Saucy Chicken

Joseph and I have decided on a new dinner for our regular rotation. I won't be able to make it as often as I want when I go back on Weight Watchers but I'm sure I can make it WW friendly with some fat-free/reduced-fat changes. This dish leaves the chicken moist and juicy and the flavor of the sauce pairs perfectly with the egg noodles. Joseph and I both give this recipe an A+.

And if you didn't notice from the recipe... I am definitely not opposed to using cream of "fill in the blank" soups like some cooks are. I think that if it makes it easier for me when I'm crazy busy and it gives you a tasty meal than it's worth it. And Joseph couldn't live without his tuna casserole.

Source: Campbell's Cream of Chicken & Mushroom soup label



Chicken Paprika ala Campbell's

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 can cream of chicken & mushroom soup
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• ground red pepper (I used black)
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• Hot cooked egg noodles

In skillet, heat butter and cook chicken for 10 minutes or until browned. Remove from pan and set aside. Spoon off fat (I didn't... I know, I'm bad but who doesn't love butter?)

In skillet, combine soup, sour cream, paprika and pepper. Heat to boiling. Return chicken to skillet and cover. Cook over low heat for 5 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink (took me about 10-15 minutes more but my chicken breasts were thick).

Serve chicken over noodles and top with extra sauce (the best part!).

Comfort Food

I want to start out by saying that yes, I know that the picture doesn't do this meal justice! This meatloaf was the tastiest, most flavorful meatloaf I've made so far. The peppers, cornbread crumbs and cheese on top really made this meatloaf work for me. And the recipe made two loaves so I got to enjoy this recipe twice because I froze one of the loaves.

I had some leftovers for lunch from my second loaf today and everyone who came into the lunch room was drooling because of how good it smelled. Than after hearing what was in it they wanted the recipe so they could try it. I'm telling you, this one is a winner!

Source: Guy's Big Bites



Cornbread Stuffed Meatloaf

Stuffing:

• 2 large or 5 small corn muffins (2 to 3 cups), crumbled by hand (I made a batch of Marie Callendar's cornbread mix and used about 1/2 of it)
  
• 1/2 pound bacon, chopped (I omitted)
  
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 tablespoon seeded and minced jalapeno
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (I used dried parsley flakes)
  
• Salt and pepper
• 1 egg, beaten

Meatloaf:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus 3 tablespoons
• 1 cup diced red onion
• 1 tablespoon seeded and minced jalapeno
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1 pound ground pork
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 2 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves
• 1 tablespoon chopped thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 eggs
• 6 ounces sliced Cheddar (I used Swiss on my second loaf and like it even better)
  

For the stuffing: Preheat oven to 275 to 300 degrees F.

Spread the cornbread crumbs on a sheet pan and let toast for about 20 minutes, or until lightly toasted and dry. Turn oven up to 350 degrees F.

In a skillet brown the bacon until crispy. Drain. To the same skillet add the red pepper, jalapeno, and garlic and cook until soft.

In a bowl, combine the cornbread crumbs, bacon, and vegetable mixture. Add parsley and salt and pepper, to taste. Add the egg and mix thoroughly.

For the meatloaf: In medium skillet over medium heat add oil, red onions, jalapeno and garlic. Cook until caramelized, remove from heat and let cool.

In a bowl combine the meat, salt, pepper, parsley, thyme, mustard, ketchup Worcestershire, and eggs and thoroughly mix.

Divide the meat mixture in half. Shape 1 half into a rectangle, creating a canoe, and then loosely fill with stuffing. Do not pack it in. (I just mixed the stuffing mixture into the meat mixture because I was lazy....) Use the other half of the meat to fully enclose the stuffing. Transfer to the oven and bake for 1 1/2 hours, or until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F. (It only took mine 70 minutes to reach 145 degrees) Layer the cheese slices on top and bake for another 5 minutes to melt the cheese. Remove from oven and let rest for about 10 minutes. Cut into thick slices and serve.

Dec/Jan Recipe Exchange

I was so excited to try this recipe! It sounded right up my alley with all of the kitchen remodel stuff. The recipe definitely turned out perfectly for Joseph and me. We might even put it on the regular rotation. I served this with a salad.

The only regret I have is that I forgot to take pictures! Being pregnant and being hungry are two things you don't want to mix. Because than nothing else matters except for eating :) Just ask my husband.

Enjoy!

Source: adapted from allrecipes.com

Slow Cooker French Dip

• 4 pounds chuck roast
• 1 (10.5 ounce) can beef broth
• 1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed French onion soup
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 can or bottle beer
• 6 French rolls
• 2 tablespoons butter
• sliced mozzarella cheese

Trim excess fat from the roast and place in a slow cooker. Sprinkle garlic powder, onion pawder, and worcestershire sauce. Add the beef broth, onion soup and beer. Cook on Low setting for 6 hours. Slice and add back to the juice and cook on low another hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Split French rolls, spread with butter, and top with cheese. Bake 10 minutes, or until heated through. Place the meat on the rolls and serve the sauce for dipping.

Serves 8

Another simple one...

I love when I find a quick recipe that turns out tasty as well. This meal was definitely done in under 30 minutes and was flavorful and satisfying. Sadly Joseph couldn't find any basil at Trader Joe's when he went after work so I had to improvise. Luckily I had picked up some frozen basil cubes (they also have cilantro and garlic cubes) in the freezer from an earlier TJs run.

If you want easy... this is the recipe for you :)

Source: Good Eats 'n Sweet Treats



Basil Chicken over Angel Hair Pasta

• 1 (8 ounce) package angel hair pasta
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 2 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes (I used 1 can of diced tomatoes)
• 2 cups boneless chicken breast halves, cooked and cubed
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (I used frozen basil cubes from TJs)
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (I omitted)
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook angel hair pasta until it is al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Saute the onions and garlic. Stir in the tomatoes, chicken, basil, salt and hot pepper sauce. Reduce heat to medium, and cover skillet. Simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until mixture is hot and tomatoes are soft.

Toss sauce with hot cooked angel hair pasta to coat. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

Salad for two

I've had a few random cravings this pregnancy but one that came out of the blue was a craving for my step mom's version of taco salad. I've shown my mom's version on here before and it's by far my favorite version but my step mom's has some good qualities too.

It's simple, for one. And you literally throw it together. What else can I ask for from a tasty recipe?

Source: Cathy my step mom



Taco Salad

• 1 lb ground beef, browned and seasoned to taste
  
• 1 head romaine lettuce, chopped or ripped into bite size pieces
• 1/2 can kidney beans
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese (I used the mexican cheese blend from the store)
• 1 small bag Doritos nacho cheese chips, smashed up
  
• 1-2 tomatoes diced (I omitted)
• Italian dressing to taste

Start with a bed of lettuce. Add the beef, kidney beans, tomatoes, smashed Doritos and cheese. Top with Italian dressing and dig in!