Tag Archives: recipes

Chicken Caesar Lasagna

  By Rachel | February 28, 2012 - 5:04 pm | Recipes
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I haven’t posted a recipe in a while.  I have been rather lazy with my cooking lately- relying on old favorites and throwing together hodge-podge meals.

But last night, I tried something new, and it was delicious.  We are not normally fans of Alfredo sauce, but I decided to try it and I am pleased to say this recipe has made the cut- and we will be having it again.

I found this recipe through a blog- Stop and Smell the Chocolates.

Here is the recipe:

Chicken Caesar Lasagna

9 dried whole wheat lasagna noodles
2 (10 oz) containers refrigerated light Alfredo sauce- (I used one jar and it still turned out great)
3 tablespoons lemon juice – (didn’t have this so I didn’t use it)
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
3 cups chopped, cooked chicken breast
1 (10 oz) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well-drained
1 cup bottled roasted red sweet peppers, drained and chopped
1+ cup shredded Italian blend cheese (if you don’t have this blend, just use whatever cheese you have- that’s what I did)

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain; rinse with cold water; drain again. Meanwhile, in a bowl combine Alfredo sauce, lemon juice, and black pepper. Stir in chicken, spinach, and red peppers.

2. Lightly coat a 3-quart rectangular baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Arrange 3 noodles in bottom of dish. Top with one-third chicken mixture. Sprinkle 1/3 of the cheese over mixture. Repeat layers twice, topping with remaining cheese. Cover; bake for 45-55 minutes or until heated through. Uncover. Bake, uncovered, 5 minutes more or until cheese is melted. Let stand 15 minutes before serving. Makes 9 servings.

*** I did not have anything to cover the dish with in the stove- so I put it in for 30 minutes instead at 325 and kept an eye on it.  It came out great, the top did not burn, and it was nice and warm.

If you try it let me know what you think!

***Direct Link to original recipe post, click here.

Baby Food Basics

  By Rachel | February 13, 2012 - 4:05 pm | Random
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Learning to Eat Baby Food is a ChallengeI am not a natural cook- I must have a recipe- if I try to throw things together, it will be a total disaster.

So, I was a little intimidated when a friend talked to me about making baby food- it sounded really complicated.

She gave me two books to use, and I found them to be very helpful.

 

 

The Healthy Baby Meal Planner   by: Annabel Karmel

Cover of "Healthy Baby Meal Planner"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Super Baby Food    by: Ruth Yaron

Cover of "Super Baby Food"

I think both of these books are fantastic, and they gave lots of great ideas- but they both went above and beyond what I really wanted to do.

I don’t buy tofu- not because I don’t like it, but because we just don’t eat it that much.  I didn’t buy some of the more expensive and rare veggies- because when I cook I never make them.

I stuck with the basic foods- veggies like carrots, green beans, spinach, celery, peas, etc.  You know, the ones you find most often in frozen veggie mixes at the store- that type of thing.  And I didn’t do eggplant and butternut squash- or some of the seafood items- I skipped those two.

I just think I can introduce those foods when my kids get older, and if they like them- great- and if not- they are still getting a well-balanced diet- some foods are just based on preference.

 

This was just my philosophy- I have friends who went all out and I think that’s great too.  I just wanted to let you know if you are like me and don’t really want to and/or are on a budget where buying the more expensive things is a stretch- don’t sweat it.  :)

 

There are a few things I have always kept around when I have a baby in the house.

  • apple sauce
  • chicken broth
  • whole milk
  • whole milk yogurt
  • cottage cheese
  • sour cream

These foods are great for adding to make the consistency more appealing to a baby and also give an extra boost of flavor without being too strong.  With my kids, I have noticed they prefer more bland foods- they esp. didn’t like foods that were spicy or salty.  These are all great options that can make the food a little more “runny” or “lumpy” rather than thick and hard for them to chew and swallow.

I hope that this helps some of you Moms out there, or just encourages you to try to make baby food for your kiddo.  I would freeze the food after I cooked it in ice cube trays for ease in warming it up and when you make it in bulk you don’t feel like you are constantly having to prepare more baby food every week.  Usually in one day I could make food for the whole month.

Please post any questions or advice that you might have about making Baby Food.

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Spinach Mashed Potatoes

  By Rachel | February 11, 2012 - 9:22 pm | Recipes
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Spinach Mashed Potatoes

I was feeling desperate this week.  Dealing with my first somewhat picky eater- and it is so frustrating when I make something and he won’t eat it- and then I am scrounging through the kitchen trying to find something that I know he will eat.

So, I got online and starting looking for some recipes that had veggies and were similar to the consistency of baby food- hoping that I could then make something that the rest of the family could also eat and thereby cutting down on the amount of time I have to spend in the kitchen.

We tried this recipe on Tuesday this week and I LOVE it!  So simple and easy to whip up, all ingredients you probably have around the house already and makes enough for leftovers but you are not “swimming in it.”

I served this with chicken cooked on the stove top.

Here is the recipe from Allrecipes.

Ingredients

  • 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach
  • 6 potatoes, peeled and chopped
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon chopped onion
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried dill weed
  • 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

    1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a medium casserole dish.
    2. Cook spinach according to package directions. Place potatoes in a pot with enough water to cover, and bring to a boil. Cook 15 minutes, or until tender but firm. Drain, cool slightly, and mash.
    3. In a bowl, mix the spinach, mashed potatoes, butter, sour cream, onion, salt, and dill. Transfer to the prepared casserole dish. Top with Cheddar cheese.

Bake 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until bubbly and lightly brown.

 

***Link to original recipe, click here.

Pot Roast

  By Rachel | February 7, 2012 - 5:09 pm | Recipes
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Pot Roast in the slow cooker is one of my all time favorite things to eat.  The meat is so tender and flavorful, perfect for young kiddos who are still getting their teeth.

It also involves very little prep time and with young kids- usually I just don’t have time- and don’t want to take the time- to prep a dish for dinner. I like simple and easy cooking.

A friend gave me this recipe years ago, and it has been served at our table regularly.

Ingredients:

  • 3-5 lb pot roast (chuck roast)
  • 1 pkg. dry onion soup mix
  • 1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup (or golden mushroom)
  • 6 potatoes (cut in chunks)
  • 2 cups baby carrots
    Pot Roast
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 stalks celery (cut in chunks)
  • 1 can beef broth
  • 3 cloves of garlic (or more if you like garlic)

Directions:

Place pot roast in slow cooker, top with all other ingredients, cook on low for 6-8 hours till meat is fully cooked and tender.

 

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Basic Baked Spaghetti

  By Rachel | February 6, 2012 - 10:00 pm | Recipes
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On those days when life is so crazy and I haven’t had time to think about dinner, let alone get to the grocery store, I love that I can fall back on this family favorite.  So simple, takes about 45 min. and then you are ready to eat- about 10 min prep time and then throw it in the oven.

Found this on Allrecipes.

Ingredients

  • 3/4 pound lean ground beef
  • 1 (16 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
  • 1 pound spaghetti
  • 1 cup shredded mild Cheddar cheese

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In large skillet, cook hamburger until brown. Mix spaghetti sauce into skillet. Reduce heat and simmer.
  2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Mix in pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
  3. Mix together spaghetti and meat mixture, pour into 9×13 pan. Top with cheese and bake for 30 minutes, or until heated through and cheese is bubbly.

***Direct Link to recipe, click here.

Stir Fry Soup

  By Rachel | February 6, 2012 - 2:21 am | Recipes
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I found this delicious recipe through The Frugal Girls on FB.  But the original poster of this recipe was actually a blog called BruCrewLife.  I was pleasantly surprised with how delicious and simple this soup turned out to be.  I chose it b/c of the veggies included in the recipe and the ability to be flexible in choosing a mix that appeals to my kiddos.
It also comes to together very quickly with minimal prep time.
Stir Fry Soup
2 Tbsp. Italian dressing
1 lb. sausage
1 carton chicken broth (32 oz)
1 pkg. (16 oz.) frozen stir fry veggies (use what you like)
1 can white kidney beans, rinsed
1 can Italian style diced tomatoes, undrained
1 c. macaroni noodles, uncooked
dash of oregano
cheese for topping
Place sausage and dressing in a large saucepan and cook on medium heat until meat is cooked, stirring occasionally. Add oregano, broth, frozen veggies, beans and tomatoes and bring to a boil on high. Stir in macaroni. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 8-10 minutes. Serve topped with cheese. Makes 8 – 1 c. servings.
***Direct Link to this recipe, click here.

Slow Cooker Lasagna

  By Rachel | February 4, 2012 - 4:08 pm | Recipes
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Another favorite from Crockin’ Girls.

Whenever I am having a large group of people over, this is one of my favorite recipes.  Very simple and usually appeals to most of the picky eaters out there.  Heat up some green beans or cooked spinach  on the side- we also usually have french bread- sometimes I put it in the oven with garlic salt and butter on top for a special treat.

Watch out burning the pasta, this recipe says 6-8 hours, but I think you should check at 5 hours- esp. the noodles and meat at the bottom of the crock pot.  You might just want to stir it a bit or put it on warm until you are ready to eat.

1 lb. ground beef

1 jar (26 oz.) spaghetti sauce

1 c. water (I don’t usually add water)

1 (15 oz.) container of ricotta cheese

1 (8oz) pkg. of shredded mozzarella, divided

1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese, divided

1 egg

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

6 lasagna noodles, uncooked

Directions:

  1. Brown ground beef; drain. Stir in spaghetti sauce and water.
  2. Mix ricotta, 1 1/2 c. mozzarella, 2 Tbsp. parmesan, egg and parsley.
  3. Spoon 1 cup meat sauce into slow cooker; top with layers of half each of the noodles, broken to fit, and then cheese mixture.
  4. Cover with 2 cups of the remaining meat sauce.
  5. Top with remaining noodles, broken to fit, cheese mixture and meat sauce.
  6. Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours.

 

Chicken and Dumplings

  By Rachel | February 4, 2012 - 2:01 pm | Recipes
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The kids love this recipe, I have made it several times.  You can also add veggies- carrots, peas, etc. whatever you like, or serve veggies on the side with this dish. We really like it with green beans on the side.  This is a crockin girls recipe.

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

2 tablespoons butter

2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup

1 onion, finely diced

2 (10 ounce) packages refrigerated biscuit dough, torn into pieces

Directions:

  1. Place the chicken, butter, soup, and onion in a slow cooker, and fill with enough water to cover.
  2. Cook on high for 5-6 hours. Add torn biscuit dough and cook until dough is no longer raw in the center.

Pumpkin Pancakes

  By Rachel | February 4, 2012 - 1:33 pm | Recipes
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Another recipe that I got from allrecipes.  I love their site.  This is a big-time favorite with the kiddos, and I usually serve it with bacon.  It usually makes at least a dozen pancakes- but I make my pancakes a little smaller than I think most people do.  That works well with the kids- I put the leftovers in the fridge but they don’t usually last long.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1/2 cup multigrain hot cereal (uncooked)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup milk
  • 3/4 cup pureed pumpkin
  • 3/4 cup plain yogurt
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup finely chopped pecans (I leave out the pecans- I don’t like nuts in my pancakes)
  • 1 tsp. pumpkin spice (optional, but I believe it gives it a little more flavor)

Directions

  1. In a bowl, combine whole wheat pastry flour, multigrain hot cereal, and baking powder.
  2. In a second bowl, beat eggs and combine with milk, pumpkin, yogurt, vanilla extract, sugar and salt. Add wet ingredients to dry, being careful not to overmix the batter. Fold in pecans.
  3. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium-high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Bubbles will start to form in the pancakes. Cook until the edges of the pancakes start to look dry, and a bubble popped near the edge holds its shape. Flip the pancakes over, and continue cooking until the other side is golden brown. Repeat with remaining batter, adding more oil to the griddle if necessary. Stack the pancakes on a plate and keep warm until serving. For larger batches, keep pancakes warm in a single layer on a cooling rack positioned over a baking sheet in a 300 degrees F oven (150 degrees C).

***Link directly to recipe on allrecipes, click here.

Chicken Pot Pie

  By Rachel | February 4, 2012 - 12:39 am | Recipes
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This is another family favorite from allrecipes.com.  I usually make this several times each month, and it makes enough for leftovers for a few days.  Everyone at our house loves leftovers, and with this particular dish, I believe it actually tastes better the second day.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves – cubed
  • 1 cup sliced carrots
  • 1 cup frozen green peas
  • 1/2 cup sliced celery
  • 1/3 cup butter
  • 1/3 cup chopped onion
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon celery seed
  • 1 3/4 cups chicken broth
  • 2/3 cup milk
  • 2 (9 inch) unbaked pie crusts

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C.)
  2. In a saucepan, combine chicken, carrots, peas, and celery. Add water to cover and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and set aside.
  3. In the saucepan over medium heat, cook onions in butter until soft and translucent. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and celery seed. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk. Simmer over medium-low heat until thick. Remove from heat and set aside.
  4. Place the chicken mixture in bottom pie crust. Pour hot liquid mixture over. Cover with top crust, seal edges, and cut away excess dough. Make several small slits in the top to allow steam to escape.
  5. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 412 | Total Fat: 23.9g | Cholesterol: 55mg

*** Link direct to Chicken Pot Pie recipe and reviews on allrecipes: click here