Chicken Pot Pie

I tried this recipe tonight and we all enjoyed it. The best part was how quick and easy it was to throw together, yet still have that "comfort food" taste.

CHICKEN POT PIE
2 cups cooked chicken, cubed (mine was shredded)
2 cans mixed vegetables, drained
2 cans cream of whatever soup (I used cream of chicken)
2 store-bought pie crusts (they come 2 in a package)

Press one crust into bottom of pie plate. Combine remaining ingredients, spoon into crust. Top with other crust, crimp edges, and poke holes to vent. Bake at 375 for 45-50 minutes.

That's it-- quick and easy! :)

Secret Ingredient Tuesday- potatoes

I found a fun food meme-- Secret Ingredient Tuesday-- but it looks like it hasn't been updates in a while, so I don't know if it's still going or not. The mission each week is to post five recipes with the secret ingredient. I'll go ahead and play along with the last posted secret ingredient, which is POTATOES.... one of my favorite foods!

Some of my favorite potato dishes:

~My own recipe for Potato Soup, posted on RecipeZaar

~From my menu this week- a family favorite, Jolean's Smoked Sausage & Cheesy Potatoes Casserole

~The recipe I always use for homemade baked fries: Cajun Roast Potatoes

~An easy side dish: Parslied Potatoes: Cube desired amount of potatoes and boil on stovetop until tender. Drain and immediately stir in one-half to a full stick of butter. Sprinkle generously with dried parsley. Stir and serve hot.

Another favorite potato dish is Ranch Potatoes- I've made this one so often that I know the recipe by heart. :)

RANCH POTATOES

4-6 baking potatoes, sliced

1 large onion, diced

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 small bottle ranch salad dressing

Place potatoes and onion slices in a large pot, cover with water, and boil until tender. Drain water. In a round glass casserole dish layer about half of the potatoes/onions, cover with a thin layer of ranch dressing, then a layer of cheese. Repeat layers, ending with cheese. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Sometimes I also garnish the top with dried chives.

Menu Plan Monday 10/15

NOTES: Normally I start out with notes from last week, but I don't have any, because last week I was recovering from a minor surgery and I hardly cooked at all, let alone made any sort of menu plan. We ate a lot of fast food and "heat and eat" kinds of things... not good for the waistline or the budget! But, it's a new week, so here's my plan:

SUNDAY: We had turkey-bacon wraps (turkey, bacon, cheese, and ranch dressing in a tortilla) along with this *new recipe*: Hearty Cream of Tomato Basil Soup. The soup was wonderful- I'll definitely be making it again!

MONDAY: Easy Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches (made from chicken patties) and *new recipe* Baked Macaroni & Cheese with Stewed Tomatoes

TUESDAY: Cottage Pie and Biscuits or Cornbread

Cottage Pie
1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, diced
1 packet of brown gravy mix
4 cups mashed potatoes, prepared (I use instant or leftovers)
1 can green beans, drained
Optional: 1 small can mushroom pieces- add in with green beans if desired

Brown ground beef and onion in skillet, drain well. Combine gravy mix with amount of water specified on package. Add gravy to beef and onions, and simmer until thickened. Spray a casserole dish (I use a glass pie plate) with non-stick cooking spray, and spread meat mixture in the bottom of the dish. Top with green beans, then mashed potatoes. (Sometimes I sprinkle the top with shredded cheddar cheese.) Bake casserole at 350 for 20-25 minutes until bubbly.

WEDNESDAY: *new recipe*: Slow Cooker Cajun Chicken Pasta and Peas

THURSDAY: Steak Fajitas with all the fixins' and corn

FRIDAY: Lasagna (frozen), Garlic Bread, Steamed Broccoli

SATURDAY: I always leave Saturdays open.

Head on over to I'm An Organizing Junkie

to share your menu or see what others are eating this week!


P.S. This blog turned PINK for Breast Cancer Awareness month!

My Way: The WW Macaroni Casserole

Well, I tried to be good, and use a low-points recipe for a creamy macaroni & chicken casserole. The trouble was, after I stirred it all together, I could tell that it was going to be way too bland for my family. So, as usual, I tweaked the recipe a bit to suit our tastebuds. Actually, it wound up being a lot like my favorite baked macaroni and cheese recipe!

Here's the original recipe (in green) and my changes (in red):

WW Chicken and Cheese Casserole--6 pts. per serving (not my version!)-8 servings

2 C. Cooked macaroni (I actually used medium-sized shell pasta.)

2 C. cooked chicken, chopped (Mine was precooked, frozen, cubed chicken.)

2 C. cream of mushroom soup (I used 89% fat-free cream of chicken.)

2 C. skim milk

8 oz. low fat shredded cheddar cheese (I kept adding cheese... probably close to 3 cups total.)

I also added: around 3 TBSP of minced onion, a tsp of mustard, a few shakes of garlic pepper, and a light scattering of breadcrumbs on top of the casserole.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients in large casserole dish. Bake, covered, 35-45 minutes. Remove cover and bake an additional 10-15 minutes.

The heartier shell pasta was a nice change for us... I rarely buy shells for some reason. It worked well with the cubed chicken. Overall, we all really liked this, and I'll probably make it again!