Creamy Ranch Chicken

Simple.  Delicious.  Satisfying.  Need I say more? I saw this recipe in one of my food magazines and I just knew I had to try it.  Crispy bacon in a creamy ranch sauce with chicken and noodles. How can you honestly go wrong? It was done in a matter 20 minutes.  My husband compared it to a Carbonara, and I guess it was similar, but the ranch seasoning gave it a tangy taste that I just loved.  If your family loves saucy meals, you might want to double the sauce, it really didn't make a huge amount.  

Creamy Ranch Chicken

adapted from Better Homes and Garden's Quick and Easy Recipes

start to finish: 20 minutes

serves about 4

6 slices bacon

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into bite size pieces

2 tablespoons flour

2 tablespoons ranch dry salad dressing mix

1 1/4 cups milk

3 cups dried medium noodles(I used egg noodles)

1 tablespoon finely shredded Parmesan cheese

1. Start your water for your pasta. Cook noodles according to package directions.

2. Cut bacon into narrow strips. In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Drain bacon on paper towels; discard all but 2 tablespoons drippings.

3. In the same skillet, cook chicken in reserved drippings until no longer pink, turning to brown evenly.  Sprinkle flour and salad dressing mix over chicken; stir well to coat the chicken.  Stir in milk.  Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly.  Cook and stir 1 minute more.  Stir in bacon.

4. Serve the chicken over the noodles.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Buttermilk Baked Chicken

I love Fried Chicken.  Actually, I love anything fried.  I wish I hated the smell of fresh hot chicken jumping out of hot oil and fresh hot donuts too.  But I don't hate it.  It is definitely comfort food to me.  But I try not to eat fried food very often.  I found this recipe for Buttermilk Baked Chicken and since I was craving fried chicken, I decided to try this variation.  It actually tasted like it just jumped out of the fryer.  But our little secret...it didn't.  Baked in the oven, this chicken came out crispy and juicy in all the right places.  In this recipe you use homemade bread crumbs, made with white bread.  The bread crumb mixture is soft and fluffy, and I really liked it.  It was so different from those mealy store bought crumbs, which by the way, I use all the time.  But I might use this recipe more often, because it tasted fresher and so much better!  Yum!

Buttermilk Baked Chicken

adapted from Great Food Fast, Martha Stewart

serves 4

Vegetable oil, for baking sheet

8 slices white bread

1 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon hot-pepper sauce

course salt and pepper

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (2 1/2 ounces)

1 teaspoon dried thyme (I used parsley, onion powder and garlic powder)

4 pounds chicken parts (preferably legs, thighs, and wings) rinsed and patted dry

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Generously rub a baking sheet with oil.  In a food processor, pulse the bread until it turns into coarse crumbs.

2. In a large bowl, stir together the buttermilk, hot-pepper sauce, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.  In a separate bowl, mix the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, thyme, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.  (or spices of your choice)

3. Place the chicken in the buttermilk mixture, turning to coat evenly.  Working with one piece at a time, remove the chicken from the liquid, letting the excess drip back in to the bowl; dredge in the breadcrumb mixture, turning to coat evenly.  Place the coated chicken pieces on the prepared baking sheet.  Leave enough space between the chicken pieces so that they crisp evenly all the way around.

4. Bake until the chicken is golden brow, about 35 minutes.

Note: I let the chicken sit in the buttermilk for a couple of hours to make it even more tender and juicy.  

Tortilla and Black Bean Pie

I hope everyone is having a fabulous weekend. Mine has been very busy so far, and I'm looking forward to relaxing tonight! In the meantime, here is a great recipe! This was really delicious! When I was flipping through my Great Food Fast by Martha Stewart Cookbook and I saw this brightly colored dish, I decided that I needed to try this out. Very tasty, and not too much work either. You can even assemble this ahead of time and then bake it before serving it. I love black beans, so this was definitely my kind of meal. Try it out for yourself!

***I forgot to add that I added about 2 cups of shredded chicken to this recipe.  I made it a while ago, and it slipped my mind.  But if you look very closely, you can see it!  Oops.  It made it more of a meal with the chicken.  I just added the chicken to the bean mixture on the stove top. I let it simmer with all of the other ingredients.

Tortilla and Black Bean Pie

4 flour tortillas (10 inch)
1 tablespoon oil
1 large onion, diced
1 jalapeno chili, minced (remove seeds and ribs for less heat)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Course salt and pepper
2 cans (15 ounce each) black beans, drained and rinsed
12 ounces beer, or 1 1/2 cups water
1 package (10 ounce) frozen corn
2 cups cooked shredded chicken

4 scallions, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
2 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar Cheese (8 ounces)

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Using a paring knife, trim the toritillas to fit a 9 inch springform pan, using the bottom of the pan as a guide. Set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, jalapeno, garlic, and cumin; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until the onion is softened, 5 to 7 minutes.
3. Add the beans and beer to the skillet, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium; simmer until the liquid has almost evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the corn and scallions, and chicken and remove from the heat. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Fit a trimmed tortilla in the bottom of the springform pan; later with one quarter of the beans and 1/2 cup cheese. Repeat 3 times, using 1 cup cheese on the top layer. Bake until hot and the cheese is melted, 20-25 minutes. Unmold the pie; sprinkle with scallions. Slice into wedges, and serve immediately. Serve salsa and sour cream on the side.

Classic Italian Lasagna and Grasshopper Ice Cream Pie!

My husband offered to make me dinner for Mother's Day. I told him that it was so sweet to offer, but I had already planned my favorite meal out. I know, I'm crazy. A man offers to cook and you should always accept, but I had my heart set on Lasagna. I love Lasagna! I've never enjoyed making it much, so complex, so many different components to make. But because I love it so very much and I haven't had it in a while, I decided to try Giada's recipe, because the rest of her recipes have been so excellent. This was the BEST lasagna I have ever had. My favorite part is that she uses a marinara and bechemel sauce combined, instead of just a marinara sauce. It gives it such a creamy texture and it has the perfect flavor! The spinach adds a nice touch and of course the best part is the bubbling cheese on top! Yum! It tastes even better the second day because all of the flavors combine and it is just perfect! Give it a try, it is to die for!



Classic Italian Lasagna
adapted from Giada's Everyday Italian

salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
15 dry lasagna noodles (about 12 ounces)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound ground beef chuck
1 teaspoon pepper
2 1/2 cups Bechamel Sauce (recipe to follow)
1 1/2 cups of your favorite marinara sauce
1 1/2 pounds whole milk ricotta cheese (I used part skim)
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons butter
2 (10 ounce) pkgs frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the vegetable oil (prevents sticking). Cook the lasagna until almost al dente, about 6 minutes (the center of the pasta should remain somewhat hard so that it won't overcook and become soggy when baked.) Drain, then rinse the noodles under cold water to stop the cooking and help remove any excess starch. Cover lightly with a damp towel to prevent the pasta from drying out. Set aside.
2. In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil over a medium-high flame. Add the ground beef and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, and saute until the beef is brown, breaking up any large clumps, about 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and drain any excess fat. Let cool completely.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
4. In a medium bowl, mix the bechamel and marinara sauces to blend. Season the sauce with more salt an pepper to taste.
5. In another medium bowl, mix the ricotta, eggs, and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper to blend. Set aside. Spread the butter over a 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Spoon 1/3 of the bechamel-marinara sauce over the bottom of the dish. Arrange 5 lasagna noodles atop the sauce, overlapping slightly and covering the bottom of the dish completely. Spread the ricotta mixture evenly over the noodles. Top with the spinach. Arrange 5 more lasagna noodles atop the spinach, then top with the ground beef. Spoon one third of the remaining bechamel-marinara sauce over, then sprinkle with 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese. Top with the remaining 5 sheets of lasagna noodles. Spoon the remaining bechamel-marinara sauce over the lasagna noodles, then sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella cheese and the Parmesan cheese. (The lasagna can be made up to this point 1 day ahead. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Uncover before baking).
6. Line a large, heavy baking sheet with foil. Place the baking dish on the baking sheet. Bake until the lasagna is heated through and the top is bubbling, about 45 minutes.

Bechamel Sauce
makes 4 cups

5 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups warm whole milk (I use 2 percent)
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
pinch of white pepper (I use black pepper)
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg (I use dried)

In a 2 quart saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk until smooth, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the warm milk, whisking constantly to prevent any lumps from forming. Simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the sauce is thick, smooth, and ream, about 10 minutes. Do not allow bechamel sauce to boil. Remove from the heat and stir in salt, pepper and nutmeg. Season the sauce with more salt and pepper to taste. (The sauce can be made up to 3 days ahead. Cool, then cover and refrigerate.)

Now onto Dessert!!!!



A friend of mine brought this over to me after I had my last baby. I fell in love with it, it's simplicity and wonderful flavor combinations! I make it all the time now and it is so good, it doesn't take long to finish the whole pie! Trust me, it is worth EVERY last calorie!!!




Grasshopper Ice Cream Pie

1 store bought oreo pie shell (or make one at home)
1/2 gallon mint chocolate chip ice cream
cool whip
caramel
hot fudge sauce
coursely crushed oreo cookies

There are no measurements, because you can put as much of everything as you desire. Make it your own!

On the bottom of the pie shell, drizzle carmel and hot fudge sauce. Soften ice cream, and scoop into the pie shell until 3/4 of the way full. Top with cool whip and top that with the oreo cookies. Drizzle more caramel and hot fudge sauce and put back in the freezer to firm up. Yum!!!!!

Sweet and Sour Chicken

I've been trying to perfect this dish for years.  I've used and combined several recipes and added some ingredients, subtracted ingredients and it has eventually ended up like this.  It is delicious and tasty and exquisite all in the same bite.  Not so sweet that it makes your mouth pucker, but just sweet enough to be called 'sweet and sour' chicken.  I like to make my chicken a little crunchier, so I flour it and fry it in just a bit of olive oil before adding it to the sauce.  I think it adds a better texture this way.  Although you can omit the flour and just brown the chicken if you choose and let it finish cooking while simmering in the sauce.  I normally like to add a red bell pepper mostly for the flavor and color, but this particular time, I only had an orange pepper on hand, and it worked just fine.  There's no need to go to a Chinese restaurant, just make it at home.  It is just as tasty if not tastier!

Sweet and Sour Chicken

serves 4

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes

6 tablespoons flour seasoned with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

1/8 cup cornstarch

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup vinegar

1 20 oz. can pineapple tidbits (reserve juice)

1/2 pineapple juice (use reserved juice)

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1/4 cup onion, sliced

Coat chicken in flour and fry in olive oil until browned.  Drain and set aside.  In same skillet, combine cornstarch, salt, pepper, brown sugar, vinegar, pineapple juice, chicken broth and soy sauce.  Cook and stir until boiling.  Reduce heat and cook for 2 minutes.  Add chicken, peppers, onions, and pineapple.  Cook until heated through.  Serve over rice.  Enjoy!

Porcupine Meatballs

My husband first introduced this recipe to me after we got married 7 years ago. I really didn't know a lot about cooking back then. I went away to college right out of high school and I basically lived on Mac-n-cheese and Ramen Noodles. I married at the ripe old age of 21 and hadn't learned much more than that. When I met my husband, he was living with his Dad and they lived on Chicken Rice Bowls and Porcupine Meatballs. If you've never heard of Porcupine Meatballs, they are simply meatballs with rice mixed in with the meat and seasonings. They are very tasty and simple and take no time at all. These are a bit different than the average meatball, because they are actually 'steamed' in a pan of tomato soup. That is where a lot of the flavor comes from and it makes the meatball very tender. It may sound a bit odd together, but trust me that if you make this dish once, you will make it again and again. It takes 10 minutes to cook and seconds to devour!

Porcupine Meatballs

1 pound lean ground beef
1 cup instant rice
1 egg
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon parsley
2 cans tomato soup
3/4 cup water

Mix together rice, egg, cheese, and seasonings.  Add beef and mix until combined.  Place the tomato soup and water in a large saucepan that is placed over medium heat and mix until smooth. Roll meat mixture into golf ball sized meatballs. Place meatballs in the soup, cover saucepan and cook for 10-12 minutes, or until cooked through. Serve meatballs with the remaining sauce.

Simple Parmesan Herb Crusted Chicken Breast

I've been making this chicken or years now, and every time I make it, it just gets better and better. It's definitely one of my favorite chicken dishes. It's much healthier than a fried chicken, but it still has the crunch that you get from frying, yet it is baked. I sometimes make it with bone in chicken, but it's much easier to eat in my opinion with boneless chicken. So you can choose, but either way you will get a tasty, tender chicken dinner! I make mine with a side of good old buttermilk mashed potatoes and a simple salad.



Parmesan Herb Crusted Chicken Breast
4 servings

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 cups crushed Stove Top Stuffing Mix (I use my food processor, much easier)
1 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk

In a shallow dish, mix together stuffing mix and parmesan cheese. In a separate dish, whisk together the eggs and milk. First coat the chicken in the egg mixture, than liberally coat the chicken in the stuffing mixture. Place on greased pan and spray the top of the chicken with a Non-Stick spray. Bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes or until cooked through. Enjoy!

Baked Mac-n-Cheese

Yummy!  I've always loved homemade macaroni and cheese.  Although I grew up eating the boxed variety, I've always loved the real deal.  Easy to make and yummy to taste, this delicious version is just my style.   A little bit of ham diced up and some fresh onion flavor, this is sure to please even the pickiest eater.  I know from experience, my daughter is the pickiest of them all, and she devoured it!  I'm sorry, but Martha Stewart really does know how to cook good food! In addition to her Cookie book, I also picked up her Everyday Food, Great Food Fast, cookbook, and I love it!  It has so many wonderful recipes, most of them very easy to prepare.  On this particular recipe, the only thing that I would change, would be to add a little less of the noodles, so there is a bit more of the cheesy sauce.  Other than that, it was very tasty and satisfying! 

Macaroni and Cheese

1 pound elbow pasta

4 tablespoons butter

1 small onion, chopped

1/4 cup all purpose flour

4 cups milk

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

1 1/4 cups (5 oz.)shredded yellow Cheddar cheese

1 1/4 cups (5 oz.)shredded white Cheddar cheese

course salt and ground pepper

8 oz. ham diced into 1/2 inch pieces

2 slices white sandwich bread (I used wheat)

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Cook the pasta according to package instructions; drain and reserve.  Meanwhile, in a 5 quart heavy pot, melt butter over medium heat.  Add the onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3-5 minutes.  Whisk in the flour to coat the onion.  Ina slow, steady stream, whisk in the milk until there are no lumps.

2. Cook, whisking often, until the mixture is thick and bubbly and coats the back of a wooden spoon, 6-8 minutes.  Stir in the cayenne, if using, and 1 cup each of the yellow and white Cheddar cheese.  Season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

3. Toss the pasta with the cheese mixture; fold in the ham.  Transfer to a 9x13 inch baking dish or individual dishes (see below).  Set aside.

4. In a food processor, pulse the bread until large crumbs form.  Toss together with the remaining 1/4 cup each white and yellow Cheddar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.  top the pasta with the breadcrumb mixture. Bake until the top is golden, about 30 minutes.

Making Individual Servings

This recipe makes enough to fill eight 12-16 oz baking dishes.  Divide the macaroni and cheese evenly, sprinkle with topping, and bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden.

Fettuccine Bolognese

I love Italian food. And I also love the Food Network. And I also love Giada De Larurentiis. She is one of my favorite chefs. Her food is so simple, fresh, and delicious. I use her cookbook, Everyday Italian, more than any of my other books. One of my favorite dishes of Giada's is her Simple Bolognese Sauce. It's basically a meat sauce. Absolutely divine! It has so much flavor, and with her tomato sauces she adds celery, onion, and carrots, so I feel a little sneaky because my daughter will eat it and I can smile knowing she is getting some extra veggies for the day. I usually serve this sauce over spaghetti noodles, but tonight, I used fresh fettuccine. I love using fresh pasta whenever I can. I think it has a much better, fresher texture. This sauce is worth the hour that it takes to prepare. And, it tastes much better the next day as well! Can't beat delicious leftovers!!!

Bolognese Sauce

1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 celery stalk, minced
1 carrot, peeled and minced
1 lb. ground beef chuck
1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
8 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. When almost smoking, add the onion and garlic and saute until the onion is very tender, about 8 minutes. Add the celery and carrot and saute for 5 minutes. Increase the heat to high, add the ground beef, and saute until the meat is no longer pink, breaking up any large lumps, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, parsley, basil, and salt and pepper, and cook over medium-low heat until the sauce thickens,about 30 minutes. Stir in the cheese, then season with more salt and pepper to taste.