Hasselback Chicken

Have you heard of Tasty? It's a great Internet site full of fairly simple recipe videos. Since I have discovered it, I have been using it to get out of my cooking rut. The first recipe I tried was Hasselback chicken. Surely, you know about Hasselback potatoes? They were insanely popular in the blogosphere. The chicken uses the same concept: You cut slits in the chicken, stuff it with ingredients, and bake! It's easy and delicious! The recipe lends itself to many variations as you can stuff the chicken with just about anything!

Hasselback Chicken
Source: Adapted from Tasty

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh garlic (minced)
1 cup fresh spinach (chopped)
1/4 cup roasted red peppers (chopped)
1/3 cup ricotta cheese
3 chicken breasts
1/4 cup cheddar cheese (shredded)
Paprika
Salt and Pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a skillet over medium heat, add the oil, garlic, and spinach and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes until the spinach is wilted.
Take off the heat, mix in roasted red peppers and ricotta.
Cut slits into the chicken breasts. (Do not cut the slits all the way through the chicken!)
Stuff the spinach mixture into the slits.
Season the chicken with salt and pepper and sprinkle with the shredded cheese.
Sprinkle paprika on top.
Bake on a foil-lined, greased baking sheet for 30 to 40 minutes.

Sweet Potato Chickpea Stew

I love vegetarian dishes, but it's hard to please my family with non-meat meals. I also love Indian spices, so when I saw this hearty vegetable stew, I knew I had to make it right away—even if I was the only one in my family who would eat it. I adapted recipe to my tastes and cooked it in the oven instead of on top of the stove. Well my husband surprised me because he really enjoyed this dish. He even requested it be added to the rotation. It tasted sweet and rich and is packed full of chick peas, sweet potatoes, and fire-roasted tomatoes. It's definitely a keeper!

Sweet Potato Chickpea Stew 
Adapted from Deliciously Ella

2 large sweet potatoes
1 green pepper
2 cans of fire-roasted tomatoes
1 can of coconut milk
2 cans of chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 tablespoons of tomato paste
2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons of turmeric
2 teaspoons of cumin
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
2 cloves of garlic (minced)
1/4 cup cilantro (chopped) (optional)

Chop the sweet potato and green pepper into small chunks and set aside.
In a dutch oven, add the oil and cook the garlic, tomato paste, vinegar, and spices on medium heat until fragrant.
Turn up the heat to medium-high, and add the coconut milk, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, pepper, chick peas, salt, and pepper and allow it to heat until boiling.
Transfer the oven and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour at 350 degrees until sweet potatoes are soft but not mushy. (If it's too thick, add about 1/2 cup of water.)

Serve over brown rice or quinoa, and sprinkle cilantro on top.

Recipe Remake: Enchilada Stuffed Shells

We eat a lot of Mexican dishes. I love how versatile a few basic ingredients can be. I made a version of these back in 2010. I haven't made them since and decided to revive the recipe. I made a few tweaks to incorporate cilantro, tomatoes, and green chiles. Like the first time around, they were a huge at my house.

Enchilada Stuffed Shells

Box of large shells
1.5–2 pounds of ground beef (or ground turkey)
1 can Rotel (tomatoes with green chiles) (drained)

1 can corn (drained)

1 can black beans (drained and rinsed)

1/4 cup cilantro (chopped finely)
1 package taco seasoning
1/2 cup water
2 cans red (or green) enchilada sauce 
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
Salsa and sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt), optional for topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and spray baking dishes with nonstick cooking spray.
Boil shells according to directions on package. Drain, rinse with cold water, and set aside.
Brown ground beef. Drain beef and return to pan. 
Add Rotel, corn, black beans, taco seasoning, 1/2 cup water, and half of the cilantro.
Cook 3 to 5 minutes and remove from heat.
Spoon mixture into shells and place in pan.
Top shells with enchilada sauce and cheddar cheese.
Bake about 20 minutes until cheese is melted.
Serve with cilantro, salsa, and sour cream.

Dijon-Crusted Salmon

My neighbor goes salmon fishing each year, and he was kind enough to share some salmon with us. Some people are iffy with salmon because it has a stronger flavor than other fish. I like most fish, but salmon is one of my favorites. I decided to coat the salmon in a garlicky dijon mustard glaze then top with a garlic-herb panko bread crumb topping. I then baked it for about 12 minutes until it was cooked throughout and the topping was crispy. The bold flavor complemented the dense and delicious salmon.








Dijon-Crusted Salmon

4 salmon filets
1/4 cup dijon mustard
3 cloves garlic (chopped finely)
1/2 panko bread crumbs
2 tablespoons butter (melted)
1 tablespoon parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon rosemary
1/4 tablespoon thyme
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Place salmon skin side down on a lightly greased baking pan.
In a small bowl, mix together dijon mustard and half of the garlic.
Brush the mustard mixture on top of salmon.
In another bowl, mix together the remaining garlic, panko bread crumbs, butter, parmesan cheese, herbs, salt, and pepper.
Press mixture on top of each piece of salmon.
Bake for 12 minutes until topping is crispy.

Beer-Simmered Beef Roast

My husband and I love beer. Not just any old domestic, however, but specialty, craft beers. We especially enjoy local beers and have been blessed with a handful of small craft breweries in our area. One of our favorites is Nimble Hill Brewing Company, which offers tastings at its wine/beer tasting room in Tunkhannock. Did I mention they started as a winery? They have great wine as well. If you're ever in the area, you should check them out! 

We always bring home a growler when we visit the tasting room (in addition to a few bottles of wine). Growlers of beer only are fresh for several hours. I've been told they can last longer, but I have yet to find one that lasts more than a day. This time, we took home a growlette (a half-sized growler) of their lager (Flinke Hugel) and their porter (Midnight Fuggle). If you mix them, you get black and tan (Midnight Flinke). Their porter is my favorite. It's smooth with hints of coffee and chocolate. It's the best porter I have tasted.We were unable to finish our growlettes this particular day, so instead of dumping the almost-flat beer down the drain (I know it's a sin to waste beer!), we used it to make beer-simmered beef roast. Along with the beer, I added onion soup mix, garlic, black pepper, and mushrooms. The results were heavenly. The beer complemented the other flavors to yield a perfectly tender roast with a slight beer flavor.

Beer-Simmered Beef Roast

4-pound beef roast (any cut)
1 package dry onion soup mix
1.5 cups dark beer such as a lager, stout, or porter (I used Nimble Hill Midnight Flinke, a black and tan.)
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1–2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 cup mushrooms (chopped)

Sear beef roast on all sides.
Whisk together onion soup mix, beer, pepper, and garlic.
Transfer roast to a slow cooker and dump beer mixture over roast.
Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
Add mushrooms during the last 2 hours of cook time.
Optional: Strain the beef drippings to make gravy.

Cajun Shrimp & Grits with Andouille Sausage

I have seen many recipes for shrimp & grits, but I never tried them. I know grits are a staple in the South, but here in the North, they are not very popular. When I came across a recipe for an easy shrimp and grits recipe in EveryDay with Rachael Ray magazine, I knew it was time to give them a try. I decided to expand on the recipe and add andouille sausage and cajun seasoning to kick it up a bit. We used a lager in the broth from one of our favorite local breweries, Nimble Hill Brewing Company. The results were amazing. I don't know why I waited so long to try shrimp & grits. They were cheesy and creamy and paired perfectly with the spicy broth, shrimp, and andouille. If you're looking for an easy Southern dinner, give this recipe a whirl. You won't be disappointed.

Cajun Shrimp & Grits with Andouille Sausage
Source: adapted from EveryDay with Rachael Ray, January-February 2014

For the grits:
1 cup instant grits
4 cups water
1/2 cup corn
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 to 2 tablespoons butter
salt to taste

Cook grits according to package directions. 
When finished cooking, stir in corn, cheese, butter, and salt.

For the shrimp and andouille:
1 pound shrimp (peeled and deveined)
1 pound andouille sausage
1 to 2 teaspoons cajun seasoning (more or less to taste)
1/3 cup beer (We used Nimble Hill Flinke Hugel, a lager.)
3 tablespoons butter
salt and pepper to taste

Meanwhile in a skillet on high heat, simmer beer and butter for 1 to 2 minutes.
Add cajun seasoning, shrimp, and andouille and simmer for about 2 to 4 minutes until shrimp and andouille are cooked through. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve mixture over grits.

Chicken & Waffles with Spicy Maple Drizzle

I never had chicken and waffles until I met my husband. I know it's a Southern dish typically made with crispy fried chicken, but here in the Northeast, it's made with shredded chicken in a cream sauce. I wasn't a fan of the creamy kind and wrote off chicken and waffles—that was until I had the real deal at a pop-up dinner that I attended. (Read about Pop-Up dining here. It's an amazing experience.) This version, which included a popcorn dusted chicken thigh on top of a cornmeal waffle with a drizzle of jalapeno syrup, was the perfect combination of salty, sweet, and spicy. I couldn't stop thinking about the dish afterward, so I decided to recreate it. While it wasn't as good as the original dish, it satisfied my chicken and waffles craving.

Chicken & Waffles with Spicy Maple Drizzle
Inspired by Peculiar Culinary Company

Breaded Chicken
3 chicken breasts, sliced in half
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
2 eggs
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together bread crumbs, panko bread crumbs, salt, and pepper and place on a plate. Whisk the eggs together in a bowl. Dip chicken into the bread crumbs, then the egg mixture, and again into the bread crumbs. Place chicken in a greased baking dish and bake for 30 minutes.

Belgium Waffle
Bake your favorite waffle, using a waffle iron. I used a box mix, but you can make your favorite waffle recipe. This one from Alton Brown is really tasty! 

Spicy Maple Drizzle
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Whisk all ingredients together in a small saucepan over low heat until syrup is warm. Drizzle on top of chicken and waffles and enjoy!

French Dip Sandwiches

I love Pinterest, but I am weary when it comes to recipes from the site. I've had a few flops along the way. Sure, I pin a ton of recipes that I want to try, but I usually read the comments and reviews before I give them a whirl. Boy was I happy that I gave this one a try. I was hesitant because of how salty dry onion soup mix could be, but everything turned out great! The roast beef for these French dip sandwiches was tender and succulent while the au jus was beefy and not too salty. 

French Dip Sandwiches
Source: Fat Girl Trapped in a Skinny Body via Pinterest

4 pounds boneless beef chuck roast (or sirloin roast, tri tip, brisket, rump roast, etc.)

2 envelopes dry onion soup mix
3 cups beef stock
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
10–12 rolls
5–6 slices provolone cheese (optional)

Whisk together onion soup mix, beef stock, and pepper. Pour a little of the liquid on the bottom of the slow cooker and place the roast on top. Pour the rest of the mixture on top of roast.

Cook on low for 6–8 hours or until meat is tender.

Remove meat from slow cooker and shred with two forks on a cutting board. Strain the liquid left in the slow cooker with a fine mesh strainer and discard any chunks. Add about 1/2 cup of the liquid to the shredded beef to keep it moist and reserve the rest.

Preheat broiler. Place shredded beef on rolls and top with 1/2 slice Provolone cheese. Place in broiler until cheese is melted and buns are toasted. Serve with au jus on side for dipping.

Herb-Roasted Chicken & Peppers

I have been waiting for the warm weather. Waiting, waiting, and waiting—to no avail. I think Mother Nature forgot about us in the Northeast. I wanted to grill chicken drums for dinner, but the weather has not been cooperating. The calendar says it's spring, but it's cold. So cold that there was ice outside a few times this week when we woke up. Yep, that's right, ice. So our grilling plans went out the window, and I decided to roast the chicken in the oven instead—mostly to warm up the house. This dinner was simple, yet tasty. I coated the chicken in a mixture of spices and topped it with a yellow pepper, which became sweet like candy when roasted. It was a perfect, comforting Sunday dinner.

Herb-Roasted Chicken & Peppers

10 chicken drums
1 yellow bell pepper (sliced into strips)
3 to 4 tablespoons oil (olive or canola)
1 tablespoon dried crushed rosemary
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.Place the chicken and pepper slices in a Ziploc bag with the oil and spices. Shake until well coated. Arrange chicken on a lightly greased sheet pan and top with the pepper slices. Bake for 45 minutes until the chicken is no longer pink inside. 

Cheese Steak Sloppy Joes

After I saw this recipe on Pinterest, I knew I had to make it right away. And then I made it again and again. It fast became one of our favorite, go-to dinners. Don't be fooled by this recipe. It looks very simple and unassuming, however, I was blown away at how much these tasted like a real cheese steak, minus all the grease. Don't get my wrong, I love cheese steaks, but these are a nice alternative. If you're looking for an easy, flavorful dinner, then this recipe is for you.

Cheese Steak Sloppy Joes

Source: adapted from Rachael Ray

1 pound ground beef
1 medium green bell pepper (chopped)

1/4 cup steak sauce 
1/2 cup cup beef broth

3 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper (to taste)

4 to 5 slices provolone cheese

Brown ground beef in a cast iron skillet with the green pepper.

Drain well and return meat to the skillet and add steak sauce, beef broth, worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. 

Simmer over a medium-high heat for about 10 minutes until the liquid is absorbed.

Layer the provolone cheese on top of the meat mixture and either cover with a lid, place under broiler, or in a hot oven to melt the cheese. Serve on hardy rolls.

Enchilada Stack

I had planned to make enchiladas for dinner, but the corn tortillas weren't having it. Each time I filled and rolled one, it split in half. I tried rolling the tortillas when they were cold and warmed in the microwave, but I had no luck. I cut my losses and went back to the drawing board. I decided to just make a deconstructed enchilada instead. It was kinda like enchilada lasagna or an enchilada stack. I didn't have high hopes for this dinner, but boy was I surprised. It was delicious! I loved the flavor of the slightly sweet corn tortillas with the spicy meat and bean mixture and mild green enchilada sauce. I just love it when a dinner fail turns into a winner!

Enchilada Stack

1.5 pounds ground beef (or turkey)
1 can corn (drained)
1 can black beans (drained and rinsed)
1 (4 oz.) can green chiles (undrained)
4 tablespoons taco seasoning
1/2 cup water
18 small corn tortillas
1.5–2 cans green (or red) enchilada sauce (or 2 cups homemade)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Brown the ground beef (or turkey) and drain. Add corn, black beans, green chiles, taco seasoning, and water and mix well. Heat mixture until thoroughly heated and set aside.

Spray a 9 x 13 pan with nonstick cooking spray and layer six tortillas on the bottom on the pan, overlapping the tortillas.

Cover tortillas with one-half of the meat mixture, and drizzle 1/2 can of enchilada sauce on top. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup cheese, and cover with six more tortillas. Repeat with meat mixture, 1/2 can enchilada sauce, 1/3 cup cheese, and remaining six tortillas.

Pour the remaining enchilada sauce on top and sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes until top is nice and crispy.

Garnish with salsa, hot sauce, sour cream, and cilantro (if desired).

Lazy Day Piggies

This recipe came from my mom. I'm not going to lie, cooking is not one of my mom's strong suits. Let's just say I'm for the most part a self-taught cook. Mom makes a handful of dishes that I can honestly say I love and this is one of them. I never liked piggies growing up. I recently discovered that I am very fond of cabbage. For those of you not from northeastern PA, a piggie, which is sometimes called a pig in a blanket or a cabbage roll, is ground beef and rice wrapped in cabbage and baked in tomato sauce. This recipe throws all the components together in a casserole dish and is baked. It's an easy recipe that is warm and comforting on a cool, fall day. It's also a crowd-pleaser and disappears at family functions.

Lazy Day Piggies

Ingredients:
1 head of cabbage
1 and 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 cup cooked white rice
2 jars sauce 
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
salt & pepper, to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Brown ground beef with minced garlic and Italian seasoning. Drain most of the grease, leaving about 2 tablespoons and transfer to a large bowl.

Roughly chop cabbage and add to ground beef. Add rice and sauce. Stir until combined. Season with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Pour into a lightly greased casserole dish.

Bake 1 and 1/2 - 2 hours. Serve with a salad and bread.

Turkey Pot Pie

Me and my husband have this little inside joke about pot pie, so I giggle every time I hear the words pot pie. Now if I told you the joke, it wouldn't be ours anymore. I roasted a turkey breast last weekend and had tons of leftover turkey. I took bits and pieces of a few recipes and threw this together on a weeknight. It didn't take long at all. Plus there wasn't much clean up. This came out very tasty. Way better than a frozen pot pie. I was actually surprised, since I always assumed pot pie was difficult to make. I was wrong. The vegetables were cooked perfectly—tender, but not mushy—and the gravy complemented the turkey wonderfully. The crust was nice and flaky. This was the perfect comfort food for a cold winter day.

Turkey Pot Pie

Inspired by Annie's Eats and Ina

Ingredients:

Filling:
2 - 3 cups shredded turkey breast
2 small-medium potatoes
1/2 cup peas (I used canned)
1 cup carrots (I used frozen)
1 cup corn (I used canned)

Gravy:
4 tablespoons salted butter
4 tablespoons flour
1 can chicken broth
dash of hot sauce
salt and pepper

Crust:
I cheated and used a Pillsbury pie crust for the top only.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a pie dish with nonstick spray.

Wash potatoes and cut into bite-size chunks. (I left the skins on.) Bring to a boil and boil for 4 minutes. Drain. Add potatoes, corn, peas, carrots, and turkey to a large bowl and set aside.

Melt the butter over medium heat in a saucepan. Add flour and whisk until smooth. Whisk in the chicken broth and cook over medium heat until it thickens. Remove from heat and add hot sauce, salt, and pepper to taste.

Pour gravy over turkey and veggie mixture. Stir well and pour into pie dish.

Bake for 45 minutes. Place a cookie sheet under pie to catch spills. Use a pie crust guard or foil to shield crust from browning too much after 25 minutes.

Pretzel Chicken

I needed an easy way to use up the leftover pretzels I had from making the pretzel chocolate chip cookies last Sunday. I asked my fellow nesties for some ideas and they delivered. This was a quick and easy dinner that required only four ingredients. This chicken came out very juicy and the pretzels created a nice salty crust on top.

Pretzel Chicken
Inspired by Oishii

Ingredients:
4 thinly sliced chicken breasts
3 tablespoons dijon mustard
2 cups pretzels
2 - 3 tablespoons canola oil

Instructions:
Place pretzels in a zip lock bag and close tightly.
Pound pretzels with a mallet until coarsely crushed.
Pour pretzels onto a plate.
Brush chicken with dijon mustard.
Dip chicken in pretzels.
Heat canola oil over medium heat in a skillet.
Cook chicken about  6 - 8 minutes on each side.
Serve with dijon mustard.

Meatloaf

I hated meatloaf growing up. My mom used to make it with tons of onions. It was dry and I refused to eat it. My husband loves meatloaf. When we first met, I told him I would never make it for him. So he made it for me. And I didn't hate it. I actually really liked it. He found a recipe in a magazine from Heinz and adapted it to our tastes. It has a sweet glaze that is balanced by the salty bacon and crunchy green peppers. I can't believe I didn't like meatloaf before.

Adapted from Heinz

Meatloaf:

2 pounds ground beef

6 - 8 slices uncooked bacon

1/2 cup bread crumbs

2 eggs

1/3 cup worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup Heinz ketchup

1 teaspoon onion salt

1 teaspoon garlic (minced or powder)

1/4 cup finely chopped green bell pepper

ground black pepper

Glaze:

1/4 cup ketchup

1 tablespoon yellow mustard 

3 tablespoons brown sugar

Combine above ingredients and mix well.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray the bottom of a baking dish with nonstick spray.

Combine all meatloaf ingredients, except bacon.

Mix with hands to combine.

Place mixture in pan and shape into a loaf.

Top with glaze.

Place strips of bacon on top. 

Bake 1 hour - 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Christmas Eve Dinner: Vegetable Lasagna

We were talking about Christmas Eve dinner at my mother-in-law's after dinner on Thanksgiving and she mentioned she was going to switch things up and make a ham on Christmas Eve. Since I don't eat meat that day, I offered to make a vegetable lasagna. I don't know what I was thinking because when Christmas Eve rolled around, I was so stressed and tired after preparing for the big day. I threw this together and flung it into the oven with no time to spare. It was done the minute we had to be out the door and on our way to church. I had no time for error or even to think about if this would be good or not. Not to fear, this came out perfectly—cheesy, saucy, and full of veggies. It was delicious. Everyone loved it. I was worried about the veggies getting too soft while baking, but they remained nice and crisp. This is a great alternative to a meat lasagna.

Vegetable Lasagna

Ingredients:

Box of no-boil lasagna noodles (I used Barilla brand.)
2 jars favorite sauce or homemade (I used jarred with mushrooms in it.)
16 oz. ricotta cheese
1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix)
1 zucchini, thinly sliced
1 green bell pepper
1 1/2 cups broccoli florets
2 - 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 eggs
salt, pepper, parsley

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Lightly spray 9 x 13 baking pan with nonstick spray.
3. Thinly slice zucchini and chop the rest of the vegetables into bite-size pieces.
4. Combine ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, 1 egg, and parsley. Mix well and set aside.
5. Combine pumpkin puree, 1 egg, salt, and pepper. Mix well and set aside.
6. Assemble lasagna: Ladle sauce onto bottom of baking pan. Place 3 lasagna noodles on bottom of pan. Top with 1/2 ricotta mixture and some sauce. Place 3 more noodles on top of ricotta layer. Top with 1/4 of the zucchini, the rest of the vegetables, 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, and more sauce. Place 3 more noodles on top of veggie layer. Spread pumpkin mixture on top of noodles, and top with the remaining zucchini slices and more sauce. Place 3 more noodles on top of pumpkin layer. Spread the rest of the ricotta cheese mixture and top with sauce and remaining 3 noodles. Spread sauce and the rest of the mozzarella cheese on top of noodles.
7. Cover with foil and bake for 50 minutes.
8. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes.

Creamy Herbed Pork Chops

I'm always looking for different ways to cook pork chops. I have so many recipes for breaded pork chops or baked pork chops and we are sick of them all. When I came across this recipe, I knew it would be delicious over egg noodles. I was right. The sauce is creamy and garlicky and compliments the herb-seared pork chops nicely. This is an easy dinner to whip together when you're busy or too tired to cook.

Creamy Herbed Pork Chops
adapted from Peace, Love & French Fries

Ingredients:
6 boneless center cut pork chops
1 can cream of mushroom soup (98% fat free)
1 can of water
1/4 cup sour cream (fat free)
1/2 - 1 tablespoon minced garlic
salt, pepper, rosemary, thyme
1 - 2 tablespoons canola oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Sprinkle pork chops liberally with salt, pepper, rosemary, and thyme.
Heat canola oil over high heat in a large pan.
Pan sear pork chops 1 - 2 minutes on each side.
Transfer pork chops to lightly greased baking pan.
Whisk together soup, water, sour cream, and garlic.
Pour mixture over pork.
Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
Remove foil and bake an additional 10 - 20 more minutes.
Serve over egg noodles.

Fiesta Tater Tot Casserole

Sorry about the bad photo, but this was actually a good meal. As soon as I saw this recipe, I knew my husband would enjoy it. Who doesn't love tater tots? I altered the ingredients a bit from the original to lighten it up and liven it up. Next time I might add salsa and corn. This was a quick, easy, and yummy weeknight meal.

Fiesta Tater Tot Casserole
adapted from Duggar Family, also seen on Lemons & Love
Ingredients:
half a bag of frozen tater tots
3/4 can cream of chicken soup (I used 98% fat free.)
3/4 can black beans, drained
1 pound ground beef
1 cup shredded cheese (I used cheddar.)
salt (a few shakes)
pepper (a few shakes)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon ancho chile powder
1 teaspoon regular chile powder

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. (Use temperature from tater tot bag.)
Brown ground beef with salt, pepper, minced garlic, cumin, and chile powders.
Drain ground beef.
Add in beans and soup and mix well.
Transfer beef mixture to lightly greased baking pan.
Sprinkle cheese on top of beef mixture.
Arrange tater tots on top.
Bake for 20 - 25 minutes until tater tots are done.

Chicken Chili

I love chicken chili. It's the perfect cold weather dinner. This is a versatile recipe that you can add whatever you have on hand or omit whatever you don't like. I adapted this from multiple recipes and by trial and error. This is an easy dish to throw together. You just put everything in the crock pot and let it go for a few hours. This is a spicy, flavorful broth-based chili. It's healthier than white chicken chili because there is no cream in it. You can mix sour cream into your individual bowl to make it "white" chicken chili.

Chicken Chili
Ingredients:
1 pound chicken breast
1 whole bell pepper (I used 1/2 red and 1/2 green)
3 cans chicken broth (low sodium)
3 cans great northern white beans (1 drained)
1 can corn, drained
1 cup water
2 small cans green chilies
2 chipotle peppers in adobe sauce
2 tablespoons adobe sauce from chipotle peppers
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons ancho chili powder
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or cayenne pepper)
optional toppers: sour cream, shredded cheese, tortilla chips, cilantro

Directions:
Add chicken to slow cooker.
Add 1/2 can chicken broth, 1 cup water, and 1 tablespoon garlic.
Cook on high for 3 hours.
Drain and remove chicken.
Shred chicken with two forks.
Add chicken back to crock pot.
Chop bell pepper, chipotle peppers, and cilantro.
Add to crock pot.
Add remaining ingredients to crock pot.
Cook on high for 1 hour.
Cook on low for 3 additional hours.
Serve topped with sour cream, cheese, tortilla chips, and cilantro. (optional)

Mustard-Herb Crusted Pork Chops

Randy brought me home this recipe to try. He found it in an old magazine and tore it out. It's an Emeril recipe. I never made one of his recipes before, so I was excited to try it. The original recipe called for lamb chops, but I opted to use pork chops instead. Don't get me wrong, I love lamb, but I have never made it before. It's one of those meats like veal that I let restaurants cook for me. Plus it's also hard to find in crappy NEPA grocery stores. This recipe was delicious, so flavorful. I can't even describe how good it was, plus it was simple. I'm always looking for new ways to jazz up breaded pork and chicken and this recipe is a keeper.

Mustard-Herb Crusted Pork Chops

adapted from Emeril Lagasse, Emeril 20-40-60

Ingredients:

6 boneless center-cut pork chops

1/4 cup dijon mustard

1 tablespoon minced garlic

3/4 cup plain bread crumbs

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon dried rosemary (or 1 tablespoon fresh)

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

salt and pepper

2 tablespoons canola or olive oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly spray baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Mix together mustard and garlic.

Mix together bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, and herbs.

Salt and pepper pork chops.

Brush mustard mixture on pork chops.

Dredge chops in bread crumb mixture.

Heat oil in skillet on high heat.

Cook pork chops 2 minutes on each side.

Place in baking dish.

Bake for 30 minutes.