Mediterranean Chicken

In case you haven't noticed, I've been tailoring some of my recipes based on ingredients I get from my couponing excursions.  Knorr recipe mixes are one of the things I've been getting pretty cheap, so although I don't normally cook with them, it's been worth my while to experiment with them.  Here's a chicken recipe that I threw together for dinner. It was moist and flavorful, and a cinch to throw in the oven!

Mediterranean Baked Chicken

4 frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts**
1 pkg, Knorr Vegetable recipe mix
1/2 cup dry red wine
2 cups water

In 2-quart baking dish, arrange chicken breasts in one layer.  Mix together wine, recipe mix, and water.  Pour over the chicken breasts and bake covered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, and uncovered for another 30 minutes.

**Of course you could use fresh chicken and I encourage it!  But you'll have to adjust the cooking time, so please take that into account when baking!

Croque Sarah

Ever heard of a croque monsieur?  Well, I couldn't call this "my version of a croque monsieur" because although it was the inspiration, it's also really quite different.  What else is it?  Delicious! 

Croque Sarah

2 slices sourdough bread
2 slices black forest ham
2 slices gouda cheese (not smoked)
2 Tbsp. fig jam
1 egg
1/8 cup milk
pinch nutmeg
1/2 tsp dijon mustard

Build your sandwich by spreading the fig jam on one slice of bread.  Pile on the ham and gouda and top with the other slice of bread.  Whisk together the egg, milk, mustard, and nutmeg in a wide-mouthed bowl.  Prepare a skillet by spraying it liberally with cooking spray, and heat to medium.  Carefully dip the sandwich into the egg mixture on both sides, french-toast style, and place into the skillet.  Cook on each side for about 5 minutes, until golden brown.  Serve warm.

Avocado Goat Cheese Dip

Avocado is one of my newly acquired tastes that I love.  I didn't used to like them at all, but somehow nowadays I find them to be pretty great!  They were on sale this week for Cinco de Mayo, and here's one of the things I did with them.  (My favorite way to eat them is sliced on toast with a little salsa or taco sauce.)

Avocado Goat Cheese Dip

2 ripe avocados
4 oz. fresh goat cheese
1 T. lime juice
1 T. taco sauce (I like Pace)

Scoop out the delicious avocado flesh into a food processor or blender with the lime juice and taco sauce.  Crumble the goat cheese into the food processor (if you do it in one big chunk it won't blend up well).  Blend until smooth!  I personally added a little more lime juice because I love lime, but taste it this way first and add more if you prefer.

Yep, it's that simple.  And delicious. :)

Freezer Quiche

This week is freezer clean-out meal week in our house.  Our chest freezer has a knack for hiding things at the bottom, and I try not to let anything go to waste if I can help it!  This week I'm trying to use up some of the things I have in the freezer, and this is what I've come up with.  Enjoy!

Freezer Quiche

Crust:

1.5 cups baking mix

1/4 cup butter

2 T. boiling water

In small bowl, mix baking mix & butter until well blended. (I pulsed it in my food processor.) Add boiling water and stir vigorously until dough forms.  Press dough evenly into 9-inch pie plate.

Filling:

6 slices cooked bacon, crumbled

5 oz frozen broccoli florets (1/2 a bag), chopped

1/2 cup spreadable cheese with garlic & herbs (I used Alouette)

4 eggs

3/4 cup milk

pinch cayenne

Sprinkle bacon and broccoli evenly in the bottom of the crust.  Whisk together eggs, milk, cheese and cayenne.  Pour over bacon mixture.  Bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes.  

*You could also use spinach or asparagus too!
** You can totally use store bought crust too, but this one was pretty good! 

Chili Casserole

This is a great way to use leftover chili, or if you need a quick weeknight meal, the canned version will do all right as well.

Chili Casserole

2.5-3 cups leftover or canned chili (leftover chili always tastes better after a couple days anyway!)
2 cups peeled & diced potatoes
1/4 cup reduced fat sour cream
2 T. butter, melted
1/2 cup whole kernel corn
1 cup shredded cheddar

Mix together potatoes, melted butter and sour cream.  Pour in the bottom of a 2-qt baking dish (I used a 7x11).  Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes.  Sprinkle corn on top, then pour/spread chili over the potatoes & corn.  Bake 20 more minutes.  Top with cheese and bake another 10 minutes until melted and bubbly.

Enjoy!

Hearty Beef Stew

Yet another recipe where the magical slow cooker does the work.  What's not to love?  I actually went through several recipes before just deciding to adapt several ideas into the one combination that I liked.  Add some yummy bread for dunking and enjoy!

Hearty Beef Stew

2-2.5 lbs cubed rump roast, or stew meat
3 medium yellow potatoes
1/2 lb baby carrots
1/4 cup flour
3 cans chicken broth, approx. 5 cups (I know, I know... but I don't like beef broth.)
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
2 Tbsp. Worchestershire sauce
2 cloves minced garlic
2 t. onion powder
2 t. dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup frozen spinach
salt & pepper to taste

Mix together meat, potatoes, carrots and flour in slow cooker.  Separately mix together broth, tomato paste, Worchestershire sauce, garlic, onion powder, thyme, salt and pepper.  Pour broth mixture over the meat mixture.  Add bay leaf and cook on low 8 hours.  Add peas and spinach, continue cooking on low another hour.  (Make sure to take out the bay leaf at the end before serving!)

Easter Leftovers - Creamy Ham Casserole

'Tis the season for ham casserole, yes?  Well here's mine and it was super yummy!  Hope you still have enough ham leftover for this one!

Creamy Ham Casserole

2 cups diced ham

4 yellow potatoes (medium-ish)

1/2 bag frozen peas

1/4 cup butter

1/3 cup flour

1 3/4 cup milk

1/4 cup Miracle Whip (you could probably use mayo, but it will taste a little different)

1/2 tsp onion powder

salt & pepper to taste

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

2-3 Tbsp. panko bread crumbs (you can use regular, but panko are far better!)

Set oven to preheat at 350 degrees.  Mix together ham, peas and potatoes, set aside.  Melt butter in saucepan.  Whisk most of the flour in, until it becomes a thick paste.  Whisk in 3/4 cup milk, then add the rest of the flour.  Whisk in the rest of the milk, then the Miracle Whip and seasonings, and cook an additional 2-3 minutes until the sauce begins to thicken.  Stir into ham mixture and pour into baking dish.  Top with cheese and panko.  Bake covered for 25 minutes, then bake uncovered for another 10-15 minutes, until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly.

Enjoy!