Recipe Swap 101

Welcome to the launch of recipe swap! Please feel free to post a recipe in the comments -- I can move them to the front, then we can all comment and ask questions. The idea for this site was launched from the need for hurried moms to work something new into their recipes that they cook on a regular basis. I may TRY to have a theme for a month. For May, however, the theme is "Get Real!" What is something I will actually make, that my kids will actually eat? For me, the trick is going to be taking the time to post my recipe here. . .!

Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breasts

from MC Jennings

6 boneless chicken breasts
6 slices ham
6 slices Swiss cheese
12 strips bacon
tarragon
parsley

Pound breasts until 1/4" thick. Top each piece with a slice of ham and 1 slice of cheese. Fold chicken over ham and cheese. Wrap each bundle with 2 strips of bacon. Place in a shallow baking dish and sprinkle with tarragon. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until chicken and bacon are browned. Garnish with parsley.

To adapt to crockpot:
I put chicken breasts in sprayed (with Pam) crockpot. I put cheese and bacon on top of each piece of chicken and added 1/4 cup water in bottom. Cook on low for 4-5 hours (I do this because my crockpot has a warming function that while only supposed to warm, continues to cook). The chicken was very moist and tender and so easy.

5/17/2005 8:25 AM

Beef Tips

by Denise

I have a disclaimer at the start: my 3 year old only wants bean burritos and my 7 year old will eat most anything. So with that said...

I love the crock pot!
Beef Tips
2 lbs. beef tips (or roast that United cuts up for free)
1 can of Campbell's French Onion soup
1 can of Campbell's Golden Mushroom soup

I cut the tips smaller so there is less cutting at the table for the kids. Just put all in the crock pot and cook on LOW all day. Serve over rice or noodles.
Denise

5/16/2005 2:07 PM

Penne Pasta Dish

This is 'what's for dinner' Monday night. I used to make it ALL the time -- super easy to throw together, and, yes, my kids actually eat zuchini AND red bell peppers in this! (Thrifty hint -- buy red bell peppers when they are on sale. Not on sale they can run up to $2/each! Keep them in the freezer, then just slice them frozen with a good knife)

1/2 pound Italian sausage
1 garlic clove, minced
1 zuchini, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 c. mushrooms, sliced
1/2 c. frozen peas
1 14-oz. can diced tomatoes, Italian style
1/2 lb. penne pasta, prepared as directed
4 oz. sour cream

Brown sausage in large 10"-12" skillet. Add garlic clove, saute' for 30-60 seconds (I think the original recipe called for onions, too -- but we're not big on onions here). Add all other veggies and continue to saute' until 'crisp-tender', about 5 minutes. Add can of diced tomatoes, cover and simmer for 20 minutes (while this is simmering, you can be boiling your penne pasta). Stir in cooked pasta (at this point I have to transfer it all to the pasta pot, running out of room in my skillet) then the sour cream until hot.

Melanie’s Chicken Pie

from Mignon

Pastry for a 2-crust pie*
6 Tblsp butter or margarine
6 Tblsp flour
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
1-3/4 cups chicken broth
2/3 cup evaporated milk
2 cups cooked chicken, chopped **

Melt the butter; add flour and seasonings. Let bubble. Add liquids and cook slowly until thickened. Add chicken. Pour into pastry-lined pan. Top with rest of pastry. Pinch edges together. Bake at 425 degrees for 35 minutes. Yield: 4 (generous) servings

*I use Pillsbury Pie crust in the refrigerator section.
**If I cook my own chicken, I cook it in water with celery, onion, salt, and Tony’s or some sort of Cajun seasoning. If I use canned chicken (which works pretty well), I season it with Tony’s before adding it to the mixture. Two 10-ounce cans is slightly more than 2 cups of chicken, so I use the two cans for each recipe that I make.

Serve with fruit salad (I really like pear halves topped with mayo and grated cheese) and any green veggie that your family will eat.

5/13/2005 10:16 PM

Pulled Pork

From Mignon
(originally from Billie Teague)

For each 2 lbs of Boston Butt Pork roast
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup vinegar

Combine brown sugar & vinegar in roaster. Put in roast and add water to cover completely. Cover with a lid and bake at 300 degrees for 12 hours. Remove roast from liquid and let cool. Pull and put in 9 x 13 dish. Mix with Bar-B-Q sauce (I used K. C. Masterpiece hickory; it took an 18-oz bottle for 6 lbs of meat.). Heat, covered, for 1-1½ hours at 200 degrees.

5/13/2005 10:11 PM

Hot Ham Sandwiches

From Mignon
(Originally from Billie Teague)

¼ cup yellow mustard
1 tsp poppy seed
½ cup grated onion
8 Tblsp butter
8 slices ham, 3/8”-1/2” thick
8 slices Swiss cheese
8 buns


Mix mustard, poppy seeds, butter, and onion. Make 8 sandwiches each consisting of 1/8 of the sauce, one ham slice, and one slice of Swiss cheese. Wrap each sandwich in foil. May be frozen at this point. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

5/13/2005 10:09 PM

Faux Focaccia

Got the idea for this from Rachel Ray's 30-Minute Meals (the TV show, although I currently have the book checked out). She used it as a pizza crust -- my family uses it to PIG out on!

1 refrigerated roll of Pillsbury Italian bread dough
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
Rosemary

Preheat oven to 425*. Cut in half, unroll, and spread in bottom of 8x8 casserole dish that you have put about 1 TBSP. of Extra Virgin Olive Oil in the bottom of (LOTS is great). It won't fit -- just kind of keep folding it over to make it fit. Put in the 2nd half the same way. Puncture the top of the dough with a fork several times, then put another TBSP. (or so) of EVOO on the top. Sprinkle the top of the dough with salt, pepper, and Rosemary (I personally like lots of salt, but it's a personal preference). Put in oven until golden brown (I THINK about 20-25 minutes, but I lose track!) The EVOO will still be sitting on top, but allow the bread to sit for a few minutes after you take it out of the oven -- it just soaks right into the bread making it EXTRA yummy! For calorie counters, it's a definite don't ask, don't tell dish! Rip apart and dig in!

Southwestern Chicken Spaghetti

Robin Sailor

This is a quick and easy recipe that my daughter loves:

Mix together in a saucepan:
1 large can of chicken from Sam's (you can also boil and bone a chicken if you've got more time)
1 can original Rotel tomatoes, drained
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1 cup velveeta cheese, cubed

Heat until creamy and pour over cooked spaghetti. Serve immediately, or you can put in a casserole dish and rewarm to serve later.

Beef -n- noodles

Originally from Roxanne:

1 lb. ground beef, browned and drained
3 c. egg noodles
2 12 oz. cans of v-8
2 tsp. Worcestire
1 tsp. celery salt
salt and pepper to taste
8 oz. sour cream

3 qt. saucepan -- put in meat, egg noodles, and cover noodles with V-8. Add Worcestire, celery salt, and salt and pepper. Simmer until noodles are done -- 20-25 minutes. Stir in sour cream and heat until warm. A Riley Stirman favorite!

Crock Pot Barbeque Chicken

Robyn

"an easy and often requested recipe"

Six Frozen Chicken Breasts, One cut up chicken (fresh), or a package of leg quarters (thawed)

1 Bottle of KC Masterpiece Barbeque Sauce

1 Tablespoon of liquid smoke

1/4 C Water

Spray crockpot with cooking spray. Place chicken and then cover with the rest of the ingredients. Cook on low for 8 to 9 hours.

Eat and enjoy!!!!

"My mother always gave us two choices for dinner: Take it, or leave it."
Buddy Hackett

Fajita Night

Roxanne

This is Roxanne and I had NO idea that recipe was a "Riley Stirman Favorite." Yahoo.

Okay--here's mine that is a big time no brainer. . .and all of you wonderful moms probably already do it, but it involves MINIMAL cooking and is cheaper than eating out. We had this last night, and my VERY picky children just gobble it up. PLUS everything comes out of a box or bag unless you want to make some of Sarah/Diana Perkins' awesome salsa to go with.

Buy either chicken or beef Fajita meat (available at Sam's AND Wal-Mart(and H-E-Bs.s.))--throw it on a George Foreman-ish grill or just in a skillet on the stove to cook.

Slice thin and serve with. . .

Sour cream
flour tortillas
grated cheese
lettuce (the shredded stuff)
salsa
refried beans
other veggie of choice
tortilla chips

Easy Roast Beef

Roxanne
If you own a crock pot, you can make this. . .it cooks itself. You have to start it in the morning, but if you know ahead of time you have a booger of a day coming, you will be prepared. I have also cooked it overnight and served it for lunch. The "secret" ingredient would make my Daddy cringe, but Momma has made it for him this way and he is none-the-wiser!

Buy a roast beef--doesn't matter what cut
Trim the fat
Dump salt and pepper all over it and seer (seer=small amount of oil in a skillet--about half an inch deep--heat the oil, put the meat in and cook all sides until just brown to lock in the juices)
Put the seered meat in your crock pot
Make THREE packages of instant brown gravy (I use Pioneer Brown Gravy mix). Just follow the directions on the package.
Pour that on top of your meat.
Turn on low and cook all day (about 6 hours) until meat is fork tender.

This tastes like what your Granny made. . .the meat juices cook into the packaged gravy and makes a "perfect" gravy every time.

Serve with salad, bread, and veggies