chicken cordon bleu casserole

i made this recipe over a week ago and just have been super lazy/busy and haven't gotten it up. and of course, i forgot to take a picture. i really liked this recipe and wade loved it and ella ate it for lunch like two days in a row.

Topping:
4 slices white sandwich bread, torn into quarters (I used a long forgotten bread bowl tucked in the back of the freezer – thawed it in the microwave before using)
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling:
3 pounds russet potatoes (about 4-5 medium), peeled and sliced 1/8-inch thick
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme
3 medium garlic cloves, finely minced
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup heavy cream or milk
6 ounces Swiss cheese, shredded, about 2 cups
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard (I only had spicy brown mustard, which was alright, but you could definitely taste the spicy brown taste)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of excess fat and sliced thinly
9 ounces deli ham, chopped
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves

For the topping, process the bread and butter in a food processor until coarsely ground. Set aside.

(I actually had an old bread bowl in my freezer too and I just pulled it into pieces and poured the butter on it. However, I don't know if it was because my bread bowl was too old or what, but the bread just was soggy. Next time I think I would just do bread crumbs on top of the casserole.)

For the filling, preheat the oven to 400 degrees, making sure the oven rack is in the middle. Place the potatoes, 6 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt in a large pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until the potatoes are partially cooked, about 2 minutes (don’t overcook because they will continue to cook in the oven!). Carefully drain potatoes, or remove them with a slotted spoon, and transfer them to a bowl. Set aside.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, thyme, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook until the onions are softened, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until golden, about 1 minute (this helps cook out the flour taste in the roux). Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and the cream or milk. Bring the mixture to a simmer, whisking often, until slightly thickened (if using milk instead of cream, you may have to cook longer for it to thicken up a bit). Off the heat, whisk in the Swiss cheese, Dijon, and cayenne pepper until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and set aside until ready to use.

Toss the potatoes with half of the sauce and spread into the bottom of a lightly greased 9X13-inch baking pan. Layer alternating pieces of the chicken and ham over the potatoes, overlapping as needed. This is not a scientific procedure, just make sure that the chicken is in a single layer (not on top of each other) so that it cooks thoroughly. Pour the remaining sauce evenly over the chicken and sprinkle with the bread crumb topping. Bake until the chicken is cooked through and the casserole is bubbling, 30 to 35 minutes (add about 5-7 additional minutes onto the baking time if baking it after it has chilled in the refrigerator for more than a couple of hours). Cool for 10 minutes before serving.'

Source: My Kitchen Cafe

zucchini crescent pie

i got this recipe from my friend nancy's blog a couple of years ago and have made it lots of times. my kids don't love it, but i figure the more i make it the more they'll eventually like it too. but i like it and that's what's important. i made it last week and actually doubled the recipe and made one for a friend.

1 pkg (8 oz) refrigerated crescent rolls
2 medium zucchini, sliced and quartered
1/2 c chopped onion
1/4 c butter, cubed
2 t. minced fresh parsley
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. pepper
1/4 t. dried basil
1/4 t. dried oregano
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 c (8 oz) shredded part skim mozzarella cheese
3/4 c. cubed fully cooked ham
1 medium Roma tomato, thinly sliced

Separate crescent roll dough into eight triangles; place in a greased 9 inch pie plate with points toward the center. Press onto the bottom and up the sides to form a crust; seal seams and perforations. Bake at 375 for 5-8 minutes or until lightly browned. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute zucchini and onion in butter until tender; stir in seasonings. Spoon into crust. Combine eggs, cheese and ham; pour over zucchini mixture. Top with tomato slices. Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting.

Since Wade doesn't love tomatoes, I usually only put the tomatoes on part of the pie.

Recipe tips: I usually bake the crust alone closer to 5 minutes because it will continue to brown when put back in the oven. Also, saute zucchini and onion until butter is pretty well absorbed. Spoon into the crust as pouring it in may cause to much liquid.

BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches

This was easy. And DEEEE-licious.

Ingredients:

3 lb. boneless pork shoulder (I used 1.5 lb pork tenderloin, tasted great)
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Kosher salt
Black pepper
Smoked paprika or liquid smoke
BBQ Sauce (for any locals, I used the Bear Pit BBQ sauce)

About 12 high-quality rolls
Coleslaw (I am not a fan of coleslaw, so I omitted, but if you are a fan, there is a recipe link on Our Best Bites)
Thick-cut dill pickle slices

Directions:

Sprinkle roast with seasonings and place in your slow cooker. Add about 1/2 inch of water and cook on low for 8-10 hours.
When the roast has cooked, drain liquid and then return to the slow cooker and shred. Pour enough sauce over the meat so it's well-incorporated but not soupy. Return the lid to the crockpot and heat through.
When ready to serve, slice rolls and add meat. Top with coleslaw and a few slices of dill pickle.

Source: Our Best Bites

Meatballs with Cream Sauce

so I still prefer my crockpot meatball recipe, but this one was also good, and fairly easy. and you likely have most of these ingredients on hand.

MEATBALLS:

1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup milk
2 T. ketchup
1 t. Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup quick oats
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley (I used dry, tasted fine)
1 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1 1/2 lb. lean ground beef
3 T. flour

CREAM SAUCE:
2 T. butter
3 1/2 T. flour
1/4 t. dried thyme
1/4 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
14 oz. can chicken broth (If you want your sauce thicker, cut down the chicken broth to 1 cup)
2/3 cup milk
2 T. minced fresh parsley

In a bowl, combine all of the meatball ingredients EXCEPT the beef and flour. Add beef and mix well. Shape into balls. Roll in flour, shaking off excess. Place 1 inch apart on cookie sheet and bake, uncovered, at 400 for 10 minutes. Turn meatballs, bake 8-10 minutes longer or until no longer pink. Meanwhile, for the sauce, melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour, thyme, salt and pepper until smooth. Gradually add broth and milk; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes, until slightly thickened. If using the full can of chicken broth, the sauce doesn’t thicken overly much, but it is delicious that way. If you want it slightly thicker, cut down the chicken broth to 1 cup. Drain meatballs on paper towels; transfer to a serving dish. Top with sauce and parsley. Serve over rice or egg noodles.

Source: My Kitchen Cafe

salsa chicken

this is just another variation for chicken tacos. but it is possibly the easiest thing to make, ever. and good.

ingredients:

chicken - 2-3 chicken breasts

salsa

black beans (rinsed and drained)

corn (I use frozen, but I am sure canned would suffice)

directions:

you can actually just make this with salsa only, but I like to add beans and corn. put chicken in crock pot. Cover with salsa (I usually add whole jar). Add black beans and corn (about 1 cup each). Cook on low 6-8 hours or high 3-5. Shred. Enjoy in soft tacos with your pick of fixings.

Cream of Tomato and Artichoke Soup

we went to lunch at old grist mill on saturday afternoon and wade got their creamy tomato soup. it was really good. he had drew taste it and drew said it tasted like spaghetti sauce and even ella liked it. so i said i would try to find a recipe for creamy tomato soup. i found this one from just cook already. i found several others from allrecipes.com but thought wade would like this one since it also had artichokes in it. that said, he didn't love this one. i think he didn't like the artichokes. and ella didn't like this as much as the one from the grist mill. but still, it was pretty good and real easy. i think i'll try and find another one to try as well.

2 cans chopped tomatoes

2 cups half and half (they have fat-free)

1 cup artichoke hearts (marinated and packed in oil. drain, but do not rinse)

2 cloves of garlic (2 tsp. chopped garlic)

1 tsp. onion

1 tsp. terragon (i didn't have terragon)

2 tsp. dill weed

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup water

in food processor (or blender) add tomatoes (juice included), artichokes, and blend until smooth. saute the garlic and onion in a small amount of olive oil and butter. add the blended tomato mixture to the sauteed garlic and onions. pour 1 cup of water into the blender and rinse and add to the pot of tomato mixture. add cream and simmer 20 minutes. add terragon, dill weed, salt and pepper. serve with sour cream on top.

i also served with grilled cheese sandwiches.

Crispy Southwest Chicken Wraps

These were easy and delicious. And it make A LOT.

ingredients:

1 cup cooked rice (I did brown rice in my rice cooker)

1 cup cooked, shredded chicken (I cooked 2 chicken breasts in the crockpot earlier in the day)

1 can black beans, rinsed & drained

1 green onion, finely sliced (white & green parts)

1/2 red or green pepper, diced

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

juice of 1 lime

1/2 Tbs chili powder

1 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. garlic salt

2 cups shredded cheese

sour cream (optional)

6 burrito sized tortillas (If you have the costco ones, those would be great, I used the burrito sized truly homemade tortillas from trader joes, which were also great)

directions:

Mix cooked rice with chili powder, cumin and garlic salt. Add remaining ingredients except cheese and sour cream.

Spray tortilla with cooking spray or spread with butter, and lay on skillet/pan. Sprinkle with cheese, leaving 1/2 inch border around edges. let cheese melt slightly and add sour cream dotted along center, then add mixture down center of tortilla (I didn't add as much as was shown in original recipe, but feel free to make as fat as you want). Roll tortilla, leaving edges open, and place seam side down. Heat about 2-3 minutes per side, or until golden brown and crisp.

from My Kitchen Cafe

dressed up sloppy joes

So I am not a big fan of sloppy joes, but I thought I would try these, and they were pretty good. And of course, I served with our favorite sweet potato fries. This comes from Our Best Bites.

ingredients:

1 lb. lean ground beef
Seasoning salt to taste
1 medium onion, minced
1/2 green pepper, minced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
3/4 c. ketchup
1 tsp. mustard
3 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. red wine vinegar
3/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
3 Tbsp. tomato paste
1/3-1/2 c. water to reach desired consistency
Freshly ground black pepper to taste6 hamburger buns

stovetop directions:
Brown ground beef with onion, green pepper, and garlic. Season to taste with seasoning salt. Add in mustard, ketchup, brown sugar, red wine vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce. Combine tomato paste and water and add to hamburger mixture. Add more water if desired. Season with freshly ground black pepper to taste. Cover, turn heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve on hamburger buns.

Crockpot Instructions:
Brown ground beef with onion, green pepper, and garlic. Season to taste with seasoning salt. Transfer to slow cooker. Add in remaining ingredients and combine well. Cook on low for 3-4 hours and serve on hamburger buns

asian lettuce wraps

i love lettuce wraps, especially the ones at p.f. changs. i've tried a couple of lettuce wraps recipes and really like the simplicity of these. i got this recipe from allrecipes.com and usually serve with some asian-type noodles on the side. just ones from the box, like simply asia or thai kitchen. these are thai kitchen.

16 boston bibb or butter lettuce leaves (i can NEVER find these in the grocery store and so i usually use iceberg and just pull as much as i want. any advice on where to find the real deals would be appreciated.

1 lb. ground beef (i always use ground turkey)

1 T. cookin oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves fresh garlic, minced (i am so proud to say that i actually used fresh garlic and bought a garlic press. i used the tutorial from my kitchen cafe. sad but true that i'd never done it before and needed a tutorial)

1 T soy sauce

1/4 cup hoisin sauce

2 tsp. minced pickle ginger (i've never used this, but i'm thinking next time i ought to just use some fresh ginger)

1 T. rice wine vengar

Asian chile pepper sauce (optional)

1 can water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped

1 bunch green onions, chopped (i usually dice the water chestnuts and green onions and then add as much as i feel like)

2 tsp. asian sesame oil

Rinse lettuce leaves and pat dry. Set aside.

In a medium skillet over high heat, brown the ground beef (or turkey) in 1 T. of oil (i usually just use non-stick cooking spray, not oil), stirring often. Cook the onion in the same pan stirring frequently. (The original recipe states to remove the meat and then cook the onion. I just cook it all together and usually use minced onion.) Add the garlic, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger, vinegar, and chile pepper sauce to the onions, and stir. Stir in the chopped water chestnuts, green onions, and sesame oil and continue cooking until the onions just begin to wilt, about 2 minutes.

To serve, spoon a portion of the meat into a lettuce leaf. Wrap the lettuce around the meat like a burrito.

Super yummy. Not quite pf changs, but oh well.

crock pot brown sugar chicken

i got this recipe from laura like a year or so ago and it's easy, good, and the ingredients are stuff you usually have around. and since it's been crock-pot sunday this year, this is what we made.

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (i think i used 4)

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup lemon-lime soda

2/3 cup vinegar

3 cloves garlic

2 T soy sauce

1 tsp pepper

Put the chicken in the crockpot. Cover with the brown sugar, pepper, chopped garlic and soy sauce. Add the vinegar and soda.

Cover and cook on low for 6-9 hours or on high for 4-5.

Serve over a bowl of white rice with a ladle full of broth.

As I'm reading this recipe, I'm thinking she got it off of A Year of Slow Cooking. I just checked and I am right.

Enchiladas

I usually do an easy enchilada casserole when I want to make enchiladas, but I stumbled upon this recipe in a Parents magazine and it sounded healthy and fresh, so I thought I would give it a try. The theme was healthy eating, so they did not use enchilada sauce, which is high in sodium (not that I am usually particular). Well, Matt loved these and told me to definitely make them again.

ingredients:

2 tsp. olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 Tbs garlic, minced

1 14 oz can diced fire roasted tomatoes

1/2 tsp. coriander (I omitted because I did not have and didn't want to buy)

1/2 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp dried oregano

pepper to taste

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 lb lean ground beef

1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained

8 corn tortillas

1 1/4 cups shredded cheese (I am pretty sure I used a little more, I did not measure, just added to my liking)

directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. heat oil in a large nonstick skillet. add onion and cook 5 minutes. add garlic and cook 1 minute longer. add tomatoes and spices. cook a few minutes longer. Stir in cilantro.

2. meanwhile, cook beef, drain fat, and stir in beans.

3. warm tortillas in oven for 5 minutes or microwave for 45 seconds. spread 1/2 cup sauce into baking dish. divide beef mixture and cheese among tortillas. roll tortillas and place seam side down. top with remaining sauce.

4. bake for 15 minutes. sprinkle on remaining cheese and bake another 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Romano Ranch Chicken and Rice Skillet

This meal was easy, healthy, and flavorful. This comes from The Picky Palate.

ingredients:

2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 packet Ranch Dressing dry mix, divided
1/4 Cup extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, finely diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
6 cloves fresh garlic, minced
6 Cups fresh spinach leaves, coarsely chopped
1 small can diced carrots and peas, drained (I could not bring myself to use canned carrots and peas. I just used frozen peas and omitted carrots. I would have added cooked carrots if I wasn't so lazy)
2 Cups steamed long grain brown rice (I cooked mine in a rice cooker)
1 teaspoon kosher salt (I used sea salt)
1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
1/4 teaspoon Lawry’s garlic salt with parsley (I used garlic salt and just added dry parsley)
1/2 Cup shredded Romano Cheese (upon discovering at the store that Romano cheese looks just like parmesan cheese, I used parmesan since I already had some at home)

directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place chicken breasts into small baking dish and sprinkle half of the ranch packet over each breast. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Remove and let rest for 10 minutes.
2. Heat oil in large skillet with high rimmed edges over medium heat. Saute onion, bell pepper, garlic and spinach until softened, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in carrots and peas then stir in cooked rice, season with salt, pepper and garlic salt.
3. With a knife dice each chicken breast into small cubes and add into rice mixture. Sprinkle remaining ranch seasoning mix and romano cheese into rice. Reduce heat to low; taste and season as needed. Now you are ready to serve.

tgi friday's bruschetta chicken pasta

i was planning on making laura's balsamic chicken noodle bowl, but as i was describing it to wade, he remarked at how much he likes tgi friday's bruschetta chicken pasta since it's pretty similar, but with bruschetta instead of the peppers. so he ran to the computer and within minutes printed this recipe off for me. i was impressed at how speedy he was retrieving recipes off the internet. so i finally got around making it today and it was pretty good although wade commented that he liked friday's version better because they have huge chunks of garlic and since i used refrigerated minced garlic, mine was missing the garlic. i do have a resolution to use real garlic soon. i've never done it. i think i would have liked the recipe better if it wasn't cold and i wasn't cranky from dealing with cranky kate (thus why it was cold since i was dealing with cranky kate). oh and i would've been in a happier mood too if seth hadn't been crying, seriously crying, about how bad the house smelled and why would i make this dinner since it smelled so bad. he hated the smell of the balsamic vinegar. oh well. nevertheless, here's the recipe. oh, and wade found it from recipe zaar. and sorry about no picture. remember the crankiness.

• 4 (4 ounce) chicken breasts (i just used 2)

• salt and black pepper (To Taste)
• 1 lb angel hair pasta
• 6-8 medium size roma tomatoes
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 minced garlic cloves
• 10 fresh basil leaves (i used dried basil)
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced into thin coins (i used minced garlic, obviously)
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 1 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Directions

1. 1

   Chicken Breasts: Season both sides of chicken breasts with salt and black pepper. Grill 3-4 minutes per side for grill marks or until the chicken breasts reach 165 degrees F. Grill right before serving.

(Since it was snowy and freezing today, I just baked my chicken breasts in the oven.)

1. 2

   Pasta: Boil pasta as per directions on box until al dente. Drain and transfer to bowl.

2. 3

   Tomato Salad (Step 1): Wash, core and dice tomatoes to 1/4" pieces, save juices and place in small bowl. Wash, dry and cut basil leaves into thin strips. Combine tomatoes, basil, 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, pepper, and minced garlic and hold for 2 hours before use.

(I did it about an hour before.)

1. 4

   Tomato Salad (Step 2): Heat heavy bottom saucepan under medium-low flame. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, heat oil for 20 seconds. Saute cloves of garlic, that are sliced into thin coins, in oil (if small use 3) for 45 seconds on each side until soft and tender - do not brown garlic (if brown DISCARD and start over). Increase heat and add tomato salad and stir.

2. 5

   Tomato Salad (Step 3): Add plain tomato sauce to pan and bring to a boil. Add pasta to sauce pan and toss with fresh sauce (sauce should just coat pasta). Transfer to a service platter or plate individually. Garnish with balsamic glaze.

3. 6

   Balsamic Glaze: Bring to a boil vinegar and sugar in small pan and turn down flame to a simmer Reduce by 75% until sauce turns to a thick syrup, hold at room temperature

4. 7

   To serve: Slice chicken breast into strips on a bias (45 degree angle) and place on top of pasta.Enjoy!

Super Bean Burritos

I found this recipe from My Kitchen Cafe. It was pretty easy and super yummy. Wade thought it needed something a little extra, but I did omit the jalepeno, so that would probably help. It made a lot. The recipe suggests freezing the rest in pre-prepared burritos. I froze 5 burritos, but I could've probably done at least one more. So in the future, I would probably half the recipe. Between Wade and I, we ate three burritos for dinner and then froze 5. I made quesedillas for the kids, but I would probably make them eat the burritos next time.

1 cup brown or white rice (or 2 cups already cooked rice) (I made brown rice. Super yummy.)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 jalapeno, seeds and membrane removed, finely diced (can substitute 1 can of green chiles)
1 teaspoon cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cans (15 oz. each) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups water
1 (10 oz) package frozen corn or 1 can whole kernel corn, drained
6 green onions, white and green parts finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder

16 burrito-sized (10-inch) flour tortillas (I used costco's raw tortillas and it made 9-10 super stuffed burritos.)
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Cook rice; set aside. Meanwhile, heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, jalapeno and cumin; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened and golden, being careful not to let the garlic burn. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring for 1 minute.

Add one can of beans and mash gently in the pan (a potato masher or fork works great here). Add the second can of beans and the water and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 10-12 minutes, being careful not to let the mixture stick to the bottom of the pot. Add corn; cook to heat through, 2-3 minutes. Stir in onion and garlic powders. Remove from heat; stir in green onions and cooked rice.

Heat tortillas in microwave for about 30-45 seconds or until all are warmed through.

Fill each tortilla with about 2/3 cup bean and rice mixture and 1/4 cup cheese on one side of tortilla. Fold, and hold in sides. Starting from filled end, holding sides in as you work, tightly roll into a bundle. Place on a baking sheet, seam side down, and prepare remaining burritos.

Serve warm immediately, with salsa and sour cream if desired -- or, to freeze for later consumption, put the baking sheet of burritos into the freezer for at least 30 minutes, or until very cold so that they don't come apart in the wrapping process. Remove them from the freezer and wrap each burrito individually in plastic wrap and place all the wrapped burritos in a freezer-safe resealable bag and freeze up to three months.