Friday, May 14, 2010

May Meals

Chicken Tetrazzini - Amanda

Turkey and Artichoke Stuffed Shells with Arrabbiata Sauce - Britta

Taco Braid - Diana

Crockpot Chicken Dinner
- Jeana

Baked 4-Cheese Pasta - Julianne

Grilled Chicken Bacon Sandwiches and Spinach and Artichoke Dip - Julie

Zesty Penne, Sausage, and Peppers
- Kim

Rustic Pesto Chicken Pizza - Kimberly

Enchilada Casserole - Margaret

Asian Mushroom Lettuce Wraps - Melanie

Chicken Tetrazzini

4 cups diced chicken, cooked
4 cups chicken broth
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced
8 T. butter
2/3 cup flour
2 cloves garlic
2 cups cream
1/4 cup sherry
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In skillet, brown mushrooms, onion, and garlic in 2 T. butter. Set aside.
In large saucepan, melt remaining 6 T. butter. Add flour and chicken broth. Cook, stirring continually until mixture thickens.
Add cream, sherry, vegetables, Parmesan cheese, and cooked chicken to the mixture.
Serve with your choice of pasta and salad or any other kind of vegetable.

Applebee's Spinach and Artichoke Dip

4 oz. softened cream cheese
1/2 of a 16 oz. jar Alfredo sauce
12 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 (14 oz.) can artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tsp. minced garlic

Mix cream cheese with Alfredo sauce until smooth. Add all other ingredients. Mix thoroughly and spread mixture into a baking dish. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until cheeses are bubbling and melted. Serve with tortilla chips.

Grilled Chicken Bacon Sandwiches

Chicken breasts
Bacon
Buns
Provolone
Lettuce
Tomatoes
Mayonnaise

Defrost chicken and add your favorite seasonings. We do seasoned salt and pepper. Grill the chicken on your BBQ. When they are almost finished, add the cheese and crispy bacon (warm in the microwave for a few seconds) and let the cheese get melted. Spread some mayonnaise on the buns and put them all together.

Rustic Pesto Chicken Pizza

Ingredients:

Rustic Crust pizza crust (cheesy herb)
2 breasts sautéed chicken cut into pieces and seasoned with lemon pepper
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
½ cup feta cheese
½ cup basil pesto with pine nuts
1-2 tomatoes sliced
1 red onion thinly sliced or slivered
virgin olive oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450°.

Baste crust edges with olive oil. Spread pesto over entire pizza crust. Layer half of the mozzarella cheese, all of the feta cheese, thinly sliced red onion, chicken, tomato slices and top with remaining mozzarella.

Reduce heat to 425° and bake for 8-12 minutes.

Asian Mushroom Lettuce Wraps

2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 lb ground chicken or diced boneless, skinless chicken thigh meat
3 cups finely chopped white mushrooms
½ tsp ground ginger
1 ½ Tbsp crushed garlic
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup hoisin sauce
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1 romaine heart or iceberg lettuce, leaves separated

GARNISHES: grated carrots, diced cucumbers, chopped peanuts, chopped fresh mint, peanut sauce, hot chili oil

Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over med-high heat. Add chicken and stir, breaking ground chicken into small pieces. Stir in mushrooms, ginger and garlic. Continue to stir and cook for about 4-5 minutes or until the mushroom liquid has evaporated.

Stir in soy sauce, hoisin sauce and vinegar. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 4-5 minutes to blend flavors. Transfer to a serving bowl.

Arrange lettuce leaves on a platter. Spoon the filling into the lettuce leaves and garnish as desired.

POT STICKERS

RECOMMENDED METHOD

1. Add 2 Tbsp vegetable oil to a non-stick skillet; coat pan evenly.
2. Place frozen pot stickers flat side down in a single layer.
3. Add 2/3 cup warm water. Cover and cook for 8 minutes or until water has evaporated.
4. Uncover, cook 1 minute or until golden brown

TRADITIONAL METHOD

1. Bring 8 cups of water to a boil
2. Add FROZEN pot stickers and stir.
3. Boil for 8 minutes. Drain and brown if desired.

To Brown: Add 1 Tbsp of cooking oil to non-stick pan. Turn heat to medium. Place boiled pot stickers flat side down and cook until golden brown.

Zesty Penne, Sausage and Peppers

Ingredients

3 cups penne pasta, uncooked
1 pound Italian sausage
1 green bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 (26 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
1 teaspoon fennel seed
Dash crushed red pepper
4 ounces PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, cubed
1/4 cup KRAFT Shredded Parmesan Cheese

Directions

1. Cook pasta as directed on package.
2. Meanwhile, crumble sausage into large skillet; cook and stir on medium heat 8 min. or until done. Drain. Add bell peppers; cook and stir 5 min. or until crisp-tender. Stir in next 3 ingredients; cook 5 min. or until heated through. Add cream cheese; cook 2 min. or until melted, stirring frequently.
3. Drain pasta. Add to sausage mixture; mix lightly. Top with Parmesan.

Taco Braid

One pound bread dough or croissant rolls
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion1 packet of taco seasoning
3/4 cup chunky salsa
1 cup shredded cheese
Sour cream
Chips

Optional Toppings:
Chopped tomatoes
Shredded lettuce
Mushrooms
Bell pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375`.
2. Brown ground beef and onions. Drain the grease. Then, stir in taco seasoning and water according to package directions. Add cheese until melted, and remove from heat. Add salsa and set mixture aside. (I have done this all for you.)
3. Roll out bread dough until it is thin and in a rectangle. On a lightly greased pizza pan, or round baking stone, place the dough (or roll it out on pan). Divide dough into thirds, making a slight mark with knife down each third. Then, cut every 2 inches down each side to create your braids.
4. Scoop meat mixture evenly onto the middle of the dough. Bring in each 2 inch part, first from one side then the other to form your braid.
5. Bake 20 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.

You can garnish with bell pepper, lettuce, salsa, tomatoes, onion, sour cream, olives, etc. If you do a Taco Ring you can cut off the top of the bell pepper, fill it with salsa and place it in the middle of the Taco Ring. Then, mound lettuce, onion, tomato and olives around the pepper.

(Click the picture to go to taste of home instructions)

Turkey and Artichoke Stuffed Shells with Arrabbiata Sauce

From Food Network

Ingredients

1 (12-ounce) box jumbo pasta shells (recommended: Barilla)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 large yellow onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pound ground turkey
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus 1/2 teaspoon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus 1/4 teaspoon
1 (8 to 10-ounce) package frozen artichokes, thawed and coarsely chopped
1 (15-ounce) container ricotta cheese
3/4 cup grated Parmesan
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions

5 cups Arrabbiata Sauce, recipe follows
1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella (about 5 ounces)

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and partially cook until tender but still very firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 4 to 5 minutes. Drain pasta.

Meanwhile, in a large heavy skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and the garlic and cook until the onions are soft and starting to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the ground turkey, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is slightly golden and cooked through. Add the artichoke hearts and stir to combine. Remove from heat and let cool.

In a large bowl combine the cooled turkey mixture with the ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, eggs, basil, parsley, and the remaining salt and pepper. Stir to combine.

To stuff the shells, cover the bottom of a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking dish with 1 cup of Arrabbiata sauce. Take a shell in the palm of your hand and stuff it with a large spoonful of turkey mixture, about 2 tablespoons. Place the stuffed shell in the baking dish. Continue filling the shells until the baking dish is full, about 24 shells. Drizzle the remaining Arrabbiata Sauce over the shells, top with the grated mozzarella. If freezing, cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 1 day and up to 1 month.

To bake, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bake until the shells are warmed through and the cheese is beginning to brown, about 60 minutes (20 minutes if shells are unfrozen.)
Arrabbiata Sauce:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 ounces sliced pancetta, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
2 garlic cloves, minced
5 cups jarred or fresh marinara sauce

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the pancetta and saute until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until tender, about 1 minute. Add the marinara sauce and red pepper flakes and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and let cool until ready to use.

Yield: approximately 6 cups

Enchilada Casserole

1 lb hamburger
10 tortillas
1 can refried beans
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 cans red mild enchilada sauce (or one large can)
taco seasoning packet
sour cream

Directions:
Cook hamburger, with taco seasoning packet (per directions of your packet). Tear up 5 tortillas in the bottom of a 9x13 pan (spray pan first with non-stick spray). Spread all of the hamburger over the tortillas. Empty can of refried beans in a bowl, add a little water, and place in microwave for 1 minute. Stir and then spread over the hamburger. Tear up the last 5 tortillas over the beans, then pour the two cans of enchilada sauce over the tortillas; lastly distribute the two cups shredded cheese over top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 - 40 minutes. Serve with sour cream over top.

Crockpot Chicken Dinner

3-4 chicken breasts
1 block cream cheese
2 cans C. of Chicken soup
1/3 c. milk
1 pkt. Italian Dressing mix

Put in Crockpot for 6-8 hours. When done, mix all together and break up chicken.
Serve over rice.