King Ranch Chicken Casserole

I had plans on serving this for dinner tonight, but when the time came to make it I realized that no one would be home to eat this except for my husband and me. So I split this recipe into 2 8×8 pans. I baked one and froze the other. One pan served 3 of us with a little bit left over (my daughter came home earlier than expected).

I’ve seen variations of this recipe all over the internet. Here is my version, sent to me by my husband’s coworker.

King Ranch Chicken Casserole

Serves: 8

3 lbs chicken cooked
2 T.  chili powder
1/2 lb. grated cheese
1 can tomatoes and hot chili peppers (like rotel)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 c. chicken broth
1 c. chopped onions
1 c. chopped green peppers
1 can mushroom soup
12 soft tortillas

Bone chicken, mix soups, chili powder and chicken broth.  Heat, line large baking dish with 6 tortillas.  layer with 1/2 chicken, 1/2 soup mixture, 1/2 onion, 1/2 pepper and 1/2 cheese. Repeat layers and then pour tomatoes and hot peppers over top and bake at 350 for 1 hour.  Flavors are enhanced if prepared several hours before baking.

Chicken with Lima Beans

This was surprisingly very tasty! With the limited list of ingredients, I thought it would be rather bland, but they all combined to make a lip-smackingly good dish. This will be made again. I did add one clove of garlic, crushed because I put garlic in nearly everything!

Chicken with Lima Beans
Serves: 4

1  frying chicken, cut up
salt
pepper
1 tablespoon oil
2 large  potatoes, cubed
10  ounces  frozen lima beans, thawed
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon thyme

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil and butter in large skillet. Fry chicken on both sides until brown. Add to crockpot with remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours.

Pizza Burgers

This is a delicious alternative to regular hamburgers.

Pizza Burgers
Serves: 4

1 pound ground beef
4 tablespoons dry Italian-style bread crumbs
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup marinara sauce
cooking spray
4 slices Provolone cheese

In large bowl, combine ground beef, bread crumbs, onion, black pepper, & marinara sauce; blend well , being careful to not overwork the meat or else it becomes tough. Divide meat evenly to form into 4 patties. Arrange patties in a large skillet lightly coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat; brown patties for 4 to 5 minutes per side or until they reach desired level of doneness. Place 1 piece of cheese on each patty and continue to cook for 1 minute or until cheese melts.

Serve on buns with lettuce and tomato, if you desire. I often eat this bunless with cottage cheese and a green salad.

Molded Cranberry Salad

Here is one of the classic Thanksgiving dishes from my mother. It is an old recipe, and hence calls for a meat grinder. I’ve found that using a good food processor is good enough. But I have Mom’s old meat grinder, maybe I’ll try using it this year. This can be made a few days ahead of time in preparation for Thanksgiving dinner.

Molded Cranberry Salad

Serves 10-12

Soak 1 Tbsp of unflavored gelatin in 1/4 cup water

Wash: 1 qt fresh cranberries (4 cups)

2 small oranges

Cut oranges into quarters, removing seeds. Put oranges and cranberris through a meat grinder, using a medium knife. Reserve the juices.

Dissolve over heat: 3/4 to 1 cup sugar in 1/4 cup water.

Add 1 pkg (3 1/4 oz box) lemon jello (NOTE: I like to use raspberry or cranberry jello when I can find it) and the soaked gelatin over heat. Stir until gelatin is dissolved. Add the ground fruit.

Place the salad in a wet mold or in a wet ring mold. Chill until firm. Unmold on lettuce. Serve with mayonnaise (Optional – I’ve never done this).

Broccoli Casserole

Thanksgiving will be here soon. I am part of a very large, very loving family. We love to celebrate around food. Unfortunately, a lot of us are overweight, we like food too well! However, because there are so many to feed on Thanksgiving (close to 70 in the immediate family), this meal is treated as a potluck. The following recipe is my contribution to the Thanksgiving tradition. My mother was given this recipe by a friend of hers when we lived in Portsmouth, Ohio in the late 1960s. This is one of the only ways I will eat broccoli.

Broccoli Casserole

Recipe By: Marilyn Nibert
Serves: 12

2 large bags frozen broccoli
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 stick butter, divided
1 tablespoon flour
1 pinch garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 pint sour cream
8 ounces  American cheese slices
2 cups  crushed corn flakes

Cook broccoli as directed on package, adding 1 tsp salt and 1 Tbsp sugar to water as it cooks. Drain.

In  saucepan, melt 1/2 stick butter. Stir in flour, 1 Tsp salt, garlic powder, pepper and sour cream. Set aside.

In a 13 x 9  pan, alternate layers of broccoli, sauce, cheese, broccoli, sauce, cheese, etc. End up with cheese layer. Melt remaining 1/2 stick butter. Combine it with crushed corn flakes. Place on top of casserole.

Bake in 400* oven for 35 minutes.

NOTE: This is good prepared hours before baking. This can be frozen ahead of time. Omit the cornflake crumbs until ready to bake, thaw completely, then add the cornflake crumbs before baking.

Apple Snicker Salad

I’m posting this especially for my oldest daughter. She loves this dessert. It is very easy to make, and makes quite a bit. You can easily halve this recipe. I got this recipe from a dear online friend. Thanks Kris, this has become a family favorite and a frequently requested dish to make for potlucks.

Apple Snicker Salad

Recipe By : Kris Tuttle

2 pkgs. Instant French vanilla pudding — (4oz.)
2 c. milk
8 oz. Cool Whip
1 bag fun-size Snickers bars or 7 large (set some aside for top)
5 Granny Smith apples — (5 to 7)

Mix pudding & 2 cups milk.  Blend 1 minute.  Mix pudding & Cool Whip.  Cut up apples & Snickers bite-size.  Mix together, with pudding mix.   Refrigerate hour before serving.  Throw reserved Snickers pieces on top for decoration.

Slow Cooking Thursday: BBQ Chicken Wings

For Ohio State Buckeye football fans, Saturday is THE game of the season. The OSU v. U of Michigan game is a traditional big rival game. Before the BSC came along and changed the way that end of season bowl games are done, this was often the game that decided who went to represent the Big Ten Conference in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day. It still is often the game that determines the conference champs. Regardless, it is a fun rivalry and one that we celebrate with a big game day party somewhere. Saturday also happens to be my second daughter’s 23rd birthday. We are going to celebrate that too, somewhere in the midst of the football game! Here is one of the dishes I am making for the party. Check here for other game day snacks.

Barbecue Chicken Wings

Serves 10

3 packages whole chicken wings
2 cups ketchup
1/2 cup honey
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon paprika
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (more or less depending on taste)

Cut chicken wings into three sections; discard wing tips. Place wings in a greased 15″ x 10″ x 1″ baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until juices run clear.

In a bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Pour 1/2 cup into a 3-qt slow cooker. Drian chicken wings; add to slow cooker. Drizzle with remaining sauce. Cover and cook on low for 1 hour, basting occasionally.

NOTE: 3 pounds of uncooked chicken wing sections (wingettes) may be substituted for the whole chicken wings. Omit the first step.

For more slow cooker meals, hop on over to Sandra’s blog.

Slow Cooking Thursday: Tuscan Chicken and Beans

This is a very flavorful dish. Serve with some warm crusty bread and a green salad for a complete meal.

Tuscan Chicken and Beans
Serves 6

1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, pressed
2 carrots, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut in 1″ cubes
1 red pepper, diced
1 can cannelini beans, drained
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 cup water
12 ounces spaghetti

In a crockpot, layer onion, garlic, carrots and celery on the bottom. Add the chicken next then the peppers, beans, Italian seasoning and salt and pepper to taste. Add spaghetti sauce and water. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until chicken is tender and cooked.

Cook the linguine according to package directions. Serve chicken on top of pasta.

For more slow cooker meals, hop over to Sandra’s blog.

Fish Parmesan

My take on an old Italian classic, Chicken Parmigiana using fish instead. This is simple and delicious.

Fish Parmesan
Serves 6

5 tablespoons flour
5 tablespoons cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper — to taste
3 tablespoons butter
6 fish fillets — fresh or frozen
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

On a dinner plate, combine flour, cornmeal and seasonings. Melt butter in a shallow baking dish. Dredge fish in flour mixture and place in baking dish. Turn fish to coat with butter; then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Bake for 8-10 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Slow Cooking Thursday: Chicken Fried Chops

Oh yeah, this is some good stick-to-your-ribs food!

Chicken-Fried Chops
Serves 6

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
6 pork loin chops, trimmed
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1/3 cup water

In a shallow bowl, combine flour, salt, mustard and garlic powder; dredge pork chops. In a skillet, brown the chops on both sides in oil. Place in a slow cooker. Combine soup and water; pour over chops. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until meat is tender. If desired thicken pan juices and serve with the pork chops.

For more slow cooker meals, hop on over to Sandra’s blog.