Lemon Pepper Chicken

This is one of those recipes that I can make when I haven't had time to go to the store. I usually have all of the ingredients at my house. It's so easy to throw it all together and put it in the oven.


Printable Recipe


Lemon Pepper Chicken
4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1-2 tsp lemon pepper seasoning
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup milk
1 cup cheese


Sprinkle chicken with lemon pepper and place in a baking dish. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Mix together cream of mushroom soup, mayonnaise, milk, and cheese. Pour over chicken. Bake for an additional 15-20 minutes until chicken is cooked through. Serve with rice with the sauce on top.  

Dijon Pork Chops

Recipe from The Sisters Cafe


Printable Recipe


Dijon Pork Chops
4-6 (1/2 inch) pork chops
6-7 Tbsp flour
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp seasoning salt
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
1/4 cup butter
2 Tbsp green onion, chopped
2 tsp dijon mustard
2/3 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup cold water
fresh chives for garnish


Combine 5 Tbsp flour, pepper, seasoning salt, and poultry seasoning. Melt butter in large skillet. Dredge pork chops in flour. Brown on both sides. Remove from skillet. Add green onion and cook for 1 minute. Stir together broth and mustard. Add to skillet and return pork chops. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 5-10 minutes. Remove pork chops to a warm platter. Combine water and 1 Tbsp flour. Add to skillet and stir until thickened. Pour sauce over pork chops. Top with chives. 

Salsa Verde Tostadas

Recipe from My Kitchen Cafe


Printable Recipe


Salsa Verde Tostadas
fajita size flour tortillas
1/2 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 1/2 cups cooked shredded chicken
1 cup green salsa plus more for serving
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp chopped cilantro
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 tsp cumin
chopped lettuce
chopped tomatoes
sour cream
avocado


Toss together chicken, salsa verde, 1/4 cup cilantro, black beans, and cumin. Marinate for a few hours. Arrange tortillas on a baking sheet. Sprinkle cheese evenly over tortillas. Bake at 400 for 8-10 minutes. Spoon mixture evenly over tortillas. Bake until heated through, about 8 minutes. Top with lettuce, tomatoes, cilantro, sour cream, avocado, and salsa.


Makes about 6-8 tostadas

Creamy Orzo with Chicken and Mushrooms

Recipe from My Kitchen Cafe


Printable Recipe


Creamy Orzo with Chicken and Mushrooms
1 to 1 1/2 lbs chicken, cut into chunks
2 bell peppers, chopped
8 oz fresh mushrooms, quartered
1 tsp. thyme
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb orzo pasta
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup reserved pasta water
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
3 Tbsp fresh parsley or 3 tsp dried parsley
squeeze of lemon juice (1/2 lemon)


Cook orzo according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup of water. Drain and set aside. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add chicken to skillet. Season with salt and pepper. Cook chicken for about 5 minutes. Add peppers, mushrooms, and thyme. Cook for 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add cream cheese and pasta water. Bring to a simmer. Add 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Add orzo, parmesan, lemon, and parsley. Serve with additional parmesan cheese. 


Serves 6

Oatmeal Chocolate Caramel Bars

This recipe came from My Kitchen Cafe. I love caramel so I thought I would try them. They are a lot like my recipe for caramel brownies. Next time I might try making them with less chocolate but if you like a lot of chocolate they are really good like this. 

Printable Recipe


Oatmeal Chocolate Caramel Bars
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups oats
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup melted butter
11 oz. package caramel bits (in the chocolate chip section)
1/2 cup whipping cream or milk
12 oz. package milk chocolate chips


Combine flour, oats, brown sugar, salt, baking soda, and butter. Place half in the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes until lightly browned. Meanwhile, melt caramels with milk or cream over low heat. Remove bars from oven. Sprinkle with chocolate chips. Pour melted caramel on top. Sprinkle the rest of the crust over the caramel. Bake for an additional 10-12 minutes.


Makes 24 bars

Breakfast Burritos

It's very rare for me to make breakfast. My husband is the breakfast cook in our house. I think it takes too long to make and I always have so many things to do in the mornings. I usually just feed my kids cereal. But when I do make breakfast this is one of my favorite things to make.  

Printable Recipe


Breakfast Burritos
1/2 lb ground sausage
1/2 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 green onion, sliced
1/4 cup green pepper, chopped
6 eggs
1/8 cup milk
flour tortillas
shredded cheese


Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add sausage. Cook for about 3-4 minutes. Add mushrooms, green onion, and green pepper. Cook until sausage is cooked through. Remove from pan. In a separate bowl, combine eggs and milk. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Beat well. Pour into skillet. Cook until eggs are almost cooked through, stirring frequently. Add sausage mixture. Cook until eggs are done. Place tortillas on a plate one at a time. Sprinkle with cheese. Microwave for about 30 seconds until cheese is melted. Place egg mixture on tortilla and roll up. 


Serves 6

Simple Sprite Cake

I'll be the first to admit that I'm not the best cake decorator. I've tried to make creative, fun cakes for my kids' birthdays but they never turn out how I want them to and they take way too much time. So I just use a yummy recipe and decorate it with toys. We just celebrated my little girl Paige's 2nd birthday. She loves Tinkerbell so I wanted to make her a Tinkerbell cake. I found the recipe for the cake on Bakerella. It was a really easy recipe using a cake mix and some other ingredients. It was so moist. I loved it! The cake tasted great, it didn't take me too long to make, and now Paige's has some new Tinkerbell toys to play with.

Here is Paige with her Tinkerbell cake.

Printable Recipe


Simple Sprite Cake
1 white cake mix
1 box instant vanilla pudding mix (3.4 oz)
8 oz. sprite
4 eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil


Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans. Combine all ingredients. Mix on low until combined. Increase speed to medium and mix for 2 minutes. Pour into cake pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick come out clean. 




Buttercream Frosting
1 cup (2 sticks) butter softened
1 tsp. vanilla
1 lb. powdered sugar
1-3 tsp. milk
food coloring


Cream butter and vanilla until smooth. Gradually add sugar. Mix until blended well. Add desired food coloring. To make frosting creamier, add milk 1 tsp. at a time. Beat on high. 


*This frosts two 9-inch pans. Next time I think I might make more because I would have liked a little more frosting. 

Stuffed Shells

This is definitely a kid favorite!

Printable Recipe

Stuffed Shells
1 package jumbo shell macaroni
3 cups cottage cheese
8 oz. shredded mozzarella
3/4 cup parmesan cheese
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. parsley
3/4 tsp. oregano
1 bottle spaghetti sauce (any kind)

Cook pasta according to directions on package. Drain and run under cold water. Mix together cottage cheese, mozzarella, parmesan, eggs salt, pepper, parsley, and oregano. Fill shells with mixture and place in a 9 x 13 baking dish. (I used a 9 x 13 and a 9 x 9 dish) Make sure you don't fill the shells too full or the mixture will come out. Pour spaghetti sauce on top. Bake at 325 for 30 minutes.

Serves 6-8

Honey Lime Enchiladas

This recipe came from The Sisters Cafe. My mom and sister ate dinner with us last night and they couldn't stop talking about how much they loved them!

Printable Recipe


Honey Lime Enchiladas
1 1/2 lbs cooked, shredded chicken
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup lime juice
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2 (10 oz.) cans green enchilada sauce
equal parts of mozzarella and cheddar cheese, mixed together
12 flour tortillas


Mix together honey, lime juice, chili powder, and garlic powder. Pour over chicken; mix well. Let sauce soak into meat for 30 minutes. You'll need a 9 x 13 baking dish and a 9 x 9 dish. Pour sauce to coat the bottom of the pans. Fill tortillas with chicken and cheese.  Roll and place in dish. Pour the remainder of the sauce on top. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Turn on the broiler and place near the top of the oven until the cheese is crispy. 

Serves 8

Burrito Bake

This is an easy and quick meal to make. My kids love it!

Printable Recipe


Burrito Bake
1 lb ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onions
1 can refried beans
1 package taco seasoning
1 tube crescent rolls
1 cup shredded cheese
lettuce
tomatoes
salsa 
sour cream


Brown ground beef with onions; drain. Add refried beans and taco seasoning. Unroll crescent roll dough. Press in bottom and sides of a greased 9 x 13 baking dish. Make sure there are no holes in the dough. Spread meat mixture over crust. Sprinkle cheese on top. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Top with lettuce, tomatoes, and sour cream. 


Serves 6-8

Hawaiian Haystacks

Printable Recipe

Hawaiian Haystacks

Sauce:

2 cups cooked shredded chicken

2 cans cream of chicken soup

1 cup chicken broth

salt and pepper 

Toppings:

cooked rice

1 package chow mein noodles

1 cup chopped celery

4 green onions, sliced

1 can mandarin oranges

1 can pineapple tidbits

1 package sliced almonds

2 tomatoes, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

1 can sliced olives

1/2 cup coconut

2 cups grated cheese

Mix ingredients for sauce; simmer for 10-15 minutes. To serve, layer sauce on top of rice. Top with desired toppings.

Serves 6

Chicken Tortellini Bake

I saw this recipe on My Kitchen Cafe. I love tortellini so I thought I'd give it a try. It was such an easy dish to make and it's something that kids would love. 

Printable Recipe


Chicken Tortellini Bake
16 oz. cheese tortellini (in the refrigerator section, not frozen)
2 cups chopped chicken
3 green onions, sliced
8 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 Tbsp. flour
1 cup chicken broth
3/4 cup sour cream
2 cups shredded cheese (any kind)


Cook tortellini in boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Drain and set aside. Heat oil in a large skillet. Add chicken and brown 2-3 minutes. Add green onions and mushrooms. Cook until chicken is cooked through. Sprinkle with flour. Mix well and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add chicken broth and stir until thickened. Add sour cream and stir until thickened. Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish. Layer tortellini, half of the cheese, chicken mixture, then the remaining cheese. Bake covered at 350 for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 5 minutes. 


Serves 6

Strawberry Spinach Salad

I love this salad! It's so light and refreshing. It's perfect for summer!

Printable Recipe


Strawberry Spinach Salad
1 (10 oz) bag of spinach
1 package of strawberries, sliced
2/3 cup sliced almonds
4 tsp. sugar


Dressing:
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. finely chopped onion
1/4 tsp. worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tsp. poppy seeds


Mix all ingredients for the dressing. Place the almonds in a non-stick skillet. Sprinkle with sugar. Cook and stir over medium heat until the almonds are caramelized. Set aside and cool. Toss the spinach, strawberries, and almonds together. When ready to serve toss the salad with the dressing. 

Cabbage Rolls

I know this doesn't look like something kids would want to eat but my kids love this! My six year old ate more than anyone else. This is definitely a family favorite.

Printable Recipe


Cabbage Rolls
1 lb. ground beef, uncooked
10 large cabbage leaves
1 cup cooked rice
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 can tomato soup


Combine beef, rice, onion, egg, salt, pepper, and 1 Tbsp. soup. Cook cabbage leaves in boiling water for a few minutes to soften. Divide meat mixture among cabbage leaves. Roll and secure with toothpicks. Place cabbage rolls in a 9 x 13 baking dish. Pour remaining soup on top. Cover and bake at 350 for 1 hour.

Angel Hair Pasta

This recipe came from Beckey's Recipe Box. I've been looking for a good pasta side dish. This one was very good. I altered it a little. I like it with less pasta and more sauce.

Printable Recipe

Angel Hair Pasta

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 can tomatoes, undrained
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 Tbsp. basil
6-8 oz. angel hair pasta


Cook pasta according to directions. In a separate pan, combine olive oil, garlic powder, tomatoes, pepper, and basil. Bring to a boil and simmer. Toss pasta with sauce and top with parmesan cheese. 

Shish Kebobs

My husband is amazing at making up recipes on the spot. He can take any ingredients we have and make something delicious. I, on the other hand, have to follow a recipe. He made these shish kabobs last night and they were so good. Trying to get a recipe out of him is kind of tricky because he never writes anything down. But I begged him to remember how he cooked this because it was so delicious.

Printable Recipe


Shish Kebobs
1 to 1 1/2 lbs chicken breasts, pounded evenly and cut into strips
fresh mushrooms
1 green pepper, cut into large chunks
1 onion, cut into chunks


Marinade:
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. ketchup
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
drizzle of olive oil
cayenne pepper
salt
pepper
onion powder
garlic salt


Soak skewers in water for about a half hour. (This is to prevent them from burning.) Combine soy sauce, ketchup, lemon juice, garlic, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil. Pour over chicken. Sprinkle cayenne, salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic salt over chicken. (Sorry, my husband doesn't do exact measurements. Just sprinkle it on like you would with salt & pepper.) Coat evenly. Marinate in the fridge for at least an hour.   Take each piece of chicken and put on the skewers accordian-style. Or you can cut the chicken into chunks. Put vegetables on skewers. Spray the veggies with cooking spray then top with salt and pepper. Grill chicken for 7-10 minutes on each side. Grill vegetables for a few minutes on each side. 

Spaghetti with Bolognese Sauce

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Spaghetti with Bolognese Sauce
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/4 cup Italian dressing
2 (8 oz.) cans tomato sauce
1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes, undrained
2 Tbsp. cream cheese
12 oz. spaghetti
1/4 cup parmesan cheese


Brown ground beef; drain. In a separate pan, cook onions in dressing for about 5 minutes. Add onions to ground beef. Stir in tomato sauce and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, cook spaghetti according to package directions. Remove sauce from heat. Stir in cream cheese until well blended. Combine pasta and sauce. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.


Serves 6

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

Printable Recipe


Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
2 cups cooked shredded chicken
2 cups chopped ham
2 1/2 cups cooked rice
8 oz. sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 cups shredded swiss cheese
bread crumbs


Mix together all ingredients except for bread crumbs. Place in a 9 x 13 baking dish. Top with bread crumbs. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. 


Serves 6

Chicken and Rice Tortilla Soup

Printable Recipe


Chicken and Rice Tortilla Soup
2 cups cooked shredded chicken

1/3 cup sliced green onions

4 cups chicken broth

1 can diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained

1 can green chilies

2 cups cooked rice

1 Tbsp. lime juice

salt to taste

1 tomato, chopped

1 avocado, cut into cubes

chopped cilantro

1 lime, sliced

tortilla chips

In a large pot, heat cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add onions. Cook and stir for about 2 minutes. Add broth, rice, tomatoes, green chilies, and chicken. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 20 minutes. Stir in lime juice and salt. Pour into bowls. Top with tomato, avocado, cilantro, lime slices, and tortilla chips.

Serves 4-6

Chantilly Potatoes

This recipe has been moved to The Traveling Circus.

Click the link below for the recipe.

Chantilly Potatoes

Chicken with Basil and Cream Sauce

4 chicken breast halves

1/4 cup dry bread crumbs

3/4 tsp. dried basil, divided

1/8 tsp. black pepper

1/8 tsp. paprika

1 Tbsp. butter, melted

1 cup evaporated milk

2 tsp. flour

1 tsp. chicken bouillon

Combine bread crumbs, 1/2 tsp. basil, pepper, and paprika. Add melted butter; toss to coat. Place chicken in baking dish. Sprinkle chicken with crumb mixture, pressing onto chicken to coat. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Meanwhile, combine evaporated milk, flour, and bouillon in small saucepan; stir well. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring continuously, until thick and bubbly. Cook and stir for 1 minute more. Stir in remaining 1/4 tsp. basil. Serve over chicken.

Crock Pot French Dip Sandwiches

I've never been a huge fan of french dip sandwiches. Something about the soggy bread was never very appealing to me. Then I tried these sandwiches at a relief society activity. I was hooked. I've been making them ever since.

Printable Recipe

Crock Pot French Dip Sandwiches

1 lean beef roast, 3-4 lbs

1 beef bouillon cube

3-4 peppercorns

1 tsp dried thyme

1 bay leaf

1 tsp dried rosemary

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 cup soy sauce

hoagie rolls

Trim visible fat from roast. Place in crock-pot. Combine soy sauce, bouillon, and spices. Pour over roast. Add water and almost cover roast. Cook on low heat 10-12 hours or until meat is very tender. Remove meat, reserving broth. Shred meat with a fork. Serve on rolls with reserved broth for dipping.

Makes about 12 servings