Chicken Divan

From:  All You Magazine
Prep time:  20 minutes
Bake time:  30 minutes
Serves: 6
Cost per serving: $2.39

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb broccoli (about 3 large heads, chopped)
24 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 1/2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
2 Tbsp. minced shallot or onion (I didn't add this because Kaylen doesn't like onions)
1/4 cup flour
1 cup fat free chicken broth
1 cup milk
1/4 cup dry sherry or white wine (didn't use this either)
6 oz. shredded Swiss cheese (I used the Italian mix that has 4 different cheeses)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs (I used Club crackers that I crushed up.

Directions:

1. Preheat over to 350 F.  Spray a 9 by 13 inch baking dish with cooking spray of your choice.  
2. Season chicken with salt and pepper (I used garlic pepper).  Spray a large skillet or grill pan with with cooking spray; place over medium-low heat.  Cook chicken, turning once, until browned and almost cooked through, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat; transfer chicken to a cutting board.  When cool, slice chicken into bite size pieces.  
3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Add broccoli and blanch 3 minutes.  Drain and rinse with cold water to stop cooking.  
4. Warm a medium skillet over medium heat.  Add butter and 2 tsp. oil; heat until butter has melted.  Add garlic and shallots and saute until tender, about 3 minutes.  Sprinkle flour over mixture and whisk until incorporated.  Stir in broth, milk, and sherry and bring to a boil.  Remove from heat and stir in half of Swiss cheese. Season with salt and pepper.  
5. Arrange broccoli in baking dish and pour half of cheese sauce on top.  Arrange chicken on top and cover with remaining sauce.  Sprinkle with remaining Swiss cheese and Parmesan; top with bread crumbs.  Drizzle with 1/2 tsp. olive oil.  
6. Bake for 30 minutes or until browned on top.

Per serving:
390 Calories
13g Fat (7g Sat)
93mg Cholesterol
3g Fiber
41g Protein
19g Carbohydrates
701mg Sodium

Nacho Chicken & Rice Wraps

Prep Time:  5 minutes
Cook Time:  4-8 hours

Ingredients:

2 cans (10 3/4 oz. each) Campbell's Condensed Cheddar Cheese Soup
1 cup water
2 cups salsa
1 1/4 cup uncooked rice
2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
Flour tortillas

Directions:

Mix soup, water, salsa, rice and chicken in crock pot.  Cover and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours or on HIGH for 4-5 hours, or until chicken is no longer pink.  Spoon mixture down center of each tortilla and fold tortilla around filling.  We also put cheese and ranch with this and it was delicious.

Glimpse into our Christmas - starring D

2011 recap

2011 has rushed right by.  Seriously!  Where did the time go?  How is it almost 2012?  This year brought a lot of changes to everyone in the family.  We moved into our new house, D started kindergarten, I had to travel to Atlanta and Virginia for my job, the hubby got promoted, we got a new furry friend....I feel like the list could go on and on.  And those are only the good things.

I also lost my grandma and cousin this year, Alan died in August and my grandma died in October.  It doesn't seem real that they are both gone and that I will no longer see them.  It does mean that I can remember them how I want to, and they are both happy and healthy in my memories.

Since one of my New Year's resolutions is to be better about documenting things, I really will be better about blogging.  It really does help me relieve stress and I want to be able to start making a blog book.

Happy New Years!!!

In Loving Memory

This post is certainly not easy to write, and I wish that somehow time could change and the outcome would be different.  I don't want to get into the specifics of what happened, because that's not my place, but feel the need to put some of my feelings out there instead of in the back of my mind.

In my opinion, my cousin was way too young, but it's not my place to determine when anyone's time is up.  

I love my cousin.  Family is family, and no matter how dysfunctional or how seldom you see each other, you still love them.  My cousin was that way.  Growing up in Utah, with most of my mom's family down in Las Vegas, we didn't spend a lot of time together.  Sure, we visited and tried to go down on Christmas Day, but being as that my cousins are all at least 7 years older than me, it was a little different.  When I was younger, I remember playing Super Mario Bros with Alan.  I thought it was so cool to play and he taught me a lot of cool tips and secrets.  To this day, I can beat every level of Super Mario Bros without skipping any levels.  Now, every time I play Mario Bros, I will think of my cousin and smile, and miss him.

The Best Banana Bread!!!

5 large bananas (at the end of their prime)
4 eggs
1 cup butter (softened)
2 cups sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup - 1 cup sour cream (depending on your preference, I usually use 1/2 cup)
3 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp. soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. lemon extract
1 tsp. butter extract (optional, I do not use this)

Put bananas in a bowl and beat to a smooth consistency.  Then add in other ingredients.  Bake at 350 for an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes.

**I also made banana bread muffins, and poured the batter into the muffin liners.  I baked them for 20 minutes and let them cool and they are amazing!!

Brings New Meaning....

Ever heard the phrase, "Wrangler Butts Drive Me Nuts"????

Yummy Cheesy Potato Hash Browns

Adapted from a 30 Minute Meals recipe.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, chopped (I don't use onions because my hubby hates onions)
5 cups shredded frozen hash brown potatoes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste (I didn't use this because I didn't have any on hand)
1 cup extra-sharp white Cheddar crumbles (I used shredded Colby Jack cheese)

Directions

Heat a large skillet with extra-virgin olive oil and butter over medium-high heat. Add onions and let soften 2 to 3 minutes. Add potatoes, season with salt and pepper and cook 20 minutes, turning occasionally, until brown and crispy. Season with a little freshly grated nutmeg, to taste, and add cheese. Turn the potatoes and onions with cheese to melt the crumbles and crisp the cheese a bit, about 1 minute. Transfer to serving dish. Then - enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday - Love in 3D

Crispy Mashed Potato Cakes

Ingredients (adapted from Rachel Ray's 30 Minute Meals recipe)

Potatoes of your choice (I use Idaho potatoes)
Milk (I don't measure, I just pour, mash, and see if I need more milk)
2 tablespoons sour cream or ranch dressing
1-2 cloves garlice, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon butter

Directions

Peel and dice potatoes and add to a large pot. Cover with water and salt the water. Bring to boil over medium heat, and cook until tender. Drain the potatoes and return to hot pot to dry. Transfer potatoes to a bowl. Add the sour cream, milk, garlic, salt and pepper, to taste. Mash potatoes to combine mixture.  I also add shredded cheese sometimes - depending on what else is for dinner.

Heat the oil and butter in nonstick skillet over medium heat. Drop 2-inch mounds of potatoes into skillet and gently press down to flatten a bit. Crisp potatoes until deeply golden on each side, about 7 to 8 minutes total. Mixture makes 8 golden cakes.