Tostados

1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
2 onions, chopped
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 Tbsp. salt
3 cups rice, uncooked
6 ups vegetable broth
1 Tbsp. cumin
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
4 cans diced tomatoes
9 cans black beans, drained and rinsed

In a stockpot over medium-high heat, heat the oil.  Add the onion, garlic, salt, and rice and sauté for 3-4 min.  Add the prepared vegetable broth, bring to a boil, cover and lower the heat and cook for 20 min.  Add the spices, tomatoes, and black beans.
(This makes A LOT!  I would say enough to feed 25-30 people!)

Spoon over fried tostado shells. Top with cheese, lettuce, sour cream and salsa!
If the tostado shell is too hard for kids to eat you could just do a corn taco shell.

Freezer Instructions:
Thaw topping and reheat.

Cilantro Thai Grilled Chicken

Cilantro Thai Grilled Chicken (serves 8)

4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 cup cilantro
2 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

8 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Grill or put under broiler

(I thought I was going to do Huli Huli Chicken - but this recipe is so yummy and a little different - great on the grill! Hope you guys like it!)

Quesadilla Casserole (Freezer Meal)

Quesadilla Casserole (Freezer Meal)


1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried minced garlic
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (optional)
16 oz tomato sauce
1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (8 3/4 oz) whole kernel corn, undrained
1 can (4 1/2 oz) green chilies, undrained
6 flour tortillas (8 inch size)
2 cups shredded Cheddar Cheese
1. Brown beef and onion in a large skillet on medium-high. Add tomato sauce, beans, corn and green chilies. Mix well. Stir in all of the spices except the red pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat low and simmer 5 minutes. Add red pepper to taste if desired.
2. Spread 1/2 cup of the beef mixture on bottom of 9X13 pan (sprayed with pam). I like to use the foil pans for freezer meals. Top with 3 of the tortillas, overlapping as needed. Layer with 1/2 of the remaining beef mixture and 1/2 of the cheese. Repeat with remaining tortillas, beef and cheese.
3. Double wrap with heavy duty foil and label. 
Cooking Instructions: Thaw and bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until heated through. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Enjoy!!
We put sour cream on ours. Guacamole would be yummy on it too.

Baked Cheesy Chicken Penne

Baked Cheesy Chicken Penne

• 6 tablespoons butter, plus more for baking dishes
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 pound penne rigate (I used a 14.5 oz box of Ronzoni Smart Taste Penne Rigate)
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 8 ounces each), halved horizontally (I used some leftover cooked chicken)
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
• 6 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 6 cups whole milk
• 10 ounces white or cremini mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced (I used 8 oz of button mushrooms)
• 1 cup sliced oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained
• 1 1/2 cups shredded provolone (6 ounces) (I used an italian blend that had provolone in it)
• 1 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan (about 6 ounces)

1. Preheat oven to 400. Butter two shallow 2-quart baking dishes. If you’re going to freeze one, use a disposable foil pan.  In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta 3 minutes short of al dente; drain pasta and set aside.
2. While pasta is boiling, heat oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Season chicken with salt and pepper; cook until opaque throughout, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Halve each piece lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise.  While chicken pan is still hot, toss the mushrooms in and saute until golden brown (3-4 minutes).  Use a little extra olive oil if needed In a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot , melt butter over medium. Add flour and garlic; cook, whisking, 1 minute. While whisking constantly, gradually add milk; bring to a simmer.  Keep whisking frequently as sauce thickens, about 1 minute more. Add mushrooms and tomatoes; cook 1 minute. Take the pan off the heat and and gradually stir in provolone and 1/2 cup Parmesan.
3. Add chicken and pasta to pot; season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide pasta mixture between baking dishes.  If freezing, place remaining parmesan cheese in a zip-top baggie.  If cooking, sprinkle on top.
4. Bake, uncovered, until top is golden and bubbling, about 25 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Freezer instructions:
To freeze, prepare through step 4 and then let pasta cool.  Cover pan well with plastic wrap.  Place extra cheese in baggie (for topping) on top and then cover entire pan well with foil.  Freeze for up to 3 months.  To bake, preheat oven to 400.  Remove foil and plastic from pan and set cheese baggie aside.  Place foil back on pan and bake for about 1 1/2 hours.  Remove foil, stir pasta, and top with cheese.  Return pan to oven and bake for an additional 15 minutes (I only did 10 minutes)  or until mixture is hot and bubbly throughout.

Grilled Garlic-Lime Chicken

1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 Tbp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. ground mustard
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
pepper

Directions: In a large re-sealable plastic bag, combine the first five ingredients.  Add the chicken; seal bag and turn to coat.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Drain discard marinade.  Sprinkle chicken with pepper.  Grill, covered, over medium heat for 4-7 minutes on each side or a meat thermometer reads 170 degrees.

Freezer Instructions:  Thaw and grill using instructions above. Serve with potatoes or rice and veggies.

French Dip Sandwiches

I'm making this again, because my family loves eating French Dip Sandwiches.  I just use the Aus Jus packet to flavor the meat while cooking and then make an additional packet of Aus Jus to dip in.  Enjoy.

Grilled Huli Huli Chicken

This recipe comes from the Taste of Home Magazine.  This is for the month of May 2013.

1 c brown sugar packed
3/4 c ketchup
3/4 c low-sodium soy sauce
1/3 c chicken broth
2 1/2 tsp minced fresh ginger
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
24 boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 5 lbs) (this recipe makes a ton)

In a small bowl, mix the first six ingredients.  Reserve 1 1/3 cups for basting; cover and refrigerate.  Divide remaining marinade between two large resealable plastic bags.  Add 12 chicken thighs to each; seal bags and turn to coat.  Refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.

Drain and discard marinade from chicken.  Moisten a paper towel with cooking oil; using long-handled tongs, lightly coat the grill rack.

Grill chicken, covered, over medium heat for 6-8 minutes on each side or until no longer pink;  baste occasionally with reserved marinade during last 5 minutes.

Cafe Rio Sweet Pork

3-4 lb pork roast
1/2 c. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. chili powder
2 Tbsp. minced onion
2 c. brown sugar
2 cans green enchilada sauce

Mix ingredients, except brown sugar and green enchilada sauce in a crock-pot.  Add roast and cook on low for 8-9 hours. Shred pork and add brown sugar and enchilada sauce.  Continue cooking for 1 hour. Serve in flour tortillas or on chips.

Freezer Instructions:
Thaw pork roast and put in crock-pot.  Add bag of seasoning.  Cook on low 8-9 hours.  Shred and add brown sugar and enchilada sauce.  Cook for another hour.
(I think 2 cups brown sugar is PLENTY! I usually cut this back a little bit.)

Lemon Chicken Pasta w/ Broccoli

1 box Barilla pasta (mini bow tie or penne)
4 cups cooked cubed chicken, seasoned with salt, pepper, basil, oregano
4 cups fresh broccoli, steamed
4 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
4 Tbsp olive oil
1 bag Italian cheese mixture, shredded

Cook the noodles al dente, according to package directions.  Mix lemon juice and olive oil.  Combine ingredients in large bowl and toss.  Pour into a 9x13 greased pan. (This recipe filled about 1 1/2 foil pans)  Top with the cheeses. (I added cheese halfway and on top.) Bake covered at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until heated.

Freezer Directions:  Everything is already cooked, so you just thaw it. Bake covered at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Korean Bulgogi

April BBQ Chicken Sliders

I went and bought all of the stuff before I posted this and I saw that someone else is doing sandwiches.  At least they are different:)  I will post the recipe soon.  Thank you!!

April Meal - Chicken Caesar Sandwich

SLOW COOKER CHICKEN CAESAR SANDWICHESrecipe from: The Girl Who Ate Everything

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts (I used Chicken Breasts)
1/2 to 1 cup of your favorite Caesar dressing (I used Brianna’s Asiago Caesar)
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley or 2 teaspoons of dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
12 slider buns or 4-6 regular sized hamburger buns
Place chicken in a 3-4 quart slow cooker with 1-2 cups of water, cover and cook on low heat for 4-6 hours.
Remove chicken from cooker using a slotted spoon and drain the water from the slow cooker. Place chicken on a cutting board and pull chicken into shreds, discarding any fat.
Place chicken back in the cooker and pour dressing, Parmesan cheese, parsley, and pepper over the top. Stir until mixed evenly. Cover and cook on high heat for 30 minutes or until mixture is hot.
Spoon 1/4 cup mixture onto each slider bun if you are making sliders or more for regular sized buns. Top with extra shredded Parmesan cheese and lettuce to serve.

Hawaiin Grilled Chicken: Angela Rydalch

Hawaiian Grilled Chicken

• 1 cup of soy sauce
• 1 cup water
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 5 diced green onion (reserve some for garnish)
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 tsp minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil (If you don’t have this you can use veg. or canola, but sesame adds nice flavor)
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 5-8 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1. Combine every thing except the chicken into a gallon sized resealable freezer bag.  Mix well.
2. Add the chicken to the bag and seal.  Place in the fridge to marinate for at least 4 hours but overnight is even better.  Rotate the bag half way through the process to get both sides of the meat soaking good.
3. Remove chicken from marinade and grill over medium to low heat.  There is a lot of sugar in this marinade so you don’t want it to burn.  Grill for around 5-7 minutes per side.  (if you use breasts it will take longer)
4. Freezer Directions: Thaw and let marinate for the day. You can grill or bake or fry the chicken. I liked it served with Coconut Rice: 

for the rice:
* 2 cup jasmine or basmati rice
 * 2 cups  coconut milk
* 1/2 cup cilantro, plus more for garnish

 Pour the coconut milk and 1 cup of water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Add the rice, cover, reduce heat and simmer about 15 minutes, until the rice is cooked and fluffy. Stir in the cilantro before serving.
If you want less rice just adjust accordingly the rice and liquid measurement.

March Brown Sugar Spiced Pork Tenderloin

Brown Sugar Spiced Pork Tenderloin 
Adapted from My Kitchen Cafe

Rub Ingredients:
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 pork tenderloin (approx 2 1/2 to 3 pounds) cut into quarters
2 tablespoons olive oil

Glaze ingredients:
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon hot  sauce ( I used franks)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, stir together salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, and cinnamon, then coat the pork with the spice rub. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium high heat until the oil is hot and rippling. Brown the pork, turning, about 4 minutes total. If you have a skillet that can go straight into the oven you can leave the pork in the skillet; however, if you are like me and  don’t have an ovenproof skillet, transfer it to a foil-lined baking pan (like a 9X13-inch). 

Stir together the brown sugar, garlic, and hot sauce and pat on top of each tenderloin. Roast in the middle of the oven until a thermometer inserted diagonally in center of each tenderloin registers 140, about 25 minutes. Let pork stand in the skillet at room temperature for 10 minutes. The temperature will rise to about 155 while standing. Slice on the diagonal and serve, spooning the sauce from the skillet on top of the pork.

Here is a potato recipe I'm going to try with it.

 Best EVER Red Potatoes

small bag of red potatoes
2-3 tablespoons butter, melted
sea salt
pepper
olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 uh I actually meant 350 (it was late the first time I posted this). Pour melted butter in bottom of 9X13 pan. After washing potatoes, place them in pan and coat evenly with melted butter. Drizzle evenly with olive oil. Salt and pepper to your taste. Don't be shy about using the salt...remembers to potatoes they are like oxygen.

Bake for 2 hours, uncovered. Yes, I said 2 hours. Just trust m

Asian Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients

• 16 Boston Bib or green leaf, or butter lettuce leaves
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
• 2 teaspoons minced ginger  
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• Asian chile pepper sauce (optional)
• 1 (8 ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil

Directions

1. Rinse whole lettuce leaves and pat dry, being careful not tear them. Set aside.
2. In a medium skillet over high heat, brown the ground beef in 1 tablespoon of oil, stirring often and reducing the heat to medium, if necessary. Drain, and set aside to cool. Cook the onion in the same pan, stirring frequently. Add the garlic, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger, vinegar, and chile pepper sauce to the onions, and stir. Stir in chopped water chestnuts, green onions, sesame oil, and cooked beef; continue cooking until the onions just begin to wilt, about 2 minutes.
3. Arrange lettuce leaves around the outer edge of a large serving platter, and pile meat mixture in the center. To serve, allow each person to spoon a portion of the meat into a lettuce leaf. Wrap the lettuce around the meat like a burrito, and enjoy!

Shredded Chicken Sandwich

3-4 chicken breasts
1 cans chicken broth
2 tablespoons Montreal Steak Seasoning
1 Loaf of French Bread
Ranch Dressing
4 slices of bacon
1 Avocado sliced
1 Tomato sliced
1 cup shredded cheese

Cook in crock pot on high for four hours with chicken broth and Montreal Steak Seasoning
(feel free to add more chicken, chicken broth and Steak Seasoning for future dinners)
It is easier for me to shred the chicken in the crock pot so that it soaks up all the marinade. Chicken freezes well for future meals!

Cut French bread loaf long ways in half.
Spread Ranch dressing on both sides of the loaf.
then add layers...chicken, bacon, cheese, tomato and avocado.
Bake at 375 for 10 minutes, and then I like to broil it for another 2 minutes. Slice and serve.

Creamy Ham Noodle Casserole

Ingredients

• 10 cups uncooked tricolor spiral pasta
• 4 celery ribs, chopped
• 1 medium green pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup butter, cubed
• 3 cans (10-3/4 ounces each) condensed cheddar cheese soup, undiluted
• 3 cups 2% milk
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups cubed fully cooked ham
• 2 cans (8 ounces each) mushroom stems and pieces, drained
• 1 cup crushed butter-flavored crackers

Directions

• Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, saute the celery, pepper and onion in butter until tender. Stir in the soup, milk and salt. In a very large bowl, combine the soup mixture, ham and mushrooms. Drain pasta; add to soup mixture and toss to coat.
• Transfer to two greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dishes. Top with cracker crumbs. Cover and freeze one casserole for up to 3 months. Bake the remaining casserole, uncovered, at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
• To use frozen casserole: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 50-55 minutes or until heated through. Yield: 2 casseroles (9 servings each).
• I omitted a few ingredients for the kids.  Thanks and enjoy!!

German Apple Oven Pancake

Thaw overnight, assemble, and bake German Apple Pancakes for a warm, healthy breakfast. 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Place the 1/4 cup of butter in a large cake pan in the oven for a few minutes to melt.  Pour in the egg/flour mixture over the melted butter.  Spread the apple slices around and then sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar evenly everywhere.  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.  Serve.  This makes your house smell great! (It is as if you made cinnamon rolls, but much easier.) 

4 eggs
3/4 c. flour
3/4 c. milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. butter
2 med. apples, thinly sliced
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon

(This is so inexpensive that I will add another breakfast item to go with it.  It is one of our family favorites, and makes for a happy morning!)

Sloppy Joes

I'm doing sloppy joes this month. I'm out if town till Sunday so ill post the recipe then!

Moist Garlic Chicken

Moist Garlic Chicken

¼ cup butter, melted

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp. garlic powder

½ tsp. salt

Dash pepper

½ cup seasoned bread crumbs

¼ cup finely shredded cheddar cheese

2 TBL grated Parmesan Cheese

6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves cut in 1 inch strips

In shallow bowl, combine butter, minced garlic, garlic powder, salt and pepper. In another bowl combine bread crumbs and cheeses. Dip chicken in butter mixture then into bread crumbs. Place in greased 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Cover. Bake at 350° for 45-50 minutes or until juices run clear.  

Side dishes:

Rice

Potatoes (My kids love when I make homemade french fries with this because they think they are getting chicken nuggets and french fries)

Green Salad

Veges

Side dish recipe:

Mediterranean Roasted Potatoes

3 lbs of small red or white-skinned potatoes (or mixture)

¼ cup of good olive oil

1 ½ tsp. of salt

1 tsp. of freshly ground pepper

2 TBL of minced garlic (5-6 cloves)

4 TBL of fresh rosemary leaves (I just use dried rosemary and it works fine)

Cut the potatoes in half or quarters and place in a bowl with the olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic and rosemary; toss until the potatoes are well coated. Dump the potatoes on a baking sheet and spread out in 1 layer; roast in the oven for at least 1 hour, or until browned and crisp. Flip twice with a spatula during cooking to prevent burning.

Special Potato Soup

I found this yummy soup recipe on my mission in Newton, Connecticut. Hope you enjoy!

2 stalks of celery, sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
2 TBL butter
6 medium potatoes
2 carrots ,sliced
3 cups water
5 chicken-flavored bouillon cubes
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried whole thyme
dash of garlic powder
dash of pepper
2 cups milk
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Saute celery and onion in butter in a large pot until tender. Add next 9 ingredients. Cover and simmer about 20 min or until veges are tender. Remove from heat and mash veges with a potato masher. Add milk and cheese. Cook, stirring constantly until cheese is melted. Serves 10.

Freezer meal instruction:  Warm and enjoy

March - Sesame Honey Chicken

skinnytaste.comhttp://www.skinnytaste.com/2013/02/crock-pot-sesame-honey-chicken.html

Crock Pot Sesame Honey Chicken

Crock Pot Sesame Honey Chicken
Skinnytaste.com
Servings: 8 • Serving Size: over 2/3 cup • Old Pts: 4 • Weight Watchers Points+: 4
Calories: 185.5 • Fat: 2 g • Protein: 27 g • Carbs: 13.5 g • Fiber: 0.7 g • Sugar: 10 g
Sodium: 504 mg

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast
• black pepper, to taste
• 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce (tamari for gluten-free)
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 3 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp water
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp sriracha hot chili sauce, or more to taste
• 1 heaping tbsp cornstarch
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 tbsp sesame seeds
• 2 medium scallions, chopped for garnish

Directions:
Place the chicken in the slow cooker and season with black pepper. In a medium bowl, combine soy sauce, honey, tomato paste, vinegar, garlic, 1 tbsp water, sesame oil, onion powder and sriracha hot chili sauce. Pour over chicken and cook on LOW 3-4 hours.
Remove chicken, leaving the sauce in the slow cooker. Shred chicken with two forks; set aside.
In a small bowl, dissolve cornstarch in remaining 1/4 cup water; add to the slow cooker and stir to combine. Cover andcook on HIGH until slightly thickened, about 15 to 20 minutes; return chicken to the slow cooker and mix well.
Serve chicken and sauce over rice and top with sesame seeds and chopped scallions for garnish.
Enjoy!

February Meal Slow Cooked Chunky Chili

Slow Cooked Chunky Chili

 

12 ServingsPrep: 15 min. Cook: 4 hours

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
  
• 1 pound bulk pork sausage
• 4 cans (16 ounces each) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 2 cans (10 ounces each) diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 medium green pepper, chopped
• 1 envelope taco seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions

• In a large skillet, cook beef and sausage over medium heat until meat
• is no longer pink; drain. Transfer to a 5-qt. slow cooker. Stir in
• the remaining ingredients.
• 
  
• Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours or until vegetables are tender.
• Serve desired amount. Cool the remaining chili; transfer to freezer
• bags or containers. Freeze for up to 3 months.
• 
  
• To use frozen chili: Thaw in the refrigerator; place in saucepan and
• heat through. Add water if desired. Yield: 3 quarts.
• 
  

Jumbo Cheese Stuffed Shells

Freezer Directions:  Remove the plastic wrap.  Place in baking dish.  Leave the pan liner attached, so you won't have a pan to wash.  Cover with foil.  Bake at 350 for 2 hours or until hot and bubbly.

Thawed from the Refrigerator Directions: Before thawing, place in baking dish.  Remove plastic wrap. Cover with foil.  Bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Jumbo Cheese Stuffed Shells (doubling this recipe feeds 3 families of 8 persons)
Jennifer Barzee 201-5975 barzee7@gmail.com

1 12 ounce box Jumbo Shells, cooked for 10 minutes in 5 quarts water + 1 tbsp. salt
1 32 ounce container Ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese + a bit to sprinkle on top
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs
1 tbsp parsley (recipe calls for fresh, but I put this amount of dried parsley in)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3/4 tsp dried oregano leaves
1 26 ounce jar spaghetti sauce (about 3 cups)

Cook pasta.  Combine cheese ingredients.  Put cheese ingredients into large ziplock bag.  Cut the corner of the bag.  Put sauce in the bottom of the pan.  Fill the shells with cheese mixture and place in pan.  Pour more sauce on shells.  Sprinkle a bit of mozzarella on top.  Bake at 375 for 35 minutes or until hot and bubbly. 
If you are going to freeze cover with plastic wrap and foil.  Freezer baking directions are above.

Creamy Italian Chicken

1 pkg of Cream Cheese (8 oz)
1 can of Cream of Mushroom of soup
1 can of milk (use soup can)
1 1/2 to 2 lbs of Chicken breasts
1 pkg of Italian salad dressing (dry)

Cut up chicken in bite size pieces. Place in crock pot with Italian dressing. Cook for 2 hours. Add to crock pot the soup, cream cheese and milk and heat back up and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes to blend flavors. Serve over bow tie pasta.

Frozen meal instructions: Reheat and serve over pasta

Side dishes: Steamed vegetables or green salad

I did Kendra's recipe.  My kid's wanted it again :)

Arroz Con Pollo

Arroz Con Pollo

Arroz Con Pollo

This is a Peruvian recipe that I learned from watching a couple different times from different Peruvian ladies. Neither had recipes, so this is my attempt at trying to get it into recipe form.

1/2 onion
1 to 2 garlic cloves
1/2 bag of spinach
1 bunch of cilantro
1 TBL of chicken bouillon
1 - 2 tsp of Cumin
1 tsp Oregano
1/2-1 tsp of pepper
5 - 6 cups of water
4 cups of Rice
1 to 2 lbs of chicken
1 cup of diced carrots
frozen peas (optional)

Brown chicken in large skillet.  I usually use olive oil, fresh garlic, and lightly salt/pepper.  While browning chicken I put 1 cup of water in my blender with the following ingredients:  onion, garlic, washed spinach, cilantro, bouillon, cumin, oregano, & pepper. Blend well.  Once blended you should have 2 cups of very green liquid. Add remaining water so that you have 6 cups total.  Put rice in large skillet with the chicken.  Chicken does not need to be fully cooked.  Pour green sauce over rice and chicken. Stir & put in the carrots.  Cover for 20 minutes.  Be careful!  This tends to burn quickly.  Most Peruvians will put in the frozen peas just a few minutes before serving, just to get warm.

FREEZER MEAL INSTRUCTIONS:

Thaw green liquid. Be careful, I am afraid this will leak.  Place chicken in large skillet with rice. Pour liquid over rice and chicken and cook on low for 20 minutes.  Stir periodically so that it won't burn.

Side dishes:  
When I make this I usually use the other 1/2 of bag of spinach and make a spinach salad to go with.

Chili

I'll be doing Chili this month!
Recipe to follow! :)

FEBRUARY - Hoisin Pork and Rice Noodles

I am doing Hoisin Pork with Rice noodles for the meal this month. Recipe to follow.

January's Quiche

2 pie crusts
1 pint cottage cheese
4 green onions
1 cup ham diced
1/2 of a fresh red pepper, diced
1 large handful of spinach cut in strips with pizza cutter
8 eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 cup milk

Combine ingredients.  Bake at 375 for 45 minutes.  Let set 5 minutes before eating. 

Freezer directions:  Thaw your egg, ham, and spinach mixture until there are no more frozen chunks.  Divide evenly between the two pie crusts and bake as directed. Enjoy!

Orange Chicken

Asian Orange Chicken

Rated: Submitted By: HARRY WETZEL Photo By: footballgrl16 Prep Time: 40 Minutes Cook Time: 40 Minutes Ready In: 3 Hours 20 Minutes Servings: 8

"Enjoy delicious citrus chicken marinated in lemon and orange juice with brown sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger. It's terrific served with rice."

FOR YOUR FREEZER MEAL: THAW CHICKEN.  FOLLOW STEP 4.  WITH A LARGE SKILLET, YOU'LL COOK THE CHICKEN IN TWO BATCHES.  HEAT THE SAUCE ON STOVETOP - IF IT ISN'T THICK ENOUGH, JUST GRADUALLY ADD A LITTLE CORNSTARCH MIXED WITH A LITTLE WATER.  POUR THE SAUCE OVER THE CHICKEN IN A SERVING BOWL AND SERVE OVER RICE.

Ingredients:

Sauce: 3 cups water 1/4 cup orange juice 1/2 cup lemon juice 2/3 cup rice vinegar 1/4 cup and 1 tablespoon soy sauce 2 tablespoons grated orange zest 2 cups packed brown sugar 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1/4 cup chopped green onion

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons cornstarch 1/4 cup water Chicken: 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch pieces 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:

You have scaled this recipe's ingredients to yield a new amount (8). The directions below still refer to the original recipe yield (4).

1.	Pour 1 1/2 cups water, orange juice, lemon juice, rice vinegar, and soy sauce into a saucepan and set over medium-high heat. Stir in the orange zest, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, chopped onion, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat, and cool 10 to 15 minutes.
2.	Place the chicken pieces into a resealable plastic bag. When contents of saucepan have cooled, pour 1 cup of sauce into bag. Reserve the remaining sauce. Seal the bag, and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
3.	In another resealable plastic bag, mix the flour, salt, and pepper. Add the marinated chicken pieces, seal the bag, and shake to coat.
4.	Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place chicken into the skillet, and brown on both sides. Drain on a plate lined with paper towels, and cover with aluminum foil.
5.	Wipe out the skillet, and add the sauce. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Mix together the cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water; stir into the sauce. Reduce heat to medium low, add the chicken pieces, and simmer, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2013 Allrecipes.com

Printed from Allrecipes.com 1/23/2013

Cheesy Chicken Chowder

1 pt. water
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1/2 cup diced onion
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
1 pt. milk
1 (16 oz) winter mix frozen vegetables
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1-2 cups cheddar cheese
2 cups cooked and diced chicken

Boil water, add bouillon cubes, onion, and potatoes.  Simmer until potatoes are almost tender.  Add milk and frozen vegetables. Simmer until frozen veggies are heated through.  Add soup, chicken, and cheese.  Heat until cheese is melted.

Freezer Instructions:  Thaw and reheat on low in crock pot or stove top.
I under cooked the veggies slightly so they didn't overcook with reheating.  You may want to check and see how tender they are and simmer a little longer.

Chicken Fajita's for JANUARY 2013

This is Lyndi.  I will be doing Chicken Fajita's for January.  The recipe is on a previous post of mine if you need it.  The only thing I will do different is decrease the cayenne pepper from the original recipe so it is less spicy.  And substitute chicken for the steak.  Thank you and Happy New Year!!