Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole

Last week I came across some chicken thighs marked down to $.79/lb. Though I prefer boneless, skinless chicken breasts, I couldn't pass up savings like that! I used some mushrooms from my Bountiful Basket for this easy dinner:

Chicken & Wild Rice Casserole
2 slices bacon
3 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 lb chicken thighs, trimmed of excess skin (or remove skin completely)
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced celery
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp dried sage
1 cup brown rice
1/2 cup wild rice
6 oz brown mushrooms, wiped clean and quartered or sliced
3 cups hot chicken broth, or enough to cover chicken
Salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp chopped parsley, for garnish

Microwave bacon on high (100% power) 1 minute. Chop and transfer to a 4 1/2 qt. slow cooker. Add olive oil and spread evenly on bottom. Place chicken in slow cooker, skin side down. Add remaining ingredients in order given except parsley. Cover, cook on LOW 4-5 hours or until rice is tender. Uncover and let stand 15 minutes. Add salt and pepper if desired. Remove skin from chicken before serving, if desired. Garnish with chopped parsley.

**I ended up cooking about 5 lbs of chicken so I added some to the top of all the ingredients as well. I chopped the extra cooked chicken and plan on using it throughout this week in other meals.

****You can make this as an EASY freezer meal!****

For best results use boneless, skinless chicken cut into 1-inch pieces. Microwave bacon on high (100% power) 1 minute. Transfer to Gallon sized freezer bag. Add olive oil and spread evenly on bottom. Place chicken in bag. Add remaining ingredients in order given, except parsley. Freeze up to 3 months.
To serve: defrost in refrigerator overnight and cook as above or run bag under hot water to loosen contents into slow cooker. Cook on LOW 6 to 7 hours, or until rice is tender.

On The GO "meals"

 

What do you think of when you think of dinner? Here are the things that come to my mind:

A properly set table complete with a fork spoon, knife and napkin.
A main course with at least two sides.
At least an hour of “slaving” in a hot kitchen…

Okay- so you got me. I like to cook so it’s never “slaving” for me, but I admit that I often spend an hour or more on a single meal. So what if I don’t have that kind of time? I anticipate this month being super busy for me. It’s the last month of school and there are plenty of class parties and activities to organize. Add that to beautiful Spring weather and a large garden to tend this year, not to mention home-schooling my oldest; and I don’t know if we will have even one slaved-over meal this month… 
I plan on using the crock-pot a lot and utilizing some of my pre-made meals from the freezer, but if those options fail me then I will just try to keep things simple. Dinner doesn’t have to be fancy, or traditional for that matter. As long as I’m covering the basics then I’m feeling pretty good.
So what are the basics?  Protein + starch + fruits and/or vegetables = dinner!
And really… if I’m being completely honest than if I cover even 2 of the 3 basics with each meal then I’m not beating myself up about it! Here are some things that I’ve found make some very quick “meals” when I’ve neglected to plan ahead with the crock-pot. These can also be very portable so you can easily grab and go if needed.

Proteins:
Hard boiled eggs. I usually even peel a few of them and keep them in an airtight container for ultimate convenience.
Thin-sliced lunch meats and pre-cooked bacon. I’m talking about real meat, not that ultra-processed kinda-resembles-sorta-tastes-like meat that you buy in those little plastic packages. eew!
Peanut/almond butter
Nuts
Lowfat cheese like mozzarella and cottage cheese.
Sliced and shredded cheese
Pre-cooked various beans (we use black beans, refried and kidney the most)
Yogurt, plain
Canned (or pouched) chicken and/or tuna
Protein  powder

Starches:
Whole wheat tortillas
Whole grain bread
Cooked brown rice (I usually throw some in my rice cooker at least once a week and keep it in the refrigerator for those crazy days)
Cooked pasta (Whenever we have a pasta dish I try to cook an extra couple cups of plain pasta to use as needed throughout the week.)
Whole grain crackers
Rolls, pita bread, muffins, biscuits, pizza crusts (All of these can be made ahead of time and kept in the freezer until needed.)
Granola, high fiber cereal
Whole grain chips

Produce:
Washed and peeled vegetables cut into bite-sized pieces such as: Carrots (or even buy the pre-washed baby carrots for more convenience), Celery, Peppers, Cucumbers, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Snow peas, asparagus
Also keep lettuce, tomatoes, spinach, and sprouts if desired
Cut-up fruit chunks such as: Pineapple, Melons, apples, oranges (mix the cut apples and oranges together to keep the apples from going brown)
Also keep on hand whole fruits like apples, bananas, oranges, berries and grapes

Extras:
Hummus, Ranch and Italian dressing, mayonnaise, mustard, honey, tomato sauce, seasonings, barbecue sauce, salsa, milk

At the end of the week mix all your pre-cut fruit together that didn’t get eaten yet and make a nice fruit salad. You can also mix the pre-cut veggies and cook them into a soup- or just blanch them and put them into the freezer for an easy soup, stew or crock-pot addition later.

Now what to do with all of this? Here are some ideas using the above ingredients for easy “meals” on the go.  Remember, just because you don’t have to sit down with a fork and plate to eat these, doesn’t mean it won’t fill you up.

Less than a minute:

    * Bag of carrots, tub of hummus, crackers
    * Brown rice and cheese (like string cheese) with asparagus and snow peas (raw)
    * Whole grain crackers and sliced lunch meat, your choice veggie
    * cottage cheese and berries with a muffin
    * Almonds and an apple and/or orange
    * Sliced apples with peanut butter
    * Tuna pouch and pita bread
    * Hard boiled eggs, veggies

A minute or so:

    * Cereal or granola and milk
    * Cooked rice, berries, honey and milk
    * Spread natural peanut butter on a whole wheat tortilla.  Place a banana in the middle.  Roll it it all up together.
    * Wash a handful of grapes and berries. Put them in a container. Pour yogurt on top with a teaspoon of honey and some granola (or keep it separate).
    * Make a sandwich with whole grain bread and whatever lean meat, low-fat cheese you have. Squirt some mustard on the bread, and add lettuce and a sliced tomato in there too if you can.
    * Put whole grain tortilla chips in a microwave-save container; sprinkle low-fat cheese on top; microwave for 30 seconds; top with salsa. Don't forget a napkin!
    * Blend together 1 ½ cup milk, a scoop of whey or soy protein powder, a dash of cinnamon, and a banana or handful of blueberries in a blender; pour in a portable mug.
    *Spread refried beans over  pizza crust. Top with shredded lettuce, tomato chunks and salsa. Add cheese if desired.
    *Combine cooked noodles or rice with a can of chicken and some barbecue sauce
    *Combine cooked noodles with chopped vegetables, Italian dressing and chopped mozzarella for a pasta salad. Add  some canned tuna or chicken if desired.
    *Combine lettuce, spinach, berries, and nuts with some Rasberry vinaigrette if you have some or just drizzle some lemon juice or add nothing but extra berries (that’s what I do!)
    * Egg, Tuna or Chicken Salad sandwiches- combine boiled eggs or meat with some mayonnaise (or substitute with plain yogurt) and mustard and serve on rolls or whole grain bread with lettuce and cheese
   * Combine brown rice, salsa and black beans with some taco seasoning and cheese. Serve on tortillas or just eat with a spoon.
   
Here are some other things that help:
   
    * Freeze serving-sized meals for use on hectic days.  Just microwave the meal in its container and go!
    * Have a portable cooler or decent-sized lunch bag on call at all times.
    * Keep a stash of napkins and plastic ware in your car, backpack, briefcase, or purse.
    * Pack your grab and go meal the day before when you know you'll be busy the next day.
    * Have transportable yet healthy foods handy, like some of the options mentioned in the above lists.

Sometimes our on-the-go destination is only our back yard.. Or even our kitchen table! But even then it’s SO nice to be able to have something quick, easy, and nutritious at our fingertips. The boys in my house would go completely bonkers if we ate this way all the time but when it’s necessary at least I can go to bed guilt-free that night.

Cream Cheese Chicken And Broccoli

This is a stand-by recipe at my house. It's one of the few things my six-year-old will eat without complaining about. Lucky for us we seem to get broccoli in our Bountiful Basket just often enough to keep her satisfied. When we get a plethora of broccoli, I always make a few extras to put into the freezer.

Cream Cheese Chicken With Broccoli
Ingredients
1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 package (1 ounce) Italian salad dressing mix
2 cups sliced mushrooms*
1 cup chopped onion
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) condensed low-fat cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 bunch broccoli, chopped
1 package (8 ounces) low-fat cream cheese, cubed
1/4 cup dry cooking sherry
Hot cooked pastaDirections
Toss chicken with olive oil. Sprinkle with Italian salad dressing mix. Add to gallon sized freezer bag. Add mushrooms and onion. Combine soup, broccoli, cream cheese(cut into small chunks) and sherry and mix well. Add to bag & Freeze.
To serve:
Place in 5-quart slow cooker. Cover; cook on LOW 3 hours. Stir and continue to cook on LOW 1-2 hours more.
Serve chicken and sauce over pasta. **if using canned, don’t freeze; add to slow cooker after defrosted

Quavish- Portugese Kale Soup

I am so far behind on my recipe blogging! Life has a way of coming along all at once and knocking people right over. I promise I've still been cooking- but I've neglected to put myself out there and try anything new for a while. Mundane and routine sometimes is a great comfort for me...

This was something I cooked a few weeks ago when we got kale from our Bountiful Basket. While not the most photogenic soup, it is definitely one of the most flavorful! It combines the bold flavor of kale with creamy cooked potatoes and garlic infused Portuguese sausage called Linguiça. While substitutions may be made for this hard to get sausage (at least in my area) I wouldn't recommend it. And if you do substitute - do me a favor and just don't call it "Quavish", k?

Quavish Soup  

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic

4 carrots, sliced

5 potatoes, cut into chunks

1 head cabbage, cut into large chunks

2 lbs Linguiça, sliced

1 bunch kale, chopped

2 large onions

6 cups beef stock 

1 heaping tsp. black pepper 

3 bay leaves 

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves 

2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves

I've also added: 

1/2 cup diced turnips or

3-4 sliced parsnips

In a large stock pot (very large), heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, onions, turnips and carrots and cook for 5 minutes. Add the Linguiça, bay leaves, parsley and thyme and mix well. Add the beef stock and cook at a low boil for about 30 minutes. Add the cabbage, kale and potatoes. (Add water if necessary to cover all the vegetables.) Bring the soup to a low boil, and then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked.
Remove the bay leaves and serve hot. Serve with homemade bread or hard crusty rolls.

**This recipe makes enough soup for a large family gathering- you can always reduce it by half or just do what I do and freeze what you can't eat all at once and save it for later. Add cooled soup to a large zip-top freezer bag. To reheat simply run hot water over the bag to loosen it then slip contents into a large slow-cooker and cook on LOW until heated through.

***You can also combine ALL of the above ingredients into a large electric roaster pan. Simmer 2-3 hours stirring occasionally.

Strawberry Baked French Toast

Last week I bought an entire flat of strawberries from our Bountiful Basket site here. I came home with all these delicious ideas of what to do with them- By Sunday more than half of them had already been eaten! So I panicked! I hid them all ... and (I'm so embarrassed to even admit this..) I forgot about them.. yes I know. Shameful! So now I have slightly less than a half a flat of strawberries that need to be eaten or frozen today. Oh, no worries. Easy! To help, I actually served this for lunch today. The kiddos were thrilled at having French Toast for lunch!
For the bread, I used a bunch of leftover dinner rolls from last week as well as the heels of several loaves of bread cut into bite-sized pieces.

Strawberry Baked French Toast





For the toast:

• 1 (1 pound) loaf French bread, cut diagonally in 1 inch slices
• 8 eggs
• 2 1/4 cups milk
• 1 cup FF sour cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the topping:

• 2 cups diced fresh strawberries
• 1/4 cup agave*
• 8oz. Fat-free cream cheese, softened
• 1 egg

Directions:

1. Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish. Arrange the slices of bread in the bottom. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, milk, sour cream, vanilla and cinnamon. Pour over bread slices, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
2. The next morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Combine the strawberries and agave in a medium bowl. Mix well and set aside for about 5 minutes. Stir in the cream cheese and egg until well blended. Spread the strawberry cream cheese mixture onto egged bread pieces.
3. Bake in preheated oven, covered, for 40 minutes.

This is not overly sweet, which I love, but if you need to sweeten this up a bit, try serving it with some strawberry or real maple syrup. Also try serving with fresh strawberries and freshly whipped cream.

*You can use 1/4 cup sugar or honey instead of agave. I like to use agave on fruit because it adds sweetness, without a lot of extra calories or without altering the flavor very much. If you use sugar, let the strawberries sit for about 15 minutes before adding cream cheese and egg. 

Reduced Fat Meatloaf

Okay, most people don't exactly think of meatloaf as a "healthy" food- but it is oh so comforting and delicious that we eat it anyway, right? Most of the deliciousness of the traditional meatloaf comes from the beef fat soaking the bread crumbs and combining with egg yolks, not to mention of course a heaping dose of extra salt and corn syrup in the form of ketchup... But really, people- It doesn't have to be this way! When it comes to cooking, I try to follow one simple rule: Substitute fat for flavor! Instead of relying on fat, salt and sugar to make things taste good, I try to add plenty of flavorful vegetables, fresh herbs and seasonings. Most people would never never guess that most of what I put out on my table is good for you... 
 
Reduced Fat Meatloaf

1-1/2 lbs. extra-lean ground beef, ground turkey breast, or extra-lean ground turkey
2 egg whites
1 tsp. chopped garlic
1/2 cup chopped onions
3/4 cup chopped green pepper

1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup unsweetened tomato sauce
1 cup rolled oats
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/4 cup fresh parsley (or basil if you have it available!)
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place all ingredients in a large bowl and mix together well with wooden spoons or hands. Place on board or waxed paper and shape into loaf, then place in loaf pan and bake for about 1 hour. Depending on the shape and thickness of the loaf, it may need to cook for slightly longer. Serves 6. If you need more "sauce" when serving, skip the ketchup and use unsweetened tomato sauce sprinkled with basil and oregano.

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 1 hour


When I make this recipe I usually make at least double- one for now and one for later. To freeze for later, cook as above. Allow meatloaf to cool completely, remove from pan, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and heavy duty aluminum foil. Label and freeze up to 3 months. To serve: Allow to thaw in the refrigerator then cook covered in a 350 degree oven for 30-60 minutes or until fully heated.

Lemon Pepper Chicken (x2)

Last week boneless, skinless chicken was on sale for $1.39/lb here. Naturally, I stocked up... Last time I bought a bunch of chicken, I bottled most of it for easy casseroles and soups. This time, I decided to freeze it into meal size portions.

But why just freeze plain ol' chicken when you can freeze an entire meal?

So last week I made two different versions of Lemon Pepper Chicken. The first was made for dinner that night for my family. The second I put together as our dinner cooked. By the time dinner was ready to eat, I had three additional meals to put into the freezer for lazy days down the road.

Lemon Pepper Chicken

2 1/2 - 3lb boneless, skinless chicken
2 lemons
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup finely diced onion
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 1/2 Tbsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper (or to taste)

With olive oil, gently oil an 8x11-in dish with a paper towel. Arrange chicken to tightly fill the dish in a single layer. In a small bowl or a liquid measuring cup, mix juice from one lemon, garlic, onion, vinegar, rosemary, salt and pepper to make a paste. Rub seasoning all over the top of each breast of chicken. Pour any remaining liquid from the cup evenly atop the chicken. Thinly slice remaining lemon and est a slice on top of each piece of chicken. Cover dish tightly with foil and bake at 350 degrees F. for 45 minutes. Serve with seasoned wild rice or garlic herbed mashed potatoes.

*Leftover chicken is delicious diced cold and added to a green salad.

While the above recipe cooked, I had time to put together three additional meals for later. I chose to make all three the same since it's one of my favorite recipes. It lasts at least 3 months in the freezer so that gives me plenty of time to work through these!

Make-Ahead Lemon Pepper Chicken (for the oven or the Crock-Pot)

2 cups chopped onion
about 2 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
1 lemon, thinly sliced and seeds removed
1 cup pitted green olives (optional)
1 tablespoon olive brine from jar or red wine vinegar
2 tsp herbes de Provence
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 cup chicken broth
2 Tbsp dried minced parsley (about 1/2 cup fresh)

Place onion in gallon-sized freezer bag. Arrange chicken over onion. Place lemon slice on each piece of chicken. Add olives, brine, herbes de Provence, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Slowly pour in chicken broth. Freeze.
To serve from the Crock Pot: Defrost & add to 4 1/2 qt. slow cooker. Cover; cook on LOW 5-6 hours or on HIGH 3 to 3 1/2 hours or until chicken is tender. Stir in parsley before serving.
**If I didn't think ahead to allow time for defrosting, I simply run hot water over the bag to loosen it from the meal. I then plop the entire frozen blob into my Crock Pot and add about 30 minutes to the cooking time. Still comes out great!
To serve from the Oven: Defrost completely & place contents of bag into a 2qt. casserole dish. Cover tightly and cook at 350 degrees F. for 45 minutes.

Recipes for leftover Turkey

For Thanksgiving we fried a turkey... for the day after Thanksgiving we fried another one. Here are a few recipes that I use my leftover turkey in. I hope you enjoy them as much as I have!

Turkey Recipes

Mike's Lunches

My husband has a job where he's often out on jobsites and driving around all day. This means I can't just send him with the ol' leftovers to re-heat in the break room like I used to do. So the alternatives are packing a cold lunch every day, going out every day or a little mix of both. While he does still go out from time to time, we really try to stick with lunches from home as much as possible. It's healthier and cheaper. I guess we'll just go with cheaper though because any time I try to throw in that 'h' word it severely turns him off...

Sandwiches

Sandwiches can be a little tricky when you're sending them for lunch almost every day. Deli meat only lasts about a week in the refrigerator, and bread tastes the best if you are buying/making it fresh every day. Well, that would absolutely decimate our grocery budget because that means we'd be buying meat every week and bread every day! Sales wouldn't be very likely... Not to mention that my 15-yr-old would be helping himself to the meat all week long which means I'd have to buy at least twice as much! The fix-all solution to these problems? My freezer, of course! By freezing pre-made sandwiches, you can still buy in bulk when you find a good deal, and you've got a quick and easy lunch at your fingertips every day.

Meat: I can usually find deli meat on a semi-decent sale about once a month- but not always. When I do find a good sale, I buy at least enough for that month. When I can't find it on sale, then I make my own. Thinly sliced roast from Sunday dinner makes a fantastic sandwich as well as grilled chicken, thinly sliced steak, and even pre-cooked bacon. All of these can be cooked ahead of time and assembled into indivual sandwiches- which can be frozen for later enjoyment. Just be sure to leave off any mustard, mayo or any other dressings as well as any vegetables.

Bread: By slicing bread and assembling into sandwiches immediately after purchase or baking, you'll be preserving the fresh taste and texture of your favorite bread. Just make sure you're using freezer quality wrapping before you freeze. Pictured below is several sandwiches I put together on Saturday after picking up my Ciabatta bread I'd ordered with my Bountiful Basket this week. This is some of Mike's favorite bread, so I dedicated four of the five loaves just to his sandwiches. We were able to get 3 huge sandwiches out of each loaf of bread. If I were making the sandwiches for myself it would be at least 5 sandwiches per loaf.

When you are ready to pack a sandwich into your lunch, open the frozen sandwich and spread some mayo, mustard or whatever other condiments you'd like. Also add some tomatoes and lettuce at this point if you'd like, or pack them pre-sliced into your lunchbox and add them to your sandwich when you're ready to eat.

Some other great lunch ideas that don't need to be re-heated:

Taco Pizza

Flat Bread Sandwiches

Tuna Salad

Cold Pizza

Stroganoff Bread Braid

My friend recently sent me a recipe for a cheeseburger roll-up and raved about it so much that I wanted to try it for myself... unfortunately I didn't have all the ingredients so I created something similar. It turned out great so now I'll share it with all of you. Enjoy!

First, here is the original recipe for that Cheeseburger Roll Up (thanks Jason!)

Prep time 25 mins Cook time 20-25 minutes

ingredients:

1 lbs ground beef
4 slices of bacon
1/2 cup chopped onion
8 oz Velveeta Cheese
1 package of refrigerated pizza crust
1 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook ground beef, bacon, and onion in a large skillet until beef is evenly browned, drain. Add Velveeta to skillet and stir until completely melted. Unroll pizza dough onto a greased cooking sheet. Press into a large rectangle. Top with meat mixture. Roll up dough, starting with one of the long sides and roll straight across. Tuck outside edges under and sprinkle with cheddar cheese.
Bake 20-25 mins untiltil crust is golden brown .

Now, here is what I did instead:

Stroganoff Bread Braid

1 recipe pizza crust, unbaked
1 lb hamburger
8 oz cream cheese
4-8 oz cheddar cheese
1 cup chopped onion (1 small onion)
8 oz mushrooms (you can sub. 2 small cans)
2 cups cooked green beans (you can substitute 1 15oz can)
1/2 cup sliced red peppers

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Roll pizza crust into a large rectangle on top of a lightly greased baking sheet. Cut dough into strips 1/3 of the way into rectangle on each side. Don't cut all the way across! Layer center section of dough with sliced cheddar cheese. Leave one strip of dough on each end uncovered. (Notice my dough extends past the edges of the pan- don't worry it will still fit once dough is "braided".)

2. Saute hamburger, onion, mushrooms and peppers until hamburger is well browned and vegetables are soft. Drain meat. Add cream cheese and green beans. Stir until cream cheese is completely melted.

3. Pile hamburger mixture onto center of the pizza crust on top of the cheese. Fold strips of bread across the top of the meat mixture until meat is totally covered. Fold end edges of bread in, making sure mixture is totally enclosed.

4. Bake in preheated oven 25 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Serve in slices while still hot.

**You can double this recipe and make one to eat & one to freeze. To freeze, cook according to directions above, allow to cool and then completely wrap in heavy duty aluminum foil. Label and freeze up to 3 months. To serve: Re-heat frozen and still wrapped Braid in 375 degree F oven for 1 hour. Unwrap, and bake an additional 10-15 minutes until crust crisps and is golden brown.

40 Minute Pizza Crust

40 Minute Pizza Crust


2 Tbsp melted butter
2 Tbsp sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp hot tap water
2 1/4 tsp Saf-Instant yeast
2 2/3 cup bread flour

Combine butter, sugar, hot water and yeast. Add 1 1/3 cup flour and salt. Stir until combined. Gradually add remaining flour 1/3 cup at a time until dough is no longer sticky. You may not end up using all of the flour. Turn dough out onto a clean surface and knead for 5 minutes. Roll dough into desired shape for pizza crust. Sprinkle corn meal onto pizza pan and then form dough into pan, curling up the edges for a nice crust. Cover with a dish towel and let rise about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake 12-15 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

*I like to at least quadruple this recipe and make several crusts at a time so I have them ready when I want a quick and easy dinner.
**To freeze: Allow baked crust to cool, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil. Label and freeze. When ready to make pizza, you can assemble pizza directly onto unwrapped and still frozen crust. Broil or bake until cheese is golden brown.

Chicken and Squash Stew

This is a fantastic Fall stew, especially during harvest time. The only thing that didn't come from my garden in this recipe was the chicken (with the exception of some of the spices)! Even my picky eaters gobbled this up. I've found that it helps them eat their food when they can help me pick it first from the garden.
Also, the hands-on time for this recipe is minimal. It took me less than 10 minutes to throw everything into the slow cooker and walk away.

Chicken And Squash Stew

3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
3 lbs winter squash, peeled and chopped into bite-size pieces
3 large potatoes (I used red potatoes), peeled and cubed
4 medium tomatoes, cut into quarters
3 large carrots, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1 small onion, diced
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp ground celery
1 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground cumin
2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup fresh basil

Combine the chicken, potatoes, squash, carrots, tomatoes, onion, broth and seasonings in a 5-qt slow cooker. Cover; cook on Low for 6-8 hours or on High for 3-4 hours. Before serving, use a fork to lightly shred chicken. Serve each bowl with a few leaves of fresh basil. 

**If you don't have winter squash, yams or sweet potatoes are fantastic in this! I've used pumpkin, Acorn, butternut, yams and sweet potatoes and it's always turned out great.

Aunt Bea's Portugese Pickled Pork Chops

Every year for Mike's birthday, I make him a special treat- it's a Portugese family tradition that he's had in his family for generations. And by treat, I mean something so amazing that I won't even eat them... That way there's more for him. Really. That's why I don't eat them... it has nothing to do with the fact that it's pickled meat... But really, I think this is a total MAN food. There's only a very few women that I've met that have liked these, but I don't think I've ever met a guy who didn't.

Aunt Bea's Portugese Pickled Pork Chops

1 galloon apple cider vinegar
2 rounded tbsp sea salt
1 1/2 tsp black pepper
1 can pickling spices
1 Tbsp minced garlic (I use one whole garlic bulb)
1 big onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
1 cup water
1 Tbsp paprika
1 Tbsp cayenne pepper
5-8 lb pork chops

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. This will fit into two gallon-sized ziploc bags (just be sure to put the bags into a bowl to save your refrigerator from any leaks). Cover and marinate for 2 days, stirring from the bottom 2-3 times a day. Grill over high heat (450 - 500 F) for about 10 minutes, flipping once.

These are good straight off the grill, and (as Mike puts it) even better cold- so make sure you cook up enough to last a few days.

Chili Rellenos Casserole

 I've been harvesting the last of my garden peppers this week and the other day I brought in an entire grocery bag full of yummy chile peppers! Not wanting to can anymore, I've been dropping them into my Garden-Style Red Chili, into my Vita-mix tomato juice and into just about all my homemade sauces. I also turned more than a dozen into this:

Chili Rellenos Casserole

10 roasted large green chili peppers*

8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, sliced

8 ounces Cheddar/Jack cheese, shredded
3 eggs, beaten
3 tablespoons flour (I used whole wheat)
1 cup milk
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin
1 1/2 cup enchilada sauce


Directions:

Prep: To roast chili peppers, wash thoroughly and lay in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Broil on high for 8-10 minutes until skin is slightly browned and blistered. Turn peppers and broil an additional 8 minutes. Or you can roast peppers on an outdoor grill at about 400 F laying peppers in a single layer across grill and reducing time by 1-2 minutes per side. Allow to cool until skin pulls away from meat easily. Use rubber gloves to peel and remove seeds. Cut peppers along sides so peppers lay flat.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Lay half of the chilies evenly in bottom of baking dish.

Lay the sliced Jack cheese over the chilies, and cover with remaining chilies.
In a bowl, mix together the eggs, milk, flour, and seasonings and pour over the top of the chilies. Mixture will be runny- don't worry, it will firm as it cooks.

3. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove from oven, pour enchilada sauce evenly over the top, sprinkle with remaining Jack and Cheddar cheeses, and continue baking another 15 minutes. Serve with Spanish rice and refried beans.

*I used Anaheim chilies from my garden. You can use any kind of chile you'd like. I even roasted one bell pepper for my girls and used that for their servings (they don't like ANY spice). You can also substitute whole canned chilies.

Garden-Style Red Chili

Have I mentioned lately that I have a Vita-mix? Yeah I thought so. I guess I'm a little obsessed with it right now, but who can blame me? It makes dinners (and lunches... and breakfasts... and snacks) so easy. On Saturday I was working in the yard all day long. It wasn't a bad day, but it did get pretty chilly by the time I was done. When I finally made it back into the house all I could think about was a nice warm bowl of hearty chili. Only problem was that it was already almost dinner time and I usually simmer my traditional chili for hours to blend the flavors. But with the Vita-mix my problem was solved! I just pre-blended all my flavors in my tomato sauce. Also this is a great way to use some tomatoes that need to be used before they go bad (not to mention all you're other garden produce- just in case you're burnt out when it comes to canning!)

This really went together pretty quickly; especially since I keep pre-cooked meat mix in the freezer at all times.

Garden-Style Red Chili

8-10 large tomatoes
2 large carrots
4 red or green bell peppers
2 large Anaheim chilis
1 large onion, divided
4 cloves garlic
5 cups pre-cooked ground meat mix
1/2 Tbsp red chili powder
1/2 Tbsp ground cumin
1/2 Tbsp oregano
1/2 Tbsp black pepper
1 Tbsp sea salt
2 cans chili beans
2 cans kidney beans

1:Wash all your vegetables. Remove stems from tomatoes and peppers and remove seeds from half the peppers (2 bells, 2 chilis). Peel onion and cut into quarters.

2:  Cut tomatoes in half and fill Vita-mix wet container about halfway full. Fill the remainder of the container with 1 red bell pepper, 1 chili pepper (both with seeds if desired), 1 carrot, 2 cloves garlic and 1/4 of the onion. Turn machine on Variable speed 2 and gradually increase speed until all the vegetables have been pulled into the blades. Use your tamping stick if necessary to push produce down. Turn speed up to high and process for 2-3 minutes. Pour into a large stockpot or two 5-qt sauce pans.

 {When "sauce" comes out of Vita-mix, it will look a bit pink and frothy, but the air bubbles will dissipate as your sauce cooks, giving you a nice red color.}

3:  Repeat Step 2. You should have 1-2 tomatoes, 1/2 onion, and 2 bell peppers remaining.

4:  Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat until mixture is at a gentle boil or high simmer. Simmer, stirring occasionally for 20-30 minutes or until sauce reaches desired consistency.

5:  Dice remaining vegetables and add to tomato sauce base. Also add ground meat mix, beans and seasonings. Stir well. Continue to simmer for an additional 20 minutes.

6:  Serve with freshly grated cheese and saltine crackers. And for my Wyoming friends: This is GREAT with cinnamon rolls!

**To freeze: Prepare through step 5. Place 2-4 cups in quart-sized freezer bags. Allow to cool completely before putting into your freezer. Keeps at least three months in the freezer.

To serve from freezer: move to refrigerator the day before serving. Heat on stove-top; serve. OR run hot water over the bag of frozen chili to loosen. Break it up and add chunks to an appropriate sized slow-cooker (Remember, you want your ingredients to fill your slow-cooker at least halfway for best results). Cook on Low 6 hours or High 3 hours until heated through.

Broiled Tuna-Noodle Casserole

Make one of these for dinner, and one for a friend or to put into your freezer for later. This is our go-to meal when the hubby's out of town. He's not a big fan of Tuna Casserole, but me and the kiddos LOVE it!

Broiled Tuna-Noodle Casserole
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 pounds wide egg noodles or bowtie pasta
2 red bell peppers (ribs and seeds removed), thinly sliced
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
5 cups skim milk
4 cans (6 ounces each) tuna in olive oil, drained
1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
1 lb broccoli, lightly steamed and chopped
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan


Preheat oven to 400 F. Lightly oil two 8-inch square (or other shallow 2-quart) baking dishes. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook noodles until 2 minutes short of al dente; drain, and return to pot. Meanwhile, in a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat oil over medium. Add bell peppers, broccoli and zucchini; season with salt and pepper. Cook until crisp-tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Gradually add milk, stirring until smooth. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a simmer.Remove from heat; add mixture to noodles in pot, along with tuna, and green onions. Season with salt and pepper, and toss. Divide between prepared baking dishes, and sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake until golden and bubbling, about 20 minutes or place under a HOT broiler for 5-7 minutes.


To freeze: Prepare above recipe with the exception of baking; cool to room temperature. Cover tightly with aluminum foil, and freeze up to three months.

To bake from frozen: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake, covered with foil, until center is warm, about 2 hours. Uncover, and bake until top is browned, about 20 minutes more.

To bake from thawed:Thaw overnight in refrigerator. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and bake, covered with foil, until center is warm, about 30 minutes. Uncover, and bake until top is browned, about 20 minutes more.
1/3 cup olive oil, plus more for baking dishes

Zucchini Lasagna

Wow, I'm just terrible sometimes at remembering to take a picture! This is an old standby recipe that I use at the end of every Summer to use up some zucchini. I also make it because it's delicious... (We LOVE zucchini around here!) In fact when I make this one, if I have enough squash, I make several to freeze so I can enjoy this yummy recipe even when zucchini is so expensive over the winter.

Zucchini Lasagna
2 large zucchini
1 tablespoon salt
1 pound ground beef
1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 small green bell pepper, diced
1 onion, diced
1 cup tomato paste
1 (16 ounce) can tomato sauce
1/4 cup Marsala cooking wine
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
hot water as needed
1 egg
1 (16 ounce) container low-fat cottage cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
10 ounces chopped greens (I use chard because that's what I have in my garden but you may also use frozen spinache, thawed and drained or any other green)
1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced (I substitute canned, drained, if fresh are too expensive)
8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
8 ounces grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease a deep 9x13 inch baking pan. Slice zucchini lengthwise into very thin slices. Sprinkle slices lightly with salt; set aside to drain in a colander. To prepare the meat sauce, cook and stir ground beef and black pepper in a large skillet over medium high heat for 5 minutes. Add in green pepper and onion; cook and stir until meat is no longer pink. Stir in tomato sauce, wine, basil, and oregano. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer sauce for about 20 minutes or until desired consistency, stirring frequently. Meanwhile, stir egg, cottage cheese,  and parsley in a bowl until well combined.

To assemble lasagna: spread 1/2 of the meat sauce into the bottom of prepared pan. Then layer 1/2 the zucchini slices, 1/2 the ricotta mixture, all of the spinach, followed by all of the mushrooms, then 1/2 the mozzarella cheese. Repeat by layering the remaining meat sauce, zucchini slices, ricotta mixture, and mozzarella. Spread Parmesan cheese evenly over the top; cover with foil.

Bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil; raise oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), and bake an additional 15 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

To freeze: assemble as directed into a prepared foil pan or line a 9x13 pan with heavy duty aluminum foil. Allow to freeze solid then remove foil "pan" from 9x13 dish and cover completely with an airtight seal of heavy duty aluminum foil. If you are using a foil pan you may wrap the entire thing before freezing solid.
To reheat: Allow to thaw overnight in your refrigerator. Cook as directed above except increase initial baking time to 60 minutes. If you forget to thaw overnight, you can add it frozen to the oven, but then be sure to at least double baking time while lasagna is covered.

**If I'm short on time when I'm preparing this recipe, I use some of my pre-made sauce that I keep in the freezer.

Turkey Zucchini Meatballs and Swedish Meatballs

"Of course... you had to add zucchini" Betcha can't guess which of my little darlings said that? These are seriously so good, though. Don't trust me.. make them and see for yourself. They are moist and tender and so flavorful. When I make these meatballs, I usually use beef but Summer needs something a little lighter. At least for me... the guys at my house could eat a steak or a burger for dinner every night with no complaints.

For the following recipe feel free to use dried herbs in lieu of the fresh, just be sure to halve the amounts. Fresh herbs can get pricey which is why I love to grow my own!

Turkey Zucchini Meatballs

2 lbs 90% lean ground turkey
1 egg
1 cup zucchini, grated and liquid squeezed out
1/2 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small red onion, grated
2 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped 
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme, chopped
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Combine turkey, egg, zucchini, breadcrumbs, garlic, onion, and herbs.

Preheat oven to 400 F. Using a cookie baller (or your hands) form each meatball into a golf ball sized ball. If using your hands, try spraying a little Pam (or just rub some oil) onto your hands before handling the meat. Meat will be sticky. Line a large cookie sheet or jelly roll pan with aluminum foil and arrange meatballs on top. You can place them close together if needed just so long as they aren't touching. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until cooked through. Makes about 48 meatballs.

When I make this recipe I like to double, triple, or even quadruple it so I have meatballs available for easy meals later on. To freeze: Allow meatballs to cool completely. Freeze individually on a large cookie sheet and then transfer to zip-top freezer bags in meal-sized portions. To reheat: Reheat in the oven at 350 F for 15-20 minutes or in the microwave for about 3 minutes per dozen. You can also add them to soups, stews, crockpot meals, etc and allow them to re-heat while cooking the rest of your meal. Some of my favorite ways to use meatballs are: Spaghetti & Meatballs, Swedish Meatballs, Meatball Subs, Sliced and used as a pizza topping or Appetizers.

So after making my massive batch of meatballs, I wanted something quick and easy to serve for dinner. It doesn't get much easier than Swedish Meatballs. Especially when you already have all of the ingredients pre-cooked. On Sunday we had roast and mashed potatoes (big surprise for those of you who know me, right?) so I made extra potatoes knowing that I'd use them later in the week. I also had a quart of chicken gravy in my freezer from the last chicken dinner I made. (See! I tell you to save your gravy for a reason!)

Swedish Meatballs

30 meatballs
3-4 cups chicken gravy
2 quarts homestyle mashed potatoes (or you can use cooked egg noodles)
1/2- 1 cup berry preserves

Heat gravy in a 2 qt. sauce pan over medium heat. Add meatballs and allow to cook until heated through. (You can heat them in the microwave to speed things up if you'd like). Meanwhile warm your mashed potatoes. Serve gravy and meatballs over potatoes with a dollop of berry preserves on top if desired. (I always serve my jam on the side so I can mix it into each bite.) Serve with a fresh garden salad.

See how I tell you to serve with a fresh garden salad and then I don't do that? Unfortunately, salad becomes food fight fodder at my house.. which is why I try to sneak veggies into just about everything I cook!

Stuffed Peppers

We scored some delicious red bell peppers in our Bountiful Basket last Saturday plus that's one thing that I've actually been pulling out of my garden right now (finally!). So I've been loaded with peppers this week! I used some in my Mango salsa, I threw one in my pico de gallo and the rest I turned into stuffed peppers last night. They are quick and easy and they freeze very well for an easy lunch or dinner down the road. I doubled this recipe for that purpose.

Stuffed Peppers

6 large sweet bell peppers

1 recipe Seasoned Rice and Pasta

1 lb ground turkey, cooked (may substitute ground beef, or leave out for vegetarian)

1 small onion, chopped

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 tomato, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 F. Wash peppers and remove tops including stems and seeds. Combine cooked turkey, onion,  Seasoned Rice and Pasta, and tomato. Stuff each pepper with mixture. Place peppers in lightly greased large casserole dish. Sprinkle cheese all over each pepper. If lid doesnt fit snugly, cover tightly with aluminum foil. (If there is extra filling, you can add that to the bottom of the dish.) Bake covered for 40 minutes. Serve hot with a fresh garden salad.

To freeze: Cool. Wrap individually in heavy duty aluminum foil or place each one into a quart sized freezer bag; label and freeze.

To Serve: Unwrap stuffed peppers. Place in roasting pan. Heat at 350 for 25 minutes. Or unwrap and cook in microwave 3-5 minutes.

Vegas: Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole, Cheesy Mashed Potatoes

This last weekend I dragged my family along with me to Las Vegas so I could attend my baby brother's (and his wife's) baby shower. It was so much fun! and my cute sister-in-law-mom-to-be looks adorable with her pregnant belly.
Whenever we go to Vegas we always stay in a timeshare. I love this option because it's like a home away from home. There are bedrooms with doors that close, a full livingroom and even a kitchen! But really... the point of this post?

You'll have to excuse my plating as this meal doesn't look nearly as appetizing as it actually was... You'll just have to take my word for it. But this is the point: this meal was prepared in our room while on vacation! And before you all start cringing and thinking "that's exactly the point of going on vacation.. to not cook!" please just hear me out. Pictured above is Chicken Cordon Bleu casserole with a side of Cheesy mashed potates and steamed Summer squash. But guess what? With the exception of the squash, I cooked these in April! They've been all wrapped up in my freezer waiting for a special occasion to be enjoyed. This was so wonderful! I packed the freezer meal and side right into my ice chest (which saved me from having to buy ice-while the meal was defrosting it also helped keep the rest of the cooler cool). By the time we got to our room and unpacked, I just stuck dinner straight into the oven. It was finished in about an hour at 350. We went swimming at one of the resorts pools while we waited. Perfect! Not only did I not have to worry about finding a place to go out to eat when we got into town, but it also saved us MONEY. Not to mention giving us more time to relax and enjoy being on vacation!

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

8 slices ham
8 slices Swiss cheese
8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 c. cheddar cheese, grated
1/3 c. parmesan cheese grated
½ pkg Stove Top stuffing (chicken)
    Or
    ¾ c bread crumbs (save the crumbs from slicing home-made bread)
1/4 c. melted butter

Sauce:

1 can cream of mushroom (or celery, chicken (or one of each if tripling)) soup
¼ c. milk
1/4 c. chunky bleu cheese dressing (optional)
1 sm. Can mushrooms (optional)
1 T parsley
½ tsp garlic or lemon pepper
1-2 Tbsp diced green onions (optional)

Place slices of ham separately in a casserole dish. Place Swiss cheese and then chicken on each slice of ham. Mix ingredients in sauce and pour over chicken. Sprinkle grated cheeses over sauce. Top with bread crumbs. Drizzle butter over bread crumbs. Bake covered at 350 for 50 minutes. Remove cover and bake 10 minutes more.

**For the freezer: Assemble as above except do not add bread crumbs and grated cheese: Add these after defrosting, before putting into the oven. I like to make at least three of these at a time especially when ham is on sale during the Holidays (Easter is coming up!) I buy a spiral sliced ham specifically for this recipe. One ham will easily make 3 casseroles plus plenty for other recipes. Also I just triple the sauce recipe instead of making single batches to save time. Keeps 3+ months.

***A cheap freezer container: line your pan with heavy duty foil before assembling casserole. Assemble then put in freezer-allow to freeze solid. Once frozen, remove foil lined casserole from pan and wrap again with heavy duty foil until it's sealed. Then put back into the freezer until you're ready to use. Once you're ready to use your casserole just unwrap the outer foil layer & pop it back into your original casserole dish.

Cheesy Baked Mashed Potatoes
(Makes 2 9x13 pans full)

10 large potatoes
6 Tbsp melted butter
1 can cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
2 cups sour cream
2 cups milk
½ cup finely chopped green onions
1 ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 tsp garlic powder

Optional topping
1 ½ c dry bread crumbs
¼ cup melted butter
½ cup Parmesan cheese

Wash & peel potatoes and boil until tender. While potatoes are boiling, combine cream soups, milk, cheese, green onions, garlic and sour cream. Divide tender potatoes equally between two 9x13 inch pans. Fork mash the potatoes as you spread them out in the pan. Drizzle melted butter over potatoes and then ½ the cream sauce over each pan. Wrap one pan in heavy duty aluminum foil & freeze up to 3 months. Cook the other uncovered in 400 F oven for 20-30 minutes until potatoes are bubbly & slightly browned on top. To re-heat frozen potatoes, put frozen dish into cold oven (keep covered with foil). Turn oven to 350 and heat at least one hour. (you can leave it in the oven longer- up to 2 hours- the foil will keep it from burning) Remove foil and increase temperature to 400 and cook until browned on top (about 15-20 minutes). If using optional topping, don’t add until you increase temperature. Do not add before freezing or it will not get crispy.