I have a new favorite chicken recipe...

We tried an awesome recipe last night that I got from the recipe exchange--Parmesan Chicken from Natalie Perry. In the words of my hubby, "Oh wow. This is some of the best chicken I've ever had!" We loved it! Even Joshua and Noah liked it a lot. These would be a picture to show you but I was having some technical difficulties with the camera...typical! :) So here it is, with some of my notes at the end.

Parmesan Chicken

3 sleeves Ritz crackers (crushed)
2 t onion salt
1 t garlic salt
1 t Accent (MSG) *I haven't tried substituting for this yet but would really like to
1/3 C Parmesan cheese (I use a bit more)

Mix above ingredients. Dip chicken breasts in sour cream, then dip in crumb mixture. Place chicken on cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. 10 minutes before the chicken is cooked, melt 1/4 C butter and drizzle over chicken.

*Okay, so here is what I did and my observations. I was a dufus and accidentally bought tenders instead of breasts and it worked just fine only I cooked it for 20 minutes, then drizzled the butter on, and cooked another five minutes. So tender and delicious! I add this just in case anyone would like to try it with the tenders, otherwise, I am sure Natalie's directions are superb. Just so you know, this makes a lot of crumbs and could be used to coat tons of chicken breasts. The only thing that went a little wrong (besides me buying the wrong meat) is that it stuck a little to the pan.
This meal is sooo yummy and rich. I love that there is no egg involved in the dipping process. This is a must try!

Hawaiian Wedding Cake

We are deep in the midst of packing so I thought I would add a recipe before they are all packed away. I love this cake! Joe is not a huge fan of it because of the pineapple (and he despises anything that resembles pina colada taste or smell), but I love it. It is very moist and has such a nice and light taste. It is an old family recipe...

Hawaiian Wedding Cake

1 yellow cake mix
1 medium can crushed pineapple (do NOT drain)
1 small pkg. instant vanilla pudding
1 small (3 oz) cream cheese (softened)
milk
Cool Whip

Bake cake in a 9x13 in. pan and let cool. Poke holes over surface of cake with a fork. Spread with the pineapple (juice and all). Mix pudding powder and cream cheese and thin slightly with milk. Spread mixture over the cake and top with a layer of Cool Whip. Enjoy!

recipe exchange

I am so excited! Our Relief Society is doing a recipe exchange tomorrow, so I will soon have many new things to try and to share with you.
If anyone would ever like for me to post a recipe of yours, please send it my way and we can add it to the blog for all to enjoy! :)

Chili Con Carne

Here is my favorite chili! It has just a tinge of heat and the right amount of spice. Serve it up with some cornbread and you have a delicious meal!

Chili Con Carne

1 lb. ground beef
2 C undrained kidney beans
chopped onion
1 stalk chopped celery
1 lb. can stewed tomatoes
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
2 t chili powder
1 t salt
pepper

Brown the beef, onion, and celery together. Once cooked, drain off any fat. Add all ingredients except for the beans and mix well. Cover and simmer for 30-45 minutes. Add beans and heat through.

Zucchini Quiche

Okay, so my hubby has packed a lot of my recipes, but I managed to find another favorite of ours. (Recipe is from Karen Howard, taken from a Quick Cooking magazine, I believe)

Zucchini Quiche

4 C thinly sliced zucchini
1 large onion thinly sliced
3 T butter
2 eggs
2 t dried parsley flakes
1/2 t salt
1/2 t each garlic powder, dried basil, and oregano
2 C shredded mozzarella cheese
2 t prepared mustard
1 (9 inch) pastry shell

In a large skillet, sute the zucchimi and onion in butter until tender; drain. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, parsley, salt, garlic powder, basil, oregano and pepper. Stir in cheese and zucchini mixture. Spread mustard over pastry shell; add egg mixture.
Cover and freeze for up to 2 months (I haven't tried freezing them yet, we always cook and eat immediately). Or bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean and crust is golden brown (cover loosely with foil after 25 minutes if needed to prevent overbrowning). Let stand 5 minutes before cutting.

To use frozen quiche: Thaw in the refrigerator. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees for 50-55 minutes. Cover loosely with foil after 35 minutes to prevent overbrowning. Cook until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean and crust is golden brown.

Thank you Paula Deen!

Thank you Paula Deen! I tried her Hurry Up Chicken Pot Pie and it was great! I got her recipe off her website: http://www.pauladeen.com/recipe_view/289 . I wanted to take a picture of mine but didn't think about it until I was staring at a half eaten pot pie (didn't think that it would be very pleasing to the eye :) ), so check out Paula's instead. Here it is on the blog, and some notes about things I added.


Hurry Up Chicken Pot Pie
Ingredients:
2 cup chopped cooked chicken breast
2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
1/2 cup thinly sliced carrots
1/2 cup frozen green peas
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of chicken soup
Salt and pepper, optional
1 1/2 cup instant biscuit mix
1 cup milk
1 stick melted butter
1 cup chicken broth

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a greased 2-quart casserole, layer the chicken, eggs, carrots, and peas. Mix the soup, chicken broth, and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Pour over the layers. Stir together the biscuit mix and milk, and pour this over the casserole. Drizzle butter over the topping. Bake until the topping is golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes.
Yield: 4-6 servings

**I cooked mine longer than 40 minutes because the biscuit part wasn't done all the way. It should be dond when the middle starts to brown. I also used food storage dehydrated carrots, rehydrated them, and it worked great. I also added about 2 t onion flakes into the soup mix because I love onion and think it adds great flavor.

Let me know if you try it and like it. This is definitely staying on the menu for our home!

Black bean and corn soft tacos

Here is a recipe for all of you that don't mind going meatless. It tastes best with the avocado slices, but the photo is without them because I was plain out!

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can corn, drained

1/2 C salsa

2 T lime juice, divided

2 T cilantro rinsed and chopped

1 1/2 C shredded pepper jack cheese (or you can use or mix with Monterey Jack so it's not too spicy)

1 avocado, sliced

tortillas

In a shallow 2 quart pan, mix cilantro, beans, and salsa, and 1 T lime juice. Spread the corn on top of the bean mixture and top with shredded cheese. Bake at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes. While that cooks, slice the avocado and sprinkle with remaining lime juice to retain freshness. In the last five minutes of cooking time wrap your tortillas in aluminum foil and put them in the oven too (this will make them nice and warm to fill up your soft taco). Take it all out, assemble your soft tacos, and enjoy! I like to use sour cream too. :)

Recipe taken and altered from a Sunset cooking magazine (I think that was the name!)

Craisin Salad

Salad:

1 head romaine lettuce, torn into medium sized pieces
2 whole green onions, chopped
1 C craisins
1/4 C sliced almonds
1/2 C diced celery
1 medium chopped avocado

Dressing:
1/4 C vegetable oil
2 T cider vinegar
2 T granulated sugar
1/2 t salt
1/4 t black or white pepper

1. Heat dressing ingredients until sugar dissolves, stirring constantly.
2. Cool dressing.
3. Mix salad ingredients.
4. Just before serving pour dressing over salad and toss well.
5. Serve and enjoy.

*I got this recipe off of www.recipezaar.com . When I did it I needed it for a large group, so I doubled the salad part and tripled the dressing so it would be plenty juicy! It is so yummy. What I love is that it doesn't have a heavy taste like when you use store bought salad dressing, so you feel like it is healthier (and I am sure it probably is)!