Looking for an option to traditional green bean casserole? This Italian casserole is a perfect side dish for your holiday meal. In fact, my kids beg me to fix it year-round. Occasionally, we fix a "mock" Thanksgiving dinner with baked chicken (instead of turkey), this green bean casserole, and yummy homemade macaroni and cheese. I think you'll find that this dish is one worth serving again and again.
Ingredients:
4 cans cut green beans, drained
1 can quartered artichoke hearts, drained and chopped fine
2 cups (1 16 oz. bottle) Italian dressing
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Combine all ingredients in a casserole dish.
3. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
Enjoy!
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Chicken Tortilla Soup
This recipe is one that a friend of mine gave me several years ago. I've added a few personal touches to it over the years, adapting it for the slow cooker. It's the perfect soup for a cold evening. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 cans chicken broth
1 can Rotel tomatoes (undrained)
1 can corn (undrained)
1 can Great Northern Beans (drained and rinsed)*
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
4 large flour tortillas
Vegetable oil
Directions:
1. Place chicken breasts in the bottom of a large slow cooker. Combine all ingedients except for tortillas and oil and pour over chicken. Cook on low for 7-8 hours,
2. When you arrive home in the evening, preheat oven to 400 degrees. On baking sheet, brush both sides of 2 tortillas with oil. Use a pizza cutter to cut into small strips.
3. Bake for 5 minutes. Repeat with remaining 2 tortillas.
Serve soup hot, with baked tortilla strips as garnish. Delicious!
*You can substitute the great northern beans with black beans. Don't forget to drain and rinse.
Ingredients:
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 cans chicken broth
1 can Rotel tomatoes (undrained)
1 can corn (undrained)
1 can Great Northern Beans (drained and rinsed)*
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
4 large flour tortillas
Vegetable oil
Directions:
1. Place chicken breasts in the bottom of a large slow cooker. Combine all ingedients except for tortillas and oil and pour over chicken. Cook on low for 7-8 hours,
2. When you arrive home in the evening, preheat oven to 400 degrees. On baking sheet, brush both sides of 2 tortillas with oil. Use a pizza cutter to cut into small strips.
3. Bake for 5 minutes. Repeat with remaining 2 tortillas.
Serve soup hot, with baked tortilla strips as garnish. Delicious!
*You can substitute the great northern beans with black beans. Don't forget to drain and rinse.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Italian Stuffed Shells
Okay, so I did something a little out of the ordinary tonight. I usually reserve my more time-consuming meals for the weekends, but I had time tonight to spend in the kitchen! So...I prepared one of my mom's best Italian dishes!! This one takes about 30 minutes to prep and about an hour to bake, so it's a lot more work than I would normally suggest on a weeknight. However, it is well worth the trouble!
Ingredients:
24 jumbo pasta shells (about 2/3 of a 12 oz. box of shells)
15 oz. carton of ricotta cheese
2 cups grated mozzerella cheese
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tbsp. Italian seasoning
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 26 oz. can of your favorite spaghetti sauce with 1/2 cup water
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Boil pasta shells for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water.
3. Place spaghetti sauce and 1/2 cup water in medium saucepan. Heat on low.
4. Combine the three cheeses, Italian seasoning, and beaten eggs. Mix well.
5. Pour a thin layer (approx. 1 cup) of sauce into the bottom of a 13X9X2 baking dish.
5. Stuff each shell with cheese filling. Place stuffed shells on top of sauce.
6. Top shells with remaining sauce.
7. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with additional parmesan cheese if desired. Bake for five more minutes and serve hot!
24 jumbo pasta shells (about 2/3 of a 12 oz. box of shells)
15 oz. carton of ricotta cheese
2 cups grated mozzerella cheese
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tbsp. Italian seasoning
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 26 oz. can of your favorite spaghetti sauce with 1/2 cup water
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Boil pasta shells for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water.
3. Place spaghetti sauce and 1/2 cup water in medium saucepan. Heat on low.
4. Combine the three cheeses, Italian seasoning, and beaten eggs. Mix well.
5. Pour a thin layer (approx. 1 cup) of sauce into the bottom of a 13X9X2 baking dish.
5. Stuff each shell with cheese filling. Place stuffed shells on top of sauce.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Two 15-Minute Meal Ideas
Need super fast meal ideas? Here are two that can be prepared in less than 15 minutes! Again, I make no claims of gourmet food in this blog. Just easy meals that beat fast-food any day of the week!
15-minute meal #1: Blue Runner Red Beans and Rice
1. Slice a package of your favorite smoked sausage. Brown.
2. While sausage is cooking, mix a box of Jiffy cornbread mix. Place in preheated oven.
3. Add a can of Blue Runner Spicy Creole Red Beans, and add water to desired consistency.
4. While red beans simmer, cook 4 servings of instant rice.
5. Serve red beans and rice with cornbread.
No, these beans haven't simmered for hours, but they sure are good!
15-minute meal #2: Sloppy Roast Beef Po-Boys
1. Combine 1 lb. of sliced deli roast beef and 1 can of beef gravy in small pot over medium heat.
2. Serve on po-boy bread with swiss cheese, mayo, and any other sandwich dressings you might like. We heat ours in the toaster oven to melt the cheese!
Okay ladies, some of you are self-proclaimed "bad cooks," but it doesn't get any easier than this! You can feed your family with little effort, on a budget, in a hurry...it just takes a little planning and creativity!!
15-minute meal #1: Blue Runner Red Beans and Rice
1. Slice a package of your favorite smoked sausage. Brown.
2. While sausage is cooking, mix a box of Jiffy cornbread mix. Place in preheated oven.
3. Add a can of Blue Runner Spicy Creole Red Beans, and add water to desired consistency.
4. While red beans simmer, cook 4 servings of instant rice.
5. Serve red beans and rice with cornbread.
No, these beans haven't simmered for hours, but they sure are good!
15-minute meal #2: Sloppy Roast Beef Po-Boys
1. Combine 1 lb. of sliced deli roast beef and 1 can of beef gravy in small pot over medium heat.
2. Serve on po-boy bread with swiss cheese, mayo, and any other sandwich dressings you might like. We heat ours in the toaster oven to melt the cheese!
Okay ladies, some of you are self-proclaimed "bad cooks," but it doesn't get any easier than this! You can feed your family with little effort, on a budget, in a hurry...it just takes a little planning and creativity!!
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Chicken Enchiladas
Use the crockpot to cook the chicken for these enchiladas. Prep will take you about 15 minutes; then put them in the oven for 30 minutes. Delicious!!
Ingredients:
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 large can (26 oz.) cream of mushroom soup
1 16 oz. sour cream
shredded cheddar cheese
8 large flour tortillas
chili powder
Directions:
1. Put chicken breasts and cream of mushroom soup in crockpot in the morning. Cook on low for 7-8 hours.
2. When you arrive home that evening, turn off crockpot and shred chicken. Add carton of sour cream and mix well. This is the filling for your enchiladas.
3. Spoon filling into tortilla shell. Cover mixture with shredded cheese and chili powder. Roll shell and place in baking dish. Continue with each tortilla shell.
4. When all 8 shells are lined up in baking dish, cover with the remaining chicken mixture. Add a layer of shredded cheddar cheese and sprinkle with chili powder.
5. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
Broccoli and Cheese Soup/Chicken Casserole
Follow this simple recipe to create two meals in one! The soup recipe makes enough for two meals. Enjoy soup the first night. Reserve the leftovers and add cooked chicken and rice the second night for a yummy casserole.
Meal One: Broccoli and Cheese Soup
Ingredients:
1 qt. water
1 16 oz. package frozen chopped broccoli
1 cup chopped onion (I buy bags of Pictsweet frozen chopped onions to keep on hand for quick prep. Walmart has these on sale this week for $1 per bag.)
1 can cream of celery soup
1 can cheddar cheese soup
16 oz. Velveeta cheese (1/2 large block), in small cubes
Tony Chachere's seasoning(to taste)
Directions:
1. Combine water, broccoli, and onion and bring to boil. Cook till broccoli is tender.
2. Reduce heat and add soups, Velveeta, and Tony's seasoning.
3. Cook 5-10 minutes or until cheese melts.
Perfect for a cool fall evening!
Meal Two: Broccoli, chicken, and cheese casserole.
Ingredients:
Leftover soup from Meal One
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Instant rice
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Boil chicken and shred into small pieces.
3. Prepare 4-6 servings of instant rice (depending on how much soup you have left).
4. Combine leftover soup, chicken, and rice in large casserole dish.
5. Bake for 25-30 minutes.
Enjoy!
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Chicken Alfredo
This meal is so, so easy! A little prep in the morning, let simmer in the slow cooker all day, boil some pasta, and enjoy a yummy meal!
Ingredients:
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 jar alfredo sauce (We like the Ragu roasted garlic kind.)
angel hair pasta
salad
garlic bread
Directions:
1. Place chicken breasts in crockpot and cover with alfredo sauce. (Don't forget your Reynold's Slow Cooker Liners.)
2. Cook on low for 7-8 hours. Separate chicken into small pieces and stir.
3. Serve over cooked angel hair pasta, with salad and garlic bread.
It doesn't get any easier than this! This meal takes all of two minutes to prep, and about 10 minutes to prepare pasta and toast garlic bread. A great family meal with no effort!
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