Cream Cheese Chicken Puffs

This is a favorite at our house especially with Claire. We serve it with mashed potatoes and broccoli usually.

4 puffs: (I usually double)

1-2 chicken breasts cubed and cooked (1 large one does well for four puffs)
1 8 oz. block of cream cheese (I use neufchatel)
2-3 chopped green onions
2 tbsp salted butter
pepper to taste
1 can of Pillsbury (or store brand) Crescent Roll dough
bread crumbs

gravy:

2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
3 chicken bouillon cubes
1 cup milk
1 cup water (maybe more depending on your desired thickness, and richness)
parsley flakes

or

1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can (from soup) milk

Puff directions:

I boil the chicken in water in a pot, then shred it or cube it into tiny pieces. Saute the onions in butter for a few minutes, then add your block of cream cheese until it melts together. Add chicken and pepper to cream cheese mixture. In the pan, I separate the mixture into four even parts. Take the Crescent roll dough and piece two triangles together to make a square (I like the new dough sheets you can buy, then you just cut them into four squares)- spoon chicken/cheese mixture in the center of each square - fold the points up to the middle and squeeze sides together to enclose the mixture. Repeat with each puff. Sprinkle your puff with bread crumbs. Place on cookie sheet and bake 375 degrees for about 11-15 minutes (follow directions on the dough can). This makes 4 puffs. I usually double the recipe.

Gravy directions:

Melt butter in pan on medium heat, once bubbling, add flour, mix constantly, it will thicken up, add milk and water very gradually, mixing constantly until you have the gravy, let it come to boiling for approx a minute, add the bouillon and parsley, mix thoroughly. (this takes some practice) You can always get a Hollandaise sauce packet from the grocery store to use or use the cream of chicken soup. This usually makes enough for the 8 puffs.

Beef Minestrone

In your pot, brown together:

1/2 lb ground beef
1/3 lb italian sausage
1/3 cup chopped onion
1 zucchini, finely chopped

Once meat has lightly browned (you may want to drain fat if your beef is high in fat content at this point) and onions and zucchini look transparent add:

dash of salt and black pepper
1 teas garlic powder
1 Tbsp of Basil or Italian seasoning
3 cups of chicken or beef broth (we always use water with bouillon)
1 can of diced tomatoes undrained
1 can of red kidney beans

Once this come to a slow boil, add:

1 cup uncooked macaroni

Once macaroni has cooked, about 10 minutes, it is finished and ready to serve. We love this served with garlic bread or fresh rolls.

tip: I've been adding italian sausage to spaghetti sauce for spaghetti and lasagna and as a topping for pizza lately. I buy 1 pounders then cut into thirds and freeze.

Chicken Cheese Steaks and Rosemary Parmesan French Fries

Yesterday we used our left over fajita meat, onions, and peppers for Chicken Cheese steaks!

Chop up left over meat very fine and heat it up with left over veggies in a skillet.
Put cheese on a roll before filling roll with hot meat and veggies. Put more cheese on top if you desire!

We made french fries as a side. Just cut up a few potatoes length wise and into strips. Oil a cookie sheet with Olive oil and coat the potatoes strips in oil on sheet. Bake for 18-20 mins at 400 degrees. salt while still hot to taste. Cover in rosemary and grated Parmesan cheese for a yummy alternative to ketchup.

Eggplant Parm... yummm!

For Dinner tonight we had Eggplant Parm. It was so good!

one Med. Eggplant
Spaghetti sauce
Provolone or Mozzarella cheese
Italian Bread Crumbs
Egg wash
One greased pan of your choice (I used a bread pan)

Rinse and skin the Eggplant ( i use a potatoes peeler)
Cut the eggplant length wise and very thin
Bread the eggplant (dip in egg wash then in bread crumbs)
Layer in pan : Eggplant, sauce, cheese and repeat until you get to the top of the pan. Pour remaining sauce over top and then top with grated cheese. Cover with tin foil to keep cheese from burning.

Bake 375 Degrees for 30 mins. Uncover and then bake for an additional 5 mins. Eggplant should melt in your mouth. Serve with pasta of your choice and something green!

Leftovers idea: Make an Eggplant Parm hot sandwich! Yumm! It's better the second day!

Hawaiian Haystacks

This is an old favorite that we brought back into the mix recently. Easy to double.

1/2 lb diced or shredded chicken
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup milk
1 cup chicken broth (or just a cup of water and one chicken bouillon cube)
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
salt and pepper to taste

Prepare chicken. (I boiled a frozen chicken breast, then shredded). In sauce pan over medium heat melt butter, add flour, mix well, then add broth, mix until thickened, then add soup and milk, salt and pepper and I like to add some parsley flakes. Heat until boiling for about 1 minute, it will thicken as it cools. Serve over steamed rice. Top with favorites. We like to have these various toppings available:

Diced celery
Diced green onion
Diced tomatoes
Diced green peppers
Pineapple tidbits
Shredded coconut
Shredded cheese
Dried chow mien noodles
Soy Sauce

Betsy's BBQ Meatballs w/ Mac and Cheese

I got this recipe from our ward cookbook and we love it.

Mix together:
1 lb (LEAN) hamburger (or ground turkey)
3/4 cup oatmeal
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 eggs (I used just one egg and it turned out fine)
1/2 chopped onion
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Shape into meatballs and drop into Greased casserole pan. Pour sauce over meatballs.

Sauce:
1 cup brown sugar ( I used about 3/4 cup)
1/4 cup vinegar
2 tsp mustard
1/2 bottle BBQ sauce (I used 1/2 cup Sweet Baby Ray's and 1 cup ketchup)
2 tsp worcestershire sauce

Bake at 350 degrees uncovered for 30 - 35 minutes. Turn meatballs and bake for another 15 - 20 minutes.

This is great with Mac and cheese as a side. I like this recipe. We eat with steamed veggies and a green salad too to help with the guilt.

Tortellini Soup

This is one I got from a recipe blog that my ward does. I've been kind of preoccupied with it so I haven't been posting to this one at all lately. But it's time to revive the Family Foods blog!

2 Tbsp butter
6 garlic cloves, chopped
4 cups chicken broth (I usually use 4 cups water with 4 bouillon cubes)
2 1/2 cups frozen or dry cheese tortellini
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes (with juice)
6 oz baby spinach leaves, coarsely chopped (frozen works too)
1/2 tsp. dried basil
optional: Parmesan cheese

Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and saute about 1 1/2 minutes. Add broth and bring to a boil. Add tortellini and cook about 5 min. Add tomatoes and juice. Bring to boil again, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer about 5 min. Stir in spinach and basil and heat until spinach is wilted. Serve sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.

Ham and Corn Chowder

We had this soup last night to use up some leftover ham and Claire even liked it, so we are sharing... Great with fresh homemade bread or rolls.

2 ribs of celery, diced
1/4 cup diced onions
2 T butter
2 T flour
3 cups milk
2 cups cooked ham, diced
2 cups potatoes, cooked and diced
1 can corn
1 can cream style corn
1 cup diced carrots
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/8 teaspoon red pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt

Two ways to make this - on the stove top or in the crock pot. In the crockpot the milk will curdle, but it still tastes great. We didn't have creamed corn and it turned out fine too.

1. In a large sauce pan, saute the onion, celery, and butter until softened.
2. Add flour and stir until well blended, then gradually add the milk.
3. bring to a boil while stirring and it should thicken up.

4. This is where you can either transfer the mixture to the crockpot and add the rest of the ingredients and let it go for 4 hours on low. OR You can add the rest of the ingredients (but you would need to cook the carrots and potatoes ahead of time) and bring to a boil. Then you reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 15 - 20 minutes. I prefer crock-pot way...

easy chicken broccoli casserole

This is one recipe that makes for an easy dinner. I don't use specific measurements for this one, so I'll estimate. This works perfect if you have left over rice that you don't know what to do with.

1 can of Cream of Chicken soup
1/4 cup mayo (you can also use sour cream if your not a mayo fan)
1 T lemon juice
1/2 t curry powder
2 small chicken breasts (cooked and diced)
1 lb of frozen broccoli
2 cups of cooked rice
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
breadcrumbs

Cook rice or use leftover rice. Cook chicken either on stovetop or boil. While waiting for rice and chicken, mix the remaining ingredients except 1/2 cup cheese and breadcrumbs in a 9x9 baking dish. Mix in rice and chicken once ready. It should be creamy and the rice should be well coated. If it seems too dry you can add milk until it's a nice creamy mixture. Top the remaining cheese and bread crumbs. Bake for 40-45 minutes at 350 degrees.

Easy Pizza Dough

We have been craving pizza for a while so we finally decided to make our own. This recipe is so easy and quick. We think it tastes better than the take out stuff. It is definitely cheaper if you have the ingredients on hand already.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Ingredients for dough:

1 cup very warm water

1 packet of quickrise yeast

1 teaspoon of sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 1/2 cups flour

In a medium size bowl dissolve sugar in warm water. Pour yeast packet into bowl and let it dissolve on top. If there are lumps after a few seconds its o.k. to mix them in. After that is mixed well, add salt and oil. Add flour gradually until it becomes a soft dough. I like to knead the last 1/2 cup into the dough. Then cover the bowl with a cloth and set on stovetop for 15 minutes to rise. After its risen for 15 minutes, roll out the dough and place on pizza sheet. Spread on sauce (we use 8 oz. can tomato sauce with salt, a little sugar, garlic, and italian seasonings), toppings and cheese and bake on bottom rack of oven for 12-15 minutes. Enjoy!

Coconut Chicken

So this is one that we adapted from a recipe we found online and actually liked it enough to share. That doesn't always happen. Usually my experiments turn out badly. I just happened to have some coconut milk left over from a different recipe that I didn't want to waste. Lucky for us we have a new favorite dish at our place. It's probably not the most healthy dish, but it tastes pretty good. Serves 4.


2 T white sugar
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 tsp salt
dash of black pepper
dash of paprika
1/2 tsp of garlic powder or fresh garlic if you have
1 T red pepper (or to taste, however spicy you would like it)
2 T peanut butter
1T lime or lemon juice
2 cups of diced chicken
2 T butter
1/2 cup milk
1 cup coconut milk (or 1 and 1/2 cups and omit reg milk)
1/2 cup light sour cream


Combine the first 8 ingredients in a medium bowl(will be sticky). Set aside about a tablespoon of the mixture for later. Add chicken pieces and make sure chicken is coated well. You can let this marinate for a while or get cooking. Melt the butter in a large saucepan. On medium to high heat cook the chicken mixture until coating is nice and golden brown. Then add the rest of the peanut butter mixture until it melts and blends in. Then add the milks. Once the milk seems to be warmed up add the sour cream. Mix in well and turn down the heat and let simmer for a few minutes. Served over rice. You can experiment with it too. Maybe you can make it even better.

Gone All Afternoon Stew

Gone All Afternoon Stew from Mums

1 lb. lean round steak, trimmed of fat and cubed
1 Tbl. dry tapioca
5 medium carrots, cut in chunks
3 large ribs celery, thickly sliced
1 onion, cut in chunks
4 medium potatoes, cut in chunks (I scrub them but do not peel them)
1 can tomato soup
1 cup water
1 tsp. salt
pepper to taste
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. Italian seasoning or equivalent (I just throw in basil, a little oregano, and thyme)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 1/2 cup frozen peas

Layer all ingredients except peas in a heavy roaster or casserole dish. No need to brown the meat first. Cover tightly, use foil if your pan doesn't have a lid.

Bake at 275 degrees for 5 hours. Stir in peas just before serving.

Spicy Chicken and Rice Bake

This is a delicious dish that has a ton of flavor and just enough spice. Left overs are great too because the rice only gets better the next day!

1 to 2 Pounds meaty chicken pieces (I like to use 4 chicken breasts)
1/2 chopped onion (medium)
1/2 chopped sweet green pepper
2 cloves garlic,minced
1 Tble olive oil (or other cooking oil)
1 15 ounce can Black beans rinsed and drained
1 14 ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 cup Chicken stock (add more if you think mixure needs more liquid)
1/2 cup Tomato juice
1 cup frozen corn, or 1 reg. size can of sweet corn
2/3 cup of uncooked long grain rice
1 tsp. Chili powder
1 tsp. Cumin
1/4 tsp. paprika
salt to taste
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (optional, I think everything is better with cheese)

1. Skin Chicken and set aside.
2. In a large sausepan cook onion, sweet pepper, and garlic in hot oil until tender. Stir in Black beans, undrained tomatoes, tomato juice, chicken stock, corn, Cumin, chili powder, rice, and salt. Bring to boil. Transfer rice mixture to a 3 quart rectangular baking dish. Arrange chicken pieces on top of rice mixture. Sprinkle chicken with paprika.
3. Bake covered in a oven heated to 375 degrees for 40 mins, then uncover and sprinkle cheese over the chicken and rice if desired and cook until chicken is no longer pink and rice is tender. Then enjoy.

Easy Chicken Enchilada Casserole

I made this the other night and it turned out really nicely. Much easier than rolling each individual tortilla. I only used one large chicken breast and it turned out fine. This recipe serves a small family, so you need to double if you are having company (I like using cream of mushroom soup and cream of chicken when doubling). This is from memory so hopefully it works out allright.

Preheat oven: 350 dregees

Ingredients:

2-3 chicken breasts
8 -10 small corn tortillas, broken up
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 small can of green chiles
8 oz. sour cream
1-2 cups shredded cheese (mild cheddar or colby mix)
1/4 cup chopped green onions (optional)
1/4 cup chopped olives (optional)

1. Boil chicken breasts or chop them and cook in olive oil. If you boil, you can shred the chicken after it has cooled and it goes much further.
2. Mix soup, chiles, sour cream, and cooked chopped/shredded chicken in a bowl.
3. Grease 8x8 pan, layer bottom with small amount of soup mixture, 1/3 of tortillas, then 1/3 of soup/chicken mixture, and 1/3 of cheese.
4. Continue to layer until you are out of ingredients, finish with cheese on top, garnish top with green onions and olives.
5. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove foil and bake another 10 minutes, or until sides are bubbling and cheese is melted.

We usually put lettuce and salsa on top. Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Lasagna

This may not look all that appetizing, but it's very tasty. It tastes just like baked lasagna. I can put this together during Claire's nap and I don't have to worry about it again until it's time to eat. Makes about 4 to 6 servings depending how hungry you are.

1/2 to 1 lb of Ground Beef or Turkey

1/4 cup of diced onions

1/4 cup of diced green peppers

12 oz. of Ricotta or cottage cheese

1 egg

1 and 1/2 cups of mozzarella cheese (more or less, depending how cheesy you are :)

28 oz jar of prepared spaghetti sauce

1/2 to 1 cup water

9 uncooked lasagna noodles broken up in pieces to fit

1. Brown beef or Turkey and cook with onion and green pepper in a skillet

2. Add sauce and water.

3. Mix egg and ricotta/cottage with one cup of mozzarella in separate bowl

3. Spread 1/4th of meat sauce on bottom of greased crock pot

4. Break 1/3 of noodles to cover meat sauce

5. Cover meat sauce with 1/3 cheese mixture

6. Continue to layer and end with rest of meat sauce on top.

7. Cover and cook on low for about 3-4 hours. During last 1/2 hour cover with remaining mozzarella cheese.