The Recipe:
Originally from southernfood.com.
What You Need:
2 T butter
1 onion, peeled and chopped
3 stalks celery, trimmed and chopped
2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
8 oz deli ham (such as this), chopped
1 clove garlic, minced (optional)
1 qt (32 oz) vegetable broth
4-5 C diced potatoes (about 4 large ones)
1 C heavy cream
3 T flour
1 additional C cream (or whole milk or half&half)
2-3 C cooked broccoli (optional)
Your Turn:
Melt 2 T butter in large saucepan. I used my largest stockpot.
Add onion, celery, carrots, and ham.
Cook, stirring frequently, until onions are tender (about 5 minutes).
Add garlic and cook another minute.
Add broth, and some additional water if it seems needed, and the potatoes. Cook about 25 minutes, until potatoes are tender.
Whisk the flour into the heavy cream until smooth. Stir into hot soup.
Stir in the additional cup of cream or milk.
Taste and then add salt/pepper as desired.
Using a potato masher, mash slightly to thicken.
If desired, add cooked broccoli and cook until heated through.
Serve with shredded cheddar cheese or sliced green onion.
Thursday, February 19, 2015
Monday, February 16, 2015
Salsa Chicken Skillet
The Recipe:
I have a recipe card labeled "Spicy Ricey" in my recipe box. I know I first made it shortly after we were married and I was experimenting with things and must have given it this weird name. The recipe has ground turkey instead of the chicken breasts, so you could try it that way instead, but I thought it was great like this. It's super-duper easy.
What You Need:
about 1 lb chicken breasts (I used 4 frozen breasts), cooked with taco seasoning
about 4 C cooked white rice (I cooked together 3 C water and 1.5 C dry rice)
1 16 oz jar salsa
1 can whole kernel corn
1 can black beans
Your Turn:
I cooked my chicken in the crockpot with my go-to taco/chili seasoning (found here) mixed in. You could bake it, if that's easier for you, or cook it in your skillet before following the instructions below. The key is to give it some flavor while it cooks.
In a large skillet combine cooked chicken, can of corn, can of beans, jar of salsa, and cooked rice. Mix well. Cover and let simmer on low 20 minutes or until warm throughout.
Serve with shredded cheese, tortilla chips, or chopped black olives.
I have a recipe card labeled "Spicy Ricey" in my recipe box. I know I first made it shortly after we were married and I was experimenting with things and must have given it this weird name. The recipe has ground turkey instead of the chicken breasts, so you could try it that way instead, but I thought it was great like this. It's super-duper easy.
What You Need:
about 1 lb chicken breasts (I used 4 frozen breasts), cooked with taco seasoning
about 4 C cooked white rice (I cooked together 3 C water and 1.5 C dry rice)
1 16 oz jar salsa
1 can whole kernel corn
1 can black beans
Your Turn:
I cooked my chicken in the crockpot with my go-to taco/chili seasoning (found here) mixed in. You could bake it, if that's easier for you, or cook it in your skillet before following the instructions below. The key is to give it some flavor while it cooks.
In a large skillet combine cooked chicken, can of corn, can of beans, jar of salsa, and cooked rice. Mix well. Cover and let simmer on low 20 minutes or until warm throughout.
Serve with shredded cheese, tortilla chips, or chopped black olives.
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
Zuppa Toscana: CrockPot Recipe
The Recipe:
Found online somewhere... it's supposed to be an Olive Garden knockoff, but Pete says it's better than Olive Garden.
What You Need:
1 lb italian sausage, browned
4-6 russet potatoes, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 T minced garlic (optional)
32 oz chicken broth
1 C kale, chopped
1 C heavy cream
2 T flour
Your Turn:
Put sausage, potatoes, onion, garlic, and broth in crock pot. Add a bit of water if needed to cover everything. Cook on low 5-6 hours.
Shorty before serving, whisk flour into cream in small bowl. Add to crock pot. Add kale to crock pot. Mix well. Turn to high and cook 30 minutes. Add salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste.
Found online somewhere... it's supposed to be an Olive Garden knockoff, but Pete says it's better than Olive Garden.
What You Need:
1 lb italian sausage, browned
4-6 russet potatoes, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 T minced garlic (optional)
32 oz chicken broth
1 C kale, chopped
1 C heavy cream
2 T flour
Your Turn:
Put sausage, potatoes, onion, garlic, and broth in crock pot. Add a bit of water if needed to cover everything. Cook on low 5-6 hours.
Shorty before serving, whisk flour into cream in small bowl. Add to crock pot. Add kale to crock pot. Mix well. Turn to high and cook 30 minutes. Add salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste.
Saturday, April 12, 2014
Saus-ellini Alfredo
The Recipe: Inspired by an ad in Real Simple magazine for Hillshire Farms sausage in which the recipe for Chicken Alfredo is modified to show how much easier it is to cook with sausage. I fell for it. And it turned out to be totally completely true.
The Food: Sausage, tortellini, and alfredo sauce. That's pretty much all there is to it.
What You Need:
2 T butter
1 package of beef smoked sausage (this is a good choice)
1 jar alfredo sauce (I like Classico brand, specifically the Roasted Red Pepper variety)
1 family size package of dried quick-cooking tortellini (I used Barilla)
Your Turn:
Cook the tortellini in a large pot of water, according to directions on the package.
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
Chop the sausage into 1/4 inch thick medallions. Add to skillet and saute about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned.
Pour jar of alfredo sauce over sausage and stir to combine. Turn heat to low and let simmer until tortellini is done.
Add tortellini to the skillet and stir gently to combine. Let cook another 5 minutes to blend flavors.
Optional: You can dump everything into a casserole dish and pop it in the oven at about 300. This worked for me because the meal was done before we were ready to eat it. The oven kept it ready-to-eat until we were ready.
Serve with chilled caesar salads.
The Food: Sausage, tortellini, and alfredo sauce. That's pretty much all there is to it.
What You Need:
2 T butter
1 package of beef smoked sausage (this is a good choice)
1 jar alfredo sauce (I like Classico brand, specifically the Roasted Red Pepper variety)
1 family size package of dried quick-cooking tortellini (I used Barilla)
Your Turn:
Cook the tortellini in a large pot of water, according to directions on the package.
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
Chop the sausage into 1/4 inch thick medallions. Add to skillet and saute about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned.
Pour jar of alfredo sauce over sausage and stir to combine. Turn heat to low and let simmer until tortellini is done.
Add tortellini to the skillet and stir gently to combine. Let cook another 5 minutes to blend flavors.
Optional: You can dump everything into a casserole dish and pop it in the oven at about 300. This worked for me because the meal was done before we were ready to eat it. The oven kept it ready-to-eat until we were ready.
Serve with chilled caesar salads.
Thursday, April 10, 2014
Lemon-Dill Chicken with Roasted Broccoli & Cauliflower
The Recipe: Lemon-Dill Chicken is a recipe from this cookbook. The Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower is my own improvisation.
The Food: Serve this with two boxes of 5-minute Parmesan Couscous for a complete meal. Also makes wonderful leftovers.
What You Need:
about 1-2 C each of chopped broccoli and cauliflower
olive oil
Season-All (or any seasoned salt)
1/4 C butter
1 package (about 1 lb) chicken tenderloins
1/2 C chicken broth or white wine
1/2 tsp dried dill weed
1 T lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
Your Turn:
Chop some broccoli and cauliflower into small florets totaling about 3 cups.
Spread evenly on a cookie sheet.
Drizzle with olive oil and then sprinkle with Season-All.
Place on top rack in oven at 375.
Melt 1/4 C butter in a large skillet.
Add 1 lb raw chicken tenderloins and cook until lightly browned.
Mix 1/2 C chicken broth with 1/2 tsp dried dill, 1 T lemon juice, and 1/4 tsp salt. Pour over chicken. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 10-15 minutes, turning once or twice so that both sides get golden brown. I like mine to be almost crispy on the outsides.
Check on your vegetables in the oven. Stir them gently with a wooden spoon. Push on a piece or two with the spoon. They should be softening.
Turn the heat down on your chicken. It's probably almost done.
Prepare your couscous according to the package instructions.
When the vegetables are done, remove them from the oven and serve with chicken and couscous.
The Food: Serve this with two boxes of 5-minute Parmesan Couscous for a complete meal. Also makes wonderful leftovers.
What You Need:
about 1-2 C each of chopped broccoli and cauliflower
olive oil
Season-All (or any seasoned salt)
1/4 C butter
1 package (about 1 lb) chicken tenderloins
1/2 C chicken broth or white wine
1/2 tsp dried dill weed
1 T lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
Your Turn:
Chop some broccoli and cauliflower into small florets totaling about 3 cups.
Spread evenly on a cookie sheet.
Drizzle with olive oil and then sprinkle with Season-All.
Place on top rack in oven at 375.
Melt 1/4 C butter in a large skillet.
Add 1 lb raw chicken tenderloins and cook until lightly browned.
Mix 1/2 C chicken broth with 1/2 tsp dried dill, 1 T lemon juice, and 1/4 tsp salt. Pour over chicken. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 10-15 minutes, turning once or twice so that both sides get golden brown. I like mine to be almost crispy on the outsides.
Check on your vegetables in the oven. Stir them gently with a wooden spoon. Push on a piece or two with the spoon. They should be softening.
Turn the heat down on your chicken. It's probably almost done.
Prepare your couscous according to the package instructions.
When the vegetables are done, remove them from the oven and serve with chicken and couscous.
Monday, April 7, 2014
Grande Tostada
The Recipe: From this cookbook, Pillsbury's Annual Recipes 2009
The Food: It's sort of like a taco pizza. It's a lot like the Taco Casserole I make, actually.
What You Need:
1 lb ground beef or turkey
2 T taco/chili seasoning (I keep a jar of the seasoning mix from this recipe handy. It works great for anything that needs some spicing up. If you don't want to mix your own seasoning mixture, you can use 2 T from a packet of chili or taco seasoning mix.)
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
1 can (4 oz) green chiles, drained
1 can refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
1 C refried beans
1 C shredded mozzarella
1-2 C chopped lettuce
1/4 C chopped black olives
1/2 C chopped tomato
sour cream
Your Turn:
Brown 1 lb ground meat in a large skillet.
Drain fat.
Add 2 T taco seasoning, 8 oz tomato sauce, and 4 oz green chiles.
Cook until hot and bubbly. Reduce heat and simmer about five minutes.
Heat oven to 400.
Remove biscuits from tube and press into a lightly greased pizza pan so that they cover the bottom of the pan. The tube I used had 8 biscuits so I placed one in the middle and used the rest to circle it.
Spread 1 C refried beans over the crust you've created.
Top with meat mixture.
Bake 16-20 minutes, until edges of crust are golden brown. Top with 1 C mozzarella cheese as soon as you remove it from the oven.
Sprinkle lettuce, olives, and tomatoes on top. Serve with sour cream on the side.
The Food: It's sort of like a taco pizza. It's a lot like the Taco Casserole I make, actually.
What You Need:
1 lb ground beef or turkey
2 T taco/chili seasoning (I keep a jar of the seasoning mix from this recipe handy. It works great for anything that needs some spicing up. If you don't want to mix your own seasoning mixture, you can use 2 T from a packet of chili or taco seasoning mix.)
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
1 can (4 oz) green chiles, drained
1 can refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
1 C refried beans
1 C shredded mozzarella
1-2 C chopped lettuce
1/4 C chopped black olives
1/2 C chopped tomato
sour cream
Your Turn:
Brown 1 lb ground meat in a large skillet.
Drain fat.
Add 2 T taco seasoning, 8 oz tomato sauce, and 4 oz green chiles.
Cook until hot and bubbly. Reduce heat and simmer about five minutes.
Heat oven to 400.
Remove biscuits from tube and press into a lightly greased pizza pan so that they cover the bottom of the pan. The tube I used had 8 biscuits so I placed one in the middle and used the rest to circle it.
Spread 1 C refried beans over the crust you've created.
Top with meat mixture.
Bake 16-20 minutes, until edges of crust are golden brown. Top with 1 C mozzarella cheese as soon as you remove it from the oven.
Sprinkle lettuce, olives, and tomatoes on top. Serve with sour cream on the side.
Saturday, April 5, 2014
French Onion Beef
The Recipe: From this cookbook, Pillsbury's Annual Recipes from 2009.
The Food: Easy and hearty. Wonderful crock-pot meal for working mamas.
What You Need:
1 and 1/4 lb boneless beef round steak (I used a different cut of boneless steak)
1 package sliced mushrooms (8 oz) (optional)
1 large onion, sliced into half-rings
1 can condensed French onion soup
1 package herb stuffing mix
1/4 C melted butter
1 C shredded mozzarella cheese
Your Turn:
Cut the beef into several large pieces. Place half the pieces in the bottom of your crock pot.
Top with half of the onions and half of the mushrooms.
Add remaining pieces of beef, and top with remaining onions and mushrooms.
Pour 1 can condensed French onion soup over all.
Cook on low 8-10 hours.
When you get home from work, mix the stuffing mix with 1/4 C melted butter and 1/2 C liquid from the crock pot. Pour this mixture on top of what's already in the crock pot.
Increase heat to high and cook for 10 minutes.
Sprinkle 1 C shredded mozzarella on top and cover again to let it melt before serving.
Serve with salads.
The Food: Easy and hearty. Wonderful crock-pot meal for working mamas.
What You Need:
1 and 1/4 lb boneless beef round steak (I used a different cut of boneless steak)
1 package sliced mushrooms (8 oz) (optional)
1 large onion, sliced into half-rings
1 can condensed French onion soup
1 package herb stuffing mix
1/4 C melted butter
1 C shredded mozzarella cheese
Your Turn:
Cut the beef into several large pieces. Place half the pieces in the bottom of your crock pot.
Top with half of the onions and half of the mushrooms.
Add remaining pieces of beef, and top with remaining onions and mushrooms.
Pour 1 can condensed French onion soup over all.
Cook on low 8-10 hours.
When you get home from work, mix the stuffing mix with 1/4 C melted butter and 1/2 C liquid from the crock pot. Pour this mixture on top of what's already in the crock pot.
Increase heat to high and cook for 10 minutes.
Sprinkle 1 C shredded mozzarella on top and cover again to let it melt before serving.
Serve with salads.
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