Chicken Tetrazzini

• 8 oz tortellini (or you can use spaghetti noodles)
• 2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1/2 cup sliced green onions
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 1 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 1 1/4 cup milk/half and half/light cream
• 2 cups chopped cooked chicken
• 2 Tbsp apple juice (in place of sherry, optional)
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Cook noodles and drain.

In a large saucepan, cook mushrooms and green onions in hot butter until tender. Stir in flour, pepper, and nutmeg. Add broth and milk all at once. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Stir in chicken, apple juice, and half of parmesan cheese. Add noodles, stir gently to coat.

Pour into 2 qt baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining parm cheese and almonds. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

Recipe given to me by Marné Fletcher

Cranberry Chicken

• 8 oz Catalina dressing
• 1 pkg onion soup mix
• 1 can of whole cranberry sauce
• 4 chicken breasts

Cooking Day
Mix everything together toss it in a freezer bag.
Serving Day
Thaw completely. Place Chicken and sauce in greased baking dish. 350 degrees for 1-1 ½ hours.

Parmesan Garlic Chicken

• 6 chicken breasts
• 1 C parmesan cheese
• 1 Italian dressing mix
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• ½ C olive oil

Cooking Day
Mix cheese, garlic, dressing mix. Dip chicken in oil then coat with mixture. Wrap each coated chicken breast individually in plastic wrap, place in freezer bag.
Serving Day
Thaw completely. Unwrap chicken, place in greased baking dish. Bake 400 45-60 mins.

Grilled Honey Lime Chicken

• 4 chicken breasts
• ½ C lime juice
• ½ C olive oil
• ¼ C honey
• ¼ C cilantro, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 t chopped jalapeno pepper

Cooking Day
Mix together everything but chicken. Place marinade and chicken into freezer bag. Freeze.
Serving Day
Thaw completely. Grill or bake at 400 45-60 mins.

All-Seasons Seasme Chicken

• 3 lbs chicken
• ½ C olive oil
• ½ C soy sauce
• 2 T ginger
• 1 T dry mustard
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• ½ C green onion, chopped
• 3 T sesame seeds
• pepper

Cooking Day
Mix everything but chicken to create marinade. Marinate chicken over night.
Reserve marinade and boil for 2 minutes. Cook chicken (grill, bake, fry). Place chicken and marinade into freezer bags.
Serving Day
Use chicken for salads, sandwiches, stir-fry. Reheat in oven or microwave.

Meatballs and Ideas

For every 1lb of hamburger:

• ½ C of Italian bread crumbs
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 C parmesan cheese
• 1 t salt
• 1 t pepper
• 1 T dry minced onion
• 1/3 C milk (this makes it melt-in-your-mouth wonderful)
• 1 T parsley
• 1 egg

Mix together. Shape into balls.
Bake in a greased baking pan at 350 for 25 minutes.
Let cool, place in freezer bags and throw into the freezer to await use.

WHAT TO DO WITH THEM:

Spaghetti (yawn)
Last minute Stroganoff, substitute the roast with meatballs.

BBQ Meatballs

• frozen meatballs

• 1 jar of grape jelly

• 1 bottle of spicy BBQ sauce or chili sauce

Put ingredients into a greased crockpot on high for two-three hours. Serve over rice or on a sub roll.

Meatball Subs

Meatball Soup:

• Frozen Meatballs
• Chicken broth
• 1 package of frozen stew veggies
• 1 C of egg noodles
• minced garlic
• seasoning to taste

Throw everything into a crockpot EXCEPT THE NOODLES for four hours on low. Prepare noodles and fold in before serving.

Asian Meatballs

2 lbs ground chicken (I've used hamburger before, it's just not as light but still good)
1 bunch cilantro, washed and dried, steams removed and chopped
2/3 C bread crumbs
1/4 C soy sauce {recommend low sodium}
4 chives chopped {about 2 tbsp}
2 cloves garlic minced
2 T sesame oil
1/2 T ground ginger

Mix. Shape. Cook in oven for 20 minutes on 375.

Make in bulk and FREEZE.
Can serve with a dipping sauce, be cooked in sweet and sour sauce and served over a bed of rice OR can be thrown into a chicken based soup with stir-fry veggies. Yum. Yum.

Recipe from Alice and the Mock Turtle

Poppyseed Chicken

• 3-4 chicken breasts, cooked & cubed
• 1 can of cream of chicken soup
• 1 C sour cream
• 2 C crushed Ritz (aka butter crackers) (about 1 sleeve)
• 3 T melted butter
• 1 T poppy seeds

In a bowl mix soup and sour cream. Set aside.
In a bowl mix crushed Ritz, poppy seeds and butter. Set Aside.
In a casserole dish, place cubed chicken followed by soup mixture then topped with Ritz crumbs. Giving you three layers of goodness.
Bake at 370 for 20-30 minutes.

Freezable.

Cafe Rio

SWEET PORK

• 2 pounds pork
  
• 3 cans Coke (NOT diet)
  
• 1/4 c. brown sugar dash garlic salt
  
• 1/4 c. water 1 can sliced green chilies
  
• 3/4 can enchilada sauce (I used Old El Paso brand, medium spiciness)
  
• 1 c. brown sugar
  

Put the pork in a heavy duty ziploc bag to marinade. Add about a can and a half of coke and about 1/4 c. of brown sugar. Marinade for a few hours or overnight. Drain marinade and put pork, 1/2 can of coke, water, and garlic salt in crock pot on high for about 3-4 hours (or until it shreds easily, but don't let it get TOO dry). Remove pork from crock pot and drain any liquid left in the pot. Shred pork. In a food processor or blender, blend 1/2 can Coke, chilies, enchilada sauce and remaining brown sugar (about a cup, you can add a little more or less to taste..). If it looks too thick, add more Coke little by little. Put shredded pork and sauce in crockpot and cook on low for 2 hours. That's it!

NOTE: freezes very well!

CILANTRO-LIME RICE

• 1 c. uncooked rice
  
• 1 tsp. butter or margarine
  
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
  
• 1 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
  
• 1 can (15 oz) chicken broth
  
• 1 cup water
  
• 1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
  
• 2 tsp. sugar
  
• 3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

In a saucepan combine rice, butter, garlic, 1 tsp. lime, chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low 15-20 minutes, until rice is tender. Remove from heat. In a small bowl combine lime juice, sugar and cilantro. Pour over hot cooked rice and mix in as you fluff the rice.

CILANTRO RANCH

• 1 packet TRADITIONAL Hidden Valley Ranch mix (not BUTTERMILK)
  
• 1 c. mayonnaise
  
• 1 c. buttermilk
  
• 2 tomatillos, remove husk, diced
  
• 1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro
  
• 1 clove garlic juice of
  
• 1 lime
  
• 1 jalepeno

Mix all ingredients together in the blender. Thats it!

Here is how we put it all together: First of all, we bought the aluminum deep-dish pans (they had these at the grocery store, you will know when you see them.. they look JUST like the Cafe Rio tins). Lay a tortilla in the bottom cheese is melted. Remove from oven, add beans, rice, pork, then lettuce (we used the leafy green lettuce, NOT ICEBURG) and a little scoop of diced tomato and onions (pico de gallo). We made up some gaucamole and put some of that on the salad (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED). We also added a little spoonful of sour cream. Add some crushed tortilla chips (we have yet to find the little tortilla strips), a shake of parmesan cheese, and top with a few cilantro leaves. Serve with the cilantro ranch dressing and there you have it!

Recipe given to me by Marné Fletcher, who got it from someone else.

Crock Pot Chicken aka Cream Cheese Chicken

• 3 pounds of chicken breast
• salt & pepper -- to taste
• 1 pkt Italian Dressing Mix
• 1 can condensed chicken soup
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 1 tablespoon minced onion

Place the first three ingredients in a crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 6 – 7 hours. About 45 minutes before done, mix soup, cream cheese, and onion in a small saucepan. Cook until smooth. Pour over the chicken. Cover and cook another 45 minutes.

To freeze: Cool and place in 1 gallon Ziploc bag. Lay flat to freeze.

To Serve: Reheat and serve over rice, pasta or potatoes.

Manicotti

• 1 box manicotti
• 1 jar of your favorite tomato sauce
• 2 T EVOO
• 6 oz (or more…) mushrooms, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• some frozen chopped spinach, thawed slightly
  
• 2 eggs
• 15 oz ricotta cheese
• 2 T dried basil
• 1/2 C Parmesan Cheese
• salt and pepper to taste

PREHEAT oven to 350°F.
COOK Manicotti for 7 minutes; drain and rinse in cool water. Set aside.
HEAT oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and garlic; sauté 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in spinach; continue cooking 5-8 minutes. Set aside to cool.
BEAT eggs lightly in medium bowl. Stir in ricotta, basil and salt. Stir in mushroom mixture.
SPREAD ¾ cup sauce over bottom of 9x13-inch baking dish. Fill Manicotti with mushroom mixture; place in dish. Pour remaining Sauce evenly over filled shells; sprinkle with cheese. Cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Uncover; continue baking 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Recipe taken and altered from Barilla box

Zucchini Pie

• 1 pie crust, unbaked
• 1/4 cup butter
• 4 cups sliced zucchini
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano, dried
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
• 2 cups shredded cheese, I used a combination sharp cheddar and mozzarella
• 2 extra large eggs, beaten

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Line a pie plate with the pie crut. Set aside.

Melt butter in a large saute pan and add zucchini and onion. Saute for about 8 minutes. Add the parsley, salt, pepper, oregano and garlic salt. Toss to coat. Cool slightly and then add cheese and eggs and mix. Pour into the prepared pie crust and bake for about 25 - 30 minutes. Cool slightly before serving.

Recipe from Dinner for a Year and Beyond

Ham & Swiss Rolls

• 2 T. dried minced onions
• 1 T. yellow mustard
• 1 T. poppy seeds
• 1 stick melted butter
• 1 dozen dinner rolls (potato rolls)
• 1/2 pound ham
• 1/2 pound thinly sliced Swiss cheese

Preheat oven to 325°. In a small mixing bowl mix onion, mustard, poppy seeds, and melted butter. Leaving the dinner rolls intact, slice them open so that you have one solid top and bottom. Place the bottom half in a baking pan.
Line the bottom half of the rolls with cheese slices and ham. Return the top part of the rolls and drizzle the butter mixture evenly over top. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and let bake for another 5 minutes or until top of roll seems toasted. Separate cooled rolls with a sharp knife.

Note- These can be made ahead of time and refrigerated, may require 5 more minutes of baking. Also can be prepared ahead and frozen. Defrost in refrigerator overnight and bake as directed. I love keeping a pan of these in the freezer for emergencies. Leftovers can be reheated in the microwave for about 15-20 seconds.
And easily cut in half to serve less!

Recipe from Big Red Kitchen

Super-good Chicken Enchiladas

Dinner Rolls

• 2 ½ C flour
• ¼ C sugar
• ¼ C powdered milk
• 1 t salt
• 1 T yeast
• 1 ½ C water, very warm
• ¼ C butter (softened)
• 1 egg

In a stand mixer place 1 cup flour, sugar, powdered milk, salt. Mix well before adding yeast. Add warm water slowly, mixing well. Add butter and egg, then blend in enough of the remaining flour to form a soft dough (not sticky) (this may take a little more than 2 ½ cups). Let rise until double, about 1 ½ hours. Punch down and shape as desired (crescent, cloverleaf, parker house). Let shaped rolls rise 20-30 minutes. Bake 12-15 minutes at 400 degrees F. **Note: This is excellent dough for sweet rolls (cinnamon or orange).

Recipe from Sylvia Lyons

Biscuits

What You Need:
2 cups of flour
2 t baking powder
1 t salt
4 T mayo
1 cup of milk

DIRECTIONS:
Mix dey ingredents then cut in mayo. Add milk and mix until dough is formed. The dough should be slightly sticky.
Form 12 balls from dough, place balls into a greased muffin pan.
Bake at 450 for 8-10 mintues.

TIP: Mayo is fairly expensive, there are other recipes that just use oil. Whatever baking powder biscuit recipe you use try a muffin pan! It keeps the biscuits soft and they don't end up flat!

Stuffed Bell Peppers

• 4 to 5 bell peppers (I like the yellow and red ones, but if you like the green, go for it!)
• 1 cup cooked hamburger
• 1 can of tomato sauce, divided
• garlic salt
• parsley
• an assortment of veggies (I like various beans, zucchini, tomatoes and onions)
• almost 2 cups cooked rice
• cheese

Half each pepper, scoop out seeds and rine. Set aside.
Take a sauce pan, brown rice with oil, add first half of tomato sauce, sprinkle with parsley and garlic salt, let simmer on low for a few minutes, remove from heat. Add veggies and hamburger to the mixture.
Fill each pepper half with the mixture. Top with cheese.
Place in a greased crock pot, pour remaining sauce over contents. Cook on LOW for three hours. Sprinkle cheese on top and serve with sour cream.
OR cook it in the oven for 40 minutes at 350.

Cake Mix Cookies

• 1 box of cake mix
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 C of oil
• 1 cup of fillings

Mix ingredients together. Use a tablespoon to spoon dough onto a foiled cookie sheet. Bake for 7-9 minutes at 350. Let cool to set for 10 minutes.

BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

• 3 cups of cooked shredded chicken or *4 raw chicken breasts
  
• 1 bottle of BBQ sauce
• 1 onion, chopped (optional)
• 1 can of pineapple slices (optional)
• seasoning, salt and pepper
• buns

Easily Peasily.
Place chicken, sauce, seasoning, and onion into your handy-dandy crock pot. Leave in there for 3 hours on LOW if you are using cooked chicken. Stir and serve on a bun.
Top chicken with a pineapple slice for extra yumminess.
* If you are cooking with RAW chicken, add ½ cup of water, and cut back to half a bottle of sauce, and cook for 4-5 hours on HIGH. Shred, and pour on the remaining sauce and stir.
SUGGESTION: SO GOOD with coleslaw, I just put the slaw on my BBQ sandwich. I know. I'm a total pig, but a happy one. : )

Baked Chicken Alfredo

• 1 cup shredded chicken, cut into chunks
• 1 jar of Alfredo sauce or make your own
• rotoni pasta
• mozzarella cheese
• frozen veggies (usually California mix with carrots, broccoli and cauliflower)
• seasoning, salt, pepper, and basil

Prepare frozen veggies (I usually boil until tender) then chop down to bite-sized bits.
Prepare rotoni al dente. Set aside.
Season the shredded chicken with basil, garlic salt and pepper, so a quick fry in a pan.
Combine chicken, veggies and noodles into a mixing bowl, fold in sauce.
Layer the baking dish with noodles, salt and pepper, and cheese. Top dish with cheese.
Bake at 300 for 30 minutes.
SUGGESTION: Cover the dish with tin foil before baking so the cheese becomes gooey not dry and crispy.