Crockpot Coconut Beef

Head on over to the Year of Crockpotting (an AMAZING site, full of creative, delicious-sounding recipes) for a yummy Coconut Beef recipe that I made this week. Couldn't be easier, and for those that like the sweet, milky flavor of coconut, this is a good fit.

Crockpot Chicken Curry with Sweet Potatoes & Coconut Rice

If you like curry, you'll probably like this!

Crunchy Chicken a la Darby

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded/chopped
Coarse garlic salt and black pepper
1 1/2 cans low fat or healthy choice cream of chicken soup
1/2 of an 8oz container of fat free sour cream
3/4 cup cooked rice
40 Ritz crackers
1/2 t garlic powder
1/4c melted butter or margarine

Bake the chicken breasts for 35 min at 350 degrees, after sprinkling both sides with coarse garlic salt and cracked black pepper. Make the rice on the stove per box directions.

Shred the chicken and combine it with all other ingredients except the last 3. Pour into an 8x8 dish. Crush the crackers, sprinkle with the garlic powder and mix in the melted butter. Pour that on top of the chicken mixture. Baked at 350 for 30 minutes.

Southern Living Chicken Cobbler Casserole

Edited to add: this was DELICIOUS!!! Up there with the SL Chicken Spinach Pasta bake;) Served over Angel Hair. It was like a Chicken Stroganoff-like dish. The topping was scrumptious-feel free to add more on top! I added my notes below...

Chicken Cobbler Casserole

Prep: 10 min., Cook: 25 min., Bake: 15 min.

6 tablespoons melted butter, divided

4 cups cubed sourdough rolls

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (I used 1 1/2 tsp. dried)

2 medium-size sweet onions, sliced (I used one small)

1 (8-ounce) package sliced fresh mushrooms

1 cup white wine or buttermilk (I did the 1 cup of wine, but it was too wine-y even after cooking down. I added in 1/2 cup sour cream to temper it a bit-YUM)

1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup

1/2 cup drained and chopped jarred roasted red bell peppers (I used 1 can drained, diced tomatoes)

2 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken

Garlic Powder, Salt & Pepper to taste

Toss 4 tablespoons melted butter with next 3 ingredients; set aside. Sauté onions in remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Add mushrooms, and sauté 5 minutes. Stir in wine/milk and next 3 ingredients; cook, stirring constantly, 5 minutes or until bubbly. Season & adjust sauce to taste. Spoon mixture into a lightly greased 9-inch square baking dish; top evenly with bread mixture. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Yield: Makes 4 servings Southern Living, JANUARY 2006

**Kristine, my saucy-lovin friend, you may want to increase the sauce ingredients a bit. It coated everything nicely, but there wasn't much extra...

Easy Shepherd's Pie

from KraftFoods.com

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 2 cups hot mashed potatoes
• 4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, cubed
• 1 cup KRAFT Shredded Cheddar Cheese, divided
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
• 1 cup beef gravy

PREHEAT oven to 375ºF. Brown meat in large skillet. Meanwhile, mix potatoes, cream cheese, 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese and the garlic until well blended.

DRAIN meat. Return to skillet; stir in vegetables and gravy. Spoon into 9-inch square baking dish; cover with potato mixture and remaining 1/2 cup shredded cheese.

BAKE 20 min. or until heated through.

**Save 70 calories, 9 grams of fat and 5 grams of saturated fat per serving by preparing with extra lean ground beef, PHILADELPHIA Neufchatel Cream Cheese, 1/3 Less Fat than Cream Cheese and KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Reduced Fat Cheddar Cheese.

Tortellini Soup

* 1 package tortellini (I used Buitoni whole wheat cheese, found in the refrigerated section)
* 1 jar spaghetti sauce
* 1 box chicken broth
* 1 bag of frozen mixed veggies
* 1 can creamed corn
* 1 T dried minced onion (you could also use half an onion, sauteed in olive oil)
* 1/2 tsp garlic salt
* 1 tsp Trader Joe's 21 Salute Seasoning (or any good seasoning blend)

Toss it all in the pot, bring to a boil for 5-10 minutes, simmer for 20 minutes to an hour. Serve topped with parmesan cheese and a good chunk of bread, preferably
Tastefully Simple Bountiful Beer Bread. Enjoy!

Meat Loaf in Progress

Here's the hodge podge recipe, still to be perfected!!

2 lbs of ground meatloaf mix (usually beef, pork, veal)
1 small onion, diced
1 large carrot, finely diced or processed
2 tsp minced garlic
2 slices of fresh bread, processed to crumbs
2 egg whites
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
various shakes of onion powder, garlic powder, beef roast seasoning
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup brown sugar

Sautee onion, carrot & garlic until softened about 5 minutes. Combine all ingredients in large bowl, taking care not to over knead the meat, as this will lead to a tougher loaf. Line a broiler pan or cooling rack with aluminum foil & poke drain holes in it. Set this in a larger pan.* Free form loaf & place atop foil. Combine ketchup and brown sugar (reserve half) and brush on top of loaf. Can re-baste half way thru cooking. Insert a meat thermometer in center. Start out baking at 425 for 15 minutes to sear, retain moisture & form crust, then switch to a 350 degree oven until thermometer reads 160 degrees (about 45 min to 1 hr+). Take meatloaf out to rest & tent with foil. Ideally an hour, but at least 20 minutes. Brush with more ketchup & serve. Makes good leftover sandwiches too.

*I've also heard of placing it on a few slices of bread to absorb the fat.

Pizza Quiche

I got this out of a Southern Living cookbook close to 20 years ago. I have modified it to make it a tad bit healthier. And I know it sounds like a weird combo of things, but honestly this is one of our favorite meals around here!

½ lb hot or mild Italian sausage (I use turkey Italian sausage)

Pastry for double crust 9” pie, divided (I use the Pillsbury refrigerated ones)

1 c ricotta or cream style cottage cheese (I part skim ricotta)

3 eggs (you could use egg substitute; I usually do 2 eggs and 1/4 c egg substitute)

1 c shredded mozzarella cheese

1 3oz pkg sliced pepperoni, chopped (you could do turkey pepperoni)

1/3 c grated parmesan cheese

2 T milk

Commercial pizza sauce

• I have left out the pepperoni and used about 1/3 of a 10oz pkg of frozen chopped spinach, too. I know other people who have put in mushrooms or other veggies.
  
• I have taken about 1/3 of a bag of fresh baby spinach and layered it on the bottom of the quiche, after I prebake the crust. This is my favorite modification.
  

Remove casings from sausage. Cook sausage in medium skillet until brown. Stir to crumble, drain, set aside.

Line a 9-inch pie plate with ½ of pastry. Bake at 450 for 5 minutes. Remove from oven. Reduce oven temp to 350.

Combine eggs and ricotta cheese and mix well. Add other cheeses, meats, and veggies if using. Spoon into partially baked pie shell. Roll out remaining pastry and cut into 6 or 8 wedges. Arrange on top of the filling. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Brush with milk. Cook an additional 20 minutes or until golden. Let cool 10 minutes. Serve with warmed pizza sauce

Sesame Chicken

It's not gourmet, but it is very fast and easy and so yummy

Sesame Chicken Recipe #44321
This recipe really satisfies my craving for Chinese food. I serve it over rice and steamed vegetables on the side. I usually double the sauce to make it especially decadent.
by Jenny White
6 servings
21 min 5 min prep

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Cut chicken breast into 1 inch strips.
Heat a large non-stick skillet that has been sprayed with Pam, over medium-high heat.
Cook chicken strips for about 6 minutes until no longer pink.
Mix together honey, soy sauce, water, corn starch, ginger and red pepper flakes.
Whisk until no corn starch lumps appear.
Pour sauce mixture into skillet with chicken.
Cook until sauce thickens slightly.
You can add more water if sauce is too thick.
Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until chicken starts to soak up the sauce.

Easy Meatballs

Easy Meatballs

From Linda Larsen,Your Guide to Busy Cooks.Stay up to date!
This simple recipe can be flavored any way you like, or just make it plain.
INGREDIENTS:
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 egg
2 Tbsp. water
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup minced onion
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper

PREPARATION:Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl combine egg, water, bread crumbs, onion, salt and pepper and combine. Add ground beef, broken into chunks, and mush with your hands to combine. Form into meatballs about 1" in diameter and place on a broiler pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes until meatballs are no longer pink in center. Cool and freeze, or use in your favorite meatball recipe

Piquant French Dip

(from Fix It and Forget It)

3lb chuck roast
2 c water
1/2 c soy sauce
1 t dried rosemary
1 t dried thyme
1 t garlic powder
1 bay leaf
3-4 whole peppercorns
French rolls

Place roast in slow cooker. Add water, soy sauce and seasonings. Cover and cook on high 5-6 hours or until beef is tender. Remove beef from broth and shred with fork (I cover it foil on a plate). Strain broth and skim the fat. Pour broth into small cups for dipping. Serve beef on rolls. The leftover broth is also good to freeze for a soup base later.

Honey Hoisin Chicken (slow cooker)

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 3 T hoisin sauce
• 3 T honey
• 3 T soy sauce
• 2 T dry white wine
• 1 T grated ginger (I used 1 t dried)
• 1 t pepper (this is VERY peppery - i use about half)

Mix sauce ingredients and pour over chicken in the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, turning chicken halfway through so it all gets covered in sauce. Just before serving, slice chicken diagonally into strips. Serve over steamed or stir-fried veggies and rice, topped with toasted sesame seeds or chow mein noodles.

Cheeze-it Chicken

Ok, so there's absolutely nothing healthy about it, but if you need a quick, tasty casserole, this might just fit the bill...

• 8 skinless boneless chicken breasts
• sour cream (about 1 1/2 cups, but maybe more)
• cheeze-it crackers (about half a package, maybe more)
• 3/4 cup melted butter

1. Grease an 9x13" baking pan.
2. Lay the chicken in the pan.
3. Spread a thick layer of sour cream over the chicken.
4. Crush the cheeze-it crackers and sprinkle over the sour cream.
5. Drizzle with melted butter.
6. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Chicken 'n Spinach Pasta Bake (Southern Living)

• 8 ounces uncooked rigatoni
  
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
  
• 1 cup finely chopped onion (about 1 medium)
  
• 1 (10-oz.) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
  
• 3 cups cubed cooked chicken breasts
  
• 1 (14.5-oz.) can Italian-style diced tomatoes
  
• 1 (8-oz.) container chive-and-onion cream cheese
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  
• 1 1/2 cups (6 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese
  

Preparation

1. Prepare rigatoni according to package directions.

2. Meanwhile, spread oil on bottom of an 11- x 7-inch baking dish; add onion in a single layer.

3. Bake at 375° for 15 minutes or just until tender. Transfer onion to a large bowl, and set aside.

4. Drain chopped spinach well, pressing between layers of paper towels.

5. Stir rigatoni, spinach, chicken, and next 4 ingredients into onion in bowl. Spoon mixture into baking dish, and sprinkle evenly with shredded mozzarella cheese.

6. Bake, covered, at 375° for 30 minutes; uncover and bake 15 more minutes or until bubbly.

Sausage 'n' Spinach Pasta Bake: Substitute 3 cups cooked, crumbled hot Italian sausage for 3 cups cubed cooked chicken breasts. Reduce salt to 1/4 tsp., and omit 1/2 tsp. pepper. Proceed with recipe as directed.

from MyRecipes.com

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Pepperoni Pizza Twist

(I think this is a Pampered Chef recipe)

• 1 package pepperoni slices
• 1 can pitted ripe olives
• ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 garlic clove
• 2 packages of refrigerated French bread dough
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning
• 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
• 1 can pizza sauce (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In bowl, combine pepperoni, olives, cheese, flour and garlic. Mix well.

2. Place bread dough, seams up, on cutting board. Slice each loaf lengthwise, end to end, cutting halfway through to center of loaf; spread open flat. Lightly sprinkle dough with flour. With a roller, roll dough open, creating a well down center of each loaf.

3.Spoon half of the pepperoni mixture down center of each loaf. Gather up edges over filling, pinching firmly to seal. Place loaves seam side down on a pizza stone into an “X” pattern. Crisscross ends of dough into a large figure “8”.

4. Separate egg with egg separator. Beat egg white and seasoning mix; lightly brush over dough with a pastry brush. Cut 3 inch slits in each of the top sections of the twist to reveal the filling.

5. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over loaf. Bake 30-32 min or until deep golden brown. Remove to cooling rack; cool 10 min. Cut into 16 slices. Serve with warm pizza sauce, if desired.