Still in awe- all my kids devoured this!

Better-Than-Takeout Chicken Fried Rice

(rachelschultz.com)

Serves 5-6

• 4 cups rice, prepared
• 1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked (I put mine in the crock pot with Yoshida's Original Gourmet sauce, or any teriyaki sauce would do, if desired)
• 1 cup peas & carrots, frozen (or what you like - I added steamed broccoli)
• 1 small white onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 eggs
• 3 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1/4 cup soy sauce

Prepare rice according to package instructions to yield 4 cups cooked rice. Heat sesame oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Add onion, garlic, peas, and carrots.  Stir fry until tender. Crack eggs into pan and scramble, mixing throughout vegetables.  Add rice, chicken, and soy sauce to pan.Mix soy sauce throughout and remove from heat.  

It's true!  My kids all had seconds, and thirds.  Some liked adding the Yoshida's sauce on top of the fried rice (Russell and I did- added a lot of teriyaki flavor) but most liked the fried rice as is.  They even at the veggies.  I'm still in shock!  It is a great recipe, and I am replacing my old recipe I had on this blog with this one.

One Pot Macaroni and Cheese

One Pot Mac and Cheese

(from realmomkitchen.com)

• 2 cups elbow macaroni or shell pasta
• 2 cups skim milk , plus more if needed
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1/2 tsp dried mustard
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup grated Monterrey jack cheese
• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese

1. Place uncooked macaroni in a colander and rinse with water, then allow to drain.
2. In a large sauce pan, add the macaroni, milk, butter, dried mustard, and salt.
3. Bring to a simmer cover medium heat. Once it comes to a simmer, turn down to low.
4. It this point you need to say right by the pot and stir. You will stir for 15-20 minutes until the milk is mostly absorbed and the pasta is tender. You can add more milk if needed. Stirring will prevent a sticky burnt mess.
5. Add the cheese and stir to combine.
6. Remove the pot from the heat and cover with the lid and let sit for 5 minutes.
7. Stir and taste. Add more salt if necessary. Will serve 4.

This is a lot like my crockpot mac and cheese recipe, but it is obviously faster since it's made on the stove.  Probably takes about 20 minutes total for the noodles to finish cooking.  It is so easy to make a good mac&cheese that all the kids will enjoy and is healthier than the boxed kind.  The kids loved it.  It wasn't as good the next day, though- dried out a bit.

Chicken Parma Rosa- sauce mix, easy, good!

Chicken Parma Rosa

this is what it looks like at the store-
I never knew about it until a while ago

• 1 pkg Knorr Parma Rosa Sauce Mix
• 8 oz. penne (or other pasta desired)
• cooked chicken
• parmesan cheese

1. Cook pasta.  Make sauce from Parma Rosa package (I think only a little butter and milk are used).
2.  Add chicken to sauce, pour over pasta, and sprinkle with parmesan cheese, and eat.


Such a fast meal!  I think the sauce is great, especially since it is from a package.  I was impressed.  Kids loved it (besides one), easy to make, tasty. It is a parmesan sauce with a hint of tomato, very subtle.  

Coconut Chicken- kid friendly and easy

Coconut Chicken with Apricot Sauce

Yield: 4 servings

• 1 egg
• 1 cup sweetened coconut flakes
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 4 boneless chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 cup apricot preserves
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Preheat the oven to 400˚F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Lightly beat the egg in a medium bowl; set aside.  Mix the coconut, flour, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a shallow bowl.  Working with one chicken breast at a time, dip the chicken in the bowl with the beaten egg and then coat with the coconut mixture.  Place on the baking sheet.  Once all chicken breasts are coated and on the baking sheet, evenly drizzle with the melted butter.  Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, flipping once halfway.

To prepare the apricot sauce, mix the apricot preserves and the Dijon mustard in a small bowl.  Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Freezer Friendly:  After baking the chicken, let cool completely then freeze in a freezer bag for up to 1 month.  To reheat, bake in a preheated oven at 400˚F for 20 minutes.

Source:  Jamie MacDonald, friend of Pennies on a Platter

This was  a good dish!  The chicken didn't end up too sweet, even with the coconut.  It was fun to dip in the sauce, though my kids ate the chicken plain.  Fun.

2 more chili recipes I really like

Chili (kid-friendly and tasty)
(Liz Rosenbaum's recipe)

• 2 lbs. hamburger, fried and drained (or as much as you have- I use about half a pound)
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 chili seasoning packet
• 2 green bell peppers (I skip)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar (or to taste)
• 2 t. chili powder
• 3 cans kidney beans, draining 1, not the other 2
• 1 qt. crushed tomatoes
• 15 oz can tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Saute onion and green pepper with the beef.
2. Add all ingredients and heat thoroughly for 30 minutes on low.

Mandy's Chili (more fiery and mature, and very tasty as well!)

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 green pepper, diced (optional)
• 3-4 garlic cloves, minced (or use 1/2 t. garlic powder down with other spices)
• 2 cans kidney beans
• 1 can of chili beans
• 1 can of black beans
• 1 can tomato soup
• 1 soup can of water
• 1 or 2 cans stewed or diced tomatoes

Spices:

• 1 t. sugar
• 1 t. oregano
• 2 T. flour
• 2 t. ground cumin
• 2-3 T. chili powder
• 1 t. salt
• 1/2 t. pepper

1. Brown the ground beef. Season with montreal steak seasoning if desired. Drain. Add onion and garlic and cook for 2 more minutes.
2. Throw everything else in, with all the juices in the cans, and bring to a boil. Simmer for as long as desired.

Kid-friendly (really!) enchiladas

Beef & Brown Sugar Enchiladas(from recipeclub.blogspot.com)

• 1 1/2 lb. lean ground beef
• 1 can refried beans
• 1 can red enchilada sauce, divided
• 1/3 cup brown sugar-- or to taste
• 1/2 tsp. onion powder
• 2 cups grated cheddar cheese, divided
• 10-12 flour tortillas

1. Brown ground beef in a large pan. Drain off fat & add refried beans, 1/2 of the enchilada sauce, brown sugar & onion powder. Mix well & bring to a simmer. Remove from heat.
2. Fill one tortilla with about 1/4 of a cup of filling & 2 Tbsp. cheese. Roll up & place in a 9x13 pan. Repeat process until pan is full.
3. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over prepared enchiladas. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve with sour cream, chopped tomatoes, sliced olives, diced onions, shredded lettuce, avocado or guacamole.

Our in-home enchilada hater (Anika) even liked these! She didn't realize they were enchiladas until the next day. I had to try this recipe because of the brown sugar. I try every main dish recipe that uses it! These don't come off overly sweet, but do err on the side of less brown sugar and add to what flavor you like. The red sauce adds subtle spiciness to offset any sweet, as does the Mexican blend cheese, if you use that. I liked the beans mixed in with the beef. Made the consistency better than just beef, imo. Plus it tasted good. Of course I used uncooked tortillas! They only take a few minutes to get ready, and they taste so much better than regular torts!

Easy and fast 6 Cheese Lasagna

6 Cheese Lasagna

• 1 lb hamburger (optional) along with 1 26 oz bottle favorite spaghetti sauce
• 12 oz. cottage cheese
• 1 beaten egg
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
• 6-9 strips no boil lasagna noodles (add 1/2 cup water to spaghetti sauce if using these)
• 1 1/2 cup swiss cheese (I used about 5 slices real (not processed) swiss instead of the grated)
• 1 cup cheddar cheese
• 1-8oz. pkg. cream cheese
• 1 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400. Mix cottage cheese, egg, and parmesan cheese in a small bowl, set aside. Crumble hamburger in fry pan. Cook until no pink remains, then drain off fat and combine with spaghetti sauce.
2. Place a thin layer of sauce mixture in the bottom of a 9x13 or 8x11 casserole dish. Layer 1/3 of each noodles, cottage cheese mixture, swiss and cheddar cheese. Cut off small pieces of cream cheese and dot over other cheeses. Repeat pattern once or twice, depending on whether you use 6 or 9 noodles. (I use just six, because that makes it tall enough!) End with sauce.
3. Cover with a double layer aluminum foil. Cook for about an hour, or until fork-tender. I added the mozzarella cheese after that hour and cooked about 5 more minutes until it was melted.

I loved the additional tastes of swiss and cream cheese in this lasagna. I also really enjoy using no-bake noodles! They save a lot of time. Anyway, use as much or as little of the cheeses- I think I cut the cream cheese in half, but I would have loved it even more with the other half!

Quick Chinese Sweet and Sour Chicken!

Sweet and Sour Chicken
(from mykitchencafe.blogspot.com)

• Chicken: 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• garlic salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 T canola oil

1. Cut boneless chicken breasts into chunks (or leave them whole, but will take longer to cook in the oven).
2. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Dip chicken in cornstarch and then in egg.
4. Fry in a little oil until brown but not cooked through.
5. Place in a single layer in a baking dish.

Mix sauce ingredients (below) together and pour over chicken.

Sauce:

• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 3/4 cup vinegar
• 1 3/4 tablespoon soy sauce
• 3/4 c. chicken broth

1. Bake for one hour at 325 degrees. Turn chicken every 20 minutes if chicken is in small chunks or turn once if you keep the chicken breasts whole.

Yummmmmm! We loved this. Olivia, the pickiest, had thirds. Goes great with broccoli or stir-fry veggie blends or potatoes and rolls. Fast and like Chinese Sweet and Sour, only not as greasy or heavy.

Spaghetti and Spaghetti Pie

Spaghetti Pie

• 1 pound spaghetti
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• garlic powder to taste
• 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper (optional)
  
• 1 (26 ounce) jar pasta sauce
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 1/2 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
3. In a skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef. Drain and crumble. Put crumbled beef in skillet. Stir in salt, pepper, garlic powder, bell pepper and pasta sauce. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
4. In a small bowl combine sour cream, green onions and cream cheese and set aside. Coat a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray and add the cooked spaghetti. Spread the cream cheese mixture over it, add the meat mixture and sprinkle with Cheddar Cheese.
5. Cover and bake for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake for 5 more minutes until the cheese is bubbly.
   

Easier to serve than spaghetti and a nice change from spaghetti. The cream topping might not be healthy but it sure is good! Try light sour cream and light cream cheese.

www.allrecipes.com

Spaghetti Sauce

2 cans diced tomatoes, Italian style or regular, or crushed tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
1/2 c. diced onion (I cook mine along with the ground beef)
ground beef
1/2 pkg spaghetti seasoning
1/2 T sugar, or to taste
1 can tomato soup (I use sometimes to use up food storage and to give smooth consistency)
any other seasonings or veggies you want to throw in. I like to cook the ground beef and then throw it all in the crock pot for a few hours.

My kids love spaghetti. It is O's and I's favorite meal; maybe the only one O eats! We eat it with cottage cheese. May sound strange, but we all love it.