Chicken Pot Pie

There's a million variations of this comfort food, and I've made my own crust and filling and tried numerous recipes, but I always come back to this one because it's SO quick & easy. And my husband prefers this one over any of the others I've made. You can use any veggies you like, or switch it up with leftover pot roast and beef gravy, or skip the top crust and top it with leftover mashed potatoes. Make it your own!

Chicken Pot Pie

3 large chicken breasts, cooked & shredded, or use rotisserie chicken from the store

1 bag frozen veggies, thawed (I use the carrot, green bean, & corn mix, and add a handful of frozen peas)

2 jars chicken gravy

1 pkg. Pillbury pie crust (2 crusts in 1 package)

Mix together your cooked chicken, thawed veggies, and chicken gravy. Add salt & pepper to taste. Roll out 1 pie crust into a pie plate. Pour the filling in and unroll the other crust on top. Seal the edges all around by pinching them together. Cut a slit in the top so it can vent while baking. Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes - until golden brown and bubbly. Serves 4-6

Fried Smashed Potatoes

I always get bored with the same old potato during the winter months when we don't do much grilling. I found this idea from my girl, Giada, and it didn't disappoint! Creamy on the inside and crispy on the outside. These were really simple to make. I loved the easy lemon sauce that goes with it, but only poured it over half since my husband prefered them without. Just make it how you want it! (this serves 4)

Fried Smashed Potatoes with Lemons

2 lbs. petite red potatoes

1/4 c. olive oil

2 T. butter, plus extra as needed

3 cloves garlic, peeled and halved

Dressing:

3 T. olive oil

3 T. fresh lemon juice

1 T. fresh parsley, chopped

1 t. fresh thyme, chopped

Zest of 1 lemon

Salt & pepper

For the potatoes: Put rinsed potatoes in pot covered in cold water. Bring to a boil and boil until tender, about 25 minutes. Drain in colander and allow to dry for 5 minutes. Using the palm of your hand, gently press each potato until lightly smashed.

In large skillet, heat olive oil and butter with garlic until fragrant. Remove garlic once its infused the oil/butter. Add potatoes and cook about 8-10 minutes per side, or longer depending on how brown you like them. Add more butter or oil if needed. Remove from pan with a spatula when both sides are crispy and sprinkle with salt.

For the dressing: In small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, zest, parsley, thyme, and season with salt & pepper. Spoon over hot potatoes.

*Leftovers would be good for breakfast the next day!

Creamy Lemon Bars

This is a Pioneer Woman recipe...a new twist on the traditional lemon bar. I love ANYTHING lemon, so I really liked this recipe! They're super lemony, quick and easy.

Creamy Lemon Bars

1 3/4 c. flour

1/2 t. salt

1 t. baking powder

1 stick butter, softened

1 c. light brown sugar, slightly packed

1 c. oats

1 can (14oz.) sweetened condensed milk

1/2 c. fresh lemon juice (please don't use the icky stuff in a bottle)

Zest of 1 lemon

Preheat oven to 350. Mix butter and brown sugar until well combined. Sift together flour, salt, and baking powder. Add flour mixture and oats to butter mixture until well combined and crumbly. Press half the mixture into a 9x13 or 8x11 (brownie) pan.

Whisk together sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Pour over crust. Sprinkle the rest of the crumb mixture on top.

Bake 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Cool and store in refrigerator.

*Tip: to get the most juice out of your lemons...roll them on the counter while pressing on them to release their juices, OR put them in the microwave for 10 seconds.

Coconut Shrimp

I love love love coconut shrimp. But, the deep fried version isn't so healthy. I found this recipe and we both really liked it. Make or buy a good sweet dipping sauce to dip them in!

Coconut Shrimp

12 oz. large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 c. panko bread crumbs

1/2 c. sweetened coconut

1 t. salt

1/2 t. pepper

1/2 c. flour

2 eggs, beaten

Sweet Asian chili sauce or any sweet sauce

Preheat oven to 450. Combine panko, coconut, salt & pepper on a plate. Place flour on a separate plate, and the egg in a shallow bowl. Coat the shrimp in the flour, then egg, then the bread crumb/coconut mixture pressing so they are completely covered.

Place breaded shrimp on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake 10 minutes, until shrimp are firm and cooked through and the coating is golden brown. Serve with sweet dipping sauce.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

I've posted this before, but it's worth posting again. One of my favorites! If you don't have prosciutto - use ham; if you don't have gruyere - use mozzarella or swiss. Change it up how you like it!

Chicken Cordon Bleu

4 chicken breasts - pounded thin

4 slices prosciutto (or ham)

1/2 lb. gruyere cheese, grated (or mozzarella, or swiss)

1/4 c. flour

2 eggs

1 c. panko bread crumbs

4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only; minced

1/2 t. garlic powder

2 T. butter, melted

Lay the chicken between 2 slices of plastic wrap and pound thin - to about 1/4" thickness. Lay a piece of prosciutto or ham on the chicken and sprinkle with 1/4 of the cheese. Tuck the sides of the chicken breast in, and roll up. Repeat with the remaining chicken breasts. At this point, you can roll each one in plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator until you're ready to make them - they hold together a little better that way. Or, you can just secure them with 2 toothpicks and continue on.

Put the flour on a plate; sprinkle with salt & pepper. Crack the eggs in another plate/shallow bowl and whisk with a little salt & pepper. Put the bread crumbs on a third plate and mix with the fresh thyme, garlic, and melted butter.

Dip the chicken roll-ups in the flour first, then the egg, then coat with the bread crumb mixture. Place on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 for about 25 minutes (depending on how big/thick your chicken breasts are).

Lemony Chicken Saltimbocca

This picture doesn't do this dinner justice. This is one of my favorites when I go to Italian restaurants, and this recipe rocks! It's well worth getting the right ingredients for...

Lemony Chicken Saltimbocca

4 chicken breasts, pounded to 1" thickness

salt & pepper

8 thin pieces prosciutto

12 fresh sage leaves

1 c. chicken stock

1/4 c. fresh lemon juice (1-2 lemons)

1 t. cornstarch

1 box angel hair pasta

2 T. butter
Fresh parmesan

Sprinkle chicken with salt & pepper. Place 3 sage leaves on each and wrap 2 prosciutto slices around each piece of chicken covering the sage leaves.

Heat 1 T. extra virgin olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken (carefully) and cook about 5 minutes per side, until golden brown. Add 1/2 cup of the stock to the pan to deglaze and get all the good brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Stir together the remaining 1/2 cup of stock with the lemon juice and cornstarch. Add to pan and let sauce bubble and thicken a bit. Simmer until chicken is done.

In the meantime, cook your angel hair pasta in boiling salted water, drain and add a little butter to the pasta. Serve chicken over top and spoon sauce over everything. I served this with a big bunch of sauted baby spinach and added a sprinkle of fresh parmesan over everything before serving.

*I cut this recipe in half for 2 people, but still made all the sauce.

Twix Bars

This is an awesome recipe from my aunt!

Twix Bars

Crust:

2 sticks butter, softened

2 c. flour

1/2 c. sugar

Filling:

14oz. caramels, unwrapped

14oz. can sweetened condensed milk

1 stick butter

Top:

12oz. chocolate chips

1 1/2 c. creamy peanut butter

Mix crust ingredients together with mixer and press into a large, ungreased cookie sheet with sides. Bake at 350 until light brown (10-15 min. or so). *You could also substitute a package of sugar cookie dough if you're in a hurry...but I don't think it's as good!

Melt caramel, sweetened condensed milk, and butter in pan over medium low and spread over cookie crust. Cool in the refrigerator for about 1 hour.

Melt chocolate chips and peanut butter in pan over low, or in microwave in 1-minute intervals until melted and creamy. Spread over the top and refrigerate.

Pasta Bake Florentine

This recipe is right up there with lasagne in my book - delicious! This is from a new cookbook I got from my sister for Christmas (thanks, Chris!). My other sister, Lori, made this same recipe with chicken and said it was equally delicious. Change it how you want, and make it your own! Here's how I made it...

Pasta Bake Florentine

1 lb. ground beef

1/2 onion, minced

1 red pepper, chopped

1/2 pkg. mushrooms, chopped

salt & pepper

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 jar pasta sauce

1 c. marinated artichokes, drained & chopped

10-oz. pkg. frozen spinach, thawed & drained (or fresh baby spinach)

8oz. pasta, cooked (penne, cavatappi, rotini, whatever...)

8oz. mozzarella, shredded

Brown ground beef and drain (if needed). Add onions, pepper, mushrooms, garlic, and salt & pepper. Saute a few minutes until veggies start to soften. Stir in artichokes, spinach, and pasta sauce. Stir in cooked pasta. Transfer to a lightly greased casserole; sprinkle with cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 15-20 min. until heated through and cheese is melted.

*If you want to stretch this recipe out - add another 8oz. pasta and another jar of pasta sauce. This is REALLY good reheated with a little more pasta sauce!

Chicken Divan

One of the most easy, simple casseroles to throw together...what's not to love?! This makes a 8x8" pan, so if you have more than 3-4 to feed - double it to make a 9x13. Leftovers are equally delicious for lunch the next day.

Chicken Divan

2 large chicken breasts, cooked and cut in bite-sized pieces

2 bunches broccoli, steamed or cooked

1 can cream of celery, broccoli, or chicken soup

1/3 c. sour cream

1/2 t. garlic powder

1 T. onion, finely chopped or grated

1/4 t. season salt

1/2 c. shredded cheddar

1 T. butter, melted

2 T. bread crumbs (or stale white bread ground up)

Steam or boil your broccoli, drain and set aside. Cook chicken, cut in bite-sized pieces and set aside (or use leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken).

In large bowl, combine soup, sour cream, garlic powder, onion, season salt and chicken. Gently fold in the cooked broccoli. Spread into a greased 8x8" pan; sprinkle with cheese. Combine bread crumbs and melted butter and sprinkle over the top. Bake, uncovered at 400 for 15-20 minutes until bubbly and golden. Serve with a salad and some fresh bread and call it a day!

Chicken Soup

This recipe is a "cure-all". Whenever I have a cold or feeling run-down during the long winter...I make this and it always seems to help. This makes a large pot so you can freeze what's left, have it for lunch the rest of the week, or give some away. I hope you love this soup as much as we do!

Chicken Soup

1 T. extra-virgin olive oil

1 T. butter

1 small onion, minced

2-3 carrots, peeled and chopped

2-3 stalks celery, chopped

Fresh thyme

2 bay leaves

salt & pepper

2 quarts chicken stock (I use reduced sodium)

1 chicken boullion cube (or, I use a spoonful of "better than stock" in a jar by the broths/stocks/boullion cubes...you can get organic too)

3 c. water

1 rotisserie chicken, pick all the chicken off into bite-sized pieces

1 c. extra wide egg noodles

Drizzle olive oil in large soup pot and add butter over medium high heat. Add onions, carrots, and celery. Sprinkle with salt & pepper and stir until veggies start to soften. Add a few sprigs of fresh thyme (the whole thing) and bay leaves and saute a few more minutes. Add chicken stock, water, and boullion. Bring to a boil and let simmer for about 30 minutes. Add chicken and egg noodles and simmer until noodles and veggies are all tender. Fish out the thyme sprigs and bay leaves and taste - add more salt & pepper if needed. Serve with a warm loaf of crusty bread.