Chicken Quesadillas

Who isn't lovin' them some quesadillas? We have our quesadilla machine that gets broken out every now and then, but last week I came across this awesome recipe in 3, 4, 5 Ingredient Cookbook and was foaming at the mouth! No quesadilla maker needed and my kids loved it!

Who doesn't love to find "something different" when it comes to all things Mexican? It's like the first day of a new $ menu item at Taco Bell...that Woo-Hoo moment! This one has a perfect texture to liquid ratio....just enough crunch with some great ooze... Have a gander at this quick and easy recipe!

Chicken Quesadillas

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 (10 oz) can cheddar cheese soup
2/3 cup chunky salsa
10 flour tortillas

Directions:

Cook chicken in skillet until juices evaporate; stir often. Add soup and salsa and heat thoroughly. Spread about 1/3 cup soup mixture on half tortilla to within 1/2 inch of edge. Moisten edge with water, fold over and seal. Place on 2 baking sheets. Bake at 400F for 5 to 6 minutes.

Final Photo Taken by Me ;)

Pizza Casserole

OK, so I have yet again found a recipe with the word "Pizza" in it which means what? It is #1 in my kids' book! I am an absolute LOVER of ground beef. I love to smell it while cooking, all full of herbs and then eventually what the end result will be. I am in constant search of recipes with ground beef that are new and different instead of you know, the same ol, same ol. I found this most recent recipe in my "Dump Recipe" Book which is lovely because they are just so simple...toss everything in and go! Keep in mind that if you use a not so lean ground beef, it will shrink down and there won't be as much...we realized after, sadly. We would have loved to have had seconds, but it gave just a piece. Very filling though! You can always serve alongside some sliced bread if you want to add something and not break your budget. This had such a great taste! Enjoy!

Pizza Casserole

Serves: 4-6
Working time: 45 minutes

1 lb ground beef
1 can tomatoes (16 oz, drained)
1/2 cup Cheddar cheese (shredded)
2 Tbsp. dried onions
1 Tbsp. parsley (fresh and chopped)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp basil

Mixed dried onions, salt, pepper & uncooked ground beef. Press ground beef into 9" pie pan. Spread tomatoes over meat. Sprinkle with basil, oregano & parsley. Top with cheese. Bake at 375F for 50 minutes.

Final Photo Taken by Me ;)

Broccoli Chowder

We are having a few warm days here in PA, but who doesn't want to just relax on a Friday night with some warm soup in the winter? This recipe was so simple that it didn't even take any time! My second son currently has the flu and was so upset that he didn't have the stomach to eat one of his favorite soups, but because of the simplicity, I will just throw it together another day! My 3 year old even loved it! We doubled the recipe to be sure we had enough for the ones whom we figured would enjoy, but may need to triple the next time (I never expected my 3 year old to like it).


It has a creaminess that goes perfectly with a slice of fresh baked bread and so, we made some! Add this one to your winter line up. Not a bread baker? Be sure to grab up a load of crusty bread to serve with it. You will love it!!!

Broccoli Chowder

1 (10 oz) pkg. frozen chopped broccoli
1 Tbsp. dried minced onion
1 (10 3/4 oz) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 c. milk
1 (4 oz) pkg. (1 c.) shredded cheddar cheese
1/8 tsp. ground red pepper

In medium saucepan, bring 1/2 cup water to boil. Add broccoli and onion. Cover and simmer for five minutes. Do not drain. Add the can of soup, milk, cheese and pepper. Cook and stir about 4-5 minutes. Makes 4-5 servings.

Final Photo Taken by Me ;) 

Stuffed Pizza Bites

I like to change things up as much as I can with recipes. My kids love, love (did I say love) pizza. So, what can you do besides ordering out, frozen or even a fresh pizza pie? Changing the whole dynamic of the pizza can do wonders! I came across this recipe in a magazine and knew it would be a good one!

As Seen on TV! David Venable did a recipe on Stuffed Pizza Bites. Now, in a family of our size, who sticks to a budget, we could not possibly go name brand on the prepared pizza dough and they had no generic available. So, we ended up changing our dough. *We bought the frozen dough balls which means there was some thawing involved and then rolled them each out, sliced into 2 down the center and followed the recipe from there (Be sure to spray the pie pans if you use the frozen dough as the result is different). We also substituted the grated Parmesan cheese for the sprinkle in a can (always saving where we can) They LOVED them! Some of the kids wanted them dipped into the marinara sauce and some simply liked them plain. We now have a new winter dish as it is stuffed into a pie pan and comes out like fresh bread...and who doesn't love fresh bread taste in the winter?


Here is the recipe as written in the magazine (my version is simply substituting the frozen dough rolls for the refrigerated prepared pizza dough, see *note above...a good option if you stick to a daily food budget)

David Venable's Stuffed Pizza Bites

2 Cans (13 7/8 oz each) refrigerated prepared pizza dough
8 oz. block mozzarella cheese, cut into 48 cubes
48 slices pepperoni
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
3 Tbs. grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups pizza (or marinara) sauce, heated.

Preheat oven to 400F. Coat 3 (9") pie pans with cooking spray. On lightly floured surface, roll out 1 pizza crust and pat into 12" x 8" rectangle. Cut into 24 squares. Place 1 pepperoni slice and 1 cube of cheese on each dough square. Wrap dough around, pressing to seal. Place filled squares into pan, seam side down. Repeat with remaining dough, pepperoni and cheese. Mix together oil, Italian seasoning and garlic powder. Drizzle or brush over rolls and top with grated Parmesan. Bake 16-20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with pizza or marinara sauce. Makes 12 servings.

Final Photo Taken by Me ;) 

Crockpot Ranch Pork Chops

With the new year here, you always have that resolution to get everything completely back on track. That includes sitting down more at the dinner table AND....getting those new recipes onto the blog so here we are!

I don't know about you, but I have 1 out of 8 children who are the very pickiest you will ever see. My 11 year old hates side dishes and most vegetables. Seriously, who doesn't like a good mashed potato? We have tried them all; plain, butter, sour cream & chives, 4 cheese, garlic...nada! I really loved this recipe because the gravy that cooks in the pot is an amazing topping for potatoes. We bought garlic potatoes to use for these and wow! This is a quick, 3 ingredient meal for the main dish...just dump it into the crock pot and go!

Crock pot Ranch Pork Chops

Package of pork chops
1 can of Cream of Chicken Soup
1 packet of dry Ranch Dressing Mix

In crock pot, layer pork chops, add the cream of chicken soup, then sprinkle dry Ranch dressing all over. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours. Brown the pork chops first. The pork chops come out very tender with an amazing taste with a yummy gravy for potatoes!

Final Photo Taken by Me ;)