Chicken and Rice Casserole
I know that casseroles, especially ones like these, aren't exactly the trendiest meals right now, but how can I possibly turn my back on a dish that loved so much growing up. Not only that, but you can't deny the total deliciousness and simplicity that you get when you make this casserole. It calls for pretty much everything you already have in your cupboard, it take about five minutes to throw together, and I've yet to meet someone that doesn't like this combo of chicken and rice. My kids especially LOVE it. When you make this, try really hard to use chicken thighs, not breasts. I have made this with chicken breasts before, and it's not even close to as good as it is with chicken thighs. Since I have small children, I'll cut the chicken up before baking it, but I prefer it when the chicken thighs are cooked whole. And there is my two cents, ENJOY!
Chicken and Rice Casserole
Ingredients
2 1/2 pounds chicken thighs
1 cup dry rice
2 chicken bullion cubes
2 cups water
1 package onion soup mix
1 tablespoon paprika (I just eyeball it)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 soup can full of water (can you tell this is a family recipe!)
Directions
Butter bottom of 9x13 casserole pan. Arrange dry rice at bottom of pan, lay chicken on top and sprinkle with paprika. Dissolve bullion in water and pour over chicken. Sprinkle soup mix over chicken and rice. Mix mushroom soup with 1/2 can water and pour over all. Cover and bake one hour at 350. Uncover and bake 30 more minutes at same temperature.
Kathy, a friend from Three on Food, was nice enough to offer me this really cool award. Thanks so much Kathy!! It's called the Premio Meme award, and with it I'm supposed to list seven things about my personality. Then I'm supposed to pick seven bloggers to pass this award to. It's hard to pick out attributes of my own personality, but I'll do my best, here goes!
1. Positive. Of course we all have down days, or go through experiences that are difficult, but overall I try my hardest to always look on the bright side of any situation. Life is just better that way!
2. Adventurous. Not in the crazy extreme sports kind of way, but I like to put myself out there every once and a while and do something a little scary and unfamiliar. I just ran a 5K on Saturday, something I NEVER thought I'd do, and loved it!
3. Bossy. I'm the oldest of five siblings, so I bossed them a TON growing up. Now I have a husband and two kids to boss, although that side of me is mellowing out quite a bit.
4. Friendly. I really love meeting people and making new friends, so I consider myself pretty outgoing.
5. Restless. I definitely enjoy quiet time, and I really look forward to my evenings after the kids are in bed, but I have to have something to do. It's hard for me to just sit, even if I'm watching a movie, I almost always have to be doing something else to keep my hands busy, otherwise I get bored! It drives my husband crazy and it kind of drives me crazy too. I blame my dad, he's restless too.
6. Curious. I really enjoy learning new things and getting educated whenever I can. I've been out of school for a while while so my husband can finish dental school, but I really look forward to continuing my education when he's finished.
7. Loving. My family and friends are so important to me and I love them with every sugar-soaked cell in my body. I don't know where I'd be without them!
So there you have it! I'd like to pass this award on to the following:
1. Donna, from My Tasty Treasures
2. Jennifer at Bread plus Butter
3. Heidi at Tried and True Cooking with Heidi
4. Coleen at Coleen's Recipes
5. MaryBeth and Dunkin Cooking the Semi-Homemade Way
6. Dar at Girlichef
7. Ingrid at 3 B's, Baseball, Baking and Books
All of these are fantastic blogs that should be visited often. Happy Wednesday everyone!
Double Orange Scone with Orange Butter
I found this recipe on Christina's blog at Christina Cooks. I had never made a scone before, and to show just how clueless I am, I've spent most of my life thinking that scones were fried bread! However, they're more like a sweet biscuit, and these were DELICIOUS! I made them Easter morning with a side of strawberries, and my little family of 4 ate the entire batch that day. I loved the subtle flavor of orange with the orange flavored butter. Huge shout out to Christina for posting this recipe, go check it out!
Buttermilk Biscuit link
I while ago Maria at Two Peas and Their Pod posted about a recipe she found on Pinch My Salt for the perfect buttermilk biscuits. A few weeks later we decided to make biscuits and gravy, my husband's very favorite. Glenn comes from the south, and so he is a bit picky when it comes to southern comfort food. He was very happy to make these biscuits though, and followed all the instructions EXCEPT for not twisting the cutter when cutting out the biscuits. He has a grandma from the south and she always taught him that "when you cut out your biscuits, you cut, and TWIST." So be it.These were delicious. They are flaky, soft and perfect for any meal of the day. I highly recommend you check out the link for fabulous buttermilk biscuits.
Pasta with Prosciutto and Mushroom Cream Sauce
Is there anything better in this world than a creamy pasta, honestly? This dish was a hit with the whole family. The mushrooms and prosciutto made a wonderful combination with the tender angel hair. The only downside to this recipe is that is calls for store-bought sauce (a light Alfredo sauce). Usually I prefer to make my own, but since i didn't have the time to research a lighter white sauce, this worked out just fine. I used Ragu's light Alfredo sauce and it was surprisingly delicious. This was also my first time using sun dried tomatoes in a recipe (I'm actually becoming increasingly surprised at how many things I HAVEN'T tried yet). They were so chewy, and added a really rich flavor to the sauce. Try this recipe out and be sure to get back to me!
Pasta with Prosciutto and Mushroom Cream Sauce
Found in Taste of Home, April/May 2009 Healthy edition
Ingredients
1 9 oz package angel hair pasta
1 8 oz pkge white mushrooms, quartered (I sliced them, no biggie)
1/4 cup julienne sun dried tomatoes (I got the dry pack, not the ones in oil)
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic (about 5 cloves)
2 ounces very thinly sliced prosciutto, sliced cross ways into 1/2 inch strips
1/2 cup dry white wine, or chicken broth (I used the broth, the very smell of white wine has me dry heaving and running for the door, don't ask)
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 cup baby frozen peas, thawed
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 10-oz container refrigerated light Alfredo sauce
1/4 cup preshredded Parmesan cheese
Directions
1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and keep warm.
2. While pasta cooks, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add mushrooms, and saute 5 minutes, or until tender. Add sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, and prosciutto; saute 2 minutes. Add wine and broth; bring to a boil. Boil 3 minutes, or until liquid is reduced to 1/2 cup. Stir in peas, pepper, Alfredo sauce, and pasta; toss gently to coat.
3. Spoon pasta into individual bowls, and sprinkle with cheese. Serve immediately.
Serves 6: 1 serving is 1 cup pasta and 1 tablespoon cheese.
Per serving: 269cal, 7.9g fat, 15.4g prot, 34.1g carb, 2.5g carb, 2.5g fiber, 49mg chol, 621mg sod.
Points per Serving: 6
ALSO, a good Philly phriend of mine just started her own food blog. She's already got a totally mouthwatering recipe for a berry french toast that you must check out (and try, seriously, amazing french toast). Her blog is at Spunky Girl Eats, so stop by her blog and say hi!
Classic Two Cheese Macaroni
Okay, I'm going to be honest with you for a second. I am an indiscriminate food lover, which means I love all foods equally. So when I'm in a hurry and end up making corndogs, or mac and cheese (yes the boxed kind, with the powdery cheese) for my kids, it takes all my willpower to stay out of it. It's processed, it's packed in calories, and on a cold day, it's SO GOOD. However, I am an adult now, who is doing everything in my power to keep my body healthy, and, Lord willing, switch out my wardrobe with a smaller version! So, you can imagine my enthusiasm when I find adult style recipes for the kid food that I can't help but love.I found this gem on The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch, and immediately wrote down the ingredients to take to the store. It's a Cooking Light Recipe, and it is creamy, full of flavor and delicious. I added peas because it's how I always had it as a kid, and my entire family loved it. I'll take this over the stuff in the box anyday! Thanks for the recipe HoneyB!
Classic Two-Cheese Macaroni
The Best of Cooking Light, page 123
Ingredients
1/4 cup flour
2-1/2 cups 1% milk
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese, divided
6 ounces light processed cheese (such as Velveeta Light), cubed
6 cups hot cooked elbow macaroni (about 3 cups uncooked)
1/4 teaspoon salt
Cooking Spray
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup, level with a knife. Heat a large saucepan over medium heat; add flour. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Cook until thick (about 8 minutes), stirring frequently. Stir in 2/3 cup cheddar cheese and processed cheese, and cook 3 minutes or until cheese melt, stirring frequently. Remove from heat, stir in macaroni and salt. Spoon into a 2 quart casserole dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup cheddar cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes or until bubbly.
Yield: 9 servings (serving size: 2/3 cup)
Calories: 260 Fat: 7.5 grams Fiber: 1.3 grams
Points per Serving: 6
Stuffed Bell Peppers
Oh how I love this dish. If I ate these once a week for the rest of my life, I'd be completely okay with it. My mom made these for us growing up, and it was always one of my favorites! And while I love an entire stuffed pepper filled with full fat beef and rice, my waistline doesn't. So, I made a few changes to lighten it up. Unfortunately I can't give you nutritional info or points, but I can give you the best stuffed pepper you'll ever eat! I'm not a huge stickler for measurements and with this recipe, you really can't screw up, so don't sweat being exact, just do what tastes good!
Stuffed Bell Peppers, the lightened version!
Ingredients
Directions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Boil pepper halves for 5 minutes, drain. Coat a large skillet with olive oil and saute carrots, celery, garlic, and onion for 3-4 minutes, or until softened. Add ground turkey and cook until turkey is cooked through. Drain. Add garlic salt, rice and half of the tomato sauce, heat through.
Preheat oven to 350. Stuff each pepper half with meat mixture until mixture reaches the top of pepper. Place peppers in a 9 x13 inch pan, meat side up. Pour remaining sauce over peppers and cover with cheese. Cover with foil. Bake for 45 minutes, uncover pan and cook for 15 more minutes.
Since I only made two peppers the first time, I had a little extra filling. So rather then stuffing the peppers, I made a casserole by putting all the meat mixture in the bottom of the pan and then layering the peppers on top after boiling and slicing. I also used red peppers instead, it was just as delicious.
3-4 green peppers, seeded and halved, with membranes removed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion diced
2-3 carrots, peeled and diced
2-3 celery stalked, peeled and diced
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 lb ground turkey
1 cup cooked rice
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 15 oz can tomato sauce (I used 1 1/2 cans, I like mine saucy!)
1/4-1/2 cup mozzarella cheese (I used Monterrey Jack and it was great)
Directions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Boil pepper halves for 5 minutes, drain. Coat a large skillet with olive oil and saute carrots, celery, garlic, and onion for 3-4 minutes, or until softened. Add ground turkey and cook until turkey is cooked through. Drain. Add garlic salt, rice and half of the tomato sauce, heat through.
Preheat oven to 350. Stuff each pepper half with meat mixture until mixture reaches the top of pepper. Place peppers in a 9 x13 inch pan, meat side up. Pour remaining sauce over peppers and cover with cheese. Cover with foil. Bake for 45 minutes, uncover pan and cook for 15 more minutes.
Since I only made two peppers the first time, I had a little extra filling. So rather then stuffing the peppers, I made a casserole by putting all the meat mixture in the bottom of the pan and then layering the peppers on top after boiling and slicing. I also used red peppers instead, it was just as delicious.
And one other thing! I was awarded this adorable award from Gianina at Gianina's Kitchen. She's got a great blog with delicious looking recipes, you must check her out, thanks Gianina!
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