What's For Dinner: Swiss Chicken Bake

This is a recipe that someone put on my friend's Facebook wall when she said that she had boneless chicken breasts and needed some ideas what to do with them. We tried it and now it's in our rotation.

Swiss Chicken Bake

Ingredients

3-4 boneless chicken breasts
1 can cream of celery soup (you could also use cream of chicken)
1/2 cup milk
2 slices of Swiss cheese per chicken breast
1 stick of butter (I always feel like this is a lot of butter, but it does make it yummy)
1 package of stuffing (like stove top or pepperidge farm stuffing cubes)

Directions

Preheat oven 350.

Take chicken and pound with tenderizer then season with salt and pepper.

Spray 13 x 9 pan with non stick cooking spray. Place chicken in pan.

Cover chicken with Swiss cheese slices.

In a separate bowl combine soup and milk into a sauce. Pour sauce over chicken and cheese.

Melt butter in microwave.

Pour stuffing cubes over the chicken. Top with the butter.

Cook in over for about 45 minutes.


Enjoy!

If you have any ideas about how to cut out the butter but get a similar flavor, please share, I'd love to know!

What's For Breakfast: Simple Sausage Casserole

This is a simple sausage breakfast casserole that is a favorite at my MOPS group. I made it for the first time today. It must have been good, my hubby gobbled several pieces up! One thing that I can't promise is that it's easy on the waistline. However, you could modify the recipe to use all the lower fat versions of the ingredients.

Simple Sausage Casserole

Ingredients

1 lb Breakfast Sausage (I used a tube of Jimmy Dean which my supermarket has in the frozen section)

2 rolls of Pillsbury Crescent Rolls

1 bar (8 oz.) cream cheese


Directions

Preheat oven to 325

Roll out crescent rolls in one piece in the bottom of a 13x9 pan.

Brown sausage, drain, rinse and crumble.

Return to low to medium heat.

Add in cream cheese and heat until evenly melted and mixed with sausage. (I cut the cream cheese up into about 6 pieces and blended it that way, it seemed to make it easier).

Spread out sausage and cream cheese mixture onto flattened crescent.

Unroll remaining can of crescent rolls over the top. Pinch edges like a pie.

Cook in oven until crescent rolls are golden brown. In my oven this took about 20-25 minutes.

Enjoy!!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas: Christmas Funfetti

This Christmas I am so excited to celebrate. For the first time Joshua actually understands the real meaning of Christmas. While it's fun for him to know who Santa is, it warms my heart even more than I can explain to hear him singing "Happy Birthday to Jesus."

Though we all seem to be a little under the weather this year, it's been a joy to have Dan home starting on the 23rd so we can start to spend time as a family celebrating. I can't wait to see the look on Joshua's face Christmas morning when we reveal what his big present is, I think he'll be thrilled!

Tomorrow as part of our celebration we'll be having our favorite, funfetti (either a cake or cupcakes) to celebrate the birthday of our King. Extra fun is that the funfetti is red and green, so it's especially "Christmasy."

I hope you have a joyful Christmas and get to experience some of the most special times of your life over the next few days.

I'll leave you with some of my favorite Bible verses ever:

Isaiah 9: 2, 6-7

2 The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
a light has dawned.
6 For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the greatness of his government and peace
there will be no end.

Merry Christmas!

What's For Dinner: Harvest Chicken and Potatoes Slow Cooker

This is another one from January 2011's Family Circle Magazine. It smells delicious! Check back for the verdict later! It's very much like a beef stew recipe only it's chicken based.

Harvest Chicken & Potatoes

Makes: 6 servings
Prep: 20 minutes
Slow Cook: 5 hours on HIGH or 7 hours on LOW

Ingredients

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces

3 tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

12 ounces small new potatoes, scrubbed and halved

2 cups baby carrots, cut into thirds

2 celery stalks, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 large onion, chopped

1 can (4 ounces) sliced mushrooms, drained

2 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried sage

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened


Directions
1. In a medium-size bowl, stir together chicken, 2 tablespoons of the flour, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and the pepper; add to slow cooker. Stir in potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, mushrooms, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of the thyme, the sage and broth. Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours or on LOW for 6 hours.

2. In a small bowl, stir together remaining 1 tablespoon flour and the butter until a paste forms. Push the chicken and veggies to one side and whisk paste, remaining 1/4 teaspoon each salt and thyme into slow cooker bowl. Cook 1
more hour or until thickened.

The verdict

This was delicious! It took a bit to prep but it was worth it. I added extra garlic and used fresh mushrooms instead of canned. I would definitely recommend it! I served it with some fresh French bread. Enjoy!!


Nutrition Facts

Servings Per Recipe 6 servings
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Amount Per Serving
Calories 194
Total Fat (g) 3
Saturated Fat (g) 1
Cholesterol (mg) 50
Sodium (mg) 455
Carbohydrate (g) 21
Fiber (g) 3
Protein (g) 21

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Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

What's for Snack: Reindeer Feed (for people :) )

I saw this recipe on "The Talk" a new talk show on CBS and had to try it! It was super easy and fast and is a good recipe to do with kids.

I made it then wrapped it in pretty clear bags, it will be a little Christmas treat for my neighbors. This would also be good for co-workers.


Reindeer Feed

Prep Time: 10
Minutes Start to Finish: 30 Minutes
Makes: 20 servings (1/2 cup each)

6 cups Rice Chex® or Chocolate Chex® cereal

1 bag (12 oz) white vanilla baking chips (2 cups)

1/3 cup coarsely crushed peppermint candy canes (14 miniature,
unwrapped)I put mine in the food processor for a quick second

Directions
1. Line cookie sheet with foil or waxed paper. Place cereal in large bowl.

2. In microwavable bowl, microwave white vanilla baking chips uncovered on High about 1 minute 30 seconds, stirring every 30 seconds, until chips can be stirred smooth. Stir in half the crushed peppermint candy.

3. Pour over cereal; toss to evenly coat. Spread mixture in single layer on cookie sheet. Immediately sprinkle with remaining candy. Let stand until set, about 20 minutes. Gently break up coated cereal. Store in airtight container.

What's For Dinner: Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

From January 2011's Family Circle Magazine

Slow Cook: 4 1/2 hours on HIGH or 6 1/2 hours on LOW

1 1/2 pounds beef chuck steak, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 package (14 ounces) white mushrooms, cleaned and quartered
2 onions, finely chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup low-sodium beef broth
1/2 cup white wine
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 cup reduced-fat sour cream
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
6 cups cooked egg noodles (optional)
3 tablespoons chopped parsley (optional)

Directions

1. Combine beef, mushrooms, onions, tomato paste, broth, wine and 3 tablespoons of the soy sauce in slow cooker bowl. Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours or on LOW for 6 hours or until beef is tender.

2. In a small bowl, stir together sour cream, remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce, cornstarch and black pepper; whisk into slow cooker bowl and cook an additional 30 minutes or until sauce has thickened. Serve over egg noodles and sprinkle with parsley, if desired.

The Verdict

We really enjoyed this! I will definitely make it again! I did it for 4.5 hours on high and it came out very good! I wish the sauce was thicker, but I think that could be accomplished by adding a little more corn starch. However, I think that the sauce being thinner made the calories less, so it's a trade off that's worth it. The mushrooms in this recipe were awesome, and if you're a mushroom lover I would recommend it. Also, to save time (and tears) I used frozen chopped onion which worked out well and made it that much easier to assemble.


Nutrition Facts

Servings Per Recipe 6 servings


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Amount Per Serving
Calories 246
Total Fat (g) 8
Saturated Fat (g) 8
Cholesterol (mg) 78
Sodium (mg) 373
Carbohydrate (g) 13
Fiber (g) 8
Protein (g) 26

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Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

What's For Dinner: Easy Teriyaki Chicken and Brown Rice Dinner

Tonight we're trying something that I found on the back of the Minute Brown Rice Box. I'm a sucker for any recipe that has the word "EASY" right in it's title. People, that's my speed and my cooking ability level! I'll report back after we eat it about whether or not it's a keeper!


Easy Teriyaki Chicken and Brown Rice Dinner

Makes 4 Servings

Ingredients

1 Tbsp oil
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 1/2 cups water
1/3 cup lite teriyaki sauce
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 cups Minute® Brown Rice, uncooked
2 cups frozen broccoli florets
1/2 cup salted peanuts (optional) I skipped this part


Directions

HEAT oil in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook and stir 5 to 7 minutes or until cooked through.

ADD water, teriyaki sauce and garlic powder; stir. Bring to boil.

STIR in rice, broccoli and peanuts, if desired; cover. Cook on low heat 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with fork.

For added color and texture, add diced red peppers and carrots with the broccoli.

Easy Appetizer: Kielbasa in the Crock Pot

Merry Christmas from my personal Cookie Monster!



This weekend we celebrated Joshua's birthday! It was lots of exhausting fun! For the party we served chicken wings, meatball sandwiches, and kielbasa in the crock pot. The kielbasa recipe is something that I was first served at my girlfriend Stacy's house and it's very yummy and very very easy! Since I don't have an official name for it, I'll name this recipe after Stacy!

Stacy's Yummy Kielbasa

Ingredients

3 Polska Kielbasas (3 lbs)
1 can jellied cranberry sauce
1 lb light brown sugar

Cut up the kielbasa and put it in the crock pot. Add cranberry sauce (slice it up first) and sugar. Mix up and put in the crockpot for about 3 hours on high. Stir occasionally while cooking.

This recipe is always good and always easy! Do you have an easy recipe that you want to pass on to share for the holidays? I'd love to take a look and try it!