Pork Tenderloin with Cabbage & Apple Slaw

Not much to say besides YUM! I'm not a fan of coleslaw, but this cabbage and apple slaw was good. It wasn't creamy or heavy like coleslaw, it was light and full of flavor! I got this from Health magazine.

Ingredients:
1/2 tbsp olive oil
2 pork tenderloins (1 1/4 lb total)
3/4 tsp kosher salt, divided
3/4 tsp black pepper, divided
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp honey
1 small Napa cabbage, quartered, cored, and thinly sliced
1 crisp red apple cut into thin wedges
1/4 c fresh cilantro sprigs

Directions:
Preheat oven to 4oo degrees.

Heat oil in a large ovenproof skillet over med-high heat. Season pork with 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper; cook, turning occasionally for 6 to 8 minutes or until browned.

Put skillet in oven and roast for 12 to 14 minutes or until meat is cooked through. Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

Meanwhile, combine vinegar, honey, and remaining salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add the cabbage and apples. Toss. Let slaw sit for 5 minutes, tossing occasionally. Fold in cilantro and serve with pork.

Chicken Milanese

I got this recipe from my friend, Claudia. I've tried several different breaded chicken recipes, but she said this one was really good, so I thought I would give it a try. I'm so glad I did! The mixture of the spices with the Parmesan cheese makes the breading just packed with flavor. And the breading seals in the juices of the chicken, so it's nice and tender. Paul and I both loved it. It will be making repeat appearances at our dinner table in the future for sure!

Chicken Milanese

Ingredients:

1/3 c. flour

2 eggs

1 1/4 c. plain bread crumbs (I used panko, but any style will work)

2/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese

2 t. dried basil

1 t. dried thyme

4 (6 to 8 oz) chicken breasts

salt and pepper

1/3 c. vegetable oil

Directions:

Prepare your assembly line by getting out three wide and shallow bowls (I use metal pie pans, and they work great). Place flour in the first one. Place eggs in the second one and beat them slightly with a fork. In a small bowl or ziploc bag (I like to use a bag because I can just shake it up to mix it), combine bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, basil, and thyme. Pour mixture into your third pan.

Place chicken between sheets of plastic wrap and pound to about 1/2 inch thick. I actually just sliced my fat chicken breasts in half to make them thinner instead of pounding them, but you'll get more for your money if you pound them. :)

Pat chicken dry and season both sides with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour first, then eggs, and then coat in breading mixture, pressing lightly to adhere as much of the topping to the chicken as possible.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once oil is hot, place breaded chicken pieces in the skillet and cook until chicken is done, about 4 minutes per side. Remove chicken to a paper towel lined plate to drain excess oil. If you can't fit all your chicken in the pan at once, cook it in batches and keep finished pieces warm in the oven (heated to 150 degrees) on a baking sheet.

Serve with rice or pasta. You can top it with any kind of sauce if you like, but it really stands on it's own legs very well.

I highly recommend this chicken! It is SO flavorful and pretty easy. I also like that I usually have all the ingredients on hand. :)

Hot Artichoke Dip

This was another of my appetizers for my Valentine's Day feast this year. Artichoke dip is one of Paul's favorite things, and this recipe comes from The Pioneer Woman's cookbook, so I just knew it would be a hit. :) It's nice, simple, and flavorful.

I served it with blue tortilla chips and some tiny bread slices (I think it's called cocktail size or something...I can't remember). I preferred the bread, and Paul preferred the chips. ;)

Hot Artichoke Dip

from The Pioneer Woman Cooks

Ingredients:

2 cans (14 oz) artichoke hearts, drained

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

1 c. mayonnaise

2 green onions, chopped (the whole thing)

1 c. grated Parmesan cheese

dash of salt

cayenne pepper, to taste

black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place one can of artichoke hearts, cream cheese, mayonnaise, green onions, and cayenne pepper in a food processor (batches in a blender will also work). Pulse mixture 6 or 7 times until well combined but not liquefied. Mix in the Parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Roughly chop the second can of artichokes into bite sized pieces. Stir chopped artichokes into the dip gently. Spread mixture into an oven safe dish and bake for 15-20 minutes, until bubbly.

Chicken a la King Wrap

This is tasty! I probably wouldn't put the mushrooms in again (Eli would), but it is YUMMY!

Ingredients:

• cooking spray (I prefer olive oil)
• 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken, cubed
• 1/4 c white onion, diced
• 1 c white mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1/2 c fresh carrots, diced
• 1/2 c frozen peas, thawed
• 2 tbsp whole-wheat flour
• 1/2 c low-sodium chicken stock
• 3/4 c skim milk
• salt & pepper, to taste
• 4 whole-wheat tortillas (medium)

Directions:
Heat nonstick skillet over high heat for 1 minute. Reduce heat to med-high, mist pan with cooking spray and saute chicken for about 5 minutes or until cooked through and no longer pink. Remove from pan.

Mist same pan again with cooking spray. Add onion, mushrooms, and carrots and saute until cook through, about 5 minutes. Add peas and saute until cooked, about 3 minutes.

Add chicken back to panand stir in flour. Add stock and milk, 1/4 c at a time. Stir constantly until sauce is thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Pour chicken-veggie mix into tortilla and roll it up. Enjoy!

Clean Eating Magazine March/April 2010

Broccoli Cheese Soup

I've been really bad about taking pictures of the food I've been cooking lately! Tonight, the missionaries came over for dinner, and I just couldn't bring myself to say, "Could you hold off a second? I want to take a picture." Too embarrassed. Oh well! This picture comes from My Kitchen Cafe, and it's even served in a fancy schmancy bread bowl. I definitely didn't do that. Though I did serve it with homemade rolls (using this recipe Paula shared with us a while back).

The soup was delicious! The two types of cheese gave it a wonderful flavor. And I was very pleasantly surprised with how easily and quickly it came together. I know I'll be making this one often in the future. :)

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Ingredients:

1 small onion, diced

1 3/4 c. chicken broth (or 1 can)

fresh broccoli (to taste)

1/4 c. butter

1/3 c. flour

pepper, to taste (I'm always very generous with my pepper)

2 c. milk (I used James' whole milk for the creaminess, but you can use any variety)

1 1/2 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 c. shredded swiss cheese

Directions:

Place onions and chicken broth in a medium saucepan, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, steam your broccoli. Heat milk in the microwave for 1-2 minutes. In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Whisk in flour and pepper, and cook for a minute or two. Gradually whisk in warmed milk. Stir mixture until it thickens. Pour in broth and onions, and stir to combine. Add cheese and broccoli and stir until cheese melts and soup is smooth. Serve immediately.

Note: This recipe doesn't make a whole lot of soup. I didn't have enough broccoli to double it, so I multiplied everything by 1 1/2 instead. Even then, with the two missionaries (so four adults and one toddler) we finished the whole pot of soup, and there are no leftovers.

It's so yummy! Even without meat, this soup is hearty and filling enough to stand on its own as a main dish. It filled me up faster than I expected...though that could have something to do with the pregnancy thing. ;)

Here's a link to the original recipe on My Kitchen Cafe: Broccoli Cheese Soup. Enjoy!

Stuffed Peppers

One of my favorite recipes so far. It came from this recipe on Allrecipes.com. I thought they were excellent, but if you'd like some meat you could add some lean ground beef (or ground turkey)! Just as a small note, I doubled the filling (except for the onions), used Veggie Shreds instead of the mozzarella, and skipped the parm. It was also super fast since it was all done in the microwave!

Ingredients:

• 2 large red bell peppers, halved and seeded
• 1 (8 ounce) can stewed tomatoes, with liquid
• 1/3 cup quick-cooking brown rice
• 2 tablespoons hot water
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed and drained
• 1/2 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Arrange pepper halves in a 9 inch square glass baking dish. Cover dish with plastic wrap. Poke a few holes in the plastic wrap for vents, and heat 4 minutes in the microwave, or until tender.

In a medium bowl, mix tomatoes and their liquid, rice, and water. Cover with plastic, and cook in the microwave for 4 minutes, or until rice is cooked.

Stir green onions, corn, kidney beans, and red pepper flakes into the tomato mixture. Heat in the microwave for 3 minutes, or until heated through.

Spoon hot tomato mixture evenly into pepper halves, and cover with plastic wrap. Poke a few holes in the plastic to vent steam, and heat in the microwave 4 minutes.

Remove plastic, sprinkle with mozzarella cheese (or Veggie Shreds) and Parmesan cheese, and allow to stand 1 to 2 minutes before serving.

Yummy Apple Bake

Another Fat Chicks recipe. This one made a good breakfast. We used 2 apples instead of one. The only other thing I might do different next time, is just moisten the oatmeal. Eli liked it oatmeal-y, but I think I would've liked it more crispy.

Ingredients:

1 apple, cored and sliced

cinnamon to taste

nutmeg to taste

1 c. cooked oatmeal

2 packets Splenda (2 tsp)

I Can't Believe it's Not Butter Spray (I used Pam)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

Arrange apple slices in a baking dish. Sprinkle a little cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar on the apples.

Cover the apples with the oatmeal and sprinkle more cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar on top.

Spray Pam over all. Bake in the oven for 20 - 30 minutes, depending on the thickness of your apple slices.

Green Bean Salad

Ingredients:

1 lb. fresh green beans, trimmed

10 grape tomatoes, halved

1 red bell pepper, seeded & thinly sliced

1/2 c. diced green pepper

1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley (I used dried Italian seasonings)

Dressing:

1 tsp Dijon mustard (I used brown)

1/4 c. olive oil

1/4 c. fresh lemon juice

1/4 tsp ground pepper

1/8 tsp salt

Directions:

Wash green beans. Drop beans into a pot of boiling water. Cook until crisp, about 4 minutes.

Drain water and let beans cool. Add tomatoes, peppers, and parsley.

In a small bowl, stir together the mustard, oil, and lemon juice. Add pepper and salt. Stir well.

Pour the dressing over the salad, then toss. Cover and refrigerate for an hour until chilled.

*I didn't want to wait an hour. So we ate right after and it was yummy warm. If you wanted to, you could add shrimp. Or if you're not up for seafood, it would be good with grilled chicken as well.

The best Quesadilla Triangles EVER!!

These are the best quesadilla's I have ever had. Even the sauce for it is amazing. (sauce is to the left of picture)

This recipe is made to serve 8 people - 16 flour tortillas but I've cut it down to 4 people (8 tortillas) and 2 people (4 tortillas) so it's possible. And they are so filling I am only able to eat one, if I eat two I am stuffed. I got this recipe from "In the Kitchen - The Costco way". Jeff and I went to Costco one weekend and they were handing out free cookbooks which have fantastic recipes using Costco products and this was one of them. I improvised the recipe a little bit because I don't buy everything at Costco so I will give you both recipes.

6 MorningStar Farms* Chipotle Black Bean Burger, Garden Veggie Patties or Gardenburger The Original, thawed (I just cooked enough chicken for the amount of people eating, shredded it and sprinkled poultry seasoning on top- very simple).
1 each red, yellow, and green bell peppers, cut in 1/8 inch dice
1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese (this I do buy at Costco- it's cheap compared to grocery stores)
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (also buy at Costco) ( I add 1 cup if I don't have Montery jack cheese)
1/2 cup shredded Montery jack cheese ( I have never added this because I don't buy this cheese on a regular basis, but I am sure it will taste very if you were to add it)
1 cup roasted tomato salsa ( I just use 1 cup of the brand Pace salsa - I actually buy a huge container of this at Costco, but you can also buy a smaller jar at any grocery store and I am sure any brand of your favorite salsa would work too)
16 10-inch flour tortillas
Melted Butter

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degress F
2. Cut thawed burgers into 1/4 inch diced ( like I said above I just shred chicken and add a little poultry seasoning)
3. In a large bowl, combine burger (chicken), peppers, cheese and salsa. Mix thoroughly and set aside
4. Cut each tortilla into a 7-inch triangle - ( I don't like to waste tortilla even if it may be a little bit easier to handle- you could try both ways - their way or I like to fold in what i would have cut off then wrap the rest of the tortilla around the filling to make a triangle. I hope that makes sense, if not I can try and explain again in the comments.
5. Place about a little less than half a cup of filling in each triangle; fold each corner into the center, overlapping one another.
6. Brush quesadillas with melted butter and cook in a nonstick pan over medium heat until browned, about 1 min per side. Place in the oven for 5 min (I leave it in till the cheese is melted, which takes about 10-15 min) or until heated through

Cilantro lime sour cream Dipping sauce
4 oz sour cream
1 1/2 Tbls freshly squeezed lime juice
1 oz fresh cilantro, minced
1/2 tsp. each: ground cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, salt, black pepper

Directions:
Combine all ingredients and mix well
( When I had 4 people over for dinner this was not enough so I would make double if you have more people)Here's a little bit of closer look on how I wrapped it. If you have any questions please comment.

Scotcharoos

I always loved when my mom would make these. My Mom and Jennie made these when they were out here recently for the baby's arrival and we made them again this last weekend because they're just that good!

Ingredients:
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup peanut butter
6 cups Rice Krispies
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips

Directions:
In saucepan mix corn syrup and sugar over heat until just starting to boil. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter. Pour over rice krispes (in large bowl) and mix until evenly coated. Spread mixture in greased 9x13 pan.

In saucepan, melt chocolate and butterscotch chips over low heat until melted. Pour over bars and spread evenly. Let cool until chocolate sets up. If you want them to set up quickly put them in the fridge/freezer.

Easy Empanada Salad

I found this recipe on a blog of someone from my old ward. She posts recipes on her blog from time to time and this one looked particularly easy and interested me. So we gave it a try and it was quite good and very easy!

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1 packet taco seasoning
half of a small onion, chopped
1/4 c. frozen corn (I used a little more)
1 package Grands Biscuits
salad ingredients

Directions:
Brown beef with onion then drain excess fat. Mix in taco seasoning according to package and add frozen corn. Simmer until slightly thickened. Flatten biscuits out until about 6 inches in diameter. Scoop a heaping spoonful of meat mixture into the center of the biscuit, then fold it over and press the edges to seal it (I wet my finger and ran it around edge before folding it over and then I pressed it shut with a fork around the edge). Place empanada on a greased cookie sheet. Once all of them are finished, bake the empanadas at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Serve over lettuce and whatever salad ingredients you want. We served ours with lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, black beans, salsa, and sour cream (Brian had his with ranch). Yum!!

Fiery Chicken with Vegetables

This was the first recipe I tried from my new cookbook, Cheap. Fast. Good! And I'm pleased to say, it was delicious! It was easy to make, and the recipes are written in such a way that makes you maximize your cooking time. I like it already. :)

Note: The recipes in the cookbook all seem to call for long grain rice. Of course, that's not what we eat in our house. :) I just skipped the instructions for preparing rice that were given in the recipe and prepared my own in our well-loved rice cooker. I'll include the instructions from the book, in case you would like to prepare the rice that way (or if you don't have a rice cooker).

Fiery Chicken with Vegetables
Ingredients:
1 can fat-free chicken broth (1 c. for the rice and 3/4 c. for the vegetable sauce)
1 c. long-grain rice (I actually made 2 cups of Japanese style short grain rice)
1 lb. chicken breasts
1 T. vegetable oil
1 bag frozen broccoli stir-fry vegetable mixture (without sauce)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. soy sauce
2 t. minced ginger (either fresh or bottled...I bought a jar of it)
1 t. sugar
1/2 t. red pepper flakes
2 T. cornstarch


Directions:
Prepare rice by combining 1 c. chicken broth and 1 c. water in a covered medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the rice, stir, and reduce heat to low. Cover the pan and simmer until rice is done, about 20 minutes. (Or, like I said, prepare rice in a rice cooker...you can even substitute part of the water with chicken broth for flavor.)

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a deep skillet over medium heat. While the oil heats, defrost your chicken if needed. Once oil is hot, add the frozen vegetables and stir occasionally. While the vegetables start to cook, cut the chicken into small cubes, adding them to the skillet as you go. Cook, stirring frequently, until chicken is no longer pink in the center, about 5-6 minutes.

Add garlic to the pan and stir. Next, add soy sauce, ginger, sugar, and red pepper flakes*. Stir well and cook for about two minutes to blend the flavors. In the meantime, combine cornstarch and 3/4 c. chicken broth in a small container with a lid. Cover and shake to combine until there are no more lumps.

Drizzle mixture over the chicken and vegetables. Stir continuously until sauce thickens, about 1 minute (it really does thicken up pretty quick). Serve over a bed of rice.

*The red pepper flakes are the reason this recipe is called "Fiery". If you like things a little less spicy you can reduce the amount of red pepper flakes. If you don't want it to be spicy at all, you can leave them out. Paul and I enjoyed the kick, and it wasn't too spicy for us. :)

Rigatoni with Meat Sauce

I made this recipe a couple weeks ago, and it was quite good. I liked that it was fast and simple. I found it at Chef Britta.

Rigatoni with Meat Sauce
Ingredients:
12 oz. rigatoni
1 lb. ground beef
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 c. tomato paste
1/2 to 1 t. garlic salt
1/8 t. cayenne pepper
1 T. red-wine vinegar

Directions:
Cook pasta. Meanwhile, brown beef in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic, and season generously with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are tender (about five minutes). Stir in tomato paste, garlic salt, and cayenne pepper, and cook about two more minutes. Add 1 1/2 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 8-10 minutes, until slightly thickened. Stir in vinegar and season again with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve meat sauce over pasta. Top with Parmesan cheese, if desired.


I liked that it was different than regular old spaghetti. Those of you who know me, know that I'm not the biggest fan of spaghetti. This was different enough that I enjoyed it and would happily make it again.

Here's the link to Chef Britta's recipe: Rigatoni with Meat Sauce.

Lime Chicken Tacos

(This is Jennie's post, but there was a bug or something so I re-posted it for her)

This is it, folks! After this one, I'm all caught up with posting recipes! I hope I can stay on top of it from now on, because it's overwhelming when I get all backed up like that. Phew!

We had these tacos for dinner last night, and I really enjoyed them! (It may have something to do with the fact that I have been a big slacker lately with dinners and we've been eating a lot of fast food, leftovers, and throw-together meals. It was nice to have a real dinner again! I should do that more often. ;) Ha ha.)

Anyway, I found this recipe at Favorite Family Recipes, and I think it may be my favorite of the recipes I've tried from that site. The chicken had a great flavor. It wasn't overwhelmingly lime flavored, and the cilantro wasn't too much either. It was delicious and had a bit of a kick. :) A nice change from regular old tacos.

Lime Chicken Tacos
Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. chicken, cubed
1/4 c. red wine vinegar
juice of 1 lime
2 t. sugar
1 t. salt
1 t. pepper
4-5 green onions, chopped (I didn't have green onions, so I used 1/4 of a white onion, chopped)
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 T. fresh cilantro, chopped (or to taste)
flour tortillas
toppings

Directions:
Saute chicken in a skillet for a few minutes (until white on all sides). Meanwhile, mix together the other ingredients (vinegar, lime juice, sugar, salt, pepper, onions, garlic, and cilantro) in a small bowl. Pour over chicken and cook for 10-20 minutes, or until chicken is done. For me, this was when the liquid had almost all evaporated (about 17 minutes).


Serve on tortillas (or shells--Paul doesn't like soft flour tortillas) with toppings of your choice. We used cheese, tomatoes, avocado, and sour cream. And they were REALLY good. :)


Here's a link to the original recipe: Lime Chicken Tacos.

Spaghetti alla Carbonara

I found this recipe randomly one day when I came across this blog. I had a couple classes with Lillian at BYU, but I had no idea she was such a cook! Her blog is full of yummy looking things, and after trying this recipe, I'm sure I'll be trying more of her ideas in the future.

The most interesting thing about this recipe is the way it is prepared. It's easy, but definitely different. Because of how it is made, the pasta tastes like it has a cream sauce, but there is no cream in it. It is really delicious, and I highly recommend it.

Spaghetti alla Carbonara
Ingredients:
3 eggs
3/4 c. Parmesan cheese*, grated
1/4 c. romano cheese, grated...or you can use a whole cup of either cheese (I used all Parmesan because that's what I had)
3 garlic cloves, minced
8 oz. bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3 T. olive oil
1/2 c. dry white wine (I just bought a small bottle of white cooking wine. It's in the same aisle as the vinegar and salad dressing at the grocery store.)
1 lb. spaghetti (or linguine or fettucine...I used linguine)
salt and pepper

*I used the powdered grated Parmesan cheese because that's what I had. I think if you used fresh grated Parmesan or romano cheese the pasta would come out more smooth, but it was still delicious when I made it.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Place an empty oven-safe serving bowl in the oven. Meanwhile, boil water for the pasta.

Mix together the eggs, cheese, and garlic with a whisk. Set aside. Cook the bacon in the oil until crispy. Add wine and simmer until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cover. When the water is boiling, add 1 T. salt and the pasta. Stir frequently. Cook until pasta until it is al dente (about 8 minutes, or according to package). Reserve 1/2 c. pasta water, and then drain the pasta.

Remove serving bowl from the oven and add the pasta to the bowl. Immediately pour the egg mixture and the bacon mixture over the pasta and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. The hot bowl and hot pasta cook the egg as you toss it. Add the reserved pasta water if you need to loosen the sauce before serving. Serve with additional grated cheese.


Here's a link to the original recipe (her picture looks even more delicious): Spaghetti alla Carbonara.

BBQ Beef Bowls

Paul is a big fan of rice bowls (as you can imagine, with his love for rice ;) ). I knew this would be a recipe he would like as soon as I read it. I found it on kraftfoods.com. The recipe on the site got mixed reviews, but mostly because people seemed to be surprised that it had a barbecue flavor rather than a taco seasoning flavor (which doesn't make much sense because taco seasoning is NOT one of the ingredients, but whatever). I thought barbecue would be interesting in a rice bowl, so I tried it. They tasted good! And as long as you realize that it's not going to taste like taco meat, I recommend you give it a try. ;)

BBQ Beef Bowls
Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 c. frozen corn
1/2 c. barbecue sauce (the recipe obviously calls for KRAFT barbecue sauce, but you can use whatever you want, of course)
3 c. rice, cooked
cheese (again, because it's a KRAFT website, it actually calls for a slice of Velveeta on each bowl...I used grated cheddar ;) )
green onions, chopped


Directions:
Cook rice (oh how I love my rice cooker!). Meanwhile, cook beef with onions and bell peppers until meat is browned. Add tomatoes, corn, and barbecue sauce, and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Spoon rice into bowls. Top with meat mixture, cheese, and green onions. (I forgot the green onions when we had it, as you can see from the picture. )

For some reason, Blogger won't let me add a link to the recipe right now, but you can find the original at kraftfoods.com by searching for "BBQ Beef Bowls".

Italian Crescent Bake

I have a whole bunch of recipes to post that I never got around to! I was looking, and I couldn't believe how long it has been since I posted something that wasn't a menu. Crazy! We'll see if I can put a dent in the "stack" of recipes I have waiting to be posted! :)

This first one is from a cookbook of Paul's that I recently discovered. It's an Italian cookbook full of recipes from Home Economics teachers in California (one of those school fundraiser cookbooks, you know?). Well, I figured Home Ec teachers should know a thing or two about good recipes, and so far it hasn't let us down. We've tried three recipes, and they have all been delicious. Not exactly authentic Italian recipes, but delicious nonetheless.

Italian Crescent Bake
Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 c. onion, chopped
1 c. fresh mushrooms, sliced
salt and pepper to taste
8 oz. tomato sauce (1 can)
1 c. cheddar cheese, grated
1 tube crescent rolls (8 rolls)
1/2 c. sour cream
1/4 t. oregano
1/4 t. basil


Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brown beef with onion and mushrooms, drain excess fat. Season with salt and pepper. Add tomato sauce. Pour into a 9x13 baking dish. Top with cheddar cheese. Separate crescent rolls. Mix sour cream with oregano and basil. Spread sour cream mixture (generously) on each roll, and then roll up each one starting at the wide end. Place rolls on top of the meat mixture. Bake for approximately 20 minutes*, until rolls are lightly browned.

*So, there's a typo in the cookbook and it only says to bake them for 2 minutes. I decided to follow the time listed on the crescent roll tube (which was something like 11-12 minutes) and check them. As you can see from the pictures, they looked lightly browned, so I took it out. The rolls ended up being quite doughy, so I can only surmise that they probably meant 20 minutes instead of 2. ;) They were so yummy that we're having them again tomorrow for dinner, and I'm planning on cooking them for 20 minutes this time. I'll edit this if I find out it takes longer.

Ham Casserole

This is another one of my mom's casseroles that I absolutely love. Besides being delicious, it's also really cheap and easy to prepare.

Ingredients:

8 oz. cooked curly noodles
3 oz. cream cheese
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 can milk (we use the soup can to measure milk)
4-6 green onions, chopped
cubed ham
cheddar cheese (grated)

Directions:
Cook noodles and drain then return to pot. Add cream cheese, soup, milk, ham and green onions to noodles and stir until combined. Place half noodle mixture in casserole dish, layer with cheese and then put other half noodle mixture on top of that. Top with cheese and bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes or until bubbly.

* The amount of ham is a matter of personal preference. I usually just buy some pre-cubed ham at the store and I use about 3/4 of the package.

Chicken Cutlets

I haven't posted for a really long time, so I figured it was about time!
Chicken Cutlets is a really easy, yummy, and looks fancier than how long it actually took me.
from: the "I DO" cookbook

Sorry I wasn't able to get a good picture. I already put in my leftovers for lunch in a container before taking the picture, but you can see the Mornay sauce and parsley flakes on top.

Ingredients:

- 4 chicken breasts or 8 small chicken strips depending on what kind of chicken you buy. You can be your own judge, but I usually use more chicken than what it says and you'll see why later, but I don't like to waste ingredients and it makes great leftovers.
- 1 cup buttermilk or I use just a half a pint- it's a little over 1 cup, and I am talking about 1 Tbl. so I just use it all
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 1-1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs- I don't really measure, I just pour a little at a time on a plate and coat the chicken, so I may use more than what they say.
- 2 Tablespoons of butter- I honestly don't think I use this much butter, but it is used to coat the top of the chicken, so again use your best judgment

Instructions:
Mix buttermilk, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in bag or bowl. Add chicken and marinate for 30-1 hour, they say overnight taste better, but I have never tried it. Drain chicken, chicken should still be fairly coated. Coat chicken with bread crumbs, melt butter and coat chicken with brush or pour on top. Cook in oven for 20-25 mins or until golden brown at 350 degrees.

I enjoy eating this on top of spaghetti noodles, I am sure any type of noodles would taste great. I also add a Mornay sauce on top of chicken and sprinkle parsley flakes on top of sauce.

Mornay Sauce:
- 2 Tbl. butter - I use all this butter
- 1 1/2 Tbl. flour
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 3/4 cup half n' half milk
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese - I use grated Parmesan cheese and it taste great, so use whatever is convenient for you.

Instructions:
Melt butter in sauce pan. Stir in flour. Using whisk, stir in chicken broth and half n' half. Bring to a gentle boil (I use medium heat the whole time) - about 2 mins. Add Parmesan cheese - simmer for 2 mins (It makes 1 1/2 cups)

Tuna Noodle Casserole

This is pretty much the easiest (and maybe even cheapest!) of the casseroles I grew up on. If you like tuna, cream cheese, and peas, you'll probably love this recipe! :)

Tuna Noodle Casserole
Ingredients:
1 can of tuna
8 oz. wide egg noodles
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 can milk
grated onion (to taste)
1 c. frozen peas
cheddar cheese, grated
potato chips (a couple handfuls, crushed)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook noodles. Meanwhile, mix together tuna, soup, cream cheese, milk, onion, and peas in a separate bowl. Once noodles are done, drain them and add them to the tuna mixture. Toss to coat. In a casserole dish, layer noodle mixture with cheese. Top with cheese and crumbled potato chips. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly.


Sorry for the dark picture! I was in a hurry (I was hungry! ;) ) and I didn't end up getting any good ones. I also didn't have any potato chips, unfortunately. They really add a fun texture, but I couldn't justify buying a whole bag of them for this one recipe.