Month ahead mom

I am striving to become a "month ahead mom"  meaning I make and plan all my dinners a month in advance. I am have achieved 2-week ahead mom today! Yay me! Chicken was on major sale this week so I purchased about 8lbs Cooked it up in varying forms and froze it so it is ready to go during the week.  I found a website where a mom makes food for a month and was inspired to try it is not as easy as it seems. You have to be organized, real organized and you have to be willing to spend several hours cooking and cleaning up after you "blow up the kitchen".  After I made chicken in many varieties, I made taco meat and some egg wraps for the bfast.  Then for a football lunch yummy Italian pull apart bread!

Here is how that goes

Italian Pull apart bread

1 loaf of Italian bread
8 oz canned mushrooms slices
1/2 med onion minced
8 oz sliced provolone cheese
3 oz sliced peperoni

1 tbs thyme
1tsp garlic powder
1/4c. dried chives
1/2 c. butter

Preheat oven to 350
1. Cut the loaf of bread lengthwise being careful not cut right through then cut in the opposite direction creating a grid of sorts.
2. Saute the onion and mushrooms in 2tbls of butter once onion is transculent stir in thyme, set aside.
3.  Insert pieces of the cheese into the slits in the bread, then do the same with the pepperoni, then the mushroom mix.
4. Melt the remaining butter and add the chives & garlic powder, drizzle butter mixture on top of the loaf.
5. Wrap the loaf in AL foil bake 15 minutes, remove foil and bake again for 10 minutes.

the entire family loved it!

Welcome Fall

Is it apple season???? Maybe apple season started a few weeks ago either way I am always a little late to get started.  I like to do my apple picking when the air is crisp and it actually feels like Fall, I feel as though it is a fall activity.  I am not a fan of that mixed up time between summer and Fall, one day it is humid the next crisp and cool.  I actually have not been apple picking but others have shared their harvest with me so I have an abundance of apples.  While trying to figure out what to do with all the apple's I have, I stumbled across a recipe for Apple pull apart bread.  It was not exactly what I was looking for but I made it my own.   Here it is

Apple Pull Apart Bread


3 apples of any variety you choose diced into small pieces (3 medium sized apples should end up with 3-4 cups diced apples).

2tbs of flour

2tbs sugar

2 packages of store bought busicuits (16 buscuits total) I used Pilsbury Homestyle Grands

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2tsp nutmeg
1/4c. powder sugar
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease a bundt pan.

2. Dice apples and add 2tbs of flour and sugar to the apples.

3. Roll out each buscuit to a 4-5 inch circle and place ~2tbs of apple mixture int he center. Seal the buscuit up by folding in all the edges so no apple can escape. Repeat for each busciut.

4. In a small bowl mix 1/2c. sugar, the cinnamon and nutmeg, roll each buscuit with the apple filling in the mixture. Place apple balls in a ring in the pan (make two rings).

5. Sprinkle remaining sugar mixture over the top

6. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes remove and cover with foil bake for another 35 minutes (total baking time 55minutes)

7. Let cool 5 minutes, remove from pan and sprinkle with powder sugar.

Yummigoodness  and when it is baking wow doe sthe house smell good   Welcome FALL!!!!

Easy peasy

It has been a while since I posted here so since I am still on a mission to type up all my recipe ideas here are few that have been staples in our house lately.

Twice Baked Potato's
I found this idea on another website and I made it my own.
I make these ahead of time and freeze them, then thaw and cook as needed.

8 baking potato's washed

1C. shredded cheddar

1/2 C. sour cream

1/2C. Ranch Dressing
1/4 C. butter

S&P as desired

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and wash the potato's
Bake potato's for ~1hr or until soft. Times may vary depending on potato size.

Once baking is completed, slice potato in half, remove inside of potato and place in a large bowl leaving just potato skins.
Mash, smash and mix potato, cheddar, sour cream, butter, ranch and S&P. Do not whip.

Refill the skins with the mixture, bake at 350 for 20 minutes OR freeze, when ready to use thaw, and cook at 350 for 20 minutes.



Here is another easy one fix it and forget it

Bake Acorn Squash
2 acorn squash - do not peel
1/2 C. brown sugar
1 stick butter
Preheat oven to 400
Slice acorn squash in half and remove the seeds.
Place the 4 halves of squash on a baking sheet, add 2tblsp brown sugar and 2 tbs butter into the center of each squash.
Bake for 60 minutes or until the squash is soft (times may vary depending on size of squash)

Remove from oven stir the vegetable and the butter sugar right inside peel and enjoy.

kid tested - 3.5

Cheeseburger Pie

I found this recipe online and thought hmmm that might be good BUT it also could end up a soggy mess but it looked easy so I put my little twist on it and gave it a try AND Yummmmy it was!  I am going to experiment next week with some variations to this yummy goodness

Cheeseburger Pie

1 lbs lean ground beef
1 can crescent rolls
1/2 sweet onion finely chopped
1 dill pickle diced (use a whole pickle)
2 tbsp ketchup
1 tsp yellow mustard
2 tbsp flour
2 tbsp dill pickle juice
2 tbsp milk
2 c. shredded cheddar
1 - diced tomato

1. preheat oven to 375
2. Unroll crescent rolls and press them into the bottom and sides of an 8" pie dish.
3. Cook ground beef in skillet until brown and drain excess fat.
4. Stir in onion, pickle, ketchup and mustard.
5. Sprinkle with flour, add pickle juice and milk continue cooking until thick and bubbly
6. Remove from heat and add 1.5 cheese.
7. Pour mixture into the prepared crust and bake for 15 minutes.
8.  Remove from oven and top with the diced tomatoes and serve with pickles on the side!!

Yummmmmy

kid tested - perfect 10!!!

Old crayons beautiful again

I have become addicted to Pinterest.  On Sunday we did a little crayon recycling project that I found on pinterest.  It was rainy and muggy so we stayed inside most of the day, my six year sorted through the heaps of crayons we have in boxes all around the house.  She collected all the little broken pieces and removed all the paper. We put all the like colors together in a silicon baking mold, I used a flower mold but you could use any shape or size to make this fun! Preheat the oven to 300 and bake them for 20-25 minutes.  Remove and let cool thouroughly I let mine cool overnight just to make sure they were back to their original state. The result is some cool looking new crayons!

Ah Ha August

Well it has been to warm to do anything I am seriously ready for Fall and we have at least one more month of this heat and humidity.  Most people stay indoors in the winter NOT me I stay indoors in the Summer, in the AC, oh how thankful I am for AC. 

Here is the potato salad recipe that my hubby claims is the best potato salad he has ever had!

Sweet and Spicy Potato Salad

3 lg sweet potatoes washed pealed
2lbs fingerling potatoes washed
1 red pepper diced
1/2 organic sweet onion diced
1 C. mayo
1/4 cup sweet chili sauce (Franks makes a nice one)
1 tsp season salt
1 tsp hot sauce of your choice - this will supply the heat level you choose, i used and X-tra hot sauce.

1. Boil a large pot of water, add potatoes and cook until potatoes are just tender do not overcook ~15-20minutes.
2. Drain potato's and run under cold water
3.  Mix potato's, onion, red pepper in large bowl.  Add the season salt, chili sauce, mayo and hot sauce and gently stir.

Refrigerate for at least 2hrs.
Enjoy

Craftiness...
What have I been making - fairies!!!! I have started making fairy costumes for my daughter and friends I hope to get my etsy shop up an running soon so I can sell them.. More to come on this

Sewing I started my version of a tie quilt stay tuned on this one too it is 1/4 of the way completed...

Reading...
I have been introduced to the Kindle app on my iphone and I love it!!I have downloaded tons of free amazon books and I am now back to reading.  I had stopped reading for a while because I generally read at night when the kiddos where in bed but seems my son does not like to go to bed unless I am in bed with him.... Pretty hard to read a book in the dark so the kindle app has allowed me to read again ah,  not only that I have a book with me wherever I go. 

Blueberry picking

I put a twist on my banana bread this week and the family loves it. No I did not go blueberry picking I had blueberries delivered.  Along with my eggs McV Farm delivered some farm fresh blueberries to my front door yesterday and here is what I came up with.


Blueberry Banana Bread

• Preheat oven to 350

• Grease a 5 x 9 loaf pan

2 ripe organic bananas

1c. low fat sour cream

1/4c. Butter

1 ½ c sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 organic farm fresh eggs

2c. flour

1tsp baking soda

1tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

½ tsp nutmeg

1 tblsp flour

1/2c. Blueberries

1. Mash the bananas and combine them with the sour cream, set aside.

2. Cream the butter and sugar until smooth, add vanilla and one egg at a time continue beating until blended.

3. Add the banana mixture to the sugar mixture stir until blended.

4. Combine the 2c. flour, baking soda and powder, salt and nutmeg.

5. Add the dry ingredients to the banana mixture and stir until well blended.

6. In a small bowl dredge the blueberries in the 1 tablespoon of flour remaining and fold in to the mixture.

7. Pour into the prepared pan and bake at 350 for 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out clean.
I put a twist on my banana bread this week and the family loves it. Along with my eggs McV Farm delivered some farm fresh blueberries to my front door yesterday and here is what I came up with.


Blueberry Banana Bread

• Preheat oven to 350

• Grease a 5 x 9 loaf pan

2 ripe organic bananas

1c. low fat sour cream

1/4c. Butter

1 ½ c sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 organic farm fresh eggs

2c. flour

1tsp baking soda

1tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

½ tsp nutmeg

1 tblsp flour

1/2c. Blueberries



1. Mash the bananas and combine them with the sour cream, set aside.

2. Cream the butter and sugar until smooth, add vanilla and one egg at a time continue beating until blended.

3. Add the banana mixture to the sugar mixture stir until blended.

4. Combine the 2c. flour, baking soda and powder, salt and nutmeg.

5. Add the dry ingredients to the banana mixture and stir until well blended.

6. In a small bowl dredge the blueberries in the 1 tablespoon of flour remaining and fold in to the mixture.

7. Pour into the prepared pan and bake at 350 for 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Kid tested – Perfect 10, the little one loves it!!!!! My nephew loved it and he is a tough one to please!

What else is going on I am making fairy costumes and I am so excited I hope to start selling them soon!






Kid tested – 10 the little one loves it!!!!!

What to do with all those eggs?

As I mentioned before I get my eggs delivered straight to my front door each week. A dozen a week anyone tried to each/use a dozen eggs in one week? Well unless you are someone who eats an egg sandwich every day it is tough, trust me I cook a lot and some weeks I still have eggs leftover, fresh eggs of course. I came up with the recipe below and after many variations this is the one the hubby likes the best. I make 5-6 of these wraps every Sunday and Wahla my eggs are nearly down to a manageable amount and my hubby has breakfast every morning. If I can find avocado on sale or I have extra lying around I throw it into the mix below…I pick the onion and peppers up at the local farmers market.
The Local Yocal Breakfast Wrap
Makes 5-6 wraps

6 – 10” Jalapeno Cheddar Wraps or 10” wrap variety of your choice

6 – farm fresh organic eggs (from a local farm)

1/2C. – 1% organic hormone and antibitotic free milk (also from a local farmer)

½  red pepper diced

½  onion diced

½  green pepper diced

1.5 C. hot salsa

1 C. shredded Cheddar

1 tsp. cayenne pepper

1-2 tablespoon EVOO for cooking

1. In a large skillet drizzle the EVOO into the skillet and over medium high heat sauté the onion, red and green peppers until onion is translucent.

2. While the onion and pepper mixture is cooking whisk the eggs, milk and cayenne pepper together.

3. Once the onions and pepper mixture is cooked add the egg mixture to the pan, scramble the eggs with the onion and pepper mixture, continue cooking until the eggs are no longer runny and then add the salsa.

4. Continue cooking mixture until majority of the liquid is absorbed about 3-5 minutes and remove from heat.

5. Lay wrap out on a flat surface, drop ~1c. of the egg mixture on one edge of the wrap, sprinkle with cheese and roll up. Repeat until egg mixture is gone.

Kid tested - TOOOOO hot for the little one maybe I should come up with a mild variation.

Getting Creative and Having Fun

Exciting times, I am finding more time to do stuff I like to do now that Samuel is startign to enjoy playing on his own and taking naps YAY for naps.  I have learned how to use my Singer Fashion Mate sewing machine after nearly a year of it sitting on my table in the corner... I learned to make tu-tu's pictures to come my 6 yr old will get the first one.  I have been hitting up a farmers market each weekend and ordering from SoW Fresh organics so despite the fact that I did not plant a single thing this season I am still eating fresh and Friday nights dinner was a wonderful blend of all the goodies I collected at the Coventry Farmers Market,

This is a great way to get your greens and you can make it your own by choosing how you like your steak cooked, the type of lettuce and dressings you use, make this fun! I also like to lay the ingredients out and let the family assemble the salads themselves, makes it fun for the kids.

Market Fresh Salad

Makes about 4 servings

6C. organic farm fresh lettuce (2 varieties of your choice)

4 organic plum tomatoes quartered

2 C organic farm fresh green beans blanched and set aside

Marinated mushrooms - Norms Best (locally made Putnam, CT)

¼ c. Feta cheese

¼ c. Super Seedz (gourmet shelled pumpkin seeds sea salt variety)

1.5 lbs NY Sirloin grilled to your liking

Annie’s organic Goddess or Dressing of your choice

To assemble;

- Lay a bed of greens in each plate, around the perimeter of the plate place the tomatoes and marinate mushrooms.

- Top with green beans then steak and sprinkle with feta and pumpkin seeds

- Top with dressing of your choice!

Kid test – 7 out of 10 the little one loved everything but struggled with the lettuce, how do you get kids to eat lettuce?

Meatless Monday and other fun stuff to kick off the week

Another name change, yes and I am sticking with this one this time, because I said so! It describes how I feel these days and there is no end in sight.  I feel like the pace I keep these days is of it's own magnitude and although I like it, I am constantly looking for ways to increase "my time" that is time to do fun things in life.......

One way I plan to do that is by doing some of my grocery shopping on this new website!  My friends opened a new web based business.  It opened last week and I love the concept so I had to share.  to sum it up....They will run around to farms and local businesses to pick up all these organic fresh yummy goodies that you would normally have to go to 5+ different places to buy and for a small fee they will deliver them to you, what is better than that???  Check them out!!!

http://www.sowfreshorganics.com/


I also found this lovely little grocery/meal planning list

What is on the menu for Mandatory Meatless Monday you ask?

Grilled cheese and Vegi with a side of pasta salad - stay tuned for the recipe.

kid tested - tbd

Mandatory Meatless Monday

We finally did it!!  Meatless Monday!!! We all went meatless this past Monday and we did not miss it at all and we did not go hungry.  I got creative at dinner time and came up with a new pasta dish which can be served warm with crusty bread or cold as a side dish.

Rainbow Penne

12oz whole wheat cooked penne
6oz baby spinach
2tbl Olive oil
1tsp minced garlic
1 C. cherry tomato's sliced in half
1 C. sliced black olives

Dressing

1/2 C white balsamic dressing
1/2 C olive oil
1/3 C Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp yellow mustard
1 tsp oregano
Dash of Salt and pepper

1. Cook penne according to package directions set aside.
2. Saute spinach in the olive oil over medium high heat for about 3 minutes until wilted, add garlic and saute for 1 minute more. Remove from heat.
3. Slice tomato's and drain & rinse black olives.
4. Whisk the dressing ingredients together.
5. Add the spinach, tomato and olives to the pasta blend well.  Pour the dressing over the pasta and vegi mixture.  Serve warm with crusty bread or chill for 2 hrs and serve as a pasta salad side.

kid tested - this dish gets a 5 on a scale of 1 to 10, my 6 year old loved it but seemed to eat around the spinach go figure the good stuff!

Kale is it the new beef?

I bought a very large bunch of Kale Saturday at the farmers market and I had no idea what to do with it.  what did I do.... I googled it of course and I found this article, interesting stuff  http://www.organicauthority.com/health/reasons-kale-is-the-new-beef-nutritious-sustainable.html

I also found some recipes that use Kale and it inspired me to create this

2 c. roughly chopped Kale
6 oz package of baby spinach
2 tbsp Olive oil
2 cloves of garlic minced
1/2 a sweet onion diced
1.5 c. shredded mozzarella cheese blend (I used a pizza blend)
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese
1 package Pillsbury dinner rolls or other store bought dough

Preheat oven to 375 or according to the dough package directions.

1. In a large skillet saute the onion in the olive oil until translucent.  Add the kale and spinach saute for 3-5 minutes.  Add the garlic and saute for 2 more minutes.
2. Fold cheese into the above mixture.
3. Roll out the dinner roll dough into a large rectangle (any bread dough works for this just that the Pillsbury is easy).  Spoon the kale spinach mixture across the long end of the bread dough and then roll over twice place seem side down on a greased cookie sheet and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
4.  Cook according to dough package directions (I cooked mine at 375 for 15 minutes)

kid tested - NO

The best APP out there...

well one of the best App's out there...

I downloaded the All Recipes App to my iphone so much fun. It allows you to choose the ingredient, the length of time to prepare and the dish type, then you hit the spinner and it brings up a ton of recipes with your criteria fun stuff!

New name, New recipe

Well it has been a while yet again since I have added to this space.  I am trying to update this I swear.............
Why a new name???well I didn't like my original blog name, boring and unoriginal and I wanted something fun and silly.
New recipe - this is a product of thawed out chicken and an attempt to use anything I had on hand.  My goal these days is to spend as little time as possible at the grocery store.  I am trying to use everything on hand before hitting up the store.  As a result of my quest to minimize my trips to the grocery store, I have started hitting up local farmers markets (Storr's has a good one), my eggs are delivered (McV Farm) and my milk and beef are now delivered to my door each week by local farmers.  AND I am using what is in the fridge and pantry before it goes bad!

 Creamy Chicken

1-1 1/4 lbs of boneless chicken cut into 1" Pieces
2 tbsp olive oil
1 can cream mushroom soup
1/2 c. milk
1 16 oz package frozen broccoli flowers (cooked)
1 box Rotini pasta
5oz - 1/2 contianer of savory garlic Philadelphia cooking cream
Salt and Pepper

1.Saute chicken in olive oil until no longer pink season as desired with Salt and Pepper.  While the chicken is cooking steam the brocoli and cook the pasta until desired tenderness.
2. Once chicken is cooked add cream mushroom soup, cooking cream, milk and brocoli to the pan and combime heat until mixture is bubbly. 
3. Remove chicken mixture and combine with cooked pasta.

Yummmy!

Kid tested - 6 yr old gobbled it up before we were even sitting at the table and asked for seconds....

Coq au Vin

An easy version of this classic French dish serve with mashed potato's, yummy comfort food. I adopted this from the recipe in Campbell's Busy Family Recipes.

1.5lbs boneless chicken breast sliced into strips (or use 1.5lbs chicken tenderloins to avoid the need to cut and trim the breast)
1 - 10.5 oz can of Golden mushroom soup
2- 9oz packages of pearl onions in cream sauce thawed
1 - package (10oz) fresh sliced mushrooms
1c. red cooking wine
1/4c. cornstarch
2 sprigs of thyme -or 1 tsp.
1tsp rosemary
Mashed potato's

1. Add the chicken, mushrooms and onion's to the crock pot.
2. In a medium bowl mix together the soup, wine and cornstarch, pour into the crock pot and stir until the chicken and vegetables are coated evenly. Sprinkle with the thyme and rosemary.
3. Cook on low for 6-8hrs or high for 4hrs.
4. Serve over mashed potato's.

Enjoy!!!!

Sloppy Joe, Sloppy Joe, Slop Slop Sloppy Joe

A healthier version of Sloppy Joe's that even my 5 yr old liked!!

1-1.5 lbs lean ground turkey

1/4 C. diced onion

1/2 C. ketchup

3 tbs BBQ sauce

1 tbs yellow mustard

1 tbs cider vinegar (red wine vinegar works too)

1 1/2tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp. celery salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

For serving

bulky whole wheat rolls

1. In a large skillet saute onion until translucent, add turkey and cook until no longer pink.

2. Add all remaining ingredients to onion and meat mixture heat thoroughly and serve on bulky rolls.

I served with store bought sweet potato fries and dill pickles.
I have also made my own Sweet potato Fries these will heat up the meal a bit

2-3 sweet potatoes sliced into wedges

3-4 tbs olive oil

2 tbs garlic powder

1-2 tbs Cayenne pepper

Amounts depends on how much heat you want and how many potatoes you use. In general you want the potatoes coated evenly with olive oil and a sprinkling of the seasonings use more for stronger flavor.

Preheat oven to 425 drizzle olive oil in bottom of 13x9 pan. Add potatoes and shake pan to coat potatoes with olive oil evenly. Sprinkle the garlic powder and pepper on the potatoes bake for 45minutes. I check them half way through the baking process flip as needed.

final thought....Heat up the Sloppy Joe by adding 2 tbs of Franks hot sauce or the hot sauce of your choice.

Whats on the needles?

Waffle Hat for my husband, finally he is getting the hand knit hat he has been asking for, he better wear it LOL

http://knithats.tripod.com/id3.html

The Easiest Meat Pie EVER

This recipe was given to me by an aunt and it is the easiest thing to make, great for entertaining. The only thing that takes time is the baking.

Easy Meat Pie

1 lbs ground lean ground
1 store bought pie crust (top and bottom)
1 can cream mushroom soup
1 small onion diced
1 egg
1 c. bread crumbs

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9" pie pan line with one pie crust then set aside.
2. Mix raw hamburger, soup, onion, egg and bread crumbs in a large bowl.
3. Add mixture to prepared pie crust and top with second pie crust, crimp edges and put a 1" slice in the center of the top crust to vent.
4. Bake for 1hr to 1hr 10 minutes.

I served this for dinner with steamed broccoli and it made for an easy prep dinner. Cooking time is long but prep time is quick!!

Enjoy

Winter Warmies

The Winter Warmies are finished here is a picture of the finished product. I made the newborn size and my son is 13lbs & 23", the yarn I used was cheap and it knit up lovely. These are going to be SUPER warm not sure he will ever wear them. The weather has been unseasonably warm here in Southern New England this winter season no need for woolen pants.... but who knows maybe we will get a few more cold days before Spring and he can get some wear out of them. Either way they were a fun quick knit.

Thanksgiving dinner in one dish

In the wake of my returning to work in 2 weeks; I am trying to find quick homemade meals that my family likes specifically my 5 yr old. She loves Shepard's Pie! Finding something the 5 yr old likes is key, it makes the few hours in the evening we have together as a family so much better. Dinner is a more pleasant experience if she likes whats being served.

I mixed up the way I make Shepard's Pie and this was a huge hit.

Thanksgiving in a Bowl - Shep Pie

1-1.5lbs ground turkey
1 can 15 oz cream corn
1 can 10.5 oz turkey gravy
1 tsp. season salt
1 box of 3 cheese mashed potatoes (you can make your own mashed but these are yummy and much quicker) 2 pouches come in a box prep both. I have tried many brands and Betty Crocker is the tastiest and the consitancy is closer to homemade.
1 can 15 oz of Cranberry Sauce

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. In a large skillet saute ground turkey until no longer pink add the season salt and the gravy continue to cook until bubbling, then transfer to a 2 Quart casserole dish.
3. Prepare mashed potatoes according to the directions on the box and set aside.
4. Top the turkey with the cream corn then layer the prepared mashed potatoes on top of the corn covering completely.
5. Bake for 30minutes at 350
6. Before serving drop a few tablespoons of cranberry on top, serve with the extra cranberry on the side.

This is a classic dish that I have mixed up quite a bit some variations include:

ground beef with beef gravy, mixed vegi's and garlic mashed
ground beef, cream corn, plain mashed - the classic version my mom made
ground beef with beef gravy, mushrooms, peas and plain mashed
ground turkey with turkey gravy, cream corn, mashed sweet potatoes

Next variation will be with ground chicken and.....

Mix it up all varieties seem to be winners in my house.

On a finally note, dont be afraid of the dreaded boxed mashed potatoes formerly known in my house as "fake" mashed potatoes. I used to obsess with making my own mashed potatoes for Shepard's Pie I am OVER that, it takes too long and makes a huge mess! I have now found that the boxed varieties can actually make the dish tastier. I have tried many varieties and Betty Crockers are the best in my opinion and come in so many fun flavors.

Eat & Enjoy!!!

Halftime Chicken Parm

The New England Patriots are going to the SuperBowl Wahoooooo!!

While watching my favorite football team advance to the Super Bowl I whipped up homemade Chicken Parm during half time. I had already made lots of picky food for my family to munch on while watching the game so I did NOT feel like spending a lot of time in the kitchen prepping dinner, SO I whipped up chicken parmesan during half time it was ready to pop in the oven at the end of the game. Here is what I did!


Halftime Chicken Parm

1-1.5 lbs boneless chicken breasts (skip tenderizing and buy thin skinless chicken breast)
1 c. Italian bread crumbs
1 tsp Italian seasoning
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 c. parmesan cheese
1 egg
1 tbs water
1 jar of store bought spaghetti sauce or 4 c. homemade sauce ( make a large batch of homemade sauce and freeze so you always have homemade sauce on hand).
1 lbs. whole wheat linguine
2 c. Italian blend shredded cheeses
olive oil

1. Coat a skillet with olive oil and heat over med heat. While oil is heating tenderize each chicken breast and cut in half set aside
2. In one small bowl beat egg with water and in another small bowl mix bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, salt, garlic powder and Italian seasoning.
3. Dip each breast one at a time, in the egg mixture then in the bread crumb mixture, coat evenly. Place the coated breasts in the skillet and brown on each side about 5 minutes each side.
4. Transfer the chicken to a 13x9" pan top with sauce and the 2c. Italian blend shredded cheeses.
5. Refrigerate until ready to bake (no more than 24hrs). Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.
6. Serve with whole wheat linguine and Italian bread.


Wow I was pretty impressed I was done preparing this dish by the time the second half of the game kicked off.