Soup-er easy Chicken & Biscuits

Its been a cold and dreary week here in Germany, perfect for comfort foods!

You will need :
1 WHOLE boneless, skinless chicken breast, cooked and shredded
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup of milk
1 can mixed vegetables, drained
1 cup shredded cheese of choice.
1 package favorite refrigerated biscuits

mix together milk, soup, chicken, and vegetables, pour into square baking dish and bake until smooth.  add  cheese and single layer of biscuits, bake as directed on package or until golden brown.  Enjoy!

Supper.... Cheesy Ranch Chicken

This is a family favorite, and another 5 ingredients or less.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup ranch dressing (for extra flavor, try bacon ranch or buffalo ranch)
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 TBS flour

In a large bowl, mix together ranch, flour and Parmesan cheese, and use to coat chicken. Place on a foil lined baking sheet (it gets pretty greasy, foil provides easy cleanup!) Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and bake at 375 for approx. 20 minutes or until done. Goes great with fries :)

Soup-er Beef

Oh the things you can google and pin! I was looking up recipes that are 5 ingredients or less, thinking it'd be quick and easy meals to prep in a pinch. I saw this one and had to try it first seeing how I pretty much always have the ingredients on hand.  Its like a poor man's hamburger helper.  I was hesitant at first, but it tastes really good and my hubby didn't leave any leftovers!

1lb ground beef, cook and drain grease
Add 1 can of diced tomatoes and 1 can of corn, juices and all
1 package of beef Ramen noodle soup and the broth packet.

Cook until noodles are done and serve!

This could easily be changed up to get a different result, such as using ground chicken and chicken soup, or buying the canned tomatoes/corn that have other things added such as herbs, onions, green peppers etc.  Think of it as an experiment to find your favorite variation!

Supper.... Beef Lo Mein

We love Chinese food in our house.  I hate going to a buffet and getting stuffed after the first plate.  Hate paying for take-out and barely eating half, watching the rest go to waste.  And don't get me started on the stuff you find in the freezer section.  I just happened to look on the back of a box of pasta and saw this recipe.  Super easy, and for just about the same price as a take-out order, you can serve 6-8 easily, or freeze half for later. I was impressed how yummy this was!

1 pkg uncooked thin spaghetti noodles (16 oz)
2 TBS vegetable oil
1 lb top sirloin, cut into thin strips
1 16 oz pkg frozen sir fry blend (red and yellow peppers, onions)
2 14.5 oz cans beef broth
1/2 c bottled teriyaki sauce
1/2 tsp garlic powder.

heat oil in large skillet, add beef and cook until brown on all sides.  Using a slotted spoon, remove beef and set aside.  Break uncooked pasta into thirds and add to skillet.  Cook for 2 minutes stirring constantly. Add all remaining ingredients, including beef.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook covered for aprrox 25 minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid sticking.  sauce with thicken as it stands.  Enjoy!

Creole Tomato Soup

I got this recipe from a Paula Deen cookbook.  The original directions call for it to be blended for a smooth soup, but we leave ours chunky.  I also tend to add more cayenne and garlic than suggested :)

4 tablespoons butter

2 medium yellow onions, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon cajun seasoning

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 (28 ounce) cans diced tomatoes

4 cups chicken broth

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. 1
   In a large pot, melt the butter over med-high heat.
2. 2
   Add the onion and cook, stirring, until very tender, 7-10 minutes.
3. 3
   Stir in the garlic, Cajun seasoning, and cayenne pepper and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
4. 4
   Stir in the diced tomatoes and broth.
5. 5
   Simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
6. 6
   Working in batches, transfer the soup to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth.
7. 7
   Return the soup to the pot.
8. 8
   Stir in the sour cream and salt and simmer until heated through, about 3 minutes.
9. 9
   Serve piping hot.

Banana Pudding Punch Cake

This dessert is soooo yummy!  Its a little on the rich side, but still pretty yummy.  This recipe is so easy, almost impossible to mess up!

1 box yellow cake mix, and ingredients listed on the box
2 boxes banana pudding mix (and milk)
1 tub cool whip, thawed
crushed vanilla wafers
sliced bananas

Mix cake batte r according to directions, and bake in a 9x13 pan. *** When done and cooled, use handle from a wooden spoon to poke holes in the cake.  Mix pudding and milk and directed, and poor over the cake, making sure to fill all holes and cover cake evenly.  Top with coolwhip and crushed vanilla wafers, return to fridge until set.  Once ready to serve, top with banana slices and enjoy! :)

*** If this seems like a bit much for who you want to serve, Simply pour half the batter into a square cake pan, bake accordingly. Use one box of pudding and just enough cool whip to cover.  (I made cupcakes with the remaining batter)

Supper...... Chimichanga Lasagna

This is a Pinterest recipe that I tweaked up a little bit.  We love Mexican food, and I'm always looking for a way to change it up.  This was really easy and cheesy!

1 lb chicken breasts, chopped or shredded
1 packet taco seasoning
approx. 5 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
1 can cream of celery
1 can cream of chicken
1 cup of milk
1 cup sour cream
1 can green chillies (chopped)
tortillas
1 TBS Cumin
pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350. Cook chicken thoroughly and chop or shred.  Mix with taco seasoning as directed on packet. Set aside.  I a medium saucepan,  mix together both cans of soup, milk, sour cream, green chillies and seasonings.  Heat until well blended. In a 9x13 pan, place first layer of tortillas, followed by half the chicken and half the sauce, then cheese.  Repeat for a second layer.  Top with a third layer of tortillas and remaining cheese.  Place in oven for approximately 15 minutes, or until cheese in nice and gooey.  Enjoy as is, or top each serving with your favorite salsa!

Supper.... Two Chicken Meals, Under $20

    Grocery  List
 1   Rotisserie  Chicken*
 3   10oz  cans Cream of Chicken Soup
 1   8oz carton sour cream
 6   ounces cheddar cheese (shredded)
 1   28 oz package frozen potatoes O Brien (thawed)
 1   package of egg noodles
 1   can peas
 1 can carrots
 Milk
 *To save prep time,  shred chicken  and divide in two equal  parts, makes aprox 2½  cups



 Chicken and Cheesy Potato Casserole
 This is  a Crock Pot recipe; works great for when you have time now, and not later!

 Lightly coat the inside of the Crock Pot with cooking spray.  In the cooker, stir together 1 can of the soup, sour cream, cheese, potatoes, and  chicken. Cover and cook on low-heat setting  for  5-6 hours.  Season as desired.    


 Soup-er EZ Chicken Noodle Casserole
  Quick, easy, and throw it all in one pot!
 Cook egg noodles as directed on package, drain and return to pot.  Add  2  cans cream of chicken soup, 2 cans milk, peas and carrots (drained).  Add chicken and heat, stirring occasionally.  Season as desired.  Heat until warm.
                                   

Supper.... Italian Meatloaf AKA "Mouthgasm Meatloaf"

This recipe was something my Mammaw found and I tweaked a little bit.  I used to work in a retail pharmacy, and our custom was on your birthday, you got to request one treat to be brought in.  We brought in goodies a lot, so each of us usually had a favorite dessert that someone else specialized in.  One of the few guys that managed to survive the estrogen filled environment requested I make meatloaf.  We always brought enough food for the entire shift of the birthday person, but this guy ate BOTH LOAVES. By himself.  Totally inhaled it, and dubbed it the Mouthgasm Meatloaf.  I pretty much eyeball it every single time I make it, but here's the recipe best as I can describe it.  (Also makes for really yummy meatballs!)

Preheat Oven to 350

1 lb ground sausage, preferably Italian
2 lbs ground beef
2 cans diced tomatoes, juice and all.  (I used the ones with basil and garlic and such already mixed in)
Italian bread crumbs
2 eggs

Its gonna feel squishy and gross, but the best way to mix this is to put everything in one big bowl and mash it by hand.  Add Bread Crumbs a little at a time until the meat sticks together well, but you don't want it to be too dry. Place in glass baking dishes.

Bake time is going to depend on how big you make the loaves.  This is quite a large batch because when I make it we either have company joining us for dinner or I freeze a loaf.  It will yield 2-3 decent size loaf pans.  If using this recipe and dividing it into 3 loaves, time it for 30 minutes and slice into the meat to check.  Bake until thoroughly cooked and enjoy!

Something to Sip.... Kool-Aid Ice Cubes

Ok, this one is a total no-brainer.  Pour Kool-Aid of choice into ice cubes, freeze, pop out and serve!  Now that the weather is starting to warm back up here in Germany, gotta make sure the little ones stay hydrated.  Getting Lilly to drink enough water is like nailing Jello to a wall, and I can't really blame her.  After a few drinks I feel like a walking water balloon.  So my fix?  Drop a few Kool-Aid cubes into her water bottle.  Gives it just a little bit of sweetness and flavor to make her want to drink it, and she gets to watch the colors melt, problem solved :)

Supper.... Tomato Alfredo Pizza

This was something I came up with, just an experiment that turned out surprisingly well.  You are more than welcome to make your own modifications to taste :)

1 package refrigerated pizza dough (this girl loves pilsbury!)
8 oz shredded mozzarella
Approx 1 1/2 cups alfredo sauce (my fav is bertolli)
3 vine ripe tomatoes, sliced thin
pepperoni slices (optional)
Spices/seasonings (optional)

Bake dough according to directions, I sprinkled McCormick's Basil and Garlic mix on before sticking it in the oven.  Spread even Alfredo sauce on crust, then place tomato slices evenly, topped with desired amount of pepperoni.  Sprinkle mozzarella cheese, I added McCormick's Italian seasoning for flair.  Bake until cheese is nice and melted.  Cut into slices and serve! :)