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.

Creamy Fruit Dip

I made this for our first Christmas Party and it was a huge hit --next time I will make a double batch! 

One 8 oz. bar of cream cheese
One 7 oz. jar of marshmallow fluff
1 tsp of vanilla
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Let the cream cheese sit out for a bit to let it soften. Add first three ingredients and blend, then add in sugar and blend until smooth. Suggestions for dippers: apple slices, strawberries, graham crackers, pretzels.

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.

Fruit Salad Variation #1

Mix together in a bowl:
1 container of cool whip
1.5 c vanilla yogurt
1 small package cheesecake flavor instant pudding

Then add:
1 c Frozen Strawberries, sliced
1 can mandarin oranges, drained
1 can pineapple chunks, drained
1 medium fuji apple, diced
1 banana, sliced (add lemon juice to prevent browning)
2 c mini marshmallows

Stir and enjoy! About 8-10 servings.

Chicken Salad

A basic chicken salad recipe - one of the only ways I can get my husband to eat fruit.

1 small or 1/2 large apple
2 stalks of celery
handful of grapes

1 can chunk chicken breast (or 1-2 chicken breasts)
1/2 c mayo
1/2 c sour cream
salt, pepper, and onion powder to taste (start with just a little)

optional: crispy chow mein noodles

chop the apple, grapes and celery into slightly smaller than bite size pieces. stir in chicken, mayo, sour cream, and seasoning.

best served on croissants with the chow mein noodles mixed in, but also great alone or with pita bread or hamburger buns.

Avocado Salsa

I love guacamole, but here is a healthier version that's still great for parties - or using as a topping for tacos, nachos, chicken - and it's so delicious!

2 diced avocados (unlike when making guacamole, you want them to be slightly firm rather than super mushy)
2 diced tomatoes
1 can corn (drained and rinsed) - fresh or frozen would also be delicious!
1 can black beans (drained and rinsed)
Fresh chopped cilantro
Italian Dressing to taste - I usually use 3/4 c.

Mix first 5 ingredients together in a large bowl. Drizzle dressing over the top and toss. Serve with tortilla chips or as a topping.

Easy No-Bake Lemon Cheesecake

Another great recipe courtesy of my MIL. The perfect amount of lemon flavor - and you can try different varieties by using a different jello flavor (e.g., strawberry or lime). This one's so easy my husband even helped me with it!


Graham Cracker Crust:
Crushed Graham Crackers - About 1/2 packages or 16 whole GC's
1/2 c melted margarine or butter
1 Tbs sugar

Cheesecake Filling:
1 8oz pkg softened cream cheese
1 c white sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 small package lemon jello
1 can chilled evaporated milk

Mix together graham cracker crumbs, melted margarine and sugar. Press into a 9x13 pan in an even layer. Set aside.

Cream together cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with a hand mixer or stand mixer. Set aside.

Dissolve jello in 1 c boiling water. Allow to cool (close to room temperature, but don't let it solidify!) and whisk together with evaporated milk. Add jello mixture to the cream cheese mixture until smooth and even. Pour filling on top of the crumb crust. Cover and chill for at least 3 hours.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Got this recipe from a cookbook compiled by my mother-in-law's congregation. I happily took the chance to double the recipe for you. You'll thank me later.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 c butter or margarine (I use unsalted butter)
3 c white sugar
2 eggs
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
2 tsp vanilla
5 c flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
2 c chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugar. Mix in wet ingredients (egg, pumpkin and vanilla). Mix dry ingredients in separate bowl. Gradually mix dry ingredients in. Drop spoonfuls on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes.

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.

Cinnamon Butter

Discovered on Fashionably Foodie, this recipe is what they serve at Texas Roadhouse Grill, one of my favorite restaurants.

1 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons cream or milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Cream together butter and sugar in your stand mixer or with a hand mixer (or a really strong arm and whisk). Add salt and cinnamon, mix a little more. Mix in milk. Stores great in the fridge for a few days; warm to room temperature before serving.

I served this on Christmas Eve with some rolls fresh from the oven. Would also be great on french toast or muffins.

Blaine Salad

This recipe is based on the Blaine Salad served at The Pizza Factory, a Utah-based pizza and pasta joint.

2 heads of romaine lettuce
1/2 cup craisins (dried cranberries)
3/4 cup toasted almonds
poppy seed dressing to taste

optional:
shredded or cubed chicken

Chop romaine lettuce into short strips. Toast almonds in the oven (400 degrees) or on the stovetop (medium heat) in a non-stick skillet. Be careful not to burn the almonds. After letting the almonds cool a little, mix craisins, almonds and dressing with lettuce. To make it a meal, add some leftover shredded chicken.

Sarah's Spinach Salad

One bag of baby spinach
1/2 carton of white mushrooms, sliced
1/2 a red onion, sliced
10-12 strips of bacon (can substitute turkey bacon or a 1/2 cup of bacon bits)
1 to 2 cups of shredded swiss cheese
8 oz of cottage cheese (drain it a little bit)
poppy seed dressing to taste

Mix spinach, mushrooms, onion, bacon and cheese in large bowl. Just before serving, add cottage cheese and dressing and combine well.

This salad is so yummy that my newest sister-in-law served it at her wedding. It's also a man-friendly salad since it contains bacon.

Grandma's Southern Sweet Potatoes

This is my favorite dish from the Thanksgiving spread. My grandmother has always made this dish and I always eat lots of it! This year I spent Thanksgiving with my in-laws and made this dish; it received rave reviews and is probably now a Cook family tradition too.

orange goodness:
5-6 cups sweet potatoes (I think I had 3 medium sized and one LARGE potato)
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar (I used a mixture of brown and white, you could use either or both)
1 tsp salt
1 cup of milk (I used 2%)
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg

topping:
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup broken pecans
2/3 - 3/4 cup flour
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter

Cut yams into large chunks; boil until soft. Let cool a few minutes and then peel (the peeling should come off very easily). Place the cooked potatoes (works best while still warm) into a stand mixer or large bowl. Turn on mixer and gradually add in butter, eggs, sugar, salt, milk, vanilla cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix well until smooth. If it looks like baby food, you've done it right. Pour mixture into a 9x13 dish. Note: You could use a smaller but deeper dish for this recipe. I like this size because you have lots of room for topping. The topping really makes this dish.

At this point I wash out my stand mixer bowl and start new. Add brown sugar, broken pecans, flour and chunks of butter into bowl. Mix well. Spread crumbly mixture over the top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. You could refrigerate overnight before baking to make things easier. This dish makes EXCELLENT leftovers.

Peanut Butter Bars

These. Are. So. Good.

They taste like Reese's Cups, but I kind of like them better.

Ingredients:

1 cup butter
1 cup peanut butter
2 cups graham cracker crumbs (about one plastic package worth)
2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup chocolate chips
4 Tablespoon Peanut Butter

Melt first two ingredients on the stove. Mix in bowl with graham crackers and powdered sugar. Press into ungreased 9x13 dish.

Melt last two ingredients and spread on top of peanut butter mixture. Stick in the fridge for at least an hour.

You could also line the pan with foil to make it easier to lift the bars out once you cut them. These are great for parties or entertaining!

Nacho Chicken

1 can cream of chicken soup
3ish cups of medium salsa
4 chicken breasts

optional seasoning combinations: salt and pepper, chili powder and cumin, lime juice and cilantro

2 cups of uncooked, long-grain rice
1 can (16 oz) low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups water
Optional: garlic salt and onion powder to taste.

Place chicken breasts in slow cooker; I usually put them in there while still frozen. Top with can of soup and salsa. Add in small amounts of optional seasonings if desired (add fresh herbs in at end). Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8.

About half an hour before serving time, combine last 4 ingredients in rice cooker or large pan. Cook on medium heat until boiling; turn down the heat a little and cook until all the liquid is absorbed. Leave the lid on until the rice is done!

Serves 4. Great for entertaining since there are only two pots to clean up - and the appliances keep the dishes warm until you are ready to serve!