Pillsbury 3 Ingredient Bubble Bake

I'm sick and that means something simple needed to happen for dinner tonight. This was my grocery shopping day today, so I was able to grab the ingredients for this easy recipe. Pillsbury 3 Ingredient Chicken and Broccoli Bubble Bake is a great recipe to keep on hand for those times when quick is what you need. I cooked my chicken in a little evoo with minced garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper. The things I did differently were to thaw the broccoli and cheese sauce in the skillet with the chicken so none of the sauce is left in the package. During the last 5 minutes of cooking I sprinkled on shredded cheese. Two thumbs up! You could easily modify this recipe by swapping what you put on top of the biscuits. Pizza sauce and pepperoni would be good. Thin sliced steak, peppers, onions, and alfredo sauce is another winner...

Alfredo Style Tater Tot Casserole

Last night for dinner I threw together a tater tot casserole. The great thing about tater tot casserole is you can customize it however you want. The meat, veggies, sauce, and add ons are all your choice! The only constant is using tater tots for the topping before it's baked. In this variation I used alfredo sauce and Italian herbs. All of my measurements are approximate since I just cook enough for my family. This fed 3 kids, 2 adults, and left one large portion leftover when made in a 9x13 dish. I attempted stuffed breadsticks and the cheese oozed out. They were still delicious, haha!

1cu chopped onion
2tbsp garlic
1lb lean ground turkey
14oz frozen veggies
16oz alfredo sauce
2cu skim milk cheese
2lb bag tater tots

1. Preheat oven to 425*. Take tater tots and veggies out the freezer. Sauté onions and garlic in a small amount of olive oil until translucent.

2. In the same skillet brown the turkey and season as you want then add in the frozen veggies. Cook for about 5min before pouring on alfredo sauce. If you want to use some on the top only use half the jar.

3. Place turkey mixture into casserole dish, sprinkle on cheese, and  cover with a layer of tater tots (I used all but about 3cu of the bag). If you saved some sauce drizzle it on top.

4. Place in oven uncovered and bake for about 30min or until the tots are as brown as you like.

Crunchy Chicken Wrap

This is a fast food homemade kinda post and one of those recipes where I can't really tell you what to use cause it's so customizable. The technique is what you have to get down. You layer the ingredients starting with cheese and ending with cheese. I put the greek yogurt side of the tostada down and put the cheese (which acts as glue) on top. You can substitute sour cream for greek yogurt if you have it. I just had greek yogurt leftover from making some greek pitas a few nights before. You want to make sure that this is completely wrapped in tortilla, so if when you're done folding you have a whole just trim a little of the excess tortilla off one side to cover it up. You want to keep all the goodness wrapped inside! If you don't have a George Foreman or panini press you can make these in the skillet seam side down then flip when browned. My mom had the idea of using Doritos as the crunch instead of the tostada and I think I will try that for lunch!

Cornbread Chicken Casserole

Tonight I threw together a pretty delicious dinner from what I had on hand. I made a chicken and veggie filling (like a pot pie filling), topped it with cornbread batter, sprinkled on Parmesan cheese, and baked on 425* for 20-30min. I wanted the cornbread batter cooked all the way through and browned on top, so I cooked it covered for 20min and another 10min uncovered.

3 cooked chicken breast, chopped or shredded
1lb veggies
1 1/2cu sauce
2 boxes Jiffy cornbread

1. Preheat oven to 425*. Mix chicken, veggies, and sauce together and place into 9x13 baking pan.

2. Prepare cornbread as directed on back of box and spread over top.

3. Cover with foil and begin to bake.

Skillet Lasagna

You know those boxes of helper for ground meat that shall remain nameless?? Well, I wanted something quick for dinner without resorting to that and came up with the idea of using those quick cook lasagna noodles in an untraditional way. This is what I came up with. It was done in less than 20 minutes and that includes the time it takes to brown the meat. Definitely awesome for those times when you want a pasta dish and don't want the extra steps of boiling the noodles...

2tbsp evoo
8oz chopped mushroom
2tbsp minced garlic
1-lb ground meat
Seasonings of choice (I used italian herbs, pepper, and salt)
24oz jar tomato sauce
1 box oven ready lasagna noodles, broken into 1in pieces

1. Heat the evoo in a large skillet then add mushrooms and garlic. Sautee until fragrant and the garlic starts to brown.

2. Add in meat, season, and cook until brown. Add in pasta sauce plus 2cu water and noodles. Cover and stir every five minutes for about 15 minutes until the pasta is as tender as you like.

3. Serve and enjoy!

Crockpot Beef Stroganoff

The temperature here in North Carolina has been over 100* for the last weeks which makes standing in front of a hot stove or baking something almost unbearable. That's why I haven't posted much because we've been having leftovers and simple foods. I decided though to try a new recipe I've made from a few different beef stroganoff recipes floating around the internet. This is usually served over egg noodles, but would be just as good over mashed potatoes.

2-3lbs beef stew meat
1-2 cans golden mushroom soup
1 envelope onion soup/dip mix
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup frozen corn kernels
8oz sliced mushrooms
2tbsp worchestershire sauce
4oz cream cheese
1/2cu sour cream

1. Place all ingredients except cream cheese in slow cooker and cook on low for 8hrs. If you like a thicker sauce only add one can of soup. I used 2.

2. Stir in cream cheese and sour cream just before serving.

What's for dinner? Monday Edition...

Tonight, against my better judgement in this 80* weather, I made teriyaki country ribs with potatoes and steamed broccoli for dinner. I basted the ribs every 30 minutes with my favorite teriyaki sauce. They baked an hour at 350* and 30 minutes at 425*. You can cook them at 350* the whole time, but it will take much longer to get that fall off the bone tenderness...

Mmm, enchiladas!

Stay tuned for the recipe for this delicious dinner!

Mark's Tacos

For as long as I can remember my dad has made his tacos like this and they're DELICIOUS! You fry the meat right onto the shell so there's no fear of the meat falling out while you dig in. I have made these tacos with pork, beef, chicken, and turkey so it's up to you what to use!

1lb seasoned ground meat
Corn tortillas
toppings

1. Place about 2tbsp of meat onto one half of a tortilla and use a fork to press it down to form a thin layer.

2. Heat 1/2cu of oil in a large skillet and add in your tortillas so they lay in the oil just past the meat part of the tortilla. Let cook for one minute and fold in half.

3. Allow to continue to cook, flipping frequently, until desired crispiness is achieved. Place upside down on a paper towel lined plate to drain, stuff with your favorite toppings, and enjoy!

*Note: I set myself up a little prep station by the stove when I'm doing these as they don't take very long to cook. That way I can prep tacos as there are some in the oil cooking while keeping an eye on them.

Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole

This meal combines  two of my favorite meats chicken and bacon. Frozen veggies, a cream sauce, and canned biscuits round this out for a delicious casserole sure to please the whole family! The biscuits on top and bottom are crunchy, but those that are touching the chicken stay doughy like dumplings.

3 chicken breast, diced
6 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
2cu cheese sauce
1/2cu ranch
16oz bag frozen mixed veggies
2 cans refrigerated biscuits
1/2cu shredded cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375*. Sauté chicken in a pan until cooked through, about 15min. Put chicken and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well. 

2. Open one can of biscuits and press to cover bottom of baking pan. Spread chicken mixture over biscuits. Tear the other can of biscuits into pieces and cover the top of the casserole. 

 3. Sprinkle with cheese and place into oven. Bake for about 15 minutes until the top biscuits are browned and its bubbling. Cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Carraba's Chicken Bryan remix

For date night a week ago we went out to Carraba's to eat and my boyfriend had their chicken bryan. It was a chicken breast topped with basil, sundried tomatoes, goat cheese, and a lemon butter sauce. I got one bite of it and decided it definitely needed to be made again at home. I marinated my chicken overnight with Italian seasonings, a little oil from the sundried tomatoes, and lemon juice. This chicken starts in a skillet and finishes in the oven. Mine was served over whole wheat angel hair pasta with steamed veggies.

4 boneless skinless chicken breast
Extra virgin olive oil
Basil cut into thin strips
Sundried tomatoes in oil
Goat cheese cut into thin disk
1/2 cu butter or margarine
1tbsp flour
3tbsp lemon juice
2 garlic cloves minced

1. Preheat the oven to 425*. Put a small amount of EVOO into a skillet and cook the chicken on medium high for 10 minutes each side. You don't need to move the chicken around in the skillet. Just allow it to brown up nicely. Transfer the chicken to a baking dish.

2. Put the butter into the skillet you cooked the chicken in and melt. Add the garlic cloves and sautee for a minute before sprinkling in the flour. Allow this to cook for a minute then whisk in the lemon juice. Pour over the top of the chicken breast. Place into oven and bake for 10 minutes.

2. Layer the goat cheese and sundried tomatoes on top. Place back into the oven until the cheese is bubbly. Remove and immediately top with basil. Allow to rest for 5 minutes and serve.

Country style ribs

I baked these ribs low and slow for over 4 hrs on 325*. They were dry rubbed with McCormick bourbon brown sugar and chipotle seasoning packets overnight. I placed them on a parchment lined cookie sheet (I would have used foil, but I was out).  I flipped them every 30 minutes while basting with some hickory brown sugar Jack Daniels bbq sauce. Cooked until falling off the bone tender and that slight charring I love in a rib. I also roasted corn in the husk for about 30 minutes until it was done. The corn steams in the husk. Nothing special done to it. Just tossed it right in the oven on the rack.

Crock Pot Chili

One of the best parts about cooking chili in the slow cooker is you can start with dry beans and frozen meat, but a delicious meal is ready come dinner time. It's much more affordable than cracking open cans and you control the seasonings used. I like to use a bagged 15 bean mix so I get variety of beans, peas, and lentils without buying a bunch of different kinds. This recipe can be used for any combination of meats and beans. Today I used some cubed beef chunks that I bought on sale. If you want to use ground meat I would suggest you brown it off before adding to the crockpot. You don't have to cook it through all the way. Just enough so it starts to crumble or you will end up with one big chunk in the pot come dinner time. I always season my meat and allow it to marinade then add additional seasoning once the food hits the crockpot. I don't have much room in my kitchen for a full array of cooking supplies, so the convenient seasoning packets you find in most stores are my favorite.

1lb of meat
1 1/2cu frozen corn kernels
1 small sweet onion, diced
1/2 red, yellow, and orange bell pepper, diced
1/2 20oz bag of 15 bean soup
2 10oz cans of tomatoes and chile, undrained
seasoning

Add all of the ingredients to the crock pot and turn on to your desired time. I suggest using a slow cooker liner for easy cleanup. The beans DO NOT have to be soaked overnight and the meat doesn't have to be unfrozen. If you prefer your chili to be thick no additional liquid is needed. Add up to 1cu of liquid to the chili if you like it to be a bit thinner. You can always thicken it up by boiling off some of the liquid later.

Before cooking

After cooking

Surf and Turf Dinner for 4 less than $15

I'm doing a simple surf and turf dinner tonight for the family. Chuck steaks, salmon fillets, steamed veggies, and a quickie scallopped style potatoe. The steak and salmon were each less than $5 a pack for four pieces at Walmart. For the potatoes I scrub them, pricked all over and nuked until just tender. Then I sliced them, placed into a buttered pan, topped with bechamel sauce, and sprinkled with cheese. My bechamel (white sauce) recipe is below. You could add in about a cup of shredded cheese to make your own cheese sauce as well. The meat and potatoes both baked at 450* for 10 minutes before being served. The steak and salmon was perfectly cooked. The potatoes had a slight browning around the edges as well...

Bechemel Sauce
2tbsp butter
2tbsp flour
1 1/2cu milk, warmed
herbs and seasonings

1. Melt the butter in a small saucepan and add in the flour. Cook while stirring for 1-2 minutes until well combined.

2. Add in your herbs/seasonings and slowly whisk in the warm milk. Cook for another 5 minutes or until thickened making sure to stir regularly. I used two whole basil leaves, three smashed garlic cloves, salt, and pepper to season my bechemel sauce. I removed the basil leaves and garlic cloves before pouring over the potatoes for a hint of flavor. If the sauce is too thick just whisk in a bit more milk. If it is too thin cook it down some more.

These are the steaks and salmon fillets. Just simple seasonings on the steaks. The salmon is brushed with honey mustard and sprinkled with seasonings before they're both baked right on the same sheet.

Make enough potatoes so that you have an even layer in the pan you're baking them in. Normally you'll spend about an hour making scalloped potatoes, but these are ready in 20 minutes or less.

After you pour the bechemel sauce over the cheese and potatoes it's ready for the oven!

Less than 20 minutes and this dinner is served!

Bacon Wrapped Chicken Tenders

BACON!!!! Now that I have your attention, join me for a delicious dish that features a meat which has inspired countless products that should not taste or smell like it (bacon scented bandaids anyone?). Bacon wrapped about bonless skinless chicken breast tenders are great to serve for dinner with the family or at your next party. They're also super easy to make. You can get away with just two ingredients, but I'm all about punching up flavor, so I take it a step further.

3 boneless skinless chicken breast cut into 24 pieces
8 slices of bacon cut into thirds
Brown sugar
Spicy seasoning of choice

1. Preheat oven to 425* and fit a baking sheet with a baking rack. If you don't have one, that's ok. You can still bake straight on the sheet, but you might want to drain the chicken on a paper towel before serving to remove excess bacon fat.

2. Wrap each piece of chicken in a piece of bacon. If the pieces are smaller you can just wrap it right around the piece and place into the pan loose ends down. If the chicken is longer wrap it around spiral style and place with both loose ends down. Sprinkle with seasoning if using. I left the seasoning off the pieces I was feeding my anti-spicy kids.

3. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes and flip over. Sprinkle brown sugar and more seasoning. Rotate pan and place back into oven for another 15 minutes. The bacon should be nice and crispy. Enjoy!

These are the three spicy seasonings I have in my cupboard. I used my Jim Beam Spicy Bourbon tonight.

This is how big I cut the chicken and bacon.

You can see the smaller pieces at the top have the bacon just wrapped around them. The larger pieces have the bacon going around in a spiral style.

This is what the chicken should look like after 20min when you're ready to flip. The ones in the bottom left do not have spicy seasoning on them.

Flip them over and sprinkle with brown sugar and more seasoning if using.

All done!

Crispy Oven Fries

It's possible to get deliciously crispy fries in the oven just from baking at a higher temperature and using a little cooking spray. Cut your potatoes thin and leave the peel on for extra fiber. I like to bake mine with fresh herbs or garlic for even more flavor!

3 large russet potatoes, scrubbed and cut into thin wedges
3 cloves minced garlic
Cooking spray

1. Place baking sheet into oven and preheat to 450* as you slice the potatoes.

2. Once you slice the potatoes and any herbs you might want to use generously spray your sheet. Add the potatoes and herbs then spray their tops with more spray.

3. Cook in 15 minute increments turning for even cooking until desired doneness. My kids like their french fries extra crispy, so mine went for over 30 minutes.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Chicken cordon bleu seems like a really complicated meal, but it's actually pretty easy to make since there are three variations to it. The basic flavors of chicken, ham, and cheese with a crunchy outer layer will be there no matter how you choose to make it. In order from easiest to hardest here are the ways you can make it. First, you can just lay the ham and cheese on top of the chicken breast and carefully bread the whole thing before setting into the baking pan. Second, you can cut a slit into the chicken breast taking care not to slice all the way through and stuff the ham/cheese inside before breading. Third, you can pound the chicken breast until they are very thin (or save the hassle and start with cutlets) then lay the ham/cheese on top and roll them up before breading. In this rendition I go for the middle ground with the slit cut into the chicken breast.

4 boneless skinless chicken breast
4 slices cheese
4 slices deli ham
1 egg
1/2cu milk
bread crumbs

1. Preheat the oven to 450* and spray a baking pan. Prepare the chicken breast however you please. I cut a slit running about a half inch from each end and almost all the way through to the other side. Stuff a slice of ham and cheese into each chicken breast.

2. Beat together the egg and milk then dip each chicken breast before fully coating with bread crumbs. Place each breast into the prepared pan and spray with more cooking spray.

3. Bake on a lower rack in the oven for 20 minutes or until the edges of the breast start to brown. Rotate the pan and finish baking another 10-15 minutes until the juices from the chicken run clear and the bread crumbs are golden brown.

It's Friday!

For many people the work week is over and they're ready to enjoy the weekend. I'm going to enjoy a brew while I cook some bacon wrapped chicken tenders. Stay tuned for new blog post :-) I've got chicken cordon bleu, garlic oven fries, and tonight's dinner to post! What do you have cooking?