Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Five Easy Meals

Now that summer's over and I'm back in the classroom, meals like these are great to make during the week. Hopefully you'll find some new additions for your own weeknight routine.

Fiesta Crock-Pot Chicken
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 6ish hours on low
I found this recipe on this blog, who copied it from this blog... and now it will be on our blog. So I'm thinking you should definitely try it. :)

Lay frozen chicken on the bottom and place drained black beans, drained corn, UNdrained Rotel, and 8 oz. of cream cheese (one package) on top.

I added sauteed onions and garlic (of course!)... so my prep time was 10ish minutes.


I actually made this on the weekend and lifted the lid every 1.5 hours (you're not normally supposed to life the lid on crock pot meals, but this one can be soupy and I didn't want it to be). This is what it looked like after I stirred the first time to mix all of the ingredients.

And this is what it looked like after I added approximately 1/2 a cup of cheddar cheese (another addition not in the original recipe... I happen to love cheese)

Cook this in the microwave according to the package.

Wa-lah. . . not the prettiest meal, but it is tasty. Serve with sauteed spinach or mix it in at the end if you want to get in your green for the day.

Pasta with Vodka Sauce:
Prep Time: 1 minute
Cook Time: 15 minutes

If you know me at all, you know I'm crazy about this sauce. It is the only store-bought sauce I buy that I don't doctor at all. It is DELICIOUS! Whenever Matt's not home for dinner, this is what I make.


I prefer using rigatoni, and, as you can see, like a little fresh parm too. ;) Speaking of, if you like cheese like me and are willing to spend a little money on some good parmesan, the BEST kind I have ever tried and always buy is Locatelli. (yes, sadly, I pretty cheap in a lot of areas yet splurge on cheese).


A block this size costs about $10.00 at Costco and will last a good while (if you grate it right away and don't eat it as a snack like I do). And no, I don't buy $80 worth of cheese at a time. . . this is a random picture I found on the internet.

If you want to make this pasta recipe into a meal, add sauteed onions, garlic, diced tomatoes, and either shrimp or grilled chicken. That is what I do when it's not just me eating. :)


Vidalia Onion Chicken Bake:
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Bake Time: 35 minutes
Lay thawed chicken on the bottom of a greased baking dish.

Pour this on top.


Crumble 10ish Ritz crackers on top.

Bake at 375 for 35 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. (hint: when you're baking chicken, it is done when the center is boiling, not just the sides of the dish)

 
Serve with broccoli and biscuits (these biscuits bake at 375 so it works great for a single oven).


Chicken Parmesan with Sweet Pepper Sauce:




Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutess


Sauté onions with fresh garlic, then pour sauce over top.

Beat 1-2 eggs in a bowl (we only had egg-whites, that works too!), mix progresso bread crumbs (italian style) and fresh parmesan together (about a 1/4 cup of each)

Dip the chicken in the egg bowl, then the bread-crumb bowl, and then lay onto a greased baking dish.

Spread sauce on top.

Bake for 25 minutes at 375. Take out, cover with mozzarella cheese, and return to oven for 10 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.

Cook according to directions- this is GOOD!

Serve over couscous with broccoli.

Crock-Pot Chicken and Pasta:
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 6ish hours

The orginal recipe actually calls for the Good Seasons Zesty Italian dressing, but Matt doesn't like Italian dressing, so I tried the ranch instead. It turned out well! But I think the Zesty Italian would be even better.

Placed thawed chicken on the bottom.

Cover with dressing package. (If you're using Zesty Italian, use the whole package, if you're using Ranch, use 3/4 of the package.)

Mix together 2 tbsp of butter, 8 oz. of cream cheese, and one can of cream of chicken soup.

Pour over chicken and cook on low for 4-6 hours.

Cook according to the box.

Serve.

If you have any recipes to share, I'd love to hear them!! The last recipe was actually from a comment on one of my last recipe posts. I love trying new things! Especially when they're quick and delicious. :) Hope you can find something on here to enjoy this week!


16 comments:

  1. Yum! Those look good. I love trying out new recipes!

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  2. Thanks for the recipes! I love trying new stuff also.

    I actually made Eggplant Parmesan tonight! ;) I think it's pretty neat that you put yours over couscous...I know that you basically use that stuff like rice, but I get bored with stuff easily. So it's nice to see a new idea.

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  3. Thanks for sharing these recipes and CONGRATS on be selected to host our Terrific Thursday Blog Hop this week! :)

    Love your house-to-home makeover!

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  4. How long did it take you to cook all that - and I'd definitely going to try these!

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  5. The baked chicken looks delish! I will have to try it and replace the crackers with something else - maybe crispy onions?! The Man can't have any carbs in his diet...but I could make it work!

    WM

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  6. Wow those look amazing! I cannot wait to pull out the crock pot and try some of these!

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  7. Congrats on being the co-host of Thursday hop! Your recipes look fantastic....I plan to try them all! Have a Safe & Fun Labor Day Holiday!

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  8. I'm going to look for that sauce the very next time I'm at the grocery. I love the first recipe as we're big fans of black beans. Can't wait to try them all.

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  9. Those recipes really do look easy! I might just have to try them. My family would be shocked!

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  10. Looks good! I'm on a crock pot kick and a make ahead freezer meals kick too. Being back in the classroom doesnt mean we have to eat cereal for dinner. (Sometimes that's a good dinner though). :)

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  11. Great recipes! Your first recipe is one I have on my blog, but I call it Fiesta Chicken. I add green chiles and onion to it. And we eat it on flour tortillas. I have a few extras setting out to add to it as well.....cheese, rice and cilantro-YUM! And I serve it with chips and salsa. Such a quick meal...BTW you can even put the chicken in frozen! Thanks for all the ideas!

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  12. These look so good! I am feeling hungry over here in Jamaica! I am a new follower of your Blog. Have a good weekend.
    Judy

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  13. All of these look so simple and I have a lot of the ingredients. Thanks for sharing!

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  14. Mmmm, these look good, I have been looking for some new recipes for my slow cooker!
    I am passing you the versatile blogger award thingy today, details at my place!
    Alison
    x

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  15. Heather, you want to come to virginia and cook for me and Jay? You are too great and I love all your recipe ideas!

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  16. Heather, stopping by from the Say Hi Sunday hop. Love your blog, it's just too cute. Thanks for sharing these recipes, looking forward to checking out your blog some more! {new follower}

    http://confessionsofamagnoliamom.blogspot.com/

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