cup cheese, and bake 5 more minutes.
*Reduced-sodium, reduced-fat cream of celery soup, light sour cream, and reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese may be substituted.

VERDICT
Did you notice a bunch of substitutions. I even went to the store after I knew I was making this for dinner and somehow missed a few ingredients. No matter, I really liked it this way. The veggies get hidden and it has a nice little kick to it from the chiles. I was worried about the tortillas not working out but it was just great and I will make it the same way again. It was very hardy and I didn’t serve it with rice the way I had planned because you just didn’t need it. It was filling as is. The leftovers were great too which is the true sign of a great casserole. I had another picture but it got deleted somehow and I am too tired to go back now....take my word on how yummy it is. Would I steer you wrong?

Paula Deen Meatloaf Bonanza

WHAT THE HELL??? Paula Deen's Magazine doesnt put the recipes on their website!!!!
Which means in order to bring you the entire dinner I cooked tonight I need to type out all 3 recipes. I am not happy. At all. But I will do it. For you. The ones I love....and even the strangers I dont who have somehow found this crazy blog of mine. Not to spoil the verdict at the end but if it wasn't worth I wouldn't take the time to write it up (wink)


Taco Meatloaf
From Cooking with Paula Deen Sept/Oct 2009I would give you a link but there isn't one!!!!!
2 pounds of ground beef
1 medium onion
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
1 taco package seasoning mix
1/4 cup tomato sauce
1 large egg
1 cup crushed tortilla chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Line rimmed baking sheet with foil
In a large bowl combine meat, onion, cilantro, and taco pack.
Add tomato sauce and egg, stirring to combine
Using hands work in the crushed tortilla chips until combined
Shape into a 10 inch load on the baking sheet
bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until meat is cooked through
Let stand for 10 minutes before serving

Chipotle Mashed Potatoes
5 large baking potatoes peeled, and cut into 1 inch chunks OR the ore ida bag of steam and mash potatoes
1/4 cup butter
1 16 oz container of sour cream
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
1 teaspoon minced chipotle pepper in adobo suace
1 teaspoon adobo sauce from the chili pepper
2 1/2 teaspoons of salt

In a large saucepan combine potatoes and water to cover.
Bring to a boil over medium high heat
reduce heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes or until potatoes are tender
Drain Well
Add butter, and let stand until its melted
Add sour cream, cheese, pepper, adobo sauce, and salt
Using potato masher, mash potatoes to desired consistency
Serve immediately
OR
Stick the bag of frozen potatoes in the microwave
Cook for 10 minutes
Put them in the bowl
Add all the other stuff (I do use slightly less ingredients because I don't think there was 5 large potatoes)
Mash em'
Eat


Zucchini and Squash Saute
1 tablespoon of Olive Oil
1 large onion sliced thin
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 medium zucchini cut into 3 in x 1/4 sticks
4 medium yellow squash cut into 3 inch x 1/4 sticks ** I didn't have any of these so I just used more zucchini**
3/4 cup tomato sauce

In a large skillet heat olive oil over medium heat.
Add onion and garlic; cook for 3-4 minutes or until onion is tender
Add zucchini and squash;cook for 4-5 minutes or until veggies are almost tender
Stir in tomato sauce and cook until mixture is heated through
Serve immediately

VERDICT
Phew! I really hated having to type all that. Much nicer to cut and paste--Only for you Paula Deen
Let's take one thing at a time
The Meatloaf--Yummy. I did overcook slightly which made it a little dry for my liking. I usually make my meatloaf with a BBQ glaze on top and I kind of missed having a saucy top. I wonder if you could add a chunky salsa what might happen? It was really good though and couldn't have been easier. Dare I say I only added 1/4 cup cilantro and I think it needed the full dose of 1/2 cup. I think I really like it now. Go figure. Jackson loved it. Again go figure

The Potatoes---HOLY CRAP are these good. If you want it slightly spicy I would follow the directions as is. They had a little kick but it wasn't so overwhelming that you didn't like them. Jackson loved them. The cheese, the potatoes, ahhh they were even great cold. I also really recommend the steam and mash potatoes. It cut down on my work load by so much especially when you are adding so many other fatty, flavorful ingredients they dont taste frozen. And they are so quick its silly not to use them.

The Zucchini-Kind of weird that it was more Italianish then Mexican. It was OK, not my favorite zucchini recipe but it was quick and easy. I did like that you use the other 3/4 cup tomato sauce that was leftover from the 1/4 in the meatloaf which was why I stuck with it instead of making carrots. I just think they needed a bit more flavor. There was no mention of salt or pepper and they needed it. Maybe some chili powder too.

There is my Paula Deen Meatloaf Bonanza. I made all 3 of the recipes featured on the same page from her Bubba which I think is her husband Michael. There is a recipe online for corn and cheese fritters to go with it but come on with all that butter, and cream I couldnt go there!!

Pork with Roasted Lemon-Apple Relish

So not every meal works out 100% and to prove this I will now post a picture of my burnt pan with the caramelized onions and lemons.....oopsie!

Nice right??? I spent a lot of time with a Brillo tonight trying to save my pan....and I spent a good chunk of time trying to make another side to serve with the pork
Pork with Roasted Lemon-Apple Relish--Kind of
from Everyday with Rachael Ray

2 pounds boneless pork loin roast, tied
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 lemon, thinly sliced crosswise and seeded
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup apple juice
1/4 cup raisins
1 green apple, cored and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 teaspoon sherry vinegar

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425°.

Place the pork on one side of a large baking dish, rub with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

On the other side of the dish, combine the lemon, onion, 1 tablespoon olive oil and the sugar; season with salt and pepper and arrange in an even layer.

Roast until the pork registers 150° on an instant-read thermometer and the lemon slices are browned around the edges, about 30 minutes.

Tent the pork with foil and let rest.
Transfer the lemon mixture to a work surface and chop.

In a medium glass bowl, combine the apple juice and raisins; microwave on high power for 1 minute.

Stir in the lemon mixture, apple, vinegar and the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Thinly slice the pork and serve with the relish.

OR

if you burn the thin slices of lemon and onion because your daughter was being quite demanding and you turned the timer off and never took the actual dinner out of the over. Peel and core 2 green apples. Cut into thin strip. Saute them in a tablespoon of butter for 5 minutes. Take 1/4 cup raisins and a 1/2 cup apple juice and microwave for 1 minute. Add them to the apples reserving about 3 tbsp liquid. Add a tsp of cornstarch and then add to the pan and stir. Try to pick off as much of the lemons and onions that aren't burnt and add them to the apples. Cook until softened.

VERDICT

After my little drama over burning the key parts to this dish I was a little worried. I was to say it was pretty delicious. I really liked my apple version although I don't know what the original was supposed to taste like but I would make it this way again. I have to say the pork was delicious. The best I have ever made. I usually over cook it but this was really juicy and tender. I think I used my mandolin slicer and made the slices too thin and that is why they burned so quickly. Next time I will used a thicker slice and see what I can make out of that! All in all a great fall meal. I even made my own mashed sweet potatoes...aren't you impressed. I was annoyed because they were out of the Ore Ida Steam and Mash this week. Making me work TOO hard for dinner!!!! It was a really quick dinner to put together...well it would have been if I hadnt burned it . Oh and if you want to get a toddler to eat anything put some mushy apples and raisins on it--worked like a charm

Cheesy Stuffed Shells

First off, I have been sick as a dog so my cooking has been slacking. I Still got dinner on the table but it wasn’t out of love of cooking it was the basic need to feed a bunch of hungry family members. And my blogging had to wait also, this was from last week. Tonight I had a new recipe all planned out and then I did a switcheroo and made the yummy Chicken Cacciatore Ravioli Stew again. I do love that soup. I had to change a few things because I didnt know I was making it, and it was just as good. This will be a regular this fall/winter

I still am not sure why I tackled this recipe on a weeknight…while I was sick…after I took a long nap….and only had a short time to get a hungry toddler fed. This is a Sunday night meal for sure. I was really wanting something Italian and I went through my cooking magazines that I obsessively buy and this was a pull from the latest Food Network Magazine. I always buy the magazines and then never make what’s in them. So I decided it’s time to get my money's worth. This makes a ton of food. We had leftovers for days. I would suggest using the biggest darn pan you have.
I altered the original recipe because it used Tofu and hmm, well I can't be comfortable with spending hours making something and then gambling on tofu. It also had cottage cheese as the stuffing cheese. No self respecting Italian uses Cottage cheese!!!! They pictured the mom who made up this recipe and she in fact looks very mid-western so it isn't her fault, how could she know--but we know better!!!!

Cheesy Stuffed Shells
adapted from Food Network Magazine Oct 2009
this picture doesn't really do them justice since they are covered in sauce and cheese--sorry

Ingredients
For the Sauce
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup grated carrot
1/2 cup grated zucchini
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped celery
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes

1 20 ozs package of ground turkey
Freshly ground pepper

For the Shells
1 12-ounce box jumbo pasta shells
1 10-ounce box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 clove garlic, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Cooking spray

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Make the sauce: Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.

Cook ground turkey until crumbled and brown

Add the carrot, zucchini, onion and celery and saute until soft but not brown, 5 minutes.

Add the garlic and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the basil, oregano, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes and 2 cups water.

Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, prepare the shells: Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook for 8 minutes; drain. Mix the spinach, ricotta cheese, Parmesan, 1/2 cup mozzarella, the egg and garlic in a medium bowl and season with salt and pepper.
Mist a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Spread about 1 cup of the sauce in the dish.

Stuff the cheese mixture into the shells and place in the baking dish, open-side up.

Pour the remaining sauce over the shells.

Cover tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

Uncover, sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup mozzarella and bake for 15 minutes.

Let cool slightly before serving.

VERDICT

Ok so it was a lot of work. Lots of steps, lots of ingredients, but WOW!!!

It was worth the effort (thank goodness). What I really liked was the extra addition of the hidden veggies. Even if you don't make shells, the sauce would be great with regular pasta. You didn't know the veggies were there but it was a really great sauce on its own. I really liked the shell cheese mixture too. Sometimes there is something about the stuffing I don't quite like but this one was excellent. I didn't like that I had so many shells leftover that I threw in the garbage. I think I over stuff my shells....so next time I think I will stick with 1/2 the box. I think it made around 25 shells as it is. I think I could have even stuffed them more. I am not sure how the original recipe was but this was really awesome. It would be a great meal to Entertain with because a few shells go a long way and they just look really impressive. I know my picture kind of stinks but after cooking them forever, and being near collapse, I just wanted to eat.

Creamy Salsa Chicken

Ok so it's Mexican again. I am making it twice this week so be prepared. I hadn't really heard of Rick Bayless until I started watching Top Chef Masters. But now he is everywhere. I was buying his salsa and didn't even know it was his salsa. This recipe appeared in one of his cookbooks which I find shocking since it doesn't seem like something a fancy chef would make, but alas he did, so I did and you should.

CREAMY SALSA CHICKEN
borrowed from Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations

Ingredients
6 large boned, skinless chicken breast halves ( I used 4 and it was plenty)
one 16-oz. jar of slightly chunky salsa, any flavor, as spicy as you like (Note: if the salsa is too thin, the sauce will be runny.)
½ cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Brush the bottom of a 9x13 baking pan with a little oil; place the chicken breasts in one layer in the pan.
In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the cream and salsa; spoon salsa mixture over the chicken. ( I didn't use the entire bowl of sauce because it was very thin with the Frontera Salsa Used)
Bake on the bottom shelf for 30 minutes.
Top with the cilantro

VERDICT:

So I forgot the cilantro. I seem to always forget something huh? It was really delicious for such little effort. It was almost like I had the night off from cooking. It was a bit rich and I don't normally cook anything with a 1/2 cup of heavy cream in it. But I figured since it was for the whole dish and I wasn't going to eat it all, I would be OK. The sauce was really good--I mean it has heavy cream in it, what could be bad. I sauteed some broccoli with garlic and ate a ton of that so I wouldn't feel so badly about the cream. I also made the Uncle Ben's 90 second rice in Spanish Rice flavor and it was the perfect side dish. I am sure Rick Bayless doesn't do that--but hey he doesn't make dinner with 2 kids pulling on his legs. I think this should somehow be turned into a pasta dish so that all the sauce could be soaked up. I did put more on after I took the picture so it is slightly false advertising of my dinner tonight. I am trying a Mexican pasta dish later in the week and it might just be similar.

Chicken Mc Dougette's

Ok so my life seems turned on edge today.......

for some reason a few times this has happened were the picture decides to turn on its end. I don't know why and I don't know what to do to fix it. So I am sorry but hey, I told you I want even going to cook dinner and I did, so for that you should be happy :)
I didn't make what I originally planned to make because I just didn't feel like reading any recipes tonight. I cooked something that I have cooked probably 200 times in my last 10 years. It was one of the 1st things I invented on my own and its a house favorite. So there is no verdict tonight. If I don't know what to make and I have chicken in the fridge this is what I end up making. I actually had to think about the recipe to write it down because I usually just throw it together and never even measure anything. So here is it.

Chicken Mc Dougette's
invented by me and named after my man

~Preheat Oven to 350°

3-4 chicken breasts or package of tenderloins (I Don’t use these because I don’t like that white thing in the middle)
2 cups cornflake bread crumbs-made by Kellogg in the stuffing/crumb aisle
1 cup creamy salad dressing—I use light 3 cheese ranch or creamy peppercorn
1 tbs Garlic powder
2 tsp.Paprika
1 tbs. Dried parsley
Salt & pepper (1 tsp of salt and 1 tsp of pepper) but do to taste

--Cut chicken into strips if they aren’t tenderloins, try to make uniform in size for even baking
--Use 2 large shallow bowls, 1 for the salad dressing and one for the crumb mixture
--Mix the crumbs with all the dry spices
--Put the chicken pieces into the salad dressing and mix to coat
--Transfer one piece at a time into the crumbs and coat
--Then transfer to a wire rack that has been placed on a cookie sheet
--bake uncovered about 30 minutes sometimes longer if your strips are thicker.
--You don't need to flip them.


I also made the crash Hot Potatoes that were featured as a side dish on here before. They are so good its ridiculous. I used the very small red potatoes this time and I smashed them so hard they basically fell apart on the baking sheet but it was really OK. I just scooped up the goodness.

Grilled Mexican Chicken with Tomato Avocado Salsa

Have I mentioned my love of Mexican Food?

I could eat it everyday for weeks and not get sick of it. Sadly that is really the only way I get it, is if I cook it myself because there are no great restaurants locally. Maybe someday someone will come along and build a Cantina......a girl can dream. Until then........

Grilled Mexican Chicken with Tomato Avocado Salsa
borrowed from Dinners for a Year and Beyond
serves 4 - 5


for chicken --1/4 cup onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
juice of 2 limes
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
2 1/2 pounds chicken tenders



for salsa --1/3 cup onion, chopped
1 cup kirby cucumber, chopped
2 1/2 cups tomato, chopped
juice of 1/2 of a lime
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
1 avocado, chopped and tossed with juice of 1/2 of a lime
salt and pepper to taste


cojita cheese, for sprinkling
tortillas
tortilla chips



In a small bowl combine the first 10 ingredients.
Place the chicken tenders in a resealable bag and add the marinade.
Seal and squish around the contents to mix well.
Let chicken marinate for about an hour.
Heat a grill to medium high.
While the grilling is heating, prepare the salsa.

In a medium sized bowl, combine the salsa ingredients.
Set aside.
Remove the chicken from the marinade and and grill for about 4 - 5 minutes per side or until the chicken is cooked through.
Remove from grill and top with the salsa and the cojita cheese.
Serve with tortillas and tortilla chips.


VERDICT
REALLY REALLY GOOD
This chicken is so versatile. You can do so much with it. It is a really easy marinade to put together and its really flavorful. Much more so then anything that comes in a packet or bottle. The leftovers were great the next day too. I grilled it the 1st day and ate it with the salsa on tortillas. The next day I had a few smaller pieces left so I chopped it smaller and added a can of black beans and it was burritos again but would have made a great filling for quesidillas, I just didn't feel like the extra work. This is going to become my go to need chicken for a Mexican dish recipe. I can check "all around Mexican Chicken" recipe off my too find list. Oh and the salsa was good too. I liked it after about an hour when it was softened and a bit juicier. Even ate the left overs of that the next day and they were good

PS--If anyone knows what kirby cucumber is can you let me know. I need to google it but keep forgetting
AND where the heck can I get Cojita Cheese? I use Cheddar but am Curious to try Cojita because Rachael Ray uses it too and I need to know if I am missing something magical

Creamy Lemon Chicken with Roasted Potatoes and Artichokes

I love 1 pan meals, kind of like a casserole but even less work and even easier.
I uncovered a blog from a women who cooks like I like to eat so it literally makes the burden of cooking dinner vanish. If I am not inspired or have no new recipes waiting to be tried it gets to be a scramble to put a good menu together for the week. I have a good 15 recipes printed out so its smooth sailing for the next 2-3 weeks. She uses a very good philosophy as a mom, who cooks for her family as well as for her own business. She doesn't force them to eat all the meal in its entirety but she can serve different pieces of it to her husband and all her kids and hopefully keeps them all happy with one meal. That has been my goal and I am mindful of that when I chose my recipes. I would say 95% of the things I cook Jackson is given as his meal, or he at least is asked to try it along side more familiar things. Its been working pretty well and if he doesn't eat....breakfast is at 8:00 am come hungry :)
This one he really enjoyed


Creamy Lemon Chicken with Roasted Potatoes and Artichokes
borrowed from Dinners for a Year and Beyond
serves 5

5 red potatoes, cubed, bite-sized
2 - 3 tablespoons olive oil
salt & pepper
1 (15-ounce) can artichoke hearts, quartered and drained
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
2 tablespoons white wine
1/3 cup cream
1/2 cup chicken stock
4 sun dried tomatoes, soaked in boiling water to rehydrate, and sliced thin
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.



On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss potatoes with olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper.
Roast for about 25 minutes, stirring once, until beginning to become golden brown.
Add artichoke hearts and roast an additional 20 minutes.
Remove from oven and set aside.
Meanwhile, in a large saute pan over medium high heat, drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil and add the chicken.
Saute for 6 - 7 minutes or until chicken to cooked through.
Add wine and cook for 1 minute.
Add the cream and chicken stock and let reduce for 3 - 4 minutes.
Add roasted potatoes and artichokes, sun dried tomatoes, lemon juice and parsley and toss to coat.
Season with salt and pepper.
Serve immediately.

VERDICT
LOVED IT! YUM! I substituted the sun dried tomatoes for Diced, seeded Fresh NJ tomatoes, and I really like it. I threw them in last and they softened just a touch. I also used fresh parsley because I like the earthy flavor of Lemon and Parsley and I think for this recipe it adds a punch of flavor to use the fresh. This dish is a keeper and came together really quickly. I really appreciate recipes that are 2 step, but the 1st step is baking while you are prepping the next and they come out around the same time. That makes me feel capable for some reason.
Make this dish--YUM!

Fiesta Chicken and Spinach Enchiladas

Can you tell we like Mexican in our house?

I have made this recipe before and I really really like it. The sauce is similar to the creamy red sauce you will find at Juanitos in Red Bank. While it isn't exact its kind of like it, enough so that it keeps my cravings happy.

Fiesta Chicken and Spinach Enchiladas

Borrowed from Picky Palate
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 large onion, finely diced

1 jalapeno, minced

3 fresh cloves garlic, minced

10 oz bag baby spinach leaves, chopped

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

1 1/2 Tablespoons ground cumin

1 10 oz can Mild Rotel diced tomatoes with Green Chilies
1 lb (Lg family size can) cream of chicken soup

1 Cup red enchilada sauce--I used the entire 10 ozs can

8 oz sour cream--I used light

1/2 Cup milk

Pinch of salt
Corn Tortillas--I use flour because I prefer them for enchiladas

2 Cups shredded Mexican blend cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place oil into a large skillet or dutch oven over medium heat.

Saute onion and jalapeno until softened, about 5 minutes.

Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Add chopped spinach and cook until wilted down.

Stir in chicken, salt, pepper, garlic salt, cumin and diced tomatoes.

Reduce heat to low and simmer.

Place soup, enchilada sauce, sour cream, milk and salt into a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir until warmed though.
Ladle a small amount of sauce into the bottom of a large 9×13 inch baking dish (or BIGGER if you have one--I used my giant lasagna pan), just enough to cover the bottom.

Place a spoonful of chicken mixture inside of corn tortillas, roll and place seam side down.

Fill tortillas until chicken filling is used up.

Top evenly with sauce and shredded cheese. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
10-12 servings

I always forget to use buy full fat cheese to sprinkle on top
does look very cheesy--but it is yummy

VERDICT

I made this for the 3rd time and I really enjoy it. My Chief Taste Tester thinks its too cheesy but the sauce and the cheese are the same color so it gives the appearance of more cheese then there is. I love the spinach for the fact you don't taste it and who couldn't use more spinach in their diet. The Rotel gives it a nice kick as well, but you could use regular diced tomatoes if you were scared of the spice. This makes a ton of food so make sure you have a large group to feed or prepare for leftovers

Cheesy Chicken Cordon Bleu Rice Casserole

I thought I was almost getting caught up and posting about the meals I eat on the nights I eat them. But things have been entirely too hectic in our household so I am still stuck in last weeks Eats. Before I get to the main event I needed to post another picture of my sweet girl Mia, who now likes to tear apart my drawers just like her big brother did. It seems like just yesterday he was experimenting with all my utensil and now she is into everything. Hey whatever I need to do to get dinner on the table!

Dinners Served

Cheesy Chicken Cordon Bleu Rice Casserole
borrowed from the Picky Palate

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 clove fresh garlic, minced
½ lb diced ham
2 Cups cooked shredded chicken breast
4 Tablespoons butter
¼ Cup flour
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
14 oz can chicken broth
3 Cups cooked rice of choice (I use Success Boil in the Bag brown rice its very good for casseroles)
1 Cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 Cup shredded swiss cheese---I omit the cheddar and use 2 cups swiss

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat oil into a large 5 qt rimmed skillet over medium heat. Saute onion and bell pepper until softened, about 5 minutes.
Stir in garlic, ham and chicken. Cook for an additional 5 minutes.
Melt butter then stir in flour, salt and pepper until combined.
Slowly stir in chicken broth until well combined.
Stir in cooked rice then transfer to a 9×13 inch baking dish.
Top with cheddar and swiss cheeses.
Bake for 20-25 minutes.
Cover the dish with foil the last 10 minutes for oozing cheese.
6-8 servings

VERDICT
You know how I love a good casserole. This one does not disappoint. It is really easy to put together, the ingredients are pretty basic and the results are delicious. I did make a slight change in that I stir in 1 1/2 cups of cheese into the casserole and sprinkle a 1/2 cup on top. I like more cheese throughout instead of a thick layer on the top. There really isn't that much to say because this dish has made its 4th appearance on our table so its a winner.

Southwestern Skillet- Casserole

I am not going to give a verdict on this recipe, it just seems silly. I make this dish a lot. You should really put it under a file of really easy, quick, delicious go to meals. It never disappoints and I cant believe my good fortune to have found it. I think I have been making this one for probably 6 years or so. I have been on Weight Watcher a few times and this one was one of the recipes I found during my time on their crazy diet wagon but I think it has staying power because no one would know its only 9 points.

The original name is Southwestern Casserole but, I don’t know why its called a Casserole, because I don’t think it is one since I think of casseroles as something you put in the oven. So I think I might re-name it Southwestern Skillet-Casserole. Oh and when I normally make it I dont put the green onions on to make it look fancy, that was for the benefit of the camera but I have to say it was pretty good, so if you have them in the house throw them on too. This recipe is also pretty flexible and you can add beans or corn or both in the last 5 minutes of cooking too. You can also omit the meat all together and just use any kind of red or black bean

Southwestern Skillet- Casserole

Borrowed from Weight Watchers

****9 WW Points Plus

1 pound ground beef-93% lean**You could use turkey too**
¾ cup diced onion
¾ cup diced green pepper
2 seeded jalapeños-I never use these
1 can (28 ounce) whole tomatoes
2 cups low fat sour cream—it’s the entire 16 ozs container
1 tablespoon chili powder
½ tsp. salt
8 ounces uncooked penne-I use barilla whole grain medium shells and measure exactly 8 ozs.

It is imperative that you use a non-stick skillet. There is major sticking going on if you dont

Add the ground beef, breaking it up with a large spoon, until it looses its pink color, drain and fat from the pan while this is cooking, you can chop your veggies and open the cans.

Add the onions and green peppers, cooking until softened. Stir in the jalapeno peppers, tomatoes, chili powder, sour cream and salt.

Add the uncooked pasta, Stir, cover, lower the heat and gently simmer until the pasta is tender, about 25 minutes. Stir every 5-8 minutes to keep pasta from sticking to the saucepan bottom.

Chicken Piccata Salad

While I was trying to get dinner on the table tonight the kids were both being a bit needy. Thankfully they have almost returned to my normal sweet babies after being away and off their routines. But needy at dinner cooking time is nothing out of the ordinary. So I was getting flustered & slightly annoyed because I had to keep stopping and then the recipe was bugging me because I kept loosing my place and I was thinking “WHY am I cooking this, why am I bothering?”



So I stopped what I was doing and appeased my two sweeties and then started to think about why I do this every night. I am a stay at home mom and I always thought that meant that I should have a good dinner on the table. We always ate dinner as a family when I was young and I think its important. I also like to feed my husband a nice meal at the end of his long work day. Then I started thinking about my kids. I cant say that I don’t serve store bought chicken fingers, turkey meatballs and other child friendly things from the freezer a few times a week. But on a night like tonight when I was just rushing to get it done, and then Jackson loved the dinner I made, and asked for more, that is really why I am continuing to do this. If I didn’t introduce him to new flavors and new foods, he would be stuck in the kid food rut and I want better for him then that. I hope that Mia Grace is the same way. She started eating puffs on Monday all by her self and judging from her pure joy from just puffs I think she will be another adventurous eater. I don’t want to look down the road and complain about my picky eaters when I had the power to make sure they tried lots of new things but I was too busy to make it for them.

Ok its Rachael Ray time. I used to be obsessed with her and watched her show everyday at 6pm….before I had kids that is. But I really never made any of her dishes. I have a few of her cookbooks too and I was never overly impressed with anything she cooked. I am not sure why, because she does cook things that always look great on Tv but when I make them its just kind of eh-
But I picked up her magazine because I had never bought it before so I thought I would check it out. I bookmarked 3 recipes and stayed tuned for the RR verdicts!!! Hint—I might subscribe (or just read them online)

Chicken Piccata Salad
Borrowed from Rachael Ray Everyday magazine



INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 pounds small red potatoes, quartered
1/2 pound green beans, halved crosswise
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped capers
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
Grated peel and juice of 1/2 lemon
Salt and pepper
1 large egg **doubled**
1/4 cup flour **doubled**
Two 6-ounce skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, lightly pounded ** I used 4 thin sliced breasts totaling a pound**
1/4 cup chicken broth

· In a large saucepan, add the potatoes and enough salted water to cover by 1 inch.

· Bring to a boil and cook until almost tender, about 10 minutes.
· Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a colander.
· Add the green beans to the boiling water and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
· Drain in the colander with the potatoes; let cool slightly.
· In a large bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 tablespoon capers, 3 tablespoons parsley, the lemon peel and half of the lemon juice.
· Add the potatoes and beans and toss; season with salt and pepper.
· In a shallow bowl, beat the egg. In another shallow bowl, season the flour with salt and pepper.
· In a large nonstick skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat.
· Coat the chicken breasts with the seasoned flour, then dip in the egg, allowing any excess to drip off, and coat with the flour again, shaking off the excess.
· Add to the skillet and cook, turning once, until golden, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and cut into strips.
· Add the chicken broth to the skillet; cook over medium heat, scraping up any browned bits.
· Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon capers, 1 tablespoon parsley and lemon juice.
· Top the salad with the chicken and drizzle with the pan sauce.

VERDICT
HOLY COW! I know, I know you get sick of hearing me say you have to make this but I swear you will email me to thank me for introducing this dish into your life. It was so good. Doug told me three times how much he liked it and Jackson asked for more….Toddlers don’t eat anything let alone ask for seconds. It was really fresh and flavorful and it was a really great all in one type meal/salad. I would make the veggie again as a side for something else too. I did Double the chicken because I didn’t feel like 2 breasts would be enough for us. I have hungry boys in my house. I also did use the capers even though I thought I didn’t like them. If you don’t usually like them or are scared just smush them up and chop them really, really small and they blend but add a touch of different flavor. The one thing I found annoying was when you see the amount of ingredients in the list but then you don’t add it all at once. I find it confusing and annoying to have to keep looking back to see how much I was supposed to use. But it isn’t the piccata salad’s fault just my own pet peeve.


This dish would be great for a brunch because it is best at room temperature and it looks kind of fancy and you could stretch lots of cheaper ingredients. The recipe was in the magazine for recipes $10 and under and I think for the money this is a keeper. I will be making this one again soon

Rachael Ray Chicken Salad Sandwich

Cooking dinner nightly with 2 small kids being pretty demanding just got easier with the introduction of puffs. Miss Puff Princess Amelia Grace could eat them for hours upon hours and be perfectly content. She is quite good at delicately placing them in her mouth...only 1/2 of them end up on the floor or down her shirt

So you are wondering where August 10th went huh?

I was going out with the ladies so I cooked the guys some quesadillas again. Recipes already on here so no need for a re-post

Onto dinner...from last week shhhhh I am still playing catch up

Here is another Rachael Ray Day. Again I find her pretty annoying but I am always on the look out for new inspiration and I had not tapped into her magazine yet. I refuse to call a sandwich a Sammie, I will put that out there from the beginning so I have to change the name of this recipe but if you would like to see the given name, click on the link for now I will simply call it

Rachael Ray Chicken Salad Sandwich
Adapted from the lady herself Rachael Ray

INGREDIENTS

1 large shallot, finely chopped
3 tablespoons champagne vinegar or white balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
Salt and pepper
3 cups shredded poached chicken or skinned rotisserie chicken
3 ribs celery from the heart, finely chopped
1 large carrot, finely chopped or grated
A handful of butter lettuce leaves, torn or chopped ** I love Boston Bidd for Sandwiches**
4 sprigs tarragon, leaves stripped and chopped **After I bought it and chopped it I omitted—I HATE tarragon**
1 large Pullman-style white or whole wheat bread loaf, unsliced ** I used ciambatta rolls** a nice Italian loaf will do.


In a bowl, combine the shallot, vinegar, mustard and honey.

Whisk in the EVOO and season with salt and pepper.

Add the chicken, celery, carrot, lettuce and tarragon; toss.

Trim the ends off the loaf of bread, then slice the loaf into six 2-inch-thick slices.

Using a serrated knife and starting at the top, cut a pocket into each bread slice.

Fill the bread pockets with the chicken salad….Or just use a roll and eat dinner like a normal person

VERDICT
While I find her annoying, If I ever meet her I will thank her for hiring people who can write such great recipes. This salad is amazingly delicious. I love that it is no mayo. It is so fresh tasting and really delicious. I forgot to take a picture of it last night when we ate it, but thankfully we had a bunch leftover so I could recreate the picture….and eat the extremely yummy sandwich again. I think this would be a great addiction to a brunch buffet, tail gating, the holiday leftovers, just make it and you will get what I am saying. I have a favorite chicken salad recipe that is my old faithful but I have to say this one might be taking over the top spot! It scores high marks for using ingredients I usually have in the house.

Oh and I didn’t use the tarragon because ew! I don’t like tarragon. I wasn’t sure but when I chopped it and smelled it and then put a small bit in my mouth I remembered I don’t like it. It smells like black licorice or anise and I don’t like either of those things. I almost added it to be fair to the recipe but I was really hungry and didn’t want ruin a whole giant batch of yummy goodness. So if you like it use it, I am sure you will be happy with the end result. Come on, I like cilantro now, so I had to find another offensive herb to protest against.

And I didn’t get the whole stuffed Sammie thing. I just used a normal ciambatta roll (which I love) and it worked out just fine. No need to stuff anything or make it harder then it needs to be. It’s a sandwich not an art project. Shoprite makes the most delicous Ciambatta rolls which is why I use them often. Its hard to believe they make the best rotisserie chickens AND the best rolls right in my local grocery store

I paired with this

Summer-Strone

adapted from a Rachel Ray recipe--I added to it and I think made it better

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Israeli Couscous **I used small little tube pasta because I couldn't find this kind of couscous**
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound kirby cucumbers—peeled, seeded and sliced **I used English seedless**
One 15-ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
2 cups vegetable broth
1 zucchini, shredded
1 cup loosely packed flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped **could also use basil**
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Grated peel of 1 lemon

optional--I also used 2 ears of fresh corn off the cob

Directions:
In a pot of boiling, salted water, cook the couscous (or pasta) until al dente, according to package directions.

Drain and rinse with cold water.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over high heat.

Add the cucumbers and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the tomatoes and paprika.

Using a food processor, and working in batches, puree the mixture. **I used my immersion or hand blender if you don't have one its a kitchen must have in my house**

Return to the pot and stir in the vegetable broth, couscous and zucchini. AND fresh corn if you would like to make it even better

For cold soup, refrigerate until chilled. I liked it hot with cheese on top

In a small bowl, combine the parsley, Parmesan, lemon peel and remaining 1/4 cup olive oil.

Serve the soup drizzled with the parsley pesto. **I skipped this step because I was starving and didn't think Jackson would like it and didn't feel like cooking anymore**

VERDICT:
Loved this soup. As I have said before I could eat soup everyday and this one is sure to please. Jackson loved it and so did I. It was heavy enough to make a meal out of as well. I loved the corn in it and was glad I thought to add it. I also liked the veggies grated up so it wasn't too chunky. It is the perfect light lunch soup too. Will be making this one again soon. Never did find the right couscous and I am glad I didn't use the regular small grain one, I think that would have ruined it. You could use ditalini, pastina, or achi de pepe also.

OBX Dinner-2009 Entree

When I first made these burgers it was a test run. On vacation we all take responsibility to cook one dinner. This year I was determined to make it simple. I will post the other recipes I made with these burgers in a later post and if you put them all together you will have a really nice spread for a large hungry group. In this picture for my test run I used sour cream and cheddar. When I made them for the family I used Monteray jack and guacamole

Southwestern Turkey Burgers
Bon appetite July 2003

1 1/2 pounds ground turkey –I used a 20 ozs package and it made 5 good sized burgers
1/2 cup finely crushed tortilla chips (crushed in resealable plastic bag with mallet)
6 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Oil grill rack. Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Combine turkey, crushed chips, 4 tablespoons cilantro, chili powder, salt, cumin, and pepper in large bowl. Using fork, mix together. Form 5 patties, each about 3 1/2 inches in diameter.

When I made them the 2nd time I made 20 burgers so I made them into meatballs 1st so I could make them all about the same size. I also laid the 1st batch on foil lined baking sheets and put the cheese on them and broiled them until it melted. This also kept them warm while the 2nd batch was grilling.


Verdict:
These are really tasty. Both times I made them I think I tend to over cook them a bit because raw turkey scares me, especially when I know my Hungry boy Jackson will be eating them. On vacation when I made these I used 2 grill pans instead of an outdoor grill so I could cook 10 burgers at a time and that worked really well. I like that you serve them in a tortilla instead of on a roll. Who needs all that bread and if you can get the good Mission tortillas with the extra grams of fiber its an even healthier burger. Even though I found this recipe for part of a themeish type dinner it will be kept in my repeat file because it was really good, and it was a nice change.

QUICK Chicken & Artichokes

I am prepping for a family vacation this week so I picked meals I know I could get on the table quickly. This one well......it could have gone quicker, I needed to be more prepared, & I am so lazy dragging tired this week by 5:00 pm. From working out & running errands, I wish we were a call for pizza delivery type family. But alas we are not so here's what's cooking.

QUICK Chicken & Artichokes
borrowed from someone but I don't know who?
INGREDIENTS

1 can artichokes (chopped)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayo
3/4 cup shredded Parmesan
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 envelope Garlic and Herb soup mix (lipton's, Knorr's, etc.)-I used ½ the pack and it was plenty
4-5 chicken breasts

Directions:
1. Mix all ingredients together. Place chicken in a greased baking dish. Cover with artichoke mixture. Bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes at 375 Degrees

and

CRASH HOT POTATOES
borrowed from The Pioneer Women Cooks

INGREDIENTS
New Potatoes (or other small, round potato) I used Red potatoes

Olive Oil

Kosher Salt

Pepper

Any herbs you like. I used Dill & garlic It turned out great!

Directions:So, all you do is boil some small potatoes for about 15 minutes.

Then, drizzle some oil on a foil lined pan.

Place the potatoes on the pan far enough apart that they have room to spread and using a masher or something flat, smoosh them until they are flat, but not TOO flat!

Then, put a little more oil on top of each potato, sprinkle with salt and pepper and your choice of herbs.

Bake them in the oven at 450 degrees for about 25 minutes. They are crispy and scrumptious.

Hmmm, aren't they pretty?

VERDICT

I have made the chicken a few times so there isn't much to say. Its a good go-to in a hurry no muss no fuss dinner. You can get it on the table in 30 minutes with only about 5 minutes prep. YAY CHICKEN! Next time I am going to add frozen spinach and see what happens.

THESE POTATOES ROCK!! I had seen them on several blogs so I figured I had to get on the Crash bandwagon. I didn't read the actual original source and now that I linked it, it might have been helpful in choosing a better sized potato and getting them to smash better. But hey they were still yummy, but hers look a lot nicer and more uniform. I think the potatoes I used were still on the bigger size and they needed to be mashed a bit more. Can I tell you the crispy potato skin was as close to heaven you can get with a potato. You must make these potatoes. You wont be sorry!!! I cant wait to make them again.

ITALIAN WEDDING SOUP

Nothing says happiness then a bowl full or meatball soup and a new US magazine
what a pleasant afternoon!!


So there weather might not be perfect for soup, but I love soup and I could eat it any day and everyday of the week. I was craving this particular one so I had to make it for lunch today.
It is an adapted recipe from Ina Garten, so if you want to check out the original make sure you click on the link. She does use some different ingredients but I make it using the express version

ITALIAN WEDDING SOUP
adapted from Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients

For the meatballs:
1 pound ground chicken
2/3 cup fresh white bread crumbs or 2/3 cup breadcrumbs
2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves **I do use fresh for this because parsley was so cheap and it brightens up the soup
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving
3 tablespoons milk
1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the soup:
2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 cup minced yellow onion
1 cup diced carrots (3 carrots), cut into 1/4 inch pieces
3/4 cup diced celery (2 stalks), cut into 1/4 inch pieces ***I forgot to buy celery and I didn't miss it***
10 cups homemade chicken stock ***I don't have to make homemade stock there are some great boxed brands of stock that taste great. More flavorful then broth***
1/2 cup dry white wine **I omitted because I would have drank the rest**
splash of balsamic vinegar **adds a great color and layer of flavor**
1 cup small pasta such as achi de pepe or stars
12 ounces baby spinach, washed and trimmed

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
For the meatballs, place the ground chicken, bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, Parmesan, milk, egg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a bowl and combine gently with a fork.

With a teaspoon, drop 1 to 1 1/4-inch meatballs onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. (You should have about 40 meatballs. They don't have to be perfectly round.) Bake for 30 minutes, until cooked through and lightly browned. Set aside. **I make them bigger and cut them up. I am always afraid they arent cooke enough so I make them a little crispy, they hold up great in the soup leftover.***

In the meantime, for the soup, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot.
Add the onion, carrots, and celery and saute until softened, 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken stock and wine and bring to a boil.
Add the pasta to the simmering broth and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the pasta is tender.
Add the meatballs to the soup and simmer for 1 minute.
Taste for salt and pepper.
Stir in the fresh spinach and cook for 1 minute, until the spinach is just wilted. ****I don't add the spinach to the pot. I put the leaves into the bowl before I add the hot soup. When there are so many leftovers I think the spinach gets mushy and I like them more firm****
Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle each serving with extra grated Parmesan.
I end up chopping up my meatballs with a knife because I don't make them too tiny because I am lazy.

don't know why this picture is turned on its side or how to turn it back????


VERDICT

This is by far one of my favorite soup that I make. I loved it in restaurants but never found recipe that I liked, until one fateful foot network marathon. In the original recipe she calls for mixing some chicken sausage in with the ground chicken and this time I used all chicken and I liked it better. I don't really like sausage. I try but I don't and I could eat these meatballs plain now I like them so much better. To note, I did use less chicken then the original recipe called for because technically I should have added another 6 ozs to make up for the lost sausage but I just added all the other ingredients and it came out great. And don't be afraid of the balsamic. It was in another soup recipe I have and it adds this slight tang that I really enjoy. Who would have thought? Oh and I don't ever use fresh bread crumbs because I don't want to have to clean the little food processor. I am not the barefoot contessa with someone else doing the dishes.

Chicken Florentine Pasta Bake

CASSEROLE HOW DO I LOVE THY?

I seriously love casseroles. I don't know why because they are kind of labor intensive with their many steps, the boiling, the mixing, the baking. I think I just like to have a complete balanced meal all in one bowl--or tonight on one blue plate.
This particular casserole was heavily featured on several food blogs that I read so I thought I would give it a shot since so many seemed to enjoy it. At least if I did all the work the outcome would be tasty
But 1st my kids.....
I don't know why I find this so cute (well they are my kids) but Amelia (Mia) was chewing a spoon and I was taking her picture and when Jackson saw this he goes in the drawer and gets the same spoon out and starts chewing it and asked for me to take his picture too. So here are my budding sous chefs

Amelia Grace 7 months

Jackson Schuyler 2 years 1 month--or 25 months

And onto dinner

Chicken Florentine Pasta Bake
borrowed from Delicious Meliscious

Ingredients:
12 ounces farfalle pasta (I didn't read the recipe and used and entire box of shells)
1 small onion, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
pinch of basil, oregano, parsley
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
2 cups chopped cooked chicken (I used rotisserie chicken)
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups milk
kosher salt and coarse ground pepper, to taste
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
14 ounce can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
10 ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1/2 cup oil packed sun dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
1/4 grated Parmesan cheese, divided
3/4 cup Panko bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Coat a 3-quart baking dish with cooking spray.
(Or, use this method to make two separate dishes.)
Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and cook pasta as directed, to al dente.
Drain and set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-heat.
Add the onions and cook 3-4 minutes until translucent.
Add the chicken and herbs and red pepper flakes and cook until heated through.
Remove from heat, set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and salt and pepper.
Stir in the chicken mixture, Monterey Jack cheese, artichokes, spinach, sun dried tomatoes, half of the Parmesan, and cooked pasta.
Transfer to prepared baking dish(es).
Bake, covered with foil, for 20 minutes.
In small bowl, combine remaining Parmesan, bread crumbs, paprika, and melted butter. Sprinkle mixture over pasta and continue baking, uncovered, 10 minutes more or until golden.

VERDICT:

Ok so now that I am blogging about this meal I made I realize that my one complaint was in fact an error on my part. I used the whole box of pasta instead of 12 ozs. I thought since i changed it from the bow ties to shells maybe that was why. By the way, I picked shells because Barilla makes a great whole grain pasta that tastes great and isn't dry like some whole wheat. If you are going to feed your family pasta then its the way to go. Anyway, so as I was saying it was waaaaay too much pasta, and now I know why. I think next time I will use the correct amount and it will be perfection. It has great flavor with a tiny kick from the red pepper. I will also omit the sun dried tomato and use fresh diced instead. Those buggers are pricey and they add a ton of fat because they are in oil. I figure with the 2 cups of full fat cheese I used then I cant use both in the same dish. I don't think it added enough to the recipe that you would even notice. I will throw them into the pan with the chicken & onion just to soften slightly and I think it will be just as good. Overall it is worth the many steps to create. It makes a lot of food which is nice for leftover purposes which is another reason I love a good casserole. Jackson liked it too so it will see a repeat performance in our house.....as long as the chef follows directions and doesn't try to talk on the phone and cook at the same time.

I do have a spinach noodle side dish recipe that I may try to merge with this one and actually create and original recipe....I figure since I steal everyone else's, I should have an original idea every once in awhile. stayed tuned for that