Chicken Asiago Orzo Pasta

Ingredients
2 cup water
2 (16-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
24 ounces skinned, boned chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
2 ½ cups uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
2 cup frozen green peas, thawed
1 cup (4 ounces) grated Asiago cheese, divided
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon dried rosemary, basil, or oregano
¼ teaspoon black pepper

Preparation
Combine water and broth in a big pot; bring to a boil. Add chicken and pasta; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in peas, 1/4 cup cheese, salt, herbs, and pepper. Top each serving with 1 tablespoon cheese.

Click HERE to watch this dish be made by http://foodwishes.blogspot.com

Easy Chicken Florentine

Chicken Florentine
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen, 2007

Prep Time: 10 min Inactive Prep Time: 24 hr 0 min Cook Time: 30 min Level:
Easy Serves:
6-8 servings

Ingredients
2 (10-ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach
6 chicken breast halves (about 4 pounds), cooked, boned, and shredded
2 (10 3/4-ounce) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
2 cup grated sharp Cheddar
Juice from 1 whole lemon
1 teaspoon curry powder
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/2 cup soft bread crumbs
2 tablespoons butter

Instructions

Remove the outer wrappers from the box of spinach. Open 1 end of each box. Microwave on full power for 2 minutes, until thawed. Drain the spinach and put into a large bowl. Add the shredded chicken.

In a medium bowl, combine the soup, mayonnaise, sour cream, Cheddar, lemon juice, curry powder, salt and pepper, to taste. Whisk together to make a sauce. Pour the sauce over the spinach and chicken. Mix well with a spatula.

Place the mixture into an 11 by 7-inch casserole dish or 2 (9-inch) square disposable aluminum foil pans that have been sprayed with vegetable oil cooking spray. Pat down evenly and smooth with a spatula. Combine the Parmesan and bread crumbs and sprinkle over the top. Dot with the butter.

Wrap the uncooked casserole securely with plastic wrap, then with aluminum foil. Place each pan into a plastic freezer bag and seal. Place into freezer.

Allow casserole to thaw 24 hours in refrigerator. When ready to bake, remove the plastic wrap and foil. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes until bubbly.

Parker House Rolls

Makes 3 dozen

• 1/2 cup melted (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more melted butter for brushing bowl
• 1 1/2 cups warm (115 degrees) milk
• 2 (1/4-ounce) packages active dry yeast
• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 6 to 6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface

Directions

1. Brush a large bowl with butter; set aside. In a small bowl, sprinkle yeast over 1/4 cup milk. Let stand until soft, about 5 minutes. In another large bowl, combine butter, sugar, salt, remaining 1 1/4 cups milk, and egg. Whisk to combine. Whisk in yeast mixture.


2. Using a wooden spoon, stir in flour, 1 cup at a time, until you have a soft dough. Turn dough out onto a floured work surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, 5 to 10 minutes. Place in prepared bowl, turning to coat with butter. Cover with plastic wrap. Let stand in a warm spot until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.


3. Punch down dough. Cut into 2 pieces. Invert bowl over dough, and let rest for 10 minutes. Working with one piece at a time, on a lightly floured surface, roll into a 12-inch square, about 1/3-inch thick. Cut into six 2-by-12-inch strips. Cut each strip into three 4-by-2-inch rectangles.


4. Brush rectangles with butter. Using the handle of a butter knife, crease rectangles slightly off center. Fold at crease. Arrange in rows, slightly overlapping, on buttered baking sheet, with shorter side facing down. Allow at least 1/4-inch of space between rows. Cover and let stand until doubled in bulk, 20 to 30 minutes.


5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush rolls with melted butter. Transfer to oven and bake until golden, about 17 minutes, if baking a single strip, about 25 minutes if baking 3 strips at a time (1/4 sheet pan). Remove from oven and brush once more with melted butter.


6. For freezing: shape rolls; arrange in same manner on parchment lined baking sheet. Transfer to freezer until frozen. Transfer to freezer bags. When ready to bake remove from freezer, arrange on buttered baking sheets. Cover with plastic wrap, and let stand in a warm place until defrosted, and doubled in bulk about 2 1/2 hours. Cook according to step 5, above.

Orange Cranberry Sauce

Growing up I never really cared for the gelatinous canned looking mass of supposed "cranberry sauce" that was sitting on the table during Thanksgiving. It did not taste anything like the jello it looked like.

But as I got older I thought I'd try some cranberry sauces, but homemade. My first homemade cranberry sauce was a bitter disaster. Blech. The Food Network recipes weren't completely working for me and I could never get it sweet enough. It seemed like a waste of sugar to me.

So I tossed the idea out the window.

Then a few Thanksgivings back I saw a recipe I think from Paula Dean that used canned whole cranberry sauce. At first I was amazed that canned cranberry sauce could have the berries in them too! LOL

So I tried the recipe and we fell in love with cranberry sauce for the first time ever!

I've tweaked it and modified it to our likings but it really is a great addition to the Thanksgiving table, when it tastes good.

Semi-Homemade Cranberry Sauce

*For best results make one day a head so it can marinate.*

1 can Whole Cranberry Sauce.
1 Large Orange (seedless preferablely)
¼ C finely chopped Walnuts *optional*
1 tsp Cinnamon
½ tsp ground clove


In a bowl empty the can of cranberry sauce. Break up with a fork.

Cut the orange in half. Take one half of the orange and squeeze all of the juice you can from it into the cranberry sauce. Take the other half and cut off all of the rind. Don't peel it because you want to get to all of the juice pouches you can. Once the rind is cut off chop the orange into small pieces and add to the cranberry sauce mix.

Add the finely chopped walnuts, cinnamon, ground cloves, and the pinch of ginger. (You can add more or less of the spices you want to taste)

Mix together well.

Cover and chill for 6-12 hours (18-24 hours is best) so the sauce can marinate and absorbe all of the flavors.

Remove from fridge and either let it reach room temp or serve chilled with your Thanksgiving dinner.

Yummy!

Tater Tot Casserole

This is a new recipe I tried. Kind of "invented" if you will. I know there are many recipes for tater Tot Casserole but I used what I had on hand and it turned out great. The kids LOVED it!

2-3 packages of ground Sausage cooked and drained
2 bags of Tater tots

3 cans Cream of Mushroom Soup
2 Cups of Milk
2 Cups of Shredded Cheese

Salt and Pepper to Taste

Cook and drain sausage and put into bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Add the tater tots on top of the sausage.

In a bowl mix the soup and milk together until it is blended well. Stir in the cheese and then pour on top of the sausage and tater tots as evenly as possible.

Sprinkle with some salt and pepper.

Next take a spoon or spatula and mix everything as well as possible while in the baking dish.

Bake at 350º for 50 minutes.

This was really good.
I'm thinking next time I may add some spinach to the mix to make it more healthy, but we did also have some Green Beans and Salad on the side.

Broccoli & Cheese Crock Pot Soup

3Cans Cream of Celery
3 Cans Cream of Broccoli
1Can Evaporated Milk
2Cans Water (use one of the soup cans)
1lb Velveeta Cheese
1Bag Frozen Chopped Broccoli

In crock pot mix soup, milk & water

Heat on low until hot throughout 2-3hrs

Add cheese & broccoli Heat another 1-2 hours Until cheese is melted and broccoli is cooked.
*Stir often

Super Easy Potato Soup Recipe

I cook it the night before and then put it in a crock-pot for the luncheon. You can also top it with baked potato goodies like bacon pieces, cheese and chives. This is easily doubled. When I double it though, I usually still use just one can of evaporated milk.

2 (32 ounce) bag southern style hash browns (these are the small cubes)
1 onion, chopped (to taste)
1 (13 ounce) can evaporated milk (can use fat free)
1 cup Parkay margarine
salt and pepper (to taste)
water

Put frozen potatoes in crock pot.

Fill with water just to the top of the potatoes.

Add milk, margarine, evaporated, milk and some salt and pepper.

Cook high 2 hours or until potatoes are turoughly cooked, stirring occasionally.

Reduce heat to low and allow to simmer until potatoes are soft and ingredients are well blended (about 30-40 minutes), stir occasionally.
If it is not the desired consistency, a thick creamy soup, you can mix a little potato flakes it in to the soup.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Potato Soup Recipe

Don't let the sparse ingredient list fool you. This is a recipe that's so easy to make, yet so delicious, that everyone inhales it.



1 large potato, per person
1/4 cup chopped celery, per person (include leaves)
1/4 cup chopped onion, per person
1/4-1/2 cup milk or half-and-half or cream
salt and pepper, to taste
Peel and cube potatoes.


Put in a saucepan along with the onions and celery.


Add water, but don't quite cover the vegetables.


Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover and simmer for 25 minutes, or until all of the vegetables are very tender.


Using a potato masher, coarsely crush the potatoes, but don't mash them--you want chunks left.
Add enough milk or cream to thin to desired thickness and add salt& pepper to taste.
(It will take a lot of salt!).

Empanada Dough

2 Cups Flour
½ Cup Lard
2½ Tbsp Butter
½ tsp Salt
½ Cup Ice Water -Apx

Mix together, roll out and cut into circles. We use an Empanada cutter and crimper, but you can use a cookie cutter and a fork.

Use your favorite filling.

Ours is:

Ground beef cooked and drained. mixed with some cooked rice and some Goya seasoning, and drained diced tomatoes.

Super Easy Tuna Casserole

We have a large family so this is how we make it.

6 boxes Mac & Cheese
3 sticks butter
1 Cup Milk
3 Cups Shredded Cheese
1 Family Package of Tuna
2 Cans Peas
1 Can Carrots
3 Tbsp Dill Weed

Boil water and cook the macaroni. Drain water when done.

Place the butter in the bottom of the pot before placing the drained macaroni back into it. This facilitates the melting process.

Stir until the butter is fully melted. Add tteh packets of powdered cheese and mix as well as possible before adding the milk. Continue stiring until the cheese powder is well dissolved. You can add more milk if you need to.

Add the cheese, tuna, drained peas, drained carrots and dill. Mix well.

Now you can serve it as is or you can transfer to a 9x13 baking dish top with bread crumbs mixed with some butter and bake at 350º for 20 mins.

We done it both ways and both are delicious. It depends on how fast of a dinner we want. :D

Mexican Casserole

1bag Tortilla Chips
2Can Cram of Chicken
1 Can Chilli (No beans)
1- 8oz Bottle of Taco Sauce - Mild
1 Soup Can of Milk
2 Cup Shredded Cheese

-Crush chiups into bottom of 9x13 pan

-Mix soup, chilli, taco sauce, & milk

- Pour over chips

-Top with cheese

-Bake 350ºF for 30mins

Creamy Chicken Crock Pot

4 Chicken Breasts - Cooked and shredded

¼C Melted Butter
2 Packets Ranch Dressing
1 Can Cream of Chicken Soup
8oz Cream Cheese Cubed
½C Chicken Broth
½ Onion Chopped
1 Bag frozen mixed Veggies

Combine in Crock Pot

Cook:
High 1hr
Low 2hr

Serve on noodles or rice

My sister Pam made this once when she had us over for dinner, and it was awesome!

Quick & Easy Chicken Enchiladas

2-3 pkg Flour Tortillas (or whole wheat)
4 bonelss chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
2 Cans Cream of Chicken Soup
1- 12oz container Sour Cream
1 sm can diced chili peppers
1pkg Shredded Cheese

Mix chicken, soup, sour cream, chili peppers, and about 1C of the shredded cheese together. Add some milk to mixture to thin it out a little if needed.

In a 9x13 pan add a thin layer of the mixture to the bottom, then layer with the tortillas.

Add mixture
Cheese
Tortilla
Mixture
Cheese
Tortilla

Until mixture is gone, topping with a layer of tortilla and finally shredded cheese.

Bake at 350ºF for 40mins

Swedish Meatballs (Crock Pot)

1 C Flour
2tsp Salt
4tsp Paprika
1tsp Pepper
9C Boiling Water
2C Sour Cream

Mix dry ingredients together.
Reserve 2 cup of water while boiling the other 6.
With the 2 cups of cold water SLOWLY mix with the flour mixture until well incorporated. Whisk well.
Once the rest of the water is boiling then add the wet flour mix to the boiling water stiring constantly.

Pour the mixture into your crock pot and add 2pkg Frozen meatballs heat thoroughly for about 4hrs on low. 20 mins before serving add the sour cream. Heat for another 20 mins.

Serve with mashed potatoes or egg noodles.

Taco Soup

3 lbs Cooked & drained Ground Beef
3 cans Kidney Beans drained
2 cans Drained Diced Tomatoes
4(8oz) cans Tomato Sauce
1-2 packets Taco Seasoning (depends on your taste)
1 Can Corn

Cook until heated either on stove or in a crock pot - on low for 4 hours, high for 2 hours

Top with:
Sour Cream
Shredded Cheese
Corn Chips
Green Onions