Winner, Winner Chicken Dinner

Ok, so I found this recipe on Pinterest and it looked too easy and too good to be true.  But never one to shy away from trying something new, I took the plunge.  Holy Cow, it was soooo good!  You have 5 ingredients and you could really tailor it to your family's tastes if you wanted to!  Are you in suspense?  The 5 ingredients are chicken, green beans, potatoes, Italian salad dressing packet and butter.  Of course, anything with butter is a good bet in my book!  (But I didn't actually use butter, I used some of my stick margarine.  Still turned out yummy!)  You can also substitute other veggies for the green beans.  I for one think it would be amazing with carrots or broccoli, but my family would beg to differ!

Chicken Dinner

4-6 chicken breast (about 1 1/2 lbs)
green beans ( I  used frozen)
potatoes, cubed ( I only used 2 but you can do more)
1 packet of dry Italian dressing mix
1 stick of butter or margarine, melted

Place chicken in a greased 9x13 pan.  Arrange green beans on one side and potatoes on the other.  Sprinkle dressing mix over all.  Pour melted butter over all.  Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. 



Originally from savings-makes-cents.com

Dorito Taco Salad

Ok, so I saw someone on Pinterest pinned a Dortio Taco Salad recipe.  I was curious because I have a favorite recipe and I wanted to see if it was the same.  It wasn't!  So, that got me to thinking that I haven't shared our recipe (our being my college roommate, Crystal's recipe that I stole from her!).  Let's just say that we started eating this Taco salad in the summer of 2005.  How do I remember this?  Well, I was pregnant with number 2 and wasn't able to keep anything down, but boy I had like 3 or 4 helpings of this and it stayed down!  Score!  All of you that have been pregnant and had morning sickness know that when you find a food that not only tastes great but stays put, you have a winner!  So we started having this salad every summer!  Why only the summers, you ask?  Well, because my bestest friend and roommate all 4 years of college (quite a feat!  She is a real saint!) lost her heart to a guy from Maui.  And they moved out there!  I am still a little confused on why one would want to leave Kansas and live in Hawaii.  Oh, well, to each his own!  (In case you missed it, that would be sarcasm!  I totally get it!  Hubby lived there for 4 years and we have talked about living there when our kiddos are adults!)  Anywho, she comes back to Kansas each summer and somehow we just started eating this each summer!  Of course, now I can't remember if we had it this past summer or not...If we didn't, then we will have to have to have it twice this summer!  Oh, I am starving just thinking about it!   It is so yummy! 

Dorito Taco Salad

20 oz ground turkey (you may need to double, I am not kidding it is awesome!)
garlic clove, minced (you may want less or more depending on your love of garlic)
Doritos
Kidney beans, rinsed and drained (you do not cook these! and you can use black beans as well)
lettuce (any variety, really yor personal preference here!)
shredded cheese (again your preference!)
Sour Cream
Salsa
any other toppings you wish to make this yummy to you (diced tomatoes, olives, etc....)
catalina salad dressing

Brown the turkey on the stovetop; add garlic while browning. 

Now the fun begins!  Start with a layer of chips, then a layer of lettuce, add the meat and beans.  Now you make it your own!  Sprinkle with cheese and anything else that sounds good!  But you cannot forget the catalina dressing!  It totally takes this to a whole other level! 

I hope you enjoy this as much as we do!  Makes me miss you, Crystal!  Funny how beans and chips will do that to a girl!!!

(I don't have a pic, but I will try to add one later!  I am making this next week!)

Dinner and a Dessert!

So it has been a while!  Christmas has come and gone and now it is a new year.  Guess that means I better do two recipes!  I was a busy bee yesterday!  I spent New Years Day painting a bedroom and I went to Zumba.  Then I came home and baked!  Yup, what else would one do on a cold day? 

Well I decided we were seriously lacking in the sweet department at this house, so I went to pinterest and pulled up my recipe for Monster Cookie Bars!  They were super easy and super delish!  I don't know that I will ever make the actual cookies again! I may or may not have even been eating on them this morning!  Hey, they do have oatmeal and peanut butter!  Those are good for you, right?  Anyway, once those babies popped out of the oven it was time for dinner to get started.

 Last night we had ultimate comfort food!  Creamy Chicken and Biscuits!  Three out of five of us had seconds.  And the other two are seriously lacking in taste!  What else could be the reason for not wanting seconds.  Anyway, I did add to the recipe, but that was after I saw that the original recipe had been added to!  It was so yummy.  I will post the original then you can all get crazy and experiment!  The changes I made were to use half mayo and half light sour cream.  Hubby doesn't like mayo and he was a little skeptical at first, but he was one that ended up going back for seconds...In fact, he cleaned out the remainder of the pan and took the leftovers for lunch today!  I also added frozen peas and frozen corn.  Ahhh, no need for sides.  Now everything is in the casserole!  I eyeballed the amounts so maybe 1 c of each.  Do as little or as much as you like.  I think carrots would be good in it too.  Then it becomes an awesome chicken pot pie! 

For your eating enjoyment, here are the recipes!

Monster Cookie Bars

1 stick butter
1 c sugar
1 c brown sugar
3 eggs
2 t baking soda
1 1/2 c creamy peanut butter
4 1/2 c quick cooking oats
1 12 oz package chocolate chips
1 12 oz bag M&Ms

Combine butter and sugars and mix well.  Add in eggs and baking soda and beat.  Mix in peanut butter and blend until smooth and creamy.  Now add one cup of oatmeal and stir by hand.  Repeat!  Add in chocolate chips and M&Ms.  Mix well.  Spread into a greased 9x13 pan and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.  Be sure to not overbake.  You want them to be soft! 



Original recipe from domesticatedduchess.blogspot.com


Creamy Chicken and Biscuits

1 sm onion (I used minced onions)
1 1/2 t. butter
2 lbs chopped, cooked chicken breast or thighs
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 c mayo (or half mayo and sour cream)
1 c milk
1/2 c chopped pimento
1 1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese
Refrigerated biscuits (I used the 10 count)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease an 11x7 baking dish.  Melt butter in small skillet.  Chop the onion and add to melted butter.  Saute until tender.  ( I skipped part entirely when I used minced onions and omitted the butter all together)  In a large bowl, mix together the soup, mayo, milk, pimento, cooked chicken and onion.  Pour into greased dish.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and sprinkle 1 c cheese over the mixture.  Arrange biscuits over the cheese.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Bake 20 minutes longer or until biscuits are golden brown. 



Original from www.food.com

Christmas Crack

Ok, so it isn't what you call Santa when his pants are falling down.  Nope, instead it is a highly addictive mix of Christmas goodies!  Think a cross between a bark and chex mix!  Only on steroids and way too easy to make.  I made a batch last Thursday and then whipped up another batch yesterday!  And once you eat one piece, you just have to eat another and another and another.  Yup, the dreaded slippery slope!  Hope you enjoy this as much as we do!

Christmas Crack

2 c cheerios (plain)
2 c chex (either rice or corn)
2 c peanuts
2 c square pretzels (but really I think any pretzel would do)
2 c M&Ms
2 bags white chips

Mix together first 5 ingredients in a large bowl.  Melt the white chips in the microwave.  I did 1 minute on high, then stirred.  Then I microwaved another  30 seconds on high and stirred.  You want to get it smooth and creamy.  Once this is done, pour it over the dry ingredients.  Stir to mix it up and get it all coated.  Spread out on aluminum foil and let set up.  Then break into pieces!



original from www.grouprecipes.com

French Dip Crescents

Ok, first I have to admit that I have been on a kick lately.  I mean Christmas is 10 days away so I had to make some goodies and then there is something about colder weather that just makes one feel like they have to bake and cook and get the extra padding on, right?  I hope that isn't just me!  Anyway, the other night I decided to try French Dip Crescents.  I should be upfront and say that we didn't actually do that French Dip part and half were made with ham!  But I will include the original recipe and you can tailor them to fit your family's likes!  So anyway, these little guys were super easy and super yummy.  The one that I made with ham smelled just like an Arby's Ham Melt.  So if that is what you like, go with the ham!  My daughter told me that these were the best dinner I had ever made!  Really, something so simple is what you like!  Sheesh, and here I had been making elaborate dish after elaborate dish trying to get that compliment!  Not really! 

French Dip Crescents

2 8 ct crescent rolls (I did used reduced fat)
1 lb deli roast beef thinly sliced (I used Hormel natural choice.  And really any deli meat will work)
4 oz of provolone or swiss cheese, cut into 16 equal pieces (I used sliced provolone and swiss)
optional: Horseradish sauce (I used mayo on some)
optional:  au jus sauce

Unroll crescents onto a large cookie sheet.  Spread small dab of horseradish on the crescent and place one piece of sandwich meat and cheese on top.  Roll up starting with the large end.  Bake at 375 degrees for 11-13 minutes or until golden brown. 





original recipe from www.mamalovesfood.com

Simply Great Chicken

Ok, saw this recipe and had to pin it.  I mean it had three ingredients one of which is the chicken.   And the combintion of the other two left me puzzled!  After I pinned it I had a friend comment on my pin asking me to make it.  Just FYI, I am a crazy Type A person in that if I pin something, I am going to make it.  I don't like my house cluttered with unused stuff and I don't like my virtual pin board cluttered with unused pins!  This chicken is so easy.  You just use the cut of meat that you like.  I used chicken thighs.  But if my sister, with a more refined palate, were here I would have to use breasts.   And if you are like my one friend ( I won't mention her name!  But she is my favorite Y instructor!) who loathes lengthy recipes and more than two or three spices, this recipe is right up your alley!  Don't worry about the taste either.  All my peeps gobbled it up!  Even my PB&J freak!  And hubby couldn't get enough!  So now that you are all dying to see this recipe.....


Simply Great Chicken

3 lbs chicken (thighs, breasts, drumsticks)
1/2 c brown sugar
1 packet dried Italian dressing mix (.6-.7 oz)


Grease a 9x13 baking dish.  Load that sucker down, because your sugar will carmelize and if you don't get it covered you are going to be scraping the heck out of the pan!  (You could also line the pan with foil and then spray it, but I hate making the trip all the way to the trash to throw the foil out!)  Combine the sugar and dressing mix in a bowl.  Press chicken into the mixture to coat it well.  Place coated chicken in the greased pan.  Sprinkle any leftover sugar mixture on top of chicken,  Bake for 50-60 minutes.  I did turn it once during the baking process, but that is entirely up to you!

Originally from www.foodforahungrysoul.blogspot.com

Strawberry Brownies!

Hmm, the name alone intrigued me.  Strawberry brownies?  Isn't the name kind of an oxymoron?  I mean aren't brownies all about ooey gooey chocolate?  Apparently not.  These little gems are super easy and really quite tasty.  I made these last night for dinner with some friends, and we ate almost the whole 9x13 pan.  I do have to admit that when I did the glaze I forgot the amounts, so we were scraping excess glaze off our brownies.  Which then got us to talking about how to make these even better!  Of course, we all agreed chocolate would make these even better!  I will be experimenting with these in the future so keep your eyes open!  Anyway, these are super delicious the way they are now!  Hope you all enjoy them! 

Strawberry Brownies

1 box strawberry cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 c oil

Mix above ingredients.  Spread into a greased 9x13 pan.  (will be super thick)  Bake at 350 degrees for 14 minutes. 

Glaze

1 c powdered sugar
 1 1/2 T milk or water

Mix above ingredients and pour over warm brownies.