Baked Chicken Nuggets

7-8 whole chicken breasts, boned
2 c. fine, dry bread crumbs
1 c. grated parmesan cheese
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 T. + 1 tsp. dried whole thyme
1 T. + 1 tsp. dried whole basil
1 c. butter or margarine, melted

Cut chicken in 1 1/2" pieces. Combine bread crumbs, cheese, salt & herbs; mix well. Dip chicken pieces in butter and coat with bread crumbs mixture. Place on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until done.

Pesto Chicken with Mozzarella

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 T. Basil Pesto
1 1/2 c. Classico Tomato & Basil pasta sauce
1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
2 T. shredded parmesan cheese
salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Rinse chicken and pat dry, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat pesto in a large skillet and cook until starting to melt. Add chicken and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes to lightly brown each side. Spread half of the pasta sauce in the bottom of an 11x7" baking dish. Add chicken to the dish and pour remaining sauce over the top. Bake for 20 minutes then sprinkle with cheeses and bake for 5 more minutes. Serve over hot, cooked pasta. (Makes 4 adult-sized servings.)

Crock Pot Mexican Chicken

1 can black beans
1 can chili beans
4 chicken breasts, boned & skinned (I used 8 chicken tenderloins)
1 pkg. taco seasoning

Combine all in crock pot and cook on low for 4 hours. Shred chicken and continue cooking for another 2 hours. Serve over rice or chips. Add cheese and any other toppings you like.

*The first night we had this over rice with sour cream and cheddar cheese on top. My oldest declared it "the best dinner EVER!" The next night we tried it on Doritos Salsa Verde chips with cheese and salsa on top. Both were scrumptious.

Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole

I got this recipe from Devin's family. It's super easy and really good!

4 Chicken Breasts, Cooked & Cubed
2 Cans Cream of Chicken Soup
1 Cup Sour Cream
3/4 Row Ritz Crackers, Crushed
2 T. Poppy Seeds
1/2 Cup Margarine, Melted
Rice

Mix together Chicken, Cream of Chicken Soup and Sour Cream. Cook rice and put it in the bottom of a casserole dish. Top with chicken mixture. Mix together Ritz, Poppy Seeds and Margarine then put it on top of the rice and chicken mixture. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Meatball Minestrone Soup

Go HERE for the recipe.

Mexican Pulled Pork

Mexican Pulled Pork

3-5 lbs. pork roast
1 pint Tomatillo Green Salsa (or your favorite salsa)
1 c. brown sugar

Combine all in crockpot and cook 6 hrs. on LOW or 10 hrs. on HIGH.
Pull pork apart.
Serve in tortillas for tacos.

**Got this recipe from my cousin Tiffany.

Garlic-Parmesan Chicken

This is literally one of the easiest things I've ever made and I thought it was delish!


1/2 c. grated Parmesan Cheese
1 pkg. Good Seasons Italian Dressing Mix
1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder
6 boneless/skinless chicken breast halves

Mix cheese, dressing and garlic powder. Moisten chicken with water and coat with cheese mixture. Place in shallow baking dish. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 min. or until chicken is done.

Pasta Fritatta

(From the Taste of Home Contest-Winning Recipes)

I had to make a few variations because out of necessity. What I changed is in parenthesis.

1 large onion, chopped
1 T. vegetable oil
12 ounces sliced deli ham, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
6 eggs
3 egg whites
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 T. minced fresh parsley (used 1 T. dried)
1 - 1 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning (thought I had but didn't so I used a pinch of oregano and basil instead)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
dash of cayenne pepper
2 cups cooked angel hair pasta

In an ovenproof skillet (don't have one so I used a regular skillet), saute onion in oil. Add ham & garlic; saute 1 minute longer. Remove and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and the egg whites. Add cheese, parsley & seasonings. Add the ham mixture and pasta.

Coat the same skillet (I used an 11x7 baking dish) with cooking spray if necessary. (It was necessary.) Add pasta mixture. Cover and cook over medium heat for 3 minutes. (I just stuck it in the 400 degree oven for an extra 3 minutes.) Uncover. Bake at 400 degrees for 13 minutes or until set. (It took about 18 minutes in an 11x7.) Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting.

This goes great with a green salad!

Angel Hair Pasta with Creamy Clam Sauce

This recipe is by "Nanners" from recipezaar.com--I found it today, changed it a bit, and it was delicious! I've never made a cream sauce from scratch (sad, I know!), and this was so easy that I had to share. Sorry the photo isn't the best, but you get the idea. Add some rosemary bread and veggies and you have a yummy meal. Enjoy! :)

Weeknight Pasta With Clam Sauce
Recipe #111506 35 min 15 min prep

Ingredients:
8 ounces uncooked angel hair pasta
2 (6 1/2 ounce) cans minced clams
1 T butter
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup heavy cream
4 ounces Monterey jack cheese, shredded
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
parmesan cheese
fresh ground pepper

Directions:
1-Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.
2-While pasta cooks, drain the clams and reserve 3/4C of the clam liquid.
3-Melt butter over medium heat in skillet.
4-Add garlic to butter and sautee 1-2 minutes- do not brown.
5-Add cream and clam liquid.
6-Bring to a boil, stirring often.
7-Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
8-Add the clams and parsley till clams are heated.
9-Turn off heat and add Monterey Jack cheese and pasta and toss well.
10-Serve hot and season with parmesan and fresh ground pepper if desired.

Roasted Chicken

I'm so excited to be a part of this group! I love cooking and baking and I love new recipes so I'm excited to be a part. Thanks for having me.

This week Smith's had really cheap whole chicken's ($0.59/lb which made them about $3-4 a piece) and so I decided it was time for me to roast my first chicken. I'm sure that some of you are pros at this but it was a first for me and it was delicious.

Roasted Chicken

1 whole chicken
1-2 Tbsp melted butter or olive oil
salt and pepper
your favorite seasonings

1.Preheat the oven to 450F.
2.Remove insides and neck from chicken and place in roasting pan (or a cookie sheet lined with tin foil because I don't have a roasting pan)
3.Brush chicken with melted butter or olive oil.
4.Season with salt and pepper and your other favorite seasonings. I used some tarragon, poultry seasoning, and season salt. Lemon pepper or straight BBQ sauce brushed all over would be delicious too.
5.Reduce heat to 350F and cook 20 minutes per pound of chicken. The thigh meat should read about 180F on a thermometer when it's done.
6.Carve it up like a turkey and enjoy!

I also have an extra bonus for this post. If you haven't seen this site it's incredible. Everything in the picture below (except the doilie and wrappers) is made from cake. The box and everything. It's truly amazing! I don't know how she does it. How easy would this be to replicate Nancy?

Chicken & Spinach Manicotti

I told myself to remember to take a picture of the finished product as I was making this and then wouldn't you know it? I forgot! But it was yummy...and pretty.

Saute:
2 T. butter
1/4 c. onion
1/4 c. mushrooms (I always prefer fresh to canned and then I throw the extras in a green salad.)

Add & simmer 5 minutes:
1 c. cooked spinach (I used almost a whole bag of fresh spinach instead and let it wilt. The rest I put in the salad.)
2 c. cooked white chicken - cut in small pieces
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
salt & pepper

After cooled, add:
3/4 c. ricotta cheese
2 T. cream

Boil a package of manicotti noodles until almost cooked thoroughly. (I went one minute below recommended cooking time on the package.) Stuff manicotti with filling. Pour 1/2 jar of spaghetti sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Add stuffed manicotti. Cover with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Easy Bacon & Cheese Quiche

1 lb. bacon cooked and crumbled
1 c. shredded Swiss cheese
1/3 c. green onions chopped
2 c. milk
1 c. Bisquick
4 eggs
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper

Lightly grease pie plate or 9 x 9 cake pan.
Sprinkle bacon, cheese, onions on plate.
The remaining ingredients blend up (mix thoroughly) and pour over the other things.
Bake 30 minutes at 400 degrees until knife inserted comes clean.When I use my 9 x 9 stoneware it usually takes 40 minutes to bake, not 30. I also at times put foil around the edges to cover it so that it doesn't get too brown.

Cheese Enchiladas

1 can tomato sauce
2/3 c. water
1 T. chili powder
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
8 flour tortillas (8"), warmed
2 c. (8 oz.) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 1/4 c. (5 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 c. sour cream
1/8 c. minced fresh parsley
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
shredded lettuce, sliced ripe olives, and additional sour cream, optional

In a large saucepan, combine the first six ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 4-5 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally. Spoon 2 T. sauce of each tortilla.
In a large bowl, combine the Monterey Jack, 1 c. cheddar cheese, onions, sour cream, parsley, salt and pepper. Place about 1/3 c. down the center of each tortilla. Roll up and place seam side down in a greased 9x13" baking dish. Pour remaining sauce over top.
Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheddar cheese. Bake 4-5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Garnish with lettuce, olives and sour cream if desired. (Makes 8 servings)

Creamy Spinach and Tortellini

1 lb. uncooked fresh cheese tortellini
2 T. olive oil
1/2 c. chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bag of fresh spinach or 9 oz. frozen spinach
1 c. cubed seeded tomato
1/4 c. chopped fresh basil or 1 1/2 tsp. dried (I sometimes substitute parsley)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 c. whipping cream
1/4 c. grated parmesan or romano cheese

Cook tortellini according to package directions. Set aside. Heat oil in skillet. Cook onion and garlic about 5 minutes. Add spinach, tomato, basil, salt and pepper. Cook 5 minutes. Stir in cream and cheese. Add cooked tortellini. (The longer you let this sit, the thicker the sauce will get!)

Vegetarian Linguine

6 oz. uncooked linguine
2 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
1/2 lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 green onions, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 T. butter
1 T. olive oil
1 large tomato, chopped
2 tsp. minced fresh basil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
4 oz. provolone cheese, shredded
3 T. shredded parmesan cheese

Cook linguine according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute the zucchini, mushrooms, onions, and garlic in butter and oil for 3-5 minutes. Add the tomato, basil, salt and pepper; cover and simmer for 3 minutes. Drain linguine; add to vegetable mixture. Sprinkle with cheeses and toss to coat. Yield: 6 servings.

*I've been wanting to try this from my Taste of Home magazine for several months but zucchini here has been so expensive until this week. It was worth the wait! It reminded me of something you'd order at Olive Garden. So good!!!

Sweet & Sour Chicken

3 lbs Chicken
Garlic Salt, Salt and Pepper
3 Eggs Beaten
1/2 Cup Cornstarch
1/2 Cup Flour
Cooking Oil
Sauce:
3 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
1 1/2 Cup Chicken Broth
2 1/4 Cups Granulated Sugar
3/4 cup Ketchup
1 Cup White Vinegar
1 can (20 oz) Pineapple

Choose and cut a variety of chicken. Rinse chicken under running water, dip into beaten eggs and then into mixture of cornstarch and flour. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic salt. Brown chicken in frying pan with enough oil to cover bottom of pan. Place browned chicken in 9x13 baking dish. Mix all sauce ingredients together in a bowl and pour over chicken. Bake for 45 minutes to one hour at 350 degrees uncovered, or until sauce thickens.

I got this recipe from the Walkers. It is one of Devin's favorites, and it is super easy to make. And it's really good too!

Chicken Rolls

Ingredients:

1 pkg of crescent rolls

4 oz of cream cheese

2 tablespoons butter

2-3 chicken breasts

lemon pepper, onion salt and garlic salt

Directions:

In a pan cook your chicken.  Once it's almost done, cut your chicken into small cubes (I use kitchen scissors).  I also add some lemon pepper to my cubed chicken.

In a bowl, cream together cream cheese, butter, lemon pepper, onion and garlic salt (add to taste).  Once your chicken is cubed add and mixed together with cream cheese mixture.

Roll out your crescent rolls, and stuff with chicken.  It's easier if you flatten out the roll before you add the mixture so that you have enough left over to fold up the roll.  I usually take the bottom two corners, fold in and then roll the rest up.

Cook in oven at 375 (or whatever your crescent rolls cook at) or about 12-15 mins or until rolls are golden brown.

Makes 8 chicken rolls.

Ranch Fried Chicken

We love this recipe!  It's not the most healthy meal you've ever had, but if you like Ranch, it's a good one.

Ingredients:

1-2 pkgs. of Hidden Valley Buttermilk Ranch (which you'll need mayo and buttermilk to make the ranch)

Flour

1 pkg of chicken either breasts or tenders (tenders cook faster)

vegetable oil (or whatever oil you cook with)

Directions:

 Once you've made your ranch, place chicken into a gallon size ziploc bag.  Pour in enough ranch to coat the chicken.  Place in fridge to marinate.  You can have it in there for as long as you'd like but a minimum of 10 mins.  

Pour enough oil into a pan to cover the bottom.  You don't want the oil too hot, so around medium heat would work.  (HINT: To know when your oil is ready to cook with, place a wooden spoon into the oil and if you see bubbles around the spoon it's ready!!)

In the mean time, get out two bowls, one with ranch and the other with flour.  Once your chicken is done marinating, place chicken in flour.  Shake off any extra flour then place in ranch and then once more in flour.  Repeat for remaining chicken.

Then cook your chicken.  Depending on how much chicken you have, you may need to clean out your pan and heat up new oil because some of the batter will be  in your pan.

Serve with remaining ranch!!  Enjoy!

Sweet and Sour Sauce

This is a yummy sauce that my mom makes and then cans for her pantry. Enjoy!

In a large skillet, combine:
2 cups diced tomatoes
1 cup diced onion
1 cup chopped green pepper
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 + 3/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup vinegar
10 oz. chunked pineapple, drained (but save the juice)

To the pineapple juice add:
1/4 sup sugar
1/6 cup corn starch
1/8 cup water

Combine all ingredients and simmer on low for 20-30 minutes. (Or until the sauce is thickened)
Serve over rice. You can also add chicken, beef, or pork chunks to make it a meat dish!

Cilantro Chicken

6-8 Frozen Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 bunch of Cilantro (chopped finely)
1/2 cup Sour Cream
1/3 cup Good Seasons Italian Dressing
Grated Parmesan Cheese
Salt and Pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place frozen chicken breasts on a baking dish or pan and bake for 30 minutes. Test for doneness. Chicken should not be served at less than 170 degrees when tested in the center of the breast. Place baked chicken on serving dish or plate. Sprinkle with a generous bed of chopped cilantro. Top with a dollop of sour cream and a tablespoon of italian dressing on each piece of chicken. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese then add salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

This is one of the simplest recipes. It's very fresh and tasty. My mother-in-law made something similar at a dinner party and I made my own twist. Her recipe used the cilantro pureed with a clove of garlic. Try it both ways and let me know what you think.