Lentil Soup

So, I know that 90 degrees isn't exactly soup weather, but I'm all about making quick meals in my crock pot. I've been making this since before my hubby and I were married, and it's pretty fool-proof!

Ingredients:
1 lb lentils, rinsed
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
8 oz chopped frozen spinach
6 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1/2 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in crock pot.
2. Cook on High for 4-6 hours, or low for 6-8.

I serve this with a green salad, and bread. If it seems like it's getting dry while it's cooking, just add some water. I also recommend adding hot sauce (tobasco, texas pete, or whatever you prefer) to each serving.

Baked Lemon Chicken

So, here's another modified allrecipes dish for you all. This one has great flavor, and is good for the kiddos too!

Ingredients:
1 pound boneless/skinless chicken breasts
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup bread crumbs (I use Panko)

Directions:
1. In a gallon ziploc bag (or a tupperware dish) combine olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Mix well. Add chicken to bag, and refridgerate for 30 mins or more.
2. Remove chicken from bag, one breast at a time, and dip into bread crumbs until coated.
3. Pour the remaining marinade (there isn't much) over the breaded chicken- be sure to get the garlic pieces out of the bag too!
4. Bake at 350 for 25-30 mins, until juices run clear.

We're watching my friends' kiddos tonight, so we'll be having this with mac and cheese, and salad.

The result: YUM!!! My 3 year old even ate some!

Saag, Falafel and Tandoori Chicken

My husband and I love eating "ethnic" food. When we go out to eat, we often try to get something that we can't (or don't know how to) make at home. The only problem is that these are not necessarily things that a 3 year old likes to eat (indian, thai, japanese), so lately we've been making it at home. The only recipe I'll be providing here is the Saag. The falafel was from a mix, but we have made it from scratch before, and prefer it from scratch. The tandoori chicken was also from a mix that we bought at an Indian festival here in Fayetteville (I know right, CULTURE, here??!!) Anyway, here's the Saag recipe- I've made this several times now- this is a combination of 3 or 4 recipes I found online- with the final result based on things that were easier to find/ingredients I've heard of. You can also add chicken or tofu to this, but I never have. It's best served over rice, but we did not do this tonight.

Saag

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil

8 oz. frozen spinach

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp powdered Ginger

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp coriander

1/2 tsp dry mustard

dash cayenne pepper (to taste)

1/2 cup vegetable broth or chicken broth

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 tsp salt

6 oz plain yogurt

1/2 tsp garam masala (indian spice mix) Directions: Defrost Spinach In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, heat olive oil. Saute onion and garlic, until onion is softened. Add ginger and cumin and stir. Add spinach, tomato paste, coriander and dry mustard. Mix thoroughly and heat through. Add broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 20 mins. Add yogurt and heat through. Just before serving, add garam masala and stir well. Serve over Jasmine rice and ENJOY!

Pasta with Spinach and Almonds

I've been making this dish since before my husband and I were married- in fact, I think it was the first thing I ever cooked for my inlaws! I wonder if they wondered where the meat was? I love that it's a vegetarian dish, but I know that although my husband thinks it's yummy, he wishes I'd add chicken. Of course, you could, but I'm stubborn, I like it without! My mom gave me this recipe (although I never remember her making it), and I've made some modifications to make it "mine".

Pasta with Spinach and Almonds

Ingredients:

8 ounces uncooked pasta (penne, elbows, etc)

3 tbsp olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

8 ounces fresh spinach

3 plum tomatoes- removed seeds and dice

1/2 cup almonds, toasted

1/4 cup raisins

1 cup vegetable boulion cube in 1/4 cup water

1/2 cup grated parmasean cheese

salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. -Boil salted water and cook pasta per package directions.
2. -Heat 1/4 cup water and dissolve boulion cube in it (may not completely dissolve), making a broth concentrate (just heat in microwave for 30 seconds).
3. -In large sauce pan, over medium heat, heat olive oil.
4. -Add garlic, saute for one minute.
5. -Add spinach, raisins and vegetable broth concentrate. Stir with tongs until spinach just wilts.
6. -Add tomatoes to mixture and toss to warm them. Remove from heat.
7. -When pasta is cooked, add to spinach mixture. Also add almonds and parmasean cheese at this time.
8. ENJOY!!

And YES, I do enjoy pasta dishes...and these swirly noodles are my favorite right now!

Chicken Spaghetti

I've made this recipe a couple times now, and I LOVE IT! It's a little spicy, so make sure you buy the mild Rotel if you're serving it to kids. I only have the original today, so my 3 year old will be having something else. This recipe came from a cookbook that a friend of mine put together for her church. Oh, I'm also going to use fresh mushrooms, and cream of chicken soup tonight b/c that's what I have! One of my friends from college is stopping by with her mom for dinner, so I hope they like it!

Chicken Spaghetti

Ingredients:
3 chicken breasts
12 ounce package spaghetti
1 small can mushrooms, diced
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1 tsp chili powder
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can evaporated milk
1 tbsp worchestershire sauce
1/2 lb shredded colby/jack cheese

Directions:
Boil chicken breasts and remove from water. Cook spaghetti in remaining water while shredding chicken. mix all remaining ingredients, except cheese. Add chicken and spaghetti to sauce and mix together in 11x14 baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover with foil and bake 30-40 mins at 350.

The result: I forgot to take a pic :o( But it was yummy! I think I'll stick to using c/o mushroom b/c I think it adds some more flavor to the dish. Also, my 3 year old was able to eat this, even using regular Rotel, so the spice must have diluted enough in the dish. I served it with steamed broccoli, and mixed berries for dessert.

Chicken, Sundried Tomato and Spinach Pizza

I haven't made a homemade pizza in a long time, and I usually use a Boboli crust. This time I'm using one of the Betty Crocker mixes. Here's my recipe for today- it's from my brain- we'll see how it tastes!

Ingredients:
2 package Betty Crocker pizza crust mix
1 cup pizza sauce
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1 marinated and grilled chicken breast, thinly sliced (or you could buy the strips)
1/2 cup marinated sundried tomatoes, rough chopped
6 oz fresh baby spinach
1/2 tbsp oil from sundried tomatoes
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
1. Mix crust mix according to instructions and press into pizza pan/stone.
2. Heat oil in saute pan. Add spinach and garlic powder and saute until just wilted.
3. Spread sauce over crust.
4. Sprinkle 1/2 c cheese over sauce.
5. Add sundried tomatoes, chicken and spinach over cheese.
6. Sprinkle remaining cheese over pizza.

My mom used to make a pizza like this with feta cheese, which I LOVE, but again...my 3 year old. Plus, I have mozzarella in my fridge, not feta.

I love my stone!

The Result:

Maybe I'm just having one of those weeks. Today I didn't even read my own directions! Well, in my defense, I did some "research" after I wrote them. I'd never used an unbaked crust before, but I knew that I needed to preheat my pizza stone...so, my research told me that I couldn't actually make the pizza on my stone, so I used a large wooden cutting board. This was my downfall. After assembling the very pretty pizza, I then went to put it in the oven. Despite the flouring of the board, it didn't budge. It was way to heavy, and the raw crust wasn't substantial enough to lift it. This probably wouldn't have been a problem if I had one of those cool pizza stick thingies. So....we had a calzone. I folded the pizza in half, and managed to use to spatulas to get it on the stone.

I was really sad to fold it in half!!

Right after it came out of the oven.

It was all probably pretty comical to watch. The calzone was good, and the ingredients tasted great. I'll definitely be making this again...on a ready-made crust.

The Lesson learned: BUY A DANG BOBOLI! I don't think I'll be making crust again, unless it's for a calzone.

Mango Tuna Salad

I made this for dinner a few nights ago, and I forgot to post about it. This was one of those nights where I didn't have anything planned so we needed to make something quick. I served it with good old Kraft Mac and Cheese. The recipe is a Sanchez original.

Mango Tuna Salad.

10 oz can Tuna
2 mangoes, diced
1 lime, juiced
1 shallot diced OR 1/4 cup diced onion
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
red pepper flakes to taste (OPTIONAL)

OOPS...Chicken Zucchini Casserole

I think that part of cooking is making mistakes, and learning from them. My mistake this time was (hopefully) minor, but we'll see! What I did was add cubed RAW chicken to the casserole, when the recipe calls for COOKED chicken. I'm thinking that if I cook it longer, it will be fine. This is my first time cooking this recipe. I used reduced fat c/o chicken soup, and low fat sour cream. I also only used 1/4 cup of butter and subbed 1/2 cup of water instead. 3/4 cup of butter is just gross...well maybe good, but I'm trying to get smaller, not bigger!

Chicken Zucchini Casserole

Ingredients:

• 1 (6 ounce) package stuffing mix (I used Stove Top)
  
• 3/4 cup butter, melted (again, I only used 1/4 cup, with 1/2 cup water- could try chick broth or milk instead also!)
  
• 3 cups diced zucchini
• 2 cups cubed cooked chicken breast (again, my oops, I used raw)
  
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
• 1 medium carrot, shredded (I thinly sliced some baby carrots)
  
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup sour cream

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine stuffing mix and butter. Set aside 1/2 cup for topping. Add the zucchini, chicken, soup, carrot, onion and sour cream to the remaining stuffing mixture. Transfer to a greased 2-qt. baking dish. Sprinkle with reserved stuffing mixture. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.

I think the reason I forgot to cook the chicken ahead of time was b/c it doesn't specifically say to do it in the instructions. Obviously it does in the ingredients!

The result:

Sorry that the pic just shows the top of the casserole- it really doesn't show you how colorful it is. We really enjoyed this- even my 3 year old. If you don't like Stove Top, it's probably not for you, but it was really good! To make up for my "mistake" of not cooking the chicken, I cooked it at 350 for 1/2 hour covered, 1/2 hour uncovered, and then 15 mins at 400. That seemed to do the trick. I really don't think I'll bother to cook the chicken ahead of time next time either- unless I use canned chicken (the ultimate time saver for casseroles). There was nothing that I didn't like about this casserole. I'll definitely be making it again.

Fusilli with Shrimp and Arugala

My sister in-law, Jen shared this recipe with me. It came from foodnetwork.com. I'm really excited to eat it!!!

Fusilli with Shrimp and Arugala

Ingredients:
Pasta:
1 pound fusilli past
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 shallots, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 pound medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons white wine

Vinaigrette:
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/4 cup lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Salad
2 large oranges
5 ounces arugula
15 (5 ounces) large pitted green olives, halved

Directions:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta reserving about 1/2 cup of the pasta water.

In a large saute pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and garlic. Cook until soft, about 2 minutes. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper, Add the shrimp and white wine to the pan. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes or until the shrimp are pink and cooked through.

For the Vinaigrette:
Combine the lemon zest and lemon juice in a small bowl. Slowly add the oil, whisking constantly, until mixture is smooth, Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

For the Salad:
Using a paring knife, remove the peel and white pith from the oranges. Over a large serving bowl, cut between the membranes of the oranges to form segments. Allow the juice from the oranges to drip into the serving bowl. Add the arugula and olives to the serving bowl. Toss lightly to combine. Add the hot pasta and the vinaigrette to the serving bowl and toss until arugula is wilted and all the ingredients are combined.




The result: My whole family loved this- even my 3 year old! I didn't give him any arugala, but he gobbled up the shrimp, pasta, oranges and olives. Next time I think I'll add more salt to the dish, but it did say "salt to taste". I also think it would be good with some toasted pine nuts- maybe instead of the olives? I love olives, but I don't know if they add anything to this. Thanks Jen for sharing a YUMMY dish! The only subsititute I made was using a different type of pasta.

Pasta with Chicken and Asparagus

This is a jazzed up version of a recipe I found on Allrecipes. It's become a staple meal in our house, and I love it!!! I love that it's the entire meal in one dish. I\
Ingredients:

• 8-16 oz any dry pasta (elbows, rotini, penne, whatever) I give the range, depending on how noodley you want it to be.
  
• 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided (you can easily use less to reduce the fat)
  
• 2-3 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into cubes
• salt and pepper to taste
• garlic powder to taste
• 3/4cup low-sodium chicken broth (increase broth if you use 16 oz of noodles)
  
• 1 bunch slender asparagus spears, trimmed, cut on diagonal into 1-inch pieces
• 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced, and divided (2 for the chicken, 1 for asparagus)
• 1/2 cup diced onion
  
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil. Add pasta, and cook until al dente. Drain, and set aside.
2. Warm 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in chicken, 2 cloves of garlic, and onion and season with salt, pepperr. Cook until chicken is cooked through and browned, about 5 minutes. Remove chicken to a plate and cover.
3. Pour chicken broth into the skillet. Then stir in asparagus, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cover, and steam until the asparagus is just tender, about 7 mins. Return chicken to the skillet, and warm through.
4. Stir chicken mixture into pasta, and mix well. Let sit about 5 minutes. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil, stir again, then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Italian Peas

If my Mom is reading this she probably thinks she's stumbled onto someone else's blog. I hate peas. I've always hated peas. Well, frozen peas. The canned ones are passable, but the frozen ones have never appealed to me. They actually make me gag, and are the one ("normal") thing that I truly don't eat. I even like brussel sprouts, when cooked well. However, I recently bought a bag of them thinking that my 6 month old might like them. He doesn't. SO, in an effort to not waste them, and get them out of my freezer, I'm trying this recipe (from allrecipes.com)

Italian Peas

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 16 ounces frozen green peas
• 1 tablespoon chicken stock
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion and garlic; cook about 5 minutes. Add frozen peas, and stir in stock. Season with salt and pepper. Cover, and cook until the peas are tender, about 10 minutes.

The result...well, the peas were edible. I'd say for a pea recipe, it was good. I won't be running to the store to buy another bag of peas, but if I happen to have another, this is how I will cook them. My 3 year old and 6 month old both ate some of them, but I wouldn't say anyone "gobbled them up".

Banana Cake with Chocolate Icing

This is the second time I've made this banana cake. The first time I made it, I had to make a couple substitutions b/c I didn't have the ingredients it called for. This time I made the same substitutions, and I'm posting the recipe with them b/c I think it's sooo good! Here's why I needed to make banana cake:

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
  
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• 1 pinch salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 4 ripe bananas, mashed
• 2/3 cup sour cream
  
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F . Grease and flour 2 - 8 inch round pans or a bundt pan (I use a bundt). In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream butter, white sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Mix in the bananas. Add flour mixture alternately with the sour cream to the creamed mixture. Pour batter into the prepared pans.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes for round pans, 50 mins for a bundt. Remove from oven, and place on a cooling rack. Turn out of pan when cooled.

and....TADA!!!

Oh yes, the icing....

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine butter, chocolate chips, and honey. Microwave on high for 30 seconds. Stir until chips are melted and mixture is smooth, then add vanilla. Mixture may need to be microwaved for additional time to melt- do this in 5-10 second increments.
   
2. Pour warm glaze over top of cake, letting it drizzle down the sides.

I know some of you are wondering...banana cake?? It has a similar taste to banana bread, but a more cake like texture. When mixing the batter, make sure you get all the lumps out, to make it smoother, like cake. ENJOY!

Sweet and Spicy Chicken

So, I'm notorious for experimenting on guests. I know it's not something you should do, but I love trying new things, and they usually make more than what my small family will eat. When the boys are bigger, I'm sure that will be a different story. This is a significantly altered recipe that I found on allrecipes. I made the alterations after reading a lot of reviews- that's why I love allrecipes!

Sweet and Spicy Chicken

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 1/2 tablespoons honey
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup orange juice
  
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  
• 2 teaspoons chopped garlic
• 2-3 tablespoons sriracha hot sauce
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1/2 inch strips
• 1/3 cup flour (I used whole wheat flour)
  
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Directions:

1. Mix together brown sugar, honey, soy sauce, orange juice, ginger, garlic and hot sauce in a small bowl.
2. Dredge the chicken strips in the flour.
3. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken strips and brown on both sides, about 1 minute per side. Pour the sauce over the chicken. Simmer uncovered until the sauce thickens, 8 to 10 minutes.

I mixed steamed broccoli into the chicken at the end, and served it over steamed white rice. It was truly delish. I will definitely make this one again, and HIGHLY recommend it!

As a side note, I did NOT serve this to my kiddos, nor would I recommend it for kids. It's spicy. However, I think you could leave out the hot sauce, and add sesame seeds, it would be a great sesame chicken dish. I just set aside some of the floured chicken and cooked it in butter for Noah and he gobbled it up. I bet this would be good with cashews too! So many possibilities :o)

Canning Jams and Jellies

I recently found that I enjoy canning...well, to be honest, I enjoyed it once- my first experience, canning strawberry jam...which turned out to be more like syrup. ANYWAY, my friend Juli just sent me this link today, and I'm psyched to try some of the recipes. When I will have time, I'm not sure, but I wanted to share it (and post it here so I don't forget to go back to it!) I actually have a dozen jars, and all my newly purchased canning "equipment" just waiting be used!

http://tipnut.com/homemade-recipes/

Saving Dinner?

My cousin Mindi recommended this website, so I thought I should share it: http://www.savingdinner.com/index.php
It looks really interesting to me, but I think I'd have to get a deep freeze to freeze the meals?? Maybe she can scan in a recipe to share so we can see what it's all about :oP

Also, thanks Jen for sending along some recipes, I'll be trying them out soon!

"Rempel Family Meatloaf"

I get a lot of my recipes off of Allrecipes.com. I HIGHLY recommend it. I definitely believe in giving credit where it's due...and this is from their website. If I make a bunch of changes to the recipe before posting it, I consider it "my own". Anyway, this is the first time I've made this specific meatloaf.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
• 1/2 cup crushed buttery round crackers
• 3/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 (1 ounce) package dry onion soup mix
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 2 tablespoons steak sauce

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Stir the ground beef, crushed crackers, Cheddar cheese, and onion soup mix in a large bowl until well combined. Whisk the eggs, ketchup, and steak sauce in a separate bowl until smooth. Mix the eggs into the meat until evenly combined, if the mixture seems too dry, add a little water. Press into a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
3. Bake in preheated oven until the meatloaf reaches 160 degrees F (71 degrees C) and is no longer pink in the center, 45 to 60 minutes.

The result... This meatloaf is definitely a keeper. I used 97% lean hamburger, so it wasn't exceptionally juicy. It was dense and flavorful. It didn't have the ketchupy taste that many meatloafs had, and it held together very well. I cook my meatloaf in a small casserole dish, and shape it into a loaf. I do this b/c the fat then goes to the sides, and I can spoon it off much easier than if it was in a loaf pan. When I make it again, I don't think I'll make any changes. I did take some pics, and I'll post them later. I served it with garlic mashed potatoes, sauteed mushrooms, and a green salad.

This pic definitely has the salad looking like the most appetizing thing! What an UNcolorful meal I made!!! Oh well!

A note on mashed potatoes....I have yet to find a way to make them taste good, but be lower fat (use less butter) Anyone have any secrets??

Ice cream...who doesn't love it??!!

So, I had a love affair with my ice cream maker....we're on a "break" right now. But I thought maybe you all would like my oh so easy recipe for insanely good ice cream. I use an automatic icecream maker for this...

ingredients:

1 can of sweetened condensed milk

2 cups half and half

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 cup or so of whatever you want to add to it (cookies, berries, whatever!)

directions:

1. Wisk together all ingredients.
2. Pour into ice cream maker and mix until desired consistency.
3. As ice cream starts to thicken, you may add berries or cookies.

In my attempt to make this "better" for you, I have made it with fat free half and half, and low fat sweetened/condensed milk, and it turned out great!!

Ginger Cookies to Gobble up!

I've made these as written, and using splenda blend/smart balance for baking/1/2 whole wheat flour. Obviously they are better as written, but they are one of my favorite cookies!!!

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup margarine, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon orange juice
  
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 tablespoons white sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then stir in the orange juice and molasses. Gradually stir the sifted ingredients into the molasses mixture. Refrigerate dough for at least 1 hour.
   
3. Shape dough into walnut sized balls, and roll them in the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Place the cookies 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet, and flatten slightly.
4. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Rolling the dough in sugar is not necessary for them to be delish, but it does make them look nice.

The BEST and EASIEST Chicken Noodle Casserole

1 large can chicken breast chunks (I think it's 12 oz)
2 cans cream of chicken soup (I use the reduced fat)
1 small can of mushrooms
2 cups milk
2 cups UNCOOKED elbow or spiral pasta
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (or whatever you have on hand)
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
pepper to taste

2/3 cup durkee onions or broken up Ritz for topping

Mix all ingredients (except topping) together in the 9x13 pan you plan to bake it in. Cover and put in fridge for 2-24 hours before you plan to cook it. I THINK you could go ahead and bake it straight away, but this will ensure that your noodles are softened (I've given it 2 hours, and also 24, that's why I gave that range).

Bake, covered with foil, for 1 hour at 325. Remove foil, increase heat to 400, stir casserole, and add topping. Bake until brown on top (about 15 mins). ENJOY!

I think you could easily substitute different cream soups in the recipe, or use peas instead of mushrooms to get some veggies in there. And, you could always use canned tuna instead of chicken, or use fresh chicken breasts, cut up....but that takes some of the simplicity out of it. I just had to share b/c this is SO easy...one dish, and that's it!

I LOVE TO COOK!

So...I love to cook. Anyone who knows me knows this. I also enjoy sharing recipes that I find. I've never really been a blogger, but I thought it might be a good way to share recipes...with whoever! I also like to try new recipes, so feel free to send them my way.