Chicken Pot Pie

I have been searching for a good Chicken Pot Pie recipe for a while now and I am happy to announce that I have found success!

I've made this yummy recipe a couple times now and it has quickly become a family favorite.

Instead of putting it in a pie pan I make it in a 9x13 glass casserole dish.  This is what I like best.  To each their own!

The last time I made it I made a roast chicken the night before and used the left over chicken for this recipe.   I loved doing it this way.  It made the recipe so much easier and allowed one chicken to stretch for two delicious and very different meals.

This would be a freezer friendly meal if you make it ahead.  Or if you have a smaller family you can eat half when you fix it and freeze half of it for later.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup peeled and diced potatoes
3/4 cup sliced carrots
1/2 cup butter, cubed
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 1/4 cups milk
2 cups cooked and cubed chicken
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup frozen corn
1 package of refrigerated pie crust (2 rolls)

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Place peeled and diced potatoes and sliced carrots in a large saucepan.  Add water to cover.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook covered about 8-10 minutes until crisp-tender.  Drain.

2.  In a large skillet heat butter over medium-high heat.  Add chopped onion and cook until tender.  Stir in flour and seasonings until well blended.  Gradually stir in broth and milk.  Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until sauce is thickened.  Stir in chicken, peas, corn and potato and carrot mixture.  Remove from heat.

3.  Unroll on of the pie crusts into a 9 inch pie plate.  Trim even with rims.  Add chicken mixture.  Unroll remaining pastry.  place over filling.  Trim, seal and flute edges.  Poke with a fork on top.

4.  Bake 30 minutes or until crust is lightly brown.  Let stand 10-15 minutes before cutting.

MEATBALL SUB CASSEROLE

I love trying new recipes and I love it even more when it is a hit with the whole family!  I was super excited to find this recipe for a Meatball Sub Casserole on Pinterest.  It is super easy and super yummy!

This would be a great recipe for a church dinner or other potluck.  Or if you are a working mom you could easily assemble it ahead of time, but I would hold off on putting the spaghetti sauce on until you are actually ready to cook it.  I think it would make your bread soggy.

The first thing I did was slice my french bread into 1 inch slices and layer them in the bottom of a lightly greased casserole dish.  After that, I combined my cream cheese and Italian mix and spread that on top of the sliced bread.

Next I cut up some thawed out meatballs and placed them on top of the cheese mixture.  I was pretty random with this.  Some I cut in half, some in thirds and some in fourths.  No rhyme or reason, just do what ever you prefer. 

Next, top with your favorite spaghetti sauce!

Then add Mozzerella Cheese

Now you are ready to pop it in the oven and cook until hot and bubbly and your cheese starts to brown.  This takes approximately 25 minutes.

Now your ready to taste the goodness!  

Meatball Sub Casserole

1 (16oz) loaf of french bread

12 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning

1 lb. frozen meatballs, thawed

1 (26 oz) jar of spahetti sauce

2 cups mozzarella cheese

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2.  Slice french bread into 1-inch slices and place in the bottom of a lightly greased 9x13 dish.

3.  Mix together cream cheese and Italian seasoning and spread over french bread.

4.  Chop meatballs and layer over cream cheese mixture.

5.  Pour spaghetti sauce evenly over meatballs.

6.  Top with mozzarella cheese.

7.  Bake for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is melted.

Chicken Ranch Enchiladas

INGREDIENTS

5-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 pkg taco seasoning
1 pkg ranch dry salad dressing
3/4 cup bottled ranch (I use fat free)
3/4 cup salsa
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 cans chicken broth
10 white flour tortillas

DIRECTIONS

1. Cook chicken breasts in chicken broth, taco seasoning, and ranch packet. Shred the chicken (For deep flavoring, cook the chicken in a crockpot! The chicken will just peel apart--cook on low for 3-4 hours).
2. Mix the 3/4 cup of ranch and 3/4 cup salsa in a bowl. Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray and spread a very thin layer of the mixture on the bottom.
3. Start assembling the enchiladas by putting 2 Tbsp of the ranch and salsa mixture on the bottom of tortilla. Then put the shredded chicken on top of that. Sprinkle with cheese and roll it up.
4. Line up the enchiladas in the pan and sprinkle heavily with the cheddar cheese.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling and enchiladas are heated through.
6. Drizzle the top with ranch 

Sloppy Joe Tater Tot Casserole

I love it when I try a new recipe and it becomes an instant family favorite.  This yummy casserole is so easy to make and a sure hit for the whole family.  Even my picky eater, who doesn't even like sloppy joes loved this yummy recipe!

INGREDIENTS

1 pound ground beef
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 sweet onion, diced
1 can corn, drained
1 can Manwich Bold Sloppy Joe Sauce
2 ounces cream cheese
8 ounces cheddar cheese, grated
16 ounces tater tots
chives, for sprinkling on top as desired

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
In a large skillet, brown the ground beef with the peppers and onions until the meat is cooked through. Drain the fat and return to the heat. Stir in the corn, Manwich, and cream cheese. Cook over low heat until the cream cheese is melted.
Pour the sloppy joe mixture into a 9x13 baking dish. Top with half of the grated cheese.
Arrange the tater tots in a single layer over the top of the cheese. Sprinkle the top with the remaining cheese.
Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with chopped chives.

Homemade Cherry Limeade

I love Cherry Limeade and there are a ton of recipes on pinterest.  I would of loved to have used one of the recipes I found, but I had a hard time finding the right ingredients so instead I made up my own version and not to toot my own horn or anything (TOOT! TOOT!)  but it turned out soooo Yummy!  

All you need is a can of sprite, a bottle of V8 Splash Cherry Pomegranate juice, a lime, a jar of maraschino cherries and sugar.  I use a quart canning jar for mixing.

I put in the whole can of Sprite first, then I added the Cherry Pomegranate juice.  I filled the jar pretty full with this.  No set amount.  Next I added sugar to sweeten it.  This is fun!  It makes it real fizzy!  Again, no set amount, I just taste it and when it is sweet enough I stop adding. ;)  Next I added about 3 maraschino cherries.  I bought the ones with stems just because it makes it pretty and I add just a tad bit of the juice out of the maraschino cherry jar.  I also add some quartered slices of lime!  Mix it all up!

Then I enjoy the yummy goodness!!

Dorrito Crusted Chicken Breast

I love trying new recipes and I absolutely love this Dorrito Chicken recipe.  Super easy and super tasty!

All you need is a package of chicken breast, buttermilk, egg, flour and Nacho Cheese Dorritos.

I cut my chicken breast into strips and then marinated them in buttermilk for 2 hours.  After that I rolled each piece in flour and then dipped them in a beaten egg mixture.  Prior to this I put about half a bag of Dorritos in a zip lock bag and crushed them up.  After the egg mixture I put the chicken in the bag and coated each piece with crushed Dorritos before putting them in a pan.  Then I baked them at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

We dipped our chicken strips in ranch dressing and it was 

DEE-LISH!!

Crock Pot Barbecue Chicken Breast

I love easy crock pot recipes!  I love them even more in the summertime!  I ran across a recipe for barbecue chicken breast and thought I'd give it a try!  And guess what?!  It was DEE-LISH!   The chicken was unbelievable tender and the BBQ sauce that it was cooked in was the best ever.  So good that I've begun to use it for other recipes as well (ribs, porkchops etc.)

All you need is 4-6 chicken breasts.  I bought a package of chicken breast and they were very large so I used four and cut each of them in half for a total of 8 pieces.  Put your chicken in the bottom of your crock pot.  In a separate bowl combine a twelve ounce jar of barbecue sauce, 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 1/4 cup of vinegar, 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper and 1 tsp. of garlic powder.  Mix all the ingredients together and pour over your chicken.  Cook on high for 4-6 hours or on low for 6-8 hours.  I stirred mine about half way through the cook time, but if you are not planning on being home while it is cooking it will be just fine without stirring!  Enjoy with your favorite sides!!!

Best Barbecue Chicken

4-6 chicken breasts
l-12 oz. jar bbq sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup vinegar
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder

I almost forgot to mention that this would also be a great freezer meal!  Just combine raw chicken and all sauce ingredients in a zip-loc bag and freeze until you are ready to make it.

December Menu Plan

I can't believe it is already December!   Busy times are ahead with preparing for special Christmas activities!  Along with my regular meal plans for our suppers I will be preparing a special Christmas Tea (look for a blog post with pictures), Christmas morning breakfast, family gatherings, and some extra goodies for New Year's Eve.  If ever there is a month to try to cut the cost on groceries this would be it!

1.  Sub Sandwiches
2.  Left over's
3.  Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
4.  Chicken Nuggets and Fries
5.  Herb Roasted Chicken (click HERE for recipe)
6.  Crock Pot Pizza
7.  Pannini's
8.  Homemade Vegetable Soup
9.  Leftovers
10.  French Dip Sandwiches (click HERE for recipe)
11.  Crock Pot Swiss Chicken
12.  Chicken Fajita's
13.  Beans and Cornbread
14.  Spaghetti Bread (click HERE for recipe)
15.  Chicken Kiev
16.  Leftovers
17.  Taco Bake (click HERE for recipe)
18.  Tilapia
19.  Angel Chicken (click HERE for recipe)
20.  Pizza Bread
21.  Beef Stew
22.  Fettuccine
23.  Left Overs
24.  Christmas Eve (family gathering)
25.  Christmas Day (Still undecided, but it will be special)
26.  Penne Noodles
27.  Chicken Kebabs
28.  Taco Soup
29.  Chicken Nuggets and Fries
30.  Leftovers
31.  New Year's Eve  - Party Time!

Perfect Creamy Mashed Potatoes

This is the perfect mashed potato recipe for the holidays!  Do all the hard work the day before so you can take it a little easier on the day of your big family meal!  It is a family favorite for us and oh so yummy!

5 lbs.  potatoes
1 Cup half and half
1 stick softened butter
1 large package of cream cheese
1 teaspoon Lawry's seasoned Salt
1 tsp.  regular salt
1/4 tsp pepper
paprika- optional

Peel and boil potatoes in salted water.  When ready, mash in mixer with other ingredients.  Place in 9x13 casserole pan and put two tablespoons of melted butter over the top and sprinkle with paprika.  Cover casserole and bake for 25 minutes.  Bake at 350.  Can be frozen in advance so on the day of the event it is already ready.  I make it the day before and skip the baking part at that time.  I  refrigerate and then bake it when I am ready!

November Menu Plan

Wow!   Not really sure what happened to October.  It flew by like a flash and here we are the first of November already!  Time for a new menu plan!  Same as last time....always subject to change and mixing it up a bit due to schedules AND Sunday is momma's day off!

1.  Chicken Tetrazzini
2.  Vegetable Soup
3.  Homemade Pizza
4.  Sunday's are always leftover days!!!
5.  Crock Pot Roast
6.  Pork chops and mushrooms
7.  Pannini's
8.  Tilapia
9.  French Dip Subs - Click HERE for Recipe
10.  Taco Bake - Click HERE for Recipe
11.  Momma's Day Off  WOOT!
12.  Stromboli - recipe coming soon.
13.  Chicken and Rice
14.  Chicken nuggets and fries
15.  Meatball Sliders
16.  Crock Pot Pizza
17.  Penne Noodles
18.  Leftover day
19.  Herb Roasted Chicken - Click HERE for Recipe
20.  Beans and Cornbread
21.  Chicken Kiev
22.  HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!   TURKEY DAY!
23.  Beef Stew
24.  Taco Soup - recipe coming soon
25.  Left overs
26.  Chicken Fajitas
27.  Cafe Rio Chicken - Click HERE for Recipe
28.  Crock Pot Lemon Chicken - New recipe, I'll share if it's good. ;)
29.  Pizza Bread
30.  Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Oven Baked Frito Pie

Good things are meant to share.  That's why I have to tell you about the yummy supper we had tonight!  Another Pinterest inspired recipe that turned out DEELISH!  A family favorite that will make it's way back onto our monthly meal plans.  It's mmm, mmm, good and super easy!

Ingredients

1 - lb. hamburger or turkey burger
1 - 16 oz. can of chili beans
1 - 8 oz. can of tomato sauce
1 - 15 oz. can of diced tomatoes
1 - envelope taco seasoning (I only use have an envelope)
1 1/4 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 bag of Fritos Corn Chips
1 1/4 cup Sour Cream

1.  Cook hamburger/turkey burger until brown then drain.
2.  Stir chili beans, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, taco seasoning and 1/4 cup of shredded cheddar cheese into the pan with your browned burger.  Simmer on low for a few minutes until hot.
3.  Sprinkle about 1 - 1 1/2 cups of chips into the bottom of an 8x8 or a 9x13 pan.  (I used an 8x8)
4.  Cover chips with entire chili mixture.
5.  Bate at 350 for 20 minutes.
6.  Remove from oven and spread sour cream over chili, top with the rest of the corn chips and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
7.  Bake an additional 4-5 minutes until cheese is melted.

I think this would also be a great thing to make if you had left over chili!!

Holiday Punch

I was going through some of my pictures the other day and ran across these of the punch I made last year for Christmas.  Since the holidays are right around the corner I thought I'd go ahead and share now.  

It is super, SUPER easy!  All you need is a jug of Apple Cider, a bottle of Ginger Ale, Cranberries, Oranges and a couple sprigs of Rosemary.

Mix the Apple Cider and Ginger Ale in your punch bowl and add cranberries, sliced oranges and rosemary as garnishment and to enhance flavor.  So yummy and so simple!  

Fish Taco's

You may be thinking EWW GROSS at the sound of fish taco's and I wouldn't blame you one bit.  A matter of fact that is what I thought when I first heard of them. We know several people that raved about them being so good so I thought "Hey!  Why not?"  To my surprise they were DEEELISH!  They are a new family favorite.  Everyone (even the hesitant one's) loved them.  So be brave!  Be courageous!  Make Fish Taco's. :):)

Ingredients:

Yellow Corn Tortilla's
Fish Fillets (I use fish sticks)
Cabbage
Salsa
1 TBS. Lime Juice
1/4 C.  Chipolte Sauce
1 C.  Plain Yogurt
1 1/2 C. Mayonaise

The first thing you want to do is put your fish sticks in the oven.  Cook them per the directions on the box.

While they are cooking you can chop/dice your cabbage  and put it in a serving bowl.

Now, let's work on the sauce.   Mix together Lime Juice, Chipotle Sauce, Plain Yogurt, and Mayonaise.  Make sure you are using PLAIN yogurt and REAL mayonaise (not Miracle Whip).

You can set that aside and get a pan out and start warming your tortilla's on top of the stove.  Don't forget to flip and get the other side warm. :)  

Once your fish sticks are brown and ready you can call the family to supper!  I let mine fix their own taco's.  Start with a tortilla, add fish sticks-the brand I use are small so we use two per taco, add some sauce, cabbage, salsa (optional) and an extra squeeze of lime juice (also optional) and enjoy!

The secret is in the sauce!  I'm pretty sure that's what makes them so deelish!  Oh and if anyone asks, don't tell Dakota it's cabbage.  He thinks it's lettuce. hehe!

If you do better with a video here is a little youtube clip on how to make them.  This is basically the recipe we use, just some different brands.  Click HERE for the video.

October Menu Plan

One thing I do every month is make a menu plan.  This helps me prepare a grocery list, plus I always have a plan.  No last minute foraging through the pantry and freezer trying to figure out what I'm going to fix.   I frequently juggle the meals around depending on our schedule.  For me, it is easiest to grocery shop once a month and get all the food for the meal plans at one time.  Of course, I still have to make runs to the store through out the month for items such as milk, bread, etc. etc.,  Here's my meal plan for October.  I don't have side dishes listed for the meals that will need them.  Oh and Sunday's are always left over day.  Mamma's day off!!

 1.  Herb Roasted chicken  (click here for recipe)
 2.  Bean Burritos
 3.  Crock Pot BBQ Ribs (click here for recipe)
 4.  French Dip Sandwiches in Crock Pot  (click here for recipe)
 5.  Best Ever Hamburgers (click here for recipe)
 6.  Chicken Kabobs
 7.  Leftovers
 8.  Penne Noodles
 9.  Panninis
10.  Fish Taco's (blog post coming soon)
11.  Taco Bake  (click here for recipe)
12.  Chicken Kiev (click here for recipe)
13.  Crock Pot Pork Chops and Parmesan Potatoes (click here for recipe)
14.  Leftovers
15.  Oven Baked Frito Pie (click here for recipe)
16.  Chicken Fajitas
17.  Chicken Tetrazzini
18.  Pizza Bread
19.  Spaghetti Bread  (click here for recipe)
20.  Chicken Fettuccine
21.  Leftovers
22.  Chicken Nuggets and Fries
23.  Homemade Pizza
24.  Tilapia
25.  Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
26.  Chicken Lasagna
28.  Leftovers
29.  Homemade Vegetable Soup
30.  Hot Dogs roasted over the fire pit!
31.  Must-go Soup

Taco Bake

If you love taco's you are going to LOVE this recipe.  It's a new family favorite for us!  You can view the original recipe here.  If you know me at all you know I rarely follow a recipe exactly .  As always I made a few little tweaks. ;)  Here's the recipe the way I did it. :):):)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 - 2 lb. hamburger
1/2 pkg. taco seasoning
8 oz. sour cream
1 pkg. crescent rolls (8)
1 can tomato sauce
1 can diced tomatoes (optional)
1 1/2 c. shredded cheese

1 can refried beans
1 bag Doritos chips (I use off brand) crumbled

1.  Brown and drain your hamburger.

2.  Add taco seasoning, tomato sauce, and diced tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes

3.  Separate crescent rolls and spread them out into a 9x13 pan.  Press/roll forming a nice crust in the bottom.

4.  Spread refried beans over the crescent rolls.

5.  Add meat/tomato mixture on top of beans.

6.  Next layer sour cream and then cheddar cheese.

7.  Add 3/4 of the bag of crumpled dorritos on top.

9.  Bake on 350 for 25 minutes.

ENJOY!!  You can eat it as is or you can serve with extra tomatoes and lettuce!  SO YUMMY!

Pumpkin Spice Latte - Tastes Like Fall

                      

                        

2 cups of milk

2 tbsp canned pumpkin

2 tbsp brown sugar (can half)

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/2 cup strong brewed coffee

In a saucepan combine milk, pumpkin and sugar.  Cook on medium heat until steaming.  Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla and spice.  Transfer to blender and process until foamy.  Pour in coffee on top.  Pour into cup and top with whipped cream (optional) sprinkled with cinnamon.

Now grab your favorite book, a cup of pumpkin spice latte and come join me on the front porch for a taste of fall! :):):) 

Cherry Limeade

 If you love Sonic's Cherry Limeade, you will be so excited to try this yummy copy-cat recipe!

It's so simple!  All you need is:

1 can frozen limeade concentrate,
1- 2 liter bottle Sprite,
Juice from 1 10 oz jar maraschino cherries
Fresh limes 

Mix the sprite, limeade and juice from the cherries, add slices of lime and a few cherries, pour a glass and enjoy!

It's mmmmm, mmmmm, good!  

A delicious summer drink!

Fresh Garden Salsa for Canning

Last year I found a recipe for the best salsa ever.  I know I posted about it once, (see that post here) but it is so good I thought I would share it again.  This year I was able to can 14 jars!  I've also made plenty of fresh for enjoying now.  So Yummy!

Ingredients:

8 Cups tomatoes, peeled, chopped and drained
2 ½ cups chopped onions
1 ½ cups green peppers
1 cup jalapeno peppers, chopped (use more or less for personal taste)
6 garlic cloves minced
1 tsp pepper
1/8 cup canning salt
1/3 cup vinegar
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (12 oz) can tomato paste

Drain the tomatoes as you are chopping them and drain them several times while they are in the pan before you cook them.  This is a VERY important step.  Drain, drain, drain and then drain again. This will give you a nice chunky salsa.

Mix all ingredients together and bring to a slow boil for 10 minutes. 

Fill hot jars with salsa, put hot lids and rims and and process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes.

BLT - Bacon Baskets

Sometimes I wonder how I ever did anything before pinterest. ;)  I can't tell you how many times I see a pin and think...huh, why didn't I think of that?  When I seen a new way to make bacon for BLT's I had one of those moments.  It is so simple.  All you do is weave 6 pieces of uncooked bacon together and cook it in the microwave like you normally would do.  When it's all done you have a perfect bacon square (or a bacon basket as Bethany calls them) that fits perfectly on your bread.  Every bite you'll get a taste of bacon and no more bacon falling out of the bottom of your sandwich.  It is a bacon lover's dream come true. :):):)

Fruit Pizza

 I made a delicious fruit pizza for our Fourth of July BBQ and it was a great hit.  I will definitely be making it again! 

Fruit Pizza

Crust:

• cooking spray
• 1 package refrigerated sugar cookie dough

“Sauce”:

• 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 4 oz (1/2 an 8 oz container) frozen whipped topping, thawed

Glaze:

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 2 Tbsp. water
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tsp. cornstarch
• Pinch of salt

Spray a pizza sheet with cooking spray. Spread cookie dough evenly over sheet. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes until very lightly golden brown. Let cool for an hour or more.

Beat cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. Stir in whipped topping. Spread evenly over the crust.  Top with your favorite fresh fruits.  Make glaze while crust is still cooling. In a saucepan, bring sugar, OJ, water, lemon juice, cornstarch, and salt to a boil, stirring constantly for 2 min or until thickened. Let cool and brush over fruit. Store in the refrigerator. Best if made the same day as served.

***I waited till the glaze was completely cool to put my fruit on, that way I could brush the glaze over immediately and prevent the bananas from turning brown.