Chicken Casserole

This is my mom's recipe - I don't where she got it, but it's really popular with my kids. We're down to only three people in our house (the other three have moved out), and we STILL ate about half a 9"x13" pan. We've changed it a bit over the years, but it's still YUMMY! My aunts serve it over rice to stretch it a little further. It's delicious that way, too!

Chicken Casserole

20 oz broccoli, cooked
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of broccoli soup
1/2 cup mayonnaise
8 oz shredded cheese
4-6 boneless chicken breasts, cut in 1" pieces
1 package stuffing (or 4 pieces of dry toast, crumbled, and some bread crumbs)

Heat oven to 400F. Layer broccoli in 9"x13" dish. Mix the soups and the mayonnaise and spread over the broccoli. Evenly layer the chicken over the soups. Sprinkle the cheese over the top and top with the stuffing or toast/bread crumbs. 

Bake for about 45-60 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbly. YUM!

Spinach dip - trust me, you'll like it!

Thanksgiving - you'd think it would only be about the turkey. Nope. My family and friends enjoy the apps I make ALMOST as much as they enjoy the main dish. 

I make a loaf of bread from Artisan Bread in Five to go with this...it's flippin' delicious!

SPINACH DIP
Makes about a cup and half

10 ounces frozen chopped spinach
½ cup sour cream
½ cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons thinly sliced scallions, white parts only, from 3 medium scallions
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried)
½ cup packed flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 small garlic clove, minced (if you don't mince it, you'll have big chunks in the dip!)
¼ teaspoon hot sauce (Tabasco, Frank's, whatever)
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Thaw spinach in microwave for 3 minutes at 40 percent power. (the idea is that you can serve it right away). Squeeze partially frozen spinach of excess water (use a clean tea towel - something not fuzzy, of course!). In food processor, process spinach, sour cream, mayonnaise, scallions, dill, parsley, garlic, hot pepper sauce, salt, and pepper until smooth and creamy, about 30 seconds. Transfer mixture to medium bowl and serve. (Dip can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated up to 2 days.)

Cheddar Bay biscuits - copycat

If you follow me, you should know that I'm an inconsistent blogger, at best. You can either embrace it or not - your choice. I just won't do any better and I know that. 

However, when I DO post, you'll get something yummy!

We don't go out to eat often...and this recipe is one reason why. When I serve it with clam chowder, there's really no reason to go out to a Red Lobster! 

I can't remember where I found this recipe, but if I do, I will give credit where credit is due. Let's be honest - it's probably Cook's Illustrated. :-D

Cheddar & Scallion Drop Biscuits

2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp sugar
1/2 cup shredded cheddar
1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions
1 cup cold buttermilk (like, measure it and put it back in the fridge 'til you need it, cold)
8 Tbsp butter, melted and cooled slightly (about 5 minutes)
2 Tbsp butter, melted (optional)

Heat oven to 475F and put oven rack in the middle position. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, salt, cheese, and scallions in a large bowl. Combine buttermilk and the 8 Tbsp butter in medium bowl, stirring until butter forms small clumps. Add buttermilk mixture to dry ingredients and stir with spatula until just incorporated and batter pulls away from sides of bowl. Using greased 1/4-cup dry measuring cup, scoop level amount of batter and drop onto parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with remaining batter, spacing about 1 1/2" apart. Bake until tops are golden brown and crisp, 12-15 minutes. Brush biscuit tops with remaining 2 Tbsp melted butter (sometimes I even sprinkle a little garlic powder into the butter!) if desired. Transfer to wire rack and cool 5 minutes. 

Baked Potatoes - in a crockpot

I love potatoes. I'm Irish, so...yeah. Hubby's German, so he's on board with the whole "potatoes at every meal" thing. Okay, not EVERY meal...but a lot of meals. Ha!

Anyway, while I love baked potatoes in the oven, I really like the convenience of baked potatoes in a crockpot. I can stick them in there, then head off to whatever meeting or event we have planned, and when I return - voila! Dinner!

Be creative when you top these - chili, ham & cheese, broccoli & cheese, "loaded" - cheese, sour cream, bacon, chives, left over salmon and sauce...whatever!!!

Baked Potatoes in a Crockpot

Russet potatoes (I would make two per person - if they don't get eaten, you can always make hash the next morning! Keep in mind that if you need to make more than 6 or so, you might need another crockpot)
Olive oil
Salt (I like kosher, but use what you like)

Water

Foil

Scrub your potatoes. Well. Unless you LIKE dirt while you're chewing. Your call. Dry well. Poke the potato with a fork all over (you're giving the steam a place to go - this is a teachable moment for all you homeschoolers!). Rub with a little oil, sprinkle with some salt, and wrap in a piece of foil. Put into your crockpot, pour in about 1/2 cup of water, and cook 4-5 hours on high, 6-8 hours on low. I like to rotate them halfway through cooking (put the ones from the bottom on top and vice versa), but that's because my crockpots have hot spots. When you're ready to eat, pull them out (carefully - there's a reason they call them hot potatoes!), unwrap, and enjoy. 

If you find they're not QUITE ready, remove the foil and microwave for a minute or two. Next time you make them in the crockpot, adjust the time. Different sized potatoes and different crockpots make the timing slightly different for everyone.

New Season and the Meals to Match

Ecclesiastes says that for everything there is a season (did you just sing, "turn, turn, turn" in your head? me too!). Right now, that season for me has a curious dearth of kids in my house. I have four kids, but now, only one left in high school. One has moved to New England and the other two "olders" are busy with work, school, and friends, so are hardly ever home.

This is a challenge for me for a couple of reasons. One, I apparently do not know how to cook for only three of us! My recipes are for six family members, with at least two teens, planning on perhaps a friend (or two, or three) stopping by for dinner, and having leftovers for hubby to take to work. Oh, did I mention that hubby has retired? So, yes, cooking looks much different now. 

Now, track season is upon us and hubby (who's volunteering as a coach) and kid will be gone for at least 3 hours a day. I'm also a helper for track, and track practice overlaps my usual dinner prep time. And, as many of you know, we will still need to eat on those days!! Can you believe it?? Craziness, I know.

All this background to say - I'm trying to think of easy meals that aren't feeding an army that don't require my usual prep time right before dinner. Here are my thoughts. I would LOVE your comments. I will be putting up recipes over the next few day/weeks. 

Baked potatoes (crock-pot, with various toppings)
Chili (crock-pot) - beef, chicken

Sandwiches - meatball, Reubens, grilled cheese, roast beef, etc.

Wraps - veggie (hummus, tabbouleh, feta, veggies), chicken salad, tuna, etc.

Quesadillas

Falafel

Beef stew (crock-pot)

Curried chicken & potatoes (crock-pot)

"Tuscan" chicken, potatoes, & sun-dried tomatoes

Soups! Loaded baked potato, clam chowder, broccoli & cheese, pasta e fagioli, Zuppa Toscana, black bean, etc.

Tarragon chicken (crock-pot)

Tacos - chicken, beef, shrimp, fish, etc.

Roasts (crock-pot or oven)

Enough brainstorming - let's get cooking!

Here's my version of Broccoli & Cheese soup. If I had to give you some advice, I would say, play with the recipe!! If it's not cheesy enough, add more cheese. If it's too cheesy for you, add more broth. Make it the way YOUR family will like it the best. 

Broccoli and Cheese Soup

1 - 2 heads broccoli (depends on how big they are and how much broccoli you like!)
½ cup butter
1 medium onion, chopped
½ cup flour
2 cups milk
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
2 cans chicken broth (5 cups or so)
salt and pepper
8-16 ounces Velveeta cheese (depends on how cheesy you like it!)

Cook broccoli until tender and drain (you can either steam it or microwave it). Mash ½ cup of the broccoli with a fork. Cut the rest of the broccoli into pieces. 

Cook onions in butter over medium heat in a pot until tender and transparent.  Stir in flour and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Turn down to low. Whisk in milk slowly, stirring constantly and making sure to get in the corners of the pot. Stir in grated cheese until smooth. Slowly whisk broth into sauce. Add Velveeta cheese and stir until melted.  Add all the broccoli to the soup.  Simmer 15 minutes.  You can add more Velveeta for a cheesier flavor.

Garlic Rolls

I found this recipe years ago on the Internet. I was concerned that it wouldn't turn out well, so I made them shortly after lunch (in order to try them). Yeah - we ate all 24 of them and I had to make another batch for dinner! And the kids were young - between 3 and 11!

These are delicious with spaghetti, lasagna, and Pasta e Fagioli. Do have a little restraint - don't eat all of them in one sitting!

Garlic Cheese Rolls for Bread Machine

1 cup water
3 cups bread flour
1½ teaspoons salt
1½ tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons nonfat dry milk powder
2 teaspoons yeast
¼ cup butter, melted
1 garlic clove, crushed (or 1 tsp garlic powder)
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese

Place first 7 ingredients in bread pan and select dough cycle. When cycle is finished, turn dough onto a floured countertop or cutting board (use flour sparingly). Grease two 8” pie pans or one 13”x9” pan.  Gently form dough into a large ball. With a sharp knife, divide dough into 24 pieces (you can either roll the ball into a rope and cut or just cut wedges). Shape into balls; place into prepared pans. In small bowl, combine butter and garlic; pour over rolls. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Cover and let rise for 30-45 minutes until doubled. Heat oven to 375F while the rolls rise. When the rolls are ready (they'll be puffy and spring back when gently touched), bake at for 10-15 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven, cut apart, and serve warm.

Egg muffins

I don't know where this recipe came from, but it is darned popular. I think it's because it's a grab-and-go type thing. I've made them for a youth retreat and the teens loved them. Go figure! 

This is, yet again, not really a recipe, but more of a method. Make SURE you grease your muffin tins well. Cooked egg is VERY difficult to remove if it gets stuck.

Egg Muffins

6 eggs
1 cup milk
Nature's Seasons (this is my secret ingredient - I use it in everything!)
1/2 cup shredded cheese
Cooked veggies (optional)
Cooked meat (bacon, ham, sausage, whatever)

Preheat oven to 375F. Spray a 12-cup muffin tin VERY well with nonstick cooking spray. Beat the eggs, milk, and Nature's Seasons together in a bowl. Layer your cheese, veggies, and cooked meat in the tins until about 2/3 full. Divide the egg mixture among the tins - they'll be about 3/4 full. Bake 25-35 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. These WILL deflate. It's okay. They're still yummy!