Recipe - Deviled Chicken

I'm always looking for recipes that are simple, with very few ingredients...but I sometimes feel that I'm replacing flavor with easy. I spend time trying to turn quick but bland recipes into something extraordinary with my spice rack. This is NOT one of those recipes. This recipe is easy on the wallet and the pantry, BUT packs a flavorful punch. Make the pieces finger friendly size and serve with dipping sauces for a great party food.

Simple meets tasty with this recipe for Deviled Chicken.

Ingredients

1 – 1 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into desired size
1/2 c. mayonnaise
3 T. mustard
2 c. breadcrumbs
2 t. paprika
1/2 c. butter or margarine


Directions

Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides.

In a shallow bowl, mix together mayonnaise and mustard. In a second shallow bowl, combine breadcrumbs and paprika. Coat the chicken with the mayo/mustard combo, then cover with breadcrumb mixture.

Place butter or margarine in a baking pan. Put in a preheated 375 degree oven until melted. Immediately place chicken in hot pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until fully cooked. (If you’re cutting the chicken into fingers, baking time will be a little less.)

***TIPS***
Make ahead, cover and refrigerate for up to 4 hours. Uncover and bake at 375 for 30-35 minutes.

Recipe - Chicken Parmesan Bundles

I am a big advocate of anything with cheese, and chicken parmesan is one of my favorite meals that isn't Mexican food. As with most recipes, there are many ways to add your own special twist to recipes, but this is one where I'm really proud of my twist. I'll go ahead and post the normal recipe first, though.

Enjoy this great recipe for Chicken Parmesan Bundles.

Ingredients

4 ounces PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well drained
1 1/4 cups KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese, divided
6 tablespoons KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese, divided
6 small boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, pounded to 1/4-inch thickness
1 egg
10 RITZ Crackers, crushed
1 1/2 cups spaghetti sauce, heated


Directions

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Mix cream cheese, spinach, 1 cup mozzarella and 3 Tbsp. Parmesan until well blended; spread onto chicken breasts. Starting at one short end of each breast, roll up chicken tightly. Secure with wooden toothpicks, if desired. Set aside.

Beat egg in shallow dish. Mix remaining Parmesan and cracker crumbs in separate shallow dish. Dip chicken bundles in egg, then roll in crumb mixture. Place, seam-sides down, in 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.

Bake 30 min. or until chicken is done (165 degrees F). Remove and discard toothpicks, if using. Serve topped with spaghetti sauce and remaining mozzarella.


***TIPS***
Make ahead, put in baking dish, cover and store in fridge up to 4 hours. Uncover and bake at 375 for 35 minutes.

My favorite tasty twist: Replace spaghetti sauce with alfredo and top with a little extra parmesan.

Recipe - Tomato Soup

After posting the recipe for BBQ Grilled Cheese, I knew the follow up had to be tomato soup. Who can resist a little tomato soup and grilled cheese? Not I!

Enjoy this recipe for Tomato Soup.

Ingredients

4 cups chopped seeded peeled tomato (about 4 large)
4 cups tomato juice
1/3 cup fresh basil leaves
1 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1/2 cup (4 ounces) cream cheese, softened



Directions

Bring tomato and juice to a boil in a large saucepan. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes.

Place tomato mixture and basil in a blender or food processor; process until smooth. Return pureed mixture to pan; stir in milk, salt, and pepper. Add cream cheese, stirring well with a whisk, and cook over medium heat until thick (about 5 minutes).

Refrigerate remaining soup in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Recipe - BBQ Chicken Grilled Cheese

We've always been fans of a basic grilled cheese. And I always find myself trying to spice it up. Using pepper jack, or sprinkling the sandwich with spices before toasting. Anything I can do to make our grilled cheese extra special. When I found this recipe, I was insanely excited. So much so, that when DH asked me why I had bread, bbq, ranch and cheese out while I was cooking chicken, I told him to "Shutup and trust me!" lol.

Change up the basics with this recipe for BBQ Grilled Cheese.

Ingredients

2 slices wheat bread
3 oz chicken breast, grilled and thinly sliced or shredded
1 tbsp barbecue sauce
1 slice cheddar cheese (I will sometimes use American, Swiss or Muenster, too)
1 tsp Ranch salad dressing
1 tbsp butter, margarine or spread


Directions

Toss the grilled chicken with barbecue sauce (can warm in microwave if needed before adding to sandwich).

Butter outsides of both pieces of bread. Spread Ranch dressing on the inside of one piece. Lay the Ranch piece in warm skillet, quickly top with chicken and spread evenly. Place cheese on chicken and top with other piece of bread. Toast and serve hot.

A great [toddler] computer game

After my screen on my laptop went out, I hooked it up to an old flatscreen monitor to get my information. However, I was struck with an idea when I did. I got all of my data off and dug out an old keyboard and mouse. I set the laptop up on a small table and hooked everything up to it. The monitor can run without the laptop being open. My son now has his own desktop computer (technically). And even though a three year old doesn't NEED one, the laptop would have been junked otherwise.

So for awhile, I was on the lookout for software that he could use. I found this great Sesame Street game by Nova Development. If you have toddlers that are just learning to play on the computer, I would suggest this. It's never too early for kids to learn computer skills, and you'd be incredibly surprised at how easily even a two year old can operate simple software.

Simple point and click activities teach counting, matching, grouping, sorting, music, listening skills and more. Designed for ages 2-4.

Although, I must note that this game is VERY simple and is more towards the low end of 2-4. My son is just a few months past 3 and can get bored with this game easily...so it won't be long before he ignores it all together.

Other than this little bit, the game is spectacular. I wish I would have found it ages ago. He still prefers to play games on the internet most of the time, because as I said, he's old enough that the Sesame Street game gets boring. I have set up the computer to have only 4 icons on the desktop. I also set the internet browser icon to be a dinosaur so it's easy for him to find, and it goes straight to the games at NickJr.com. He clicks the dinosaur and is playing games in no time. It's improved his hand-eye coordination exponentially, and I'm thankful for that!

Recipe - Cheddar Stuffed Celery

This is a variation from the regular can-cheese filled celery that graces our house almost daily. For some reason (note: I'm not complaining), my son would rather eat celery than fries any day. He despises peanut butter, so I thought that squeeze cheese was our only option. WRONG. This recipe has saved my sanity from the grips of processed, can-cheese.

Toss the can with this tasty recipe for Cheddar Stuffed Celery.

Ingredients

1/2 cup Cheddar cheese, grated
2 stalks celery, cleaned
1 1/2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon paprika (optional)


Directions

Mix the cheddar and mayo together into paste. Spread into celery and cut into serving sized pieces. Top with paprika, if desired.

Recipe - Healthy Banana Bread

This recipe is VERY figure friendly. It uses wheat flour and bananas and very little sugar, so it's also a great snack for kids. My son loves to eat it with Cool Whip. I use Homemade Gourmet Spice Dip Mix with my Cool Whip and spread it over a slice of this bread. But if you can't get the HOGO stuff from a dealer near you, a little cinnamon and allspice mixed into your Cool Whip makes a great dip or spread.

Spend the day baking some bread with this recipe for Healthy Banana Bread.

Ingredients

4-5 very ripe bananas, mashed
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup sugar free spiced unsweetened applesauce
2 eggs
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose white flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2/3 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)


Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a bundt pan with cooking spray, set aside.


In a medium bowl, mix the dry ingredients, whisking to combine. Add the chocolate chips and nuts if using.

Beat the eggs with the sugar together at medium-high speed until creamy. Beat in the applesauce and bananas.

Fold in the dry ingredients.

Pour into the prepared pan and place it in the oven. Once the oven door is closed, reduce the heat so it’s between 325-350 degrees. Bake for about 35-40 minutes (the cake is done as soon as a tester comes out clean). Cool on a wire rack for about 5 minutes. Invert on the rack, remove the pan, cool and store in an airtight container.


***LEFTOVER ALERT***
I like to take slices of this and use it to make french toast. It gives it a lovely flavor from regular french toast, and is sweet enough that I don't have to use much syrup (or can top with with Cool Whip instead). Can you tell I like Cool Whip? haha

Recipe - Crockpot Cheesy Chicken

This is one of my fail-safe recipes. It's quick and easy and requires no attention whatsoever. It's extremely versatile, so you can add whatever spices you want. Toss in some broccoli or cauliflower. Serve with pasta, rice, or couscous. Throw in a little pepper or sprinkle with hot sauce. It's a starter recipe that can be tailored to any family. Make it your own.

Here's a basic recipe for Crockpot Cheesy Chicken

Ingredients

2 lbs chicken breast, thawed
2 cans cream of chicken soup (I sub cream of mushroom if I'm out of cream of chicken)
1 can cheddar cheese soup
1/4 tsp garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste


Directions

Cut chicken into bit sizes pieces or strips and put into crock pot. Sprinkle with garlic, salt and pepper.

Pour soups over chicken. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Chicken will begin to shred. Serve over something to absorb the sauce.


***LEFTOVER ALERT***
I like to take the leftovers, put them back into the crock the next day with a package (or two, depending on how much leftovers you have) of taco seasoning. It becomes a cheesy, taco flavored, finely shredded chicken. And serve it on taco shells with lettuce and sour cream (and a little extra shredded cheese for cheese lovers like myself!).

Recipe - Turkey Burgers with Spicy Marinara

Believe me, I know how stressful turkey burgers can be. Being poultry, it's extremely dangerous for these to be undercooked...but in a matter of seconds, this thing can become as dry as you great uncle's Thanksgiving jokes. The blend of dairy with bread crumbs in the burger will keep it juicy and the marinara sauce will ensure lots of flavor for you and your diners. This is especially great as sliders for get-togethers.

Please enjoy this recipe for Turkey Burgers with Spicy Marinara (you can exclude some of the spicier stuff if your children don't like it...my son is a hot and spicy fanatic).

Ingredients

2 c marinara sauce
1 package (1 1/4-ounce) chili seasoning (such as McCormick)
3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, seeded and finely chopped
1 1/2 lbs ground white-meat turkey
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 c bread crumbs, packaged
2 T olive oil
8 hamburger-style rolls


Directions

Make the marinara sauce: Combine 1 1/2 cups marinara sauce, 3 tablespoons chili seasoning, and chipotles in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Simmer for 10 minutes and keep warm.

Make the burgers: Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Combine the turkey, 2 ounces cream cheese, bread crumbs, and remaining chili seasoning and marinara sauce in a large bowl. Shape into 8 patties.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Brown the burgers, 4 at a time, for 3 minutes on a side. Transfer to a baking pan. Place in the oven and cook for 8 more minutes. Serve each burger on a roll with 1 tablespoon cream cheese and marinara sauce.

Recipe - Tuna Stuffed Shells

I wanted my first recipe to be one of my favorites. And it's not my favorite because it's the best tasting one, ever. Lord knows I prefer some Mexican cuisine before anything else. But it's my favorite because it surprised me when I ate it. Never being a lover of tuna, or any other seafood for that matter, I was shocked to find out that I could enjoy the simplest (and cheapest) of all the fish.

Please enjoy this recipe for Tuna Stuffed Shells:

Ingredients

12 Uncooked jumbo shell macaroni
1 can (6-1/2 oz) tuna, drained, flaked
2/3 cup Ricotta cheese
1 Egg, well beaten
1/2 cup Seafood cocktail sauce
1/3 cup Chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup Sliced green onions
1/4 cup Finely chopped celery
2 tbsp Dry bread crumbs
2 tbsp Grated Parmesan cheese
1/8 tsp Hot pepper sauce (or more to taste)
2 tbsp Water
1/2 cup (2 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese(reduced-fat cheese)


Directions

Preheat oven to 375. Cook shells according to package directions; drain.

Combine tuna, ricotta cheese, egg, 1/2 cup cocktail sauce, vegetables, bread crumbs, Parmesan and hot pepper sauce; stuff into shells. Arrange shells in 1-1/2-qt baking dish. Add water to dish; cover tightly with foil. Bake for 35 minutes. Top with mozzarella cheese. Bake, uncovered, 2 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Let stand 5 minutes. Serve with additional cocktail sauce.

A new nifty blog...

It's a new blog specifically designed for moms (or dads, let's not start off being sexist, eh?).

What will it have? - EVERYTHING!!!

1, 2, 3 - EAT! will include tons of quick, easy, cheap AND healthy recipes for the parents who have little time and/or money for dinner. Of course, we'll sneak in some great tips and advice about kids of all ages, organizational hints and MUCH more. But do stay tuned, we've got a lot to talk about (: