Chicken and Rice Casserole

*** Original recipe Campbell's One Dish Chicken & Rice Bake.

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 cup water*
3/4 cup uncooked white rice
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1 pound)

Stir the soup, water, rice, paprika and black pepper in a 2-quart shallow baking dish. Top with the chicken. Season with additional paprika and black pepper. Cover the baking dish.

Bake at 375°F. for 45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the rice is tender.

*For creamier rice, increase the water to 1 1/3 cups.

Focaccia Bread

*** Recipe found on page 104 of Bake It Up! Desserts, Breads, Entire Meals & More by Rose Dunnington.

1 1/4 cup warm water
1 packet (2 1/4 tsp.) active dry yeast
3 cups bread flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. Italian herbs
1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan Cheese
toppings of your choice (sliced yellow squash, purple onion, red bell pepper, sliced black olives)

Combine water, yeast, and half of the flour. Let rest for 5 minutes until it looks swampy. Add remaining flour, salt, garlic powder, herbs, and olive oil. Stir until you have shaggy dough.

Knead until smooth. Return to bowl. Cover with clean kitchen towel and let rise until doubled, about an hour.

Preheat oven to 400. Drizzle about 1 tblsp. of olive oil onto baking sheet and spread it around with your hands. Punch down the dough and put it on the baking sheet. Drizzle a little more oil on top, and use your greasy hands to rub the dough into and even thickness.

Dimple the surface of the dough by poking it with your finger all over. Sprinkle the Parmesan and toppings on the dough. Bake 20-25 minutes, or until the bread turns golden brown. Let cool slightly before slicing.

Makes 8-10 servings.

Lazy Linda's Refrigerator Rolls

*** This recipe came from my mom. When I was growing up she would prepare this dough almost every Saturday night or Sunday morning, put it in the fridge and we'd bake yeast rolls for lunch after church. YUM!!!

5-6 cups flour, all-purpose
2 pkgs. dry yeast
1 3/4 cup milk, very hot
1/2 cup soft margarine
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs

In a large glass bowl, heat milk 2 minutes in microwave; remove and add margarine, stirring to dissolve. Add sugar, salt, and yeast stirring together. Combine 2 cups flour; stir 2 minutes with mixer at medium speed. Add 1 egg and 1 cup of flour, beat at high speed for 1 minute. Add remaining egg and 1 cup flour stirring well. Add more flour to make a soft dough. Knead 5-10 minutes. Cover with towel; let rest 20 minutes. Punch down. Shape into 2 dozen rolls. Cover pan. Refrigerate 2-24 hours.

Let stand at room temp 10 minutes before baking at 375 for 20-25 minutes. OR Put in oven at 200 for about 10 minutes to allow rising, then increase heat to 375 baking approximately 15 minutes. Brush tops with butter or margarine.

(Mixer with dough hooks maybe used instead of kneading.)

Can substitute 2 cups whole wheat flour in place of all purpose flour.

*** My Notes: I'm not sure what the purpose of gradually adding the eggs is. I'll add them all at once to the wet ingredients and then start adding flour. Also, I'm sure she never kneaded the dough 5-10 minutes. The rolls usually rise some while in the refrigerator. We usually had 2 9 x 13 pans full of rolls.

Tater Tot Casserole or Hashbrown Casserole

*** This recipe, originally titled Hashbrown Casserole, came from my friend Amy. I've changed it up a little.

1 bag of tater tots or 2 lb. box of hashbrowns
3/4 cup melted margarine, divided
1 tsp. salt (I omit this)
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 can cream of chicken soup (cream of mushroom soup works well)
12 oz. sour cream
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups crushed cornflakes

Defrost hashbrowns or tater tots in a 9 x 13 pan. Pour 1/2 cup margarine over hashbrowns/tater tots. In separate bowl mix remaining ingredients, except remaining margarine and cornflakes. Pour soup mixture over hashbrowns and top with cornflakes and margarine.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

*** My notes: I don't use melted margarine over the tater tots before adding the soup mixture. Also, I plan to brown and crumble sausage and add that to the soup mixture for a main dish casserole. I've seen a similar recipe with ground beef instead of sausage.

Lemon Garlic Pasta

*** This recipe found at www.recipezaar.com/26440

3 tablespoons minced garlic (the garlic in the jar)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
6 tablespoons lemon juice
4 teaspoons chicken flavor instant bouillon
1/2 teaspoon pepper (fresh ground is best)
1 lb spaghetti or angel hair pasta, cooked to package directions
1/2 cup freshly shredded parmesan cheese
1/4 cup parsley

In large skillet, cook garlic in olive oil until golden. Add lemon juice, bouillon and pepper. Cook and stir until bouillon dissolves. In large bowl, toss pasta, garlic mixture, cheese and parsley; serve immediately.

My Notes: I'll add bite sized cooked chicken to make this a main dish.

Easy Chicken Parmesan

*** This recipe found at southernfood.about.com/od/chickenbreastrecipes/r/bl80517l.htm

4 boneless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2 inch thickness
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
seasoned bread crumbs
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
8 slices mozzarella cheese, or more
1 jar (16 oz) spaghetti sauce
Parmesan cheese

Whisk together the egg and milk. Dip the chicken breasts in milk and egg mixture and then in bread crumbs. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken in the hot oil on both sides until golden, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Set chicken in a baking dish.

Slice 8 pieces of mozzarella cheese and put two on each chicken breast. Pour 1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce over all. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and a little more mozzarella and bake at 350° for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until bubbly.

*** My Notes: I'll serve this with some type of pasta.

Romano's Macaroni Grille Penne Rustica

*** Recipe found at www.recipezaar.com/145119

SAUCE

* 3 tablespoons butter
* 2 tablespoons minced garlic
* 3 tablespoons marsala wine
* 2 cups heavy cream
* 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
* 1/2 cup milk
* 1/2 cup chicken broth
* 1 tablespoon cornstarch
* 1 tablespoon Grey Poupon Dijon Mustard
* 2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
* 1 lb penne rigate, cooked
* 12 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
* 2 skinless chicken breasts
* 1/2 cup about 2 ounces thick-sliced prosciutto, chopped

TOPPING

* 3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
* 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika

GARNISH

* 12 sliced pimientos
* 4 sprigs rosemary

Directions

1. Preheat bbq grill to high.

2. Prepare gratinata sauce by melting 3 tbls of butter over medium/low heat. Add garlic and sweat it for about 5 minutes. Be sure the garlic doesn't brown. Add the marsala wine and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients for the sauce and whisk until smooth. Bring mixture to a simmer and keep it there for 10 minutes or until it's thick. Cover sauce and remove from heat.

3. Cook past following directions on the package (7-9 minutes in boiling water). You want the pasta tender, but not mush (al dente). Strain pasta and set it aside when it's done.

4. Pound the thick end of your chicken breast a bit with a kitchen mallet to make them a uniform thickness. Rub chicken with olive oil, then sprinkle on a bit of salt and pepper. Spear the shrimp on skewers (6 per skewer should work fine), then rub them with oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

5. Grill chicken for 5 to 6 minutes per side. Grill shrimp for 2 minutes per side. When chicken is done, slice each breast into strips.

6. Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Build each dish in a large shallow baking dish. Or you can use a 9 inch glass or ceramic pie plate. Load 3 cups of pasta into each baking dish. Add one quarter of the chicken, 3 shrimp, and 2 tbls of prosciutto onto each serving. Spoon 3/4 of a cup of gratinata sauce on each serving and toss to coat. Combine 3 tbls of grated Parmesan cheese with 1 1/2 tsp paprika, then sprinkle about 1 tbls of this mixture over the top of each serving. Bake the dishes for 10-12 minutes, or until tops begin to brown. Arrange 3 pimentos on the top of each serving, then jab a sprig of rosemary into the center an serve.

Serves: 4

*** My Notes: Our local Macaroni Grille closed this year and I've been missing this dish. I'll prepare it all in one casserole dish. I'll also leave out the shrimp so it is cheaper and more kid friendly. I think it will serve MUCH more than 4!!

Extra Easy Lasagna

*** This recipe found at www.menuplanningcentral.com/arecipes.pdf

3/4 pound lean ground beef
3 cups Prego Traditional spaghetti sauce
1 (15-ounce) container ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (8 oz)
6 uncooked lasagna noodles
1/4 cup water

1. In 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat, cook beef until browned, stirring
to separate meat. Spoon off fat. Add spaghetti sauce; heat through, stirring
occasionally.

2. In 2-qt oblong baking dish, spread 1 1/2 cups meat mixture. Top with 3
uncooked lasagna noodles, half of the ricotta cheese and half of the mozzarella
cheese. Repeat layers. Top with remaining meat mixture.

3. Slowly pour water around inside edges of baking dish. Cover tightly with
foil.

4. Bake at 375°F for 45 minutes. Uncover; bake 10 minutes more. Let
stand 10 minutes before serving.

Serves: 8

My Notes: I've tried this recipe. Don't skimp on the time in the oven. I tried to shorten the time and the pasta was more chewy then we like. Also, I think you can leave out the 1/4 cup water unless your sauce and ricotta are super dry. Mine was fairly wet so the lasagna turned out a little more soupy than we like. But other than that this recipe is a keeper!!

Mexican Chicken Cornbread Stuff

2 chicken breasts, browned and chopped into small pieces
taco seasoning (I use about 2 Tbsp. each of ground chili powder, ground garlic powder and 1 Tbsp of ground cumin)
1 medium onion, chopped and browned
1 box Jiffy cornbread mix (plus egg and milk to make cornbread)
black olives, sliced (optional)
grated cheddar cheese
salsa (optional, good alternative to onions and taco seasoning or as a garnish)
sour cream (optional garnish)

Options for this dish are endless! Use as much of the various ingredients as your family will enjoy.

Mix all desired ingredients, except cornbread, in medium bowl. Mix cornbread separately in small bowl.

Option 1: Spoon meat into muffin tins. Top with cornbread batter and bake.
Option 2: Spoon meat into small casserole dish. Top with cornbread batter and bake.

Cheese can be added to the meat, or as a layer on top of the meat, or mixed into the cornbread.

Bake at 350 until cornbread is browned, about 30-40 minutes.

Serves: 4-5 generous portions.

Cheddar Bread

*** Original recipe came from my friend, Amy, and was titled "Savory Cheddar Bread."

2 cups flour
4 tsp. baking powder
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. onion salt
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. ground mustard
1 1/4 cup shredded cheddar
1 egg (beaten)
1 cup milk
1 Tbsp. butter, melted

Combine dry ingredients; set aside. Combine egg, milk, and butter; add all at once to dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened. Spread batter in greased loaf pan.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Yield: 1 loaf.

*** My notes: According to personal taste, I leave out the oregano and increase the ground mustard to 3/4 tsp. Also, I use 1/4 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. onion powder because I don't usually buy onion salt. I usually put in more shredded cheese (we like a lot of cheese around here!). I have dropped the dough onto a sheet pan for biscuits rather than loaf bread. This is a very flexible quick bread and will allow for a lot of play in the recipe.

Mix - and - Match Quick Bread

*** I found this recipe at By Sun and Candlelight blog.

Mix-and-Match Quick Bread (Frozen Assets)

3 cups flour (whole wheat and white make a nice blend)
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1 cup oil
2 cups sugar (you can this down and see very little difference)
2 cups Mix-N-Match (see list below)
3 teaspoons vanilla (use pure vanilla not imitation)
1 cup chopped nuts or seeds

Sift together dry ingredients. In separate bowl, beat eggs; add oil and sugar; cream together. Stir in Mix-N-Match and vanilla. Add dry ingredients; mix well. Stir in nuts. Spoon into two well-greased loaf pans. Bake at 325 degrees F. for 1 hour. When cool, wrap bread in foil; label and freeze. Makes 2 loaves.

Mix-N-Match (one of more of the following to equal 2 cups)

Apples, grated or chopped
Applesauce
Apricots
Bananas, mashed or chopped
Berries
Carrots, cooked and mashed or grated
Cherries
Coconut
Cranberries, dry or raw, chopped
Dates or figs, pitted and finely chopped
Lemon, 1/2 cup juice
Marmalade (omit one cup sugar)
Mincemeat
Oranges, chopped
Orange juice, 1/2 cup juice
Peaches, fresh or canned, chopped (peach butter)
Pears, fresh or canned, chopped (pearsauce)
Pineapple
Prunes, chopped
Pumpkin, canned (fresh, cooked and mashed too)
Raisins
Rhubarb, finely chopped (add 1/2 cup more sugar)
Strawberries, well drained (dice them)
Sweet potato or yams, cooked and mashed or grated
Zucchini, grated and well drained

Curry Chicken Salad

*** Original Recipe found at allrecipes.com called Fruited Curry Chicken Salad.

* 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cooked and diced
* 1 stalk celery, chopped
* 1/2 onion, chopped
* 1 small apple - peeled, cored and chopped
* 1/3 cup golden raisins
* 1/3 cup seedless green grapes, halved
* 1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans
* 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
* 3/4 cup mayonnaise

In a large salad bowl combine the chicken, celery, onion, apple, raisins, grapes, pecans, pepper, curry powder and mayonnaise. Mix all together, tossing to coat. Salad is ready to serve!

My Notes: I omit celery, raisins, and pecans because I'm not a big fan of those. I leave out the onions because my kids aren't big fans. If I don't have the grapes it's not a big deal. I serve this salad wrapped in a flour tortilla lined with leaf lettuce. I also increase the curry powder to taste.

Red, White & Blueberry Pie

*** Original recipe found in Pampered Chef Delightful Desserts Cookbook. You can go here for their on-line recipe (I found it AFTER typing all this out!). I lifted the above picture from their site. It does NOT do justice to this pie!!

1/2 package (15 ounces) refrigerated pie crusts (1 pie crust)
1 quart fresh strawberries, divided
4 squares (1 ounce each) white chocolate for baking
1 package (8 ounces) reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup cold milk
1 package (3.3 ounces) white chocolate instant pudding and pie filling
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
1 cup thawed, frozen light whipped topping

1. Preheat oven to 425. Let pie crust stand at room temp. 15 minutes. Gently unfold onto lightly floured surface. Gently roll to even creases and get size of Deep Dish Pie Plate. Press crust in pie plate, pressing into bottom and up sides. Prick bottom. Bake 10-12 minutes or golden brown. Cool completely.
2. Rinse strawberries and pat dry on paper towels. Select 8 uniformly sized berries for dipping; cut in half through stem ends. Set aside. Hull and slice remaining berries using egg slicer for uniform pieces.
3. Melt white chocolate, uncovered, on high 1 minute in microwave, stirring often until chocolate is melted and smooth. Do not overheat. Dip strawberry halves in melted chocolate; place on a sheet of parchment paper, cut side down. Refrigerate 15 or until set.
4. Scrape remaining melted chocolate over bottom of prepared pie crust, spreading evenly to coat entire bottom and sides of crust. Layer sliced strawberries over bottom of crust.
5. Beat cream cheese until smooth. Gradually whisk in milk until well blended. Add pudding mix; whisk until mixture begins to thicken. Spread mixture evenly over strawberries.
6. Arrange blueberries evenly over top of pie filling. Attach open star tip to Easy Accent Decorator (or any decorator frosting bag) and fill with whipped topping. Pipe topping evenly around edge of pie. Place dipped strawberry halves on whipped topping border. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Cut into wedges.

Yield: 8 servings (VERY generous portions, you can easily get 10)

Taco Salad

I found this recipe at allrecipes.com or here.

INGREDIENTS

* 1 pound lean ground beef
* 1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
* 1 (16 ounce) can chili beans
* 1 (16 ounce) bottle French dressing
* 1 head iceberg lettuce
* 1 (14.5 ounce) package tortilla chips
* 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
* 1 cup chopped tomatoes
* 4 tablespoons sour cream
* 1/2 cup prepared salsa

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef and drain excess fat. Stir in the taco seasoning, chili beans and French-style dressing. Fill the dressing bottle 2/3 full of water and add to the skillet. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
2. Crush the bag of chips, open the bag, and toss the broken chips into a large bowl with the lettuce, cheese and tomatoes. When the meat mixture is done, combine it with the lettuce, tomatoes, chips and mix well. Then, add salsa and sour cream.

*** My Notes: I will be putting the tomatoes and olives on the side because my family doesn't enjoy those the way I do. Also, I'll add the French dressing right before serving so the chips don't turn soggy.

Lemon Chicken with Green Beans & Potatoes

*** I found this yummy sounding recipe at Kelly's Korner.

6 tablespoons olive oil
2 lemons, 1 thinly sliced, 1 juiced
4 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
3/4 lb green beans, (frozen?)
8 small red potatoes, quartered
4 chicken breasts

Preheat oven to 450. Coat a large baking dish with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Arrange lemon slices from 1 lemon in a single layer on the bottom of the dish. In large bowl combine remaining olive oil, lemon juice of 2nd lemon, garlic, salt and pepper. Add green beans and toss to coat. Using tongs, remove green beans and arrange them on top of lemon slices. Add potatoes to same olive oil mixture and coat. Arrange on inside edge of dish on top of the beans. You can also add a lemon pepper mixture on top of everything. It adds a lot of flavor.Place chicken in olive oil mixture and coat. Place chicken in dish. Roast for 40-50 minutes. Remove chicken and continue roasting potatoes/beans if necessary.

My Notes: Haven't tried this yet.

Seafood Chowder

Taken from The Pampered Chef Celebrate! Cookbook.

4-5 medium red potatoes, cut into 1 -inch cubes (about 1 pound)
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup sliced celery
1 cup diced red bell pepper
2 cans (6.5 ounces each) minced clams, drained, reserving clam juice
1 TBSP butter or margarine
2 cans (14.5 ounces each) chicken broth
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups half-and-half (light cream)
1 pound fresh bay scallops
1 pound frozen, cooked medium shrimp, thawed, rinsed, and tails removed
Snipped fresh parsley

Prep vegetables. Drain clams, reserving clam juice. If juice does not measure 1 cup, add enough water to equal 1 cup.

Melt butter in dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Add onion; cook 3 minutes or until tender. Add vegetables, reserved clam juice, chicken broth, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; cover. Reduce heat and simmer 3 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Meanwhile, place flour in small bowl. Gradually whisk half-and-half into flour until smooth.

Add clams, scallops and shrimp to chowder; gradually whisk in flour mixture. Return to a boil; cook 2 minutes or until thickened, stirring constantly. Cover until ready to serve. Ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle with parsley.

Yield: 12 servings (15 cups).

My Notes: I cut this recipe in half. Also, I usually omit celery (I don't like it) but have also substituted dried celery. This is a great soup for Company. Just add more veggies to stretch the number of servings. = ) I also omit the parsley or use dried parsley. If cost of the seafood is an issue I think you can reduce the amount of the shrimp and scallops without losing too much flavor.

Chicken & Broccoli Braid

Taken from The Pampered Chef Main Dishes Cookbook.

2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
1 cup broccoli, chopped
1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1 garlic glove, pressed
4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (1 cup)
1/2 cup mayonnaise (or Miracle Whip)
2 tsp Dill Mix ***
1/4 tsp salt
2 packages (8 ounces each) refrigerated crescent rolls
1 egg white, lightly beaten
2 TBSP slivered almonds

Preheat oven to 375*. Combine chicken through salt.

Unroll 1 package of crescent dough; do not separate. Arrange longest sides of dough across width of rectangle cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining package of dough. Press dough lightly to seal perforations. On longest sides cut dough into strips 1.5 inches apart, 3 inches deep. (There will be 6 inches in the center for the filling.)

Spread filling evenly over middle of dough. To braid, lift strips of dough across mixture to meet in center, twisting each strip one turn. Continue alternating strips to form a braid. Tuck ends up to seal at end of braid.

Brush egg white over dough. Sprinkle with almonds. Bake 25-28 minutes or until deep golden brown. Cut and serve.

Yield: 10 servings.

*** If not using store bought Dill Mix you can make your own using 1 tsp dried dill weed, 1/4 tsp onion powder, 1/4 tsp parsley, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp garlic powder.

My Notes: When it's just my family, I don't bother with the egg wash and almonds. This is a great recipe for Company. The number of servings really depends on how big you cut the pieces. I rarely get 10 pieces from this because I cut generous servings. = )