Easy Fried Rice

•  3 c. cooked white rice
• 3T. Sesame Oil
• 1 c. frozen peas and carrots, thawed
• 2 t. minced garlic
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1/4 c. Soy sauce

On medium high heat, heat the oil in a large skillet or wok.  Add the peas/carrots, and garlic.  Stir fry until tender.  Lower the heat to medium low and push the mixture off to one side in the skillet, then pour your eggs on the other side of the skillet and stir fry until scrambled. Add the rice and soy sauce and blend all together.  Stir fry until heated thoroughly.

Cheez-It Crusted Chicken

This recipe is from the mind of my husband. I've got to say, he really impressed me tonight!

• Blended Cheez-Its (we used the smoked cheddar flavored crackers)
• 2 eggs
• Thawed chicken breasts cut into 1-2 inch strips
• Garlic powder
• Seasoning Salt
• Oil
• 2 T. flour

In a large frying pan, begin heating about 1/2 inch of oil.  In small bowl scramble eggs. In another bowl combine Cheez-Its, flour and garlic powder and seasoning salt to taste. 

Dip chicken strip into egg coating the whole thing. Then roll in Cheez-It mixture until evenly coated. Put into already hot frying pan and oil frying the chicken for a few minutes on each side until completely cooked and nicely browned.

{It was so tasty!! The chicken was nice and juicy and so flavorful not to mention a pretty easy and fast meal. Even better, my husband cooked. My kind of meal!}

Peppermint Chex Mix

• 6 c. Rice Chex cereal
• 1/3 c. coarsely crushed candy canes (4 regular canes or 12 miniature canes)
• 1 12. bag of white chocolate morsels

Line a cookie sheet with wax paper or aluminum foil.  Measure and pour cereal into a large bowl.  

In a microwavable bowl, melt the white chocolate on high for 1 minute and 30 seconds, stopping to stir it every 30 seconds until smooth. Stir in half of the crushed peppermint candy canes.

Pour over cereal; toss to evenly coat. Spread mixture in a single layer on cookie sheet. Immediately sprinkle with remaining candy. Let stand until set, about 20 minutes.  Gently break up coated cereal. Store in airtight container.

{This is what we are making for our friends and neighbors for Christmas this year. It is very simple, only takes a few minutes and is really tasty. I'm having a hard time not dipping into for a treat of my own! Enjoy!}

Chicken Ranch Lasagna

• 2 12 oz. can evaporated milk
• 1 1 oz. pkg. dry Ranch dressing mix ( no the dip)
• 3 c. cubed, cooked chicken
• 1/8 t. pepper
• 1 16 oz. box lasagna noodles, cooked (you'll only need 8-9 noodles)
• 1 1/2-2 c. cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 1/2 c-2 c. mozzarella cheese, grated

Combine evaporated milk and Ranch dressing and pepper in a 3 quart saucepan. Heat over low heat, stirring frequently until dry ingredients are dissolved.  Simmer uncovered for 25 minutes, stirring frequently.  Sauce will thicken slightly.  Layer half of lasagna noodles, chicken, sauce ans cheese well greased 9x13 inch pan.  Repeat layers again. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until hot and bubbly.  Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Quick Chili

• 1 lb. browned hamburger
• 2 cans Kidney beans
• 1 can Pinto beans
• 2 cans diced tomatoes
• Chili Powder
• Garlic Powder
• Pepper to taste

In a large pot combine all of the ingredients.  On medium high heat, bring to a boil.  Then reduce heat, cover and let simmer for 20 minutes stirring occasionally.  Serve topped with Frito's and cheese.

Simple as that!

Oriental Beef Stir-fry

• 1 lb. sirloin steak, cut 1 in. thick
• 1 16 oz. pkg. frozen oriental style veggies
• 2 3 oz. pkgs. low fat beef flavored ramen noodles, crumbled
• 1/2 c. low sodium Teriyaki sauce
• 1 1/2 c. water

 Cut beef across the grain into 1/8 in. thick strips.  Coat a large non-stick skillet or wok with cooking spray.  Heat over medium-high heat.  Stir-fry steak strips until no longer pink, about 3-4 minutes.  Remove to warm platter.

To same skillet, add water, teriyaki sauce, crumbled ramen noodles and contents of one seasoning package.  Cover and cook over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes or until noodles soften.

Add frozen vegetables, cover and cook until vegetables are heated through and noodles are tender.

Stir in cooked beef and heat thoroughly.  Serve immediately over rice.

{This is one of my absolute favorite recipes! I picked it up in my high school foods class and have been making it every since.  I always look forward to the left overs the next day for lunch.  It's so simple and is so tasty, not to mention not too bad for you either.}

Lemon Garlic Spaghetti

• 4 oz. dry spaghetti
• 1/4 c. grated Parmesan
• 2 t. olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1/4 c. slivered almonds
• 1/2 lemon
• 1/2 t. dried basil

 Pour olive oil and chopped up garlic into a small frying pan and let it cook over low until the garlic starts to brown on the edges. Immediately remove from heat and reserve.  While that is starting up, boil and cook the spaghetti.

In a large bow, dump in the Parmesan cheese, almonds, and your prepared garlic oil (garlic chunks and all). Squeeze in lemon juice.  Then dump in spaghetti and toss until well combined. Serve.

{This recipe is SUUUUPER simple and a really quick fix.  It is really light and low cal,  but uber delicious. My picky little eater couldn't get enough}

Cheddar, Potato, Bacon Soup

• 1/2 c. diced bacon
• 1/2 c. chopped sweet or yellow onion
• 1 c. reduced sodium chicken broth
• 2 c. 2% milk
• 1 large baking (russet) potato, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch cubes
• 1/4 t. salt
• 1/4 t. pepper
• 1 3/4 c. shredded cheddar cheese, divided

Cook bacon in a large saucepan over medium heat until crisp, stirring occasionally. Use a slotted spoon to transfer bacon to a paper towel; set aside.

Cook onion in drippings in same saucepan 4 minutes stirring occasionally.  Add broth, milk, potato, salt, and pepper; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer 15 minutes or until potato is tender. Add half of the cooked bacon the last 5 minutes of the simmer time.

Turn off heat; add 1 1/2 c. cheese, stirring until melted. Ladle into bowls of your choice (we chose bread) and top with remaining bacon and cheese.

{No lie, this is probably my new favorite soup.  My husband isn't a soup fan but he lapped this stuff up. It is a quick fix soup recipe great for cold nights with the family!}

Spaghetti Pie

If you asked anyone close to me they know I don't like Spaghetti. At all. I know I'm weird. BUT, I loved Spaghetti Pie. So delish, so much flavor, and so simple!

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 c. Picante Sauce
• 1 c. Prego Traditional Sauce
• 1/3 of a 16 oz. package spaghetti, cooked and drained (about 3 cups)
• 1/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 Egg, beaten
• 1 T. Butter, melted
• 1 c. Ricotta cheese
• 2 oz. shredded Mozzarella cheese (about 1/2 c.)

Cook the beef in a 10 inch skillet over medium high heat until meat is well browned, stirring frequently to break up the meat.  Pour off the fat.  Stir the picante sauce and pasta sauce into the skillet and cook until it is hot and bubbly.
Stir together the spaghetti, Parmesan cheese, egg and butter in a medium bowl.  Spread the mixture on the bottom and up the side of a greased 10 inch pie plate {this is the "crust" of the pie}.  Spread the ricotta cheese on top of the spaghetti "crust". Top with the beef mixture.
Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes or until it is hot and bubbling.  Sprinkle top with the mozzarella cheese.  Let stand 3-5 minutes before serving. Cut into wedges to serve.

Cheese Sausage Strata

• 1 1/2 lbs. pork sausage
• 9 eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 c. milk
• 9 slices bread, cubed
• 1 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1 1/2 t. ground mustard

In a large skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain.  Add the eggs, milk, bread, cheese, bacon, and mustard.  Transfer to a greased shallow 3 qt. baking dish.  Cover and refrigerate over night.  

Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking.  Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 60-65 minutes or until a knife inserted near the corner comes out clean.  Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. 

Yield: 12 servings

Things I loved about this dish:

~So simple. 

~ Only dirty three dishes

~Make the night before then throw it in the oven the next morning for a yummy, effortless breakfast.

~ Leftovers!

Homemade Biscuits and Gravy

• 1/4 lb.  Pork Sausage
• 2 T. Butter
• 2-3 T. All Purpose Flour
• 1/4 t. Salt
• 1/8 t. Pepper
• 1 1/4-1 1/3 c. Milk
• Warm biscuits

In a skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Add butter and heat until melted.  Add the flour, salt and pepper; cook and stir until blended.

Gradually add the milk, stirring constantly.  Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.  Serve over biscuits.

 Yield: 2-4 servings.

This recipe is beyond easy and takes only about 15 minutes to make.  Due to me usually being too hungry and impatient to make homemade biscuits in the morning, I usually stick with good ole Bisquick or the ones right out of the can.  The tasty gravy compensates. Whenever I make these for guests we literally have a bunch of "plate lickers". It's that good.

Crockpot Orange Chicken

Found this recipe on Pinterest

• Boneless chicken breasts, chopped into small chunks
• 1/3 c. flour
• Olive Oil
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1 t. Balsamic Vinegar
• 3 T. Ketchup
• 4-6 oz. frozen orange juice concentrate (thaw or put in microwave for 45 seconds)
• 4 T. brown sugar

In a small bowl, mix together orange juice, salt, brown sugar, vinegar and ketchup.  In another small bowl, pour the  flour. Cover the chicken breast chunks in the flour and shake off excess. Pour a small amount of oil in a skillet and brown the chicken. The chicken only needs to be browned not cooked all the way through at it will continue to cook in the crockpot.  Overcooking with make dry chicken.  After the chicken is done being browned dump them into a crockpot. Then pour sauce mixture over top giving it a good stir.  Cook on low for 4-5 hours or on high for 11/2-2 hours. Serve over rice.  

German Pancakes

I've heard these called all kinds of different things such as Puff Up Pancakes but German Pancakes is what we call them in my family.

• 6 eggs
• 1 c. flour
• 1 c. milk
• 1/2 t. salt
• dash of vanilla extract

Mix ingredients together in blender.  Melt 6 T. butter in oblong pan. Be careful not to burn.  Pour egg mixture into pan. Bake at 425 degrees for 25 minutes. 

My favorite way to eat these is just to drizzle maple syrup over it.  They are also tasty with syrup and powdered sugar, or berries, or jam. You decided.

If you want to mix it up a little try these renditions:

• Try adding fruit to the egg mixture and pour in the pan making fruity German Pancakes (blueberries are always good)
• Try adding ham and cheese to the egg mixture and pour into the pan.
• Adding bacon is tasty as well

Parmesan Squash Bake

• 2 medium zucchini
• 2 medium butternut/summer squash
• 1 medium sweet yellow onion, diced
• 1/2-1 c. grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• salt to taste

In a small pan, heat about 1 T. of olive oil. Fry the diced onion until soft, about 7 minute.  Add the garlic and fry for another minute or so.  Pour the onion mixture into the bottom of a 9x9 inch baking dish.

Slice the zucchini and squash in to thin slices.  Layer them into 4 rows standing up across the dish over the onions. Slowly pour the olive oil over the pieces until they are evenly coated. Sprinkle with salt.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes uncovered. Pour the Parmesan over the top of the dish. Bake for another 15-20 minutes, or until the veggies are soft and slightly golden brown.

Bacon Pancakes

My husband is an avid bacon lover to say the least. I got this idea from Pinterest a few weeks ago, ran it by him; he decided it was a must try. So we did.

• Bacon
• Pancake batter

Begin by cooking one side of the bacon. Once the one side is browned, turn it over. Pour pancake batter over the top of the bacon. Continue cooking until both the bacon and pancake are fully cooked. Tastes great with your favorite syrup. It's as simple as that!

I might add, bacon pancakes don't make for the most beautiful pancakes you will ever see, but they are surprisingly pretty good.

If you are a bacon lover or live with a bacon lover, give this a try. You will be loved.

Taco Stuffed Shells

• 1 lb. Ground Beef
• 1 pkg. Taco Seasoning
• 14 oz. pkg. Cream Cheese
• 15 large Pasta Shells
• 1 c. Salsa
• 1 c. Taco Sauce
• 1 c. Colby Jack Cheese {shredded}
• 1 c. Pepper Jack Cheese {shredded}
• 1 c. Crushed Tortilla Chips {crushed}

1. In a frying pan cook ground beef and add taco seasoning and prepare according to the package directions. Add cream cheese, cover and simmer until melted. Blend well. Set aside and allow to fully cool.  While burger is cooking, cook pasta shells, drain, and toss well with butter.

2. Pour salsa in bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish.

3. Stuff each shell with meat mixture.  Place the stuffed shells in the baking dish and cover shells with the taco sauce.

4. Cover and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes.

5. After 30 minutes, uncover, and sprinkle crushed chips and shredded cheeses on top.  Cook for about 15 minutes more.  Serve with sour cream and your other favorite taco toppings.

This is my own rendition of a recipe I found on Pinterest.  It is simple, full of lots of flavor and a fun way to jazz up those taco nights!

Baked French Toast Fritters With Apples & Bananas

• 8 slices whole-wheat bread
• 1/4 c. creamy peanut butter (or other nut butter)
• 1 apple, rinsed, peeled, cored and sliced into 8 rings
• 2 banana, peeled and cut into about 12 thin slices each

Batter:

• 3 T. egg substitute or 1 egg white
• 1/4 t. ground cinnamon
• 1 T. brown sugar
• 1/4 c. fat free evaporated milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.   Place a large baking sheet in the oven to preheat for about 10 minutes.

Assemble fritter as sandwich, with 1/2 T. of peanut butter on each slice of bread, and two apple slices and six banana slices in the middle of each sandwich.

Combine ingredients for the batter and mix well.

Spray a nonstick baking sheet with cooking spray.

Dip both sides of each fritter in the batter and place fritters on preheated baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes on each side, or until both sides are browned.

Red, White, and Green Grilled Cheese

• 1 t. garlic, minced (about 1/2 clove)
• 1 small onion, minced (about 1/2 c.)
• 2 c. frozen cut spinach, thawed and drained OR 2 bags (10 oz each) fresh leaf spinach
• 1/4 t. ground black pepper
• 8 slices whole-wheat bread
• 1 medium tomato, rinsed, cut into 4 slices
• 1 c. shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• Nonstick cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place a large baking sheet in the oven to preheat for about 10 minutes.

Heat garlic with cooking spray in a medium saute pan over medium heat.  Cook until soft, but not browned.  Add onions and continue to cook until the onions are soft but not browned.

Add spinach and toss gently.  Cook until the spinach is heated throughout.  Season with pepper, and set aside to cool.

When the spinach and onions are cool, assemble each sandwich with one slice of bread on the bottom, one tomato slice, 1/2 c. spinach mixture, 1/4 c. of cheese, and a second slice of bread on top.

Spray the preheated nonstick baking sheet with cooking spray.  Place the sandwiches on the baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the bottom of each sandwich is browned.

Carefully flip sandwiches and bake for an additional 3-5 minutes or until both sides are browned.

Bowtie Pasta With Chicken, Broccoli, and Feta

• 2 c. whole-wheat bowtie pasta
• 1 T. Olive oil
• 1 t. garlic, minced (about 1/2 a clove)
• 4 c. cooked broccoli florets or 1 1lb. bag frozen broccoli, thawed
• 1 c. grilled boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced (about 2 small breasts)
• 2 c. low sodium chicken broth
• 1 medium lemon for 1 t. zest and 1 T. juice
• 2 oz. reduced fat feta cheese, diced or crumbled

 In a 4 quart saucepan bring 3 quarts of water to a boil over high heat.

Add pasta, and cook according to package directions. Drain.

Heat olive oil and garlic in a large saute pan over medium heat. Cook until soft but not browned (about 30 sec.)

Add broccoli, diced chicken, and chicken broth.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 3 minutes, until the broccoli and chicken are heated through.  

Add pasta, and toss gently.  Continue to simmer until pasta is hot, about 3-4 minutes.

Add lemon zest and juice, and toss gently.

To serve, top each serving with 1 1/2 T. feta cheese.

Buttons and Bows Pasta

• 2 c. dry whole-wheat bowtie pasta
• 1 T. Olive oil
• 1 t. garlic, minced {about one clove}
• 1 bag (16 oz) frozen peas and carrots
• 2 c. low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 T. cornstarch
• 1 T. fresh parsley, rinsed, dried, and chopped (or 1 t. dried)
• 1 medium lemon rinsed, for 1 t. zest {use a grater to take a thin layer of skin off the lemon}
• 1/4 t. ground black pepper

Boil two cups of pasta following the directions on the package. Drain.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil and garlic over medium heat in a large saute pan. Cook until soft but be careful not to brown it.

Add peas and carrots.  Cook gently until the vegetables are heated through.

In a bowl, combine chicken broth and cornstarch.  Mix well.  Add to pan with vegetables, and bring to a boil.  Simmer gently for 1 minute.

Add parsley, pasta, lemon zest, and pepper. Toss gently, and cook until the pasta is hot.  

Serve.

Yield: 4 servings

This recipe is super easy and quick to make, really healthy, family friendly, and light but very filling at the same time.  The hubs and my little one couldn't get enough!

Broccoli & Garlic Penne Pasta

• 1 c. Chicken broth
• 1/2 t. dried basil leaves, crushed
• 1/8 t. ground black pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 c. broccoli florets
• 4 1/2 c. penne pasta, cooked and drained
• 1 T. lemon juice
• 2 T. grated Parmesan cheese

 Heat the broth, basil, black pepper, garlic and broccoli in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat to a boil.  Reduce heat to low.  Cover and cook until the broccoli is tender-crisp.

Add the pasta and lemon juice and to toss to coat.  Sprinkle the pasta mixture with the cheese.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Cream Of Tomato Soup

• 1 T. reduced-fat margarine
• 1 T. Canola Oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 t. crushed dried thyme
• 1/4 t. crushed dried oregano
• 3 14.5 oz cans no salt added diced tomatoes with their juice
• 5 c. fat-free no salt added canned chicken broth
•  Pinch of Cayenne pepper (optional)
• Salt (optional)
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 2 12 oz. cans evaporated skim milk

 In a heavy soup pot, heat margarine and oil over medium-low heat.  Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until onion is very limp, about 10 minutes, taking care to not let the onion brown.

Add thyme, oregano, tomatoes with their juices and chicken broth.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered for 20 minutes.

Taste soup, adding cayenne and salt if using, and pepper

Stir in evaporated milk and heat through. Do not let the mixture actually boil. Serve.

A few tips for this recipe:

1. This makes LOTS of soup so be ready for left overs, company, or give it away to your poor starving college student sister. :)

2. Don't let the soup warm after stirring in the evaporated milk as directed in the recipe.  The soup being as warm as it is already is, is plenty warm and letting it warm more curdles the evaporated milk so it goes from creamy to white speckled as seen in the photo. It still tastes good however.

 3. This is tasty soup and goes great with my favorite, grilled cheese sandwiches.

Chicken Wraps

Hi all! I'm back. Back to the grind of actually making my family something good to eat besides frozen pizza and grilled cheese.  

Today's recipe is a yummy one. The husband loved it and so did the little one!

• 2 13oz cans if chicken
• 1 8 oz package of cream cheese (softened)
• 2 T butter  (softened)
• green onions
• pepper
• 2 can of crescent rolls
• croutons

 Mix together chicken and softened butter.  Then mix in cream cheese. Once it is stirred together add your desired amount of green onions and pepper to taste.

Take two crescent rolls and put together to make a square.  Seal any holes or seams. Put chicken filling on the square and roll up and put on a cookie sheet.

Crush some croutons and sprinkle on top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until brown on top.

Sauce: 

• 1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
• about 1/4 c. milk

Stir and warm in a small sauce pan. Pour over wraps.

Beefy Enchilada Skillet

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 jar (16oz.) Pace Picante Sauce or Thick & Chunky Salsa
• 8 corn tortillas (6 in.) cut into 1 inch squares
• 4 oz. Shredded Cheddar Cheese (about 1 cup)
• Sour Cream

Cook the beef in a 10 inch skillet over medium-high heat until it's well browned, stirring often to break up the meat. Pour off any fat

Stir in the picante sauce, tortillas, and half of the cheese in the skillet and heat to a boil.  Reduce the heat to low.  Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until it's hot and bubbling.

Top with the remaining cheese.  Serve with sour cream

Layered Pizza Dip

• 1 c. Ricotta cheese
• 1/2 c. chopped Pepperoni
• 4 oz. shredded Mozzarella cheese (about 1 cup)
• 1 c. Prego Traditional Italian sauce, any variety
• Garlic bread, crackers or corn tortilla chips

Preheat oven to 375°F. Spread the ricotta cheese in an even layer in a 9 inch pie plate. Top with 1/4 cup of the pepperoni and 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese.  Carefully spread the sauce over the cheese.  Sprinkle with the remaining pepperoni and mozzarella cheese.  Bake for 15 minutes or until it's hot.  Let stand for 5 minutes. Serve with the garlic bread, crackers or corn tortilla chips for dipping.

{Side note:

My sister who has been a live in nanny for us for the last few months has recently discovered an intolerance to gluten.  With this discovery, she has been bummed on having to cut out breads and many of her favorite foods.  Being a single college student, she is really going to miss pizza nights with friends.  THEN, we made up this tasty  pizza dip that just so happens to be gluten free.  It is an awesome pizza substitute. }

Apple and Thyme Chicken

• 2 whole boneless and skinless chicken breasts, halved and all traces of fat removed
• butter flavored cooking spray
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 medium Granny Smith apple or other tart green apple, thinly sliced and cored
• 1  shallot, minced
• 1 T. fresh thyme leaves OR 1 t. crushed dried thyme
• 1/4 c. balsamic vinegar

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.  Rinse chicken breasts and pat dry with paper towels.  Lightly spray a baking dish with cooking spray.

2. Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt (if using) and pepper.  Place in a single layer in the prepared baking dish. 

3. Arrange apple slices over and around chicken breasts.  Sprinkle with shallot and thyme leaves; pour on the balsamic vinegar.

4. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until chicken is opaque throughout (cut to test).

Tomato Basil Chicken

• 1 T. Vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 lbs. skinless, boneless chicken, breast halves
• 1 can Tomato Soup
• 1/2 c. milk
• 2 T. grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 t. dried basil leaves, crushed
• 2 cloves garlic, minced OR 1/4 t. garlic powder

1. Heat the oil in a 10 inch skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the chicken and cook for 10 minutes or until it's well browned on both sides. Remove the chicken and set aside.

2. Stir the soup, milk, cheese, basil and garlic powder.  Heat to a boil.  Return the chicken to the skillet and reduce the heat to low.  Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

3. Serve

The chicken can be served over pasta, rice, or by itself.

Monte Cristos

These sammies are gooood! They are easy, and even better, you can pretty much do what you want with them.

Building your sandwich: {My rendition}

Spread some low fat cream cheese on one of the slices of bread. Place some kind of sandwich meat on top. {We went with ham} Top the meat with Swiss cheese, then sliced tomatoes. Put the sandwich together. 

Here is where the Monte Cristo part comes in.

In a bowl, scramble eggs {I do one egg per sandwich} with a titch of milk and about a 1/4 t. dried basil.  Then, whip out your french toast skills and dip both sides of the sandwich in the egg. Place on a warm frying pan and cook, browning both sides. To get the nice browning and melting of the cheese, cover while cooking.

This is a new favorite in our house. It's a great simple sandwich, everyone loves it, AND you can mix and match ingredients to build your own Monte Cristo to your own likings if you so choose.  I highly recommend trying these.

Chicken Cabbage Salad

This is one of my all time favorite salads! It's great as a main dish or a side dish; you choose.

• 1 head cabbage, shredded
• 2 pkgs. Top Ramen Chicken-flavored noodles, crunched up
• 3 to 4 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
• 4 green onions, finely chopped
• 1 can sliced water chestnuts
• 1/2 c. slivered almonds

Combine ingredients in a large bowl.

Dressing:

• 2 pkgs. Oriental seasonings from Top Ramen noodles
• 1/2 c. vinegar
• 1 c. oil
• 2 T. sugar
• Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl, then pour over chicken and cabbage salad.  Stir until salad is well coated. Refrigerate for an hour for the best flavor.

Classic Eggs Benedict

• 1 t. White Vinegar
• cold eggs
• English muffins, split and toasted
• Canadian bacon, warmed

In a skillet with high sides, bring 2-3 inches of water and vinegar to a boil.  Reduce heat; simmer gently.  For each egg, break the cold eggs into a custard cup or saucer.  Hold the dish close to the water surface, slip the egg into the water. {This is called poaching an egg}

 Cook 4 eggs at a time, uncovered, for 3-5 minutes or until the whites are completely set and the yolks begin to thicken.  With a slotted spoon, remove each egg. Repeat with remaining eggs.

 Top the toasted English muffin and warmed Canadian Bacon with the poached egg.

Top with Hollandaise Sauce. 

Hollandaise Sauce:

• 3 egg yolks
• 1/4 c. water
• 2 T. lemon juice
• 1/2 c. cold butter, cut into 8 pieces
• 1/8 t. salt
• 1/8 t. paprika
• dash of salt

In a small heavy sauce pan or double boiler, whisk together the egg yolks, water and lemon juice.  Cook and stir over low heat until mixture begins to thicken, bubbles around edges and reaches 160 degrees, about 20 minutes.  

Add butter to yolk mixture, one piece at a time, whisking after each addition until butter is melted.  Remove from the heat; stir in the paprika, salt and pepper.  Serve immediately.

{Tip: for a quick fix, a simple Hollandaise Sauce mix packet works great as well}

Bon Appetite!

Chewy Brownie Cookie

I've never been a huge fan of frosting.  This created a problem when it came to things like brownies.  I love brownies,hate frosting but it seems like you never have one without the other. Here is a brownie that doesn't need frosting!! They are taaaaasty! So good, I actually had someone ask me to marry him when he ate them. Here is the recipe:

• 2/3 c. butter
• 1 1/2 c. brown sugar
• 1 T. water
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 c. flour
• 1/3 c. cocoa
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. soda
• 1 12 oz bag of chocolate chips

 Cream together butter and sugar.  Add water, vanilla and eggs. Mix well. Add dry ingredients. Bake at 375 degrees for 17-19 minutes in ungreased pan.

Enjoy!

Easy Italian Chicken

• 4 chicken breasts
• 1 pkg. Zesty Italian Dressing Mix
• 1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
• 1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese, cut into chunks
• Bow tie pasta noodles, cooked

Combine chicken soup and dressing mix in a bowl.  Add a little milk or water to make it creamy like a gravy.  Place the chicken breasts in casserole dish or crockpot.  Slice cream cheese into chunks, placing around on tip of chicken.  Pour soup/dressing over top.  Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees or in a crockpot for 4 to 5 hours on LOW.  Shred chicken and spoon over bowtie noodles.

What I liked about this recipe:

1. Its easy. I'm all about easy.

2. The versatility of it. Crockpot OR oven.

3. So much flavor for such simple ingredients

4. It makes lots. Leftovers!!

Freaky Pizza Fondu

Freaky Pizza Fondu

{Not really sure why its freaky. Maybe because it's "freaking" tasty??}

• 1 medium red pepper, chopped (about 3/4 c.)
• 1/2 c. finely chopped pepperoni
• 1/2 of an 8 oz. package cream cheese, cut into cubes (about 1 c.)
• 1/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 3/4 c. Prego Traditional Pasta Sauce {I like 3 cheese instead} 
• 1 loaf Italian bread (about 1 lb.) cut into cubes

1. Place the pepper and pepperoni in a 1 -quart microwavable dish.  Cover and microwave on HIGH for 3 minutes or until the pepper is tender, stirring halfway through cooking.

2. Add the cream cheese and the Parmesan cheese and stir until it's smooth and well blended.  Stir in the pasta sauce.  Cover and microwave on HIGH for 5 minutes or until hot, stirring halfway through cooking.

3. Serve warm with the bread cubes for dipping. 

I recommend making this for a group of people if you don't want to eat all yourself...because you will. It's thaaaat good.

{ Use corn tortilla chips instead of bread for dipping to make this gluten free}

Loaded Baked Potato Casserole

Loaded Baked Potato Casserole

• 1 32 oz. bag frozen southern style hash brown potatoes, thawed
• 1 6oz. can french fried onions
• 1 c. frozen peas, thawed
• 1 c. shredded Cheddar cheese
• 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 2 cans Cream of Celery Soup
• 1 c. mild

1. Stir the potatoes, 1 1/3 c. onions, peas, cheese and bacon in a 13x9x2 inch shallow baking dish.  Mix the soup and milk in a 1 qt. bowl and pour over the potato mixture. Cover the dish.

2. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until hot.  Uncover the dish and stir the potato mixture.

3. Sprinkle with the remaining onions. Bake for 5 minutes more or until onions are golden brown.

This was a great easy casserole but there are some things I may do differently next time. Fewer onions and maybe cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup instead of celery.  That's what I love about recipes. Try them once then do my own variations.  Enjoy!

Walzones

We tried something a little different for dinner tonight. Walzones! They are basically Calzones that are cooked on a waffle iron.  

They are really simple. 

Start with pizza dough. Roll it out. Place your favorite toppings, cheese, and pizza sauce on one half of the dough, then fold it over and seal. You can make one great big one or several small ones. You decide.

Before

 Next step is to put in on a waffle iron and let it do its thing.

After

They taste great and we found them to be kind of fun!

Peanut Butter Crumble Pie

Peanut Butter Crumble Pie

• 1 c. Crunchy Peanut Butter
• Powdered Sugar
• Pudding (Chocolate or Vanilla)
• Cool whip
• Any kind of pie crust

 In a bowl, mix together peanut butter and powdered sugar until it is a "crumbly" texture. Lay some of the peanut butter crumble in the bottom of the pie crust.  

Then add your choice of pudding.  

 Add another, but lighter, layer of crumble. 

 Then a layer of Cool Whip and top the pie with remaining crumble.

Grape Jelly Meatballs

Grape Jelly Meatballs

•  2 12 oz. Jars Heinz Chili Sauce
•  1 32 oz Jar Grape Jelly
• 1 bag precooked frozen meat balls (about 80)

Put jelly and chili sauce in a  pot. Heat until jelly is melted and sauce is smooth, stirring often. Add frozen meatballs to a crock pot. Add sauce. Heat on high for 3 hours or until meatballs are warm.

Enjoy!

Bacon-Wrapped Chicken

Bacon-Wrapped Chicken

•  6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
• 1 (8 oz.) ctn. Whipped cream cheese with onion and chives {I never use it all}
• 1 T.butter or margarine, cubed
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 6 bacon strips

Flatten chicken to 1/2 -inch thickness.  Spread 3 tablespoons {I never do this much. just eyeball it}over each.  Dot with butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roll it. {I like to keep mine flat} Wrap each with a bacon strip.  Place seam side down, on a greased 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan. 

Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until juices run clear.  Broil 6 inches from the heat for 5 minutes or until bacon is crisp.

{My secret: a slice of pepper jack cheese on top of each chicken breast immediately after it comes out of the oven to melt.}

Serve with a yummy salad and some creamy garlic mashed potatoes and you've got it made.  Maybe, I'll share that recipe someday too.  :) Try it for yourself and let me know what you think!

Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu

Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu

4 split chickens

Corn flakes or bread crumbs

Swiss cheese

Butter

Lunch Meat Ham   

Split chicken breasts; place ham and cheese rolled up in  ham inside the chicken.  Make sure the cheese is not showing.  Dip chicken into melted butter, then corn flakes or bread crumbs. Bake in over for 40 minutes or until done at 400 degrees.

Sauce:

1 can cream of chicken soup                                 1 tsp. Lemon juice

1/2 c. Sour cream                                                 Salt and pepper to taste

Serve on baked chicken

I don't have a picture of its yumminess, sorry, I guess we just snarfed it down too fast!