Creamy Chicken & Noodles

• 2 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
• 3 carrots, cut into "coins" and cooked to "fork-tender"
• 1/2 bag (8 ounces) frozen broccoli cuts, cooked to "fork-tender"
• 1/2 box (8 ounces) any pasta shape, cooked according to package directions (I used mini bowtie pasta)
• 1 can (10 3/4 ounces) "cream of" soup (any flavor will be good)
• salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder, to taste
• 1 cup reserved vegetable cooking water
• 1 chicken bouillon cube
• grated Cheddar cheese

1. Just mix everything in a Dutch oven, except cheese, and heat until hot and bubbly.
2. Sprinkle the cheese on top and allow to melt before serving.

Inspiration recipe here.

Family Favorite Waffles

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 3/4 cups milk
• 1/2 cup cooking oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

1. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture.
2. In another bowl, beat the eggs, slightly; stir in the milk, oil and the vanilla.
3. Add the egg mixture all at once to the flour mixture. Stir until just moistened (the batter should still be slightly lumpy).
4. Pour 1 to 1 1/4 cups batter onto the grids of a preheated, lightly greased waffle iron . Close the lid quickly and do not open until done.
5. When done lift the waffles of the iron with a fork.
6. Repeat the procedure with the remaining batter.

Cook's notes: I use a GE rotating waffle iron so I only have to use about 1/2 cup of waffle batter. I also use cooking spray to grease my waffle iron. This stays good in the refrigerator for several days so you can satisfy your inner waffle obsession for several days. I also double this recipe, which is below:

• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 eggs
• 3 1/2 cups milk
• 1 cup cooking oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

Follow directions as written above, using a 4 quart mixing bowl.

From the Better Homes & Gardens iTunes App

Sausage Rice Casserole

A Family Favorite!

•    1 can cream of mushroom soup
•    1 can cream of chicken soup
•    2 cans warm water
•    1 can (4 ounces) mushrooms, drained
•    1 cup rice, uncooked
•    1 pound hot or mild pork sausage
•    1 medium onion, chopped
•    ¼ teaspoon sage

1. In a 2 quart saucepan, mix soups and water; cook until smooth and warm.
2.  Add mushrooms and rice. Stir until blended.
3. Brown sausage and drain.
4. Add onion and sage and cook additional 3 minutes.
5. Pour soup mixture into a 9x13 baking dish and spoon sausage mixture on top.
6. Cook for 45 minutes at 375 degrees. You may garnish with American cheese slices after removing from oven.

What To Do With A Deluxe Macaroni & Cheese Dinner

I cooked my family a nice Sunday dinner and included a box of Best Choice Deluxe Macaroni & Cheese. It had great ideas for quick & easy meals that start with this classic.

Tuna Skillet Dinner

Using a prepared box of Mac & Cheese, add 1/2 cup milk and a can (10 3/4 oz.) of cream of mushroom soup. Stir until combined. Gently stir in a can (6 oz.) of tuna (drained) and a can (13 1/4 oz.) of Sweet Peas (drained). Heat to serving temperature.

Other Quick Dinner Ideas:

Combine one prepared box of Best Choice Deluxe Macaroni & Cheese with the following meat, vegetable and seasoning combinations.

#1-1 cup canned tuna, 1 cup cooked broccoli, 1/8 tsp. black pepper
#2-1 cup cooked ham, 1 cup sweet peas, 1/4 cup canned mushrooms
#3-1 cup cooked chicken, 1 cup cooked green pepper, 1/2 cup salsa
#4-1 cup cooked ground beef, 1 cup cooked red beans, 1/4 cup taco sauce

I hope these suggestions help you when you run out of dinner ideas!


**Disclaimer: Best Choice brand/Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. does not know I exist. Therefore, this post was not sponsored or in any way endorsed by them. I purchased all ingredients with my own money. The information shared in this post came straight off the box!

Melissa's Meatloaf

Everyone has their own meatloaf recipe, don't they? ;)

• 2 pounds ground chuck
• 2 cups fresh bread crumbs (about 5 slices)
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup to 1 cup chopped onion (1 medium)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• Ketchup

1. Run bread slices through food processor to make crumbs. Alternately, crumble the bread as fine as you can get it. It helps to let it sit and dry a little.
2. Mix all ingredients together, just until combined. If you wish, take a small amount of the meat mixture and cook on stove or microwave until done, to test seasoning. Adjust seasoning as desired.
3. Press meat mixture into a 13x9 inch pan (or shape meat mixture into miniature loaves) and bake at 375 degrees F. until cooked through, about 30-45 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F.
4. Drain off grease and lightly "frost" top with ketchup and put back in oven for 10-15 minutes until ketchup is warm and "set".

Cook's Note: I try to chop multiple onions up at one time and put extras in the freezer to use with other recipes.

Bacon & Cheese Chicken

• 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast per person
• salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste
• Barbeque sauce
• Cooked, crumbled bacon or "real" bacon bits (in a bag)
• Shredded Mozzarella cheese

1. Line a baking sheet or dish with aluminum foil. This makes clean-up very easy!
2. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
3. Season breasts with salt, pepper and garlic (or other spices)
4. Place on baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes, until they are no longer pink.
5. Spread barbeque sauce on each breast and put back in oven for approximately 10 minutes, so that barbeque sauce can thicken a bit.
6. Top each breast with bacon and cheese. Place back in oven for another 10 minutes until cheese is melted.
7. Optional: Top each with diced tomato and green onion, for garnish.

Adapted from: https://www.facebook.com/thattattooedcookingchick
October 27, 2014 Smoky Mountain Chicken post

Washday Cobbler

• 1/2 cup margarine
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 (29 ounce) can sliced peaches in light or heavy syrup

 

1. Set oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
2. Melt margarine in 13x9 casserole baking dish. Oven will preheat while margarine is melting.
3. Mix together sugar, flour, baking powder, salt and milk.
4. Pour batter in casserole dish (before fruit).
5. Add peaches (or other fruit).
6. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Batter will rise to the top of the peaches and form a fluffy, golden brown crust.

 

**Recipe published in Taste of Tradition cookbook by the Arkansas Extension Homemakers & submitted by Mrs. Nina Sweeden of Conway County.

 

Cook's notes: I routinely forget to put the fruit on the bottom. I just pour the batter evenly over the peaches and it turns out okay.

I like to use 1 large can and 1 small can of peaches because I like a lot of fruit!



Breakfast Bowls & Burritos

I cannot get enough of these...

• A roll of your favorite breakfast sausage, sausage links or patties, bacon or ham; browned, drained (if needed), cut into bite sized pieces
• A bag of frozen, diced hash brown potatoes (I use the potatoes "O'Brien", with the peppers and onions)
• Oil or butter
• Sliced cheese or shredded mild Cheddar cheese
• Scrambled eggs
• Soft Taco sized flour tortillas
• Diced Tomatoes or Salsa

1. Slowly brown the hash browns in a skillet with the oil or butter. If they get too brown before the potatoes are soft, just put them in the microwave for a couple of minutes to soften!
2. Everything else is cooked, so if you want a Breakfast Bowl, place the ingredients you like best in your bowl and enjoy!
3. For Breakfast Burritos, warm a tortilla in the microwave then layer the ingredients you like best, making sure you can roll it up when you are done!

Cook's notes: Others say to wrap the burritos in foil and freeze them. When ready to thaw them, just warm them in the oven for a few minutes.