What WAS for Dinner!

My mom saw this awesome recipe in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette sometime last week, so we made it on Sunday and I am still eatting it!

Easy PotRoast FrenchDips:

In the CROCKPOT combine:

two cans of FRENCH ONION SOUP and two cans of water
one package of Good Seasons Dry Italian Dressing Mix
one package of Onion Soup Mix
pepper and garlic powder to taste (no salt though, the french onion soup is very salty)
in the center place a 2-4 pound beef roast (I used sirloin)

Cook all day on low 7-8 hours or on high 4-5 hours.

At about the 6 hour mark - take out the meat and shred or cut into VERY thin slivers and put back in for the remaining time.

I baked two loaves of Pillsbury Italian Bread (in the cylanders like crescent rolls) and cut them open like hoagie buns then cut them each into three buns. I did this all when they were still warm, but not hot.

Spoon some meat and some onion onto the bread.

I served the sandwiches with egg noodles, and poured some of the remaining sauce over top and OH MY WORD, was it good!

ENJOY!

Whats for dinner again?

Tonite was a crazy night because I hadn't planned anything, and I truly hate that. The Steelers are losing, and deserve to be because they are playing like crap. The first seven points they got were a gift from the Ravens, certainly not earned in any way. So this puts me in 'a mood'.

I started to muttle around the kitchen, scrambling for ideas. Me with no dinner plan is just a nightmare. Usually we end up ordering out because I can never get it together in time.

Today, we can not eat out because funds are tight til payday (due to Christmas over-spending). Plus, Mike is home for dinner since he worked the day shift and so I want to have a nice family dinner at the table !

I started to search allrecipes.com for a solution to my problem. One hang up that I always encounter when doing this is that I almost never have chicken broth or campbells soup on hand. i have to make a mental note to get them at the store, just to have them on hand for nights like this.

So, I did an advanced search with some things I did have on hand, and this is what we made. It was pretty good considering it was last minute and I was limited. I would make it again, but I might use colby jack cheese, less flour (for sure!) and ground pepper instead of white.

Chicken Noodle Casserole
PREP TIME 20 Min
COOK TIME 15 Min
READY IN 35 Min
SERVINGS & SCALING
Original recipe yield: 8 servings

INGREDIENTS
2/3 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon olive or canola oil
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
1 1/2 cups chopped carrots
3 celery ribs, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried savory
3 tablespoons butter or stick margarine
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1 1/2 cups 2% milk
1 1/4 cups shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
8 ounces wide egg noodles, cooked and drained

DIRECTIONS
In a large nonstick skillet, saute onion and garlic in oil until tender. Add chicken; cook and stir until no longer pink. Add the broth, carrots, celery and savory. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan, melt butter. Stir in the flour, salt and pepper until smooth. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in cheese until melted. Pour over chicken mixture. Add noodles; mix well.

Transfer to a 3-qt. baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until bubbly.

Baking Christmas Cookies - my favorites

So, last night Maddie and I talked and decided it was time to bake the Christmas cookies. Typically every year in our house, we don't eat them, so they end up going to waste. I try to give them away, but everyone I know bakes too.

Regardless of whether or not they go to waste, we are baking every year. It is just a tradition, and I am going to keep it.

I will post pics or a scrapbook page of the bake-fest later! For now, I have to clean and clean and clean some more. Plus, there is laundry, naps and all that goes along with having two youngins.

So here are my favorite Christmas cookies to bake.

Buckeyes

Combine in a bowl:

1/2 c. butter melted

1-1/2 c. creamy peanut butter

4 c. confectioners sugar (powdered)

1 tsp. vanilla

(consistency will be grainy)

Roll into balls and place on wax paper in the fridge for 30 minutes.

In a double boiler (or you can use a metal bowl over a pot of water), you combine:

2-1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

and 2 tbsp. shortening.

Over medium heat, mix with a fork until smooth

Remove balls from fridge and use a toothpick to pick up them up, and dunk them into the melted chocolate. Leave a spot, so they look like a real buckeye!

Re-place on wax paper.

Continue and then re-refridgerate overnight.

My mom's EASY CHOCOLATE CHIPS

Combine in a bowl,

1/2 c. oil

2 eggs

1 tbsp. water

1 box of yellow cake mix

1 bag of chocolate chips

Use a baller to place dobs on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake at 325º for 10-12 minutes.

Peanut Butter Cookies

1 c. peanut butter

1 c. butter

1 c. sugar

1 c. brown sugar

2-1/2 c. flour

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

2 eggs

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, and roll into balls and place on a cookie sheet.

Bake at 350º for 12-15 minutes.

Press hersheys kiss or m&m in the center of the cookie while still warm.

Pumpkin Roll

3 eggs

1 c. sugar

2/3 c. pumpkin

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. salt

1 c. flour

Combine above ingredients. Grease pan with shortening. Press into pan a piece of greased wax paper. Pour cake ingredients onto wax paper and Bake 15 minutes at 375º. While still hot flip it onto a dish towel covered with powdered sugar and roll it up. Let it cool that way (this is how it will stay closed later!)

Make the filing.

8 oz. cream cheese

3 tbsp. margarine

1 tsp. vanilla

1 c. powdered sugar

When cake has cooled completely, unroll it, take out the towel, put in the filing evenly and roll it back up. Refridgerate!

Soft Sugar Cookies

3 c. flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

2 eggs

1 c. margarine (two sticks)

1 c. sugar

Mix flour, baking powder and baking soda. Separately combine the butter, eggs and sugar.

Now add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and fold together.

Roll with flourered rolling pin out onto a floured board. Cut with cutters and bake at 375º for about 7 minutes.

Decorate individual cookies with frosting, colored sugar or candies.

What is for dinner again?

So, I didn't make the Crumby Chicken tonite. Mike isn't home, and I want to save that for an evening that he is (and also, I forgot to defrost the chicken... pretty important part of the dish!)



Therefore, tonite we had Ham and Egg tart! Love them, super easy and kids like them too!

We often change up and put different things in them (olives, mushrooms, brocolli, bacon etc) depending on what I have on hand.



HAM AND EGG PUFFS


1/4 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 cup cubed fully cooked ham
1 (8 ounce) package refrigerated crescent rolls
4 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup shredded your favorite cheese (swiss or cheddar)
1 tablespoon minced chives (if you have them, if not.... don't use em)



In a skillet, saute onion in butter until tender. Remove from the heat; stir in ham and set aside. Unroll crescent roll dough into one long rectangle. Press onto the bottom and 1 in. up the sides of a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish; seal seams and perforations. Spread with reserved ham mixture. In a bowl, beat eggs, milk, salt and pepper; stir in cheese. Pour over ham. Sprinkle with chives. Bake at 375 degrees F for 23-28 minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean. Refrigerate leftovers. I usually serve it with home fries or fried potatoes.

Typically we have this for dinner, but occasionally make it for breakfast too!

What is for dinner tonite? Act III

So, Mike switched with another guy at work so instead of working daylight today, he is AGAIN 2-10! I hate that schedule. I like to eat dinner as a family, but oh well... it was nice of him to switch so that the other guy wouldn't have to work a quick turn.

Anyway, so I was stumped for dinner tonite. I talked to my mom, and I am going over there for spaghetti tonite. But this is what I was going to cook! I will probably make this tomorrow since I already defrosted the chicken! But who can pass up mom's spaghetti!

Crumby Chicken!
4 boneless chicken breasts
1/2 stick of butter/margarine
2 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 c. breadcrumbs (I use seasoned)
1/8 c. grated parmesan cheese (I use a container of grated, not the powder shaker kid)
1/8 tsp. pepper
3/4 c. grated cheddar cheese (again I grate it fresh from a block)

Melt butter w/ garlic and place in a flat bowl. Mix breadcrumbs, cheeses and pepper and put in a large ziplok baggie. Dip chicken in the garlic butter, then put in the baggie with the breadcrumb mixture and shake.

Place chicken in lightly greased baking dish, pour any extra garlic and breadcrumbs over top. Bake on 350° for about 45-55 minutes.

I serve this with steamed brocolli and cauliflower and fried rice or stuffing depending on my mood.

Whats for dinner tonite? Act II

Ok, so I have GOT to cook tonite. Especially since Mike will be home for dinner tonite (YEAAH!). So I have ground meat, pork chops and some crap in the freezer.

A friend of mine sent me a recipe not so long ago for Smothering Pork Chops. I think I will go with that. I will let you know how it goes!!!!

Here is the recipe:

Smothered Poke-chops ( from Jenee )
4-thin cut, boneless pork chops, or thick cut pounded thin.
favorite seasoning (steak season, or some type of season all, or just season how you want)
Package or 2 of Brown Gravy mix
chicken broth

Heat 2 or 3 tbsp oil in a heavy skillet.
Season chops WELL.
Dredge chops in flour, and shake off excess.
When oil is hot, place chops in.
Let brown on one side, until almost burnt..You want them GOOD and brown.
Flip and repeat.

When both sides are nice and brown (don't worry about them being cooked through) take them out and put on a plate.

CAREFULLY add about 1 cup of chicken broth to the pan, water works ok too.
Now scrape all the browned bits of flour and junk from the bottom of the pan.

It may thicken up, it may not. Once all of the junk from the bottom is loosened up, place chops back in, turn heat to medium-low.

Sometimes it thickens up on it's own, if not, you can add cornstarch or extra flour. But I always opt for the gravy mix, It gives it some ooomph!

In separate bowl, mix water and gravy mix, and dump into pan with chops.

Cover, stirring occasionally. The longer you cook the moretender the chops are. You may need to hit it with some more seasonings. Up to you! I cook for at least an hour..Serve over rice!

YUM! We usually add a salad, and a veggie or two. Usually honey butter carrots, and some corn, or g-beans!