Melissa Etheridge Deal of the Day on Amazon

Get the new Melissa Etheridge album as an mp3 download from Amazon for $3.99. It is the deal of the day at http://amazon.com until May 3.

Cheesy Chicken Supreme

Serves 4

4 slices bacon
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I cut into bite-size pieces for faster cooking)
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 10oz can condensed mushroom soup
1/2 c. milk
1 c. shredded Havarti cheese (I substitute cheddar)
1 6oz pkg couscous ( I substitue rice or orzo)

1. In large skillet, cook bacon until crisp; remove from pan and drain on paper towels. Add chicken to drippings in skillet; cook 2-3 min on each side.
2. Add onion and garlic to skillet; cook and stir for 4-5 min, until crisp-tender. Add soup and milk; stir to blend. Simmer until chicken is throughly cooked. Chill chicken mixture in refrigerator or ice-water bath. (Do not refrigerate if serving immediately. Add bacon and cheese, cover and cook for 4-5 min till cheese is melted)
3. Crumble bacon and place in zipper-lock bag. Place cheese in zipper-lock bag. Place chilled chicken and sauce in zipper-lock bag. Place all bags inside larger bag; label and freeze. Reserve couscous or rice in pantry.
4. To thaw and reheat: Thaw overnight in fridge. Place chicken mixture in skillet and heat for about 10 min, until hot. Add bacon and cheese to skillet; cover and cook on low heat for 5-6 min, until chicken is thoroughly heated. Serve over hot cooked couscous, rice, or orzo).

*from Meals for a Month (Larsen)

Pepper Jack Burgers

*caution: may be too spicy for the kiddos!
makes 4 burgers

1 lb lean ground beef
1 c. shredded pepper jack cheese
1 Tbsp. worchestershire sauce
1 Tbsp. water
2 tsp. grill seasoning (recipe follows)
2 Tbsp. paprika
2 Tbsp. onion powder
2 tsp. cumin
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. red cayenne pepper
*combine all of the above, store in airtight container. Sprinkle on meats or veggies.

1. In a medium bowl, combine beef, pepper jack cheese, worchestshire sauce, seasoning and water. Mix gently. Form into 4 patties. Grill immediately or freeze for later use.

Sticky Chicken

makes about 1 1/2 cups of marinade/sauce

1/2 c. balsamic vinegar
1/2 c. honey
1 c. heinz ketchup
4 cloves garlic, minced (I use a little less)
1 Tbsp. olive oil (I have used vegetable and canola too)
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary ( or 1 tsp. dried)
1 tsp. grated lemon zest (I have substituted lemon juice)
1 tsp. black pepper

1. Place vinegar and honey in a small saucepan set over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 min. Stir in ketchup, garlic, oil, and rosemary: reduce heat to med-low and simmer for 2 min.
2. Stir in lemon zest and pepper. Cool completely (unless using immediately as a sauce).
3. Coat chicken pieces (or chicken breasts) in marinade. Place in ziplock bag and freeze for later use. If using immediately, coat chicken and then grill or bake.
4. To thaw, thaw in bag overnight in fridge. Remove from bag and grill or bake. Delicious!!

*marinade can also keep in fridge for up to 1 week
*recipe from back of Heinz ketchup bottle (originally called Honey-Balsamic Chicken Glaze)

Bacon and Egg Breakfast Empanadas

Makes 8 empanadas, great for on-the-go breakfasts

6oz cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 tsp. dried parsley
3/4 tsp seasoned salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2/3 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 Tbsp. butter
5 large eggs, beaten
1 17.3 oz can refrigerated jumbo flaky biscuits
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1-2 tsp. sesame seeds (opt)

1. Stir together first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl until blended; stir in cheese.
2. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat; add eggs, and cook, without stirring, until eggs begin to set on bottom. Draw a spatula across bottom of skillet to form large curds. Continue cooking until eggs are slightly thickened but still moist. (Do not stir constantly) Remove from heat, and let cool.
3. Flatten each biscuit into about a 5 inch circle. Spread cream cheese mixture evely over tops of dough circles, leaving 1/2 inch border around edge. Top evenly with scrambled eggs an bacon.
4. Fold dough circles in half over mixture, pinching edges to seal (I crimp with edge of a fork). Place on a greased baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Brush tops evenly with egg white, sprinkle with sesame seeds (if desired).
5. Bake at 375 degrees for 14-16 min, or until golden brown. Remove from baking sheet to wire rack. Serve warm.
6. To freeze: cool completely, flash freeze in single layer on cookie sheet in freezer, seal in a ziplock bag.
7. To reheat: wrap individual empanadas in a paper towel. Microwave at 50% power 1-2 min or until heated through.

*Southern Living, 1/03

Spaghetti Casserole

Serves 8-10

8oz pkg spaghetti
2 eggs
1/4 c. cream (or whole milk)
1 tsp. dried basil
1 lb bulk pork sausage
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 14oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 8oz can tomato sauce
1 6oz can tomato paste
1 cup beef broth
1 tsp Italian seasoning
2 c. shredded colby-jack cheese

1. Cook spaghetti in boiling water. Meanwhile, beat eggs, cream, and basil in large bowl. Drain spaghetti and immediately add to egg mixture. Toss spaghetti with egg mixture until coated. Place in 9x13 baking dish and put in refrigerator. (If serving immediately, do not put in fridge. Go directly to step 2.)
2. In skillet, cook pork with onion and garlic until pork is browned. Drain off excess fat. Add remaining ingredients except for cheese and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15-20 minto blend flavors. Pour sausage mixture over spaghetti in baking dish. Refrigerate until cold, then wrap, attach bag with colby-jack cheese, label with reheating instructions, and freeze. (If serving immediately, sprinkle with cheese, and bake at 375 degrees for 30-35 min)
3. To thaw and reheat: Thaw casserole overnight in fridge. Preheat oven to 375. Uncover, sprinkle with cheese, and bake 40-50 min, until thoroughly hot and cheese is melted and beginning to brown.


*from Meals for a Month (Larsen)

Menu 4/26-4/30

I've decided to do something different this week. I'm highlighting some recipes out of my Meals for a Month cookbook. I like to make meals to put away in the freezer for busy nights, and since we are heading into busy sports months, I thought this would be helpful. I'm not sure I'll get to making all of these for this week, but at least you'll have the recipes in case you want to. You could double the recipes, eat half for dinner this week, and save the other half for another busy night. Or you could try to make all the recipes in a weekend for use when needed.

Spaghetti Casserole
Bacon & Egg Empanadas
Sticky Chicken (for bone-in or boneless)
Pepper Jack Burgers (our favorite for cookouts!!)
Chicken Supreme

I'll be posting the recipes very soon!