Chicken Garbage Bread

1 whole shredded rotisserie chicken ( I used 3 large chicken breasts that I grilled and shredded myself)

8oz mozzarella cheese
1/4  cup buffalo wing sauce ( I used sweet baby rays)
1/3 cup ranch or bleu cheese dressing ( I used bleu cheese)

1 recipe or package of pizza dough

I make my own pizza dough so I just made one recipe of this and it was good for the filling amount.  Mix together chicken, cheese, sauce, and dressing.  Roll out pizza dough into a large triangle maybe 9x13.  Put chicken mixture in the middle of the dough and roll it up jelly roll style.  I rolled mine out on parchment paper since it gets thin and is hard to transfer, this way I could transfer to the pan and I could bake it right on the paper.  Bake at 400 degrees for about 20-30 minutes.

Let sit for a couple minutes before cutting as it's juicy!

Commentary:

My kids LOVE this and they have no idea there is bleu cheese in it!  Also I smeared some of the wing sauce on the outside before baking and sprinkled it with Parmesan cheese!  YUM

Garlic Noodles

My friend introduced us to these garlic noodles and they instantly became a family favorite.  We make them all the time.  Sometimes they are a main dish, sometimes they are a side dish.  My kids like them cold or hot.  (I prefer hot)

Garlic Noodles:

8oz cooked pasta (I use spaghetti noodles but you can really use any)
4 cloves minced or sliced garlic
1/2 bunch green onions chopped small
4  tbl spns butter
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tbl spns brown sugar
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tbl spns oyster sauce.

While pasta is cooking, melt butter in a skillet and saute onions and garlic.  Mix all other ingredients together in a small bowl.  Once pasta is done, drain and return to pot.  Mix pasta with all other ingredients including sauteed onions and garlic.  Serve immediately.  Seriously YUMMY!

Thai Chicken and Noodle Salad

I got this recipe out of my Our Best Bites cookbook and changed a few things to accommodate my liking (of course).

Prepare some spaghetti noodles.  I do about 8oz of noodles for my large family
You will need about 3 cups or so of prepared chicken.  I grill mine on the cast iron with some sesame oil and garlic YUMMO!
I also use bagged salad like romaine mix instead of their mix they suggest, easier and tasty!

Here's the recipe for the dressing:

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tbl Lime juice (I use the concentrate)
2 1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 tbl spn rice wine vinegar
2 tbl spn soy sauce
3 tbl spn honey (tonight I used 2 tbl of corn syrup because I was out of hone and it worked fine)
1 clove garlic
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 cup cilantro
1/4 tsp salt
2 teaspoons Sriracha chili sauce
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2-4 tbl spns water

put all those ingredients except for the vegetable oil and water in a food processor or blender and process until smooth.  Add vegetable oil and process until combined.   Add water a little at a time if it is too thick.

Assemble salad, noodles, chicken and top with dressing.  Best thing ever!!

Aloha Chicken Fajitas

I found this recipe HERE for Hawaiian Chicken Fajitas on Pinterest.  I was instantly excited to try this new recipe.  When I went to the store I realized that I was unable to find the enchilada seasoning packet that the recipe calls for so I instantly had to start revamping how I was going to make this recipe.  I made several changes and it was AWESOME.  Everyone in my family liked it...even the picky one.  He said, and I quote, "This is the best stuff ever mom!".  Good enough for me!

So click above for the original recipe and scroll down for my version:


3 Chicken breasts cut into strips
2 tbl oil (enough to coat skillet)
1 large red bell pepper cut into strips
1 onion also cut into strips
4 tbl taco seasoning (you know the packet!)
4 tbl honey
1 can pineapple chunks drained (reserve juice)

Ok let me first say that I marinated my raw chicken in a garlic and herb marinade for about an hour just to give it extra flavor, this step is optional you can just cook it in the oil like it is, or season to your liking, oooo or even grill it YUM.  So cook chicken in oil until done.  Add onions and bell pepper and cook until onions and pepper are tender (about another 4-5 minutes).  Mix together taco seasoning, honey and 1/2-1 cup of pineapple juice.  Once chicken and veggies are done pour sauce mixture over chicken and stir to coat.  Cook another couple minutes to warm and kind of caramelize sauce.

Serve fajita chicken over tortillas.  We topped ours with the pineapple chunks, cheese, tomato, and sour cream!

If you wanted to make this super fast and easy (it already is so easy!!!) you could use a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store, or precooked chicken breasts.

Bacon and Corn Griddle Cakes

My hubby found these yummy delights on Pinterest.  If you haven't been on Pinterest I suggest you get your butt in gear and GO!  A word of warning though...it can make you F-A-T!  There are so many good things to eat and new recipes to try you are going to be cooking 24/7!

I like to call these Meal in a Pancake, or The Casserole of all Pancakes!  They are VERY hearty!

The original recipe for these can be found HERE but I already modified the recipe and so mine is below:

8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/3 cup finely chopped sweet onion
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon Chipotle pepper
2/3 cup milk
1 large egg, beaten
1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
1/2 can of sweet corn
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
warm maple syrup, for serving


Sautee onion in a bit of butter until brown.  Mix together flour, baking powder, salt, chipotle pepper, milk, egg,  and oil until combined.  Add corn, onions, cheese, and bacon.  Scoop onto a hot griddle and cook for about 2-3minutes each side.  Serve with warm maple syrup.  


I have to say while I was making these I was not impressed.  They did not look very appetizing so I was really planning on having a peanut butter sandwich.  When they were done I took a bite and my mouth exploded with the most delicious flavor!  They are divine!  They will be a family favorite for SURE!  I doubled the recipe and it worked great.  It made about 10 cakes.


The changes I made were:  no green onion, different kind of pepper, and used canned corn.

Hawaiian Haystacks

These are foods from my youth!  My mom used to make these and they were great.  I completely forgot about them until I recently received a cookbook called Real Mom Kitchen.  It's great, really good, easy, quick, food that I usually have ingredients for right in my kitchen.  I tweaked this recipe because their version just used milk and canned soup but I wanted it more flavorful.

1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can of milk
2 cups cooked chicken (I actually used chicken I had leftover from making chicken tostadas)
1-2 tsp chicken bullion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
salt and pepper to taste (the chicken bullion powder adds salt so check before adding more!!!)

mix all ingredients except for chicken in a sauce pan and cook until simmering.  Add Chicken and cook until hot.

toppings:

cheese, pineapple, green onions, olives, cocoanut, tomato, celery, almonds, mushrooms, chow mein noodles, peas, mandarin oranges, raisins, green peppers, water chestnuts, cashews, soy sauce, the list is as long as your imagination.

Serve chicken "gravy" over rice and top with toppings that you like.  the ones I used are highlighted in red.

Lasagna

Lasagna

Ok confession time I got this recipe off of the Oven Ready Lasagna Noodle package.  I've tried several brands and the recipe on the back is always EXACTLY the same!  So here goes.

1 package of noodles (I love oven ready because you don't have to cook them ahead of time)
1 large container of Ricotta cheese or Cottage cheese
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese divided
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese divided.  (I use the can, you can use fresh if you'd like)
2 eggs
1 tspn basil (I used fresh, you can use dry)
1 large jar spaghetti sauce
1 cup water
1lb ground beef browned and drained (I have used ground beef, turkey, and also deer and they are all very good)

Preheat oven to 375.  Combine ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, 1/4 cup parm, eggs and basil.  Mix well.  In another bowl combine sauce, water and browned meat.  Mix well.  In 9x13 pan spread 1/2 the meat sauce, place a layer of noodles in that, pour 1/2 the cheese mixture on top, then repeat that process for another layer.  sprinkle remaining mozzarella, and parm on the top.  Cover and bake for 45-50 minutes.

Syndy's commentary:'

OK, I double this recipe if I'm making it to fit in a large lasagna pan.  Last time I put this exact recipe in the crockpot, and cooked on low for about 4 hours and it was done and GREAT!  I did NOT double the recipe for the crockpot.  I love lasagna and hate to make it in the summer because it really heats up the house but now that I know I can do it in my crockpot, that's how I'm always going to do it.  Talk about easy for after late start church!

Jessica's Crock Pot Teriyaki Chicken

4 to 5 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
2 c brown sugar packed
1 c soy sauce
1 clove of garlic crushed
1 tsp ginger (optional)
1/4 cup minced onion (optional)

Put frozen chicken in crockpot
Mix the rest of the ingredients in small mixing bowl & pour over chicken cook on low 6 hours or high 4 hours.

Once its cooked chicken should just fall apart with minimal pressure. Place desired amount over white rice in a bowl.


Syndy's Commentary:


I did not have chicken so I used pork and it worked wonderfully.  I did not use the ginger because I didn't have any and family didn't notice.  I also only had garlic powder, but I will use fresh next time.  Everyone ate this in my family including my 6 year old who is really picky.  I served with steamed veggies and extra sauce from the crock pot on the side.  It's a keeper!  Thanks Jessica for the recipe!

Chicken Cordon Bleu (Syndy Style)

Chicken Cordon Bleu

6 Chicken breasts split (butter flied, whatever you want to call it)
6 slices of ham (lunch meat)
6 slices of cheese (we used provolone because that's what we had)
salt and pepper to taste

split the chicken breasts, put in baking dish, salt and pepper, and sprinkle with bread crumbs.  Top with ham bake at 350 covered for about 30 minutes.  Top with cheese then put back in oven uncovered for about 5-7 minutes.  Make sure you chicken is cooked through, enjoy!

Syndy's Commentary:

This was the first time that I made anything like this so I just made it up as I went along and it was great!  My kids loved it and so did my hubby.  This will be a new family favorite.

BBQ Burritos

BBQ Burritos

Marinated meat
Mushrooms
Onions
Tortillas
Cheese (Monterey jack is best)
BBQ sauce

Cook your marinated meat on BBQ or in a skillet
Sauté mushrooms in a small amount of butter
Caramelize onions

Assemble burritos with meat, mushrooms, onions, and cheese, baste with BBQ sauce and put on BBQ, cook until tortillas are crispy and cheese is melted.

Syndy's Commentary:

We used a marinated fajita steak from Sam's Club, but you could use any kind of meat marinated any way you like.  Chris also cooked our meat on the BBQ first and it gave it an added flavor.  He used a spicy Jack Daniel's BBQ sauce and it was perfect.  I also made guacamole to dip them in afterward... YUMMO, these are going to be a new family favorite!!!

Baked Mac and Cheese

Baked Mac and Cheese

16 oz pasta cooked and drained

1 Cup butter

1/2 cup chopped onion

6 TBL flour

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

3 1/2 Cups milk

2 Cups Cheddar cheese

Parmesan and bread crumbs for sprinkling

Melt butter and cook onions until tender. Add flour and whisk until combined, then add salt, pepper, and milk, cook until bubbly. Add cheese cook until melted. Combine cheese mixture with pasta, and put into a greased 9x13 pan. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and parm. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.

Syndy's Commentary:

I used the corkscrew pasta, but you can use any kind. My kids are just better at eating noodles if they look cool. I also set aside a little of the cheddar and sprinkled it on top before baking.

I got this recipe from my mom who got it from my Sister-in-laws mother. My kids and hubby devoured this recipe. I've tried other homemade mac and cheese recipes in the past and no one would eat it. My pickiest eater even asked for seconds! Chris took some leftovers for lunch and said it was great. So it's a keeper at our house. Enjoy!

Artichokes

Our family loves artichokes. We eat them as a main dish, we love them so much. It's hard to find good, big, artichokes here in the Midwest, but when I see them for a good price I buy them. They are an easy, quick, yummy meal that is not only good but fun to watch us eat.

I'll never forget the first time I saw my MIL make them for us before I got married. 5 grown adults eating like little piglets. Basically you pull the leaf off, dip it in melted butter or Mayo (YUCK), scrape off the meat with your teeth, and discard the rest of the leaf in a "discard bowl" in the middle of the table. There's no talking, no eye contact, just eat, discard, eat, discard...until you get to that precious heart. The heart is to be savored and treated with reverence. You scrape away all the fuzz, cut it into bite size pieces, and leave it to soak in butter for a few minutes to get the perfect bite.

Here's how I cook them:

Cut stems and top "thorns" of the artichokes

In a large stock pot place your artichokes, and fill with COLD salted water. Put on stove and boil for about 45 minutes. Drain and enjoy.

Whoever was the first one to eat an artichoke must have been considered CrAzY! I mean they have thorns, and are tough, and the heart is surrounded by fuzz, which if you eat it will cause your mouth to dry up and taste awful (trust me on that one)... his friends must have thought he was nuts, until they tried one!!! ENJOY!

Ellen's Meatloaf

(from Quaker Oats box)

1-1/2 lb hamburger
1/4 cup onion (I sauted mine)
3/4 cup oatmeal
1 egg
1 cup tomato juice ***
1-1/2 teas salt
1/4 teas pepper

Mix together. Bake 1 hr at 350 degrees.



*** for tomato juice, any tomato product will do--Mom uses salsa. I use 1/2 tomato something (paste, ketchup, juice--whatever I have!), 1/2 Tabasco Caribbean Steak Sauce--that's the "secret" part that makes it great!!

I use pretty lean hamburger, and make a mound in middle of baking dish instead of using loaf pan, so I can drain the grease. I also put a bunch of ketchup on top for the last 10 min or so of baking.

SYNDY'S COMMENTARY:

I am very picky when it comes to meatloaf. I've been making Char's Meatloaf for years. The last few times I've made it I've been disappointed, I think it's been because I've used ground turkey and it's been too dry. So when Ellen gave me this recipe I had to give it a shot.

I did not have any Tabasco Caribbean Steak Sauce so I substituted a Caribbean Jerk Marinade from the grocery store. It was delish. I even had someone over that has had Ellen's Meatloaf made by Ellen herself and he said it was really good.

The kids devoured it, which is always a good sign, and Chris' eyes rolled in the back of his head. Our family preferred leaving the ketchup off at the end, and I also used about 2 1/2 lbs of meat (ground beef) and it still was fine. All-in-all it's a keeper and cheaper than the other recipe.

General Tso's Chicken

General Tso's Chicken

3 lbs boneless skinless chicken cut into bit size chunks

1 1/2 cups green onion sliced

2-8 dried chilies, seeds removed. (bird pepper, or Thai chilies, I used red chilies) how many you use determines how hot it is, I'm a wimp so I only used 2.

CORN STARCH SLURRY

1/4 cup soy sauce low sodium is preferred

1 egg beaten

1 cup cornstarch

SAUCE

1/2 cup cornstarch

1/4 cup water

1 1/2 tsp minced fresh garlic

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup white vinegar

1/4 cup sherry wine or white wine (I used apple juice and it worked fine)

14 ounces of chicken broth

1. place all sauce ingredients in a bowl and whisk together. I used a jar and it worked well to shake it.

2. Mix corn starch slurry in a bowl. The mixture will be strange but trust me it will work. It will be really thick and act funny. In the bowl if you move it around by just moving the bowl it will look like a liquid, but if you touch it or try and stir it with a spoon it will be solid and almost like paste or plaster.

3. Add the chicken pieces to the slurry, move bowl around to coat the chicken. Lift from slurry and let the excess coating to drip off, it will drip off even though it is VERY thick. Fry in very hot oil (350 degrees) until done. This slurry will make the chicken really crispy and yummy. I only fried a few pieces of chicken at a time so they did not stick together and had room to move around. Remove from oil when done and drain on a paper towel. Keep warm.

4. When chicken is done drain of most of the oil from the pan/Wok and add green onions and red chilies, saute for about 30 seconds then add the sauce mixture. Cook until thickened, add more cornstarch if it is too thin, more broth if it is too thick. If you've ever ordered this from a restaurant it is supposed to be very thick, like sweet and sour.

5. Add chicken to sauce after it's thick and stir to coat. Serve over rice.

SYNDY'S NOTES: I have never made homemade Chinese Food before. I was worried it would not be like you get from a restaurant, but it was better. It looked exactly like it had come in a little white box but the flavor was better. My hubby likes things hotter so next time I may add a couple more chilies. Also I used regular soy sauce and it was a little salty so next time I will get the low sodium. I served over fried rice, but you can also serve over white.

This recipe is a little time consuming because of the chicken needing frying. Next time I will use my fry daddy and it will go a lot faster. Also you can prepare the sauce ahead of time and just keep in the fridge until you are ready to use.

Black Bean Bugers (from Safely Gathered In)

3 cups black beans, prepared
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
2 Tbsp plus 1/2 cup chunky salsa for topping
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp Tabasco sauce


Prepare the beans, if using dry. Drain liquid from cans or prepared beans. Mash beans, add ingredients mixing well together. Form into patties and cook on a skillet over the stove in a little oil, or on the grill. Be careful when flipping so they won't fall apart. Cook on a grill over low heat for 3 minutes on each side or until they develop the crust you want. Top with salsa or other toppings. Enjoy!

I used 3 cans of black beans drained and rinsed and this made about 8 good size patties. They do not shrink like meat so whatever size you make them they stay.

Chicken Chili Casserole

Chicken Chili Casserole

Whole Chicken
2 large cans Chili Con Carne with beans (I use Hormel or Dennisons)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream chicken soup
1 large can Ortega Diced Green Chili's
Flour Tortillas
Cheddar Cheese

Boil Chicken, and debone. Or use 4-6 chicken breasts (cooked). Mix chicken, chili, soups, green chili's. Tear flour tortillas in small bite size pieces. Put 1/2 of the chicken mixture in a 9x13 pan. Put a layer of torn tortillas and a layer of cheese. Repeat with chicken mixture ending with cheese on top. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 or until bubbly and cheese is melted.

I serve with warm flour tortillas and guacamole.

Chicken and Dumplings

Chicken and Dumplings

1 whole chicken
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
parsley
salt and pepper to taste

In a large stock pot place raw chicken in enough water to cover it. Put in onion garlic and other spices. You can use whatever spices you like. Cook on high heat until chicken is done. Remove chicken from broth. Debone chickne (I know it's a yucky business but someone has to do it, and it's cheaper if you do). Put meat back into broth. Make 1 batch of dumplings and add to broth. I love this recipe in the winter when it's cold outside. Comfort Food

Chicken Tacos

Chicken Tacos

Chicken
Salsa

I use a whole chicken that I have taken off the bone you can also use 4-6 chicken breasts or any chicken pieces that you like. Place raw chicken in a 9x13 pan and cover with a jar of you favorite salsa. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes or until chicken is done. Put on tortilla's and cover with your favorite taco toppings.

Bacon and Rice

Bacon and Rice

1 lb bacon
4 cups uncooked rice

cut up bacon and cook until really crispy. cook rice according to package directions. you can use instant or regular it does not matter. Drain grease off of bacon but reserve. Add cooked rice to cooked bacon and stir. let cook on medium heat for a few minutes to let the flavors absorb. Add a little grease if necessary to make less dry. I know this sounds gross but it is really good and an easy meal for the kids. You could add a veggie on the side to balance out all the fat but who does that?

Shepherd's Pie

Shepherd's Pie

1 lb ground beef
2 cup mashed potato's
4 oz cream cheese cubed
1 c. cheddar cheese
2 cloves minced garlic
4 cups mixed vegis thawed
1 c. beef gravy

brown meat stir in veggis and gravy. Mix mashed potato's, cheese, cream cheese and garlic. pour over meat mixture sprinkle with cheddar cheese. bake for 20 minutes at 375. double for 9x13pan.