Parmesan Chicken

Parmesan Chicken

4 to 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

¾ cup flour

1 ½ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper (to taste)

2 eggs

1 ½ cups bread crumbs

1 tsp Italian Seasoning

½ cup Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Slice chicken into thin pieces, or flatten with a meat mallet.  In a shallow bowl combine flour, salt, and pepper.  Beat eggs in a separate shallow bowl. In a third bowl, stir together stir together bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. 

 Fry chicken in a tablespoon of olive oil/butter over medium heat both sides (aprox. 5-6 minutes total) 

Add sauce to the top of the chicken with a little cheese.

Place browned chicken in a 9 x 13 pan and finish cooking 15-20 minutes or until juices run clear. 

Serve with noodles or Mediterranean potatoes, with salad and bread.

Freezer meal directions:

Thaw chicken, sauce, and cheese. Fry both sides in a tablespoon of oil (the recipe suggested 1 tablespoon of olive oil and butter each-up to you) then bake at 325 degrees, adding (at the end) a little sauce on top with the cheese. 

 SPAGHETTI SAUCE                   

1 lb. Sausage                3 cloves chopped garlic
1 Tbsp oregano            1 tsp salt
3/4 Tbsp fennel seed            1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese        1 tsp sugar
1 Tbsp chilli powder            4 (28 oz.) Cans Tomatoes
1 1/4 Tbsp Italian herb seasoning    4 (6 oz.)  Cans tomato paste

Brown sausage.  Blend tomatoes in juice until desired consistency.  Mix all ingredients in large saucepan.  You may need to wait to add the tomato sauce until it cooks down a little.  Cook for 6 hours on LOW heat, stirring occasionally.  This makes a lot of sauce- I usually freeze most of it to use later.

Chicken Pot Pie

Freezer Instructions:

First, thaw the chicken pot pie filling, and the pie crust.  (If you would like to season the filling to your taste, heat up on stove and season with more salt, pepper or thyme:)

Next, loosen the pie crust edge with your thumb, and turn the pie crust upside down on a piece of wax paper.  Your goal is take the pie crust out of the pan.  

Then, pour half of the pie filling into the empty pie tin, and replace the pie crust on top of the filling.  I placed one hand underneath the pie crust, and put one on top. Then slowly plopped it down over the pie filling.  It might rip, but the goal is to cover the filling.  It really won't affect the taste that much, just the look.  Repeat with the second pie crust.  Also if you would like to have crust on the bottom and top, you could leave the crust in the pan........make another crust for the top...........or buy another crust for the top.  You choose, but there are options:)

Last of all, cut two slits on top of the pie crusts and bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.  When I baked mine, the edges of my crust were really brown.  Depending on your oven, you could lessen the cook time or cover the crust with tin foil at the last.  The goal is to brown the crust and have the filling bubbling.  That is when you know it is done.  

Ingredients
Cooked Chicken:
One 2- to 3-pound chicken fryer, cut up
Chicken Pot Pie:
3 celery stalks
3 medium carrots, peeled
1 large yellow onion
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth or stock
1 chicken bouillon cube
1/4 cup white wine, optional
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 cup heavy cream
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 teaspoon kosher salt, or more as needed
Black pepper
1/2 recipe Thyme Pastry, recipe follows
Directions
For the chicken: Start by putting the chicken in a pot and covering it with water. Bring the water to a boil, and then reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 45 minutes, and then remove the chicken from the pot. Set the chicken aside to cool briefly.

Shred the chicken with 2 forks, reserving the bones. For the stock, return the bones to the pot and boil for 20 minutes. Remove the bones from the pot and discard.

For the pot pie: When you're ready to use the Thyme Pastry, remove from the freezer and allow it to sit on the counter to thaw slightly, about 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Begin by finely dicing the vegetables. Slice the celery stalks into narrow strips, then slice in the other direction to create a fine dice. Repeat this process with the carrots, and the onion.

Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots and celery. Saute until the vegetables start to turn translucent, a couple of minutes.

Add 2 cups of the shredded chicken and stir to combine. Sprinkle the flour evenly over the vegetables and chicken, and stir to combine. Cook for a couple of minutes, stirring gently.

Pour in the chicken broth, stirring constantly. Stir in the bouillon cube and wine if using. The flour will combine with the chicken to create a delicious gravy. Next, add the peas.

Pour in the cream and stir. Allow the mixture to cook over low heat, thickening gradually, about 4 minutes. Season with the thyme, salt and pepper, and remove from the heat. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed. Be sure it's adequately salted!

Pour the chicken mixture into a deep pie pan or small casserole dish.

Roll out the pastry so that it's 1 inch larger than the pan. Place the crust on top of the chicken mixture and cut small slits in the top. Press the crust gently into the sides of the dish to seal. I don't worry about making a perfect edge on my chicken pot pie because a) it looks more rustic and b) I'm lazy, hungry and I want to eat.

Bake until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly, about 30 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Here is a link to the recipe that will give you the pie crust filling recipe.  It uses lots of butter and is really yummy!!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/chicken-pot-pie-recipe/index.html

Lemon Crinkle Cookies

Makes 2-3 dozen

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 whole egg
1 teaspoon lemon zest ( I did not put this in)
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cups powdered sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease light colored baking sheets with non-stick spray and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.  Whip in vanilla, egg, lemon zest, and juice.  Scrape sides and mix again.  Stir in all dry ingredients slowly until just combined, excluding the powdered sugar.  Scrape sides of bowl and mix again briefly.  Pour powdered sugar onto a large plate.  Roll a heaping teaspoon of dough into a ball and roll in powdered sugar.  Place on baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough.

Bake for 9-11 minutes or until bottoms begin to barely brown and cookies look matte (not melty or shiny).  Remove from oven and cool cookies about 3 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

If using a non-stick darker baking tray, reduce baking time by about 2 minutes.

Chicken Enchiladas

4     Chicken Breasts
1     Medium Onion Diced
3     Cups Cheddar Cheese, Shredded (I used colbyjack)
10  Medium Flour Tortillas
2    Cans of Red Enchilada Sauce ( I used mild oneida)

Optional:
Can black beans
Jalapenos
Green Chilles
White Rice

1.  Preheat oven to 350
2.  Place 4 Raw chicken into pot of water, boil on high 20 min.  (I cooked mine in crotpot)
3.  Shred Chicken
4.  Mix cheese, onion, chicken, and 1 can red enchilada sauce in bowl.  (optional ingredients can be
     added too)
5.  Fill tortilla with mixture and roll it up.  Place in 9x13 pan with seams down.
6.  Pour 2nd can of red enchilada sauce over the top and top with cheese.
7.  Bake for 25-30 minutes until melted and bubbly.
8.  Serve with sour cream, salsa, lettuce, beans, or rice.

Freezer Instructions:
Don't bake put in freezer.  When ready to eat, thaw and cook 25-30 minutes as directed above.

Little Cheddar Meatloaves

1 egg

3/4 cup milk (I usually do closer to a 1/2 cup)

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup quick-cooking oats

1 tsp salt

1 lb. ground beef

2/3 cup ketchup

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tsp mustard

In a bowl, beat the egg and milk.  Stir in cheese, oats and salt.  Add beef and mix well.  Shape into 8 small loaves and place in a 9x13 baking dish. Combine ketchup, mustard and brown sugar. Spoon over loaves.  Bake uncovered at 350 for 45 minutes.

Freezer Instructions: Place on large cookie sheet to thaw. (In a single layer--the way you are going to bake them). When thawed, cut a hole in the corner of the sauce bag and squeeze sauce over each of the loaves.  Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes.

Oatmeal Coconut Chewies

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened to cool room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 cup shredded, sweetened coconut
• 1 cup quick oats

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl cream together the sugar, eggs, butter and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto a greased or lined (silpat or parchment) baking sheet.
2. Bake at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes, until the cookies are set but not overly browned (bake a few minutes longer for a crispier version).

Waffle Cookies with Chocolate Mint Frosting

Melt 1 cube butter.
Beat 4 eggs, 1 1/2 cups sugar  and 3 Tablespoons together.
Add the butter and mix.
Add 2 cups flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon vanilla.
Mix.
Spray waffle iron with Pam.
Scoop one cookie on each section of heated waffle iron.
It only takes about a minute for them to cook.
Gently remove from waffle iron with a fork.
Let cool.
Frost.

Icing

Boil 5 Tablespoons butter, 1/4 cup milk, and 1/2 cup granulated sugar.  Add 3 Tablespoons cocoa and 2+ cups of powdered sugar.  Mix until smooth.  Add 1/4 teaspoon mint extract if desired.

Balsamic French Dip Sandwiches

1  2 1/2 lb. roast
1 beef bullion cube
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 Tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 cloves garlic, minced

Combine ingredients.  Cook in slow cooker on low all day, turning once.  Shred with a fork.  Drain juice off for dipping.  Dilute juices with water to taste.  Serve on rolls.  We cut the roll open, put the shredded beef on one side with two slices of Provolone cheese and warm in the oven at 350 degrees until the cheese melts and bun gets toasty.  Enjoy.  Serves 8+.

Rolo Snickerdoodles

ROLO STUFFED SNICKERDOODLES

 1 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 and 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

32 Rolo Candies

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

 Cream together butter, brown sugar, eggs, 1 cup sugar, and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, mix flour, salt, cream of tartar, and baking soda. Slowly add dry ingredients to butter mixture until a soft dough forms. Shape dough into 1 inch balls.

Roll dough around Rolo candy to form a 1 inch ball. In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons sugar and cinnamon. Press balls into cinnamon sugar. Arrange on baking sheet and bake for 14 minutes. Allow to cool.

Santa Fe Chicken

Santa Fe Shredded Chicken

3 to 5 Chicken Breasts

1 jar of your favorite Salsa

1 cup of your favorite Apricot preserve

Place Chicken breasts in slow cooker on low for 4 hours. Shred and add remaining ingredients and let sit in slow cooker for 1 to 2 hours or to your liking on low. Serve in tortillas with rice and cheese.  Add any other of your favorite Mexican ingredients and enjoy. I like this as a salad or a burrito

Merry Middles

MERRY  MIDDLES                    

½ cup butter                                           2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup butter flavored shortening        ½ tsp baking powder
1 egg                                                      ½ tsp salt
2 egg yolks                                            2 ½ cups flour
1 cup sugar

Beat butter and 1/4 cup shortening with a mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds.  Add the egg, egg yolks, sugar, vanilla, baking powder and salt.  Beat till combined.  Beat in flour.

For the middles

Transfer 3/4 cup dough to a small mixing bowl.  Add the flowing and beat well:

3/4 cup of yellow dough                      2 tsp almond extract
1/3 cup sifted powder sugar                1 Tbl melted butter
2 Tbl unsweetened cocoa powder                   

Roll the chocolate dough into 1 inch balls.  For each cookie, mold about 1 Tbl. of the yellow dough around each cocoa ball.  Roll gently to make a smooth round balls.  Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.  Cover and chill 1 hour.  Bake in a 375 degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes or till bottoms are lightly browned.  Cool for 1 minute; transfer to racks. Cool.

Chocolate drizzle

½ cup semi sweet chocolate chips        2 tsp butter flavored shortening

In a heavy saucepan, combine chocolate pieces and shortening.  Heat and stir over low heat till chocolate begins to melt.  Remove from heat; stir till smooth.  Drizzle chocolate icing over cookies.  Makes 30 cookies.

For Freezer instructions: let thaw out on a cookie sheet for 15 to 20 minutes. Cook until the bottoms are lightly browned for 8 to 10 minutes in a 375 degree oven (the cookies will be very light in color). When cooled Drizzle with Chocolate drizzle.

Pasta Fagioli Soup

1+ lb. ground beef and sausage
1 small onion, diced (1 cup)
1 large carrot, sliced (1 cup)
3 stalks celery, sliced (1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 14.5 oz. cans diced tomatoes
1 15 oz. can red kidney beans (with liquid)
1 15 oz. can great northern beans (with liquid)
1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
1 12 oz. can V-8 juice
1 tbsp white vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt   (I tend to over salt, so I left the salt out, since it was in the sausage.  Add salt to taste.)
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 pound ditali pasta

Brown the sausage/ground beef. Drain off most of the fat.  Add onion, carrot, celery and garlic and saute for 10 minutes.  Add remaining ingredients, except pasta and simmer for 1 hour.  Cook the pasta in a separate pan of boiling water for 10 minutes.  Drain and add to the soup.  Simmer for 5-10 minutes more.  Serve with bread sticks and salad.  Serves 8+

Freezer Meal Directions:  Thaw soup. Warm in a large pot.  Add the V-8 can and any additional water, salt, or chicken broth to taste.  Boil the ditali pasta in a separate pot or add to the soup plus some additional water for the last 10 minutes  Simmer until warm and flavors are mixed.

Hot Ham Hoagies

2-3 lbs thinly sliced ham
2 cups apple juice
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sweet pickle relish
2 tsp. prepared mustard
1 tsp. paprika

Separate ham slices and place in crock pot.  In a bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and pour over ham.  Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until ham is heated through.  Place 2-3 slices of ham on toasted rolls or hoagie buns.  Serve with additional relish and swiss cheese if desired.

Freezer Instruction:
Thaw and dump in crock pot. Cook on low 4-5 hours or until heated through.
Place 2-3 slices of ham on toasted rolls or hoagie buns.  Serve with additional relish and swiss cheese if desired.

Sorry I didn't supply the rolls!!!  I didn't want them to be old by the time Monday rolled around!

CAESAR CHICKEN

2 lbs. Chicken
 1 C favorite Caesar Dressing

Defrost chicken - place in crockpot and cook on low for 4-6 hours. Shred and serve on rolls as sliders topped with shredded Parmesan and lettuce.

Johnny Carino's Festival Bowtie Pasta

2 oz. melted butter

2 tsp. minced fresh garlic

1/4 c. diced red onion

1/4 c. diced cooked bacon

1/2 c. diced Roma tomatoes, diced

1/2 lb. sliced, cooked chicken

2 oz. heavy whipping cream

6 oz. Alfredo sauce (recipe follows)

1/4 c. Asiago cheese

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/2 tsp. garlic salt

1 lb. bowtie pasta, cooked

In a heated saucepan, combine butter, garlic, onions, bacon, tomatoes, chicken, and spices.

When onions begin to turn translucent, and heavy cream and Asiago.

Once cheese and cream have reduced by half, add alfredo sauce and bowtie pasta. Toss until well-combined and remove from heat. Allow to cool for a few minutes so the cheese and sauce can thicken.

Alfredo Sauce

2 c. Heavy whipping cream

1/2 c. parmesan cheese

1/2 Tbsp. black pepper

1/8 c. whole milk

Bring heavy cream, milk, and black pepper to a consistent boil. Remove cream mixture from heat and fold in parmesan cheese. Store completed sauce in fridge until use.

If you have extra alfredo sauce (which you should) you may want to serve it as a dipping sauce for some french bread or breadsticks. (You could also half the recipe for the alfredo sauce.)

Crispy Cheddar Chicken

Crispy Cheddar Chicken (August)

Chicken:

4 large chicken breasts

2 sleeves Ritz crackers

1/4 t salt

1/8 t pepper

1/2 C milk

3 C cheddar cheese, grated

1 t dried parsley

Sauce:

1   10 ounce can cream of chicken soup

2 T sour cream

2 T butter

1. Cut each chicken breast into 3 large chunks. 

2. In a small food processor grind up the ritz crackers. 

3. Pour the milk, cheese and cracker crumbs into 3 separate small pans. Toss the 1/4 t salt and 1/8 t pepper into the cracker crumbs and stir the mixture around to combine.

4. Dip each piece of chicken into the milk…then the cheese. Press the cheese into the chicken with your fingers. Some of it will fall off when you add it to the cracker crumbs, don’t worry about it.  Press the cheesy chicken into the cracker crumbs and press it in. By the time you are coating the last piece of chicken, the dish you are using for the crumbs will be full of cheese. Don’t let it get you down. Once the cheese melts in the oven it will adhere nicely to the crumbs and the crackers.

5. Spray a 9×13 pan with cooking spray and lay the chicken inside the pan. 

6. Sprinkle the dried parsley over the chicken. 

7. Cover the pan with tin foil and bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes. Remove the tin foil, bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until the edges of the chicken are golden brown and crispy. 

8. Into a medium sized sauce pan combine the cream of chicken soup, sour cream and butter with a whisk. Stir it over medium high heat until the sauce is nice and hot. Serve over the chicken. 

Enjoy!

Boneless Country Style BBQ Ribs

Ingredients:

2-3 lbs. boneless pork country-style ribs
1/2 large onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup apple sauce
1 1/2 cups barbecue sauce
salt and pepper

Directions:

Lightly salt and pepper your boneless pork ribs on both sides.  All all ingredients to your slow cooker.  Gently mix it all up.  Cook on low for 5-6 hours.  Remove meat from slow cooker.  Option:  Can top with 1/2 cup of barbecue sauce once removed.  Serve.

We like to serve it with potatoes, green beans and salad.

From Freezer instructions:

To cook thaw then add to slow cooker as directed above.

Moist Garlic Chicken

Moist Garlic Chicken

¼ cup butter, melted

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp. garlic powder

½ tsp. salt

Dash pepper

½ cup seasoned bread crumbs

¼ cup finely shredded cheddar cheese

2 TBL grated Parmesan Cheese

6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves cut in 1 inch strips

In shallow bowl, combine butter, minced garlic, garlic powder, salt and pepper. In another bowl combine bread crumbs and cheeses. Dip chicken in butter mixture then into bread crumbs. Place in greased 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Cover. Bake at 350° for 45-50 minutes or until juices run clear.  

Side dishes:

Rice

Potatoes (My kids love when I make homemade french fries with this because they think they are getting chicken nuggets and french fries)

Green Salad

Veges

Side dish recipe:

Mediterranean Roasted Potatoes

3 lbs of small red or white-skinned potatoes (or mixture)

¼ cup of good olive oil

1 ½ tsp. of salt

1 tsp. of freshly ground pepper

2 TBL of minced garlic (5-6 cloves)

4 TBL of fresh rosemary leaves (I just use dried rosemary and it works fine)

Cut the potatoes in half or quarters and place in a bowl with the olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic and rosemary; toss until the potatoes are well coated. Dump the potatoes on a baking sheet and spread out in 1 layer; roast in the oven for at least 1 hour, or until browned and crisp. Flip twice with a spatula during cooking to prevent burning.

Almond Parmesan Chicken

2/3 cup Italian bread crumbs
2/3 cup Parmesan Cheese
1/4 cup chopped almonds
1 T. dried parsley
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 cup butter, melted
5-6 chicken breasts (I like to cut them into smaller pieces; they cook faster and have more yummy coating on them!)

Combine the crumbs, cheese, almonds, parsley and thyme. Mix well and pour into a shallow dish.  Melt butter and place in a separate shallow dish. Dip chicken breasts in butter, then roll in the crumb mixture. Arrange the coated chicken in a baking dish. Bake at 400 degrees for 30-45 min. If desired, serve with sauce.

Freezer Meal Instructions: Thaw chicken. Melt butter and dip chicken pieces in butter, then in bread crumb mixture. Bake at 400 for 30-45 min. If desired top with one of the sauce options below (or one of your own!)
Sauce for chicken:
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup chicken broth
Mix soup, sour cream and broth in small saucepan.  Heat over medium heat and pour over chicken to serve if desired.
Source: Judy Anderson from "Let's Call June" cookbook

Another yummy sauce option:

Parmesan-Dijon Cream Sauce:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules (or 1 bouillon cube, crushed)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

While the chicken bakes, in a medium saucepan, melt the 2 tablespoons butter. Stir in the flour, whisking constantly, while cooking the flour/butter mixture for 1-2 minutes. Slowly pour in the milk while whisking quickly. Stir in the chicken bouillon granules and salt. Whisk constantly over medium heat until the mixture begins to simmer and thicken, about 3-5 minutes. Once the sauce has bubbled and thickened, remove from heat and stir in the mustard, Worcestershire sauce and Parmesan cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted. Keep the sauce warm until the chicken is finished baking.
Source: Melskitchencafe.com

Pioneer Chili

Freezer Meal Directions:  Thaw and put in crockpot for 1 hr.