Meal Plan Monday

Monday:  Chicken Parm Burgers
Tuesday:  Kielbasa and Sauerkraut
Wednesday:  Chicken in Mustard
Thursday:  Tortellini Primavera
Friday:  Eggplant Parm
Saturday:  French Dip Sandwiches

Spanish Chicken and Potato Roast

This dish came my way via Food Network Magazine, and it was incredible.  Normally, I wouldn't try onions on their own, but after tasting these babies along with everything else, I dared, and it was wonderful... the onions were so sweet and delicious, they were a-ok all by themselves.  The potatoes were awesome; light and fluffy inside with a nice crunch outside.  The chicken was great, too!

I'd never have considered making roast chicken on a weeknight, but this is how ya do it, and do it well:

Spanish Chicken and Potato Roast Source  Food Network

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds large Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 4 cloves garlic, smashed and coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt
• 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs (5 to 6 thighs)
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• Freshly ground pepper
• 4 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh parsley
• 2 lemons (1 juiced, 1 cut into wedges)
• 2 large or 3 medium red onions, halved and thinly sliced

Directions

Position a rack in the upper third of the oven. Place a large cast-iron baking dish or a rimmed baking sheet on the rack and preheat to 500 degrees F. Put the potatoes, garlic, olive oil, 1 tablespoon water and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large microwave-safe baking dish and toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap, pierce the plastic in a few places with a knife and microwave 8 minutes to partially cook.

Meanwhile, pat the chicken dry and transfer to a bowl. Sprinkle with the paprika, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Add 2 tablespoons parsley and the lemon juice; toss to coat. Set aside.

Remove the hot baking dish from the oven; carefully add the potatoes and spread in an even layer. Scatter the onions on top. Roast until the potatoes start to brown, about 12 minutes.

Flip the potatoes and lay the chicken pieces on top, adding any accumulated juices from the bowl; return to the oven and roast until the potatoes are tender and the chicken is cooked through, about 12 more minutes. Remove from the oven and top with the remaining 2 tablespoons parsley. Serve with the lemon wedges.

Meal Plan Monday

Sunday:  Chicken and Green Beans in White Wine Sauce
Monday:  Hawaiian Chicken Burgers
Tuesday:  Peach-Whiskey Barbecue Chicken
Wednesday:  Coconut Shrimp with Pineapple Salsa
Thursday:  Mac and Cheese
Friday:  Thai One Pot
Saturday:  ATK Chicken Marsala

For lunch club:
Chicken Marengo

Roasted Asparagus

This week's recipe swap was a Celebrity Chef recipe.  I am so happy to have received a veggie side dish, since I'm always looking for great and easy ones.  I was sad to see it was asparagus, because while I love it, my husband won't eat it and I had a feeling my children would react the same way.

I thought this was delicious and couldn't possibly have been more simple.  Of course my husband didn't take any, but my children had no choice.  My 2 year old, who won't even try many foods, ate about one stalk while my 4 year old ate a few bites, especially after I called them "Truffala Trees."

Thank you so much to Dawn for this easy recipe from Ina Garten, and Sarah for hosting the swap.  Check out Sarah's blog for the whole Recipe Swap run down!



Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan Source:  Ina Garten via Simple Gourmet Cooking

2 1/2 pounds asparagus, ends trimmed

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese

lemon wedges, for serving

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place asparagus in a single layer on a sheet pan. Drizzle asparagus lightly with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until tender. Sprinkle the Parmesan over the asparagus and return to the oven for another two minutes. Sprinkle lightly with lemon juice and serve with lemon wedges.

Adapted from Ina Garten

Crockpot Chicken Stroganoff

This may not look pretty, but it's quite delicious.  And so, so easy to make.  The original recipe calls for egg noodles, which makes complete sense in a stroganoff, but I was out of them so served over rice. 

My entire family enjoyed this one, except the 4 year old, who claimed he wasn't at all hungry, though he did try all parts of his dinner.

Make this!!

Crockpot Chicken Stroganoff Source:365 Days of Slow Cooking via Lauren's Kitchen

• 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1 Tbsp dehydrated onion or 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 (4 oz) can mushrooms, drained
• 1 (13.75 oz) can cream of chicken soup
• 2 tsp dried parsley
• 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• Salt and pepper to taste

Combine the chicken, onion, mushrooms, cream of chicken soup, and tomato sauce in slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 5-6 hours or on HIGH for 3 hours. Shred the chicken and add in the parsley, sour cream and salt and pepper. Stir and turn to HIGH. Let sit without lid for 10-15 minutes. Serve over egg noodles.

Meal Plan Monday

Monday:  BBQ Mushroom Portobello Quesadilla
Tuesday:  Grilled Chicken and Spinach Salad
Wednesday:  BBQ Chicken Burger
Thursday:  Bangin Good Shrimp
Friday:  Grilled Chicken Taco Pizza
Saturday:  P.L.A.T. Sandwich with Onion Rings


Have a great week!

Poverty Meal

In my home, it is difficult to make budget meals.  Typical budget meals include pasta and sauce or ground beef or beans or some combination of the three, and all these are on my husband's "do not prefer" or "will not eat" lists. 

So when I found this meal on Food.com, I figured it would be a good one to try.  It seemed really familiar, like something my mom made when I was a kid, inexpensive even with changing the ground beef for turkey, and delicious.

This wasn't a super success for us, and I think it has to do with the whole wheat pasta more than anything.  It was an off texture for me, and it could probably have cooked a little more; maybe next time I'll cook the pasta a little before tossing it in with the other ingredients, just to take out a little bit of the bite.  Or maybe it calls for regular pasta or a different shape.

Don't make the mistake I did though and avoid using a cast iron skillet!  The crud was so cooked on, I had to scrub the pan with salt for at least half an hour!

• 1 large onion , chopped
• 2 garlic cloves , minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 lb ground beef , browned and drained
• 2 (16 ounce) cans stewed tomatoes
• 1 (16 ounce) can water
• 8 ounces elbow macaroni , uncooked
• salt , to taste
• pepper , to taste
• parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:

1. 1
   Saute onions and garlic in olive oil until translucent.
2. 2
   Brown ground beef and drain.
3. 3
   Add ground beef, tomatoes, water, raw macaroni, salt and pepper to the onion and garlic mixture.
4. 4
   Cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until macaroni is tender.
5. 5
   If desired, top with Parmesan cheese.
6. 6
   Serve with crusty bread and a salad.

Read more: http://www.food.com/recipe/poverty-meal-27520#ixzz1ryG3PxMf

Not So Sloppy Jes

This is a recipe I've made a ton of times, and I know I've posted about it many times too, but I discovered that there are no photos to accompany it.  I love this one, and this might have been the first time I've made it with actual ground beef rather than turkey or chicken, and even my beef disliking husband liked it.

I generally use about half the recipe for dinner, saving the rest for a future taco night.  It works really well in both methods.

Give this a try; you'll never go back to that Sloppy Joe in a can again!

Not So Sloppy Joes Source:  Real Simple

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
• 4 hamburger buns, toasted
• 1/2 cup grated Cheddar
• 1/2 cup sour cream

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and red pepper. Sauté until fragrant, about 3 minutes.
2. Add the ground beef and brown, about 5 minutes.
3. Stir in the tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, salt, black pepper, and cinnamon. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened slightly, about 12 minutes.
4. Spoon onto the buns. Sprinkle each with the Cheddar and top with a dollop of the sour cream.

Mushroom Bolognese

Always on the quest for meatless Monday meals (and even more so during the Lenten season), when I saw this recipe on Christine's Kitchen Chronicles, I figured it would be an easy and big hit.

It may well have been a big hit had I made it as written, and I do intend to do that in the future.  As I made it, however, it was kinda a flop.  My first possible mistake was omitting the meat, and I think my second was using plain white mushrooms.  I think the biggest problem, however, was the kind of red wine I used, Beaujolais Nouveau.  I think its flavor was too distinct and strong and overwhelmed the flavor of the mushrooms.  When I make in the future, I think I'll try it with a Cabernet or Chianti.

Mushroom Bolognese Source:  Christine's Kitchen Chronicles

Ingredients

• 1 T. olive oil
• 1 c. chopped onion
• 1 t. salt
• 1 t. black pepper
• 1/2 lb. lean ground beef (optional)
• 5 c. finely chopped mushrooms
• 1 t. minced garlic
• 3 T. tomato paste
• 1/2 c. dry red wine
• 1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 t. Italian seasoning
• 1 t. oregano
• 1 lb. pasta
• 1/4 c. pasta water
• Parmesan cheese and fresh chopped parsley or basil chiffonade
• Few shakes of cracked red pepper (optional)

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add the onion, salt, pepper, and ground beef.  Cook for 10 minutes or until beef is browned.
2. Add the mushrooms and garlic and cook for an additional 15 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated.  Add in tomato paste, wine, and tomatoes.  Bring to a boil then reduce to simmer for 30 minutes.  Stir occasionally.  
3. Meanwhile, make the pound of pasta according to package directions.  Reserve 1/4 c. pasta water.
4. Stir in the oregano and Italian seasoning.  Stir in pasta water.  Spoon over hot pasta and sprinkle with cheese and parsley.

**This sauce can be frozen for up to 6 months.  Great for a make-ahead meal!**

Source: As seen on and adapted by Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks from Cooking Light

Meal Plan Monday

Monday:  Meatloaf
Tuesday:  BBQ Chicken Burgers (with turkey)
Wednesday:  Crockpot Chicken Stroganoff
Thursday:  Spanish Chicken and Potato Roast
Friday:  Grilled Chicken Taco Pizza
Saturday:  Poverty Meal
Sunday:  Chicken Chimichanga

Also making:

Magic Fruit and Veggie Cupcakes
Roasted Asparagus

Meatless Monday: White Cheese Spinach Lasagna

Sloppy Presentation, Yummy Dinner

When I stumbled across this recipe from Does Not Cook Well with Others, I knew it was a "must-make."  My 4 year old is going through a phase where he doesn't want marinara on his pasta or toppings on his pizza, so when I read her story about her requirements as a kid, it resounded!

When I make this in the future, I will use only one package of spinach, a second clove of garlic, and perhaps some mushrooms.

I ran out of regular lasagna noodles, so threw in some no boil on top.  Bad move!  Don't do it!  They didn't cook properly and were awful!

The original recipe called for chicken, but I had a hard time fitting all of it without the chicken in the 9x12 pan!  It was delicious without the chicken, and I imagine it would be great with it too!

White Cheese Chicken Lasagna
Adapted from Does Not Cook Well with Others

Ingredients

• 9 lasagna noodles
• ½ cup butter
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup milk
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 4 cups shredded mozzarella, divided
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese, divided
• Dried basil
• Italian seasoning
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups ricotta cheese
• 1 (10-ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to salted water to boil, add lasagna noodles, and cook according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water.
2. In a large sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in the flour and salt, and simmer and stir for one minute. Mix in the broth, milk and cream, bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil for one minute while stirring. Add in 2 cups mozzarella cheese. Remove from heat and set aside. 
3. Coat 9x13 baking dish with nonstick spray, and spread ⅓ of the cheese sauce on the bottom of the pan. Lay three lasagna noodles over the cheese. Then layer the ricotta, and sprinkle with black pepper, Italian seasoning, and basil. Arrange 3 more lasagna noodles over the chicken, then another ⅓ of the cheese sauce, then the spinach, then the remaining 2 cups of mozzarella and ½ cup Parmesan. Arrange the remaining 3 lasagna noodles, then spread the remainder of the cheese sauce over the top.
4. Cover with tinfoil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the tinfoil and bake for another 15 minutes until the top is lightly browned and bubbly.

Meal Plan Monday

Monday-- White Cheese Chicken Lasagna
Tuesday--Meatloaf, by request
Wednesday--Sloppy Joes
Thursday--Crockpot Chicken Stroganoff
Friday--Mushroom Bolognese
Saturday--Tacos
Sunday--Easter!  Not sure what we're doing; a trip to a diner is likely.

Tater Tot Casserole

Sometimes, swapping ingredients for what you have on hand works like magic and sometimes things don't work out well.  For me, choices I make for swaps in this situations don't work well, so I don't know what I was thinking when I tried to make some changes to this recipe for a recent recipe swap.

First, I used shredded potatoes I had in the freezer.  Next, I made my own condensed cream of mushroom and condensed cream of chicken soups. The result was something pretty terrible.  I feel so bad that I bombed a recipe so much for a recipe swap, and I'm really sorry for screwing up Amy's recipe!  It's a definite make another time, THE RIGHT WAY, though, because it sounds like a great recipe, and I'm not really sure why these changes didn't work out

Here's the original recipe, shared by Amy:
Tator Tot Casserole Source:  Amy

1 pound ground beef or ground turkey
1 onion, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
tater tots
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
shredded Cheddar cheese

1. Brown ground meat with onion and some salt and pepper
2. Line a 9 x 13 casserole dish with frozen tator tots
3. Mix soup in with the meat and pour over the tator tots.
4. Sprinkle top with shredded cheese.
5. Put in 350' oven for about 45 minutes

Gnocchi Mac and Cheese

I was assigned this through a small recipe swap with some friends.  I actually neither made nor ate it because I was down for the count with a stomach virus, but my husband and kids said it was delicious.  The boys actually ate it, which hasn't been happening pretty much at all lately, and my husband raved too--the same husband who dislikes macaroni and cheese in almost all its forms.

Since I was on the couch, no photo, but I will surely be making this one again!  Many thanks to Laura, who shared this recipe for the swap.  Check out her blog and the recipe here.



Gnocchi Mac n’ Cheese Source:  Cuisine at Home via Laurie's Kitchen
1 pound purchased or homemade gnocchi
2 Tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon garlic powder (original calls for 2tsp fresh garlic)
3 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
3/4 cup milk
3 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup+ shredded Gruyere cheese
1/4 cup+ shredded fontina cheese
Salt and white pepper to taste
1/3 cup+ shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano
Basil leaves for garnish, optional

Preheat oven to 375.
Prepare gnocchi according to package directions. Drain and place gnocchi in a single-layer in a 1-1/2 quart shallow baking dish that has been sprayed with nonstick spray.
Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in garlic powder and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Whisk in flour until it thickens and bubbles, then whisk in milk and Dijon. Continue to whisk mixture and cook until slightly thickened, about 3-5 minutes.
Combine Gruyere and fontina, then add by the handful to milk mixture, stirring until melted before adding the next handful. Once all cheese is melted, season sauce with salt and pepper.
Pour sauce over gnocchi and sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano over top. Bake gnocchi until they puff and the cheese is golden and bubbly, about 25 minutes. Let gnocchi rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Meal Plan Monday

Another week, another plan!

Last week's menu didn't make it up last time, though it was planned.  I didn't make a few of these meals:

Monday:  Sicilian Cauliflower Pasta
Tuesday:  Easy Mexi Chicken
Wednesday:  Swiss Mushroom Turkey Burger
Thursday:  Chicken Marsala Wraps
Friday:  Ginger Soy Glazed Tilapia
Saturday:  Shrimp tacos with Mango Slaw
Sunday:  Chicken Chimichanga

This week, I'll try to make up what didn't get made, address my recipe swap responsibilities (I hosted and made an error so feel obligated to make two...)

Monday:  Tater Tot Casserole (Trying homemade Condensed Cream of Mushroom and Condensed Cream of Chicken)
Tuesday:  Gnocchi Mac and Cheese
Wednesday: White Cheese Chicken Lasagna
Thursday:  Chicken and Rice with Broccoli and Cheddar
Friday:  Ginger Soy Glazed Tilapia (I really am going to make this by the end of Lent!)
Saturday:  Chicken Caprese Sandwiches
Sunday:  Whatever hasn't gotten eaten!

Have a great week!

Recipe Swap! Easy Mexi Chicken

This go around for the recipe swap was inspired by the Secret Recipe Club, in which participants are assigned another participant's blog and make and blog any recipe there.

I was assigned the intriguing Feed Me Seymour! and selected Easy Mexi-Chicken.  Easy, it said, and I was intrigued.  I was also interested in the easy homemade salsa and the cheese sauce.

In my case, the salsa didn't come out as I'd hoped because my having sat on the counter for a mere three days tomato was moldy.  Luckily, I purchased two, and though two would have been the right amount, I decreased the onion and pepper.

The cheese sauce, however, was a HUGE hit.  My son kept saying how much he liked dinner--Momma got smart and put the meal on the boys' plates deconstructed, so they could dip dip dip everything into the cheese.  They both loved it, though the four year old passed one comment that the chicken was a little spicy.

I thought this was great, but struggled with a side dish to put alongside it.  I thought about rice, but ran out of time.  I think the suggested corn and bean salad would have been great, but it's not something my husband would eat.  So, I put carrots on the side and called it a day---this appears to have been delicious dipped in the cheese sauce!  It had a ton of flavor, between the spice rub and the salsa.

Thank you to Sarah for giving me a great blog to explore and to Kim for running said great blog!  Check out A Taste of Home Cooking for the Recipe Swap Roundup!

Easy Mexi Chicken Source:  Feed Me Seymour

Ingredients:

2 chicken breast, trimmed of fat and cut into halves

Cayenne pepper, chili powder, salt 

1 red onion, diced

1-2 tomatoes, diced

1 bell pepper, diced

splash of lime juice

Fresh cilantro

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup heavy cream

1-1 1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Pound chicken breasts flat between plastic wrap.  

2.  Sprinkle each chicken breast with cayenne, chili powder, and salt.  Rub to spread around whole side.  Flip and repeat on the other side.

3.  Cover a baking sheet with Silpat or foil, place chicken on top, and bake for 25-30 minutes or until done.

4.  Meanwhile, make your salsa by mixing onion, tomatoes, pepper, and lime juice in a medium bowl.  Sprinkle some chili powder and add some chopped cilantro.  Set aside.

5.  Next, prepare your cheese sauce by melting butter in a small saucepan.  When melted, add heavy cream and stir to blend.  By handfuls, add cheese and stir until blended and smooth.  

6.  Put it all together by layering chicken, cheese sauce, and salsa.

7.  Enjoy!

Quick Chicken Vesuvio

My husband decided he'd had enough and that he wanted to cook for a week so he could not do the dishes.  Thus, he gets the credit for this meal (though I will gladly take credit for adding it to the meal plan).  Further, because of an evening commitment, he didn't even get to eat this.

And boy did he miss out.

This was so good.  

The boys, of course, wanted mac and cheese or ravioli.   Because they're stinkers.  But I enjoyed it, and since this is MY blog....

But seriously, the potatoes were perfectly cooked--crispy and browned on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside.  The sauce was totally comforting and yum.  It's a bit heavy, so I don't know if I'd go ahead and serve this in the middle of August, but it's a great cool weather meal to put some meat on your bones.  My only criticism would be that the chicken needs to be cut smaller.  Otherwise, a great meal from Everyday with Rachael Ray!  So glad I picked that subscription back up!

Quick Chicken Vesuvio Source:  Everyday with Rachael Ray April 2012

•          1/3 - 1/2 cup EVOO
• 2 baking potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano, lightly crushed
• 2 pounds Salt and pepper
• 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into large chunks
• 1/2 cup Flour, for coating
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1/4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• Crusty bread, for serving

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees . In a large skillet, heat about 1/4 cup EVOO, 4 turns of the pan, over medium-high heat. Add the potatoes and garlic; season with the oregano and lots of salt and pepper. Cook, turning occasionally, until browned, about 15 minutes.
2. meanwhile, in a large, ovenproof skillet, heat a couple tbsp. EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, over medium-high heat. Season the chicken liberally with salt and pepper and coat in flour. Brown the chicken on each side until golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the wine and stock. Stir in the peas.
3. Transfer the potatoes and garlic to the chicken skillet and place in the oven. roast to cook the chicken through, 10 to 12 minutes. Top with the parsley and serve with bread for mopping.

Shrimp Taco with Mango Slaw

When I saw this in Food Network Magazine, I was intrigued.  My family likes tacos, shrimp, and fruit, so I thought this would be a good choice.  It was a fairly fast recipe, which is a major win for crazy weeknights, had great texture (the softness of the shrimp and mango combined with the crunch of the onion and slaw), and was pretty tasty too!

Next time, I will dice the mango rather than thin strips so it's more manageable in the taco and so the flavor is more evenly distributed.

Shrimp Taco with Mango Slaw from Food Network Magazine

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons Sriracha or other Asian chile sauce, plus more for serving
• 2 limes (1 juiced, 1 cut into wedges)
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 3/4 cup fresh cilantro
• 3/4 pound medium shrimp, peeled, deveined and halved crosswise
• 1 14-ounce package coleslaw mix
• 1 mango, peeled and sliced into thin strips
• 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
• Kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 12 hard taco shells

Directions

Make the dressing: Pulse the mayonnaise, Sriracha, lime juice, sugar, 1/4 cup cilantro and 1 tablespoon water in a mini food processor until smooth. (Or finely chop the cilantro and mix with the rest of the ingredients in a bowl.) Place the shrimp in a bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons of the dressing; set aside.

Roughly chop the remaining 1/2 cup cilantro. Toss with the coleslaw mix, mango, red onion and the remaining dressing. Season with salt.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally, until opaque, about 3 minutes. Transfer the shrimp to a plate.

Warm the taco shells as the label directs. Fill the shells with the shrimp and some slaw. Serve with the lime wedges and more Sriracha. Refrigerate any extra slaw for up to 3 days. 

Chicken and Broccoli Noodle Casserole

Surely you've heard that my 4 year old is in love with macaroni and cheese.  So when I found this recipe on Skinnytaste, and noted it had a macaroni and cheese base with some veggies and some more grown up flavors, I knew it would be a great dish to serve my family.  I also followed her directions to cook up some chicken breast in the crock pot--cover with water (or chicken broth) and cook on high for about 4 hours.  I went with water, but maybe should have chosen broth and some spices to bring some additional flavor to the chicken.  We thought the chicken was kinda bland and this made the whole dish pretty bland.

Of course, neither of my kids would touch it.  No, not because it wasn't delicious, but because they're going through this THING, this "I won't even touch the first dinner you give me, no matter what it is."

I'll definitely give this a try again, but with some changes.  More flavor to the chicken, maybe some extra garlic and a little bit of crushed red pepper to amp up the flavor.

Chicken and Broccoli Noodle Casserole Source:  Skinnytaste
Ingredients:

• 6 oz no yolk "egg" noodles (I used whole wheat)
• 2 tsp oil
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced thin
• 12 oz fresh broccoli florets, chopped
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 medium shallot, minced
• 3 tbsp all purpose flour
• 1-3/4 cups fat free chicken broth
• 1 cup 1% milk
• 12 oz cooked shredded chicken breast
• 4 oz shredded reduced fat sharp cheddar 
• cooking spray
• 3 tbsp shredded parmesan cheese
• 2 tbsp seasoned breadcrumbs

Directions:

Cook noodles according to directions in a pot of salted water, undercooking by two minutes.  Set aside.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic about 1 minute, until fragrant. until golden, about 1 minute. Add the broccoli and a little salt, sauté and cover the broccoli for about 3 minutes on medium heat until the broccoli begins to soften. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 375°. Lightly spray a 9 x 12 casserole dish with cooking spray.

Make the roulx in a large pot.  Over medium-low heat, melt butter; when melted add the shallot and cook until soft, 2-3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low , and add the flour and stir well, cooking an additional 2-3 minutet.


Slowly whisk in the chicken broth until well combined over medium heat; whisk well for 30 seconds, then add the milk and bring to a boil. Simmer on medium heat, mixing occasionally until it thickens (about 6-7 minutes). Remove from heat and add reduced fat sharp cheddar and 1 tablespoon of the parmesan cheese; mix well until the cheese melts.


Add the shredded chicken, noodles and broccoli to the sauce and mix well until evenly coated.


Pour into a casserole dish and top with parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs. Spray a little more cooking spray on top and bake for about 20 - 25 minutes. Place the casserole under the broiler a few minutes to get the crumbs crisp and golden (careful not to burn).

Meal Plan Monday

It's almost spring!  Hooray!  We're expected to have temps in the 70s this week, which makes me so happy.  I felt the need, however, to get in a few heavier meals this week before spring really comes.

Monday:  Quick Chicken Vesuvio, from April Everyday with Rachael Ray
Tuesday:  Bacony Egg Noodles, also from April's Everyday with Rachael Ray
Wednesday:  White Cheese Chicken Lasagna
Thursday:  Basil Shrimp with Feta and Orzo 
Friday:  Ginger Soy Glazed Tilapia (embarrassed I still haven't gotten around to this one!)
Saturday:  Mustgo night
Sunday:  Whatever I forgot to make!

Have a great week!  Hope you get to enjoy some outdoor time and some sunshine!