Cranberry & Rosemary Chicken

**This is a recipe from a womens night activity we had, then my friend Brooke shared it with me the other day and reminded me of having it at church. My family thought this recipe was OK. My daughter said to use less rosemary and maybe she would like it better. I thought it was worth posting because it is easy and some people may have more appeal to these ingredients than we did.**

Cranberry & Rosemary Chicken
5 Chicken Breast (4oz size)
1 16oz whole cranberry sauce
8oz french salad dressing
1 packet dry onion soup mix
1 1/2 TB dried rosemary (my family said they would like less)

Put chicken breasts in the crock pot. In a seperate bowl, add all other ingredients and mix until all is blended together. Pour over chicken. Cook on low for 5 hours. Shred chicken. Serve over rice.

Chili's Southwest Eggrolls (well almost)

**We LOVE Chili's Soutwest Eggrolls, and now BJ's does a Southwest Eggroll and also Claim Jumper. So these are the new popular appetizer. I was inspired to finally try and figure out how to make them on my own when I saw this recipe on www.aubreysrecipes.blogspot.com. I am so glad I found this recipe because they are as close to the real thing as you can get.*****

Southwest Eggrolls
2 TBSP vegetable oil
1 bunch of minced green onion. I cut the a little bit of the white end off, and about 1 inch of the green tops off and chopped all the rest of the bunch.
1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 pkg frozen spinach, thawed, then squeeze out all the liquid
1 jalapeno finely chopped ( I DID NOT DO THIS. I DON'T COOK WITH JALAPENO ENOUGH TO KNOW IT'S SPICINESS SO I JUST DIDN'T USE IT)
1 TBSP fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1-2 cups Monterey Jack Cheese ( I used 1 cup)
Flour tortillas, about 10

Heat oil in skillet. Stir in onion and red pepper. Cook and stir for about 5 minutes. The add the corn, black beans, spinach, jalapeno, parsley, cumin, chili powder, salt, and cayenne pepper. Cook and stir for another 5 minutes until well blended and tender. Remove from heat and stir in the cheese. It will melt in the mixture. Just stir it until it is evenly blended in.

In a tortilla warmer, warm up the tortillas so they are soft. Fill them with filling and roll them making sure to tuck the ends in. You can secure them with a toothpick if you wish. I didn't do that.

Chili's way (apparently)- Arrange all rolled eggrolls in a dish cover with plastic and place in the freezer for about 4 hours. In a large deep skillet, heat oil for deep frying. Fry each eggroll for about 10 minutes. Drain on paper towels before serving.

OR
**This is the way I did them**
Arrange all the eggrolls in a dish. Cover with plastic and freeze for about 30 minutes. In a large deep skillet fry each eggroll until browned on the outside. Drain on paper towels before serving.

Aubreys directions say to fry each eggroll until golden brown and then drain on paper towel. Next, place them on a baking sheet and place them in the oven at 350 degrees for about 8 minutes.

I would like to try to just brush them with oil and bake them completely and see how they turn out.

We served them with homemade ranch. You could add avocado to the ranch to make an avocado ranch, or add taco seasoning to the ranch to spice it up a bit. YUM!!

Cream Cheese Chicken

**This recipe comes from my friend Xian. When we first moved to Northern California, they had us over for dinner and this is what she made. I had never had it before and it was really good. It is super easy too. :)**

Cream Cheese Chicken
4 - 4oz chicken breasts
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 packet Good Seasonings Italian Dressing Mix (You buy it on the salad dressing aisle where the ranch packets are also sold. I believe they come in box of about 3. I don't remember if they are sold in individual packets like the ranch dressing, I have always only purchased the box of 3.)  The entire packet seems to be close to a TBSP)
1 8oz cream cheese (I have used the reduced fat before with great results)

Put chicken breast in crock pot. In seperate bowl mix the rest of the ingredients EXCEPT the cream cheese together. Pour over chicken. Cook over low for about 4 hours. When chicken is done, shred the chicken into smaller pieces. Cut up the bar of cream cheese, and add to mix. Stir well until cheese is all melted. You could also add a little bit of water or chicken broth if you don't like the mixture so thick.

**If you don't want to do the crock pot, I have heard of mixing all ingredients including the cream cheese and pouring over the chicken in 9x13. Then bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes or until chicken is tender**

Serve over rice or noodles. YUM!

Serves 6

Summit House Restaurant's Creamed Corn Au Gratin

Summit House Restaurant in Fullerton, CA, gets so many requests for this recipe, they started printing it on cards for diners to take home! It's a holiday tradition for our family & a favorite wherever I bring it.

Classic Creamed Corn Au Gratin

1 lb frozen corn (I buy the sweet white or petite corn)
12 oz whipping cream
1 1/2 T. melted butter
1 1/2 T. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 T. white sugar
pinch of pepper
3 T. Parmesan cheese

1. Combine corn, cream, salt, sugar & pepper in a pot and bring gently to a boil. (Be sure to stir often to keep the cream from burning)
2. Stir butter & flour very well, until totally combined. (Make a roux) Add to corn/cream mixture & mix well. Simmer for 5 minutes. (Mixture will thicken - be sure to stir occasionally)
3. Transfer corn mixture to casserole dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese & brown under broiler.

Enjoy!

Chicken Enchilada Soup

**This recipe came from http://www.lilluna.com/2010/11/recipe-tip-deal-of-week-chilis-chicken.html

Everyone in our family loved this and even the guests we had over. This for sure is a new family favorite. I was actually surprised at how mild the flavor was. There is alot you could do with this recipe and it would still be delicious. You could double the enchilada sauce and then reduce the water by a cup, you could probably even add a can of diced tomatoes with green chiles, if you are a cilantro lover, you could certainly add cilantro and that would be great. Next time I make this I will double the enchilada sauce and reduce the water by 1 cup and see what we think and also add some black beans. **

Chicken Enchilada Soup
•1 tablespoon vegetable oil
•1 lb chicken breast fillet (approx. 3 fillets)
•1/2 cup diced onion
•1 garlic clove, pressed, to taste ( I used minced garlic)
•4 cups chicken broth
•1 cup masa harina (I would not sub this out. I think it needs this flavoring verses regular flour)
•3 cups water
•1 cup La Victoria enchilada sauce
•16 ounces Velveeta cheese
•1 teaspoon salt, to taste
•1 teaspoon chili powder
•1/2 teaspoon cumin

Garnish
•cilantro (optional)
•crumbled corn tortilla chips

Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a skillet over medium heat. Add chicken breasts to skillet and brown for 4-5 minutes per side. Set chicken aside.

Add onions and garlic to skillet and sauté over medium heat for about 2 minutes, or until onions begin to become translucent. Add chicken broth. Pour into a stock pot.

Combine masa harina with 2 cups of water in a medium bowl and whisk until blended. (I put mine in the blender) Add masa mixture to pot with onions, garlic and broth. Add remaining water, enchilada sauce, cheese and spices to pot and bring mixture to a boil.

Shred the chicken into small, bite-size pieces and add it to the pot. Reduce heat and simmer soup for 30 minutes.

Serve with crumbled corn tortilla chips. You can also use cilantro if you like that flavor. The picture shows cheese on the top. You really DON'T need it though because there is so much cheese flavor in the soup.

Cajun Chicken Pasta

**This recipe came from http://www.aubreysrecipes.blogspot.com/ I thought the pasta sauce was a little bland, so then when I served it, I tossed the chicken in with the pasta and let the seasonings from the chicken mix with the sauce. It was much better that way, so that is how I am going to write up the recipe. The cajun seasoning is really good and it is made with spices that I already had in my cupboard, so I just put them all in a little air tight container.**

Cajun Chicken Pasta
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips.
8 ounces penne pasta--cooked according to directions on package
2 teaspoons cajun seasoning (see directions below)
2 TB butter
1/2 tsp dried onion
2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 TB chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Cajun seasoning --- This is a great flavored seasoning you can use on the BBQ also.
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp thyme
2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic salt


In a large saucepan cook the pasta according to directions on package. Drain and return pasta to pan.

Melt butter in frying pan over medium heat. Place chicken in pan and sprinkle the Cajun seasoning over. Saute chicken in butter until chicken is tender. Remove chicken from pan and cut up into pieces. Return to pan and add about 1-2 Tb of water to help remove the bits from the pan and it will coat the chicken more with the seasoning. Pour chicken mixture in with the pasta.

In a saucepan mix onion, cream, tomatoes, basil, garlic powder, black pepper, and parmesan cheese. Heat until just boiling. Pour this in with the pasta and chicken.

Stir to combine. Serve immediately. Sprinkle top with a little parmesan cheese.

Pumpkin Bread

I got this recipe from allrecipes.com. It's SO yummy & comes out perfectly every single time. Perfect for a cold Fall & Winter day snack - and your house will smell DELISH! Wrap it beautifully & it makes a great gift too.

Pumpkin Bread
from allrecipes.com - submitted by Shirley Sober

Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 1 hour

1 cup butter or margarine, softened
3 cups sugar
3 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
1 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
1 (16 ounce) can solid pack pumpkin

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 9"x 5"x 3" loaf pans & set aside.
In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar.
Add eggs; mix well.
Combine dry ingredients; stir into creamed mixture, just until moistened.
Stir in pumpkin.
Pour into two greased 9-in. x 5-in. x 3-in. loaf pans.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 1 hour or until bread tests done.

In my oven, it only needed 50 minutes to bake.

ENJOY!!

60 Minute Dinner Rolls

**SERIOUSLY DELICIOUS ROLLS---This recipe was given to me by my friend El. I promise you will love these rolls AND they are super duper easy. My oven always cooks hot, and I should have been careful and watched these, but aside from being a little brown on the top, they are absolutely delicious. They have the perfect amount of yeast and next time, I will try these using wheat flour since we love whole wheat.**

This dough can also be used to make cinnamon rolls, and I think it would be great to make dinner calzones in. You could use ham and cheese or pepperoni, spaghetti sauce and cheese, etc..

UPDATE-- I just made a second batch with whole wheat flour. I was not crazy about them. I think the wheat was too strong. Maybe doing a half white/half wheat would be better. I did use regular yeast though this time instead of quick rising and they still worked.

Dinner Rolls

Dry Ingredients
3 1/2 cups flour --divided (2 1/2 cups 1 cup)
*This is how I did the flour, my friend said she started with 3 1/2 cups flour and added up to 1 more cup, but you may not use the whole 1 cup.
1/4 cup sugar
2 TB yeast
2 TB dry milk powder
1 tsp salt

Wet Ingredients
1 1/2 cups Hottest tap water
1/4 cup oil

Add all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl (minus the 1 cup flour). Add wet ingredients to a measuring cup. Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and beat by hand or by mixer for 1 minute. I did mine in my Kitchen Aid mixer.

Now, gradually add the extra 1 cup of flour and knead for 4 true minutes.

Cover and let rise for 15 true minutes.

Punch down and pinch off balls about the size of golf balls. Place in a greased 9x13 pan.
**I personally liked them better when I cooked them in a 9x13 and an 8x8. They expanded a bit more and I just liked them better than squishing them all into a 9x13.

Cover and let rise for 15 true minutes.

Bake at 425 for 10 minutes.
Makes 24 rolls.

Taco Pasta

**Okay, so a few months ago my daughter came home from youth activity where they learned to cook a dinner. Her written down recipe had no measurements, just what was in it, so I had to try to do it on my own and see how it goes. So, below are the measurements I used. As I tried to do a search for this recipe, I was not able to find much, but I did run across a recipe that also called for Sour Cream to be stirred in just prior to serving. Now, that could be good, but this is good the way it is without adding the extra calories.**

Taco Pasta

1 lb ground beef

1 packet taco seasoning

1 6oz tomato paste + 2 cans water or just use 1 15oz tomato sauce

Optional add in - 1 4oz can chopped green chiles

2 cups frozen corn

1 13-16 oz pkg pasta (you could use larger macaroni, fusili, wagon wheels, anything fun for kids)

1 tsp parsley approx

1/4 cup cheese (grated cheddar, or parmesan)

Cook pasta according to directions.

Cook ground beef in a large skillet. Drain off any fat. Add taco seasoning packet, tomato paste, chiles, water. Bring to a boil. Add corn, stir. Then add pasta and mix well. If you think it is too thick, add a little milk. I did.

Sprinkle top with Parsley flakes, and then sprinkle your favorite cheese over the top. I did parmesan cheese, but you can do cheddar cheese too.

This will easily serve 6

Our Weekly Meal Plan: Nov. 21 - 27

This week will include Thanksgiving (YAY! My favorite!). We'll be cooking more turkey than we need to shred & cube & freeze for future meals.


SUNDAY: Cheesy Baked Shells w/Polska Kielbasa & Broccoli, green beans, rolls
MONDAY: Creamed Tuna over Rice, peas & corn
TUESDAY: Spaghetti & Meatballs, green salad & garlic bread
WEDNESDAY: Leftovers & "Serve Yourself" - to make sure the fridge is empty & ready for Thanksgiving leftovers
THURSDAY: THANKSGIVING - turkey & all the trimmings
FRIDAY: Turkey-Bacon-Avocado Sandwiches on ciabatta bread
SATURDAY: Turkey-Noodle Soup, french bread


FREEZER: Polska Kielbasa, ground turkey, bacon, peas & corn
PANTRY: Baked Shells ingredients, Creamed Tuna ingredients, meatball ingredients, soup ingredients
FRIDGE: cheese, milk, eggs, misc ingredients, fresh green beans, red onion & lettuce
GROCERY: rolls, french bread, ciabatta, avocado


Enjoy!



Turkey-Bacon-Avocado Sandwiches on Ciabatta
Use leftover turkey, cooked bacon & sliced avocado on sliced ciabatta bread. Trim with fresh lettuce, thinly sliced red onion, and a 1-1 mixture of your favorite mayo & spicy mustard. SO yummy!

Our Weekly Meal Plan: Nov. 14-20

Weekly Meal Plan - Nov. 14 - 20

SUNDAY: Chicken Quesadillas, guacamole & salsa
MONDAY: Lemon-Garlic Pork Tenderloin (made by Hormel - just roast & serve), Rice-A-Roni Low-Sodium Butter-Herb flavor, broccoli & corn
TUESDAY: Macaroni & Cheese (we top this with breadcrumbs before baking), green salad & wheat rolls
WEDNESDAY: Rodizio Grill for my birthday :)
THURSDAY: French Dip Sandwiches & green salad
FRIDAY: Stouffers Frozen Lasagna (crazy day!), green salad & garlic bread
SATURDAY: Soup (choose your favorite from food storage) & "Old School" grill cheese (wheat bread buttered w/American cheese - cook 'em low & slow)


FREEZER: pre-cooked chicken, shredded & stirred w/green chilis, beef roast, Stouffers Lasagna, broccoli & corn (cut from fresh cobs this summer)
PANTRY: tortillas, salsa, guacamole spice mix, Rice-a-Roni, Mac-n-Cheese ingredients, soup, bread
FRIDGE: Mexican cheese blend, avacados, green salad ingredients, American cheese
GROCERY: pork tenderloins, wheat rolls


Enjoy!

Pumpkin Bars

**My mom used to make these growing up. They are tried and true YUMMY. The cake is always so moist and you can never go wrong with cream cheese frosting. This is a perfect dessert for all the fall and winter festivities.**

Pumpkin Bars
4 eggs
1 2/3 cup sugar
1 cup oil
1 15oz can pumpkin puree
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda

Beat the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until light and fluffy.

In a seperate bowl add remaining dry ingredients and stir to combine. Slowly add to the wet mixture until well blended.

Grease a jelly roll pan. (I use my Pampered Chef Bar pan) Pour mixture into pan. Spread out evenly.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes. Let cool completely and then frost.

Cream Cheese Frosting
1 stick butter
1 8oz cream cheese (I used light and it turned out great)
1 lb box of powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Beat with mixer until fluffy. Spread over cake when cooled.

A Weekly Dinner Plan + Chicken Corn Chowder

I've been gone awhile - thanks to Janis for keeping the blog going!! - and, now that we've moved, my camera cable is missing still. This mean I can't upload any pictures for recipes. But with my kitchen in an uproar, installing new cabinets, I haven't been trying any new recipes these days anyway. But I wanted to have something for the blog...

SO, I decided I wanted to start posting our family's weekly meal plan each week. These are meals I plan ahead for - taking meat out of the freezer, buying produce & specific ingredients for, etc. I decide each evening what sounds good & then prepare it for dinner. If I can, I work in a new recipe, but it's usually our tried-and-true favorites that are served.

Having a week of meals pre-planned helps me use the food I already have in my freezer, fridge & pantry, allows me to take advantage of weekly sales at the grocery stores, and means I don't have an excuse to fall back on eating out when I can't decide what to make or don't have ingredients on-hand.


Dinner Plan - November 7-13

Sunday: Turkey burgers, veggies & dip (carrots, broccoli, cauliflower & cucumbers), & chips
Monday: Chili with toppings (cheese, sour cream, green onions), green salad & cornbread
Tuesday: Domino's Pizza (for my daughter's elementary school fundraiser), green salad
Wednesday: Chicken-Corn Chowder (recipe below), stir-ins: bacon, cheddar, broccoli, whole wheat rolls
Thursday: Skillet Lasagna made with ground turkey, broccoli & corn
Friday: Beef Tips (browned in a skillet w/olive oil) with gravy over egg noodles, peas & corn, wheat rolls
Saturday: Sub sandwiches, veggies & dip, & chips

I make a dessert twice each week & try to make it last for a couple of days. This week, I made brownies & Indoor S'Mores.

Freezer: ground turkey, pre-made chili, shredded chicken & bacon (for chowder), stew meat (for Beef Tips), frozen broccoli, peas & corn, whole wheat rolls
Pantry: Ranch dip spices, chips, cornbread mix, egg noodles, Skillet Lasagna & gravy ingredients, brownie mix & Indoor S'Mores ingredients
Fridge: sour cream for Ranch dip & chili toppings, cheddar cheese, lunch meats & cheeses, Skillet Lasagna ingredients
Grocery store: fresh veggies for the week - used for veggies & dip and green salads

I hope these will be helpful, giving you dinnertime ideas along the way. I'll post more recipes too (when I find that darned camera cable).




Chicken Corn Chowder

Mix thoroughly & set aside:
1/4 cup cold water
3 T flour

Cook & crumble, 8 slices bacon
Save 3 T bacon grease & set crumbled bacon aside.

Slice thinly, 1 onion. Cook in 3 T bacon grease until soft & browned.

Cook in water until soft, 2 large potatoes, cubed or sliced
OR
use 2-3 cans sliced or diced potatoes, drained.

In large pot, combine cooked onions & potatoes.

In a 4-cup measure, combine to equal 4 cups total:
2 cans evaporated milk
Water

Heat evaporated milk/water mixture in saucepan. Add flour/cold water mixture when heated through.

Add 17 oz can creamed corn to milk/flour/water mixture. Stir to combine & heat through.

Add creamed corn mixture to potatoes & onions. Stir in 1 can chicken chunks (or 1-2 cups cooked & shredded/cubed chicken), 1 pkg frozen broccoli (thawed & drained), and 1 can corn (drained).

Heat 10 minutes, or until heated through.

Add salt & pepper to taste.

Serve with desired toppings:
Crumbled bacon
Cheddar cheese, shredded
Green onions or French-fried onions

If you don't like the cooked onions in the chowder, leave them out & only add green onions or french-fried onions on top.

Chicken & Broccoli Ring

**Remember the late 90's and how popular Pampered Chef parties were and how they would always make some kind of ring. Well, it just popped into my head tonight and so I tried my best to remember one that I liked. This one was good, but maybe in my older age, I just like things with more flavor where this was more simple, but this should still give you some ideas on trying some different flavors in it. I remember they had a taco one with beans, taco meat & cheese. Then you would serve it after it was cooked with the lettuce and other garnishments over the top. Another idea would be to do one like a pizza calzone.**

**I did a search for this recipe online and I saw one that had mayonaise added and slivered almonds. The mayonaise is probably just what this needs to make it a little richer, and the slivered almonds would be so much better than the water chestnuts. I would probably add 1/4 -1/3 cup mayonaise. :)**


Chicken Wreath

1/2 cup peppers, chopped
1/2 cup broccoli, chopped
1/4 cup water chestnuts, drained and chopped
1/4 cup onion, chopped
6 oz. cooked chicken breast, chopped
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
2 (8 oz.) pkg. refrigerated crescent rolls

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Chop pepper, broccoli, water chestnuts, onion and chicken. Combine all ingredients except crescent rolls in medium bowl. (I sauteed my peppers onion and brocoli first to bring out some flavor.)

Unroll crescent rolls and arrange triangles in a circle on a cookie sheet with the wide part of the triangle being the center of the circle and the points going out. It will look like a sun. ( See picture above ) After you have arranged the rolls, I pushed mine with my hand a little in the center to create a larger area to scoop the filling onto. After I pushed the centers more, the circle in the midded ended up being about 2" or smaller. Scoop filling mixture onto the middle part of the circle. Fold points of triangle over filling into the center. (Filling will not be completely covered.) Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool before serving.

Lasagna Rolls

***I have never seen these before, so it was a fun new way of cooking a classic. This recipe is being adapted from a recipe from my friend Trelesa who shared this in a group recipe newsletter when we were all part of a recipe group, and from a weight watchers magazine I bought just the other day. I was surprised that I liked the lasagna roll without the spinach more. :( I usually really like spinach in things, plus it makes it more healthy. Maybe next time I would just use less spinach and do more vegetables as a side dish to make up for it.***

Lasagna Rolls

8 Lasagna noodles

1 26oz jar of your favorite Marina or Spaghetti sauce

1 lb Italian sausage flavored turkey meat (You could also use ground beef, I used the italian turkey because it always has so much more flavor. You could also do this meatless and add some thinly slice up zuchini or squash. If you are going to use beef, I would saute with onion and garlic to add some more flavor.)
1 cup part skim ricotta cheese
1 10oz frozen spinach--thawed, drained, and squeezed dry (I used less because I was making part without spinach)
1 egg (or you could use egg substitute)
2 tsp italian seasoning
2 TB breadcrumbs
2 TB parmesan cheese
1/2 cup mozarella cheese - for filling

1/2 cup mozarella cheese - to sprinkle over top

Boil pasta, but do not over cook. Drain, and pat dry. I layed mine out on parchment paper.

In a skillet brown your meat. Drain any fats. Add the ricotta cheese, spinach, egg, italian seasoning, breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese and mozarella cheese. Stir until mixture is all well incorporated.

Spoon mixture evenly over all 8 lasagna noodles. Then roll up like a snail. :)

In a 9x13 pour about 1 cup of spaghetti sauce on bottom of dish. Then lay the lasagna rolls over that. Pour the remaining sauce over the noodles. Cover with foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove foil, sprinkle the remaining mozarella cheese over top and continue baking for about 15 minutes.

Chicken w/ Cream of Mushroom Gravy

**This was seriously done in 30 minutes. I was not in the mood to cook dinner, but I felt guilty pulling out the old can of soup or macaroni. Then I realized I had not cooked chicken in a while, so I used my recipe for making pork chops and gravy and just did it with chicken instead. The flavor is still good, and mashed potatoes are always a hit with my girls.**

Chicken with Gravy
3 chicken breast (I buy the "select size" ones from Costco. I love them because they are already pre-portioned sizes of breasts that are 3 or 4 ounces each)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
Lawry's seasoning salt

Place chicken breasts in a skillet. (I just put then in frozen) Sprinkle with Lawry's seasoning salt. Be careful not to use too much or it can get pretty salty. Brown each breast. It's okay if it sticks to the pan. The bits then end up adding more flavor. As the breasts were half way done, I cut mine in to cubes. Then I added the cream of mushroom soup and milk. This all simmered until the potatoes were done and the broccoli. (scroll down to the bottom of this post to see how we love our broccoli. This will serve 4-5

I just used instant mashed potatoes. They cook up real quick.

Chili - Chili Billies

**I don't make homemade Chili very often, but I don't know why because it really is super simple. Another dinner option while you have the chili is Chili Billies. Chili Billies are a kid favorite, and it is super easy when you need a quick dinner. Just take Fritos chips and layer the chili and cheese on top.**

Homemade Chili

1 pound ground beef with fat drained
1 15oz can tomato sauce
1 15oz can diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 15oz can chili beans (these are yummy because they alread have alot of chili seasoning to them)
1 15oz can black beans
1 tsp cumin
1 TB chili powder

Place all ingredients in a large saucepan, stir. Bring to a boil and then let simmer for about 30 minutes for flavors to blend. Serve. It is super yummy with this cornbread.

This recipe served 5, but if you have large heaping bowls, probably only 4 bowls.

Chili Billies

Frito chips

Chili

Cheese

Layer chips on bottom of bowl. Spoon chili on top of chips and then sprinkle cheese over top.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

**This is a recipe handed down from my mom. We used to have it when I was younger all the time. It is yummy and easy! Serve it with crushed up saltine crackers.**

Broccoli Cheese Soup
4 cans chicken broth (I use the reduced sodium one)
2 heads of brocoli with broccoli florets cut off.
4 cups milk (I use non-fat milk)
3/4 cup flour
2 tsp onion salt
3 cups grated Cheddar cheese or a 16oz block of velveeta cheese (I use cheddar cheese)

In a stock pan, combine the 4 cans of chicken broth, and the brocoli florets. Cook until the brocoli is tender. Remove all brocoli florets from the broth and place in a blender. Add about 1 cup of broth as well. Blend in blender until it is smooth. Add back to broth and bring back to a boil.

Then in same blender, add 4 cups of milk and 3/4 cups flour. Blend until smooth. Slowly pour in to the broth and brocoli mixture. Stir until it begins to thicken. Once it is starting to thicken, turn the stove off, and add the onion salt and stir well. Then add the cheese and replace lid. The cheese will begin to melt in the hot mixture. After about 5 minutes stir well. The cheese should all be melted. Serve.

This should EASILY serve 6 people

Mexicali Shredded Pork

**This is a recipe from my friend Jen. We have been cooking it for a few years now. You can use corn tortillas and make tacos too, although in this picture we just used flour tortillas to make burritos. I added sliced bell peppers and red peppers to mine also. If you read the directions, I followed the crock pot cooking.**

Mexicali Shredded Pork

2 1/2 to 3 lb. pork shoulder roast (weight after
trimmed of fat)
1 Tbsp. oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 pkgs. taco seasoning mix
1 (14.5 oz.) can Mexican style diced tomatoes
1 (4 oz.) can diced green chilies
Tortillas, shredded jack or cheddar cheese,
green onions, tomatoes, sour cream, salsa, avocado

Prep time: 15 min. Cook time: 1 hour 30 min.

Cut pork into 1 1/2 inch chunks. In a large skillet sear
in hot oil until browned on all sides. Add onion, taco
seasoning mix, tomatoes and chilies; stir well.
Cover and simmer over low heat for 1 hour and
15 minutes. Remove cover and cook 15 minutes
more or until liquid has reduced and sauce is
thick. Shred meat with two forks. Spoon filling
into tortillas (corn or flour) and top with desired
fillings.

I’ve also cooked meat in crock pot for
4-6 hours and that works as well. Add to the
crock pot after you have seared the meat and
added all the other ingredients to the skillet.

Makes: 8-10 servings

Chocolate Chip / Brownie Pillow Cookies

**This recipe comes from.... http://www.bakerella.com/pillow-cookies/

My daughter loves chocolate chip cookies and she loves brownies, so for her birthday, this was the perfect cookie for her. We served it with some cake batter ice cream and it was so yummy! If I were to make these again, I would skip the whole brownie step because I didn't find that it really added that much. You must chill the dough though. I think that is real important.**

Brownie Pillow Cookies

1 package brownie mix
1 cup butter, room temperature (I used 1/2 butter and 1/2 shortening so they would be a fluffier cookie)
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, plus 1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt (I would use 1tsp if I made again)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
12 oz. bag miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips

Make brownies according to package and let cool. Cut about ten 1 inch squares. Enjoy the remaining brownies. (I used a pan about 8 X 8)

For the chocolate chip cookie dough, beat butter with a mixer until creamy.

Add brown sugar and beat until smooth.

Add eggs, yolk and vanilla. Beat until smooth.

Combine flour, baking powder, soda and salt in a medium bowl and stir together with a wire whisk.

Add flour to butter mixture and beat until combined. Stir in mini chips.

Let dough chill covered in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Use a measuring cup to scoop batter by the 1/2 cup. Since it’s chilled, you may need to pack it with a spoon. Then use the spoon to remove the dough from the cup and place it on parchment paper. Work quickly so the dough remains chilled or either prepare one cookie at a time so the rest of the dough remains cold.

After the dough is on the parchment paper, make an indention and place a 1 inch square brownie in the center. Press the brownie down gently and work the remaining dough around the brownie. You can use your hands to shape the dough into a ball.

During this step, I found it easier to use a piece of parchment paper as a work surface since the dough can get sticky and then I used another piece of parchment paper for the baking sheet. If your dough gets too soft, you can chill the rolled dough balls for a few minutes right before baking.

Prepare six cookies at a time using a large baking sheet (15 X 20) and bake at 350 degrees for about 18 minutes. Return the remaining dough to the refrigerator until time to bake the second batch.

Cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes and then cool completely on a wire rack.

Makes about ten cookies using a little less than a 1/2 cup of dough for each cookie.

If your cookies start to get too brown before they are done baking, you can place a sheet of aluminum foil over top for the last few minutes.

Sticky Buns

**This is a real real family favorite. The Rhodes rolls are the best with this recipe, but if your grocery store does not carry them, they will still be yummy with whatever other brand you can find.**

Sticky Buns

18 "Rhodes" frozen dinner rolls
1/2 cup butter (not margarine)
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1 small pkg Butterscotch COOK N SERVE pudding (DO NOT USE INSTANT)

Lay frozen dinner rolls in a greased bundt pan. Melt butter in a medium sized measuring cup, then add the brown sugar and cinnamon. Pour this mixture over the frozen rolls evenly. Then open the pudding package and sprinkle entire contents evenly over the top.

Let rise overnight. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. When you take it out of the oven, turn it upside down on to a large plate.

Sausage Breakfast Casserole

**This is a family favorite. We make this every year for Christmas, and we make it twice a year for breakfast in April and October when our church has General Conference. This is a tried and true yummy recipe.**

Sausage Breakfast Casserole
2 lbs sausage cooked (sometimes I use 1 hot and 1 original)
6 slices white bread (cut into cubes or torn into small pieces)
2 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese

*Layer these ingredients into a 9x13 pan. Put bread on the bottom, followed by the cheese and then the cooked sausage.

6 eggs
2 1/2 cups milk (I use non-fat because that is what I buy)
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp dry mustard
1/2 cup cut up green onion (Optional, but yummy)

*Mix all ingredients together in a blender for a few seconds until the eggs are blended well. Pour over the layered ingredients. Bake at 325 degrees for 40-55 minutes depending on your oven.

Creamy Meatballs

**This recipe came from www.thedailysmash101.blogspot.com I changed the recipe just a little bit, because I don't ever use Cream of Celery soup and it scared me, so I also added a can of Cream of Chicken. The meatballs got rave review from everyone who ate dinner, so that makes it "blogworthy." Go check out The Daily Smash 101 and see if you can be inspired by some her yummy looking recipes also.

Creamy Meatballs
1 can cream of celery soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can french onion soup
2 cups sour cream
2 lb bag or larger of Frozen Italian meatballs (I got mine at Wal-Mart)

Place all soup ingredients in crock pot. Stir well. Pour in meatballs. Cook on low heat for about 3-4 hours. Serve over Egg Noodles or rice.

ANOTHER VERSION from my friend Jen
2 cans cream of mushroom
1 can mushrooms
1pkg onion soup mix
Meatballs or stew meat already cubed or meat cut up for fajitas
1 cup sour cream
Place all ingredients in Crock pot except sour cream. Cook on low heat for 3-4 hours. Stir in the sour cream right before you are ready to serve. Serve with egg noodles or rice.

Pork Chops with Gravy

**This is such and easy dinner. It does take some time to simmer the pork chops, but if you wanted, you could probably cook the pork chops and brown them, pour in the soup, Stir well to get the bits off the bottom of the pan, and then transfer to a crock pot. This is the way my mom would cook pork chops every once in a while and the ingredients are so easy, and it has a nice flavor.**

Pork Chops with Gravy

6 pork chops ( I like to use the thicker boneless ones, or boneless pork shoulder ribs)
1 Large 26oz can of Cream of Mushroom soup (I use the 98% fat free ones)
Lawrys seasoning salt

Place pork chops in a large skillet over high heat. Sprinkle each side with Lawrys seasoning salt. Cook in pan until the the pork chops start turning brown and bits form on bottom of pan. (See picture above) Then pour entire contents of Cream on Chicken soup over pork chops. Reduce heat to a simmer. Cover, and let simmer for about an hour until the pork chops are nice and tender.

Serve with mashed potatoes . YUM!