White Chicken Enchiladas
30 Jan 2012 Leave a Comment
in at least one kid ate it, casserole, chicken, company's coming!, leftovers, Mexican
Pinterest – seriously amazing. Ok, the original recipe here came from pinterest. But, I did make some changes and used leftover skinny crockpot chicken in mine. So good.
- 10 soft taco shells
- 2-3 cups skinny crockpot chicken (original recipe calls for 2, I used more like 3)
- 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 3 Tbsp butter
- 3 Tbsp flour
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 (4 oz) can diced green chillies
Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9×13.
Mix chicken and 1 cup cheese. Roll up in tortillas and place in pan.
In a sauce pan, melt butter, stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Add broth and whisk until smooth. Heat over medium heat until thick and bubbly.
Stir in sour cream and chilies. Do not bring to a boil, you don’t want curdled sour cream.
Pour over enchiladas and top with remaining cheese.
Bake 22 min and then under high broil for 3 min to brown the cheese.
Kayla did eat a bit of this. The other two wouldn’t touch it. One is better than none, right?
Martha Stewart’s Creamy Mac-and-Cheese
19 Dec 2011 Leave a Comment
in casserole, company's coming!, Pasta, side dishes
Holy amazing. This is the best homemade mac-n-cheese I have ever had. Little bit of a spice to it so my kiddos wouldn’t eat it. They did try it though 
BUT, I’ll still make it again. So good. Some neighbors had a get together with catered bbq and this was great with it.
Serves about 12 so definitely a good recipe for a get together.
- 1 stick unsalted butter, plus more for casserole (I actually bought unsalted butter for this and then forgot to use it and it was fine)
- 6 slices white bread, crusts removed, torn into 1/4-1/2 inch pieces (really I just quickly ripped it apart)
- 5 1/2 cups milk
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 2 tspns coarse salt
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 4 1/2 cups grated sharp white cheddar cheese
- 1 1/4 cups grated romano cheese
- 1 pd elbow macaroni
Preheat oven to 375. Butter a 3 qt casserole dish; set aside. Place the bread in a bowl. In a small saucepan melt 2 tablespoons butter. Pour the butter into the bowl with the bread, and toss. Set the breadcrumbs aside.
Warm the milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Melt the remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat. When the butter bubbles, add the flour. Cook, stirring, 1 minute.
While whisking, slowly pout int he hot milk a little at a time to keep mixture smooth. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick 8-12 minutes.
Remove the pan from heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar cheese, and 1 cup romano; set cheese sauce aside.
Boil pasta until outside of pasta is cooked and inside is underdone, 2-3 minutes. Transfer the macaroni to a colander and rinse under cold running water. Stir the macaroni in to the reserved cheese sauce.
Pour the mixture into the prepared dish. Sprinkle the remaining 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, 1/4 cup romano, and the breadcrumbs over the top. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes.
Bacon, Ranch, and Chicken Mac and Cheese
13 Aug 2011 1 Comment
in at least one kid ate it, casserole, chicken, Pasta
This was a hit tonight! Even Andrew, the pickiest eater EVER, loved it. Wahoo!!!
The combination of onion and garlic powders plus fresh dill creates a flavor similar to ranch dressing.
8 oz uncooked elbow macaroni
1 slice applewood-smoked bacon (not enough for us, next time I’ll use 2 slices)
8 oz skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into pieces (again, next time I’ll use more)
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 1/2 cups fat free milk
1/2 cup fat free cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
3/4 cup shredded six cheese Italian blend
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp chopped fresh dill
1/2 tsp salt
cooking spray
1/2 cup shredded colby-Jack cheese
1. Cook pasta according to pkg directions, omitting salt and fat, drain.
2. Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving drippings in pan. Finely chop bacon;set aside. Increase heat. Add chicken to drippings in pan; saute 6 minutes or until done.
3. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat; sprinkle flour evenly into pan. Cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly with a whisk. Combine milk and soup, stirring with a whisk; gradually add milk mixture to saucepan, stirring with a whisk. Bring to a boil; cook 2 minutes or until thick. Remove from heat; let stand 4 minutes or until sauce cools to 155. Add Italian cheese blend, onion powder, garlic powder, dill, and salt, stirring until cheese melts. STir in past and chicken.
4. Preheat broiler.
5. Spoon mixture into an 8 inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with reserved bacon and colby-Jack cheese. Broil 3 minutes or until cheese melts.
Mostaccioli
12 Mar 2011 Leave a Comment
in at least one kid ate it, beef, casserole, company's coming!, Pasta
So, I don’t make this all that often because, 1. It makes a TON and 2. it is sort of time consuming. BUT, it’s great for a big gathering and gets great reviews every time I make it. It’s usually a hit for family birthday parties, big family gatherings, etc.
2 lbs lean ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced (I’m lazy and use the already minced garlic in a jar)
28 oz diced tomatoes (I think I usually use the petite cut diced tomatoes)
24 oz can tomato sauce
6 oz can tomato paste
1 tsp salt
2 tsp basil
1 and 1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 lb pepperoni, thinly sliced
1 1b box mostaccioli noodles
1 and 1/2 lbs mozzarella cheese
1/2 lb sliced mushrooms
In a skillet, brown the beef, onion and garlic; drain off all excess grease. In a large pot, put meat mixture, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, salt, basil and oregano. Simmer for 1 and 1/2 hours. (**I know I do not simmer quite this long because I get impatient. Really, I should just start putting everything together earlier!) Add pepperoni and mushrooms to tomato mixture. Cook for 30 minutes. Cook noodles to desired texture. Mix the noodles with the tomato mixture. Spray and 11 x 15 baking dish with cooking spray. Alternate the mixture in the baking dish with the cheese. Bake, covered, for 45 minutes at 350; uncovered for an additional 15 minutes.
***I thought of this recipe for a couple of reasons. One, I’m starting to try and think of great meals to make ahead of time because I have baby #4 coming in just 9 short weeks. I’m thinking this could be a good freezer meal, thought I haven’t tried it before. Two, I’m thinking this might be a good one to put in a 9 x 13 for another family and then make a much smaller dish with what’s left for us if I need to do that in the future.
Mom’s Lasagna
19 May 2010 Leave a Comment
in at least one kid ate it, beef, casserole, company's coming!, freezes well, hidden vegetables, Pasta
I just realized, much to my horror, that I did not include my mom’s lasagna recipe in the cookbooks I made for my family last year!
I put this together this afternoon for our dinner tonight. It was so easy because I had the sauce frozen and thawed it yesterday…that’s my best tip for this recipe. Because making the sauce is time-consuming, it’s a good idea to double the batch, and then freeze it in portions you’ll use. I freeze it in half-recipe portions because otherwise we’d be eating lasagna for several meals, and none of us does that well with leftovers. Then, on a day like today that’s going to be crazy because of Luke’s ballgame, I have a good meal ready to go in almost no time.
Here’s the recipe for one 9×13″ pan:
1 lb ground beef (I use the leanest possible)
garlic salt
1 T parsley flakes
1/2 T basil
14.5 oz can tomatoes (I use petite diced)
6 oz can tomato paste
(you can also add in finely chopped carrots or carrot puree and no one will be the wiser)
10 oz lasagna noodles (about 12 noodles)
24 oz low-fat cottage cheese
2 beaten eggs
pepper
2 T parsley (of course, you can use fresh, too!)
1/2 c parmesan cheese
2 cups (or however much you want) mozzarella cheese – the original recipe calls for a pound of cheese, but I’ve never come close to using that much
Brown the meat; drain. Add the next 5 ingredients. Simmer uncovered, about 1 hour, stirring occasionally (this can be a little bit messy). Cook noodles for 8 minutes, rinse in cold water. Combine cottage cheese with next 4 ingredients. Place half of the noodles in a 13×9 pan, spread half the cottage cheese mixture and a cup of cheese over the top. Add half of the meat mixture. Repeat layers. Bake at 375 for 30-40 minutes.
Corn Bread Deep Dish Pizza
02 Mar 2010 5 Comments
in at least one kid ate it, casserole, hidden vegetables
Kelli sent this recipe to me, and I made it last night for dinner. Very rarely does something get eaten without a “how many bites do I have to have?” from Luke or Bennett, and they both gobbled up large portions! Matt and I loved it, too, and I’m honestly not dreading the leftovers for tonight’s dinner (I generally don’t like leftovers).
I’ll post it how I made it, since I made a few small changes.
1 (8 1/2-ounce) box Jiffy brand corn-muffin mix (I used Betty Crocker and it worked fine)
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
TOPPING:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil (I didn’t use b/c I didn’t have any onion)
1 large onion, chopped (omitted)
1 garlic clove, chopped (I used a Dorot frozen garlic cube)
1 (26-ounce) jar of your favorite pasta sauce (Ragu Traditional for us!)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound sausage of your choice, cooked and crumbled or sliced
1/2 pound Monterey Jack, shredded (I used Colby Jack, but mozzarella or any Italian blend would be fine too)
I added:
1/2 cup carrot puree
several large, sliced mushrooms to half of the casserole
Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9×13″ baking dish. Prepare the muffin mix using the egg and 1/2 cup of milk. (Note: this amount of milk is different from what’s called for in the package directions.) Add the Parmesan, then spread the batter evenly across the bottom of the pan.
Heat the oil in a large skillet, then sauté the onion and garlic until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the pasta sauce, (pureed carrot), oregano, and salt and pepper. Cook the sauce until it thickens, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Arrange half of the cooked sausage (or sausage and mushrooms) on the cornmeal batter. Pour the sauce over the batter, spreading it evenly, then layer on the remaining sausage. Bake for 15 minutes, then top the mixture with cheese and bake until the cheese is bubbling, about 10 minutes. Cut into slices and serve. Makes 6 servings.
Tamale Pie
24 Feb 2010 Leave a Comment
in beef, casserole, chicken, Mexican
I remember making this years ago for just Matt and me, and I have no idea why I haven’t made it again, because it turned out really good! Now, the kids didn’t enjoy this (and I only made them try a bite because I was in no mood to have people not eat their dinner) so it was just for the adults. And because I felt like it made SOOO much, I mixed up the entire casserole part and then froze half of the mixture for another time. Notes about halving the recipe at the end.
Tamale Pie
1 lb lean ground beef
1 lb lean ground pork (not sausage, just ground pork)
NOTE: I think that you can just do ground beef in this, or even better, shredded beef from a roast or something. I’m sure shredded chicken breast would be good, too. I made it with the beef/pork combo, and I’m not really sure why it calls for this.
1/2 cup chopped onion
2-3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce with chili seasonings (I couldn’t find this, so I just used regular and sprinkled in chili powder)
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with green chiles (like Rotel)
1 can (11 oz) Mexicorn, drained
OPTIONAL (but I omit): 1 can (2.25 oz) sliced ripe olives, drained
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 pkg (8 oz) shredded Mexican cheese blend (or cheddar or colby jack)
1 box (8.5 oz) cornbread mix (I used Jiffy this time)
1 tsp chili powder
Sour cream (optional but good!)
Heat large skillet over medium-high heat. Crumble meat into skillet; add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until meat is browned. Drain off fat. Add tomato sauce, tomatoes, corn, olives and pepper, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in cheese until melted. Pour into a lightly greased 9×13 baking dish.
In a small bowl, prepare corn muffin mix as directed on package. Stir in chili powder. Spoon batter over meat filling to within 1/4 inch of pan sides. Bake in 400 oven for 20-25 minutes, or until crust is golden brown. Serve with sour cream.
Makes 8 servings.
If you halve the recipe: freeze half of the mixture for another time. Pour the half you’re using into a lightly greased 8×8, 9×9 or similar-sized dish. Then, top with about 2/3 of the cornbread batter. Pour the rest into a muffin tin (there might be enough to make 1 or 2 muffins, I’d guess) and bake alongside the casserole. If you put all the batter on top, it won’t be ruined, but there’s so much cornbread that it outweighs the casserole (and this is coming from someone who LOVES cornbread).
Lasagna Bianco
16 Feb 2010 2 Comments
in casserole, chicken, company's coming!, sauces/dressings
Normally, I don’t like posting main dishes so totally devoid of nutrition (I like to save that for the appetizers and desserts). But this is just so good, and such a good dish for having company over, that I had to share. I haven’t made it in a while (and truthfully, it’s perfect for summer when everyone has zucchini fresh from their gardens…not me, but other people) and it sounds so good right now! There are a lot of ingredients and it takes a little time, but this is not a difficult recipe.
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 T olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
16 oz alfredo sauce*
15 oz ricotta cheese
1 pkg (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained completely
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp Italian herb seasoning
1 pkg Barilla no-boil lasagna noodles
16 oz shredded Italian cheese blend
1 zucchini, thinly sliced
Cut chicken into 1/2 inch pieces. In skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add onion and garlic. Cook for 3-4 more minutes, until chicken is no longer pink. In medium bowl, stir together ricotta, spinach, egg and Italian seasoning.
Here is how you layer it in a 9×13 baking dish that you’ve coated with cooking spray (these measurements are approximate):
1/3 cup sauce
4 noodles
All of spinach mixture
1/3 cup sauce
1/3 of the cheese
4 noodles
All of the chicken mixture
1/3 cup sauce
1/3 of the cheese
4 noodles
All of the zucchini
Rest of sauce
Rest of cheese
Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes.
This will feed 6-8 adults (at least, when you factor in salads/bread/sides/etc).
*Quick homemade alfredo sauce that is AMAZING:
2 cups half & half (do not use fat-free…trust me)
6 T butter
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp minced garlic
salt & pepper to taste
In a large skillet, heat half & half and butter. Add garlic and salt and pepper. Let simmer for 2-3 minutes. Blend in cheese. Continue to cook sauce to a medium-thin consistency.
Crockpot Lasagna
19 Jan 2010 4 Comments
in at least one kid ate it, beef, casserole, crockpot, freezes well, Pasta
Another great Kraft recipe!
While this isn’t quite as good as traditional lasagna, it comes pretty close, and when you consider the small amount of work it takes to put it together vs. traditional, it’s worth having in your cookbook! The kids ate it up!
1 lb. ground beef
1 jar (26 oz.) spaghetti sauce (I use Ragu Traditional because there’s no chunks)
1 cup water
1 container (15 oz.) low-fat ricotta cheese
8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/4 cup grated or shredded parmesan cheese, divided
1 egg
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
6 lasagna noodles, uncooked
Brown meat in large skillet; drain. Stir in spaghetti sauce and water. Mix ricotta, 1-1/2 cups mozzarella, 2 Tbsp. Parmesan, egg and parsley.
Spoon 1 cup meat sauce into slow cooker; top with layers of half each of the noodles, broken to fit; and cheese mixture. Cover with 2 cups meat sauce. Top with remaining noodles, broken to fit; cheese mixture and meat sauce. Cover with lid.
Cook on LOW 4 to 6 hours or until liquid is absorbed (3.5 hrs. on low in my crockpot, which has superpowers). Sprinkle with remaining cheeses; let stand, covered, 10 min. or until melted.
Mexican Lasagna
12 Aug 2009 Leave a Comment
in at least one kid ate it, casserole, chicken, Mexican
This might be my new favorite mexican dish made here at home. Kirk and I really liked this and maybe even loved it more as leftovers. Kayla loved it. The other two didn’t eat it. This recipe came from my taste of home magazine.
1 and 1/2 lbs extra lean ground chicken (I think I only used a pound)
1 cup each diced red onions and diced green bell pepper ( I left out the green pepper as I’m really not a fan)
2 tsp minced garlic
1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup diced tomatoes
1/2 cup frozen or canned corn (drain if use canned)
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
2 cups of your favorite tomato pasta sauce (I actually used one with green peppers in it to get a little of that)
1 cup medium salsa
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper (mine wasn’t fresh)
2 tbsp minced fresh cilantro
4 lg/8 small whole wheat flour tortillas (wish I remember what kind I used cause I really liked them and I don’t most)
1 1/2 cups packed shredded light old (sharp) cheddar cheese
1 cup light sour cream
1/4 cup chopped green onions (I didn’t use these b/c I simply forgot to get them)
Preheat oven to 375. Spray a 9×13 casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside.
In a large, non-stick pot or skillet, cook ground chicken, onions, green pepper and garlic over medium-high heat until meat is no longer pink. Break up any large pieces of chicken as it’s cooking. Add black beans, tomatoes, corn, chili powder and cumin. Cook and stir for 2 more minutes. Add pasta sauce, salsa, and black pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. cover and simmer for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in cilantro and remove from heat.
To assemble lasagna, spread 1/3 sauce mixture over bottom of casserole dish. Top with 1/2 tortillas, overlapping and cutting them as necessary to fit. Top with 1/3 sauce mixture, followed by 1/2 the cheese. Cover cheese with remaining tortillas, followed by remaining sauce. Sprinkle remaining cheese over sauce.
Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 more minutes. Top each piece with a dollop of sour cream and some chopped green onions.
