Campbell's Week: Chicken and Cheese Enchiladas

Super easy!

Chicken and Cheese Enchiladas

1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup salsa
2 tsp. chili powder
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1/2 cup shredded cheese (Monterey Jack is great!)
6 flour tortillas, warmed
1 small tomato, chopped (opt.)
1 green onion, sliced (opt.)

Heat oven to 350. Stir soup, sour cream, salsa, and chili powder in a medium-sized bowl.

Stir 1 cup of the sauce mixture with chicken and cheese in a large bowl. Divide this mixture up between the six tortillas. Roll tortillas and place them seam-side up in a 2 quart shallow baking dish. Pour the remaining sauce over the rolled tortillas. Cover.

Bake for 40 minutes or until enchiladas are hot and bubbling. Top with tomato and onion.

Add a little protein and fiber by stirring in 1/2 cup rinsed black beans with chicken before filling tortillas.

Campbell's Week: Green Bean Casserole

This week features some Campbell's recipes that are on my "to try" list.

Green Bean Casserole

1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. soy sauce
4 cups cooked green beans (use 1 16-20 oz. frozen package or 2 cans)
1 1/3 cup french fried onions
dash of black pepper

MIX soup, milk, soy, black pepper, beans and 2/3 cup onions in 1 1/2-qt. casserole.

BAKE at 350°F. for 25 min. or until hot.

STIR . Sprinkle with remaining onions. Bake 5 min.

Serves 6.

Try this with broccoli instead of green beans, or omit soy sauce and add cheddar cheese instead. This can be made a day ahead--just cover and refrigerate!

Stuffed French Toast

Another twist on a traditional recipe. Great for an easy dinner or breakfast in bed (*hint* Mother's Day is coming up! *hint*)

Stuffed French Toast

12 slices French bread (we just used regular and it was still good)
6 Tbsp cream cheese
¼ c. jam (any flavor)
3 eggs
½ c. skim milk
2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
Cinnamon and/or vanilla as desired

1. Spread cream cheese on one slice, jam on the other, and make 6 sandwiches.
2. Mix everything else together, dip both sides, and cook.
3. Great with syrup and powdered sugar!

Chicken Enchilada Pizza

Chicken Enchilada Pizzas

4 flour tortillas (10-inch)
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 c. chopped cooked chicken breast
½ c. green salsa (red also works)
1 can (2¼ oz.) sliced ripe olives, drained
1/3 c. sour cream
1 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1. Heat oven to 400, place tortillas on ungreased cookie sheet, bake about 5 minutes or
until crisp.
2. While tortillas are baking, heat oil in 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat.
Cook onion in oil, stirring frequently, until tender; remove from heat. Stir in chicken,
salsa and olives.
3. Spread sour cream on tortillas. Top with chicken mixture and cheese. Bake 5-6 minutes
or until cheese is melted.

I'm not really a fan of olives, so I substituted a small can of diced green chilis to add some zest!

Back in Business! Thai Chicken Pizza

Sorry for the recipe hiatus: it was finals week here and both computers bit the dust! My rented desktop had to be returned before my husband could graduate (congratulations Eric! I love you!) and my husband's laptop suddenly gave up the ghost.

NOW it's time to get back to cooking (the easy way!). I love pizza, but homemade pizza either requires a lot of work to make everything from scratch or money to buy all of the ingredients. I was so excited when I found these recipes for variety pizzas that use tortillas and other easy to find ingredients.

Thai Chicken Pizza

6 flour tortillas (10-inch)
1/2 c. peanut butter
1/4 c. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
2 tsp. sugar
2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
2 c. chopped cooked chicken breast
1 lb. frozen (or canned) stir-fry vegetables, thawed and drained

1. Heat oven to 400. Place tortillas on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake about 5 minutes or 
until crisp.
2. Mix peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar; spread over tortillas. Top each with 1/4  c. 
cheese. Spread chicken and vegetables evenly over tortillas. Sprinkle with remaining 
cheese.
3. Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until pizzas are hot and cheese is melted.

Crock Pot Lasagna

Ok guys, here's a new one that I waited a LONG time to try! My husband loves lasagna but I can never make it like his mom did and it's just a lot of work....until this recipe! I found this from A Year of Crockpotting, and am seriously coveting her new cookbook.

Crock Pot Lasagna

1 box of regular lasagna noodles
1 jar of pasta sauce
ricotta cheese
1 pkg of Italian mix shredded cheese
1/4 cup water
assorted veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, mushrooms--even hard boiled eggs work great!)
optional meat

If you decide to add meat, brown 1/2 lb meat with minced onion first. Pour in entire jar of sauce with meat (don't rinse or throw away the jar!) Simmer for a few minutes. Spoon one ladle-full into the bottom of the crockpot. Top with a layer of dried noodles (you'll have to break them!). Smear on a layer of ricotta cheese. Add a layer of veggies and a handful of shredded cheese. Repeat layers until the crockpot is full! Put 1/4 cup water in the empty pasta jar and shake; pour the tomato-water over the entire mix. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4.

Check noodles an hour before serving and push them down into the water if they are getting hard or curling up.

Classic White Sauce

Everyone should have a basic white sauce handy at all times. It can be used with chicken broth for gravy, with cheese for alfredo sauce, or for topping any type of meat or pasta.

Classic White Sauce

4 Tbsp. butter
4 Tbsp. flour
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 cup milk

Over low heat, melt butter. Add flour, salt and pepper. Stir until smooth. Gradually stir in milk. cook on low till thick, stirring constantly.

Homemade Brownies

I'll admit it, I usually use brownie and cake mixes. Let's be honest, though, mixes only save you a few ingredients! So here's an easy recipe for great homemade brownies that don't require a mix.

Homemade Brownies

2 squares butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1/2 cup cocoa
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
dash salt

Beat together everything except the flour and salt. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes.

For an extra treat, sprinkle chocolate chips on top before baking!

Rice Pudding

This is a classic dessert that's a great way to use leftover rice. This one comes from my mom, which means it's tailored for a quick fix in the microwave!

Rice Pudding

2 cups cooked rice
2 cups milk
2 eggs
1 cups sugar
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
Raisins (optional)

Beat eggs and milk well. Add sugar and cinnamon, beat again. Stir in rice and raisins. Microwave covered on high for 15-20 minutes or until it's the texture you prefer!

Swedish Delight Casserole

This is a family favorite recipe for a beef, noodle, and veggie casserole. It's quick to make and bake and hearty. Hope you like it!

Swedish Delight

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 green pepper (chopped)
1/2 onion (chopped)
2 can crushed tomatoes
1/2 lb. corn
1 lb. pasta (wide is better--I usually use elbow macaroni)
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 cup cheese, grated

Brown beef with pepper and onion. Mix everything together in a casserole dish. Sprinkle cheese on top. Bake 15 minutes at 375 or until cheese is melted and casserole is bubbly.

Chicken Divan Casserole

I think it's time for a break from dessert. This is a traditional chicken broccoli and cheese casserole.

Chicken Divan

4 chicken breasts
1 onion (green or white)
1 pkg. frozen broccoli
1 can cream of celery soup
1 cup mayo or salad dressing
1 cup grated cheese
2 Tbs. lemon juice

1. Boil chicken with onion. For a faster fix, cut and saute. Place cooked chicken in a casserole dish.
2. Cook broccoli according to package directions. Microwaving preserves more vitamins and nutrients than cooking on the stove top! Put over chicken.
3. Mix soup, mayo, cheese, and lemon juice. Pour over chicken and broccoli.
4. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

This casserole can be microwaved for an even faster meal!

Blue Ribbon Sponge Cake

This is a no fail recipe--works every time and super easy!

Blue Ribbon Sponge Cake

4 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
1 heaping tsp. baking powder
1 cup hot water

Beat eggs, add sugar, and beat well. Mix flour with baking powder (don't skip this step!) and add to egg mixture. Pour in hot water all at once and beat until smooth. Pour into bundt pan sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes until cake springs back when touched lightly. Cool 15 minutes and tip out of pan.

Serve with strawberries and whip cream!

Cheese Fondue

Ready for a week of great recipes? I'll be posting a ton this week to get everyone inspired...pick out your favorite recipes and get ready to win!

We'll start with a party favorite: fondue.

Cheese Fondue

1 lb. grated cheese (typically swiss or cheddar, but the pre-grated mixes can be great too!)
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp. salt
2 cups white grape juice

Toss the cheese, flour, and salt together. Heat grape juice to a gentle boil and gradually add cheese mixture. Remove immediately from heat. Serve with breads, broccoli, ham, apples, grapes, celery...

A fondue pot works great to keep the cheese warm but prevent it from burning. Or, pour the hot mixture into a greased crockpot for insulation! This can be a great party food where you provide the fondue and ask your guests to bring dipping food.

Add a spicy twist: my family has a rule that if you drop something into a fondue pot someone has to kiss you before you can pull it out!

Peach Crisp

This is a perfect pick-me-up dessert that works great with any type of fruit!

Peach Crisp

1 quart fruit, sliced
1 box cake mix (spice or yellow work best)
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine

Pour fruit--with juice--into 9" by 11" baking pan or casserole dish. Pour cake mix (just the dry portion!) on top. Slice butter into small chunks on top of the cake mix to help it brown. Bake at 375 for ~10-15 minutes until the top is nicely browned.

Best served warm with ice cream, but also great cold. Can even be microwaved! Again, this works with any kind of fruit: peaches, pears, plums, cherries, etc.

No Bake Cookies

There are lots of no-bake recipes out there, but this is my personal favorite. Despite my addiction to peanut butter, I prefer the plain "fudge" variety. This recipe only calls for things I usually have handy and always sets up.

No Bake Cookies

2 c. sugar
1/2 c. evaporated milk
1 stick butter/margarine
3 Tbs. cocoa
1/2 tsp. salt
3 c. oatmeal (not instant kind!)

Heat everything except the oatmeal on medium, stirring regularly to avoid burning the sugar. Boil one minute. Remove from heat, add oatmeal. Drop by spoonful on wax paper.

Makes 2-3 dozen.

Some of my favorite recipes call for evaporated milk (see: Meatloaf, fudge frosting) so I try to make these in the same week.

One Easy, One Gourmet

Apologies for being so slow to update--I just got a new cookbook and I was waiting to test these out before I posted them!

Crock Pot Italian Chicken

3-4 chicken breasts
1 pkg. Italian dressing seasoning mix
1/2 c. water
1 (8 oz) block cream chese

Place the chicken, italian seasoning, and water in the crock pot, cook on LOW for ~3 hours (longer if using frozen chicken). When chicken is fully cooked, use a fork to shred it, add the cream cheese and mix thoroughly. This makes a creamy chicken topping that is great over rice or noodles. Serves 6-8.

Wedding Chicken - a la Chicken Cordon Bleu

6 chicken breasts
6 slices of ham
6 slices of Swiss cheese
6 slices of bacon
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 c. sour cream

Lay chicken breasts flat in a large pan. Place one slice of ham and one slice of cheese on each, wrap with bacon and tuck the ends under. Mix together mushroom soup and sour cream, pour over the chicken. Let set overnight. Sprinkle with paprika before baking at 250 for four hours.

Actually a faster recipe than it seems, because you can make them in the evening, make room in the fridge, and then let your house smell wonderful while they bake the next day!


On a side note, I made a two-pan batch of Peanut Butter Fingers last night and they are WONDERFUL, as always. If you haven't tried this yet you're missing out!

Who likes Eggnog???

So, I'm married to the unofficial Eggnog King of the Universe. Since we're cutting costs this year, we haven't bought eggnog (or eggnog ice cream...), but I knew he couldn't make it through finals week with his head on straight without it.

Here's what we came up with, and it's expert approved.

Homemade Eggnog

6 eggs
3 cups milk
8 tablespoons sugar
3 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, ground

In a large bowl, beat the eggs using an electric beater. Alternate adding milk & sugar,
Continue beating until mixture thickens slightly.
Add in the vanilla essence & ground nutmeg.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled (at least 3 hours).

I actually whipped it up in a plastic pitcher using our handheld mixer with the wisk attachment.

Serves: 8 (or one Eggnog-loving husband)

More guest recipes! Homemade perogies

Pagachi (like homemade perogies)

Ingredients:
1 pkg instant potatoes (the cheesy kind is best!)
1 pkg biscuits

Prepared potatoes, let them cool to room temp. Roll biscuits out flat on a floured surface until they about 6 inches in diameter. Add 2-3 spoonfuls of potatoes into each of the big flat biscuits and fold them closed. (they'll be a half moon shape.. like a perogie)

pinch edges closed and brush with butter, back at 375 for ~ 20 min.

Great with stew or chilli, also you can add chicken or cheese or whatever and make them a total meal on the go type of food. They even refrigerate--just wait to brush the butter on until right before baking.

More guest recipes--Nebraska Steak and BBQ Sauce

Nebraska Style Steak


Use tenderized round steak, big round steak, or cube steaks (enough for your family)
Brown Steak after flouring
add 1 can of cream of celery soup 
1/2 can of water
1 small onion diced
Let simmer for about an hour or until tender.

Make mashed potatoes to use with the gravy that the soup makes.

This is very good and you can make a lot and then freeze for later.  Its
always good even after frozen.

Homemade BBQ Sauce


2 tsp salt                    1/2 c water
1/2 c chopped onion           1 garlic (optional)
18 oz tomato paste            1 c ketchup
3/4 c brown sugar             1/2 c vinegar (+ or-)
2 T prepared mustard

Great to pour over any meat in a crockpot all day or season veggies!

A misunderstood dish.

So, growing up there were two foods my mom made that I love: meatloaf and fruit cake. It wasn't until I got older that I began to realize that most people crack jokes about these two and avoid them at all costs. CLEARLY they're not eating the same things I am!

I quickly converted my husband to this meatloaf recipe when we got married, and I still use it for a few reasons: 1) it cooks quickly 2) it's always a warm, homemade kind of meal 3) having evaporated milk open in the fridge means i make no-bake cookies!

So here it is, my mom's meatloaf:

1 lb ground beef
1/2 onion, diced
~1/3 cup ketchup or BBQ sauce
1/3 cup evaporated milk
1 pkg saltine crackers, crushed
1-2 lrg. eggs
salt and pepper as desired

Mash it all together (easiest to just get your hands dirty)
Bake at 350 until cooked through.

the best tip to this recipe is to make it in a greased cupcake pan. Makes individual servings, no cutting required, and cooks faster! Takes 20-30 minutes and makes 12.