Cheesy Chicken Broccoli and Brown Rice Casserole

Well, it's been a while since I posted. Oh, well.

This is a delicious recipe. Seriously, all three of my children, my sister, and her daughter ate GOBS of it. Joe ate 2 helpings. My brother-in-law ate some. No one complained that it was yucky. MOM WIN!! It's gooey and veggie-liscious, but still filling like a meal and doesn't use cream-of-crap soup. Biggest problem: I wanted to eat more even though I wasn't hungry. LOL.


Ingredients:
2 Tbs unsalted butter
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp granulated garlic
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 1/4 c long grain brown rice
5 c water
4 tsp chicken bullion
1 1/4 c whole milk
20 saltine crackers, crushed
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 c Parmesan cheese, grated
2 Tbs unsalted butter, melted
2 c cooked chicken, shredded or diced
2 lbs fresh broccoli, cut into bite size pieces
1/2 c Parmesan cheese
2 c Colby Jack cheese, shredded

Directions:
Melt 2 T butter in large pan. Add onion and cook until translucent. Add garlic, paprika, salt, and pepper. Saute 30 seconds. Add rice. Saute about 1 minute stirring constantly. Add water, milk, and bullion. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low and simmer uncovered about 40 minutes, stirring often, until rice is tender.

While rice is cooking:
Crush Crackers (I use a rolling pin and a ziploc bag). Add Italian seasoning and 1/4 c Parmesan, then stir in the melted butter. Save.

Steam the broccoli (I use the steam bags, but you don't have to). This will seem like an exorbitant amount of broccoli. I store it in the 9x13 pan I'm going to bake it in.

When rice is soft:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees

To the rice mixture, add the chicken, cooked broccoli, 1/2 c Parmesan cheese, and Colby Jack cheese. Stir. Transfer to 9x13 pan.

Top with cracker crumb mixture.

Bake for 10-15 minutes until bubbly and browned.

Green, Eggs, and Ham (With Cheese!)

It was recently Dr. Seuss Day at my children's schools. They both got to try green eggs from the book Green Eggs and Ham. If you haven't read it, it's basically about a man who refuses to eat green eggs and ham, but when he tries it, it's actually delicious. 

Because of this book, my children have decided to try a few more foods. Buzz likes tomatoes (shocker!), and Roni might occasionally try something before announcing it's yuckiness. 

However, both kids will eat all their eggs if I cook them this way and call them green, eggs, and ham. They are a simple, nutritious, and filling breakfast. Does it get better than that? (Oh, they make a great quick dinner, too!)

Basically, you just scramble up some eggs. When they are nearly done, add some diced ham and some baby spinach. Stir in that spinach and it will wilt quickly. Then top it with cheese of your loving. Voila! A healthier version of a story book classic. 

(Muffin recipe will follow someday!) 

Garlic Breadsticks

I am normally a huge rule-follower. I have been since I was VERY young. If there is a rule, I will probably follow it, and attempt to make you follow it. (Do you think this is why I am a teacher?) One of my "rules" for adult life is to use whole wheat whenever possible. However, sometimes there is a time to break the "Rules". These breadsticks are one of those times. They are chewy, fluffy, the perfect amount of crusty, browned, and altogether delicious. They kind of make your mouth sing, especially when dipped into soup. If you've ever been to The Pizza Factory, these breadsticks remind me of theirs, except there is no stick in mine. 

I guess if you wanted to, you could put some whole wheat flour in here. I might try it next time, myself, but, honestly, you wouldn't have nearly the fluffy chewiness that made these awesome! 

And speaking of awesomeness, I did NOT get a picture of them fresh. Yeah, I kind of forgot to be awesome. Or the breadsticks were the level of awesome that they got eaten before I took a picture. Yeah, we'll go with that. 

As far as mixing and kneading these puffy clouds of awesome, my Heavy-Duty (old) Kitchen Aid worked perfectly. If I doubled it, I would have to use my Bosch. It makes a very soft, pliable dough.

Anyway, make these. Soon. Your taste buds will thank you. 

Garlic and Herb Breadsticks

3 c warm water

2 Tbsp yeast

1/4 c sugar

7 c flour

2 tsp salt

2 Tbsp Italian Seasoning

1 Tbsp granulated garlic

Butter

Sprinkle yeast and sugar on warm water. Let sit until bubbly and foamy. (This is the kids' favorite part, they love watching the yeast "burp")

Add flour 1 cup at a time, mixing well each addition. Add salt, Italian seasoning, and garlic. Knead 5 minutes, until dough is shiny and clearing the bowl well. 

Let dough rise in bowl until it reaches the top. About 20 minutes. 

Split dough into approximate fourths. Roll one fourth at a time into a large rectangle (approximately 10 by 13 inches.) Cut strips the long way with a pizza cutter (I cut 8 strips each time). Fold each strip, then with the ends in one hand and the middle folded part in the other, twisty up your breadstick. Place on a greased cookie sheet. Repeat for each breadstick, then repeat for the other 3/4 of the dough. Let the sticks rise about 20 minutes. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until lightly browned. Brush tops with butter immediately. Devour. 

Pasta E' Fagiole

I love soup. It's so comforting, warm, and soothing. It's like a warm sweater for your insides. Plus, most soups are ridiculously easy, and make the house smell wonderful. Add a warm piece of bread, and I'm in Heaven.

Joe is not such a fan of soup. He's tolerated some of my soups, and enjoys others, especially the rich, creamy, high-fat soups. He does not see soup as a meal, and prefers meat and noodles over a broth-based concoction. He does, however, enjoy warm bread, and will eat soup if it is accompanied by bread.

This soup is quite yummy. It is kind of like Italian chili. Beans, tomatoes, sausage, pasta, and spinach come together with Italian spices to make a wonderfully colorful, warm, inviting deliciousness, I am sure this is nowhere near authentic, but it was super yummy. My family plus my sister and her husband ate most of the batch while watching the Utah Utes win last night! (Plus 3/4 of the breadsticks... we were very hungry and it was very good.)

Pasta E' Fagiole
2 t oil
1 to 1 1/2 lb Italian Sausage
1 diced onion
2 tsp granulated garlic
2 cans diced tomatoes
6 cups water
4 tsp chicken boullion
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
1 c Ditalini (or other small pasta)
1-2 cups baby spinach, chopped
Shredded parmesan cheese for topping

Heat oil. Saute onion 3-4 minutes until translucent. Add sausage, and cook until crumbled and no longer pink. Add water, chicken boullion, garlic, Italian seasoning, pepper flakes, and salt and pepper. Pour in tomatoes with juices. Drain, rinse, and add white beans. Bring to a boil. Simmer an hour or more.

About 15 minutes to serving time, add pasta, and cook according to the directions on the package. Then add the spinach immediately before serving. Serve sprinkled with parmesan cheese, and a breadstick. Devour.

Meal Plan March 21 to 27

No bountiful baskets this week :(. I logged in Tuesday night only to realize it was actually Wednesday night. End-of-term will do that to me. (So will just ordinary life, but at least I have something good to blame it on!)

This cutie giggled this week... oh, I can hardly stand the cuteness!

This week is also my oldest's birthday. She will be SEVEN. SEVEN!?!? It seems like just a few minutes ago she was the chunky baby giggling at my sister. We will be having pita pizza on her birthday, as per her request,

Breakfasts:
French Toast
Oatmeal Bake
Toast and Eggs
Oatmeal Bake (leftovers) with green smoothies
Cereal
Oatmeal Bake
Waffles with Strawberries

Lunches (for Boy and Daddy or Aunt Nanny... quick and easy before preschool):
Sandwiches
Mac and Cheese
Chicken Nuggets
Finger Food
Grilled Cheese
Quesadillas

Dinners:
Pasta E' Fagioli with herbed breadsticks
Potato bar, fruit salad, and sugar cookies
Spaghetti and Broccoli
Chicken Cordon Blue Casserole
Tacos
Pork Chops, Potatoes, Carrots (probably in the pressure cooker!)
Pita Pizza (birthday girl's special request, LOL.)

Corned Beef and Cabbage

The last time I got a bountiful basket (sometimes I forget to contribute... oops!), we got two beautiful heads of cabbage. My sister/nanny HATES the smell, and is pregnant, so I strategically planned days to use it when she wouldn't have to gag on the permeating odor. Luckily for us, St. Patrick's Day fell on a night when she would have other plans. (Or so I thought... she ended up coming over to watch our college team play!)

Being neither Irish nor Catholic, I'm not sure why I celebrate St. Patrick's Day, but I do. It started with Green Waffles, and Green smoothies for breakfast. For dinner, we had corned beef and cabbage. Joe insists this should be eaten over cornbread. I don't love cornbread. (I do love him, so there is cornbread anyway!) I used my pressure cooker, and in about 2 hours, should've had delicious, tender meat. Unfortunately, I set it up just a little bit wrong, and it was a bit on the chewy side. However, the veggies were divine.

Anyway, here's how I cook corn beef.

1 corn beef (about 2 lbs, with seasoning packet)
2 cups beef stock (or water)
5-6 red potatoes, quartered
1 onion, cut into big chunks
3-4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces
1 head of cabbage, sliced into 8 wedges

Put the corn beef on the rack in the pressure cooker and dump the seasoning packet over it. Add 2 cups of stock/water (some might add beer, but I'm not an alcohol kind of gal). Place potatoes, onion, and carrots on top. Set the pressure cooker to high pressure for 40-45 minutes. Use natural pressure release. Add cabbage. Set pressure cooker to high pressure for 4 minutes. Release pressure naturally. Veggies will be mushy and delicious. Roast should be fall-apart. Devour.

Pigs in a Waterbed

My kids used to really like Pigs in a Blanket. You know, those silly little things where you wrap a hot dog in a biscuit, and then bake it. I no longer buy hot dogs. Or pre-made biscuits. (Joe might.) But, back in the day, Joe started calling this dish Pigs in a Waterbed. Pigs for the kielbasa, and Waterbed... I'm not entirely sure. I never had a waterbed, and honestly never want one.

I got this recipe from my mom. I make it when we get cabbage from bountiful baskets. My son is not a veggie-lover. He likes some, and loves fruit, but veggies... they're on his "I'll eat it if mom makes me" list. So yesterday, when I was grabbing cabbage, and asked him what it was, I got a very sad "lettuce." When I told him it was cabbage, he shockingly changed his tune. "I like cabbage!" he announced.

At dinner, my older daughter, and my son each had two helpings. Both ate the cabbage and sweet potatoes. Both asked for extra pigs. It was awesome. Maybe if I starve my kids more often, they will eat well every night. (aka no more afternoon snacks?)

I did not make this recipe up. The original is pretty close to this one. I used 4 sweet potatoes instead of two, and a whole (small) head of cabbage. I also add a little more water/broth, since once I didn't and MAN does burnt cabbage and sweet potato STINK!!!