Garlic Butter Rice

 Garlic Butter Rice

Source: Crave It All

Garlic Butter Rice has so much flavor, it makes the perfect side to go with anything! All cooked in one pot, forget about plain rice!

Ingredients
4 tablespoons (2oz. | 60g) butter, divided
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups uncooked white rice, long gran, Basmati or Jasmine
2 1/2 cups chicken broth, or vegetable stock
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley, plus extra to garnish

Instructions
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a medium-sized pot over medium heat. Add garlic and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Stir in rice to coat with the garlic butter.
Add broth, dried parsley, salt and pepper. Stir well and bring to a boil.
Cover with lid and reduce heat to low so the liquid is simmering very gently. Cook until all liquid has been absorbed, about 15 minutes.
Uncover and stir through fresh parsley.
Remove from heat, cover with lid and let stand 5-10 minutes, until soft.
Fluff rice with a fork. Stir through remaining butter and season with a little extra salt, pepper and dried parsley.
Garnish with some fresh chopped parsley.

Butter Chicken

Our friend Hannah Brand-Grimmett (Brooklyn's sister, so she's basically family) made this for us this summer and I loved it so much that she sent me home with a little baggie of fenugreek leaves and the recipe to make on my own. It was SO good. When I made this at home, I was practically swooning each time I took a bite. I already have this on my meal plan again for the next couple of weeks. 

I made it with Naan bread and Garlic Butter Rice and it was just melt in your mouth delicious. 

Butter Chicken

Source: Cafe Delights

INGREDIENTS

For the chicken marinade:28 oz (800g) boneless and skinless chicken thighs or breasts cut into bite-sized pieces

1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced ginger (or finely grated)
2 teaspoons garam masala
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon red chili powder
1 teaspoon of salt

For the sauce:2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons ghee (or 1 tbs butter + 1 tbs oil)
1 large onion, sliced or chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons garlic, minced
1 tablespoon ginger, minced or finely grated
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
1 teaspoon ground coriander
14 oz (400 g) crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon red chili powder (adjust to your taste preference)
1 1/4 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
1 cup of heavy or thickened cream (or evaporated milk to save calories)
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon kasoori methi (or dried fenugreek leaves)

INSTRUCTIONS
In a bowl, combine chicken with all of the ingredients for the chicken marinade; let marinate for 30 minutes to an hour (or overnight if time allows).

Heat oil in a large skillet or pot over medium-high heat. When sizzling, add chicken pieces in batches of two or three, making sure not to crowd the pan. Fry until browned for only 3 minutes on each side. Set aside and keep warm. (You will finish cooking the chicken in the sauce.)
Heat butter or ghee in the same pan. Fry the onions until they start to sweat (about 6 minutes) while scraping up any browned bits stuck on the bottom of the pan.
Add garlic and ginger and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant, then add ground coriander, cumin and garam masala. Let cook for about 20 seconds until fragrant, while stirring occasionally.
Add crushed tomatoes, chili powder and salt. Let simmer for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until sauce thickens and becomes a deep brown red colour.
Remove from heat, scoop mixture into a blender and blend until smooth. You may need to add a couple tablespoons of water to help it blend (up to 1/4 cup). Work in batches depending on the size of your blender.
Pour the puréed sauce back into the pan. Stir the cream, sugar and crushed kasoori methi (or fenugreek leaves) through the sauce. Add the chicken with juices back into the pan and cook for an additional 8-10 minutes until chicken is cooked through and the sauce is thick and bubbling.
Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with fresh, hot garlic butter rice and fresh homemade Naan bread!

Garlic Butter Rice

Source: Crave It All

Garlic Butter Rice has so much flavor, it makes the perfect side to go with anything! All cooked in one pot, forget about plain rice!

Ingredients
4 tablespoons (2oz. | 60g) butter, divided
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups uncooked white rice, long gran, Basmati or Jasmine
2 1/2 cups chicken broth, or vegetable stock
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley, plus extra to garnish

Instructions
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a medium-sized pot over medium heat. Add garlic and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Stir in rice to coat with the garlic butter.
Add broth, dried parsley, salt and pepper. Stir well and bring to a boil.
Cover with lid and reduce heat to low so the liquid is simmering very gently. Cook until all liquid has been absorbed, about 15 minutes.
Uncover and stir through fresh parsley.
Remove from heat, cover with lid and let stand 5-10 minutes, until soft.
Fluff rice with a fork. Stir through remaining butter and season with a little extra salt, pepper and dried parsley.
Garnish with some fresh chopped parsley.

Mexican Haystacks

I looove this dish. It's got all the flavors that we love, but it's freshened up in a different application. Plus, the addition of the mango on top of the taco meat and rice is so refreshing (don't skip this ingredient - the mango really makes it!) This isn't the prettiest picture because we'd basically eaten all of the food before I remembered that I needed to take a picture so I just added the few remaining things that I had - but we've made this at least 4-5 times and never gotten a picture - so I knew I just needed to take a picture to get it on the blog, because this recipe is a keeper for sure! (We've also made this when guests were over and it was a huge hit.)  

Mexican Haystacks

Source: Adapted from Whole and Free and The Girl Who Ate Everything

Ingredients:

3 cups uncooked rice

1 bunch fresh cilantro

1 lb ground beef
2 TBS taco seasoning (chili powder, onion salt, garlic powder, cumin)

1 onion, chopped
¾ cup water
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened

salt & pepper to taste
2 cups salsa

Toppings: diced mango, diced avocado, black beans, corn, shredded cheese, sour cream, cilantro, salsa

Directions:
Start rice in a rice cooker. In a large skillet, brown ground beef and chopped onion. Add taco seasoning, salt, and pepper. When browned, add salsa and cream cheese. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer until cream cheese is melted. Add a tablespoon of water at a time until desired consistency is reached.  In the meantime, chop the cilantro, avocado, and mango and prepare remaining toppings. When the rice is done, stir in almost all of the fresh cilantro, leaving just enough to garnish each dish. 

Plate with rice on bottom, then meat mixture, then any of the desired toppings. 

Mini Burritos

These were such a fun appetizer. I loved them! We took them to a party and they disappeared in minutes. I also think that I will be making them frequently for kids lunches/dinners. They are the perfect size for little hands. Plus, I almost always have these ingredients on hand.
Mini Burritos = Success! 

Mini Burritos
Source: The Girl Who Ate Everything

Ingredients:
1 1b ground beef
½ small onion, diced finely
1 packet (1 oz) taco seasoning mix (Chili Powder, Onion Powder, Garlic Salt, Cumin, Paprika)
3 tablespoons water
1 (15 oz) can refried beans

3/4 cup cooked rice (optional)
3/4 cup salsa
1½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 package flour tortillas for burritos (10 tortillas; 8 inch)
butter for basting
Toppings: sour cream, guacamole, salsa


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large skillet, brown the beef and onion until beef is no longer pink.
Add the taco seasoning and 3 tablespoons of water. Stir and cook for a couple of minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the refried beans, rice, salsa, and cheese.
Quarter each flour tortilla with a pizza slicer making 4 wedges from each tortilla. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of meat mixture onto the wide part of each tortilla. Fold the sides in and roll up towards the small end creating a mini burrito. Place burritos on a cookie sheet. If preparing ahead of time cover and refrigerate until serving.
Brush burritos with melted butter if desired. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until burritos are warm.

Add your favorite toppings such as sour cream, guacamole, and salsa.

Mexican Rice

A delicious side dish, but bulky enough for a meatless lunch or dinner. Yum! 

Mexican Rice
Source: The Peaden Life

Ingredients:
1/2 Onion, diced
3 cups Rice, cooked
1 can Diced tomatoes, drained
1 can Black Beans, drained and rinsed
1 can Corn, drained
1/2 cup salsa (to taste, more can be added for desired consistancy)
Salt & Pepper
Cumin
Chili Powder
Garlic Powder
Onion Salt
Paprika
1/2 cup cheddar cheese

Directions:
In a large frypan, saute onion in a small bit of oil. Add rice, tomatoes, black beans, and corn and stir together. Add salsa. Season with about 1/2 tsp each of cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, onion salt, and paprika.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Top with cheese and serve.

Indian Chicken Curry

This summer our local library is holding a Summer Reading Program for both kids and adults. It's been fun to branch out a bit to read some different books and do some different activities. One of the items to check off is "Check out a Cookbook and try a new recipe". I was excited, and ended up with "The Convenience Cook" (I will say that flipping through cookbooks is not the easiest thing of the world when trying to handle a baby and 3-year-old). It was interesting to read through the authors comments about her recipes. I ended up choosing to try the Chicken Curry and I'm glad that I did! I had an awesome experience at an Indian restaurant back in my college days and I've wanted to try to replicate that, but none of the curry recipes I've come across have really done it for me. This one was SO simple, came together really quick, and was delicious! I like feeling like I'm introducing different flavors to my kids, and I think that this is something that is a nice change in our normal flavor profile while still being yummy, affordable, and easy. 

Indian Chicken Curry
Source: The Convenience Cook, page 109, slightly adapted. I would definitely recommend getting this cookbook - there are a lot of good recipes and great cooking tips.

Ingredients:
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup diced onion
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
4 tsp curry powder
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups cubed, chicken
S&P

Hot white rice
Naan, Indian Flatbread

Directions:
In a skillet, heat 1tbsp oil over medium heat. Cook chicken until golden brown, dump onto plate and set aside. Heat remaining oil in skilled, then add onion and cook until softened. Add flour and curry powder and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add stock and cook, stirring, until thickened. Add chicken. cover and simmer until chicken is heated through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Serve over hot rice and with warm Indian bread. Naan recipe HERE.

Easy Beef Stroganoff

I have to admit, our very very favorite stroganoff is this Beef Stroganoff. Almost always, I'd rather take the time to make that if I'm going to plan stroganoff for dinner. But every once in a while when I need a quick meal, or I have leftover hamburger and am not feeling any of my mexican dishes - this is a great option. Another Peaden family recipe, although I believe this one is a more recent addition to their meal rotation (I think Amy found it and they all loved it). It's yummy and filling, and oh-so-easy.

Easy Beef Stroganoff
Source: Sue & Amy Peaden

Ingredients:
1/2 lb hamburger (the original recipe calls for a whole pound, but we like more sauce in our sauce:meat ratio)
1/2 C diced onions
1 C sour cream
2 T ketchup
2 t. Worcestershire sauce
2 cans cream of chicken soup
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
In a large frying pan, brown hamburger. When almost finished cooking, add onions and cook until translucent. (If using leftover hamburger, cook onions first and then add in hamburger to reheat.) Add in remaining ingredients and heat through. Serve over noodles or rice.

Stuffed Pepper Casserole

I really really love bell peppers, and this time of the year when peppers go on sale - I can't help but pick up several every time I go to the store. My friend Amy posted this recipe on a "What's for Dinner?" group page that we are both a part of, and I've been biding my time, waiting for the perfect opportunity to make it! I love stuffed peppers, but David isn't a huge pepper fan. This is the perfect compromise, because he gets more meat and rice and I still get my yummy peppers! 

Stuffed Pepper Casserole

Source: Amy Pugsley 

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef, browned
1 small onion
tt salt and pepper
1/2 c water
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 can tomato soup
1/2 c uncooked rice
1 t Worcestershire sauce
1-2 sliced bell peppers
1 c shredded cheese

Directions:

Combine first 8 ingredients. Simmer meat and rice mixture for 15 minutes over the stove. Top with bell peppers and shredded cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

**Note, to save money - I cut the hamburger back to 1/2 pound, used diced tomatoes (which I had on hand), and increased the rice to almost 2 cups of cooked rice (I have a really bad track record when using uncooked rice). The rice bulked it up, and there was plenty of hamburger for the two of us (I'm pretty skimpy when it comes to meat in our meals.) It was a little less tomato-y than I would have liked with my adjustments (Amy's looks so saucy and good!) - so next time I think I'd add in some more tomato sauce, or maybe some tomato paste or something. Or maybe the crushed tomatoes would make the difference. 

*Also, Amy sent me a picture of her actual recipe, and I just have to include it here, because I love how you can tell it's a family favorite by how used and loved it is. It just makes me happy. 

Sweet & Sour Chicken

When I was in high school, I made a cookbook for a Young Women in Excellence project. It was titled "A Recipe Book of Favorites". I collected all of my favorite recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner - typed them up and put them in a binder. That binder went to college with me and I have been grateful for it many many many times. However, in the almost-five years that David and I have been married - I've never once made this dinner for us. (Something to do with the fact that David doesn't like pineapple, soy sauce, or chinese food.) However, I've thought of it often and this week when I had a couple of peppers that needed to be used I decided to pull it out. Oh. My. Goodness. I can't believe that I have let so many years pass without enjoying this delectable goodness. I love it. I was immediately reminded why it made it into my recipe book of favorites. I'm pretty sure that the recipe came out of my family's old tattered copy of the Betty Crocker Cookbook. I love that cookbook. The pages are covered in grease/food and are all falling out but it has some of the most wonderful recipes. The new book isn't nearly as good. David didn't love it - for the reasons listed above - but he loves me and told me that I could make it whenever I wanted. Which I will be doing again soon. If you are looking for a delicious and fairly easy meal - this is it. SO good.  

Sweet & Sour Chicken
Source: Betty Crocket Cookbook/The Walker Family

Ingredients:
2 large chicken breasts
2 Tbs vegetable oil
1 can pineapple chunks, drained (reserve syrup)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup vinegar
1 tsp salt
2 tsp soy sauce
2 carrots cut diagonally into thin slices
1 red or green bell pepper, cut into 3/4" pieces
1/4 onion chunked

Directions:
Cut chicken into 3/4" pieces. Heat oil in fry pan(I use a high edged electric skillet),  add chicken and brown. Right before chicken is done, add onions. When onions are slightly see-through, remove onions and chicken, set aside and keep warm.

Add enough water to reserved pineapple syrup to measure two cups. Heat syrup mixture, brown sugar, vinegar, salt, soy sauce, and carrots in fry pan. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until carrots are crisp-tender (about 6 minutes). Mix cornstarch and 2 tbs cold water; stir into sauce. Add chicken, pineapple, and green/red pepper. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Serve warm.

Ranch Chicken and Rice Soup

I found this from one of my favorite food blogs, Picky Palate. Its recipes are aimed at finding yummy foods that even picky eaters will like. We made it on a nice rainy fall evening and loved it very much. It's got a nice flavor and is super filling. Perfect when you need something delicious to warm you up.

Ranch Chicken and Rice Soup
Source: Picky Palate

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
3 stalks of celery, chopped
3 Tablespoons fresh minced garlic
2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
3 Cups cooked rice
2 cans chicken broth
1 Tablespoon dry Ranch Dressing seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard

Directions:
Heat oil in a medium sized pot over medium heat. When hot, saute onion, carrots and celery for 7-10 minutes or until softened slightly. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in chicken breast and rice then pour in chicken broth. Stir, then season with ranch seasoning, salt, pepper and add in Dijon. Reduce heat to low and simmer until serving. Taste and season accordingly.

Sweet Pork Salads {Costa Vida Copycat with Dr. Pepper}

When I was in college at Utah State, I had a roommate that worked at Costa Vida. She would bring home extra rice and chips and even more importantly she had a 40% discount (or something) that we used on a fairly regular basis. We loved it. To this day, thinking about digging in to a nice big Sweet Pork Salad from Costa Vida makes my mouth water! Unfortunately, our budget doesn't allow for frequent Costa Vida runs. However, for practically the same price as ONE salad - you can make your own Copycat Costa Vida meal for the whole family.

I absolutely love this meal and love that I can make it at home in my crock pot. To make our dollars stretch I try to do the following things: 

1- Buy the pork roast on sale. You can get a nice 2-3 lb roast for just a couple of bucks if you time it right. Wait for a $1.48 - $1.60/lb sale and then stock up. Pork roasts freeze well and you can use them for many things. Don't pay $3/lb. 

2-After the pork roast is cooked and shredded, but before you add all of your ingredients, pull out a tupperware-full of pork to use for BBQ Pork Sandwiches. (If you have a big family, you should only do this if you buy a big roast - but I still recommend it. It's a great way to get several meals out of one roast.)

3-Have the sweet pork on salads the first night and then use the leftover sweet pork in burritos a couple of nights later. Just add in the rice/beans and maybe a can of diced tomatoes if you need to stretch it. Wrap them up in tortillas and top with half a can of red enchilada sauce and some cheese. So yummy! 

Sweet Pork

Source: Adapted from New Day, New Dish

Ingredients:
2-3 lb. pork roast
1 (12 oz.) cans Dr. Pepper
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1 jalapeno - seeded and chopped
2 carrots - shredded or finely chopped
1/4 c. onion, chopped
1 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce

1/2 c. salsa
3/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 c. brown sugar

Directions:
Slightly thaw pork roast in microwave. Remove from packaging, rinse under running water, pat dry. Place roast in crock pot with 1/2 cup Dr. Pepper. Cook on high for 4-5 hours. Remove roast from crock pot and place in kitchen aid with paddle attachment. Run kitchen aid on medium speed to shred pork. (You may want to remove the large pieces, dump the small pieces back into the crock pot, and then continue to shred the large pieces to prevent the smaller pieces from becoming too tiny.) 

Place shredded pork back into crock pot and add remaining ingredients. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to low and cook 2-3 additional hours. 

Spray a frying pan with cooking spray and heat to medium heat. Place tortilla in pan and brown both sides. This only take 15-30 seconds, but it adds so much to your salad! Place rice, beans, meat and lettuce on top of tortilla and top with yummy cilantro ranch dressing. (Recipes below.)

I've tried many sweet pork recipes (you can find them all over the internet) - but this one is my favorite by far! However, I know that sometimes so many ingredients, and all of the chopping/prep work isn't really in the cards. So, this is my other favorite recipe which is much easier: 

Easy Sweet Pork 

Source: Six Sisters Stuff

3 lb. pork roast
16 oz. chunky salsa
1 can Dr. Pepper
2 c. brown sugar

Put pork in slow cooker and fill halfway with water. Cook 4 hours on high. Drain water, cut pork in thirds, mix together sauce and pour on top. Cook 4 more hours on low. Drain liquid and shred pork. Save a little liquid and mix it in with the pork so it is really moist.



Tomatillo/Cilantro Ranch Dressing
Source: Adapted from A Mommy's Life with a Touch of Yellow

Ingredients:
1 packet of buttermilk ranch dressing
1 Cup mayo/Miracle Whip
1 Cup buttermilk (the smallest carton is perfect)
1 bunch of cilantro (after you wash, make sure you pat dry)
2 tomatillos husked
1 jalapeno (take the rib and seeds out)
Garlic powder (just a few shakes)
juice from 1 lime

Directions:
Put the mayo, dressing mix, buttermilk, and garlic in a blender and mix until blended all together. Squeeze lime juice directly into the blender. Cut up tomatillos, jalapeno, cilantro and pat dry. Add to the blender and blend until everything is mixed together and creamy. Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. This can be stored in the fridge for several months - so don't throw your leftovers away. If it starts to separate - just shake it all back together.

Cilantro Lime Rice

Source: Favorite Family Recipes

(We don't always make this. Most of the time I just use regular white rice - but if I'm feeling fancy or want to go all out, I put this together and feel great about how easy it is. Also, as a side note- I never so anything special to my beans. I just open a can of black beans and a can of pinto beans and heat them up.) 

Ingredients
1 c. uncooked rice (long-grain, white rice)
1 tsp. butter or margarine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 can (15 oz) chicken broth
1 cup water
1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tsp. sugar
3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

Directions.
In a rice cooker combine rice, butter, garlic, 1 tsp. lime, chicken broth and water. Cook until rice is tender. In a small bowl combine lime juice, sugar and cilantro. Pour over hot cooked rice and mix in as you fluff the rice.

Steamed Chicken Squash Rice

I've been wanting a steamer for a long time and David finally convinced me that we should just do it. So we bought a big steamer/rice cooker and I am so excited! We made this yummy dish by just throwing together a few things that we had and it was delicious. Very simple but had a good flavor. 

Steamed Chicken Squash Rice

Source: Taste of Home

Ingredients
4 chicken tenders
1 cup chicken broth + 1 cup water
1 cup uncooked long grain rice
1 medium yellow summer squash, chopped
1 medium zucchini, chopped
salt & pepper, to taste

Directions
Combine rice, water, and broth in the bottom of the rice cooker. Place chicken in steaming tray, season with salt and pepper, and begin cooking. After ten minutes add sliced squash and zucchini to steaming tray. Cook until rice and chicken is done and vegetables are tender. Serve by placing chicken and vegetables on top of rice. 

Meatballs and Gravy

I've been looking for a meatball recipe like this for a long time. I love sweet and sour meatballs, but David doesn't love them as much - so I wanted to find a meatball recipe that we could both enjoy. I love the meatball-ness and gravy-ness and mashed potato-ness. And lucky for me, David loves it, too!

Meatballs and Gravy
Source: Howe to Cook

Ingredients:

Meatballs
1 lb. hamburger
1 egg
1/4 c. bread crumbs
2 T dehydrated or minced onion
salt and pepper, to taste

Gravy
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 pkg. brown gravy mix
milk

Directions:
In a bowl, combine raw hamburger, egg, bread crumbs, and onion.  Add salt and pepper.
Using your hands, mix the meat mixture together, roll into golf ball-sized balls, and drop onto a baking sheet. Broil meat for 8-10 minutes, turn meatballs over, and broil for another 8-10 minutes. When the meatballs are browned, transfer them to a casserole dish.

For the gravy, mix together soup and gravy packet. Add some milk to thin it a little bit. Pour gravy mixture over meatballs, and bake at 350 for about 30 minutes or until soup is bubbly.

Serve over mashed potatoes or rice.

Creamy Broccoli Chicken

I was looking for something to use up some leftover broccoli, and came across this recipe. It was warm, easy, and a good dinner for David and I. I think that this will probably be a favorite when we have small children as it's simple, yummy, and it's got broccoli in it. 

Creamy Broccoli Chicken
Source: The Picky Palate (slightly adapted)

Ingredients:
1 large chicken breast
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cheddar soup
1 can chicken broth

¼ teaspoon garlic salt 

¼ teaspoon onion salt
Salt and Pepper to taste

1 Cup sour cream
6 Cups broccoli florets, lightly steamed, just fork tender
1 Cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
Place soups, chicken broth, and seasoning into a crockpot over low heat. Whisk until smooth. Place chicken in, making sure to cover with the sauce. Cover lid and cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 3 hours.
When chicken is cooked, use 2 forks to shred into bite size pieces. Stir in sour cream and steamed broccoli.  Serve over rice and sprinkle with cheese.

(4-6 servings)

*The original recipe called for ¼ teaspoon Cajun seasoning (Emeril’s brand) but I didn't have any on hand, so I left it out. I would like to try it next time around to see if it would add just a little kick to the sauce. 

Hawaiian Haystacks

This is one of my favorite meals. In my opinion, it's best when you have LOTS of toppings to choose from and pile on. However, considering my sweet David's "I'll-just-have-it-with-a-little-bit-of-cheese-and-bacon-bits-on-top" attitude we usually just have it with a few options that we happen to have on hand. And you know what, it really is just as delicious.

Hawaiian Haystacks

Source: Wendy Rencher

The Sauce:

1-2 Chicken Breasts, cooked and chopped

2-3 cans Cream of Chicken Soup
1 can Chicken Broth 

Onion Salt 

Salt & Pepper

The Toppings :

Cheese

Celery

Peas
Pineapple
Chow Mein Noodles
Green Onions
Mushrooms

Olives

Avacado
Red Pepper

Pretty much anything else that you have on hand....

Directions:

Cook rice. (We make a ton of rice and use it for leftovers during the week.) Mix soup, broth, onion salt (just a few shakes), and salt and pepper to taste. Add chicken. Combine until heated through. Serve over rice with assorted toppings to choose from.  Yum yum yum!

Oh, and p.s. this can be made in the Crock Pot - and that is awesome. The end.

Crock Pot Chicken and Rice

I needed a REALLY fast - absolutely no prep time - meal for dinner the other night and luckily stumbled across this beauty. Just mix the ingredients and throw them in the crock pot. No browning the chicken or cutting up any veggies. Just what the doctor ordered! (Recipe from here.)



Ingredients:
6 tablespoons butter
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 (2 ounce) package onion soup mix (dry)
1 cup rice
¼ cup parmesan cheese
1 ½ cups milk
2 (10 ounce) cans cream soup (mushroom or celery)
½ teaspoon black pepper

Directions: 

Mix dry soup to wet soup and rice and milk in a bowl. Lay chicken in lightly greased crock pot. Place 1 tablespoons butter on top of each piece of chicken.  Season with pepper and sprinkle the parmesan cheese on top.

Cook in crock pot for 8-10 hours on low or 4-6 hours on high.

This was really delicious - but a little strong for my "bland-seeking" pregnancy tastebuds. I think next time I would add more milk or water to make it a little more soupy and a little less... strong. Also, I might consider making the rice separately, since I have terribly luck and my rice always seems a little undercooked. Other than that it was fabulous!

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Mmmm... I absolutely love these meatballs. My family used to make them when I was growing up - and I always looked forward to them. David doesn't love this meal, but he humors me when I start craving it and whip up a big batch. Mmmm.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs
Source: The Walker Family

Ingredients:
1 - 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
3/4 cups rolled oats
3 eggs slightly beaten
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
Pepper to taste
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Directions:
Combine all ingredients; mix well. Form into about 12 balls*, each about 2 inches in diameter. Place in casserole dish. Cover with sauce (below). Add pineapple chunks Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Makes 4-5 servings, 2-3 meatballs each. Serve over rice.
*Meatballs can be made smaller for more.

Sauce: (In all honesty - I usually triple this. I really like things saucy.)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup vinegar
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
1/4 cup barbecue sauce
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 can pineapple chunks (*optional. I don't usually add these because David doesn't like pineapple - but let me tell you - it is delicious if you do.)

Combine top five ingredients in a sauce pan. Heat until boiling, add pineapple (if desired) and pour over meatballs.

Beef Stroganoff

This is one of the first meals I ever remember eating at my in-laws house. It's definitely a family favorite. It says to use round steak, but I use pretty much whatever steak is on sale (price-matching at Walmart is the key to getting a good deal.) Fry the meat, throw everything in the crockpot and enjoy!

Beef Stroganoff
Source: Sue Peaden

Ingredients:
1 lb round steak (thin)
3-4 cans cream of chicken soup
1/2 to 2/3 milk per can of soup
1/2 to 1 tub sour cream (to taste)
1 1/2 tsp worchestershire sauce
 Garlic Salt
Onion Salt
Salt
Pepper
Rice

Directions:
Combine cream of chicken soup, sour cream and Worcestershire sauce in large crock pot. (David combines it in a bowl, then transfers it to the crock pot.) Cut up steak into small pieces and brown in frying pan. Season with garlic salt, onion salt, salt and pepper to taste. Pour steak and all juices into crock pot with soup mixture. Cover and cook on low for 3 hours. (Sometimes we add a little bit of milk to make it a little more saucy.)

1/2 hour before stroganoff is done, cook rice. (We make 8 servings and then use this stroganoff for leftovers for the rest of the week.) Serve immediately.

Meat and Bean Burritos

This is the perfect meal to use up that leftover hamburger you have sitting in the fridge. Whenever I make my meal plans and we have tacos on one night, you are probably going to find these meat and bean burritos two nights later. We really love them, and I love that I am usually able to pull two meals out of one pound of hamburger.

Meat and Bean Burritos
Source: The Peaden Kitchen

Ingredients:
1/2 lb leftover hamburger
1 cup leftover rice
1 can refried beans
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 packet taco seasoning
Tortillas
Cheese

Directions:
Mix hamburger, rice, refried beans, salsa, taco seasoning and cheese in a sauce pan. Heat thoroughly. Fill tortillas and wrap up burrito style. Cook on George Forman for 2-4 minutes until crispy and golden brown. Top with cheese and salsa. Delicious!

Chicken and Rice Casserole

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked rice
• 1 can cream of chicken soup, or cream of mushroom
• 2 1/2 pounds cut up chicken or chicken breasts
• 1 cup of frozen broccoli
• salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Cook rice. Cube and cook chicken. Mix soup, broccoli, chicken, and rice; season with salt and pepper. Spread in 9 x 9 inch baking dish. Top with cheese and bake for 15-25 minutes at 350°.  Put casserole under broiler for a few seconds to brown.