Bruschetta Chicken (or Steak)

Ingredients:
*Chicken breast, boneless/skinless (or steak)
*1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
*1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
*3 medium tomatoes, diced
*2 cloves garlic, minced
*2 tsp. dried basil
* salt and pepper, to taste
*Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:
1.  Combine vinegar, oil, tomatoes, garlic, basil, salt and pepper in bowl.  Mix gently.  Set aside.

2.  Grill/cook/bake chicken (or steak).

3.  Top meat with Bruschetta during last few minutes of cooking.

4.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Serving Suggestion:  Serve over pasta,  zucchini noodles or with sweet potato fries and a side of roasted veggies.

Pepperoni Pasta Bake

Ingredients:
*12 oz. rotini pasta
*2 egg, lightly beaten
*1 cup cheese (cheddar or Mozzarella), shredded
*1 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
*2 cups cottage cheese (Homemade cottage cheese is AWESOME in this recipe.)
*1/2 tsp. salt
*1/4 tsp. pepper
*4 oz. pepperoni, sliced and slivered (I use turkey pepperoni.)
*1 cup frozen peas

Directions:
1.  Cook pasta, but slightly undercook.

2. In large bowl, combine beaten eggs, cheeses, salt, pepper, and pepperoni.

3.  Stir in pasta.

4.  Pour into greased 9x13 pan.

5.  Bake covered 20-25 minutes at 400-degrees, or until edges begin to brown.

Notes: 
*If mixture seems too dry, add up to 1 cup of milk.  Be careful not to add too much liquid, the pasta will absorb it while cooking and you'll end up with mush.

*I only use about a half cup of the shredded cheeses and it's still really good.

Recipe Source:  ???

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

This casserole version of the real thing is so nice because it's so much less work than making the tradition chicken cordon bleu and yet, all the original components are present. I love the added dimension provided by the addition of the mustard.

Ingredients:
*3 medium potatoes, sliced
*1 tsp. salt
*1 tsp. thyme
*3 cloves garlic, minced
*1/2 tsp. salt
*6 Tbsp. flour
*2 cups chicken broth (or 2 cups water and 2tsp. chicken bouillon)
*3/4 cup milk
*Swiss cheese, about 1/2 cup or 2-3 slices or as desired
*2 Tbsp. mustard
*3 dashes cayenne pepper
*2 large chicken brests, cubed and lightly seasoned
*3 slices deli smoked turkey (or use ham), diced
*parsley

Directions:
1. Boil potatoes and 1 tsp. salt for 2 minutes. Drain. Set aside.

2. In sauce pan, combine broth, 1/2 tsp. salt, thyme and garlic. Bring to boil.

3. Stir in flour. Whisk until lumps are gone.

4. Add milk.

5. Remove from heat. Stir in cheese, mustard and cayenne pepper.

6. In greased casserole dish, pour small amount of sauce. Then layer potatoes, chicken, turkey, potatoes.

7. Cover with sauce. Sprinkle with parsley.

8. Bake at 400-degrees for 35 minutes or until chicken is done.

Recipe Source: Adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe (www.melskitchencafe.com)

BBQ Chicken

I came across this recipe a few months ago and only got around to making it just last month. I was really pleased with it and made it again last night for company.

Ingredients:
*5 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
*1 1/2 cups ketchup
*1/3 cup mustard
*1/3 cup brown sugar
*2-3 gloves garlic
*1/4 cup steak sauce
*1/4 cup lemon juice
*3 Tbsp liquid smoke (I use the Mesquite flavor.)

Directions:
-Place chicken in slow cooker with small amount of water.

-Cook on low just until no longer pink.  Do not overcook!

-Drain water and shred chicken.

-Combine all other ingredients. Mix well.

-Pour sauce over chicken in cooker.

-Cook on low one hour more.

Recipe Source: Adapted from The Frosted Cupcake (.blogspot.com)

Cheeseburger Casserole

Ingredients:
*1 lb ground turkey, extra lean, cooked and lightly seasoned
*2 medium potatoes cut like fries into bite-size pieces
*1 can cream of chicken soup, healthy request
*1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
*1 cup tomato sauce (optional)
*butter spray
*salt

Directions:
1.  In bowl, combine turkey, soup and cheese, tomato sauce. Mix well.

2.  Pour into baking dish.

3.  Layer fries on top.

4.  Spray fries with butter spray or butter flavored cooking spray. Sprinkle with salt.

5.  Bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes or until fries are tender.

Recipe Source:  ???

Cream Cheese Chicken

*2 lbs boneless chicken breast, cubed (or cut in strips or even left whole)
*1 can cream of chicken soup
*6 oz cream cheese (fat free works really well with this recipe)
*1/2 cup chicken broth
*1 packet Ranch dressing mix

-Combine soup, cream cheese, broth and Ranch mix. Stir until smooth.

-Place chicken in slow cooker. Pour sauce over chicken.

-Cook on low for 3 hours or until chicken is done.

-Serve over rice or potatoes or steamed veggies.

**This recipe also freezes really well. Double the amount and put the extra in a gallon-sized ziplock bag and freeze. When ready to eat, just thaw and heat.

California Casserole

I got this idea from Allrecipes.com. Made it last night, it was super easy and the kids really enjoyed it.

*1 lb California Blend veggies, frozen
*1/2 lb deli turkey cut into 1/2-inch cubes (or use chicken breasts)
*1 can cream of chicken soup
*Swiss cheese (I only used about 1/2 cup, you may want more.)
*salt and pepper, to taste
*hot cooked rice (or noodles)

*Combine all ingredients except rice.

*Pour into 9-inch greased baking dish.

*Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

*Uncover and bake 10 minutes more. (Sprinkle with more Swiss cheese if desired.)

Tilapia and Veggie Foil Dinner

*4-5 Tilapia fillets
*rice, cooked (I used brown rice.)
*1 cup chopped tomatoes
*1 cup sliced zucchini
*1 cup green beans
*2 Tbsp. lemon juice
*1/4 tsp. salt
*1/4 tsp. pepper
*cooking spray
*tin foil sheets

*In bowl, combine veggies, lemon juice and salt and pepper

*Double layer tin foil and spray with cooking spray. (Doubling the foil keeps the food from burning or drying out.)

*Place tilapia fillet on foil. Add salt and pepper to taste (or use lemon pepper).

*Place spoonful of rice on fish.

*Place spoonful of veggies on rice.

*Fold ends of foil.

*Repeat with remaining fillets.

*Cook on grill over low heat. Tilapia cooks fast, 5-10 minutes. Don't over cook.

Chicken and Potato Casserole

*2 chicken breasts, cubed
*3-4 medium potatoes, cubed
*1 cup chicken broth
*1 cup milk
*1/2 tsp. basil
*salt and pepper, to taste
*2 Tbsp. cornstarch
*cheese, grated

*Combine broth and milk in sauce pan. Bring to boil. Add seasonings.

*Add cornstarch to thicken.

*Combine chicken, potatoes and sauce. Mix well.

*Place in greased baking dish.

*Cover. Bake at 400 degrees for 45-60 minutes or until chicken is cooked and taters are tender.

*Uncover, sprinkle with cheese. Bake 10 minutes more.

Chicken Veggie Alfredo with Rice

I came across this recipe the other day and was intrigued. Sounded just like something I would like but I was skeptical about putting Alfredo sauce on rice: just didn't think the combination would be a good one. I was pleasantly surprised. I really liked this, its super fast and easy but my kids were not big fans. (Too bad the only choices at our house are "eat it" or "go hungry".)

*2 large chicken breasts, cubed and seasoned
*4 cups frozen mixed veggies (If this sounds like over-kill in the veggie department, just do 3 cups.)
*2 packages Alfredo mix
*2 cups water
*salt and pepper to taste
*rice, cooked (I cook my rice in chicken bouillon for extra flavor.)

Cook chicken in large frying pan. Add veggies when chicken is almost done. Allow veggies to be come tender. In a medium saucepan, combine Alfredo mix with water. Bring to a boil. Pour sauce over chicken and veggies. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve over rice. Sauce will thicken as it stands.

Chicken Tacos

*2 Tbsp. lime juice
*1 tsp chili powder
*1 tsp salt
*2 large chicken breasts, cubed and seasoned
*1 can black beans
*cilantro
*1/3 cup salsa
*flour shells
*sour cream
*cheese

In a bowl,combine lime juice, chili powder and salt. Add chicken and coat well. Cook chicken. In a sauce pan heat beans, salsa and cilantro. Serve in flour shells and garnish with sour cream and cheese.

From the Critics:
Brittany: 1

Brooklyn: 1

Damon: 1

Ravioli

My kids are fans of the frozen ravioli from Wal-Mart. Unfortunately, I haven't been to buy it for quite a while now either because Wal-Mart no longer sells it or they've moved it to some secret location in the store where I can't find it. Anyway, I've dabbled a little in homemade pasta-making and decided to try ravioli. It turned out better than I expected but needs some fine-tuning.


Pasta:
*1 egg
*2 Tbsp. milk
*1/2 tsp. salt
*1 cup flour

(You'll probably want to at least double this, unless you're only cooking for a couple of people.)

Mix all ingredients together and let sit 20 minutes. Divide in half and roll each half out onto floured surface. Roll very thin.

Filling:
(I made this up as I went along. It was okay but a little on the bland side. You can use anything you want for your filling.)
*1/2 lb. ground turkey, browned and well seasoned
*1 cup cottage cheese (fat free)
*1 egg
*1 tsp. basil
*mozzarella cheese, shredded (as much or as little as you want)
*marinara sauce (or whatever kind of sauce you want)

Mix all ingredients except sauce. (Note: I added the egg because I thought it might make the filling a little more cohesive. I don't think it helped much, kind of made things a bit runny and I think I'll omit it next time.)

Place spoonfuls of filling onto one of the rolled out pasta sheets, leaving a generous space between scoops. With a pastry brush, brush water or milk around each filling scoop. Cover filling with second pasta sheet. There will be air trapped around the scoops of filling, you need to expel as much of this as you can, otherwise your ravioli may burst when cooking. Press the pasta sheets together to form a seal around each filling scoop. Cut individual ravioli in whatever shape you wish, I used a ring from a mason jar. Make sure each piece is sealed.

I set my ravioli on a wire cooling wrack for about an hour to dry, but you might be able to skip this step and cook right away.

When ready to cook, bring pot of water to boil. Gently drop ravioli in water and cook 8-10 minutes, depending on the size of your pasta and how much filling you have. (I only cooked mine for about 7 minutes and it wasn't quite long enough.) Drain. Place in baking dish, pour sauce over ravioli, garnish with cheese and bake at 350 degrees until sauce is heated.

From the Critics
Brittany:

Brooklyn:

Damon: 10 - "I love it so much."

Parmesan-crusted Chicken

*1/3 cup bread crumbs
*3 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese
*4 boneless-skinless chicken breasts (cut into strips if desired)
*1 tsp. season salt

Mix bread crumbs, cheese and season salt. Coat chicken with mixture and cook over medium (Spray pan generously with cooking spray.) until chicken is done.

Gravy (not pictured)
*1/3 cup cream cheese (I use reduced fat. Do NOT use Fat Free, it doesn't work well, I've tried.)
*2 cups chicken broth
*chives, onion powder to taste

Remove chicken from pan, add broth and cream cheese and seasonings. Cook until cream cheese has melted and mixture is smooth.

Serve chicken and gravy with baked or mashed potatoes or rice.

From the Critics
Brittany: 10

Brooklyn: 10

Damon: 10

Lemon Herb Chicken

This entree is quite tangy and the herb combination makes for an interesting flavor, but its really good.

Ingredients:
*4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thawed
*1 can Cream of Chicken soup
*1/2 cup water
*2 Tbsp. lemon juice
*1 tsp. parsley
*1 tsp. paprika
*1/2 tsp. basil
*1 lemon, sliced

Directions:
1. In frying pan, over medium heat, begin browning chicken.

2. Mix all other ingredients except lemon slices. Pour over chicken.

3. Simmer until chicken is done.

4. Place lemon slices on chicken breasts during last few minutes of cooking.

Serving Suggestion: Spoon chicken and sauce over rice. Serve with a side of steamed veggies.

Recipe Source: I came up with this recipe by combing two separate recipes and then tweaking a few things.

Au Gratin Casserole

*1/2 - 1 lb ground turkey or ground beef, cooked and seasoned
*5 medium potatoes, sliced
*1-2 cups frozen green beans, thawed
*1/2 - 1 cup cheese, shredded
*2 cups milk
*2 Tbsp. cornstarch
*1/8 tsp. garlic powder
*1/4 tsp. pepper
*1/2 tsp. salt

In a small saucepan, boil milk, add seasonings and cornstarch. Stir until thick, remove from heat. Grease large casserole dish. Place layer of potatoes on bottom, pour 1/4 sauce over potatoes, sprinkle with half of cheese. Layer meat and beans and more potatoes. Pour remaining sauce over casserole and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover and bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour or until potatoes are tender.

Note: You may want to season your potatoes a little before putting the casserole together.

From the Critics
Brittany: 5 "I liked it except the beans."

Brooklyn: 5 "I liked this a tiny, tiny bit."

Damon: 1

Manicotti

*2 cups spaghetti sauce
*1 egg
*1 3/4 cups cottage cheese (I use fat free.)
*2/3 cup Mozzarella cheese (I use partly skimmed.)
*1 Tbsp dried basil
*salt
*12-14 manicotti tubes
*1-2 packets Boca Meatless ground burger (optional)
*Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta until almost tender. Spread half of spaghetti sauce on bottom of 9X13 pan. Mix egg, cheeses, basil and Boca "meat" in medium bowl. Add salt as desired. Spoon mixture into large plastic bag. Snip corner of bag and squeeze mixture into pasta tubes. Place over sauce in baking dish. Pour remaining spaghetti sauce over manicotti. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil and bake 30-40 minutes at 350 degrees.

Note: If you prefer real meat, use 1/2 pound ground beef or ground turkey.

From the Critics
Brittany: 9 - "It was pretty good."

Brooklyn: 10 - "I loved it very, very, very, very much!"

Damon : 10 - "I love it so much."

Chicken Rolls

*6 oz. cream cheese (I use fat free or reduced fat.)
*2 Tbsp. butter or margarine, softened
*1/2 tsp. garlic powder
*2 Tbsp. sour cream (I use fat free.)
*1/4 tsp. onion salt or onion powder
*salt and pepper to taste
*2-12.5 oz. cans canned chicken
*your favorite roll dough

Mix together cream cheese and butter. Add seasonings. Add chicken and mix well. Roll dough onto floured surface, cut into triangles. On each piece of dough, place a heaping tablespoon of chicken mixture. Roll up and place on greased baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.

Gravy:
*1 cup fat free plain yogurt
*1 can cream of chicken soup (98% fat free)
*1 cup water

Combine ingredients in sauce pan. Bring to boil. Remove from heat. Serve with mashed potatoes.

From the Critics
Brittany: 7 - "It was pretty good."
Brooklyn: 9 - "I liked it."
Damon: Wouldn't try it.

Cheesey Chicken Broccoli and Rice

Ingredients:
*3 cups rice, cooked (I usually use brown rice.)
*3-4 chicken breasts, cooked, cubed and seasoned to taste
*3 cups fresh broccoli, steam for 5 minutes

*2 cans Cream of Chicken soup (I use 98% fat free.)

*1 cup milk (I use skim.)

*1 cup water

*1 cup cheese, grated (I actually used a little less than a cup.)

*Bread crumbs

Directions:

1.  Spray casserole dish with cooking spray.

2.  Spread rice evenly in bottom of dish.

3.  Layer chicken over rice, then broccoli and cheese.

4.  In medium bowl, mix soup, milk and water. Pour over casserole.

5.  Sprinkle with bread crumbs.

6.  Bake 1 hour at 375 degrees.

Notes:
-This casserole freezes really well.  If freezing, under-cook the rice a little.

Recipe Source:  I've long-since forgotten.

Tiny Spicy Chicken

My pictures of this dish didn't turn out very well, so you'll just have to use your imagination. But please note: If you compare this to what you'd find at a Chinese restaurant, the color of my finished product is a much lighter red.



* 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
* 1 egg, beaten
* ½ cup cornstarch

Cut chicken into strips. Dip in egg then roll in cornstarch. Spray skillet with non-stick cooking spray and cook chicken until brown. Spray 8x12-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Place chicken in baking dish, set aside.

Sauce:
*1/2 cup sugar
* ½ cup vinegar
* ½ tsp. garlic powder
* ¼ cup ketchup
* 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
* ½ - 1 tsp. fire oil

Mix sauce ingredients and pour over chicken. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Do not cover. Sauce will thicken as it bakes. Be careful not to let it burn. Serve over rice.

Note: Fire oil is found in the oriental food section of grocery stores.

From the Critics:

Brittany: 10 - "I love this and I can't stop eating it."

Brooklyn: 5 - No comment.

Damon: 10 - No comment.

Pasta Skillet

Ingredients:
*1/2 - 1 lb ground beef or ground turkey
*2 1/2 - 3 cups Ziti pasta
*1/2 cup sour cream (I use fat free.)
*1/2 - 1 cup cheese, grated
* 1 can Spaghetti sauce

Directions:
1.  Cook pasta and drain.

2.  Brown meat and season.

3.  Add sauce and sour cream. Stir. Add pasta.

4.  Simmer until heated through.

5.  Sprinkle cheese on top and allow to sit for 5 minutes.

Recipe Source:  No clue.  It's been too long.