Chicken Enchiladas and Rice

Chicken Enchiladas:

4 chicken breasts
1 small can mild green chilies
12 oz. jar of mild picante sauce
2 cups heavy whipping cream
10 flour tortillas
2 cups shredded cheese

Broil 4 chicken breasts (season with Season All), shred into pieces. Combine the picante sauce and chilies, and then stir in chicken. If you like enchiladas hot, use medium or hot chilies and picant sauce. pour 1/4 cup heavy cream into bottom of greased 9x13 in. pan. Roll 10 flour tortillas with chicken mixture and place in pan seam side down. Pour 1 3/4 cup heavy cream over tortillas. Sprinkle with 2 cups shredded cheese (I like cheddar and mozzarell). Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Do not over bake.

Serve with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, olives, sour cream, and guacamole on the side.

Rice: (I got this off of another blog and it is delicious. I recommend doubling it.)

1 cup rice
2 cups water
3 cubes chicken bouillon
1/2 tsp dried onion
1/4 bunch cilantro
1 tsp oil
1 fresh lime

Cook rice with all ingredients on stove or cooker. Squeeze lime juice over rice and mix.

Ham and Potato Casserole

8-10 potatoes
2 cups ham
1 cube butter
1 large carton of sour cream
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 1/2 cups grated cheese
1 bunch chopped green onions

Boil the potatoes, let them cool and cut into cubes. Cut ham into cubes. Melt together butter, sour cream, soup, onions, and cheese. When cheese is melted, fold in potatoes and ham. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes.

Smashed Potatoes

I got this from my new favorite website.. The Pioneer Woman. Here is the link for pictures of each step.. http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/06/crash-hot-potatoes/

(She calls them Crash Hot Potatoes).

New Potatoes
Olive Oil
Salt
Seasoning

Boil a bunch of potatoes until they are fork tender. Put olive oil on the pan, then take the potatoes and smash them with the masher, just like you would do to a peanut butter cookie. Spread olive oil over each potatoe and add salt, pepper and some kind of seasoning. She used rosemary, I used garlic. Cook in the oven for 20-30 minutes at 425, on the top rack. So so yummy!

Balsamic Glazed Green Beans with Almonds

These beans are so good! I worried that we'd have too much, but instead we were fighting over the last bites! They kind of have a PF Changs, lettuce wrap flavor, so serve it with Asian food. Or don't.. I made it with fish the other night and it was fine!

1 Tbs plus 2 tsp balsamic vinegar (divided)
2 tsp brown sugar
1 Tbs olive oil
1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed (I bought mine at Costco..awesome!)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot, cut into strips (I just used a regular onion, because i didn't have a shallot on hand)
salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup water (more if needed)
1 Tbs butter, cut into 4 pieces
2 Tbs bacon bits
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Toast almonds in heavy skillet or toaster oven; set aside. (Be carefull not to burn them.. I always seem to!)

Combine 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar with sugar in a small bowl and mix well; set aside.

Turn on exhaust fan and heat a heavy 12-inch skillet or large wok over high heat for 2 minutes. When pan is hot, pour in oil and a few seconds later, add green beans, garlic and shallot. Season beans well with salt and pepper and cook, stirring often, until they brown and shrivel slightly, 3 to 4 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium-low, carefully add water (it will steam) and a few seconds later add vinegar mixture. Stir beans and cover pan, leaving lid ajar. Cook until beans are tender but still have a slight crunch, about 4 minutes. (If water evaporates before beans are done, add more, 1 tablespoon at a time.)

Stir in the remaining 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar. Add butter and almonds and swirl pan just until butter is melted.

Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

This recipe is super easy and my all of my kids love it. I either half the recipe for our family (there are 6 of us) and bake it in an 8X8 in. pan, or I make the full recipe in two 8X8 in. pans and freeze the other half for another time. Enjoy!

Chicken and Broccoli Casserole
4 chicken breasts
2 pkgs. frozen broccoli (I use fresh, a lot of it. I steam it before adding to casserole)
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 cup grated cheese
1/2 cup bread crumbs or cornflake crumbs

Broil chicken until cooked through (I put season all on each side of the chicken). Cut into bite size pieces. Steam broccoli if fresh. If not pour frozen broccoli into bottom of 13X9 in. pan. Mix soup, mayonnaise, lemon juice, and curry powder.

Layer broccoli in bottom of pan. Place chicken over the broccoli. Pour soup mixture on top. Sprinkle the bread crumbs (I use cornflake crumbs) over the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. I put cheese over the top for the last few minutes until it melts. Serve over rice.

Strawberry Peach Crisp

I got this recipe out of a Kraft Family Food's free magazine I get in the mail. I love how easy it is!

1/2 cup flour, divided
2 cans (15-1/4 oz. each) peach slices, drained
2 cups halved strawberries
3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) cold butter
3 cups Honey Bunches of Oats with Almonds Cereal, lightly crushed
1/2 cup thawed Cool Whip

PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Remove 2 Tbsp. of the flour; set aside. Toss peach slices with strawberries, 3/4 cup sugar and remaining flour in large bowl. Place in ungreased 9-inch square baking dish.

MIX reserved 2 Tbsp. flour and the 2 Tbsp. sugar in separate large bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add cereal; stir until well blended. Sprinkle over fruit mixture.

BAKE 25 min. or until topping is lightly browned. Serve topped with whipped topping.

Okay sisters.. where are your recipes???

Spinach and Chicken Risotto

I just got a rice cooker and this recipe was in the instruction manual.

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
2 chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
4 cups fresh spinach, washed and dried well
3 cups of water or chicken broth
1/4 grated parmesan cheese
1 cup superino Arborio medium grain rice, uncooked. (I used brown rice because I already had some!)

These are the directions specific to my rice cooker. I bet you could do the same thing over the stove.

1. Add spinach, rice and liquid to rice cooker bowl and turn to cook mode.
2. Heat saute pan with olive oil and garlic.
3. Saute chicken on all sides, until no longer pink in center. Remove pan from heat and set aside.
4. When water is all boiled out of the rice (45min or so in my rice cooker), stir in chicken and cheese. (I used Kraft dried grated parmesean, but I bet the real stuff would taste even better!)
5. Replace lid for 5 minutes to let the cheese melt.
6. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

I served it with a salad and cooked carrots. Kurt and I loved it, Andrew thought it was okay. Meg hated it.