Easy crockpot chicken

1 bottle catalina dressing
1 small jar apricot preserves
1 envelope Lipton Onion soup mix
chicken
put chicken in crockpot and pour all ingridients over chicken. cook on low all day. serve with rice.
by:MEG

French Dip Sandwiches

2-3 pound beef roast
1 onion,sliced
1 red pepper, sliced
1 green pepper, sliced
Au jus gravy packet
French rolls

Place your roast in a crock pot. Sprinkle your au jus in and add 3 cups of water. I added extra seasonings such as Season-All and salt and pepper. Slow cook for 8-10 hours. One hour before removing roast, slice and shred it and add your peppers and onion.
Put your roast and veggies on your bread and use the left over au jus to dip in. Very delicious.

*This whole meal cost me less than $5 to make. (Okay, we did already have an elk roast on hand... but still. Very inexpensive. -Also, you would never even know I used venison.

The onions and peppers kick things up a notch!)

Taco Soup

2 cans campbells vegatable beef chunky soup

1 jar of salsa

1 can kidney beans

1 can stewed tomatoes

simmer on stove until hot. add sour creme, cheese and fritos. Yummy and easy!

posted by:MEG

Cream Cheese Chicken

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

8 oz. cream cheese

flour

2 eggs, beaten

club crackers, crushed

Italian Seasoning

Rosemary

Thyme

Sage

Take your chicken breasts and slice in half down the side. (Kind of like your butterflying it, but cut all the way through; this will give you six chicken breasts) Then thin your chicken with a meat mallet or rolling pin. Cut half inch slices of your cream cheese. Roll up a half inch slice of cream cheese in your chicken. Dip rolled-up chicken in flour, then eggs, then in crackers. Place in baking dish. When you have done this to all of your chicken breasts, sprinkle with seasonings and then drizzle melted butter over top. Bake at 350* for one hour- one and a half hours.

Tip: to make this a lower fat meal, I did reduced fat crackers and reduced fat cream cheese and did margarine instead of butter. I thought it tasted just as good!

Rainbow Chicken Roll-Ups

This was a recipe from Sandra Lee off of the Food Network.

It is FABULOUS!

4 chicken breast halves
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
8 to 10 string beans
1 small carrot, julienned or 1 cup shredded carrots
1 red pepper, julienned
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
2 cups jarred marinara sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Using a knife, carefully butterfly each chicken breast 3/4 of the way through. Place chicken breast between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and using a meat mallet, rolling pin or heavy bottomed pan pound each breast to 1/4-inch thickness. Repeat with remaining chicken breasts.
Lay chicken breasts flat on a cutting board and sprinkle with seasoned salt and Italian seasoning. Place 3 to 4 strips each of the string beans, carrots and red pepper leaving 1/2-inch on the side furthest from you. Sprinkle each with 2 tablespoons cheese. Roll chicken breast up and place seam side down in a baking dish.
Pour marinara sauce over chicken and place in oven. Bake 30 minutes basting with the marinara sauce halfway through cooking.
Remove breasts from pan. To serve slice each breast into 4 or 5 slices and fan on the plate with additional marinara sauce on the side.

(I ended up needing to cook this longer and at a higher temperature. So, you may want to try cooking it at 375* for 25 minutes.)

submitted by Jamie

Funeral Potatoes

1 (32 oz.) bag frozen southern style hash browns

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 pt. sour cream

2 C. shredded cheese (reserving 1 cup)

1/2 C. chopped green onions

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

3/4 C. melted butter

2 C. cornflakes

-Mix all ingredients except for butter and cornflakes. Spread in a 9x13 in. dish. Sprinkle reserved cheese on top. Mix butter and cornflakes and spread over potatoes. Cook in a 350* oven for 45 minutes- one hour.

(I half this recipe and put in a 2 qt. casserole dish and bake for 40 minutes.)

submitted by Jamie

Tight Budget? Quick, Easy, Yummy & Cheap Meals!

Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo

makes 4 servings

Pre-heat oven to 400

• Take two thawed chicken breast, using Shake and Bake, coat chicken. Put in a dish and cook in the oven for 20 to 30 min. or until no longer pink, obviously.

Boil a pot of water, cook Fettuccine

Alfredo:

• 4 Tbsp. butter
• 4 Tbsp. flour
• 2 cups milk
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 4 Tbsp. parmesan cheese
• parsley flakes

Melt butter. Stir in flour until you have a nice paste. Slowly stir in milk. Cook and stir over medium heat until thick and bubbly. Stir in garlic salt and salt cook one more minuet. Remove from heat and stir in parmesan cheese. Divide pasta into four plates, pour Alfredo over pasta, cut up chicken and put over pasta and Alfredo. Sprinkle parsley on top. Easy as making mac and cheese but 100X better!

* if you have some rolls and want a quick way to take them to the next level, melt some butter and add the garlic powder. Spread lightly on top of your rolls. If you want to take them to the next NEXT level, put some cheese on top of that and bake in the oven with your chicken for 5 min. Works with homemade( put butter and cheese on before baking) and store bought rolls. Your family will appreciate the twist to regular dinner rolls!

Teriyaki Chicken and Yummy Rice

makes 4 servings

Pre-heat oven 400

Take four chicken breast and marinade in a teriyaki sauce (I like the honey teriyaki) for at least one hour up to eight. (great to do before running around all day) Put in dish after marinading and put in the oven for 20 to 30 min. or until chicken is not pink.

• 1/2 package of Frozen stir fry veggies
• 1 1/2 cups of water
• 2 cups of uncle bens minuet brown rice
• 1/3 cup teriyaki sauce (the one you used for the marinade)

Put water and sauce in a pan until bubbling. Add rice and veggies. Cook 5 min. Let cool then serve.

*I also used a little soy sauce in my marinade/water mix for a kick but that's just up to you!:)

The Semi Homemade Way; A meal that is easy and to die for!

I found these recipes off the the food network Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee: Italian Topiary Garden
I made it for Brandon for our anniversary, He loved it!
If you go on there web page they have coupons for certain ingredients.

Fried Cheese Ravioli and Artichoke Caper Dip (appetizer)

For Ravioli:
Ingredients
Vegetable oil, for frying
1 (9-ounce) package 4 cheese ravioli

For Artichoke Caper Dip:
1 (6-ounce) jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and finely chopped
2 teaspoons capers
2 teaspoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan
1 teaspoon lemon juice

In a straight-sided skillet, heat 2-inches of oil, over medium-high heat. Oil is ready when the tip of a wooden skewer is inserted and the oil bubbles around it.
When oil is ready, carefully fry ravioli until golden brown, about 1 minute per side. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate

For Artichoke Caper Dip:
In small bowl, combine artichoke hearts, capers, mayonnaise, sour cream, parmesan cheese, and lemon juice; set aside.
Serve ravioli hot with Tomato Pepper Relish and Artichoke Caper Dip.

Penne with Asparagus and Peppers (side)
Ingredients
1 (9-ounce) package frozen cut asparagus
3/4 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup frozen chopped onion
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
1/2 cup roasted red pepper, cut into 1/2-inch strips
1/2 cup roasted yellow pepper, cut into 1/2-inch strips
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
12 ounces penne pasta, cooked per package directions
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
Directions
In a large skillet, combine asparagus, stock, onions, garlic, peppers, and Italian seasoning. Bring to a boil and reduce liquid to 1/4 cup, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Stir in remaining ingredients, except cheese. Toss with hot, cooked pasta. Top with cheese and serve hot.

Italian Beef (main)

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds flank steak
1/2 cup light Italian salad dressing
1 1/2 cups tomato basil pasta sauce
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1/4 cup Chianti red wine
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Directions
Rinse steak under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Place in large resealable bag. Add salad dressing, 1/2 cup pasta sauce, and garlic to bag. Gently massage to mix marinade. Marinate in refrigerator for 1 to 8 hours.
In a small saucepan combine remaining pasta sauce, wine, and seasoning. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and keep warm.
Remove steak from refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking and bring to room temperature. Preheat grill to medium-high. Just before cooking, clean and oil grate.
Remove steak from bag and discard marinade. Place steak on grill. Cook for 6 to 7 minutes per side. Serve hot with warm sauce.

Vanilla-Almond Panna Cotta (dessert)
Ingredients
1 cup almond milk, divided
1 (1/4-ounce) package unflavored gelatin
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon plus 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup chocolate fudge syrup , for garnish
Directions
Pour 1/3 cup almond milk into a small bowl and stir in gelatin; set aside.
In a medium saucepan, stir together heavy cream, remaining almond milk, and sugar. Bring to boil over medium heat, watching carefully as the cream will quickly rise to the top of the pan.
Pour gelatin and almond milk into cream mixture and stir until gelatin is completely dissolved. Add 1/2 teaspoon almond extract and vanilla extract and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and pour into 6 (4-ounce) individual ramekins.
Leave ramekins uncovered at room temperature to cool. When cool, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (can be left overnight.)
To remove, run a knife around the sides of each ramekin and invert over a serving plate.
In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup chocolate fudge syrup with 1/4 teaspoon almond extract. Drizzle over the top of the panna cottas to decorate top, as desired.
TIP: If panna cotta do not drop freely from ramekins, carefully dip the bottom of the ramekin in hot water. Be careful not to get water in the ramekin

Sweet and Sour Chicken

This is delicious and easy!

Items needed:



2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into cubes)

1 pkg. liption onion soup mix (dry pkg.)

1 bottle of catalina island salad dressing. (fat free is just as good)

1 can pineapple with juice

1 spoonful of apricot jam

salt and pepper to taste

rice



So here it is...



Brown the chicken and season it with salt and pepper, dump in the catalina island dressing, the pineapple with juice, the pkg of liption onion soup mix, and a scoup of apricot jam. Mix it all together and let it simmer while you make the rice. It is quick and easy and very delicious. Serve over brown or white rice and whatever side dish you would like.

Enjoy!!!



Submitted by: Valarie

Chicken Marsala

1/4 C. Flour
1/2 tsp. dried marjoram, crushed
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
2 C. sliced fresh mushrooms
1/4 C. sliced green onions
3 tbsp. butter or margarine
1/2 C. chicken broth
1/2 C. dry Marsala wine
4 chicken breast halves, thinned
hot cooked pasta (angel hair or linguine)

1. In a shallow bowl stir together; flour, marjoram, salt, and pepper. Place each breast half between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Using flat side of meat mallet, pound chicken lightly to about 1/4 in. thick. Remove plastic wrap. Lightly coat each chicken breast on both sides w/ flour mixture; shake off excess.
2. In a large skillet cook mushrooms and green onions in 1 tbsp. hot butter over med-high heat until tender; remove from skillet. In the same skillet cook chicken in remaining 2 tbsp. hot butter for 5-6 minutes, turning to brown evenly.
3. Remove skillet from heat. Return mushrooms and green onion to skillet. Carefully add broth and Marsala to skillet. Bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered for 2 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Season sauce to taste with additional s & p. To serve, spoon mushroom mixture over chicken. If desired, serve over pasta.

A Yummy Fruit Cream Pie

In a saucepan over medium heat combine:

• 1/2 C. Chopped Peaches (peeled)
  
• 3/4 C. Sugar
  
• 2 T. Lemon Juice
  
• 2 T. Corn Starch (mixed in 1/2 C. Water)

Cook until translucent. Take off heat and let completely cool (I put it in the refrigerator).

In a bowl cream together:

• 4 oz. cream cheese
  
• 1/2 C. Powder Sugar
  
• 1/2 T. vanilla

Fold in small cool whip (12 0z.?). Pour this mixture into a Graham cracker pie crust (I buy them pre-made from the store). Top off with the first mixture. Then add some fresh sliced peaches to the top for fun. And you have a YUMMY, easy pie!

Pumpkin Pie Pancakes

2 c. pancake mix

2 tbsp. brown sugar

1 tbsp. cinnamon

1 12oz. evaporated milk

1 cup pumpkin

3 tbsp. vegetable oil

2 tsp. vanilla

2 eggs

Mix first 3 ingredients in bowl, then add the rest. Cook over medium heat. These take a little longer to cook than normal pancakes, make sure the middle is cooked. Yummy for fall!!

Posted by:MEG!

Layered Pasta Salad

3 Cups medium shell pasta, cooked and drained
1 lg. red onion, sliced
1 pkg. frozen peas, thawed, drained
1 pkg. ham, chopped
1/2 Cup mayonnaise
1/2 Cup Ranch dressing
1 cup Kraft Three Cheese Crumbles
1 Cup halved grape tomatoes

Layer pasta, onions, peas and ham in 3 qt. clear serving bowl; set aside.
Mix mayo and dressing; spread over salad to seal. Top with cheese and tomatoes; cover.
Refrigerate several hours or until chilled. Toss gently before serving.

submitted by Jamie

Magnificent Manicotti

I borrowed this recipe from my friend, Brooke. It's so delicious and very easy to make; well easy for it being manicotti. My family loves this recipe! It's definitely one to make when there is company coming over! 1 lg. container Ricotta cheese
1/2 lb. shredded mozzarella cheese
3 oz. grated Romano cheese (or buy prepared grated Italian Cheese Blend)
1 1/2 tsp. chopped parsley (optional)
2 eggs
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 box long manicotti shells, prepared according to package directions
1 (26 oz) jar Ragu traditional spaghetti sauce
Italian Cheese Blend, sprinkled on top

~Place all ingredients, except shells and spaghetti sauce in a bowl to combine. Season well and place in a Ziploc bag. Cut off corner and squeeze to fill cooked shells. Place some spaghetti sauce in a bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Place filled shells on top of sauce. Pour the rest of the spaghetti sauce on top of the shells. Sprinkle Italian cheese on top. Cover and bake 350* for 35 minutes.

Pumpkin bars

This is another one from my friend Brooke. This is a delicious recipe for this time of year. My family devoured these in record time!

Bars:

2 Cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

2 Cups sugar

2 Cups pumpkin

1 Cup oil

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. baking soda

4 eggs

1 Cup chopped nuts (opt.)

Cream Cheese Frosting:

3 1/2 Cups powdered sugar

1 tbsp. milk

1 tsp. vanilla

3 oz. cream cheese, softened

3/4 stick butter

Bake at 350* for 30 minutes in a jelly roll pan. Frost with cream cheese frosting when cool. (If you like a thicker frosting, double recipe.)