Monday, September 17, 2012

Vodka Pasta

When Kyle and I were first married, we had some friends invite us over for dinner and they made Vodka Pasta.
Kyle absolutely LOVED it!
Now we make it at least once a month.

Side note:
The original recipe called for 1 jar/can of Vodka sauce but we have only been able to find it at Target..and it was a bit pricey so we mix 1 can/jar or Alfredo sauce with 1 can/jar of spaghetti sauce until we like the consistency of the sauce.

Ingredients:
Pasta
1 can of Alfredo Sauce
1 can of Spaghetti Sauce
1 pkg of diced ham (Kyle likes a lot of ham so we always add more)
1 1/2 cup of cooked broccoli (cut into small pieces)

Directions:
Cook pasta and drain
Cook broccoli according to directions (I usually use the steamable bags because they are so easy) then cut up into tiny pieces
Mix in broccoli and ham
Then mix in sauces until you are comfortable with the consistency.

tada! that's it!

enjoy!

German Pancakes

I had never had these until Kyle and I were married. He loves them! and they are the easiest/fastest breakfast item ever!
And they are pretty good :)


Ingredients:
6 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt

Directions:
Preheat over to 400 degrees
Combine with electric blender until smooth
Melt 3 tbs of butter in 9x13 pan
pour batter into pan
bake for 20 minutes

You can top with whatever you want.
I've had syrup, jam, powdered sugar..
Whatever your heart desires!




Cheesy chicken broccoli over rice (Crockpot)

My sister has been staying with us and she wanted to invite this boy over that she is kind of dating for dinner.
It was short notice and because I am 38 weeks pregnant I wanted something easy, fast and yummy.

I searched and searched and finally came across this recipe.

We had all the ingredients, it's made in the crock pot, and it was delicious!

We also had family in town for a wedding, so we had to hurry and eat before they all showed up. Therefore, I didn't take a picture! so sorry! I totally spaced.

Ingredients:
3-4 boneless chicken breasts
1 10oz can cream of chicken soup
1 10 oz can cheddar soup
1 14 oz can chicken broth
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon garlic salt seasoning
1 cup sour cream
6 cups broccoli florets, just fork tender (I just used one bag of steamable broccoli)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
Place soups, chicken broth, salt, and garlic seasoning into a crock-pot over low heat.
Whisk until smooth.
Place chicken in, pressing to the bottom.
Cover lid and cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 3 hours
After the 3 or 6 hours, shred chicken and stir in sour cream and broccoli
Serve over cooked rice and top with cheese

Yuuummmmyyyy!!

Original recipe found here

Tator tot Casserole with Chicken, broccoli & Cheese

I found this recipe on Pinterest and decided I would give it a try because we had the ingredients and it looked easy.

The picture doesn't do it justice.
It turned out a little bit runny..Not quite sure what I did wrong but it still tasted good.

Ingredients:
2 small cans cream of chicken soup
2 small cans cheddar cheese soup
1 1/2 Cups milk
8-10 Cups broccoli florets
2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (bake or I throw mine in the pressure cooker)
1 teaspoon hot sauce (Tabasco or Chalula)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
1/8 teaspoon Lawry’s Garlic Salt with Parsley
1/2 bag Ore Ida Seasoned Tater Tots, frozen
1/2 Cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Place soup and milk into a large pot over medium heat. 
Whisk until smooth and heated through, about 5 minutes. 
Stir in broccoli and cook for 5 additional minutes to soften slightly. 
Stir in chicken, salt, pepper and garlic seasoning. 
Pour mixture into 11×7 inch baking dish that’s been sprayed with cooking spray.
Top evenly with tater tots and cheese; bake for 20 minutes then cover with foil.
Bake for an additional 15 minutes with dish covered with foil. 
Remove from oven and serve. 





don't judge me  for using paper plates..I didn't want to do dishes that night ;)

Sunday, September 16, 2012

crockpot spaghetti & chicken

Ingredients:
3 lb. chicken pieces (I guesstimate that 3-4 breasts equal one pound? I could be wrong though??)
1 (2/3 oz.) pkg. Italian salad dressing mix
4 tbsp. melted butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 (10 1/2 oz.) can cream of chicken soup
8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 lb. of spaghetti

Directions:
Place chicken pieces in crock pot and sprinkle Italian seasoning over chicken.
Sprinkle with 2 tbsp. melted butter.
Cook on low for 4-6 hours.
(We shredded the chicken after the 4-6 hrs)

Melt 2 tbsp. butter in a saucepan and sauté onion and garlic.
Add Cream of Chicken Soup, cream cheese, and chicken broth.
Stir until smooth.

Add this mixture to crockpot and cook on low for an additional hour.
Prepare spaghetti according to package directions.
Put chicken mixture on top of cooked spaghetti.


Blueberry Muffins with Streusel Topping


I had been CRAVING blueberry muffins.
I found dried blueberries for a great price and so I was on the search for the perfect blueberry muffin recipe.


I found this one and ended up doubling it.

I also ended up with A LOT of muffins and froze a whole bunch so they wouldn't mold.

I was amazed at how yummy they were.
I was surprised I made something that tasty ;)

I am a bit late at posting this, but I actually just pulled the last bag out of the freezer.
I once again, forgot to take a picture of the finished product, and I would take one of the ones I just pulled out but the tops got a bit squished so they don't look pretty.

Just a side note: I didn't use the whole full 2 cups of blueberries because in my first batch, they all sunk to the bottom so a lot of the blueberries ended up in the last group of muffins.
Also, I didn't have buttermilk so I made my own.


Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
5 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
5 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups fresh, frozen or dried blueberries
Additional sugar

Streusel Topping:
3 T white sugar
3 T brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
5 T melted butter

*Combine all ingredients until size of peas and set aside


Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, buttermilk and vanilla; mix well. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; stir into the creamed mixture just until moistened. Fold in blueberries (batter will be thick).

Fill greased or paper-lined miniature muffin cups with about a tablespoon of batter.

Sprinkle Streusel on top

Bake for 10-15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack.

Easy Peasy and Delicious!

Crock pot ranch potatoes

We had dinner at my brother and sister-in-laws house.
She asked if I could bring a side dish.

I searched Pinterest for ideas and I found this one.

I am always hesitant to make new things and serve them to people besides my hubby.
(he isn't afraid to tell me if it's a keeper or not)


I came home on my lunch and put it in the crock, so as soon as I got off work we could just go.

Boy, were they yummy!
We didn't even have any left over.

The recipes calls for red potatoes.
I didn't have red potatoes, just the regular ones and it worked fine.

Ingredients:
2-3 large potatoes, diced (about 1 inch or 1/2 sizes)
1 pkg. ranch dress mix
3/4 c. sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup

Directions:

Spray crock pot with cooking spray. Combine all ingredients except potatoes in a large bowl and stir well. Add potatoes and stir til the potatoes are completely coated. Pour in crock pot, cook on low for 4-5 hours or til potatoes are tender. Stir occasionally as cream and potatoes start to stick to the sides. You may need to add a little salt and pepper but taste first before you add any.

mmmmmm! Delicious!

And once again, because I was in a hurry, I forgot to take a picture.
But I found the original recipe here.