There goes a sit down dinner....

I'm seriously considering going back to work full time. I've been working, but only part time, and with tuition coming down the pike and pressure on my husband who has carried the load for so very long, I thought I'd step up and get a job. Here's the thing.... if I go back to work, I will get home too late to cook, AND if I put the husband in charge we'll eat McDonald's, Spaghetti O's, and pizza all the time. So I sat down today and drew up this list... I love lists....

Here's my plan for 5 days worth of meals -- cook ahead on the weekend, and prep as much as possible so that when I get home, it's ready to go:

Marinated pre-prepared meat

                Rotisserie Chicken

                Ribs

 Crock pot

                Pork Barbeque

                Corn Chowder

                Southwestern Chicken

Pasta

Casserole

                Chicken and rice

                Mac and Cheese

                Chicken Tetrazzini

                King Ranch Casserole (Party Food)

                French Farmhouse Chicken (Party Food)

Dad cooks

Make ahead meal

                Sloppy Joes

                Chili

                Quiche

                Lasagna with a twist

                Baked Ziti

                Enchiladas

                Meatloaf

                Kelly’s Keilbasa

                Chicken Pot Pie

                Sesame Noodles with Chicken

                Fried Chicken    

                Meatballs           

Panini

Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken

This recipe is from Pinterest -- my friend Mindy pinned it and I thought it looked good. And it was! The kids were calling it Chipolte chicken. That's a ringing endorsement if I ever heard one.




Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken
Skinnytaste.com
Servings: 8 servings • Size: 1 cup • Old Points: 3 pts • Points+: 4 pts
Calories: 190 • Fat: 1.5 g • Fiber: 5.6 g • Carbs: 23.1 g • Protein: 21 g

Ingredients:

• 24 oz (1 1/2) lbs chicken breast
• 14.4 oz can diced tomatoes with mild green chilies
• 15 oz can black beans
• 8 oz frozen corn
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 14.4 oz can fat free chicken broth
• 3 scallions, chopped
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper (to taste)
  
• salt to taste

Directions:
Combine chicken broth, beans, corn, tomatoes, cilantro, scallions, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, cayenne pepper and salt in the crock pot. Season chicken breast with salt and lay on top.  

Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6 hours. Half hour before serving, remove chicken and shred. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in. Adjust salt and seasoning to taste. Serve over rice or tortillas and your favorite toppings.

Southwestern Corn Chowder

It mystifies me what my family likes and doesn't like. This one has all the ingredients they love -- corn, potatoes, creamy soup. It was met with not a great deal of enthusiasm. I, on the other hand, enjoyed this soup. Crock pot, somewhat low fat, soup... what's not to love? I'm going to keep serving it and see what happens.

Ingredients

• 4 c. fresh or frozen corn kernels
• 2-3 medium potatoes, peeled (optional) and diced
• 2 4 oz cans of shopped green chilies
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 (2-3 oz) chorizo sausage links, skinned and diced
• 4 c. chicken or vegetable broth
• 2-4 garlic cloves, minced
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 c fat free half and half
• 4 tbsp flour

Instructions

1. place all ingredients (except for the last two) in slow cooker and cook on low for 5-6 hours, until potatoes are tender
2. about 15-30 minutes before serving, mix the half and half and flour together until smooth and add to the mixture to thicken
3. adjust seasonings to taste and serve

Homemade Pasta

12 ounces of all purpose flour (weighing is recommended)
1 T. of semolina flour, plus more for the work surface
1/2 t. of fine sea salt
7 ounces of beaten egg (about 4)
1 T. of extra virgin olive oil

Place the flour, semolina and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse several times to combine.
Add the eggs all and once and process for 30 seconds, drizzling the oil through the opening in the lid. The dough should look like coarse, wet sand.

Knead the dough for a good 4 minutes on a surface that has been dusted generously with semolina. It should be smooth when you are done, not sticky.

Wrap in plastic wrap and let rest for 20 minutes

Use a pasta machine to roll it out and cut it.

From The Washington Post, September 26, 2012

Coconut Cream Pie

A get well gift that keeps giving

When I was in high school I worked at a great restaurant, The Pancake Wagon. It was only open from 6-3 every day and it was full of characters -- the cook, the "hostess", the owners, and the waitresses. I learned to drink coffee there, and we ate fried fish sandwiches after our shift. One of my favorite things about the Pancake Wagon was the pie lady -- she'd bring in pies on Saturdays and they were awesome. One of my favorites was the coconut cream.

Flash forward 30 years, and I find myself craving some coconut cream pie. I decided this weekend to make one -- I thought I'd give it to my friend Pat who wasn't feeling well, but then my husband got wind of the baking, and requested one for us. So I made two.... neither worked out, the filling never solidified, and it was just a mess. Still edible, but not a mess.

On Sunday I tried again, but this time, with a new custard recipe. Success! Unfortunately, that's the one that went with Pat (feel better soon!) but as we eat the two duds in bowls with spoons, next time I make it for us it's going to be great.

Pie Crust
1 c. flour
1/3 c. shortening
1/3 c. cold water

In food processor put flour and butter into bowl, with the blade running, slowly add cold water in the tube, just until the dough forms a ball in the processor. Remove, shape into a ball, wrap in plastic, and chill for at least 30 minutes.

After completely chilled, roll out for a 9" pie plate, prick liberally, and pre-bake for this pie.

Bake at 450 degrees for 12 minutes.

Coconut Custard
1/4 c. cornstarch
3/4 c. sugar (divided)
2 c. half and half
4 egg yolks (when separating eggs, save 2 egg whites for pie; 2 others for breakfast another day)
3 T. butter
1 t. vanilla
1 c. coconut

In large sauce pan, combine sugar and cornstarch. In bowl, combine egg yolks and cream. Gradually add liquid to sugar mixture, heating it over medium heat, stirring constantly. Once all liquid is added, heat to
boiling, stirring constantly. Once it reaches boil, allow to boil for 1 minute, remove from heat, stir in butter, coconut, and vanilla.

Place custard in bowl, cover with plastic so the plastic touches the top of the custard, chill for at least 20 minutes.

Meringue
Whip 2 egg whites until stiff, add 1/4 c. of sugar.

Fold custard in baked pie shell, top with egg whites making sure they are spread all the way to the crust covering all custard. Sprinkle coconut on top of pie. Bake at 325 degrees for 15 minutes (until lightly browned).

Next weekend might be banana cream!

Enchiladas de Pollo

Why haven't I written about this recipe before? This is a family favorite -- and I've taken a somewhat complicated recipe and made it WAY easier by substituting salsa verde. Quick to make, everyone likes it, like I said, why didn't I write about it sooner?

Filling
2 cooked chicken breasts, shredded with two forks
1/2 large onion chopped
1 1/2 c. mexican blend cheese
tortillas

Sauce
One jar salsa verde
1 egg
2/3 c. milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine shredded chicken, onion and Mexican cheese in a large bowl. Dip tortillas, one at a time, in simmering water. Fill with 1/2 c. chicken, cheese, and onion. Roll and place into a 11x7 casserole pan. Once all tortillas are filled and placed in pan, mix sauce ingredients and pour over the tortillas. Cover and bake for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, uncover pan, sprinkle another 1 c. of cheese on top, return to oven for about 5 minutes, until cheese is melted.

Serve with sour cream, and a tossed salad. Yum.

Oven Denver Omlete

I LOVE breakfast -- and this month, at work, we were all asked to bring in food for a breakfast buffet. I've already brought in the bachelor sausage strata that Uncle Chuck made for his hunting buddies (recipe below), so I dusted off an old recipe from an unknown source to impress my friends. Fast, easy, and universally loved...

Do all the chopping the night before, throw it together and in the oven in the morning --

Oven Denver Omelet
8 eggs
1/2 c. half and half
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1 c. finely chopped ham (food processor)
1 c. finely chopped green pepper
1/4 c. finely chopped onion

In a bowl, beat the eggs and cream until light and fluffy. Stir in cheese, ham, green pepper, and onion. Pour into a greased 9 inch square baking dish. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes.

Uncle Chuck's Bachelor Breakfast

1 lb. pork breakfast sausage (like Bob Evans)
6 slices of white bread, crust removed
1 1/2 c. shredded cheese (Cheddar, swiss, you pick)
5 eggs
2 c. half and half
1 t. salt
2 t. Dijon mustard

Cook, crumble, and drain sausage on a paper towel. Place bread on the bottom of a 13x9x2 inch greased baking dish. Sprinkle sausage on top, top with cheese. Beat eggs, half and half, salt, and mustard in a bowl. Pour over bread/sausage. Cover and chill overnight. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 50 minutes.