Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

 

-Coat 9 x 13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
-Spread 2 cups cooked rice in bottom of baking dish.
-Arrange 3 cups cooked chicken pieces over top of rice.
-Layer 6 slices of Swiss cheese on top of chicken.
-Then layer 10 slices of cut-up ham on top of the Swiss cheese.
-Mix 2 cans cream of chicken soup, 1/2 cup milk, and 1/2 cup sour cream together.
-Spread on top of ham.
-Crush 10 saltine crackers then add 1/2 teaspoon paprika, 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt, and 1/2 teaspoon parsley and mix together.
-Sprinkle on top of soup mixture.
-Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Enjoy!

Recipe from Organize Your Stuff Now

Another great Pinterest meal I found. We had some leftover ham steaks from Christmas in the freezer, and we always have chicken breasts on hand. A little bit of easy prep work and we had a delicious meal in 30 minutes! I still don't understand the rice in this recipe (maybe it binds everything together?) But it was delicious.

Cream Cheese Chicken Chili

Cream Cheese Chicken Chili

(in the Crockpot)

 

 

Cream Cheese Chicken Chili
adapted from Tried and Tasty

1 can black beans
1 can corn, undrained
1 can Rotel, undrained
1 package ranch dressing mix
1 tsp cumin
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 8 oz package light cream cheese
2 chicken breasts

Drain and rinse black beans. Place frozen chicken at bottom of pot, then pour out whole can of corn (undrained), rotel, and black beans. Top with seasonings and ranch mix. Stir together. Place cream cheese on top. Cover with lid and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Stir cream cheese into chili. Use 2 forks to shred chicken. Stir together and serve.

 

Recipe from Plain Chicken

 

Pat and I absolutely LOVED this recipe with the weather getting cooler its the perfect quick, easy meal.  Next time I make it though I am doubling the recipe because I want leftovers! (It said it was 4 adult sized portions)

 

Crockpot Potato Soup

   EASY CROCKPOT POTATO SOUP

1 30oz. bag of frozen, shredded hash browns {I used Ore Ida}

3 14oz. cans of chicken broth

1 can of cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1/4 tsp. ground pepper

1 pkg. cream cheese {don’t use fat free. It WON’T melt!!!}

In a crockpot, combine everything EXCEPT for the cream cheese. Cook for 6-8 hours on low heat. About 1 hour before serving, add cream cheese and keep heated until thoroughly melted. Serve with cheese, sour cream, bacon bits, green onions, or whatever else you think would be good!!

 

Recipe from Pearls, handcuffs, and Happy Hour

Chicken Parmesan Meatloaf

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes 

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 
  

  Servings Size
1 lb ground chicken (ground turkey can be substituted)

• 1 egg
• 1/4 breadcrumbs
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 -2 cloves garlic , finely minced
• 1 small onion , grated
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup pasta sauce (homemade or store bought)
• 1/2 cup shredded Italian cheese blend
• minced parsley (to garnish)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a loaf pan with cooking spray, set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, egg, breadcrumbs, thyme, oregano, basil, garlic, onion, salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese. To not over handle the mixture otherwise it will get tough. Place the mixture in the greased loaf pan and form into a loaf. Top the meatloaf with pasta sauce.
3. Place filled loaf pan on a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and sprinkle the top with the remaining shredded cheese. Place the meatloaf back in the oven and bake until the cheese is melted.

    4. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving/slicing.  Garnish with parsley if desired.

Recipe from: Food.com

* I made this recipe Wednesday night, and it was fabulous.  Easy to assemble and delicious.  I found it to be even better the next day for leftovers with some of the extra pasta sauce drizzled over it. I just wish I would have taken a picture of it..but just imagine a chicken meatloaf covered in hot, bubbly cheese!!

5 Ingredient M&M Peanut Butter Bars

M&M Peanut Butter Bars

3/4 cup peanut butter (I used creamy!)
2 large eggs
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 cups all-purpose baking mix (Bisquick, for example)
1 bag of M&Ms

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325*F. Spray an 8-inch square pan with cooking spray.
2. Combine peanut butter and eggs until well mixed and smooth.
3. Add in brown sugar and stir until combined.
4. Stir in baking mix until moistened (I used my hands because the spoon wasn’t cutting it for me–it is a very thick batter).
5. Fold in M&Ms. Again, using my hands worked best for this step. Not all of the M&Ms stuck in the batter (or perhaps it would be more accurate to call it dough). I just shoved them in when I put it all in the pan.
6. Spread mixture in greased pan and bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown.

Recipe from: Not Rachael Ray

* I made these for our last food day, and they were a big hit!! I was unsure of bars made with bisquick in them, but they were delicious. Very thick and rich, but yummy!!

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Cookies

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Cookies

2 (7-ounce) boxes Jiffy raspberry muffin mix 4 ounces cream cheese, softened 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened 2 tablespoons butter-flavored shortening 1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed 2 eggs 1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the cream cheese, butter, shortening, and brown sugar, until just combined (I beat mine until it was completely smooth, but still had little chunks of cream cheese). Add the eggs one at a time,beating well  after each addition. Add the muffin mix and using a wooden spoon, mix until incorporated. Stir in the white chocolate chips and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 2 hours. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease baking sheets and roll dough into tablespoon-size balls.Place 2-inches apart on baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes, until just turning golden around the edges. Cool five minutes on baking sheet before removing to wire racks to cool completely. Source: Barely adapted from Just A Pinch. Printed From: Bakergirl. Epic fail on my part with these cookies.  I was in a hurry to get them all baked before heading out to dinner...well I put 3 trays worth of cookies in the oven, when I probably only should have put in 2.  Well needless to say...I lost all 15 cookies on the bottom sheet.  I think the oven got too hot and with the cookies on the bottom rack wedged between two dark colored surfaces, the result is burned cookies.  I'm talking black, burned hockey pucks! So thankful the other 20+ cookies turned out okay or I would have been pissed! :) Live and Learn!! (Otherwise the ones that did turn out were SO good!!)

Crockpot Ham Potato Soup

Crockpot Ham Potato Soup

Ingredients:

7 c. diced potatoes (about 4 medium)
1 c. diced onion (about 1 medium)
1 large carrot, chopped
2 c. ham, diced
5. c. hot water
1 Knorr Chicken Bullion cube (extra large size that
makes 1 quart broth or 4 small cubes that make 1 cup each)
1 c. 2% milk
1/2 c. sour cream
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Add diced potatoes, onion, carrot, and ham to a crock pot. Dissolve chicken bullion in 5 cups hot water, then add this to the crock pot also. Cook on low 7 hours, or high 3 hours. Then add milk and sour cream. Stir and cook an additional 15 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Makes twelve 1-cup servings.

If you'd like a thicker soup, just before adding milk and sour cream, remove 2-3 cups of the potatoes and slightly mash, then return the mashed mixture to the crock pot.

Makes 12 Servings (About 1 Cup Per Serving)

Nutritional Info Per Serving: Calories: 151.7; Fat: 5.3 g; Cholesterol: 18.7 mg;
Sodium: 534.2 mg; Carbs: 19.5 g; Fiber: 2.5 g; Protein: 6.9 g

From Weight Watcher Recipes on Pintrest :)

We added a little bit of cheese to this recipe and my husband added some hot sauce to doctor it up...but it was quite tasty on a dreary rainy day.

Pepperoni Rolls

Pepperoni Rolls

Ingredients:

Frozen Bread Dough

Pepperoni

Mozzarella and Parmesan Cheese

Italian Seasoning

Olive Oil

Purchase frozen bread dough. They come in these "log" shapes, in plastic bags, sold in the freezer section next to the frozen biscuits. (I used Rhodes brand.)

Loosely cover the frozen bread dough with plastic wrap. Allow dough to thaw for a few hours at room temperature.  (Tip: spray the plastic wrap with cooking oil, or brush with cooking oil and lay it, oiled side down on the bread dough. This allows the bread dough to rise and move easily under the plastic wrap without it sticking or holding back the dough.)

When dough is completely thawed it will be puffed up a bit.

Roll dough out to approximately 11 x 11 square.

One frozen dough log makes one pepperoni roll.

Brush dough with olive oil or whatever cooking oil you prefer.

Lay pepperoni on dough covering entire surface.

Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese.  Next, sprinkle with shredded Parmesan cheese.

Lightly sprinkle with Italian Seasoning.

Add a sprinkling of garlic powder.

Roll up dough starting at one edge of square.

Place rolls on baking sheet, leaving space between.

Brush some melted butter on top of uncooked pepperoni roll.

You do not need to let the roll rise. Bake it right away. It will rise up in the oven perfectly.

Bake at 375 degrees for approx. 15-20 minutes.

As with any baking, keep an eye on your roll. This is just an estimated time. You'll know it's done when the roll is golden and makes a hard tapping sound when you tap it with your fingernail...just like when baking a loaf of bread.

Let the pepperoni roll cool before cutting!  Enjoy!!

Recipe from What about Pie

We had this for dinner last night..and they were quite good.  We made 2, a "his" and "hers" roll. (Pat wanted to put onions, peppers and black olives on his!)  Needless to say, it is a lot of food and I took the leftovers for lunch and still have 2 pieces in the fridge for later.

"Crack" Potatoes

So I'm posting yet another Pintrest find :)  I made these last week for our Thanksgiving/Birthday Potluck at work and they were a big hit!! I am always nervous when trying a new recipe for the first time.. (and especially when I'm up baking them at 5:15am the morning of our food day!!) But they seemed easy enough not to be able to screw up.  I assembled everything, threw them in the oven and headed off to shower and get ready for work.  Everyone loved them, and I decided to post the recipe here as well for others to enjoy!  

Crack Potatoes

 

2 (16oz) containers sour cream

2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

2 (3oz) bags real bacon bits

2 packages Ranch Dip mix

1 large (28 - 30oz) bag frozen hash brown potatoes - shredded kind

Combine first 4 ingredients, mix in hash browns. Spread into a 9x13 pan. Bake at 400 for 45-60 minutes.

 

Recipe from Plain Chicken

What's for Dinner Wednesday

Pizza Pasta Casserole

2 lbs ground beef
1 large onion chopped
1 clove garlic minced
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 (26 once) jars spaghetti sauce
16 ounces rotini pasta, cooked and drained
5 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
8 ounces sliced pepperoni

Brown ground beef, onion, and garlic in oil. Drain. Stir in pasta, spaghetti sauce, and 3 cups cheese. Place mixture in 2 greased 9x13 pans. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Top with pepperoni. Cover and freeze or bake uncovered at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until heated through.

From Freezer Meals for Us

(I cut this recipe in half, just for the 2 of us!!)

Taco Soup

My boss made this for our last food day and it was FANTASTIC!!

Taco Soup

1lb Cooked Hamburger

1 Can Beef Broth

1 Can Northern Beans

1 Can Corn

1 Can Rotel (I used mild)

1 pkt Taco Seasoning

1 pkt Dry Ranch Seasoning

Mix all ingrediants together in large pot or crock pot

Cook for 1 hr to heat through. 

Serve with Tortilla chips, cheese, sour cream, etc...

Mexican Dorito Casserole

So my quest continues (via Pintrest) to find new recipes for dinner. Both Pat and I have been getting bored with the same old meals, so I decided to try something new.  Sunday I made Dorito casserole from Jam Hands and it was easy! Mix ingrediants together, crush up some chips,layer and bake.

Mexican Dorito Casserole
Serves 4-6

2 c. shredded cooked chicken
1 c. shredded cheese (or more if you are a cheese hound)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
1 can Ro-tel tomatoes (canned tomatoes with jalepenos-mild)
1/2 packet taco seasoning (or more- to taste)
Bag of doritos

1. Pre-heat oven to 350-f degrees.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients except doritos.

3. In a greased 2 qt baking dish, put a layer of crushed doritos (about 2 cups), then a layer of the chicken mixture. Repeat once more, ending with a layer of chicken mixture. Top with more shredded cheese, cover, and bake for 30-35 minutes, till bubbling hot.

Source: Domestic Chicky

Dinner tonight...Slow Cooker Jambalaya

So, with fall upon us (and our first frost/freeze warning in effect) something hearty and warm sounded delicious. It should be ready to eat by 6...and it smells delicious!

Slow Cooker Jambalayaadapted from AllRecipes.com
approximately 5-6 servings

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch cubes
1 pound smoked turkey sausage, sliced
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
3 Tbsp dried minced onion flakes
1 cup chicken broth
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried parsley
2 tsp minced garlic
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
white rice or instant rice (I used 2 packs of Uncle Ben's Ready Rice - Garlic & Butter flavor)

In a slow cooker, mix the chicken, sausage, tomatoes with juice, onion, garlic, celery, and broth. Season with oregano, parsley, Cajun seasoning, cayenne pepper, and thyme. (I do this the night before and put it in the fridge. I put it in the slow cooker before I leave in the morning.)

Cover, and cook 7 to 8 hours on Low, or 3 to 4 hours on High. Mix in cooked rice cook for about 15 minutes to warm through.

From Plain Chicken

Creativity is Contagious...

“Creativity is contagious. Pass it on.”

— Albert Einstein

So I have finally found the world of Pintrest...I haven't decided yet if this is a good thing, a bad thing, or a really great/awesome/fabulous thing. :)  Let's just say that I have gotten lost for 3-5 hrs at a time on my days off, pinning things on my boards to my little hearts content. 

So what exactly is Pintrest? Well....

Pinterest is a virtual pinboard. Pinterest allows you to organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web. You can browse pinboards created by other people to discover new things and get inspiration from people who share your interests.

People use pinboards to plan their weddings, decorate their homes, and share their favorite recipes.

I have come up with a lot of brilliant home decorating ideas, organizational tips, recipes to try, photos to take, and a general collection of just "stuff that makes me happy to look at" The ideas I am most excited to try are... 

Kitchen Wall "Command Center" with monogram

Wood letters glued on canvas and then painted

Vinyl Decals on Framed Glass

 

Tissue Paper and Clear Vases (interchangeable for other holidays)

Three Safe-to-Eat dips: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Sugar Cookie Dough, and Cake Batter.

Recipe  to be made for our next food day at work

Sheets stored in their pillow cases (Why have I never thought of this??!)

UV Cake Vodka

The official celebration spirit. For birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, Friday nights or any special occasion! Celebrating UV Vodka’s 10th anniversary with a celebratory flavor.

I have been searching high and low for this newest flavor of Vodka that hit the market June 10th, 2011 and was finally able to locate a bottle of this white cake flavored vodka.  As soon as you open the cap it smells like cake batter! Yum!! The recipe I was dying to try was the Cake Dreamsicle

Cake Dreamsicle

1 oz. UV Cake Vodka

2 oz. Sprite

2 oz. Orange Soda

Splash of Grenadine

Mix all ingredients in a glass filled with crushed ice & garnish with a chery.

It was delicious, and tasted just like a Dreamsicle! Other recipes I am going to try...

Cake Beer Float

2 oz. UV Cake Vodka

4 oz. Root Beer

Mix in a glass filled with ice & garnish with a cherry.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

1 part UV Cake

2 parts Pineapple Juice

Other recipes can be found here

Funfetti Cake Cookies

 

 Funfetti® Cookies

Prep time: 25 min

Cook Time: 8 min

Yield: 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

1	package Pillsbury® Funfetti® Cake (18.9oz)
1/3	cup Crisco® Pure Vegetable Oil
2	large eggs
1/2	can Pillsbury® Vanilla Funfetti® Frosting (15.6 oz)

Preparation Directions:

1.	HEAT oven to 375°F. Combine cake mix, oil and eggs in large bowl. Stir with spoon until thoroughly moistened. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place 2-inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Flatten to 1/4-inch thickness with bottom of glass dipped in flour.
2.	BAKE 6 to 8 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets.
3.	SPREAD frosting over warm cookies. Immediately sprinkle each with candy bits from frosting. Let frosting set before storing. Store in tightly covered container. * I can't believe I JUST learned that you can do this!! After a food day at work months ago, I decided I needed to make a batch for myself.  Super easy and half gone already! (It really only made just over 2 dozen..not 3 dozen!) YUM!! :)

Homemade Apple Crisp

Apple Crisp (an Amish recipe)

4 cups apples, peeled and sliced

2/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup oatmeal

1/3 cup butter, room temperature

3/4 tsp. cinnamon

3/4 tsp. nutmeg

Grease the bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan.

Spread apples in the pan. Stir together the remainder of

ingredients until; you make coarse crumbles. Sprinkle over

the apples.



Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until apples are

completely cooked and tender.

ENJOY!! ( I Did!!)