Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Easy Italian Chicken

4 to 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (frozen or fresh)
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
Italian Seasoning
Basil
Parmesan Cheese

Place chicken breasts in shallow baking dish.

Mix spaghetti sauce and garlic in small mixing bowl. If desired, mix in a Tbsp or 2 of Basil and/or Italian Seasoning. Pour mixture over chicken.

Sprinkle with Italian Seasoning and Parmesan Cheese.

Bake at 375 degrees for about 1 hour (if frozen) or 35 minutes (if thawed), or until chicken is done.

OR CROCKPOT: Prepare the same way, but cook on low 4-6 hours, or until chicken is done.

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Pizza Dough - Bread Machine

1 cup + 2 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp olive or cooking oil
3 cups flour
2 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese
1 1/2 tsp italian seasoning
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp bread machine yeast

Add contents to bread machine. When finished, roll out into 2 large pizzas or 4 small pizzas. Add desired toppings. Cook at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes (2 large pizzas) or 10-14 minutes (4 small pizzas).

This recipe is also great for bread sticks!

Homemade Egg Noodles

2/3 cup flour
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp water
1 tsp oil

Mix flour and salt. In seperate bowl, barely mix egg, water, and oil, then add to flour mixture and stir until dough can be mixed into a ball. knead until smooth and pliable then let rest in a covered bowl for 10 minutes. Roll out dough on floured surface, into a very thin rectangular shape. Let dry for 20 minutes. Before it becomes brittle, cut into thin strips with pizza cutter and add to soup. You can also roll dry dough into a "scroll" and slice through all thickness for more even shaped noodles. Noodles can be frozen at this point also if desired.

Fast Tortellini Alfredo

2 pkg (9 oz each) Three Cheese Tortellini, uncooked
1/2 cup (1/2 of 8 oz tub) Cream Cheese
1 cup milk
1/4 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
2 cups frozen peas
2 cups chopped ham

COOK tortellini as directed on package in large saucepan; drain. Set aside. ADD cream cheese, milk, and parmesan cheese to saucepan. Mix well. Stir in peas and tortellini. Cover. Cook on medium-low heat 5 minutes or until sauce is thick enough to coat tortellini, stirring occasionally. STIR in ham; cook 2 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with a dash of nutmeg if desired.

IF YOU'D LIKE TO REHEAT THESE AS LEFTOVERS for lunch the next day, stir in a little milk first to keep it creamy and moist.

Homemade Chicken Nuggets

3 cups corn flakes
1/3 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
pinch of pepper
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup flour
2 large eggs, beaten

Cut the chicken breasts into nugget-sized pieces. Set aside. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly oil or coat a large baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. Place the corn flakes in a resealable plastic bag and crush to a fine texture using a rolling pin or the bottom of a small saucepan. Poor into a medium sized bowl. Add the Parmesan cheese, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, and pepper to the crushed corn flakes. Place the eggs in a separate small bowl. Place the flour in a separate small bowl. To bread the chicken, coat in flour, shaking off excess. Dip in the egg, then coat well in the corn flake mixture. Arrange the chicken on the prepared baking sheet and cook until golden brown, about 12-14 minutes. After they are done cooking, place in freezer to freeze. After completely frozen, seal them up in a FoodSaver bag to enjoy as you need them! (To reheat, remove a few from the freezer and reheat in the microwave for a minute or so).