Chicken Parmesan with Zucchini Noodles

Yum!!! This was one of the best meals I've made in a while and it was delicious!! My boys cleaned their plates so I know it was good!! Hope you like it as much as we did. I used a couple different recipes and just combined them to make it my own. You can find them here and here. For this recipe, you will need a spiraler. Mine is from William Sonoma and you can find it here. You can find one at Bed, Bath, and Beyond for a bit cheaper. 

Ingredients:

3-4 medium zucchini, spiraled 

1/4 onion, diced

1 garlic clove, diced 
4 (about 8 oz each) chicken breast, fat trimmed, sliced in half to make 8
3/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs (I used Italian)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp butter, melted (or olive oil)
3/4 cup mozzarella cheese 
1 cup marinara or your favorite spaghetti sauce
cooking spray

Directions:

• Place zucchini noodles in a colander and sprinkle with salt.
• Allow the zucchini noodles to drain. Toss and squeeze out any extra moisture. Set aside.
• Preheat oven to 450°. Spray a large baking sheet lightly with spray.
• Combine breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese in a bowl. Melt the butter in another bowl. Lightly brush the butter onto the chicken, then dip into breadcrumb mixture. 
• Place on baking sheet and repeat with the remaining chicken. Lightly spray a little more oil on top and bake in the oven for 20 minutes. 
• Turn chicken over, bake another 5 minutes.  
• Remove from oven, spoon 1 tbsp sauce over each piece of chicken and top each with 1 1/2 tbsp of shredded mozzarella cheese.
• Bake 5 more minutes or until cheese is melted.
• Add oil to a large saucepan.
• Add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes until tender.
• Add in garlic and cook for an additional minute.
• Add zucchini noodles to the sauce and cook for 2-3 minutes or until tender.
• Add enough spaghetti sauce to lightly coat noodles and toss. 

Serve noodles with chicken on top..... It was perfect with a salad and garlic bread. Enjoy!!

Beef Tips with Rice

OK I'm going to make this quick!! To sum this dish up in one word... Delicious!! My husband had a few more elk roast left in the freezer so I decided to do something besides your typical roast meal. I cut the roast in half and made beef tips and homemade vegetable soup another night. I made a quick search online and found The Country Cook blog. She has a lot of good looking recipes!! This one is easy and you throw in the crock pot and let it do what it does best. Hope you enjoy as much as we did!!

Beef Tips

1 1/2 lb. beef tips (or cubed beef stew meat)*

1 package of dry Onion Soup Mix

1 can of Cream of Mushroom soup

1 can of Beef Broth 

1/4 onion, chopped*

Brown meat in a skillet, with a touch of olive oil, over medium heat.  Add beef to slow cooker. 

In a bowl, combine dry Onion soup mix, cream of mushroom soup and beef broth.  Stir to combine and pour over beef in slow cooker. Stir all ingredients together. Cook on low for at least 6-8 hours.  

Give everything a good stir before serving. Serve on top of mashed potatoes, egg noodles, or rice.  Enjoy with your favorite veggies and salad.

*Cook’s note: You can use a whole beef roast instead of cubed stew meat. If you don’t have cream of mushroom soup, you can substitute cream of chicken. If you are not big on onions, omit the chopped onion. 

Taco Casserole

I'm always trying to create new dishes with my leftovers. I don't mind leftovers but sometimes I just don't want to eat the same thing the next day. I made tacos one night and had quite a bit meat left so I started throwing stuff I had in a skillet. It was delicious!!

1 lb ground meat
1 packet taco seasoning
corn or flour tortillas
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn, drained
1 can Rotel
Cheddar cheese, shredded
salsa, optional
jalapenos, optional
green onions, optional

Over medium heat, combine leftover taco meat, beans, corn, and rotel. Heat thoroughly. In a greased casserole dish, layer tortillas, ground meat mixture, and cheese. Repeat layer.

Bake, covered, at 350 for 30 minutes. Top with chopped green onions, salsa, or jalapenos.

Turkey Meatballs

HELLO everyone!! It has been a while! As some of you know, we are expecting our first baby very soon. So, I have not been cooking as much as I used to. I am now on bed rest so I have some extra time at the moment. I have quite a few recipes that I have been meaning to get up! This recipe came from my sister. It is very good and easy! Plus it's made with turkey meat so I consider it healthy. You can always freeze left over meatballs for a later day. I hope you enjoy!


1 1/2 pounds of ground turkey

2 garlic cloves, minced

large handful of parsley, chopped

1/2 medium onion, diced

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated 

1/3 cup dried bread crumbs (I use Italian) 

1 teaspoons of kosher salt 

1 large egg, beaten

2 tablespoons milk

2 dashes of Worcestershire sauce (about 1/2 teaspoon).... It can't hurt to add more!

freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup of extra-virgin olive oil

marinara sauce of your choice

spaghetti

 

Mix turkey, onion, parsley, garlic, Parmesan, bread crumbs, salt, egg, milk, Worcestershire, and black pepper in large bowl until just combined. Gently form mixture into about 18 meatballs. Cover and put in fridge for at least one hour but up to 24 hours.

 

Heat half of the oil in a non-stick skillet, add half the meatballs and cook, turning occasionally until well browned on all sides (about 6 minutes). Repeat with the other half of oil and meatballs.

 

Clean out skillet, add meatballs, and sauce. Bring to a boil, cover, and lower heat. Simmer for about 15 minutes until meatballs are cooked all the way through. Serve over noodles of your choice and top with cheese. Serve with a salad and french bread.

 

 

Mini Chicken Pot Pies

Here is another Pinterest (via Between 3 Sisters) recipe and it is awesome! I am not a chicken pot pie fan but this is delicious and healthy! So easy which is what I love. 


1 can of reduced fat biscuits (10 count)

1 cup cooked chicken breast, diced (I used 1 medium breast)
1 (10 1/2 ounce) can reduced-fat cream of chicken soup
2/3 cup shredded low-fat cheddar cheese
1 cup of frozen mixed veggies (I use broccoli, cauliflower, corn, peas...anything)
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

1 teaspoon of onion powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Separate biscuits and place each biscuit in a cup of a lightly greased 12-hole muffin pan, pressing dough up sides to edge of cup.

3. In a medium bowl, combine chicken, chicken soup, veggies, cheddar cheese, onion powder, parsley flakes, and black pepper. Mix well to combine.

4. Evenly spoon chicken mixture into prepared biscuit cups.

5. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.

6. Remove from oven. Place muffin pan on a wire rack and let set for 2-3 minutes. Serve at once.

Fried Green Tomato BLT

I just love the summer time!!! And the food that goes a long with it. Living in the south, we have a lot of great fresh foods to choose from. I went to the beach last week (no, I did not want to come home) and on the way back, we stopped in Mississippi at a small produce stand. I got a couple of green tomatoes because I have been craving fried green tomatoes. So I fried them up with this awesome (and easy) recipe from Southern Living. I usually go between Southern Living and Paula Deen. They both know good food!! So I used this recipe and bought some hoagie rolls, lettuce, and bacon. That's it. I would have liked to try a remoulade sauce on them but I did not have enough time to make my own so we used mustard and mayo. Every single person CLEANED their plate. There was not a bite left. So there ya go....

1 large egg, lightly beaten

• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, divided
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 3 medium-size green tomatoes, cut into 1/3-inch slices
• Vegetable oil
• Salt to taste

• Combine egg and buttermilk; set aside.
• Combine 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, cornmeal, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper in a shallow bowl or pan.

• Dredge tomato slices in remaining 1/4 cup flour; dip in egg mixture, and dredge in cornmeal mixture.
• 
  
• Pour oil to a depth of 1/4 to 1/2 inch in a large cast-iron skillet; heat to 375°. Drop tomatoes, in batches, into hot oil, and cook 2 minutes on each side or until golden. Drain on paper towels or a rack. Sprinkle hot tomatoes with salt.
• 
  

Then make your BLT however you like it!! Enjoy!!

Quick Chicken Parmesan

This is a quick and easy weeknight recipe that ANYONE can cook. Really! You can make it your own by adding anything you would like. I used 1 big chicken breast and cut it in half. It was the perfect size for two once you flatten it.


3-4 chicken breast, flattened
Italian bread crumbs
1 egg
a little milk
Parmesan cheese
seasonings such as salt, pepper, garlic powder
spaghetti noodles, cooked according to package
a jar of your favorite marinara sauce

Flatten chicken with a tenderizer or mallet. Whisk together the egg and milk. Dip the chicken breasts in milk and egg mixture and then in bread crumbs. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. 

Brown the chicken in the hot oil on both sides until brown on both sides or until chicken is done. 

Heat your sauce and serve over the chicken. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve. OR  once chicken is golden, place in casserole dish and top with sauce then bake at 350° for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until bubbly. Serve with over noodles, garlic bread and a nice green salad.

Enjoy!

Apple Pork Chops

Hey everyone! Here is an easy recipe that my friend Cat made for me one night. She got it from Kraft foods. It is so easy and very good! I have never liked anything by Stove Top Stuffing. EVER. But when I had this... I changed my mind. All the flavors go so good together!! Give it a try...

1 pkg. (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Chicken

1 can  (21 oz.) apple pie filling

6 boneless pork chops (1-1/2 lb.), 3/4 inch thick (can substitute chicken breasts)
Pepper/Garlic powder or any seasoning for chops

Preheat oven to 375ºF.
Prepare stuffing as directed on package. Spread pie filling onto bottom of 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray; top with chops (seasoned) and stuffing. Cover and bake 40 min. or until chops are done (160ºF), uncovering after 30 min.

To Moe... Cheesy Chicken Roll Ups

It has almost been a year since we have lost an amazing man. Lee's dad passed away right after Easter 2010. This picture was taken at the Easter Vigil when I converted to Catholicism. It was a great weekend that was spent with his parents and my parents. It has been a tough year especially during the holidays and Father's Day. I just loved that man because he reminded me SO much of my dad. He always had a solution for every problem, a reason for everything that happened and a life lesson for every situation. Lee has learned almost everything he knows from his dad.... and I'm thankful for that because he was a good man. I'm so happy I had a chance to know him so one day we can tell our kids all about him and all his stories he used to tell! It does weigh on my mind that he won't be here to see the birth of our children, the first steps they take, or even the first deer they shoot. Oh, I could go on and on. He would be so fascinated with my blog and how far my cooking has come! We were always in the kitchen cooking something. I believe that is how we formed our bond... through our love for cooking! We spent many hours in the kitchen cooking together and just talking. He was a good talker! He could go on and on and I just loved listening. So now that I put my cooking on the Internet for everyone to see, he wouldn't believe it. I personally think he would be impressed with me! His birthday was February 2. Libby, Lee's sister sent me a picture of her 3 boys (Lile, Rhodes, and Parks) having cupcakes and they were getting ready to send balloons up to heaven for Moe. They are just precious!! I know Moe was so excited to see these balloons come his way.

This has by far been the most emotional blog entry I've written but when I'm happy or sad, I eat! Food can be comforting when down and celebratory when happy. So when in doubt, eat good food. I wanted to make Lee something that reminded him of being home with his family and that is where cheesy chicken roll ups come in. Lee LOVES these. His mom made these a lot for him. I hope y'all enjoy these as much as we did.

Cheesy Chicken Roll Ups

1 can of chicken breast
1 can of crescent rolls
1 can of cream of mushroom soup (can use cream of chicken)
1/2 lb of Mexican Velveeta, cube (or can use regular Velveeta but add a can of drained Rotel for spice)
a handful of shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
1/4 a cup of milk (I'm guessing on this; I usually just pour a little milk; you want it a creamy texture)
salt/pepper

Roll out crescent rolls and separate. Place chicken in widest portion of crescent roll and roll up. Bake according to package.

Meanwhile, melt the remaining ingredients on the stove.

Once roll ups are finished, pour cheese mixture over crescent rolls in a baking dish. (I cooked rolls on cookie sheet then moved them into a Pyrex dish.) Top with pepper and bake another 10-15 minutes or until bubbly.

I served with a Cesar salad and broccoli. The broccoli and cheese mixture go very well together!! They are good the next day too.



ENJOY!

Honey Garlic Pork Tenderloin

This recipe came from Mardi Gras to Mistletoe by the Shreveport Jr League (my favorite cookbook ever). I really liked this recipe. It was different and it had a good flavor!!! We had friends over when I made this and they were VERY impressed. I really like pork and it can be made so many ways. So I try to make it as many ways as possible. This recipe called for simple ingredients that you usually have on hand. I used the bottle lemon juice and it was just fine... I served with cabbage, Zatarain's long grain wild rice (which is my favorite!) and bread. I don't have a roasting pan so I took pan (deeper than a regular cookie sheet) and place a rack over it. It fit right on top so it was basically the same concept. Broiling this pork really adds great texture to it. I loved how it had a little crunch to it. Now on to the recipe...


Marinade and Pork
1/2 c Creole mustard
1/2 c honey
2 T lemon juice
8 garlic cloves, minced
2 t salt
2 t pepper
2 lbs pork tenderloin


Honey-Creole Sauce
1/2 c Creole mustard
1/3 c mayo
1/4 c honey
1 T lemon juice
1/2 t pepper


Marinade and pork: Mix the creole mustard, honey, lemon juice, garlic, salt/pepper in a large shallow dish or sealable heavy-duty plastic bag. Add the pork and turn to coat. Cover or seal tightly and marinate in the refrigerator for 3 to 10 hours, turning occasionally; drain.


 Place the pork on a lightly greased rack in a foil-lined roasting pan. Broil 6 inches from the heat source for 5 minutes (I broiled for a little longer and I turned the pork; just watch it). Roast at 425 degrees for 15 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest portion registers 160 degrees (I found that it took closer to 25-30 minutes but this is depend on the size of pork loin). Let stand for several minutes before slicing.


Sauce: Mix the creole mustard, mayo, honey, lemon juice and pepper in a bowl until of a sauce consistency. Serve the sauce with the pork.

Easy Deer Spaghetti

Here is another venison recipe. I have a freezer full so I need to get on these recipes. This is one that I just throw together. Nothing tricky to it, I just add whatever I have on hand. So make it your own. And of course you can use turkey or ground meat.


1 lb of ground venison
1/2 c onions (I pour however many frozen onions I want)
1 small can of mushrooms (or fresh ones)
a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce
salt/pepper
garlic powder
Italian seasoning
1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce
Pasta of choice


Brown meat and drain. Add onions, mushrooms, Worcestershire sauce, and seasonings. Cook until onions are clear. Add jar of sauce and simmer until heated. Cook pasta. Serve with salad and bread. I serve mine with broccoli or green beans when I don't have salad.

Slow Cooked Brisket

This is another recipe from my friend Laura Bowman. She is all about easy and good so I make her share her recipes with me! We had this one night at her house and it was outstanding! It has so much flavor and it's so tender. Another one of those throw in the crock pot and come home to a cooked meal. The best. So I made this last week because I knew I was having a busy week. We ate on this for a few days and it got better each time. The best part was when I got home that evening and as I was unlocking my front door, I could smell it from outside. Amazing! Serve with green beans or salad with a warm bread... You will need the bread to soak up the juice!

1 brisket (I got a long one and cut it in half)

Minced garlic

1 large bottle of Italian dressing

2 pkgs of French onion soup

2 Potatoes, cubed (I used new potatoes)

1 bag of baby carrots

*if you want mushrooms or celery you could add that too 

Salt and pepper

A few dashes of Worcestershire sauce  

2 cans of beef broth

-Put big sheet of foil in bottom of crockpot- enough to be able to close it with everything in it.

-Cut slits in brisket and put garlic in slits- not sure how much just however much garlic you think you might like

-Salt and pepper the brisket real well on both sides- that pepper is what made it so spicy last time, you don’t have to do too much if you don’t want

-place brisket in crockpot

-add potatoes and carrots (whatever veggies you want)

-add Italian dressing, French onion mix, Worcestershire sauce, and beef broth so it covers everything.

-close foil and cook on low all day

Dad's Sausage, Bean's and Rice

My dad made this recipe ALL the time while I was growing up. My mom and dad both worked A LOT so anything that was quick and easy.... worked. It really reminds me of my family and when I make it for others, they LOVE it. Lee always request this dish when it's later in the evening and nothing is thawed. A link of sausage takes 5-10 minutes to thaw so it's very functional. My dad always browned the sausage until it's almost burnt. I like that but others may not. Hope you all enjoy!!


1 link of Hillshire Farms smoked sausage, sliced (I don't like the Down Home sausage with this because it doesn't brown well )
2 cans of Ranch Style beans, undrained
1 bag of instant rice
Seasonings: salt, pepper, Tony's
A big pinch of brown sugar


In a big skillet, brown sliced sausage to your liking. Drain fat. Add cans of beans and seasonings. Let simmer while rice cooks. Serve over rice. This recipe feeds 2-3 people.


** I like to add diced jalapenos with juice or sometimes I'll add the Ranch Style beans with jalapenos or with sweet onions.

Cozy Deer Chili

Well as some of you know, I married an avid hunter. It's his love, his passion, and it's his life. During hunting season he breathes, sleeps, eats deer.... Because I cook it! I have learned to love deer meat as well as cook whether it's steaks, sausage, back strap, or ground meat. Deer meat can have a gamey taste/smell so there are certain dishes I use it for. It just doesn't work in others; however, I just love deer chili. I made it last night when it was raining and cold. It really warms you up... but that may be because I like it spicy! Lee is not much of a fan of hot foods but I like my nose running when I eat to know it's good! A lot of people like to eat their chili with Frito's and cheese, in other words... chili pie. I have to be in the mood for that b/c Frito's can be really salty and chili powder is so strong that I need a little extra something to soak up that strong flavor. So I serve my chili over rice with a side of saltine crackers. The crackers give that crunch and the rice settles the chili. This is all my personal preference and others may like their chili plain as day... to each their own my friends! Now to the recipe..... I don't see the need in making homemade chili when there is a little box called 2 alarm chili kit. It is the greatest invention for the perfect chili. I add a little extra to make it hearty... of course. So I hope you like it.




1 2 Alarm Chili Kit (I use all red pepper and I use the mesa bc I like mine thicker)
1 1/2 - 2 lbs of deer meat (may use ground beef or turkey)
1 8 oz can of tomato sauce
2 cans of water
1/2 to 1 onion, chopped
1/2 bell pepper, chopped (I use frozen onions and bell pepper and just eyeball it)
1 can of rotel (can add stewed tomatoes too)
1 can of ranch style beans
1 can of kidney beans (can use any type of beans that you like; for more chili, add more beans to it)
Shredded cheddar cheese


Cook according to package. I add all the tomatoes and beans after I add the seasonings. Top with cheddar cheese. Serve with Frito's or rice and saltine crackers.