#1 Time Saver at Dinner Time

My number one, can't live without, way to save time when making dinner is to cook meat ahead to
use later.  It really saves you time if you have ground beef or chicken cooked and ready to use in your freezer.  I buy a large package of ground beef (which costs less per pound) then I brown it with chopped onion, and season with salt and pepper.  I usually add 1/4 onion to a pound of ground beef.  After the meat is browned I drain off the grease.  Then I package it for freezing.  Don't forget to write the date on the freezer bags or containers.  (I try to date everything I put in the freezer.)  Two cups is about the same as a pound to use in your recipes.  Sometimes before I start I take out some to freeze for hamburgers or meatloaf, if they're on the menu soon.  Just think how fast it will be the next time you need browned ground beef for dinner you won't need to chop onions, drain the grease off, or clean the pan!  The frozen meat thaws well in the microwave.  I love it for tacos, spaghetti, Baked Pasta, enchiladas and many, many more dinners.

For Chicken I buy the bags of frozen chicken breasts.  Then I thaw the whole bag and cook it all the way I'm using it for the first meal.  I cook it all on the grill or I simmer it with onion to shred for a casserole.  Then I label and freeze what I don't use for that meal.  It always gets used and saves me a lot of time.

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Creamy Italian Chicken

This is another of our family's all time favorites.  It's hard to go wrong with a tasty creamy sauce, pasta and chicken.  It's great to feed large groups, it's EASY and it's crock pot friendly!  Crock pots are amazing and probably my favorite kitchen essential.  Start dinner early and enjoy the afternoon knowing dinner is already done!

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts

1/2 cup water
1 Italian salad dressing seasoning packet (dry)

1 can cream of mushroom soup

8 oz. cream cheese, softened or Neufchatel cheese

Trim fat off chicken and cut breasts in half length wise. Spray bottom and sides of slow cooker with cooking spray. Pour in water and put in chicken. Sprinkle chicken with Italian salad dressing packet (dry) over chicken. Cook on high for 2-3 hours. 

In small mixing bowl mix soup and cream cheese together, pour over chicken. Cook on high for an additional hour.  Stir before serving. Serve with linguine, fettuccine, wide egg noodles, any other pasta or even rice. Serves 6.

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Spinach-Ravioli Lasagna

This rich lasagna goes together really fast.  The Alfredo sauce is a nice change from Marinara sauce.
Can be frozen after assembling or after cooking.

1 (6 oz) package fresh baby spinach, thoroughly washed
1/3 cup refrigerated pesto sauce
1 (15 oz) jar Alfredo sauce
1/4 cup vegetable or chicken broth
1 (25 oz) package frozen cheese-filled ravioli (Do not thaw)
1 cup (4 oz) shredded Italian six-cheese blend or Mozzarella

Garnishes: chopped fresh basil, paprika (opt)

Preheat oven to 375. Chop spinach, and toss with pesto sauce in a medium bowl.

Combine Alfredo sauce and vegetable broth.  Spoon 1/3 of Alfredo sauce mixture (about 1/2 cup) into a lightly greased 2.2 qt or 11x7 in baking dish.  Top with half of spinach mixture.  Arrange half of the ravioli in a single layer over spinach mixture.  Repeat layers once.  Top with remaining Alfredo sauce.

Bake at 375 for 30 minutes.  Remove from oven, and sprinkle with shredded cheese.  Bake 5 to 10 more minutes or until hot and bubbly.  At the end of cooking I turned my oven to broil to get the cheese to brown a little. I did not move the oven rack.  Watch closely, so it doesn't over cook, it just takes a minute or two.  Garnish, if desired.

Recipe adapted from Southern Living
AUGUST 2008                                                                                                                     printer freindly

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Savory Sweet & Sour Chicken

This is a dinnertime classic at our house!  One of my husband's all time favorites.  The combination of flavors is sure to make your mouth happy!

1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken, cut into bite size pieces
1 teaspoon chicken soup base or bouillon cube
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup carrot, peeled and cut into sticks that are about an inch long
1 can pineapple tidbits
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 medium green pepper, cut into strips
1/4 cup onion, thinly sliced

Brown chicken in pan that has been sprayed with vegetable spray.  After chicken is browned add 1 cup water, soup base and salt, bring to a simmer.  Add carrots.  Drain pineapple, reserving juice.  Add pineapple juice, vinegar, and soy sauce.  In small bowl mix brown sugar and cornstarch.  Stir sugar and cornstarch mixture into chicken and sauce, stir till sauce thickens. Add drained pineapple, green pepper and onion.  Simmer 3-4 minutes till veggies are tender-crisp.  Serve over rice.

I like to serve broccoli with this but I cook it separately so I know it won't be too mushy.  I can't stand mushy broccoli!

Enjoy!

Sweet and Sour Chicken is freezer friendly, remove from heat after sauce has thickened.  Add pineapple, green pepper and onion.  Allow to cool.  Label and date freezer bag, pour sweet and sour chicken into bag.

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Pineapple-Black Beans Enchiladas

This recipe is from Pillsbury Bake Off 2006.  It's so flavorful your family won't notice it's meatless.
If freezing, freeze before baking.

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

1 large yellow onion, chopped (about 1 cup)

1 medium red bell pepper, chopped (about 1 cup)

1 can (20 oz) pineapple tidbits in juice, drained, 1/3 cup juice reserved

1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained, rinsed

1 can (4.5 oz) chopped green chiles

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

3 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (12 oz)

1 can (15 oz) mild enchilada sauce

8 whole wheat flour tortillas (8 or 9 inch)

1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream for garnish

chopped fresh cilantro for garnish (opt)

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray.  Spread 1/3 cup enchilada sauce in the baking dish. 

In 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper; cook 4 to 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in pineapple, beans, green chiles and salt. Cook and stir until thoroughly heated. Remove skillet from heat. Stir in 1/2 cup cilantro.  

Spoon and spread 1 tablespoon enchilada sauce onto each tortilla. Spoon about 2/3 cup vegetable mixture over sauce on each tortilla.  Top with 1/4 cup grated cheese, reserve 1 cup cheese to sprinkle on top.  Roll up tortilla; place seam side down in baking dish.  Repeat with remaining tortillas. 

Mix reserved 1/3 cup pineapple juice and remaining enchilada sauce (I use the enchilada sauce can for this); pour over entire tops of enchiladas in dish.  Cover baking dish with foil, and seal tightly. 

Bake 25 to 30 minutes.  Remove foil, sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese.  Bake  uncovered 5 to 10 minutes more, until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly. When serving top each baked enchilada with 1 tablespoon sour cream and cilantro.

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Chopped Pizza

Chopped Pizza is one of my family's all time favorites that I make.  They were also probably my dinner groups favorite as well.  My mom would make them for us as kids so to me they are comfort food.  Plus it's hard to go wrong with pizza!

They are really easy but do take some time, especially when making enough to feed four families! You start with a bag of frozen rolls, we've always used Rhodes Dinner Rolls which is actually where we found this gem of a recipe.  First, thaw the rolls according to the instructions on the bag.  

You'll need 2 rolls for every pizza you want to make. If you need 8 pizzas thaw 16 rolls.  I usually make a full bag worth because these warm up great for lunches or freeze well too.

Once the rolls have thawed and raised to the point were you would bake them, take a roll and cut it in half length wise.

Next cut it horizontally three times so that you have six pieces.

Place those six pieces on a well greased cookie sheet.

Now the fun part, pick your toppings!  We usually are boring and stick with pepperoni around here but we've tried many variations.  You can do almost anything such as olives, peppers, or sausage but I will say if you want to add pineapple (my favorite) do it after they bake. If you put pineapple on prior to baking that area of roll that is touching the pineapple comes out tasting soggy, yuck!

After you put toppings on the first layer of chopped up rolls, put on another layer of six roll pieces and toppings.  Another tip, I usually put my toppings on before the cheese because the cheese helps hold them in place.

They bake at 350 for about 12 to 15 min.

They come out looking oh so good!  We like to dip them in easy spaghetti sauce or ranch.  Trust me these yummies will go fast!

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This post has been linked at www.kitchenfunwithmy3sons.blogspot.com

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Chicken-and-Broccoli Cobbler

1/4 cup butter
5 ounces cubed sourdough bread (3 cups)
1/2 cup refrigerated grated Parmesan cheese
3 cups small broccoli florets

3 cups chopped cooked chicken

1/2 cup drained chopped roasted red bell pepper
1 (10-oz.) container Alfredo sauce
1/2 cup sour cream

Drizzle butter over bread cubes in a large bowl; sprinkle with cheese, and toss well.
Combine broccoli and next 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Spoon filling into a lightly greased 2-qt. rectangular or oval baking dish or individual baking dishes; top with bread cubes.
Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 30 minutes (20 to 25 minutes for individual cobblers) or until bubbly and top is toasted.

This dish is freezer friendly, freeze after baking.  To serve thaw in refrigerator warm in oven at 350.

Recipe from Southern Living 2008

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Minestrone Soup

Best tasting minestrone soup ever.  This recipe makes alot, enough to share or freeze.  If freezing don't add the pasta till you heat it to serve.

1 lb sausage
2 28 oz cans tomatoes
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
1½ quart water
1 can beef consume or use beef bullion to make 2 cups
3 onions, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
3 stalk celery, peeled and sliced
½ teaspoon garlic
1½ teaspoon basil
1 tablespoon parsley
1 teaspoon oregano
1 15 oz can green beans don’t drain
1 15½ garbanzo beans, rinsed
1 15 oz light red can kidney beans, rinsed (or black beans)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup small sea shell pasta (not cooked)

Brown sausage, drain off grease.  In a large stock pot combine all ingredients except the pasta.  Simmer 4-5 hours. 

20 minutes before serving add pasta.          

For more flavor buy mild Italian sausage.  

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Baked Pasta / Ziti

Baked Pasta is perfect for potlucks and taking dinner in.  So much easier than Lasagna.
This recipe was originally meatless.

I got this recipe from my super good friend Jane Huff.

1 12 oz. package of Ziti, Mostaccioli or similar tube pasta
4 cups grated mozzarella cheese
1 lb. carton cottage cheese or 15 oz. carton ricotta cheese or half of each
½ lb ground beef or 1 cup of browned ground beef (cooked with chopped onion) (opt)
2 15 oz cans tomato sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic, dehydrated or 2 cloves

2 teaspoon parsley flakes (opt)
salt and pepper
Parmesan cheese (opt)

Brown ground beef, drain off grease.  Cook pasta using package instructions.  Do not over cook. Drain well and stir in 2 cups mozzarella cheese and cottage cheese.  Pour one can (save can) tomato sauce into 9x13pan, stir in cooked ground beef.  Sprinkle half of the spices over sauce and stir. (1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1/4 teaspoon dehydrated minced garlic, 1 teaspoon parsley flakes, salt and pepper)  Layer on top of sauce the pasta and cheese mixture.  Open second can of tomato sauce pour half of sauce into saved can.  Add remaining half of the spices to one can, pour back and forth from cans to mix.  Pour sauce over pasta mixture, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and remaining grated mozzarella cheese.  Bake 30 minutes at 350.

Baked Pasta is freezer friendly.  If freezing, cook pasta 2 minutes less than the shortest cooking time in package directions.

 

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