Chicken Cordon Blue Casserole

Aldi Sales. March 27 ~ April 2

(See all Special Deals HERE)

Pardon my small break from Aldi posts.

* Ham ~ Prices range from 99¢ – $1.49 per lb.

* Turkey ~  $1.19 per lb.

*EGGS ~ 99¢ each!   Crescent Rolls ~ 99¢ each. Cream Cheese ~ 99¢ each.

* BUTTER ~ $1.99 each.

* Jumbo Buttermilk Biscuits or Jumbo Flaky Biscuits ~ $1.29 for 16 oz. container.

* Asparagus ~ $1.49 for 16 oz. pkg. Carrots ~ 49¢ fpr 16 oz. pkg. Green Peppers ~ 3 pack for 99¢.

* Oranges ~ $1.49 for 4 lb. bag. Pineapple ~ $1.49 each.

* Chunky Applesauce, Peach or Strawberry ~ $1.69 each.

* Puffed Corn, Butter or Cheese  Flavor ~ $1.29 for 8 oz. bag. Time to make Caramel Puffs??! Yep!

A friend from college used to make this for us all the time. It was our “fancy” dinner. She never ever EVER measured anything and everything always came out so yummy. I treasure my “recipes” from her.

With Easter ham dinner coming up, you MAY be in need for a way to use some leftover ham up. So I thought I should share!  Hope you guys enjoy.

Chicken Cordon Blue Casserole

1 1/2 – 2 c. leftover cooked ham
1 1/2 – 2 c. leftover cooked chicken or turkey
2 TB. butter
2 TB. flour
1/2 tsp. chicken bouillon granules
dash of pepper
1/2 c. water
1/2 c. milk
1 1/2 c.  cheese (can use Monterey Jack, cheddar, Swiss ~WHATEVER)
box of stuffing mix (maybe 6 oz.?? the add hot water kind)
1/2 c. cheddar cheese (opt.) for topping

Prepare the stuffing according to box directions.

Melt butter, add flour, chicken bouillon and pepper. Whisk till smooth. Slowly add the water and milk and heat till thickened.

Put the ham and chicken or turkey in a 9″ x 13″ pan (greased) ~ or you can use a smaller pan. Pour the sauce over (if using canned cream soup, then thin with a splash of milk). Top with cheese. Top with prepared stuffing. Sprinkle with extra cheese, just cause.

Bake @ 350° for about 40-50 minutes till heated through and top is a bit browned. Serve and enjoy.

(I usually serve with mashed potatoes and a vegetable.)

Thanks Jess for the recipe.

Homemade Butterfingers, Bacon Cheese Topped Chicken & Easy Candied Sweet Potatoes

Before I get to the Aldi fun and recipes, I wanted to know IF anyone is looking for a specific recipe for me to share. NOW, let’s note that I am not someone who will make Sushi or Liver & Onions or “gourmet” things. I am a fairly basic cook/baker. But I would love suggestions of recipes you would like to try. For example, I REALLY want to make a good Chicken and Dumpling Recipe ~ I haven’t really tried…..but want too! (Maybe someone can direct me to a good recipe ??? OR send me one at favoritefamilyfoods@ hotmail.com ~ oh. Nice subtle hint huh?!?!!) THANKS!

Also. Is it TOO much when I share more than one recipe, like today’s 3 recipes? Should I try to stick to just one recipe each post?? Thanks again!

And now……..

Aldi sales for Oct.  31 ~ Nov.(!!)6.

(Not a complete sale list, just some items  that caught my eye, check out the ads here to see all that Aldi has to offer this week! Be sure to check out the Holiday Catalog and the Recipe book, found here as well.)

* Milk Chocolate Almond Bark and Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips. (OK, so these are NOT in the flyer BUT I HAD to share this ↓ recipe with you ASAP and I know Aldi carries these items this time of year, so, YEAH ~ I was able to share it with you on my Aldi post day!!!!!)

*Fresh Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts are on special buy for $1.69 per lb.  I am happy to share one of my favorite recipes ↓ with you today, my family enjoys it too!

* 29 oz. can of Cut Sweet Potatoes is $1.29 ~ I use this to make the LAST ↓ recipe below!

* Canned Pumpkin is 99¢ for a 15 oz. can. Stock up now!!! (Though they are a winter seasonal item, so we should see canned pumpkin for a while yet! High fives all around!) I CANNOT wait to share some more pumpkin recipes! Oh, or go ahead and make some  Pumpkin Apple Streusel Muffins or Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffins  for breakfast and snacks!

* Aldi carries a variety of Stuffing Mix (the boxes) or Bagged Stuffing, prices range from 89¢ – $1.99. Great for holiday baking! (or any night……)

* Shredded Cheese ~ mozzarella or mild cheddar ~ in a 32 oz. bag is $5.89.

* Crescent Rolls, are marked down to 99¢! Time to try Ham & Cheese Crescent Rolls!

* Brown & Serve Rolls (12 oz. for 99¢) or Sweet Multi-Grain or Potato Rolls (20 oz. for $1.99).

* Banana’s are 29¢ per lb.

* Tangerines (GREAT and easy for kids to peel!) are $1.29 for a 3 lb. bag.

* An 8 oz. Cheese Block (assorted varieties) is $1.49.

* Regular or Unsalted Butter, 16 oz. for $1.99.

*Cream Cheese, 8 oz. for 99¢ .

And now for recipes!!!!

Homemade Butterfingers

(Update. I have since made this again. Some notes. DO NOT double, THAT did not work out for me….it was much too hard. ALSO. It is BEST to melt the candy corn low and slow ~ like in a double boiler, IF you let your candy corn melt and bubble….you will be making HARD candy, which will result in hard candy bars. Someone had to mess up….GLAD it was me!!)

I saw this recipe a while ago,  I thought “no way” ~ maybe I will try it someday. There is no WAY it could taste like THE BEST CANDY BAR EV.ER. Seriously. No way could THE BEST CANDY EV.ER. be the main ingredient.  2 things.
* I used to walk up town to the BEST drugstore and buy Butterfingers and ONLY Butterfingers (well and the occasional 5th Avenue, which is similar to Butterfingers). Even though there was about 33 hundred OTHER candies to choose from…..
* Candy Corn is my weakness. IT is my “hide in the pantry  fill my mouth full AFTER I just told my kids “no candy”  weakness.
So…..it WAS time to try this recipe!! (Thanks to a friend for giving me that extra PUSH to try it!!! Thanks to my 2 friends for tasting it!!!)

Grab the recipe here at Plain Chicken. YOU WILL WANT TO. Now some things.

* It does not get hard (ALTHOUGH I just made it a few hours ago, IF time does something to it, like make it harder, I will update this), like the true Butterfinger, BUT it is flaky like the real thing.  (Note and Apology * your dishes DO need to soak for a while to get off all the melted candy yumminess! Sorry.)

* I used a 9″ square pan, lined with foil (not greased). I then chilled it to set. Then cut with a pizza cutter, into mini candy bar sized pieces.  Chilled again. Then dipped in melted chocolate. Chilled to set.

* I used Semi-Sweet chocolate, my tasters (heehee) thought they might like the Milk Chocolate Candy Coating (or Almond Bark) better. I will ALWAYS choose semi-sweet. I just like it better….you use what you like better, the milk chocolate might be closer to the original Butterfinger though.

* Thanks to NO ONE for sharing this recipe with me 2 years ago. Sad. I could have been making this for 2 years already…..no sense in wasting time, I plan on snagging up some more bags of candy corn so I can make more batches. Yum.

* Since this said recipe was first shared here 2 years ago, I am assuming the bags of candy corn were bigger (16 oz.)  then they are now (12 0z.) ~ So you need ~
12 oz. candy corn
12 oz. peanut butter (about 1 1/4 c.)
12 oz. chocolate of choice (I used semi-sweet, melted with 1 TB. shortening.)
* Thanks to Plain Chicken for a GREAT recipe. Jot it down here and ENJOY!!!

Bacon Cheese Topped Chicken

My favorite part about this dish is the crispy bottom on the pan that holds the cheese/Dijon/bacon bits that fell OFF the chicken and browned so pretty on the pan…..don’t tell. IT is the chef’s secret!!! (PS. There IS chicken buried under all that cheesy bacony yumminess!)

* Remember this has Dijon in it, IF you do not like the flavor of Dijon you probably will not like this dish. IF you are unsure IF you like the flavor, do not pour ALL of the marinade over top ~ you will still get some of the flavor from the chicken.

Bacon Cheese Topped Chicken 
1/2 c. Dijon mustard
1/2 c. honey
4 1/2 tsp. oil. divided
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
dash of paprika
2 c. fresh sliced mushrooms
1 c. shredded monetary jack cheese
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
8 bacon strips, partially cooked
2 tsp. fresh parsley (I sprinkle with dried parsley)

Combine the Dijon mustard, honey, 1 1/2 tsp. oil and lemon juice. Mix well. Pour 1/2 c. of this in a large ziplock bag and add the chicken. Mix around. Seal bag and chill for 2 hours. SAVE the remaining marinade.

Drain the marinade and brown the chicken in remaining oil till  brown. Transfer to a 7″ x 11″ baking dish. Sprinkle chicken with salt, pepper and paprika. In the same skillet, saute the mushrooms till tender.

Pour remaining marinade over chicken, top with mushrooms, cheeses and bacon (criss-cross over top of the chicken). Bake, uncovered, @ 375 for 20-25 minutes. Top with parsley. Enjoy.

Recipe from a Taste of Home cookbook.

Easy Candied Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potato season is here! (Or at least, Fall and Thanksgiving makes me think about sweet potatoes more….)  Here is a different sorta sweet potato dish, one that does NOT call for marshmellows…..though NOT complaining about that good ol’ side dish!

* I have also made this using 4-5 “fresh” (what else do we call them?)  sweet potatoes. (Actually prefering it with real sweet potatoes.) I just simmer the whole things in a pot of water till JUST tender, not over cooked. Cool a bit, peel, slice, then proceed on with the recipe.

* SORRY about this picture….IT.IS. of leftovers…..sorry.

Easy Candied Sweet Potatoes 
2 – 29 oz. cans of sweet potatoes
1/4 c. butter
1/4 c. flour
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. milk
shake or 3 of pepper
dash of salt

Drain the sweet potatoes, I like to rinse too. Spread in a greased 9″ x 13″ pan. Combine the butter, flour, and brown sugar ~ beat to combine. Add the milk, pepper and salt. Till all mixed well. Sometimes if my butter is too cold it will look sorta chunky and not so smooth, that is fine, it will all melt through and be just dandy. Pour this butter mixture over the sweet potatoes. Toss gently.

Bake @ 350° for about 20 – 25 minutes. (Stir after about 15 minutes.) Then broil till nice and bubbly and caramelized, this will not take to long, maybe 3-5, minutes ~ just keep your eye on it!!!

Serves 8. (Just my guess.) I am SO bad at serving sizes….

BBQ Chicken Kabobs

Today is generally my “Aldi recipe share day”. I do so enjoy shopping at Aldi ~ GREAT prices and they have mostly everything I need for my weekly grocery shopping! So I really enjoy sharing a recipe here or there that uses an Aldi item or a “special buy” item.  I HOWEVER didn’t have a recipe ready to go that fit with the ad this week. SO I am skipping it this week…..that being said ~ I want to know if this weekly “feature” is a good thing that I should keep up, or is it generally NOT very helpful.  Drop a line letting me know what I should do, please, just curious ~Should I keep up the “hey look whats on sale this week at Aldi!” thing or drop it and or forget the whole Aldi thing and just share a random recipe. (Click here for an example IF you are a new reader and PS, thanks FOR reading!!) Thanks for your help in helping me figure it out

These days it is really almost too hot to put the oven on, though I still do do it at times ~ I still need to get my baking fix every few days…..BUT it comes in handy to cook dinner on the grill. We had these kabobs not too long ago and we all really enjoyed them! My “men” sure are fans of BBQie stuff so this was right up their alley!

BBQ Chicken Kabobs 
4 TB. oil
3 tsp. vinegar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. garlic
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. parsley
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/2 c. chili sauce
4 chicken breasts
Combine all the ingredients in a large ziplock bag. Cut the chicken up into 1″ size pieces. Add the chicken to the bag, shake and mix up well,  place in the fridge to marinade for about 30 minutes. Place the chicken on skewers ~ not too tightly packed or you will have trouble cooking it through. Disguard the remaining marinade. Grill 12-15 minutes on lowish heat, turn the skewers a few times to insure that each side it cooked through. If you want more BBQ flavor  you may brush with your favorite BBQ sauce near the end of cooking OR serve with BBQ sauce for dipping. ENJOY.

Recipe from my files, original source unknown, I have made some changes.

Grilled Veggies & “Joel’s Marinated Chicken”

Well, being the master griller I am (insert sarcasm here)….I cannot even go on with that. Starting over. Being the “nervous nelly” griller that I am, I like to have things easy when I  am doing the grilling…saving the difficult stuff for my husband.  He seems to nail it on the head every time and bring in perfectly cooked meat, while I bring in my steaming black hockey pucks. So in the constant effort to become a better griller, I spotted this grill wok thing and thought, “now that might help me”. It was a great Memorial Day weekend buy and has been used A LOT with much success EVEN with me at the grill!

* If you do not have a fancy dancy wok, no problem. I have been making these for years in a foil pan and only weeks in “the wok”,  just poke a few holes in the bottom of your foil pan and away we go.

*Not sure if this is considered a recipe, but here goes. Feel free to use whatever veggies you want to use and let me know what veggies you end up trying….I could use some ideas too! OH and go for whatever spices you like, we like oregano, italian seasoning, garlic herb or a citrus blend ~ again, I would love to hear about your spice choices!

Grilled Veggies    
2-3 small zucchini, sliced
1 green pepper, chunked up
1/2 onion, chunked up
2 Roma tomatoes, chunked
olive oil
seasoned salt
parmesan cheese
Heat grill to low. Put veggies in a bowl and toss with oil, sprinkle with seasoned salt. Pour into foil pan or wok. (Do this over the sink so the oil does not go on your floor, then put bowl or plate under foil pan or wok. Leave this bowl or plate by grill to carry your foil pan or wok back into the house. Just trying to save you some steps….) Put lid down and cook nice and slowly, it will take about 30-45 minutes depending on your grills cookability and your ideal cookedness.  Be sure to stir a few times, adding the tomatoes about midway through the cooking. Top with some Parmesan cheese and away we go. Enjoy.

Here is a deliciously easy recipe for grilled chicken, the marinade is fantastic and leftovers make great wraps or salads. I did not change a THING in the recipe so I am going to send you right to my friend Lisa’s blog called Cooking Up a Sale for the recipe for “Joel’s Marinated Chicken“. She has great tips, probably  more thorough than I would give you! (After comparing our pictures, I am thinking that I should have doubled the marinade, mine looks “paler” than hers. Even so, it still tasted delish!) Enjoy and thanks Lisa for sharing a great recipe that we will  use often!

Chinese Salad & Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken

How about some recipes that use Aldi sale ingredients?!!?!
Sale runs from May 23 – May 29.

* Fresh Express Tri-Color Cole Slaw. $1.29 a bag. If you buy that then you can make Chinese Salad.
* Sweet Baby Ray’s Buffalo Wing Marinade & Sauce. $1.99 a bottle. Kirkwood Frozen Chicken Breast, a 48 oz. bag  is $5.49. (Or Pilgrim’s Fresh Chicken breasts for $1.69 per lb.) I use both these in Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken.
* Want guacamole? Avocados are $0.49 each!
* Strawberries are $1. 19…..way not try Strawberry Lettuce Salad?

This in one of my very very very favorite salads. My kids sorta eat it, but I make up for it and it ALL the rest!!! Not minding one bit! I serve the dressing on the side so that the leftovers do not get soggy. A great summer salad….well, I like it all year round! (I just talked to my cousin who gave me this recipe and she said that there is supposed to be 1/2 c. of oil in it!! To think I have been making it without the oil and LOVIN’ it! I really liked the stronger flavor of this dressing (I have made salads like this WITH oil and liked, but made this one without oil and it was/is my fav!) and never knew about or missed the oil ~ SO go ahead and make it the “right” way with oil or “my” way without!)

* If putting together early in the day do not add the ramen noodles, almonds or sunflower seeds till just before serving.

* I use a 1/2 head of cabbage when the slaw mix is not on sale and that is what is shown in my picture….good both ways, just cut the cabbage small. (Ha, looks like I added some shredded carrot as well….I should learn to follow my recipes better OR have fun and add what you want!) (Oh yeah, I also used toasted peanuts cause I did not have almonds or sunflower seeds…what a versatile salad!!)

Chinese Salad  
1 pkg. ramen noodles
1 lb. cabbage or broccoli slaw
3 green onions, sliced thinly
1 c. slivered almonds
1/2 c. sunflower seeds
1/2 bunch of cilantro
Dressing: 
1/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/4 c. vinegar
ramen noodle seasoning pkg.
1/2 c. oil…….
Toast the almonds @ 350* for 10 minutes. Combing the crushed ramen noodles, slaw, green onions, almonds, sunflower seeds and cilantro. Toss in a large bowl and set aside. Combine the dressing ingredients in another container ~ I like to use a cleaned peanut butter jar and shake shake shake. Add the dressing just before serving so your salad does not get soggy! (PS. I never add the dressing to the whole salad when serving at home….I actually just like to pour it over like you would a bottled dressing for each individual serving. IF you are going to pour it over the WHOLE salad and then toss, like if you are going to a cookout or something… add at least some of the oil, it helps to coat everything a little better!) Enjoy!

Recipe from my cousin Amy.

Here is another versatile dinner! Make this batch of meat and you can use it for countless meals. Put in on buns, tortillas, salad, pizza or mix it with some cheese, melt it  and make a chip dip out of it!

Slower Cooker Buffalo Chicken  
2.5 – 3 lb. boneless skinless chicken
1 c. buffalo wing sauce
1 c. ranch dressing
Place the chicken in your crock pot and pour the wing sauce and dressing over top. Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours. Remember the crock pots cook at different rate as well. Shred chicken and heat another 30 minutes. We like as “wraps” with cheddar cheese, additional ranch dressing and shredded lettuce. Enjoy!

Strawberry Lettuce Salad & Chili Chicken Mozzarella

Aldi has a couple good buys going on starting May 16. That being said, they are “special buys” so I am not sure how long the sales will last….I am going to assume 1 week, but PLEASE don’t quote me!

* 16 oz. pkg. of strawberries is $1.19.
* A head of lettuce is $0.99. Use both the strawberries AND the lettuce in Strawberry Lettuce Salad…hence the name!
* A 48 oz. bag of Kirkwood frozen chicken breasts, frozen, is $5.49 per bag. (IF my poor math is correct that is about $1.83 per lb. ~ not too shabby.) Grab a bag and use some to make  Chili Chicken Mozzarella…IF you want!

This is a unique salad because of the use on ramen noodles in it, it makes a lovely crunchy topping ~ one that it hard to keep your’s or your kids hands out of! So you may want to hide it……

* This makes a lot of the noodle crunchy topping, I ended up freezing some. I haven’t used it yet…but I think it should be fine! (Or just eat the extra….)

* If you are uncertain of the soy sauce in it, go ahead and add some salt instead. I wasn’t sure, but added it and was happy with the flavor.

* I did not have red wine vinegar so used apple cider and it was fine.

Strawberry Lettuce Salad  
1 (3 oz.) pkg. ramen noodles
1 c. chopped walnuts
1/4 c. butter
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 c. vegetable oil
1/4 c. sugar
2 TB. red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. soy sauce
8 c. torn lettuce
1/2 c. green onions, diced
2 c. fresh strawberries, sliced
Discard the seasoning pack from the ramen noodles, or save for another use. Break up the noodles. Heat the butter in a skillet, add the walnuts, uncooked ramen noodles and sugar. Stir and watch this carefully till golden brown, about 8-10 minutes. Take out of pan and set aside to cool. Find a jar with a tight-fitting lid and put the oil, sugar, vinegar and soy sauce in it. Give it a good shake shake shake till good and mixed. Put in fridge. Shake it when you grab a snack or sneak a treat, just to keep that sugar incorporated. Just before serving, combine the lettuce, green onions, strawberries and noodle mixture in a large bowl. Drizzle with dressing or serve on the side. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Taste of Home’s Simple & Delicious.

One of my fravrite ((now for a TANGENT of sorts. I have forever said “fravrite” instead of f-a-v-o-r-i-t-e. I think I once told spell check to ignore and it now does! heehee. I have a thing for numbers and words, cannot STAND some and love others….LOVE  to make up words that mean what I want them to mean….sorry to dictionary writers and english teachers, but sometimes my inner “Ramona” comes out….and now, BACK to cooking.)) things to do it to talk about food, and share recipes with people. One of my friends shared this recipe with me, she found it on Facebook and since I, personally, am not on Facebook ~ she thought of me and passed it on. I am learning that I rarely follow a recipe exactly, I change this or that, not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing……. This is similar to the ever popular Chicken Parmesan, just a different version. I hope you all enjoy and let me know your thoughts!!! The good, the bad, the positive, the negative, the concerns and questions.

* The orignal recipe calls for 2 tsp. italian seasoning. My spice cabinet failed me that day and did not have italian seasoning, so I made up my own mix and liked it, so that it what I put in the recipe, please use italian seasoning if you would like!

* I added ~at the end of this recipe ~ on option to sprinkle the top with oregano. It’s cause I probably could put oregano near the tippy top of my fravrite herb list. How about you, what ranks high on your list??? Or am I the only one who thinks of herbs that way……

Chili Chicken Mozzarella  
2 TB. finely shredded parmesan cheese
2/3 c. Bisquick
3/4 tsp. dried basil
3/4 tsp. dried parsley
3/4 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. paprika
5  chicken breasts, boneless skinless
2/3 c. chili sauce
3/4 c. mozzarella
garlic powder for sprinkling
oregano for sprinkling (opt.)
Mix the parmesan cheese, Bisquick, basil, parsley, oregano and paprika. Mix well and put in a large ziplock bag and add chicken. Toss around to coat well. Put in a greased 9″ x 13″ pan. Bake @ 350* for about 30 minutes, till done. Flip over. Top with chili sauce and cheese. Sprinkle with garlic and oregano, if desired. Bake till cheese is melted or you may broil for nice brown cheesy yumminess. Enjoy.

Thanks to Jill for sharing the original recipe via Facebook and thanks to my friend for sharing….you know who you ARE!!!  

Cheerio Chow & Sweet and Sour Chicken

 So, I am going to go ahead and pick some sale items from Strack and VanTil this week as well! I would love to know if anyone is finding this helpful, fun, annoying, enjoyable, any descriptive word that comes to mind!!
Sale runs from May 3 – May 9.

* Cheerios. Yum. Select General Mills cereal on sale for 5/$10.oo. The Cheerios box is 8.9 oz. ~ not really big, may need 2 to make Cheerio Chow.

* Long grain rice is on sale as well, a 32 oz. bag for $0.99. Use this for Butter Baked Rice and you will be a happy camper. I have included a recipe today for Sweet & Sour Chicken. Sorry, no real great sales to match this recipe….but it is too good not to share and serve it with Butter Baked Rice.

* Being that tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo ~ why not make  Baked Creamy Taquitos with Guacamole and Pico de Gallo?? Using these sale ingredients. Tomatoes, $0.99 per lb. Avocado, 10/$10. Onions, 2 lb. bag, buy 3/$5.00. Cilantro 5 bunches for $2.00. (don’t buy 5……! They will go bad! unless you love cilantro like I do!!) Limes are 10/$1.00.

We are all familiar with the ever popular “Puppy Chow” snack mix, if you have not had it before ~ check it out here (oops, I guess it was originally called Muddy Buddies!).  This is the version of Puppy Chow that I have been making for a while, I think it was inspired by a need to use up a box of Cheerios and/or not having a box of Chex OR in my desperate need to want to get some healthier foods into my kids I decided that they will eat Cheerios IF they were smothered in chocolate and peanut butter! Well, whatever the reason I made this, we love it and I hope you do too!

*Start with about 9 c. Cheerios, add all the chocolate numminess and stir, if it seems too wet yet, then add more Cheerios as needed.

*You can mix Chex and Cheerios, yum yum….

Cheerio Chow
9  c. + Cheerios
1 c. peanut butter
1 c. chocolate chips
1 tsp. vanilla
2-3 c. powdered sugar
Put the Cheerios in a large bowl, one with a lid that fits tight, and set aside. Combine the peanut butter and chocolate and melt in the microwave, heat for about 45 seconds then stir, repeat till all melty OR use your double boiler to melt them together. Stir in vanilla. Pour over the Cheerios and stir well. Dump about 2 c. powdered sugar on top, put on lid and shake shake shake, recruit the kids, they love it! Lift the lid SLOWLY or you will be in a sugar cloud and see if more sugar is needed to achieve a nice coating. Add more as needed. Dump out onto wax paper or a paper bag to cool. Cool all the way then store in an airtight container UNLESS it all gets eaten right away! Chocolate and Peanut Butter. YUM! Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Chex and inspired by my kiddos.

Cheerio Chow is linked at Six Sister’s Stuff and eat2gather.

A friend and I were talking about how delicious Orange Chicken is and wondered about NOT frying it. Well, that recipe is so good as it is that I would like to leave it that way and enjoy a good “fried” dinner once in a while, and when I feel that I need a bit healthier of a Chinese meal ~ I will make one of my fravrite dinners. Sweet and Sour Chicken. Yum.

Sweet and Sour Chicken  
4 chicken breast
1/2 c. flour
salt & pepper
dash of garlic powder
oil to coat bottom of pan
1 c. green peppers chunks
Sauce: 
20 oz. can of pineapple chunks
1 c. sugar
2 TB. cornstarch
3/4 c. vinegar
2 TB. soy sauce
1 chicken bouillon cube
Cut up chicken into bite size pieces. Combine the flour, salt, pepper and garlic in a large ziplock bag. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Heat oil in the pan (enough to cover the bottom). When hot, add the chicken and cook tilled browned a bit, no need to cook all the way through ~ it will finish cooking in the oven. Put chicken in 9″ x 13″ pan. Prepare the sauce by draining the pineapple, save pineapple for adding to chicken later. Add water to juice in order to make it equal 1 1/4 c. liquid. Combine the water/juice mixture, sugar, cornstarch, vinegar, soy sauce and chicken bouillon cube and bring mixture to a low boil and cook till thickened, stir OFTEN!!!! Pour this over the chicken, top with green pepper chunks.  Bake, uncovered @ 325* for about 30 minutes. Take out and add the cut-up pineapple, stir and cook another 20-30 min. Serve over Butter Baked Rice OR your fravrite rice and as always…ENJOY!!!

Recipe originally from…..?…..I have had it forever and added this and that, but not sure where it was originally from.

Easy Herb Roasted Chicken with Gravy & Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad

 So this weeks featured recipes include  ingredients from Aldi’s sale paper!
Sale runs from May 2 - May 8.
~ Whole Fryer Chicken, 4.5 lb. average weight. $0.69 per lb. (IF you have not seen these or made these before, don’t be nervous, they are easy and delicious!) These are wonderful cause you can make it for dinner one night and usually have enough leftovers to make something delicious out of it for another night. Here is a recipe for  Easy Herb Roasted Chicken with Gravy.
~ Ranch Salad Dressing mix. $0.69 each. LOVE these. GREAT to have on hand, especially to make Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad! 

Ever see those Rotissere chickens at the store that tempt you with that yummy smell and lovely brown crispy skin?? You can make those in your own home at a FRACTION of the cost!! These little chickens are easy to cook, I have crock-pot cooked them and roasted them. Both are equally delish. Here is a recipe for oven roasting a chicken. This makes a simply lovely gravy ~ serve over mashed potatoes.  You may “de-glaze” the pan with a splash of white wine if you would like to instead of the water.

Easy Herb Roasted Chicken with Gravy
1 lemon, cut in half
1 onion, chunked up
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1 tsp. dried rosemary, crush in hand a bit 
1 tsp. poultry seasoning or dried thyme
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 roasting chicken (5-7 lbs.)
1/4 c. water
Heat oven to 375*. Combine soup, rosemary, thyme and garlic in a medium bowl. Reserve 1 c. of soup mixture for the gravy. Place chicken in a shallow roasting pan. Remove any lovely surprises found in the cavity of the chicken and stuff with the onion and lemon.  Season top of chicken with salt & pepper. Roast chicken (uncovered) for 20 minutes. Brush with 1/4 c. of the chicken soup mixture. Roast another 1 hour and 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked all the way through. Take out chicken and put on a platter. Set aside. Spoon off any bits of fat from pan juices. Stir water into roasting pan and bring to a boil, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom. Stir in reserved soup mixture and cook till hot. Serve gravy with chicken and mashed potatoes. Enjoy!

Spring is here, summer is near. That means cookouts and EASY no-oven dinners! Here is a salad that is quick and simple. It actually seems to be just like the Bacon Ranch  Suddenly Salad box mix.  This recipe’s ingredients are generally staples we all have in our houses ~ so it is easy peasy too! The original recipes whereabouts are unknown to me, I have had this recipe for years but just recently started making it, I have adjusted some ingredients and added a bit of seasonings to it.

Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad 
2 1/2 c. uncooked small shell pasta
1/2 c. shredded carrots
1/2  c. frozen peas
3-4 bacon strips
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. sour cream
1/2 c. milk
1 env. ranch dressing mix
salt & pepper to taste
dash or two of garlic powder, to taste
Cook noodles till al dente, drain and set aside. Cook the bacon till crisp, drain and crumble up, set aside.  Beat together the cream cheese, sour cream and milk. Add the pkg. of ranch dressing mix. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more salt & pepper and/or garlic. Combine the noodles, carrots, peas and bacon. Pour dressing over and toss to coat. Chill. When ready to serve, stir and if too dry, then add a touch more milk or sour cream. Serve and enjoy.

Cordon Blue Casserole

I am always on the hunt for “kid” friendly as well as “adult” friendly meals. Something we can all enjoy. This is one of those dishes. There is nothing scary in it…..scary means, green in my house. Why do kids have a hard time with the “green” veggies?? They are GOOD!! I make them eat a little bit when I make them cause I REFUSE to have picky kids…thought that is easier said then done! I just hope their pickyness goes away!  But for now…I will still make those veggies! and they will still have to TRY them, even just 1 bite!  Anyways, this casserole gets gobbled up each time. I serve it with some kind of potato and a veggie of some sort. Look for a yummy potato recipe coming your way! IF you want a delish green bean recipe that your kids WILL gobble up, than look no further then right here!! By the way, this dish is a GREAT way to use some leftover ham from Easter….

*If you are unfamiliar with ground nutmeg in white sauces, then you may omit it. I grew up with it, my grandma always added it, so it is a flavor I am comfortable with. Try a bit if you are unsure, it really is not a super STRONG flavor…..

*I like my casseroles to be sorts thin in the dish, not TOO thick, that way they cook up all nice and crispy around the edges. If you like your thicker, then cook in a 8″ x 8″ pan. I think this serves about 4. At my bestest guess.

Cordon Blue Casserole
2 c. cubed cooked turkey (I usually use chicken)
1 1/2 c. cubed, cooked ham
1 c. shredded cheddar
1 c. chopped onion
1/4 c. butter
1/3 c. flour
2 c. milk
1/8 tsp. ground mustard
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg (I just add a pinch!)(which is an 1/8…I guess..)
salt and pepper to taste, remember that ham is salty!
Topping:
1 c. dry bread crumbs (LOVE Panko bread crumbs)
2 TB. butter or margarine, melted
1/4 – 1/2 c. cheddar cheese (LOVE cheese!)

Combine the turkey, ham and cheese in a large bowl and set aside. In a sauce pan, saute` the onion in the butter till tender. Add the flour, stir to form a paste. GRADUALLY add the milk in, stir constantly to avoid lumps. Bring to a boil and boil 1 minute or until thickened. Add mustard and nutmeg. Mix well. Remove from heat and pour over meat mixture. Mix well and pour in 9″x13″ pan.  Toss the topping ingredients together and put on top. Bake uncovered @ 350* for 30 minutes.

Recipe adapted from Hull PRCS Cookbook.

Slow Cooked Chicken Caesar Sandwiches

I try to make a sandwich type meal once a week. In the winter it is sometimes served with a soup and in the warmer weather, we usually have a salad with it. This sandwich is a take on the every popular Caesar salad, which is simply delish. I love to make my meals early in the day and “forget” about it while it cooks in the crock-pot. REALLY this IS an easy one…..

* I doubled this for my family and got about 8 buns worth of meat. We, well…. my men…not me, are BIG sauce eaters ~ SO I used 3/4 a bottle of Caesar dressing for my 4 chicken (LARGE ones) breasts.

* My husband took the leftovers in his lunch the next day. He said they are better hot but still good cold too.

* The original recipe called for 2 lb. chicken. That to me seems NOT right to I changed it to 2 chicken breasts. The original also said served 4-6 buns. I would say more like 3-4. Just my opinions. You can see the orignal recipe here at Chefs in Training. The following is the recipe with my changes.

Here is the delicious filling……

Slow Cooked Chicken Caesar Sandwiches

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2-1 c. Caesar dressing
1/2 c. shredded parmesan cheese
2 tsp. dried parsley (don’t need to double….unless you want too!)
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 c. Romaine lettuce, shredded
Roma tomatoes, sliced (my addition….)
3-4 buns

Put chicken in the crock-pot with 1-2 c. water. Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours. Shred the chicken and disguard the juices. Put chicken back in and add the dressing, cheese, parsley and pepper. Cover and heat 30 minutes or so till nice and hot. Serve on buns with lettuce. (We like with tomatoes too!) Top with extra Parmesan cheese. This is good! ENJOY!

Recipe adapted  from Chef  in Training.

Just a silly…..Anyone who knows me knows that I am NOT a HUGE meat eater…not that I am against it, I am just a sides kinda girl. I took this shot of my sandwich, my “pac-man”- sandwich….. Please excuse the rather said looking lettuce…..The sandwich from above was Aaron’s that he so kindly let me take a picture of.