Quick Tamale Pie from Just Plain Chicken

Quick Tamale Pie
(Printable Recipe)

1 polenta roll
9 oz southwestern chicken strips
1 15-oz can chili beans
1 cup mexican cheese blend
1/2 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
cilantro, sour cream and additional salsa for serving


Grease a 10-inch cast iron skillet (or 9-inch square pan) with a little olive oil. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350.

In a large bowl combine the chicken strips, corn kernels, salsa, chili beans (and their juice—just dump the can in) and spices. Stir well to combine.

Slice the polenta into 1/4th inch slices. Cover bottom of skillet with overlapping slices. Pour bean mixture on top. Top with cheese.

Cover and bake for 15 minutes then remove and bake for an additional 15 minutes uncovered. Serve with minced cilantro, sour cream and salsa.

Another Summer Salad

Marinated Cucumbers borrowed from Everyday Mom's Meals

2 large cucumbers
2 tsp salt
6 TBS sugar
2/3 c. white vinegar
1 tsp lemon extract

Wash and thinly slice the cucumbers. Combine rest of ingredients and marinate 3 hours or more. Salt and pepper to taste.

*NOTE* My mother in law and I both usually "eyeball" amounts in this recipe. But she did find out the tsp. of lemon extract is the perfect amount and I consulted Cooks.com for exact amounts to make it easier to follow.

Borrowed Salad

Borrowing this from Good Cheap Eats - and posting here so I can remember it.

1 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast tenders
1 Tablespoon Tabasco sauce
2 Tablespoons melted butter, cooled
1/2 Tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
mixed greens, spinach or torn romaine lettuce
2 ribs celery, chopped
grape tomatoes
Blue Cheese Dressing (recipe coming soon)
chopped green onion
chopped cilantro

Place the chicken breast tenders in a medium bowl. Drizzle the Tabasco sauce and butter over the tenders. Toss to coat. In a small bowl, combine the garlic powder, paprika, sea salt, and cayenne pepper. Sprinkle 1 to 2 Tablespoons over the chicken tenders, tossing to coat. Allow flavors to blend for 15 minutes before cooking on a hot grill. Allow cooked chicken to rest while you assemble the salad.

Layer mixed greens, grape tomatoes and chopped celery on each serving plate. Drizzle dressing over each salad. Garnish with green onion and cilantro. Top the salad with sliced chicken.

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

I haven't tried this one yet, but it got 5 star reviews on allrecipes.com

Ingredients
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Directions
In a large bowl, dissolve sugar in warm water. Sprinkle yeast over the top, and let stand for about 10 minutes, until foamy.
Stir the olive oil and salt into the yeast mixture, then mix in the whole wheat flour and 1 cup of the all-purpose flour until dough starts to come together. Tip dough out onto a surface floured with the remaining all-purpose flour, and knead until all of the flour has been absorbed, and the ball of dough becomes smooth, about 10 minutes. Place dough in an oiled bowl, and turn to coat the surface. Cover loosely with a towel, and let stand in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
When the dough is doubled, tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and divide into 2 pieces for 2 thin crust, or leave whole to make one thick crust. Form into a tight ball. Let rise for about 45 minutes, until doubled.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Roll a ball of dough with a rolling pin until it will not stretch any further. Then, drape it over both of your fists, and gently pull the edges outward, while rotating the crust. When the circle has reached the desired size, place on a well oiled pizza pan. Top pizza with your favorite toppings, such as sauce, cheese, meats, or vegetables.
Bake for 16 to 20 minutes (depending on thickness) in the preheated oven, until the crust is crisp and golden at the edges, and cheese is melted on the top.

Substitute all whole wheat flour and 2T honey for the sugar

Cream Cheese Chicken Bundles

Cream Cheese Chicken Bundles
{serves 4, but doubles/triples easily!}
3 oz. pkg softened cream cheese (I leave out on counter for awhile)
2 tbs melted butter
2 cups cooked diced chicken (or if time is short....canned chicken)
2 Tbs. milk
1 Tbs. chopped white or yellow onion
salt & pepper
8 oz. can crescent rolls
For topping:
More Melted Butter & Bread Crumbs
Directions:
Blend cream cheese and butter til smooth. Add milk and onion. Blend. Stir in chicken. Separate rolls into four rectangles. (press two crescent rolls together to make a seam in the middle of the rectangle).
Spoon 1/2 cup mixture into center of each rectangle. Pull up opposite corners and press to seal, then pull up remaining opposite corners and seal. Brush tops with melted butter and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Bake on cookie sheet @ 350 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes!

Mothers Ham Casserole


Mother's Ham Casserole Recipe
4-6 Servings
Prep: 35 min. Bake: 25 min.
35 25 60
Ingredients
2 cups cubed peeled potatoes
1 large carrot, sliced
2 celery ribs, chopped
3 cups water
2 cups cubed fully cooked ham
2 tablespoons chopped green pepper
2 teaspoons finely chopped onion
7 tablespoons butter, divided
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups milk
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup soft bread crumbs
Directions
In a saucepan, bring the potatoes, carrot, celery and water to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook about 15 minutes or until tender. Drain.
In a large skillet, saute the ham, green pepper and onion in 3 tablespoons butter until tender. Add to the potato mixture. Transfer to a greased 1-1/2-qt. baking dish.
In a large saucepan, melt the remaining butter; stir in flour until smooth. Gradually add the milk, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat; add cheese and stir until melted.
Pour over the ham mixture. Sprinkle with bread crumbs. Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 25-30 minutes or until heated through. Yield: 4-6 servings.
Nutritional Analysis: 1 cup equals 374 calories, 25 g fat (15 g saturated fat), 89 mg cholesterol, 1,208 mg sodium, 22 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 17 g protein.
Mother's Ham Casserole published in Country Woman March/April 2000,

Cheesy Chicken and Noodle Casserole

6 ounces medium noodles, cooked
1 (10 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted (lowfat)
2 cups cooked chicken, diced
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup sour cream (fat free)
1 dash pepper
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded, divided

Directions:
Prep Time: 10 mins

Total Time: 50 mins
1 Combine cooked noodles, chicken, soup, butter, sour cream, pepper and 3/4 cup of mozzarella cheese.
2 Mix well and put into a 2 quart casserole dish.
3 Bake covered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
4 Uncover and add remaining mozzarella cheese and bake 10 minutes more.


I added a can of mushrooms too.

Worth 11 points on weight watchers if you do 4 servings.

Lemondae Makin' Mama's soft chocolate chip cookies

The best soft chocolate chip cookies ever:
*mix in small bowl and set aside:
2 1/4 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
*combine and beat til smooth and creamy:
1 c. softened butter
1/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 pkg. vanilla instant pudding mix
2 eggs
*Add dry mixture to the creamed mixture and stir in one package of chocolate chips.
*Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto cookie sheets, and bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes.

Hubby's Mom's Meatballs

Super easy to make - but my mom's just won't do for hubby!

1 small jar grape jam
1 jar pizza sauce
ketchup

meatball mix - (I just prep my groundchuck like I would for meatloaf - same seasonings, crackers, and all)

Cook the meatballs. (You can also use premade frozen ones - but homemade are MUCH better). 400 in the oven for 20 minutes or so usually does it.

Toss everything into the crockpot on low for 6 hours. (use ketchup to taste) You can even throw in some little weenies if you'd like.

Casa Sausage Bella Alfredo

Okay I made up my own Italian dish tonight when I was craving my fave food from a local Italian restaurant. Super easy and it ended up very yummy.

Ingredients
bow tie pasta
alfredo sauce
pizza cheese
Italian sausage
baby bellas chopped

Brown sausge and cook pasta as instructed. Once sausage is browned drain grease if there is any and add bellas to cook. Strain pasta reserving a half a cup for later. Toss pasta with cooked saussage and bella mixture. Then add jar of alfredo - use reserved water to get all the alfredo sauce out of jar by shaking it with water in it. Cook for another 15 minutes until sauce is warmed through.

Bacon and Egg Toast Cups

I copied this from Farm Girl Recipes. I think I'll try it in the menu next week

6 slices of bacon, uncooked or precooked
6 slices of whole wheat bread
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
6 eggs
Salt and pepper


1. Preheat the oven to 400° F. Spray large muffin pan with cooking spray. In a frying pan, cook bacon about 3-5 minutes, until partially cooked but not completely crispy (if using precooked bacon skip this step). Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Cut out circles (about 3 1/2 inches) in each piece of bread using a cookie cutter or a drinking glass turned upside down.


2. Press the bread rounds into the greased muffin wells. Curl a piece of bacon around the periphery of each piece of bread, positioning it between the bread and the muffin tin to help keep it in position. This can be a little tricky until you get the hang of it. Sprinkle a small amount of shredded cheese in the center of each piece of bread. Crack one egg over each piece of bread being careful not to break the yolks. You may not want to use all of the egg white. If you do you may need to adjust the cooking time to a little longer.


Once all the bread pieces have been topped with eggs, bake until eggs are cooked through to your liking (about 18 minutes for me because I used all of the egg white) and bacon is crispy. Run a knife around the edge of each muffin well and pop the egg cups out. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Chicken Noodle Soup ( copied from Meadowbrook Farm)

3/4 cup chopped onion, saute till tender in...
2 T butter
6 cups chicken broth or stock
2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
16 oz frozen mixed vegetables - I use the mix with peas, carrots, green beans, corn and lima beans.
8 oz frozen broccoli - half of the 1 pound bag...sorry to state the obvious
8 oz dry egg noodles - ditto
2 cups milk
1 lb Velveeta, cut into chunks

Add all but the last three ingredients to a large pot. Once the soup reaches a simmer, add the noodles. Cook for five minutes, then add the milk and the pasteurized processed cheese product. Stir till the cheese is melted and you've got dinner! Easy.

Italian Cheese Bread Ring

This recipe is a little time consuming - but so delish it doesn't matter. I won a champion ribbon with this recipe about 20 years ago in the 4-H fair and it's still one of my favorites.

• 4 1/2-5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 (1/4 ounce) packages active dry yeast
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup butter or 1/2 cup margarine
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds

FILLING
• 4 ounces of shredded mozzarella cheese (1 cup)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning, of choice
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 cup butter or 1/4 cup margarine, softened
Directions:
Prep Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 45 mins
1. In a large bowl combine 2 1/2 cups of flour, sugar, salt and yeast, stir until blended.
2. In a small pan heat milk, water and butter until very warm, about 120°F.
3. Add warm liquid and eggs to flour mixture.
4. Stir until moistened and beat on medium speed for 3 minutes.
5. By hand stir in remaining flour (2 to 2 3/4 cups) to form a stiff batter.
6. Generously grease a 12 cup bunt pan (or 10 inch tube pan) and sprinkle evenly with sesame seeds.
7. In a bowl combine all filling ingredients and mix well.
8. Spoon half the batter evenly into greased pan, spoon filling mixture evenly over batter staying 1/2 inch away from sides of pan.
9. Spoon remaining batter evenly into pan over filling.
10. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and set in warm place to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
11. Do not punch or stir down dough.
12. Remove plastic and bake in a 350°F oven for 30 or 40 minutes until golden brown and loaf sounds hollow when tapped.
13. Remove from pan to cool on a wire rack.

Reuben Soup

This was a great way to use up leftover Corned Beef. I found the recipe in Taste of Home

Ingredients
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup sliced celery
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
3/4 cup sauerkraut, rinsed and drained
2 cups half-and-half cream
2 cups chopped cooked corned beef
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Rye croutons, optional
Directions
In a large saucepan, saute onion and celery in butter until tender. Add broth and baking soda. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth; gradually add to pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.
Reduce heat. Add sauerkraut, cream and corned beef; simmer and stir for 15 minutes. Add cheese; heat until melted. Add salt and pepper. Garnish with croutons if desired. Yield: about 6 servings.