Parslied Potatoes

This is one of those things I throw together as an easy side.

AMY'S PARSLIED POTATOES
5-6 baking potatoes  (any type will work- I've used red and yellow, as well)
1/2 stick margarine or butter
3+ TBSP of parsley

Dice potatoes into bite-sized cubes.  Boil until fork-tender, drain, and return to pot.  Add in butter and parsley, mix well.  Measurements above are estimates-- may need more butter and/or parsley to taste.

We like these as a side dish, especially with pork chops.

Souptacular Crockpotalooza: Potato Soup

Potato soup is one of my favorites- I like to make a big pot and eat it for lunch all week. This is my very own recipe, put together after much trial and error. I've also published it on RecipeZaar, so it's possible that you may have seen it there.

Amy's Potato Soup:

Ingredients:
5-6 large potatoes, cubed
1 large onion, diced
2 tablespoons margarine
3 chicken bouillon cubes (I use bouillon paste when possible, about 2-3 TBSP)
3 tablespoons parsley
2 tablespoons cilantro
3 cups water

Place all of the above ingredients into the crockpot, cook on low all day.

About an hour before serving time, add in either:

1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk
1/4 cup flour

OR, as I more often do, add in about a cup of whatever kind of milk you have on hand and a sprinkle of instant potato flakes.

Garnish with:
shredded cheese or French-fried onions or croutons

Enjoy!

Spaghetti Sauce: FIF Sauce Edition

Well, true to my pattern lately, I'm a day late for the Favorite Ingredient Friday: Sauces Edition. Oh well, I'll share my spaghetti sauce recipe anyway! ;) This is a recipe that has evolved over time in my kitchen, geared to not be too garlic-y for my DH, and also not have too much meat for me. (I actually prefer meatless sauces, but DH has to have meat in his.)

Amy's Crockpot Spaghetti Sauce

1 lbs ground beef, browned and drained
1 large onion, chopped and cooked with the beef
2 small cans sliced mushrooms
2 (14 ounce) cans diced tomatoes (do not drain)
2 (14 ounce) cans tomato sauce
2 tablespoons dried Italian Seasoning

1 tablespoon Garlic Pepper
1 tablespoon sugar

Combine all ingredients in crockpot and simmer on low all day.

This sauce works great with any kind of pasta you have on hand.

Menu Plan, week of 8/17

I'm finally back on track with getting my menu plan done on Sunday evening- whoo hoo! :) Everything on the menu is from the pantry and freezer. If I get over to the farm market we'll add in fresh peaches and tomatoes.

SUNDAY: Tonight I experimented in the crockpot with chicken tenders, homemade taco seasoning, a drained can of corn, some salsa, and a can of cream of mushroom soup. We had this in flour tortillas with cheddar cheese. I liked it, but I think it would be better over rice instead of in tortillas. There's some leftover cooked rice in the fridge, so for lunch tomorrow I'll try that and see! ;)

MONDAY: crockpot cube steaks (another experiment: trying them with mushroom soup, gravy mix, and onions in the crockpot), mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli

TUESDAY: pepperoni stromboli, tossed salad

WEDNESDAY: Zesty Slow-Cooker Pot Roast with potatoes, green beans

THURSDAY: homemade sausage pizza, tossed salad

FRIDAY: broiled pork chops, alfredo noodles, steamed mixed veggies

The Chicken Experiment

Last week, as I mentioned, I tried an experiment in the crockpot. It worked out really well, and I'll definitely be making it again. My 2 year-old ate two helpings. And the best part? It was SO easy!

Amy's Crockpot Ranchero Chicken

2 cans Campbell's Creamy Ranchero Tomato Soup (found at Big Lots for $.90 a can)

1 lb. chicken breasts

1 bag frozen peppers & onions

Place chicken in the crockpot and cover with both cans of soup. Cook on low all day. About an hour before serving time, break the chicken up into bite-sized pieces and stir in the peppers & onions. Cook another hour or until peppers and onions are done.

Serve over top of cooked pasta.

Unfortunately, I have read that Campbell's is not going to make this soup any more. I read on the Campbell's site that you can substitute a can of tomato soup and a heaping spoonful of salsa in any recipe that used that soup.

2 chicken breasts= 5 servings

Here's one way I stretch the meat in any meal- make it bite sized! Tonight I took two large chicken breasts and had enough food to feed five people (three adults and two kids). Here's what I did:

Chicken Bites A La Amy

2 large chicken breasts

3/4 cup cornmeal

1 tbsp dried parsley

3 tbsp dry ranch dressing mix

small amount oil for frying

Slice the partially frozen chicken breasts into thin slices width-wise. (Mine were approximately 3-4" long and maybe 1/2" or so in thickness.) Place chicken in microwave-safe dish and microwave for five minutes. Place a large skillet on medium-high heat and add oil. Combine cornmeal, parsley, and ranch dressing mix in a large zip-top baggie. Remove chicken pieces from microwave and shake into baggie. With tongs, place chicken pieces in skillet and fry for approximately 3 minutes per side. Serve with dipping sauce of choice- my family likes ranch dressing or hot sauce.

I served these tonight with some Stovetop Stuffing and steamed broccoli, and had the whole meal on the table in about twenty minutes. I rarely fry things, but once in a while we like chicken or pork chops breaded and fried. Quick & easy- that's my kind of meal!

Grilled Peanut Butter

Have you ever indulged in a grilled peanut butter sandwich? If you haven't, you probably think I'm nuts (ha ha no pun intended), but trust me, it really kicks up a peanut butter sandwich quite a few notches. I was craving one last night, so I made one this morning for breakfast.

Amy's Grilled Peanut Butter Sandwich

margarine or butter

peanut butter

honey

2 slices whole wheat bread

non-stick cooking spray

Spray a small skillet with cooking spray, and place on stove on medium heat to pre-heat pan. While pan is heating, spread one side of each slice of bread with margarine or butter. Put the buttered sides together, then spread peanut butter on top of the side facing up. Drizzle honey over top of the peanut butter, then place the bottom piece of bread on top of the honey. Place sandwich in pan, and cover top of skillet with a cookie sheet (or lid if you have one). Cook for 2-3 minutes or until bread is golden, then remove lid and flip sandwich. Cook until golden, remove from pan, and enjoy. Caution: the melted peanut butter is VERY hot in the middle!

My Red Smashed Potatoes

This is how I make 'em.... and all measurements are approximate, because I never really measure anything. ;)

AMY'S RED SMASHED POTATOES
1/2 bag red potatoes
1/2 stick of butter
1 onion, chopped
a generous splash of milk (maybe half a cup)
1 large handful of shredded cheddar cheese (maybe a cup or so)
2-3 TBSP dried parsley (or sometimes I use green onions if I have them)

Wash potatoes and cut into halves or quarters (don't peel). Place potatoes and onions in a large pot with water to cover. Boil under potatoes are fork-tender and drain well. Add in milk and butter, stir. With large spoon or potato masher, mash about half of the potatoes, leaving the rest in large chunks. Stir in cheese and parsley, serve and enjoy!

Broccoli Nemo Soup :)

Yup, you read that right, Nemo.

Don't worry, I'm just using Nemo-shaped pasta... no adorable orange fish were harmed in the invention of this recipe. :)

Do you ever just start throwing things together in a pot and call it lunch? I do it all the time, LOL! Today was one of those days... I knew I wanted broccoli soup, but I didn't have the ingredients on hand to do my usual recipes. So, I started playing around, and came up with a recipe of my own. I'm posting it here because both kids loved it, and I might want to recreate it again one day.

Amy's Broccoli- Nemo Soup: In a large stockpot, add about 3 cups of water and one box of frozen broccoli. Turn heat to high and simmer until broccoli is broken up a bit and partially cooked. Add in two teaspoons chicken bouillon paste and half a box of Nemo-shaped pasta. Stir it all together and add a little more water if needed. Let simmer for a few minutes, then add in about 3/4 cup cream soup base and, on a whim, about 1/3 cup instant potato flakes. Stir it, decide it needs more of a cream base, then add in about a cup of milk. Keep simmering. Add in about two tablespoons dried minced onion and stir well. Taste to see if pasta is done yet. If so, add in about four slices of diced Velveeta. Stir until cheese is melted and then serve. (And in my case, place the kids' bowls in the freezer for a minute because they're both underfoot & starving, and the soup is too hot to serve.) Garnish with choice of shredded cheddar cheese (me), croutons (me) and/or CheezIt crackers (kids).

Obviously, all measurements could be adjusted to taste, and I'm pretty sure that any cartoon-shaped pasta of your choice could be used. ;)

Crockpot Corn Chowder

Here's what we're having for supper tonight-- my version of the recipe "Easy Potato and Corn Chowder". Even my DH, who isn't big on soups, likes this one. We'll have grilled cheese or turkey sandwiches along with it for an easy meal.

Crockpot Corn Chowder

1 can corn

1 can creamed corn

6 pieces bacon, cooked & crumbled (I use "real bacon pieces" from a bag.)

1 16oz. bag cubed hash brown potatoes

1 onion, diced

1 cup milk

For garnish: chopped green onions, shredded cheddar cheese

Combine all ingredients in crockpot and cook on low all day- 6-8 hours. Garnish as desired, serve, and enjoy!

My Famous (Infamous?) Chicken Enchiladas

Amy's Famous Chicken Enchiladas

4 chicken breasts, cubed

small amount olive oil (to cook chicken)

1 cup sour cream (I use light)

2 cans cream of chicken soup (cr mushroom also works, we like the chicken better)

1 4oz can diced green chilies

1 frozen bag chopped three color peppers & onions (obviously could use fresh peppers & onions, but I never have enough fresh on hand)

1 teaspoon each: chili powder, Spicy Mrs Dash, garlic, Hot Shot (red/black pepper mix)

8- 8" flour tortillas

1 (16 ounce) bag shredded cheddar cheese

Mix together in bowl sour cream and cream of chicken soup & set aside. Cook Chicken breast pieces in olive oil. When cooked, add chili peppers, peppers, onions, and spices, and simmer until cooked through. Remove chicken mixture from heat and add about 2 tablespoons of sour cream/soup mixture to chicken. In each tortilla place a heaping spoonful of the chicken mixture and about a tablespoon of cheese. Wrap tortillas up, and place them in a 9x13" dish. (Do not layer tortillas.) After filling each tortilla cover them with the remaining sour cream and soup mixture. Cover casserole with foil, and place in 350 degree oven for about 25 minutes. Remove from oven, cover tortillas with remaining cheese, and return to oven until cheese is melted.

My family loves this & requests it often- both at home and at family gatherings. Even people who claim not to like Mexican food seem to like this. I usually serve this with stewed tomatoes, and either rice or sweet corn cake.

The original recipe that I based this on was posted on RecipeZaar, but I've changed it enough that I feel justified in calling it my own now. Enjoy!

Sausage Pizzaiola Subs- my way

Last Sunday, I wanted to make this Sausage Pizzaiola Subs recipe, but I didn't have the right ingredients on hand. So, I improvised, and we really enjoyed the results. Here's the recipe, done my way:

Amy's Sausage Pizzaiola Subs

1 lb. hot and spicy ground pork sausage

1 can diced tomatoes with peppers and onions (undrained)

1 large onion, sliced into rings

canned jalapeno pepper slices, to taste

hoagie buns= I got four large sandwiches out of this, using 8" buns

two slices provolone cheese per sandwich

• Brown sausage in skillet & drain grease. When browned, add in canned tomatoes/ pepper/ onions with juice and seasonings. Simmer until thickened.

• In another small skillet, saute onion rings with a small amount of olive oil. Season to taste with garlic-pepper and salt. Cook until onions become translucent and remove from heat.

• Meanwhile, toast buns under broiler. (I spritz mine with a bit of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray before toasting.) Top toasted buns with sausage mixture, then cheese, and pop back under the broiler for a few minutes to melt cheese. Finish off sandwiches with sauted onions and jalapeno slices. Enjoy!

I think this might also be good with some pepperoni or mushrooms added in. At any rate, it was easy and tasty!

Crockpot Ham & Hash Browns- my way

I had a couple of different recipes for ham/hash brown casseroles that I was considering yesterday. Then I decided it would simplify things if I just threw something into my crockpot. I didn't have a recipe for exactly what I wanted, so this is what I came up with:

Amy's Crockpot Ham & Hash Browns

1 28oz bag diced hash browns with peppers & onions
1 1-lb. package diced ham (fully cooked)
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 tsp. garlic pepper
1 tsp. onion powder

Stir everything together in crockpot and cook on low for 3-4 hours.

That's it! It was easy to throw together. It could have used some more seasoning, or maybe some more chopped onions... but at any rate, it was good comfort food. My husband had ketchup on his (ick!) and then topped it with jalapeno peppers.

This blog is PINK for Breast Cancer Awareness month!

Hot Soup

Around my house, this soup recipe of mine is simply called Hot Soup. Hot, as in a little spicy. It's developed from a "Six Can Soup" recipe I found years ago-- this is just my take on that. I serve it with some taquitos or sandwiches if we're having it for supper- for lunch it's enough to stand alone.

Amy's Hot Soup

• 1-2 cans chicken broth (OR water + chicken bouillon cubes, OR chicken rice soup)
• 1 can diced tomatoes with juice (or the kind that includes chili peppers, like Rotel)
• 1 large can cooked chicken with juice
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 can corn with liquid
• leftover cooked rice there's any on hand
• several shakes of Hot Shot (red + black pepper combo)
• two shakes of Spicy Mrs. Dash
• about a tablespoon of dried cilantro
• about a teaspoon of garlic pepper

Combine all ingredients in a large pot on stovetop and simmer until heated through. From start to finish, this whole recipe probably takes about ten minutes.

I'll be making a pot of this for lunch today-- it's great for sore throats! :) Enjoy!

Crockpot Pepper Steak

This was a new recipe on our menu this week, and it was SO good! :) It's definitely a keeper. I'm posting the original recipe (copied from the forums at Boot Camp Buddies- posted by Jacque at this link) along with my notes in red... you know I can't ever follow a recipe the way it's written, LOL! :)

SO-EASY CROCKPOT PEPPER STEAK

2 lbs round steak, cut into strips or cubes (I had one pound of meat, and left the 4 small round steaks whole rather than chopping them up.)

Salt & Pepper

1 14.5oz can Italian Diced Tomatoes (mine were plain)

1 6oz can Tomato Paste (I used 8oz tomato sauce)

1 tbs Hot Sauce (I left this out for the kids... DH spiced his plate up with fresh hot chilis)

16oz bag frozen pepper & onion mix (sometimes called Fajita mix)

Italian seasoning, to taste-- as suggested by the original poster-- I just sprinkled some after the sauce layer.

Put the meat in the bottom of the slow cooker, sprinkle with salt & pepper. In a bowl, mix together diced tomatoes, tomato paste and hot sauce. (I didn't mix anything, just poured it all in the crockpot one on top of another.) Pour over meat. Place frozen vegetables on top. Cover and cook on Low for approx. 8 hours. Mix together and serve over noodles or rice, or your choice. (I had wild rice.)

Divided into 6 servings, would be approx. 6 points, plus noodles or rice. Jacque used 1lb and got 4 servings for 5 points. (I used 1lb of meat also, assuming 5 points per serving.)

This one will definitely be repeated in our house... very tasty and simple, especially for being such a low-points recipe!

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!