Shanty Suppers: Chicken Enchilada Ring

I originally found this recipe from Kelly's Korner.  I changed it to include only the things that we like, but it was easy and delicious!

Chicken Enchilada Ring

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked chicken (I use a store bought rotisserie chicken)
• 1/4 cup chopped black olives  I'm the only one that likes these, so we leave them out.
• 1 cup cheddar cheese 
• 1 small can chopped chilies, undrained 
• 1/2 cup sour cream 
• 1 package taco seasoning 
• 2 rolls of crescent rolls 
• 1 small chopped tomato 
• 1 lime (juice) 
• 2/3 cup finely crushed tortilla chips

1. Chop chicken and add cheese, chilies, sour cream and taco mix. Add 2 tablespoons lime juice; add to chicken mixture. Reserve 2 Tblsp. crushed chips and add remaining chips to mixture.

2.Unroll crescent dough and separate triangles. Arrange on round baking stone or cookie sheet making a circle with wide ends OVERLAPPING in the center and points toward outside. There should be a 5 inch diameter opening in the center.

3. Spread chicken mixture evenly onto widest end of each triangle.

4. Bring points of triangles up and over filling and tuck under wide ends of dough at the center of the ring.  Sprinkle with 2 Tblsp. crushed chips. ( I put shredded cheese all on top!)

 5. Bake @ 375 for 20-25 minutes. Garnish with tomato and serve with salsa and sour cream. 

Even my pickiest eater loves this recipe.   This is also an easy recipe to get the kids to help with, and in my experience that makes them more likely to try something new. 

Enjoy!

Meal Plan and a Recipe

We've done really well for the last 3 weeks planning meals and making 1 trip to the grocery store! The hardest part has been deciding what to make! The girls are picky so that makes things frustrating at times.

Here's the plan for this week:

Sunday - leftovers from last week/sandwiches
Monday - Hamburger Helper - Cheeseburger Macaroni - "Cheese Meat" as Landrie calls it.
Tuesday - BBQ Chicken Quesadillas
Wednesday - Baked Chicken and Rice
Thursday - Meatball Sandwiches
Friday - leftovers/sandwiches
Saturday - maybe a date night?!

Grand total grocery bill - $40 (does not include lunches I bought last week)

Also - here's my friend, Kara's famous meatball recipe:


These are delicious and make a ton. You can either halve the recipe or just freeze part of it.

BBQ Meatballs:

3 lbs hamburger
¾ c finely chopped onion
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp garlic powder
2 c oatmeal
2 eggs
2 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper

Sauce:

3 c ketchup
¾ c finely chopped onion
1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 ½ c brown sugar
1 tsp garlic powder

Mix meatball ingredients and shape into ¼-1/2 cup size meatballs. Cover with sauce and bake at 350 for 1 hour.

Meal Planning

With school starting and football ruling our lives these days, I've been trying to plan meals and make one trip to the grocrey story every week. I've also changed grocery stores. I'm buying 90% of our groceries at Aldi. Aldi is a new chain of stores that offers only their brand of most products and only one size too. The prices are significantly cheaper! Each week I've spent less than $50 for breakfast and dinners for our family of 4. I still go to W@l-Mart for our paper goods and frozen meals for lunches.

Last week's meals:

Sunday - Sandwiches/leftovers
Monday - Breakfast (Landrie's request for 1st day of school dinner)
Tuesday - Cheeseburgers
Wednesday - Kara's BBQ Meatballs and Mashed Potatoes
Thursday - Tacos
Friday - Fast Food (Game Night)
Saturday - Out to Eat!

This weeks' meal plan:

Sunday - Chicken Enchilada Ring
Monday - Sloppy Joes and French Fries
Tuesday - Jambalaya
Wednesday - Dickey's BBQ ~ Kids Eat FREE!
Thursday - Sub Sandwiches
Friday - Fast Food (Game Night)
Saturday - Out to Eat!

I'm trying to find some other simple recipes to try over the next few weeks. I'm also looking forward to the cooler weather when I can break out the crock pot and soup recipes!

New Recipe ~ Mexican Chicken and Rice

We have a family favorite recipe at our house - Baked Chicken and Rice. Tonight, I modified it to make it Mexican Style.



Here's the original recipe:



1 cup of long grain rice

1 can Cream of Chicken

1 can Cream of Mushroom

1 can of Creamy onion or another creamy soup

2 lbs chicken pieces



Mix all ingredients together. Put in greased 9 x 13 pan. Top with chicken. Season with salt and pepper. Melt 1/2 stick of butter and pour over top of each piece of chicken. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.





Here it is with a Mexican twist:



1 1/2 C Rice

1 Can Cream of Chicken

1 Can Cream of Mushroom

1 Can Mild Rotel

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp garlic salt

1 onion finely chopped

1 can black beans drained and rinsed

1 can water

1 cup Mexican shredded cheese

2 lbs of chicken (I used breasts and thighs)



Mix rice, soups, rotel, onion, spices, beans, water, 1/2 cup cheese and pour into a greased 9 x 13 pan. Season chicken with salt, paprika and garlic salt and place on top of rice. Melt butter and pour over chicken. Bake covered at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle remaining cheese on the chicken. Bake for 15 more minutes.



My taste-testers approved!!! Might have to add this to our rotation!

It's all Lolly's fault!

Lolly bought a new toy last week and it was love at first bite for me - a new ice cream maker! She's made every flavor under the sun - peach, strawberry, banana and coffee. They were all so good, so I decided to get Lamar one for his birthday. It was more like a gift for all of us, but still...

I gave her a chance to perfect the recipe and tonight I made my first batch of homemade strawberry. It was delicious.

Here's the recipe for the ice cream base that we're using:

(for a 1 1/2 quart maker)
2 cups milk (2 % is fine)
2 cups half-half
1 14 oz can Sweetened Condensed Milk

After you make the base, you can add whatever flavor you like. I pureed frozen strawberries and added a cup to the base.

I might try the lower fat products next time, so I won't feel so guilty for eating ice cream every night!!!

For my next batch, I want to try pina colada with pineapple bits.

I'll let you know how it turns out!

Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake

Tonight was our turn to host Home Team at our house. We have been a part of this small group for over 4 years. It's so wonderful to have close Christian friends who are in the same phase of life. We spent a long time tonight talking about parenting - it was GREAT!

We had good food, good fellowship and good fun!

Here's the recipe for the dessert I made. It's Paula Deen's Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake. I'm not a fan of pumpkin in general and I LOVE this!

Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cakes

Cake:

• 1 (18 1/4-ounce) package yellow cake mix
• 1 egg
• 1 stick butter, melted

Filling:

• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 stick butter, melted
• 1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the cake mix, egg, and butter and mix well with an electric mixer. Pat the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 13 by 9-inch baking pan.

To make the filling: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and pumpkin until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter, and beat together. Next, add the powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mix well. Spread pumpkin mixture over cake batter and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Make sure not to overbake as the center should be a little gooey.

Serve with Cool Whip.

Variations:
For a Pineapple Gooey Cake: Instead of the pumpkin, add a drained 20-ounce can of crushed pineapple to the cream cheese filling. Proceed as directed above.

For a Banana Gooey Cake: Prepare cream cheese filling as directed, beating in 2 ripe bananas instead of the pumpkin. Proceed as directed above.

For a Peanut Butter Gooey Cake: Use a chocolate cake mix. Add 1 cup creamy peanut butter to the cream cheese filling instead of the pumpkin. Proceed as directed above.

Supper Swap 3

Tonight was our 3rd round of Supper Swap. We both tried new recipes this week and nearly recruited a 3rd family to join us.

For my dinners, I made beef fajitas, Chicken Enchilada Casserole and Creamy Italian Chicken with Pasta.

Missy made Lasagna Macaroni, Turkey and Wild Rice Bake and a chicken/green bean casserole.

Here's the recipes for the chicken enchiladas and creamy Italian chicken.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

1 Whole Chicken (Cooked or store-bought rotisserie)
1 Bunch Cilantro
1 Can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 Can Rotel Tomatoes
1 Medium Onion
2 Cloves Garlic
1 12 oz. Can Evaporated Milk
1 t. Salt
1 C. Sour Cream
24 Corn Tortillas
Monterrey Jack Cheese

Put Rotel, Onion and Garlic in blender and blend until smooth. Set aside. Put Soup, Cilantro and Evaporated Milk in blender and blend until smooth. Add to Rotel mixture. Add Salt and Sour Cream. Add torn up chicken to mixture. Cut tortillas into quarters and add to mixture. Pour into a greased 9 x 13 pan. Top with cheese. Bake covered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, uncovering the last 10 minutes.


Italian Creamy Chicken

4 chicken breasts
1 pkg. Italian dressing mix
¼ cup water
1- 8 oz. cream cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can mushroom stems and pieces (drain)

Put chicken in slow cooker. Stir dressing mix with water and pour over chicken. Cook about 3 hours on high. Beat cheese and soup, pour over chicken. Add mushrooms. Cook about 2 hours longer, stirring a couple of times. I chopped the chicken and then poured the entire mixture over tri-colored rotini and sprinkled with parmesean cheese. I am going to bake it to heat it through, probably 30-40 minutes.

I can't wait to try them all! I'm still looking for some other freezer friendly recipes, so let me know if you have any good ones.

Dinner tonight...Steak and Rice

Tonight's dinner is an oldie but goodie in our family. I doubt the girls will eat it, but we'll see.

Lolly's Steak and Rice

Medium onion, sliced thin
1 stick butter
2 lbs. cube steak
Lowry's season salt
Flour to coat
12 oz can of Evaporated Milk
Regular milk if necessary

• Freeze cube steak to make it easier to cut.
• Melt butter in large skillet. Cook onions until tender.
• While onions are cooking, slice into 1 inch pieces. In bowl, season steak with season salt. Sprinkle with 2-3 tablespoons of flour (enough to coat steak).
• Once onions are tender, add steak. Cook until golden brown and is no longer pink.
• Pour can of evaporated milk to make a gravy.
• If it's too thick, you can pour in some regular milk too.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Serve over white rice.

Enjoy!

Supper Club

About 3 weeks ago, Missy emailed me with an idea. Knowing that we are both busy and both eat out way too much, she suggested that every other Sunday, we each cook 3 casseroles. Instead of baking them in the 9 x 13 like we normally would, we are separating them. I keep 3 9 x 9s and give her the other 3. We only have to double a few of the recipes and we have 6 meals for a 2 week period. So far, it has been great! We have had homecooked meals 6 times, plus enough for lunch the next day. My grocery bill has been less than $120 for 2 weeks!

It works perfectly since we generally eat out on Fridays and Saturdays and have Bible study or family dinners on Sundays. That leaves me with only 1 meal to cook during the week.

When I was growing up, my mom had a supper club with our neighbors too, including Missy's mother-in-law, Tina. It's funny to me that we've come full-circle and are doing the things our parents did with us.

Over the last 2 weeks, we had these dinners:

Chicken and Rice
Chicken Spaghetti
Busy Day Casserole
Chicken Enchiladas
Chicken & Spinach Pasta Bake
Spaghetti

I've learned that my chicken enchiladas are not meant to be layered and that frozen dinners take a lot longer to cook than expected!

Sunday, I made King Ranch Chicken, Steak and Rice and Jambalaya. We ate Missy's version of Kara's BBQ Meatballs last night. They are probably my favorite!

I plan to share some of my recipes soon and will let you know the successes and failures.

Do you have any dinners that are easy and freeze well? You can leave your favorite recipes in the comments.

Another Recipe: Chicken Spaghetti

This is becoming more of a food blog than my mom's. :) A friend gave me this recipe and I added a few things. We've all really enjoyed it this week!

Chicken Spaghetti

• 1 lb thin spagetti, cooked according to directions
• 1 rotisserie chicken torn into bite sized pieces
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• sliced mushrooms (1 lb, I think)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 cans cream of mushroom soup
• 8 oz. velveeta cheese
• 1 package Good Seasons Italian Dressing Mix
• 1 15 oz can chicken broth
• 1 garlic clove minced
• parmesean or cheddar cheese to top

1. Cook spaghetti according to directions. Preheat oven to 300.
2. Sautee garlic, onions, bell pepper and mushrooms in butter until soft.
3. Add velveeta. Stir frequently until melted. Add soups, dressing mix and broth. Stir continuously so cheese won't burn.
4. In a large bowl, combine spaghetti, chicken and veggies.
5. Pour into a greased 9 x 13 pan.
6. Bake for 20 minutes until bubbly. Top with cheese and then bake for 15 minutes more.

This freezes great and is really easy to double. Enjoy

Shrimp & Rice Casserole

I found another new recipe in the Southern Living magazine. I changed it up a little, but we really enjoyed it.

Shrimp & Rice Casserole

1 1/2 cups uncooked long-grain rice
1 1/2 lb. medium size raw shrimp
2 tbsp. butter
1 onion, chopped
3 celery ribs, chopped (I left this out)
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 green onions, chopped
1 (10 3/4 oz) cans cream of shrimp soup, undiluted
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1/4 cup fine, dry bread crumbs

1. Prepare rice according to package directions.
2. Peel shrimp, and devein, if desired.
3. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add bell pepper and next 4 ingredients, and saute 10-12 minutes or until tender. Stir in soup, shrimp, salt and pepper; cook 3 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink. (Do not overcook.)
4. Combine shrimp mixture and rice. Pour mixture into a lightly greased 9 x 13 inch pan. Sprinkle evenly with Swiss cheese and 1/4 cup breadcrumbs.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Enjoy!!

Recipe: Chicken & Spinach Pasta Bake

I tried a new recipe tonight. I've had the recipe for a while, but kept putting off making it because I didn't think Lamar liked spinach. He said it sounded "OK" so I'm giving it a go.

Chicken & Spinach Pasta Bake
1 lb. uncooked rigatoni
1 T olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 clove chopped garlic
10 oz. chopped frozen spinach
3 cups cubed chicken breasts (or 1 rotisserie shredded)
1 (14.5 oz) can Italian style diced tomatoes
1 (8 oz) container chive and onion cream cheese
1/2 cup of milk
1/2 tsp salt (I used garlic salt)
1/2 tsp pepper
1 1/2 cups (6 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Prepare rigatoni according to package directions.
3. Meanwhile, sautee spinach, onion and garlic with olive oil until onions are tender. Transfer to a bowl when finished.
4. Stir rigatoni, chicken and next 5 ingredients with spinach onion mixture into pasta pot. The heat will melt the cream cheese.
5. Spoon mixture into baking dish, and sprinkle evenly with shredded mozerella cheese.
6. Bake covered at 375 for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 more minutes or until bubbly.

We'll see how everyone likes it. My picky-eater brother is coming over too. He'll be the real test.

I'll have a picture post later of the girls. :)

King Ranch Chicken Casserole

My mom gave me this recipe and it's so good and easy, I had to share. I'm sure she won't mind. She found it in a magazine and just as we always do, we take it and modify it just a bit.

1 bag Cheese Doritos (We used Baked)
1 rotisserie chicken deboned and shredded (about 2 cups of chicken)

1 10 oz. can Enchilada Sauce
1 4 oz can Diced Green Chiles
**1 small chopped onion
1 10 oz can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 10 oz can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 12 oz can Evaporated Milk
2 cups cheese (Cheddar or Mexican blend)

Preheat oven to 350. Grease 9 x 13 pan.

Layer Doritos in bottom of pan. Mix chicken, soups, chiles, evaporated milk and enchilada sauce in a bowl. Pour over Doritos. Bake for 30 mins. Top with cheese and a few crushed doritos and bake until cheese is melted. Delicious & EASY!!

**I forgot the onion the first time and it was good, but it is MUCH better with it.

Enjoy!