Foil-Pack Taco Chicken

This is really nice for a quick and easy dinner and it makes a my camping husband loves it for his tin foil dinners.

4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb.)
4 tsp. Taco Seasoning Mix
1/2 lb. red potatoes, thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
3/4 cup Shredded Mexican Style Cheese
1/2 cup Salsa
1/4 cup Sour Cream

Heat oven to 400°F. Sprinkle chicken with seasoning mix. Prepare four large sheets of heavy-duty foil by spraying with cooking spray. Place 1/2 cup potatoes on center of each sheet of foil; top with chicken, cheese and salsa.

Bring up foil sides. Double fold top and both ends to seal each packet, leaving room for heat circulation inside. Place in 15x10x1-inch baking pan.

Bake 30 to 35 min. or until chicken is cooked through (165°F). Cool 5 min. Cut slits in foil to release steam before opening. Top with sour cream.

Prep Time:10 min

Total Time:50 min

Makes:4 servings

Recipe courtesy of Kraft Foods

Macaroni and Cheese

Now I don't normally like macaroni and cheese but this is SO yummy!


1 pound short pasta, such as cavatappi or macaroni
Coarse salt
6 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups milk
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 cups shredded (12 ounces) sharp white cheddar cheese
1 cup finely grated (2 ounces) Parmesan cheese
3 cups very coarse fresh breadcrumbs

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water 1 to 2 minutes less than package instructions. Drain, rinse with cool water, and return to pot.

Meanwhile, heat 4 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add flour; cook, whisking, 1 minute. Add milk, cayenne, nutmeg, and 2 teaspoons salt; bring to a simmer. Cook, whisking, until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk in cheeses until smooth. Pour over pasta; toss to coat. Divide among baking dishes.
Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter; toss with breadcrumbs. Sprinkle over pasta. Cover tightly with plastic wrap; freeze up to 3 months.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake uncovered until golden and bubbling, 20 to 30 minutes.

Prep: 20 minutes
Total: 1 hour 40 minutes

Recipe courtesy of Martha Stewart Everyday

Chicken Parmesan

This is a super yummy recipe that can be found on page 91 of 101 Things To Do With A Slow Cooker.

**This was an original post when our blog was opened up to several authors. The recipe was not given, but you can buy the book for about $10 at Deseret Book Store. Trimble says it is well worth the investment. I have attached a recipe for a Parmesan Chicken that came from a class I took at church. I haven't tried it yet, but it sounds good and it looks like it could resemble the picture above.**

Parmesan Chicken
1 envelope onion soup mix
1 1/2 cup milk
2 cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 cup converted long-grain white rice
6 boneless skinlesschicken breast halves
1/4 cup butter, cut in bits
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese


Combine the onion soup mix, milk, mushroom soup, and rice in a bowl or large measuring cup. Place chicken breasts in bottom of greased crockpot. Top with butter. Pour soup mixture over top.

Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and parmesan. Cover; cook on low for 8-10 hours, or on high for 4-6 hours. When serving on plate, sprinkle a small amount of parmesan cheese over top.

Indoor S'Mores

I got this recipe off the Golden Grahams cereal box. It comes together in about 10 minutes. You can eat it warm & gooey or cool it in the fridge & eat it later. It's also great to take to a potluck or picnic.

It's not good for you, it's not healthy - but it's SOOOOO yummy!!

Golden Grahams Indoor S'Mores

8 cups Golden Grahams cereal (or 1 12-oz box)

5 cups mini marshmallows

1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

1/4 cup light corn syrup

5 Tablespoons butter or margarine

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup mini marshmallows, if desired

1. Into a large bowl, measure cereal. Set aside. Butter 9x13" pan.

2. In a large microwavable bowl, microwave 5 cups marshmallows, the chocolate chips, corn syrup & butter uncovered on HIGH for 2-3 minutes. Stir after every minute. Stop cooking when mixture is melted & smooth when stirred.

3. Stir in vanilla.

4. Pour over cereal; quickly toss until completely coated. Stir in 1 cup marshmallows, if desired.

5. Press mixture evenly into buttered pan using back of buttered spoon. Let stand uncovered at least 1 hour, or refrigerate if you prefer a firmer bar.

For squares, cut into 6 rows by 4 rows. Store loosely covered at room temperature up to 2 days.

STOVE-TOP DIRECTIONS:

1. See above

2. In 3 quart saucepan, heat 5 cups marshmallows, the chocolate chips, corn syrup & butter over low heat, stirring occasionally, until melted; remove from heat.

3. Stir in vanilla.

4. Continue as directed above.

Kathryn's Breakfast Burritos

I made these for myself one morning when I was hungry! They're lighter than the normal breakfast burritos due to the black beans, green sauce & scrambled egg-whites. They're the yummiest breakfast burrito I'VE ever had. :)

Kathryn's Breakfast Burritos
(for 1 person)

1-2 tortillas, cooked or warmed (I prefer the cook-your-own kind from Costco, but I've used regular flour and corn tortillas too)
2 egg whites (keep the yolks if you want more protein), scrambled
2 spoonfuls canned black beans, drained but not rinsed & heated
1/2 green onion, chopped
Tomatillo (green) sauce
Grated cheddar cheese

Layer all in tortilla, roll it up & enjoy!

Chicken California

I got this recipe from our ward cookbook about 10 years ago. (I'm not sure where the name came from!) It's similar to chicken enchiladas in the way it's made, but the ingredients are much different. It's mild in flavor & great to make when you're taking dinner to someone.

You can freeze individual portions (2-4 tortillas) for later. They're great to take to work & heat up in the microwave for lunch.

You can spice it up by adding diced chiles inside, or make it healthier by adding minced broccoli & julienned carrots inside.

My husband likes the regular recipe with hot salsa & corn on top. (pic below)

The kids & I enjoy it with sides of broccoli & corn.

I always make a double batch for our family. 20-21 tortillas fit in my lasagna-size dish. We'll usually have 4 or 5 leftover (if I can stop my husband from cleaning out the pan!).

I hope this becomes one of your family's favorites too! :)

CHICKEN CALIFORNIA

4 T butter
4 T flour
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
2 cups milk
2 cups chicken, cooked & shredded or cut into bite-size pieces
2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, grated
1 dozen flour tortillas
2 T chopped parsley

1) Preheat oven to 350*.

2) Measure flour, salt & pepper into small bowl.

3) Melt butter in saucepan over low heat. Add flour/salt/pepper all at once. Whisk until mixed well.
4) Cook over low heat, stirring until mixture is smooth & bubbly.
5) SLOWLY stir in milk, whisking constantly, and heat to boiling. Continue stirring until smooth & thickened.

6) Reserve half of sauce, set aside. (I usually pour the sauce from the pan into a 4 cup Pyrex measure - the kind with a spout & handle. It's easier to pour into the tortillas that way.)
7) Put a spoonful each of chicken, cheese and sauce in each tortilla, then roll up enchilada-style. Lay side-by-side in a 9x13” pan.

8) Spread remaining sauce evenly over top of rolled tortillas. Sprinkle with remaining cheese & chopped parsley.
9) Bake uncovered at 350* for 20-25 mins.

Enchiladas

This recipe is from a friend from Garden Grove. It is her mom's recipe.

I halved the recipe and I also sprinkled cheese on top also.

Linda's Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

18 Soft taco size flour tortillas
1 Costco chicken, de-boned and shredded
3 Cans of condensed cream of chicken soup
2 Cups of sour cream
½ Medium onion, finely chopped
1 large (8oz.?) can diced Ortega chilies
1 Can chopped olives
1 ¼ tsp. Cumin, divided (¾ tsp. and ½ tsp.)
4 cups shredded cheese, divided (2 cups and 2 cups)
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large mixing bowl add the shredded chicken, onion, Ortega chilies, olives, ¾ tsp. cumin, 2 cups shredded cheese, and salt and pepper to taste. In a separate mixing bowl combine the cream of chicken soup, sour cream, 2 cups of cheese, and ½ tsp. cumin. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Now before you start rolling up the enchiladas, you should know that this is a BIG recipe and makes one- ½ sheet pan or 2- 9x13 pans. With that in mind, spread a thin layer of the sauce on the bottom of your pans. Get a tortilla and add about ½ cup of the chicken filling to your tortilla, roll it up, and place in the pan seem side down. Repeat until all of the tortillas are used up. Spoon the remaining sauce over the enchiladas making sure to spread sauce around the sides of the pan and with the back of a spoon push sauce in between each enchilada. Put your enchiladas in the oven and cook for about 30 minutes or until bubbly and heated through. Yummy!

Turkey Meatloaf

I told Janis I'm starting "The Meatloaf War" by posting our version of meatloaf. Isn't it funny how we all begin with a basic recipe, like meatloaf, and our results are all so very different?

Anyway - this recipe is from my mom. She always made it with ground beef, but since our family only eats ground turkey, we've switched it up.

You can cut this recipe in half, bake 2 separate 1 pound loaves, then eat one and freeze one. To freeze: cool, then wrap in plastic wrap, then freezer-duty foil until completely sealed. Freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight and re-heat & serve.

We have this whenever it's cool/cold outside & we (meaning "I") want comfort food. I serve it with corn, broccoli and baked potatoes.

Enjoy!

Turkey Meatloaf

2 lbs ground turkey
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup chopped fresh onion OR 1/4-1/3 cup dried minced/chopped onion
1 sleeve crushed saltine crackers (about 35-40 crackers)
1 tsp salt
1/2 - 1 tsp pepper (to taste)

Hand mix all ingredients together well.
Line a 9x13" pan with foil (for easy clean-up).
Form loaf shape with meat mixture in foil-lined pan.
Bake 1 - 1 1/4 hours at 350*.

** The original recipe is half this much. We make a 2 pound meatloaf for our family of 6 with older kids and we plan to have some leftovers. If making a 1 pound recipe, bake for only 45 minutes. **

Meatloaf

Savannah's 2nd favorite dinner.......




Meatloaf
1 1/2 lbs ground beef (I use the 93/7)
1 packet Mc Cormick sloppy joe seasoning mix
1/2 package saltine crackers crushed
1/2 cup ketchup (I don't really measure this, it may be a bit more)

Put all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. You may have to mix with your hands to get everything mixed well.

Spray a casserole dish with pam, and put the meat in and form a loaf.

OPTIONAL- My mom would always lay a couple pieces of bacon on top for more flavor. I do not do that.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.

Serve sliced up with ketchup drizzled over top.

No Curry Chicken Divan

Savannah's favorite dinner......

3/26/2010***I just updated this recipe. I forgot to include the mayonaise on this recipe. It originally only had sour cream on the recipe. It really needs the mayonaise. It makes it richer.


Chicken Divan

2 cans cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup mayonaise

2 cup grated cheddar cheese (divided)

1 crown Brocoli florets

2 cups Cooked chicken- diced

1-1 1/2 cups bread crumbs

1/4 cup melted butter



In an 8x10 casserole dish (thats what I use), layer the diced chicken, then the brocoli florets.



In a seperate bowl mix both cans cream of chicken soup, the sour cream, mayonaise and 1 1/2 cups cheese. Stir. Spread this mixture over the brocoli and chicken.



Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup cheese over top.



In a seperate bowl, melt the butter and add the bread crumbs and stir. Sprinkle this over the top of the casserole.



Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

Yummy Carrot Cake

**Growing up, my friend Tracy used to work at a bakery. They were known for their Carrot Cake. Somehow my mom got the recipe, and has been making this ever since. **

This carrot cake was even yummier on day 2.

Carrot Cake

2 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups oil

4 eggs

1 tsp vanilla
**Cream these ingredients together

**In seperate bowl combine and stir to mix:

2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

4 tso cinnamon

1 tsp salt

**When the sugar mixture is creamed, slowly add the flour mixture.

**Then add:

1 cup crushed pineapple

2 cups grated carrots

1/2 cups nuts (I used pecans)

When the entire mixture is mixed thoroughly, pour into greased pan and bake 325 degrees for 30-45 minutes. I would assume you could do this in a 9x13 or cake pans.

I made this in my pampered chef bar pan and then cut it in half and made a double layer cake. It seems like my Mom would make this in her 9x13. My new oven is an electric one and seems to bake hotter than my gas oven did, so I baked this at 275 degrees for the same amount of time. It baked perfectly.

Cream Cheese Frosting

*I doubled this recipe for the above cake*

1 stick butter (I use margarine)

1 8oz cream cheese

1 box powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Beat with mixer until fluffy.

Freezable Meat Sauce

I have this meat sauce in my freezer all the time. When I make it, I make 1-2 extra batches & freeze them flat in Ziploc bags. Just pull one out of the freezer in the morning & serve that night for dinner. Love the convenience! Love the taste too! :)

FREEZABLE MEAT SAUCE

1 pound ground turkey (I've never tried ground beef)
1/4 - 1/2 cup chopped onion (for a mild onion, use 1/2 cup - for a stronger onion, use 1/4 cup)
1 T fresh minced garlic
salt & pepper to taste
1 can red kidney beans, drained & rinsed
1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained & rinsed
4 cups spaghetti sauce (your favorite)
1/4 cup water

Brown ground turkey in a large skillet. Halfway through browning, add chopped onion. Cook until turkey is thoroughly browned & onion is translucent. Stir in garlic & beans. Add salt & pepper sparingly. (just a few shakes is plenty - or none at all)

Pour in spaghetti sauce & stir to mix well. Only add water if sauce looks too thick - never more than 1/4 cup. Bring to soft boil. Cover & reduce heat.

Simmer for 15 minutes and serve!

We like it over cheese ravioli, fettucine or rigatoni.

We've also served it over french bread with melted mozzarella on top. Just heat sauce, pour over bread, sprinkle on cheese & brown/melt it under the broiler.

TO FREEZE:

Allow to cool to room temperature.

Spoon into gallon-size Ziploc bag. Push out all the air, seal & lay flat in freezer. On a cookie sheet is great, but on top of something flat like a pizza or pie box is good too.

Once frozen, you can stand it upright & it takes up less than an inch of space.

FOR VEGGIE OPTION:
I've used portabella mushrooms, sliced or roughly chopped, instead of the ground turkey. I'm not a mushroom fan, but it was really good!

Linda's Sprinkle Cake

** Recipe from Family Circle Magazine, about 10 years ago **

This cake just says "Autumn" for me! And Autumn's my favorite season, so we get this cake a lot from September thru...well...March. (giggle)

It's not one you'd frost with frosting - it's perfect for chocolate glazes or even Hershey's syrup! It keeps well, freezes well, and is easy to transport. Just take it dry & pour the topping/glaze on just before you serve it.

Enjoy!

Linda's Sprinkle Cake

1 box yellow cake mix (regular-size box, 18.25 ozs)

1 box INSTANT vanilla pudding mix (3.4 oz box)

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup water

4 eggs

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

1 container chocolate sprinkles (2.5 ozs or 1/3 cup)

Heat oven to 350*. Grease & flour 10" tube pan or Bundt pan.

In large bowl, combine cake mix & pudding mix. Add oil, water & eggs.

On low speed, beat 30 seconds until moistened. One medium speed, beat for 2 minutes.

Stir in walnuts & sprinkles.

Pour into prepared pan.

Bake in 350* oven for 50-60 minutes until cake tester comes out clean.

Cool 5-10 minutes, remove from cake pan & cool on rack.

Serve & enjoy!

** This cake can be made with different cake mixes. We've enjoyed vanilla & pumpkin/spice cake mixes. On the pumpkin/spice cake, we've also used a white chocolate glaze & white chocolate chips.

** You can replace the chocolate sprinkles with mini chocolate chips, if you like. We do & like the stronger chocolate flavor much better than the sprinkles. Make sure they're MINI chips though. The regular size chips make the cake mushy & soggy.

Healthier Fettucine Bake

**This was a very pleasant surprise and it is very low in fat**

Fettucine Bake

8 oz Wide egg noodles-cooked( I didn't have any, so I used the fettucine noodles I had in the pantry)
2 1/2 cups skim milk
3 Tb flour
1 Tb Chicken flavored bouillon
1 tsp or more of minced garlic (OPTIONAL)
1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt
2 cups cooked chicken or turkey-cubed
1 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese


1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Cook noodles as per package directions
3. In medium saucepan, combine milk, flour, minced garlic and bouillon. Stir until flour is dissolved. Place pan over medium heat and cook and stir until the mixture slightly thickens.
4. In large bowl combine the cooked noodles, milk mixture, yogurt and chicken. (I also added 1/4-1/3 cup parmesan cheese) Stir well.
5. Spray a 2 quart baking dish with vegetable spray and pour noodle mixture in pan. Sprinkle cheese over top. Cover
6. Bake for 25 minutes.


I hope you like it!

Baked Italian Turkey Meatballs

This is a recipe my kids make for me now. They LOVE these & I use them in a multitude of dishes like spaghetti & meatballs, ravioli & meatball casserole, and meatball sandwiches.

Obviously, these are unbaked. I totally forgot to get a photo of them after they were done! (duh!) Picture them all browned & yummy. :)

You can bake a double or triple batch and freeze them after they're baked for future dinners.

Baked Italian Turkey Meatballs

1 pound ground meat - I use ground turkey but you can use ground beef, if you prefer
1/3 cup Italian spiced bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup milk
1 egg
1 garlic clove minced OR 1 tsp prepared minced garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper


Preheat oven to 400*F. Line cookie sheet(s) or baking pan(s) with foil. Be sure to seal the corners so juices don't flow off onto your oven floor.

Mix all ingredients by hand in a large bowl. (You can mix with a spoon, but the texture is very different - more dense, I guess.)

Shape into 1 1/4" balls (about 33) and evenly space them on the foil-lined cookie sheets/baking pans. (I use a cookie dough-type scooper for this part - much faster!)

Bake for 15-20 minutes, until browned on the outside & cooked through.

Serve immediately over pasta with your favorite spaghetti sauce or in meatball sandwiches topped with grated mozzarella cheese & spaghetti sauce.

YUM!!

TO FREEZE: ** After they're baked **
Freeze extra meatballs (not touching) on a waxed-paper-lined baking sheet. Transfer to a Ziploc freezer bag or freezer container & store in freezer for up to 3 months.

Reheat, frozen or thawed, in the sauce with which you plan to serve them.

FOR RAVIOLI & MEATBALL CASSEROLE:
Mix together gently:
2 9-oz pkgs fresh cheese ravioli (or defrosted from frozen)
1 16-oz jar spaghetti sauce
1/8 cup water (only if sauce is too thick - you can omit this if your sauce is thinner)
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Gently pour into a 9x13" baking dish. Place 12 meatballs throughout the ravioli mixture. (press them down into the mixture, not just sitting on top)

Top with more grated mozzarella or Parmesan cheese.

Bake 30-45 minutes at 375*F or until ravioli are tender & cheese is browned.