Cheese & Herb Stuffed Chicken

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.


6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin
Salt & Pepper
1 small tub of flavored cream cheese (chive & onion, garden vegetable)
4 T melted butter
1 large container French's Fried Onions, crushed


Season chicken breasts and place 1 T cream cheese in center of each breast. Roll up and secure with a toothpick. Dip in melted butter, then the crushed onions. Place on a greased baking sheet and bake for 35 minutes or until done.


This is great served with chicken/broccoli rice mix and a California veggie medley.

Simply Cheese Enchiladas

Ingredients:

3 c. shredded Cheddar-Jack blend cheese
5 oz. (half of the tub) Philly Cooking Creme, Santa Fe blend
1 c. picante sauce
1 medium diced red bell pepper
1/2 c. sliced green onions
1 can diced green chilies
8 flour tortillas

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray.

Combine 2 cups of Cheddar-Jack cheese, cooking creme, 1/4 c. picante sauce, pepper, onion, and chilies. Mix well. Spoon filling into center of each tortilla. Roll and place seam side down in pan.

Mix remaining cooking creme with remaining picante sauce. Pour over top of enchiladas, sprinkle with remaining cup of shredded cheese.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until heated through and cheese is melted. Serve topped with lettuce, shredded cheddar, sliced green onions, and black olives. A side dish of creamy guacamole and tortilla chips round out this meal nicely!

You can also add 1 lb. of cooked ground beef or 2 c. cooked, shredded chicken to the cheese mix.

Simply Chicken Pot Pie

Preheat oven to 375.

2 chicken breasts, bone-in, skin on
olive oil
salt
pepper

Place chicken breasts on a sheet pan sprayed with cooking spray. Drizzle olive oil over chicken breasts and sprinkle liberally with salt & pepper. Roast at 375 for 35-40 minutes, or until juices run clear. Set aside to cool. When cool enough to handle, remove skin, and pull meat from the bone, cut into bite-sized chunks.

1/2 onion, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
1 T butter

In a medium saucepan, saute onion & celery in the butter until softened. Remove from pan & set aside.

4 T (1/2 stick) butter
1/4 c. flour
2 c. milk
Bag of frozen mixed veggies

In same saucepan, melt the butter. Add in flour to make a roux. Add in milk, stirring until thickened. Add in mixed veggies, onion/celery mixture, and chicken. Mix well and remove from heat.

2 pie crusts (refrigerated or homemade)

Place 1 pie crust in bottom of a pie pan. Fill with chicken mixture. Top with remaining crust ~ carefully tuck in around the sides and crimp edges. Brush with cream and dust with salt and pepper. Cut slits on top to allow steam to escape.

Bake at 375 for an hour. If the top seems to be getting too brown, cover with foil. Serve with a salad and have jello for dessert. Yummy!

Simply Farmhouse Chicken

Just tried this new recipe and all three kiddos loved it ~ 3 thumbs up! Super easy & very tasty!


Preheat oven to 350.

2 bone-in chicken breasts, with skin
olive oil
salt & pepper
1 T butter
1 medium onion, diced
4 celery ribs, diced
4 T butter
4 T flour
2 c. milk
1 pkg. chicken-flavored stuffing mix, prepared according to directions

Spray baking sheet with PAM. Place chicken breasts on baking sheet and drizzle olive oil over the tops. Sprinkle with salt & pepper. Roast chicken breasts for 30-40 minutes or until juices run clear.
While chicken is roasting, make stuffing mix and set aside to cool. Saute onions and celery in 1 T of butter until translucent and softened. Transfer to a bowl. In same saucepan, melt 4 T butter and add in flour to make a roux. Cook for about 1 minute, then add in milk. Cook until thickened.
Once chicken is roasted, pull back the skin and cut out the meat. Cut into bite-sized chunks. Add to white sauce, along with onion/celery mixture. Season to taste.
Pour chicken mixture into greased 8x8 square pan. Top with prepared stuffing. Bake for 20 minutes or until bubbly and top is golden brown.


* I got the idea of roasting chicken from Ina Garten, aka "The Barefoot Contessa". Roasting the chicken this way makes it SO flavorful & juicy ~ it's worth the extra trouble!

Simply Ham and Scalloped Potatoes

I love making this in the crockpot, but you can make it to bake in the oven, too!

Ingredients:
2 T. butter, melted
1/2-3/4 c. minced onion
4-6 potatoes, peeled and sliced thin
1 ham steak, cut into bite-size pieces
1 can cream of celery soup
1 small can evaporated milk
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
Saute onion in butter until golden and transluscent. Spray 9x11 dish or crockpot with cooking spray. Mix soup and milk together. Layer baking dish of choice with potatoes, onions, ham and cheese. Finish with cheese layer ~ pour soup mixture over all. If baking in the oven, cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake 10-15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly. If using the Crockpot, turn to low and cook for 6-8 hours, or until potatoes are soft.

I serve this with green beans or mixed veggies. A tossed salad would be good, too. Enjoy!

Simply Dad's Favorite Casserole

Ingredients:

2 c, uncooked noodles
1 lb. lean hamburger, browned
1/2 c. diced onion, sauted in 1 T butter
1 c. cottage cheese
1 c. milk
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 c. grated cheddar cheese
1 beaten egg

Directions:
Cook the noodles in boiling salted water just under al dente. Drain. Mix the browned hamburger, onion and cottage cheese together. In a greased 2 qt. casserole, layer 1/3 of the noodles and 1/2 of meat mixture. Repeat, ending with noodles. Combine milk and soup together. Pour over top of casserole and sprinkle with grated cheese. Pour beaten egg over cheese. Bake, covered, at 350 for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes or until golden.

This was one of my mom's go-to meals when I was growing up. She usually served peas on the side as well as the constant plate of bread and butter that went with every meal. I remember her serving strawberry Jello with Cool Whip as dessert.

Simply Creamy Chicken Crescents

Ingredients:
1 tube Pillsbury crescent rolls
1 8-oz. package cream cheese at room temperature
2 T. butter, melted
1 T. chopped chives
2 green onions, minced and sauted until softened
2 cooked chicken breasts, shredded
1/4 c. crushed croutons

Directions:
Mix cream cheese, 1 T of the butter, chives, onions and chicken together. Set aside. Unroll crescents and separate into 4 rectangles and pinch perforations firmly to seal. I make the squares a bit thinner with a rolling pin. Spoon 1/4 of chicken mixture to top of crescent square. Pull up four corners of dough to top center of chicken mixture. Twist and seal edges. Brush tops with remaining butter and sprinkle with crouton crumbs. Place on greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
I like to serve this with chicken/broccoli flavored Rice-a-Roni and California mix frozen veggies.

Simply Meatloaf ~ 3 Ways

Ingredients:

Meatloaf Base
1 1/2 lb. lean hamburger (the leaner the better)
1/2 c. quick-cook oatmeal
1/2 c. minced onion
2 eggs
2/3 c. milk
salt and pepper to taste
1 c. shredded cheese of choice

Cheeses:
American style ~ Cheddar
Italian style ~ Italian cheese blend
Mexican style ~ Mexican cheese blend


Directions:

I usually saute the onion a little butter. Beat eggs into the milk. Add in hamburger, onions, oats, seasonings, and cheese of choice. Combine, but mix lightly ~ if mixed too much, the loaves get too dense. Spray a 9x13 Pyrex with cooking spray. Form mixture into 8 individual loaves. Spoon desired topping over and bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.

Topping:
American style ~ (Mix together 2/3 c. ketchup, 1/2 c. brown sugar, 1 1/2 t mustard)
Italian style ~ Favorite jarred spaghetti sauce
Mexican style ~ Picante sauce or queso

For American style, I usually serve mac-n-cheese and green beans to complete the meal.
For Italian style, tri-colored or regular rotini would be a great side with the remaining spaghetti sauce. A salad would round things out.
For Mexican style, Mexican-flavored rice and mixed vegetables would add great color.

Simply Baked Pasta

Ingredients:

1/2 -3/4 package ziti or penne pasta
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 c. ricotta cheese
1 egg, beaten
1 T. chives
1/2 c. shredded Parmesan
1 c. mozzarella

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Cook pasta according to package directions. Mix ricotta with egg and add in chives. Spray a 9x13 Pyrex with cooking spray. Layer pasta, spaghetti sauce, ricotta mixture, Parmesan and mozzarella. Continue until used up. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Serve with salad and garlic toast.

Hey, girls, I've recently discovered fresh mozzarella and I love it! You can usually find it in the specialty cheeses section at the grocery store. It's round, and even comes in little pearl-like balls. It sometimes comes packed in water. It's a little pricey, but SO worth it! The taste is SO much better than the typical rubbery stuff that's pre-shredded. Give it a try!

Simply Ham and Swiss Stromboli

Ingredients:

1 tube Pillsbury French Loaf bread
1 package Virginia brand ham
1/2 c. shredded Swiss cheese
4 green onions, minced
6 slices bacon, cooked and chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Unroll bread. Cover with ham slices. Layer on cheese, onions and bacon. Re-roll loaf. Place seam-side down on baking sheet. Make 5-6 diagonal slashes across loaf, width-wise. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden. I like to serve this with chips and a fruit salad.

For a twist, use turkey and colby-jack, or roast beef and cheddar. You could make it "club style" using all three meats and cheeses.

Simply Stroganoff

Ingredients:

1/2 c. diced onion
1 clove minced garlic
1 T melted butter
1 lb. lean hamburger (However, I always use the leftover Sunday roast!)
1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can reduced sodium beef broth
1 cup sour cream (8 oz. container)
salt and pepper
season-all salt
1 T chives
noodles (cooked according to package directions)

Directions:

Saute onion and garlic in butter until translucent. Add in meat of choice. Drain excess fat if using hamburger. Add soup and broth to desired consistency. (I pour any remaining broth into noodle cooking liquid.) When ready to serve, stir in sour cream, and seasonings (to taste). Serve over noodles. A great side dish is steamed baby carrots.

Simply Fettuccini Alfredo

Ingredients:

1 pint heavy cream
1/2 stick butter
2 T. cream cheese
3/4 c. shredded Parmesan cheese
1 t. garlic powder
1 package fettuccini noodles
1 T. chopped fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley

Directions:

Combine cream, butter and cream cheese in a saucepan. Simmer on low until cream cheese and butter melts, whisking well. Add in Parmesan cheese and garlic. Simmer 15-20 minutes on low.
Meanwhile, cook fettuccini noodles according to package directions. Drain. Place noodles on a platter and top with Alfredo sauce. Sprinkle with extra Parmesan and parsley. I serve this with salad and breadsticks. BTW ~ this is Olive Garden's recipe, according to Recipe Czar.

Simply Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients:

2-3 lb. pork tenderloin
1 t. salt
1 t. pepper
1 t. rubbed sage
1/4 c. chicken broth

Make a dry rub with the salt, pepper and sage. Coat the tenderloin completely. Place in greased baking dish and add broth to the pan. Bake, covered at 325 for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake an addition 30-35 minutes, basting with the pan juices.

I like to serve this with a Raspberry Sauce, (recipe follows) Buttery Chive Potatoes, (recipe follows) and a vegetable side.

Raspberry Sauce
1 pkg. frozen raspberries, thawed
1 1/2 c. sugar
Pinch salt
1/4 c. white vinegar
1/4 c. corn starch
1 T butter
1 T lemon juice

Drain raspberries, reserving liquid. Set berries aside. Add enough water to raspberry liquid to measure 3/4 cup. In a saucepan, combine sugar, salt, vinegar and 1/2 c. raspberry juice. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered for 10 minutes.
Combine cornstarch with remaining raspberry juice until smooth; stir into saucepan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir 2 minutes, or until thickened.
Remove from heat. Stir in butter, lemon juice, and reserved raspberries. ~ Leftovers are great heated and served over vanilla ice cream ~

Buttery Chive Potatoes
4 Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
1/2 stick butter
1 T chopped chives
1/4 t. Kosher salt
1/8 t. cracked black pepper

Boil potatoes in salted water until fork tender. Drain and set aside potatoes. Melt the butter and add in chives, cooking slightly. Add potatoes and toss so that they are covered with butter mixture. Sprinkle with Kosher salt and cracked black pepper.

Simply "Ritzy" Chicken

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/4 c. chicken broth
1/2 c. sour cream
1/4 c. diced onion
1 T melted butter
1/2 t. Season-All salt
1/2 t. pepper
1 T. chives
1 sleeve Ritz crackers, crushed (I prefer"Chicken in a Biscuit")
1/2 stick melted butter

Directions:

Saute onion in butter until softened. Place chicken in a greased 9x13 Pyrex pan. In a medium bowl, mix onions, soup, broth, sour cream and spices together. Spoon over chicken, then sprinkle crackers over the top. Pour melted butter over all. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake an additonal 15 minutes, or until crackers are golden brown.
I usually serve this with a prepared wild rice mix (like Rice-a-Roni or Uncle Ben's) and mixed vegetables.

Simply Spaghetti

Ingredients:

1/2 medium onion, diced
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T melted butter
1 lb. lean hamburger
1 pkg. "Thick~n~Zesty" spaghetti mix
1 T sugar
1 small can no-salt tomato sauce
1 small can no-salt tomato paste
1 small can mushroom slices, drained
1 c. water
1 lb. package spaghetti
8 oz. package grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Saute onion and garlic in melted butter. Cook about 2 minutes, until soft and translucent. Add hamburger and cook until browned. Drain excess fat. Add tomato sauce, paste, mushrooms, water, mix and sugar. Heat thouroghly.

Meanwhile, cook spaghetti according to package directions. Drain well. Place pasta in large bowl and pour sauce over the top. Sprinkle with cheese and serve. I usually serve this with salad and garlic bread.