Crockpot Angel Chicken

Crockpot Angel Chicken

source: unknown

6 boneless chicken breasts
1 pkg. dry Italian salad dressing mix
1 can Cream of Golden Mushroom soup
1/2 C chicken broth
4 oz. cream cheese (reduced fat is fine)
2 green onions, chopped
1 pkg. angel hair pasta, cooked according to box directions

Place chicken in crock pot.  In sauce pan, mix Italian salad dressing mix, soup, cream cheese, green onions and chicken broth.  Stir until cheese is melted.  Pour over chicken.  Cook on low for 4-5 hours.  Pour over cooked pasta.

****
Notes: I used bow-tie pasta.

Verdict:  When I served this to my family the first question they all had was why was it called Crockpot Angel Chicken.  The ANGEL part totally confused them.  I didn't have an answer... so I made something silly up... like this recipe makes the angels sing.  Just now, while I'm typing this, I realize the name would have made more sense if I had followed the recipe as written... or if I had changed the name of the recipe to Crockpot Bowtie Chicken.  ;-)

Very, very easy.  And so darn yummy!!!

Sweet and Sour Meatballs with Fried Rice

I found this recipe on See Jane Cook, and she found the recipe from The Lion House cookbook.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

1 - 1 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef
3/4 C oats
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 C finely chopped onion
1/2 C milk
1 tsp salt
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Mix ingredients and form into 12 2-inch balls.  Place in casserole dish, cover with sauce and bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Sauce:

1/2 C brown sugar
1/4 C vinegar
1 tsp. mustard
1/4 C barbecue sauce
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce


Fried Rice

1/4 lb. bacon
1 C diced onion
3/4 C diced celery
1 bell pepper, diced
3 T soy sauce
3 C COLD, cooked rice

Cook bacon until crisp.  Remove from pan and saute vegetables in bacon fat.  Add rice and soy sauce until heated through.  Add bacon.

******

Verdict:  The adults LOVED this!!!  Two of my less-picky eater kids LOVED this.  Three of my kids gave this a thumbs down, but I'm inclined to not really count their votes as they are so super picky!  I will definitely make this again!  It was easy, and very yummy!!!!

Garlic Lemon Chicken

Garlic Lemon Chicken
from: See Jane Cook


Ingredients:

8 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
3 cups panko breadcrumbs
6 eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 to 4 tablespoons butter
5 to 6 garlic cloves, minced
Lemon sauce
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
¼ cup cornstarch
Fresh basil
Salt and pepper, to taste

Place chicken pieces between wax paper, flatten with a mallet. Place flour in a shallow bowl. Place eggs in a separate bowl and beat until combined. In a third bowl, add breadcrumbs. Coat both sides of chicken with flour, shake off excess. Dip in egg and coat with breadcrumbs. Place on a piece of wax paper. Repeat with remaining pieces.

Melt butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add garlic. Place coated chicken pieces in pan (you may have to do this in batches). Cook until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Turn and cook another 4 to 5 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Remove from pan. Cover and keep warm.

For lemon sauce, combine broth, lemon juice and butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Dissolve cornstarch in a small amount of cold water until smooth. Gradually pour cornstarch into hot liquid, stirring until it boils. Cook one minute until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in fresh basil. Season with salt and pepper.

To serve, place one chicken breast on each plate. Top with lemon sauce.

****
Notes:  I used about 16 chicken tenders.  I didn't have fresh garlic so I used garlic powder, which was totally fine.  Oh, and I didn't use basil.  My kids tend to hate green things in sauces, generally speaking, so I opted out of using the basil.  And it was fine!

Verdict:  Holy Garlic Lemon Chicken!!!!  Delicious!!!!  Oh man... so very, very good!!!  And it LOOKED awesome too!  Definitely something to serve to company!  Everyone ate it and loved it!!  I served it over rice and everyone cleared their plate!

Short Rib Ragu

Short Rib Ragu
serves 6

2 tsp vegetable oil
3 lbs. boneless short ribs, cut into 3-inch squares
salt and ground pepper
1 medium onion, diced small
1 large carrot, sliced
1 can (28 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes
2 sprigs oregano or rosemary

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high.  Season short ribs with salt and pepper.  In batches, cook until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes total.  Transfer ribs to a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker.  Pour off all but 1 tsp fat from skillet, and add onion and carrot.  Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until vegetables are soft, 3 minutes.  Add 1/2 cup juice from tomatoes, stirring and scraping up any browned bits from skillet with a wooden spoon.

Transfer vegetables and liquid to slow cooker and add tomatoes, breaking them up as you go.  Add herb sprigs; season to taste with salt and pepper.  Cover and cook on high until meat is fork-tender, 6 hours.

With a slotted spoon, remove herb sprigs and transfer meat to a cutting board.  With a ladle skim fat from cooking liquid (about 1 1/4 cups).  With two forks, shred meat and return to cooking liquid.  Serve immediately.

***
Notes:  I used rosemary... next time I'll use oregano.  And we served it over egg noodles.

Verdict:  BORING.  Seriously, garlic would have probably enhanced this significantly!  Maybe more salt, and more pepper, too?  The meat was very, very tender... and I think we will enjoy it with a little more spice!

Photography:  I need to take a photo class... ugh!

Baked Rigatoni with Roasted Vegetables

Disgusting picture...  I should delete it.  But, I'm not.  Keeps me humble! 

Baked Rigatoni with Roasted Vegetables

2 small zucchini
2 small summer squash
1 medium onion
1 green or red pepper
6 Roma tomatoes (or small regular tomatoes)
5-6 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
4 tsp dried Italian herb mix
2 garlic clove, minced
1 pound rigatoni pasta
3 cups marinara sauce (use your favorite store-bought)
2 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Prepare veggies (except garlic) by cutting into 1-inch cubes. Place on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle salt, pepper and Italian herbs and toss to coat all veggies. Roast vegetables until tender (about 15 minutes). Remove from oven, add minced garlic clove and lightly toss veggies. Set aside.

Reduce oven heat to 375 degrees.

Boil pasta in a large pot of salted water for about 8 minutes, until almost done. Don't fully cook pasta because it will finish softening when the dish is baked in the oven later. Drain pasta and return to large pot. Add roasted vegetables, marinara sauce, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese, 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Gently mix until everything is combined. Taste to see if it needs a bit more salt or pepper for your taste.

Pour mixture into a baking dish. Top with the rest of the cheeses. Bake for 20-30 minutes until cheese is melted and pasta is warmed through.

***
Notes: I made this exactly as written!  No changes, no omissions, no additions.

Verdict:  Yummy!!  Everyone loved it.  Most of my kids picked out the red pepper, so I will most likely leave that out next time.  But, I will definitely make this again.  I liked the roasted vegetables to what is a typical baked ziti!

Creamy Rosemary Penne with Chicken

I found this recipe in a pile of recipes to try, and decided to put it on our menu for February.

And we tried it tonight.

And was reminded WHY we are doing this Untried Recipe Project.

Creamy Rosemary Penne with Chicken

source: unknown

5 or 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts - cooked and diced**

1 lb. penne pasta
1 C Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese, shredded
1 medium onion, diced
1 T dried rosemary
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
2 C milk
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1/2 C melted butter
1 C dry bread crumbs

**I threw some chicken into the crockpot for a few hours.   Chopped it up and used it for the casserole.  You can also use rotissierre chicken.

In a large pot of boiling water, cook penne for about 5 to 7 minutes.  Drain pasta and return to pot. 

To the pasta add: chicken, shredded cheese, diced onion, rosemary, salt, pepper, milk and soup.  Stir to combine well.  Pour pasta mixture into a sprayed 9x13-inch casserole dish.

In a separate bowl, combine melted butter and dry bread crumbs.  Sprinkle on top of casserole.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until heated through.

*****
Notes:  I used one can cream of mushroom and one can of cream of chicken.  I also used Italian Style Bread Crumbs... which I think just means they have a little bit of seasoning in them.

Verdict:  Keegan thought it didn't have enough bread crumbs on top, but Sydney thought there was too much bread crumbs.  Ashton, Kendall, Paige, Phil and I loved it!  Bradley ate Cookie Crisp cereal for dinner.

Zucchini Casserole

I've dropped the ball about posting about our Untried Recipe Box project.  But it is alive and well.  I'm pleased to say that my kids are still hanging in there and trying new things regularly.  Sometimes we have horrible misses, but mostly we've been pretty lucky! 

Zucchini Casserole
from Tasty Kitchen

Ingredients:
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 whole sweet onion, chopped
1 whole zucchini, sliced about 1/4-inch thick
1 whole yellow squash, sliced about 1/4-inch thick
4 whole medium red potatoes, sliced
4 whole tomatoes, sliced
salt and pepper
1 C cream
1 C grated Parmesan cheese
2 sprigs fresh basil, torn

In a medium pan, saute the chopped onion and garlic until soft, about 5 minutes.  Once the onion and garlic are soft, place them in the bottom of a 9x13-inch pan.  Top with the sliced zucchini, then the squash, potatoes, and finally the tomato slices.  Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.  Place uncovered in a preheated 450 degree oven for 25-35 minutes.  Test with a fork to make sure the potato slices are tender.

Take the casserole out of the oven and drizzle the cream on top of the veggies.  Sprinkle the cheese and fresh basil over the top and return to the oven for 15 minutes.  When done, the cream and cheese will bubble and melt.  Let the casserole sit for a few minutes before serving.

****
Notes:  I used two zucchini and two yellow squash and six potatoes.  Also, I used mozzarella cheese.  And I didn't have fresh basil, so I used dried basil.

Verdict:  Phil called it potato bruschetta.  Yummy potato bruschetta.  Such a great side dish!!  I served it with sliced honey-baked ham and garlic bread.  (Ok, I didn't really serve garlic bread, but I wanted to... I forgot to buy bread.  So we had frozen rolls that I (obviously) defrosted.  Garlic bread would have been PERFECT!)  I'm totally bummed that I forgot to take a picture... it looked so good!!!

This is the picture from the Tasty Kitchen website.  Mine did not look exactly like this because of the dried basil and cheese substitutions...

Winter Salad with Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing

Winter Salad with Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing

from See Jane in the Kitchen

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup lemon juice
2 tsp diced onion
1 tsp Dijon-style mustard
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tbs poppy seeds
1 head Romaine lettuce or a mixture of different kinds of lettuce
4 oz shredded Swiss cheese, or Mozzarella Cheese
1 cup slivered almonds. (or you can use cashews)
1/4 cup dried cranberries (I used Craisins)
1 apple, cored and diced
1 pear, cored and diced

Directions:

1. In a blender or food processor, combine sugar, lemon juice, onion, mustard and salt. Process until well blended. Add oil in slow steady stream until mixture is thick and smooth. Add poppy seeds and process just a few seconds more to mix.

2. In a large serving bowl combine the lettuce, shredded Swiss cheese, almonds, dried cranberries, cubed apple and cubed pear. Toss to mix then pour dressing over salad just before serving and toss to coat.

****  Notes:  Recipe called for Swiss cheese, but I had Mozzarella.  It was most excellent with Mozzarella so I added it as an option above.  For those of you who know my aversion to mustard please be impressed.  I made this recipe, with the mustard.  And I ate it, and it was good.  And then I threw away the extra mustard so it didn't contaminate my refrigerator.  I'm NOT kidding.  I have a tip: when cutting the apples and pears, sprinkle a little of the dressing on them to keep them from browning. 

**** Verdict:  Oh the heavens sang... so stinkin' delicious!  So yummy!!!!  So good.  I made this to serve at a big luncheon at my church.  It was a huge hit.  And my kids LOVED it!!!!  LOVED it!  Very good and very quick to throw together!

"just regular" Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have no idea the source for this recipe... sorry!  I did find it online... somewhere!

Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 C butter, softened
1 1/2 C packed brown sugar
1 1/2 C sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
4 C flour
2 C quick-cooking oats
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 CAN pumpkin
3 C chocolate chips

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars.  Beat in egg and vanilla.  Combine flour, oats, baking soda and cinnamon; stir into creamed mixture alternately with the pumpkin.  Fold in chocolate chips.  Drop by tablespoons onto greased baking sheets.  Bake at 350 degrees for 12-13 minutes, or until lightly browned.

****
Notes:   Super easy.  And this recipe is doubled, because I don't waste my time doing treats for my family that I don't double... generally speaking!    I would probably add more cinnamon next time.  AND I used canned pumpkin, not canned pumpkin filling.  I'm wondering if that would have made them more pumpkin-y?  Hmmm???

Verdict:  I did not call these Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies out loud with my family because I'm here to tell you NO ONE would have eaten them.  So, I called them "just regular oatmeal chocolate chip cookies" and almost everyone loved them. 

After his first bite, Bradley spit out his cookie.  He proclaimed it "the most horrible horrible thing EVER."  I said... "oh no... please don't tell Grandma Bosen... this is her recipe!"  After a second he said... "well, it was just THAT cookie."  And then he ate two more cookies.  And asked to call Grandma and thank her for the recipe.  Which he did!

This is a serving of vegetables for Bradley, right???  Woo hoo!!!!  I will most definitely make these again!