Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Ravioli Lasagna

Ravioli Lasagna 

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups pasta sauce (I use Muir Glen Tomato Basil)
20-ounce package cheese ravioli (refrigerated or frozen)
10 ounces frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry 
4 ounces (1 cup) shredded part-skim mozzarella
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste (optional)
Cooking spray


Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray an 8-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
Pour 1/2 cup pasta sauce over bottom of dish.
Layer bottom of dish with half of the ravioli.
Cover ravioli with 1/2 cup sauce and top with spinach and half of mozzarella (1/2 cup).
Repeat with remaining ravioli, sauce and mozzarella. Sprinkle top with Parmesan and crushed red pepper flakes, if using.
Cover dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake until bubbling and starts to brown, about 10 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes and then serve.



Baked Chicken and Spinach Flautas

Baked Chicken and Spinach Flautas

Ingredients
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless Chicken Thighs (about 4)
  • 16 ounces Beer (or chicken broth)
  • 2 cups Water
  • 1 teaspoon Paprika
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
  • 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground Cumin
  • 1 teaspoon Chili Powder
  • Jalapeno Pepper, minced
  • 3 cups Baby Spinach, chopped
  • 5 burrito-size Flour Tortillas (9 inches)
  • 6 ounces Queso Quesadilla or other melting cheese, shredded
  • 1 teaspoon Olive Oil, or cooking spray
  • Salsa, for serving
Preparation
  1. Preheat the oven to 450*F.
  2. Put the chicken thighs in a deep sided saute pan and cover with the beer and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the chicken from the liquid and shred it. Mix together the chicken and seasonings.
  3. Pour out all but ¼ cup of the cooking liquid. Add the jalapeno and spinach and cook over low heat until for 2-3 minutes, or until the spinach is wilted.
  4. Cut the tortillas in half. Spoon 1/10th of the chicken (about 1 tablespoon) along the long edge of a tortilla. Repeat with the spinach and cheese. Roll the tortilla up, starting with the straight edge. Place seam-side down on an oiled baking sheet. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
  5. Brush the flautas with olive oil or spray with cooking spray. Bake for 10 minutes, then turn them over and bake for until 10 minutes, or until crispy. Serve with salsa.



Mexican Chicken Spaghetti

Mexican Chicken Spaghetti 

Ingredients
8 oz angel hair pasta
2 c. cooked chicken, chopped
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 (10 oz) can of Rotel diced tomatoes and green chiles, undrained
1 c. sour cream
1 c. Shredded Mexican Cheese

Instructions
Preheat over to 350 degrees
Boil pasta according to package directions and drain.
Mix all other ingredients, except cheese, add to cooked pasta. Put in a 9×13 baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Sprinkle with cheese and return to oven until melted.



Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Chicken Bundles

Chicken Bundles

Ingredients


  • 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
  • 1-13 oz. can chicken (or equivalent cooked chicken, rotisserie chicken, etc)
  • 1 Tbs. sesame seeds
  • 1/4 tsp. parsley
  • 2 cans Pillsbury Crescent Rolls - leave in fridge until ready to use!
  • 1 Tbs. finely chopped onion or dried minced onion

Directions

  • Mix all above ingredients except crescent rolls. Mix well. 
  • Open two packages crescent rolls. DO NOT divide into triangles. Keep every 2 triangles together, forming 8 rectangles.
  • Pinch the seams closed and pat each one out into a larger square.
  • Put a spoonful of chicken/cream cheese mixture into the center of each square. Fold the corners up into the center, layering like flower petals so the roll is sealed.
  • Repeat with all 8 rectangles. 
  • Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees until golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.










Creamy Cheesy Carrot Casserole

Creamy Cheesy Carrot Casserole 



INGREDIENTS


  • 3 cups peeled and sliced carrots
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 2 cups half and half
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. onion powder
  • 1 1/4 tsp. dry mustard
  • 1/4 tsp. pepper
  • 1/4 tsp. celery salt
  • 6-7 slices white bread
  • 8 oz. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • 3 Tbsp. butter

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. MAKE WHITE SAUCE: In a large sauce pan, melt butter in saucepan, add flour and stir to combine. Once you have your roux, add half and half and stir constantly until sauce thickens. Remove from heat and stir in salt, onion powder, dry mustard, pepper and celery salt.
  2. In a 9x13 pan, layer peeled and sliced carrots, then white sauce, then evenly sprinkle shredded sharp cheddar cheese over white sauce.
  3. Place slices of white bread in blender and blend until it turns into bread crumbs.
  4. In a skillet, heat 3 Tbsp. of butter and then sauté bread crumbs in the butter until golden in color.
  5. Evenly sprinkle bread crumbs over shredded cheese on the casserole.
  6. Cover casserole with foil and Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, uncover and bake for an additional 15 minutes










Crock Pot Hawaiian Chicken

Crock Pot Hawaiian Chicken 



INGREDIENTS

2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/2 cup ketchup

1/2 tsp. Worcestershire saucE

1 tsp. mustard

1/2 cup crushed pineapple with juice

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 can pineapple chunks


INSTRUCTIONS


  1. Mix all ingredients together
  2. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or stew in slow cooker for 4-6 hours. For the last 20 minutes of cooking time, dump in 1 can pineapple chunks, without the juice. Cook remaining 20 minutes.
  3. Serve over rice.
  4. **FREEZING DIRECTIONS: PLACE CHICKEN IN FREEZER BAG. POUR SAUCE MIXTURE OVER CHICKEN IN BAG. FREEZE.




Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Creamy Chicken Broccoli Casserole

Creamy Chicken Broccoli Casserole 



Ingredients 

1 (16 oz.) bag

1-2 cups cooked and shredded chicken

2 (8 oz.) blocks cream cheese

2 cups milk

1 1/2 tsp. garlic salt

3/4 cup Parmesan Cheese separtated

 Ritz Crackers crushed


Directions

  1. Cook broccoli in salted water according to bag directions.
  2. Place the broccoli in a greased 9x13 casserole dish.
  3. Heat the milk, cream cheese, garlic salt and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese over low heat, stirring until the mixture is smooth. (Sometimes, I microwave the cream cheese for a minute or so until it is soft, then put it in a saucepan along with the other ingredients and cook until smooth and warmed through. It helps cut back on some time.)
  4. Pour 1 cup of sauce over the broccoli.
  5. Next add the chicken into the pan and pour rest of sauce over it.
  6. Sprinkle the top with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese and Ritz cracker crumbs.
  7. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes.





Easy Crock Pot Chicken

Easy Crock Pot Chicken

Ingredients

2 Chicken Breasts
1 onion (chopped)
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
Dash of Salt
Pam cooking spray



Directions

1. Spray crock pot with Pam

2. Chop onion

3. Place chicken in the bottom of the crock pot

4. Place chopped onion over the chicken

5. Pour Cream of Chicken soup over the chicken

6. Pour half a can of water over chicken and soup. (Use can from cream of chicken soup).

7. Cook on low for 7 hours or until chicken is at 165 degrees F.


Creamy Chipotle Black Bean Chicken Burritos

Creamy Chipotle Black Bean Chicken Burritos 

2 chicken breasts
3 C chicken broth
1 (14.5 ounce) can Mexican stewed tomatoes, diced or whole
1 (15 ounce) can black beans
1 (15 ounce) can corn
1 (4 ounce) can green chillis
1 (8 ounce) cream cheese
1/2 t smoked paprika
1/2 t chipotle peppers and adobo sauce, blended

flour tortillas, or corn chips


1. Place the 2 chicken breasts into a large skillet and pour the can of Mexican tomatoes over the chicken.


2. Pour 3 cups of chicken broth over the chicken. Heat over high heat bringing the ingredients to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and over with a lid at an angle so some of the steam can escape. Cook until chicken is no longer pink, or about 20 minutes. 

3. Remove the chicken and let them cool for about 3 minutes. Keep the juices in the pan at a simmer.

4. Chop the chicken and return to the skillet.

5.  Rinse and drain the black beans, corn and green chilies, then add them to the skillet. 

6. Add package of cream cheese.

7. Add 1/2 teaspoon of smoked Paprika. 

8. Add 1/2 teaspoon of chipotle peppers and adobe sauce.

9. Stir ingredients and simmer over high heat for about 10-15 minutes until the sauce thickens up. 

10. Fill your tortilla with ingredients from skillet, and enjoy! 







Monday, September 23, 2013

Ranch Pesto Rigatoni Bake

Ranch Pesto Rigatoni Bake  


1 box rigatoni
1/2 cup ranch dressing
1/4 cup prepared pesto
28 oz can diced tomatoes, drained and slightly rinsed
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
parsley


Cook and drain rigatoni, return to pot. Stir in ranch dressing, pesto, diced tomatoes, and one cup shredded mozzarella. Transfer pasta to a 2 quart baking dish. Top with remaining mozzarella and parsley. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 5 minutes until cheese is completely melted.





Chicken and cornmeal dumplings

Chicken and cornmeal dumplings

Ingredients

  •  medium carrots, thinly sliced
  •  stalk celery, thinly sliced
  •  1/3 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
  •  1/2 of a medium onion, thinly sliced
  •  cloves garlic, minced
  •  teaspoon snipped fresh rosemary or 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
  •  1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  •  boneless skinless chicken breasts 
  •  cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
  •  1/2 cup fat-free milk
  •  tablespoon all-purpose flour
  •  1 recipe Cornmeal Dumplings (see recipe below)
  •  Coarsely ground black pepper (optional)

Directions

  1.  In a 1 1/2- or 2-quart slow cooker, combine carrots, celery, corn, onion, garlic, rosemary, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Top with chicken. Pour broth over mixture in cooker.
  2.  Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 7 to 8 hours or on high-heat setting for 3 1/2 to 4 hours. If no heat setting is available, cook for 5 to 5 1/2 hours.
  3.  If using low-heat setting, turn to high-heat setting (or if no heat setting is available, continue cooking). Transfer chicken to a cutting board; cool slightly. When cool enough to handle, chop chicken; return to mixture in cooker. In a small bowl, combine milk and flour until smooth. Stir into mixture in cooker.
  4.  Using two spoons, drop Cornmeal Dumplings dough into four mounds on top of hot chicken mixture. Cover and cook for 20 to 25 minutes more or until a toothpick inserted into a dumpling comes out clean. (Do not lift cover during cooking.) If desired, sprinkle each serving with coarse pepper.

Cornmeal Dumplings

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1/4 cup cornmeal
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  •  Dash salt
  • egg white
  • tablespoon fat-free milk
  • tablespoon canola oil

Directions

  1.  In a medium bowl stir together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. In a small bowl combine egg white, milk, and oil. Add egg mixture to flour mixture; stir just until moistened.