Last night our church had the Relief Society (the women's organization in our church) Christmas Party. I'm on the committee that plans these activities, so was privy to the menu. The main dish was a chicken cordon bleu casserole, which was both easy and delicious. It involves none of the cutting, filling, and wrapping that a traditional chicken cordon bleu entails, but still encompasses all the flavor and texture of the original. We served it with rice pilaf, steamed baby carrots and parsley, and dinner rolls. Give it a try!
Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
Ingredients:
Chicken Tenders (enough to cover the bottom of a 9" x 13" pan, about 10)
Ham, sliced to 1/8", about 4-6 slices
Swiss or Muenster cheese, sliced 1/8" thick
Italian breadcrumbs
3-4 Eggs
1/2 cup cream or half-n-half
Thyme (fresh is best, leaves picked)
In a low flat dish (like a pie plate) crack 2 or 3 of the eggs and whisk until the whites and yolks are mixed. In another low flat dish put the breadcrumbs, reserving 1/4 cup for the topping. Grease a 9" x 13" pan.
Dip chicken tenders first into the egg mixture, then into the breadcrumb mixture. Place coated chicken in a single layer to cover the bottom of the pan. On top of the chicken place a layer of ham, covering chicken completely. On top of the ham make a layer of the cheese.
In a small bowl whisk together 1 egg and the cream or half-n-half. Pour the mixture over the chicken, ham, and cheese, letting it seep down to the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle the remaining breadcrumbs over top of the cheese, then sprinkle with fresh thyme. (Can be covered and refrigerated at this point until you are ready to bake it, up to 24 hours.)
Bake at 350F for 20-30 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165F. Then turn on the broiler and broil for 2-3 minutes, or until the cheese is slightly bubbly and the breadcrumbs are browned.
Serves 8.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Turkey Curry
If you're like me you're tired of eating Thanksgiving leftovers by now. I love Thanksgiving, but going on six days now is a bit much. I saw on my friend Olivia's blog a recipe for Turkey Curry and thought I'd try it out. I was skeptical because it calls for Cream of Mushroom soup, and I try to stay away from recipes involving that. But it was really good! My kids devoured it and asked for more! You can see the original recipe on Olivia's blog, and this is what I did (a bit altered due to what I had on hand).
Turkey Curry
Ingredients:
Leftover Thanksgiving turkey, in bite-size pieces (I had about 1-1/2 cups of meat)
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1 cup whole milk
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
2 T curry powder (I use Sharwood's brand, mild. You can add more if you like)
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp garlic salt
Put the turkey, coconut, and milk in a medium-sized sauce pan. Heat over medium-high heat until the milk is bubbling and it smells like coconut. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir well. Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes.
Serve over rice and with a green vegetable on the side (we had peas).
Delish!
Turkey Curry
Ingredients:
Leftover Thanksgiving turkey, in bite-size pieces (I had about 1-1/2 cups of meat)
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1 cup whole milk
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
2 T curry powder (I use Sharwood's brand, mild. You can add more if you like)
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp garlic salt
Put the turkey, coconut, and milk in a medium-sized sauce pan. Heat over medium-high heat until the milk is bubbling and it smells like coconut. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir well. Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes.
Serve over rice and with a green vegetable on the side (we had peas).
Delish!
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Cran-Apple Pork and Sweet Potatoes
This is a recipe I got from our church's ward cookbook, submitted by Cherie Jones. I thought I'd try it because it was a Crockpot recipe, and even though I have a Crockpot I don't use it often because I don't usually plan far enough ahead. Anyway, it was a great dinner, although it did turn out looking a bit stewy, if that's a word. But the flavors went well together. We ate it with some more apple sauce and some mixed frozen vegetables on the side (cooked, of course!). How easy is that? The simplest-to-prepare meal I've made in a long time. And I enjoyed it thoroughly!
Cran-Apple Pork and Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients:
1-2 cups apple sauce
3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/4"-thick slices
2 lbs boneless pork chops (I used about 8 thinly sliced top loin chops)
1 can whole cranberry sauce
2-3 T brown sugar
Salt and pepper
Pour the applesauce into a 3-qt or larger Crockpot (mine is 5 qt). You want enough to cover the bottom of the pot. On top of that, spread out the sweet potatoes. It doesn't matter if they form more than one layer. Sprinkle the brown sugar on the sweet potatoes and a little bit of salt and pepper. Put the pork chops on top of the sweet potatoes; season with salt and pepper. Spoon the cranberry sauce on top, covering it all. Cook on low for 7-8 hours. (Mine was actually done by 6 hours but was still good at 8). Enjoy!
Cran-Apple Pork and Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients:
1-2 cups apple sauce
3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/4"-thick slices
2 lbs boneless pork chops (I used about 8 thinly sliced top loin chops)
1 can whole cranberry sauce
2-3 T brown sugar
Salt and pepper
Pour the applesauce into a 3-qt or larger Crockpot (mine is 5 qt). You want enough to cover the bottom of the pot. On top of that, spread out the sweet potatoes. It doesn't matter if they form more than one layer. Sprinkle the brown sugar on the sweet potatoes and a little bit of salt and pepper. Put the pork chops on top of the sweet potatoes; season with salt and pepper. Spoon the cranberry sauce on top, covering it all. Cook on low for 7-8 hours. (Mine was actually done by 6 hours but was still good at 8). Enjoy!
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Taco Salad
Tonight I wanted something healthy, with a Tex-Mex feel. I also wanted something that my kids would eat. So I did a variation on a taco salad. I ate the yummy salad (and I'm assuming J will when he gets home), and the kids ate tortillas, cheese, olives, corn, and beans. Success!
Taco Salad
6 cups mixed greens (or your favorite lettuce)
1/2 can black beans, drained and well-rinsed
1/2 can whole kernel corn, drained and rinsed
1 can black olives, sliced or not as you prefer
2 cups grated cheddar cheese, or a Mexican cheese blend
1 large tomato, chopped
1 avocado, chopped
2 large flour tortillas
2 T Salsa
1/2 cup Ranch Dressing
1/4 tsp Lime juice
First, make a quesadilla. Place a tortilla on a flat grilling pan or a large skillet. Sprinkle grated cheese until mostly covered, then top with another tortilla. Cook on medium to medium high for 2-3 minutes or until the cheese begins to melt. Flip, then cook until cheese is fully melted and the tortilla is slightly browned. Using a pizza cutter, cut the quesadilla in half, then slice each half into 1-inch strips. Arrange the strips around the outside of a large shallow serving bowl.
Assemble the salad. Place lettuce in the serving bowl, slightly overlapping quesadilla. Top with beans and corn, then tomatoes, olives, avocado, and whatever cheese you have left.
In a small bowl, whisk together Ranch dressing, salsa, and lime juice. Drizzle over top of salad, and serve immediately.
Enjoy!
Taco Salad
6 cups mixed greens (or your favorite lettuce)
1/2 can black beans, drained and well-rinsed
1/2 can whole kernel corn, drained and rinsed
1 can black olives, sliced or not as you prefer
2 cups grated cheddar cheese, or a Mexican cheese blend
1 large tomato, chopped
1 avocado, chopped
2 large flour tortillas
2 T Salsa
1/2 cup Ranch Dressing
1/4 tsp Lime juice
First, make a quesadilla. Place a tortilla on a flat grilling pan or a large skillet. Sprinkle grated cheese until mostly covered, then top with another tortilla. Cook on medium to medium high for 2-3 minutes or until the cheese begins to melt. Flip, then cook until cheese is fully melted and the tortilla is slightly browned. Using a pizza cutter, cut the quesadilla in half, then slice each half into 1-inch strips. Arrange the strips around the outside of a large shallow serving bowl.
Assemble the salad. Place lettuce in the serving bowl, slightly overlapping quesadilla. Top with beans and corn, then tomatoes, olives, avocado, and whatever cheese you have left.
In a small bowl, whisk together Ranch dressing, salsa, and lime juice. Drizzle over top of salad, and serve immediately.
Enjoy!
Mashed Potatoes and Root Vegetables
I'm going to try to put more of what I'm cooking up here more often, to get comments and to help out others who are in a dinner rut (as I often am). Tonight, we made Mashed Potatoes and Root Vegetables, with parsnips for the root vegetable. They were a side dish, of course, to go with "My Favorite Chicken," which is what the kids call the Tyson's breaded chicken breasts that we have at least once a week. We also had some broccoli on the side.
For the record, the kids didn't touch this dish. But J and I thought it was yummy, a nice variation on mashed potatoes, if it does take a bit longer to prepare.
The recipe is from America's Test Kitchen, one of my favorite places to get recipes. Try it out. :)
Mashed Potatoes and Root Vegetables
Russet potatoes will yield a slightly fluffier, less creamy mash, but they can be used in place of the Yukon Gold potatoes if desired. Rinsing the potatoes in several changes of water reduces starch and prevents the mashed potatoes from becoming gluey. It is important to cut the potatoes and root vegetables into even-sized pieces so they cook at the same rate. This recipe can be doubled and cooked in a large Dutch oven. If doubling, increase the cooking time in step 2 to 40 minutes.
Serves 4
1. Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. When foaming subsides, add root vegetables and cook, stirring occasionally, until butter is browned and vegetables are dark brown and caramelized, 10 to 12 minutes. (If after 4 minutes vegetables have not started to brown, increase heat to medium-high.)
2. Add potatoes, broth, and 3/4 teaspoon salt and stir to combine. Cook, covered, over low heat (broth should simmer gently; do not boil), stirring occasionally, until potatoes fall apart easily when poked with fork and all liquid has been absorbed, 25 to 30 minutes. (If liquid does not gently simmer after a few minutes, increase heat to medium-low.) Remove pan from heat; remove lid and allow steam to escape for 2 minutes.
3. Gently mash potatoes and root vegetables in saucepan with potato masher (do not mash vigorously). Gently fold in warm half-and-half and chives. Season with salt and pepper to taste; serve immediately.
For the record, the kids didn't touch this dish. But J and I thought it was yummy, a nice variation on mashed potatoes, if it does take a bit longer to prepare.
The recipe is from America's Test Kitchen, one of my favorite places to get recipes. Try it out. :)
Mashed Potatoes and Root Vegetables
Russet potatoes will yield a slightly fluffier, less creamy mash, but they can be used in place of the Yukon Gold potatoes if desired. Rinsing the potatoes in several changes of water reduces starch and prevents the mashed potatoes from becoming gluey. It is important to cut the potatoes and root vegetables into even-sized pieces so they cook at the same rate. This recipe can be doubled and cooked in a large Dutch oven. If doubling, increase the cooking time in step 2 to 40 minutes.
Serves 4
| 4 | tablespoons unsalted butter (I used salted and it was fine) |
| 8 | ounces carrots , parsnips, turnips, or celery root, peeled; carrots or parsnips cut into 1/4-inch-thick half-moons; turnips or celery root cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 1 1/2 cups) |
| 1 1/2 | pounds Yukon Gold potatoes , peeled, quartered lengthwise, and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices; rinsed well in 3 or 4 changes of cold water and drained |
| 1/3 | cup low-sodium chicken broth |
| Table salt | |
| 3/4 | cup half-and-half , warmed |
| 3 | tablespoons minced fresh chives |
| Ground black pepper |
1. Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. When foaming subsides, add root vegetables and cook, stirring occasionally, until butter is browned and vegetables are dark brown and caramelized, 10 to 12 minutes. (If after 4 minutes vegetables have not started to brown, increase heat to medium-high.)
2. Add potatoes, broth, and 3/4 teaspoon salt and stir to combine. Cook, covered, over low heat (broth should simmer gently; do not boil), stirring occasionally, until potatoes fall apart easily when poked with fork and all liquid has been absorbed, 25 to 30 minutes. (If liquid does not gently simmer after a few minutes, increase heat to medium-low.) Remove pan from heat; remove lid and allow steam to escape for 2 minutes.
3. Gently mash potatoes and root vegetables in saucepan with potato masher (do not mash vigorously). Gently fold in warm half-and-half and chives. Season with salt and pepper to taste; serve immediately.
Angel Hair Pasta with Vegetables and Herbs
Last night was one of those nights when I didn't have anything planned, so I just threw together something. For a lot of people, that means pasta. I've been working on my kids with pasta. They wouldn't eat anything pasta (including Macaroni and Cheese, which they still don't like) for years. I put it in front of them enough that they finally did eat plain angel hair pasta, but would never touch it with a marinara sauce.
Well, last night I made pasta, but I didn't make the sauce, being in a hurry and knowing they wouldn't eat it anyway. I gave them their pasta and asparagus, and then said, "This is how I'm going to eat mine. If you'd like some, you can try it." It was a huge hit, and E, who previously would eat a few measly strands of spaghetti, ate two full helpings. Let's just say that this will be on my more frequent list now.
And just for the record, he didn't eat the tomatoes.
Angel Hair with Vegetables and Herbs
Angel hair pasta or spaghetti, cooked and drained
Asparagus, cooked
1 tomato, chopped into bite-sized pieces
garlic salt
dried or fresh basil
Olive oil
Combine pasta, asparagus, and tomato. Add oil and toss to coat. Sprinkle with garlic salt and basil to taste.
*You could also add a bit of some good balsamic vinegar, which is how my husband ate it. Yum!
Well, last night I made pasta, but I didn't make the sauce, being in a hurry and knowing they wouldn't eat it anyway. I gave them their pasta and asparagus, and then said, "This is how I'm going to eat mine. If you'd like some, you can try it." It was a huge hit, and E, who previously would eat a few measly strands of spaghetti, ate two full helpings. Let's just say that this will be on my more frequent list now.
And just for the record, he didn't eat the tomatoes.
Angel Hair with Vegetables and Herbs
Angel hair pasta or spaghetti, cooked and drained
Asparagus, cooked
1 tomato, chopped into bite-sized pieces
garlic salt
dried or fresh basil
Olive oil
Combine pasta, asparagus, and tomato. Add oil and toss to coat. Sprinkle with garlic salt and basil to taste.
*You could also add a bit of some good balsamic vinegar, which is how my husband ate it. Yum!
Hearty Vegetable Soup
Tonight I looked in my fridge and decided that I had all the right ingredients for homemade vegetable soup. I just threw it together based on what I had, so you could alter the recipe to fit what's in your fridge, pantry, or freezer. The kids ate it and liked it.
We served the soup with cornbread. Have I ever told you about E's love of cornbread? It's his standard of goodness. For example, he'll say something like, "Mom, that looks pretty yummy, but is it as good as cornbread?" I think the soup tonight was as good as cornbread. And went well with it, too!
Here's the recipe:
Homemade Vegetable Soup
Ingredients:
3-4 medium potatoes (I left mine unpeeled because I'm lazy like that, but you could peel them if you wanted to)
2 parsnips (leftover from the mashed root vegetables the other night)
4 stalks celery
Carrots (I used what was left in my bag of baby carrots, but I would recommend 2-3 big ones)
1 medium onion
1-2 T minced garlic
1 can diced tomatoes, and the juices
1 cup frozen peas
1-2 15-oz cans chicken stock (I used 1 1/2, because I had half of one in the fridge)
Basil
Thyme
Bay Leaf
Parsley
Black pepper
Chili powder
Olive oil
Directions:
Chop all vegetables into 1/2-inch cubes. If using parsnips, be sure to remove and discard the center core of the vegetable. Pour a couple tablespoons olive oil into a big cooking pot and heat over medium-high heat. Toss in garlic and onions and saute for a few minutes, until the onions begin to soften. Turn down the heat if necessary so the garlic doesn't burn. Add the chicken stock, then all the other vegetables (including the tomatoes) except the peas. Season with spices. (I didn't measure, just dashed a bit of each of them in. You can always add more at the end if you don't think you added enough.)
Add enough water to cover all the vegetables, then turn to high and bring to a boil. Once it boils, cover with tight-fitting lid and turn to low. Let simmer until the carrots and potatoes are soft, 1-2 hours.
Just before serving, add the peas and stir in. Taste for seasonings and adjust if necessary.
Makes about 8 main-dish servings. Or maybe 6 if they're all grown-ups. :)
We served the soup with cornbread. Have I ever told you about E's love of cornbread? It's his standard of goodness. For example, he'll say something like, "Mom, that looks pretty yummy, but is it as good as cornbread?" I think the soup tonight was as good as cornbread. And went well with it, too!
Here's the recipe:
Homemade Vegetable Soup
Ingredients:
3-4 medium potatoes (I left mine unpeeled because I'm lazy like that, but you could peel them if you wanted to)
2 parsnips (leftover from the mashed root vegetables the other night)
4 stalks celery
Carrots (I used what was left in my bag of baby carrots, but I would recommend 2-3 big ones)
1 medium onion
1-2 T minced garlic
1 can diced tomatoes, and the juices
1 cup frozen peas
1-2 15-oz cans chicken stock (I used 1 1/2, because I had half of one in the fridge)
Basil
Thyme
Bay Leaf
Parsley
Black pepper
Chili powder
Olive oil
Directions:
Chop all vegetables into 1/2-inch cubes. If using parsnips, be sure to remove and discard the center core of the vegetable. Pour a couple tablespoons olive oil into a big cooking pot and heat over medium-high heat. Toss in garlic and onions and saute for a few minutes, until the onions begin to soften. Turn down the heat if necessary so the garlic doesn't burn. Add the chicken stock, then all the other vegetables (including the tomatoes) except the peas. Season with spices. (I didn't measure, just dashed a bit of each of them in. You can always add more at the end if you don't think you added enough.)
Add enough water to cover all the vegetables, then turn to high and bring to a boil. Once it boils, cover with tight-fitting lid and turn to low. Let simmer until the carrots and potatoes are soft, 1-2 hours.
Just before serving, add the peas and stir in. Taste for seasonings and adjust if necessary.
Makes about 8 main-dish servings. Or maybe 6 if they're all grown-ups. :)
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