Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Little Italy

This is so simple and an easy weeknight dinner. Chicken Manicotti has been reinvented!

Ingredients:

  • Chicken breasts
  • Manicotti noodles
  • Favorite spaghetti sauce
  • Mozzarella cheese, shredded
Pour a layer of spaghetti sauce into the bottom of a 9x13 pan and preheat the oven to 350.Stuff sliced raw chicken breasts into the manicotti shells, careful to not break shells. Place the shells on top of spaghetti sauce and cover with another layer. Top with mozzarella cheese. Bake for 45-50 min and enjoy. If the cheese starts browning too much, you can cover with foil and finish baking.

Hope you enjoy and Happy Cooking!

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Mexican for the College Student

I can't take credit for this one. Isaac came up with this recipe about a year ago and it is a favorite during Sunday night football.

Cook the onion until tender then add in your chopped chicken. Make sure the chicken is cooked all the way through. While the chicken is cooking, heat 3 UncleBen's Spanish style rice in the microwave. Once they are done, place in the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Top with chicken and onion. Add diced jalapeno or pablano peppers. (or both) Top with Tostino Cheese Dip and Mexican blend cheese and bake for 30 min on 350.

No picture today but I have to assure you it is wonderful to eat. Try your own combinations of flavors. Happy Cooking!

Monday, February 15, 2010

BBQ Sauce from Heaven!

This is one of my favorite things ever! It is great on chicken, ribs, pork, and anything else you can think of!

It's so simple too. Equal parts Vinegar, Brown Sugar, and Ketchup. Add a dash of yellow Mustard and some Red Pepper flakes. Thats it! Heat on stove so the brown sugar is melted. The long it sits the spicier it will get.

For the ribs, cook at a low temp, 250-275 for 3-4 hours until tender. Mix up the BQ sauce and put on the grill to heat back up and put on the sauce. Fall of the bone ribs!

Check back for the BBQ Pulled Chicken recipe! It's coming soon.

Happy Cooking!

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

For the Junk Food Craving

I always want junk food after I have started a diet. Here is a super easy chicken nugget that it is healthy.

All you need is Oven Fry Chicken and chicken! Two ingredients. Start by preheating the oven to 350. While the oven is warming cut the chicken into bite size pieces and toss in Oven Fry. If the chicken has started drying, just run under water before tossing in Oven Fry. I use a stone to bake them on, but if you don't have one, just use any dish with a lip around it. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the nugget is white all the way through.

Hope you enjoy! Happy Cooking!

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Blueberry Pineapple Dump Cake...Yum

Even though there is a short time that blueberries are in season in NC, I love this dessert all year long! There are a lot of variations to this recipe but this one is my favorite. Blueberry Pineapple :)

Use a 9x13 pan and put blueberries in the bottom, covering. Add a can of pineapple on top. Top with yellow cake mix and a stick of butter cut into small pieces. bake at 375 for 35-40 minutes.

Easy enough? I thought so! Go out and try your favorite fruit combinations. The options are limitless.

Happy Cooking!

P.S. this is a weight watchers recipe if you count points, each serving is 7 points.

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Chicken Parm

I had a roommate that tried to make chicken parm and the recipe was so hard and confusing. I wanted to find another way to fix the great meal and still be easy and quick. Well here it is.

Ingredients:
Chicken breasts
Oven Fry Chicken
Pasta sauce
Spagetti noodles
Mozzarella cheese
Parmesan cheese

Take as many chicken breasts as you need to feed everyone in your party. Coat these in Oven Fry Chicken and cook according to the box. While the chicken is in the oven, boil your water and cook the pasta. Once the chicken and pasta are done put the pasta in the bottom of a 9x13 pan with the chicken on top and cover with your favorite pasta sauce. Put cheese on top and cook at 350 until the cheese has melted.

Hope you enjoy this recipe and it's simplicity. Happy cooking!

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Light Pizza???

Today this is what I have wanted all day long, knowing that since I splurged on it this weekend it wasn't an option. I think pizza is one of the only things that I crave and that I could eat everyday. But now there is a lighter version thats not so bad.

Start by toasting the the Flat Out at 350 for 15 minutes. Once it is toasted, add pizza sauce and 16 pepperonis and cover with cheese. Then put back in the oven until cheese is melted. I can't remember how many points this is in Weight Watchers but it is a small number and great for lunch or dinner.

If you don't want or have time to toast the Flat Out, I like rolling it up like a wrap. Could be a little messy with the sauce.

Flat Outs are normally found in the deli section of most major grocery stores.

Try your own topping combinations and I hope you enjoy as much as I have! Happy Cooking!

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Need Dinner Quick?

I love easy, quick recipes. This is also a favorite of most people I make it for. It could be just as big a hit for you as it for me.

To make this even faster you can boil the chicken the night before and have it cooled in the refrigerator or use a rotisseries. So here is it. My friend who introduced the recipe to me has coined this Chicken Ring and it has stuck with my friends and family as well.

Ingredients:

  • 4 chicken breasts, boiled and shredded
  • 1/2 c Mayonaise
  • Swiss Cheese, shredded
  • Dijon Mustard
  • Bacon Bits
  • Parsley
  • 2 cans Crescent rolls
Start by mixing chicken with mayo to make it stick together then about 1Tbsp of Dijon Mustard. Add in bacon bits to taste as well as Swiss Cheese. (I have tried this with other cheeses and it just isn't as good, but feel free to try new combinations) Add parsley for color. 

This part works better on a stone pizza dish, but if you don't have one of these any round flat dish will work. Next roll out crescent rolls into a sun design adding filling into each large end of the crescent roll.


Finish by rolling the narrow end on top of the filling and baking for 12- 15 on 350.

Hope you enjoy as much as I do!  Happy cooking!

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

A Sweet Treat for Your Valentine

I'm trying to get a head start on the recipes for Valentine's Day. Here is one of my favorite little bite size desserts. These little balls are very versatile, my favorite are Red Velvet Cake and Oreo.

Use you favorite box cake mix and bake the cake according to the box. Once the cake is cooled crumble the cake and add in your favorite icing.

For Red Velvet I recommend Cream Cheese Frosting. Once that is combined, roll mixture into small balls and freeze.

While the balls are in the freezer melt Almond Bark or other white chocolate baking chocolate. I use white chocolate for both Red Velvet and oreo.

For the Oreo balls, crush the oreos in a bag. For this one you will need 8 oz of Cream cheese. Once the cookies are crushed, add the cream cheese, mix and roll these into balls and freeze. Once in the freezer melt your Almond bark and dip the balls and set aside to let them harden.

These are a wonderful treat for any occasion! Isaac took these this past Christmas as gifts for my family. They were a bigger hit than any of the other gifts! Try these out and use your favorite cake.

Other suggestions are Funfetti or German Chocolate. Happy cooking!

Monday, February 1, 2010

Breakfast in Bed Anyone?

My family has coined this recipe as the Breakfast Casserole. There are many forms of this wonderful casserole, and I might be biased but ours is the best. Feel free to try and out and tell me what you think.

This is a favorite of many people that I have shared it with. Isaac asked for this about every other time I see him.

This is a super simple recipe that is hard to mess up for those new to cooking.

Ingredients:

2 eggs, beaten
1lb sausage
2 cans crescent rolls
2 c shredded sharp cheddar cheese.

Preheat oven according to crescent roll directions. Start by browning your sausage, this could be done the night before if you are pressed for time in the morning. In a large bowl mix together your beaten eggs, sausage and cheddar cheese. Roll out one can of crescent rolls into the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. (I find glass or stoneware works better than metal) Add you sausage mixture and top with the second can of crescent rolls. Bake 15-20 minutes or until top is golden brown. If the top looks like it is getting too brown and the bottom needs more time, you can cover with aluminum foil.

I hope you enjoy this as much as me and mine. Happy cooking!

My New Favorite Toy

I found these at Williams-Sonoma and I have fallen in love! They could be used for so many occasions, and believe me I plan to use them too!

First on the list, special Valentine's Day cookies personalized just for me!

Happy cooking!

Perfect Pick for the Superbowl

This is one of my favorite football foods. It brings back memories of watching the football with my family and the neighbors from years ago.

Ingredients:


  • 1lb lean hamburger
  • 2lb Velveeta cheese, cubed
  • 1 jar of your favorite salsa
  • jalapenos to taste


Start by browning your hamburger and draining the grease off. Mix in salsa and cubed Velveeta cheese. This can be made on the stove or in a crock pot. (If in the crock pot, a liner is recommended.) Add jalapenos either diced or rings to taste. These can also be added in after for those who like it a little more spicy.

I know I can't wait to make this next weekend for our Superbowl party! Have fun and enjoy. Happy cooking!