Mmmm Mmmm Monday: Easy Pizza Rolls

Found this gem on Pinterest (originally from this blog) about a month ago and I thought it'd be a great post-baseball practice/game meal for my family.  Little did I know how big of a hit it would actually be!  It's super easy and the kids beg for it at least once a week.  I made a couple of changes to the original recipe to accomodate the monstrous appetites of my kids.

Here's what you need:
2 cans refridgerated crescent rolls (the kind in the tube over in the dairy section)
1 package pepperoni
5-6 string cheeses, cut into thirds
Pizza Sauce
Garlic salt

Preheat oven to 375*
Unroll and seperate crescents rolls.  Spread about a tablespoon of pizza sauce onto each unrolled crescent.  Depending on size of pepperonis, add 2-3 on top of the sauce. Then add a cut of string cheese on top of pepperonis.  Roll up and place on baking sheet.  Sprinkle with garlic salt and pop in the oven for 12-15 minutes or until golden.

I have one crumb snatcher who doesn't like pepperoni, so on the smaller crescent rolls (which there always are some that are not cut evenly!), I just use the sauce and string cheese so he can have cheese pizza rolls.

You can serve these with a small bowl of pizza sauce for dipping.
Enjoy and get ready to make these all the time!

Mmmm Mmmm Mon....errr...I mean Tuesday: Tortellini Spinach Bake with Creamy Lemon Sauce

Okay so I'm a dork. I was all thrown off this weekend because yesterday was Martin Luther King Jr. Day and the kids were off school, so my brain told me it was Sunday. Hence the lack of a Mmmm Mmmm Monday post.

I'm hoping y'all will forgive me for the day delay when you try this deee-licious recipe. Seriously...it's THAT good. When I was cooking it my mouth was salivating like you wouldn't believe. I took a bite before I stuck it in the oven, which turned out to be pure torture while I waited for it to be done...it was just fantastic! (Which explains why the photo was taken after I had already started dishing it up...I couldn't wait to wolf it down!)

It's another one I found over on Pinterest and it is orignally from the Our Best Bites website.

So without further ado, here's what you need for Tortellini Spinach Bake with Creamy Lemon Sauce!

12 oz bag Barilla Cheese & Spinach Tortellini (they're in the dry pasta aisle)

4 oz back or pancetta (about 4 strips of bacon)

3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced

2 Tbsp flour

2 Cups milk

3/4 tsp kosher salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

1 and 1/2 tsp dry basil

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1 medium lemon

2 Cups loosely packed fresh spinach, roughly chopped

3/4 Cups grated mozzarella cheese

3/4 Cups grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350*. Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Add tortellini and cook according to package directions.

Place bacon in a medium sized skillet over med-high heat on the stove. Cook until crisp. Remove bacon from pan and set on paper towels to drain. Reserve 2 Tbsp bacon drippings in pan and discard the rest. Add garlic to pan and cook until fragrant and tender, about 1 minute. Add flour to pan and stir with a whisk for about 1 minute. Slowly add milk and continue to stir with a whisk until smooth. Add salt, pepper, basil & red pepper and bring sauce to a simmer.

While sauce is heating, zest about 2 tsp of your lemon over the sauce. Then cut the lemon in half and remove the juice. Add 1 Tbsp lemon juice to the sauce. Continue to stir until thickened, about 2-3 minutes, then remove from heat.

Drain tortellini and put back in pot. Reserve 1 Tbsp of cooked bacon and add the rest (crumbled) to the pasta. Add spinach, 1/2 cup of the mozzarella, and 1/2 cup of the Parmesan. Add the sauce and stir gently to combine. Place pasta & sauce mixture into an 8x8 or 9x9 baking dish and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses, and the remaining crumbled pieces of bacon.

Cover dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and back an additional 5-10 minutes until cheese on top is melted and the pasta is bubbly throughout. Remove from oven and cool 10 minutes before serving.

Mmmm Mmmm Monday: English Muffin Mini Pizzas

This recipe isn't anything fancy or elaborate. Quite the opposite, really...it's super easy and great for a weeknight meal.

I made these last night as a comfort-food type thing for the kids. Daddy had just left in the morning for 6 weeks and I wanted some happy food for them.

Here's what you need:
6 uncut English muffins (my fave is Thomas' English Muffins)
Pizza sauce
Shredded cheese
pepperoni/peppers/mushrooms/any topping you like for your regular pizza

I preheated my oven to 350*. Then just slice the muffins in half and place them on a baking sheet. Spoon pizza sauce onto each muffin. Add shredded cheese on top of the sauce and add your toppings. Place cookie sheets in the oven.
Now, I didn't set my timer, I just checked on them after about 5-7 minutes or so. Basically you want to toast the muffin and melt the cheese. It's really a quick process.

Using 6 muffins will give you 12 mini pizzas. Perfect for a speedy school night dinner with just me & the kiddos!

Mmmm Mmmm Monday: Spinach Chicken Pasta

This is another winner of a recipe that I found on Pinterest. I made it for dinner last week and it was so good...I can't wait to make it again!

Here's what you need:
8 oz uncooked Rigatoni
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 (10 oz) pkg frozen spinach, thawed
1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 (8 oz) container chive & onion cream cheese
3 cups cooked, cubed chicken breast
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 and 1/2 cups shredded mozzerella

Prepare pasta according to box directions.
Spread oil in bottom of large baking dish. Add onion. Bake at 375* for 15 minutes. Transfer onions to a large bowl and set aside.
Drain spinach well. Stir pasta, chicken, spinach, tomatoes, cream cheese, salt & pepper into bowl with onions. Mix well.
Spoon mixture into baking dish and sprinkle with shredded cheese.
Bake, covered, for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake another 15 minutes or until bubbly.
Serve hot.

Next time I make this I PROMISE to take pictures...we were so hungry the night I made it that we just dug right in!

Mmmm Mmmm Monday: Chicken Pot Pie

I don't know about you, but I love me some comfort foods, especially once the weather starts to cool down. Fall weather has FINALLY come to Oklahoma after a crazy hot summer...the leaves are changing, there's a crispness in the air, and the temps are gloriously cooler. And this recipe is the perfect dinner for the cooler nights!

Here's what you need:

2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breasts, trimmed of fat

1 pkg (15 oz) refrigerated pie crusts

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter

1 large onion, finely chopped

3 Tbsp all purpose flour

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1 and 1/2 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 bag (16-20 oz) frozen peas & carrots

3/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 egg yolk

1 Tbsp water

Preheat oven to 425*. Place chicken in lg saucepan and add enough cool water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until just cooked through (about 10 minutes). Drain the chicken; let cool. Shred the chicken.

Meanwhile, fit one piecrust into a 9" pie plate and set asize. Roll the remaining pie crust out on a lightly floured surface. Cut crust into 1/2 inch wide strips with a pastry wheel and set aside.

Melt the butter in a lg saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Whisk in the flour and the thyme and cook/stir for another 2 minutes. Add the brother and the cream and whisk until thickened (about 3-4 minutes). Remove from heat; stir in the shredded chicken, frozen veggies, salt & pepper.

Spoon filling into prepared pie plate. Arrange 6 of the piecrust strips inthe same direction on top of the pie, twisting the dough. Arrange the rest of the strips crosswise on top; fold edges under and pinch to seal.

Beat egg yolk and water. Brust the top of the pie with mixture. Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake until the crust is golden and filling is bubbly, about 45 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Mmmm Mmmm Monday: Ham & Cheese Cannelloni

This is another goodie that I tore out of a magazine (Women's Day this time), but the recipe itself is actually from Rachael Ray, who I LOVE. Seriously...her recipes have not let us down yet.

Here's what you need:
1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
1 cup shredded mozzerella cheese
1 large egg
1-15 oz jar creamy Alfredo sauce
8 egg-roll wrappers (from the frozen/refrigerated Asian section)
sliced deli ham
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400*. In a medium bowl combine the ricotta, mozzarella and egg.
2. Set aside 3/4 cup of the Alfredo sauce and spread remaining sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.
3. Lay out egg-roll wrapper on a flat surface. Spread 3 tbsp of the ricotta mixture on the wrapper, then place slice of ham (or two, depending on the size of your slices) on top of the mixture. Roll up jelly-roll style. Repeat with remaining wrappers and then lay the cannelloni seam side down in a single layer in the baking dish.
4. Spoon the reserved 3/4 cup Alfredo sauce over the cannelloni, top with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown & bubbly.

This got a big thumbs up from the majority of my family last night. Jonah was the main hold-out, but I knew he would be because he's not a fan of Alfredo sauce.

Mmmm Mmmm Monday: Vodka Penne Pasta

This is SUCH a yummy recipe. My kiddies informed me that they prefer this type of pasta over the regular pasta & spaghetti sauce that I usually make. Fine by me...this is one of my favorite's too!

Here's what you need:

1 package (16 oz) penne pasta, cooked

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Grated Parmesan cheese

and either

2 jars chunky spaghetti sauce and 1/4 cup vodka

-OR-

2 jars Bertolli Vodka Sauce

Heat the sauce, basil and red pepper in a 3 qt saucepan to a boil over medium heat, stirring often. Remove from heat and stir in the cream.

Place pasta in a large serving bowl. Pour sauce mixture over and mix well to coat. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.

You will NOT be disappointed in this easy to make dish!

Mmmm Mmmm Monday: Chicken Pot Pie Bake

We tried this recipe one of the days last week that we were snowed in, because we needed some good, warm comfort food. The hubby and I loved it...the kids on the other hand weren't sure about the biscuits. But they enjoyed everything else!

Here's what you need:
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 and 1/3 cups milk
1 tsp Italian seasoning
2 cups refrigerated new (red) potato wedges, each cut in half crosswise
3 cups cubed deli rotisserie chicken (without skin)
1 bag (1 lb) frozen mixed veggies, thawed
1 can refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Heat oven to 375*. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. In a large bowl, mix soup, milk and Italian seasoning. Stir in potatoes, chicken and thawed veggies.

Seperate dough into individual biscuits and cut each into quarters. Add to potato mixture and stir gently to mix. Spoon into baking dish.

Bake uncovered 35-40 minutes or until top is deep goldenbrown and biscuits are no longer doughy inside. Sprinkle with cheese and bake another 4-6 mintues until cheese is melted.

Mmmm Mmmm Monday: Chicken Bog

Okay, okay, I know the name doesn't sound very appetizing. But believe you me...it is delicious! Even my boys ate every bite. And they're PICKY, those boys. It's another recipe that I got from the back of a novel written by a Southern author. I love when I stumble on great new food ideas that way!

Here's what you need:
6 cups water
1 Tbsp salt
1 3-4lb whole chicken
2 carrots quartered (I sliced mine)
2 ribs celery, sliced
1 cup long grain rice, uncooked
1/2 lb smoked sausage, sliced & uncooked
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp poultry seasoning (I used Old Bay)
1 Tbsp dried parsely flakes (I didn't have any so I substituted Italian seasoning.)

Step 1: Place water, onion, salt, chicken, carrots & celery in a large pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat & cover; cook for 1 hour.
Step 2: Remove chicken & let cool, saving the liquid & veggies.
Step 3: Remove skin & bones from chicken and chop meat into bite-sized pieces. Skim fat from liquid and measure 3.5 cups of liquid into a large saucepan. Add chicken pieces, cooked veggies, sliced sausage, rice, butter & seasonings. Bring to a boil, cover & reduce heat. Cook for 30 minutes.

This is definitely a comfort food dish and is perfect for those chilly fall & winter evenings. It's going to be a staple in our house for sure.

While I was enjoying my bog, I thought to myself that it would taste great with leftover turkey from Thanksgiving instead of the chicken. Just change step 1 to only heat up some veggies (maybe stir fry or steam them) and then go straight to step 2 and add your leftover turkey pieces instead of the chicken. I think I may try it if we have any extra bird this weekend!

Mmmm Mmmm Monday: Stovetop Broccoli Mac & Cheese

I made this dish a week or so ago and everyone loved it. The kids devoured it, and my sis & I ate the leftovers for lunch daily and were pretty bummed when it was all gone. This recipe comes from Woman's Day's October issue and let me tell you...it's a keeper!

Here's What you need:
12 oz pasta (I used 1 lb)
4 cups broccoli florets
1 container creme fraiche (I couldn't find this in the store so I used sour cream as an alternative)
1/2 tsp hot sauce
2 and 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp gound ginger
Ground black pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 7 minutes. Add broccoli and cook another 2 minutes or until pasta is tender. Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, in a 2 qt saucepan over med heat, whisk the creme fraiche & hot sauce until simmering, about 2 minutes.
Add the Cheddar, garlic powder & ginger, then stir over low heat until just melted. Season with pepper.
Combine sauce with macaroni & broccoli, and serve. Add extra cheese if desired.

Mmmm Mmmm Monday: Stuffed Shell Bake

Saw the tail end of this recipe being cooked on Rachael Ray a couple weeks ago and before I could get downstairs and find it myself, my sister had found it, printed it out and put it on the counter. We tried it Saturday night and Oh. My. Heavens. It was deee-lish!

Here's what you need:
EVOO

6 cloves garlic, finely chopped. Divided

1 large or 2 small/medium onions, finely chopped & divided

1 small carrot, finely chopped or grated (we didn't use the carrots but it still tasted superb!)

salt & pepper

1 and 1/2 teaspoons oregano or marjoram

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon crushed fennel seeds

2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh thyme (about 5 or 6 sprigs)

1/4 cup flat leave parsley, finely chopped

1/2 cup dry white or red wine

2 cups chicken stock

2-28 oz cans crushed tomatoes

1 pound medium or large shell pasta (not the extra-large stuffing size)

2 boxes frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and wrung dry w/a towel

1/4 tsp nutmeg (freshly ground if you have it)

2 cups fresh ricotta cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 large egg yolks, slightly beaten

In a large pot, heat 3 tbsp EVOO over medium heat. Add 4 cloves of chopped garlic, 3/4 of the finely chopped onion & the carrot. Season w/salt, pepper, oregano, red pepper flakes, fennel seeds & thyme, and gently saute 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add in parsley, stir, then add wine and reduce 1 minute. Add stock & tomatoes, bring sauce up to a bubble, then reduce heat and simmer 45 minutes.

After sauce has been simmering 30 minutes, preheat oven to 375*.

Bring a pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Salt and cook past for 5 minutes.

While pasta water comes to a boil, heat remaining 2 Tbsp EVOO in a small skillet over medium heat. Ad remaining garlic and onion and saute to soften, about 5 minutes. Add spinach to pan, seperating as needed. Stir to combine and season with salt, pepper, & nutmeg. Turn off heat.

Drain undercooked pasta and return to the same pot. Add spinach mixture to pot along with ricotta cheese and grated Parm. Stir to combine, adjust salt & pepper, then add eggs and stir.

Pour a thin later of marinara sauce into the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Fill dish with pasta, then top with another layer of sauce. Save remaning sauce to pass at the table. Bake for30 minutes until bubbly.

Serve directly from casserole dish, using extra sauce and parmesan cheese to top.

And don't forget to enjoy!!

(This recipe left ALOT of marinara sauce, which makes it perfect for spaghetti another night!)

Mmmm Mmmm Monday: Honey-garlic Chicken

Here's another ripped-from-a-waiting-room-magazine recipe. I made this on Friday night with the Buttery Dill Carrots as a side and ALL THREE of my kids devoured it. They requested that I make it again soon. This is no small feat my friends...Sophia has been quite picky lately when it comes to food. More often than not she announces that she "will not be eating wiss you tonight". She's a diva, that one.


Anyway, here's the recipe in all it's tasty glory. Make it yourself this week...you won't be disappointed!


Here's what you need:

1/3 cup honey
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp thyme, finely chopped
1 tbsp rosemary, finely chopped
2.5 pounds bone-in chicken thighs, trimmed of fat (about 6 pieces)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper


Heat oven to 400*. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.
In a small bowl, stir together honey, garlic, thyme and rosemary.
Place chicken thighs on prepared sheet and sprinkle with salt & pepper. Brush with honey mixture and bake for 40 minutes, brushing with remaning mixture every 10 minutes (or until internal meat temperature reaches 160*).


It's that easy!!

Mmmm Mmmm Monday: Tex Mex Chicken

This is a recipe I got from a friend of mine. I altered it just a bit to allow for more servings ( I had 7 people to feed the other night!) and it turned out GREAT. So much so that our dinner guest requested the recipe to pass along to his wife when he got back home!

Here's what you need:

Boneless chicken breasts (I used 5 of them)
8 oz fat-free sour cream (or just about half of a 16 oz container)
1 jar of salsa

Combine all ingredients in a crockpot and cook on low about 5 hours. Shred chicken and put back into crockpot for another 20-30 minutes to soak up the salsa & sour cream.

Serve on burrito size tortillas with yellow rice, black beans, lettuce, and all your favorite taco toppings.

It's super easy and such a great twist on tacos. You and your family will love it!

Mmmm Mmmm Monday: Beef Stew

With being a military family we move around ALOT. Two of my favorite things to do when we're sent to a new place is to try the local food and read books that are written either by a local author, or set in the place where I'm living. The best thing I've found when I read novels by Southern authors is that they sometimes include recipes in the back of their books. (Try books written by Dorothea Benton Frank or Mary Kay Andrews for some super yummy Southern comfort foods!). This beef stew recipe came from the back pages of The Fixer-Upper by Mary Kay Andrews...not only was it a great read, but it was a tasty recipe to boot!

Here's what you need:
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cracked black pepper
2 lbs stew meat
2-3 Tbsp vegetable oil
4 cups beef broth/beef stock
1 bay leaf
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
5 medium red potatoes, cut in eigths
1 cup chopped carrots
1 Tbsp Gravy Master (I used Kitchen Bouquet because that's all I could find at my grocery store)
2 Tbsp cooking sherry

Place flour and seasonings in a large ziploc bag; add meat and shake to coat. Heat oil in large Dutch oven; add meat and cook over medium heat until browned. Add broth and bay leaf and cover tightly. Reduce heat and simmer 1.5 hours or until meat is fork-tender. Add veggies and simmer another hour. When veggies are tender, remove both meat and veggies from the pot and whisk in Gravy Master and sherry. (If gravy needs thickening, add 2 Tbsp flour into 2 Tbsp water and whisk into gravy over medium heat.) Check seasonings and add more salt & pepper if necessary. Return meat & veggies to the gravy and heat through. Serve immediately and ENJOY!

Mmmm Mmmm Monday: Easy Chicken Parmigiana

This is another go-to recipe for my house...and it's from the same church cookbook as last week's pot roast recipe. Heaven help me if I ever loose this book!!

Here's what you need:
1/3 cup dry bread crumbs
2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated
3/4 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 lb chicken boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 egg, beaten
spaghetti sauce
1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
Spaghetti

Combine bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning and garlic powder in a shallow bowl. Dip each chicken breast in beaten egg, then roll in bread crumb mixture to evenly coat. Place chicken on a cookie sheet and back at 375* for 10 minutes. Turn chicken over and bake another 10-12 minutes until chicken is thoroughly cooked. Spoon a little spaghetti sauce over chicken breasts and sprinkle mozzerella cheese on top and bake another 3 minutes. Serve chicken and remaining sauce over cooked spaghetti noodles.

Enjoy!!

Mmmm Mmmm Monday-on-Tuesday: PW's Fried Chicken

This recipe is from the great Pioneer Woman and her superbly amazing cookbook.

I recieved this wonderful book for Christmas from a very dear friend (Thanks Nat!!) and it is by far one of my favorites. If you don't have this book in your cookbook library, you need to get it NOW. I made this fried chicken recipe when we had friends over and their son said that it was the best fried chicken he'd ever had. How's that for a compliment?

Here's what you need:
2 cut up fryer chickens (we just buy the bags of drumsticks from Walmart or Sams...they work just as well!)
1 quart plus 1/4 cup buttermilk
5 cups all purpose flour
3 Tbsp season-all salt (like Lawry's)
2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 cup milk
Canola or vegetable oil for frying

1. Thoroughly rinse chicken and then cover all the pieces with the quart of buttermilk and soak overnight, or up to 24 hours. Remove from the fridge and let set for 30 minutes prior to frying to take off the chill.
2. Preheat oven to 350* and mix up the breading: place flour, season-all salt, pepper, thyme, paprika & cayenne in a large bowl and stir together.
3. In a small bowl, combine the 1/4 cup buttermilk and milk. Pour the milk mixture into the flour and, with a pastry cutter or fork, gradually mix until there are little lumps throughout. If needed, add a littlemore flour or milk to make it lumpy.
4. Heat 1.5" of oil in a deep skillet or Dutch oven over med-hi head until a thermometer reads 365*.
5. Working in batches, thoroughly coat each buttermilk-soaked chicken piece with breading, pressing extra breading onto chicken if necessary. Place breaded chicken on a plate.
6. Add the chicken to the oil 3 or 4 pieces at a time. Make sure they aren't sticking to ether then tover the pan and fry for 5-7 minutes, checking to make sure chicken doesn't get too brown. Turn the pieces over and cook another 3-5 minutes more. Continue to moniter the temp of the oil so the chicken doesn't burn.
7. Place chicken on a baking sheet and continue frying the rest of the chicken in 3-4 piece batches. When all of the chicken has been fried, bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Cut into the thickest part of a large piece and if any pink is visible (meat or juice) continue in cooking in the oven until no pink shows.

Serve with your choice of side. I promise you this will be a big hit!

Mmmm Mmmm Monday: Cream Cheese Chicken & Broccoli

This crockpot recipe was passed to me by my cousin and we finally tried it last week and LOVED it. It says to put the chicken mixture over spaghetti (which we did) but I also ate it on it's own for lunch during the week and it was just as good without the noodles.

Here's what you need:
4 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1/2" peices
1 tbsp olive oil
1 package (1 oz) Italian dressing mix **This I could not find, so I just used Italian seasoning instead**
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 cup chopped onion
1 can (10.75 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup
1 bag (10 oz) frozen broccoli, thawed
1 package low-fat cream cheese, cubed
1/4 cup dry sherry (didn't have any of this so I omitted it)
Hot cooked pasta (we used spaghetti)

*Toss chicken with olive oil and Italian dressing mix to coat chicken. Place in crockpot. Cover and cook on low for 3 hours.
*Coat large skillet w/nonstick cooking spray. Add mushrooms & onion, cook 5 minutes over Medium heat or until onions are tender. Stir occasionally.
*Add soup, broccoli, cream cheese and sherry to skillet; cook & stir until hot. Add to chicken in crockpot. Cover, cook on low one more hour. Serve over pasta.

Mmmm Mmmm Monday:Goulash

This is a well-loved recipe in my house. It's from a church cookbook that my church back in Florida put out in 1999. It was a fundraiser for our youth group to go to Convention out at UCLA. Oh, the memories!

Anywho, without further ado, here's the recipe!

3 cloves garlic
3 onions, chopped (I only use 1)
1.5-2 lbs burger
29 oz tomato sauce
1/2 ketchup
1 Tbsp paprika
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
1 green pepper, chopped
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp pepepr
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Pasta of your choice (I use a full 1 lb. box of elbow macaroni)

Fry garlic, onion & hamburger. Drain. Put back in pan and add sauce, ketchup, muchsrooms, pepper and all the seasoning. Simmer for 1 hour. Cook & drain pasta. Return to pot and add the meatsauce. Mix well, serve, and enjoy!

Mmmm Mmmm Monday: Sloppy Joe Pot Roast

Yesterday I was getting ready to throw a pot roast in the crock pot when I realized that I didn't have the rest of the ingredients I needed (besides the roast itself). I swore I bought a bag of baby carrots and some dry onion soup. But all I found when I searched my fridge & pantry was an empty carrot bag (darn those veggie-loving children of mine!) and some ragtag items that I hadn't used for anything. So I decided to try it out and see what we came up with. We were all very pleased with the result. Super easy and soooo tasty! The gravy it made was so flavorful that we saved the excess in a container to use over mashed potatoes tonight!

Anyway, here's what you need:
3-3.5 lb beef roast (thawed)
1 packet of sloppy joe seasoning
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 tsp Italian seasoning
water (I filled one of the empty soup cans once and dumped it in)

Place your roast in the crockpot and add the seasonings. Pour the 2 cans of soup over the roast and along the sides. Add water and stir with the soup to make a thinner consistency. Cook on low about 6 hours. This will make your roast fall apart when you remove it from the crockpot. It was so incredibly delicious and tender!

You can definintely add potatoes, carrots, or celery...that would be superb! I wish I would've had more to toss in. But it's so good on it's own too!

Anyway, luckily this time my throw-it-all-together attitude paid off. Wouldn't it be great if that happened every time?

Mmmm Mmmm Monday: Easy Fajitas

I hunted for some Fajita kits when I was grocery shopping on Friday and couldn't find what I needed. (Okay...so I didn't hunt...I went to one store. ) Anyway, after poking around online I got the jist of what I needed and then sort of flew by the seat of my pants. The result was pleasant...everyone in the house scarfed down at least two!

Here's what you need:
8 inch tortillas
2 boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1-2 bell peppers, sliced
1 onion, sliced
EVOO or vegetable oil
1 tomato, chopped
1 packet Mexican or Taco seasoning
salsa, cheese and lettuce for toppings

First, heat up about a tablespoon of oil in a skillet on the stove, at about medium-hi heat. Coat the onions and pepper in some of the seasoning (be sure to leave enough for the chicken). Add the veggies to the oil and stir-fry until the onions are transluscent and the peppers are crisp-tender. Remove from pan and cover to keep warm.

Without rinsing the pan, add another Tbsp of oil. Coat the chicken pieces with the remaining seasoning and add to pan, cooking until white inside and out.

Then all you do is build your fajita how you like it! We layered ours like this: chicken & veggies on the bottom, then lettuce, cheese, tomatoes and salsa. Enjoy!!