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Recipe of the Week: Southwestern Chicken

May 3, 2008 7 Comments
Since Cinco de Mayo is coming up, I thought it appropriate to have a spicy Mexican style dish for this week’s recipe. I found this recipe in Taste of Home back in December and tried it out. It’s just as flavorful as it is colorful, and that’s saying something. My husband loves spicy food, and this recipe definitely got his seal of approval!

Ingredients:
2 cans (15-1/4 ounces each) whole kernel corn, drained
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 jar (16 ounces) chunky salsa, divided
6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
Directions: Combine the corn, black beans and 1/2 cup of salsa in a 5-qt. slow cooker. Top with chicken; pour the remaining salsa over chicken. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 7-8 hours or until meat juices run clear. Sprinkle with cheese; cover until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.

My Suggestions:

-Just as with all slow cooker meals, cooking times will vary on this one. My crockpot is new, so I was able to cook this low in about 5-6 hours.

-Also, when I made this I used small tenders instead of split chicken breasts.

-I also recommend adding a little water or chicken broth to prevent drying and burning.

-When serving, top with extra cheese, sour cream, or your favorite toppings. And don’t forget the chips and dip on the side!

-For a more creamy mixture, I recommend adding a can of cream of chicken soup (or mushroom) along with water or chicken broth.

Filed Under: casseroles and quick meals, Recipe of the Week

Menu Plan Monday for April 28

April 27, 2008 3 Comments

Last week of April already? Okay…my how the year is flying by. This week I’ve included a recipe for Chicken Taco Soup, sort of a variation on another recipe that I came up with. And I’ve included a link to a recipe for Cheesy Chicken w/ Pasta. Happy Meal Planning!

Monday- Grilled Ham, Turkey, and Cheese Sandwiches w/ french fries
Tuesday- Chicken Taco Soup w/ chips (recipe below)
Wednesday – Cheesy Chicken w/ Pasta & steamed veggies
Thursday – Leftover soup and fajitas
Friday – Lemon pepper porkchops, herb rice, and green beans
Saturday – Pizza
Sunday – eating out…I’m thinking Chinese

Chicken Taco Soup

A while back I decided to take a casserole recipe and change it up a bit to make a soup/stew. My husband loves the casserole and was very surprised and impressed by the soup. This is very tasty recipe for anyone who likes spicy food.

I must confess, I didn’t write down how much salsa I used in the soup. I believe I mixed in a cup and then added more without measuring, so I just made an estimate here. But my dad always lived by the rule that “a recipe is just a suggestion,” and I like that rule. The amount of salsa used for this recipe is really an issue of personal preference, so I think you can be your own judge.

Ingredients:
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 cans Tyson all white chicken breast (or 3-4 cooked chicken breasts, chopped)
1 1/4 cup chicken broth (or water)
1 tablespoon chilipowder
1 teaspoon garlic salt
3/4 to 1 3/4 cups of salsa (depending on your preference for spicy stuff, and on how thick you want the soup to be.)
2 cups cheese
1 can rotel tomatoes (optional)

Mix all ingredients together, heat to boiling, then lower the heat, stirring occasionally till the mixture is cooked through. Serve with chips, and top with cheese, sour cream, and/or salsa if desired.

Visit orgjunkie.com for other ideas and more info on MPM.

Filed Under: casseroles and quick meals, menu plan Monday, recipes

Recipe of the Week: Bacon, Caesar, and Mozarella Panini

April 25, 2008 4 Comments

In case anyone was wondering, the reason I didn’t post anything for Menu Plan Monday this week is because my husband is out of town for half of this week. Since it’s just me here, I didn’t really have a need to plan a big menu. But MPM will be back again for this upcoming week.

In the meantime, here is this week’s recipe of the week. This was a featured recipe on pilsbury.com recently. These are great for a snack, appetizer, or quick lunch and dinner. And since I’m on my own this week, it seemed like an easy and tasty meal for me to make for myself. Yum!

1 can (13.8 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated classic pizza crust
4 teaspoons basil pesto
1/4 cup Caesar dressing (creamy or vinaigrette style)
8 oz water-packed fresh mozzarella cheese, drained and cut into 8 slices, or 8 slices (1 oz each) regular mozzarella cheese
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
12 slices cooked bacon
2 plum (Roma) tomatoes, each cut into 4 slices
8 large fresh basil leaves
1/4cup Butter
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 375°F. Spray large cookie sheet with CRISCO® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray. Unroll pizza crust dough on cookie sheet; press dough into 16×11-inch rectangle, pulling dough gently if necessary. Bake 9 to 16 minutes or until light brown. Cool about 15 minutes or until cool enough to handle.
2. Cut cooled pizza crust in half lengthwise and crosswise to make 4 rectangles. Remove rectangles from cookie sheet; cut each rectangle in half crosswise for a total of 8 squares.
3. On each of 4 crust slices, spread 1 teaspoon pesto; set aside. On each of remaining 4 slices, spread 1 tablespoon Caesar dressing. Place 2 cheese slices on each crust slice with Caesar dressing. Top cheese with pepper, 3 bacon slices, 2 tomato slices and 2 basil leaves. Top with remaining crust slices, pesto sides down.
4. Heat 12-inch skillet or cast-iron skillet over medium heat until hot. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in skillet. Place 2 sandwiches in skillet. Place smaller skillet or saucepan on sandwiches to flatten slightly; keep skillet on sandwiches while cooking. Cook 1 to 2 minutes on each side or until bread is golden brown and crisp and fillings are heated. Remove from skillet; cover with foil to keep warm. Repeat with remaining 2 tablespoons butter and sandwiches.

Filed Under: appetizers and snacks, casseroles and quick meals, Recipe of the Week

Menu Plan Monday for April 7

April 6, 2008 3 Comments

Hey everyone. Hope you all had a good weekend. I’m feeling a little more inspired this week than last week, and I’ve got a new recipe from Campbells, which I’ve included in this post for you. Happy Monday!

Monday – Hot dogs, chips, potato salad
Tuesday – Chicken & Stuffing Skillet (recipe below)
Wednesday – Meat loaf w/ mashed potatoes & peas
Thursday – Tator Tot Casserole (& any leftovers from TW)
Friday – Going out for hubby’s birthday
Saturday – Grilled Chicken stuffed potatoes
Sunday – Pizza

Recipe for Chicken & Stuffing Skillet
from Campbell’s Kitchen

Ingredients:
1 tbsp. butter OR margarine
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 box (6 oz.) Pepperidge Farm® One Step Stuffing Chicken Mix
1 can (10 3/4 oz.) Campbell’s® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup OR Campbell’s® Condensed 98% Fat Free Cream of Mushroom Soup
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:
HEAT butter in medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook 12 to 15 min. or until no longer pink. Remove chicken.

PREPARE stuffing in skillet according to package directions except let stand 2 min.

RETURN chicken to skillet. Mix soup and milk. Pour over chicken. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover and heat through.

Serves 4.

TIP: Serve with steamed broccoli and sliced tomatoes in vinaigrette. Celebrate the holiday season with an extra-special dessert of a fresh fruit salad–cubed red apples, pineapple chunks and green grapes-and a Pepperidge Farm® Distinctive Cookie Collection.

Filed Under: casseroles and quick meals, menu plan Monday, recipes

Recipe of the Week: Pizza Melts

April 5, 2008 3 Comments

I was searching for some appetizers to make for lunch when I ran across this recipe for Pizza Melts from Pillsbury. Since I haven’t posted a recipe of the week, I decided to share this one with you. If you like pizza, then this would be a good quick meal for you. It would also make a great party appetizer and the perfect after school snack. Follow the recipe or mix it up by adding your favorite pizza toppings, and enjoy!

2 cans (8 oz each) Pillsbury® refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
1/4 cup pizza sauce or 3 tablespoons tomato paste with basil, garlic and oregano
1 package (3.5 oz) sliced pepperoni
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (8 oz)
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1 cup pizza sauce, if desired

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 375°F. Grease cookie sheet. On cookie sheet, unroll 1 can of dough into 1 large rectangle. With floured rolling pin or fingers, roll or press dough into 12×9-inch rectangle, firmly pressing perforations to seal.

2. Spread 1/4 cup pizza sauce over dough to within 1/4 inch of edges. Top with pepperoni and mozzarella cheese.

3. On 14-inch length of parchment paper, unroll remaining can of dough. Press to make 12×9-inch rectangle, firmly pressing perforations to seal. While holding paper with dough, turn dough upside down to cover cheese. Remove paper. Brush with beaten egg. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and oregano.

4. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand on cooling rack 5 to 10 minutes. Move to cutting board. Using pizza cutter, cut into 16 squares. Cut each square in half diagonally. Serve with 1 cup pizza sauce.

Filed Under: appetizers and snacks, casseroles and quick meals, Recipe of the Week

Recipe of the Week: Buffalo Chicken Wrap

March 28, 2008 3 Comments
In the midst of all the number crunching, we must not forget to eat lunch. So here’s a little food for thought. The recipe of the week comes from Eating Well. It seems like wraps are “all the rage” these days, and if you like a little spice in your life, this wrap is for you. (and if not, you could always make it for your husband or other spicey food fan.)

Buffalo Chicken Wrap

2 tablespoons hot pepper sauce3 tablespoons white vinegar, divided
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound chicken tenders
2 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 tablespoons nonfat plain yogurt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
4 8-inch whole-wheat tortillas
1 cup shredded romaine lettuce
1 cup sliced celery
1 large tomato, diced

1. Whisk hot pepper sauce, 2 tablespoons vinegar and cayenne pepper in a medium bowl.

2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken tenders; cook until cooked through and no longer pink in the middle, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Add to the bowl with the hot sauce; toss to coat well.

3. Whisk mayonnaise, yogurt, pepper and the remaining 1 tablespoon vinegar in a small bowl. Stir in blue cheese.

4. To assemble wraps: Lay a tortilla on a work surface or plate. Spread with 1 tablespoon blue cheese sauce and top with one-fourth of the chicken, lettuce, celery and tomato. Drizzle with some of the hot sauce remaining in the bowl and roll into a wrap sandwich. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.

Filed Under: casseroles and quick meals, Recipe of the Week, recipes

Recipe of the Week: Chicken Florentine Casserole

February 29, 2008 1 Comment

This week’s recipe comes from All Recipes. It is for Chicken Florentine Casserole. Personally I’d leave out the mushrooms, as my husband and I aren’t too fond of the vegetable (except of course as an ingredient in cream of mushroom soup.) I’d also suggest adding angel hair pasta. Users of the All Recipes sites have made some other suggestions about the recipe that you may want to read as well.

Anyway, I don’t really eat spinach, but I love Spinach Dip, and one day when I went to each lunch with my mom at her resturant, she was having Chicken Florentine. The item was not something that was on the menu, but she told it could be made quite easily, topping a piece of grilled chicken with spinach dip; it was made even better by mixing some spinach dip with some pasta, and placing the chicken on top. I decided to try it, and I loved it. Last week I decided to search for a spinach dip recipe as well as a recipe for chicken florentine. This was seemed to be one of the easiest and most appetizing of all the ones that I found, so here it is. I hope you like it!

INGREDIENTS
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 cup butter
3 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1/2 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 (13.5 ounce) cans spinach, drained
4 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
2/3 cup bacon bits
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place the chicken breast halves on a baking sheet; bake 20 to 30 minutes, until no longer pink and juices run clear. Remove from heat, and set aside.
Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stirring constantly, mix in the garlic, lemon juice, cream of mushroom soup, Italian seasoning, half-and-half, and Parmesan cheese.
Arrange the spinach over the bottom of a 9×9 inch baking dish. Cover the spinach with the mushrooms. Pour half the mixture from the saucepan over the mushrooms. Arrange chicken breasts in the dish, and cover with the remaining sauce mixture. Sprinkle with bacon bits, and top with mozzarella cheese.
Bake 20 to 25 minutes in the 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) oven, until bubbly and lightly browned.

Filed Under: casseroles and quick meals, Recipe of the Week

Recipe of the Week: Maple Pork Chop Dinner

February 22, 2008 3 Comments


Okay, here’s something a little different for this week’s recipe. This idea comes from Pillsbury. This is a good meal that you can make in very little time and without dirtying up a lot of pans. It’s also a nutritious meal choice especially if you add another side item such as green beans, spinach, or turnip greens. Try it out and let me know how you like it!

5 (3/4-inch-thick) pork chops
Salt
Pepper
1(17-oz.) can sweet potatoes, drained*
1(16.3-oz.) can Pillsbury Grands Refrigerated Buttermilk Biscuits
3/4 cup maple-flavored syrup

DIRECTIONS
Heat oven to 400°F. Spray large nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Heat over medium-high heat until hot. Add pork chops; cook until browned on both sides. Place pork chops in ungreased 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover with foil. Bake at 400°F. for 10 minutes.

Remove pork chops from oven. Move pork chops to one side of pan; drain and discard drippings. Arrange sweet potatoes around pork chops. Separate dough into 8 biscuits; arrange in pan next to pork chops and potatoes. Drizzle syrup over pork chops, potatoes and biscuits.

Return to oven. Bake, uncovered, for an additional 17 to 20 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown and pork chops are no longer pink in center. If desired, brush biscuits with additional syrup before serving.

Filed Under: casseroles and quick meals, Recipe of the Week

Recipe of the Week: Chicken & Dumplings

January 18, 2008 2 Comments


In January I love eating soups, stews, and casseroles. So it seemed like the perfect time to feature something warm and hearty for the recipe of the week. This recipe for chicken and dumplings is a little different from what I think of as tradtional, Southern chicken and dumplings, but it’s still comfort food at it’s best.

Ingredients
2 cups chopped carrots
2 cups chopped potatoes
1-1/2 cups chopped parsnips
1 clove garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried sage, crushed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 14-ounce can chicken broth
1 10-3/4-ounce can condensed cream of chicken soup
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (2 ounces)
1/3 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Directions
1. For stew, in a 4- or 5-quart slow cooker combine the carrots, potatoes, parsnips, garlic, bay leaves, sage, the 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Place the chicken on top of the vegetables. In a medium bowl gradually whisk broth into soup. Pour broth mixture over the chicken.
2. Cover; cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 10 hours or on high-heat setting for 4 to 5 hours.
3. If using low-heat setting, turn slow cooker to high-heat setting. With a wooden spoon, stir stew. Remove bay leaves; discard. In a small bowl combine water and cornstarch; stir into stew until combined.
4. For dumplings, in a medium mixing bowl combine flour, cheese, cornmeal, baking powder, and the 1/4 teaspoon salt. In a small bowl combine egg, milk, and melted butter. Add egg mixture to flour mixture. Stir with a fork until moistened. Use 2 spoons to drop dough directly on top of stew.
5. Cover; cook for 25 to 30 minutes more or until a toothpick inserted into a dumpling comes out clean. (Do not lift cover during cooking.) Makes 8 servings.
Prep: 25 minutes Cook: 8 to 10 hours (low), 4 to 5 hours (high); plus 25 minutes (high)

Filed Under: casseroles and quick meals, Recipe of the Week, recipes

Quick Meal – Pork Chops & Rice

January 14, 2008 Leave a Comment

Another feature I’ve considered adding is the Quick Meal feature. (originally I was going to call it Quick Meal Monday, but here we again run into this problem: I don’t always post on Monday.)

I think of a Quick Meal as anything that takes a short time to prep. Even if it takes 6 hours to cook something in the crockpot, I still think of it as a quick meal, because I didn’t have to spend a lot time preparing it. But of course the best quick meals are the ones which you can cook at the spur of the moment with ingredients that you regularly keep on hand.

Most likely if I keep this idea, it would sometimes accompany the Menu Plan Monday. That is, it would feature an item that I placed on my menu plan Monday post. (but it doesn’t have to. it could be totaly ramdom as well.)

This quick meal post is on Pork Chops & Rice, which is an item I placed on my menu this week. My husband loves casseroles with rice (as do I), so I keep several recipes like this one on a regular rotation. (And these are perfect to cook when you’re doing it at the last minute)

1 can Cream of Celery Soup
1 cup water
3/4 cup uncooked regular white rice
1/4 tsp. pabrika
1/4 tsp. pepper
3-6 boneless porkchops (i usually get a pack of 4 or 5)

In a shallow baking dish mix the water, rice, paprika, and pepper. Place porkchops on top of rice mixture. Sprinkle with addtional pepper and paprika. Cover with tin foil.

Bake at 375 for 45 or until meat and rice are done. For a big family, you can double this recipe.

Tip: Spinkle cheddar cheese on top before cooking for additional flavor.

Filed Under: casseroles and quick meals, recipes
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