We had this for supper tonight before church. I knew it would be a little spicy, but Steve likes that sort of thing even though I'm a big baby about spice. But half way through making it, I was like, the kids are not going to eat this...so Emma and Nathan had chicken nuggets and Sam picked the chicken and tortillas out of his piece...this one is from Simple & Delicious March/April 2008.
Chicken Tortilla Bake
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp + 1 tsp olive oil, divided
1 can (16 oz) refried beans
1 can (14 1/2 oz) diced tomatoes with mild green chilies, drained (I could only find 10 oz cans of this, and ooooh doggie these were spicy. I don't think they were mild, my can must have been mislabeled)
8 flour tortillas (8 inches), cut into 1-inch strips (I used my new sharp PC cutting knife, that thing is sharp and made cutting the tortillas very easy)
1 can (11 oz) Mexicorn, drained
2 cups (8 oz) shredded cheddar cheese
In a large skillet, saute the chicken, cumin, and salt in 1 tbsp of oil until chicken is no longer pink (it doesn't tell what temperature, so I did medium). Combine the refried beans and tomatoes; spread 1 cup into a greased 11x7 inch baking dish. Top with 24 tortilla strips (I did not count, I guesstimated); layer with half of the corn, bean mixture, chicken, and cheese. Repeat layers. Using remaining tortilla strips, make a lattice crust over the filling; brush with remaining 1 tsp olive oil. Bake, uncovered @ 350 for 25-30 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted. 6 servings.
So, I am a ding bat and completely left out the cheese. After I put it in the oven, I looked to see what to set the timer for, and I saw that it said or until cheese melted, and I was like "crap!" So I served the cheese on the side, so to speak. I just sprinkled it on the plates once I put the casserole on it. Steve did like this meal, but he didn't have 2nds, which means, in Steve's Body Language and Subtle Hints, that he didn't love it. I ended up doing similar to Sam and picking things out that didn't set my mouth on fire. Emma was like, I'm glad I'm eating chicken nuggets. I asked if she wanted to trade plates but she didn't. So, this one was not a keeper. But if you like spicy stuff, you might want to try it. Just don't forget the cheese.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Friday, May 23, 2008
Bacon Swiss Bread
We had this last night with the Monterey Jack Cheese Soup that I posted a few months ago. It wasn't really what I wanted it to be. It looks scrumptious in the picture, but of course I was unable to duplicate it...Emma plugged her nose while she was helping me make it because of the onions. It's from the Taste of Home cookbook (pg 32).
Bacon Swiss Bread
1 loaf (1 pound) French bread (20 inches)(I bought wheat french bread. I always try to if I can because then I can try to convince myself that this is good for me in some way)
2/3 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup chopped green onions
4 tsp prepared mustard
5 slices process Swiss cheese (or, chehz, if you are JoJo)
5 bacon strips
Cut bread into 1 inch thick slices, leaving slices attached at the bottom. In a bowl, combine the butter, onions, and mustard; spread on both sides of each slice of bread (harder than it sounds, dripping everywhere, plus after I was done I still had more than half of it left over so it was a waste of butter which I was running short on anyway). Cut each cheese slice diagonally into 4 triangles; place between the slices of bread. Cut bacon in half widthwise and then lengthwise; drape a piece over each slice of bread. Place the loaf on a double thickness of aluminum foil (such easy cleanup, not at all like the meatballs from last week...I didn't even was the pan!). Bake @ 400 for 20-25 minutes or until bacon is crisp.
I think one of the main problems with this bread was the bacon. We currently have bacon from a hapless farm pig, and it is thicker and less fatty than, say, the Oscar Mayer bacon you would get at the Walmart. But it smells smoky and good. Anyway, the bacon didn't like mold to the bread (okay, it says drape, but the bacon just laid there, similar to if you laid a popsicle stick on each slice), and so it just cooked on top of the bread and stayed straight. It looked weird. It was done after like 14 minutes, bacon wise, but the bread could have used a little longer. I thought it would be like garlic bread, nice and crisp, but no, it was soggy and mustardy, and not really a good pairing with that soup. I knew Emma wouldn't touch either one, so she and Nathan had chicken nuggets. Sam is a good eater, and I thought he ate the soup last time, although I will have to go back and check. But this time, after about 5 minutes, he said he didn't really like either one. Steve told him he had to eat one or the other, and he picked the bread. Steve liked it, of course. And I ate it, but it just wasn't what I thought it would be. He took some of the leftovers to work this morning with the rest of the soup, but I don't know how he'll heat it up. I think it will be even worse if he warms it up in the microwave, soggier and grosser, and it's not like they'll let him use the oven real quick. Oh well.
Bacon Swiss Bread
1 loaf (1 pound) French bread (20 inches)(I bought wheat french bread. I always try to if I can because then I can try to convince myself that this is good for me in some way)
2/3 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup chopped green onions
4 tsp prepared mustard
5 slices process Swiss cheese (or, chehz, if you are JoJo)
5 bacon strips
Cut bread into 1 inch thick slices, leaving slices attached at the bottom. In a bowl, combine the butter, onions, and mustard; spread on both sides of each slice of bread (harder than it sounds, dripping everywhere, plus after I was done I still had more than half of it left over so it was a waste of butter which I was running short on anyway). Cut each cheese slice diagonally into 4 triangles; place between the slices of bread. Cut bacon in half widthwise and then lengthwise; drape a piece over each slice of bread. Place the loaf on a double thickness of aluminum foil (such easy cleanup, not at all like the meatballs from last week...I didn't even was the pan!). Bake @ 400 for 20-25 minutes or until bacon is crisp.
I think one of the main problems with this bread was the bacon. We currently have bacon from a hapless farm pig, and it is thicker and less fatty than, say, the Oscar Mayer bacon you would get at the Walmart. But it smells smoky and good. Anyway, the bacon didn't like mold to the bread (okay, it says drape, but the bacon just laid there, similar to if you laid a popsicle stick on each slice), and so it just cooked on top of the bread and stayed straight. It looked weird. It was done after like 14 minutes, bacon wise, but the bread could have used a little longer. I thought it would be like garlic bread, nice and crisp, but no, it was soggy and mustardy, and not really a good pairing with that soup. I knew Emma wouldn't touch either one, so she and Nathan had chicken nuggets. Sam is a good eater, and I thought he ate the soup last time, although I will have to go back and check. But this time, after about 5 minutes, he said he didn't really like either one. Steve told him he had to eat one or the other, and he picked the bread. Steve liked it, of course. And I ate it, but it just wasn't what I thought it would be. He took some of the leftovers to work this morning with the rest of the soup, but I don't know how he'll heat it up. I think it will be even worse if he warms it up in the microwave, soggier and grosser, and it's not like they'll let him use the oven real quick. Oh well.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Mini Toffee Rolls
So on Tuesday Steve was home all morning since we had a plumber coming, so I made these for lunch. We had them with scrambled eggs, since we still have dozens of eggs in our fridge...Emma helped a little bit and they were quite tasty. From Simple & Delicious
Mini Toffee Rolls
6 tbsp butter, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup english toffee bits or almond brickle chips
2 tubes (8 oz each) refrigerated crescent rolls
1 cup confectioners' sugar
4 1/2 tsp milk
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
In a small mixing bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon until light and fluffy. Stir in toffee bits. Separate each tube of crescent dough into 4 rectangles; seal perforations. Spread evenly with the butter mixture. Roll up each rectangle jelly-roll style, starting with a long side. Cut each into six 1 inch slices; place cut side down into two greased 8x8 inch square baking dishes. Bake @ 375 for 14-16 minutes or until golden brown. In a small bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth. Drizzle over warm rolls. 4 dozen
Okay so these are dinky. We ate like 3.1 dozen with our meal and then left a few out for mom & the kids to have in the afternoon. And, I cooked them all in one 8x8 pan because they were so dinky, so they were touching in the pan, so they took longer to cook then were all stuck together once it was time to eat them. So if I make them again it will be in 2 pans like it says...I should've listened to the person who made them before, oh well. Also, I am on the fence about this recipe...it costs about the same as buying cinnamon roll dough and baking it, but is considerably more effort...I asked Steve if he thought these were that much better than cinnamon rolls, and he was too busy chewing to answer me. I think I will save it because they would be cute for a brunch or something, but I most likely won't make them again for the fam.
Mini Toffee Rolls
6 tbsp butter, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup english toffee bits or almond brickle chips
2 tubes (8 oz each) refrigerated crescent rolls
1 cup confectioners' sugar
4 1/2 tsp milk
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
In a small mixing bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon until light and fluffy. Stir in toffee bits. Separate each tube of crescent dough into 4 rectangles; seal perforations. Spread evenly with the butter mixture. Roll up each rectangle jelly-roll style, starting with a long side. Cut each into six 1 inch slices; place cut side down into two greased 8x8 inch square baking dishes. Bake @ 375 for 14-16 minutes or until golden brown. In a small bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth. Drizzle over warm rolls. 4 dozen
Okay so these are dinky. We ate like 3.1 dozen with our meal and then left a few out for mom & the kids to have in the afternoon. And, I cooked them all in one 8x8 pan because they were so dinky, so they were touching in the pan, so they took longer to cook then were all stuck together once it was time to eat them. So if I make them again it will be in 2 pans like it says...I should've listened to the person who made them before, oh well. Also, I am on the fence about this recipe...it costs about the same as buying cinnamon roll dough and baking it, but is considerably more effort...I asked Steve if he thought these were that much better than cinnamon rolls, and he was too busy chewing to answer me. I think I will save it because they would be cute for a brunch or something, but I most likely won't make them again for the fam.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Pulled Chicken Sandwiches
We had this for supper last night, it was quite good. I couldn't find boneless skinless chicken thighs, only bony and skin-y ones, and I hate to de-skin chicken, so I just used boneless skinless chicken breasts. I buy the frozen ones, so I defrosted 3 and cut them into the size of chicken thighs, and just did the rest as usual. This is the last one from Kraft Food & Family spring 2008.
Pulled Chicken Sandwiches
1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs (or breasts)
1 onion, sliced
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 french bread baguette, 16 to 20 inches long (about 10 oz)(I just used hamburger buns and it was fine. They were whole wheat ones, though)
4 slices of cheese
Cook chicken and onions in skillet on medium-high heat for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add barbecue sauce, water, and brown sugar, stir. Reduce heat to medium; cover. Cook an additional 7 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken from skillet. Shred chicken with 2 forks or chop into small pieces (I used my PC food chopper. I love that thing). Return to skillet, stir until evenly coated with sauce. Cut baguette crosswise into 4 pieces. Cut each piece lengthwise in half. Fill with chicken mixture and slice of cheese. 4 sandwiches.
So this was quite yummy. We have had BBQ chicken sandwiches before, but I liked the addition of onions to it. I think Mom would, too. Hee hee. Emma didn't really like hers, but the rest of us thought it was really good. I'm taking the leftovers tonight. Not Steve.
Pulled Chicken Sandwiches
1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs (or breasts)
1 onion, sliced
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 french bread baguette, 16 to 20 inches long (about 10 oz)(I just used hamburger buns and it was fine. They were whole wheat ones, though)
4 slices of cheese
Cook chicken and onions in skillet on medium-high heat for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add barbecue sauce, water, and brown sugar, stir. Reduce heat to medium; cover. Cook an additional 7 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken from skillet. Shred chicken with 2 forks or chop into small pieces (I used my PC food chopper. I love that thing). Return to skillet, stir until evenly coated with sauce. Cut baguette crosswise into 4 pieces. Cut each piece lengthwise in half. Fill with chicken mixture and slice of cheese. 4 sandwiches.
So this was quite yummy. We have had BBQ chicken sandwiches before, but I liked the addition of onions to it. I think Mom would, too. Hee hee. Emma didn't really like hers, but the rest of us thought it was really good. I'm taking the leftovers tonight. Not Steve.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Cranberry Appetizer Meatballs
Hello! After a 2 week hiatus I am back in full swing. I have long been in search of a meatball recipe that makes meatballs that taste like the ones you can buy in the freezer at the grocery store. I thought this one might have been it, because it has lots of seasonings for flavor, and there are a couple of different sauces listed with it, so it seemed like it would be versatile, but alas, this is not my meatball recipe. It still ended up tasting like hunks of hamburger with just a bit of flavor. They did smell good while they were cooking, but that's all. Anyway this is from the cookbook Mom got me & Jess both for Christmas, the Taste of Home cookbook (pg 31 for interested parties). It wasn't like a waste of time or food or anything, just not exactly what I was looking for.
Cranberry Appetizer Meatballs
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup dry bread crumbs
1/3 cup minced fresh parsley
1/3 cup ketchup
2 tbsp finely chopped onion
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced (see how handy my garlic press is?)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 pounds ground beef
Cranberry Sauce:
1 can (16 oz) whole berry cranberry sauce
1 bottle (12 oz) chili sauce
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp prepared mustard
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced (see again?)
In a large bowl, combine first nine ingredients (through hamburger) and mix well. Crumble ground beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into 1 inch balls. Place meatballs on a rack in a shallow baking pan (they don't tell you to cover the pan with foil, but you definitely should. I didn't, and my pan is still soaking at this minute because I couldn't scrub it off). Bake, uncovered, at 400 for 15 minutes or until no longer pink (my meatballs were bigger than theirs, so mine took closer to half an hour). Transfer to a slow cooker or chafing dish (or plop them in the sauce, which you should make while they're baking...that's what I did). Combine sauce ingredients in sauce pan; simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour over meatballs. Serve warm.
So, the kids actually really liked these. Emma said they were the best meatballs ever. Sam liked them too. And Steve lapped them up. I thought they were pretty good, too, but just not what I am looking for. Maybe it's my fault...maybe I can't mix the ingredients as thoroughly as a factory can...maybe I should use my big super cool mixer next time...Hmmmmm
Cranberry Appetizer Meatballs
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup dry bread crumbs
1/3 cup minced fresh parsley
1/3 cup ketchup
2 tbsp finely chopped onion
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced (see how handy my garlic press is?)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 pounds ground beef
Cranberry Sauce:
1 can (16 oz) whole berry cranberry sauce
1 bottle (12 oz) chili sauce
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp prepared mustard
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced (see again?)
In a large bowl, combine first nine ingredients (through hamburger) and mix well. Crumble ground beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into 1 inch balls. Place meatballs on a rack in a shallow baking pan (they don't tell you to cover the pan with foil, but you definitely should. I didn't, and my pan is still soaking at this minute because I couldn't scrub it off). Bake, uncovered, at 400 for 15 minutes or until no longer pink (my meatballs were bigger than theirs, so mine took closer to half an hour). Transfer to a slow cooker or chafing dish (or plop them in the sauce, which you should make while they're baking...that's what I did). Combine sauce ingredients in sauce pan; simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour over meatballs. Serve warm.
So, the kids actually really liked these. Emma said they were the best meatballs ever. Sam liked them too. And Steve lapped them up. I thought they were pretty good, too, but just not what I am looking for. Maybe it's my fault...maybe I can't mix the ingredients as thoroughly as a factory can...maybe I should use my big super cool mixer next time...Hmmmmm
Monday, May 5, 2008
Whole Oven-Barbecued Chicken
This is what we had for supper tonight. It's another one from the Kraft Spring '08 magazine. I had a chicken in the bottom of our freezer in the basement, and I pulled it out yesterday to defrost it, then I looked at the "use by" date and it was Apr 13 '07! Ha. So I called my mom and was all, can I still use this, and she was like, well it might taste freezer burnt but it's safe to eat. So I used it. It didn't really taste any different than other chickens I've had, so apparently greater than 1 year in the deep freeze is no problem...
Whole Oven-Barbecued Chicken
2 lemons
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1 tsp italian seasoning
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 whole chicken (3 lbs)(mine was 4 lbs)
1 pkg stove top stuffing mix for chicken
Preheat oven to 350. Grate 1/2 tsp lemon peel (I skipped this part because I have lemon peel in a jar). Cut lemons in half; squeeze juice into small bowl. Set aside lemon halves. Add barbecue sauce and italian seasoning to lemon juice; mix well. Place chicken in baking pan. Place 2 of the lemon halves and garlic cloves inside the cavity of the chicken (so gross). Rub skin of chicken with remaining lemon halves and discard. Tie legs together with kitchen twine (the chicken's legs, not yours. That would make the rest of your day difficult)(I don't have any kitchen twine, so I just kept the legs untied, and nothing happened. Like, the bird didn't explode or anything). Bake 1 hour and 45 minutes or until chicken is cooked through (165 degrees), brushing with the barbecue sauce mixture every 5 minutes during the last 20 minutes of cooking time. Sprinkle with reserved lemon peel during the last 5 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare stuffing mix as directed on package. Place in a 1 1/2 quart baking dish sprayed with cooking spray and cover. Place stuffing in oven during last 30 minutes of chicken baking time.Remove and discard lemon halves and garlic cloves from chicken cavity. Skim fat from drippings in chicken baking pan; serve drippings with chicken and stuffing. 6 servings.
So, after all that, we don't eat chicken skin, because it's just gross to eat the skin of something. So just the meat didn't really taste all that barbecue-y or lemon-y. But it was still good chicken, just the scenic route to get there. On another note, I bought the whole wheat stove top stuffing, since it was healthier fiber wise, but it wasn't quite as good. It was much more soggy, and it just looked like brown glop instead of how in regular stove top you can see the spices and stuff. Sam said (and I'm sure he was trying to be sweet) "I'm sure this tastes much better than it looks, Mom!" And it didn't taste bad, just not the usual appearance of stuffing. So I'm not keeping this recipe because it was a lot of work, and not great when it was done.
Whole Oven-Barbecued Chicken
2 lemons
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1 tsp italian seasoning
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 whole chicken (3 lbs)(mine was 4 lbs)
1 pkg stove top stuffing mix for chicken
Preheat oven to 350. Grate 1/2 tsp lemon peel (I skipped this part because I have lemon peel in a jar). Cut lemons in half; squeeze juice into small bowl. Set aside lemon halves. Add barbecue sauce and italian seasoning to lemon juice; mix well. Place chicken in baking pan. Place 2 of the lemon halves and garlic cloves inside the cavity of the chicken (so gross). Rub skin of chicken with remaining lemon halves and discard. Tie legs together with kitchen twine (the chicken's legs, not yours. That would make the rest of your day difficult)(I don't have any kitchen twine, so I just kept the legs untied, and nothing happened. Like, the bird didn't explode or anything). Bake 1 hour and 45 minutes or until chicken is cooked through (165 degrees), brushing with the barbecue sauce mixture every 5 minutes during the last 20 minutes of cooking time. Sprinkle with reserved lemon peel during the last 5 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare stuffing mix as directed on package. Place in a 1 1/2 quart baking dish sprayed with cooking spray and cover. Place stuffing in oven during last 30 minutes of chicken baking time.Remove and discard lemon halves and garlic cloves from chicken cavity. Skim fat from drippings in chicken baking pan; serve drippings with chicken and stuffing. 6 servings.
So, after all that, we don't eat chicken skin, because it's just gross to eat the skin of something. So just the meat didn't really taste all that barbecue-y or lemon-y. But it was still good chicken, just the scenic route to get there. On another note, I bought the whole wheat stove top stuffing, since it was healthier fiber wise, but it wasn't quite as good. It was much more soggy, and it just looked like brown glop instead of how in regular stove top you can see the spices and stuff. Sam said (and I'm sure he was trying to be sweet) "I'm sure this tastes much better than it looks, Mom!" And it didn't taste bad, just not the usual appearance of stuffing. So I'm not keeping this recipe because it was a lot of work, and not great when it was done.
Simple Layered Fiesta Salad
So this one I got from Kraft Food & Family spring 2008...when I saw the recipe I thought it would be good to bring to scrapbooking, because it seems like something that our family wouldn't like for a meal but would be good for a potluck or something like it. So I brought it on Saturday to Autumn's house for scrapbooking...
Simple Layered Fiesta Salad
6 cups torn romaine lettuce (those bags of lettuce that are prewashed and cut are 6 cups...how convenient)
1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained (I only used half of a can because it seemed like so much...it was still too much for Jessica)
1 cup frozen corn, thawed and drained
1 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1/2 cup salsa
1 cup Kraft natural 3 cheese crumbles
1/2 cup ranch dressing
1 oz tortilla chips
Place lettuce in the bottom of glass serving bowl or or serving platter. Layer evenly with beans, corn, chicken, salsa, and cheese. Drizzle with dressing; top with chips.
So, this was pretty good. I made it in the morning, like at 8:00, then we ate it around 12:00. The chips got pretty soggy, and by the time I had the leftovers the next day at work, they were practically dissolved. So I guess this isn't really a make ahead thing, or a leftover thing. But besides that it was pretty good. I'm saving this one for other get-together-y things. But I'm sure I won't make it for home, since my offspring do not like weird things like this. =)
Simple Layered Fiesta Salad
6 cups torn romaine lettuce (those bags of lettuce that are prewashed and cut are 6 cups...how convenient)
1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained (I only used half of a can because it seemed like so much...it was still too much for Jessica)
1 cup frozen corn, thawed and drained
1 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1/2 cup salsa
1 cup Kraft natural 3 cheese crumbles
1/2 cup ranch dressing
1 oz tortilla chips
Place lettuce in the bottom of glass serving bowl or or serving platter. Layer evenly with beans, corn, chicken, salsa, and cheese. Drizzle with dressing; top with chips.
So, this was pretty good. I made it in the morning, like at 8:00, then we ate it around 12:00. The chips got pretty soggy, and by the time I had the leftovers the next day at work, they were practically dissolved. So I guess this isn't really a make ahead thing, or a leftover thing. But besides that it was pretty good. I'm saving this one for other get-together-y things. But I'm sure I won't make it for home, since my offspring do not like weird things like this. =)
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