Foil-Pack Taco Chicken Dinner

Foil-Pack Taco Chicken Dinner by Kraft
4 chicken breast halves
4 t taco seasoning mix
2 c thinly sliced peeled potatoes
1 c shredded Mexican cheese
1/2 c salsa
1/4 sour cream

1. Preheat oven to 400. Sprinkle chicken evenly with seasoning. Place 1/2 c of potatoes on center of each of 4 large sheets of foil; top each with 1 breast, 1/4 c of cheese, and 2 T salsa.
2. Bring up foil sides. Double fold top and both ends to seal, leaving room for circulation. Place on 15x10 pan.
3. Bake 25 minutes or until chicken is cooked and potatoes are tender. Let stand 5 minutes.
4. Release steam before opening. Top each with 1 T sour cream.

I made this in October 2006. I remember the chicken wasn't cooked through. This wasn't a meal that I'd rant over. It was easy though.

Prosciutto and Goat Cheese Pizza

Prosciutto and Goat Cheese Pizza by Semi Homemade with Sandra Lee
10 oz baked, thick crust
1/2 c marinara sauce
1 c shredded mozzarella cheese
3 oz thinly sliced prosciutto
1 oz soft goat cheese, crumbled
2 T fresh basil, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 425.
2. Lay pizza crust on foil-lined pizza pan (I use my Pampered Chef stone). Spread sauce evenly over crust.
3. Sprinkle mozzarella over crust, leaving 1" border around the edge.
4. Arrange prosciutto on top.
5. Sprinkle goat cheese over prosciutto.
6. Bake until prosciutto is crisp and cheese is melted, about 12 minutes.

In my opinion: This was a flavorful pizza but the abundance of flavors from the Boboli crust took over. I'll try it with another crust next time.

Crispy Rosemary Chicken

Crispy Rosemary Chicken by Kraft
3/4 c Grape Nuts
1/2 t garlic salt
1/2 t dried rosemary, crushed
1/8 t pepper
4 small boneless, skinless, chicken breasts
1 T vegetable oil

1. Preheat oven to 400. Finely chop cereal. Mix with seasonings in shallow dish.
2. Brush chicken lightly with oil, then dip in cereal; coating both sides. Place in greased 10x5x1 or on baking sheet.
3. Bake 20-25 minutes.
4 servings

In my oopinion: This ws pretty good. It was a nice change to plain ol' chicken.

Pat's Teriyaki Chicken

Pat's Teriyaki Chicken This is my friend's mom's recipe
8 chicken breasts
1 pk slab peppered bacon
1 bottle KC Masterpiece Honey Teriyaki Marinade

1. Cut breasts in half.
2. Wrap 1/2 piece bacon around each.
3. Place seam-side down in 10x12 dish sprayed with Pam.
4. Pour marinade over.
5. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Cordon Bleu Casserole

Cordon Bleu Casserole by thatsmyhome.com
12 oz fettuccine Florentine, regular
1 T butter
8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 1/2 c cooked, diced chicken
1 1/2 c diced, smoked ham
1 can cream of celery soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
5 oz can evaporated milk
1 1/2 c shredded Swisss cheese, divided

1. Heat oven to 350. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook fettucine as directed. Do not overcook. Drain and return to pot.
2. While pasta cooks, heat butter in a medium saute pan. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring until golden, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
3. Combine chicken, ham, soups, and evaporated milk in a large bowl. Add mushrooms and half the Swiss. Toss half of the soup mixture with the cooked fettuccine.
4. Spray 9x13 baking dish with nonstick spray and pour fettuccine mixture in. Top with remaining soup mixture, spread to distribute evenly and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
5. Bake for 30-45 minutes, until heated through. Toss lightly before serving to distribute the sauce.

8 servings

I wonder if this would be good to divide in half and freeze.

Bruschetta Chicken Bake

Bruschetta Chicken Bake by Kraft
14 1/2 diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 oz stuffing mix for chicken
1/2 c water
1 lb breasts, cut bite-sized
1 t dried basil
1 c mozzarella, shredded

1. Preheat oven to 400. Place tomatoes with liquid in medium bowl. Add garlic, stuffing, and water. Stir until stuffing is moistened, set aside.
2. Place chicken in 13x9. Sprinkle with basil and cheese. Top with mixture.
3. Bake 30 minutes.

In my opinion: This meal was very easy but I'd say the flavor was just, "okay."

Memorial Day Menu

I don't think Stephen and I have ever done anything special for Memorial Day before. As a matter of fact, he probably had to work on Memorial Day in the past. This year he is off so we are starting a new tradition.

We are having Ribs, my rosemary corn on the cob, Paula Deen's Texas Potato Salad, and a dessert. I'm not sure what dessert we'll have yet but I'm leaning towards Paula Deen's Best Strawberry Shortcake EVER!

Snickerdoodles

Snickerdoodles by cooking.com (Betty Crocker)
1 c shortening
1 1/2 c sugar
2 eggs
2 3/4 c sifted flour
2 t cream of tartar
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
2 T sugar
2 t Cinnamon

1. Mix shortening, sugar, and eggs together thoroughly.
2. Sift the flour, cream of tartar, soda, and salt together and stir in.
3. Chill dough. Roll into balls the size of small walnuts. Roll in mixture of 2 T sugar and the 2 t cinnamon. Place about 2" apart on ungreased baking sheet. Bake until lightly browned but still soft. (They puff at first, then flatten).

5 dozen 2" cookies

In my opinion: These weren't the greatest Snickerdoodles I've ever had. I was surprised since this was a Betty Crocker recipe. I'll keep looking until I find a better one.

Peanut Butter Fudge

My husband's Peanut Butter Fudge
3 c sugar
3/4 c unsalted butter
2/3 c evaporated milk
12 oz bag peanut butter morsels
7 oz jar marshmallow creme
1 t vanilla extract
1 c chopped walnuts or pecans optional

1. In a 2-qt saucepan, bring sugar, butter, and milk to a rolling boil (240 degrees) for 5 minutes, stirring constatnly; remove from heat.
2. Stir in morsels, creme, vanilla, then nuts.
3. Pour into a greased 13x9x2 pan.
4. Cool to room temperature before slicing.

Green Chile Chicken Soup

Green Chile Chicken Soup recipe from a friend

can Northern beans (or cannelini)
can chopped Green Chiles
can shredded chicken
can chicken broth
can shoepeg corn
*I also add 1 c instant rice, uncooked

garnish: shredded cheese
sour cream
tortilla chips

Dump it all into the pot, heat at about medium until heated through. Serve!

In my opinion, this was fabulous. The first time I tried it I went back for seconds and would have have thirds but I didn't want to look like a pig.

Grilled Baked Potatoes

Grilled Baked Potatoes by Kraft

4 medium baking potatoes, scrubbed
1 T oil
1 t salt
1/2 c sour cream
1/2 c shredded cheddar
1/4 c sliced green onion
1/4 c bacon bits

1. Preheat grill to medium-high. Pierce potatoes. Rub with oil; sprinkle with salt.
2. Place on microwavable plate. Microwave on high 8 minutes turning halfway.Place on greased grate of grill.
3. Cook 12-15 minutes til crisp and browned, turning occasionally. Split and serve.

In my opinion: These were good, tasted like a baked potato, nothing fancy.

Talerine Beef Casserole

Talerine Beef Casserole from a friend

16 oz bag egg noodles
3 garlic cloves
olive oil for sauteing
salt
2 cans corn
1/2 red onion, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
28 oz diced tomatoes
1 lb cheddar cheese, shredded

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 and bring large pot of salted waterto a boil for the noodles.
2. Heat 2 T of oil on medium-high heat in a LARGE pot. Add the onions and bell peppers; saute until softened. Add garlic; cook for a minute more. Add tomatoes. Bring to a simmer; let cook for 10 minutes. Lower heat to warm.
3. In a separate skillet, heat to medium-high. Brown the meat. Sprinle salt over the meat while browning. Once browned, use a slotted spoon to remove meat from the pan; put in with the tomatoes, onions, and peppers.
4. Add the egg noodles to the boiling water. Cook as directed. Strain when cooked, but still a little firm.
5. Add egg noodles, corn, and about 2/3 of the cheese to the large pot of beef and tomato mixture. Gently mix in. Transfer mixture to 3 or 4 8x8 casserole pans (I line with foil). Sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Place in the oven . Cook for 30 minutes (can go as long as one hour).

In my opinion: This recipe sounded funky when I got it but after lots of procrastination, I finally tried it and was pleasantly surprised. Right after I popped the extra dishes in the freezer, I found out a friends' family was sick so I took one to her. She said her mom made it when she was a child and she just loved it. This uses a lot of dishes but remember, you are making 3 or 4 meals!

Crock Pot Sausage, Cream Cheese, and Rotel Dip

Crock Pot Sausage, Cream Cheese, and Rotel Dip by Crock Pot 365 Days

8 oz cream cheese
1 can Rotel, drained
1 lb breakfast sausage, browned and drained (I brown about 5 lbs at a time, divide by the pound, and freeze)

1. Put cream cheese in Crock Pot. Chop the sausage and add on top. Drain the Rotel and add it.
2. Cover and cook on low for about 90 minutes, or on high for 45. Stir well and serve.

In my opinion: I loved this dip! But I love all of the ingredients separately so it was no surprise.

Hamburger Noodle Casserole

1. Cook pasta according to directions.

2. Mix softened cream cheese with cottage cheese.

3. Mix browned ground beef with your favorite pasta sauce.

4. Spread cheese mixture on top of noodles.

5. Spread meat mixture on top of cheese mixture.

6. Sprinke cheese over the top. Bake for 30 minutes.

7. Enjoy!

Hamburger Noodle Casserole from my friend Heather Anne
-1 pkg egg noodles, cooked according to pkg directions (7 minutes)
-8 oz cream cheese, softened and 8-12 oz cottage cheese MIXED TOGETHER
-1 lb ground beef, browned (I always brown about 5 lbs at a time and keep in freezer) and
1 jar spaghetti sauce MIXED TOGETHER
-2 cups shredded cheese (any kind: cheddar, Italian, etc..)

1. Layer egg noodles, cheese mixture, and beef mixture into 2 8x8 pans (or 1 9x12). I always line one pan with foil so I can freeze it uncooked). Cover with shredded cheese.
2. Bake uncovered at 350 for 30 minutes.

NOTES 2/4/10
I decided to make this meal for a meal swap. I learned a lot:
-Get the cream cheese out hours before you start and open the packages plus cut the cream cheese into cubes for easier mixing.
-Start the pasta first and let a few batches finish before you begin the ground beef. I thought it would be a great idea to use my stock pot with the strainer insert so I could save the hot water rather than using new, cold water everytime. It took 30 minutes to bring the water to a boil the first time and almost 30 minutes to bring the same water back up to a boil after pullin the insert and dumping the noodles!
-Have everything out and ready to go to make it faster, including your meat strainer with a large bowl to catch the grease, a bowl to mix the chream cheese and cottage cheese, and a bowl to mix the meat and sauce. Once you have noodles in every pan you can go, go, go!
-If you have a friend who is about to have a baby, make an extra one and freeze it to pass along to her.
-I decided to calculate the cost since I purchased all ingredients at once and I am OCD like that. I shopped at HEB and this is what it cost me:

noodles $1. 44 ea
Philly cream cheese $1. 29 ea
Cottage Cheese (bought 24 oz) $ .60 ea
spaghetti sauce $1.89 ea
ground beef (bought 5 lbs) $ 1.60 ea
mozzarella cheese 2 cups $1. 88 ea

$8.70 for 8-10 servings

It took almost 3 hours to complete 6 meals but it would have been quicker if the water didn't take so long to boil.

Crock Pot Breakfast Casserole

Crock Pot Breakfast Casserole (I don't know where I got this recipe)

6 beaten eggs
10 slices of bread
1 1/2 c milk
2 c grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 lb sausage
salt and pepper
yellow mustard (optional)

1. Brown and crumble the sausage. For a time saver...I have this already done and in the freezer.
2. Spread mustard on one side of the bread and cut bread into quarters. Beat egg and milk together with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Spray inside of Crock Pot with nonstick cooking spray. Layre bread, cheese, and sausage in CP. Pour milk and egg mixture over everything. Cook on low 8-12 hours.

In my opinion: This was a great recipe but the taste of the mustard was too much for me. We won't use it next time.