Sweet and Sour Chicken

Jake and I make this every couple of weeks. We think it tastes better than the chicken from Panda Express, or any other Chinese restaurant . We also make fried rice with it and that makes it extra yummy.

INGREDIENTS

• Chicken:
• 3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds)
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup cornstarch
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1/4 cup canola, vegetable or coconut oil
• Sauce:
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 4 tablespoons ketchup
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Cut the chicken breasts into 1-inch pieces. Season with salt and pepper. Place the cornstarch in a gallon-sized ziploc bag. Put the chicken into the bag with the cornstarch and seal, tossing to coat the chicken.
3. Whisk the eggs together in a shallow pie plate. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat until very hot and rippling. Dip the cornstarch-coated chicken pieces in the egg and place them carefully in a single layer in the hot skillet.
4. Cook for 20-30 seconds on each side until the crust is golden but the chicken is not all the way cooked through (this is where it's really important to have a hot skillet/oil). Place the chicken pieces in a single layer in a 9X13-inch baking dish and repeat with the remaining chicken pieces.
5. Mix the sauce ingredients together in a medium bowl and pour over the chicken. Bake for one hour, turning the chicken once or twice while cooking to coat evenly with sauce. Serve over hot, steamed rice.

Baked Penne

1/2 lb. extra-lean ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onions 
1/2 cup green peppers
1 jar(24 oz.) spaghetti sauce
1 tub(10 oz.) Philadelphia Italian Cheese and Herb Cooking Creme, divided (I used reduced fat)
1 cup Kraft Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, divided
3 cups cooked penne pasta

Heat oven to 350°F. 

Brown meat with vegetables in large nonstick skillet. Stir in spaghetti sauce, 3/4 cup cooking creme and 1/2 cup mozzarella; cook and stir 2 to 3 min. or until mozzarella is melted. Add pasta; mix lightly. Spoon into 2-qt. casserole; top with remaining cooking creme and mozzarella. Cover. Bake 20 min. or until heated through, uncovering after 15 min.

**This is one of my very favorite recipes, so good!

Creamy Chicken and Asparagus Pasta

• 8 to 12 oz of your favorite pasta shape (follow the serving size on the box, depending how many you are cooking for) 
• 1 to 2 cups of chopped cooked chicken (don't stress if you don't have much chicken, it will still be good) 
• 1 Bunch Asparagus, ends trimmed 
• 1/2 cup of chicken broth 
• 1 cup of reserved pasta water 
• 4 oz cream cheese 
• 1/4 cup half n half, heavy cream or milk 
• 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese – Shredded 
• 1 tbs Olive Oil 
• 2-3 Garlic Cloves – Minced 
• 1/4 tsp Onion Powder 
• 1/4 tsp Garlic Powder 
• 1 tsp dried Basil 
• 1 tsp dried Oregano 
• Salt & Pepper 

Instructions:

1. Cook pasta as directed on package. (Be sure to use the recommended amount of salt, it makes the pasta taste so much better.) Add the asparagus to the water during the last 3 minutes of cooking. Drain and set aside. Reserve a cup of the pasta water.
2. As the pasta is cooking, saute the minced garlic in a large skillet over medium heat for about 3 to 4 minutes. Don't let it burn. (If you are not using precooked chicken, go ahead and cook it with the garlic.)
3. Add chicken, onion powder, garlic powder, basil and oregano to the skillet. Saute another 2 minutes.
4. Add the broth, milk/cream, cream cheese and half of the Parmesan to the chicken mixture, stir until well combined.
5. Add the pasta and asparagus to the skillet, stir until combined. If pasta seems dry add reserved cooking liquid a little bit at a time, stirring over med low heat until desired consistency is reached.
6. Top with additional salt, pepper and Parmesan.
   

Chicken Enchilada Quinoa Bake

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 1/2 cups cooked quinoa (white or red)

1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast

1 can (15 oz) black beans

1 can (4.5 oz) chopped green chiles

1 tablespoon chili powder

2 cups enchilada sauce (from 19-oz can)

1/2 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (2 oz)

1 cup shredded pepper Jack cheese (4 oz)

Sour cream or plain Greek yogurt

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 8-inch square (2-quart) or 13×9-inch (3-quart) ceramic or broiler-proof baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Heat 10- or 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil and onion; cook 5 minutes or until onion is soft.
3. Reduce heat to low. Add quinoa, chicken, black beans, green chiles, chili powder and 2 cups of the enchilada sauce; stir to combine. Remove from heat.
4. Stir in Cheddar cheese. Transfer quinoa mixture to baking dish. Top evenly with pepper Jack cheese.
5. Bake 10 to 15 minutes.
6. Turn oven control to broil. Place baking dish about 5 inches from broiler; broil 1 to 2 minutes or until cheese is golden and bubbly. Remove from broiler. Serve immediately.
   

Creamy Cauliflower Mac & Cheese

8 cloves garlic, minced or crushed

2 tablespoons butter

5-6 cups cauliflower florets

6-7 cups chicken broth

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound dry macaroni pasta

In a medium skillet, sauté the garlic in the butter until soft and fragrant. Set aside. Cook pasta according to package directions and set aside. Meanwhile, bring the chicken broth to a boil, and add cauliflower. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 7-10 minutes, or until cauliflower is tender. Remove cauliflower to a blender using a slotted spoon, and add about one cup of the chicken broth cooking liquid. Add salt, pepper, butter and garlic and milk, and blend until smooth. Add parmesan cheese and olive oil, and blend until smooth. Toss the pasta with the hot sauce, and sprinkle with cheese if desired. 

**I've also used this sauce as an Alfredo sauce with penne and chicken and it's great!

Chicken and Black Bean Enchilada Casserole

2 cups diced or shredded chicken breast meat

½ teaspoon ground cumin 
½ teaspoon garlic powder
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro 
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained 
1 (4.5 oz) can diced green chili peppers, drained 
1 (10 oz) can red enchilada sauce 
8 (6 inch) corn tortillas 
2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese 
1 (8 oz) container sour cream*** 

Preheat the oven to 375°. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and spray with vegetable cooking spray. Sauté chicken with cumin until chicken is cooked through. Transfer to a medium bowl. Stir in the cilantro, black beans, and green chili peppers. 

Spread half of the enchilada sauce over the bottom of an 11x7 inch baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Place 4 tortillas over the sauce, overlapping if necessary. Spoon half of the chicken mixture over the tortillas, and sprinkle with half of the cheese and half of the sour cream. 

Spoon the remaining enchilada sauce over the cheese, and make another layer of tortillas. Layer the remaining chicken mixture over the tortillas. 

Cover dish with a lid or aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven. 

Remove the cover, and sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top. Continue cooking, uncovered, for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, or until cheese melts.

***I used a combination of sour cream and cream of chicken soup

Stuffed Pizza Pockets

*STUFFED PIZZA POCKETS

Dough:

·         1 t. yeast

·         1 t. sugar

·         3/4  c. warm water

·         1/4 c. olive oil

·         1/2 t. salt

·         1/2 t. Italian seasoning

·         2-3 c. flour

·          

Use Pizza Toppings you like. Here’s what I use!

·         Pizza Sauce (I just use Prego Traditional Sauce, and it tastes great!)

·         mozzarella cheese

·         pepperoni

·         Canadian bacon

·         Pineapple

·         Chopped onion

·         Chopped Green Pepper

·         2 T. butter or margarine, melted

·         Optional topping: 2 t. Parmesan cheese, 1/2 t. each garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt

1. Let yeast and sugar dissolve in warm water in a large mixing bowl for about 5 minutes. Add olive oil, 1/2 t. salt and 1/2 t. Italian seasoning.  Slowly add the flour until completely combined and dough is no longer sticky.  Knead for 5 minutes, place in a greased bowl, cover and let rise for 1 hour.

2. On a floured surface, roll dough into a large rectangle. Cut dough into 4 fat rectangles. (The end up being about 4 inches x 12 inches.) On one half of each, place desired pizza toppings starting with sauce, and layering as you desire. Bring the two ends together and seal sides. Be sure to seal well to cut down on cheese melting out during the baking process. Place on a baking sheet. Repeat until done.

3. Drizzle or brush melted butter or margarine over each stuffed pizza stick. If desired, combine the optional topping ingredients in a small bowl and sprinkle on top. Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown. I also like to dip mine in the warmed Prego sauce. Enjoy!

*The original recipe was for mini stuffed bread sticks, but I just made big ones instead with my favorite pizza toppings. Basically They are pockets or calzones, but the dough is so yummy, so that’s why I used this recipe! These would make yummy bread sticks too if you don't want to stuff them!

Recipe Makes 4 Large Pizza Pockets

Parmesan Crusted Chicken

I love cooking chicken this way. It turns out moist and very flavorful.



INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup Hellmann's® or Best Foods® Real Mayonnaise
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1-1/4 lbs.)
4 tsp. Italian seasoned dry bread crumbs
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 425°.
Combine Hellmann's® or Best Foods® Real Mayonnaise with cheese in medium bowl. Arrange chicken on baking sheet. Evenly top with mayonnaise mixture, then sprinkle with bread crumbs.
Bake 20 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked.

Beef Taco Skillet

This is so yummy and so easy!!



Ingredients
1 pound Lean Ground Beef
1 can (10.75 Oz. Can) Tomato Soup
1 cup Chunky Salsa
1 teaspoon Hot Sauce
⅛ teaspoons Cumin
½ cups Water
6 whole 6 Inch Flour Tortillas
Salt And Pepper
1 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Cook beef in a skillet until well browned. Drain off any excess fat. Stir in the soup, salsa, hot sauce, cumin, water and tortillas that have been cut into 1-inch strips. Heat to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook for 5–10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Top with cheese and cover until cheese melts.

Chicken Marsala

1 lb chicken breast halves
5 Tb Flour
1/4 tsp Salt
3 Tb Butter
1 small Onion finely chopped
1 pkg thinly sliced mushrooms
1 1/3 Cup Chicken Broth
1/8 tsp dried Thyme leaves

Combine 4 Tb Flour, Salt and Pepper. Dip chicken in flour until evenly coated.
Melt 2 Tb Butter in a skillet over medium heat and cook chicken. Remove to a platter and keep warm.
Melt 1 Tb Butter in same skillet over medium heat and cook the onion and mushrooms, stirring occasionally 3 minutes or until tender. Sprinkle with remaining 1 Tb Flour and cook, stirring constantly 1 minute. Add Broth and Thyme, scraping brown bits from bottom of pan and bring to a boil over high heat. Continue boiling, stirring frequently 2 minutes or until sauce is thickened. To serve, pour over chicken.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

1/4 cup butter
1/2 chopped onion
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup flour
1 cup half-and-half
1 cup milk
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 lb fresh broccoli, chopped
1 cup carrot, shredded and chopped
8 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese**
4 ounces grated Colby jack cheese**
Salt and pepper to taste

Sauté the onion and garlic in the butter over medium heat. Add in the flour, stirring constantly. Add in the half and half, milk, and chicken stock. Bring to almost a boil.
Add the broccoli and carrots. Simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes.
Season the soup with the saltand pepper. Stir in the cheeses (and you can play around with the amounts; use however much or little you like) and let simmer for 10 minutes longer before serving.

**I just used a colby and monterey jack cheese blend and it was amazing!

Ham and Cheese Sliders

24 good white dinner rolls
24 pieces good honey ham
24 small slices Swiss cheese
1/3 cup mayonnaise or miracle whip

Sauce:
1 T poppyseeds (optional)
1 1/2 T yellow mustard
1 stick butter, melted
1 T minced onion
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Spread mayonnaise onto both sides of the center of each roll. Place a slice of ham and a slice of Swiss inside of each roll. Close rolls and place them into a large baking dish or heavy cookie sheet. Place very close together.In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the poppy seed sauce ingredients. Pour evenly over all of the sandwiches. Let sit 10 minutes or until butter sets slightly. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until cheese is melted. Uncover and cook for 2 additional minutes. Serve warm.

Slow Cooked Barbecued Country Style Ribs

3 - 4 lbs boneless pork ribs
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 cloves garlic minced
1 large onion sliced
1/2 cup apple juice
1 bottle (15-18 oz) barbecue sauce

Lightly grease crock pot. Wash boneless ribs, trimming off any excess fat. Pat dry.
Put onion in bottom of crock pot. Sprinkle ribs with salt, pepper, brown sugar and garlic to coat. Add to crock pot. Add apple juice.
Cook on low for 8 to 9 hours. Drain.
Pour barbecue sauce over meat. Cook for one more hour on low. Serve

This also makes great barbecued pork sandwiches. Just break apart the pork with forks so that it has the consistency of pulled pork. Then add the barbecue sauce and cook for the additional hour, as stated above. Serve on buns or hard rolls.

Tortellini Sausage Soup

1 lb italian sausage 4 cloves pressed garlic 1 onion diced 1/2 cup water 2 cans chicken broth 1/2 cup apple cider 1 16oz can diced tomatoes 1 8oz can tomato sauce 1 cup sliced carrots 1 tsp dried basil 1 tsp dried oregano 2 medium zucchini, grated 1 8-10oz package cheese tortellini 2 Tbs dried parsley In a soup pot, cook sausage over medium heat, stirring frequently. If the sausage is pretty fatty, drain off the fat about half way through cooking. Meanwhile, chop onions and garlic. Add to sausage. Continue cooking until onions are translucent and your sausage is cooked. Add water, chicken broth, apple cider, tomatoes, tomato sauce, carrots, basil and oregano. Cover and simmer for 1/2 hour. Add parsley and zucchini and simmer for another 15 minutes. Add the tortellini and cook until tender. Servie with bread and freshly grated parmesan.

Chicken and Pasta

12 to 14 chicken tenders
2 8oz pkgs Cream cheese
1 packet Dry Italian dressing mix
2 cans Cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup milk

Penne pasta or Fettucine

Soften cream cheese by setting out for a couple hours or soften in microwave for a few seconds. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix together cream cheese, soup, Italian mix and milk with a mixer. Place chicken breasts in a greased 9x13 pan. Spread the mix over the top making sure there aren't many open spots. Bake for one hour. Cook pasta. Serve chicken and sauce over the pasta.

Ham and Cheese Calzone

2 tbsp (30 mL) mayonnaise
2 tsp (10 mL) Dijon mustard
1 cup (250 mL) fresh broccoli florets (about 2 oz/60 g)
1 8-oz (250-g) slice smoked deli ham (about ½ in./1 cm thick)
1/2 small onion
8 oz (250 g) Swiss cheese, grated, divided
1 tbsp (15 mL) vegetable oil, divided
2 refrigerated pie crusts
1 oz (30 g) Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:
1.Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C). Combine mayonnaise and mustard in Classic Batter Bowl; mix well. Cut broccoli into small florets; dice ham. Coarsely chop onion. Grate Swiss cheese. Combine broccoli, ham, onion and half of the Swiss cheese in batter bowl; mix well.

2.Lightly brush Large Bar Pan with 1 tsp (5 mL) of the oil. Unroll one package of dough onto bottom of bar pan, gently stretching and pressing dough to cover bottom. Sprinkle with remaining Swiss cheese to within 1 in. (2.5 cm) of edges; spoon ham mixture over cheese. Unroll remaining dough directly over filling, matching edges of dough and shaping to fit as dough is unrolled. Trim 1/2 in. (1 cm) off sides of dough. Press edges to seal. Brush remaining oil over dough. Make 12 slits, in three rows of four each, into top crust.

3. Bake 14-16 minutes or until golden brown. Meanwhile, grate Parmesan cheese; sprinkle over calzone. Return calzone to oven; bake 2-3 minutes or until cheese is melted and crust is deep golden brown. Slice with Pizza Cutter.

Yield: 8 servings

White Chicken Chilli

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon oil
2 cans (15 1/2 ounces each) Great Northern Beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup whipping cream

In a large saucepan, saute chicken, onion and garlic powder in oil until chicken is no longer pink. Add beans, broth, chilies and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in sour cream and cream. Garnish with fresh cilantro, if desired. Serve immediately. This is especially good served with tortilla chips. Makes about 5 servings.

Baked Ziti

1lb ground beef

1 cup onion (chopped)

2 garlic cloves (minced)

1 (32 ounce) jar meatless spaghetti sauce

1 cup chicken broth

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon salt

1 (16 oz) package ziti pasta (cooked and drained)

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet add ground beef, onions and garlic. Cook over medium high heat stirring frequently until the beef is browned. Stir in spaghetti sauce, chicken broth, oregano and salt. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

2. Stir in 1 cup of sauce into the cooked ziti noodles. Spoon ½ of the ziti mixture into a 13×9” baking dish. Sprinkle 1 ½ cups mozzarella cheese and ½ cup parmesan cheese over the top of the ziti mixture. Top with 2 cups of the sauce, then add remaining ziti mixture and top that with the remaining sauce.

3. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes remove from oven, uncover and sprinkle the top with the remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Return to over and bake for 10 minutes or until the cheese has melted.

Fried Shrimp

20 large shrimp, peeled and deveined.
Salt and white pepper, to taste.
2 medium eggs.
1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard.
1 cup of Rice Krispies.
¾ cup of Corn Flakes.
¼ cup of all-purpose flour
Vegetable oil for frying.

Season the shrimp with the salt and white pepper. Lightly beat the eggs with the mustard. In a medium-sized bowl, crush the Rice Krispies and Corn Flakes into very small crumbs.
Dip each shrimp into the flour, then the egg/mustard mixture, then the cereals mixture. Set aside on a plate until ready to fry.
Pour 1-2 inches of vegetable oil into a deep pot and heat to 350°F (180°C), as measured by a deep fat frying thermometer. Fry the shrimp in batches for about 2-3 minutes until golden brown. Remove and drain on a plate lined with paper towels.

Moist Garlic Chicken

1/3 Cup Butter
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 Cup Seasoned Bread Crumbs
1/4 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
2 Tbs grated parmesan
Dash of Pepper
6 Boneless Chicken Breasts

In a shallow bowl combine butter, garlic, garlic powder & salt. In another bowl combine bread crumbs, cheeses & pepper. Dip chicken in butter mixture then coat with crumb mixture. Place in a 13x9 inch baking dish, cover & bake @ 350 for 45 - 50 minutes or until chicken juices run clear.

We had this for dinner last night and it was so yummy!! I definitley will be using this one often!