Cream of Broccoli & Carrot Soup with Chicken

With cold weather rolling in and my seasonal head cold to go with it, I had an itch for soup and came up with this... it only took about 45 minutes total. Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:
4 C broccoli florets in bite-sized pieces (about 1 head)
4 carrots, roughly chopped
2 boneless/skinless chicken breasts, boiled*, chopped
2 T butter, divided
3 stalks of celery, sliced or diced
1 C onion, chopped
1 T flour
1/4 tsp salt
A dash or two of black pepper, thyme and basil
1 C half-n-half (substitute milk, if desired)
2-2 1/2 C chicken stock, divided
4 oz Velveeta cheese, sliced

*To prepare chicken, place breasts in small pot and cover with water. Add a little salt if you wish. Cover and bring to a hard boil, then remove from heat, leaving covered for 15-20 minutes. Chop into bite-sized pieces. It should come out just done, not overcooked or dry.

1. Steam broccoli and carrots, then drain and set aside.
2. In large pot, melt 1 T butter and saute celery and onion until tender.
3. Meanwhile, reserve 1-2 C broccoli and carrots. The rest goes into a food processor or blender with 1 C chicken stock. Process until smooth.
4. When celery and onion are tender, melt in remaining 1 T butter then stir in flour, salt, pepper, thyme and basil and cook another minute.
5. Stir in half-n-half and bring to a bubble, then add cheese to melt.
6. Stir in processed veggies and remaining 1 C chicken stock (or a little more to desired consistency), reserved veggies and chicken.
7. Bring to a simmer to heat through and serve.

Ravioli with Tomato-Basil Cream

If you are a follower of my recipes and haven't yet planted your own basil, well, it's never too late! :) This recipe is very quick and easy, courtesy of Southern Living. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
20 oz. *refrigerated* four-cheese ravioli (or 13 oz. three-cheese tortellini)
16 oz. jar sun-dried tomato Alfredo sauce
2 T white wine (or chicken broth)
14 oz. can petite diced tomatoes, fully drained (or 2 med. fresh tomatoes, chopped)
1/2 C (big handful) chopped fresh basil
1/3 C grated Parmesan cheese
Garnish: fresh basil strips

1. Start water to boil and prepare pasta according to package directions, cooking to al dente.
2. Meanwhile, pour Alfredo sauce into a saucepan large enough to hold everything in the end. Pour wine into sauce jar, shake well and stir into saucepan.
3. Stir in tomatoes and basil and cook over med-low heat until thoroughly heated through.
4. When pasta is done, drain and add to sauce. Bring to a simmer for about 5 minutes.
5. Dish up, top with Parmesan cheese and garnish if desired.

Family-Style Calzone

This is another Pampered Chef-inspired recipe... And a think ahead note: if you're not particularly fond of pepperoni and/or black olives, substitute chopped chicken and basil pesto! YUM!!

Ingredients:
1 egg, separated
1/2 C chopped pitted ripe olives (small can, already chopped works perfect!)
1 container (about 15 oz) ricotta cheese (part-skim if desired)
1 1/2 C shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/2 C grated parmesan cheese
1/4 C snipped fresh parsley
1 box Krusteaz Country White bread mix (including yeast packet)
1 T Italian seasoning
1 C very warm water
4 oz sliced pepperoni

1. Preheat oven to 425.
2. Separate egg, dropping white into a medium bowl. Reserve the yolk for later use.
3. Add olives, ricotta cheese, 1/2 C mozzarella, parmesan and parsley to the bowl and mix well. Set aside.
4. In a large mixing bowl, prepare bread as directed on the box, adding the Italian seasoning with the water.
5. After kneading, divide the dough in half. Roll out one piece to fit the bottom of your baking dish. (I use a stoneware baker. If you use a regular baking dish, you should lightly grease and flour it 1st.)
6. Sprinkle 1/2 C mozzarella to within 1/2" of edge. Layer 1/2 of pepperoni then spread ricotta mixture evenly over pepperoni. Top with remaining pepperoni and mozzarella.
7. Roll out remaining dough and place over filling. Press dough all around to seal the edges.
8. Beat the reserved egg yolk and brush over dough with a pastry brush. Sprinkle with some more parmesan (I like to use shredded here.)
9. Cut slits in top crust. This is easiest to do with kitchen shears.
10. Bake for about 18 minutes, until deep golden brown. Keep a close eye so that it doesn't burn! Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

Chicken Alfredo Lasagna

I've been bored with the same old things so going through my cookbooks... found a great and different way to do lasagna (courtesy of Pampered Chef, but I of course changed it up a bit)!! Following is the basic recipe but you can pack it full of vegetables - zucchini, squash, etc. for a healthy, hearty meal.

Ingredients:
8-10 No Bake Lasagna noodles I like Barilla
1 jar (about 16 oz) white Alfredo pasta sauce
1/4 C milk
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
3 C coarsely chopped cooked chicken (see Notes below)
--Leftover roasted chicken could be substituted as well!
14 oz can artichoke hearts in water, drained and chopped
1/2 C chopped red bell pepper
1/4 C finely chopped onion
1 (or 2) garlic cloves, pressed
12 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
4 oz crumbled feta cheese
2 C (or as much as you want) fresh baby spinach leaves

Ok, 1st of all I found that it's very quick and much easier to prep everything 1st, using a food chopper to get all the chopping done rather than the old fashioned way... if you don't have one, they're a great investment!

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. In a bowl, whisk together Alfredo sauce, milk and oregano. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine chicken, artichokes, bell pepper, onions and garlic. Add cheeses and mix together well.
4. Assemble lasagna:
--Apread 2/3 C sauce mixture over bottom of a deep dish baker.
--Top with 1/2 of the noodles, overlapping where necessary.
--Layer 1/2 of the spinach, then 1/2 of the chicken mixture. (Here is where you can add whatever chopped veggies you prefer.)
--Repeat layers, starting w/ 1/2 of the remaining sauce.
--Top w/ remaining sauce.
5. Cover dish with foil and bake 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 10 minutes until bubbly.
6. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting to allow it to "set up".

This yields 6-8 big servings!

CHICKEN NOTE: To easily prepare chicken, place boneless, skinless breasts in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, cover and remove from heat. By the time you have your veggies chopped, the chicken should have finished cooking. You can also use the food chopper for the chicken!!

Chunky Chicken Stroganoff

I love this one! Quick, easy and tasty!

Ingredients:
12 oz wide egg noodles
About 1/2 C flour, divided
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
About 1 1/2# boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into big bite-sized pieces
5 T butter, divided
8-10 mushrooms, roughly chopped (about 1 C)
1 C chopped onion
1/2 tsp dry mustard
2 C chicken stock
1 C sour cream
1 tsp ketchup

1. Cook noodles according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, mix about 1/3 C flour, salt, pepper and garlic powder in large bowl and toss chicken pieces to coat.
3. Heat 3 T butter in large skillet over medium/med-high heat. Brown chicken, 6-8 minutes.
4. Stir in onion and mushrooms and cook another 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl, reserving any pan drippings.
5. Add remaining 2 T flour and 2 T butter, mixing together. Stir in dry mustard and mix well. Gradually add stock, bringing to a bubble and stirring frequently until sauce begins to thicken.
6. Stir in sour cream & ketchup. Return chicken to skillet, heat through and serve over hot noodles.

Sloppy Turkey Joes

These are delicious... and a great, leaner alternative to ground beef. Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray, with a few tweaks of course. :) This is also a great recipe for the kids to help with!

Ingredients:
2 T EVOO
1# lean ground turkey
1/2 red onion, chopped (about 1 C)
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped (about 1 C)
1 T grill seasoning, I use Tone's Canadian Steak Seasoning
2 T brown sugar
1-2 T Worcestershire sauce
8 oz tomato sauce
Your favorite sandwich rolls or buns, toasted

1. Heat EVOO over medium high heat and brown the turkey, breaking up into bits as it cooks.
2. Add veggies and stir together.
3. In a small bowl, mix grill seasoning, brown sugar, W-sauce and tomato sauce. Pour over meat and stir together.
4. Bring to a simmer and cook 10 minutes. Taste to adjust seasoning if needed then serve!

Gobble-icious Turkey Burgers

If you're a turkey burger fan, you'd actually be surprised at how much fat is in those restaurant "healthy" burgers! This recipe IS relatively low in fat, about 10g per patty... and super good! I like to serve it with acorn squash for an a healthy alternative to burger and fries. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 lb ground turkey (choose the lowest fat content when buying)
2 tsp paprika
1 T McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning
About 1/4 C chopped parsley
About 1 C yellow onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped (about 1 T)
EVOO
Your favorite hamburger buns or bread, toasted
Your favorite burger toppings

1. In a mixing bowl, combine meat, paprika, steak seasoning, parsley, onion and garlic.
2. Heat about 2T EVOO in a non-stick skillet over med-high heat and make a small, quarter-sized patty. Cook it up and taste to check the seasonings. Adjust seasoning and/or heat if needed.
3. Divide meat into 5 large, thin patties. Cook about 5 minutes on each side.
4. Serve on toasted bread.

Roasted Potatoes

If you've never had sweet potatoes made this way, it's a must-try! A great side dish for any meal!

Ingredients:
1 sweet potato
2 white potatoes
2 red potatoes
EVOO
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1. Scrub and peel sweet potato, scrub red and white potatoes (can leave skin on), then cut into cubes. Place in a pot and cover with water. Add a little salt.
2. Bring to a boil and cook 3 minutes, then drain.
3. Transfer to a large nonstick baking pan and spread into a single layer.
4. Drizzle with EVOO and sprinkle with thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper. (Doesn't have to be exact measurements, just shake them on.)
5. Give them a toss to coat and spread out evenly again. Into a 425 degree oven for about 25 minutes, until golden brown. Serve immediately.

Not Red Pasta Sauce

This is a very easy and yummy sauce to serve with any of your favorite pastas! The amounts listed are appoximate. I kind of followed a recipe but didn't really measure precisely, just threw stuff in!

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground Italian sausage (use your favorite: mild, hot, sweet, whatever)
8 oz. baby portabella mushrooms, sliced
1/2 stick of butter (the real kind!)
3-4 green onions, chopped
About 1 lb. zucchini, sliced and halved
1/2 C white wine
2 cubes chicken bullion
About 1/4 C heavy cream or half 'n half (eyeball it)
Hot, cooked pasta

1. Cook sausage over medium heat, crumbling to bits as you go. Drain, return to pan and add mushrooms and butter. Stir in butter until its melted.
2. Add onions and zucchini. Continue to stir occasionally until zucchini is tender.
3. Add wine and bullion, bring to a simmer, stirring until bullion is dissolved and wine reduces some.
4. Stir in cream and bring to a bubble.

NOTE: Add cream then taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. If your initial taste is too salty, just add a little more cream.

5. Serve over hot pasta!

Chicken & Dressing Bake

This is sort of like a Thanksgiving casserole! I LOVE dressing so this is one of my favorites. Cranberry sauce and salad are the perfect sides!

Ingredients:
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (use 4 if they're smaller)
4 stalks of celery - 1 roughly chopped & the other 3 diced
1 T kosher salt
3 large eggs
1 can chicken broth, or about 1 1/2 C if you're using homemade
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of celery soup
about 12 oz cornbread stuffing mix + extra
2 C shredded mild cheddar cheese, divided
1/2 - 3/4 C chopped onion
1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1. Combine chicken, roughly chopped celery and salt in a pot and add water until chicken is just covered.
2. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to med-low. Slowly simmer for about 10-15 minutes, until chicken is just cooked through. Drain and allow chicken to cool so you can handle it.
3. (Meanwhile) Whisk eggs in a large bowl (big enough to hold all ingredients). Add broth, 1 1/2 C cheddar, soups, onion, diced celery and black pepper and stir well.
4. When chicken has cooled some (or I just hold it w/ a fork if still hot) roughly chop into bitesize pieces and add to soup mixture along with the stuffing and blend well.
Here's the tricky part. Add enough stuffing so that the mixture isn't runny or you'll end up w/ a mushy casserole. I just eyeball it and can't say for sure how much stuffing I use total.
5. Spray your baking dish w/ nonstick cooking spray and pour mixture into dish.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes, until browned and bubbly. Check the middle to see how done it is. Bake a little longer if necessary.
7. Sprinkle w/ remaining cheese and return to the oven for 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

NOTE: I used a mixture of cornbread stuffing and Pepperidge Farm herb seasoned stuffing.

Fresh Pineapple Salsa

This topping is so fresh and delicious, I could eat it by the spoonful!! We put it on fajitas... gotta try it! :)

Ingredients:
2 C chopped fresh pineapple (1/4-1/2" pieces, as you prefer)
2 T chopped fresh cilantro or parsley, or mix of both
2 T lime juice
1 small red bell pepper, chopped (1/2 C)
1 small red onion, finely chopped (1/4 C)
1 small red chili or jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped

1. Mix all ingredients in glass or plastic bowl.
2. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour to blend flavors.

The BEST Burger Ever!

This just may be the yummiest burger I've ever had. This recipe makes 3 - 1/3lb. burgers...

Ingredients:
1# lean (93% or more) ground beef
1/4 C chopped red onion
1-2 cloves minced garlic
1/8 - 1/4 C ketchup (eyeball it)
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
3 slices American cheese
3 strips bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
Tone's Canadian Steak Seasoning (found at Sam's, not sure where else?)
Burger toppings and buns

1. Put beef, onion, garlic, ketchup, salt & pepper in a bowl and mix well but gently. I use my hands.
2. Divide into 6 portions and make 6 (about 1/4") patties. Place on waxed paper so you can pick them up easily.
3. Fold cheese slices into quarters (or if patties are large enough, no need to fold) and place on 3 of the patties.
4. Top cheese with bacon and remaining patties.
5. Seal the edges together well and lightly sprinkle with steak seasoning.
6. Cook on a hot grill to desired doneness!

Note: For extra tastiness, toast your buns with a little garlic butter (mix softened butter - the real stuff, not margarine - with a dash of garlic powder and a little salt).

Onion & Pepper Smothered Round Steak

This is an Emeril recipe, slightly altered, that is super easy for days you just don't have time to spend in the kitchen!

Ingredients:
2 1/4 lbs thin top round steak, sliced into 1/4" strips
1 1/2 T Emeril's Essence
1/4 C vegetable oil
3 T all-purpose flour
2 C chicken broth
1 onion, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
3 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (I used ground red pepper and it turned out a little HOT!)
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 T freshly chopped parsley
White rice for serving

1. Combine flour and Essence in a bowl and toss meat to coat.
2. Heat oil in large cast iron or deep skillet over medium-high heat. Brown meat, in batches, until browned on all sides. Return all meat to the skillet.
3. Add chicken broth and stir, scraping any bits off the bottom of the pan.
4. Add onions and peppers, salt, cayenne & pepper. Cook, stirring frequently for 6-8 min, until veggies are wilted then let simmer, uncovered, for about an hour (while you go do something else!) or until meat is very tender and gravy is thickened. ***Don't forget to start your rice!
5. Add parsley and serve over white rice.

Leslie's Chicken Scallopine

This is a Giada-inspired recipe. If you ever watch her show on Food Network, you know her Italian is delicious!! I put my own spin on this one simply because this is what I had on hand, but it turned out delicious! Served with a salad, this is a very quick and healthy meal. Hope you enjoy...

Ingredients:
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breast cutlets (or 3 larger breasts, cut in half) *place them each in a large ziplock and pound them thin with a mallet, but not to the point of falling apart!
Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), a couple turns of the pan, just enough to coat
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Half a small red onion, thinly sliced (6-8 silces or so)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 C white wine
Half a red bell pepper, sliced and cut into thirds
1/4 C or so light cream (if you prefer a reduced fat meal, otherwise heavy cream works too!)
Parsley for garnish if you wish, roughly chopped

1. Heat EVOO in a large stainless steel, heavy skillet (this browns better than a teflon pan) over medium heat.
2. Salt and pepper each piece of chicken and place in the hot pan. Cook for several minutes on each side, until just cooked through. Timing will depend on how thick your chicken is. If you overdo it, the chicken will end up dry!
3. Remove to serving dish and cover with foil to keep warm.
4. Add onion and garlic to pan and gently saute, then deglaze pan with wine.
5. Add bell pepper and just barely simmer until the wine has reduced some... basically until the "alcohol smell" is gone, just a couple minutes.
6. Stir in cream and heat through. Do not simmer or it will seperate.
7. Pour sauce over chicken and garnish with parsley.

Tired of leftover turkey???

I recently bought a smoked turkey from the FFA kids at school. It was a great deal, but just a obout more than we could stand to eat. SO, I made a turkey noodle casserole for a change of pace. You could easily substitute regular roasted turkey or chicken if that's what you have on hand!

Ingredients:
About 8 oz. "No Yolks" dumplings or your favorite egg noodle
1 T extra virgin olive oil (EVOO - 1 turn of the pan)
3-4 slices bacon or turkey bacon, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
8 oz. white mushrooms, roughly chopped (I buy them pre-washed and sliced for efficiency!)
3 C smoked turkey, cubed
Black pepper
Crushed thyme
1/2 C dry white wine
1 C chicken stock
1/2 C heavy cream (3 turns of the pan)
2 C Gruyere cheese, shredded or grated (about an 8 oz brick) This cheese was hard to find. Kroger's had it in the deli case. It was kinda expensive but worth it. It has a great smoky flavor that went well with the turkey! But you could substitute something else...

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt the water and add your noodles. Cook to al dente.
2. Preheat a large, deep skillet over medium high heat and add EVOO. Brown bacon.
3. Add onion and mushroom to cook about 5 minutes.
4. Add turkey and season with pepper and thyme. (If you're using regular roasted turkey, season to your taste.)
5. Cook another 5 minutes then add wine and deglaze the pan, lifting up the pan drippings and bits.
6. Stir in stock and bring to a bubble then stir in cream and reduce heat to simmer.
7. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.
8. When noodles are done, drain and set aside. When meat/sauce is ready, combine with noodles and transfer to a baking dish.
9. Top with the cheese (and bread crumbs if you wish). Bake in a 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes. Stir a bit so cheese will finish melting into the noodles.
10. Serve with a chunk of buttered French bread!

Quick Skillet Fried Chicken with Roasted Garlic Rice

I threw this together for dinner tonight and it turned out so good that I thought I'd share! It's a fast and easy dinner for two (but the rice makes enough for 4 so you can always do more chicken or have some for leftovers!)

Ingredients:
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, thawed and marinated w/ Italian dressing
About 1/2 C flour
1/2 tsp garlic powder
15 or so turns of freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp crushed rosemary
2 T olive oil
1 C long grain white rice (Basmati or Jasmine are my favorite)
1 can Swanson's Roasted Garlic Chicken Broth
1 pat butter

1. Put rice and chicken broth in a small pot with a pat of butter and cook according to package directions.
2. While rice is cooking, blend the flour, garlic powder, pepper, salt & rosemary in a ziplock bag.
3. Heat oil in skillet. Once hot, put chicken in ziplock and coat with flour mixture. Place chicken pieces in hot oil and fry on both sides until cooked through. Remove to paper towels.

That's it! The rice should be done about the same time the chicken is. Serve with your favorite salad and garlic bread. Yummy and healthy!