Stick of Butter Chicken and Rice

Chicken and rice casseroles are a great way to feed a ton of people OR to have a ton of leftovers. I'm trying very hard to eat leftovers so in order to do that I need to make sure it's something I'd head up.

This recipe I'd heat up. 

It definitely feeds 6 - but you'd need to have a side veggie of some sort. 

I used chicken tenders, because that's what I had, and I wouldn't do that again. They were overcooked - even for me. I think using chicken breast the amount of time in the oven would be just right.

The flavor here was spot on too. The rice gets a nice beefy/oniony flavor. I added about a tablespoon of Onion Soup Mix too and that really up'd the onion flavor. Delicious!

I think cut up steak bites in this rice dish would be amazing. 

Stick of Butter Chicken and Rice

Recipe from AllRecipes

Serves 6

• 2 cups white rice
• 8 ounces baby portobello mushrooms, roughly chopped
• 2 (10.5 ounce) cans condensed beef consommé, such as Campbell's
• 1 (10.5-ounces) can condensed French onion soup, such as Campbell's
• 1 stick butter, cut into 8 pieces
• 1 cup grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese, divided
• 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Stir rice, portobello mushrooms, beef consommé, and French onion soup together in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Top with butter pieces and 3/4 cup of the cheese.

Season chicken evenly with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika and place on top of cheese and butter. Top with remaining cheese and cover dish with foil.

Bake in the preheated oven for 55 minutes. Uncover and bake until top is golden brown, liquid has been absorbed into the rice, and chicken is cooked through, about 20 to 30 more minutes. Sprinkle with fresh parsley if desired.

Peyton Beckwith

Potato Casserole (Gray Box Recipe)

For tonight's Sunday dinner, I felt like I needed a potato of some sort. My first thought was to make potato salad, but there's a BIG difference in how I make it (sweet pickles) and how the crazy people in my family like it (dill pickles) and I wasn't going to cave. 

So I found this recipe in Mom's Gray box of recipes. It sounded perfect. And I hadn't made a gray box recipe for a while. 

The card seems well used. As in there are dribbles all over it. It also has 5 black stars at the top. Those combined tells me it's gonna be good. 

These are basically fully loaded hashbrowns. I did not boil potatoes and grate them. I cheated and bought frozen hashbrowns and let them thaw. I just knew I wasn't going to have enough time, so I took a short cut. I guarantee you if frozen hashbrowns had been around when this recipe first came to life, they would have done that short cut as well.

I'm typing this in AS it shows on the card. As I type this out I am now wondering if I did it wrong. It sounds like you're supposed to melt the cheese and the butter together. I did not do that. I melted the butter, grated the cheese and had a pint of sour cream. I added all those to the potatoes separately, not combined. So we'll see how this goes.

Potato Casserole

Recipe from Pat Terry (from Mom's Gray Box)

Serves 7-9

6 large potatoes; boiled in skins - cool for 30 minutes. 

Grate with the peelings.

Chop 3 or 4 green onions.

Sprinkle over potatoes and mix well with salt and pepper.

Melt 1-2 sticks of butter with 8 oz cheddar cheese grated. Add 1 pt sour cream and mix.

Stir into potatoes.

Bake 350 for 45 minutes.

DON'T OVER COOK.

**Mom's added note "add bacon bits if desired".

Steak and Potato Pie

It's Sunday dinner day! I have been getting a little bored with Sunday dinner meals. I always seem to think "grill" or something similar. 

I stumbled onto this blog and found this recipe and KNEW it had to be a Sunday dinner recipe. 

The prep has begun. I've got two BIG pots of this stewing on the stove. Stay tuned for how it turns out. 

***Post Sunday Dinner***

SUCCESS! This dish is a winner! Enough leftovers for one meal for me. Sent others home with leftovers and they reported back that they were even more delicious the next day. 

Steak and Potato Pie

Recipe from Dontgobaconmyheart.co.uk

Serves 5

Filling

2lb Steak/Beef suitable for slow cooking (see notes)

1 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Black Pepper

3 tbsp Olive Oil

9oz Carrots, diced into chunks

1 large White Onion, roughly diced

2 large cloves of Garlic, finely diced

1/4 cup Plain Flour

3/4 cup Dry Red Wine (see notes)

3.5 cups Beef Stock

1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

1 tbsp Tomato Paste

crumbled (sub 1 heaped tsp Bouillon powder if you don't have cubes)

2 Bay Leaves (dry or fresh)

Topping

2lb Baking Potatoes,

3 tbsp Unsalted Butter

1 heaped tsp finely diced Fresh Rosemary

1 clove of Garlic, finely grated

1/2 tsp Salt

1/8 tsp Black Pepper

Dice the beef into fairly large bite-sized pieces and season with salt and pepper.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large deep heavy-based pot over high heat. Once hot, spread out half of the beef and fry until brown all over (don't try and cook it right through). Remove and repeat with the second batch. Don't overcrowd the pot or the beef will steam and stew. Add more oil if needed.

Lower heat to medium-high and add the remaining 2 tbsp oil. Fry the carrot and onion until they soften and begin to very lightly brown, then fry the garlic for a further 30 seconds or so.

Lower the heat to medium and stir in the flour. Pour in the wine and give it a really good stir until it thickens to a smooth paste. Gradually add in the stock, stirring as you go to avoid lumps forming. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, Oxo cube, bay leaves and cooked beef (along with all of the resting juices).

Bring to a simmer, then pop on the lid and reduce the heat to low. Allow to gentle bubble away for 1 hour and 30 mins, stirring occasionally. Remove the lid and simmer for a further 30 mins, or until the beef is tender and the sauce has thickened to a gravy-style consistency (see video). Keep in mind it'll thicken more in the next step. Adjust seasoning if desired.

Pour the filling into a large baking dish and allow to cool for at least 30 mins, until a skin forms across the top. Meanwhile, melt the butter and combine in a small mixing bowl with rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper. Very thinly slice the potatoes (approx 3-4mm or 1/8") and pre-heat the oven to 180C/350F.

Layer 1/3 of the potatoes across the top. Brush with 1/3 of the butter, then repeat two more times, ensuring you layer the potatoes in a way that reduces as many gaps as possible.

Tightly cover in foil then bake in the oven for 40mins. Remove the foil, increase the oven temp to 200C/400F and bake for a further 20-25mins, or until the potatoes are knife tender. You can flick on the grill to brown them further if you'd like.

Allow to cool for a few mins, then serve up and enjoy!

Shepherd’s Pie

To be accurate, I made, technically, Cottage Pie. Shepherd's Pie is with lamb. Cottage Pie is with beef. I am not a fan of lamb, so beef it is. 

Photo from My Incredible Recipes

This is one of the simplest meals that serves a ton of people. It's December Sunday Dinner perfect. 

I changed up just a couple of things: 

• I added parmesan to my mashed potatoes. Just a handful - give or take
• I added frozen peas to the meat

Y'all...one of the best meals ever. It's going into the favorites category for sure. Then general consensus was it was a winner recipe. 

Shepherd’s Pie

Recipe from My Incredible Recipes

Serves 8

POTATOES

• 4 large russet potatoes
• 1 stick of salted butter
• 2 tsp of garlic
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• ½ c half & half

MEAT FILLING

• 2 T of oil
• 1 c chopped yellow onion
• 2 lb of ground beef or Lamb if you want traditional
• 1 T minced garlic
• 3 tsp dried parsley
• 1 tsp dried sage
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 1 &½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 3 T flour
• 3 T Worcestershire sauce
• 1 T balsamic vinegar
• 1 T tomato ketchup
• 2 T tomato paste
• 1 &½ c beef broth/bullion
• 1 8.75 oz can corn
• 1 14.5 oz can carrots

POTATOES

Peel the potatoes and slice them into smaller pieces. Place potatoes into a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring the water to a boil and reduce it to a simmer.

Depending on the size of your potatoes, simmer them on medium heat for 15-18 min. You want the potatoes to be soft enough that a knife will slice through them easily. Drain the water off the potatoes and return them back to the pot.

Break the potatoes up with a potato masher and add the butter, garlic, salt, black pepper and half & half.

Continue mashing until the potatoes are smooth and creamy.

MEAT FILLING

Preheat the oven to 350

Heat up the oil in a pan. Add the onions and fry until soft. Add meat to the onions and brown.

Once the meat has started to brown sprinkle in the flour. Combine the flour with the meat and stir continuously for 1-2 min. Pour in the beef broth and mix well. It will thicken as it cooks.

Add the remaining ingredients to the pan and cook for 5 min. Stirring occasionally so the meat doesn’t stick to the pan. Pour the mixture into a 9×13 casserole dish.

Spread the potatoes evenly on top.

Place the casserole dish into the oven and bake for 30-40 min.

Baked Parmesan Broccoli Casserole

Photo from Dinner
Then Dessert

Thanksgiving is always ... ALWAYS about the food for our family. And I've kept that tradition going strong. I follow every recipe that we've made for years to the T. It's the way Thanksgiving is to be for me. 

Except, this year. I love our family's Broccoli Casserole, but it makes SOOO much and I was only feeding 4. I still wanted a vegetable, and I still wanted broccoli. Then I found this recipe. 

It was delicious. Super easy to throw together, which is helpful for Thanksgiving. The leftovers were just ok to me - mostly because I LOVE the broccoli casserole leftovers, warm or cold. 

I'd make this again just for me. It was that easy. 

I chose to not do the Ritz topping. I didn't want to buy an entire box of ritz for just a few crackers. So I swapped out the Ritz crackers with Fried onions! I burned them in the oven, but they were still delicious. 

Baked Parmesan Broccoli Casserole

Recipe from Dinner Then Dessert

Serves 8

6 tablespoons unsalted butter divided

• 1 yellow onion finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese grated
• 4 cups broccoli cut into bite sized florets

Topping:

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup ritz crackers crushed
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spray a 9x13" baking dish with vegetable oil spray.

Add 3 tablespoons butter to a large skillet on medium heat.

Add the onions and cook until just translucent, about 4-5 minutes.

Add in the garlic and cook until just fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add in remaining butter.

In a separate bowl whisk together flour, milk, egg, salt, black pepper and paprika.

Bring to a simmer until it just begins to thicken, about 2-3 minutes.

Add in Parmesan cheese and broccoli.

Stir to coat, then pour into baking dish.

Topping:

Add butter to a large skillet on medium heat.

When melted add ritz crumbs and parmesan cheese.

Stir to coat well and cook until crispy and just beginning to brown, stirring occasionally until it begins to brown.

Add to the top of the casserole and bake for 30 minutes.

Teriyaki Ground Beef Casserole

Photo from Life in the
Loft house

Last night was book club night and my host. I always like to try a new recipe for the book club ladies. Mostly they work out. Occasionally, I'm not a fan of the meal. 

This is one of those meals. It was OK, but not great. Since I've been on metformin I've noticed that things taste really salty to me. In this case, I had to swap the low sodium soy with tamari because Sherrie's GF Girl. I hadn't considered that tamari is way saltier than low sodium soy and, well, it just tasted too salty to me. 

The ladies said they liked it, so I'm sure it was fine. Just not my thing. 

The other part of this are the frozen stir fry veggies. Blech. I should have gone with my gut and bought fresh veggies and roasted them. It would have been way better. In the end, I figured if I do that, and use low sodium soy this recipe may be a winner. It was a lot like stir fried rice, which I like. 

Teriyaki Ground Beef Casserole

Recipe from Life in the Loft House

Serves 6

• 3/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 2 Tablespoons cornstarch + 2 Tablespoons water
• 1 bag (12 ounces) refrigerated stir-fry vegetables (broccoli, carrots, snow peas, etc.)
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 3 cups cooked rice

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with non-stick spray.

Combine soy sauce, ½ cup water, brown sugar, ginger and garlic in a small saucepan and cover. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove the lid and cook for one minute once boiling.

Stir together the cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of water in a separate dish until smooth. Once the sauce is boiling, add the cornstarch mixture to the saucepan. Stir to combine. Cook until the sauce starts to thicken then remove from heat.

Place all the veggies evenly in the prepared baking dish. Pour 3/4 cup of the sauce evenly over the veggies. Cover the pan with foil and bake for 35 minutes or until the veggies are tender.

Meanwhile, cook the ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season with salt and pepper. Cook and crumble until the beef is no longer pink. Drain any grease. Set aside.

Remove the baking dish from the oven. Carefully remove the foil. Pour the cooked ground beef and the cooked rice evenly over the veggies.

Pour most of the remaining sauce all over the top (reserving a bit to drizzle over the top when serving). Gently toss everything together until combined.

Return to the oven and cook uncovered for 10 minutes or until everything is heated through. Remove from the oven and let it stand 5 minutes before serving. Drizzle each serving with remaining sauce. Enjoy!

Chicken and Stuffing Casserole

Its a cold, snowy day today in the Pacific Northwest. I hate the snow. It makes me cold and makes me think about comfort food. Good thing this recipe was on the rotating menu. 

This recipe was good. No need to salt anything in this dish though. I think the stuffing mix has enough. I added a pinch and it was a little too salty for me. (My BFF would have loved it). 

I wouldn't make this again, but only because I have WAY too many new recipes to try. This recipe was easy to throw together and would feed a bunch of people. I bet the leftovers are good too. We'll find out tomorrow on that one.

Chicken and Stuffing Casserole

Recipe from Cincyshopper.com

Serves 4

6 oz Stuffing Mix

1 1/4 c hot Water

1/2 c Milk

10.5 oz Cream of Chicken Soup

2 c Chicken cooked and diced

12 oz frozen Mixed Vegetables thawed

1/4 tsp Pepper

1/8 tsp Salt

Preheat oven to 400.

Grease a casserole dish (9x13" or equivalent) and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine stuffing mix and hot water. Set aside.

In another bowl, add soup and milk. Whisk to combine.

Add chicken, vegetables, salt and pepper.

Stir and add to prepared casserole dish.

Top with stuffing mixture.

Bake 25-30 minutes or until filling is bubbling and topping is browned.

Chinese Hamburger

Tonight I'm trying a recipe from Mom's Gray Recipe box. This one I was amused at just based on the spelling of "soup" as "soap". The back of the card Barb White. I have no idea who that is or how long this recipe was in Mom's recipe file. 

The recipe doesn't say what temperature to cook it so I guessed 350F. That turned out ok. It was very done and the rice was cooked through. 

I also realized as I was eating it and looking at the recipe that I completely forgot to put the celery in. I cut it and everything. Sheesh. It would have been way better with celery. 

Chinese Hamburger

Recipe from Mom's Gray Recipe box

Serves - I have no idea

• 1 1/2 lbs hamburger
• 2 onions, diced
• 2 c celery, diced
• 1/2 c uncooked rice
• 1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
• 1 can Cream of Chicken soup
• 1 1/2 soup can water
• 1/4 c soy sauce
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 8 oz Chinese Fried Noodles

Fry burger and onions. Sauté in the celery and cook it slightly. 

Drain off any fat/liquid. Mix in the cans of soup, rice, soy sauce, and water. 

Put in a baking dish and bake at 350F for 1 hour covered.

Uncover it, cover with Chinese fried noodles and bake for another 15 minutes. 

Cube Steak Mushroom Casserole

Photo from I Am
Homesteader

Tonight was book club. And when I have the ladies over it's always a good time for me to whip out a casserole recipe. Casserole recipes are hard for me as a single person. It makes too much food and I'm not a leftover person. 

This was a good recipe. It had too much liquid in it, but that could have been me. I didn't read the recipe well enough and didn't have 2 cans of French onion soup or Beef consommé. To make the difference I added 20 oz of veg broth. I feel like that's too much liquid. We had a lot of liquid in the pan. 

I'd also recommend stirring the casserole after the first 30 minutes. There was some rice that was still a little crunchy. 

I added sliced onions too. I sautéed the onions and mushrooms before I put them in the casserole. I'd do that again for sure. 

Bottom line, I'd make this again. As we ate it there was some discussion about how good this would be with potatoes instead of rice. So maybe I'll try that some day. 

Cube Steak Mushroom Casserole

Recipe from I Am Homesteader

Serves 8

• 1 pound cube steak, diced
• 2 c long-grain white rice, uncooked
• 2 cans (10.5 ounces each) French onion soup
• 2 cans (10.5 ounces each) beef consommé
• 8 ounces fresh sliced mushrooms, or canned
• ½ c unsalted butter, sliced into pats
• green onions or chives, chopped for garnish

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

To the prepared baking dish, add the cube steak, uncooked rice, French onion soup, beef consommé, and mushrooms. Stir to combine.

Top the rice mixture with pats of butter.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, remove the foil and continue baking, uncovered, for an additional 30 minutes, or until the rice is cooked and tender.

Fluff the rice and serve garnished with chives or green onion.

Dad's Spanish Rice (160 of 150)

One of the first meals I remember helping dad make was his Spanish Rice. My young 12 year old self knew nothing about cooking and this was my first lesson (that I remember anyhow). 

I distinctly remember dad having me chop the jalapeno and onion. He showed me how to bend my fingers when holding the lines of jalapeno and how to rock the knife. I sucked at it and the jalapeno bits were all over the place. A lot has changed since then. I can chop like a master. 

Since the first Spanish rice lesson, I've had a LOT of Spanish rice. And I can tell you I've NEVER had it like this. Never had burger in my Spanish rice, and never had bacon or mushrooms in it either. No matter, this is the best Spanish Rice. 

I don't remember Dad using Minute Rice, but I used it tonight because I had it and I was trying hard to follow the recipe. 

Dad's Spanish Rice

Recipe from Dad

Serves 4

• 2 c minute rice
• 1 clove garlic, minced (Right...one clove. Try 3)
• 1/3 c bacon drippings
• 4 slices bacon, chopped
• 2 cans tomato sauce (8 oz each)
• 1 8oz can mushrooms, drained (I used fresh mushrooms)
• 1 small jalapeno, chopped fine
• 1/2 c onion, chopped
• 1 lb ground beef
• Pork Chops

Salt and pepper

Brown pork chops and set aside. 

Brown bacon until crisp. Remove from pan and set aside.  

Brown ground beef, onions, jalapeno, mushrooms and garlic in bacon drippings.

 Add minute rice and cook until absorbed, add tomato sauce. 

Add remaining ingredients, including bacon. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. 

Nestle in pork chops, cover and bake for 1 hour at 350F or until rice is tender. 

Funeral Potatoes (157 of 150)

Photo from Small Town Woman

These are probably my favorite potato casserole thing. The name, I only assume, is because this gets
taken to pot lucks at church when there's a funeral. 

I made something similar to this last Christmas dinner. Those were called something different, but same idea. 

These feed a crowd. And a crowd I was having tonight for Sunday dinner. I'm sure I'll have leftovers too. 

I have two GF peeps who come to these dinners so I did not use the cream of chicken soup. I used another 8 oz of sour cream. 

Funeral Potatoes

Recipe from Small town woman.com

Serve2 10

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 medium onion finely chopped
• 32 ounces frozen hash brown potatoes (thawed for 30–40 minutes)
• 1/2 cup butter melted
• 16 ounces sour cream
• 1 can (10.5 ounce) cream of chicken soup
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 1/4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 1/4 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1/4 cup butter melted
• 2 cup crushed corn flakes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish.

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook until tender, approximately 5 minutes

In a large bowl, stir together hash brown potatoes, onion, 1/2 cup melted butter, sour cream, cream of chicken soup, garlic powder, salt, pepper, cheddar, and Monterey jack. Spoon into prepared dish.

Stir together 1/4 cup melted butter and crushed cornflakes. Sprinkle over the potatoes. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.

Chicken with Garlic Parmesan Rice (129 of 150)

Chicken and rice casseroles are a way of life in a house where mom and dad worked and had to get dinner on the table relatively quickly. We had all varieties of chicken and rice casseroles. So much so that I kinda told myself I'd avoid chicken and rice casseroles when I was in a position to make my own dinner meals. 

Turns out that I lied to myself. Spanish rice from dad and a mushroom rice/chicken casserole mom used to make are my all time favorites. I repeat them at least a couple times a year. 

When I come across a chicken and rice recipe I'm reluctant to even try it. I think them boring and flavorless. Well, not this one. 

It has very few ingredients, but the star is BY FAR the garlic in this recipe. The wine adds a nice acid to the recipe too. I'd make this again for sure. 

I totally forgot to put the parmesan over the whole thing. In fact, didn't remember until I was shoving the last bite in my mouth. 

Chicken with Garlic Parmesan Rice

Recipe from What's In The Pan

Serves 4

• 1 lb. chicken tenders
• Salt and pepper
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• 2 T olive oil
• ½ c butter, (1 stick)
• 2 T minced garlic
• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp salt, divided
• ½ c dry white wine, (such as Pinot Grigio)
• 1 ½ c white rice, (uncooked)
• 3 c chicken broth
• ½ c Parmesan cheese, (grated or shredded)

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Season chicken with salt and pepper and garlic powder. Sauté chicken tenders until nicely browned and just cooked through. Remove from skillet and set aside.

Add butter, garlic, pepper flakes and ½ teaspoon of salt to the empty skillet and sauté garlic for a couple of minutes on medium heat.

Turn heat to medium high and add white wine. Cook and stir for about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside 3 tablespoons of pan sauce to use later.

Add uncooked rice to skillet with remaining butter sauce. Stir well – make sure it’s completely covered. Add chicken broth and remaining ½ teaspoon of salt. Bring mixture to a low boil then reduce heat to medium-low, cover pan and simmer for 20 minutes or until rice is tender. Stir several times while it’s cooking

Sprinkle parmesan over rice then arrange chicken tenders in skillet over rice. Cover, remove from heat then let stand for 5 minutes.

Drizzle reserved 3 tablespoons of pan sauce over chicken tenders when serving and garnish with parsley.

Beef Enchiladas (110 of 150)

Anyone who knows me, knows that Mexican food is my favorite. I could eat tacos almost every day. The days I wouldn't eat tacos, I'd eat enchiladas. 

For years, the ONLY enchilada recipe I'd make was my mom's. It's still the best for me for sentimental reasons - and they're pretty darn good. 

I've since made these AMAZING cheese enchiladas a couple of times. And tonight, I'm trying my hand at some beef enchiladas.

What struck me immediately about this recipe was adding diced green chilis and pinto beans to the enchilada filling. That sounded amazing. 

What didn't I do?

1. I didn't use flour tortillas. I really dislike enchiladas made of flour tortillas. I feel like they get mushy and the texture gets weird. So I used corn and made them flexible by running them through hot oil to soften them up (Mom did it, so I do it).

2. I just read in the instructions about putting enchilada sauce INSIDE the enchilada. I've never seen that before and missed it in the recipe so didn't do it. Honestly I think it's a waste. 

3. I seasoned my beef with chili powder because - well that's what I always do. Again, Mom did it so I do it.

I served mine with some sour cream on top and ate nothing else with them. You're gonna want to make these. They were amazing.

Beef Enchiladas

Recipe from Gimme some Oven

Serves 8

Enchilada sauce (You could also just buy canned. But why? This is so easy)

• 2 T avocado oil or olive oil
• 2 T all-purpose flour
• 1/4 c chili powder (see note below)
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp dried oregano
• 2 c chicken or vegetable stock
• fine sea salt, to taste

Enchilada Meat

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small white onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 pounds (24 ounces) lean ground beef
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles
• fine sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper

8 large flour tortillas*

3 cups Mexican-blend shredded cheese

toppings: fresh cilantro, chopped red onions, diced avocado, sour cream, and/or crumbled cotija cheese

Enchilada Sauce

Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add flour and cook for 1 minute, whisking constantly.  Add in the chili powder, garlic powder, cumin and oregano and cook for 1 more minute, whisking constantly.

Gradually pour in the stock, whisking constantly to combine until no lumps remain.  Continue cooking until the sauce reaches a simmer.  Then reduce heat to medium-low to maintain the simmer (the sauce should continue lightly bubbling) for about 10-15 minutes, uncovered, until the sauce has slightly thickened.

Check for seasoning; adjust as needed. Use immediately in your favorite recipe and enjoy!

Enchilada Filling:

Sauté the beef filling. Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the ground beef and cumin and sauté for 5 minutes or until completely browned, crumbling the beef with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Stir in the beans and green chiles until combined. Season the mixture with a few generous pinches of salt and pepper, to taste.

Prep oven and baking dish. Heat oven to 350°F. Spread 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce evenly along the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.

Assemble the enchiladas. 

To assemble the enchiladas, set up an assembly line including: tortillas, enchilada sauce, beef filling, and cheese. Lay out a tortilla, and spread two tablespoons of sauce over the surface of the tortilla. Add a generous spoonful of the beef filling in a line down the center of the tortilla, then sprinkle with 1/3 cup cheese. Roll up the tortilla and place it in the prepared baking dish. Assemble the remaining enchiladas. Spread any remaining sauce evenly over the top of the enchiladas, followed by any extra cheese.

Bake. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes, or until the enchiladas are cooked through and the tortillas are slightly crispy on the outside. Transfer the baking dish to a wire rack.

Serve. Serve the enchiladas immediately while they’re nice and hot, garnished with lots of your favorite toppings. Enjoy!

Chicken Scampi with Garlic Parmesan Rice (Recipe 44 of 150)

My whole life I thought "scampi" had lemon in it and was all about the lemon. I was today's years old to find out "scampi" actually means "shrimp" that is prepared or cooked, usually in garlic and butter. 

Huh. 

This recipe was OFF THE CHARTS delicious. What makes it especially delicious is the garlic. You MUST make sure you use fresh garlic (no jarred garlic for this recipe). The fresh garlic is part and parcel of the total flavor in this recipe. 

Watch your salt on it though. The recipe recommends seasoning throughout. Frankly, it was a little over salted for me. 

Don't skimp on the wine either. Use a wine you'd drink. It reduces nicely and leaves a nice flavor, so use a good wine. 

Chicken Scampi with Garlic Parmesan Rice

Recipe from South Your Mouth

Serves 4

• 1 lb. chicken tenderloins
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 T olive oil
• 1 stick butter, divided
• 2 T minced garlic
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 1/2 tsp salt, divided  - this is a bit too much salt IMHO
• 1/2 c dry white wine
• 1 1/2 c uncooked white rice
• 3 c chicken broth
• 1/2 c fresh grated parmesan cheese

Season chicken tenders with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large nonstick skillet. Sauté chicken tenders until nicely browned and just cooked through. Remove chicken from skillet, cover chicken then set aside.

Add butter, garlic, pepper flakes and 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the skillet then sauté garlic for 3 minutes (do not let the garlic burn or become too brown).

Increase skillet temperature to medium-high then add white wine. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon to emulsify the wine into the butter. Cook and stir for approximately 5 minutes or until mixture is reduced by half. Remove and set aside 2 tablespoons of pan sauce to use later.

Add rice to skillet then stir and cook for 3-4 minutes or until rice starts to brown just a little. Add chicken broth and remaining 1 teaspoon of salt.

Bring mixture to a low boil then reduce heat to medium-low, cover pan then cook for 20 minutes or until rice is tender. Stir once or twice the first 15 minutes of cooking but not more than that.

Sprinkle parmesan over rice then arrange chicken tenders in skillet over rice. Drizzle reserved 2 tablespoons of pan sauce over chicken tenders. Cover, remove from heat then let stand for 5 minutes. Garnish dish with more parmesan and chopped fresh parsley if desired.

Tater Tot Chili Dog Casserole (Recipe 136 of 150)

Photo from The Salty
Marshmallow

Oh man this one takes me back. Mom used to make this, or something similar, with her leftover chili. She'd make a VAT of chili (cuz why not). We'd have a meal with it, then she'd freeze the rest. Sometime later that month she'd pull that chili out and she'd make this. This was one of the first recipes I ever tried on my own. Daring, I know. 

This recipe has everything you probably remember in the 70's for casseroles. Everything premade/store bought and thrown together with minimal effort to feed a house full. 

Oh and the left overs of this casserole are to die for. Well, at least the leftovers from Mom's were. This one, I'm sure will be equally as delicious. 

Tater Tot Chili Dog Casserole

Recipe from The Salty Marshmallow

Serves 6 easily

10 Hot Dogs Sliced

42 oz canned chili

1 ½ c Shredded Cheddar Cheese

1 Package Frozen Tater Tots

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl mix together the sliced hot dogs, one cup of the cheese, and both cans of chili.

Pour the chili mixture into a 9x13 inch baking dish.

Top the mixture with an even layer of tater tots.

Bake uncovered in preheated oven for 45 minutes.

Top with remaining cheese and bake for 5 more minutes until cheese is melted.

Cheesy Broccoli Rice Casserole (Recipe 135 of 150)

Photo from Lauren's Latest

Tonight is Sunday Dinner. The theme? Casseroles! Usually when we do casseroles we have so much food it's not even funny. Tonight, I'm 100% sure we're going to have too much food that is is funny. 

I'm making two casseroles. Why? I couldn't decide which one to make. One is a good side dish. The other is a funny take on a childhood casserole my mother used to make. 

This recipe was outstanding. The real recipe says it'll feed 4. I think that's only if you're eating this. If you use it as a side, it'll easily feed 6-8. I'm planning on it helping to feed 7. And I am SURE there will be leftovers. 

I have two gluten free people coming tonight so I had to swap out the cream of chicken soup for sour cream. Frankly, I like it better than how it might have tasted with cream of chicken. Those cream soups are often used in casseroles as a binder. Turns out sour cream does as well. So that's what we went with. 

Go light on the salt since you're putting ham in this dish. I never salt until everything is all together. Taste it and adjust. 

Cheesy Broccoli Rice Casserole

Recipe from Lauren's Latest

Serves 6 

• 2 T butter
• 1/2 medium onion diced
• 1 large carrot peeled & diced
• 1 ear yellow sweet corn
• 2 c steamed broccoli florets
• 4 oz. deli ham diced
• 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
• salt & pepper to taste
• 2 pinches ground thyme
• 1 c Long grain white rice
• 2 c water
• 1 1/2 c medium cheddar cheese grated

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease baking dish and set aside. {Use a 9x9 square dish or one that is slightly larger.} JW note: I think mine was 9X12 give or take. It wasn't the large 9x13 - that held the other casserole. 

Place large skillet over medium heat and melt butter. Sauté onions, carrot, corn, and ham 5-7 minutes or until veggies start to soften. Stir in broccoli and cream of chicken soup.

Once soup starts to melt into the veggies, add in seasonings, rice and water. Stir to incorporate and remove any lumps

Melt cheese into mixture and pour entire contents of skillet into prepared baking dish. Bake 40 minutes or until rice is completely cooked and no liquid remains. Serve hot.

French Onion Chicken and Rice Casserole (Recipe 128 of 150)

This recipe had all sorts of promise in it. And it wasn't a bad recipe. I'm just starting to think I'm not a chicken and rice casserole girl.

I can't really pinpoint why this wasn't a hit. There was something about the French onion dip. I guess I expected more "onion" flavor. The majority of the flavor came from crunch onions on top. 

Anyhow, the leftovers will go into the freezer for the Pantry Goat.

French Onion Chicken and Rice Casserole

Recipe from Spicy Southern Kitchen

Serves 6

• 2 c instant white rice
• 2 c water
• 3 c chopped rotisserie chicken
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 (10.75-ounce) can condensed cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup
• 1 c refrigerated French onion dip
• 2/3 c chicken broth
• 1 c shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 4 slices Provolone cheese
• 2/3 c French fried onions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Bring water to a boil in a medium sauce pan. Add instant rice, place the lid on the pan and remove from heat. Let sit 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, stir together chicken, paprika, black pepper, condensed soup, French onion dip, chicken broth, cheddar cheese and rice.

Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish.

Place cheese slices on top and sprinkle with French fried onions.

Bake uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes.

Green Chile Chicken & Rice (Recipe 123 of 150)

This was a decent recipe. Though I think I messed it up by using Basmati rice instead of long grain. I used what I had in an attempt to clean out the pantry. It wasn't horrible, but Basmati cooks differently. It was still good and super flavorful, and spicy ish. 

I didn't use thighs because, blech...breasts were just fine. This recipe comes together quickly. It's probably best you have your ingredients all set up before you start. It helps move the recipe along.

Green Chile Chicken & Rice

Recipe from Our Best Bites

Serves 4

• 24 ounces boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat
• Kosher salt and coarsely ground black pepper
• 2 T extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 poblano chiles, stemmed, seeded, and chopped (see notes)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 14 ounces green enchilada sauce - be sure to get enchilada sauce, not SALSA.
• 1 c water
• 1 c long-grain rice
• 1/2 c chopped fresh cilantro

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season both sides with salt and pepper.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a 12″ skillet over medium-high heat. When very hot, add the chicken thighs and cook for about 5 minutes or until golden and crispy on one side. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan and allow to heat for about a minute. Add the chopped onions and peppers and cook for about 5 minutes or until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and cumin and cook for about 1 more minute. Add the enchilada sauce, water, and rice and bring to a boil. Place the chicken, brown side up, on top of the rice. Reduce heat and cover. Cook for at least 20 minutes, stirring about every 5 minutes to prevent the rice from scorching. When the rice and chicken are cooked through, it’s done. Add the cilantro and stir to combine. Serves 4-6.

Cottage Pie (aka Shepherd's Pie with beef) (Recipe 115 of 150)

I made up a recipe! Sorta. 

Tonight was book club and I wanted to make something that I could make ahead and just pop in the oven. Shepherd's Pie is something I've never made, so I figured I'd give it a try. 

I found a couple of recipes and I realized that Shepherd's Pie is really quite simple and Hunter's Stew but with mashed potatoes. 

It turned out delicious and I'd say I'll make it again for sure. Comfort food 100%. 

Pro tip: If you judge how to make mashed potatoes by one potato per person, double it for Shepherd's pie. I wanted a thicker layer of mashed potatoes and 4 potatoes just barely covered it. It turned out fine, but I would prefer more potatoes. 

And really, I keep calling this Shepherd's Pie, but I've been told it's Cottage Pie because I used beef. Shepherd's Pie is made from lamb. 

So here's my made up recipe. 

Cottage Pie

Serves 6 or 4 with left overs for everyone.

1 lb ground beef

1 can Veg all, drained

1 small can corn, drained

1 can green beans, drained

4 russet potatoes

1 stick butter

1/4 to 1/2 c milk

Brown your ground beef and be sure to drain it. 

Dump in the corn, Veg all, and green beans. 

Season to taste

Boil the potatoes. Rice them (or mash them however you do it). Add the stick of butter and milk. Salt and pepper to taste. 

Put the beef mixture in a 9X13 dish or whatever fits for you. Top with mashed potatoes evenly. 

Put in a 350 oven for about 30 minutes or until the potatoes start to brown a little. 

Serve. 

One Pot Beans, Chicken and Rice (Recipe 96 of 150)

Image from 
Damn Delicious

Its been a couple of days since I've made a new recipe. It's been too hot to cook if I'm being honest. I've made salads galore and ordered a couple of meals out. I did do a new-ish recipe this weekend but it consisted of a pot roast and BBQ sauce in the slow cooker. I didn't think that would really be considered a "recipe". 

At any rate, I like burrito bowls. And I find that they are way less expensive to make at home, and you get some decent leftovers. While this recipe isn't listed as a "bowl", it has all the ingredients that I love in my burrito bowls. 

The best part of this recipe is the number of pantry items I used. I had 2 c of instant rice leftover from - I don't even know when, a can of black beans and some frozen corn. This recipe will be on a repeat for when I have minute rice leftover - which isn't too often really. 

I put a dollop of sour cream on top and had a side of corn chips with it. It's a quick, delicious recipe. 

One Pot Beans, Chicken and Rice

Recipe from Damn Delicious

Serves 4

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeno, minced
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
• 2 cups instant white rice
• 2 Roma tomatoes, diced
• Juice of 2 limes
• 2 teaspoons lime zest
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Heat olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper, to taste. Add chicken to the stockpot and cook until golden, about 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and jalapeno, and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Stir in vegetable broth, beans and corn. Bring to a boil; stir in rice and cover. Remove from heat.

Let stand 5 minutes or until broth is absorbed. Stir in tomatoes, lime juice, lime zest and cilantro; season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Serve immediately.