Homemade BBQ Sauce

My husband is the king of sauces. He can whip up the most amazing sauces with any ingredients. I'm a little more cautious when it comes to cooking. I have to follow a recipe. I'm afraid if I start throwing different things together it's not going to taste good and my food will be ruined. I made BBQ Chicken Salad this weekend and I needed some sauce for the chicken. Normally I just use bottled sauce but I was out. So I asked my husband to whip up some bbq sauce for me. It was very good. I'm going to start using his recipe from now on.

Printable Recipe

Homemade BBQ Sauce


1 cup ketchup
1/2 tsp basil
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp onion powder
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp garlic (1 clove, minced)
1 Tbsp brown sugar
dash of salt
dash of pepper

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Grill chicken and baste with sauce.

*Makes enough sauce for about 8 chicken breasts

Rustic Chicken and Herbed Cornmeal Dumplings

This was so delicious! The only problem I had with it was the dumplings were too close together in the pot and they kind of stuck together. Next time I'm going to try to make them more round and not put them so close together. But it didn't matter. It was so good! It was a big hit with my family, especially my six year old. He kept eating and eating and eating. He ate more than me! He's as skinny as a rail too. I have no idea where he puts it. Even my two year old little girl had seconds. This recipe is definitely a winner! 

Printable Recipe

Rustic Chicken and Herbed Cornmeal Dumplings

adapted from The Open Pantry

2 lbs boneless chicken breasts or thighs

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1 Tbsp butter

1/2 cup onion, diced

3 carrots, sliced

2 celery stocks, chopped

2 cups chicken broth

1 1/2 tsp dried thyme

2 Tbsp cornstarch

2 Tbsp flour

2 cups milk

Dumplings:

1/4 cup flour

1/2 cup cornmeal

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

2 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into bits

2/3 cup milk

1/2 tsp dried parsley

1 tsp dried chives

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a 6 qt. pot. Add chicken; brown on both sides until cooked through. Remove from pot. 

Melt butter; add onion, carrot, and celery. Cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Stir in broth and thyme; bring to a boil. Combine cornstarch and flour. Whisk in milk and then whisk milk mixture into broth. Boil and continues to whisk until thickened, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Cut chicken into bite size pieces and return to pot. 

Mix dumplings while chicken is cooking. To make dumplings, whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. Add butter using a fork, pastry blender, or fingers to cut it into cornmeal mixture. Add milk and herbs and stir with a fork until dough comes together. Drop tablespoonful of dough on the surface of the pot. Cover; cook for 15 minutes without lifting the lid.

Serves 4-6

Cashew Pork and Vegetables

This meal is great! I like it how it is but my husband said he would like it with more sauce. I think next time I'll double the sauce. Either way it's really good.

Printable Recipe

Cashew Pork and Vegetables
adapted from the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook

1 lb lean boneless pork, cut into thin strips
1/4 cup orange juice
2 Tbsp hoisin sauce
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper
2 cups fresh pea pods
3 medium carrots, sliced on an angle
2 green onions, sliced
1/2 cup cashews
cooked rice
vegetable oil

Mix together orange juice, hoisin sauce, ginger, and crushed red pepper. Set aside. Heat vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet. (Add more oil as necessary during cooking.) Stir in carrot. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Add pea pods and green onion. Cook and stir for 2-3 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Remove vegetables from wok. Add half of the pork to wok. Cook and stir for 2-3 minutes until no longer pink; remove from wok. Repeat with remaining pork. Return all meat and vegetables to wok. Stir sauce; add to wok. Cook and stir until heated through. Stir in cashews. Serve over rice.

Serves 4

Lemon-Mustard Chicken

I love meals like this. It's so easy to mix a few ingredients together to make a sauce, pour it over the chicken, and bake it. I'm so busy all day taking care of my 4 kids. Sometimes it's nice to make a low maintenance meal that tastes good.

Printable Recipe

Lemon-Mustard Chicken
adapted from the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp dijon mustard
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp lemon pepper seasoning
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Place chicken in a 9x13 baking dish. Mix together olive oil, dijon mustard, lemon juice, lemon pepper, oregano, and cayenne pepper. Brush over chicken, coating on both sides. Bake for 30 minutes or until cooked through. Serve chicken with sauce from pan.

Chicken Parmesan Bundles

This is a good way to get your kids to eat spinach. Just mixed it with a bunch of cheese and stuff it in a chicken breast. It's so good. My kids love it!

Printable Recipe

Chicken Parmesan Bundles

adapted from Kraft Food and Family

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/4-inch thickness

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

5 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed

1 1/4 cups mozzarella cheese, divided

6 Tbsp parmesan cheese, divided

1 egg, slightly beaten

10 ritz crackers, crushed (about 1/2 cup)

1 1/2 cups spaghetti sauce, heated

Preheat oven to 375. Mix together ritz cracker crumbs and 3 Tbsp parmesan cheese. Place on a shallow dish or pie plate. Mix cream cheese, spinach, 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese, and 3 Tbsp of the parmesan cheese until well blended. Place spinach mixture in the center of each chicken breast.

Roll up each chicken breast. Dip in egg and then in parmesan cracker mixture. Place seam-side down in a 9x13 baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. 

Bake 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Serve topped with spaghetti sauce and remaining 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese.

Super Burritos

In my house burritos are always a big hit. Sometimes if we can't get the kids to eat, we wrap their food in a tortilla. My kids aren't picky eaters but every once in a while there is something they don't want to eat. They'll eat anything if it's in a tortilla or on a toothpick.

Printable Recipe

Super Burritos
adapted from the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook

1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup water
1 Tbsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup cooked rice
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (4 oz) can diced green chilies
2 Tbsp chopped cilantro
flour tortillas
shredded cheese
chopped tomato
shredded lettuce
salsa
guacamole

Brown ground beef with onion, bell pepper, and garlic; drain. Stir in water, chili powder, cumin, and salt. Cook about 5 minutes until most of the water has evaporated. Stir in rice, black beans, green chilies, and cilantro. Heat through. Serve in tortillas with cheese, tomato, lettuce, salsa, and guacamole.

Serves 8

Chicken with Creamy Chive Sauce

This is one of my favorites. It's a lot like Crock Pot Chicken with a few different ingredients. It's so delicious and so easy.

Printable Recipe

Chicken with Creamy Chive Sauce
adapted from the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 3/4 lb)
2 Tbsp butter
1 package Italian dressing mix
1 can golden mushroom soup
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 of an 8 oz tub chive and onion cream cheese
hot cooked pasta
chives

Place chicken in a crock pot. In a medium saucepan melt butter over medium heat. Stir in dressing mix. Stir in soup, chicken broth, and cream cheese until combined. Pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours. Serve over pasta and sprinkle with chives.