Ranch Chicken and Potato Packets

A few weeks ago we tried these Ranch Chicken and Potato Packets. They were super simple to make and added a nice variety to our meals. Our grocery store always has chicken thighs on sales. So, after a little research I found this recipe on the pillsbury website.

Step 1: Heat gas or charcoal grill. Cut four 18x12-inch sheets of heavy-duty foil; spray foil with cooking spray.

Step 2: For each packet, place about 1 cup potato wedges and 3 chicken thigh halves onto center of foil sheet. Drizzle with scant 1/3 cup ranch dressing. Wrap each packet securely using double-fold seals, allowing room for heat expansion.

Step 3: When grill is heated, place foil packets, seam side up, on gas grill over medium heat or on charcoal grill over medium coals; cover grill. Cook 45 to 50 minutes or until juice of chicken is clear when center of thickest part is cut (180°F) and potatoes are tender.

Step 4: Open packets carefully to allow steam to escape. Sprinkle each with bacon, onions and pepper.

Ramen Noodle Magic

Keeping the recession in mind I thought it would be a good idea to try some less expensive meals. My favorite one from last week was the Ramen Noodle meal. Surprisingly it was yummy as can be and pretty easy.

Cut 2 chicken breast in bite-sized pieces and coat with flour. Heat small amount of oil in a wok or large pan. Brown the chicken. In a small pot bring water to a boil and cook 2 packages of chicken flavored ramen noodles. Remove meat from heat on paper towels. Add 1 bag of stir fry vegetables you find in the produce area. Also, add the ramen noodle flavor packet and small amount of soy sauce/water. Drain the noodles and add to the vegetable mix along with the chicken. Serve with soy sauce.

Clams

Step 1: Inspect clams. Discard any that look abnormal or are open.

Step 2: Soak the clams for 15 minutes in a brine solution. (1/3 cup sea salt to 1 gallon cold water). Repeat with fresh water for another 15 minutes.

Step 3: Scrub the clams under cold running water with a stiff brush.

Step4: Place ½ inch of beer in a pot with a cover. Place clams on a rack over the water (not in it). Bring the beer to a boil.

Step 5: Steam clams in a covered pot for 5 to 10 minutes, until their shills are open. Remove each clam as its shell opens. Serve Immediately.

Step 6: Sprinkle with old bay seasoning and serve with butter.

Tip: If you buy ahead of time place clams in a bowl in the fridge. That will allow them to breath. If they open partially tap on them and they will close.

Hot Wings

Lesson Learned: Make sure you take the wings apart by the joint. We forgot that step. It makes it so much easier to eat and cook.

Step 1: Mix ½ cup flour, ¼ teaspoon paprika, ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, and ¼ teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Coat 2½ pounds chicken wings with the flour mixture. Deep Fry: Deep fry wings at 400 degrees for 12 minutes or until cooked and crispy, drain

Bake: Bake wings at 425 degrees for 45 minutes or until cooked and crispy, flip once

Grill: Grill wings over medium heat for 30-40 minutes or until cooked and crispy, turn often

Step 2: In large bowl, combine 2/3 cup franks redhot cayenne pepper and ¼ cup melted butter. Toss wings in sauce to coat completely. Serve with ranch.

Chicken Piccata

Finally something different again. I got stuck on taco and all things like a taco for a while. Then I was looking through a stack of recipes I printed a while back and found this one. It was very refreshing. Perfect for a hot day with the lemons and light pasta.

Step 1: Preheat oven to 200 degrees

Step 2: Half 1 lemon and reserve a few slices. Juice the remaining lemon; reserve. Start heating the water for 1 pound angel hair pasta.

Step 3: Sprinkle both sides of 4 boneless skinless chicken cutlets with salt and pepper. Then coat with flour.

Step 4: Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium high heat until hot. Saute cutlets until lightly brown on both sides. Place the chicken on an oven safe plate and keep warm in the oven. Add the pasta to the water and cook for about 4 minutes until al dente.

Step 5: In the meantime, don’t wipe the skillet clean you will want the brown stuff for flavoring. Using that skillet saute 1 teaspoon minced garlic for about 10 seconds. Add 1 cup water, 1 bullion cube, and lemon slices from before. Increase heat and scrape the bottom with a wooden spoon. Simmer until liquid reduces for about 4 minutes. Add lemon juice from before and 2 tablespoons capers. Simmer for about 1 minute. Remove pan from heat and add 3 tablespoons butter and some parsley. The pasta should be about ready so drain and serve with sauce and chicken.

Chicken Taco Soup

This is hands down one of my favorites. It is perfect for a make it and leave it. I like making it on the weekends. If I know my Saturday is going to be a full day this is perfect because (a) there is hardly any clean up and (b) I don't have to do much. The first time I made it boy was it hot. It really just depends on the chiles you use.

Ingredients
1 onion, chopped
1 (16 oz) can chili beans
1 (15 oz) can black beans
1 (15 oz) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle beer
2 (10 oz) cans diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained
1 (1.25 oz) package taco seasoning
3 whole skinless, boneless chicken breasts
shredded Cheddar cheese (optional)
sour cream (optional)
crushed tortilla chips (optional)

Directions
1. Place the onion, chili beans, black beans, corn, tomato sauce, beer, and diced tomatoes in a slow cooker. Add taco seasoning, and stir to blend. Lay chicken breasts on top of the mixture, pressing down slightly until just covered by the other ingredients. Set slow cooker for low heat, cover, and cook for 5 hours.

2. Remove chicken breasts from the soup, and allow to cool long enough to be handled. Stir the shredded chicken back into the soup, and continue cooking for 2 hours. Serve topped with shredded Cheddar cheese, a dollop of sour cream, and crushed tortilla chips, if desired.

Chicken Chiladas

Honestly I have no idea where this one came from. It is very tasty though. Plus it is pretty easy which is nice. I'm sure you could make them with the corn tortillas but I love flour. This is a pretty cheap meal that feeds a lot. So, it's perfect for those penny pinching times.

What you need
1 C sour cream
1 (16 oz.) can prepared green chile salsa
1 (4 oz.) jar green chiles, chopped
2 C boneless chicken breast, cooked and shredded
1 yellow onion, diced ¼ inch thick
12 (6 in.) flour tortillas
2 C cheddar cheese, shredded


How to do it
1. Preheat oven to 350°

2. Create sour cream mixture by combing sour cream and salsa. Set aside.

3. Create chicken mixture by sautéing onion in tbsp. of oil. Combine onion, chicken and chiles. Heat tortillas until soft.

4. Coat bottom of 9x13 baking dish with 3 tbsp. of sour cream mixture.

5. Roll chicken mixture into each tortilla, then place seam side down in dish. Pour remaining sour cream mixture on top. Sprinkle with cheese.

6. Cover with foil and bake at 350°F for 30 min.

Bow-Tie Pasta with Asiago Sauce

This was the very first pasta recipe I made. I remember going to Market Street getting the Asiago cheese thinking I'm so sophisticated. Really it is just like Alfredo sauce just replace Parmesan with Asiago. I also made it with capers which I later replaced with peas. Don't get me wrong I love capers just not for this dish I think they go better with a lemon base.

Ingredients:

1 (16 ounce) package farfalle (bow tie) pasta
2 tsp vegetable oil
1 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2¼ C heavy cream, divided
¼ cube chicken bouillon, crumbled
¾ C grated asiago cheese
½ tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp chopped fresh garlic
¼ C sliced mushrooms
½ tbsp parsley flakes

Directions:

1. Grill chicken for 10 minutes, flip. Grill an additional 10 minutes. Set aside.

2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente. Drain, and set aside.

3. In a medium saucepan, bring 2 cups cream to a simmer, stirring often. Whisk in bouillon and cheese until well blended and bouillon has dissolved completely. Dissolve cornstarch in 2 tablespoons water, and whisk into mixture. Cook and stir 2 minutes more, then remove from heat and set aside.

4. Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium high heat. Stir in garlic and mushrooms and cook until mushrooms are tender, about 3 minutes. Add chicken, reduce heat, and continue cooking until chicken is heated through.

5. Return sauce to the stove and add remaining ¼ cup cream and parsley flakes. Heat through.

6. To serve, place pasta in a large mixing or serving bowl. Add chicken and mushroom mixture and pour in cream sauce. Toss well, and serve.

*Option: Add a small can of peas in step five

Parmesan-Baked Salmon

Fish Night! Matt absolutely hates fish. So, whenever he is out I pull out my trusty salmon patties recipe. Well tonight he went to a mavs game with a couple neighbors and I thought I would make something different. I found this parmesan baked salmon recipe on the kraft website and just had to try it. It is nice and light. Not to flavorful but it has enough flavor to expand your tastebuds. This weekend we are having a family bbq. I'm so excited. I'm going to try making a chocolate pie. I can't wait. Oh and some cream corn. Yummy. Stay tuned to see how they turn out.

1/4 cup KRAFT Real Mayo Mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/8 tsp. ground red pepper (cayenne)
4 salmon fillets (1 lb.), skin removed
2 tsp. lemon juice
10 RITZ Crackers, crushed (about 1/2 cup crumbs)

PREHEAT oven to 400°F. Mix mayo, cheese and pepper until well blended; set aside.

PLACE salmon on foil-lined (with a little spray of oil) shallow baking pan. Drizzle evenly with lemon juice. Top with cheese mixture; spread to evenly cover salmon. Sprinkle with cracker crumbs

BAKE 12 to 15 min. or until salmon flakes easily with fork.

Spaghetti

Last night I was making chicken fried chicken and burned the tar out of my hand. OMG. Boy did it hurt. I picked up a pot that was sitting on the stove but apparently the burner was on. I thought I turned it off but instead I turned the one in front off. I ended up having to keep my hand in a bowl of water the entire night. Anyways, Matt thought I needed a break from the kitchen so he made me his mom's spaghetti. We like to eat it with green olives, garlic bread and green beans. Yummy! Hope you guys enjoy.

1 lbs ground beef, brown and drained
8 oz package of kraft spaghetti classics
6 oz tomato paste
8 oz tomato sauce
6 oz water

1. Boil water (for noodles) and cook according to package. When drain leave some noodle water so the noodles don’t stick.

2. Add paste, sauce, Italian seasoning, and water to cooked beef.

Yankee Pizza

I made the best pizza ever last week. I was surprised how easy it was. In the past my dough was always dense so I would just buy it premade. This one is nice, thin and light. You can find the recipe here. I used all purpose flour and it worked if you don't have bread flour. It is perfect dish for the super bowl tomorrow. Next time I'm going to add some green olives my fav.

INGREDIENTS

* 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
* 1/4 cup warm water
* 1 cup cold water
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 3 cups bread flour
* 6 ounces low moisture mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
* 1/2 cup no salt added canned crushed tomatoes
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
* 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* 6 leaves fresh basil, torn


DIRECTIONS

1. Sprinkle yeast over warm water in a large bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes to proof. Stir in salt and cold water, then stir in the flour about 1 cup at a time. When the dough is together enough to remove from the bowl, knead on a floured surface until smooth, about 10 minutes. Divide into two pieces, and form each one into a tight ball. Coat the dough balls with olive oil, and refrigerate in a sealed container for at least 16 hours. Be sure to use a big enough container to allow the dough to rise. Remove the dough from the refrigerator one hour prior to using.
2. Preheat the oven, with a pizza stone on the lowest rack, to 550 degrees F. Lightly dust a pizza peel with flour.
3. Using one ball of dough at a time, lightly dust the dough with flour, and stretch gradually until it is about 14 inches in diameter, or about as big around as the pizza stone. Place on the floured peel. Place thin slices of mozzarella over the crust, then grind a liberal amount of black pepper over it. Sprinkle with dried oregano. Randomly arrange crushed tomatoes, leaving some empty areas. Drizzle olive oil over the top.
4. With a quick back and forth jerk, make sure the dough will release from the peel easily. Place the tip of the peel at the back of the preheated pizza stone, and remove peel so that the pizza is left on the stone.
5. Bake for 4 to 6 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the crust begins to brown. Remove from the oven by sliding the peel beneath the pizza. Sprinkle a few basil leaves randomly over the pizza. Cut into wedges and serve.

Back to the Basics - Santa Fe Salad

So, last Saturday I made BBQ Shrimp Enchiladas. Needless to say we had to have Firehouse Subs come to the rescue. It was so bad we couldn't even eat more than a bit. It came from a cookbook from a well renown restaurant in Fort Worth. I thought it would be fun to make something so different kinda like the BBQ Pizza I make. Anyways, the rest of the week we are going back to the basics to make up for it. Yesterday we made Santa Fe Salad. One of my favorites. Today I'm making Noodler, one of my dad's recipes (I think it was even his mom's).

Santa Fe Salad
I like to just throw in whatever toppings I have leftover from Tacos.

Marinade:
¼ C lime juice
2 tbsp orange
juice
1 tsp fajita
seasoning mix
¾ tsp jalapeño,
minced
¾ tsp garlic,
minced
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper

Other:
2 chicken breast
1 part hot salsa
2 part ranch
dressing
½ C tortilla strips
1 oz sour cream
1 oz guacamole
3 - 4 C salad
greens
¼ C monterey
jack cheese

Directions:
1. Combine marinade ingredients in a container with lid
2. Add chicken to container and chill over night
3. Remove chicken from marinade and sprinkle with fajita
seasoning
4. Grill for ten minutes on each side
5. While chicken is grilling combine ranch dressing with hot salsa,
set aside
6. Toss salad greens with cheese
7. Sprinkle with tortilla strips
8. Cut chicken into strips and add everything to salad

BBQ Pizza

Why order pizza when you can make this one at home? I absolutely love this recipe. We make it all the time. The secret is to use Rudy's BBQ sauce. If you don't have a Rudy's close by your favorite sauce will do.

What you need
4 chicken breast (cooked and diced)
1 C bbq sauce
2 (16 oz) pizza crust
14 oz mozzarella cheese

How to do it
1. Preheat over 450 degrees

2. Toss chicken with ½ cup bbq sauce

3. Sprinkle half of the cheese evenly over the two crust

4. Arrange chicken slices over cheese, spacing evenly

5. Spoon any remaining bbq sauce from bowl over each pizza

6. Sprinkle the cheese on top then drizzle with the remaining bbq sauce

7. Place one pizza directly on the middle oven rack

8. Bake until crust is crisp and cheese is melted about 8-10 mins

9. Remove pizza and place other in

Lasagna

Lasagna is great for movie night b/c you can make it, bake it, and forget it. This way you can actually watch the movie. For some reason Matt hates Ricotta. So, I did a little research and found out you can do without by using cottage cheese instead. I tried it out with a little bit of this and little bit of that and it worked. It is nothing fancy, but I really enjoy it.

What you need
1 lb ground beef
8 oz package of spaghetti mix
6 oz tomato paste
8 oz tomato sauce
Water
6 no cook lasagna noodles
8 oz cream cheese, soften
¾ C cottage cheese
1 C sour cream
2 C parmesan
1 tbsp parsley

How to do it
1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Mix cream cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, parsley in large bowl
3. Cook beef in skillet. Drain excess grease. Add spaghetti mix, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and water if to thick.
4. In a greased baking dish layer 3 noodles (not touching), 1/2 cheese mix, 1/2 meat, 1/2 mozzarella, and 1/2 parmesan. Repeating once.
5. Bake for 40 minutes with foil and an additional 15 minutes without foil.

Chili's Chicken Ranch Sandwich

My all time favorite restaurant is Chili's. I have come to depend on their amazing queso. While I usually get the nachos there b/c they are covered in queso I sometimes get their Chicken Ranch Sandwich.

What you need
oil for deep frying
½ C flour
½ tsp salt
½ C whole milk
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 hamburger bun
1 leaf green leaf lettuce
2/3 C franks redhot sauce
1/4 C butter, melted
Side of Ranch

How to do it
1. Preheat oil to 350 in a deep fryer or large frying pan over medium heat. Use just enough oil to cover the chicken breast.
2. Stir together the flour and salt in a medium bowl. Pour the milk into another medium bowl
3. Trim the chicken of any fat. Pound on the chick with a meat tenderizing mallet to flatten the breast.
4. Dip the chick in milk, then in flour, being sure to coat the entire surface of the chicken. Take the coated chicken breast and repeat the process. Then deep fry the chicken.
5. As the chicken is frying toast the hamburger buns.
6. When the chicken breast has cooked and drained, place it on a bun. Combine the butter and franks. Pour the hot sauce on the chicken. Then poor ranch on top the hot sauce and then the lettuce and top bun.

*I skip the tomato and add an extra side of ranch.

Wendys Chili

Who doesn't like a good bowl of chili on a cold day. Wendy's makes a mean bowl. Top Secret Recipes has done it again and recreated a classic restaurant favorite. Here is my rendition:

Ingredients
1 lbs ground beef
1 (14 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (14 ounce) can kidney beans (with liquid)
1 (14 ounce) can pinto beans (with liquid)
1/2 cup diced onion (1/2 medium onion)
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chili pepper
1/4 cup diced celery (1 stalk)
1 medium tomatoes, chopped well
1-2 teaspoons cumin powder
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup beer

Directions
1. Brown the ground beef in a dutch oven over medium heat.
2. Place ground beef on a plate with a paper towel.
3. In a same dutch oven brown the onions in beef grease. Then combine all the remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer over low heat.
4. Cook, stirring every 15 minutes, for 2 to 3 hours

Double Dave's Pizza Rolls

I have recently had the chance to try a couple different recipes with the Pillsbury refrigerated pizza crust. This recipe was by far my favorite. Going to school at Texas Tech I came to love Double Dave's pizza rolls. They were soo good. Luckily we have one close to our house now, but they are fun to make at home too. The technique for this one is to roll from the middle of the pizza (the small end). Also, the more pepperonis the better :) Serve with marinara sauce.

What you need
Pillsbury refrigerated pizza crust
Pepperonis
Provolone cheese, sliced


How to do it
1. Preheat over 400 degrees

2. Roll out the dough on a cutting board

3. Place a circle of pepperonis around the edge layering twice

4. On top of the pepperonis place the cheese

5. Cut the pizza in slices

6. Roll each piece starting in the middle where the slice is smallest

7. Bake for 16 minutes

**New Note: I like to use grated mozzarella instead of the provolone.

Meatloaf

I adore meatloaf. The first time I tried making it it came out like a brick. After researching and talking w/ my Memaw I found out that the key is not to fondle it to much. Mix it enough to mix it but not to much if that makes any sense. Another trick is to use more milk than you think you should. This one is really key in making it most. I like to serve with ketchup, mashed potatoes, and green beans.

What you need
1½ lb ground beef
1 C milk
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
¼ tsp dried sage leaves
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground mustard
¼ tsp pepper
1 clove minced garlic
1 large egg
½ C dry bread crumbs
½ small onion, chopped
½ C ketchup


How to do it
1. Heat oven to 350

2. Mix all ingredients except ketchup. Spread mixture in ungreased loaf pan. Spread ketchup over top.

3. Bake uncovered 1 hour or until done

Chicken Noodle Casserole

Nothing says home like noodles. This recipe has a perfect blend of spices and texture. Tips: The cheese will thicken up your sauce some. Also, make sure you don't over cook the noodles. I like to stop the noodles boiling 1 minute before the package says.

What you need
1 bag wide egg noodles
7 tbsp butter
1 small onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped into 1 inch pieces
½ C mushrooms
to taste salt and pepper
2 tsp thyme
¼ C flour
2 C chicken broth
2 C milk
2 tbsp dry sherry
1 C almonds, sliced
2 C parmesan, grated
1 rotisserie chicken, skinless, chopped


How to do it
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a 3-quart casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Cook the noodles according to package directions.

3. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and celery, and cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the mushrooms, and cook for 5 minutes. Season well with salt and pepper. Stir in the thyme, and transfer the vegetable mixture to a large bowl. Set aside.

4. In the same skillet (do not wipe clean), melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour, and cook for 1 minute. Stirring constantly, add the chicken broth and milk. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens slightly, about 8 minutes. Add the sherry (if using), then season well with salt and pepper.

5. Pour the sauce into the vegetable mixture. Add half the almonds, half the cheese, the chicken and noodles. Stir to combine. Transfer the chicken noodle mixture to the casserole dish. Top with the remaining almonds and cheese. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes.

Bread Bowl - Potato Soup

It is finally cold in Texas. Soup is an all-time favorite comfort food in my house. I like to put it in a bread bowl for an extra touch. All you do is buy a small artisan bread for each person, cut out a circle on top take out the insides, and there you go. This technique is also great for dips. McAllister's makes a really good one if you aren't in the mood to go out. One of my all time favorite soups is potato soup. I really like this recipe b/c of all its flavors.

What you need
1 tbsp butter, unsalted
1½ quart chicken stock
2 large peeled potatoes, sliced evenly in ¼ inch slices
salt , to taste
2 spigs fresh thyme
1½ C heavy cream
½ C mexi cheese, grated
¼ C bacon, cooked and diced


How to do it
1. Add chicken stock, potatoes, salt, butter and fresh thyme to a dutch oven.
2. Cook for 40 minutes over medium heat, stirring frequently to avoid scorching.
3. Add cream, bring to a boil and serve hot.
4. Garnish with Cheddar cheese and diced bacon.