Pot Roast

Finally a Pinterest recipe that we liked!  This was super easy and really delicious.  Even the kids loved it...Kate licked her plate clean.

3-4 pound Boneless Cross Rib Roast (or shoulder roast)
1 McCormick's Slow Cooker Savory Pot Roast seasoning packet
1 can of Pepsi or Coke
1 powdered Au Jus packet

Put your roast in the crock pot.  Mix the Slow Cooker seasoning mix with 1 cup of water.  Pour on top of roast.  Add the whole can of Pepsi.  Cover with the lid and cook on low for 8 hours.  Do not lift the lid.  Right before you pull it out, sprinkle the Au Jus packet over the top of the roast.  Remove from the crock pot and slice.

Recipe source: www.youretoocrafty.blogspot.com

Thai Pork Tenderloin

I could not stop eating this. I didn't have high hopes for how it would turn out, but I thought it was amazing. I didn't use 2 tenderloins as the recipe calls for, but still made the full amount of sauce. It ended up being a perfect amount of sauce for the one tenderloin, so if you use the full 2 tenderloins, you might want to double the sauce recipe if you are a sauce lover like me. Also, my tenderloin took much longer than the specified 8-10 minutes to reach 145 degrees. I don't know if it was my stove top or a misprint in the recipe.













1 TB vegetable oil
2 (12-ounce) pork tenderloins, trimmed
1 1/4 cup coconut milk
1 TB grated fresh ginger
1 tsp sambal oelek chili paste (in the Asian food section of the supermarket)
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

Pat pork dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook pork until browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to plate.

Add ginger to now-empty skillet and cook over medium-high heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in coconut milk and chili paste, scraping up any browned bits, until incorporated. Add pork and any accumulated juices and cook, turning occasionally, until sauce is thickened and meat registers 145 degrees, 8-10 minutes. Transfer pork to carving board, tent loosely with foil, and rest for 5 minutes. Off heat, stir cilantro into sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Slice pork and serve with sauce.

Recipe source: Cook's Country Magazine

Chicken Diane

I'm really into recipes with pan sauces lately. This one is really good. The recipe is for 2 servings, so adjust as needed.
1 TB canola oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, seasoned with salt and pepper (about 6 oz each)
1 TB unsalted butter
1 TB minced shallots
1 tsp minced garlic
3 TB brandy
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup half-and-half
1 TB minced fresh parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

For the chicken, heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook 6 minutes, flip, cover, and cook an additional 6 minutes. Remove chicken to a small plate and tent with foil.

For the sauce, melt butter in same skillet over medium heat. Stir in shallots and garlic; cook 30 seconds.

Off heat, deglaze skillet with brandy, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom. Return skillet to heat and boil brandy 30 seconds. Whisk in Dijon and Worcestershire.

Off heat, whisk in half-and-half and parsley. Return skillet to heat to slightly thicken the sauce; season with salt and pepper.

Return chicken to skillet turn to coat in sauce. Remove chicken to a plate and top with remaining sauce.


Recipe and photo source: Cuisine at Home

Stuffed Pork Tenderloin with Red Wine Gravy

A little time consuming, but it turned out to be really delicious. I ended up adding the pan juices from the cooked tenderloin to the gravy to enhance the flavor. Just make sure to skim off the fat before adding it to the sauce.

2 TB unsalted butter

1/2 pound Cremini mushrooms, wiped clean, and finely chopped in a food processor

1 medium shallot, finely diced

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 pinch dried thyme

1/4 cup brandy

3 slices uncooked bacon, 2 slices chopped, 1 reserved

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

4 pieces cooking twine

Olive oil

1 cup Merlot wine

Salt and pepper

3 TB flour

1 1/4 cup beef stock

Melt the butter in a large saute pan over medium high heat. Add in the mushrooms, shallow, salt and pepper, and thyme. Cook for about 15 minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionally. After about 15 minutes, remove the pan from the heat and add the brandy. Return to heat and cook until all of the moisture is gone. Remove from the heat and let cool.

Preheat oven to 450. Using a fillet knife, butterfly the tenderloin down the center, being careful not to cut all the way through. Season with salt and pepper, add the 2 chopped slices of bacon, basil, and seal the cooled mushroom mixture inside the tenderloin. Roll the tenderloin over, and seal (in 4 places) with the cooking twine. Drizzle with olive oil, and season the outside with salt and pepper. Top with the remaining slice of bacon. (The tenderloin is lean, so the bacon adds a bit of fat during the cooking process).

Cook tenderloin in the oven, uncovered for 25 minutes. Remove pan from oven, reduce the heat to 300 degrees, cover with foil, and cook for about 45-60 minutes, until the internal temperature is 150 degrees. Remove from oven and let the meat rest for 10 minutes. Slice into 1-2 inch medallions.

While the meat is cooking, place the wine in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Whisk in the flour, beef stock, and season with salt and pepper. Cook on medium-high for about 20 minutes, or until the sauce is well thickened. Season with additional salt and pepper if needed.

Plate medallions with a generous drizzle of the red wine gravy.

Recipe Source: www.tastykitchen.com

Coconut Chicken

Crunchy and delicious...and kid friendly! The sauce doesn't taste amazing on its own, but is really good on the chicken.

1 (14 oz) can coconut milk, divided

1 clove garlic, minced

1 TB soy sauce

1 TB lime juice

1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into strips

1 cup sweetened shredded coconut

1 cup Panko bread crumbs

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise

Pour half of the coconut milk, the garlic, soy sauce, and lime juice into a resealable plastic zipper bag. Shake to thoroughly combine. Place the chicken strips into the bag and squeeze several times to coat the chicken. Refrigerate at least 3 hours. Reserve the remaining coconut milk.

Preheat oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with foil and grease with olive oil.

Place the shredded coconut into a food processor and pulse several times until the coconut is ground into crumbs. Mix it with the Panko crumbs, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Place the flour into a second bowl, and the egg into a third shallow bowl. Shake excess marinade from chicken strips, and dip them into the flour to thoroughly coat, then dip into egg, and finally into the coconut crumb mixture. Place the coated strips onto the coated baking sheet.

Bake the chicken strips in preheated oven until golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Mix the reserved coconut milk and mayonnaise in a small saucepan, and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat; serve the sauce drizzled over the chicken strips or on the side for dipping.

Recipe Source: www.allrecipes.com

Meatballs and Spaghetti with Creamy Tomato Basil Sauce

These were the easiest meatballs I've ever made and Nate loved them. I used a package of ground turkey (1.25 pounds) instead of ground beef and cut down the water to 3/4 cup. Using my cookie scoop to form the balls, the recipe made 35 meatballs so I froze half for future use.

Meatballs

2 pounds ground beef

1 package Stove Top, chicken flavor

1 1/4 cup water

Preheat oven to 400. Mix all ingredients together and form into 1 1/2 inch balls. Bake for 16-20 minutes.

Sauce

1 jar (14 oz) spaghetti sauce

2 oz cream cheese

2 TB chopped fresh basil

Heat all sauce ingredients in a pan. Pour over spaghetti and top with meatballs.

Recipe Source: www.addictiveallens.blogspot.com

Spinach and Artichoke Mac and Cheese

I can't always find frozen artichoke hearts, so I used canned. Yummy!

Salt

1 pound regular or whole wheat penne

2 TB extra virgin olive oil

3 TB butter

1 large onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated

3 TB flour

1/2 cup white wine (optional)

2 cups milk

1 box frozen chopped spinach (10 oz), defrosted and wrung dry in a kitchen towel

1 box frozen chopped artichokes (10 oz), defrosted and wrung dry in a kitchen towel

Ground pepper

1 1/4 cups shredded fontina cheese, plus additional for sprinkling on top

1 1/4 cups Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, plus additional for sprinkling on top

Preheat oven to 350.

Place a large pot of water over high heat to cook the pasta. When the water is boiling, salt it well and drop in the pasta. Cook to al dente, according to package directions. Drain the pasta and reserve.

While the pasta is cooking, place a medium pot over medium-low heat with about 2 tablespoons of EVOO and the butter. Add the onion and garlic to the pan and cook the veggies until very soft, about 10 minutes.

Turn the heat up to medium-high and sprinkle the flour into the pan. Cook for about 1 minute, then whisk the wine into the pan, cooking for another minute to burn off the alcohol. Whisk the milk into the pan and bring up to a bubble. Add the veggies and salt and pepper to the sauce and simmer until thickened, 2-3 minutes. Add the cheeses to the sauce and stir until melted.

Toss the prepared sauce with the cooked pasta and transfer to a casserole dish. Sprinkle some more of the fontina and Parmigiano Reggiano cheeses over the top and bake until the cheese has melted and the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Recipe Source: www.rachaelray.com

Easy Crockpot Lasagna

This was pretty quick and tasty. I substituted ground turkey for the ground beef and it was good. I think it would be yummy with Italian sausage, so I'll try that next time.

1 pound (16 oz) ground beef
1/2 cup diced white onion
1 tsp minced garlic
1 (24 oz) jar spaghetti sauce
1/2 cup water
1 (15 oz) container ricotta cheese
2 cups mozzarella cheese, divided
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 egg
2 TB fresh parsley or 2 tsp dried parsley
6 uncooked lasagna noodles

In a large skillet, brown the beef with the onion. Add garlic and cook for one minute. Drain. Add spaghetti sauce and water and simmer for about 5 minutes.

Mix ricotta, 1 1/2 cups mozzarella, 2 TB Parmesan, egg, and parsley.

Pour 1 cup of meat sauce into a 4-6 quart slow cooker. Place half of the noodles and half of the ricotta mixture on top of the sauce. Cover with 2 cups meat sauce. Top with remaining noodles, cheese mixture, and meat sauce. (If the noodles don't fit exactly, break them to fit.)

Cook on low for 4-5 hours or until noodles are soft. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella and remaining Parmesan. Cover with the lid to melt the cheese and let it sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Recipe Source: www.tablespoon.com

Sticky Coconut Chicken

Okay, nobody is probably going to try this recipe once they're done reading my introduction, but we honestly liked it and are definitely going to make it again. There were just a couple of bumps in the road on the way to liking it.

#1 When I saw the recipe, it looked really good so I tried it as written below. I ended up throwing it all out before Nate got home. I HATED the chicken thighs and the glaze was too spicy for me. So I tried it again this week and substituted chicken tenderloins for the thighs and cut the red pepper flakes in the glaze down to a couple of sprinkles. By the time it reduced down to a glaze, it still had quite a bit of heat.

#2 It smelled really strange before it all came together. Something about the coconut milk marinade on the grill and the vinegar-based sauce simmering on the stove made for a weird smell combination and I wasn't sure how things were going to go. But once it was off the grill and the glaze was on the chicken, it was so delicious. I know, I'm really selling this recipe, huh? But try it--it was delicious.

Chicken and Marinade:
6-8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (see note above)
1 cup canned coconut milk
1 TB minced fresh ginger
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp red pepper flakes

Marinate the chicken in coconut milk, ginger, black pepper, and red pepper flakes at least one hour (I did mine overnight). Grill.

Glaze:
3/4 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
3 TB soy sauce
1 tsp red pepper flakes (see note above)

While the chicken is grilling, bring glaze ingredients to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until mixture is reduced and thickened, about 8-10 minutes. Be patient because it takes a little while. Once it starts getting really thick, remove from heat. Glaze both sides of chicken the last couple of minutes of grilling, or wait and glaze it after removing from the grill to prevent a sticky grill grate. Serve over rice.

Recipe Source: www.melskitchencafe.com

Chicken with Boursin Mushroom Sauce

I couldn't find Boursin brand cheese at my market so I used Rondele brand instead. It is available with reduced-fat so that's what I used. I also skipped the parsley since Nate doesn't care for raw parsley. Next time I will not reduce the wine quite as much so the sauce will be a little looser. It was really delicious and took under 30 minutes to prepare.


4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
1 TB vegetable oil
1 cup sliced cremini mushrooms
1 TB butter
1 minced shallot
1/2 cup white wine
1/4 cup crumbled Boursin cheese (garlic and herb flavor)
2 TB chopped parsley

Dry your chicken breasts with paper towels and season both sides with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until browned on each side. Reduce heat to medium and cover. Continue cooking for about 15 minutes, or until the chicken reaches 160 degrees. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.

Add mushrooms and butter to the pan. Cook till slightly soft then add the shallot. Cook until it begins to soften, about one minute. Add the wine to the pan and scrape up all the bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook until the wine cooks almost all of the way out.

Take the pan off of the heat and whisk in the Boursin cheese and parsley. Season with salt and pepper.

Plate each breast with some sauce poured over the top.

Recipe Source: www.bakedbree.com

Chicken Encilada Stuffed Shells

Elizabeth gave me the idea for this dinner and then that evening I saw a recipe online for it. I adjusted the recipe to our taste. It was a fun new twist on pasta and enchiladas!

1 box Uncooked Jumbo Pasta Shells (about 15)
1 pound baked chicken breasts (2 to 3), Shredded
5 oz enchilada sauce
1 small can refried beans, divided
1/2 envelope taco seasoning, (1/2 of the 1-oz package)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and rinse in cold water.

In a medium bowl, add shredded chicken, enchilada sauce, 1/4 cup of the refried beans, and taco seasoning. Stir together until well blended, set aside.

Fill shells with a spoonful of refried beans and then top with chicken mixture. Place in an 11-inch x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

Cover and bake for 25 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with cheese. Bake 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

Recipe Source: www.tastykitchen.com

Glazed Meatloaf

This is Nate's favorite meatloaf.

Glaze:
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Tobasco sauce

Meatloaf:
2 teaspoons vegetable or canola oil
1 onion, chopped fine
2 garlic cloves, minced
2/3 cup crushed saltine crackers (about 17 crackers)
1/3 cup milk (not skim)
1 pound 90% lean ground beef
1 pound ground pork or turkey
2 large eggs plus 1 large yolk
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon pepper

Whisk all the ingredients for the glaze in a small saucepan until the sugar dissolves. Reserve 1/4 cup glaze mixture in a small bowl and simmer the remaining glaze over medium heat until it is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Cover and keep warm.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat lightly with cooking spray. Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Cook the onion until godlen, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a large bowl.

Process the saltines and milk in a food processor until smooth. Add the beef and pork and pulse until well combined, about ten 1-second pulses. (You can also do this process by hand, although the beef and saltine mixture won’t be as well mixed.) Transfer the meat mixture to the bowl with the cooled onion mixture. Add the eggs and yolk, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, parsley, 1 teaspoon salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper to the bowl and mix with your hands until combined.

Adjust the oven racks to the upper (about 4-inches away from broiler elements) and middle positions and heat the broiler. Transfer the meat mixture to the prepared baking sheet and shape it into a 9- by 5-inch loaf. Broil on the upper rack until well browned, about 5 minutes. Brush 2 tablespoons of the reserved, uncooked glaze over the top and sides of the loaf and then return to the oven and broil for another 2 minutes.

Transfer the meatloaf to the middle rack and brush with the remaining uncooked glaze. Change the oven temperature to bake at 350 degrees and bake the meatloaf for 40 to 45 minutes, until cooked through. Transfer the meatloaf to a cutting board and tent with foil. Let it rest for 20 minutes. Slice and serve, passing the cooked glaze at the table.

Recipe Source: Cook's Country

Chicken with Forty Cloves of Garlic

Even Nate, who generally stays away from garlic, loves this. Since the garlic is roasted in the pan then cooks in the sauce for 30 minutes, it comes out very mellow. To save my sanity, I buy the garlic that's already peeled.

3 whole heads of garlic, about 40 cloves

3 1/2 pounds chicken breasts, skin on (cut in half if large)

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 TB unsalted buter

2 TB olive oil

3 TB Cognac, divided

1 1/2 cups dry white wine

1 TB fresh thyme leaves

2 TB all purpose flour

2 TB heavy cream

Dry the chicken with paper towels. Season liberally with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat the butter and oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. In batches, saute the chicken in the fat, skin side down first, until nicely browned, about 3-5 minutes per side. Turn with tongs or a spatula; you don't want to pierce the skin with a fork. If the fat starts to burn, turn the heat down to medium. When a batch is done, transfer it to a plate and continue to saute all the chicken in batches.

Remove the last chicken to the plate and add all of the garlic to the pot. Lower the heat and saute for 5-10 minutes, turning often, until evenly browned. Add 2 TB of the Cognac and the wine, return to a boill, and scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.

Return the chicken to the pot with the juices and sprinkle with the thyme leaves. Cover and simmer over the lowest heat for about 30 minutes, until all the chicken is done.

Remove the chicken to a platter and cover with foil to keep warm. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup of the sauce and the flour and then whisk it back into the sauce in the pot. Raise the heat, add the remaining tablespoon of Cognac and the cream, and boil for 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste; it should be very flavorful because the chicken can tend to be bland. Pour the sauce and the garlic over the chicken and serve hot.

Recipe Source: Ina Garten (http://www.foodtv.com/)

Baked Ravioli

More of an idea than a recipe. This got rave reviews from Grant--he couldn't get enough. Putting dinner together doesn't get much easier than this. I used a combination of vodka sauce and marinara sauce to cut the acidity.

1 bag (25 oz) frozen ravioli
1 jar (26 oz) marinara sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 400. Spray bottom and sides of a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.

Spread 3/4 cup of the pasta sauce in the baking dish. Arrange half of the frozen ravioli in a single layer over the sauce; top with half of the remaining sauce and half of the mozzarella. Repeat layers once, starting with ravioli. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top.

Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil; bake uncovered for 10-15 minutes longer or until bubbly and hot in the center. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Recipe Source: http://www.tastykitchen.com/

Chicken Marsala Casserole

I love Chicken Marsala and this was a new twist on it that turned out to be really yummy. All three of us loved it. We thought it could have used some salt, so add it to taste.

2 tsp olive oil
2 tsp butter
8 ounces crimini muchrooms (baby portabellas), sliced
1 bulb shallot, diced
1/4 tsp dried thyme
3/4 tsp dried parsley, divided
1 pinch ground black pepper
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup Marsala wine
1 can (10 oz) Cream of Chicken and Mushroom Soup
3 TB Parmesan cheese, divided
2 cups cooked, diced chicken
2 TB Panko bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350.

Place a medium-sized saute pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the olive oil and butter to the pan. When they've melted together, add the mushrooms, shallot, thyme, 1/4 tsp parsley, and a pinch of black pepper. Allow to cook until the mushrooms have given off their juices and the shallots are translucent. Deglaze the pan with the chicken broth and transfer to a medium bowl. Add the marsala, soup, 2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese, and the diced chicken to the bowl and stir to combine. Pour mixture into a 1-quart casserole dish. Combine the remainin 1 tablespoon of parmesan cheese, panko, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of parsley and sprinkle over the top.

Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes, or until bubbly. Remove foil and broil for about 5 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.

Makes 6 modest servings
4 WW pts per serving

Recipe Source: www.tastykitchen.com

Enchilada Chicken

So, I started Weight Watchers this week. I'm going to work on finding lighter recipes for a while.

This one is from one of the Biggest Loser cookbooks. It was fast and easy.

4 (4-oz) trimmed boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tsp taco seasoning or Southwest seasoning
4 TB mild, medium, or hot enchilada sauce
Olive oil spray
2 ounces (1 cup) finely shredded light cheddar cheese
2 TB finely chopped fresh cilantro

Preheat the oven to 350.

Season each chicken breast evenly on all sides with the seasoning.

Place a large ovenproof nonstick skillet over high heat. When hot, lightly mist with the olive oil spray and add the chicken. Cook, turning once, for 1-2 minutes per side, or just until the chicken in golden brown on the outside.

Remove the pan from the heat and top each chicken breast with 1 tablespoon of the enchilada sauce, followed by one-fourth of the cheese, and one-fourth of the cilantro. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 4-6 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink inside and the cheese is melted.

Makes 4 Servings
3 WW pts per serving
Recipe Source: Biggest Loser Cookbook

Country Chicken

We've been through a few stuffing-topped chicken recipes, and this was our favorite. It's super easy, too.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
4 slices Swiss Cheese
1 can (10.75 oz. can) Cream of Chicken soup
1/4 cup white wine
1 cup stuffing mix--Herb or Chicken
2 TB melted butter

Preheat oven to 350.

Butter a 9x13 inch pan. Place chicken in the prepared pan and season lightly with salt and pepper. Layer the cheese slices on top.

Place the soup and wine in a bowl and mix together. Pour over the cheese. Sprinkle the stuffing mix on top and drizzle with melted butter. Bake for 45 minutes.

Recipe Source: www.tastykitchen.com

Mexican Lasagna

This is not fancy, but it was tasty. It makes a lot of food, so I thought about cutting the recipe in half next time--but the leftovers were yummy for lunch so I think I'll keep it as is. I used ground turkey instead of ground chicken since my grocery store doesn't carry it. Also, I forgot to add the green onions but Nate thought he liked it just as well without. I couldn't find spinach tortillas, so I just used normal flour ones. The recipe didn't specify how to layer the tortillas, so I didn't end up using all of them. I probably should have used them all...it's up to you.

3 TB olive oil
2 pounds ground chicken breast
2 TB chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained
1 cup medium heat taco sauce (I used Taco Bell mild taco sauce)
1 cup frozen corn kernels
Salt
8 (8 inch) spinach flour tortillas
2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (or pepper jack)
2 scallions, finely chopped

Preheat the oven to 425.

Preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add chicken and season with chili powder, cumin, and red onion. Brown the meat, 5 minutes. Add taco sauce, black beans, and corn. Heat the mixture through, 2-3 minutes then season with salt to taste.

Coat a shallow baking dish (9x13) with remaining olive oil. Cut the tortillas in half or quarters to make them easy to layer with. Build lasagna in layers of meat, then tortillas, then cheese. Repeat: Meat, tortillas, cheese again. Bake lasagna 12-15 minutes until cheese is brown and bubbly. Top with scallions and serve.

Recipe Source: http://www.foodtv.com/

Meatloaf Muffins with BBQ Sauce

I substituted ground turkey for the ground beef and omitted the green pepper. We had mashed potatoes on the side and that helped cut the richness of the meatloaf. Next time I'll cut the recipe in half as it made about 15 muffins--way too much food for our little family.

1 2/3 to 1 3/4 pounds ground sirloin
1 medium onion, cut into chunks
2 ribs celery from the heart of the stalk, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 green bell pepper
1 large egg plus a splash of milk, beaten
1 cup plain bread crumbs
2 TB grill seasoning (recommended: Montreal Steak Seasoning by McCormick)
1 cup smoky BBQ sauce
1/2 cup tomato salsa
1 TB Worcestershire sauce
Vegetable oil or extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 450.

Place beef in a big bowl. Put onion and celery into a food processor and pulse to finely chop. Add to meat bowl. Add egg beaten with milk, bread crumbs, and grill seasoning. In a separate bowl, mix together the smoky BBQ sauce, salse, and Worcestershire sauce. Pour half the sauce mixture into the bowl with the meatloaf mix. Mix the meatloaf together with your hands. Wash up. Brush a 12-muffin tin (1/2 cup each) with oil. Use an ice cream scoop to help you fill meat into each tin. Top each meatloaf with a spoonful of extra sauce. Bake about 20 minutes.

Recipe Source: Rachael Ray (www.foodtv.com)

Onion Sour Cream Chicken

Seems as though I like anything with Lipton's Onion Soup Mix. This makes a really savory sauce and tastes great served with egg noodles. I use boneless, skinless chicken tenders or breasts.

4 pounds chicken, cut up
1 package onion soup mix
2 TB butter
1/2 cup sour cream

Melt butter and spread 1/2 on the bottom of a baking dish. Sprinkle 1/2 of the soup mix on the bottom of the pan and place chicken on top. Brush chicken with remaining butter and put the rest of the soup mix on the chicken. Seal the pan with foil and bake at 350 for 1 hour (for bone-in chicken--adjust if using boneless). Remove chicken to a plate. Pour drippings into a sauce pan and add the sour cream. Heat--but to not boil--then pour over the chicken to serve.