Main Dishes

Cheesy Chicken

Ingredients:

6-8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (depending on size)

Sliced Cheese (any variety, my favorites are cheddar or Havarti)

1 can cream of chicken soup

¼ cup milk

¼ cup sour cream

½ cup butter

2 cups stove top stuffing mix 

Salt

Pepper

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl combine the cream of chicken, milk and sour cream, set aside. Place enough chicken breasts to fill a 9x13 baking dish. Season each breast with salt and pepper. Cover all the chicken with sliced cheese. Pour the cream of chicken mixture on top of the cheese and spread it evenly. Sprinkle the stuffing over the top. Dot the top with bits of butter. Bake the chicken for 50-60 minutes, or until it’s cooked through. Enjoy!

Tip: Place your 9x13 dish on top of a cookie sheet so if anything bubbles over so it doesn’t make a mess of your oven.

BBQ Pork Tacos

Ingredients:

1 Pork roast

BBQ sauce

Tortillas

Shredded cheddar cheese

Shredded lettuce

Diced tomatoes

Sour cream

BBQ Sauce

2 cups ketchup

¼ cup Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon dry mustard

½ cup brown sugar

¼ red wine vinegar

Method:

Place the pork roast in a crock-pot. Add enough water to just fill the bottom of your crock-pot. Season the roast with salt and pepper. Cook the roast on high for 6-8 hours, or until it is falling apart and easily shreds with a fork. Allow to cool. Meanwhile make the BBQ sauce. Mix all ingredients together in a medium bowl. Shred with forks and place into a bowl. Mix in enough BBQ sauce to coat the meat. Serve with other ingredients for a taco bar. Enjoy!

Southwestern Goulash

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef

1 package Fajita seasoning

1 can diced tomatoes

¼ cup sour cream

1 can black beans

Salt

Method:

In a large skillet over medium high heat cook the ground beef seasoned with salt until browned and crumbly, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat and drain, return to pan. Meanwhile, drain and rinse the beans. In a medium bowl combine the tomatoes, fajita seasoning, sour cream, and beans; mix well. Add mixture to ground beef. Return to heat and simmer over medium low heat for 5-10 minutes to reduce the liquid. Serve over rice, or in tortillas. Enjoy!

Stuffed Zucchini

Ingredients:

4 small zucchinis

1 pound Italian sausage (mild or spicy)

1 small can mushrooms

2 packages cream cheese

Shredded cheese (I use the Italian blend)

Salt

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large skillet over medium high heat cook the sausage until brown and crumbly. Drain and return to pan. Drain and chop the mushrooms. Add to the sausage, return to heat and add the cream cheese. Stir until cream cheese is melted and everything is well combined. Set aside. Cut the ends off each zucchini and cut in half length wise. Scoop out the centers leaving about a ¼ inch boarder. Place on a baking sheet. Sprinkle the insides with a little salt. Fill with the sausage mixture. Be generous there is lots of filling. Bake for 15 minutes, remove from oven and sprinkle with cheese. Return to oven and bake for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and just started to brown. Enjoy!

Navajo Tacos

Ingredients:

Frozen rolls, thawed, and risen

1 pound hamburger

1 can chili

Tomatoes

Lettuce

Shredded cheddar cheese

Salsa

Sour cream

Any additional topping you like (Guacamole and olives are good too)

Method:

In a large skillet over medium high heat, heat 2-3 inches of oil. Using your fingers stretch out a roll to about ¼ inch thick, place in hot oil and fry about 20-30 seconds, or until golden brown, flip it over and cook the other side about 15-25 seconds, or until golden. Remove to a paper towel lined oven safe dish to drain. Continue for each roll, amount depending on how many you’re feeding. Place the fried bread into the oven at the keep warm setting. In a medium skillet over medium high heat, cook the ground beef until browned and crumbly. Heat the chili in the microwave or in a small pot on the stove, until hot. Chop the tomatoes and lettuce, place in bowls. Let everyone assemble their own tacos the way they like. Enjoy!

Ham & Cheese Pocket

Ingredients:

10 frozen rolls, thawed and raised until doubled in size

1 cup diced, cooked ham

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Yellow mustard

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Either on a floured surface with a rolling pin or by hand, flatten the rolls to about ¼ inch thick. Spread on a little mustard. Place some diced ham and shredded cheese in the center of each pocket. Bring the sides of the dough up and seal all around the sides and tuck around to make a pocket. Place seam side down on a greased baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Enjoy!

Stuffed Meatballs

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef

1 egg

½ cup Ritz cracker crumbs

12 (l inch) cubes cheddar cheese or 3 string cheese each cut into 4 equal pieces

½ cup catsup

½ brown sugar

Salt

Pepper

Method:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl mix together the ground beef, egg, and cracker crumbs, salt and pepper to taste. Roll into 12 equal size meatballs and place in a greased muffin tin. Place a piece of cheese into the center of the meatball and reform them to cover the cheese completely. In a small bowl mix the catsup and brown sugar together. Spoon the sauce evenly over each meatball coating the tops completely. Bake them for 25-30 minutes or until meatballs are fully cooked. Enjoy!

Cheeseburger Macaroni

Ingredients:

1 (7oz) box macaroni and cheese dinner

1 pound ground beef

¼ teaspoon onion powder

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

1 (10oz) can cream of mushroom soup

¼ cup sour cream

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

(butter and milk for mac and cheese, amount according to package direction)

Method:

Cook macaroni and cheese dinner according to package directions. Meanwhile in a medium skillet over medium high heat cook ground beef, onion powder, and garlic powder, until the ground beef is brown and crumbly, about 8 minutes, drain. Add ground beef, cream of mushroom, sour cream, salt, and pepper to mac and cheese and stir. Pour into a 2-quart microwave safe dish. Microwave on high 3 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Sprinkle with fresh parsley if desired. Enjoy!

 

Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients:

10-12 Tortillas

3-4 Chicken breasts

2 cans cream of mushroom soup

1 cup sour cream

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

Milk

1 (16 ounce) block medium cheddar cheese

Salt

Pepper

Method:

Boil the chicken breasts in salted water until cooked through remove from water and allow to cool. Meanwhile in a medium bowl mix 1 can cream of mushroom soup, sour cream and cinnamon together, salt and pepper to taste mix together and set aside. Shred the cheese. In a small bowl mix together the other can of cream of mushroom soup and 1/3 of the can full of milk together, set aside. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Chop the chicken into about 1 inch cubes and add to the cream of chicken, sour cream mixture. Stir to coat. Spray a 9x13 dish and pour in enough cream of chicken, milk mixture to coat the bottom of the pan. Fill each tortilla with some of the chicken mixture and sprinkle in some cheese. Roll-up and place into the dish seam side down, continue with remaining tortillas. Cover the tortillas with the remaining cream of mushroom and milk mixture, making sure to coat all the tortillas so they don’t dry out. Cover that with remaining cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Enjoy!

To kick it up a little try adding a small can of diced green chilies to the chicken filling.

Sunnyside Breakfast

Ingredients:

1 sheet frozen puff pastry (half of a 17-18 oz package) thawed

2 strips bacon (I use turkey bacon)

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

4 eggs

Salt

Pepper

Flour for dusting

Method:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheets with parchment paper so the pastry won’t stick. On a lightly floured surface roll the puff pastry to about a 12x12 inch square. Then slice into 4 equal squares. Slightly roll the edges and pinch to make 4 round tart shells. Place on prepared pan and prick the centers all over with a fork. Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet over medium heat cook the bacon until crispy about 5-6 minutes, drain on paper towel and chop into small pieces. Let the tart shells cool for a few minutes, if they are really puffy in the middle poke with a fork to break down until flat. Put cheese in each of the shells, making a little hole in the center for the egg. Crack an egg into a separate bowl and then carefully pour egg into center of tart and cheese. Season with salt and pepper then sprinkle with bacon crumbles. Return them to the oven and bake until the egg whites are set, about 10-15 minutes. Enjoy!

Turkey Wraps

Ingredients:

Tortillas

Cheese

Turkey

Lettuce

Pickles

Tomato slices

Mayo/dressing from Creamy Potato Salad

Salt

Pepper

Method:

Lay out desired amount of tortillas. Spread each with mayo/dressing. Layer with two slices turkey, two slices of cheese, lettuce, pickles, and tomato slices, salt and pepper the tomatoes. Roll-up the tortillas and place two toothpicks to secure each end. Cut each in half diagonally. Enjoy! 

Crock-Pot Spaghetti

Ingredients:

1 package spaghetti noodles

2 jars (25 oz each) spaghetti sauce

2 cans (14.5 oz each) diced tomatoes

1 pound ground beef

1 package (8 oz) mushrooms (or 2 small cans)

2 tablespoons butter (if using fresh mushrooms)

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon dried parsley

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon of the following:

Dried basil, dried oregano, dried marjoram, ground pepper

1/8 teaspoon dried thyme

1/8 teaspoon dried rosemary

Method:

In a medium skillet brown the ground beef and drain. Slice and cook the mushrooms in 2 tablespoons butter in a small sauce pan on medium high heat until softened. If using canned mushrooms no need to cook them before adding them to the sauce. In a large crock-pot combine the sauce, diced tomatoes, mushrooms, cooked ground beef, and all the seasoning. Let cook on low for several hours, The longer it cooks the better it is I usually let mine go all day. An hour before serving add in the noodles, breaking them in half. Stir them in to best cover all noodles. Stir every 10-15 minutes so that the noodles don’t clump together. Enjoy!

You can also substitute the seasonings for 2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning, still using the bay leaves and salt and pepper.

BBQ Meatballs

Ingredients:

1 package frozen meatballs

BBQ sauce

BBQ Sauce:

2 cups Catsup

¼ cup Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon dry mustard

½ cup brown sugar

¼ cup vinegar

Method:

Whisk all BBQ sauce ingredients together, is better if refrigerated overnight but not necessary. When making this recipe I always double it so I always have some in my fridge, I just keep it in the empty catsup bottles I use from making it.

Place desired amount of meatballs in a crock pot. Pour enough BBQ sauce over the meatballs to coat. Cook on low for several hours, stirring occasionally and adding more sauce if necessary, until meatballs are heated through. If you’re under a time crunch and want to make them you can microwave them with the sauce until heated through. Enjoy!

Taco Bar

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef

1 large or 2 small tomatoes

Lettuce

Cheddar cheese, shredded

Sour cream

Salsa (or chili sauce)

Tortillas

Salt

Pepper

Method:

In a medium sauce pan over medium high heat brown the ground beef, salt and pepper while cooking. Drain the grease and set aside. Place the cheese in a small bowl. Chop the tomatoes and lettuce and place each in a small bowl. Return the meat to the pan. Add ½ cup of your favorite salsa or chili sauce to the meat and return the pan to the heat for 3-5 minutes until well mixed and heated through. Set out for everyone to assemble the tacos however they please. Enjoy!

Garden Marinara Sauce

Ingredients:

4 (14.5oz each) cans diced tomatoes

1 (14.4oz) can tomato sauce

½ package mushrooms, roughly chopped

1 small zucchini, roughly chopped

½ tablespoon garlic powder

½ tablespoon onion powder

3 bay leaves

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

¼ cup chopped fresh basil

2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

Method:

Combine all ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a simmer, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for at least 3 hours stirring occasionally. Enjoy!

Broccoli & Mushroom Mac

Ingredients:

1 package (16 oz.) elbow noodles

1 head of broccoli

1 package (8 oz.) Mushrooms

3 tablespoons butter

16 oz. shredded cheddar cheese

1 can cream of mushroom soup

¼ cup sour cream

Milk

Salt

Pepper

Method:

Cook the noodles according to package direction, drain. Meanwhile, slice the mushrooms; melt the butter in a small sauce pan over medium high heat. Add the sliced mushrooms to the melted butter and sauté until golden brown, then salt to taste. Cut the broccoli into small florets.  Boil the broccoli florets in salted water for 4-5 minutes, drain. In a medium bowl mix together the cream of mushroom soup, sour cream and milk (about half of the cream of mushroom can full), until well blended. Add 2/3 of the cheese and mix. Microwave the sauce to melt the cheese, salt and pepper to taste. Add the pasta back into the pot, add the sauce and stir. Add in the broccoli and mushrooms. Place in a large bowl and cover with remaining cheese. Microwave until bubbly and the cheese is melted. Sprinkle with crushed Ritz crackers if desired. Enjoy!