Baked Chicken Empanadas

I was looking on the Rhodes Rolls website because I wanted to use up the rest of the rolls I had left over from making this, when I saw the recipe for these chicken empanadas and was intrigued.  It sounded good, and easy, two priorities for me for a week night meal.  I had all the ingredients already, even, it was like it was meant to be!!!  Well, even my pickiest eaters loved it!  I made some quick Queso Dip to put on top of it, like the recipe suggested, but I wish I would have just left it alone.  That's just me though.


Baked Chicken Empanadas
Recipe from Rhodes Rolls

Ingredients:

12 Rhodes™ Dinner Rolls, thawed to room temperature
2 cups cooked diced chicken
1 1/2 cups grated pepper jack cheese
3 ounces cream cheese
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped (I left this out so my children wouldn't have fits)
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Queso Dip:
1 pound Mexican Velveeta
10 ounce can diced tomatoes with green chiles
4 ounce can diced green chiles

Instructions:

Flatten each roll into a 6 to 7-inch circle. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest while making filling. Combine remaining ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Remove plastic wrap from rolls. Place about 1/4 cup filling onto each circle being careful not to let it touch the edges. Wet the edges of each circle with water. Fold dough in half over filling and press the edges together with a fork to seal. Bake at 350°F 15-20 minutes or until nicely browned.

Queso Dip:

Cut cheese into pieces and place in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave one minute at a time until melted. Add tomatoes and green chiles and stir until well combined.

Baked Chicken Parmesan

My husband and I are TRYING to eat healthier, but, sigh....... sometimes that's not so much fun.  Last week we had salads for dinner for four nights.  That got old pretty quick.  I was excited to find this recipe because I really love chicken parmesan.  It was SO good.  I was sad that there wasn't any left overs.


Baked Chicken Parmesan
Recipe from SkinnyTaste

Ingredients:

4 (8 oz) chicken breast halves, sliced in half
3/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp butter, melted
3/4 cup reduced fat mozzarella cheese
1 cup marinara
cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450°.  Spray a large baking sheet lightly with spray.

Combine breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese in a bowl.  Melt the butter in another bowl. Lightly brush the butter onto the chicken, then dip into breadcrumb mixture.  Place on baking sheet and repeat with the remaining chicken.

Lightly spray a little more cooking oil on top and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.  Turn chicken over, bake another 5 minutes.  Remove from oven, spoon sauce over chicken and top with shredded cheese.  Bake 5 more minutes or until cheese is melted.

Zesty Slow Cooker Chicken Barbecue

Is it just me or does anyone else ever have those days when you notice its 4:00 and you think, "Oh!!  I need to make something for dinner today!"  This recipe is perfect for one of those days, because you can put frozen chicken in the slow cooker and magically it's done and delicious in 3 short hours.  And yes, eating dinner at 7:00 is no big deal to our family.  One day last week we had dinner at 8:00.  That's just the way we roll.


Zesty Slow Cooker Chicken Barbecue
Recipe from Allrecipes


Ingredients:

6 frozen skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

1 (12 ounce) bottle barbeque sauce

1/2 cup Italian salad dressing

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Directions:

Place chicken in a slow cooker. In a bowl, mix the barbecue sauce, Italian salad dressing, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce. Pour over the chicken.

Cover, and cook 3 to 4 hours on High or 6 to 8 hours on Low.  This is great on buns for sandwiches but I like to put a big pile of it on some hot mashed potatoes.  Yum!!!

Spagetti Chicken Casserole

Here's an easy dinner thats fast to put together, good for those last minute days!



Spagetti Chicken Casserole


Ingredients:

2 cups cooked, cubed chicken
2 cans cream of mushroom or chicken soup
1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
3 cups dry spagetti, broken into small pieces
2 cups chicken broth
2 tsp. seasoned salt
salt and pepper to taste
1 additional cup of grated sharp cheddar cheese
Directions:

Cook spagetti. When done, combine with remaining ingredients (except last cup of cheese). Place mixture in 9X13 pan and top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.

Chicken Torta Sandwiches

Last year while visiting my parents in Arizona they took me to a yummy torta shop, Los Reyes de la Tortas.  I can't believe I had never had one before then.  Since trying it and loving it, I have tried a few times to recreate it at home and am loving this gringo version I came up with.

Chicken Torta Sandwiches
Recipe by Kathee


Ingredients:

2 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 cup salsa verde
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup nacho cheddar cheese sauce (I like Ricos)
1 rotisserie-style chicken, skin discarded and meat shredded OR
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
8 sandwich rolls, split
1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
15 oz. can of refried beans
Avocado slices
Lettuce

Directions:

Combine garlic, salsa verde, sour cream and nacho sauce in a skillet.  Add shredded chicken and stir until combined.  Cook on low heat until heated through.  Meanwhile, heat up the refried beans in a pot on the stove.  To prepare the sandwiches, smear a couple of spoonfulls of refried beans onto the top sandwich bun.  Place some shredded chicken on the bottom bun.  Top the chicken with shredded cheese, avocado slices and lettuce.  Top with the refried bean bun and ENJOY!  Of course, half my kids refused to eat this, but they made nachos with the chicken and loved it!

Here is another version that I have tried and also liked very much:


Pulled Chicken Sammies
Recipe from Taste and Tell

 Ingredients:

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 small red onion, chopped (of course I skipped this ingredient)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon honey
1 1/2 cups salsa verde
1/2 cup sour cream
1 rotisserie-style chicken, skin discarded and meat shredded
4 sandwich rolls, split
1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
Directions:

Preheat the broiler. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the lime juice and honey, then stir in the salsa and heat through. Mix in the sour cream. Add sauce a little at a time to your bowl of shredded chicken. YOU MAY NOT NEED ALL THE SAUCE depending on how much shredded chicken you have. Stir in the sauce to coat.

Pile the chicken mixture on the roll bottoms. Top with the cheese and broil to melt.

Crescent Chicken Squares

Last night I reached way into my recipe archives for our dinner.  I had asked my husband what he would like for dinner and he mentioned I hadn't made Crescent Chicken Squares forever and he was right.  Forever as in years.  Years!!!  I used to make this all the time right after we got married, it's always been a favorite.


Crescent Chicken Squares

Ingredients:

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
3 tbsp. butter
2 cups cooked, cubed chicken
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic
2 (8 oz.) cans crescent rolls
2 tbsp. butter
Crushed seasoned croutons

Directions:

Blend cream cheese and butter until smooth.  Add chicken, salt,  pepper, and garlic and mix well.  Seperate dough into 4 triangles (per can), spooning meat mixture into center.  Bring corners of dough together and press with fork.  Brush tops with melted butter and crushed seasoned croutons.  Bake on ungreased cookie sheets according to crescent roll directions.

Stir-Fried Chicken and Green Beans with Spicy Orange Sauce

There must be an orange theme going on.

On Sunday I made this dish from one of my favorite, never fail cookbooks. It was delicious as expected. We served it over rice. Next time I think I'll add some other veggies to it.

Stir-Fried Chicken and Green Beans with Spicy Orange Sauce
America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook

1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup cooking sherry (I used chicken broth)
2 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
4 tsp Asian Chili Sauce (I halved this for my non-spicy kids)
1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp grated orange zest
12 oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 large), trimmed and sliced thinly
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch lengths
1/2 cup water
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger

Whisk first 8 ingredients together in a bowl.

Heat oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add the chicken, break up any clumps, and cook until no longer pink. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and set aside.

Add the green beans to the skillet. Add the water, cover, and steam until the beans are bright green and begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Uncover and allow the water to evaporate, about 3 minutes.

Add the garlic and ginger, and cook until until fragrant, 15-30 seconds. Stir it into the vegetables. Return the chicken, with any accumulated juice, to the skillet. Whisk the sauce to recombine, then add to the skillet. Simmer, tossing constantly, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened, 30 seconds to 2 minutes. Sprinkle with sesame seeds (if desired) and serve.

Chicken Smothered With Love and Vanilla Cupcakes

For Valentine's Day I made my love his favorite meal, Chicken Smothered With Love. It's oh, so good. I made mashed potatoes, broccoli, rolls, and chocolate covered strawberries on the side. I made Shirley Temples and vanilla cupcakes, too. We were stuffed. I love to feed my family.

Chicken Smothered with Love

Boneless skinless chicken breasts (4), salted and peppered
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 tsp paprika
1/2 cup Flour
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 Tbs unsalted butter
1 onion sliced
1 1/2 cup hot chicken stock pinch of red pepper flakes

Season chicken with salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika...then dredge in flour. Heat oil and butter in skillet add chicken and brown all sides...then remove and set aside. Add onion to skillet and sauté until translucent and beginning to brown. Return chicken to skillet; add hot chicken stock just up to the side of the chicken and add red pepper flakes.Bring to a boil... lower heat to simmer, cover and cook 30-40 minutes until gravy thickens.

Vanilla Cupcakes

From Bake and Shake, Adapted from Amy Sedaris' recipe

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 3/4 cups vanilla sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 1/2 cups All Purpose flour, Dip-And-Sweep method
1 1/4 cups milk, pref. 2% or above, room temperature

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Whisk or sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy and light yellow, 45 seconds to a minute.

Add eggs, one by one, mixing to combine. If mixture looks slightly curdled, don't worry -- it should come together once you add the flour, or tears of failure. But this can be avoided by making sure your eggs are room temperature. I like to rinse a ceramic bowl out with hot tap water, dry, and set the eggs inside that. They come to temperature easily.

Add Vanilla, and then alternate flour mixture and milk, beating after each addition. I like to begin and end with the flour. Mix on low speed until batter is lump-free and almost glossy looking. It should be silky. Using an ice cream scoop or similar, scoop or spoon batter into a muffin tin lined with paper or foil baking cups -- if you're not lining, use a little vegetable oil or butter and flour your tin. This recipe will easily give you 16-24 cupcakes, depending on how high you fill them.

Bake for 10-15 minutes, checking after cupcakes have risen and begun to turn golden around the edges. When they're done, they'll be dry on top, slightly golden around the edges and a skewer inserted in the middle will come out dry. Allow to cool for three minutes in the pan, then remove to a rack. Frost and eat, or display for three days, swearing each time a hand nears them.

Vanilla Frosting
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 ounce softened cream cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
Powdered sugar, as needed (2-4 cups, depending)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Food coloring, if desired

In a large bowl, whip the butter and cream cheese together until completely smooth. Add in sugar, cup by cup, until desired consistency/sweetness level is reached. Divide into smaller bowls and color, if you want. Swirl generously on top of fully cooled cupcakes, and decorate as desired. (I double the frosting).

Chicken Flautas

I first had homemade chicken flautas at that famous Litchfield Park restaurant, Garcia's by the Lake (wink wink).  Our whole family fell in love with them and I set about looking for a good recipe.  I finally found this one from Food Network.  The cilantro cream sauce is a must to go with them, it is fantastic.  This meal is one of my very favorites for sure!!



Chicken Flautas
Recipe from Food Network

Ingredients:

2 1/2 pounds chicken

1/2 onion, chopped

1 1/ 2 jalapenos

1 tablespoon salt

1 to 2 cups vegetable oil

36 corn tortillas

Directions:

In a pot, cover chicken with water. Add onion, jalapenos, and one teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil and simmer until tender, about 1 hour. Remove meat from pot and cool. Pull chicken apart into small pieces.  Chicken should be continuously pulled apart until string-like consistency. In a deep pan, heat the oil to about 375 to 400 degrees F. Dip corn tortillas into hot oil for 1/2 a second or until tortilla is soft. Lay the shredded chicken in the middle of the corn tortillas. Add enough meat to make sure you taste the flavor of the meat and the corn tortilla. Roll the tortilla up and put toothpick through the middle of the flauta to hold in place. Once rolled, deep fry each flauta in the oil already heated (used to soften the corn tortillas) until corn tortillas turn to a golden brown or to your preference. Allow cooling off time. Remove toothpicks and serve 6 flautas on a plate with salsa, guacamole and cilantro cream sauce.

Cilantro Cream Sauce
Recipe from Allrecipes

Ingredients:

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 tablespoon sour cream

1 (7 ounce) can tomatillo salsa

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon celery salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Directions:

Combine cream cheese, sour cream, salsa, pepper, celery salt, cumin, garlic powder, cilantro and lime juice in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy. Place in a serving bowl.  Don't forget tomatillo sauce is pretty spicy!!!

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Yum!!



Sweet and Sour Chicken
Recipe from Allrecipes


Ingredients:

1 (8 ounce) can pineapple chunks, drained (juice reserved)

1/4 cup cornstarch

1 3/4 cups water, divided

3/4 cup white sugar

1/2 cup distilled white vinegar

2 drops orange food color

8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch cubes

2 1/4 cups self-rising flour

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper

1 egg

1 1/2 cups water

1 quart vegetable oil for frying

2 green bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces

Directions:

In a saucepan, combine 1 1/2 cups water, sugar, vinegar, reserved pineapple juice, and orange food coloring. Heat to boiling. Turn off heat. Combine 1/4 cup cornstarch and 1/4 cup water; slowly stir into saucepan. Continue stirring until mixture thickens.

Combine flour, 2 tablespoons oil, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, salt, white pepper, and egg. Add 1 1/2 cups water gradually to make a thick batter. Stir to blend thoroughly. Add chicken pieces, and stir until chicken is well coated.

Heat oil in skillet or wok to 360 degrees F (180 degrees C). Fry chicken pieces in hot oil 10 minutes, or until golden. Remove chicken, and drain on paper towels.

When ready to serve, layer green peppers, pineapple chunks, and cooked chicken pieces on a platter. Pour hot sweet and sour sauce over top.

Chicken Noodle Soup

I've had a really, really, really, really, really rough 2 weeks. I am comfortable enough to now label my four-month-old as colicky. Any baby who cries for hours on end for no logical reason I guess can be labeled as colicky. I've never had a colicky baby before. It's hard. Really hard. I was up with him from 12:30-5:30am and then my husband took over until he had to go to work. I was really tired all day and the crying all day long can really make you go bonkers after awhile. All I wanted was some chicken noodle soup for dinner and it somehow made things a little bit better.

Chicken Noodle Soup

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 medium carrots, cut diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices
2 celery ribs, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
4 fresh thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
2 quarts chicken stock
8 ounces dried wide egg noodles (the egg noodles from Costco are the best)
1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken (use rotisserie chicken)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Place a soup pot over medium heat and coat with the oil. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, celery, thyme and bay leaf. Cook and stir for about 6 minutes, until the vegetables are softened but not browned. Pour in the chicken stock and bring the liquid to a boil. Add the noodles and simmer for 5 minutes until tender. Fold in the chicken, and continue to simmer for another couple of minutes to heat through; season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving.

Red Curry with Chicken and Pineapple Fried Rice

I made Thai tonight and it was delish. I will admit that I cheated a little. Instead of making my own curry sauce I bought this at Trader Joe's...

...and it was good. Spicy, but good. (I like Joe's Tikka Masala sauce, too.) What I did was sauteed the chicken in a little bit of oil until it was close to done and then added sliced red peppers, onions and carrots and sauteed until they were done. I poured in the sauce (which already had coconut milk in it) and then added some of Joe's frozen french green beans. I then covered it and let it simmer while I made the fried rice.

Now, I love this fried rice not only because it's yummy but because it reminds me of my friend Andrea (hi, Andrea!). She invited us over for dinner one night and she made this. I just had to have the recipe, it was so good! I sure do miss Andrea and all my friends in Sacramento. There is just a wonderful group of people down there. Sniff, sniff.

Thai Heavenly Pineapple Fried Rice
recipe courtesy Andrea

1 small can pineapple chunks, drained, OR 1 whole pineapple
3 cups cooked rice, preferably several days old (Tip: if fresh, leave for an hour or more in the refrigerator uncovered)
2-3 Tbsp. peanut, coconut, canola, or other vegetable oil for stir-frying
1-3 Tbsp. vegetable stock (or chicken stock if non-vegetarian) for stir-frying
2 shallots, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped or pressed
1 red or green chili, thinly sliced (reduce or leave out if you prefer very mild fried rice)
1 egg (vegans can omit)*
½ cup frozen peas

optional: 1 small carrot, grated (about 1/4 cup)
¼ cup raisins or currants
½ cup raw unsalted whole cashews
3 spring onions finely sliced
1/3 cup fresh coriander

STIR-FRY SAUCE:
2 Tbsp vegetarian fish sauce, or soy sauce (use regular fish sauce if non-vegetarian)
2 tsp. curry powder

Mix 1 Tbsp. oil with the rice, using your fingers to separate any chunks into grains. Set aside. In a cup, stir the fish sauce/soy sauce together with the curry powder. Place 1-2 Tbsp. oil in a wok/large frying pan and turn heat to medium-high. Add shallots, garlic, and chili, stir-frying until fragrant (1 minute). Whenever the wok/pan becomes dry, add a little stock (1/2 to 1 Tbsp. at a time). Crack egg (if using) into wok and stir quickly to cook (like making scrambled eggs). Again, add a little stock when the wok/pan becomes dry. Add the carrot (if using), peas, cashews, plus the fish/soy sauce mixed with curry powder. Stir-fry 1 minute. Now add the rice, pineapple chunks, and currents. Gently stir-fry to combine over medium-high to high heat until the rice "dances" (begins to make popping sounds) - about 3 minutes.Tip: Avoid adding any more stock from here on, or your rice will turn out soggy. The wok/pan should be fairly dry. Remove from heat. Do a taste-test for saltiness, adding a few shakes of salt or up to 2 Tbsp. more [veggie] fish sauce, as needed. (If you happen to over-salt the dish, add a squeeze or two of lime juice.) To serve, scoop rice onto a serving platter (or in a carved-out pineapple, if serving at a party - see link at beginning of recipe). Top with spring onions and coriander, and ENJOY! SERVES 4 *(I used soy sauce and cranberries instead of fish sauce and currents)

Creamy Chicken Burritos and My New Favorite Salsa Recipe

We're having a rough day over here so I'll quickly post what we ate a few nights ago (behind as usual!). This burrito recipe is quick and delicious. I always buy a rotisserie chicken at Costco when I'm there because I ultimately will make something during the week that requires cooked chicken--this is one of them. This salsa recipe is AWESOME!! Of course everything Ree makes is awesome. I make this salsa at least once a week and it's highly addictive (Kath, grab the Juanita's chips and make this salsa!). I half the recipe for me and my hubby to munch on during the week.

Creamy Chicken Burritos

3 chicken breast halves cooked and cubed
1 4 oz pkg cream cheese (not fat-free!)
1 cup salsa
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 15 oz can pinto beans drained
1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
6 flour tortillas

Preheat oven to 350.Grease 9x13 baking dish.Add cream cheese and salsa to large saucepan. Cook over medium heat until cheese is melted and blended with salsa. Add garlic, beans and chicken. Mix well. Fill tortillas, roll up and place in baking dish. Mixture will be a bit runny so be careful not to burn yourself filling tortillas. Sprinkle burritos with cheese cover with foil and bake 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes. Serve with lettuce, tomatoes, olives etc.

Restaurant Style Salsa
recipe courtesy of The Pioneer Woman

1 can (28 Ounce) Whole Tomatoes With Juice
2 cans (10 Ounce) Rotel (diced Tomatoes And Green Chilies)(drain the juice)
¼ cups Chopped Onion (I double this)
1 clove Garlic, Minced
1 whole Jalapeno, Quartered And Sliced Thin
¼ teaspoons Sugar
¼ teaspoons Salt
¼ teaspoons Ground Cumin
½ cups Cilantro (I double this, too)
½ whole Lime Juice

Combine whole tomatoes, Rotel, onion, jalapeno, garlic, sugar, salt, cumin, lime juice, and cilantro in a blender or food processor. Pulse until you get the salsa to the consistency you’d like—I do about 10 to 15 pulses. Test seasonings with a tortilla chip and adjust as needed.

Refrigerate salsa for at least an hour.

Panda Express Mandarin Chicken and Fried Green Beans

I love this meal.  Here's the thing....... I am in love with rice.  It is so weird, because rice is really boring but I love it.  I would have it with every meal if I could get away with it.  If you want the yummy, sticky rice you need to buy Calrose rice.  Just put it in your rice cooker and 20 minutes later - sticky delishishness.  I usually make twice as much rice as we need and double the sauce so I can eat just the rice and sauce for leftovers, a couple of my kids like to do that too.  Then there's the green beans.  I haven't been the same since I had tempura fried vegetables.  I don't have a recipe for the green beans, I just let some frozen green beans thaw, dipped them in some tempura batter (which you can buy in the Asian section of any grocery store) and fried them up.  Fried carrots are my favorite, but I decided I was only going to do green beans tonight.  I served them with sweet and sour sauce and Sriracha sauce for dipping.  This is what Sriracha sauce looks like:

It tastes like liquid fire to me, but tasty liquid fire.  You can also find this in the Asian food section of any store.


Panda Express Mandarin Chicken
Don't know where I got the recipe but it's all over the internets

Ingredients:

2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
6 skinless chicken thigh fillets (I use 4 boneless, skinless breasts)
Directions:

Combine sugar, soy sauce, lemon juice, oil, garlic and ginger in a small saucepan. Combine water with cornstarch in a small bowl and stir until cornstarch is dissolved. Add to saucepan and turn heat to high. Stir often while bringing mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 4 to 6 minutes or until sauce is thick. Preheat your grill on high for the chicken. When the grill is hot, rub each chicken piece with oil and cook the chicken for 4 to 6 minutes per side or until done. Chicken should have browned in spots. When chicken is done, chop it into bite-size pieces. Pour the chicken pieces into a large frying pan over medium heat. Heat until chicken sizzles then reduce heat and cover chicken until ready to serve. Spoon chicken into a medium bowl, then pour all the sauce over the chicken and stir until well-coated. Serve with steamed white rice. Do a happy dance from the yummy deliciousness.

Panini with Warm Vegetable Salad and Mud Pie

Monday night is all about the dessert at our house. On Family Home Evening I usually will make a little somethin' and the kids always look forward to it. When Charlie asked what I was making for dessert this Monday I told him I was making Mud Pie. "Really?" He asked, a little confused. A few minutes later he said, "Hey mom, I know how to make mud pies. You want me to go outside and make you one?" Love it!

Monday night I also made paninis. I don't have a fancy panini press, but I have a cast iron press and it works just as well. I usually use the Trader Joe's Cracked Wheat Sourdough for our bread. It's perfect panini bread. For our filling, I grilled some chicken and red onions, fried some bacon, piled it all on and topped with sharp cheddar cheese. Yum.

For our side I made Giada De Laurentiis' Warm Vegetable Salad. Does your husband have a huge crush on Giada, too? Yuck. Put a sweater on, Giada. Okay, okay, my husband doesn't complain about my Jimmy Fallon crush. Don't we all have at least one celebrity crush? Be honest.

Warm Vegetable Salad
from Giada De Laurentiis' Everyday Italian

2 whole red peppers
1 1/2 pound assorted red and white new potatoes (I use purple potatoes, too)
3/4 pounds green beans, trimmed and halved
1 bunch scallions, sliced
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped oregano leaves
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the broiler. Place the red peppers on a foil lined baking sheet.

Place the red peppers under the boiler. Turning every 2 to 3 minutes cook the peppers until the skin is blistered, about 8 to 9 minutes total. Place the blistered peppers in a plastic bag. Seal the bag and allow the peppers to sit for 10 minutes to allow the skin to separate and to let cool.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the potatoes and cook until tender, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the potatoes to a cutting board. Add the green beans to the pot. Cook the green beans until tender, about 3 minutes. Remove the green beans to a large bowl. Slice the potatoes in half while still warm and combine them with the green beans in the large bowl. Remove the peppers from the plastic bag. Peel off the skin from the peppers. Slice the pepper flesh into wide strips and remove the seeds and veins. Place them in the bowl with the potatoes. Add the scallions, parsley, and garlic
and toss to combine.

In a small bowl combine the oregano, lemon juice and zest, and white wine vinegar. Whisk in the olive oil. Stir in the salt and pepper. Toss the warm vegetables with the herb vinaigrette. Serve immediately.

Mud Pie

3 squares (1 ounce each) semisweet chocolate (or 1/2 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips)
1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 chocolate crumb crust (8 inches) (or graham cracker crust)
1/2 cup chopped pecans (or not!)
2 cups cold milk
2 packages (3.9 ounces each) instant chocolate pudding mix
1 carton (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed, divided

In a microwave or heavy saucepan, melt chocolate; stir in condensed milk until smooth. Pour into crust; sprinkle with pecans. In a small bowl, whisk milk and pudding mixes for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set. Carefully spread 1-1/2 cups of pudding mixture over pecans. Fold 1/2 cup whipped topping into the remaining pudding mixture; spoon over pudding layer. Top with remaining whipped topping. Chill until set. Refrigerate leftovers.

Chicken Pot Pie

Tonight I made one of our family favorites, Chicken Pot Pie.  To prove it is one of our favorites, here is a picture taken approximately 30 seconds after the one above....

Something funny about our dinner tonight -  our oldest boy started begging me to take him to lunch tomorrow.  To a fast food place.  I asked him why he wanted to go to a fast food place and he replied it was because he couldn't remember the last time he had eaten at one.  It probably has been a year at the least since he's had fast food, and that was only because we were desperate for easy quick meals the last time we drove down to Arizona.  Now I'm trying to figure out where to take him -  I'm grossing out thinking of what I may have to eat for lunch tomorrow.  Because obviously there isn't any Chicken Pot Pie left over!!!


Williams Sonoma Chicken Pot Pie


Ingredients:

1 cup sliced peeled carrots
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup frozen peas
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup half and half
1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 egg yolk, beaten
1 9 inch pie dough round


Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.    Boil carrots for 5 minutes, add corn and boil for one more minute.  Drain and set aside.  In large frying pan with lid, melt butter over medium high heat.  Add chicken, and cook, uncovered, for about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally until browned on all sides.  Sprinkle in flour and stir well.  Stir in the stock, half and half, and parsley, and bring to a simmer.  Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 6-7 minutes.  Stir in vegetables, including peas.  Season with salt and pepper.  Transfer to a 9 inch pie dish.  Brush some egg yolk in a border around edge of pie dough.  Place dough, egg side down, over the filling and press dough to rim of dish.  Brush surface lightly with remaining egg yolk.  Cut a few slits in center of the top with the tip of a knife.  Place pie dish on a baking sheet to catch spills.  Bake until crust is golden brown, about 30 minutes.
This is a very versatile recipe.  You can buy a rotisserie chicken at the store and use that.  I always make it the day after Thanksgiving with leftover turkey.  Sometimes I double the recipe and make one pie pan with peas and one without.    Sometimes I double it and just put it all in a casserole dish (like I did tonight).

My "I Don't Want to Cook" Go-To Meal #1--BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

Yesterday was a bad day. I made the mistake of taking my two-year-old shopping. He ended up making me cry a few times before we finally came home. Then my 3-month-old screamed for 5 hours straight. Five hours! That brought a few more tears. He eventually had a blow out and was then all smiles. Poor guy. After I was done cleaning him up, in comes my before mentioned two-year-old from outside...covered in mud from head to toe. According to his two older siblings he was making and consuming mud pies. Gee, thanks for looking out for your little brother kids. (sigh)

After I cleaned up my muddy guy I looked at the clock and it was already after 5 o'clock. I was in no mood to cook a normal meal, so I went with one of my "I Don't Want to Cook" meals. Everyone should have a dozen or so of those. Thankfully, I bought a rotisserie chicken at Costco earlier in the day so I was able to make this super-fast. My kids love these sandwiches and all you have to do is add a salad (umm...and perhaps some tater tots) and you have yourself a meal.

BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

2 cups chopped cooked chicken
¼ cup BBQ Sauce
4 Kaiser rolls, split and toasted
4 slices provolone cheese

Preheat broiler. Toss together chicken and BBQ sauce in medium saucepan; heat through. Spoon chicken mixture on toasted buns and top with cheese. Arrange on baking sheet. Broil until cheese melts. Add tops.

Chicken Fajitas, Fresh Pineapple, Brazilian Lemonade and Our Traditional Sunday Sundaes

I LOVE fajitas. Like, a lot. I really LOVE this recipe, too. I probably make fajitas too much and I'm sure it drives my husband crazy, but I love them. I grill my chicken on my cast iron grill pan and my onions and peppers in a separate skillet. Other than that I follow the recipe. So yummy.

Tonight I also made some Brazilian Lemonade to go with our dinner. My sister posted on Facebook a few weeks ago about eating at Tucanos (our favorite Brazilian restaurant) and ever since then I've been craving their food and their lemonade. Since I have no idea how to make their amazing food I just settled with making their lemonade. Simple and delicious. Oh, but please don't forget to strain your lemonade. I forgot to one time when we had company over. Um, that was a tad embarrassing.

We're big on food traditions around here. Every Sunday we make the kids an ice cream sundae. They get to choose whatever toppings they want and it can sometimes get a little crazy. My two-year-old was loving his sundae so much tonight that he was scooping out the last little bits of ice cream with his hands. Wouldn't want to be wasteful.

Fajita Marinade
recipe courtesy of Our Best Bites

1/4 C fresh lime juice
1/3 C water
2 TBSP vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced
3 tsp vinegar
2 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp liquid smoke
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp onion powder

For the Fajitas:
-Boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced thin (about 3 large ones). Steak is also great.
-Bell Peppers (about 3 large ones--red, yellow or orange), quartered
-1 Onion (white or red), sliced 1/2 inch thick

Mix all that stuff up and place in a zip-lock bag. Before you put the meat in, reserve a little marinade to use when cooking. Then toss in the chicken or steak. Marinade for at least 4 hours. Then grill meat, onions and peppers (drizzle onions and peppers with olive oil and salt and pepper) outside on the bbq, or indoors on a skillet (cast iron is best) or grill pan. Use the reserved marinade as you cook. When everything is finished cooking start slicing meat and vegetables.
Serve in tortillas alone, or with all the fixings: Black Beans, Guacamole, or diced avocado, Pico de Gallo, Sour Cream etc.

Brazilian Lemonade
2 limes
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
3 cups water ice

Wash limes thoroughly. Cut off the ends and slice into eight wedges. Place limes in a blender with the sugar, sweetened condensed milk, water, and ice. Blend in an electric blender, pulsing 5 times. Strain through a fine mesh strainer to remove rinds. Serve over ice. Best if served immediately.

Vicki's Hawaiian Casserole - Making the most of a bad situation

So my husband is out of town.  I hate it when he is out of town.  I miss him so much.  He's my best friend, you know.  We have so much fun together.  There is only ONE positive thing about him being gone and this is it - I get to make things for dinner that he doesn't like.  Now he's not a super picky guy, there aren't a lot of things he doesn't like, but it just so happens that he doesn't like a couple of things that I LOVE.  One of them is Vicki's Hawaiian Casserole, which he doesn't like because I made it once a week for a year when we were first married.  What's the big deal about that??!! 

Now Vicki, the lovely lady behind this recipe, lives across the street from my parents, and besides being the sweetest woman around is an AMAZING cook.  Is it horrible that I would look forward to one of my parents being sick, so Vicki would bring us over some lasagna, ravioli or this casserole?!  (I didn't really look forward to them being sick, I swear!!)  The combination might sound weird, but I'm telling you, it is delicious!!


Vicki's Hawaiian Casserole
Recipe courtesy of Vicki Kovalesky


Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
1 stick butter
1 bunch green onion, diced
8 carrots, cut into slivers
6 eggs, scrambled
1 package thin pasta noodles (angel hair, fettucinne, spagetti...) cooked and drained
Soy sauce, to taste

Directions:

Melt the butter in a saucepan.  Add the green onions and carrots.  Cook until tender.  Add chicken, scrambled eggs and butter mixture to the pasta.  Drizzle soy sauce over the top and stir it all together.  Taste it to see if you like the amount of soy sauce, if not, add some more.  If you think you added too much, sorry.  That's a bummer.

Make it Work! Jambalaya, Sour Cream Yeast Rolls and Dutch Apple Pie

Today I made mom's Jambalaya, a favorite the whole family will eat (doesn't happen too often) with a side of pineapple and sour cream yeast rolls. Now everybody loves my rolls, especially my kids. My two-year-old is known for stealing them during dinner and eating them super fast before anyone notices. He was so excited that we were having rolls today that as soon as my husband walked through the door this evening he yells, "Daddy we're having rolls for dinner!! Yay!!" Because my family loves them so much I make them 2-3 times a week. Thank goodness they are easy to make.

Meals like Jambalaya are great because I can make them while the baby naps and the kids play and then put it in the oven later. Except today my baby was in no mood for a nap and the kids seem to not want me out of their sight today. So I made the best of it. I set my Pandora radio to "The Shins station" (I need music in order to function properly) while my eldest son did his math homework at the dining table, my two-year-old played his magnet game on the fridge and my always helpful daughter played with the baby. It somehow worked out perfectly.

I managed to make a pie for FHE, too. This one is my sweet husband's favorite.

My two-year-old, about to swipe a roll.

Mom's Jambalaya

2 tbsp. vegetable or canola oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 green pepper, chopped
1 clove of garlic
1 package of small pork sausages (Little Smokies), cut up
2 cups cooked, cubed chicken
2 cups chicken broth
few of dashes of parsley
1 tsp. salt
2 dashes of cayenne pepper (omit this if your kids don't like spicy food)
1 ¼ cup of rice
dash of thyme
2 cans of tomatoes

Sauté onion, pepper, garlic and sausage in oil until veggies are tender. Add chicken and all remaining ingredients. Put into 9 X 13 pan. Bake covered at 350 degrees for 1hour or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.

Bread Machine Sour Cream Yeast Rolls

1/4 cup water
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup butter -- cut into small piece
1 egg
2 cups bread flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 package active dry yeast

Combine ingredients in bread machine according to manufacturer's directions and process in dough cycle. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface, and knead 4 to 5times (I'm lazy and don't even do this); divide in half. Shape each portion into 9 rolls, and place in an 8-in round pan (I divide them into 12 rolls and place them in a greased muffin tin). Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from draft, 40 minutes or until doubled in bulk. Bake at 375° for 10-12 minutes.

Dutch Apple Pie with Oatmeal Struesel
recipe courtesy of allrecipes

1 (9 inch) pie shell
5 cups apples - peeled, cored and sliced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2/3 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
2 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup rolled oats
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 cup butter

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Fit pastry shell into pie pan and place in freezer.

To Make Apple Filling: Place apples in a large bowl. In a separate bowl combine 2 tablespoons flour, white sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Mix well, then add to apples. Toss until apples are evenly coated.
Remove pie shell from freezer. Place apple mixture in pie shell and dot with 2 tablespoons butter or margarine. Lay a sheet of aluminum foil lightly on top of filling, but do not seal.

Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.

While filling is baking, make Streusel Topping: In a medium bowl combine 3/4 cup flour, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, brown sugar, oats, and lemon peel. Mix thoroughly, then cut in 1/2 cup butter or margarine until mixture is crumbly. Remove filling from oven and sprinkle streusel on top.

Reduce heat to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Bake an additional 30 to 35 minutes, until streusel is browned and apples are tender. Cover loosely with aluminum foil to prevent excess browning.

Carrie's Notes: So good! If you like Apple Crisp then you'll love this pie. Tips...Freezing crust is not necessary. Also, I used a 1/4 cup of flour in the filling to thicken it up (per recommendations).