Chicken Broccoli Divan

This was extremely easy to make, but I thought that it didn't have any taste. The girls didn't even think about eating it, but that seems to be their m.o. lately with dinner. Anna and I made gingerbread cookies earlier that they ate about an hour before dinner, so that did not add to their desire to eat the broccoli :).

Grade: B-

Ingredients:

4 cups cooked broccoli flowerets
1 1/2 cups cubed cooked chicken
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup (Regular or 98% Fat Free)
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
2 tbsp. dry bread crumbs
1 tbsp. butter, melted


Directions:
Place the broccoli and chicken into a 9-inch pie plate.

Stir the soup and milk in a small bowl. Pour the soup mixture over the broccoli and chicken. Sprinkle with the cheese. Stir the bread crumbs and butter in a small bowl. Sprinkle the bread crumbs mixture over the cheese.

Bake at 450°F. for 20 minutes or until the chicken mixture is hot and bubbling.

Anna looking oh so happy to eat

Emily actually escaping out of her high-chair so she wouldn't have to eat.

Lucy praying that I don't make her eat it.

Sarah...she looks like she is going to eat it, but she just set it down beside the bowl.

Sausage and Broccoli with Pasta

This dinner was very good. I made it during half time of a football game that a friend of ours came over to watch. It was quick and easy, like most of the dinners that I make are! Jen actually started to crave sausage after eating this dish. I used flower shaped pasta that Anna picked out instead of the corkscrew variety.

Grade: A-

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb. sweet Italian pork sausages, casing removed
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Broccoli Soup (Regular or 98% Fat Free)
1/2 cup milk
1 bag (about 16 ounces) frozen broccoli cuts
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
4 1/2 cups corkscrew-shaped pasta (rotini), cooked and drained
crushed red pepper


Directions:
Cook the sausage in a 6-quart saucepot over medium-high heat until well browned, stirring often to separate meat. Pour off any fat.

Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion and garlic to the saucepot and cook until they're tender, stirring occasionally.

Stir the soup, milk, broccoli and 1/4 cup cheese in the saucepot and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until the sausage is cooked through and the broccoli is tender, stirring occasionally.

Add the pasta and toss to coat. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Serve with the red pepper, if desired.

"Aunt" Jane posing for the camera

Anna taking a bite

Emily putting her milk aside.

Sarah guzzling her milk down.

Lucy is showing Jane that she is strong.

Super Easy Toffee

This toffee recipe is amazing and easy you cannot ask for anything more. This recipe was circulated around the school that I teach at so I must give credit. there is not any pictures for this, but trust me, it is great.

Grade: A+

Easy Toffee
1 box of Saltines (any variety, I used multi-grain)
1 cup butter (NOT MARGARINE)
1 cup Brown Sugar
1 12 oz chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans

Grease an 11x15 in jelly roll pan very well with non-stick spray. Line the jelly roll pan with the saltines. Boil the brown sugar and butter to 235 degrees or for 2 minutes (forms all in cold water). Pour over crackers and bake for 10-12 minutes on 325 degrees.
Take out of oven and sprinkle the chocolate chips. When the chips turn glossy, spread over evenly and sprinkle with nuts. (Chill to set 10-15 minutes in the refrigerator)

Spinach Tortellini Soup

I made this soup when Jen and the girls were in Columbus. I put a little bit more pepper in it than it called for and it had a nice kick. It was easy to make and really good.

Grade: B+


Ingredients:

4 cups Swanson® Natural GoodnessTM Chicken Broth
1/4 tsp. garlic powder or 1 clove garlic minced
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
3/4 cup frozen or shelf-stable cheese-filled tortellini (about 3 ounces)
2 cups coarsely chopped fresh spinach leaves


Directions:
Heat the broth, garlic powder and black pepper in a 3-quart saucepan over high heat to a boil.

Reduce the heat to medium. Stir in the tortellini. Cook for 10 minutes. Stir in the spinach. Cook for 5 minutes or until the tortellini is tender but still firm.

Time-Saving Tip: Use 1 cup frozen cut leaf spinach for the fresh spinach.

Ranch Chicken Nuggets with French Fries

Not an impressive picture of the food, but it really wasn't that "impressive" of meal.

I made the ranch chicken for Jen when we were first dating. Of course it was not in nugget form however. This was an easy meal to prepare and make and only took 35 minutes from start to finish. I do not have an exact recipe for this one, so I will just write what the ingredients are and what I did and when. Enjoy!

Grade: B

Ingredients:
Ranch dressing
Breadcrumbs
Boneless chicken breast
Potatoes
Seasoning salt
Vegetable oil
Non-stick cooking spray

Directions:
First turn your oven on to 350-400 degrees depending on how hot or cold your oven cooks. Next wash the potatoes and slice them into what ever shape/size you want your fries. Place the fries into a bowl and add oil to coat and as much seasoning salt to your own families specific taste. Put the fries in a baking pan/sheet. Place them in the oven for 20 minutes and give them a shake or turn them to check them. I am assuming they will need more time, but you would not want to burn them.
After your potatoes are in the oven, take your chicken breast out and give it a quick wash. Take out a skillet and put it on a burner on med-high heat to pan fry the chicken. Cut the chicken into the size that you want the nuggets or keep it bigger if you would want. Add vegetable oil to the skillet. In two separate bowls pour in the ranch and breadcrumbs. Put the chicken pieces into the ranch dressing and then the breadcrumb bowls and then place in the skillet. After all of the chicken is in the skillet keep an eye on it and turn it over before it starts to burn. It should have a nice brown color to it, but not BLACK. ;-)
When the chicken is ready to take out of the skillet, place on a plate that has paper towel on it to soak up any grease that is present.
Once the fries are complete, take them out of the oven. And enjoy dinner.
I made this when Jen wasn’t home and had the triplets and Anna running around. It really is that easy.

Anna showing impecable table manners ;-)

Lucy stuffing her face

Emily drinking her milk between nuggets

Sarah considering eating

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

This was an easy dump the ingredients in the crockpot and let it slow cook. I highly recommend it. The next time I make this I will by the reduced sodium beef stock because the beef was a little too salty.

Grade: B

Prep Time:
15 min
Total Time:
7 hr 30 min
Makes:
8 servings
What You Need
2 lb. boneless beef for stew, cut into 1-inch cubes
10 oz. mushrooms, halved
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup beef broth
2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. salt
1 cup BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream
2 Tbsp. flour
1 Tbsp. GREY POUPON Dijon Mustard
1 pkg. (16 oz.) egg noodles, uncooked
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

Make It
PLACE meat, mushrooms, onions and garlic in slow cooker. Add broth, paprika and salt. Cover with lid.

COOK on LOW for 7 to 8 hours (or on HIGH for 5 hours).

MIX sour cream, flour and mustard. Add to meat mixture in slow cooker; stir until well blended.

Cover and cook on LOW for 15 min. Meanwhile, cook noodles as directed on package. Drain noodles; place in serving bowl. Add meat mixture; mix lightly. Sprinkle with the parsley.


Anna with some noodles on her face.

Sarah trying to stab the noodles before throwing it on the floor.

Lucy giving you the evil eye.

Emily taking her passafier out to squeeze in a bite.

Grilled cheese (mozzarella & Basil Pesto) and Broccoli Soup

This was a great meal. The girls had the "fancy" grilled cheese and Jen and I had 1/2 sandwich and the soup. This meal was fun to make and much more fun to eat. I do not have a food processor so I used my blender to make the pesto and soup. I got the soup recipe from watching a Chef Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmare over the summer. I saw how he made it with no effort and he said how good it was. I didn't believe how good or easy the broccoli soup would be, but Chef Ramsey didn't disappoint. It was great! The girls all tried one spoonful of the soup and they all liked it (for the most part). The grilled cheese was a hit with everyone.

Grade: A+

Grilled Cheese (Smoked Mozzarella & Basil Pesto)

Ingredients:

Basil Pesto

2 c fresh basil leaves

1 c fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley leaves

1/2 c grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1/2 c pine nuts, toasted

3 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 c extra-virgin olive oil

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Bread

slices of smoked mozzarella

butter

I added cheddar cheese

*for pesto, in a food processor combine basil, parsley, Parmigiano-Reggiano, pine nuts, garlic, salt, and oil and pulse until well combined but still rough in texture.

After you make the pesto, assemble the sandwich like a regular grilled cheese putting pesto, on one half and mozzarella on the other. Put them together and place in a frying pan.

Super Easy Broccoli Soup:

All you need is:

water

salt

2 large heads of broccoli. Cut the florets off of the broccoli and make the stems cut down to the same size.

1. Water in a large stock up to a boil. Place the broccoli in the water for 3 1/2 to 4 minutes.

2. Using a slotted spoon pick the broccoli out of the water and into a blender.

3. Add water from the broccoli pot into the blender. Do not start with too much water as you can always add more if the soup is too thick.

4. Puree the mixture. If too thick add more water. Make sure the water is from the pot that you boiled the broccoli in.

Emily: sampling the soup

Sarah: thinks it is so good, she needs to kiss before she eats it!

Lucy: Copying Sarah

Emily: Finally feeling good enough to eat it all up!

Anna:Not pictured (sorry)