Creamy Pork Chop Casserole

(This is a pretty yummy casserole and excellent if you’ve run out of ideas and are tired of the same old pork chop dinner. My aunt made this when we were in Florida and I made sure to bring the recipe home.)

Olive Oil

8 boneless pork chops (I use the center cut, more lean meat)

2 cups uncooked rice

¾ cup milk

10 ¾ oz can cream of celery soup

10 ¾ oz can cream of chicken soup

1 medium onion, sliced

2 (14 oz) cans carrots, drained

2 cups water

Salt, pepper and garlic powder

Preheat oven to 350. In large skillet over medium high heat, warm olive oil. Season chops with salt, pepper and garlic. Add to oil and cook about 2 mins. on each side or until lightly browned. Remove from skillet and place in a greased baking pan.  In a medium bowl, combine rice, milk, soups, water and onion. Mix well and pour over chops. Cover and bake for 1 hour or until rice is tender and chops are cooked through.  

I served this with cornbread muffins!

Crockpot Chicken and Parsley Potatoes

(This recipe came from Crock Pot Recipe Exchange's Facebook page. It was a set it and forget it recipe. We all enjoyed it. Was it our favorite, no, but it was simple enough and good enough that I’ll make it again.)

4 chicken breast (one per person)

Garlic powder

Pepper

Salt

Parsley

Potatoes, chopped (about 1 ½ per person)

Onions, chopped (2 medium onions)

Ham, sliced in strips (I used 2 packages of Carl Budding. I don’t think it matters, as long as it’s thin sliced.)

Butter (2 tbsp per chicken)

Foil

Season chicken with garlic, pepper and salt. Set aside. Tear foil in 4 large pieces. Add chopped potatoes to center of foil, in a single layer. Season with garlic and parsley. Top with onions, 1 piece of chicken and ham. Add 2 tbsp of butter, top with garlic and pepper. Wrap up inside foil. Place in Crockpot and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

Mushroom & Chicken Quesadillas

(My Aunt made these when we were in Florida and they were SO good that we decided to make them again once we got home!)

1 large chicken breast

3 small jars of sliced mushrooms

8 (8 inch) tortilla shells

1 can refried beans

1 (2 cup) bag Mexican shredded cheese

Boil chicken until cooked through. Allow to cool down and shred with two forks. Coat skillet with cooking spray and place over medium high heat. Cook mushrooms. Spread all 8 tortillas with refried beans. Divide cheese, chicken and mushrooms between 4 of the tortillas. Place remaining tortillas on top, bean side down.

**I cooked these on my George Forman. I just placed them between 2 pieces of foil, closed the lid and came back to a cooked tortilla. My aunt used this method:

Place skillet on medium high heat. Coat skillet and tops of quesadillas with cooking spray. Cook one quesadilla 4 minutes per side or until cheese has melted, reducing heat to medium if tortilla becomes too brown.

Cut quesadillas in fourths and serve with sour cream and salsa.

Low Carb Deep Dish Pizza

(This was FANTASTIC. My BFF and her guy gave this to me. I loved it. Kaytie thought it was yummy too. The boys, not so much. I think they knew it wasn’t actually crust and that turned them off from the beginning. I guess it’s a good thing I made “regular” pizza for them. I will be making this again, even if only for myself. This had a wonderful cheesy taste. I think it would be awesome cut into “bread” sticks and dipped in sauce also.)

4 oz cream cheese, softened

2 eggs

¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese

¼ tsp oregano or Italian seasoning

¼ tsp garlic powder

8 oz Italian cheese blend or mozzarella, shredded

How to prepare:

In a medium bowl, whisk cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Whisk in eggs until mixture is well blended and smooth. Add the parmesan and seasonings, then stir in 8 ox of Italian or mozzarella cheese until moistened. Spread cheese mixture evenly in a well greased 9x13 glass baking dish. Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes or until evenly browned, but not too dark. Let cool completely. When nearly cooled, use a metal spatula to pry up the edges from the pan. Ease spatula under the whole crust to loosen. Leave crust in the pan, refrigerate uncovered until serving time.

Spread chilled crust with pizza sauce, cheese and toppings. Sprinkle lightly with garlic and oregano. Bake at 375 for 15 to 20 mins.

***Important Note: You want to make this early and refrigerate for a couple hours to allow the crust to dry out a bit for easy handling when eating. Also, if you make this in a metal pan, it will stick. One recommendation is to lightly grease the pan and line it with parchment paper.

Sheppard's Pie

(Okay, so I have to ring my own bell for a minute. I make the BEST Sheppard’s Pie known to mankind. Really, I do! Give it a try, if you don’t believe me!)

1 lb meat (beef or ground turkey)

1 or 2 cans mushrooms
Dry minced onion
Beef bouillon cube
Worchester Sauce (add as much or little as you like, it gives a yummy flavor)
1/3 cup of water
1 can corn
2 bags of Idahoan Potatoes (prepared)
Shredded Cheddar Cheese

 Brown meat with mushrooms and onion. Drain. Add water, bouillon cube and Worchester sauce. Cook until water evaporates. Pour meat into a greased pan. Layer with cheese. Top with corn and potatoes. Cover with cheese. Bake 30 minutes on 350, then broil to brown cheese.  

Savory Pot Roast

(This is BY FAR, my FAVORITE pot roast recipe EVER. I got it from the Kraft site. The kids and I ate this up. Kevin wasn’t as crazy about it. You use A1 in it and he doesn’t really care for A1. However, if you love A1 as much as I do, you’ll love this. The pot roast was so tender and flavorful! From now own, Kevin will have to get his own little pot roast, because I can’t wait to have this again!)

1 boneless beef chuck roast (2-2 ½ lbs)  

6 Yukon gold potatoes, quartered
6 carrots, peeled, cut into 1 inch lengths
½ cup Original A1 Steak Sauce
1 package dry onion-mushroom soup mix
1/3 cup of water

 Heat oven to 350. Place meat in a shallow pan, surround with vegetables. Mix remaining ingredients until well blended. Pour over meat and vegetables, cover. Bake 2 hours. Slice and serve with pan gravy.

Taco Soup

(This is a really easy and yummy soup. Kevin loves it and requests it often. Many thanks go out to Becky for sharing this recipe with my family. I’ve changed it only a tiny bit to meet our personal likes, as you should do too! P.S. Becky’s sister Kelly also gave me her Taco Soup recipe that is equally YUMMY. We switch back and forth between them. I’ll post it soon too, so keep watching!)

20 ounces ground turkey (seasoned with a little salt and pepper, garlic and dry minced onions)

2 packets taco seasoning
1 packet powdered Ranch seasoning
1 large can diced tomatoes (followed by 1 full can of water)
1 regular sized can corn (do not drain)
1 regular size can black beans (do not drain)
1 large can chili beans (do not drain)

Brown meat and stir in seasoning packets. (We used turkey for a meal that was better for us and no one even noticed!) Pour in the vegetables and can of water. Cook in the Crockpot on high for 5 hours. Sprinkle cheese on top and add sour cream. I serve this with whole wheat cheesy quesadillas that I throw on my George Forman.  

Chicken Carbonara

(Okay, I know that I’ve said before how THIS was our favorite recipe, but really, this time I mean it. Holy Smokes, this was AH-MAZ-ING! We love eating at Buca di Beppo. One of our favorite dishes there is the Carbonara. Kevin thought that maybe I should try to find a copycat recipe since it’s so yummy…and I did. This turned out spectacular. It tasted exactly like Buca’s. I will be making this again and again and again. Everyone had seconds. Kaeleb even asked to take it to school with him for lunch. J Now, with all this being said, it isn’t the most healthy meal you can have. Nor is it low budget. But trust me when I say, you’ll want to make this and take your chances, at least periodically! I served this with a Caesar Salad and Garlic Bread. NOM-NOM-NOM!)  

 ½ cup olive oil

8 ounces prosciutto, thinly sliced
¼ cup minced garlic
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thigh (chopped and cooked)
1 ½ cups heavy cream
1 ½ cups alfredo sauce (See recipe below)
1 cup frozen peas
Salt and pepper to taste
Spaghetti (14 oz) *I use whole wheat pasta in everything.

 Prepare alfredo sauce.

1 quart heavy cream

4 tbsp butter
2 cups parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper

 Heat the cream over medium heat until reduced by a third. Add the butter, stirring constantly, then incorporate the cheese, and salt and pepper to taste.

 Boil pasta then place in a large bowl covered by a lid.

 Dice and cook the chicken using a little oil in a skillet. Remove and set aside.

 In a pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat until very hot. Add the prosciutto slices and sauté until it starts to brown and has bubbly white caps. Add the minced garlic and sauté just long enough got the garlic to begin to caramelize.

 Add the chicken, cream and alfredo sauce and slowly bring to a simmer. Add the peas and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the sauce thickens slightly and the chicken is hot.

 Toss the cooked pasta with the sauce well. Serve immediately.

 Makes 10 servings.

Mexican Lasagna

(This is by far, one of the BEST recipes EVER. My friend Alicia gave me this one many moons ago, probably about 8 to be exact! I’ve loved it ever since. In fact, Kevin asks for this specifically! When we moved to VA and were staying with a friend, Kevin asked for this, but all of our personal things were packed away in storage, along with my recipe book. I tried another recipe, but it just didn’t cut it. If you love Mexican food like I do, give this a try! It’s also EASY and FAST which is always a plus!)

1 lb ground beef

1 (14 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (14 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14 oz) can corn, do not drain
2 tbsp chili powder
2 tbsp minced onions
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp garlic salt
½ tsp oregano
1 can (4 oz) green chilies, do not drain
6 whole wheat tortillas (8 inch)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

 Cook beef and drain. Add tomato sauce, beans, corn and chilies. Stir in chili powder, minced onions, cumin, garlic salt and oregano. Boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes, uncovered. Place 3 shells on the bottom of pan, half the meat sauce and half the cheese. Repeat. Bake on 350 for 30 minutes.

 I serve this with sour cream and salsa.

Stuffed Bell Peppers

(These are FANTASTICO! I found this recipe online several years back and it’s so tasty that it’s the ONLY one I’ll use for stuffed peppers! I’m thinking about using turkey meat instead of beef to make this an even healthier meal. I will tell you that the simple topping is AMAZING! You’ll want to make more, because just a little on top won’t be enough!)

 4 green peppers

Salt and pepper
5 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tsp garlic (minced, refrigerated kind)
1 lb beef
1 ½ cups uncooked rice
1 can diced tomatoes
1 tsp oregano
½ cup ketchup
1 tsp Worchester sauce
Dash of Tabasco

 Pre-cook rice and allow to cool.

 Bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat. Meanwhile, cut top off peppers 1 inch from the stem and remove seeds. Add several pinches of salt to boiling water, and then add peppers and boil, using a spoon to keep peppers completely submerged, until brilliant green and their flesh slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Drain, set aside to cool. Preheat oven to 350. Heat 4 tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and cook, stirring often, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove skillet from heat, add raw meat, rice, tomatoes and oregano and season with salt and pepper. Mix well.

 Drizzle remaining oil inside peppers to coat, arrange cut side up in a baking dish, then stuff peppers with filling. Combine ketchup, Worchester sauce, tobacco and ¼ cup of water in a small bowl, then spoon over filling. Add ¼ cup of water to the baking dish. Place in over and bake for 40 minutes.

 This recipe is enough for 6 peppers and then some, but the kids don’t like peppers so I put theirs in little ramekins for baking.

Potato-Topped Mini Meatloaves

(This is an awesome recipe. I got it from Kraft Foods. Kevin LOVES meatloaf; the kids and I, not so much. In fact, I’ll go as far as saying that I hate meatloaf. I found this recipe and it looked pretty tasty. It was different from standard meatloaf, so I thought I’d give it a try. I’m so glad that I did. This is a family favorite! Now I can give Kevin his meatloaf and the kids and I enjoy it.)

2 lbs. ground beef

2 (6 oz) packages stuffing mix
2 cups water
8 tbsp. A1 steak sauce
1 block cream cheese (room temperature)
3 cloves of garlic (I use the diced garlic in the jar.)
Hot mashed potatoes (I’m pretty picky and ONLY like Idahoan instant potatoes, that come in a little sack.)
4 tsp. dried parsley
1 to 2 jars beef gravy, warmed

Heat oven to 375. Mix meat, stuffing mix, water and steak sauce; press into muffin cup pans sprayed with cooking spray. Bake 20 to 25 minutes. Add cream cheese and garlic to potatoes; stir until cheese is melted. Stir in parsley. Scoop over meatloaves. Serve with gravy. (Makes 24 mini loaves.)

   

Cream Cheese Chicken

(Our friend Rachel gave us this recipe. I’m not sure where she got it from, but I’m so happy she shared it. This is one of our favorites. It’s so good. It smells fantastic cooking!)

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast

2 tbsp. Melted Butter
Salt and Pepper
2 Packages of Dry Ranch Seasoning
1 small can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 8oz block of cream cheese
1 small can chicken broth
1 medium onion, chopped
Fresh mushrooms (optional)
2 cups uncooked rice

Place chicken in bottom of crockpot. Pour melted butter over chicken and sprinkle with salt, pepper and 1 seasoning pack.  Add mushrooms. Brown chopped onion with a little olive oil. Add soup, broth, ranch seasoning and cream cheese. Cook until smooth. Remove from heat. Add rice, stir and pour over chicken. (Once I have this in the crockpot, I add water knowing the rice is going to swell. I just add as much as I think looks right.) While this is cooking, I use a large spoon to shred the chicken once it’s tender enough. This puts the chicken all throughout the rice.

Cook on high for 6 hours.

  

*I’ve scaled this recipe down a bit. We were having entirely too much left over. Even still, my Crockpot is full.

**To change this up a bit, you can use Spicy Ranch. (Note: I tried this and didn’t like it as well.) I’m also going to try it with onion soup.