Italian Veggie Chicken Casserole

I found this recipe on pinterest and made it with some modifications for dinner tonight. It got great reviews from my family and it is easy peasy and perfect for taking meals in to friends (is it just me or are you always on the hunt for those kind of recipes too? Please share your favorites if you have them.)

I served this over bowtie pasta (but you could use any kind of pasta or even spaghetti squash or julienned zucchini or really even serve it alone) and paired it with my favorite Easy French Bread and a simple salad.

Combine the following ingredients in a bowl and stir together:

    4-5 tomatoes, chopped

    2 cloves of garlic, sliced thinly or minced  

    Jar of artichoke hearts in water, drained and copped

    2-3 zucchinis, chopped

    2 Tbsp. EVOO

    1 tsp. sugar

    1 Tbsp. flour

    A little bit of Salt and Pepper

Spread the tomato/veggie mixture in the bottom of a 9x13 pyrex dish and top with 1-1.5 lbs. of chicken breasts or tenders. Salt and Pepper the chicken.

Bake, covered, at 350 degrees for 25-35 minutes (or longer if your chicken breasts are larger) until the chicken is almost done (still a hint of pink when you cut into the chicken). Remove from the oven, uncover and top with shredded cheese (I like monterey jack, but you could definitely use mozzarella). Broil the dish uncovered for 3-5 minutes until the cheese is golden brown and the veggies peeking through are caramelized.

Top with chopped fresh basil. 

Cooking notes: 

1.  Romas are ideal, but I used a combination of romas, de-seeded slicing tomatoes, and even a handful of cherry tomatoes

2.  You could definitely change this recipe up to give it variety/use up what you have on hand. Some things you could use instead of or in addition to the artichoke hearts and zucchini: asparagus, bell peppers, summer squash, mushrooms, spinach, cannelini beans

3. I always butterfly my chicken breast halves before freezing them, so they are more streamlined for storing/stacking in my freezer and more importantly because they defrost and cook faster. For this recipe I actually cut the chicken into smaller pieces to make it easier to serve later.

4. I plan to make this dish and freeze it...I would leave off the cheese and basil and add those after cooking. I will update with details when I try it.

Honey Dijon chicken

Tried this new chicken marinade today and it got voted into the regular rotation by my family, kids included. It is super simple, but has a great flavor. We served it with corn and tomato salad and baked sweet potatoes. 

1/3 c. Dijon mustard

1/4 c. Honey

2 Tbsp. Mayonnaise

1 tsp. steak sauce

 

Combine all ingredients in a ziploc bag and add chicken breasts or tenders. Marinate for at least 30 minutes. Cook on the grill. Enjoy!

One Pan Tomato Basil Chicken

I came across this recipe on pinterest and despite my lack of fresh garden grown tomatoes, fell in LOVE with it when I made it last night for dinner. As an added bonus, it is a one pan meal and cooks up super quickly.

2 chicken breasts (I sliced mine horizontally so they were thinner to get more even cooking)
salt and pepper to taste
italian seasoning to taste
2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
2 tsp. minced fresh garlic
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
4 Tbsp. cold butter

freshly grated parmesan cheese (totally forgot to add this, but was delicious without it)
pasta

Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and italian seasoning. Heat oil in a pan. Add chicken when oil is hot. Cook for 4-5 minutes on each side. Add chopped tomatoes. Add fresh basil. Add cold butter. Add minced garlic. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Top with grated parmesan cheese and serve over pasta.

Corn and Tomato Salad

In honor of everyone I know in Utah harvesting fresh tomatoes from their gardens, and wishing I was one of them, this is one of my favorite ways to eat tomatoes! Hopefully I will be making a lot of this when we harvest our Arizona garden in November. ;) There are no measurements, just ingredients to toss together to taste.

Fresh tomatoes - diced
Corn - I typically use frozen corn, defrosted, but you can use fresh if you have it
Fresh Basil - chopped

Toss solid ingredients together and drizzle with:
a splash of cider vinegar
a splash of balsamic vinegar
sprinkle of kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Stir everything together and serve. Enjoy!

Crock Pot Lemon Chicken

I found this recipe on pintrest and my family loved it so it is now a staple dinner in our home. This is another recipe that is easy to throw together because I usually have all the ingredients on hand.

1 stick of butter (or you can use as less as desired)
1-2 lbs. chicken breasts or tenders

1/3 cup lemon juice
1 cup chicken broth
1 packet of dry italian dressing mix

Place the stick of butter in the bottom of the crock pot and melt. Add chicken, lemon juice and chicken broth. Sprinkle packet of italian dressing mix over the chicken. Cook on low 6-8 hours.

Shred chicken and serve over rice or egg noodles. (I use my kitchen aid to shred chicken. Just put the cooked chicken into the bowl of your kitchen aid and use the beater attachment to mix on low for 30-60 seconds until chicken is shredded, then add back into the juices in the crock pot).

Gouda Fondue

We love to do fondue night as a family or with friends. It feels totally fancy, but is actually pretty quick and easy to throw together. This is our favorite fondue recipe because it is not too "fancy cheese"-y so the kids and our grocery budget can enjoy it too!

1 cup dry white wine*
1 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
12 oz. shredded gouda cheese (rind trimmed)
4 oz. shredded aged Gouda cheese (rind trimmed)
1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg**
1 pinch cayenne pepper**

Combine wine (or substitute) and lemon juice in the top of a double broiler. Toss grated cheeses and cornstarch together. When wine comes to a boil (if using milk and chicken broth do not actually boil, just bring to almost a boil), slowly add cheese and cornstarch mixture, whisking continuously until smooth. Season with nutmeg and cayenne, if using. Transfer to a fondue pot to keep warm while serving.

DIPPERS:
cubed french or sourdough bread
sliced red peppers
cheese tortellinis
bite sized potatoes
sliced pears
grapes
roasted broccoli (or any other roasted veggie would be good: zucchini, carrots, squash, cauliflower, etc)
cubed steak (fully cooked)



*You can substitute apple cider or chicken broth or 1/2c chicken broth and 1/2 cup milk for the wine
**I typically leave these out

Gyro Burritos

It has been a very long while since anything has been added on here, but I have a couple of new recipes to share! This one came from a friend of mine as a quick easy dinner idea and it is delish. I love that it is mostly ingredients that I always have on hand so it is a perfect meal to throw together in a pinch!

THE MEAT
1 tablespoon olive oil 
1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice 
2 teaspoons garlic powder  or finely chopped garlic
1 teaspoon cinnamon 
1 teaspoon salt 
1 teaspoon onion powder or diced onion
1 teaspoon cumin 
2 teaspoons oregano 
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes 
1 lb ground beef or 1 lb ground turkey

THE CUCUMBER SAUCE
8 ounces light sour cream (I actually used plain greek yogurt instead)
1 cup diced cucumber 
1/4 teaspoon salt 
1 teaspoon dill weed 

10 large burritos 
1 large white onion, chopped 
Sliced (or chopped) tomato

Mix the cucumber sauce a few hours ahead of time if possible to let the flavors marinate, but if you don't have time or didn't plan ahead, mix it together while the meat is cooking.

Brown the hamburger or turkey, (add onion if using fresh) throw in the rest of the seasonings and saute for a few minutes.

Layer center of burrito with sauce, onions, tomato and meat. Roll up like a burrito and enjoy!

Easy Lemon Cookies

I needed a quick treat to make for visiting teaching this month, and I saw this recipe on one of my favorite cooking blogs, Boy Cheese Sandwich.  It took me about 30 minutes, including clean up, to have a tasty treat ready to go.

1 lemon cake mix
2 eggs
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350.  With a mixer, combine cake mix, eggs, and oil (dough will be stiff).  Roll tablespoon-sized balls in powdered sugar, then place on greased or parchment-lined cookie sheets (I fit 12 on a sheet, as the dough didn't spread much).  Bake for 6-8 minutes (I did 8), or until just starting to crack.  Let cool for 2 minutes on sheets, then cool completely on racks.  Makes about 2 1/2 dozen.

Spicy (or not!) Chicken Sandwiches with Cilantro-lime Mayo

I love summer meals, don't you? This recipe is soooooo easy! You just have to remember to get the chicken marinating earlier in the day, but once it's time to cook it, you'll have dinner ready in ten minutes!

I omitted the hot sauce altogether (neither my husband nor my kids are fans of spicy stuff) and it turned out great! The crunch on these is great (it's tortilla chips!). For my girls, I just cut up the chicken into strips and gave them the Kaiser rolls on the side.

As you can see above, we had ours with a simple salad that had a Spring/Baby Spinach mix with sliced strawberries, crumbled bacon, and mozzarella cubes. You honestly don't even need a sauce over it, but Lighthouse's Raspberry Walnut salad dressing would be a fantastic choice.

The link is at the bottom for the recipe.

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/spicy-chicken-sandwiches-with-cilantro-lime-mayo-10000001860085/

Chicken Pesto Pasta

The family party was last Sunday, and it was a hit.  I ended up doing lime jello jigglers, a huge green salad, broccoli pasta salad, rolls dyed green, and chicken kabobs with onions and green pepper.  To go with the salad and chicken, I made homemade pesto sauce and homemade Cafe Rio salad dressing, which were both yummy.  I had a little bit of chicken, broccoli, and pesto leftover, so I made this for dinner Monday night:

1 chicken breast, diced and seasoned with McCormick's Rotisserie Chicken seasoning
1 shallot, diced
1 1/2 Tbs. olive oil or butter
1 cup broccoli, cut into florets
1/3 to 1/2 box of penne pasta (I like whole wheat or Barilla Plus)
2 Tbs. flour
1/2-2/3 cup skim milk
3 heaping Tbs. prepared pesto sauce
4 sundried tomatoes, chopped
parmesan cheese, for garnish.

In a large pot, boil water for pasta.  Cook pasta according to package directions, adding in broccoli for last 2 minutes of cooking.  Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, melt butter or heat olive oil.  Saute shallot until it begins to soften, then add chicken, seasoning with salt and pepper.  When chicken is browned and nearly cooked through, sprinkle with flour and cook an additional 1-2 minutes.  Whisk in milk and bring mixture to a bubble.  Add in pesto, sundried tomatoes, and cooked pasta and broccoli, until heated through and thoroughly combined.

This made a big, hearty meal for just the two of us, but it can easily be doubled for larger families.

Enchilada Soup

This is a newfound staple at our house. It is kind of creamy and easy peasy! Plus everyone loves it! I can't remember where I found this one.

1 can corn (drained)
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can black beans (rinsed and drained)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
1 lb. chicken

1 (10 oz.) can enchilada sauce - mild
1 (10.75 oz.) can cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 cup milk
1 cup shredded cheese

Add corn, tomatoes, beans, pepper, and onion to the crock pot and stir to mix. Place chicken on top of veggie mixture. In a separate bowl whisk enchilada souce, cream of chicken soup and milk together. Pour over top of chicken. DO NOT STIR. :) Cook on low all day or high for 4-5 hours. Before serving, shred the chicken and stir all ingredients to combine. Top with cheese (and sour cream, guacamole, tortilla chips or whatever else you like).

Stuffed Shells

This was a perfect, easy, comforting meal I made yesterday to use up stuff I had hanging around in my fridge.  It made for a huge dinner last night, plus plenty extra to freeze for on-the-go meals whenever I need them.  I followed the directions on the back of the box, with a few little adjustments:

1 box stuffed shells, cooked
1 large contained part-skim ricotta cheese
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 cup parmesan cheese, divided
2 eggs, beaten
1 Tbs. Italian seasoning
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. seasoned salt
1 box frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry (important so your filling isn't too wet)
1 jar spaghetti sauce (I cheated and used a bottle from my food storage that was about to expire)


Preheat oven to 375.  Boil shells by following directions on the package--you want them to be almost fully cooked, but still a little underdone.  In a 9 x 13 glass pan, spread 1/2-3/4 cup spaghetti sauce, or until well coated.  In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese, 2 cups mozzarella, 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, spinach, eggs, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt and pepper.  When shells are done boiling, drain and spread out on a cookie sheet lined with foil or parchment paper so they don't stick together.  Fill each shell with approximately 2 tsp. filling, and place in glass pan.  Since I had more than 2 pans' worth of shells, I spread whatever shells I wasn't baking immediately on a cookie sheet and froze them solid, then place them in labeled freezer bags. 

Spread remaining spaghetti sauce over filled shells, then sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and parmesan.  Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes, then uncover and broil until cheese is bubbly and browned. 

Serving suggestion: green salad and garlic bread

Crock Pot Glazed Carrots

Last week I made a full Thanksgiving dinner for the kids and the hubby (well, the hubby did a lot of the work, so I should say we made Thanksgiving dinner for the kids) since we don't have to cook it for anyone else this year. I usually do roasted carrots in the oven, but this year, I thought it would be great to simplify and try a crock pot recipe. I found this one in the "Mormon Pantry Slow Cooker Cookbook" and it turned out yummy.

2 lbs. baby carrots (I actually had purchased the regular long carrots already thinking I was doing my other recipe, so I sliced them and used those and they were great)
1 cup water
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup orange juice
3 Tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp. salt

Combine in a slow cooker; cook high 4-5 hours or low 8-10 hours until carrots are tender. Stir before serving. I loved that I didn't even have to mix the ingredients around in the slow cooker before turning it on and by the end everything was beautifully melted together and made my house smell yummy all day!

Healthier Taco Salad

So, in line with my post about trying to eat healthier and cook more often, tonight I went to the grocery store.  There's nothing more refreshing for me than to clean out my fridge, clean out my cupboards, clean the kitchen, then go to the store and fill up my fridge and cupboards with healthy, fresh foods.  I'm also making an effort to make better choices at the store when I can--watching sales, using coupons, and buying organic and local as much as possible.  Since my fridge was practically bare, I can't believe I was able to buy about 10 days' worth of meals (3 a day plus snacks), all organic produce, for under $200.

Anyhow, I had some ground turkey breast in my freezer that I wanted to use up, so I came up with this recipe (it made enough for 2 very generously portioned salads--probably too generous--and enough leftovers for lunch tomorrow too):

1 pound ground turkey breast
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained*
1 packet of organic, low sodium taco seasoning mix
 1 medium red onion, diced
1 avocado, diced and tossed in 1 tsp. lime juice
blue corn tortilla chips**
romaine lettuce
green onions
shredded cheese
fat free sour cream
fresh salsa
sliced olives

1. In a nonstick skillet, saute onions in 1 tsp olive oil.  Add ground turkey breast and taco seasoning, letting it brown while breaking up with a wooden spoon.  Add black beans when turkey is nearly cooked through.

2.  Layer turkey-bean mixture with a few chips, cheese, romaine lettuce, olives, green onions, diced avocado, sour cream, and salsa.

*I used to really hate beans.  But since my husband grew up eating tons of Mexican food in southern California, he made me try them again...and now I love them!  They are such a quick way to get protein and complex carbohydrates, plus they're super cheap.  I think black beans have the most health benefits, but feel free to substitute whatever you have.

**I had blue corn tortilla chips from Whole Foods in my pantry.  I read that as far as tortilla chips go, blue corn chips have at least some antioxidants in them despite the fact that they're chips and therefore a splurge.  They're really tasty too, but again, substitute what you have.

Pumpkin Cake

We were in charge of throwing a Thanksgiving for our ward (for more than 150 people) last Thursday. We served this Pumpkin Cake and these Pumpkin Cookies and people are still calling me to request the recipes every.single.day. In fact, one of the 18 year old boys in the ward asked Seth to have me make the cookies for a post-Thanksgiving-Morning-Football treat...now that is saying something! We cut it into squares and topped it with whipping cream for the party, but you can also top it with cream cheese frosting (listed below).

1 (16 oz.) can pumpkin puree
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt

Mix all ingredients. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes in a jelly roll pan/1" deep cookie sheet.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 (3 oz.) package cream cheese frosting
5 Tbsp. softened butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cup powdered sugar
3-4 Tbsp. milk

Fabulous Minestrone

One day, I wanted some Olive Garden Minestrone soup...but I couldn't actually go to the Olve Garden, and I didn't want to follow a complicated recipe, and I hadn't been to the grocery store in a while, so this is what I came up with. And it is pretty darn amazing. (Amounts are approximate)

1 italian sausage, with it's grease (I like Collosimos)
2 cans stewed tomatoes
4 cups chicken broth
veggies - I used a frozen medley - something with green beans and carrots, but you could really use any veggies here
3-4 leaves fresh Basil, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1-2 Tbsp. italian seasoning
1 can red beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 package of small shell noodles (cooked)

Cook sausage in a frying pan, saute onion with it for a few minutes. Combine all ingredients, except shell noodles in a large stock pot. Simmer until hot. While simmering, cook 1/2 package of shell noodles according to package directions. Just before serving, add noodles to soup. Serve hot topped with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Lemon Chicken

Here is the other recipe from dinner with the Banks...soooo yummy served with the lemon rice!

1/3 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 Tbsp. dijon mustard
2 cloves chopped garlic
1/2 - 1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 chicken breasts

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and let marinate for at least 20 minutes (it is best if you let it marinate for 6 hours or more, though). Cook in a large frying pan for 15-20 minutes until chicken is cooked through.

I think you could do this recipe in the crock pot or on the grill as well. If you grill it though, make sure you don't chop your red peppers, just slice them long and toss them on the grill as well. We like the stovetop method because the marinade/sauce is delicious poured over the lemon rice - after being cooked, of course.

Lemon Rice

When we stayed with our good friends, the Banks, in California, Angie made us the most delicious dinner and was nice enough to share her recipes. We love this rice so much it is on the menu about once a week now. I am going to try it with less butter next week and see how it goes, so check out the comments after a week or so to see about any adjustments.

2 cups rice
4 cups chicken broth
8 Tbsp. butter (1 stick)
6-8 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/8 tsp. turmeric
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a rice cooker and cook. Gotta love it when food prep is as easy as that! If you don't have a rice cooker, I am sure you could make this stovetop as well, I just don't know any cook time specifications. Besides, everyone should have a rice cooker...it is a kitchen staple!

Baby Tomato and Squash Pasta

Another random concoction of stuff I had in my kitchen that shouldn't really be called a recipe, but my family loved it so I thought I would share. All measurements are approximate.

1 pkg. penne pasta
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 small summer squash or zucchini, diced small
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tsp. minced garlic
1-2 tsp. kosher salt
7-8 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1-2 cups ripe cherry, pear or grape tomatoes (or any combination of the 3)
1 Tbsp. corn starch
1 cup feta cheese

Cook pasta according to directions on package. While pasta is cooking, coat bottom of a saute pan with olive oil and add summer squash. Cover. Cook for 3-4 minutes over medium heat. Add balsamic vinegar, garlic, kosher salt, basil leaves, and cherry tomatoes to saute pan. Continue cooking over medium heat, uncovered, until tomatoes have split their skins and squash is soft and cooked through. Add corn starch to veggies and sauce and stir to combine. Turn heat down to low and let simmer for 3-5 minutes to allow sauce to thicken a bit.

When pasta is cooked and drained, place in a serving bowl and toss with feta cheese. Pour veggies and sauce mixture over top and stir to combine and melt feta. Serve hot.

5 Ingredient Potato Salad

I very strongly dislike potato salad. I think I can count on one hand the number of times I have had a palatable potato salad (not to the fault of anyone who has made them...I just don't like traditional potato salad), but this recipe has changed that forever! Not only is it the best potato salad I've ever eaten, it is so easy! All of the measurements are approximates and can be adjusted to your liking.

7-8 large (Costco-sized) potatoes (or 12-14 smaller potatoes)
8-10 hard boiled eggs
2 cups mayonnaise
2 Tbsp (or so) Lawry's Seasoned Salt
2-3 chopped Green Onions

Mix together. Serve warm or cold.