Crispy Chicken Wraps

The great thing about this recipe is that it is fast, easy and everyone loves it.  Plus, it is easily adaptable to whatever your family loves.  I like to make it on nights that our family has lots of places to be.

This recipe is slightly adapted from Mels Kitchen Cafe, one of my favorite food blogs.

What you will need:

1/3 cup mayonaisse
1/2 small onion, chopped fine
2 celery ribs chopped fine
2 Tlbs. sour cream
2 tsp. hot sauce
1/2 rotisserie chicken, skin discarded and meat chopped into bite size pieces
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Flour tortillas

What you do:

Mix the mayo, onion, celery, sour cream and hot sauce in a large bowl.  Add chicken and toss to combine.  Spread a small amount of chicken mixture down the middle of a tortilla.  Sprinkle cheese on top of chicken mixture.  Wrap tortilla like a burrito with sides folded in.  Place on a hot skillet and let tortilla brown.  To keep the tortilla from opening up, start with the seam side down.  After tortilla has browned flip and brown the other side.  Repeat until all chicken mixture has been used up.

This makes about 6-8 wraps for my family.  The amount you will get depends on how much chicken mixture you add to each tortilla.

Poor Man Meal Series Post 1: Mashed Potatoes with Hamburger Gravy

This is a meal I learned to make when I worked at the preschool while I was going to college. It was frequently served at lunch time. I added a few things to my recipe, like cheese, while still keeping it cheap. It is a very simple meal but it is ultimate comfort food. I don't know why I love this dish, but I do. I am sure it has something to do with my addiction with carbs. You could take the easy way out and use instant potatoes and store bought gravy, but I like to make mine from scratch.

I know that it may seem basic, but I have readers of all cooking levels and so I am going to post "how to" directions to make homemade mashed potatoes.

Homemade Mashed Potatoes

What you need:

Potatoes
Milk, cream or sour cream
Butter
Salt

What you do:

Peel potatoes, you can leave a little of the peel on if you are using red potatoes. Cut potatoes in bite size pieces. Place in boiling water and cook until tender. Don't overcook or you will have soggy mashed potatoes. Just cook until a fork can be pierced through easily. Drain potatoes. Place potatoes in a bowl and mash with a potato masher. Add butter, salt and milk, cream or sour cream (please don't use leftover potato water... yuck!). The proportions are what ever you like best. I like mine a little more buttery, so I use lots of butter. Normally I use milk and save the sour cream for special occasions. I rarely use cream because I don't notice much added flavor but the added calories are significant.

Tip: If you mix the potatoes too much, they will start to get stiff and gluey... be careful to mash them and mix in the other ingredients just until done, no need to keep stirring!

Hamburger Gravy

What you need for 2 cups of gravy:

1/2 lb. hamburger
2 tlbs. flour
2 cups beef broth
Salt and Pepper to taste

What you do:

Brown hamburger. Add a little butter if needed (if there isn't at least 2 tlbs. fat left from hamburger). Add flour and stir until hamburger is coated. Add beef broth and stir until flour is all mixed in and broth starts to thicken. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve over potatoes and add grated cheddar cheese on top.

Tip: I make this often with left over roast broken into bite sized pieces instead of hamburger.

My Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

My mom always made spaghetti sauce at home. I loved it! When I was little I wouldn't eat any other spaghetti but hers. We never used the jar kind. After Cody and I got married, he made me spaghetti for dinner one night. He used a recipe that he made for his mom one time when she was sick. It was so good and I was converted. It was actually easy for me to convert to this new recipe because my mom's didn't have any measurements and I could never make it as good as her. Now I get a sweet trip down memory lane every time I visit home. We used Cody's recipe for all of our spaghetti dinners after that first time he made dinner for me. Through the years I have adjusted and changed the recipe to fit my emerging cooking abilities. This is the recipe it has evolved into over time.

What you will need:

1/2 lb. hamburger
1/2 onion chopped
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. basil
1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 14 oz. can stewed tomatoes
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 clove garlic pressed

What you will do:

Brown hamburger. Add stewed tomatoes and tomato sauce. Add seasonings. Saute onion in a small amount of olive oil in separate pan. When onions are tender add garlic and cook until garlic is fragrant. (don't over cook the garlic or it will become bitter) Add to sauce. Let simmer 5 to 10 minutes depending on how thick you like your sauce. The longer it simmers the thicker it will be.

I use this with spaghetti and have also used it for lasagna. It is a great versatile sauce.

Chicken Spaghetti

A few weeks ago I first heard about chicken spaghetti. My friend and I were at the pool letting our kids play and we were discussing what to have for dinner. She said Chicken Spaghetti and I said "what?" I had never heard of it. She gave a brief description and then we continued on in our conversation. Then a couple days ago, I found a recipe on The Pioneer Woman Cooks blog for chicken spaghetti. It seemed was similar to the one my friend told me she made. I decided that it was time that I tried my hand at chicken spaghetti. This is what I came up with.

Oh, and in case you are like me and have never heard of it, chicken spaghetti is nothing more than a casserole. It isn't spaghetti with chicken instead of beef like I had originally thought. I will have to say it ranks pretty high in the comfort food department. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

What you will need:

1 16 oz. package angel hair pasta

2 cans cream of chicken soup

2 cans chicken broth

1 cup milk

2-3 small tomatoes cut into chunks

3-4 celery ribs cut into small pieces

1 onion chopped

1/2 rotisserie chicken taken from bone and chopped into bite sized pieces

Cheddar Cheese (1-2 cups depending on how cheesy you like it)

1 sleeve buttery crackers

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

4 tlbs. butter

Black Pepper

Lowery's Seasoning Salt

Cayenne Pepper

What you do:

Cook the spaghetti in the two cans of chicken broth plus enough water to fill the pot. Cut up the celery, onion and tomato. Mix celery, onion, tomato, cream of chicken soup, rotisserie chicken, cheese and milk together in large bowl. Add spaghetti when cooked to just before aldente. You want it with a good bite because you will continue to cook it in the oven. Season with seasoning salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper. You can leave out the cayenne if you don't like your food with a little spice. You will want to taste the sauce to see how much seasonings you like.

If I had to guess I would say that I used about 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper, 1 tsp. seasoning salt, and 1/2 tsp black pepper. I may have used a little more than that, but that is a good place to start from.

After seasonings are all stirred in, put in a 9x13 baking dish. Crush crackers in a bowl and add Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle over top of casserole. Cut the 4 tlbs. butter into small pieces and dot around top of crackers.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until cheese is melty, sauce is hot and cracker crumbs are golden brown.

Grilled Veggie Pizza

I got this recipe from savingdinner.com when I was a subscriber. I have changed up the veggies to fit my taste but I think I do the sauce pretty much the same. Really this concept can be played with and you can jazz it up however you like. Here is how I do it.

What you will need:

1 recipe for pizza crust (recipe to follow)

1 tlbs. olive oil

1 tlbs. balsamic vinegar

2 cloves garlic, pressed

1 tsp. dried rosemary leaves

salt and pepper to taste

1 onion cut into wedges

1 yellow squash, sliced

1 zucchini, sliced

1 jar artichoke hearts in water or brine

1 fresh tomato, cut in large chunks

mozzarella cheese, grated

You can use any pizza crust recipe. I have found the one from saving dinner to be simple and just as good as any other I have used. Here is that recipe.

3/4 cup warm water

1 tlbs olive oil

3/4 tsp salt

2 1/3 cup flour

1 1/2 tsp yeast

What you do:

To make crust: Mix all ingredients together to make a soft dough. Try to not use too much flour, especially when rolling the dough or it will be dry and tough and have a floury taste. Break dough into small balls and roll into circles. Layer dough on a pan with parchment paper separating each disk.

To make topping. Saute all veggies in a pan. If you have a grill pan, use it to saute the veggies on the grill, otherwise just saute them indoors over your stove. In a large bowl mix olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper with a whisk. Add sauteed veggies and mix to coat evenly.

Spray your grill with a nonstick spray. Get the grill nice and hot. Place one disk of pizza dough on grill. Add a scoop of sauteed veggies on dough. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Repeat with other disks of dough until you have filled the grill. Put the lid down and let the heat get the cheese melty. Rotate the dough a quarter turn half way through the grilling. This process happens quick! Make sure you watch it so you don't burn your crust.

Enjoy!

Dutch Oven Potatoes and Bacon

Now that summer time is here, it is time for camping and outdoor cooking!! My family loves to cook in the dutch oven. This is one of my favorite recipes for the dutch oven.

This recipe is an "eye-ball recipe" meaning you just need to measure everything by looks. I don't have any measurements for the ingredients. You decide the proportions.

What you will need:

Bacon
Chicken
Potatoes
Carrots
Onions (optional)
Cream of chicken soup
Sprite
Salt and Pepper to taste
Cheddar cheese

What you do:

Brown bacon in the bottom of dutch oven. Or do it inside if you are short on time. Take bacon out and cook chicken till mostly done. Inside, cut up potatoes and carrots. Mix Cream of Chicken and Sprite to make it a gravy consistancy. You may want to season it with a little salt and pepper, just taste to find out. Pour gravy over potatoes and carrots till well coated. Add potato mixture to dutch oven with chicken. Cook until potatoes and carrots are tender. Add bacon at end of cooking time. Stir in grated cheddar cheese at the time you add bacon.

Chicken Lo Mein

There are actually very few recipes that I make up from nothing. I usually find a recipe and then adjust it until I like it. This one, I am proud to call my very own that I made up from scratch (well, just by imagining how the lo meins tasted at restruants I have been to). We love it, I hope you do too.

What you will need:

Chicken
Teriyaki Sauce (I use Lawrys Teriyaki Marinade)
Pampered Chef Asian Seasoning Mix
Angel Hair Pasta
Broccoli
Onion
Carrot
Bean Sprouts

Here's what you do:

Cook chicken until browned on outside. Cut into chunks. Continue to cook chicken adding seasoning mix to lightly coat chicken. Remove from pan and set aside. Boil water for pasta. Cut vegies into small pieces. Saute them until tender in pan used for chicken. Set aside. Cook pasta. Drain pasta and add to chicken pan. Coat in terryiki sauce, making it as saucy as you desire. Add more asian seasoning, according to your taste. Add chicken and vegies back and mix together. Heat through. You may need to add salt and pepper according to your own taste.

Fritoes and Rice

I have certain recipes that I call "poor man meals" because they are inexpensive to make. This is one of those. Don't let that name deceive you, this is pretty darn good and has impressed many people.

What you will need:

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
brown rice
1 bag fritoes
salt
pepper
onion powder
garlic powder
cheddar cheese

Cook rice according to package directions. Brown ground beef. Add diced tomatoes and seasonings to taste. Let simmer until tomatoes have broken down and sauce has thickened.

To serve:

Place a handful of fritoes in bottom of a bowl, top with rice (this is a protective coating so fritoes don't get soggy too fast), add beef/tomato mixture and then top with grated cheese.

This is my attempt to show you the layers. I used a glass bowl so you could see, but I didn't take into account that the heat from the sauce would cause so much condensation on the side of the bowl. Just realize that you don't add water to the dish. :)

Taco Soup

This recipe is super easy. Just open and dump in a pot.

Here is what you will need:

1 can corn w/ liquid
1 can chili
1/2 onion, chopped
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
1 can sliced olives, drained


Dump all ingredients in a sauce pan. Heat until onions are tender. Serve with tortilla chips, sour cream, cheddar cheese, and french bread.

Cottage Meat Loaf

I got this recipe when I was in high school. It is still my favorite. It is the only meatloaf my husband likes.

What you will need:

1 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef
1/2 cup ketchup
1/3 cup tomato juice
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. red pepper
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 tsp. mustard

Topping:

1/4 cup ketchup
1/2 tsp. mustard
2 tsp. brown sugar

In a large bowl mix all ingredients except ground beef. Add ground beef. Mix gently but thoroughly.

Now, you can add this to any pan you want. A loaf pan means a longer cooking time. I usually put the meat in a circular baking stone and make a wreath shape out of the meat. You can do it in any pan you would like. Spread topping on top.

Bake at 400 degrees until no longer pink in the middle.

Pesto Pasta

I got this recipe from my friend Marcy a long time ago. I have changed it up quite a bit, including the name, but I still think of it as her recipe.

What you will need:

2 tlbs dried basil
1 cup mayo
4 tlbs grated parmesian cheese
2 tlbs lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp red pepper
1/4 tsp black pepper

Blend above ingredients in a blender. Start a large stockpot of water to bring to boiling.

2-4 carrots, cut in pieces
1 med onion, chopped
1 med yellow squash, cut in half moons
1 jar of artichoke hearts in water, drained and cut in small pieces

Saute veggies until tender. Remove from pan and set aside.

You will also need:

3-4 chicken breasts
1 box linguini

Add 3-4 chicken breasts to pan and cook until no longer pink. Remove from pan and cut into bite sized pieces. When water is boiling, add one box of linguini. When linguini is tender, drain and add pasta back to stockpot. Add veggies and chicken to pasta. Add sauce from blender to the pasta. Mix together well.

*I serve this with yogurt salad since my protien and veggies are already in this dish. It adds variety and fruit. I also serve with french bread.

Chicken Jambalaya

This isn't the greatest picture, it was my first time taking pictures of food and even now I am still trying to get food to look great on film. Next time I make this for dinner I will try to take a better picture, until then I hope you use your creative little brain to imagine how delicious this dish is.

This was a free recipe (slightly altered) from savingdinner.com

What you will need:

1 tlbs butter + 1 tsp olive oil
2 med onions, chopped
1 med stalk celery, chopped (yes that is the whole thing, not just one rib)
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
3 cloves garlic, pressed
1 lb chicken breast, cubbed
1 can chicken broth
3/4 tsp dried basil
3/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp pepper
few shakes of Tabasco sauce
2 bay leaves
1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes

In a 3-quart saucepan, melt butter and oil over medium-high heat. Cook onion, celery, bell pepper and garlic, stirring frequently, till onion is tender. Remove from skillet and set aside. Add chicken to skillet and stir-fry till lightly browned. Remove from skillet and set aside. Add broth, seasonings and diced tomatoes to skillet. Heat to boiling, scraping up all the browned bits fromt he bottom of the pan. Return veggies and chicken to skillet. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Serve over brown rice.

Two Bean Enchilazagne

What you will need:

Two mixing bowls, one crockpot or casserole dish if you don't have a crockpot.

In one bowl mix the following ingredients:

1 sm. can red enchalada sauce
1 sm. can green enchalada sauce
1 cup salsa
1 tlbs cumin
2 cloves garlic, crushed

In second bowl mix the following ingredients:

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 can green chilis
One pkg. spanish rice cooked according to pkg. directions
1 small onion chopped

Additional ingredients:

Corn Tortillas, cut into wedges like a pizza (I use aprox. 12-14)
Cheddar Cheese, grated (I use aprox. 1-2 cups)
Sour Cream, for topping once served

What you do:

Set up an assembly line around the crock pot. On the bottom of the crock pot spoon a small amount of sauce mixture from bowl one. Place corn tortilla wedges on the bottom of the crock pot to cover the bottom. Add enough of the bean mixture from bowl two to cover the tortillas. Add more sauce then top with cheese. Layer more tortillas, beans, sauce and cheese until you have used up all the ingredients. Cook on low 4-6 hours or until hot and bubbly all the way through.

*This is great with corn bread. I also serve with a jello or fruit salad.