Friday, June 24, 2011

Cream Cheese Chicken Enchiladas

12 oz. of Cream cheese 
1 lb. of cooked chicken, shredded(or just used canned)
10-12 large flour tortillas
1 packet of taco seasoning
1 can of black beans
2 cans of green chili enchilada sauce
1 can of black olives, chopped
1 cup of mexican-style cheese
(Sometimes I like to add 1 can, drained and rinsed, black beans, 1 can diced tomatoes, drained, to the mixture to make it go farther.  Plus it also tastes great.)
Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a 13x9 pan pour half a can of enchilada sauce on the bottom, spread with a spoon.
In a non-stick skillet heat up chicken with cream cheese and taco seasoning (optional) in the pan until heated through. Then mix in the other half of the can of enchilada sauce and chilies and beans into the mixture.
Heat the tortillas in a ziplock bag in the microwave for 1 min.
Spread some of the chicken mixture evenly on to a tortilla then add a little cheese to the filling while you are making them. Roll it and place it in the pan. Repeat this until the pan is full. Cover evenly with the other can of enchilada sauce. Cover with your shredded cheese and olives. Cover it with foil and bake in the oven for 20-25 min.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Coconut Cream Macaroons


3 packages(7oz. each) flaked coconut(7 2/3 cups)
1 cup of flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 can(14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
2/3 cup of coconut milk
3 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. almond extract
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups of milk chocolate chips
2/3 cup of sliced almonds
1 Tbsp vegetable oil

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
Sprinkle 1 cup of the coconut over aluminum foil. Bake 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until golden brown; cool.
Mix toasted coconut, remaining coconut, chocolate chip, sliced almonds, the flour and salt all in a large bowl. Beat milk, coconut milk, vanilla, almond extract and egg in a medium bowl until well mixed. Pour milk mixture over coconut mixture and stir until well mixed.
Drop mixture by heaping tablespoonfuls onto the cookie sheet.
Bake 12-14 minutes or until golden brown(cookies will be soft in center and set at edges). Immediately slide aluminum foil with cookies from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Grammy Jeanne's Flappy Joys


1 lb. of ground turkey
1 10 oz. can of chicken gumbo soup
2 tsp. of onion powder
3 Tbsp of ketchup
3 Tbsp of mustard

These ingredients sound weird, but this is delicious! I promise!
Brown the ground turkey in a skillet over medium-high heat. Then add the can of soup, the onion powder, ketchup and mustard. Mix it all together until is if fully combined and turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for about 10 minutes. Serve on hamburger buns with a slice of cheese on top and enjoy!!

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Mexican Side-Salad

(sorry for the out of focus lame picture, it's pretty old)
1 1/2 Romaine hearts, chopped
1/3 cup of ranch dressing
1/4 cup of sour cream
1 Tbsp. taco seasoning
1/4 cup of Mexican mix of cheese, shredded
2/3 cup of your favorite tortilla chips, crushed

In a small bowl combine the ranch dressing, sour cream and taco seasoning. Mix well. Put your Romaine in a large ziplock bag and pour dressing over it. Seal up the bag and shake it until the dressing has coated the salad completely. Then put your salad in a large serving bowl and sprinkle the cheese and chips over the top and lightly toss. Serve and enjoy!!

Monday, June 20, 2011

Mexicano Rice Skillet


1 12.5 oz. can of chicken
1 14 oz. can of canned tomatoes
1 14 oz. can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 packet of taco seasoning
1/3 cup of water

Drain your can of chicken and put it in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Then add your tomatoes, black beans and taco seasoning. Then stir in the water. Break up the chicken as much as you can. Let it simmer for about 5 minutes until completely heated through.
Serve over brown rice, sprinkle some shredded Monterey Jack cheese over it and enjoy!

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Danielle's Stromboli


1 can of pizza dough
1/2 lb. of sliced ham
1/4 lb. of sliced salami
1/4 lb. of sliced pepperoni
9-10 slices of provolone cheese
dried basil
grated parmesan
pepper
about 10 oz. of marinara sauce(or half a jar)
2-3 tsp. of pepper or more if you like is really spicy like me.

Preheat to 375.
Lightly spray cookie sheet. roll out dough until it nearly covers entire cookie sheet.
Evenly lay your ham across dough along the top the meat can go a little over the edge, but make sure your sides have a tiny edge of dough and that bottom you have an edge.
Lay salami, pepperoni and cheese the same way.
Then, carefully roll the top downward. Once it is all rolled up, seal off the seam and ends by pinching or pressing the dough.
Place roll seam side down on the cookie sheet. Sprinkle with Parmesan, basil and pepper. Then take a knife and make a row of slits in the dough from end to end. Place in the oven and bake for 30 min.
Meanwhile, heat up your marinara and stir in the pepper. Add more if you want more spice.

When the sandwich is done, Slice it up. Dip the sandwich in the marinara as you eat it.

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Chinese Lemon Chicken



1 Tbsp. oil
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
2 cups of frozen sugar snap peas
1 pkg. (4-serving size) Lemon Jello
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 Tbsp. Zesty Italian Dressing
2 cloves garlic, minced
Zest of one lemon
2 Tbsp of lemon juice, or the juice of one lemon
Heat oil in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 4 min. or until cooked through, stirring occasionally. Add peas; cook and stir 2 min.
Mix dry gelatin mix and cornstarch in small bowl. Add broth, dressing, garlic, lemon juice and zest; stir until gelatin is dissolved. Add to skillet. Reduce heat to medium; cook 3 min. or until sauce is thickened, stirring frequently.
Serve over hot cooked rice.

Friday, June 17, 2011

Cajun Kielbasa


1 box of Cajun-style black beans and rice mix
1 Kielbasa Polska sausage, chopped
2 zucchini squash, sliced

In a sauce pan, cook up your beans and rice mix. When the beans and rice mix have about 5-10 minutes left, start your zucchini and sausage. In a largeskillet on medium high heat, cook up sausage and zucchini until nicely browned. Mix in beans and rice mix and serve.

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Mediterranean Pasta Salad


2 cups of Cellentini or Penne Pasta(uncooked)
3 large chicken breasts
1 14 oz. can of Kalamata or Burgundy Pearls olives, sliced
1 14 oz. can of artichoke hearts, chopped
1 14 oz. can of Cannelini beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup(8oz.) Caesar Dressing
1 1/2 cups Feta cheese
1 8oz. bag of fresh baby spinach

Cook up pasta. Meanwhile, chop chicken into bite sized peices and cook them in a skillet with some salt and pepper or other seasoning, until cooked through. Set aside and let cool.
When pasta is done, drain and rinse with cold water.
In a large bowl put your chicken, pasta, olives, beans and artichoke hearts. Mix up. Add Caesar dressing and mix until well blended. Then add feta and mix in. Then add the baby spinach and mix in. Top with a little more feta, serve.

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Creamy Rice, Chicken & Spinach Skillet



1/2 cup Roasted Red Pepper Italian with Parmesan Dressing, divided
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into wide strips
1-1/2 cups fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 cups instant brown rice, uncooked
8-oz. pkg.Neufchâtel cheese, cubed
1 pkg. (8 oz.) baby spinach leaves
1 large tomato, chopped
2 Tbsp. Grated Parmesan Cheese

HEAT 1/4 cup of the dressing in a large deep skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 3 min. Add broth; bring to boil. Stir in rice; return to boil. Cover. Reduce heat to medium; simmer 5 min.
ADD cream cheese; cook 2 to 3 min. or until melted, stirring frequently. Add another 1/4 cup of the dressing and mix it in. Add spinach. (Pan will be full.) Cook, covered, 1 min. or until spinach is wilted. Stir gently to mix in spinach.
REMOVE pan from heat. Let stand, covered, 5 min. Stir in tomatoes; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Mexican-Style Lasagna


1 lb. lean ground beef or turkey
1 large onion, chopped
2 cups Chunky Salsa
1 can (15 oz.) black beans, drained, rinsed
2 Tbsp. Taco Seasoning Mix
6 flour tortillas (8 inch)
1 cup Sour Cream
1 pkg. (8 oz.) Mexican Style Finely Shredded Four Cheese

1 can of chopped black olives
HEAT oven to 400ºF.
Brown meat with onions in large skillet on medium-high heat; drain. Stir in salsa, beans and seasoning mix.
ARRANGE 3 tortillas on bottom of 13x9-inch baking dish; cover with layers of half each meat mixture, sour cream and cheese. Repeat layers. Cover with foil.
BAKE 40 min.or until casserole is heated through and cheese is melted, removing foil after 30 min. Top with olives. Let stand 5 min. before cutting to serve. Serve with chopped tomatoes and shredded lettuce on top.

Monday, June 13, 2011

Danielle's Glazed Ham


1 bone in ham shank
1/4 cup of whole cloves
Glaze:
2 Tbsp. of brown mustard
1/3 cup of brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup vinegar


Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Put ham in 13x9 pan. Cut a cris-cross diamond pattern across the top of your ham. Insert a clove into each corner of the diamond pattern. cover with foil and bake 25 minutes for each pound your ham weighs.

Take out ham and pour the glaze over the it and bake uncovered for another 15-20 minutes. Remove and cover to keep warm. Remove cloves before serving.

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Funeral Potatoes/Cheesy Potatoes



2 lbs. of hash brown potatoes, thawed
1 1/2 10 oz. cans of cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 cups of sour cream
2 cups of cheddar cheese

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Meanwhile mix cream of chicken soup and sour cream in a large bowl until well blended. Then add hash browns. Mix until well blended. Spread in a 13x9 pan. Cook uncovered for 35 min. Then take out and top with cheese then put it back in(uncovered) for another 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Saturday, June 11, 2011

Fresh Lemon Cake


1 pkg. (2-layer size) lemon cake mix
2 pkg. (3.4 oz. each) lemon Instant Pudding
1-1/2 cups cold milk
1 tub (8 oz.) whipped cream
PREPARE and bake cake mix as directed on package for 2 (8- or 9-inch) round cake layers. Cool completely.
BEAT pudding mixes and milk with whisk 2 min. Immediately spread over tops of cake layers.
STACK cake layers. Frost with whipped cream. Keep refrigerated.

Friday, June 10, 2011

Chicken Sausage Pasta Toss


2 Tbsp of olive oil
2 cups rotini or penne pasta, uncooked
1/2 lb. of chicken sausage(this can be changed to Italian sausage)
2 Tbsp. Roasted Red Pepper vinegarette

1 pkg. (6 oz.) baby spinach leaves (7 cups)
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese
2 Tbsp. Grated Parmesan Cheese

COOK pasta as directed on package.
MEANWHILE, heat up oil in skillet and then brown chicken sausage on medium high heat. Add dressing, spinach and tomatoes; cook 2 min. or until spinach is wilted, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; cover to keep warm.
DRAIN pasta. Add to skillet along with the cheeses; toss lightly.

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Cream Cheese Pumpkin Bread


1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup plus 3 Tbsp. granulated sugar, divided
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
4 eggs, divided
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup oil
2 cups flour
2-1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 pkg. (12 oz.) Neufchâtel cream cheese, softened
Make It!
HEAT oven to 325ºF.
Mix pumpkin, 1 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, 3 eggs, milk and oil in large bowl. Add flour, baking powder, spice and salt; stir just until moistened. Beat cream cheese, remaining granulated sugar and remaining egg with whisk until well blended.
Spoon half of pumpkin batter into greased 9x5-inch nonstick loaf pan; cover with layers of cream cheese mixture and remaining pumpkin batter.
BAKE 1 hour 15 min. or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Loosen bread from sides of pan; cool in pan 10 min. Remove bread from pan to wire rack; cool completely.

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Cheesy Chicken Bake


1 pkg. (6 oz.) Stuffing Mix for Chicken
1-1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces (or use canned chicken)
1 pkg. (14 oz.) frozen broccoli florets, thawed, drained
1 can (10-3/4 oz.) condensed cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup milk
1-1/2 cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese

HEAT oven to 400ºF.
Prepare stuffing as directed on package.
Combine chicken and broccoli in 13x9-inch baking dish. Stir in soup, milk and cheese; top with stuffing and a little more cheese.
BAKE 30 min. or until chicken is done and casserole is heated through.

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Cookies 'n' Cream Cheesecake


1 pkg. (1 lb. 2 oz.) Oreo Cookies, divided
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine, melted
4 pkg. (8 oz. each) Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup Sour Cream
4 eggs

HEAT oven to 325ºF.
LINE 13x9-inch pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides(I didn't do that when this picture was taken, I don't know why). Process 30 cookies in food processor until finely ground. Add butter; mix well. Press onto bottom of pan.
BEAT cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in large bowl with mixer until well blended. Add sour cream; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each. Chop remaining cookies; stir 1-1/2 cups into batter. Pour over crust; top with remaining chopped cookies.
BAKE 45 min. or until center is almost set. Cool completely. Refrigerate 4 hours. Use foil handles to lift cheesecake from pan before cutting to serve.

Mediterranean-Style Chicken


4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb.)
2 Tbsp. of Roasted Red Pepper vinegarette

1 can (14-1/2 oz.) Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 cup black olives, chopped
1 Tbsp. lemon zest
1 cup Finely Shredded Italian Five Cheese Blend
3 cups hot cooked rotini pasta
HEAT large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cover. Cook 5 to 7 min. on each side or until done (165ºF). Remove chicken from skillet.
ADD tomatoes, olives and lemon zest to skillet. Cook 4 min. or until hot, stirring frequently.
RETURN chicken to skillet; cook 1 min. or until hot. Top with cheese, cover and cook until cheese is melted. Serve over pasta.

Monday, June 6, 2011

Mediterranean Mini Meatloaves



I have been trying for months to create the perfect meatloaf because I have never been a fan of meatloaf. Here is the best meatloaf recipe ever created!
1 1/2 lbs. of lean ground beef
1 egg
1/2 cup of garlic herb bread crumbs
2 Tbsp of worchestershire sauce
2 Tbsp of sun dried tomato vinegarette
1/3 cup of sundried tomatoes chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
5-6 oz. of fresh baby spinach
2 cups of feta cheese
salt and pepper to taste
Set oven to 350 degrees F.
Put spinach in the microwave in a sealed ziplock bag for about 45 seconds or until wilted.
Put all of your ingredients(except the feta) into a bowl and mash them together until they are all very well combined. Then get a regular muffin tin and place large equal-sized balls of your meat mixture in each cup. Shape your meat into little cup/bowl shapes. Fill each one with some feta. Then push the tops of the little cups inward. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
Ground Turkey version:
Add about 1/4 cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Eggs Benedict



8-10 hearty ham slices
4-5 English muffins sliced in half
8-10 eggs
for the Hollandaise sauce:
3 large egg yolks
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup of firm stick butter
Toast and butter your English muffins and lay them on your plates. Heat ham slices up in the microwave until warm. Lay one ham slice on each muffin slice. Fry up your eggs and put them on top of the ham slices. While doing this make your hollandaise sauce or make it before making the eggs.

Hollandaise:
Stir in egg yolks and lemon juice vigorously in 1 1/2 qt. saucepan. Add 1/4 c. of the butter. Heat over very low heat, stirring constantly with a wire whisk, until butter is melted.

Add remaining butter. Continue stirring vigorously until buter is melted and sauce is thickened. Be sure butter melts slowly so eggs have time to cook and thicken sauce without curdling. If you make this prior to making your eggs then cover it until you are ready to put it on top of your eggs. If it seems a little thick then whisk in about a 1/4 c. of hot water.

Top eggs with sauce and serve.

Saturday, June 4, 2011

Cheesecake Brownies


1 box of Duncan Hines(because it's the best kind) brownie mix (for 13x9 size)
1 8 oz. package of neufchâtel cheese(softened)
1 egg
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix brownie mix according to the directions on the box. Pour into a 13x9 baking pan sprayed with cooking spray.

Mix neufchâtel cheese, egg, sugar, and flour until well blended. Spoon over brownie batter. Cut through batter with knife several times for marble effect.

Bake 30-35 minutes or until toothpick comes out with just crumbs. Cool on wire rack.

Friday, June 3, 2011

Oven-Baked Pastrami and Swiss Sandwich

Picture to come later
1 loaf of French Bread
1lb. of Pastrami
10-12 slices of Swiss cheese


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat pastrami in microwave for about 1 min or until it is warmed all the way through. Cut your french bread loaf horizontally and set top of loaf aside. Lay your pastrami slices evenly across the bottom half of your loaf. Then evenly lay your cheese slices on top of the pastrami. Put in the oven uncovered on a cookie sheet for about 7 mins. or until cheese is fully melted. Take it out of the oven and put the top half of your loaf on top of the sandwich. Cover the whole sandwish with foil and put it back in the over for about 5 more mins. Let it cool for a few minutes then slice it into smaller sandwiches. Serve with mustard and mayonnaise and anything else you would like on a sandwich.

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Tomato Feta Chicken


6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 15 oz. can of diced tomatoes
1 medium onion chopped

1 clove of garlic chopped
1 c. Feta cheese
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. of dried Parsley
salt and pepper to taste
Serve over Brown Rice or Couscous


In a skillet over medium heat cook onion and garlic with olive oil for about 3-5min. uncovered. Then add chicken breast halves, salt and pepper to taste. Cook one side then flip chicken over and salt and pepper. Sprinkle parsley over chicken and cook 2 min. uncovered. Then top chicken with the diced tomatoes. Cook for 3 min. uncovered. With a ladel, remove 1/2c. of the liquid in the skillet(you don't need to keep this). Then top chicken with all of your feta, put the lid on and cook for 5 mins. Serve over brown rice or couscous.

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Bacon Cheeseburger Pasta

1 Jar of Cheesy Ragu sauce
1 lb. of ground beef
1 small onion chopped or 1/2 of green onion chopped
10 slices of bacon chopped(precooked for quick and easy version)
2 c. of rotini pasta(uncooked)

Quick and Easy version:
Boil pasta. Brown and drain your ground beef. Turn heat down to medium. Add 10 slices of chopped bacon to skillet with ground beef. Add cheese sauce and green onions. Heat sauce through then add drained pasta and mix together. Cook for about 5 more minutes. Serve!

Longer, but more tasty version:
Boil pasta. Cook up bacon and set aside. Brown hamburger, drain and set aside. On medium heat, cook up onion for about 7 min. Add bacon(chopped) and hamburger to onions. Cook to combine flavors. Add cheese sauce and cook until heated through. Drain pasta and stir into skillet. Cook about 5 more minutes. Serve! Yay!