Tonight's dinner is a classic--Chicken Pot Pie. Sigh.....just saying it makes me smile, relax and think of lazy Sunday's back home. I love pot pie; it's the dish that never gets old and, no matter how you prepare it, it's always delicious. Whether you make your own crust or buy one or top it with biscuits---it's still a pot pie. My pot pie recipe is one that I've adapted from years of trial and error. I've come up with my go-to recipe that knows how to make my Sunday feel like home :) I hope you enjoy as well.
Chicken Pot Pie
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
2 T Kraft Zesty Italian dressing (I like to use that brand; it's got a tangy flavor that goes well w/ the chicken)
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1/2-1 cup milk
2 cups frozen mixed veggies
1 store-bought pie crust (I've tried making my own, but when they're so easy to buy and they taste so good, I have a hard time turning that down)
1 egg w/ a splash of milk
Preheat oven to 375deg. Heat the dressing in a skillet on med-high heat and add chicken. Cook, stirring, until chicken is no longer pink. Turn head down to med-low and add veggies. Allow to cook about 5min, until veggies are thawed. In another bowl, mix soup and milk, making a thick, creamy gravy. Pour gravy over chicken and veggies and stir to mix. Spray a 9"x13" (or whatever size you grab) pan and pour chicken mixture in. Top w/ pie crust. Mix egg and milk in a small bowl and brush lightly over top of the crust. Bake, uncovered, 30-45min, our until crust is brown and gravy is bubbling on the sides. If you need the crust to get browner, turn the oven up to 425deg and cook for a few minutes, checking often. Allow to cool for about 10min, and then serve. The good thing about this dish--it doesn't need any sides; you've got your meat, veggies and gravy. 'nuf said. Happy Sunday's to you all!!!
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Dinner on the Weekend
Hello my peoples :) I hope this Saturday evening finds you well. We've had a lazy, wonderful weekend thus far. My husband took off work yesterday so we loafed around town :) Love those days....Him being home all day inspired a dinner-by-daddy. I didn't write about this yesterday because I wasn't too 'into' it; dinner on Friday brought us back to our roots: fried deer meat. Yep--you read it right. Now, it's not that I'm totally against deer meat, but it takes forever to prepare, then it makes a mess in the kitchen and, worst of all--it's fried meat! Now don't get me wrong, we occasionally break out the deep fryer and throw in some chicken strips, but not very often. But I looooove those chicken strips; and I don't really like deer meat. The game-y taste throws me off. I know, I know, I'm not a loyalist to my roots--I'm sorry!!
So, having said that, we had deer meat for dinner last night and tonight was a movie night. We bought a take & bake pizza from the grocery store and watched Monster's Inc. I love that movie :) It was a wonderful night day of not cooking and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I hope your Saturday night was just as enjoyable and I will see you back here tomorrow!
So, having said that, we had deer meat for dinner last night and tonight was a movie night. We bought a take & bake pizza from the grocery store and watched Monster's Inc. I love that movie :) It was a wonderful night day of not cooking and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I hope your Saturday night was just as enjoyable and I will see you back here tomorrow!
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Dinner Mar 3, 2011
Hello my loyal chefs! How is everyone today? We are doing pretty good around here. I'm sorry I'm late getting dinner out tonight; it was a crazy afternoon!
Tonight's dinner is a classic: Spaghetti--but w/ a twist! We are going to add some Italian sausage to the sauce so it has a different flavor to it. My kids love spaghetti, and so do we! Happy noodles :)
Sausage Spaghetti
1 lb Italian sausage (I use Johnsenville and squeeze it out of the casings)
1 med onion, chopped
2 T minced garlic
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
2 T Italian seasoning
Salt and Pepper
1 lb angel hair pasta (or whatever you prefer)
Grated Parm cheese
Place the ground sausage--out of the casing--into a skillet, along w/ the onion and garlic. Cook until sausage is no longer pink. Add crushed and diced tomatoes and tomato sauce. Add seasonings and salt and pepper. Cook on low, stirring occasionally, about 20 min, or as long as you have.
Cook noodles according to directions on package. Serve sauce over noodles and top w/ grated cheese. We served this w/ a loaf of french bread--wonderful!!!
Tomato Tips....
I love to make my own spaghetti sauce, and it's so simple you can do it in just a few steps. Don't get me wrong--I use pre-made sauce a lot, but sometimes it's nice to make a good, simple spaghetti sauce. I always start w/ crushed tomatoes as the base of the sauce. Then, I'll use whatever tomatoes I have in the pantry. Today, I used the diced tomatoes and some sauce. But I've used stewed before, if I have them in the pantry. Stewed tomatoes are more dense and have a stronger tomato taste than diced, so I usually run them through my Magic Bullet before I put them in the sauce. Just use what you've got and experiment.
Hope your spaghetti was noodle-rific!!! Ha--I crack myself up :)
Tonight's dinner is a classic: Spaghetti--but w/ a twist! We are going to add some Italian sausage to the sauce so it has a different flavor to it. My kids love spaghetti, and so do we! Happy noodles :)
Sausage Spaghetti
1 lb Italian sausage (I use Johnsenville and squeeze it out of the casings)
1 med onion, chopped
2 T minced garlic
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
2 T Italian seasoning
Salt and Pepper
1 lb angel hair pasta (or whatever you prefer)
Grated Parm cheese
Place the ground sausage--out of the casing--into a skillet, along w/ the onion and garlic. Cook until sausage is no longer pink. Add crushed and diced tomatoes and tomato sauce. Add seasonings and salt and pepper. Cook on low, stirring occasionally, about 20 min, or as long as you have.
Cook noodles according to directions on package. Serve sauce over noodles and top w/ grated cheese. We served this w/ a loaf of french bread--wonderful!!!
Tomato Tips....
I love to make my own spaghetti sauce, and it's so simple you can do it in just a few steps. Don't get me wrong--I use pre-made sauce a lot, but sometimes it's nice to make a good, simple spaghetti sauce. I always start w/ crushed tomatoes as the base of the sauce. Then, I'll use whatever tomatoes I have in the pantry. Today, I used the diced tomatoes and some sauce. But I've used stewed before, if I have them in the pantry. Stewed tomatoes are more dense and have a stronger tomato taste than diced, so I usually run them through my Magic Bullet before I put them in the sauce. Just use what you've got and experiment.
Hope your spaghetti was noodle-rific!!! Ha--I crack myself up :)
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Some Teasers.....
Hey guys! I hope dinner went well for everyone. Some tips I'd like to point out---cook the chicken on 375deg for about 40min. It takes a little longer than I remembered. I put too much milk in mine and the gravy was a little runny, but it thickened up as it set.
I'm headed to the store tomorrow to do my bi-weekly shopping trip. Wanna know what's for dinner over the next couple of weeks.......spicy chicken stir-fry, slow-cooker Cajun chicken and some penne w/ chicken and smoked cheese. Yum!!!! I hope you have a wonderful day tomorrow! Ciao :)
I'm headed to the store tomorrow to do my bi-weekly shopping trip. Wanna know what's for dinner over the next couple of weeks.......spicy chicken stir-fry, slow-cooker Cajun chicken and some penne w/ chicken and smoked cheese. Yum!!!! I hope you have a wonderful day tomorrow! Ciao :)
Dinner Mar 2, 2011
Hello all! Happy Wednesday!! I hope the week is going well for everyone. We are enjoying some sunshine here and loving it :)
Today's meal is an absolute favorite. I first got to taste Swiss Chicken after I had my daughter. It is customary (and, as I've come to find out, very much-appreciated) in this part of the country to bring new moms meals a few times a week for a few weeks after they have a baby! Not sure if anyone else does that, but I LOVE it!!! So, a mom brought me Swiss Chicken and I fell in love. It's soooooooo unbelievably easy, it's almost not even right. But it's soooooooo yummy, you know it's right ;) It's creamy and smooth and a little tart from the cheese and altogether amazing! So, without further ado, I bring you Swiss Chicken.....
Swiss Chicken
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts (if the breasts are thick, I like to fillet them so they cook faster)
6-8 slices Swiss cheese
2 cans cream of chicken
1/2 - 1 cup milk
Heat oven to 350deg. Place chicken in baking dish and top w/ slices of cheese, so that chicken is covered. In another bowl mix cream of chicken and milk (you should be able to pour it smoothly, but not have it runny). Pour cream of chicken over cheese and chicken. Bake for 25-35min, or until chicken is done. That's it!! So easy, huh??? I'm serving this w/ some instant mashed potatoes (check out my tips on instant pots below...) so I can pour the gravy all over them--yum :), and some green beans. This one's a winner, kids. I guarantee it. Happy dinners!!!
Pointers on Instant Mashed Potatoes.....
I love to make instants potatoes--they are so easy! And I've learned to make them a little more delish: after you make the desired amount, add about 1/2 cup sour cream and 1/2 block cream cheese. Let them sit, covered, until they mix together smoothly. Now you've got yourself a home cooked meal :)
Today's meal is an absolute favorite. I first got to taste Swiss Chicken after I had my daughter. It is customary (and, as I've come to find out, very much-appreciated) in this part of the country to bring new moms meals a few times a week for a few weeks after they have a baby! Not sure if anyone else does that, but I LOVE it!!! So, a mom brought me Swiss Chicken and I fell in love. It's soooooooo unbelievably easy, it's almost not even right. But it's soooooooo yummy, you know it's right ;) It's creamy and smooth and a little tart from the cheese and altogether amazing! So, without further ado, I bring you Swiss Chicken.....
Swiss Chicken
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts (if the breasts are thick, I like to fillet them so they cook faster)
6-8 slices Swiss cheese
2 cans cream of chicken
1/2 - 1 cup milk
Heat oven to 350deg. Place chicken in baking dish and top w/ slices of cheese, so that chicken is covered. In another bowl mix cream of chicken and milk (you should be able to pour it smoothly, but not have it runny). Pour cream of chicken over cheese and chicken. Bake for 25-35min, or until chicken is done. That's it!! So easy, huh??? I'm serving this w/ some instant mashed potatoes (check out my tips on instant pots below...) so I can pour the gravy all over them--yum :), and some green beans. This one's a winner, kids. I guarantee it. Happy dinners!!!
Pointers on Instant Mashed Potatoes.....
I love to make instants potatoes--they are so easy! And I've learned to make them a little more delish: after you make the desired amount, add about 1/2 cup sour cream and 1/2 block cream cheese. Let them sit, covered, until they mix together smoothly. Now you've got yourself a home cooked meal :)
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Dinner Mar 1, 2011
Yikes!!! I just typed MARCH!! Wow--I cannot believe it's here. That much closer to the warmer weather :)))) I'd like to give a shout-out to my newest follower----Hope you're ready for some de-LIGHT-ful dishes :)
We've still got our fam in town and we're going out tonight, but I wanted to leave you with a meal. Tonight I bring you a tried-and-true: Sloppy Joes. Now, let me tell you, I have not always been a fan of sloppy joes. To say the least, I don't like them. I've tried countless recipes and am never satisfied. I'm just not that into them ;) But my fam (mainly my hubby) loooooooves them, so I try to accommodate. I make them on nights when I'm not going to be home for dinner--he he :) It's actually gotten to where he said, 'It seems like we have sloppy joes every time you have book club'. Well--yeah! So, back to the story---I found this recipe from http://www.bettycrocker.com/ and fell in love with it. I mean, I'll be standing at the stove stirring this, getting ready to leave the house and I'll find myself eating sloppy joes by the spoonful! I've since started making them on nights I'm home :)
I've adjusted this recipe a bit from the original, and it is yumm-ers! I hope you all enjoy!!!
Sloppy Joes
1 lb ground beef
1 T garlic, minced (again, from the jar)
1/2 onion, chopped
1 can tomato sauce
3 T ketchup
2 T sugar
3 T Worcestershire sauce
2 T white vinegar
1-2 T hot sauce
salt and pepper
4-6 hamburger buns
Brown beef, garlic and onions; drain. Add sauce, ketchup, sugar, W sauce, vinegar, hot sauce and salt and pepper. Stir and cook for about 5min, allowing flavors to come together. Adjust vinegar and hot sauce to taste. Serve on buns and enjoy!!
I usually serve this with chips and some cheese slices. It's a perfect feel-like-you're-a-kid meal :) Happy eating all!!!
We've still got our fam in town and we're going out tonight, but I wanted to leave you with a meal. Tonight I bring you a tried-and-true: Sloppy Joes. Now, let me tell you, I have not always been a fan of sloppy joes. To say the least, I don't like them. I've tried countless recipes and am never satisfied. I'm just not that into them ;) But my fam (mainly my hubby) loooooooves them, so I try to accommodate. I make them on nights when I'm not going to be home for dinner--he he :) It's actually gotten to where he said, 'It seems like we have sloppy joes every time you have book club'. Well--yeah! So, back to the story---I found this recipe from http://www.bettycrocker.com/ and fell in love with it. I mean, I'll be standing at the stove stirring this, getting ready to leave the house and I'll find myself eating sloppy joes by the spoonful! I've since started making them on nights I'm home :)
I've adjusted this recipe a bit from the original, and it is yumm-ers! I hope you all enjoy!!!
Sloppy Joes
1 lb ground beef
1 T garlic, minced (again, from the jar)
1/2 onion, chopped
1 can tomato sauce
3 T ketchup
2 T sugar
3 T Worcestershire sauce
2 T white vinegar
1-2 T hot sauce
salt and pepper
4-6 hamburger buns
Brown beef, garlic and onions; drain. Add sauce, ketchup, sugar, W sauce, vinegar, hot sauce and salt and pepper. Stir and cook for about 5min, allowing flavors to come together. Adjust vinegar and hot sauce to taste. Serve on buns and enjoy!!
I usually serve this with chips and some cheese slices. It's a perfect feel-like-you're-a-kid meal :) Happy eating all!!!
Chicken Sandwich Review...
The verdict is in....we loved 'em!!! So here's how things went down.....
I planned this recipe over a week ago, then got a call saying my wonderful fam from CO was coming into town for a few days. Hooray!! But now I needed more chicken. I happened to find some in my freezer (yes, I really did stumble across it; I don't normally keep chicken thighs in my freezer for 'that one-time occasion'). So I thrown everything in the crock pot yesterday morn. When I went to check it later that afternoon I realized half of my chicken had bones in it!!! So a little while later after I pick out the bones I get all of the chicken back into the pot and let it sit all afternoon. Then we sat down and had it w/ the blue cheese and I added some ranch--it was awesome!! Everyone loved it! Needless to say--it'll be on the repeat list! I hope your sandwiches went as well as ours.
I wish you the best and we'll talk again tomorrow :)
I planned this recipe over a week ago, then got a call saying my wonderful fam from CO was coming into town for a few days. Hooray!! But now I needed more chicken. I happened to find some in my freezer (yes, I really did stumble across it; I don't normally keep chicken thighs in my freezer for 'that one-time occasion'). So I thrown everything in the crock pot yesterday morn. When I went to check it later that afternoon I realized half of my chicken had bones in it!!! So a little while later after I pick out the bones I get all of the chicken back into the pot and let it sit all afternoon. Then we sat down and had it w/ the blue cheese and I added some ranch--it was awesome!! Everyone loved it! Needless to say--it'll be on the repeat list! I hope your sandwiches went as well as ours.
I wish you the best and we'll talk again tomorrow :)
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