It's going to be another quickie post this week. We ended up with two snow days last week on Thursday and Friday (I should really call them sleet days as we had no actual snow), and after being gone all weekend, I'm just a bit behind.

Here's this week's menu. You'll see I'm relying on some freezer stash due to some evening activities. Enjoy and have a great week! Be sure to follow me on Facebook to get fast updates from the blog. :)

Sunday - Leftover Swiss Chicken and Biscuits, Salad

Monday - Chili (from the freezer), PB Sandwiches, Salad, Applesauce

Tuesday - Eat at family reading night

Wednesday - Mexican Chicken (from freezer) wraps, Strawberries, Salad

Thursday - Grilled Salmon, Broccoli, Salad, Strawberries

Friday - Turkey and Gravy (from freezer stash), Rice, Green Beans, Salad

Saturday -  Eat at church event

For more menu ideas, visit orgjunkie.com.

Sorry that the menu for this week is late. Monday was my birthday and a day off of school, so I decided to enjoy it and simply did no work. :)

I'll just make this a quick one. Enjoy and have a great week! Be sure to follow me on Facebook to get fast updates from the blog. :)

Sunday - Church small group potluck

Monday - Birthday dinner - mom made my favorite - Sauerkraut and Dumplings!

Tuesday - Grilled Pork Tenderloin (just marinated it in sundried tomato dressing, sliced it and put it on the grill), Green Beans, Salad, Strawberries and Blackberries

Wednesday - Leftovers

Thursday - Creamy Swiss Chicken with Cheddar Herb Biscuits (yes, we ate this last week, but it's that good!), Salad, Strawberries

Friday - Housesitter's choice

Saturday - Housesitter's choice

For more menu ideas, visit orgjunkie.com.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Valentine's Day on Thursday. We are not big "go out for a fancy dinner" kind of people. I really prefer to eat my own food. :) We will having a very nice steak and shrimp dinner that I am very much looking forward to enjoying with the boys. I do have two new chicken recipes on tap for this week, so check back soon for the photos. :)

Here's this week's menu. Enjoy and have a great week! Be sure to follow me on Facebook to get fast updates from the blog. :)

Sunday - Chicken Fettuccine Carbonara (new), Broccoli, Salad, Strawberries

Monday - Creamy Swiss Chicken with Cheddar Herb Biscuits (new - made ahead), Salad, Blackberries

Tuesday - Chili (made ahead), Sinfully Sweet Cornbread (from freezer), Salad, Applesauce

Wednesday - Leftovers

Thursday - Grilled Steak and Shrimp (no recipe - just throw them on the grill), Garlic Chive Mashed Potatoes (add garlic and chives into your normal mashed potatoes), Green Beans, Salad, Strawberries

Friday - Eat out

Saturday - Honey Roasted Pork Loin, Oven Roasted Asparagus, Salad, Strawberries

 

For more menu ideas, visit orgjunkie.com.  
 

This was a new recipe for me tonight, and there are definitely some things I will change next time I make it. I would cut the onion down to 1/4 cup and make sure they are sweet onions. I would also double the amount of sauce. It's definitely worth trying again, but needs some tweaking.

Ingredients


4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded flat
1/4 cup all purpose flour
8 ounces uncooked fettuccini  or spaghetti noodles
1 egg
1/2 cup fat free evaporated milk
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup dry vermouth
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese + more for serving
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 center cut bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
1/4 cup frozen peas, thawed

Cooking Directions

1. Season chicken breast with salt and pepper to taste; dredge in flour and then pan fry in a nonstick skillet sprayed with olive oil over medium high heat until browned on both sides. Set aside and keep warm.
2. Cook pasta in boiling water 10 minutes or until al dente; Drain pasta mixture in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1/3 cup cooking liquid. Combine reserved cooking liquid, eggs, and milk, stirring with a whisk.
3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and onion to pan; saute 2 minutes. Add vermouth; cook 1 minute.
4. Add pasta mixture; stir to combine. Remove from heat; stir in milk mixture and cheese. Place pan over medium heat, and cook 4 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; stir in parsley, salt, pepper, bacon and peas. Toss until peas are warmed through. Serve immediately with chicken; top with more Parmesan cheese if desired.

Recipe source - What's Cookin' Chicago?

This recipe has quickly become a family favorite. It is comfort food at its best. 





For Chicken Mixture: 

3 c. cooked, shredded chicken (I use a rotisserie chicken from Walmart)
2 c. frozen or canned vegetables (I used corn and green beans because that's all my son eats)
1 c. Swiss cheese, shredded
1/2 c. chicken stock
2 T. butter
2 T. flour
1 c. milk
1 t. onion powder
1 t. pepper
1 t. salt

For Biscuits:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 T sugar

1 T dried parsley

1/2 t dried rosemary

2 t baking powder

1/2 t salt

1/4 cup butter

4 oz. shredded cheddar

3/4 cup milk

1 egg

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and grease a 9x13 casserole dish.

In a bowl combine shredded chicken, veggies, chicken stock and seasonings.  In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.  Sift in flour and stir to combine, letting flour cook out for 2 minutes.  Stir in milk, bring heat up to medium high and stir until thickened {about 3-4 minutes}.  Sprinkle in Swiss cheese and stir until melted and combined.  Pour cheese sauce into chicken mixture, toss and pour into casserole dish. 

To make the biscuits, mix together in a large bowl the flour, sugar, parsley, rosemary, baking powder and salt. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles course crumbs. Stir in the cheddar cheese. In a separate bowl, mix together the egg and milk. Add to the crumb mixture all at once. Stir quickly with a fork to moisten. On a floured surface, roll out the dough and cut into biscuits. 

Place uncooked biscuits over the chicken mixture and brush with melted butter.  Bake for 35-40 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown and done.

Recipe adapted from Ally's Sweet and Savory Eats

It's Super Bowl Sunday, and while most of the country is waiting for the game to resume after the freak power outage, I'm trying to get my menu posted for the week. I have to admit, I'm just not a sports fan. I'd rather be watching the new episode of Downton Abbey. ;)

I made some fun soft pretzel bites for our Super Bowl treat, and my son made Southwestern Egg Rolls. Yum. I've got a new stromboli recipe on the menu for this week. I made it today and we'll just reheat later in the week.

Here's this week's menu. Enjoy and have a great week! Be sure to follow me on Facebook to get fast updates from the blog. :)

Sunday - Super Bowl: Soft Pretzel Bites, Southwestern Egg Rolls with Avocado Ranch Dipping Sauce

Monday - Salisbury Steak and Mashed Potatoes (made ahead), Green Beans, Salad

Tuesday - Ham & Cheddar Stromboli (made ahead), Salad, Strawberries

Wednesday - Spicy Shepherd's Pie (made ahead), Salad, Applesauce

Thursday - Grilled Shrimp Skewers with Creamy Cilantro Sauce, Broccoli, Salad, Strawberries

Friday - leftovers

Saturday -  Grilled Chicken Parmesan, Green Beans, Salad, Strawberries

For more menu ideas, visit orgjunkie.com.  
 

These take a lot of steps to make, but they taste wonderful and great for a special treat. I make the normal salty version and the cinnamon sugar version.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups warm (110 to 115 degrees F) water
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 package active dry yeast
22 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 4 1/2 cups
2 ounces unsalted butter, melted
nonstick spray, for pan
10 cups water
2/3 cup baking soda
1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water
Pretzel or sea salt

Directions:
Combine the water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam. Add the flour and butter and, using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until well combined. Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, approximately 4 to 5 minutes.

Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl and then spray it well with nonstick spray. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and sit in a warm place for approximately 50 to 55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line 2 half-sheet pans with parchment paper and lightly brush with the vegetable oil. Set aside.

Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in an 8-quart saucepan.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and gently deflate it.  Divide it up into approximately 6 equal portions.  Working with one piece at a time, roll the dough out into a long rope about 1-inch in diameter.  Use a pizza cutter to cut the row into small segments, no longer than 1-inch each.  Repeat with the remaining dough.

 Place the pretzel bites into the boiling water in batches so that they aren’t overcrowded.  Boil each batch for about 30 seconds, stirring once or twice to submerge all surfaces in the water.  Remove from the water with a slotted skimmer and spread out on the prepared baking sheets.

Once all the pretzels have been boiled, brush the tops with the egg wash and sprinkle lightly with salt. Bake in the preheated oven until dark golden brown, about 9-11 minutes.  Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Serve with melted cheese, marinara, mustard, etc. 

Cinnamon sugar variation: Make the basic dough recipe as instructed, omitting the sprinkling of salt before baking.  While the pretzel bites are baking, combine ¾ cup sugar and 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon in a small bowl.  Mix to blend.  In another small bowl, melt 3 tablespoons of butter.  When the pretzel bites are done baking and have cooled enough to handle, dip the top side briefly in the melted butter, then dip in the cinnamon-sugar mixture to adhere to the surface.  Gently shake off any excess.  Repeat with the remaining pretzel bites.  Let stand 5-10 minutes to allow the mixture to set on the surface of the pretzel.

Recipe source - Alton Brown and Annie's Eats

This stromboli is easy to make and uses a no-rise whole wheat dough. You can use whatever fillings you like. It makes two stromboli rolls. I made one with ham and cheddar and one with pepperoni and mozzarella.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 T instant dry yeast
1 cup + 1 T warm water (110-115 degrees F)
2 T canola oil
2 T sugar
3/4 t. salt
3 cups whole wheat flour *
Toppings of your choice (i.e. ham, pepperoni, veggies, etc.)
Shredded cheese of your choice
Olive Oil
Oregano

*You can use half whole wheat flour and half white whole wheat flour. Or, you can use half whole wheat flour and half all-purpose flour (that's what I did as I was out of white whole wheat). 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425.

Combine the warm water and yeast in a mixer bowl. Add in the sugar, salt and oil. Let it sit about 5 minutes until yeast begins to foam.

Add in the flour and mix with dough hook until combined. Knead the dough for 5 minutes using dough hook on mixer at medium speed until dough pulls clean away from the sides of the bowl.

Cover the bowl with a towl and let it rest for 5 minutes.

Divide the dough into two parts. Roll out each half on a lightly floured surface into a large rectangle. Add toppings on top of dough, covering most of the surface. Just leave a little space on the edges. Starting on the long side of the rectangle, roll up the dough jelly-roll style. Pinch ends closed and seal the seam with a little water. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with oregano.

Place seam side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at  425 degrees F for 20 minutes.

Slice and serve with sauce of your choice (i.e. marinara, ranch, etc.).

Recipe modified from Finding Joy in My Kitchen