Chicken Enchiladas

If you're familiar with our blogs or know us, you know that I have 2 picky eaters on my hand. So, whenever there's a meal that everybody likes, it's a winner. My friend Wendy brought this meal over and it was so yummy! Matt, Reid and I all loved it and I have a feeling it will become a regular on our menu!

Chicken Enchiladas

4 chicken breasts - cooked and diced
10 flour tortillas
2 cans cream of chicken
1 pint sour cream
1 small can green chilis
1 lb. grated monterey jack cheese
1 lb. grated cheddar cheese
1 bunch green onions chopped (I omit this)

Mix soup, sour cream, and chilis in a bowl. Spread small amount of sauce on bottom of 9x13 pan. Spreas small amount of sauch on tortilla, add chicken, onion, and cheese. Roll and place seam side down on pan. Repeat. Sprinkle remaining ingredients on top and bake at 350 for 40 minutes!

Baked Spaghetti

Why make boring old spaghetti when you can whip this meal up with the same amount of ease and deliciousness?? Jessica and Sharee brought this meal over (with a green salad and super yummy dessert - black forest dump cake) and it made enough to have some leftovers for the next couple of days and the whole family loved it! When I start cooking again and make this, I'll be sure to take a picture!

BAKED SPAGHETTI

16 oz spaghetti

26 oz spaghetti sauce

1 ½ lbs. ground beef

1 egg

8 oz sour cream

1 stick margarine/butter

2-3 cups grated cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS:While spaghetti is cooking, brown ground beef, drain excess fat and add the sauce. Drain pasta and add the sour cream and margarine. When the pasta has cooled a bit, add the egg. Place pasta mixture in the bottom of a greased 13x9 casserole dish. Top pasta with the ground beef mixture. Then cover with cheddar. Bake at 375 for 30-40 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly.

Baked Ziti

My friend, Brynn, made this super yummy baked ziti at playgroup last week and I've been craving it all week! I made it for dinner tonight and it was a hit! I have to warn you, it is a bit labor intensive in the preparation, but don't let that scare you off! It's definitely worth it! It also makes a lot, so you could even divide in half and prepare one and freeze the other - maybe without the mozzarella cheese, adding that when you're ready to cook it. (not sure, not too familiar with the rules of freezing...) Another good thing about this meal is that you don't really need a lot of sides - just salad and garlic bread complete it! While it was cooking, I washed all the prep dishes so that eliminated the after dinner clean up. Are you convinced? Oh, and it's a great meal to take when you're bringing a meal to a friend! Let me know what you think!!!

Baked Ziti

1/2 medium onion, chopped (optional)

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 pound lean ground beef

1 (26 oz.) jar tomato and basil pasta sauce (I used Prego Tomato Basil Garlic sauce)

3/4 tsp salt, divided

1 (16 oz) ziti pasta - (penne - I like the Barilla Plus)

3 Tbsp butter

3 Tbsp all-purpose flour

3 cups milk

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 (8 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Cook pasta according to directions. While waiting for the water to boil, begin step 2. Drain pasta and return to pan.

2. Saute chopped onion in hot oil over medium high heat in large skillet for about 5 minutes or until tender. Add garlic and saute 1 minute. Add beef and cook until no longer pink. Drain. Stir in pasta sauce and 1/2 tsp. salt. Set aside.

3. Melt butter in heavy saucepan over low heat; whisk in flour until smooth. Cook, whisking constantly, for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk; cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture is thickened and bubbly (take about 7-10 minutes). Stir in parmesan cheese, remaining 1/4 tsp. salt, and pepper. Pour sauce over pasta, stirring until pasta is evenly coated.

4. Transfer pasta mixture to a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Top evenly with beef mixture; sprinkle evenly with mozzarella cheese.

5. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

My version of Corner Bakery's Swiss Oatmeal

I'm a big fan of Corner Bakery's Swiss Oatmeal, and this is an easy version to make for breakfast in the morning. It's also kid-friendly, but my little mister won't try it....yet.

Swiss Oatmeal

*1 Carton of yogurt - your favorite kind (I like either vanilla or french vanilla)

*1/4 cup granola (I like Bear Naked)

*1/4 cup oats - don't cook

*Mix-ins - I use blueberries and bananas because they're low maintenance, but this would taste good with strawberries, dried cranberries, etc.

Combine everything together!!!

Super Easy Rotel/Cream Cheese Dip

Can you go wrong with a Rotel and Cream Cheese combo?!?! This is one of my most favorite dips!!! Tastes great with any kind of chip - my faves are Ruffles or Fritos.

Rotel and Cream Cheese Dip

*8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened - either 1/3 less fat or the regular version, depending on your mood

*2 cans Rotel - 1 drained, 1 to add as needed (I always use Mild because I don't like spicy)

Beat Cream Cheese and 1 drained can of Rotel. Gradually add the 2nd can (which, remember you don't drain) until the dip is of a consistency you like (you don't want it too runny). It usually takes about 1/2 can. Beat until creamy!

Red Beans and Rice with Sausage

I recently found this great recipe blog that has a lot of easy, delicious, family-pleasing recipes (and the pictures make the food look even better)! I'm kind of weird, but I'm very picky about sausage and the only kind I like is the smoked link kind, but when I say "liked" I mean "obsessed/can't-get-enough-of"...see, weird, right? So, when I saw this recipe, I knew it would be a winner!

Red Beans and Rice

Rice - whatever kind you like (of course I have to make 2 different kinds - brown for Reid and me, white for Matt)

1 pkg. (14 oz) smoked sausage - whatever kind - I've tried the turkey, pork, and beef - all good

1 - 2 cans Red Beans (I ended up using 2)

Creole Seasoning (either Tony Sacheres or Zatarans

Olive Oil

1. Cook Rice.

2. While cooking, thinly slice the sausage. Add 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil to a pan and heat over medium heat for a couple minutes. Add the sausage and a good sprinkling of the seasoning. Cook for about 7 minutes, flipping every so often, until the sausage is nice and brown.

3. Drain the red beans and add to the pan with the sausage. Stir until warmed through. I also like to add more seasoning so the beans are seasoned as well!

4. Serve with your rice and some cornbread!!

Sweet Chicken Bacon Skewers

YUMMY!!!! This can easily be an appetizer or a meal, depending on what you add to it or not. I got it from Brittney, and you'll have to check out her picture of the meal - I didn't even attempt a picture because I knew I couldn't get one that looked as good as hers!!

1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless, chicken breasts (about 4 breasts)
1 (1-pound) package sliced bacon
2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons chili powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cut chicken breasts into 1-inch cubes. Cut each bacon slice into thirds. Wrap each chicken cube with bacon and secure with a wooden pick. Stir together brown sugar and chili powder. Dredge wrapped chicken in mixture. Coat a rack and broiler pan with nonstick cooking spray. Place chicken wrap on rack in broiler pan. Bake 350 for 30 to 35 minutes or until bacon is crisp.