BBQ Chicken

Through out 2010 and 2011 our family experienced quite a few trials. After one such experience a neighbor stopped by to check on me. When she asked what she could do to help I mentioned that I had some chicken that needed to be cooked and asked if she had a good recipe. She quickly thru this main dish together for us in my crockpot. It has become a family favorite because it's so yummy. I like it because it reminds me how much that simple act of kindness meant to me during a very difficult time. Talk about comfort food!

2 lbs of boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs or both!

1 cup mild salsa

1 cup ketchup

1 Tbls Worcestershire sauce

1/3 cup brown sugar

Combine together and place in a baking dish or a crockpot. Bake uncovered at 400 deg for 45 minutes or on low in the crockpot for 4-6 hours.

Serve with baked potato and use cooked sauce as a topping for potatoes. 

All ingredients can be combined and frozen in a gallon size freezer bag, then cook using above instructions adjusting time to allow chicken to cook through. 

Potato Soup

This recipe is a childhood go too. It is so versatile and perfect for a cool fall day!

Original recipe -Bratten's Clam Chowder-

1 cup finely chopped onions

1 cup finely chopped celery (usually I just add 1 stalk)

2 cups finely chopped, peeled potatoes

2 cans or 1lb minced clams

3/4 cup butter

3/4 cup flour

1 qt half & half

Salt and pepper to taste

2 T red wine vinegar

In a large soup pot place all chopped veggies. Drain clam juice over then add water to just cover veggies. Bring to a boil to cook until tender. 

Meanwhile in a 2 qt saucepan melt butter, add flour and slowly whisk in half & half. Stir constantly until thick. Season with salt and pepper. 

After veggies are cooked stir in butter/flour mixture. Add clams and vinegar. Heat through. 

OPTIONS:

I am NOT a clam girl!! So instead of ham a lot of times I just omit them and add chopped ham instead.

I like to add chopped carrots with the potatoes. I use half a bag of mini carrots or 4 Tbs of dehydrated carrots. 

I also add half a bag of frozen peas to the cooked veggies, before I add the roux.

I use whatever kind of milk I have in the fridge.

The Ottley Version- Cheese Soup-

To the roux add 4-8 oz of Velveeta cheese, until melted thoroughly. 

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

This weeknight meal is a favorite of our children. It can be prepared to be frozen and baked when needed or with a little help from the kids can be prepared to bake in only a few minutes.

1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup oats
1 egg slightly beaten
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
3/4 tsp salt
Dash of pepper
1 tsp Worcestershire
1/3 cup milk

Mix well and form into 2" balls. I use a 2 tbls scooper, place single layer in a greased casserole dish. Make sauce to pour over top.

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup vinegar
1 tsp prepared mustard
1 1/4 cup BBQ sauce
1 tsp worcestershire

Combine all and blend thoroughly. Heat for 2 minutes in microwave or on stove top. Pour on top of meatballs. Bake uncovered 30-40 minutes at 350.

Serve over rice.

Sloppy Joes

This recipe comes for the Ottley side of our family. This is a great go to meal for a large group just double or triple the batch pop it in your crockpot and your good to go!

1 1/2 lb ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced

Brown these ingredients, in the meantime combine the following ingredients in a crockpot, you may want to line it with a Reynolds brand crockpot liner for easier clean up.

3/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup water
1-2 Tbls brown sugar
2 Tbls prepared mustard
2 Tbls vinegar
2 Tbls worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tsp chili powder

Set crockpot on low and cook 6-8 hours or 3-4 on high. Serve on hamburger buns. We like to put sliced cheese on our sandwiches for an extra special treat.

Bacon Wrapped Ranch Chicken

I saw a pin on Pinterest without a link to accredit this recipe too but tried it with my own twist and I must say it was DELICIOUS!!!!!!

Wrap 6-8 boneless skinless chicken tenders with uncooked bacon and place in a greased baking dish.
Sprinkle 1 Tbs ranch seasoning over the top. In a separate bowl mix together 1 cup of sour cream and 1 can of Cream of Chicken soup, pour mixture over seasoned chicken then sprinkle 1 Tbs ranch seasoning. Cover with foil and bake 4 hours on 225. Uncover and bake 15-30 more minutes at 350.

We served this with Oven Rice.

I used a homemade ranch seasoning mix I made using the BYU Ranch Dressing recipe found here.http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2011/07/ode-to-homemade-ranch-dressing.html The most amazing ranch dressing I have ever had!!! And the best part is that it's entirely from scratch!!

Easy Lemon Pepper Chicken

1 lbs chicken cut into bite size pieces
1 tsp lemon pepper seasoning

Place chicken in baking dish and sprinkle seasoning on top. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Drain excess juice. Mix sauce and pour over top.

Sauce:
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 tsp lemon pepper seasoning
1/4 cup mayo
1/2 cup milk
1Tbs dry parsley

Bake 30 minutes. Serve over rice.

Kabob Collection

The perfect meal for summertime grilling is Kabobs. You can customize your meat and veggies to make everyone in the family happy. Here are a few of our favorite recipes collected from the Internet.

Chicken marinated with bacon
Vegetables
Yogurt Sauce

Steak

Shrimp
1- 1/2 lb Cleaned, rinsed and dried shrimp
Juice from one lemon
2 cloves of garlic minced
2 TBS fresh chopped parsley or 1 tsp dried parsley
2 TBS Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Combine in a Ziploc bag and marinate for two hours before grilling. Grill for 6-8 minutes.

Serve with Oven Rice

** Meat can be cut and combined with marinades then frozen in Freezer safe bags for later use or dinner exchange. (except shrimp its better fresh.)

Chinese Casserole

Even though this dish takes about an hour to come together I remember it as one of my favorites as a kid.

1 lb ground beef
1 chopped onion
2 stalks of celery chopped
1 cup rice
1 can cream of chicken soup
La Choy Chow Mein Noodles

We use an electric frying pan for this recipe. Brown the ground beef with the chopped onion and celery, drain and rinse if needed. Add rice and cook until rice is brownish. Add soup, then reuse can with water adding two cans of water. Stir all together, bring to a simmer, cover and cook on low until rice is cooked. if needed add more water to keep from getting too dry. When the casserole is cooked you can add chow mein noodles to individual portions as a topping.

Wanna Be FireHouse Pizzaria Pasta

1 package penne or other tube pasta
1-2 bottles Alfredo sauce(depending on how saucy you like it)
1-2 grilled chicken breasts sliced
4 slices of cooked bacon crumbled
2 green onions sliced
1 tomato chopped
2 cups of cheese-we like to use Cheddar and mozzarella
1 cup fresh or canned mushrooms

In a greased 9x11 pan layer cooked pasta, sauce, chicken, mushrooms, bacon, green onions, tomatoes, and cheese. Bake in oven at 350* 20-30 min or until cheese is melted and bubbly. I like to order Focaccia bread from Firehouse Pizzeria to go with this dish.

Hamburger Stoganoff

1 lb ground beef
1 package egg noodles
1 med. onion chopped
1 tsp garlic powder or 1-2 cloves of garlic crushed
1 can cream of chicken or mushroom
1 soup can milk
6 oz sour cream
salt and pepper as desired
optional- 1 can mushrooms or fresh

Brown beef with onion, salt and pepper, garlic. Cook pasta following package directions. Add to the beef the soup, milk, and mushrooms. Simmer for 5-8 mins. Remove from heat and add sour cream.

Oven Baked Chimichungas

Use left over chicken or beef to create this yummy dinner or try it sans meat by using beans and corn.

Recipe from Lanette Tate

2/3 cup salsa

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp oregano

1 1/2 cup shredded chicken or beef

1 cup shredded cheese

2 green onions

6 flour tortillas

1 T melted butter

Mix first 6 ingredients. Put 1/2 cup of mix on tortillas, fold sides in then roll from bottom. Place seam side down on cookie sheet and brush with butter. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. After removing from oven sprinkle additional cheese, additional chopped green onions and chopped tomato as garnish.

Serve with sour cream, guacamole, spanish rice or green salad.

*Optional mix ins or meat substitution

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can corn drained

Chopped cilantro

French Dip Sandwiches

This absolutely wonderful party recipe comes from the Heap family. It is now one of our family favorites too!

1 Beef roast- use any kind you like

Mrs. Dash seasoning

Garlic Salt

McCormick's Grill Mates Montreal Steak

Beef Bouillon cubes

Hoagie Rolls or other hard roll

 Rub Mrs. Dash, garlic salt, and Montreal Steak seasoning on all sides of roast

 Place roast in crock pot, fill with water until just the top of the roast is sticking out. Add five bouillon cubes. Cover and set on low, and let cook overnight and throughout next day, Shred with a fork and add more water if necessary for the au jus.

Serve on Hoagie rolls with small cups for au jus.

Optional:

spread horseradish on buns before serving for a little spice

serve with homemade potato and sweet potato fries (we like this recipe)

Maple Glazed Chicken Breasts

2 Tbs pure maple syrup
1 Tbs reduced sodium soy sauce
1 Tbs lemon juice
1 clove garlic minced
1 tsp minced ginger
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

In a large closable plastic bag combine syrup, soy sauce, lemon juice, garlic, ginger, and pepper. Place chicken in bag and turn to coat. Seal the bag and refrigerate for 2 hours. Grill or bake until juices run clear

You can also freeze in the plastic bag(make sure it is a freezer safe bag). just taw and grill or bake at 350 until juices run clear.

Bruschetta Chicken Bake

This recipe comes from Kraft Foods. I made this ahead all except for the baking and froze it for a future night.

To see the complete recipe go HERE.

Tex-Mex Pinto Beans

This recipe comes from  Betty Crocker's 1-2-3 Dinner: 350 Quick and Delicious Supper Solutions, page 311. It is one of our favorites and it is very inexpensive too.

1 lbs dried Pinto beans (2 cups), sorted and rinsed

1 large onion chopped or 1/4 cup dried minced onion

2 cloves of garlic or 1 tsp garlic powder

6 1/2 cup water

1 Tbls chili powder

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Mix all ingredients in 3 1/2 to 6 quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on high heat 7 to 9 hours or until beans are tender.

Serve with Heavenly Cornbread  and a salad or fruit to finish off this meal. We like to top with shredded cheese and a drop of sour cream. You could also add chopped ham to the recipe for a heartier taste.

Tomato Ravioli Soup

This quick soup can be custom made for any family by the use of left over veggies! Be adventurous and come up with your families favorite combination.

1 jar Spaghetti sauce (any variety or flavor)

1 can diced tomatoes (I like to use the oregeno and garlic flavor)

4 cups of water ( you could also use chicken broth. I did half broth and half water for the soup above) until it is as thin as you desire.

2 cups veggies as you like. (In the soup above I used a yellow squash and some fresh frozen green beans that I put up in the summer. You could use fresh or canned mushrooms, corn, carrots, white beans etc...)

1/2 package fresh or frozen ravioli

Combine all but the ravioli in a large pot, bring to a boil and add ravioli, cook as directed on ravioli package usually it is 5 minutes. Serve with these yummy bread sticks to really top the meal.

Rosemary Chicken

This recipe comes from a Rachel Ray episode on Food Network. I changed it a bit and only made the chicken from her menu.

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 TBS balsamic vinegar
2 TBS olive oil
3 stems fresh rosemary, leaves stripped and chopped
salt and pepper
2-4 cloves of garlic crushed

In a shallow dish place chicken and top with oil and vinegar. Turn to make sure they are covered Season with salt and pepper, rosemary and crushed garlic. Let set for 10 minutes.

Heat a heavy skillet to medium/high heat. transfer chicken to skillet and cook 12 minutes or until juices run clear, turning occasionally.

Serve with a salad, garlic mashed potatoes, or your favorite pasta with a marinara or alfredo sauce.

Sour Cream Chicken Enchilada Casserole

2 cooked and shredded chicken breasts (or use canned chicken)
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1 and 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1-2 cans chopped green chilies
4 chopped green onions
12 corn tortillas

In a large bowl mix together chicken, soup, sour cream, chilies, onions, and 1 cup of the cheese.
Spray the bottom of a 9x13 or two 8x8 pans with non stick cooking spray. Break up half of the tortillas and layer them on the bottom of the pan(s). Spread half of the chicken mixture over the top of the tortillas, layer the remaining tortillas on top of chicken mixture then top that with the last of the chicken mixture. Sprinkle the top with the remaining cheese, cover with foil and bake in 350* oven for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake another 5-10 minutes until cheese is melted and sides are bubbly.

Serve with Mexican Salad

**TIP**
When I make this recipe I use two 8x8 pans. I bake and serve one pan and the other I cover with saran wrap and foil then freeze it unbaked for a later date. To cook from frozen remove the saran wrap cover with foil and bake 45 minutes, remove foil and bake another 5-10 minutes until cheese is melted. You can also thaw in the fridge and follow the baking directions from above.

Chicken Bowtie Salad

We once had this yummy salad dinner delivered by a neighbor for dinner (thanks Fife family). It is wonderful as a stand alone summer meal or as a great addition to any potluck.

1 cup red grapes, sliced
3-4 cooked chicken breast, cubed
12 oz box bowtie pasta, cooked al dente
1 can pineapple tidbits, drained
1 can water chestnuts, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
2 green onions, chopped
2/3 cups Craisins
1 can mandarin oranges, drained
8 oz Coleslaw dressing
1/2 cup mayo
1 small can of cashews

Mix together all the ingredients, except for the dressing, mayo, and cashews in a large bowl. Combine dressing and mayo until well blended then pour over the ingredients in large bowl. Stir until well combined let rest in fridge overnight. Right before serving add cashews.

*if it seems to dry you can add more coleslaw dressing

Chicken Teriyaki Burgers and Steak Fry Sauce

Marinade the chicken breast in "Lawry's Teriyaki with Pineapple Juice Sauce." This sauce not only tastes great but it will marinade in 30 minutes. Next, grill the chicken then half way through grilling the chicken, grill the pineapple rings. When the chicken is finished, put the Swiss cheese on it and then place it on a ceramic plate on the top rack of the barbeque grill so that the cheese can melt without dripping into the grill and the ceramic plate keeps the chicken hot while the chicken sets before eating. Finally, the fry sauce uses "Famous Dave's Rich & Sassy" with mayonnaise added to it. You can find the Famous Dave's barbeque sauces in most grocery stores now. Lastly, you have to use mayonnaise (not miracle whip) on the bun with a little teriyaki sauce mixed into it and your favorite lettuce and or tomato topping!