Easy Chicken Pot Pie

 * Recipe Adapted from Campbell Soup "Ultimate Chicken Pot Pie" recipe

Preheat Oven to 400 degrees (maybe 375)

1 package (about 14 ounces) refrigerated pie crust (2 crusts), at room temperature

1 can (10 oz) Cream of Chicken Soup

1/3 c water or milk

2 cans (10 oz each) of canned chicken

2 c frozen mixed vegetables (thawed)

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (about 4 ounces)

Combine cream of chicken soup, water and seasonings in a bowl (salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder to taste) and stir

Add canned chicken & vegetables and stir to combine. 

Roll out crust onto bottom of pie plate, pour chicken mixture in and spread. Sprinkle cheese over the top of mixture. Place the remaining pie crust over the filling.  Trim any excess.  Crimp the edges of the top and bottom crusts together.  Using a sharp knife, cut several slits in the top crust.

Bake for approx 35 minutes until crust is golden brown.

Cornbread Casserole (made with Jiffy cornbread mix)

Corn Bread Casserole

This is a Cook family recipe that I had at my first Thanksgiving with my in-laws. So delicious I've adopted and adapted it as one of my own :).

2 eggs

1 stick butter – softened

1 8oz sour cream
1/4 c milk

1 can creamed corn

1 can corn – drained

Shredded cheese – ½ - 1 C

1/8 tsp Pepper

2 boxes Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix

Beat eggs and then mix in 1 stick of butter.  Add sour cream, corn, cheese, pepper and muffin mix.  Mix well and pour into 9” X 13” pan.  Bake @ 350° for 30 minutes.  Poke toothpick in center of pan to test for doneness.

Favorite Cran-Feta Salad

Start with a spring mix salad - I love the big plastic tubs of the organic spring mix that you can get at most stores.

Add:

Diced Cucumbers
Dried Cranberries
Feta Cheese crumbles
Chopped Pecans

Raspberry Vinaigrette to taste (WishBone brand is my favorite).

Ground Turkey Enchiladas

one large or two small bell peppers
1/2 an onion (yellow or white)
1 tsp minced garlic

1 lb ground turkey
1 packet taco seasoning

8 flour tortillas (taco size)
1 small can meduim enchilada sauce
1 c shredded cheddar cheese

optional garnish: chopped scallions, cilantro or parsley


Filling (could make the night before): Saute peppers and onions in a little olive oil until tender. Add garlic, cook for one minute. Pour contents into a bowl. Use the same pan to brown the turkey. Cook turkey until no longer pink. Drain. Add taco seasoning contents and some water in the pan, stir and simmer for a few minutes. Add turkey to the bowl with the peppers and onions.

Assembly: Heat tortillas in the microwave (one minute on 50% power) so they are pliable. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spray a 9x13 pan with non-stick spray. Lay out one tortilla at a time and fill with 1/3 cup of filling mixture. Roll tortilla and place seam side down. Pour enchilada sauce over the tortillas. Top with shredded cheese and garnish. Cook for 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the tortillas start to brown.

Mushroom & Spinach Chicken Bake

4 small chicken breasts (alternatively use 2 cans of chunk chicken)
1 c uncooked long grain white rice
2 c chopped mushrooms (about half an 8 oz pkg)
1 c fresh spinach (just tear the stems off and throw in )
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 c sour cream
1 3/4 c water
1/2 c shredded colby jack cheese
1/2 t onion powder
salt and pepper to taste

Dump everything in a 9x13 pan, stir together. Bake at 400 degrees, about 45 minutes but make sure chicken is cooked through and rice is done

Cheesy Chicken Bake

4 small chicken breasts (alternatively use 2 cans of chunk chicken)
1 c uncooked long grain white rice
2 c frozen mixed vegetables
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 c sour cream
1 3/4 c water
1 c shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 t onion powder
salt and pepper to taste

Dump everything in a 9x13 pan, stir together. Bake at 400 degrees, about 45 minutes but make sure chicken is cooked through and rice is done.

Mini Quiches

I made these for Katie's bridal shower. Yum!

Pie Crust
(Buy refrigerated or make your own)

2 eggs
1/2 c cream, half and half or whole milk
1/2 c 2% or skim milk

1 c shredded cheddar (or swiss) cheese

1 c diced mushrooms
1 c or 1/2 diced green pepper
3 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled (i use turkey bacon, gasp)

Start with a mini muffin pan and preheat your oven to 350. Use a circle cookie cutter to cut circles out of your uncooked pie crust. Use little circles to line each muffin cup in the tin; then bake for about 10 min (check at about 8). Take out of oven, and sprinkle a little bit of shredded cheese in the bottom of each "pie".

Now to saute the veggies. Start with about a tablespoon of olive oil in the pan. When hot, saute peppers and mushrooms. Add salt and pepper. When veggies are soft, add in bacon (you could also use sausage or some other meat). Turn off heat, and add mixture by small spoonfuls to the mini pies. Make a custard mixture by mixing eggs, cream and milk. Pour the custard over the veggies by spoonful - don't overfill. Sprinkle a little more cheese on the tops, and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes. Makes 24 mini quiches.

Yum-o Chili Mac

My version of Rachel Ray's Chili Mac. I don't usually like Chili because I don't like beans, but this is yum- o! It's super-easy and makes incredible leftovers.

1 pound of pasta (penne, macaroni, rotini or bowtie, something bite-size)
1 lb. lean ground beef
2 Tbsp Chili Powder
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 an onion
one green and one red pepper (or two green red are sometimes really expensive)
2-3 cloves garlic or 2 tsp crushed garlic (I LOVE the kind in a jar - my hands don't smell afterward)
1 cup of beef stock
1 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
1 cup of shredded cheddar, smoked cheddar, colby jack or whatever you have on hand


Start a big pot of boiling water, add the pasta when ready. While pasta is cooking, brown meat in large stock pot. Drain meat if desired, and add chili powder and crushed pepper. Stir and then add onions, garlic and peppers, cook until peppers are soft. Add beef stock and crushed tomatoes. Cook a couple of more minutes, add the pasta, mix well and pour into casserole dish. Cover the top with shredded cheese, pop in the oven to broil (or put it on 400 if you don't have a broiler like me). Take it out and serve with sour cream, avocados or crushed chips.