Super Easy Parmesan Chicken

We eat a lot of chciken at our house. It can be challenging to come up with tasty new recipes. And did I mention easy? Easy is always important. This one fits the bill perfectly. It's delicious and couldn't be easier! It's been around for a while, so if you haven't tried it, you really should make it soon!  :)

PARMESAN CHICKEN

The Ingredients.

6 chicken breasts

2 cups Hellman's Mayonnaise

1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Seasoned salt

Pepper

Italian bread crumbs

The Directions.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray inside of 9x13 casserole pan with Pam. Rinse chicken under cold water and pat dry. Season both sides of chicken with seasoned salt and pepper.

2. Combine mayonnaise and Parmesan cheese. Spread evenly over chicken, making sure to completely cover each piece. Sprinkle bread crumbs over all.

3. Bake for about 1 hour. This is good reheated as leftovers. 

Easy Vegetable Soup ~ for Liadan

I just read that spring is 33 days away! Seems like forever! This has been a long, brutal winter and I'm still in soup making mode. Recipes for vegetable soup vary from kitchen to kitchen and cook to cook. Often, recipes are based on local produce. When I make this soup, I usually add ditalini pasta, short little tubes like elbows, but shorter and without a bend. I think they're perfect for this hearty recipe.



















Easy Vegetable Soup
Ingredients:
3 cups water
4 cups chicken broth
1-14-1/2-ounce can Italian diced tomatoes, undrained
1 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1-16 oz. loose-pack frozen broccoli, cauliflower and carrots
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can dark red kidney beans, rinsed & drained
1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1-2 handfuls ditalini pasta
2 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley
Grated Parmesan cheese
Directions:
1. In a soup kettle, combine the water, undrained tomatoes, chicken broth, basil, oregano and pepper. Bring to boiling. Stir in frozen vegetables and pasta. I had leftover green beans in the frig so I tossed those in as well.
2. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 to 6 minutes or until frozen vegetables and pasta are tender. Stir in beans and parsley. Heat through. Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese on top. Serves 8.

Happy First Day of Fall: Easy Chicken & Dumplings

This is cold weather comfort food at it's absolute best ... and easiest! Plus the house smelled wonderful all afternoon, while the Minnesota Vikings were loosing another football game on TV.

Slow-Cooker Chicken & Dumplings
The Ingredients.
5-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 Tbsp. butter
2 cans (10.5 oz) Cream of Chicken soup
1 can (14 oz) chicken broth
1 medium white onion, diced
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 Tbsp. dried parsley (or fresh if you have it)
4 large Flaky Refrigerator biscuits (half a can)
The Directions.
Place thawed chicken breasts in bottom of crockpot. Top with butter.
Combine cream of chicken soup, chicken broth, diced onion, pepper and parsley in a bowl and blend well. Pour over chicken in crockpot. Cook on high 4-6 hours or on low for 8 hours.

After the chicken has cooked for the proper amount of time, cut each biscuit into 8-9 small pieces and roll into a ball. Then roll in flour to prevent biscuits from sticking together. Add biscuits to crockpot and continue cooking 30 minutes to 1 hour, or until the biscuit dumplings are done. It took an hour in my crockpot. The recipe says to remove the chicken, shred and return to the crockpot. I left the chicken breasts whole.  Serves 4.

Note: This makes a lot of gravy. If it gets too thick, you can thin it with additional chicken broth.
Next time I make this, I think I'll add sliced carrots. They'd be so good, plus they'd add gorgeous color!

Gram's Pretzel Buttons

These cute little "cookie" treats are pretty to look at, they're quick and easy to put together, and they're the perfect salty/sweet combo to add to your Christmas cookie repertoire.  I found this recipe on Pinterest a few weeks ago and knew immediately I would have to give it a try.

The Ingredients.
Square pretzels (Snyder's of Hanover makes square pretzels, but don't use the butter snaps, use the regular flavor)
Hershey's Hugs (you can use Hershey's Kisses, but the Hugs soften up better)
Christmas-colored Plain M&M's 
The Directions.
Preheat oven to 200° (if your oven runs hot you may want to turn the temp down to 170°)
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Place the pretzels on and top them with the Hugs.
Bake for 4 to 5 minutes, until the chocolate is shiny and soft (but NOT melting - they should still hold their shape).
Carefully place an M&M in the center of each hug and press it down to spread the chocolate.  Allow to cool completely (a few minutes in the fridge works perfectly) and enjoy!

Something new ...

I've read that Moroccan cuisine, a mixture of European and African cooking, is the last of the great undiscovered cuisines. It's definitely a style of cooking I'm not familiar with. Located in Northwest Africa, with Mediterranean and Atlantic coastlines, Morocco is a land steeped in mystery and adventure, a place where the sun is warm and the people are enigmatic. To me it is a far away place where the exotic cities of Tangier, Marrakesh and Casablanca beckon with the lure of a camel ride across the desert or snake charmers in a crowded market.

Included in Moroccan cooking are the tasty dishes of the workers and peasants. In their daily meals, little meat is used. Grains and vegetables are combined with numerous herbs and spices to produce savory and satisfying fare. The herbs used: chervil, garlic, fresh coriander leaves, mint and parsley are blended with these spices: aniseed, cayenne, cinnamon, cumin, ginger, paprika, pepper, saffron, turmeric and ras el-hanout (a blend of spices) to produce mouth-watering dishes. To give these non-meat creations even more zest, onions, olives, pickled lemons, almonds and sesame seeds are utilized extensively.

Soups are the mainstay of the Moroccan people and at times their only meal of the day. They're based mostly on chickpeas and lentils. Infused with herbs and spices, they become delightful creations.

I just got this easy recipe from my Gather friend, Shan. As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to make it. I think next time, I'll add cumin and sweet paprika, but it was delicious just the way it is here. The cinnamon gave it a new and interesting flavor that I loved with the bite of the cayenne.

MOROCCAN CHICKPEA SOUP
4 cups chicken broth (or use vegetable)
2 cups cooked chickpeas (I used 2 cans of chick peas, rinsed and drained)
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
1 can artichokes, drained and chopped
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t basil
1/2 t oregano
1/4 t cayenne
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste (I didn't add any salt)
Couple handfuls fresh baby spinach
Bring everything to a simmer in large soup pot over medium low heat. Simmer for about 20 minutes. Stir in spinach and cook another 5 minutes or so.
Serve with pita bread.

A saucy supper ...

This is my favorite "go to" supper when I want an easy dinner really fast. I start with a jar of pasta sauce. I like to use Archer Farms Arrabbiata Sauce, a nice spicy red pepper sauce. I add Italian diced tomatoes, juice and all, and sliced mushrooms. Next, I toss in red pepper flakes, black pepper, and basil or oregano. If I have Trader Joe's garlic chicken sausage on hand, I'll slice and saute them and into the sauce they go. While all this is going on, I cook my spaghetti. I use wheat pasta as often as I can.
Saucy Sauce
1 jar pasta sauce
1 can Italian diced tomatoes
1 can salt-free sliced mushrooms, drained
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. oregano or basil
1 pkg. Trader Joe's garlic chicken sausage, sliced and sauteed
1 box whole wheat spaghetti
Parmesan cheese
Simmer sauce. Serve over pasta and top with additional red pepper flakes and Parmesan cheese.

Texas hot ...

Anyone who knows me knows I'm all about simple recipes with lots of flavor. I like recipes that are uncomplicated and straightforward. This yummy soup recipe definitely fits the bill. You can put it together quickly when you get home from work and it will provide a hearty meal for your family. Just round it out with cornbread or tortilla chips!

TEXAS RICE AND BEAN SOUP
1 pkg. Schilling HOT chili seasoning mix
3 cups cooked rice (I like to use brown rice)
48 oz. Swanson's low-sodium chicken broth
1-14 1/2 oz. can Mexican stewed tomatoes, cut in smaller pieces
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1 can (14 1/2 oz.) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup chopped green onions
Shredded Monterey Jack cheese (optional)
I cook my rice in the microwave. It takes about 15 minutes. I start it first and then I put the other ingredients together in a Dutch oven and mix well. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer 15 minutes. Add the cooked rice last. If the rice simmers too long it may become mushy. Garnish each serving with shredded Monterey Jack cheese. For an extra kick, add a sprinkle of red pepper flakes. Serves 6.

This Onion Gratin is, well ... divine!

I came across this recipe last week and decided it would be perfect to go along with the pork tenderloin we grilled yesterday. It got rave reviews from my husband and daughter! Tom actually said, "Divine!" Being a man of few words, he's not usually prone to fluffy comments. When he does occasionally use that particular word, it's only in connection with very good food. It means he really, really likes something so I know I should make it again! You can use any kind of onions to make this, but be sure to cut them in thick, half-inch slices after you peel them.
ONION GRATIN WITH ROSEMARY AND THYME
Makes about 6 servings, recipe from Kalyn's Kitchen, one of the more impressive blogs I follow, at: http://kalynskitchen.blogspot.com/
8 medium-sized white, yellow, or Vidalia onions
1-2 T olive oil, for brushing onions (I used more)
1 tsp. finely minced fresh rosemary (or use dried rosemary)
2 T minced fresh thyme leaves (or use dried thyme)
Gratin topping:
8 T mayo
1 T fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1-1/2 cups shredded cheese (any mild white cheese will work, even low-fat cheese)
3 T grated Pecorino-Romano cheese (or use grated Parmesan)
fresh ground black pepper to taste
Directions:
Preheat oven to 450*. Peel onions and cut in 1/2 inch slices. Spray or brush baking sheet with olive oil, then arrange onion slices in a single layer. Drizzle onions with oil, then sprinkle with chopped herbs. Roast onions 15 minutes.

While onions roast, combine mayo, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, shredded cheese, Pecorino-Romano cheese, and black pepper in a small bowl. Mix together with a fork. (The mixture will be lumpy.)

Spray a 9x13 casserole dish with Pam. Remove baking sheet from the oven and use a turner to layer onions in the casserole dish. Spread topping over onions (I used a rubber scraper to spread it around. And don't worry if the mixture doesn't cover every bit of the onions.) Sprinkle top with paprika and parsley. Place casserole dish in oven and bake 25-35 minutes at 375*, or until top is golden brown and onions are slightly bubbling. Serve hot.

Muy Delicioso!

This was our dinner last night. I discovered the recipe on Simply Recipes (http://simplyrecipes.com). Tom lived in Corpus Christi until he was seven, so he grew up eating hot and spicy. Lots of great ingredients and fresh flavors in this, plus wonderful gooey melted cheese!!! Be sure to let this rest for a few minutes before you serve it; it will hold together better.
Quesadilla Pie
When making this, brush butter on the bottom of the pie pan to keep the tortillas from sticking, and on the top of the last tortilla, for flavor and to help it brown. Don't skip the butter!
Ingredients:
Basic ingredients:
* 4 large flour tortillas (9-10 inches diameter)
* Butter
* 1/2 pound grated cheese, mild or sharp cheddar, Monterey Jack or Mexican blend
Potential filling ingredients:
* 1 can black beans, rinsed & drained
* 1 Tomato, chopped
* 1 can whole kernel corn
* Onions (green onions or red onions, diced)
* Sliced black olives, drained
* Cooked shredded chicken, pork, or beef (I didn't add this)
* Chiles, either from cooked green chiles or chopped pickled jalapenos
* Cumin, pepper and/or chili powder for extra flavor

Method:
1) Preheat oven to 350°. Butter the bottom and sides of a pie pan, approximately the same size as your tortillas (I used a 10-inch pyrex pie dish for 10-inch tortillas).
2) Place one tortilla on the bottom of the buttered pie pan. Sprinkle shredded cheese over the tortilla. At this point, begin to add filling ingredients, and layering the tortillas. Make sure each layer has a generous sprinkling of cheese. I used cheese, black beans, corn and green onion on the first layer. I added another tortilla on top of that with more cheese, chopped tomato, chopped pickled jalapenos and sliced black olives. I also sprinkled a little cumin, pepper and chili powder on this layer. I added another tortilla with more shredded cheese, more black beans, corn, tomatoes and onions. Top off your layers with one last flour tortilla. Spread a little butter over the top of this tortilla. NOTE: I did not add any meat to this.
3) Cover the dish with aluminum foil. Put in oven for 40 minutes at 350°. Remove the foil and increase the heat to 400°. Bake for another 10 minutes, until the top is lightly browned. Remove from oven. Let cool 10 minutes before serving. Cut into quarters.

Serve with chopped avocados, sliced black olives, green onion, shredded lettuce, cilantro, salsa and sour cream.
Serves 4.

What a wonderful word! Clafouti!!!

I've been wanting to try this ever since I saw it on Simply Recipes, one of the food blogs I follow. Clafouti (kla-foo-TEE) is a custard-like baked French dessert made by baking fresh fruit (traditionally cherries) and a batter, somewhat similar to pancake batter. Clafoutis require only a small amount of the most basic baking ingredients on your pantry shelf. Some purists strongly advise against de-pitting the cherries used in clafoutis. According to them, the pits release a wonderful flavor when the dish is cooked. I took the pits out ... I think it's bad manners to remove a cherry pit from your mouth, no matter how discreetly you try to do it. And I didn't want anyone swallowing a cherry pit or breaking a tooth because of MY clafouti! But it was messy work and my fingers are still stained. If you're a fan of desserts with little work and a lot of payoff, then clafouti is for you. I have to be totally honest and admit that my husband and son-in-law didn't care for the texture of the clafouti, but Katie and I enjoyed it immensely. But we probably have more of a sweet tooth then they do. There are dozens of different clafouti recipes. I love the addition of the almonds and the almond flavoring in this one ...
Cherry Clafouti
Posted on Simply Recipes by Garrett McCord of Vanilla Garlic on Jun 7, 2009
INGREDIENTS:
• 2 cups of fresh sweet cherries, pitted
• 2 tablespoons slivered almonds
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 Tbsp Amaretto - or 3/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Powdered sugar for dusting
METHOD:
1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter and lightly flour a 9X9 or 10X7 baking dish. Toss in the cherries and slivered almonds.
2. Whisk the eggs, sugars, salt, and flour together until smooth.
3. Add the milk, Amaretto (or almond extract, if using), and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth. Pour into the baking dish.
4. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. When you pull it put of the oven it will wiggle a bit which is normal. Place on a wire rack to cool. The clafoutis will have puffed up quite a bit and will deflate while cooling. This should be served warm with a dusting of powdered sugar.
Serves 6.

Tastes like summer ...

This pasta tasted crisp and fresh, like early summer, with herbs just picked from pots at my back door and tart, tangy slivers of lemon zest. I did make a few minor changes to the basic recipe. I added about 1/4 cup sliced green onions. I think I would have liked some mushrooms, too. My mint died out over the winter, so I didn't have any fresh mint to add.
PENNE WITH ZUCCHINI, FRESH HERBS AND LEMON ZEST
(Ellie Krieger/Fine Cooking/finecooking.com)
Serves 4
Kosher salt
3/4 lb. whole wheat penne
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium zucchini (8 oz. each), cut in half lengthwise and sliced crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick half moons
4 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
3 Tbs. coarsely chopped fresh mint
3 Tbs. coarsely chopped fresh basil
3 Tbs. coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the penne and cook according to package instructions until al dente.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini and cook, stirring occasionally, until barely tender and just starting to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is soft and fragrant, an additional 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the lemon zest, 3/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper.
Reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water and drain the pasta. Add the pasta to the zucchini mixture along with the Parmigiano, mint, basil, and parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss to combine, adding some of the reserved water if necessary to moisten the pasta, and serve immediately.

Egg Bake For Easter Brunch

I found this excellent recipe years ago and it has become my favorite thing to make for brunch. I'm taking it to Easter breakfast at my mom's. It goes together really fast ... and tastes great. I'll take it out of the refrigerator in the morning and bake it before we go. Then we'll pop it in the oven at Mom's to keep it warm until we eat.
HUCKLEBERRY INN EGG BAKE
serves 8-10 people.
Ingredients:
8 slices bread, crusts trimmed off and cubed
1/2 lb. grated cheddar cheese
1/2 lb. grated Swiss cheese
1 lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled
6 green onions, diced (or 1 bunch)
8 eggs
2 cups milk
1-1/2 cups half-and-half
2 tsp. Worcestershire
1 tsp. dry mustard
Butter 3 qt. casserole. Mix bread, onion, cheese, and bacon. Arrange the bread cubes in the bottom of casserole dish, then add cheese, then onions, and last bacon. Beat eggs; add milk, half-and-half, and seasonings. Pour over bread mixture. Cover. Let set overnight in refrigerator. Allow to come to room temp for about an hour before baking. Bake uncovered at 325* for 1 hour.

Let's hear it for Sloppy Joes!!!

This recipe is from my friend Jan. It's awesome: freezes well and is easy to double or triple.
FAVORITE SLOPPY JOES
45 min | 15 min prep
SERVES 4
INGREDIENTS:
• 1 lb ground beef
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 green pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup barbecue sauce (your favorite)
• 1 tablespoon firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large skillet, brown ground beef, celery, green pepper and onion.
2. Drain the fat.
3. Stir in remaining ingredients, simmer covered, 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Cook until it's the consistency you like for serving on toasted buns, with chips and cole slaw.

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Beer and cheese fondue ...

Tom and I decided to make Beer-Cheese Fondue for dinner Sunday, instead of the Wine-Cheese Fondue we usually make. We did a bit of experimenting, and came up with a recipe that worked for us ...
BEER CHEESE FONDUE
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 c. beer (we used what we had on hand ... Harp)
2 c. (8 oz.) shredded Swiss cheese
1 c. (4 oz.) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 Tbsp. flour
1 tsp. Worcestershire
1 tsp. dry mustard
1/8 tsp. black pepper
Dash cayenne pepper (optional)
Several shakes Tabasco sauce (optional
Add beer to fondue pot, heat slowly. Add minced garlic. Coat cheese with flour and add to beer. Stir in Worcestershire, dry mustard, black & red pepper and Tabasco sauce. Stir constantly until cheese is melted. Dip cubed French bread and sausage chunks in fondue. I added some dried parsley flakes to give the fondue a little color. Fresh parsley would also work ... This made enough for the two of us!!!