Category: Menu Mondays – complete meal ideas

Honey Chicken Stir-Fry

The combination of honey and chicken is truly one of my favorites! And fried chicken strips, drizzled in honey, with a sprinkle of seasoned salt, is yuh-umm! Well, this stir-fry combines the two bang up flavors, in a healthy, not fried, get your veggies, kind of way, and it is delicious! And definitely something to feel good about.

1 to 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken strips
4 T. honey, divided (can be warmed a little in the microwave to make it more able to flow and be mixed well with the egg mixture.)
1 egg, beaten
1/3 c. plus 1 T. water, divided
1 t. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 t. dried thyme
1/4 t. lemon-pepper seasoning
1/4 t. garlic powder
1/8 t. dried oregano
1/8 t. dried marjoram
2 T. vegetable oil
1 T. cornstarch
1 (16 oz.) package frozen stir-fry vegetables
1/4 t. salt
Cooked rice

Combine chicken (I season mine with a little salt to start with), 2 T. honey, the egg, 1/3 cup water, Worcestershire sauce and seasonings; set aside. (Don’t feel like you have to use the exact seasonings either. Any mix of what you have on hand will make for flavorful honey chicken, even if it is just salt alone!)

Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken a few pieces at a time; cook and stir until golden. Remove chicken from wok; keep warm.

Mix cornstarch with remaining honey and water; set aside.

Add vegetables to wok; sprinkle with salt. Cook over medium heat until vegetables begin to thaw; drizzle with cornstarch mixture. Continue cooking until vegetables are tender; stir in chicken and heat through. Serve with rice.
Serves 4-6.

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Caution Flag Chili with Flat-Tire Corn and Black Bean Toppers

Now ya’ll know right off hand, that I did not name this recipe! This is Rachael Ray strait out! And this chili IS spicy! So, she had good reason to start with a caution flag. With that being said, the corn and blackbean “pancake” toppers really help to tone down the heat and the combination really ends up being magical! Creed and Fally girl really enjoy this one too. It feels so fresh and healthy, to me, which is a good thing considering all of my Southern food addictions! I think Rachee wrote this for Nascar fans. But whether you are into cars or not, this one is a keeper.

2 T. extra virgin olive oil
2 poblano peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
2 lbs. ground sirloin
1 medium onion, chopped
3 to 4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 T. grill seasoning, such as McCormick’s Montreal Steak Seasoning
2 T. Worcestershire sauce
2 chipotles in adobo, chopped, plus 1 T. adobo sauce
1/2 cup steak sauce, such as Peter Luger or A1 (I’m not a huge fan of A1, but that’s what I usually have on hand, and I don’t add as much. It can be strong in flavor to me.)
1 cup beer
1 cup beef broth
1 (28 oz.) can crushed fire roasted tomatoes
1 pkg. corn muffin mix, preferably Jiffy, batter made according to package directions for corn pancakes
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed, drained, and patted dry with paper towels. I leave out that last paper towel part. ha
1/2 T. ground cumin
2 scallions, finely chopped
Softened butter, for greasing a skillet or griddle

Heat the evoo in a medium soup pot over medium-high to high heat. When the oil smokes, add the sliced poblanos and char them for a couple of minutes, then scoot them off to the side of the pan and add the meat. Break up the beef and brown it for a couple of minutes, then add the onions and garlic. Season the meat with the grill seasoning, Worcestershire, chipotle, and adobo sauce. Cook until the onions are tender, 5 to 6 minutes more, then stir in the steak sauce and beer. Cook the beer off for 1 minute, then add the stock and tomatoes and reduce the heat to low.

Prepare the corn pancake batter according to the package directions. Heads up….I skip this next part because I prefer the look of the black beans whole for picture taking lol, plus it’s just plain easier!…Finely chop the beans in a food processor and stir them into the corn batter. Season the batter with the cumin, and stir in the scallions.

Heat a nonstick skillet or griddle pan over medium heat. Butter the skillet or griddle, then pour 3 to 4 inch corn pancakes. Flip the cakes when the bottoms are deeply golden and cook them for another minute or two on the second side. Repeat with the remaining batter to make 6 cakes. Top each bowlful of the chili with a corn and black bean pancake; these are your flat tire toppers, according to Rach! Fun stuff!

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Slow Cooker BBQ Ribs

Today, I needed something simple to throw together for supper. It was a day of playing “catch up” and a day that we all needed to have a home cooked meal. We’ve been running every which way preparing for the holiday, so we’ve been grabbing takeout and nothing sounded better to me than ribs. Meaty ribs and mac and cheese. And it was one of those days, that who has time for ribs and mac and cheese?? Well, thanks to the good old crock pot, elbow macaroni, velveeta, and a bag salad, all of my dreams ended up coming true. I need to follow my dreams more often…. cook more ribs in a slow cooker! They tasted great and nothing could have been easier!

2 T. brown sugar
1 T. paprika
1 T. table salt
5 lb. baby back ribs
3 cups BBQ sauce, like Sweet Baby Rays

Mix the dry ingredients together and rub them on the meaty side of the ribs. Place the ribs in the slow cooker. Cover all sides of the ribs with the BBQ sauce.

Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Wallah. Dinner is done.

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Nana’s Chili Chicken Casserole

My children’s great grandmother, Pat (Nana) Warren, was as fabulous of a cook as she was a person, and she was one fine southern woman, let me tell you. I loved her dearly and I kind of think she liked me too. This casserole was one she enjoyed feeding her loved ones and I’m just following in her footsteps. This dish really just needs a nice fresh salad to go along with it. And I don’t use the entire bag of chips because I like mine a little saucy. Just like Nana.

1 cut up chicken (frying size)
1/4 cup oleo (that’s margarine for you younger folks)
1/2 pound velveeta, cubed
1 1/2 cups pet milk (evaporated milk; 12 oz. can)
1 cup chopped onion
1 (4 oz.) chopped green chiles
1 1/2 cup tomato juice
1 (7 1/2 oz.) pkg. tostados (plain Doritos)

Cook chicken in salted water until done (can use canned chicken). Cool, skin and debone and cut into bite size pieces. Saute onion in oleo then add the chicken along with peppers, cheese, milk, and tomato juice. Once the cheese is melted, alternate layers of this mixture with crushed tostadas in a 9 by 9 inch casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until bubbly and heated through.

Roasted Portobello Burgers with Rosemary Garlic Oven Fries

These sandwiches are just delicious! Plain and simple. The saltiness of the prosciutto really makes them soooo good! Along with the fresh mozzarella too. It’s like a fun way to eat a salad. I’ve never been much on those, but these make me feel like I am being healthy and eating one! And roasted red potatoes are the best, aren’t they? Another great recipe from Rachael Ray’s Express Lane Meals.

2 to 2 1/2 pounds red or white boiling potatoes, washed
3 T. extra virgin olive oil, plus some for drizzling
2 fresh rosemary sprigs, leaves finely chopped
Salt and black pepper
2 T. finely chopped garlic
8 large portobello mushrooms, stems removed
2 T. balsamic vinegar
4 cups arugula leaves, washed
2 jared roasted red peppers, seeded
4 slices prosciutto di Parma
4 slices fresh mozzarella cheese

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Cut the potatoes into wedges and place them onto a cookie sheet. Drizzle the potatoes with about 3 T. of olive oil and toss to coat them thoroughly in the oil. Season the potatoes with the rosemary, salt, and pepper. Roast them for 25 minutes. Halfway through the roasting, add the garlic, stir to distribute, and flip the potatoes, then continue to roast. The potatoes should be brown and tender.

While the potatoes roast, place the portobello mushroom caps on a cookie sheet. Season them with salt and pepper and arrange the mushrooms gill side up. Drizzle the gill side with a little olive oil and the balsamic vinegar. Transfer them to the oven and roast for 12 minutes, or until they are cooked through. Don’t turn off the oven just yet.

While the mushrooms are roasting, coarsely chop the arugula and roasted red peppers and combine them in a bowl. Season them with a little salt and pepper.

Top 4 of the cooked mushroom caps with a mound of the arugula and roasted pepper mixture, a slice of prosciutto, and a slice of mozzarella. Return the mushrooms to the oven to melt the cheese, about 2 to 3 minutes. Once the cheese is melted, remove the mushrooms from the oven and top each one with a second roasted mushroom cap to make a sandwich. Serve the roasted portobello burgers with the rosemary garlic oven fries. It’s easiest to eat these with a knife and fork!

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Quick Jambalaya

For a quick and comforting weeknight meal, this recipe can’t be beat. I love the combination in Jambalaya of the rice, smoked sausage, and shrimp. It is so flavorful and sure to please! Serve with french bread and butter, and a green salad.

1 (8 oz.) box red beans and rice mix
1/2 pound smoked sausage, sliced
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 T. olive oil
1/2 pound cooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 tsp. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. Louisiana-style hot sauce, optional

Cook red beans and rice mix according to package directions.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute sausage and onion in oil until onion is tender. Add the shrimp, tomatoes, brown sugar and hot sauce if using.

Cook for 3-4 minutes or until heated through. Stir in rice mixture.
Yield: 4 servings.

Cheesy Sausage Manicotti

This Italian dish is a nice warm bowl of comfort in my book. The cheese is gooey, the sauce is creamy, and the sausage just makes it! Serve it with a salad and garlic toast. Yum! This recipe was adapted from The All New Ultimate Southern Living Cookbook.

1 (8 oz.) pkg. uncooked Manicotti
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (10 oz.) can diced tomatoes with garlic, oregano, and basil
2-3 T. heavy cream
1 pound Italian sausage (I like to use Owen’s breakfast sausage in case some don’t like the fennel flavor in Italian sausage….turns out good!)
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
1 cup ricotta cheese
4 cups (16 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/2 cup chopped Italian flat leaf parsley (no substitutions, just leave it out if you can’t find any.)

Cook pasta according to package directions; rinse with cold water. Drain. (I lay out sheets of foil on my counter to place the cooked pasta on to keep them separated. In my mind, it helps with them not sticking together.)

Process tomato sauce, tomatoes, and heavy cream in a blender 20 seconds or until smooth. Set aside.

Remove and discard casings from sausage if you are using Italian. Cook sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring until meat crumbles and is no longer pink. Stir in cream cheese, ricotta cheese, 2 cups mozzarella cheese, and 1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley, if using.

Spoon into manicotti shells; arrange stuffed shells in a lightly greased 13 by 9 inch baking dish.

Pour tomato mixture over shells; sprinkle with remaining 2 cups mozzarella cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

NOTE: Assemble casserole and freeze up to 1 month. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight; bake, covered, at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 more minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. If you prefer use 2 (11 by 7 inch) baking dishes. Proceed as directed.

*This is a good dish to take to a friend in need, as well. Just add some garlic bread, a bag Caesar salad kit, and Key Lime Pie.


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Key Lime Pie

I’m being a little misleading here. This is actually a regular lime pie. We can also make it fancier by calling it a Persian Lime Pie. But seems to me, everyone loves to call these pies, key lime. It just rolls off the tongue nicely, don’t you think? We don’t have them sometimes in this small west Texas town, so regular limes are what I purchase. Persian Lime Pie, anyone?
Whatever you call it, I call it soooo good!

3 large egg yolks
1/2 cup Key Lime juice (I use regular limes.)
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1 (6-oz) ready-made graham cracker crust
Garnishes: sweetened whipped cream, lime slices

Whisk egg yolks until blended; whisk in lime juice. Add condensed milk, vanilla, and salt, whisking until blended. Pour filling into crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

Remove from oven; cool completely on a wire rack. Chill until ready to serve. Top pie with whipped cream and lime slices before serving.

MY SWEETENED WHIPPED CREAM
1 small carton whipping cream
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Whip until soft peaks form.
And yes, this can just be dessert on its own!

Yield: 8 servings

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*This makes a nice dessert to take to a friend in need as well. Pair it with Cheesy Sausage Manicotti, French bread, and a Caesar Salad kit.

Beef Stew over Potato Casserole

This recipe is Paula Deen’s Old-Time Beef Stew out of her Savannah Country Cookbook. My favorite way to serve it is to leave out the potatoes and pour it over her Potato Casserole. This is insanely delicious! Over the top madness and completely indulgent, when you feel like a major dose of comfort and utterly delicious craziness, go for it! Just do it! Prep your potatoes ahead of time and bake them during the last 25-30 minutes of the stew’s cook time.

2 pounds stew beef
2 T. vegetable oil
2 cups water
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 clove garlic, peeled
1 or 2 bay leaves
1 medium onion, sliced
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. paprika
Dash of ground allspice or ground cloves
3 large carrots, peeled and sliced
4 red potatoes, quartered (leave out if serving with the Potato Casserole, recipe follows)
3 ribs celery, chopped
2 T. cornstarch

Brown meat in hot oil. Add water, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, bay leaves, onion, salt, sugar, pepper, paprika, and allspice. Cover and simmer 1 1/2 hours.

Remove bay leaves and garlic clove. Add carrots, potatoes, if using, and celery. Cover and cook 30 40 minutes longer or until tender.

To thicken gravy, remove 2 cups hot liquid. Using a separate bowl, combine 1/4 cup water and cornstarch until smooth. Mix with hot liquid and return mixture to pot. Stir and cook until bubbly. (I generally do not have much cooking liquid left, so I skip the remove 2 cups liquid part and just mix the 1/4 cup water and cornstarch together and add to the meat.)

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Potato Casserole

This recipe is from Paula Deen’s Savannah Country Cookbook. This casserole has to be the Gran and Grandaddy and potato casserole of all potato casseroles! So good on its own to serve with a steak or amazing with Beef Stew poured over the top, everyone is sure to enjoy it!

*2 cups leftover mashed potatoes or 1 (4.7 oz.) pkg. Betty Crocker Creamy Butter instant mashed potatoes cooked to the packages directions.
*1/2 cup sour cream
*House Seasoning to taste (1 cup table salt, 1/4 cup black pepper, 1/4 cup garlic powder), I use a steak seasoning that has those same flavors such as, Bob Tallman’s Steak Dust
*1 small onion, sliced thin
*1 small bell pepper, sliced thin
*8 T. butter
*1 1/2 cups grated Cheddar cheese
*4 medium potatoes, cooked (I prefer red with the skins)
*6 slices bacon, cooked crisp

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread mashed potatoes evenly over the bottom of a casserole dish. I use the whole package of instant potatoes, if using. Layer sour cream evenly over top. (Each time you add a layer, sprinkle on a little House Seasoning or your preferred steak seasoning.)

Sauté onion an bell pepper in butter; evenly layer over top of sour cream. Yes friends, pour that good flavored butter over the sour cream as well.

Next, layer with 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese. Slice potatoes and layer over cheese until top is completely covered with potatoes.

Finally, top with remaining 1 cup cheese. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

Remove from oven and crumble bacon over the top.

Frito Pie

Garage sale time with my family was always a festive time in October. I couldn’t always count on making much money, but I knew I could count on my sister Julie’s Frito Pies! This recipe was a tradition that she always treated us with on that chilly fall day. This makes a nice big batch. Invite some friends over!

3 to 4 lbs. ground beef
1 lg. onion, chopped
2 (15-oz.) cans whole kernel corn
1 (26-oz.) can Ranch style beans
1 (18-oz.) can diced tomatoes
2 pkgs. dry ranch style dressing mix
3 pkgs. taco seasoning mix
Fritos
Shredded cheese
Sour cream
Salsa

Julie also adds: guacamole,chopped ripe black olives,chopped onion, pretty green lettuce, and
shredded sweetened coconut

Brown ground beef and onion; drain. Add remaining ingredients, leaving all liquids in vegetables. Heat until warm and serve over Fritos with desired toppings.