WEEK 3 MENU

I am having a lot of fun doing this. But I can see at some point (not for some time), running out of recipes so please, send me your best! Your easiest! Your most beloved so I can try them and add them to our roster!

This week includes two of Dave's (my hubbys) all time favorites. The Artichoke Chicken tastes like something you would get at an great restaurant but you will be amazed how quick and easy it is to pull together! I even make it easier and cheaper by using frozen chicken breasts, baked at 350 for around 20 minutes or so before I throw the topping over them and continue baking. Another favorite of his is the Coke Roast. SO EASY, and SO YUMMY! The sugars from the Coke really cook into the meat and make it scrumptious! The Curry Chicken is one of my long-time favorites. Again, super easy and I love anything with curry flavor! The Corn Chowder is comfort food at its finest. It is my mothers recipe and it reminds me of being a little girl whenever I eat it!

As for desserts, the oatmeal raisin cookies are really, the best I have ever had. I make them my own by adding a few other things but I have to keep some secrets, otherwise they won't be as special when brought to family and friends as a treat ;) but trust me, they are wonderful just the way the recipe is written. The Chewies are a bigtime kid (ok, and mom) pleaser. Try not to eat too many!


WEEK 3 MENU

Monday - Creamy Onion Lasagna & PB Chewies for family night treat
Tuesday - Curry Chicken w/ Potato Smashers
Wednesday - Pork & Pineapple Casserole & Rolls
Thursday - Corn Chowder
Friday - Artichoke Chicken w/ pineapple carrots
Saturday - ORDER PIZZA!
Sunday - Coke Roast w/ carrots and potatoes & Oatmeal-Raisin Cookies


Curry Chicken – YUMMY, QUICK, EASY

4 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 T. melted butter
½ c. honey
¼ c. Dijon mustard
1 t. salt
1 t. curry powder

Mix everything together, dip chicken place in 9x13 pan. Pour remaining sauce over top. Bake uncovered at 375 until done.


Artichoke Chicken – SUPER YUMMY, IMPRESSIVE, EASY

1 (15 oz) can artichoke hearts, drained & chopped
¾ c. parmesan cheese
¾ c. mayo (I use half miracle whip, half mayo for more zing)
1 pinch garlic pepper (I use fresh minced garlic and pepper to taste instead)
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Preheat oven to 375. In med bowl, mix together the artichoke hearts, parm cheese, mayo and garlic pepper. Place chicken in greased baking dish and cover evenly with artichoke mixture.

Bake uncovered for 30 min in the preheated oven, or until chicken is no longer pink in the center and juices run clear.


Creamy Onion Lasagna

1 lb ground beef
1 jar (26 oz) roasted garlic parmesan spaghetti sauce
1 egg

1 c. (8 oz) 4% cottage cheese
1 carton (8 oz) french onion dip
1 jar (25.6 oz) Italian sausage & garlic spaghetti sauce
12 no-cook lasagna noodles
3 c. shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

In dutch oven, cook beef over med heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in roasted garlic parm sauce. Combine the egg, cottage cheese and onion dip.

Spread 1 c. Italian sausage and garlic sauce into greased 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Top with four noodles. Layer with half of cottage cheese mixture, half of the beef mixture and 1 c. mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers. Top with remaining noodles, sauce and mozzarella cheese.

Cover and bake at 375 for 50 minutes. Uncover; bake 5-10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Let stand for 15 min before cutting.



Pork & Pineapple Casserole – YUMMY, EASY (Cooks for 1 hour)

1 (16 oz) can crushed pineapple, drained with liquid reserved
6-8 pork chops
2-3 lrg potatoes, peeled and sliced
8-10 slices bacon
Salt & pepper to taste

Line a casserole dish with crushed pineapple. Place pork chops on top of pineapple. Season with salt and pepper. Cover chops with potato slices. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange bacon slices over potatoes. Cover with lid and bake for 1 hour at 350. Check a few times while cooking and if it starts to dry out, add some of reserved pineapple juice.



Moms Corn Chowder – YUM! (For quick prep, chop onion and dice and cook potatoes earlier)

5 slices bacon
1 med onion, chopped
2 c. cooked (frozen) or canned corn
1 c. diced cooked potatoes (don’t overcook – could use frozen cubed hash browns and cook a bit longer)
1 (10 ½ oz) can cream of mushroom soup
2 ½ c. milk
1 t. salt

Cook bacon until crisp. Keep 3 T. of drippings and add onion to drippings and sauté until lightly browned. Add rest of ingredients and a dash of pepper. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer a minute or two. 6 servings.


Coke Roast – YUMMY, SUPER EASY, Good for company!

1 (2-3 lb) beef roast
1 packet onion soup mix
1 -2 cans of coke
(optional peeled quartered potatoes and carrots)

This recipe depends on the size of the roast and slow cooker. Put the roast into your slow cooker, sprinkle onion soup mix over the top and then you want the coke to come up the roast about ¾ of the way. The top of the roast should be visible. For a complete meal, throw in potatoes and carrots on top (salt and pepper those to taste). Cook on low 6-8 hrs.



Potato Smashers

Red potatoes
Olive oil
Kosher Salt & Pepper

Boil red potatoes in skins until soft. Place on baking sheet and use potato masher to smash each one down. Drizzle each potato with olive oil and sprinkle with Kosher salt & Pepper . Bake 20 -25 min in 400 degree oven.



Pineapple Carrots – 4 servings

3 sliced carrots
1 c. pineapple chunks, unsweetened
½ t. seasoned salt
3 T. orange juice
1 T. butter

Place carrots, pineapple, salt & oj in 1 ½ qt casserole dish. Dot with butter & cove. Bake at 375 for 45-55 minutes.



Dana’s “Better than Grandmas Oatmeal-Raisin Cookies” – SUPER YUMMY!

2 c. all purpose flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
1 t. kosher salt
1 c. unsalted butter (regular works ok too, just makes the cookies a bit saltier but still good)
1 c. sugar
1 c. dark brown sugar (firmly packed)
2 lrg eggs
1 t. vanilla
3 c. oats (NOT instant)
1 ½ c. raisins

Preheat oven to 350. Whisk dry ingredients together and set aside. Combine wet ingredients with mixer on low speed to combine; turn mixer speed to HIGH and cream together until color lightens and mixture is light and fluffy. Stir the flour mixture into the creamed mixture until no flour is visible (DO NOT OVER MIX!!!). Add oats and raisins and stir to combine. Drop approx 2 T. of dough onto greased cookie sheet spaced about 2 inches apart. Bake 11-12 min (on center rack of oven) until golden, but still moist in the cracks. Cool on cookie sheet for approx 2 min before removing to wire rack to cool completely.



PB Chewies – YUMMY , EASY (Makes about 3 dozen)

1 c. sugar
1 c. corn syrup
1 jar (18 oz) peanut butter, crunchy or smooth (I like creamy)
6 c. corn flakes
3 oz. good quality chocolate of your choice

Combine sugar and corn syrup in med saucepan. Place over med-high heat and stir until mixture comes to full boil. Remove from heat and stir in whole jar of PB. Mix well. Add corn flakes to lrg bowl. Pour PB mixture over corn flakes and mix well, taking care to coat all of the corn flakes. With tablespoon or cookie scoop, scoop out and form into 1-2 inch balls, depending on your preference and place on cookie sheet lined with wax paper or parchment. Put chocolate in small bowl and melt in microwave for about 30 seconds. Stir until smooth. Drizzle melted chocolate over the cookies. Eat when cooled!