Thursday, November 1, 2018

Spinach-Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Any time I make a chicken dish in this household and get rave reviews from the husband, I know that we have a real winner! He definitely prefers red meat but doesn't mind if I cook chicken every once in a while. I came across this recipe recently and tweaked it just a bit and we both love it! I served it with garlic mashed potatoes (I'm also including that recipe in this post) and it was comfort food heaven :). Enjoy!

SPINACH-STUFFED CHICKEN BREASTS
Ingredients:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 bottle Olive Garden Italian salad dressing
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp onion powder
 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1 1/2 c. chopped fresh spinach


Place chicken breasts in a gallon-size Ziploc bag and pour entire bottle of salad dressing over them.
Let marinate for at least 4 hours, preferably 6-8 hours if possible.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Remove chicken breasts from marinade and pat dry.
Use a sharp knife to cut a pocket into the side of each chicken breast.
In a small bowl combine cream cheese, mayonnaise, garlic powder, onion powder, and spinach.
Spoon spinach mixture into each chicken breast, dividing evenly.
Place stuffed chicken breasts in a 13x9-inch baking dish.
Bake, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.



GARLIC MASHED POTATOES
Ingredients:
2 large heads of garlic
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 pounds potatoes (either red potatoes, scrubbed but unpeeled, or peeled Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes), cut into 3/4" dice
1 stick butter, room temperature
1/2 c. heavy cream, room temperature


Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Cut the top 1/2 inch from each garlic head to reveal the cloves.
Discard the tops.
Drizzle cut surfaces with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Place garlic heads, cut side up, in a small baking dish.
Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil.
Bake until garlic is deep beige and very tender when squeezed, about 1 1/2 hours.
Let cool until easy to handle.
Once cooled, squeeze garlic from the hulls into a small bowl and mash with a fork. Set aside.

Put potatoes in a large saucepan and add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add salt to taste. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain well.

Return potatoes to their cooking pot. Add butter, cream, and roasted garlic. Mash with a potato masher (or use an electric mixer if you want them extra smooth). Season with salt and pepper and then serve.







Thursday, October 25, 2018

Creamy Ranch Chicken Noodle Casserole

Tonight was a "fend for yourself" night at our house. My beloved had to leave earlier than usual for work and said he would just get dinner there, so I decided to rummage through the cupboard/pantry/fridge and see what I could come up with. I haven't been feeling the best lately and wanted some serious comfort food. This fits the bill perfectly! So yummy! Hope you enjoy.

As a side note, this makes quite a bit, definitely enough for a family of four, but you can half it if you want a smaller portion in an 8x8 dish (that's what I did).

Ingredients:
16-oz. bag egg noodles
2 12.5-oz. cans chicken breast, drained and shredded
3 cans cream of chicken soup
1/2 c. sour cream
1 packet ranch dressing mix
30 Ritz crackers, crushed
1 stick of butter


Boil noodles in water that has been salted and has about a tablespoon of olive oil in it according to package directions, usually about 5-7 minutes. Drain.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium-sized bowl combine chicken breast, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, and ranch dressing mix.
Add noodles to this mixture and be sure all ingredients are thoroughly combined.
Pour noodle mixture into greased 13x9-inch casserole dish.
Melt butter in a small skillet and add crushed crackers. Toss to coat.
Sprinkle crackers over noodle mixture.
Bake for 30-35 minutes.





Friday, October 5, 2018

Scalloped Potatoes

We never get tired of potatoes at our house. Baked, fried, boiled, roasted, mashed, it doesn't matter. When I made this for dinner a couple of nights ago my husband and I both knew that these potatoes would be included in our regular rotation for sure! The Dijon mustard adds so much flavor. As a side note, I halved the recipe since it was only for two of us and used an 8x8 baking dish.  Enjoy!



Ingredients:
2/3 c. chopped onion
2 tsp. canola or vegetable oil
1 can chicken broth
6 oz. cream cheese, cubed (you can also use cream cheese spread)
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 can cream of chicken soup
6-8 medium potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced.
2 c. crushed Ritz crackers
3 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp. butter, melted



Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a Dutch oven, saute onion in oil until tender.
Reduce heat to medium; Stir in broth, cream cheese, Dijon mustard, and cream of chicken soup until blended.
Remove from heat.
Stir in potatoes.
Transfer to a 13x9-inch baking dish that has been generously coated with cooking spray.
In a small bowl combine crushed crackers, Parmesan, and butter. Sprinkle this mixture over top of potatoes.
Bake, uncovered, for an hour to and hour and 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.







Monday, October 1, 2018

Pineapple Fried Rice

Lately I have been interested in making restaurant-inspired dishes for a few reasons. 1) We are trying to eat out less and enjoy more time at home with our baby. 2) It's really fun to recreate things and know exactly what is going into them rather than being at the mercy of strangers. 3) We both really enjoy eating Asian food and have been disappointed at every local place we have tried. With this in mind, I was craving Asian food recently and decided to make this dish. It turned out great and my hubby declared that whenever we want Asian food we're just gonna make it here at home! Enjoy!



Ingredients:
3 c. cooked rice
3/4 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
Vegetable oil
1 Tbsp. onion powder
1/2 c. chopped red bell pepper
1/2 c. frozen peas
1 c. pineapple tidbits, drained
4 Tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp. sesame oil
Salt to taste


In a large skillet, heat vegetable oil over medium high heat.
Add chicken that has been seasoned with salt and saute until brown and cooked through.
Add onion powder and bell pepper; cook until pepper is softened.
Add pineapple and frozen peas; cook 2-3 minutes.
Add rice, soy sauce, and sesame oil.
Mix gently until everything is combined; serve immediately.

Wednesday, April 25, 2018

Garlic Herb Chicken with Tomatoes

This recipe is definitely going into my collection of SUPER simple yet super delicious dishes! Again, it uses things that I pretty much have on hand at all times so it is perfect for those nights when I just need to throw something together quickly. I bet it will be a favorite at your house too... enjoy!


Ingredients:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts or 8 boneless skinless chicken tenders
1 can diced tomatoes
4 slices baby Swiss cheese
1 packet Lipton garlic herb soup mix
1/3 c. water
1 Tbsp. olive oil
Salt


Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Line chicken breasts in a greased baking dish of your choice. Salt them on both sides.
Pour diced tomatoes over chicken.
In a separate bowl whisk together soup mix, water, and olive oil.
Pour this mixture over chicken and tomatoes.

Bake for 20 minutes (if your chicken breasts are fairly large you will need to either butterfly them or just bake longer until you know they are done).

Remove from oven and lay cheese slices evenly over entire dish.

Put back in the oven and bake for another 10 minutes, just until cheese is nice and melted.





Friday, April 6, 2018

Slow Cooker Chicken with AMAZING sauce!!!

Whoever invented the slow cooker should be canonized. I love being able to throw a meal in there to cook all day or all afternoon, with no further thought on my part. Just had to get that out there :).  I have mentioned before that my husband is very much a "meat and potatoes" type of guy, and he really prefers to eat red meat over anything else. We have been married for nearly two years now and I have been able to gradually introduce more chicken dishes (VERY gradually! LOL) and this one is the most recent. We both absolutely loved the sauce!! I used boneless skinless chicken breasts since I already had those on hand but it would be delicious with drumsticks, boneless thighs, wings, whatever you like best! Enjoy.


Ingredients:

3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 cloves garlic, minced
Salt, to taste
1/3 c. honey
1/2 c. low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 c. ketchup
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
Toasted sesame seeds

Place chicken breasts in bottom of slow cooker. Salt them to taste (remember, chicken is VERY bland with no seasoning at all so always use at least a little bit of salt on the chicken itself).
In a separate bowl combine soy sauce, honey, ketchup, garlic, and oregano. Be sure all ingredients are incorporated very nicely.
Pour sauce over chicken breasts.
Cook on low for 4-6 hours or high for 3-4.
Place chicken in serving dish and spoon sauce all over chicken (you might even want to put remaining sauce in an extra bowl because people will want lots of it).
Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds over chicken and serve.






Thursday, February 15, 2018

Hot Italian Sandwiches

Sometimes life gets so busy that you don't have time to make an elaborate 4-course dinner, right? And sometimes you just want to make something quick and simple so you can have more time with your family instead of spending the evening slaving away in the kitchen, right? And let's face it... sometimes you just want a yummy sandwich. This definitely fits the bill and is a favorite at our house. Enjoy!


Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
Pinch of salt
6 hoagie rolls
9-oz. smoked ham
4-oz. salami
4-oz. pepperoni
12 slices mozzarella cheese
1 jar prepared marinara sauce of your choice



1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a small bowl, combine butter, garlic, Italian seasoning, and salt. Reserve 1-2 tablespoons of this mixture and evenly spread the rest on the insides of each hoagie roll.
3. Spread a thin layer of marinara on the insides of each roll.
4. Layer 2 slices of ham, 3 slices of salami, 4 slices of pepperoni, and 2 slices of mozzarella inside each hoagie roll.
5. Fold the sandwiches closed and place on a sheet pan, with the top of each hoagie roll facing up. Brush the top of each roll with the remaining herb butter mixture.
6. Bake sandwiches for 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bread is toasted. Serve warm with additional heated marinara for dipping.

Monday, February 5, 2018

Oriental Chicken Salad

Pregnancy cravings can be a crazy thing. I haven't craved anything out-of-the-ordinary, really, in fact my biggest craving has been for potatoes. Potatoes in ANY form... baked, fried, mashed, raw, doesn't really matter. Recently though I started craving this salad from Applebee's. Like, I HAD to have it. I decided to try to make it at home and it turned out so well! The dressing.. oh, the dressing! And the crunchy texture of the salad... yummy yummy yummy. Enjoy!!!


Ingredients:

Salad:
4-6 frozen, fried chicken strips (yes I totally cheated and used frozen ones though you are welcome to fry your own if you feel so inclined LOL), prepared according to package directions and then cut into bite-size pieces
3 c. chopped romaine lettuce
1/2 c. chopped red cabbage
1/2 c. chopped napa cabbage
1 cucumber, peeled and chopped
3 Tbsp sliced almonds
Dry chow mein noodles (no measurement here, just add them according to your own taste)*


Dressing (makes one cup):
1/2 c. honey
3 Tbsp. rice vinegar
1/2 c. mayonnaise
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp. sesame oil

This makes a fairly large salad, so if you are only making it for one person you can certainly reduce the amounts (or you can do what I did and make the whole thing so I could have it again the next day LOL!)

*Be sure to add the chow mein noodles just before serving the salad. You definitely want them to stay crunchy. If you are planning to have the salad more than once only add noodles to the portion you plan to eat.... no one wants soggy noodles when you eat this the next day!

Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Beef and Veggie Casserole

As I have mentioned before, I love discovering recipes that use ingredients that I always have in my pantry and this fits the bill perfectly! Sometimes you just want a hearty, satisfying, all-in-one meal. This is very similar to shepherd's pie, only you used sliced potatoes instead of mashed potatoes. I made it recently and it was a huge hit! Hope you enjoy.


Ingredients:

1 pound lean ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can vegetable beef soup
1 can English peas
1 can peas and carrots
1 small can corn
2 medium potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Brown ground beef in a skillet over medium high heat.
Add onions, garlic, salt, and pepper and cook until onions are tender.
Pour ground beef into a mixing bowl and add soups, canned veggies, and sliced potatoes.
Stir all ingredients together and add a little bit more salt and pepper to taste.

Pour into 11 x 7 casserole dish. Cover and bake for 1 hour or until potatoes are tender*.

*When I made this it took longer than an hour for the potatoes to get done. The next time I make it I plan to blanch them just slightly before adding them to the mixture in an effort to help them cook more quickly in the oven.


Monday, January 8, 2018

Creamy Chicken Vegetable Soup

We have been dealing with sickness in our house during this cold and flu season and this recipe has quickly become a favorite! It is unbelievably simple to make but tastes like you spent hours preparing it. Enjoy!


Ingredients:

40-oz. chicken broth
2 12.5-oz. cans chicken breast, shredded*
24-oz. frozen mixed vegetables
2 cans whole kernel corn**
2 c. heavy cream
1/2 c. butter
1 Tbsp. onion powder
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp. flour
1 c. water

* Some of you may prefer to boil or bake chicken yourself to use for this recipe and that is totally fine, but the canned chicken breast is very tasty in this and SO much easier!
** There is corn in the frozen mixed vegetables but my husband and I both REALLY love corn so I always add the two extra cans. If your family isn't as big on corn you can certainly substitute canned peas, carrots, or green beans, whichever you like best.

Directions:

1. Melt butter in soup pot over medium high heat.
2. Pour in chicken broth and veggies (frozen and canned). Bring to just a boil and then reduce heat to simmer until veggies are tender, about 10 minutes.
3. Add heavy cream, shredded chicken breast, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Stir well and continue to simmer.
4. Stir one tablespoon of flour into one cup of water and then add this mixture to your soup. This will work as a thickening agent for the soup.
5. Simmer for about 15 minutes more, stirring from time to time. You can let this simmer longer if you like but 15 minutes is perfectly fine.


That's it! I told you it was super-simple :). Hope you enjoy it as much as we do!