Creamy Crock-Pot Italian Chicken

My sister-in-law first introduced this to me served over baked potatoes.  Over the years I've tweaked it (of course), but we still love it best over baked potatoes!

CREAMY CROCK-POT ITALIAN CHICKEN

What you need:
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1-2 pkgs. Italian dressing mix
2-3 cans cream of chicken soup
1/2-1 cup sour cream
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
1/2-1 cup whipping cream
1/2-1 cup chicken broth

How you do it:
Place chicken in crock-pot, or slow cooker.  (I always either par boil my chicken or cook it completely before placing it in the crock-pot.  I don't like the fat floating around in my gravy.  I know, laugh if you want, I'm okay with being weird.)  Mix remaining ingredients together, adjusting measurements according to desired taste, consistency, and yield.  Pour gravy over chicken.  Cook on low for 8-10 hours, or on high for 4-6 hours.  Can also be baked in a 9x13 casserole dish for 1 hour at 350°.  One hour before serving, take chicken out and shred; return to crock-pot/slow cooker for remaining cook time.  Serve over rice, pasta, mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, etc.

How you freeze it:
Place chicken in a ziploc bag instead of the crock-pot.  Combine remaining ingredients and pour into bag.  Lay bag flat in freezer until frozen, then stand up to conserve space.  When ready to use: take out of freezer, allow to thaw in fridge overnight.  Place in crock-pot and follow above cooking directions.

Swedish Meatballs

My mom made these meatballs while I was growing up.  Over time, I've played with the basic recipe and made alterations to it to make it something that we really enjoy.  This last time I made it, my husband thanked me no less than twice for the meal, and said that it was really, really good.  Just hit the spot, I guess.

So, since my goal is to print all these recipes for my daughters when they go to college, or get married, I am going to include my mom's original recipe (because my eldest daughter loves the meatballs made her way), and my altered recipe.

MOM'S SWEDISH MEATBALLS

What you need:
1 lb. ground beef
1/4 cup minute rice, or cooked long-grain rice
1/4 cup milk
1 slice bread, torn into little pieces;
        or 1/3 cup oats
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 egg
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can milk (not evaporated, just fill one of the empty soup cans with milk)

How you do it:
Combine ground beef, rice, milk, bread, salt, baking powder, and egg in a bowl; use your hands to mix well.  Form meat into balls and brown in skillet on all sides.  Pour in soups and can of milk.  Mix well.  Let simmer for 15-20 minutes.  Serve over rice, egg noodles, or mashed potatoes.

MARISA'S SWEDISH MEATBALLS

What you need:
1-1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
2/3 cups bread crumbs
1 egg
1/2 small onion, chopped finely
3 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 small can evaporated milk
1/2 tsp. olive oil
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 large can evaporated milk, or one cup heavy whipping cream
salt and pepper to taste
small splash Worcestershire sauce

How to do it:
Combine ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, onion, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and small can of evaporated milk; mix with hands.  Roll into balls.  Warm olive oil in large skillet.  Place meatballs in oil and brown on all sides.  (These can also be baked in the oven at 350° for 20 minutes, then turn and continue baking for 10-15 minutes.)  Remove from skillet and drain on paper towels.  Wipe remaining oil out of skillet.  Pour soups and large can of evaporated milk into skillet.  Add salt and pepper (I usually add at least 1/4 tsp. pepper), and splash of Worcestershire sauce.  Whisk together until combined.  Place meatballs in sauce and simmer for 20-30 minutes.  Serve over rice, egg noodles, or mashed potatoes.

How to freeze it:
Cook meatballs as described above.  Combine soups, milk, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce in a bowl.  Pour sauce into Ziploc bag; add meatballs.  Lay flat and freeze.  Or, double meatballs and lay on a cookie sheet to flash freeze.  Place in freezer for 25 minutes or until hard to the touch.  Divide them up and place in two to three freezer-safe bags.  Return to freezer until ready for use.  (Use the meatballs in spaghetti, barbecue, or Swedish cream sauces.)  Place sauce in a separate bag, lay flat and freeze until use.

When ready to cook, let thaw and pour meatballs and sauce into crock-pot, or skillet.  Cover and cook in crock-pot for four hours, or in skillet for 40-60 minutes (better, and more tender if longer).  Serve as described above.

Salsa chicken

My sister told me about this recipe.  It's super easy to make and tastes so good!

SALSA CHICKEN

What you need:

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 jar salsa
Shredded cheddar cheese
12-14 tortillas
Butter, melted

How you do it:

Place chicken in crock pot. (I prefer to cook it first.) Pour jar of salsa over chicken. Cover and cook for 4-6 hours on high, or 8-10 hours on low. When one hour remains of cook time, remove chicken and shred, then return to crock pot. When chicken is finished cooking, place a small amount of chicken and cheese in a tortilla and roll up the tortilla, place it in a greased 9x13 baking dish. Repeat until all chicken is used. Brush tops of tortillas with melted butter and bake for 20 minutes at 350°.

Hamburger Skillet Casserole

HAMBURGER SKILLET CASSEROLE

What you need:
1 lb. hamburger
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. curry
1/4 tsp. cumin
3 large stalks celery, sliced
3 medium potatoes, sliced think
4 medium carrots, sliced thick
1 can string beans
2 cans cream of mushroom soup

How you do it:
Brown hamburger and onion and drain off grease. Add salt, oregano, pepper, curry, and cumin to cooked meat. Add celery, potatoes, and carrots on top of meat in layers. Add juice of string beans, and cook about 15 minutes covered. Cook slowly (I cook mine for another 15 minutes). Add can of string beans and cans of cream of mushroom soup over top. Cook 5 minutes more. May need to add a little water. Freezes well. Serves 8.

Notes from me:
I have never had to add water. I also omit the celery; not because we don't like it but because I usually don't have it on hand. And, finally, I stir it all together before serving.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

I had this soup at a church meeting at the end of September ... and have since made it three times. It is so yummy!

CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP

What you need:

2-3 frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 large can diced tomatoes
1 or 2 cans cream of chicken soup (I've always used two)
1 cup favorite salsa
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1 can black beans (you can rinse, but it's not necessary; I also used two cans)
1 can mild green chiles (once I didn't have this, so I put in an extra 1/2 cup of salsa and the soup was much spicier)
1 can corn
sour cream
tortillas, or tortilla chips

Put everything but sour cream and tortillas/tortilla chips in crock pot and cook on low for 8 hours. Remove chicken from soup after 8 hours and shred. Return shredded chiken to soup and serve with sour cream, tortillas/tortilla chips or fresh salsa. To make a thicker soup add more chicken.

I've always added the sour cream to the whole pot before serving. We also recently had this over baked potatoes and that was equally yummy!

Chicken Wild Rice Soup

Just had to include pictures of my little girl enjoying this soup.

This is a soup that we were introduced to when we moved here five years ago. It is so yummy! We actually were served this at a friend's house, then we were brought two different versions after our first son was born. And, all three recipes were so different. After we tried all of them, we decided on one that would make it onto "the list." If you have no idea was wild rice is, it is the rice that is almost black in color, and slightly longer than white rice. After it is cooked, it almost looks like cooked shrimp ... the shell splits and the soft flesh pokes out of one side of the grain. When I first had wild rice I literally thought it looked like there were bugs in my soup. The texture is a little chewy because the hull is still in tact. And, while it is cooking, there is a definite smell that is not similar to regular white rice. But, it has more nutritional value that white rice because of the hull. (Plus, my little 10mo LOVED this soup. She was literally crying and screaming when I couldn't get it to her fast enough.)

CHICKEN WILD RICE SOUP

What you need:
1 cup wild rice
1 cup carrots, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1 cup onion, chopped
1 pkg. fresh mushrooms, sliced
chicken, cooked & diced or shredded
(choose how much chicken you want, I use about 4-6 chicken breasts)
1 1/2 cans chicken broth
8 1/2 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups half & half
2 cups whipping cream
1 lb. Velveeta, cubed
1/2 - 1 cup sliced almonds

How you do it:
Cook rice in 1 1/2 cans chicken broth. In a large pot, saute veggies in butter. Add flour and cook for 5 minues, stirring constantly. Add half & half, and whipping cream; stir until slightly thickened. Add 8 1/2 cups chicken broth and Velveeta. When Velveeta is melted add rice, chicken, and almonds. Let simmer (without boiling) for 15 minutes or until warmed through.

Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Soup

As with most of my recipes, I can only alter or combine recipes that I know I already like. Such is the case with this one. I was going to make White Chili, but didn't have the green chilies. So, I altered it and it tasted so much like Chicken Enchiladas, that I decided to keep it and share it.

CHEESY CHICKEN ENCHILADA SOUP

What you need:

4 chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 pkg. chicken taco seasoning
1 onion, chopped
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 cans white beans
1 can petite diced tomatoes, drained really well
1 can chicken broth (I used homemade broth that I made using this method. I love that the veggies are in the broth since that's what my children mostly ate. Yum!)
1 lb. Velveeta, cut into cubes
1 to 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese, mexican blend
Tortilla chips

How you do it:

Combine all ingredients. Let simmer until warm. Serve with tortilla chips.

Bubble Up Pizza Casserole

I got this recipe from my sister-in-law, and my children LOVE it! So easy, and so perfect for those pizza-craving-nights.

BUBBLE-UP PIZZA CASSEROLE

What you need:

1 lb. ground beef
2 tsp. onion powder, or
1 onion, chopped
16 oz. tomato sauce, or
8 oz. tomato sauce, 12 oz. tomato paste & 12 oz. water
1/2 tsp. dried basil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
15 oz. biscuits (I use just 10 oz. and cut them into fourths)
1 1/4 cups mozzarella cheese (I use 1 part mozz, and 2 parts cheddar because the majority of my family is lactose intollerant)

How you do it:

Preheat oven to 350° and lightly grease a 9x13-inch casserole dish. Brown ground beef. Add onion powder, garlic, tomato sauce, basil 7 Italian seasoning. Add biscuits; stir gently until giscuits are covered. Pour into prepared casserole dish. Bake for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake an additional 10 minutes or until biscuits are done. Allowt o cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Edited to add: I'm posting this one again because I added pictures. Like I said in the original post ... it's not the most aesthetically pleasing casserole when on the plate, but it sure is delicious!

For this one, I took the ingredients from one recipe and combined them with the method for a different recipe. And, it was a huge hit with my family ... seriously, we ate the whole pan even though we probably shouldn't have done so. That's why there aren't any pictures ... um, I didn't know it would be so good, and then it was gone before I thought to get pictures. Plus, it's not the most aesthetically pleasing casserole ... so, just trust me, it's really yummy!

CHICKEN ENCHILADA CASSEROLE

What you need:
2 cups chicken, cooked and diced
1 pkg. chicken taco seasoning
1/2 to 1 cup water
2 1/2 cups shredded cheese, divided
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 (16 oz.) carton sour cream
5-6 flour tortillas, cut into strips or rectangles (also try with corn or wheat, yum!)

How you do it:
Cook together chicken, taco seasoning and water in pan on medium heat to cook off liquid. When liquid is almost gone, pour chicken into bowl and mix together with 1/2 cup cheese, cream of chicken soup and sour cream. Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish. Layer 1/2 of tortillas, 1 cup cheese, and 1/2 of chicken mixture. Repeat layers. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes, or until bubbly. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

How you freeze it:
Before casserole is combined, line pan with lightly sprayed foil. Be sure to extend foil over the handles or short ends of the pan to help with easy removal. Assemble casserole. Place in freezer until frozen. Remove from pan, cover top with lightly sprayed foil, place in 2 gallon freezer bag. When ready to cook, place casserole in pan and let thaw in refrigerator overnight. Place directly in oven, then turn on oven to 350° and bake for 45 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Marinated Grilled Steak

This picture really doesn't do this any good ... but, trust me this was fantastic!

MARINATED GRILLED STEAK

What you need:

Steak (I used around 5.5 lbs. top sirloin)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 pkg. fajita seasoning
1 pkg. McCormick Grill Mates Montreal Steak seasoning
1 pkg. Italian dressing mix
1 can Sprite
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

How you do it:

Trim steak of any fat you don't want. Slice steak into strips about 1/2-inch thick. Be sure to cut cross-grain ... this tenderizes the meat so your teeth don't have to. In a gallon-size Ziploc bag, mix together garlic, and seasoning packets. Pour in Sprite and Worcestershire sauce. Shake to blend together. Add steak strips. Seal bag removing air as best as you can. Massage the steak for about 30 seconds. Place in fridge for at least six hours. Remove bag and massage steak every hour if possible. Heat grill and place steak on grill at low heat. Grill for about 3-5 minutes each side.

Chicken Casserole

This is one of my all-time favs, even though it may not look so good. I remember grabbing some of this before heading to a football game in high school, and it hit the spot on a frosty fall night. Trust me, although the ingredients seem a little strange to put together, it is so yummy.

CHICKEN CASSEROLE

What you need:

2 cups chicken, cooked and diced

1 to 1 1/2 cups rice, cooked

4-6 hard boiled eggs, diced

2 cans cream of chicken soup

1 cup Miracle Whip (DO NOT use mayonnaise, there is a HUGE difference)

1 cup sliced almonds

How you do it:

Mix together all ingredients except almonds. Use more Miracle Whip if it seems a little dry. Use more rice to extend the casserole for more servings. Pour mixture into a 9x13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with almonds. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes, or until bubble and almonds are slightly browned. Serve.

How you freeze it:

Omit eggs. Mix together and place in freezer-safe ziploc bag. When ready to bake, let thaw completely. Make hard boiled eggs and fold into thawed casserole. Pour into 9x13-inch baking dish and sprinkle with almonds. Bake at 350° for 30-40 minutes.

Alfredo Chicken

I got this recipe in the mail. My husband raved and raved about the chicken. I just thought, "Thanks, but it was so easy and I didn't do anything special to it at all." It really was better than I anticipated.


CHICKEN ALFREDO

What you need:

1/4 cup flour
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. olive oil, divided
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. onion, minced
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. coarsely chopped fresh parsley

How to do it:


Preheat oven to 375°. Place flour in a shallow dish or pie plate. Sprinkle chicken with salt and coat with flour. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add chicken; cook, turning once, until golden, 2-4 minutes per side. Remove chicken from skillet; place in a 9x13 baking dish. Heat remaining oil (1 tsp) in same skillet over medium heat until hot. Add garlic and onion; cook until garlic is fragrant and onion is tender, 1-2 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high; add whipping cream, Parmesan and pepper. Cook until sauce is bubbly and slightly thickened, 2-3 minutes. Spoon sauce over chicken in dish. Bake chicken until an instant-read thermometer inserted in center of chicken registers 180°, 8-12 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley.

Step by Step:

After coating the chicken in flour, and heating the oil, add the chicken to the skillet. Make sure the oil is good and hot; when the oil is hot enough the flour won't absorb the oil.

Now add the chicken to the dish. No need to spray the dish before adding the chicken.

Make the sauce in the same skillet in which you cooked the chicken. I doubled the sauce because we decided to serve our chicken with pasta. It's super good without the pasta.

Bake the chicken for 8-12 minutes (total time including prep is about 30-40 minutes), then serve. I omitted the parsley because we didn't have any, and I added some extra Alfredo sauce atop the chicken. Oh, and it is so good that my husband and I had to split the leftover chicken breast so we could each have some for lunch this week. (Okay, okay, we fought over it and ended up in a compromise.)

Pot Roast Test

Recently, I saw a recipe for cooking a pot roast and thought I'd try it, comparing it to my favorite recipe. A few years ago I used to make pot roast very similar to this new recipe. I'd put my roast in the crock-pot, then toss some cut-up potatoes, carrots, and onions atop the roast. Let it cook, and voila! dinner in a pot. However, my roast was usually dry, and flavorless. And, forget about making a gravy ... everytime I did it was really gross!


My favorite recipe I found a while ago and I've been using it for some time now. But, like with any favorite recipe, it can get old, so I thought I'd try the recipe included with the box of slow cooker liners. Here are the differences between the two recipes and which way I liked best:


Recipe #1-Slow Cooker Liner Recipe

Okay, this recipe says to put 1/4 cup water into the crock-pot, then add the cut-up veggies. I added some green pepper and garlic to my crock-pot. Then it says to sprinkle on the dry onion soup mix.


Recipe #2-My Favorite Recipe

In my favorite recipe, I only put onions in the pot. Sometimes I'll put some celery in the pot first so the roast can rest on it. Then, I'll put in the roast and place the onions around and atop the roast. I'll slice up my garlic and place all of it atop the roast. (I prepare the roast differently too, and I'll get to that.)



Recipe #1

In the new recipe, it said to sprinkle salt, pepper, and thyme on the roast and rub it in. Which I did, then I deviated from the recipe and browned my roast on all sides to seal in the moisture. Then, place the roast atop the veggies and let it cook for 5-6 hours on high.


Recipe #2

What I do differently in my favorite recipe is brown the roast on all sides, then I sprinkle the salt and pepper, and rosemary and thyme on the roast after I've placed it in the pot atop the celery. After I put the onions and garlic in the pot, I pour in 1-2 cans of beef broth, or about 2-3 cups water and a few cubes of beef bouillon. And, I pour it down the side of the pot so as not to wash the seasonings off the meat.



The verdict:


Recipe #1

I love having the entire dinner in one pot and not having to do any extra work after cutting everything up. The veggies had a lot of flavor, although the potatoes had a bitter aftertaste that I wasn't a fan of. The children really liked the potatoes though, so that was a bonus. I thought the roast would have a lot of flavor, but I was disappointed. It was dry and had a little bit of flavor, but not as much as I thought it would


Recipe #2

By far, it is still my favorite. True, I end up making mashed potatoes and candied carrots when I make my roast this way, but it tastes much better. There is so much more flavor in my roast, and the gravy is always yummy. Plus, the meat is moist and not dry at all.


So, the next time I make a roast with veggies in the pot, I'll place the roast on the bottom of the pot with the veggies atop it. Then, I'll add some beef broth to the pot. I think my roast was so dry because my veggies soaked up all the liquid.

Anyone have another favorite way to make pot-roast?

Fiesta Chicken Enchiladas

This week's Table Time Tuesday is a recipe I tried back in July when I got my Kraft Food & Family magazine. I used leftover grilled chicken for my filling. We also put sour cream atop our enchiladas and I really liked it that way. Anyway, here's the recipe:

What you need:

1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
4 cooked small chicken breasts (about 1 lb.), shredded
1 cup salsa, divided
4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) cream cheese, cubed
1 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 cup shredded cheddar & monterey jack Cheese, divided
8 flour tortillas

How you do it:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat large skillet spayed with cooking spray on medium heat. Add onions and garlic; cook and stir 2 min. Add chicken, 1/4 cup of the salsa, cream cheese, cilantro and cumin; mix well. Cook until heated through, stirring occasionally. Add 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese; mix well. Spoon about 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture onto each tortilla; roll up. Place, seam-side down, in 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray; top with remaining 3/4 cup salsa and remaining 1/2 cup shredded cheese. Bake 15 to 20 min. or until heated through.

Pasta!

Today is Table Time Tuesday! I know, I know, I haven’t posted a new recipe is two weeks. That’s why this post is just called: Pasta!

A few years ago, my friend’s husband taught me how to make two different pasta sauces. I’ve already shared one (I call it: Chunky Red Pasta Sauce), and now I’ll share the other one (of course with my modifications), plus one of my own creation.

This first one is an alfredo sauce (or as my family calls it, “white sauce”). If you like alfredo sauce, this is the sauce for you! Well, that is if you want to gain a few pounds. It is rich, creamy, and THE BEST homemade alfredo sauce I’ve ever had, if I do say so myself. We prefer it over the bottled sauces you can buy in the store. And, when I’m in a time crunch, or I just can’t think of anything to make for dinner, I make this and it’s on the table in at least 20 minutes, sometimes sooner.
ALFREDO SAUCE

What you need:

¼ cup butter
1 clove garlic, minced or chopped finely
¼ cup flour
½ tsp. salt
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded (fresh is best)
½ tsp. basil
Dash of pepper
¼ cup frozen peas, optional
¼ to ½ cup water from pasta, optional
Pasta (my favorites are linguine, mini penne, or mini farfalle)

How you do it:

Saute garlic in butter in saucepan until butter is melted and garlic is soft. Whisk in flour and salt, and cook until bubbly. Continue stirring the roux for 3-5 minutes. Slowly, pour in whipping cream, stir until thickened, then add Parmesan cheese. When cheese is melted, add basil, pepper and peas. If sauce is too thick, add water from the cooking pasta (be sure to reserve the water if your pasta is finished cooking before your sauce is ready). Serve over pasta.

Tips:
· Always, always, always taste this sauce before you serve it. My measurements aren’t exact because I usually make it according to taste, so you may want more parm or more salt.

· When you cook pasta, do not rinse it off after you have drained it. Rinsing it releases the starches and makes the pasta really sticky. All you need to do is drain it, then pour about 1-2 tsp. of olive oil (depending on how much pasta you cook) over the pasta and toss it. That keeps the pasta from sticking together.

· You can keep this sauce in the fridge for about a week. I haven’t tried freezing it yet; but, I think it will separate even more than it does when it is in the fridge. The trick to avoid major separation is to scrap reheating in the microwave and just heat it up on the stove on a low heat. Slowly reheating the sauce will prevent the fat from separating the sauce. (I do reheat it in the microwave sometimes and it seems to be fine … I think that’s because there is flour in this recipe as opposed to other recipes that just combine butter, cream and Parmesan cheese.)

· If you don’t have, or use, a garlic press (I prefer not to), here’s how to get that pesky peel off the garlic clove (which, btw, is just one little bulb off the head of garlic you’ll end up getting in the produce section at the store): Place the clove on the cutting board on one of its flat sides. Take a wide-bladed knife and place it atop the clove. Hit the knife with the heel of your hand really hard, and push down on the clove. This should smash the clove a little bit … and that separates the peel from the clove. The peel should come right off, then you can chop up the clove (fair warning: garlic is sticky when it’s chopped).

· Try adding chicken, or pork to this … it’s really yummy.

---

Now, onto sauce number two! This is one that I kind of made up. I’d gone to an Italian restaurant in our little Podunk town and the dinner I got was ravioli in a tomato-cream sauce. If you’ve not had tomato-cream sauce, you are totally missing out! It is so yummy! Anyway, when I asked what the sauce was like before ordering, the waitress told me that it was basically alfredo sauce mixed with marinara. So, I did some experimenting at home and came up with my Tomato-Cream Sauce (or “orange sauce” as my family calls it). My only problem is that I haven’t been able to scale down this recipe. I’ve tried other recipes for tomato-cream sauce, and I keep coming back to this one; so maybe one day I’ll figure out how to make a smaller amount.

TOMATO-CREAM SAUCE

What you need:

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 small onion, chopped; or
½ tsp. onion powder
½ tsp. garlic salt/powder (I use granulated garlic)
1 (12 oz.) can tomato paste
1 can tomato soup
½ can water
½ tsp. oregano, ground
½ tsp. salt
Dash of pepper
½ cup butter
2 garlic cloves, minced or chopped finely
½ cup flour
1 tsp. salt
4 cups heavy whipping cream
¾ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
1 tsp. dried basil leaves
½ cup water from pasta

How you do it:

Brown ground beef and onion until beef is no longer pink and onion is soft. Sprinkle ground beef with garlic salt (and onion powder if you don’t use an onion). Add tomato paste, soup, ½ can water, salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add oregano and simmer 10 more minutes. While sauce simmers, melt butter in separate saucepan. Add garlic and cook for 5 minutes. Whisk in flour and salt and cook until bubbly, stirring constantly. Cook for 3-5 minutes. Pour in cream and whisk together. Stir until thickened. Add cheese and basil. Sauce will be very thick. Add water from cooked pasta. Combine white sauce and red sauce according to taste. Serve over pasta.

Cheesy Chicken Noodle Soup

Okay, so I know I should probably wait until next Tuesday to post this recipe, but we had this tonight for dinner and it was so good I just couldn't wait to pass it along! You know when a recipe is good when your husband takes one bite and says, "Ooh, this is good." Anyway, enjoy!

CHEESY CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

What you need:
4 chicken breasts
2 celery stalks, sliced
1 onion, chopped
1 lb. carrots, sliced
2 cans cream of chicken soup
8-10 oz. Velveeta, cubed
16 oz. frozen peas
1 (12 oz.) bag Reemes frozen egg noodles

(Optional: 1-2 cans chicken broth)

How you do it:
Cook chicken in boiling water for 30 minutes. Remove chicken and strain cooking water, replacing the water in the pot. Add celery, onion, and carrots to pot. Let cook until tender. Add cut-up chicken, cream of chicken soup, egg noodles and Velveeta. Let simmer until Velveeta is melted. Throw in the peas before serving.

What I did differently than above:
I used 2 cans chicken broth instead of the chicken water. I also used probably 13 ounces of Velveeta, and instead of the frozen egg noodles I used some mini fusili. I cooked the fusili separate from the soup, then added it later ... this made the soup thinner and more like a soup. (The first time I had this soup it was at a soup potluck and it was pretty creamy, almost stew-like.)

White Chili

I started a tradition a few years ago: chili for dinner on Halloween night. The first couple of times I did this, I tried two different recipes and we weren’t really keen on either. Then, I had this White Chili at my friend’s house during a card exchange. So, I got the recipe from my friend, and the last couple of years this is what we’ve had for our traditional Halloween Chili Dinner. It’s super yummy … you just have to try it.

WHITE CHILI

What you need:

2 lbs. chicken, cooked and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 onion, diced
1 lb. Velveeta, cubed
½ lb. Monterey Jack cheese, cubed
1 can white corn, or 1 cup frozen corn
1-3 cans tomatoes with green chilies, drained really well*
2 cans white beans (great northern)
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 can chicken broth

*This is what makes it spicy; the more cans you use, the spicier it will be.

How you do it:

Combine all ingredients. Let simmer until warmed through. Serve with tortilla chips.

Semi-Step by Step:

I’ve combined my steps. The following are in the pot: chicken, onion, Velveeta, Monterey Jack cheese, and frozen corn.

Now I’ve added: 1 can petite diced tomatoes, 1 can diced green chilies (this is how I control the spiciness), 2 cans great northern beans, and 2 cans cream of chicken soup.

Note: The first time I made this I did not drain my tomatoes and the chili turned out a very orange color (not very aesthetically pleasing … totally made me lose my appetite). So, since then, I get out my strainer and get rid of as much liquid as possible (both the tomatoes and the chilies). Seriously, it makes a difference.

Then, I poured in the chicken broth and stirred it together.

I let it simmer for a few hours, then I couldn’t wait for the trick-or-treaters to come home before I dug in. My favorite chips with this are the scoop-like tortilla chips. My friend, who gave me the recipe, served this with Fritos.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

(*Side note: I apologize for the time stamp in all of the pictures ... I still haven't figured out how to get that to go away!)

I first had this shortly after my husband and I were married and my sister-in-law served it to us. I had no idea how to make it at home until then. My sister-in-law took her chicken breasts to the butcher at the grocery store and had him tenderize the chicken breasts for her. But, we liked it so much, we invested in a meat mallet so we could do it ourselves. (Yes, WE; my husband has made this before.) It's actually a lot of fun to make when I'm stressed out or upset about something! Hee hee.

What you need:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 deli-thin ham slices
4 deli-thin Swiss cheese slices
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 1/2 cups cornflake crumbs (more or less)
toothpicks
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
rice

How you do it:

Tenderize the chicken breasts. Place one slice ham and one slice Swiss cheese in middle of chicken breast. Roll up and secure with toothpicks. Beat egg and milk together; dip chicken in egg mixture, then roll in cornflake crumbs. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes, or until chicken is done. Meanwhile, make rice, and heat together soup and cream cheese. Serve chicken and rice with gravy.

Step By Step:

First, start by placing your chicken breast on a piece of parchment paper. Make sure the parchment paper is large enough to fold over the chicken breasts. I have used waxed paper in the past, but it gets torn apart by the mallet much faster than the parchment paper, so I can usually only tenderize two chicken breasts for each sheet of wax paper, but on parchment paper I can get through four or so.

Fold over the parchment paper, hand the meat tenderizer mallet to your 8yo and let her go at it! Or, if you prefer (or don't have an 8yo to do it for you), start pounding away. Make sure you tenderize the thickest part of the chicken the most, and don't hit it too much in the super thin areas because you'll break apart the meat.

Once you've tenderized all your chicken breasts, place a thin slice of ham in the middle of each chicken breast.

Place a deli-thin slice of Swiss cheese atop the ham. And, I thought we took pictures of the next step, but I guess we didn't. I start by folding in the sides of the chicken, and the bottom. Then, you roll it up and secure it with two to three toothpicks. Set it aside.

Here's a trick to really good coating. Beat one egg in a bowl. Add 1/2 cup evaporated milk, and mix together really well. Set it aside. This mixture helps the crumbs to stick to the chicken better than just milk, melted butter, or a beaten egg.

Pour some cornflake crumbs in a dish. You can use bread crumbs if you prefer. I like the crunchiness of the cornflake crumbs. I used to find a box of cornflake crumbs at the grocery store when we lived in Utah, so for the last five years I've been crushing my own crumbs (which is fine, except the flakes are either not finely crushed enough, or they are too powdery). However, the last time I was at the store, I saw a box of cornflake crumbs in the baking aisle ... if you can't find them, be sure to check the bottom shelf (seems like all the goodies are down there).

Take your rolled up chicken and dip it into the egg-milk mixture.

Roll the chicken in the cornflake crumbs. This can get a little messy. I usually use my right hand for the dipping, and my left hand for the rolling. And, after I place the chicken in the pie dish (with my right hand), I roll it slightly on its side, then take a spoon (in my left hand) and scoop some crumbs on the top of the chicken, then I roll it with my left hand and pick it up to press the ends in the crumbs.

Place the chicken in a 9x13 baking dish and bake at 350° for 45 minutes, or until chicken is thoroughly cooked.

*Tip: I always use a foil-lined baking dish. Everyone has their own tricks to line the dish, but I've found this most effective: rinse the dish with water and semi-dry it before lining it with foil. The wetness left in the dish (not too much) will make the foil stick to the dish instead of moving around every time you place a chicken in there.

I like to serve my chicken cordon bleu with rice and a gravy. The gravy is so basic and yummy: one can cream of chicken soup, and one (8 oz.) package of cream cheese. Heat it up and pour it over the chicken and rice.

*Tip: It's easiest if you remove the toothpicks before you pour on the gravy or cut the chicken. Also, if you use colored toothpicks (like I did), your chicken will be slightly colored where the toothpicks were. Don't worry, it's not bad chicken, just food coloring!

Zuppa Toscana Soup

Our family went to a friend's soup pot luck on Saturday night. I wasn't in the mood to make any of my regular soup recipes. That's usually how I work ... either I get a recipe suggested from a friend, or I try out a new recipe on a bunch of people (just in case we don't like it so we won't have to keep a ton of leftovers in the fridge that we won't end up eating).

Anyway, for some reason I thought it would be interesting to see if I could find a recipe to replicate the Zuppa Toscana soup served at Olive Garden. So, I tried this recipe; and it turned out pretty similar and very yummy. (In fact, one of the guys there asked if I was trying to win a prize [we'd just won "most original chili" at a chili cook-off].) This is definitely worth trying if you like that spicy sausage and potato soup.

Zuppa Toscana

1 lb. ground spicy Italian sausage, crumbled

1/2 lb. smoked bacon (6 slices), chopped

1 qt. water

2 (14.5 oz.) cans chicken broth (about 3 2/3 cups)

2 large russet potatoes, scrubbed clean and sliced 1/4-inch thick

2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed or minced

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cups chopped kale or swiss chard (I couldn't find either at the grocery store, so I used spinach)

1 cup heavy whipping cream (I added probably about another 1/2 cup)

salt & pepper, to taste

In a skillet over medium-high heat, brown sausage, breaking into small pieces as you fry it; drain, set aside. In the same skillet over medium-high heat, brown bacon; drain, set aside. Place water, broth, potatoes, garlic, and onion in a pot; simmer over medium heat until potatoes are tender. Add sausage and bacon to pot; simmer for 10 minutes. Add kale and cream to pot; season with salt and pepper; heat through.

Easy Zesty Chicken Pot Pie

This week there are two TTT posts because I skipped out last week. This one is dedicated to a super easy chicken pot pie. Papa LOVES this pot pie for the flavor; I LOVE this pot pie for the simplicity.

ZESTY CHICKEN POT PIE

12 oz (1 1/2 [8 oz.] pkgs.) cream cheese, cubed

1/2 cup chicken broth

3 cups choped cooked chicken

2 pkgs. (10 oz.) frozen mixed veggies, thawed*

1 pkg. Italian salad dressing mix

1 refrigerated ready-to-use pie crust**

Preheat oven to 425°. Place cream cheese in large saucepan. Add broth; cook on low heat until cream cheese is completely melted, stirring frequently with wire whisk. Stir in chicken, veggies & salad dressing mix. Spoon into 9-inch pie plate. Cover wtih pie crust; seal and flute edges. Cut several slits in crust to allow steam to escape. Place pie plate on baking sheet. Bake 20-25 minuets or until golden brown.

Serves: 8

*I use a peas & carrots mixture for the veggies.

**The first time I made this, I used two pie crusts, placing one in the pie dish before pouring in the filling. I actually prefer it this way.

Una and I had fun using my mini cookie cutters (I originally got these to cut out marzipan shapes for a birthday cake) to make a design in the pie crust instead of just cutting slits.

I also skipped reading the part about placing the pie dish on a cookie sheet .... big OOPS! This is a must, unless you want to clean your oven at least three times over the next few days. (That's why my cookie sheet looks so clean ... I realized when I started smelling burned filling that I needed the cookie sheet and slid it under the pie a little bit too late.)