French Toast

6 slices of white bread
2 eggs
2/3 cups of milk
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
salt to taste

1. Beat together eggs,milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and vanilla extract.
2. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or skillet over medium-high flame.
3. Dunk each slice of bread in egg mixture, soaking both sides. Place in skillet or griddle, cool on both sides until golden. Serve Hot.

This is one of my favorite breakfast foods!Its simple and delicious!

Slow Cooker Fajitas

From: A taste of Home

Ingredients:
1-1/2 pounds boneless sirloin steak, cut into thin strips
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 large green pepper, julienned
1 large onion, julienned
6 to 8 flour tortillas (8 inches)
Shredded cheddar cheese, salsa, sour cream, lettuce and tomatoes, optional
Directions:
In a skillet, brown the steak in oil over medium heat. Place steak and drippings in a 3-qt. slow cooker. Add lemon juice, garlic, cumin, salt, chili powder and red pepper flakes; mix well.
Cover and cook on high for 2-1/2 to 3 hours or until meat is almost tender. Add green pepper and onion; cover and cook for 1 hour or until meat and vegetables are tender.
Warm tortillas according to package directions; spoon beef and vegetables down the center of tortillas. Top each with cheese, salsa, sour cream, lettuce and tomatoes, if desired.

Note: I also saw this recipe with the fajitas seasoning packet. I just didn't have it so I tried this one instead.Overall a great recipe. Its alot of work(as you could simply just sautee everthing on the stove) but the meat is very tender, therefore it was worth it. My meat cooked really fast (it was tender about after an hour and a half. I also sauteed the veggies on the stove for extra flavor and then added them to the meat after about 15 minutes!

Salmon and Shrimp with Garlic Rice

From: A taste of Home
Ingredients:
5 tablespoons butter, divided
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups half-and-half cream
1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
1/4 teaspoon dill weed
Dash cayenne pepper
1/2 pound medium uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
1-1/2 pounds salmon fillets
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup uncooked long grain rice
2 cups chicken broth
Directions:
In a large saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons butter. Stir in flour until smooth; gradually add cream. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add 1 cup cheese, salt, mustard, dill and cayenne; stir until cheese is melted. Remove from the heat; stir in shrimp.
Pat salmon dry; place in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Pour shrimp mixture over salmon. Top with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 25-30 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork and shrimp turn pink.
Meanwhile, in a saucepan, saute garlic in remaining butter until tender. Add rice; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Stir in broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 15 minutes or until rice is tender. Serve with the salmon and shrimp mixture. Yield: 6 servings.

This came out GREAT! The sauce tasted very good. Overall a great way to cook up some salmon

Monterrey Chicken

Monterrey Chicken from What's for dinner?
Ingredients:

4-6 chicken breasts
4-6 T bbq sauce
4-6 slices bacon
grated cheddar
grated Monterrey jack

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Place chicken breasts in greased glass baking dish. Top each with 1T bbq sauce and one piece bacon. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Sprinkle cheeses on top and bake another 10 minutes.

Review: Simple. Delicious. Overall a good weeknight meal!

New England Clam Chowder

From Better Homes and Gardens
Ingredients
1 pint shucked clams or two 6-1/2-ounce cans minced clams
2 slices bacon, halved
2-1/2 cups chopped, peeled potato (3 medium)
1 cup chopped onion (1 large)
1 teaspoon instant chicken bouillon granules
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups milk
1 cup half-and-half or light cream
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Directions
1. Chop fresh clams, if using, reserving juice; set clams aside. Strain clam juice to remove bits of shell. (Or, drain canned clams, reserving juice.) If necessary, add enough water to reserved clam juice to equal 1 cup. Set juice aside.

2. In a large saucepan cook bacon until crisp. Remove bacon, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings in pan. Drain bacon on paper towels; crumble bacon and set aside.

3. Stir reserved 1 cup clam juice, potato, onion, bouillon granules, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, and pepper into saucepan. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, about 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. With the back of a fork, mash potatoes slightly against the side of the pan.

4. Stir together milk, half-and-half, and flour; add to potato mixture. Cook and stir until slightly thickened and bubbly. Stir in clams. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes more or until heated through. Sprinkle each serving with crumbled bacon.

5. Makes 4 servings (6 cups)

Review: This didn't turn out very well. The clam juice burned within the first few minutes of cooking, so that became the overpowering flavor throughout the dish and therefore I was unable to truly taste thte clam flavor. Therefore for those of you that will attempt this recipe, please be aware that the clam juice will burn and to continue to stir the pot.

Creany Itilian Chicken

Ingredients:
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 package dry Italian Seasons Dressing Mix
1 8 oz cream cheese
1/2 stick butter, melted
1 can cream of chicken soup

Place chicken in crock pot and pour melted butter, and sprinkle italian dressing mix over the top.
Cook on low for 8 hours, or high for 4.
Remove chicken from crock pot and set aside. Add cream cheese and stir until incorporated, then add cream of chicken soup and mix well.
Add chicken back into crock pot (you can shred the chicken first if you prefer)
Cook on high 15 minutes then serve over rice

Another recipe from What's Cookin?

This was simple and made with ingridents we had in our pantry. Yet I think I would add the soup and cream cheese a little earlier so the flavors had time to blend. Not a favororite by any means but simple!

Mexican Lasagna

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 large onion, halved and cut into thin wedges
1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
2 cups (16 oz) fat-free ricotta cheese
1 cup (8 oz) reduced-fat sour cream
1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, if desired
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 cups salsa
8 corn tortillas (6-inch diameter), cut in half
1 1/4 cups shredded low-fat Monterrey Jack cheese (5 oz)


1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch rectangular baking dish with cooking spray.


2. Spray large skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium heat. Add chicken; cook and stir 5 minutes or until no longer pink. Remove to a medium bowl. Wipe skillet with paper towel. Spray with cooking spray. Heat over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, 7 to 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Add to chicken in the bowl.


3. In another medium bowl, stir together ricotta, sour cream, green chilies, cilantro, cumin and salt.


4. Spread 1 cup of the salsa across bottom of prepared baking dish. Arrange half of the tortillas evenly over salsa. Spread half of the ricotta mixture over tortillas. Top with half of the chicken mixture. Top with 1 cup of the remaining salsa and 1/2 cup cheese. Repeat layering with remaining tortillas, ricotta mixture and chicken mixture. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup salsa and 3/4 cup cheese.


5. Bake 30 minutes or until heated through. Loosely cover with foil if the cheese browns too quickly.


Another great recipe from What's Cookin? Simple and Delicious. The cheese blend however was not heated through so I returned to the oven for about 10 more minutes and this did the trick. I also didn't have Monetary Jack so I used a Mexican Blend

Quick Pasta Dishes

I tried these two pasta dishes. They were simple weeknight meals, but I would rate neither very highly. I may attempt the Chessy Pasta again with meat

Easy Pasta Bake

8 ounces uncooked pasta
1 jar (1 lb. 10 ounces) garlic and onion spaghetti sauce
1 envelope Italian salad dressing mix (the secret ingredient)
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded mozzarella

Cook pasta according to package directions: drain. In a bowl, combine the spaghetti sauce and salad dressing mix; add pasta and toss to coat. Transfer to a greased shallow 2 qt baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 400 for 15-20 minutes or until heated through. 4 servings.


Cheesy Pasta Casserole (Pictured above)
INGREDIENTS:
• 1 pkg. egg noodles, cooked and drained (or 1 1/2 pkgs spaghetti)
• 1 package ground turkey, chicken or beef, cooked (optional) (we used chicken breasts, boiled then chopped up finely)
• 1 jar tomato sauce
• 1 8oz pkg of cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sour cream
• garlic salt, pepper, Mrs. Dash
• 1 block of shredded cheddar cheese
Directions:
1. Mix the softened cream cheese with sour cream, seasonings, and tomato sauce together.
2. Place small amount of sauce down in 2 casserole dishes to prevent sticking (I have one 13"x9" and one slightly smaller we use).
3. Place the cooked egg noodles/spaghetti and chopped chicken/beef/turkey into sauce, blending together, then pour into casserole dishes.
4. Cover with shredded cheese.
5. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

*Once again these were both from another blog, let me know if they are yours.

Meal Plan Monday

Monday: Mexican Lasagna
Tuesday: Left Overs
Wednesday: Clam Choweder
Thursday: Monteray Chicken
Friday: Lobster Pizza
Saturday: Crockpot Fajitas
Sunday: Dinner out

Chimichangs

Chimichangas recipe from Business of Feeding a Family
1 lb. cooked, shredded chicken or beef (see below for what I usually do**)
1½ cup salsa (your favorite kind)
16 oz. refried beans
4 oz. diced green chilies
1 envelope Taco Seasoning
16 burrito size flour tortillas
16 oz. Jack cheese, cut into 16 sticks
Red Enchilada Sauce (to drizzle on top)
toppings: sour cream, lettuce, guacamole etc
In a skillet combine shredded meat, salsa, beans, un-drained chilies, and taco seasoning. Cook over medium heat until heated through. Warm tortillas (optional). For each chimi, place 1/3 cup mixture atop tortilla near one edge. Top with a cheese stick. Fold in sides, roll up starting with the mixture/cheese side first. Wrap each chimi individually in foil. Bake on a cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake until crisp and brown, about 17-20 minutes more. Warm the Red Enchilada Sauce and drizzle over top of each chimi. Serve topped with sour cream, lettuce, tomato, etc.

These tasted good. I liked the fact that the tortilla came out crispy even though it wasn't fried. Great basic recipe. Next time I'll switch it up to give it a different flavor. I left out the chiles and added only a small amout of salsa because the taco seasoning had good flavor. I added onion to the skillet with the chicken.

Sailsbury Steak and Oven Fries

• Salisbury Steak I know this recipe came off a blog as I was searching but I didn't write down the link, please let me know if it is yours!

1 lb Lean Ground Beef
1/3 Cup Bread Crumbs or Cracker Crumbs (I used bread crumbs)
½ tsp Salt
¼ tsp Pepper
1 Egg
Small Onion Sliced (I used half an onion) (Optional)
1 Can Condensed Beef Broth
1 – 4oz Can Sliced Mushrooms (Drained) (I left these out)
2 T. Cornstarch
2T Water
1 - Packet Brown Gravy Mix or 1 - Jar/Can Brown Gravy ( I used the mix)

Mix First 5 ingredients together and shape into ovals about ¾ inches thick. Cook patties in a skillet turning once until brown. Add onion, mushroom, and beef broth heat to boiling. Reduce heat cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove patties to a casserole dish and keep warm. Heat mixture until boiling. Mix water and cornstarch together to make a paste. Add to boiling mixture with a wire whisk and whisk until gravy begins to thicken. The add 1 packet of brown or mushroom gravy that has been mixed with one cup of water and add to the beef broth gravy. Using the wire whisk again whisk the gravy until it is smooth and thickened. Then pour the gravy over the patties in the casserole dish and bake at 350 until bubbly or put patties in crock pot and cover with gravy and cook on low for 3 hours (I did it in the oven). Serve with rice, mashed potatoes or noodles

2 1/2 pounds baking potatoes
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 pinch ground cayenne pepper


DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with foil, and coat well with vegetable cooking spray. Scrub potatoes well and cut into 1/2 inch thick fries.
2. In a large mixing bowl, toss potatoes with oil, sugar, salt and red pepper. Spread on baking sheet in one layer.
3. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until potatoes are tender and browned. Serve immediately.


The Salisbury steak was extremely flavorful! The sauce was good as well. Overall great main dish. It was however a little more time consuming then first expected. The oven fries were not the right combination of flavors for us. We will not be making the fries this way again.

Meal Plan Monday

So I got this idea from another website. I know its nothing new but I think that meal planing helps make for a smooth transistion throughout the week.

Monday: Chicken Fried Rice and Easy Garlic Chicken
Tuesday: Sailsubary Steak, mashed potatoes and green beans
Wednesday:Chessy Pasta Casorole, Baked Fries
Thursday: Chicken Chimmighanas, Mexican Rice
Friday: Mexican Lasagna and Pioneer women Potatoes.
Saturday:Steak Fajitas, Mexican Rice
Sunday: Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Chicken Fried Rice and Garlic chicken

Easy Garlic Chicken

3 T butter
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 cloves of crushed garlic
1 tsp seasoning salt
1 tsp onion powder


Melt butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Mix garlic, seasoning salt and onion powder together. Rub mixture on the chicken. Saute chicken in butter for about 10 to 15 minutes on each side, or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear.

Chicken Fried Rice

1 to 2 Chicken breasts or 10 Chicken Tenders (cut into small pieces)
3 Scrambled eggs
2 Carrots (finely grated)
1/2 White onion (finely chopped)
3/4 cup Frozen peas (I leave these out)
1/2 cup Butter
1 to 2 Garlic cloves (Crushed) or 1 teaspoon of garlic Powder (My family likes the garlic powder, It gives it a stronger garlic flavor)
5-6 cups White rice (cooked)

Marinate chicken in soy sauce, if you do not have much time, mix it with chicken before cooking. (I pull my chicken out of the freezer and put the soy sauce on it. Then it can marinate in the soy sauce while it thaws. When it's thawed and ready then I cut it up) In a large frying pan (Very large frying pan) cook chicken in small amount of olive oil, add carrots and onions and sauté until clear Add frozen peas and cook until soft. Then add the rice to the mixture. In another pan, scramble three eggs, chop finely and add to mixture Add butter and garlic, stir until butter is all melted


Review: I didn't particullary care for the specific recipe that I tried for fried rice.I'll have to play around with it and get it to my particular liking.

The Garlic chicken was simple, and esay. It was not what I had planned to make, but it turned out good. Makes a great weekenight dinner (Must like garlic).

Pork Marsala

Ingredients
• 4 (4-ounce) boneless pork loin chops, trimmed of fat
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
• 1/4 teaspoon(s) ground black pepper
• 3 teaspoon(s) olive oil
• 1 package(s) (10-ounce) sliced cremini or white mushrooms
• 1 large shallot, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) dried thyme or 1 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1 pound(s) asparagus, ends trimmed
• 1/2 cup(s) reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1/3 cup(s) Marsala wine
Directions
1. Evenly season pork chops, on both sides, with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper.
2. In 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat 2 teaspoons oil on medium 1 minute. Add chops and cook 6 minutes or until browned on the outside and still slightly pink in the center, turning over once. Transfer chops to platter; keep warm.
3. In same skillet, heat remaining oil 1 minute. Add mushrooms, shallot, and thyme; cook 5 minutes or until mushrooms are browned and shallot is softened.
4. Meanwhile, place asparagus in glass pie plate with 2 tablespoons water; cover and cook in microwave on High 3 to 3 1/2 minutes or until fork-tender. Set aside.
5. Add broth and wine to mushroom mixture; cook 2 minutes. Place chops on 4 dinner plates; top with wine sauce. Serve with asparagus and, if you like, rice

Review: I didn't have asparagus so I left it out of this recipe. Overall it was a good recipe. I think next time I make this I'll add the pork back into the skillet and allow it to simmer with the wine sauce for a bit so that the pork can absorb some of the flavor.



I served the pork chops with pasta. I simply boiled a package of bow tie pasta and then heated some olive oil and a tablespoon of Parmesan cheese and drizzled over the pasta. Light and simple!

HERSHEY'S "PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" Chocolate Cake

HERSHEY'S "PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" Chocolate Cake
Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water
"PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING(recipe follows)
Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.

2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.

3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost with "PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING. 10 to 12 servings.

VARIATIONS:
ONE-PAN CAKE: Grease and flour 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Heat oven to 350° F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely. Frost.

THREE LAYER CAKE: Grease and flour three 8-inch round baking pans. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost.

BUNDT CAKE: Grease and flour 12-cup Bundt pan. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 50 to 55 minutes. Cool 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely. Frost.

CUPCAKES: Line muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in diameter) with paper bake cups. Heat oven to 350°F. Fill cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake 22 to 25 minutes. Cool completely. Frost. About 30 cupcakes.


"PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
2/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


Review: I didn't make the frosting, but this cake was esay to make and very moist! Overall great Recipe!
Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. About 2 cups frosting.

Shrimp Alfredo

1 pound fettuccini pasta
1 tablespoon butter
1 pound cooked shrimp - peeled and deveined
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup half-and-half
6 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
salt to taste

DIRECTIONS
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
In a large skillet, saute shrimp and garlic in the butter for about one minute. Pour in half and half; stir. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese in one tablespoon at a time, stirring constantly. After all Parmesan is added, mix in parsley and salt. Stir frequently making sure it does not boil. Sauce will take a while to thicken.
When sauce has thickened, combine with cooked pasta noodles; serve hot.

Great tasting and esay! The sauce took a long time to thicken, it thickend best when removed from heat.

Portuguese Sweet Rice

Portuguese Sweet Rice from Portuguese Menu

Ingredients:

4 Large Cups of Milk
1 Cup of Water
1 Cup of White Rice
1 Cup of Sugar (or less)
1 Tsp Butter
2 eggs beaten
1 Strip of Fresh Lemon Peel
1 Cinnamon stick (optional)
Ground Cinnamon to Sprinkle


Directions:

Put the rice and the water with the stick of cinnamon and 2 cups of milk in a pan. Cook it in medium heat for about 20 minutes. When necessary add the rest of the milk but don´t allow it to boil. When the rice is tender add the sugar, the butter, the lemon and mix well. Cook the rice for another five minutes.
Then, remove the pan from the heat, remove the cinnamon stick and the lemon and stir in the beaten eggs. Mix it well, until the eggs have incorporated in the rice.
To serve the sweet rice you can use either a serving dish, soup plates or bowls. Finally, sprinkle the sweet rice with ground cinnamon and you can serve both hot, like we do in Portugal, or cold after refrigerate it for a few hours.

Review: This was soo good. It tastes just like my mother in law used to make it. It did take a lot longer to cook then the recipe stated. My rice came out a little watery, so I think the next time I make it I will take my time and like it soak up the juices. This recipe dose have the right flavor though!

Porcupine Meatballs

I saw this recipe Business of Feeding a family
1 lb. hamburger
1/2 c. uncooked rice
1/2 c. water
1/3 c. onion, chopped
1/2 tsp. celery salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1 egg
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
1-2 cans of stewed diced tomatoes (not drained)
1 c. water
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
Seasonings as desired (oregano, pepper, garlic salt, Tabasco sauce)

Mix hamburger, uncooked rice, water, onion, celery salt, garlic powder, salt & pepper. Add an egg to help hold it all together. Shape into (about 16) balls and cook in skillet until all sides are brown. In a separate bowl, mix tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes, 1 c. water and Worcestershire sauce and pour over meatballs. Heat to boiling. Add desired seasonings. Cover and simmer on low for 45 minutes. (Add water during cooking if necessary.) Serve over cooked rice. Serves 6.

Note: This takes about ½ hour to make and 45 minutes to simmer, so 1 hour and 15 minutes, from start to ready to eat.

This was simple. I did not have onion at home so I left it out. Overall I really liked the flavor of the recipe. Marco didn't really like it, but couldn't describe why. Liliana ate some of it!

Ingredients
Bread Crumb Topping
3 slices white sandwich bread (good-quality, about 6 ounces), torn into rough pieces
2 tablespoons unsalted butter (cold), cut into 6 pieces

Pasta and Cheese
8oz elbow macaroni
1/2 cup of chopped onion
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons powdered mustard
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
2.5 cups milk
1/8 cup of pepper
8 ounces American cheese , shredded (2 cups)
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese , shredded (2 cups)

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350.

For the bread crumbs: Pulse bread and butter in food processor until crumbs are no larger than 1/8 inch, ten to fifteen 1-second pulses. Set aside.

Cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain; set aside.

Menwhile for cheese sauce, in a medium sauepan cook oion in hot butter until tender but not brown. Stir in flour, pepper, and mustard. Add milk all at once. Cook and stir over medium heat until slightly thickened and bubbly. Add cheese, stirring until melted. Stir in cooked pasta. Transfer to a baking dish. Then sprinkle evenly with bread crumbs.

Bake uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes or until bubbly and heated. Let stand for 10 minutes.

I have never made homemade mac and cheese. Liliana loved it(my 2 year old). It was good and had just the right amount of cheese!

Shepard's Pie

8 servings of instant mashed potatoes.
1 onion chopped
2 cloves of garlic chrused
1 pound ground beef
1 can of corn
6 slices American cheese
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed golden mushroom soup
3 teaspoons butter (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Prepare 8 servings of instant mashed potatoes as directed on box
Brown the onion, garlic and ground beef into a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir until evenly browned. Drain off the grease, then stir in the golden mushroom soup and corn. Transfer to an 8 inch square baking dish, and place the slices of cheese over the meat. Spread the mashed potatoes evenly over the top. Dot with butter.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the top is golden brown.

Review: This was good, but I think the next time I make it I will leave out the corn. Simple . My 2 year old daughter loved it!

Crock pot Baked Potato Soup

This is another great recipe from the ladies over at What's Cookin?


2 potatoes
3 T. Butter
2 C. chopped white onion
2 T. all-purpose flour
4 C. chicken stock
2 C. water
1 1/2 C. instant mashed potato flakes
1 t. salt
3/4 t. pepper
1/2 t. basil
1/8 t. thyme
1 C. half & half
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 lb. bacon cooked and chopped
2 green onions, chopped

Peel and dice potatoes and boil until almost tender. Drain, Meanwhile, cook bacon and chop onions. Melt butter in skillet and saute onion until tender. Mix one cup of water with 2 T. flour. Add this mixture to the butter/onions. Stir to blend well. It should thicken the mixture some.

Put drained potatoes, chicken stock, 1 cup water and onion mixture in crock pot. Add bacon, half & half, pepper, basil, salt, and potato flakes. Stir.

Cook on LOW for 6 hours or on HIGH for 3 hours. Serve with cheddar cheese and bacon on top and green onions if desired.

Review: I loved this recipe!This soup has tons of flavor! I also love the fact that it is a crock pot recipe! Most definitely making it again!

Chicken Georgia

Chicken Georgia by Paula Deen from What's Cookin?

Ingredients:

4 tablespoon (1/2 stick) butter


4 skinless boneless chicken breast


1-2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms, (or canned if you don't have fresh on hand)


1 onion, diced


1/4 teaspoon salt


1/4 teaspoon pepper


4 ounce grated mozzarella cheese (or 8 oz if you like it smothered)



Directions
This dish can be done as a one pot meal, but I preheated the oven to 350 and let the cheese melt till bubbly. Melt butter over medium heat. Add mushrooms and onions and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook 10 minutes. Add chicken and cook 10 minutes on each side, or until tender. Transfer chicken to platter and sprinkle with grated cheese. Top with mushroom mixture. Cook and let stand 5 minutes or until cheese melts.

Review: I cut the butter to 2.5 tablespoons. The chicken was very moist. Remember to season chicken before placing it in the pan. My two year old loved the chicken! We added extra cheese and mushrooms! Great weeknight meal!On the food network sight it was suggested to add some white wine so I'll have to try it next time!

Crab Cioppino

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed or to taste
3 (14 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with juice
1 cup dry white wine
1 can of beer
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 pound scallops
24 littleneck clams
1 1/2 pounds crab legs
1 pound unpeeled, large fresh shrimp

DIRECTIONS
Heat olive oil in a very large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook until soft, stirring frequently. Pour in tomatoes and white wine, beer, then season with parsley, basil, salt, pepper and the bay leaf. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until liquid is reduced almost completely, about 1 hour.
Add clams, scallops, clams, crab legs and shrimp to the pot. Cover, and cook over medium heat until clams open. Scoop portions into large bowls to serve.

Review: This was a good recipe. Their was just the right amount of zip! No taste of beer or wine, but next time I think I would cut it down to half a beer! Bon Appetite!

Chicken Marsala

Ingredients
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram, crushed
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1/4 cup sliced green onion (2)
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup dry Marsala or dry sherry
Hot cooked pasta, such as capellini or linguine (optional)
Directions
1. In a shallow bowl stir together flour, marjoram, salt, and pepper. Place a chicken breast half between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Using the flat side of a meat mallet, pound chicken lightly to about 1/4 inch thick . Remove plastic wrap. Repeat with remaining chicken breast halves. Lightly coat chicken on both sides with flour mixture; shake off excess.

2. In a large skillet cook mushrooms and green onion in 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium-high heat until tender; remove from skillet. In the same skillet cook chicken in remaining 2 tablespoons butter for 5 to 6 minutes, turning to brown evenly.

3. Remove skillet from heat. Return mushrooms and green onion to skillet. Carefully add broth and Marsala to skillet. Bring mixture to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 2 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Season sauce to taste with additional salt and pepper. Transfer chicken to a serving platter. Spoon mushroom mixture over chicken. If desired, serve over pasta.

4. Makes 4 servings

Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich

Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches from Whats Cookin
Super easy. 30 - minute (if that) meal that can be made for the "diet" people out there. Use olive oil in place of butter, low-fat or fat-free cheese and wheat hoagie buns.

1 lb. steak (you really can use any cut; since you're going to cut it up and season it heavily, there's really no need to splurge on a fillet mignon.)
2 Tbsp. butter
1 green bell pepper
1 medium yellow onion
Mushrooms (optional)
White cheese (mozzarella or Swiss or provolone)
Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper
4-6 Hoagie rolls

Slice bell peppers and onions. Set aside. Slice frozen meat. Set aside. Heat 2 Tbsp. butter over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add steak and stir-fry. Season heavily with salt and lots of freshly-ground pepper. When meat is about half-cooked, add peppers and onions. Stir occasionally, cooking until most of the liquid is evaporated and meat is cooked through.

Slice buns and spoon steak mixture inside. Top with cheese and place under broiler for 1-2 minutes or until cheese is melted and bread is slightly toasty. Enjoy!
These Were Delicious and supper Easy! Thanks for a great meal!

Macaroni Salad for a Crowd.

1 (16 ounce) package uncooked macaroni
8 hard-cooked eggs, grated
1 (6 ounce) can black olives, drained and chopped
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
1 (10 ounce) jar dill pickle relish, partially drained
1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard, or to taste
1/2 cup mayonnaise, or as needed
salt and black pepper to taste
4 hard-cooked eggs, sliced
paprika to taste


DIRECTIONS
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Place macaroni in the pot, cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until al dente, and drain.
In a large bowl, toss the cooked pasta, grated eggs, olives, onion, and relish with some of the liquid. Mix in mustard and mayonnaise, increasing the amount of mayonnaise as desired. Season with salt and pepper. Top with sliced eggs, and sprinkle with paprika to serve.

Review:
This recipe is one of those that is tired and true. Simple yet delicious. The only thing I change is that I often make it with the rainbow pasta, just to add some color!

Potato Croquettes

Potato Croquettes
INGREDIENTS
6 potatoes, peeled and cut in quarters.
1/2 pound of mozzarella Cheese
1/4 cup of grated Parmesan Cheese
1tbs. onion salt
1/4 cup of parsley
3 eggs
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup Italian-style dried bread crumbs
2 1/2 cup of olive oil for frying

DIRECTIONS

Boil potatoes until cooked. About 15 minutes.
Chill the potatoes for 45 minutes. Then mash.
In a large bowl, combine mashed potatoes, 1 egg, parsley, cheeses, salt and pepper, onion salt. Form mixture into patties.
Lightly beat the remaining 2 eggs. Dredge patties into eggs and then into the and the bread crumbs.
Pour oil 1/2 inch deep in a large, heavy skillet. Heat oil over medium-high heat. Fry patties, flipping to fry them on both sides, until they are golden brown. Serve hot.

Review: I added extra cheese, just because I love cheese. These were delicious. Must be served HOT, don't taste very good otherwise.