Cafe Rio Chicken over Cheesy Rice (Slow cooker)

OK! I know I haven't gotten a chance to post the Beef Chimichangas yet but tonight's dinner was SO delicious that I had to post it first. I was a little unsure of how I felt about the smell coming from my slow cooker but it turned out great! Even my husband made a point to say it was good. So, without further delay, here are two great recipes to add to your collection.


Cafe Rio Chicken
From Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms

2 lbs. chicken breast

1/2 of a small bottle of zesty Italian dressing
1/2 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 pkt (2 Tbsp.) ranch dressing mix
1/2 c. water
1/2 Tbsp. chili powder
1/2 Tbsp. ground cumin

Place all ingredients in slow cooker. Cook on High 5-6 hrs OR on Low 8 hrs. Shred chicken using two forks and serve. Has multiple uses including in salads, tacos, wraps, or served over rice. Cheesy Rice below worked well.

Note: The original recipe suggested make a double or triple batch and freezing for a quick, thaw and serve meal. I did this since I had a jumbo pack of chicken breasts that needed to be used and I'm glad I did. It probably would have made plenty for a meal with a single batch, but now I have some on hand!

**For some reason the blog platform is not letting me comment on my posts so.... in answer to the comment, the recipe above is a single batch. My grocery store sells 3+ lb. packs for a discount (usually 4 - 4.5 lb) and I just used a whole pack to double the recipe. Hope that helps!**


Cheesy Cheddar Rice

2 Tbsp. butter
1.5 c. medium rice, uncooked, not instant
1 small can chicken broth + enough water to make 1.5 cups
about 1 c. shredded cheddar
Salt & Pepper to Taste
about 1/2 c milk

Melt butter in a saucepan that has a lid. Add rice and toast for a minute or two, tossing in butter to coat. Add chicken broth and water. Allow to come to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer and cover. Cook about 15 to 20 min until water is absorbed. Add salt and pepper and cheese. Stir until cheese is melted. Add milk a few splashes at a time until your desired creaminess.



**Sharing on Melt in Your Mouth Monday & Menu Mondays**

Making a Comeback With Homemade Pizza!

I would like to start by saying that I, once again, apologize for my long absence. This time, there really was a good reason which I will not get into other than to say that I've had a lot going on in my life both physically and emotionally. Thank you to those who bear with me through these long periods of no posting. I hope to be able to stick with it a little more. That being said, let's get down to the good stuff, THE FOOD!!

Of course, I would be the crazy one who would decide to get my life back into order and start menu planning, cooking, and blogging during the HOTTEST week of the year. What was I thinking? But, I did it! More or less anyway! I may not have accomplished the menu on the nights I planned, but I got them all cooked except for one (which I still cooked on that night, just an impromptu meal instead of the planned one). So, what did I cook this week? Here's a quick list of this weeks cooking. Yes, I realize it isn't 7 recipes but we also ate out a little and had a picnic to go to. (I never said I was perfect... lol)

White Chicken Bacon Spinach Pizza on a Homemade Herbed (Pan-style) Crust

Super Speedway Taco Pie (earlier post)

Cinnamon Banana Honey Oatmeal & Hodge Podge Smoothie (posts to follow)

Beef Chimichangas (post to follow)

I started Monday out with a White Chicken Pizza recipe that I found at www.mommiecooks.com. We've been eating a lot of frozen pizzas in this house this summer and I also am familiar with making pizza dough since we make it in huge batches at work and I've also made it from scratch at home so I felt this was a great way to jump back into my routine of cooking. My husband was also home, so we had the pleasure of getting into the kitchen together. The pizza turned out OK. My husband decided to add bacon to it (because everything is better with bacon) and a friend suggested adding feta. The crust, however, was one of the best I've made at home. Very nice and fluffy and thick and just like the pizzas I like to get when I eat out. I doubled the pizza dough recipe. When it was finished mixing, I divided it in half, and froze one half (wrapped tightly in plastic wrap) for a future use. I then continued with the recipe to make Monday night's pizza. Hope you all enjoy and I see you back here a little more often.

White Chicken Bacon Spinach Pizza
Adapted from www.mommiecooks.com

*2 sm. Chicken Breast, chopped small
*2 Shallots, chopped
*5 cloves Garlic, minced
*2 Tbsp. olive oil
*1 large bunch basil, chopped
*1 large handful fresh spinach, chopped
*Salt
*Pepper
*6-8 oz. shredded pizza cheese (I used a 4 cheese Italian blend)
*1 ball homemade pizza dough (or store bought) (recipe I used follows)


 1. Saute the chicken, shallots, and garlic seasoned with salt and pepper until cooked through. While this is cooking, parbake your crust for about 7-10 min. at 425F.
2. Remove crust from oven and chicken from heat. Brush crust liberally with olive oil. Spread the chicken mixture on the crust and then top with basil first and then the spinach and finally with the cheese.
3. Put back in the oven for another 7-10 min or until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown around the edges.
4. Remove from oven and let rest a minute or two for the cheese to set.

Homemade Herbed Pizza Crust (pan style)
This yields ONE pizza. If you'd like to freeze some, you must double the recipe!
Adapted from www.mommiecooks.com

1 c. lukewarm water (slightly warmer than your body temperature)
1 pkg. dry active yeast
1 Tbsp. sugar
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. salt
2.5 cups all purpose flour
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. basil (dried)
1/2 tsp. onion powder

1. Mix water, yeast and sugar. Let rest for 10-15 min until the yeast reactivates and starts to bubble.
2. Add oil, salt, garlic, basil and onion powder. (I mixed these ingredients in a separate bowl while the yeast was setting).
3. Add flour and knead for about 10 min to develop the gluten. (I did this all in my stand mixer and used the dough hook.)
4. Let dough rest 10 min and start preheating oven to 425F if you haven't already.
5. Now, roll out (or stretch your dough) to the size of your pan. I stretched it, pizzeria style on my hands, to about the size I needed and then used my fingers to stretch it the rest of the way once in the pan.
6. Poke the dough in several places (docking) the dough so it doesn't bubble too much at spots while baking. Brush with oil.
7. Bake at 425F for 7-10 min to parbake. Then add topping of your choice and bake another 7-10 min or until your cheese is bubbly and edges are golden.

ENJOY!!

Take Out Fake Out: Sweet & Sour Chicken

I recently joined a Facebook called The Great Recipe Exchange Between Friends. It's a new group so there aren't very many recipes on there, but all the recipes already posted seem very promising. When I saw this one, I must say, I had mixed emotions of being excited and sceptical at the same time. I work in a college bakeshop and get to see alot of the behind the scenes in the kitchen while walking through. I've seen bits and pieces of the process of making sweet and sour chicken and, while I haven't seen it from start to finish, I'm pretty sure that their technique involves marinating, definitely deep frying, and then tossing in sauce. When I saw the picture that went with this recipe, I was beyond excited because it looked SO sticky and delicious without breaking out the deep fryer. I love Chinese food and was SO excited how GREAT this tasted and how similar it was to the real deal. I think we've broken a little of our Chinese take out habit which will definitely save us cash (not only on the extra expense of the restaurant mark up, but also on gas with the closest Chinese restaurant being 15-20 min away and gas prices currently at roughly $3.50 a gallon). This is, by no means, the healthiest dish to have, but add a little broccoli and the fact you can make brown rice instead of the usual white served along side the local take out and maybe, just maybe, you can ignore all the sugar. Either way, I know this one will show up in my kitchen again and I'm very grateful that this recipe was shared among the group and I can pass it on to you!

Sweet & Sour Chicken
Courtesy of a Member of The Great Recipe Exchange Between Friends on Facebook

For the Chicken:
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
Salt and Pepper, to taste
1 cup cornstarch
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil

For the Sauce:
3/4 cup sugar
4 Tbsp. ketchup
1/2 cup vinegar (preferably rice or white)
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. garlic powder

1. Preheat oven to 325F.
2. Season chicken with salt and pepper.
3. Working in two batches, toss the chicken pieces in cornstarch and then coat with the egg. Heat the oil over med-high heat and, again working in batches, brown the chicken, turning it so that all sides are browned.
4. Place the chicken in a single layer in a 9x13in baking dish. (My 13x9 was dirty, or rather filled with my hubby's birthday cake, so I used two 8in square pans and it worked fine.)
5. Whisk together the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and pour evenly over the chicken. Turn the chicken to ensure each piece is coated.
6. Bake for 1 hr, turning the chicken every 15 min. For the first 30 to 45 min it will look like it is not turning out. Stick with it! In the last 15+ min, something magically happens and it is incredibly delicious, I swear!

Serve with veggies and rice of your choice. I chose broccoli to make it most like our local take out and brown rice to make it a little healthier.

Enjoy!

Chicken Breasts Filled with Cheese Spread

Today, I will give you two recipes. I don't often focus on the recipe for sides because, often, it means me pulling a steamable vegetable out of the freezer and throwing it in the microwave while the entree finishes cooking. This, however, is one of the few standby vegetable recipes I come back to again and again because it is SO yummy and that's roasted asparagus. But, before we get to the recipe for that, let's talk about the chicken. This chicken is a work in progress for me. It's something I through together myself but I don't want to really call it my recipe. It's basically take a few techniques that I've seen over and over and trying to make it work with what I have. It takes regular boneless, skinless chicken breast halves and marries it with Allouette® cheese spread and makes one delicious mouthful. It started because I saw it on 'Manager's Special' in my local grocer which mean it was going to go past it's sell by date VERY soon. The thing I realized was it is a cheese and cheeses often last past their sell by date. As long as it isn't moldy or sour smelling, it is still okay in my book. So I bought it for 50% off. The first time it was the Garlic and Herb variety and I took the chicken breast halves and split them horizontally to make twice as many. This does a few things, first it is a budget saver since you are obviously getting twice as much product for your money. Alternatively, if you are not worried about your budget and want to save time, you can buy the thin cut breasts at the grocer but they are a little pricier. The second reason why I treated the chicken in this way the first time was because I put a 'blob' of spread at the thickest end and then rolled my chicken around it. 

First attempt, rolled

Without cutting them thin, I would have never been able to roll it up in a tight compact manor. The problem with this technique was I had to add alot of toothpicks to secure the cheese inside the chicken and it was just a pain. Plus, I worried about the temperature reaching fully cooked on the inside and the outside ended up getting VERY dark. Delicious but still, not appealing looking. The recipe that follows is what I made today and was much easier and I think is what I will do in the future. The cheese spread is a little on the expensive side but really is delicious and often goes on special in my town so this recipe will be returning to my kitchen in the future.

Cheese Spread Filled Chicken Breasts

3 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

1 container Allouette® cheese spread, any flavor (I preferred the Sundried Tomato Basil variety)

Panko Bread Crumbs for coating (I tossed with a little Mrs. Dash garlic and herb seasoning to add more flavor)

Working very carefully, take a small paring knife and insert it horizontally into the thickest part of the breast. Carefully, without piercing a hole in the top or bottom halves of the breast, move the knife from one side and then the other creating a pocket as far down towards the tip of the breast you can. Fill a pastry bag or resealable plastic bag with the cheese spread. (If using a resealable bag, cut a corner off to make a homemade piping bag.) Insert the tip as far down into the chicken pocket as you can and begin to pipe the spread into the breast. You can apply pressure to the chicken to help evenly distribute the spread further down the toward the other end of the breast. When filled, dredge in panko crumbs and saute in a little olive oil over medium to medium high heat. If the outsides begin to brown and you don't think the center will be done in time, I covered mine for a few minutes to help cook them more evenly. Some of the cheese did run out during cooking but I just scooped it out of the pan and put it over the breasts.

Roasted Asparagus

As much asparagus as you will need to feed your diners (I get 2 medium bunches)

A couple good Tablespoons olive oil just to coat asparagus

1 to 2 teaspoons seasoning of your choice (I use several good shakes of Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herb seasoning - incidentally the same thing I used to season the panko crumbs above)

Leaving the majority of asparagus in its bundle, hold 1 or 2 individual spears of asparagus at either end and bend until it breaks at it's natural weak spot. Trim the rest of the spears to this length and discard tough ends a place whole spears on cookie sheet. Toss in oil and seasoning. Bake at 425F for about 15 to 20 min or until desired doneness, tossing halfway through cooking. I like my asparagus roasted a little longer until it gets a little brown on the tips and gets a nutty tasting but I also appreciate a crisp-tender asparagus. Try it out a couple different ways and see what works best for you. (The picture at the top of the post is done lighter than the asparagus accompanying the chicken. Both delicious just a matter of personal preference.)

Enjoy!

Passion!

It has been brought to my attention today that I need to reiterate the purpose behind this blog every once in a while so that new and old followers alike can understand the reason why I'm taking the time to do this blog. That reason can be summed up in ONE word... PASSION! Passion for many things! Passion for food. Passion for variety. Passion for the excitement of new recipes. Passion to share those recipes with others. Last and MOST important to me, PASSION for the family table! I don't claim to be a 5 star chef. I have NO training in traditional culinary skills. I attended a culinary school but only under a baking and pastry art curriculum. I am NOT a food photographer. I try to make food look the best I can with the skills and tools I have. I am NOT a nutritionist. I do however, have basic skills for putting a meal on my family's table. I do have a desire to encourage others to pick up a pot or pan and try their hand at developing their own skills. I believe America has become a country of quick fixes. Don't get me wrong, life is busy and you need to do what you need to do in this world to survive. I just want to give people the access to approachable recipes in hopes that one less family will go through the drive thru tonight. One less family will reach for the processed chicken nuggets in their freezer. I'm not saying that I don't do this. I'm a busy wife and an even busier mother and I work full time to pay bills and it's okay to go to the quick fix. I just want people to realize that you don't have to do this EVERY night. You CAN throw together quick, easy recipes with good wholesome food and sit around a table as a family and enjoy each others' company. I believe that the message sent to your family when you take the time to find a recipe, shop for the ingredients, and put the meal together is more powerful than most realize! It can really show someone you love that you truly care. Care about their health, wants and needs. So as a wife and mother, I hope you take from this website what YOU want or need. Whether that be a recipe to add to your repertoire or the encouragement to try cooking for the first time. Get in the kitchen, take your kids and family members with you. Make a game of mixing ingredients. Let them help! Teach them counting and measuring and the importance of food to our lives!

That being said, I've posted below an easy recipe for homemade chicken fingers. These were a big hit with my family. What kid doesn't like chicken fingers? But not only that, my husband and I agreed that the breading had a very similar texture to that of chicken fingers you would get in the freezer section in your local grocery store. This would make them even more appealing to kids. Now, I'm not saying they were as easy as pulling out of a bag, but they did throw together in mere minutes. Also, I'm not implying that this was the healthiest choice of foods but, in comparison to the processed frozen ones full of preservatives and the deep fried ones from the fast food joint, these were a much healthier baked version made with REAL, unprocessed chicken. Therefore, this is a perfect example of a meal that would be pleasing to kids and easy to make. I'd also, in the future, like to try making them ahead and freezing them, unbaked, and see how they would turn out as a prep ahead meal. An extra bonus, its easy clean up since you toss them in a resealable bag and line the cooking sheet with foil. What more could you want?

Ultimate Chicken Fingers
From the Bisquick® Box

3 boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 1 lb.), cut crosswise into 1/2" strips (or 1 lb. fresh chicken tenders, raw rib meat)
2/3 c. Original Bisquick® mix
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. salt or garlic salt (I used a mix of salt and garlic powder)
1/2 tsp. paprika
1 egg, slightly beaten
3 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted

Heat oven to 450F. Line cookie sheet with foil; spray with cooking spray. In 1 gallon resealable bag, mix Bisquick® mix, cheese, salt and paprika.

Dip half the chicken strips into egg; place in bag. Seal bag; shake to coat. Place chicken on cookie sheet. Repeat to use up remaining chicken. Drizzle butter over chicken.

Bake 12-14 min., turning halfway through bake time with pancake turner, until no longer pink in center.

Serves 4.

Enjoy!

Stocking the Freezer AND Eating Tonight: Green Bean Chicken Casserole

I've grown to hold casseroles near and dear to my heart for several reasons. First and foremost, alot of times you have everything in one dish. Your protein, starch, and vegetable all in one yummy pile. Second, they usually make less dishes dirty and the dishes they do dirty, you can usually get washed while its baking so you can relax with the family after you eat. Third, they usually involve cheese or some other form of creamy goodness. Lastly, you can usually prepare them ahead and often freeze them and you can give them to people in need of ready made meals that they can reheat at their convenience. I mainly speak of friends who either don't cook or who are too busy to cook, say with a move, new baby, or illness or surgery.

When I found this recipe, I was super excited because I LOVE green bean casserole and was looking for an excuse to make it anytime of the year. This not only did that, but made it a main dish too. I was slightly disappointed because it was not very reminiscent of the famous Thanksgiving Day side, but it was still delicious!! Let's just put it this way, I had told a coworker that I would bring in leftovers because I know she enjoys green bean casserole as much as I do but there was none left!! I highly recommend this to anyone looking for all the benefits of a casserole; it's definitely a keeper! Oh, and another plus to this recipe, the amounts are for two casseroles so you can eat now and freeze one for later.

Green Bean Chicken Casserole
From Taste of Home's Freezer Pleasers Cookbook

1 pkg. (6 oz) long grain and wild rice mix
4 c. cubed cooked chicken, (I used a rotisserie chicken from the store for a quick fix)
1 3/4 c. frozen French-Style green beans
1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted (Original recipe calls for cream of chicken and broccoli soup but I couldn't find this)
8 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced and sauteed (Original recipe calls for a 4 oz can stems and pcs., drained)
2/3 c. chopped onion, I sauteed these along with the mushrooms
2/3 c. chopped green pepper, I also sauteed these
1 env. onion soup mix
3/4 c. shredded Colby cheese (I used about this amount for ONE casserole)
Additional Ingredients for EACH casserole:
2/3 c. french-fried onions (I used half a large can for ONE casserole)

1. Prepare wild rice according to package directions. While the rice cooked, I sauteed my veggies. Stir in the chicken, beans, soups, mushrooms, onions, pepper and soup mix. Spoon into two greased 1 1/2 qt baking dishes. Sprinkle with cheese.

2. Cover and freeze one casserole for up to 3 months. Cover and bake the second casserole at 350F for 25-30 min. or until heated through. Uncover; sprinkle with french-fried onions and bake another 5 min. longer or until onions are golden.

3. To use frozen casserole: Completely thaw in refrigerator. Remove from refrigerator 30 min. before baking. Bake, covered, at 350F for 60-65 min. or until heated through. Uncover; sprinkle with french-friend onions and bake 5 min. longer.

Enjoy!

Tried and True and Tweeked a Bit: Chicken Fried Rice

Growing up, my family was mainly a meat and potatoes kind of family given that we had strong roots in a Pennsylvania Dutch heritage. We didn't eat much, if any, ethnically diverse meals. No Mexican or Indian or French. A little spaghetti here and there, but you don't have to be Italian to enjoy a big bowl of pasta smothered in sauce and, being married to an Italian now, I know we didn't truly know how to make spaghetti as Italians do. Our meals were very undiverse, with one exception to this rule which was the homemade Chinese stir-fried rice we had as a side, usually to our own version of sausage sandwiches which were completely PA Dutch. A country style sausage butterflied open served on a potato roll accompanied by American cheese, sauteed onions and peppers and ketchup. Talk about a confused meal. But I grew veryattached to it and that meal, as a whole, has become a comfort meal to me no matter how strange it sounds.

As a young teenager, I remember being home from school one summer day and wanting to make myself real food. Wanting something other than sandwiches or mac n cheese from a box or soup from a can or pizza from the freezer. So I started searching through my Mom's recipe box and stumbled upon this recipe. So, to my best recollection, this is the first recipe I really made by myself, with no adults within ear shot. Yet another reason it may have become so near and dear to my heart. Now, I've made this recipe over and over and have had it memorized for years. My Mom even thinks I make it better than her. At some point, I decided that I wanted to make it a main dish and started adding whatever protein I had in my fridge and using up any, and all, veggies that were sitting around. So here it is, a recipe that I adore not only for its flavors but it's versatility! This recipe is TRULY a part of my heart that I share with you! Hope you enjoy it!

Fried Rice Basic Recipe
From the recipe box of MY MOM!

1 c. water
1 1/3 c. Minute® Rice
3 Tbsp. butter or margarine
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 c. chopped onion
1/3 c. water
3 - 4 Tbsp. soy sauce, I prefer La Choy®

Bring 1 c. water to a boil in small saucepan. Stir in rice, remove from heat and cover. Let stand at least 5 min., untouched, until water is absorbed.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a large saute pan. Add eggs and cook until just set. Add onions and continue to saute until desired doneness. Add rice. You may need to add a touch more butter if the pan is very dry.

Mix water and soy sauce (I usually mix it right in the measuring cup) and then pour over the rice making sure to mix well to distribute the soy sauce mixture.

My Additions:
Any protein (I prefer chicken) cut into very small pieces
Any Veggies cut to a small dice or julienned

Start by following the same directions as above with the rice. Instead of going to the eggs next, I first cook all my veggies and protein. I prefer to work in batches and, when making this amount, I use a large pot instead of saute pan because the veggies do really stretch a buck and make the yield huge! I usually start by sauteing mushrooms, adding onions, peppers, julienned carrots and, in this case, asparagus. Literally, whatever is sitting in my fridge. I then move them to a plate or bowl and keep warm. Try to be sensitive to the cooking time of each veggie or the desired doneness you'd like. If you are new to cooking and aren't sure what cooks longer than others, cook each veggie solo and just continue to add to your bowl and keep warm.  I then saute my protein. After the protein is fully cooked and has joined the veggies in the bowl, continue following the recipe. After your eggs are cooked, rice added, and diluted soy sauce distributed throughout, added your bowl mixture back in. This is when I would add peas, if using them, since it literally takes a few minutes for them to heat through. When I was younger, I'd add a few more glugs of soy sauce from the bottle so you may want to keep the soy sauce bottle close to the table so you can adjust to your own taste.

ENJOY!

An A+ and a Needs Improvement

I've got two recipes for you today. The first is one that was delicious smelling while baking but, when I tasted it, it let me down. It's not that it was awful and I needed to dispose of it immediately. I don't know that I'd even say I'm going to throw the recipe in the trash bin. It just wasn't up to par. (Stay tuned in this post though, because the second recipe is definately worth EVERYONE trying!)

A note about this recipe: I originally found this recipe in one of those recipe magazine/booklets that they have in the grocery check out aisle that was put out specifically by Stove Top Stuffing. The recipe in there didn't not contain veggies and so that is how I made it. I have found several reprinted recipes since then that does contain veggies including the actual Stove Top website. That is the copy of the recipe I am posting here because I think it would be delicious and definately adds a little nutrients to the dish but you can easily remove these and serve a veggie on the side.

Stove Top Stuffing Easy Chicken Bake

http://brands.kraftfoods.com/stovetop/hearty-meals/easy-chicken-bake/

1 pkg (6 oz) Stove Top Stuffing Mix for Chicken

1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 in. bite-size pieces

1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of chicken (or mushroom) soup, undiluted

1/3 cup sour cream (may want to consider using a light sour cream)

1 bag (16 oz) frozen mixed vegetables, thawed, drained (give or take as you prefer)

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Prepare stuffing mix as directed on package and set aside.
2. Mix chicken, soup, sourcream and vegetables in 13x9 in baking dish and top with stuffing. (The recipe I used called to put the chicken down and then pour the soup mix over top and then top with stuffing mix. Other recipes I've seen directed you to mix chicken with 1 c. of veggies and then, again, top with soup and then stuffing.)
3. Bake 30 min or until chicken is cooked through.

The second recipe for posting today is a Tangy Pork Roast made in the slow cooker. This one, as I said, is definately a keeper. It was so tender and had a wonderful flavor. As the title says, it had a tang to it, but there was also this sweet in the background. I served it with Fontina Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes and Green Bean Casserole. (Thank you to Green Giant and their frozen boxed sauced vegetables for the casserole.) This meal was absolute heaven on a plate to me. My two year old son also gobbled it down. He even wanted a second helping of the pork which he doesn't normally ask for seconds of the protein. I WILL be making this one again.

Tangy Slow Cooker Pork Roast
http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/tangy-slow-cooker-pork-roast/Detail.aspx

1 large onion, sliced

2 1/2 lb boneless pork loin roast - (I used a regular petite pork roast, not a loin roast.)

1 cup hot water

1/4 cup white sugar

3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

2 Tbsp. soy sauce

1 Tbsp. ketchup

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

A couple dashes hot pepper sauce, or to taste

1. Arrange onion slices evenly over the bottom of the slow cooker, and then place the roast on top of the onion. In a bowl, mix together water, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, ketchup, black pepper, salt, garlic powder, and hot sauce; pour over roast.
2. Cover and cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours OR on High for 3 or 4 hours. (I choose the low and slow versions which tends to give a slightly more tender finished product.)

Something else I want to touch base on in this post is sales. I know I've mentioned it before but I think, as a mother and wife, it is partly my duty to save as much money as I can. Both these meals were products of using the sales flyer. It really does pay off to look through your local flyers and to clip coupons. Both the proteins used here were bought on sale. In addition, the side vegetables were bought with a coupons AND on sale. The stuffing mix was bought with a coupon. The potatoes were on sale. If you don't buy your local Sunday paper (which is the issue that usually contains both the sales papers and coupons) you can usually grab a copy of the flyer in the front vestibule of your local grocery store. Swing by a couple days in advance and take it home to plan your week's menu around the sales. Also, alot of the websites (such as Green Giant, Pillsbury, Kraft, and many others offer printable coupons on their website or join a coupon website where you can get endless deals.) I see it this way; there are lots of benefits to taking a little extra time to do things to save money including having a little extra money to buy that dress you were eyeing up in your favorite store window or an extra book to read to your child at night. Especially in this economy, who couldn't use a little extra cash.

Whether you look for the deals out there or not, I hope you all take the time to cook for your friends and family and try these meals and enjoy them as much as we did or more!

Happy Eating!

Winter Highlights Recap for December & January

Once again, I've started a food blog and, once again, I've let it slip away. It seems the further I let it slip, the sillier I feel coming back to it after so long so the more and more I put it off. Well, the ends now! I will not feel bad for letting my blog go for a couple of weeks and coming back! Better late than never, right? It's about sharing food amongst friends, not who's the most organized and diligent with their posts! So, that being said, here are a few recipes from the last couple months that were stand outs. It is, by far, not all the recipes I've tried recently. It contains mostly recipes that were worth sharing that I have pictures for or recipes that I felt really need to be shared so everyone can have a taste. Hope you all enjoy them!

A deliciously rich dip marries macaroni! This one got mixed reviews but I loved it and so did my 2 year old son who licked the bowl clean not once but twice and then again the next day for leftovers! I don't have a picture for this but, if it got that much spinach in my son it was worth making the top of the highlight list in my book!

Spinach & Artichoke Mac 'n' Cheese

From Rachael Ray's Look + Cook

    Salt                                                           
    1 pound semolina or whole-wheat penne                          
    2 tablespoons evoo                                             
    3 tablespoons butter                                           
    1 medium onion, finely chopped                                
    3 garlic cloves, finely chopped or grated                      
    3 tablespoons all-purpose flour                                
    1/2 cup dry white wine (I used chicken broth)                  
    2 cups whole milk                                              
    1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, or to taste                
    1 (10-ounce) box frozen chopped artichokes, defrosted and drained (I couldn't find frozen so I used jarred artichokes and drained and chopped them.)
    1 (10-ounce) box frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and wrung dry in a kitchen towel
    Pepper                                                         
    1 1/2 cups shredded Italian fontina cheese, plus additional for sprinkling on top
    1 1/2 cups grated parmigiano reggiano cheese, plus additional for sprinkling on top

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta, salt the water, and cook the pasta to al dente.
2. While the pasta water come to a boil, place a medium pot over medium-low heat with EVOO and the butter. Add the onions and garlic to the pan and cook until very soft, about 10 min
3. Heat the broiler and position the rack in the middle of the oven.
4. Turn up the heat under the pot to medium-high and sprinkle the flour into the pot. Cook for about 1 min, then whisk in the wine and cook for another minute to burn off the alcohol. Whisk the spinach, and salt and pepper to the sauce and simmer until thickened and the vegetables are warmed through, 2 to 3 minutes more. Add 1 cup of each of the cheese to the sauce and stir until melted.
5. Toss the prepared sauce with the cooked pasta and transfer to a casserole dish. Sprinkle the remaining Fontina and Parmigiano over the top and brown under the broiler for about 3 min.

The next recipe also had mixed reviews but was delicious in my book and rather easy. I made it with peas on the side and my son and I gobbled both down.

Enchilada-Style Casserole

From Campbell's Casseroles and One-Dish Favorites (published 2009)

    2 10 3/4-ounce cans Campbell's condensed cheddar cheese soup   
    1/2 cup water
    1 16-ounce jar Pace chunky salsa (used mild and only half the jar)
    4 cups cubed cooked chicken (used rotisserie picked and shredded)
    12 corn tortillas or 8 flour tortilla (6-8 in.), cut into strips (I used corn and cut in thirds and then strips for bite-sized pieces)
    1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (4 oz) - You KNOW I used more approx1.5 to 2 cups

1. Mix the soup, water, 1/2 cup salsa (I used 1/2 the jar) and chicken in a bowl. Stir in the tortillas. Spread the chicken mixture in a 13x9x2 in shallow baking dish. Top with the cheese. COVER
2. Bake at 350F for 35 minutes or until hot and bubbling. Serve with remaining salsa (which I didn't because of putting extra inside the casserole).

Another easy throw together meal that passed the test with even my husband was a crescent recipe. Deliciously cheesy, one pie was supposed to serve 6 to 8 and only fed my husband, 2 year old son, and myself! Hope you enjoy it as much as we did! No room for enjoying this the next day.

Italian Crescent Pie

From http://www.pillsbury.com/

    1 pound ground beef, cooked and drained                        
    1 cup basil and garlic tomato pasta sauces (from 16 oz jar)    

    1 8-ounce can Pillsbury refrigerated crescent dinner rolls     

    1 1/2 cups shredded italian cheese blend (6 oz), divided       

    1/4 teaspoon dried basil leaves                                

1. In 10-inch skillet, mix beef and pasta sauce. Heat to boiling over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.

2. Separate dough into 8 triangles. Place dough in ungreased 9-inch glass pie plate in spoke pattern, with narrow tips overlapping rim of plate about 3 inches. Press dough in side and bottom to form crust; sprinkle with 1 cup of the cheese. Spoon meat mixture evenly over cheese. Bring tips of dough over filling to meet in center; do not overlap. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese and the basil.

3. Bake at 375°F 15 to 20 minutes.

Note: Would be even better if you added cooked bacon or pepperoni but also wonderful as is.

The next recipe I took what was laying in my fridge and tweeked a recipe I think I saw a while back. That's one of the wonders of cooking... it's about learning techniques and then changing them up to suit you and your family and what you like. This time, it was because I had the cheese that need to be used so this was born.

Kelli's Sundried-Tomato Cheese Filled Chicken Breasts

3 chicken breast halves sliced in 1/2 horizontally to make 6 THIN breasts

1 container Alouette ® Sundried-Tomato & Basil Cheese Spread

2 eggs, beaten and mixed with a splash of water to make an eggwash

Bread Crumbs (as needed for coating)

2 tbsp. olive oil

Add oil to large skillet over medium high heat. Spread cheese onto one side of each breast. Roll, starting at smallest end, and secure with toothpicks. Roll each bundle in egg wash and then again in bread crumbs to coat. Place in skillet with hot oil. Cook until chicken is cooked through (about 15-20 minutes total), making sure to turn onto all sides as to cook evenly. Remove toothpicks before serving!

Well, that's all I have time for now! There are plenty more recipes I'd love to share (some with pictures, some without) but they will have to wait until this busy mom has more time. Hope you all love these recipes and it sparks your interest for more to come!

Happy Cooking and Eating!

-Kelli-