Chicken Stir Fry Again

Chicken Stir fry is actually my first post on my blog... and after making it again I realized my picture have changed drastically.  This recipe is also MUCH different then the original with a lot less ingredients but still an amazing taste.

Ingredients

• 1 Pound of chicken tenderloins cut into bite size pieces
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 3 tablespoons of corn starch
• 2 tablespoons of minced garlice
• 1 cup of soy sauce
• 2 bags of frozen mixed veggies
• Rice of your choice

Directions

1.  Heat olive oil over medium heat
2. Add chicken to the oil until no longer pink
3. Cook your rice I used 6 servings of rice
4. Add your cornstarch to the chicken and mix well
5. Add your frozen veggies and cook for 7 minutes or until no longer frozen
6. Add your garlic and soy sauce let cook for 10 minutes
7. Once your rice is done mix your stir fry with the rice to soak up any extra juice and serve!

Final Product

Sheppards Pie Casserole

I love Sheppards pie and it is my roommate favorite meal.  There are so many recipes out there and I finally came up with one that is absolutely perfect, and easy!

Ingredients

• 1.5 pounds of ground beef
• 1 package of frozen vegetables
• 1/2 cup of beef broth
• 2 tablespoons of worchestire sauce
• 2 tablespoons of onion powder
• 2 packets of Betty Crocker instant garlic and cheese potatoes

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2.  Brown your ground beef with your onion powder and chop into pieces
3. While beef is browning boil water for your mashed potatoes
4. Once beef is browned drain and add your frozen vegetables
5. Once vegetables are cooked add your Worcestershire sauce and beef broth and simmer for 10 minutes
6. Prepare your mashed potatoes
7. While potatoes are cooking grease your casserole dish and place meat mixture on bottom
8. Place your mashed potatoes on top and make sure to cover all of the meat (it is ok if some sticks out)
9. Cook on 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly
10. Let sit for 5 minutes and serve! 

Final Product

Before Cut

After Cut

Easy Crockpot Lemon Chicken

I love crockpot recipes, and being tight on time and money lately I have been looking for some awesome easy, delicious and fast recipes.  This fits everything I am looking for it took 2 minutes to prepare and it was AWESOME.

Ingredients

• 1 pound of chicken tenderloins
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 1 packet of Italian seasoning
• 4 tablespoons of lemon juice
• Rice of your choice

Directions

1. Place butter on the bottom of crock pot
2. Place chicken on top of butter
3. Sprinkle Italian seasoning over chicken
4. Add your lemon juice
5. Place on low for 6- 8 hours
6. Right before serving shred chicken and serve over rice.

Final Product

Three Cheese Italian Sausage Stir Fry

I am a big fan of fast and easy meal on days that I have a lot to do...which happens a lot.  I had to try the new Johnsonville Chicken sausage I saw a recipe on their website for a stir fry... I decided to make something like that with different ingredients.  It was really easy and fast to make and it tasted awesome.

Ingredients

• 1 Package of 3 cheese chicken sausage cut into bite size pieces
• 3 tablespoons of oil (I used Wegmans basting oil)
• 3 tablespoons of onion powder
• 1 bag of frozen mixed peppers
• 2 tablespoons of Italian seasoning
• 2 teaspoons of garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 package multicolored penne pasta
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Heat your oil in a large pan over medium heat and add your sausage, onion powder, italian seasoning, garlic powder, ground pepper and peppers
2. Continue to cook sausage until browned and turn to low
3. Boil pasta according to directions
4. Once your pasta is boiled add to the sausage mix and mix well.
5. Add your Parmesan cheese mix and serve

Final Product

Ground Beef Stroganoff

Growing up my mom used to always make beef stroganoff because it was my brothers favorite meal.  There are times where I really crave it, however I am living on a college kid budget and can not afford the best meat.  I was looking online for variations and saw some with ground beef.  I used a little bit of my moms recipe and made my own.  I have to see this was much cheaper then hers, a completely different taste but it was AWESOME.  I will be sharing this with my mom and definitely be making this in the near future.

Ingredients

• 1 pound of ground beef
• 1.5 cups of  white onions chopped
• 4 cloves of minced garlic
• 3 tablespoons of butter
• 1.5-2 cups of beef broth
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 can of cream of mushroom soup
• 3 tablespoons of flour
• 1 tablespoon of pepper
• 1 box of your pasta of choice (I used bowtie noodles)

Directions

1. Brown your ground beef and break into pieces
2. Drain your ground beef  and any extra fat from pan and put aside
3. In the same pan add your onions and  butter and saute until onions are tender (about 5 minutes)
4. Add your garlic and sautee for 2 more minutes
5. Add flour to the onions and mix well so there is no extra butter.
6. Add your beef broth and whisk until it is not clumpy, let boil until slightly thick.
7. Reduce your heat and add your sour cream, pepper and soup... mix well. Add more beef broth if the mixture becomes to thick.
8. Add your ground beef back to the mixture and let sit for 5 minutes.
9. Serve over your pasta!

Final Product

Jambalaya

Jambalaya is definetly one of the foods that I make quite often.  My boyrfriend is a big fan of this and its great because there is so much that you can do with this.  I know that some people choose to do the rice and season it their own... i have tried that and have to admit that Zatarans Jambalaya mix is the best.  With a little of my own tricks I have mastered the taste.

Ingredients

• 1 package of Johnsonville sausage (I use sweet and spicy)
• 2 cups of shrimp (peeled and tail off, I use more then a pound of meat so that it more of a thick texture)
• 1 box of Zatarans mild Jambalaya mix
• 1 tablespoon of cayenne pepper
• .5 teaspoon of salt
• .5 teaspoon of McCormick fiery 5 pepper (I make mine spicy so if you do not want it hot I would not put this in)

Directions

1. Boil water and 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil 
2. While water is boiling add your shrimp and sausage into a pan with 1/2 inch of water until they are cooked.
3. Cut the sausage into bite size pieces 
4. Once water is boiled add your Zataran mix and your meats.
5. Place medium low setting for 25 minutes or until it is the texture you like.  I use more then a pound of meat so mine is more thick then soupy.
6. Add your seasonings and mix well.
7. Serve with cornbread (or whatever you choice of side may be I found cornbread tastes amazing with this)

 Final Product

Baked Ziti

Who does not love a good baked ziti.  Ziti is one of my favorite meals, but sometimes it is way to dry, and just not good.  I have dried many variations of recipes and just found my favorite one.  This recipe is prefect the ziti came out nice and moist!

Ingredients

• 1 box of ziti 
• 1 26 oz jar of spaghetti sauce (I used Francisco Ranilidi Tomato, garlic and onion.)
• 1 15 oz container of ricotta
•  1 bag of shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 tablespoon of parseley
• 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tablespoon of oregano
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
• 1.5 cups of shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Cook pasta according to directions (cook for 2-3 minutes under time so the noodles are still a little firm)
3. Drain and rinse noodles and add to a large mixing bowl.
4. Add the mozzarella cheese, ricotta, italian seasoning,oregano, garlic powder, oregano, salt, pepper, egg and half of the jar of spaghetti sauce... mix well.
5. Once mixed if you feel you need more sauce add more, if not save for the top.
6. Transfer mixture into a casserole dish.
7. Sprinkle  shredded Parmesan cheese onto the top of dish, make sure it is  all covered.
8. Add your remaining sauce to the top of the ziti (it will not cover all of it try and spread it as evenly as possilble.
9. Top the sauce with your grated Parmesan cheese and cover with foil.
10. Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly.
11. Let sit for 5 minutes and serve

Final Product

Tortellini Bake

I love tortellini but sometimes I get tired of eating them boiled with sauce.  I went home for the weekend and me and my mom were deciding what to make for dinner.  We have heard of tortellini bake before and decided to try and make our own.  Let me tell you this delicious and will be something I make again very soon.

Ingredients

• 20 oz fresh tri color tortellini
• 3/4 bag of baby spinach
• 15 oz can of light alfredo sauce
• 8 oz of shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Boil water for tortellini and cook according to directions (about 6 minutes
3. Place 1/4 cup of alfredo sauce on the bottom of casserole dish (make sure the entire bottom is covered... so you may need to add more) 
4. Mix together the rest of the alfredo sauce, spinach and cheese until well blended
5. Place in casserole dish
6. Bake for 10 minutes
7. Let cool for 5 minutes and serve

Final Product

Chicken Kiev

I love chicken and making sides that go with chicken.  There are times however that I do not feel like having tons of dishes to clean.  This meal was awesome because there was only one dish to clean up and the mixture was absolutely amazing!  I will be making this again and trying broccoli!

Ingredients

• 4-5 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 6-8 small white potatoes cut in half
• 1 pound of fresh green beans (or 2 cans of green beans drained)
• 1 stick of margarine 
• 1 packet of Italian seasoning

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Place raw chicken breasts in the middle of casserole dish in a straight line
3. Place the cut potatoes onto the left side of chicken it is OK to cover chicken
4. Place the green beans on the right of the chicken it is OK to cover chicken
5. Place the italian seasoning evenly over the mixture
6. Cut the butter into 9 pieces and distribute evenly over casserole
7. Bake for one hour

Final Product

Buffalo Chicken Pasta

I love buffalo chicken everything... as one can see.  I am always looking for new variations of this.  I came across a lot of people making buffalo chicken pasta.. and I had to try it.  Let me tell you this was AMAZING I like it more then wings and will be making this again in the very near future!

Ingredients

• 1 box of Rigatoni pasta (or your pasta of choice)
• 1 pound of chicken cut into bite size pieces
• 1 cups of green peppers chopped
• 1/2 cup of onions chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 8 oz of cream cheese
• 1 cup of ranch or bluc cheese dressing (I used a little less because the people eating this wanted it to be spicy)
• 2 cups of hot sauce
• 1.5 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
• 1.5 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese
• 3/4 cup of panko bread crumbs

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
2. Cook the pasta to al dente
3. Add the cooked chicken, peppers, onions and 1 cup of each cheese to the noodles and mix well
4. Place the garlic, cream cheese and half of the hot sauce in microwave for 45 seconds.  Mix well until very smooth, place in microwave for longer if cheese is not melted.
5. Taste the mixture and add your ranch and more hot sauce if needed.
6. Pour your mixture over the noodles and mix well.  Taste again to make sure you do not need more hot sauce or ranch.
7. Transfer mixture into a greased casserole dish.
8. Place the rest of the cheese and breadcrumbs on top of mixture.
9. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown
10. Let set for 10 minutes and serve.

Final Picture before cut

Final picture after cut