Pesto Chicken Pizza

1 Thin pizza crust (you can buy these in packages of 2 at Walmart)
¼ C Pesto sauce
1 cup Grilled chicken breasts – Season to taste
1 cup Mozzarella cheese
¼ cup red onion cut into strips
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

Grill chicken, season according to taste. Cut into bite size pieces. Spread pesto sauce on pizza crust. Cover pesto sauce with cheese. Top with chicken, peppers, and mushrooms. Bake according to directions on pizza package.

Chicken Enchilada Pasta

2-3 chicken breasts, cooked & shredded
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced (or .5 t garlic powder)
1 medium onion, diced
1 red or green pepper, diced
1 can diced green chilies
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 large can green chili enchilada sauce
1 can red enchilada sauce
2 cups shredded cheese
1 cup sour cream
Penne pasta

Optional toppings
Avocado
Green Onions
Black Olives
Tomatoes
Sour Cream

Cook chicken, drain, and shred or cube. Meanwhile boil pasta according to package and chop the veggies. Heat the olive oil in a deep skillet and cook onions for about 3-5 minutes. Add garlic & pepper and cook for another 3-5 minutes.

Add cooked chicken, green chilies, cumin, chili powder, salt, & enchilada sauces. Let sauce simmer for about 8-10 minutes.

Add cheese and stir until the cheese is melted and heated through. Toss in the sour cream, but whatever you do, DO NOT bring to a boil! Cook on low heat or the sour cream will curdle. Stir until sour cream is well mixed and heated through.

Drain pasta & return to pot. Pour sauce over pasta and mix well. Serve and garnish with avocado, tomato, green onion, and a dollop of sour cream.

Hawaiian Crockpot Chicken

2-4 frozen chicken breasts
1 bottle of Lawry's Hawaiian marinade
1 can of drained pineapple chunks
1 sliced green pepper (optional)

Put frozen chicken in crock pot, add 1 bottle of Lawry's Hawaiian marinade, 1 can of drained pineapple chunks, 1 sliced green pepper (optional). Cook on high for 3-4 hrs or on low for 5-6 hrs. Remove chicken and shred or cut into pieces. Return chicken to mixture. Serve over rice.

Crock Pot Teriyaki Chicken

3-4 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup soy sauce
6 tablespoons cider vinegar
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
4 1/2 teaspoons cold water
Hot cooked long grain rice

Place chicken in a 4 qt. slow cooker. In a large bowl, combine the sugar, soy sauce, cider vinegar, ginger, garlic and pepper. Pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours or until chicken is tender. Remove chicken to a serving platter; keep warm. Skim fat from cooking liquid. Place liquid in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth. Gradually stir into liquid and stir until sauce is thickened. Serve with chicken and rice.

Zesty Cream Cheese Chicken

1 8 oz package of lowfat cream cheese
2 cans cream of chicken/mushroom soup
1 teaspoon chicken bullion
2 large chicken breasts
1 bottle fat-free zesty Italian salad dressing
2 cups rice

Directions:

Combine all ingredients (except rice) in crock pot. Cook on low for 4-6 hours. Cook rice. When chicken is tender remove from mixture, shred chicken and add to mixture. Serve hot over rice.

Beef Stroganoff

1 pound cubed beef stew meat
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Can mushrooms (with juice)
1 - 16 oz container of sour cream
1 package bow tie pasta

In a slow cooker, combine the meat, onion, Worcestershire sauce and mushrooms.

Cook on Low setting for 8 hours, or on High setting for about 5 hours. Stir in sour cream just before serving.

Serve over noodles.

Pesto Chicken Pasta

1 (16 ounce) package bow tie pasta
1 cup grilled chicken breast – cut into bite size pieces
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup pesto sauce

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

2. Defrost chicken, pesto sauce, sun-dried tomatoes, and cheese

3. In a large bowl, combine pasta, chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, cheese and pesto. Toss to coat evenly.

Stroganoff Sandwiches

1 pound lean ground beef (90% lean)
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 can (4 ounces) sliced mushrooms, drained
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
1 loaf French bread, cut in half lengthwise
2 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 medium green pepper, cut into rings
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

In a skillet, brown beef with onion. Drain. Season with the garlic powder, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Remove from the heat and stir in mushrooms and sour cream; set aside.

Place it with the bread side up on a baking sheet; broil until light golden brown.

Reset oven to 375°. Spread bread with ground beef mixture. Top with the tomatoes, pepper rings and cheese. Bake for 5 minutes or until the cheese melts. Serve immediately. Yield: 6-8 servings.

Shepherd's Pie

Meat Mixture
1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup cooked corn
1/2 cup cooked carrots
1 ½ cup vegetable juice (like V8)
1/2 teaspoon oregano
3 cups mashed cooked potatoes
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and lightly grease a 2 quart baking dish.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, stir and cook ground beef, onion and celery until juices run clear. Drain. Pour mixture into bowl with vegetable soup, veggies and oregano; stir well. Spread mashed potatoes on top.
Bake 20 minutes. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top and bake 5 minutes more, or until cheese has melted.

From Frozen:
Thaw meat mixture.

Make potatoes: Instant Potatoes
Place 2 cup instant potatoes into a container. Add 4 cup hot or boiling water. Allow to sit for 2-3 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve. Makes 8 servings.

Place meat mixture into 9x13 baking dish. Once the potatoes are done, spread over meat mixture and top with cheese. Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes.

Shredded Lime Tacos

1 1/2 lbs. skinless, boneless chicken breast meat
1/8 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 lime, juiced
1 tsp. white sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/2 white onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced

Mix together vinegar, lime juice, sugar, salt, pepper, onion, garlic, and cilantro. Put in crock pot with chicken and cook on low 6 hours. Shred chicken apart with forks and serve in tacos with toppings of choice.

Chicken Breasts with Balsamic Vinegar and Garlic

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
salt and pepper to taste
3/4 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 cloves garlic
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon butter

Directions

1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Rinse the mushrooms and pat dry. Season the flour with salt and pepper and dredge the chicken breasts in the flour mixture (see #4). Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat and saute the chicken until it is nicely browned on one side (about 3 minutes).

2. Add the garlic. Turn the chicken breasts and scatter the mushrooms over them. Continue frying, shaking the skillet and stirring the mushrooms. Cook for about 3 minutes, then add the vinegar, broth, bay leaf and thyme. Cover tightly and simmer over medium low heat for 10 minutes, turning occasionally.

3. Transfer the chicken to a warm serving platter and cover with foil. Set aside. Continue simmering the sauce, uncovered, over medium high heat for about 7 minutes. Swirl in the butter or margarine and discard the bay leaf. Pour this mushroom sauce mixture over the chicken and serve over noodles.

4. Note: Several reviews I read said they did not use the flour mixture. They liked it better without the flour mixture.

Pesto Pasta with Chicken

1 (16 ounce) package bow tie pasta
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
crushed red pepper flakes to taste
1/3 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and cut into strips
1/2 cup pesto sauce


1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic until tender, then stir in chicken. Season with red pepper flakes. Cook until chicken is golden, and cooked through.

3. In a large bowl, combine pasta, chicken, sun-dried tomatoes and pesto. Toss to coat evenly.

Chicken, Mushroom, Pesto Pizza

1 Thin pizza crust (you can buy these in packages of 2 at Walmart)
¼ C Pesto sauce
2 Grilled chicken breasts – Season to taste
1 cup Mozzarella cheese
½ cup red, yellow, orange bell peppers – cut into strips
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

Grill chicken, season according to taste. Cut into bite size pieces. Spread pesto sauce on pizza crust. Cover pesto sauce with cheese. Top with chicken, peppers, and mushrooms. Bake according to directions on pizza package.

Crispy Chipotle Lime Tilapia with Cool Avocado Sauce

1 canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
2 tablespoons adobo sauce from the can
1/4 cup salsa
1 tablespoon lime juice
4 tilapia fillets
1/2 (8 ounce) package tortilla chips, crushed
1 small avocado - peeled, pitted, and cut into large chunks
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon lime juice
3 tablespoons milk
salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Combine the chipotle pepper, adobo sauce, salsa, and 1 tablespoon lime juice in a blender and blend until smooth; brush the mixture over both sides of each tilapia fillet.
3. Spread the crushed tortilla chips into the bottom of a deep dish; dredge the coated fillets in the chips to coat. Arrange the fillets on the prepared baking pan.
4. Bake the fillets 15 minutes; turn and lightly spray with cooking spray. Continue to bake until golden brown, another 10 to 15 minutes.
5. While the fish bakes, place the avocado, sour cream, and 1 tablespoon lime juice and blend until smooth. Stir in the milk 1 tablespoon at a time until the consistency is similar to ranch dressing. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon the sauce over the baked fillets to serve.

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.

BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad

1 Cup Ranch Dressing
1 Cup BBQ Sauce
2-3 Chicken Breasts - Grilled or boiled
1 Head Romaine Lettuce
2 Tomatoes, diced
2 tablespoons Cilantro, chopped
1 Can Black Beans, drained
1 Can Corn, drained
¼ Cup Green Onions
¾ Cup Shredded Cheese
Tortilla Strips

Cook chicken and cut into bite size pieces. Mix the Ranch Dressing and BBQ sauce together, add chicken pieces (this can be done ahead of time and let set in the fridge for several hours).

Combine all other ingredients, except chips. Toss together with chicken and sauce. Add chips just before serving and toss again. You can also serve the salad & dressing mixture over the chips instead of tossing the chips with the salad.

Another option is to warm the chicken and sauce and serve warm or hot over the salad mixture.

French Bread

3 cups very warm water
2 Tablespoons yeast
4 Tablespoons sugar

Mix together and let set for at 3-5 minutes

Add
1 Tablespoon salt
2 Tablespoons cooking oil
7 ½ - 8 Cups flour

Mix all ingredients. Knead together for one minute. Dough will be stiff. Cover and let rise for 1 hour punching the dough down every 15 minutes. Divide dough into 4 equal parts. Roll each part into a long strips and roll into French bread form. Place bread on greased cookie sheet. Cut 3 slits on top of each loaf. Cover with towel and rise until double in size, about 30 minutes. Bake at 325 for 25 minutes. Brush hot bread with melted butter.

Optional – add ¼ cup Italian seasoning to dough mixture.

Serve with oil and balsamic vinegar.

Baked Ziti

Ingredients
1 package dry ziti pasta
1 onion, chopped
1 pound lean ground beef
1 32 ounce jar spaghetti sauce
6 ounces provolone cheese, sliced
1 1/2 cups sour cream
6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes; drain.
2. In a large skillet, brown onion and ground beef over medium heat. Add spaghetti sauce, and simmer 15 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer as follows: 1/2 of the ziti, Provolone cheese, sour cream, 1/2 sauce mixture, remaining ziti, mozzarella cheese and remaining sauce mixture. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.
4. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheeses are melted.

Gouda and Ham Sandwiches

1 package Gouda Cheese (10-12 Slices)
10 slices deli ham
1 loaf loaded Italian Bread (found at Walmart for $1.50 per loaf)
Lettuce
Tomato - sliced
Pesto Sauce

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Slice the bread length wise. Layer ham, cheese, ham cheese on bottom half of the bread. Toast bread in oven for 5-7 minutes (until cheese melts). Remove from oven. Spread pesto sauce on top half of bread. Place tomato slices on cheese side of bread, top with lettuce. Place top half of bread on lettuce. Slice and enjoy!

Taco Soup

1 pound ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 (10.75 ounce) can vegetable juice
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, with juice
1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
1 lime
1 bag tortilla chips
1 cup cheese
1 pint sour cream

In a large pot over medium high heat, saute the ground beef and onion for 5 to 10 minutes, or until browned. Drain the grease, and add the vegetable juice, taco seasoning, tomato sauce, tomatoes, corn and kidney beans. Mix well, reduce heat to low and let simmer for 1 to 2 hours to allow the flavors to mesh.

Place chips in bottom of each bowl. Spoon hot soup over the chips. Squeeze lime to taste. Top with cheese and sour cream. Enjoy!