Creamy Chicken Casserole

This is seriously one of the easiest and most delicious chicken casseroles I have ever made.

Ingredients
~ 4 chicken breasts cooked and cut up
(or whatever is needed for your family)
8 ounces of sour cream (I usually get the low fat or fat free)
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1 package of Ritz crackers
1 stick of butter or margarine (melted)
Poppy seeds

Combine the chicken, sour cream, and cream of chicken soup. Pour into casserole dish. Crush up the crackers and combine with margarine and poppy seeds. Sprinkle over top of the chicken mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Chicken tacos in the crock pot

I work everyday. I leave my house about 7:00-7:15 and get home about 5:45-6:00. I am not complaining, but it makes crock pot cooking hard. Well, GOOD NEWS, if you work like I do, you can still make this recipe. I usually put it all together the night before or in the morning before I leave for work.

Ingredients:
Chicken (I usually use 3 breasts for 2 of us)
1 jar of salsa
1 taco seasoning packet
taco shells

Optional Ingredients (this is what you want to put on your taco!). Below is what I like
avocado or guacamole
cheese
tomatoes
jalapeno
onion

Place the chicken, salsa and taco seasoning in the crock pot. If you would like to cook on low, cook for about 4-6 hours. I cook it on high for about 2 hours. Once the chicken is cooked, it should shred easily wich a fork. You can use the chicken for quesadillas, enchiladas, burritos, tacos, etc. Use the leftovers for taco soup!

Pasta Primavera

Pasta Primavera

4 cloves garlic- (this is the little sections on a bulb of garlic, not 4 whole things of garlic)
1 hefty slice of onion
6-8 stalks asparagus
1 medium Zucchini
1 medium Squash
1 c cherry tomatoes
¾ c sliced mushrooms
1 T Olive Oil
2 T Balsamic Vinegar (or red wine vinegar)
1 Can diced tomatoes- I like the Italian herb flavored kind..
Bow Tie Pasta (but rotini is good too) you want one with nooks and crannies though ;)
fresh parmesan. You’re gonna want a LOT- yum.

Chop the garlic and onions into little bitty pieces (if you have a chopper, use it) and then cook it over
medium heat in a skillet with the olive oil. Put the water on to boil at the same time. I like to add some
balsamic vinegar and salt to the noodle water to give it some flavor.
Once the garlic and onions are cooked and tender, reduce the heat to medium low and cook the
veggies. Just cook them in the skillet, stirring often, until they are tender. Boil the noodles for 1 minute
LESS than the box says.

After the veggies are tender, add the diced tomatoes and balsamic vinegar (and whatever herbs you
like- I love adding rosemary and basil). I like to make the tomatoes more liquid by putting them in the
food processor- but that’s mainly because Daniel hates ‘chunks’. Drain the noodles but save ½ cup of
the noodle water. Add the noodles and water to the skillet and turn on low. Let it all simmer together
for 10 minutes or so. Then serve topped with shredded Parm. Yum.

Easy Meatballs and Rice

I am a sucker for easy recipes. Here is an easy meatball and rice recipe.

1 bag of frozen meatballs (the ones from Trader Joe's are my favorite)
1 jar of your favorite sauce (BBQ is delicious, Trader Joe's Island sauce is GREAT, also General Tso's sauce)
1.5 cups of rice

Place meatballs and sauce in skillet. Let simmer until sauce thickens and meatballs are heated all the way through. Serve over rice with your favorite vegetables.

Chicken Cakes (Like crab cakes but with chicken!)

So I have been addicted to the Food Network and cooking shows lately. I saw one recently where they made something that looked like a crab cake but was with chicken. So here is what I used and how I cooked these 'chicken cakes':

~ 1.5 pounds of chicken (5 small chicken breasts)
~ 1/2 cup of chopped celery (leave the leafy things on the ends and make sure its chopped really fine)
~1/2 cup of onions
~1/2 cup of chopped peppers. I used a green one but I think a red or yellow one would make them very pretty
~ I didn't add this but think a little jalapeno would be yummy!
-3 eggs
~ 2 cups panko bread crumbs (not to be confused with blinko)
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
- splash of salt and pepper


I boiled the chicken since it requires less attention than grilling. While the chicken is boiling, I chopped up the celery, onions, and peppers then sauteed them. In a bowl, mix the eggs, Worcestershire sauce, mayonnaise, mustard and salt and pepper. then mix this in with the chicken and vegetables. Add Panko crumbs until it seems thick enough to make into 'cakes'.

Create the mixture into how many ever and whatever size cakes you want.

In a skillet, melt a small amount of butter. Then cook the cakes until they are golden brown on each side.

I made a sauce to dip them in BUT think it would be a lot easier to use a chipotle type mayonnaise or remoulade sauce that is already pre-made.

The sauce you can make involves mixing the following:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
splash of salt and pepper
bigger splash of bayou blast or similar seasoning
1/2 cup sour cream
splash or Worcestershire sauce
2ish tablespoons of Dijon mustard
splash of lemon or lime juice
garlic (I used a whole clove)

Pizza on the Grill

Tonight for dinner I decided to grill. Pizza that is!

It was a fun meal to make. I used this dough recipe from www.foodnetwork.com:

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 to 4 cups bread flour, plus more for rolling (Chef's Note: Using bread flour will give you a much crisper crust. If you can't find bread flour, you can substitute it with all-purpose flour which will give you a chewier crust.)
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 envelope instant dry yeast
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 1/2 cups water, 110 degrees F
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus 2 teaspoons
• Cheeses (of your liking)
• Vegetables (of your liking)
• Meats (of your liking)
• ~4 tablespoons Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper

Directions

Combine the bread flour, sugar, yeast and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and combine. While the mixer is running, add the water and 2 tablespoons of the oil and beat until the dough forms into a ball. If the dough is sticky, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough comes together in a solid ball. If the dough is too dry, add additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead into a smooth, firm ball.

Grease a large bowl with the remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil, add the dough, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put it in a warm area to let it double in size, about 1 hour. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into 2 equal pieces. Cover each with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let them rest for 10 minutes.

I made mine into 4 pieces instead of 2. This allowed us to make 4 individual pizzas.

Turn the grill on to medium/high.

Make the 4 dough balls into flat pizza shaped sizes. Put some Olive Oil and salt and pepper on 1 side.

Then put the dough on the grill with the oil side down. Then put olive oil and salt and pepper on the top. It would be easiest if you have a brush to put the olive oil on, but I do not have one so I used a baster.

Cook each side for a couple of minutes, until their are grill marks in it.

Take them all off the grill.

Use whatever ingredients you would like on top.

Here are my favorites that we made:

1- a little olive oil on the bottom, then zucchini/squash, cherry tomatoes, a little bacon, asparagus, Gorgonzola cheese, feta cheese, shredded mozzarella cheese

2- tomato paste, green olives, bacon, sausage, tomatoes, Gorgonzola cheese, shredded mozzarella, shredded Mexican cheese

Once you place your ingredients on the pizza, set them on a cookie sheet and then back on the grill until the cheese is melted. 

Chicken Quinoa Veggie Soup

Chicken Quinoa Veggie Soup

This recipe was sent to me by my friend Becca Fowler! Hope you enjoy!

Serves: 12
Time: 30 min

Ingredients:
3-4 chicken breasts, cubed and cooked
2 bell peppers (yellow and red are yummy), diced
2 large carrots, diced
drizzle evoo
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp oregano
dash chili pepper flakes
1 C quinoa
4 C low sodium chicken broth
2-3 C water, to taste
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
1. In a large soup pot over medium heat, sauté the peppers and carrots with the
garlic. Allow to cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Add seasonings
and cook for another minute.
2. Add quinoa, chicken, and chicken broth. I usually add another cup or two of
water, you can vary that depending on how you want it to taste.
3. Bring to a boil, then simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes.

This soup freezes well, just make sure you stir it up before you portion it because
the quinoa and veggies sink to the bottom.

*Quinoa is an amino acid-rich (protein) seed that has a fluffy, creamy, slightly
crunchy texture and a somewhat nutty flavor when cooked. It is one of the highest
forms of protein you can get outside of meat and is gluten-free.

Breakfast for dinner!!!

So this is one of mine and Abbey's favorite recipes. Our grandmother used to make it for Christmas brunch every year! You can make it with bacon or sausage (or both) or without meat in it. Enjoy one of our favorite recipes!

You will need the following:
15 slices of breaf
2 sticks of margarine, melted
4 cups of milk
1 cup grated cheese
12 eggs
Bacon or sausage

Place the bread in the bottom of the casserole dish. If you are using bacon or sausage, place that on top of the bread. Mix the milk, cheese, and margarine and pour over the bread and meat. Beat the eggs and pour over the rest of the mixture. Cover with foil and refrigerate (for best results, refrigerate overnight), if not, refrigerate for at least a few hours. Bake for 1 hour at 300 degrees.

CrockPot Roast Beef

Crockpot Roast Beef- SO easy!

This was sent to me by my friend Marissa Joyce. She is published in her church COOKBOOK!



1 Beef Roast- like a pound or so.
1 Can Cream of Mushroom
1 Envelope Dry Onion Soup Mix

Spray the Crockpot with Pam and put the roast in. Stir together cream of mushroom and onion soup
mix, spread over roast. Put on Low all day. Yum. Great with Mashed Potatoes. You can also stick 4 or
so red potatoes in the crockpot with the roast- at the end of the day they will be cooked! Voila- dinner
AND sides!

Chicken Poppy Seed Casserole

CHICKEN POPPY SEED CASSEROLE

This was also sent to me by Marissa Joyce. I made this one night and it is delicious!!

1 whole chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 c. sour cream
1.5 cups chopped frozen broccoli
2 tbsp. poppy seeds
1/2 tube Ritz crackers, crushed (they crush easily if you smash them BEFORE you take them out of
the wrapper!
1/3 c. melted butter

Combine soup, broccoli, and sour cream with chicken. Put in a greased casserole dish. Combine
crackers, poppy seeds and butter and put over chicken mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Makes a small casserole.

Yam Soup

Yam Soup-

This delicious recipe was sent in by Becca Fowler!

Serves: 8

Time: 45 min

Ingredients:

•8 C vegetable (or chicken) stock

•2-3 tbsp olive oil

•1 sweet onion, diced

•6 tbsp minced ginger

•4 large cloves of garlic, minced

•1 tbsp ground cumin

•2 tbsp ground coriander

•1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (more to taste)

•1 tsp paprika

•2-3 tsp salt

•1 red bell pepper, diced

•1 yellow bell pepper, diced

•4 medium yams (or sweet potatoes if you’re in the States), chopped

•1 14-oz. can pineapple tid-bits or crushed

•3 ripe tomatoes, chopped (or 1 can of crushed tomatoes)

•5-8 tbsp smooth peanut butter (more or less to taste)

•2 tbsp almond butter

•1 bunch cilantro, chopped

•juice of 2 limes

•favorite hot sauce, to taste

Directions:

1.Heat the stock on a back burner so it’s ready go when you need it and doesn’t slow you down too
much.

2.In a stockpot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and a pinch of salt and saute for about 10
minutes or until onions are golden and soft. FYI, using a cheese grater to dice your onions helps
them break down and cook faster and prevents those big chunks of onion in your sauce or soup.

3.Add garlic, ginger, and spices and continue to saute until golden.

4.Stir in peppers, yams, and salt and continue cooking, stirring occasionally. Once the veggies start
to stick to the pan, add stock until everything is covered. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer
until yams are tender.

5.Add pineapples with juice, tomatoes, peanut butter, almond butter, and remaining stock and simmer 30 minutes. If you prefer your soups chunky, just let it go at that. If you prefer them
smooth, puree this puppy up.

6.Season to taste with more salt, pineapple juice, peanut butter, and/or hot sauce.

7.Just before serving add chopped cilantro and fresh lime juice.

Brown Rice with Asparagus and Almonds

Brown Rice with Asparagus and Almonds

Submitted by Becca Fowler!

Serves: 4

Time: 20 min

Ingredients:

•1 C brown rice

•2 C vegetable stock

•1 bunch asparagus (16-18 stalks), woodsy ends removed, cut into 1 inch pieces

•1/4 – 1/3 C toasted sliced almonds

•2 cloves garlic

•1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

•1 tbsp butter

•salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1.Cook brown rice in vegetable stock until all moisture is absorbed.

2.Steam asparagus or drizzle with olive oil and broil.

3.Toast almonds on low heat until they are slightly browned. You’ll know they’re close when they
start popping and smell really good.

4.Sauté garlic in olive oil and butter on low heat until light brown. Be careful — don’t let it burn.

5.After the rice is cooked add asparagus, almonds, and garlic with the e.v.o.o. and butter. Mix well
and add salt and pepper to taste.

Cheesy Chicken Crescents

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Cheesy Chicken Crescents

Ingredients:
2 Cups chopped, cooked chicken breasts
1 can crescent rolls (8 count, 2 per person)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 Cup shredded cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350* F
2. Prepare cream of chicken soup as directions call for, keep warm on the stove.
3. Place a spoonful of chicken in middle of a crescent and sprinkle some cheese
on top. Wrap up the chicken and cheese, sealing the crescent around it.
4. Place in a square baking dish about an inch or 2 apart.
5. Spoon half of the soup around the crescents, filling in the gaps so you don’t
see the bottom of the pan.
6. Bake at 350 for about 20 min or until golden. A few minutes before they’re
done, sprinkle more cheese over the tops of the crescents and continue
baking.
7. Serve with a spoonful of the soup drizzled over top.

Variations:
1. Add your favorite vegetables like broccoli or peppers.
2. Vary the flavors of cheese you use, texmex is a fun one!
3. Cooked hamburger, plain or w/ taco seasoning, could be yummy!

Spaghetti Squash Spaghetti

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Hey friends, Emily here.  This recipe is from one of my college buddies, Marissa.  Enjoy!

SPAGHETTI SQUASH SPAGHETTI

1 medium spaghetti squash

1 small onion

3 garlic cloves

cherry tomatoes

1 squash

1 zucchini

mushrooms- sliced

olive oil

Italian seasoning

Red wine/balsamic vineagar

1 T pesto (optional)

Pine nuts, or if poor, sunflower seeds

Poke holes in spaghetti squash, microwave for 5 minutes. Slice in half and place in baking dish, sliced

side facing down. Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

In a large saucepan bring olive oil to a simmer, add garlic and onion, and simmer until tender. Slice the

veggies and add all of them, stirring occaisionally. Add vinegar, pine nuts, seasoning, pesto, salt and

pepper, and whatever other seasonings you want. Continue to sauté until all veggies are tender and the

juice reduces to make a sort of sauce.

Once spaghetti squash is done, rake it with a fork to get the meat out of the rind, it will come out stringy

kind of like spaghetti. Use this as the pasta, and spoon the sauce over top. Yum.

I like it with yeast rolls. Yay carbs.

Crockpot Buffalo Chicken

Hey friends!  Emily here, this recipe came from one of my girlfriends, Rebecca.


crockpot buffalo chicken - 4 chicken breasts, one bottle buffalo sauce, one packet ranch dressing mix.  (chicken can be frozen - just extend cooking time) put in crockpot on high for 4 hours or so.  shred.  eat.  couldn't be more simple.