Mushroom Chicken Deluxe

I was flipping through my "Taste of Home's Casserole Cookbook" because I love a casserole in case you haven't already noticed. And I found this recipe which I thought would be a little different from the ones I usually cook, and so I tried it out. My fam loved it and I have to say, it was different, sort of like a chicken lasagna. It was really good and creamy, packed with mushrooms and chicken and noodles.

Mushroom Chicken Deluxe

1 to 1 and 1/2 cups fresh sliced mushrooms
1 medium onion chopped (I had to use dried minced)
1/2 cup chopped green pepper (which I didn't have and didn't use but I know it would have been good)
2 tbsp butter or margarine
1 can cream of chicken soup undiluted
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup chopped pimentos (didn't use, because we don't like them)
1/4 tsp dried basil
8 oz spiral pasta cooked and drained
2 cups small curd cottage cheese
6 oz shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese divided
3 cups cubed chicken


First, I cooked my chicken (I always buy the chicken tenders for casseroles, they are more tender and easier to shred) in a sort of sauce pan with a little bit of olive oil. I seasoned them with Cavendar's greek seasoning, but you can use whatever you like. When they were done, I pulled them out and set them aside. (I cubed them in the sauce pan and then took them out)

Next, I started boiling the spiral noodles. I cooked them according to package directions.

While noodles were boiling, I took the mushrooms and onion and sauted them in the butter (you'd put peppers in here too if you used them). Once tender, I added the cream of chicken soup , milk and basil to the mushroom mix - you'd also add pimentos here if you used them.

Then in a separate boil mix cottage cheese, cheddar cheese and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese.

In a 9x13 greased pan, layer first the spiral noodles, on top of that put the cheese mixture. On top of the cheese mixture, layer the cubed chicken and then pour the mushroom sauce over chicken. Sprinkle remaining parmesan over it all and bake it at 350 until it's bubbly.

It really was good and it was good for left overs too. It used more pans then I'm use to using (I hate doing dishes) but none of it was hard to do. If you took the time and boiled the noodles before cooking the chicken, you could get away with using one pot and one bowl to mix the cheese in - and then of course the casserole dish.

Roasted Garlic and Red Pepper, Feta and Spinach stuffed Chicken!

First, I want to apologize for the pictures here. My camera was in my car (still is actually) and the carpenter bees that are hovering around outside my garage seem like they are trying to deliberately keep me away from my vehicle. I'm terrified of those things and I tried several times to bravely run out there (with a broom so as to swat the bees) only to run back in screaming and launching the broom behind me hitting nothing but my car. Anyway, I had to take the pictures with my camera phone.....

EDIT: And now I can't get the pictures to do right at all on my site so, I can either post them randomly all on top, or I can not post them at all...we'll see!

I had all afternoon to prepare for this meal, so I just kind of took my time. I roasted my own red peppers and garlic but it is time consuming so if you don't have time, just use the jarred stuff.

Roasted Garlic and Red Pepper, Feta and Spinach Stuffed Chicken


3 to 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 (at least) red bell peppers
1 head of garlic
6 oz or so of chopped frozen spinach drained
1 tub of feta
1/4 cup of parmesan cheese
pinch or sprinkle of cavendars greek seasoning - or whatever chicken seasoning you like
pinch or so of paprika (totally optional)


1. Okay, like I said, I had time on my hands and this part CAN take time, however it is still easy. And if you wanna skip it, then just by jarred roasted red peppers. But, I cut up my peppers and just laid them in fairly large junks "meat" side down and skin side up in a casserole dish (you can use a cookie pan) and I drizzled a little olive oil and broiled those suckers until the skin on them was totally black and blistered (this takes about 15 to 20 minutes with the oven on 525 depending on your oven of course).



Once roasted they looked like this, and even these could've been broiled a bit longer...


Okay, and once you roast the peppers (if you already know how to do this, please skip to the step where it's already done...)you have to throw them immediately into a ziplock bag OR tupperware with the lid on so as to let them"stew" until they are all cooled off. This blistering and sealing makes the skins sooo much easier to peal off .

So, then you peel the blistered skin off of the red peppers once they are cooled and voila, you have roasted red peppers. Set those thangs aside for tha moment.

2. I roasted my own garlic as well which is also totally optional. I just took a head of garlic and put it in some tin foil with a smidge of butter and stuck it in the oven for 25 minutes at 350 degrees and when I took them out they were perfect!


3. So, I had my roasted peppers and my roasted garlic and I mixed them in a bowl. I decided to chop mine just a smidge in my little mini chopper just to sort of make the garlic cloves smash around and chop the peppers up finer. You do what you like. After I got the consistancy I desired, I added the spinach that I thawed and drained, and the tub of feta which I love. Then I added the parmesan and stirred it all up. It wouldn't be a bad idea to salt this mixture a bit, but it's not necessary.



4. Flatten out your chicken breasts until they are total flatsos. (anybody read Junie B Jones?, well I have a 7 year old and so the term "Flatso" means almost as flat as it would be if you ran your car over it). Of course, you'll wanna put some saran wrap or wax paper when you're doing the meat pounding or else gross stuff will fly around the room each time you lift your meat tenderizing tool.....

6. Okay, so now you flatsoed your meat, so now you put a spoon full or two of the aforementioned red pepper, spinach, feta and garlic mixture in the middle of the flat chicken and either roll it or fold it in half best you can and stick a toothpick through that sucker.

7. Now, season your meat with cavendars and paprika or whatever poultry seasoning you deem acceptable and pop it in the oven at 375 and cook it until the meat is done which took me almost an hour.

Voila! You have a really complicated looking meal that may or may not have taken a lot of time but certainly wasn't that complicated. I had some of the red pepper mixture left over at the end and I spooned it on top of mine, but again, you do whatever you like there.

Hope you enjoy!!! This is actually my own recipe, believe it or not. So, I really, really, hope anyone who tries this enjoys it!
Ha!!

Easy Reuben Sandwich and Comfort Food - Poppy Seed Chicken

I don't know about you, but I LOVE a Reuben sandwich. Except, I only love it homemade, I never really seem to like it when I get one from a restaurant. (I imagine they don't put near enough cheese or dressing on it ;-) ) And they can be so messy to make. So when I was flipping through a cookbook that my Aunt Nancy got for me called "A Cookbook of Favorite Recipes compiled by staff and residents of the Greenville Convalescent Home, and ran across the recipe "Open Faced Reuben Sandwiches" I knew I had to try it. I was so glad that I did!

Open Faced Reuben Sandwiches

1 12 oz can corned beef
1 16 oz jar sauerkraut well drained
Thousand Island Dressing (it says 1/2 c., but I use however much I want to!)
1/4 tbsp pepper
1 tbsp bacon bits (I don't use)
8 slices of Swiss cheese
8 slices of Rye or whatever bread you like your Reuben on, I like just wheat bread buttered really well.

Break up the corned beef with a fork until crumbly, add sauerkraut and next 3 ingredients stirring well. Spread mixture on 8 slices of toast and bake at 350 for 10 minutes. (I don't toast my bread before I put it in the oven and it holds up great, but you do what you like).
Cut slices of swiss cheese in half and place 2 strips on each sandwich. Bake 5 minutes more or until cheese melts.

Sometimes I don't mix the ingredients, I just layer them how I want to and I save the thousand island for last - I pour it on top of the cheese once it's melted. But, again, it's easy to do what you think you'd like to do. I hope you enjoy!




Now, for poppy seed chicken. My kids love this stuff, and so does my company when they've driven a long way or had a long day. It's super easy to make, and you just about can't go wrong with it.

Poppy Seed Chicken

3 to 4 boiled and shredded chicken breasts
16 oz sour cream
1 can of cream of mushroom or chicken
1 roll of ritz crackers
butter
poppy seeds
rice or noodles (I always put this mixture over rice, but you can do either)

Add to the boiled and shredded chicken breasts the sour cream and cream of mushroom or chicken and stir it up well.
Crumble the ritz crackers and melt butter to pour on top of them. Spread the chicken mixture into a greased casserole dish and put the buttered and crumbled ritz crackers on top, then sprinkle about a tbsp or so of poppy seeds on top of that. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes or until bubbly. Serve on top of rice or noodles. Enjoy!!!