Chicken Parmesan Casserole

Cookbook tonight...I can't say I was excited about our theme tonight...because we made freezer meals for my family since my mom was diagnosed with leukemia last week :(  How is that even a normal sentence for me to say...UGH!  This was really easy to make up...I'll have to update once my parents taste it!!!

Ingredients:

about 4 cups of shredded, cooked chicken
about 1 jar of marinara sauce
1-2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
about 1 cup panko or whole wheat bread crumbs
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
fresh, chopped herbs (parsley, basil, oregano, etc)
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease an 8x8 casserole dish with cooking spray.

Layer the chicken in the bottom. Dump in the marinara sauce and mix with the chicken. Next, top with cheese until all the chicken is covered.

In a small bowl, mix the breadcrumbs, olive oil, fresh herbs and a dash of salt and pepper together.  Sprinkle the seasoned breadcrumbs on top.

Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until golden on top and bubbling on the sides.

Freezer Meal Directions: Put casserole together and freeze it before baking. When you're ready to cook it, let it thaw in the fridge over night. If it's still slightly frozen in the middle, you'll just have to cook it longer than the recipe calls for or defrost a bit in the microwave before baking. Cover it with foil if the top gets too brown in the oven.

Steak & Mango Stir-Fry

This was really good!!!  I like flank steak cause it can actually get cooked "well done" really easily -- hehe!

Serves 4 - OBB Cookbook

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons soy sauce (if this needs to be gluten-free, check the soy sauce label)
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
12 ounces flank steak, thinly sliced (if it’s semi-frozen, it’s easier to slice)
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon cooking oil (olive, coconut, or canola), divided
1 small red onion, sliced
1 medium red bell pepper, sliced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
1 cup cubed, ripe (but not too ripe) mango
1/4 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped or torn
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

Whisk together the water, lime juice, sugar, soy sauce, and corn starch. Set aside.

Toss together the basil, cilantro, and mint and set aside.

Sprinkle the steak with crushed red pepper and black pepper and toss to combine. Heat half of the oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat. When hot, add the steak and cook for about 3-4 minutes or until almost cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside. Heat the remaining oil in the skillet and add the onion, pepper, and ginger. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until tender-crisp. Add the garlic, steak, mango and stir-fry until the steak is cooked through. Add the sauce and cook until thickened slightly. Serve immediately over rice and sprinkle with herb mixture.

Honey Balsamic Drumsticks

Ross is obsessed with chicken drummies, and I don't really like to eat stuff that has "tendons", BUT this was really good!!  I didn't even mind biting my meat off -- haha! 

Recipe by Our Best Bites

Ingredients
2 – 2 1/2 lbs chicken drumsticks (10-12 drumsticks)
3 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
3/4 teaspoon onion powder

Sauce
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons ketchup
4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 tablespoons water

Rinse chicken, pat dry.  Drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil, toss to coat.  Add seasoning mixture and use hands to massage into all pieces.  Heat large dutch oven (or heavy oven-proof skillet with an oven proof lid) to medium heat.  When hot add 2 teaspoons olive oil and use a brush to make sure it’s distributed over the entire surface of pan.  Brown chicken 2 minutes per side (in batches if necessary.)

While chicken is searing, whisk sauce ingredients together and add to pan.  Gently toss chicken to coat.  Cover pan and bake for 20 minutes, flip chicken pieces and baste with sauce and return to oven for 20 minutes more.  Remove chicken from pot and cover to keep warm.  Bring sauce to a boil and simmer for 4-5 minutes until thick and glazy.  Return chicken to pan and gently toss in glaze.  Let sit for a few minutes before serving.  Glaze will thicken and chicken won’t burn your mouth

Slow Cooker Swiss Chicken

Ross is working - B and I had plans all day - so I wanted something QUICK!  This was great!  Couldn't have been any easier :)

Serves 6: Six Sisters

 

Ingredients:

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

6 slices Swiss cheese

1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup

1/4 cup milk

1 package herb stuffing mix

1/4 cup butter, melted

 

Spray slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.  Place chicken breasts on the bottom of the slow cooker.  Cover chicken with slices of Swiss cheese.  In a small bowl, combine cream of chicken soup and milk and pour over chicken and cheese.  Sprinkle stuffing mix on top and drizzle butter over the top.  Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours or high for 2-3 hours.

Burrito Pie

Um yummy!!!  Even B man ate this right up!!  I'm all about eating a burrito that's "easy" to eat - and this was it!!!  So good!

Our best bites: serves 12

Ingredients:

1/2 pound lean ground beef (I used 93% lean)

1 medium onion, chopped

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

1 packet taco seasoning

1 2-ounce can sliced black olives (or grab a handful of medium black olives and chop them)

1 4-ounce can roasted green chilies, undrained

1 15.5 ounce can diced tomatoes with green chilies

1 1/2 cups corn (either frozen or a 15.5 ounce can of corn, drained)

1 cup enchilada sauce

1 15.5 ounce can refried beans (or two cups of these beans)

6 large (burrito-size) tortillas, 3 of them cut in half (I used Mission Carb Balance tortillas)

12 ounces (3 cups) shredded cheddar, colby jack, or pepperjack cheese (or a combination)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat. When the beef is about halfway cooked, add the onion and garlic and cook until the beef is cooked through and the onions and garlic are tender and fragrant. Add the taco seasoning and stir to coat completely, then add the black olives, chilies, tomatoes, corn, enchilada sauce, and refried beans. Bring to a simmer then remove from heat.

Spread about 1/2 cup of the mixture onto the bottom of a 9×13″ pan. Top with one whole tortilla and one half. Spread 1 1/2 cups of the mixture on top of the tortillas, sprinkle with cheese, then top with another 1 1/2 tortillas. Repeat until you run out of tortillas, topping with a small amount of the meat mixture and another sprinkling of cheese. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until heated through and the cheese is melted and bubbly. 

May Day Baskets

Cutie homemade May Day baskets!!!!