Macaroni Tuna Casserole

I made this tonight for the girls and I. If you have kids, I'm sure you'll have all the ingredients you need for this recipe on hand! I topped this with Italian Bread Crumbs before adding the cheese to add a little bit more flavor and I like mine with a little bit more "crunch", so I added a small hand full of crumbled up chips (sour cream and onion) after I dished up my potion once it was done. I also used vanilla flavored Soy Milk in place of the regular milk in both the mac & cheese and in the casserole. We all gobbled it up!

Ingredients:
1 package (7-1/4 ounces) macaroni and cheese
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of celery soup, undiluted
1 can (6 ounce) tuna, drained and flaked
1/2 cup milk
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
Minced fresh parsley, optional

Prepare macaroni and cheese according to package directions. Stir in the soup, tuna and milk. Pour into a greased 2-qt. baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese and parsley if desired. Bake, uncovered, at 350º for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted. Yield: 4 Enjoy!!

Chicken Milano

I made this dish for a friend who just had a baby and had enough ingredients left over to make it for the girls and I the next night. I've been trying to make healthier choices these days and buy organic when I can. I bought a new organic sauce for this recipe but it wasn't as yummy as the non-organic brand I've used in the past. I'll have to try and new brand next time. ;)

Ingredients:
6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (4 ounces each) - you'll find a lot of chicken breast are larger then 4 ounces, cut them in half to make smaller pieces or pound them into 1/4-inch thickness, then thinly slice.
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 cup marinara sauce
1 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Swiss cheese, shredded
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350º F. Roll each chicken breast in flour; dip in beaten egg. Roll in bread crumbs to coat well. Heat butter in large skillet over medium-high heat; add chicken pieces. Cook until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes (be sure to keep a watchful eye on them, it doesn't take long for them to burn... ;) ). Mix marinara sauce and half-and-half in a small bowl, reserving 2 tablespoons. Arrange chicken in prepared dish. Mix mozzarella, Swiss and Parmesan cheeses in a small bowl. Sprinkle over chicken. Top with reserved sauce. Bake, loosely covered, until cooked through, about 30 minutes. Serves 6

I like to make fettuccine noodles and top them with the chicken and sauce.

I decided it would be best to wait on baking this until we got to her home, so I took the picture before I left my house.

Here's a picture of it with the fettuccine noodles. Enjoy!!

Chicken Fajita Pizza

This was soooo yummy but a little too spices for the girls. Little Princess Guinea Pig gave it a try and ate most of hers but Princess Guinea Pig only took a couple bites before she said "no, thank you" and said it was too hot. I think if I used a very mild salsa (instead of medium) in the future they may enjoy it more?
This recipe came with instructions on how to make your own pizza crust but I was being lazy and bought pre-made pizza crust. ;) I'll include the homemade pizza crust with the recipe and put a * on where I started.

Ingredients:
1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (110º to 115º)
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
2 teaspoons salt, divided
1 teaspoon sugar

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
2 cups sliced onions
2 cups sliced green peppers
2 teaspoons chili powder (I only used 1 teaspoon)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup salsa
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack or mozzarella cheese

In a bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add flour, 2 tablespoons oil, 1 teaspoon salt and sugar. Beat vigorously by hand 20 strokes. Cover and let rest about 15 minutes. Divide dough in half; press each portion into a greased 12-in. pizza pan. Prick dough several times with a fork. Bake at 425º for 6-8 minutes. * In a skillet, saute chicken in remaining oil until juices run clear. Add onions, peppers, chili powder, garlic powder and remaining salt; cook until vegetables are tender. Spoon over crusts; top with salsa and cheese. Bake for 14-18 minutes or until crust is golden and cheese is melted. Yield: 2 pizzas Enjoy!!

Taco Chicken Nuggets

Who doesn't love taco's or chicken nuggets?
Here we bring two of our loves together for a fun and flavorful nugget you're sure to love!

Ingredients:
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast (4 ounces each)
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 egg
2 tablespoons water
3/4 cup cornflake crumbs
1 envelope taco seasoning mix
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sour cream (and salsa)

Preheat oven to 375º F. Pound chicken to 1/4-inch thickness between sheets of waxed paper. Cut into bite-size pieces. Melt butter in a shallow baking sheet in the oven. Beat egg and water in a dish. Combine cornflake crumbs and taco seasoning mix in a plastic bag; shake to mix well. Coat chicken lightly with flour in a bowl. Dip into egg mixture, letting excess drain. Place in cornflake mixture; shake until completely coated. Arrange chicken on prepared baking sheet; do not allow nuggets to touch. Bake, turning once, for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels, if necessary. Serve with sour cream and salsa. (Or with ketchup if you're like my kids) Enjoy!!

Jack-o-Lantern Pancakes

~*Just a fun idea*~
We love making face pancakes at our house - we decided to make jack-o-lantern face pancakes this year for Halloween. The girls always love coming up with different creations!

Princess Guinea Pig's creation

Little Princess Guinea Pig's creation

Dijon Herb Pork Tenderloin

The recipe looked and sounded really good when I found it (their picture looks way better then mine, lol) and I was super excited because I had everything I needed already. After making it, I will be making a couple minor changes to the recipe. One being less sage, and adding 2 tablespoons of honey to the Dijon mustard to give it a hint of sweetness. ;) But over all, it was really good and everyone enjoy it!

Ingredients:
2 pounds pork tenderloin
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons dried sage
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 cup apple juice or dry white wine (I used apple juice)
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Serves 4

Preheat over to 375º F. Grease a medium baking dish. Cut pork into 1-inch slices. Arrange in prepared baking dish. Sprinkle pork with salt. Spread mustard on pork. Pat sage onto both sides. Drizzle melted butter over pork. Pour apple juice into baking dish. Bake pork until cooked through, about 20 minutes. Pour juices from baking pan into a small saucepan. Blend butter and flour with a fork in a small bowl; add flour mixture to saucepan. Cook over high heat, stirring continually, until sauce is thickened, about 1 minute. Drizzle over pork. Enjoy!