Category: PROTEINS

SOUTH WESTERN CHICKEN CASSEROLE

SOUTH WESTERN CHICKEN CASSEROLE
3-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 cups frozen hash brown potates
1 large can Durkee’s french fried onions, divided
1 can Old El Paso green enchilada sauce
1 can Rotel tomatoes, drained
1 can white niblets corn, drained
1 cup grated sharp white cheddar, divided
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste
PURE

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • Spray large casserole dish with PURE.
  • Spread potatoes along the bottom.
  • Top with first half of french fried onions.
  • Top with first half of cheese.
  • Salt and pepper chicken breasts layering them over cheese seasoned side down.
  •  Salt and pepper top sides of chicken.
  • Layer corn and tomatoes over top of the chicken.
  • Melt the butter in heavy saucepan. 
  • Blend in flour and salt. Cook until bubbly. 
  • Remove from heat and gradually stir or whisk in liquid. 
  • Return to heat and cook, constantly stirring until smooth and thickened.
  • Whisk in enchilada sauce.
  • Pour over corn and tomato layer.
  • Top with remaining cheese.
  • Ring French fried onions around the edge.
  • Bake 30-45 minutes covered.
  • Bake another 15-30 minutes uncovered.
  • Let stand 5-10 minutes.

 These were our wonderful potato leftovers below and they tasted better and more full of flavor on day 2 and 3.

GROWN UP MAC & CHEESE

I had left over bleu cheese from updated Danish Cube Steak and wanted to use it up.  Here is what I came up with and it too got a 2 thumbs up from hubby!

GROWN UP MAC & CHEESE
12 ounce package pasta
3 tablespoons flour
3 tablespoons butter
2 cups whole milk
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon Frank’s hot sauce
3/4 cup sharp white cheddar cheese
3 ounces bleu cheese crumbles
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain Well.
  • Melt butter in a medium saucepan.  Add salt.
  • In a small food processor pulse bleu cheese crumbles until fine.  Set aside.
  • Add flour and whisk constantly over medium heat until smooth.
  • Gradually add milk, whisking constantly.  
  • Add hot sauce.  Bring to a slow boil.  Simmer for 5 minutes.
  • Remove from heat and whisk in all cheeses, salt and pepper to taste until smooth.
  • Mix pasta and cheese mixture together until well blended.
  • Scoop into a casserole or ramekins.
  • Bake 15-20 minutes.
  • Top with chopped chives.

Mongolian Beef & Broccoli in the Slow Cooker

We like to put meat and sauce on a pile of veggies rather than rice or noodles.  I figure, for the most part, rice is just there to catch the numminess of the sauce, right?  So I LOVE broccoli, and we steam a bunch of it and put our meat and sauces over broccoli. You could do this with any veggies.  Add more if you’d like. I’m not a carb hater, trust me, I love my carbs. I just choose them wisely and want to get the most out of them.  So in this awesome meal, we gladly skip the rice.
Don’t be scared off by the list of ingredients.  These all come together to make an incredible meal. Seriously. I’ve made this several times and we love it.  I totally end up eating way too much of it. 
Mongolian Beef and Broccoli Adapted from A Year of Slow Cooking1 1/2 pounds steak, something cheap3 cloves of garlic, minced
4 sliced green onions
1/2 onion, diced
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup cooking sherry
1/2 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoon molasses
1 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes
1/2 tablespoon peanut butter
3 tablespoons splenda (or sugar)
1/4 cup cornstarch (to dredge meat)
1 pound broccoli

  • Slice your meat in thin strips and toss in a Ziploc bag with cornstarch. 
  • Add all of the liquid and dried spices to your crock pot, add the peanut butter, and mix well. 
  • Add the garlic, the sliced green onions and regular onion. 
  • Put your meat on top, and toss to coat.
  • Cover and cook on low for 3-5 hours. The steak is thin and has very little fat, and will cook quickly. The meat is done when it is no longer pink and has reached desired tenderness. Mine was done in about 4 hours. 
  • Steam broccoli on stove top for 6 – 8 minutes with 1/2 cup water until desired crispness. 
  • Serve mongolian beef over steamed broccoli.
Total calories = 1485 calories
4 servings = 371 calories

NOT YOUR MOM’S TUNA CASSEROLE

NOT YOUR MOM’S TUNA CASSEROLE

1/2 rotiserrie chicken, cut into small pieces or 2 large cans albacore white tuna
1 can cream of mushroom soup or substitute
1 can chopped green chiles, drained
1/2 cup milk
1 large can French’s French fried onion rings
1 bunch green onions, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 cups wide egg noodles

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Bring a large sauce pan of water to a roiling boil.  Add noodles and simmer 5 minutes.
  • Whisk together soup or soup substitute and milk.
  • Add onions, celery, chiles and chicken pieces blending well.
  • Add in 1/2 can French’s onion rings, blending well again.
  • Add in drained noodles and cheeses, blending again until well mixed.
  • Pour into a greased casserole dish and top with remaining Frnech’s onion rings.
  • Bake 30 minutes.
  • Enjoy.

NOT YOUR MOM’S TUNA CASSEROLE

NOT YOUR MOM’S TUNA CASSEROLE
1/2 rotiserrie chicken, cut into small pieces or 2 large cans albacore white tuna
1 can cream of mushroom soup or substitute
1 can chopped green chiles, drained
1/2 cup milk
1 large can French’s French fried onion rings
1 bunch green onions, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 cups wide egg noodles

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Bring a large sauce pan of water to a roiling boil.  Add noodles and simmer 5 minutes.
  • Whisk together soup or soup substitute and milk.
  • Add onions, celery, chiles and chicken pieces blending well.
  • Add in 1/2 can French’s onion rings, blending well again.
  • Add in drained noodles and cheeses, blending again until well mixed.
  • Pour into a greased casserole dish and top with remaining Frnech’s onion rings.
  • Bake 30 minutes.
  • Enjoy.

CHICKEN FLORENTINE aka STUFFED CHICKEN BREASTS

If you are anything like me, you have a drawer or a box full of recipes from newspapers, magazines, old maiden aunts, grandmothers, friends and every potluck you’ve ever been to and said I have to have that recipe! I remember one potluck at church several years back that I asked for a recipe and she instantly pulled it out of her pocket. Obviously I wasn’t the first to ask! Those are the recipes I like, the ones that bring a memory to mind like Lonnie handing me that recipe card.

Now while I kept her combination of spices and seasonings intact I did make changes that made it more palatable to my family. For example hubby doesn’t like cooked mushrooms so I either have to eliminate them or substitute for something else, but sometimes I’m a little sneaky and they’re in there, but just not so he can tell. One son doesn’t like tomato pieces, but loves tomato sauce, his old girlfriend won’t eat cooked carrots, and on and on! So I always keep a list of likes, dislikes and allergies and am constantly altering recipes to fly by the seat of my pants.

This recipe has been floating around so long in the box of scraps that I have no idea where it originated which based on all my changes doesn’t matter, but reminds me to keep that box. Some days I feel like an archaeologist, but come up with oldies that were someone’s favorite and will now be revived.
 

CHICKEN FLORENTINE aka STUFFED CHICKEN BREASTS
FILLING
1/3 cup diced red bell pepper*
1/3 cup chopped fresh mushrooms
1 1/4 cup fresh baby spinach leaves**
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1 bunch green onions, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 ounces Philadelphia cream cheese, softened or 2 ounces grated mozzarella
1 1/2 teaspoons flour
CHICKEN
4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2-3 slices sourdough bread, staled and crumbled
3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
1+1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 egg white, beaten

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees.   
  • Melt 1 tablespoon butter add 1 teaspoon olive oil in skillet.
  • Saute’ garlic, bell pepper and mushrooms until tender, about 5 minutes.
  • Add in spinach and cooked until spinach is completely wilted. If using frozen stir until well blended.
  • Drain well.
  • Combine cream cheese, flour and spinach mix until well blended and set aside.
  • Between 2 sheets of wax paper flatten each chicken breast to 1/4 inch and set aside.
  • Combine bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Add 1 tablespoon melted butter and mix until crumbly.
  • Divide the spinach mixture equally between the chicken breasts.
  • Carefully roll each chicken breast.
  • Using a pastry brush coat each chicken bundle with the beaten egg and then roll in coating mixture.
  • Place seam side down on a small baking sheet or stoneware pan (I prefer the stoneware pan for a crisper, non-greasy chicken)
  • Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown in color and juices are clear.
*I like to make this recipe back to back on my weekly menu with Twisted Pepper Steak to make the red pepper usage more efficient, use jar (olive oil soaked) red peppers or I substitute a jar of pimentos in a pinch.
** You can use frozen chopped, but it must be drained well and then drained a few more times until dry!!

Fire Day Friday: Grilled Garlic and Parsley Chicken

As I sit here typing this post, I have one eye on my all time favorite movie – Shaun of the Dead.  I have seen this movie over 100 200 times and it still makes me laugh hysterically.  I believe Edger Wright and Simon Pegg (and Nick Frost, but he didn’t write the movie) are moving making geniuses!
There is no true reason for bringing this up, other than the fact that it takes a lot to make me tire of something I truly love.  Hence, we eat a TON of chicken and fish at our house.  I also never tire of simple and easy dishes. 🙂
I love parsley, it’s an herb that holds up very well to … well…everything.  It doesn’t bruise easily when you chop it.  It doesn’t turn a nasty shade of black when it heats up.  And it holds its delicious flavor even in acids.

This chicken is flavorful and simple…my two favorite things!

Grilled Garlic and Parsley Chicken
Recipe created by Jenn’s Food Journey
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
10 garlic cloves
1/2 cup fresh parsley
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tablespoons lemon juice

Directions:
Place the garlic in a food processor and pulse 4 or 5 times.  Add the parsley and pulse another 4-5 times.  Add the oil and lemon juice and pulse everything is roughly chopped and combined well.  Place the chicken in a resealable bag or shallow dish.  Rub/pour the marinade over both sides of the chicken and allow to marinate for at least 1 hour, though I would suggest at least 4 hours if you have it.

Preheat grill to 375-400 degrees.  Place the chicken directly on the grates and grill for 6-9 minutes per side or until the chicken is cooked all the way through.  Remove from grill and allow to sit for 3 minutes.  Enjoy!

TATER TOPPED MEAT CUPCAKES

I recently read Martha’s recipe for Tater Topped Mini Meatloaves and thought how neat they were. So, I made them too! 🙂  Only I made them with the ingredients I had around and I only got 18 of them.
TATER TOPPED MINI MEAT CUPCAKES

made 18

1 pound ground sirloin
1 pound ground chicken
1 box of Stove top Chicken stuffing
1 package KNORR Spring Vegetable Mix
2 eggs
1 cup water
3 tablespoons BBQ sauce

4 cups mashed potatoes
leftover pot roast gravy

  • Mix the meat, stuffing mix, broth, eggs and BBQ sauce well and press into muffin tins sprayed with cooking spray. 
  • Bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes or until done. 
  • While the mini meatloaves are cooking prepare mashed potatoes (I used Idahoan brand loaded mashed potatoes). 
  • Top each mini meatloaf with mashed potatoes and bake for another 5 minutes just to set the potatoes well. 
  • Top with gravy. 

CHICKEN & SAUSAGE GUMBO with BBQ SAUSAGE

CHICKEN & SAUSAGE GUMBO
1/2 of a rotisserie chicken pieces
1/2 pound sausage, sliced in 1/4 inch pieces and then quartered
2 celery stalks, diced
1 small Vidalia onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups fresh green beans, cleaned and chopped
2 3/4 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon thyme
1 tablespoons parsley
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon pepper

  • Melt butter and oil over medium high heat in a large saute’ pan.  Add flour and whisk continuously until golden brown.
  • Add onions, garlic and celery stirring continuously for 3-5 minutes until vegetables are tender.
  • Add thyme. salt and pepper.
  • Add green beans, stirring to coat.
  • Add broth, chicken and sausage pieces and simmer uncovered for 20-30 minutes until desired consistency.
  • Add parsley and stir well.
  • Serve over mashed potatoes.
  • I coated the remaining sausage pieces with barbecue sauce and broiled them for a few minutes as an appetizer/compliment.

TATER TOPPED MEAT CUPCAKES

I recently read Martha’s recipe for Tater Topped Mini Meatloaves and thought how neat they were. So, I made them too! 🙂  Only I made them with the ingredients I had around and I only got 18 of them.
TATER TOPPED MINI MEAT CUPCAKES

made 18

1 pound ground sirloin
1 pound ground chicken
1 box of Stove top Chicken stuffing
1 package KNORR Spring Vegetable Mix
2 eggs
1 cup water
3 tablespoons BBQ sauce

4 cups mashed potatoes
leftover pot roast gravy

  • Mix the meat, stuffing mix, broth, eggs and BBQ sauce well and press into muffin tins sprayed with cooking spray. 
  • Bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes or until done. 
  • While the mini meatloaves are cooking prepare mashed potatoes (I used Idahoan brand loaded mashed potatoes). 
  • Top each mini meatloaf with mashed potatoes and bake for another 5 minutes just to set the potatoes well. 
  • Top with gravy. 

CHICKEN & SAUSAGE GUMBO with BBQ SAUSAGE

CHICKEN & SAUSAGE GUMBO
1/2 of a rotisserie chicken pieces
1/2 pound sausage, sliced in 1/4 inch pieces and then quartered
2 celery stalks, diced
1 small Vidalia onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups fresh green beans, cleaned and chopped
2 3/4 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon thyme
1 tablespoons parsley
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon pepper

  • Melt butter and oil over medium high heat in a large saute’ pan.  Add flour and whisk continuously until golden brown.
  • Add onions, garlic and celery stirring continuously for 3-5 minutes until vegetables are tender.
  • Add thyme. salt and pepper.
  • Add green beans, stirring to coat.
  • Add broth, chicken and sausage pieces and simmer uncovered for 20-30 minutes until desired consistency.
  • Add parsley and stir well.
  • Serve over mashed potatoes.
  • I coated the remaining sausage pieces with barbecue sauce and broiled them for a few minutes as an appetizer/compliment.

HAM SPREAD DIABLO

Remember when we were kids and there were all these neat spreads and sandwich makings?  Things Like Under World um I mean Underwood Deviled Ham.
Hubby loved it, but now that we are really watching what we put into our bodies I make everything fresh.  So, I set out to make a homemade ham spread for hubby’s lunches.  Now back then we also ate things like this on processed white bread, but today’s sandwiches were served on Oatnut bread.  I toyed with the idea of adding pineapple but hubby put the kibosh on that and ate it on the side.  I still think it might be good!

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup ham chunks
2 teaspoons Frank’s Red Hot Pepper Sauce

  • Process in batches in a small food processor until well blended.
  • Adjust hot sauce to taste.
  • Spread on sandwich.
  • Enjoy!