Oven Baked Chicken Parmesan

4                Boneless, skinless Chicken Breast halves (about 1 1/4 lbs.)

1                Egg

3/4 cup       Italian seasoned dry bread crumbs

1 jar           Pasta Sauce (24-26 oz.) - any flavor

1 cup         Shredded mozzarella cheese (about 4 oz.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Dip chicken in egg, then bread crumbs, coating well.

In 13x9 inch baking dish, arrange chicken. 

Bake uncovered 30 minutes.

Pour Pasta Sauce over chicken, then top with cheese. 

Bake 10 minutes or until chicken reaches 170 degrees and is no long pink.

Serve, if desired, with hot cooked pasta.

Special note: I like to bake chicken with sauce first for the 10 minutes then add cheese until it melts.

Hot Jalapeño Salad

24 oz Bag of medium shell noodles~ Cooked
Approx 1 Cup chopped Celery
2 Bell Peppers  chopped
1 bunch green onions chopped
1 small jar jalapenos chopped (these are canned japs)
16 oz jar of real mayo

Mix it all together and refrigerate

You can play with the recipe by adding more or less of any of the ingredients until you get it just the way you like it! Enjoy!!

Some add cheese or shrimp.

Spinach Stuffed Manicotti

10 tubes	manicotti
12 oz.	cottage cheese
8 oz.	frozen spinach, thawed
½	small red bell pepper, diced
2	scallions
½ jar	pasta sauce
1/3 c.	parmesan, grated
	salt & pepper, to taste
8 oz.	mozzarella, shredded (*optional)

Cook pasta in boiling water 3-4 minutes or until soft but sturdy.  Drain and rinse with cold water to prevent sticking together.

In medium bowl, mix together cottage cheese, spinach, bell pepper and scallions.  Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

Lightly butter a casserole dish large enough to contain manicotti in a single layer.  Spoon spinach mixture into pasta tubes and place into dish.  Pour pasta sauce evenly over pasta tubes.  Top with parmesan and mozzarella.

Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until the pasta is cooked through.

Southwestern Chicken Soup

Ingredients
1 12-ounce jar salsa verde
3 cups cooked chicken pieces (1 small deli-counter rotisserie chicken or leftovers)
1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained
3 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)


2 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup sour cream
tortilla chips (optional)

Directions
Empty the salsa into a large saucepan. Cook for 2 minutes over medium-high heat, then add the chicken, beans, broth, and cumin (if desired). Bring to a boil, lower heat to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Top each bowl with a sprinkling of onions, a dollop of sour cream, and some tortilla chips (if desired). For a soupier dish, use 4 cups of broth.

Chicken Casserole

1 bag of egg noodles 

2 cans of hormel white chicken chunks (or you could up your own chicken breasts) 

2 cans of cream of mushroom soup

1 can of mushrooms

1 can of peas

 

Boil noodles

Drain and add cream of mushroom soup

Stir in the chicken, peas and mushrooms and then put on lid 

Cook on low for a couple of minutes stirring frequently 

Then serve and enjoy!

Spicy Crackers

1 Box of Unsalted Crackers

1 Package of Ranch Dressing Mix

1 1/2 cups of pure canola oil

1 teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper

1 teaspoon of black pepper

2 teaspoons of crushed red pepper

Open crackers into a large tupper bowl with lid so crackers can be tossed around easily.

Mix the other ingredients together and pour onto of the crackers.

Toss the bowl around off an on for 15 minutes until the liquid has soaked into crackers.

Hamburger Delight

1 lb Hamburger

1 sm onion

1 sm bell pepper(any color)

Tbs of flour or so ( to make gravy)

2 or 3 cloves of garlic or Lots of garlic salt

salt and pepper to taste

Italian seasoning to taste

Kitchen Bouquet

 

 

In a big skillet cook hamburger, onions, bell pepper, and garlic until hamburger is no longer pink.  Once everything has come together leave in hamburger drippings and add Flour.  Make sure the flour browns and then add water to make gravy.  Then add Kitchen Bouquet, salt, pepper, and Italian Seasoning.  Let simmer for about 15-20 min.

Blueberry Coffee Cake

Quater Cup sliced Almonds
Quarter Cup light brown sugar
three quarter cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
quarter teaspoon nutmeg
halp teaspoon salt
third sup margarine
1 cup blueberries
half cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
confectioners sugar

Preheat oven 350 degrees. Place almonds, brown sugar in 9inch pan. Mix flour, sugar baking powder nutmeg salt margarine. stir in blueberries. mix egg milk vanilla add to dry mix. place ontop of almonds in pan. cook for 50 minutes. turn over onto plate so that almonds are on top. dust with confectioners sugar.

Millionaire Pie

1 can of sweetened condensed milk

1 lg. tub of Cool whip

1 real lemon (you will squeeze the juice out of the lemon to help firm the ingredients of the pie)

1 can of pineapple (drained)

1 c. chopped pecans

2 graham cracker crusts

Mix together.

Pour into the crusts

Refrigerate for about 4 hours.

Pea Pasta Salad

Portions to your liking:

 

Cooked Green Peas (can be from can or frozen)

Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Miracle Whip (or real mayonnaise) and/or nonfat yogurt

Cooked Elbow pasta (or any other small pasta you like)

Diced cooked bacon

Salt, Pepper, and curry powder to taste

 

Directions: Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Refrigerate. Serve.

Bruschetta Chicken Bake

INGREDIENTS
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 pkg.  (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Chicken

1/2 cup water

2 cloves  garlic, minced

1-1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

1 tsp.  dried basil leaves

1 cup KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

RECIPE

HEAT oven to 400 degrees

MIX tomatoes, stuffing mix, water and garlic just until stuffing mix is moistened

LAYER chicken, basil and cheese in 3 qt casserole of 13x9 baking dish

TOP with stuffing. Bake 30 minutes or until chicken is done

Cheesy Chicken & Broccoli Bake

I got this recipe from the kraftfoods website, and it was very good! I like recipes that have very few ingredients and are easy to make! This recipe meets both these requirements. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 pkg. (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Chicken

1-1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

1 pkg. (16 oz.) frozen broccoli florets, thawed, drained

1 can (10-3/4 oz.) reduced-sodium condensed cream of chicken soup

1/2 lb. (8 oz.) VELVEETA Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Directions:

HEAT oven to 400ºF.

PREPARE stuffing as directed on package; set aside.

COMBINE remaining ingredients; spoon into 13x9-inch baking dish. Top with stuffing.

BAKE 40 min. or until chicken is done.

Mexican Corn Bread Casserole

1 cup cornmeal

1 cup milk

2 eggs, well beaten

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 (16 oz) can cream-style corn

1 onion, chopped

1 pound ground beef

1 to 2 jalapeno peppers, chopped

2 cups grated Cheddar cheese

Mix first 6 ingredients and set aside. Brown onion with ground beef until meat is done. Add jalapenos and cheese. Pour 1/2 of batter into a shallow greased 2-quart casserole dish. Add meat mixture. Cover with remaining batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Cherry Upside Down Cake

1 can cherry pie filling
1 can crushed pineapple, with juice
1 box yellow/white cake mix
1/4 c. butter, melted

In 9 x 13 cake pan, spread cherry pie filling. Add crushed pineapple, juice and all. Sprinkle cake mix over all. Add melted butter over top. Bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes.

**Our oven baked this dessert in about 40 minutes. Next time I make this I will use more butter**

Southwestern Chicken

This recipe is WONDERFUL, and it's soooo easy! I made it for dinner tonight... just popped it in the crockpot this morning, came home and it was ready!

Five zesty ingredients add up to a lot of flavor!

2 cans (15 ½ oz. each) whole kernel corn, drained

1 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained

1 jar (16 oz.) chunky salsa, divided

6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (4 oz. each)

1 cup (4oz.) shredded Cheddar cheese

In 5 quart slow cooker, combine corn, black beans, and ½ cup salsa. Top with chicken; pour remaining salsa over chicken. Cover and cook on high 3 to 4 hours or on low 7 to 8 hours or until meat juices run clear. Sprinkle with cheese; cover until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.

Yield: 6 servings.

Nutrition Facts: One serving equals 220 calories, 6 g fat, 30 mg cholesterol, 805 mg sodium, 21 g carbohydrate, 6 g fiber, 12 g protein

Sopapilla Cheesecake

This recipe is sooooooo good. A coworker made it for the office this week, and I plan on making it tonight for a birthday party we're going to!

1 1/2 C Sugar

1 tsp. Cinnamon

1 stick butter

1 tsp. vanilla

3 (8 oz pckgs) sofetened cream cheese

2 cans crescent rolls

Mix sugar and cinnamon together. Set aside 1/2 cup for topping. Mix cream cheese, vanilla and remaining sugar mixture together. Place one can of crescent rolls on bottom of large pan. Spread cream cheese mixture over top. Then place the second can of crescent rolls on top. Melt the butter and pour on top of the rolls. Sprinkle the rest of the sugar mixture on top.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. For variation, layer can of apple pie filling over bottom crust before spreading on cream cheese.

Low-fat Turkey Chili

Mathis and I have some frozen turkey in the freezer, and I decided it would be good to use the turkey to make chili today for Superbowl Sunday!

Here's the recipe I'm going to use:

This low fat turkey chili is an ideal family supper. It's hearty, healthy and easy to prepare. Serve with a dollop of fat-free yogurt or sour cream on top.

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 stick of celery, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 pound 99% fat-free ground turkey
2 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 14 1/2-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce, no salt added
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
4 tbsp fat-free sour cream or yogurt
4 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro (optional)

Preparation: Heat oil in a large Dutch oven. Add onion, celery, chopped pepper and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes or until onions are translucent. Crumble the turkey into the pan, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon. Cook for about 5 minutes or until no longer pink. Stir in chili powder, cumin, coriander and oregano. Add in tomatoes and tomato sauce, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add beans, mix well and cook on low heat for a further 5-10 minutes.

Ladle into bowls. Add a dollop of fat-free sour cream or yogurt on top, plus some fresh chopped cilantro if you have it.

Serves 4.

Per Serving: Calories 298, Calories from Fat 51, Total Fat 5.7g (sat 0.6g), Cholesterol 35mg, Sodium 440mg, Carbohydrate 32.9g, Fiber 10.2g, Protein 28.8g

Grilled Salmon

We had this tonight for dinner, and it was great! Since it's so cold outside we used our George Foreman grill, and it tasted great!! Here's to healthy fish!

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 pounds salmon fillets
lemon pepper to taste
garlic powder to taste
salt to taste
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup vegetable oil

DIRECTIONS

Season salmon fillets with lemon pepper, garlic powder, and salt.

In a small bowl, stir together soy sauce, brown sugar, water, and vegetable oil until sugar is dissolved. Place fish in a large resealable plastic bag with the soy sauce mixture, seal, and turn to coat. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Preheat grill for medium heat.

Lightly oil grill grate. Place salmon on the preheated grill, and discard marinade. Cook salmon for 6 to 8 minutes per side, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

Hungry Girl

Last week my friend Laura, reminded me of a great website for weight loss! Hungry Girl is a fun website with lots of tips and suggestions for making good food choices. Whether it's in your own kitchen or out to eat, Hungry Girl's got you covered.

I just subscribed to their daily email so I can keep the tips and motivation coming! Be sure to check them out!

10 Healthier Meals Under $10

My amazing sister-in-law sent me a great link today with some wonderful recipes. They have 10 recipes featured that are both healthy and cost-effective... I'm in heaven! I'm definitely looking forward to trying some of these out!!

Classic Banana Bread

Yield: 1 loaf, 14 servings (serving size: 1 slice)

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 bananas)
1/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cooking spray

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk.

Place sugar and butter in a large bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 1 minute). Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add banana, yogurt, and vanilla; beat until blended. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until moist. Spoon batter into an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

Cheesy Veggie Quesadillas

This recipe came from SlimFast, and it's basically an easy quesadilla recipe! Serve with a garden or fruit salad for a healthy, fun meal!

1 cup onion, white, chopped
1 zucchini
1/8 teaspoon salt
20 I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!® Original sprays
8 tortillas, flour, 6"
2 dry cups cheddar cheese, low-fat
1 cup tomato, chopped

Preparation

1. Halve the zucchini lengthwise, and thinly slice.

2. Preheat 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, zucchini, salt and spray with I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!® Original. Cook covered, stirring occasionally, 8 minutes or until tender.

3. Evenly divide onion mixture between 4 tortillas, then evenly top each with cheese. Top with remaining tortillas.

4. In 12-inch skillet, cook quesadillas over medium-high heat, one at a time, turning once, 2 minutes or until cheese is melted. Cut into wedges and serve immediately, garnished with chopped tomatoes.

Back in the Kitchen in 2009

It's been awhile! I have to admit I didn't do much cooking over the holidays, but was blessed to have others cooking for me. :)

I do hope to continue posting some recipes, so please stay tuned!! Mathis and I started the SlimFast diet last week, so I've been getting a lot of recipes from their website.

Here's to lots of great cooking in 2009!!