Mmm, Mmm Monday- Chicken Noodle Soup

Our family has definitely needed it's fair share of chicken soup this year. We've battled one illness after the other and it's only December! I make this soup often because it's comforting and delicious. It has become our favorite meal, along with a loaf of crusty bread. I hope that your family enjoys it too!

Chicken Noodle Soup
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. butter
1 small white onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery stalks, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup flour
8 cups chicken broth
3 cups cooked shredded chicken breast
2 cups uncooked egg noodles
1 tsp. salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

Heat oil 1 Tbsp. of butter of medium-high heat in a large Dutch oven. Saute the onion, carrots, and celery until slightly softened, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and cook for one more minute.  Add the remaining Tbsp. of butter and let it melt. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables. Stir and cook for a minute.  Slowly stir in the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for  10-15 minutes.


Add the chicken, seasonings, and noodles and stir to combine. Cook until the noodles are al dente, about 10 minutes.  Season with additional salt and other seasonings if needed (I used low sodium broth, so I needed to add a lot more salt).  Serve with warm bread and enjoy!

Mmm, Mmm Monday: Mediterranean Pork Chops

In August I spent a Sunday afternoon preparing a bunch of freezer meals for the upcoming busy school year.  It's been great for those days when both Andy and I have things going on and won't get home until late and when I just don't feel like preparing a crockpot meal the night before or in the morning before work.

One of the recipes we tried were these Mediterranean Pork Chops.  I found this recipe from Aimee's website. I found many recipes on her site, and they were all great. These were a great change from the usual pork chops we make. They have great flavor and are super easy. The best part is that this recipe made two meals. I froze them in Ziploc bags and when we were ready to use them, I put them in the refrigerator the night before and popped them in the crockpot the next morning, partially frozen.

Mediterranean Pork Chops

adapted from Six Cents

1/4 cup olive oil

2 cups chick broth

4 cloves of garlic

2 tbsp paprika

2 tbsp poultry seasoning

2 tsp dried oregano

2 tsp dried basil

6-8 thick cut pork chops

salt

Directions:  Split all ingredients into two bags.  Add a little salt to each bag, to taste.  Cook on low for 8 hours.

Easy peasy!

Here's how I put them into the freezer. Everything was assembled right in the bags. I just squish everything around to mix it up. No clean up!

These are great with salad, rice, pasta, whatever! We've had them several times now and they've definitely become a new favorite. I hope you give them a try!

Mmm, Mmm Monday-Buffalo Chicken Burgers

I really thought I had already posted this recipe because it's one of our favorites! If you like the Chicken Zucchini Burgers, it might become a favorite of yours too.

I actually like this recipe a little more that the zucchini burgers. These have a ton of flavor and the sauce gives them a little something extra.

Buffalo Chicken Burgers
adapted from Weight Watchers

1/4 cup bbq sauce
1 1/2 tsp. hot sauce, or to taste
1 pound uncooked extra lean ground chicken breast
1/2 cup scallion, sliced
1/4 cup celery, diced
1/4 cup plain breadcrumbs
2 tsp. minced gralic
1/2 tsp. salt

Here's your ingredient list. Pretty simple, but the result is tasty! Combine the barbeque sauce and hot sauce together in a small bowl. I added about a teaspoon of hot sauce and it wasn't too spicy for our family.

Combine your other ingredients into a small bowl. The kids like the veggies on the softer side so I saute them a little before adding them to the mixture, but you can leave them uncooked if you like some crunch. Add one tablespoon of the sauce to the chicken mixture.

Combine well and form into four patties.  The mixture will be sticky, so I usually cut out four pieces of wax paper and form the patties on the paper. Then I can flip them directly onto the grill and peel the paper off.  Brush the tops of the patties with half of the sauce.  Place them sauce side down onto the grill and baste the tops with the rest of the sauce.

 Grill on medium-high for about 10 minutes, or until cooked through. Turn once if you're using a regular grill.

If you want the true Buffalo chicken taste, you can add some blue cheese crumbles. 

Reviews from The Peanut Gallery

Me: 5 out of 5 stars. I really love these. We always have one extra patty and I enjoy it the next day cut up with a salad. 

Andy: 5 out of 5 stars. These have great flavor. He likes them better when the veggies are sauteed.  

Emma: 

She doesn't like any type of meat, especially when she can see "green stuff." She says she loves these but it took a lot of coaxing to get her to eat it.

Sophia:

 She loved them! No complaints out of her and she asked for seconds.

Mmm, Mmm Monday: Crock-Pot Mongolian Beef

You all know that I have a love affair with my crock-pot. If it wasn't for that beloved appliance, we would be eating sandwiches everyday during the school year.  This was a great meal to throw together on a weekend morning. We get so busy and sometimes forget about dinner on the weekends and end up eating leftovers. We could be out and about all day and come home to a good meal.

I really wanted to try this recipe but I was hesitant because the girls don't eat beef. I figured I'd give it a shot though and it was really good!

Crock-Pot Mongolian Beef
recipe adapted from Not So Perfect Mom

1 1/2 pounds flank steak, cut into stir fry sized strips
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
3/4 cup water
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup shredded carrots
3 medium green onions, chopped

Here's the lineup. Unfortunately, the people in my life won't eat green onions, so I used yellow onion instead. Boo.

Spray your crock-pot with cooking spray. Coat each piece of beef in the cornstarch and place the meat in the pot. Discard any unused cornstarch.

Add the carrots to the pot and mix the remaining ingredients in a small bowl.  I actually left the olive oil out of the mixture and it came out fine. Pour the sauce over the meat and carrots and give it a quick stir. Cook on high for 2-3 hours or on low for 4-5 hours. Serve over rice and garnish with additional chopped green onions.

Reviews From the Peanut Gallery
Me: 5 out of 5 stars. This was really yummy. The sauce got nice and thick and had a ton of flavor. I would have loved to add broccoli and other veggies to it.

Andy: 4.5 out of 5 stars. He liked the thickness of the sauce and the tenderness of the meat. He would have liked it with a little more of a kick.

Emma: Eh. She ate a couple of bites, but not without complaint. This was not surprising.

Sophia: Tore it UP. She scarfed down her portion before I even got started and asked for more. This girl is definitely not a vegetarian. :)

Mmm, Mmm Monday-Oven Baked Pecan-Crusted Chicken Tenders

I have to give a shout out to my awesome friend, Stephanie. One, for being one of the coolest people on the planet and for sharing this recipe, which has become a staple in our menu rotation.  We eat a lot of chicken, and I'm always looking for new ways to cook it, because chicken breast is pretty boring, you know?

She promised that adults and kids would gobble it up and she was right (she usually is ;))! This is super easy to make and SO good. Just typing this recipe makes me want to whip up a batch because they're that good.

 Here's what you'll need: 2 pounds of chicken breasts cut into strips, 1 cup pecan pieces, 1/2 cup bread crumbs, 2 eggs, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons of Emeril's Essence Seasoning.

 In a food processor, combine the pecans, bread crumbs, and 1 tablespoon of seasoning. Pulse for a minute until well combined.

Beat two eggs with the olive oil and remaining Essence. Set up your assembly line to dredge the chicken pieces in the egg mixture, then the breading mixture. Place the strips on a lightly greased cookie sheet. I like to coat the strips in a Ziploc bag and line the pan with foil to make cleanup a little easier.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, turning once halfway through, until the chicken is cooked through. We love ours with Emeril's honey mustard sauce.

In a small bowl, mix 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons creole mustard (we use Dijon), 2 tablespoons honey, pinch of salt and a pinch of cayenne (or to taste). Even our girls like the honey mustard sauce!

Reviews from the Peanut Gallery:

Me: 5 out of 5 stars. I am not a fan of plain chicken breast, but I live in a world of folks that only like chicken breast. This is a great way to please all of us. The chicken is so tender, juicy and flavorful, especially with the sauce. I'd love to try it in a spinach salad, but there's never any leftovers for me to try it out!

Andy: 5 out of 5 stars. He loves the pecan crust because it keeps the chicken tenders very moist. However, he threatened to lower his score because he had NO idea the honey mustard sauce included mayonnaise. He never would have eaten it because he loathes mayonnaise. I'm sneaky like that. ;)

Emma: "It's delicious and good too!"

Sophia: "Yum, yum!"

Emeril's Oven Baked Pecan-Crusted Chicken Tenders
Recipe via the fabulous Mrs. Jones ;)

2 pounds chicken breast, sliced lengthwise into strips
1 cup pecan pieces
1/2 cup bread crumb
2 eggs
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons of Emeril's Essence Seasoning

Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a food processor, combine the pecans, bread crumbs, and 1 tablespoon of seasoning. Pulse for a minute until well combined. Beat two eggs with the olive oil and remaining Essence. Set up your assembly line to dredge the chicken pieces in the egg mixture, then the breading mixture. Place the strips on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes, turning once halfway through, until the chicken is cooked through.

Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons creole mustard
2 tablespoons honey
pinch of salt
pinch of cayenne (or to taste)

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl and serve with chicken tenders.

Mmm, Mmm Monday-The Best Carrot Cake EVER

I'm not exaggerating. This really is the best carrot cake ever, says the lady who doesn't even like carrot cake. Most of the recipes I share on the blog are the easy, somewhat healthy recipes of a working mom. This is not one of them.

I first tasted this cake at work, when a coworker brought it in. I wasn't too psyched about it, because, like I said, I don't really like carrot cake. But it was in celebration of someone's birthday and it felt rude not to partake in the celebration. I am so happy I did not miss out on this cake! I decided to make it on my own and found that it was a little labor intensive, but the final product was a moist, delicious crowd-pleasing cake that was worth every ounce of effort.

I made this cake for Easter and it was just as delicious as the first time. There's a leftover piece in my refrigerator right now, just waiting to be eaten once the kids go to bed. ;)

These are the ingredients you will need for the cake. The glaze and frosting are another set of ingredients. Yeah, it's a lot, but it's worth it. You'll need vegetable oil, buttermilk, sugar, flour, baking soda, salt, vanilla, eggs, crushed pineapple cinnamon, pecans (or walnuts), coconut, and carrots.

Line 3 (9-inch) round cake pans with wax paper; lightly grease and flour wax pans over the wax paper.  Stir the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together in a medium bowl.  Set aside.

Beat eggs, sugar, oil, buttermilk, and vanilla at medium speed until smooth. Add flour mixture, beating at low speed until blended. Fold in carrot, pineapple, coconut, and pecans.  Pour evenly into the three pans and bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.


While the cake is baking, make the buttermilk glaze.

Combine 1 cup sugar, 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda, 1/2 cup buttermilk, 1/2 cup butter, and 1 tbsp. light corn syrup in a large Dutch oven. I don't have a Dutch oven, so I did mine in a bowl over a pot of boiling water. Bring the ingredients to a boil, stirring often for 4 minutes. Remove from heat, then add 1 tsp. of vanilla.

 Once the cakes are out of the oven, pour the glaze evenly over the layers. Leave them in the pan for 15 minutes. The glaze will soak into the cake layers, making them moist and super yummy. I like to poke holes in my layers with a fork before I pour the glaze on top. I don't know if it makes a difference, but I like to think so. :)

After 15 minutes, remove the cakes from the pans. This is messy, but the best method I have found is to run a knife along the edges, then place a sheet of wax paper on top of the cake, then place another wire rack on top. Flip the entire thing over, so that the cake slides out of the pan and onto the wax paper covered rack. Peel off the wax paper that was on the bottom of the pan. Then, repeat the flipping with the other wire rack so the cake is now resting on its bottom, ready to cool completely. You will still get sticky cake all over the wax paper, but that's easily lickable, er, disposable. ;)

Once the layers are completely cooled, frost the cake, and in between each layer, with cream cheese frosting. To make the frosting, beat 3/4 cup softened butter and 11 ounces softened cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add 3 cups powdered sugar and 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla and beat until smooth. You can sift the sugar if you're fancy, but I'm not fancy and it came out fine.

 You can top the cake with coconut or chopped nuts, or just keep it clean. Either way, you will love this cake and so will anyone else lucky enough to get a piece.

The Best Carrot Cake Ever
Recipe from Southern Living 

Cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 large eggs
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups grated carrot
1 (8 ounce) can crush pineapple, drained
1 (3 1/2 can) flaked coconut*
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts 
 *I had a bag of coconut and used a little less than 1/2 cup

Line 3 (9-inch) round cake pans with wax paper; lightly grease and flour wax pans over the wax paper.  Stir the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together in a medium bowl.  Set aside. Beat eggs, sugar, oil, buttermilk, and vanilla at medium speed until smooth. Add flour mixtures, beating at low speed until blended. Fold in carrot, pineapple, coconut, and pecans.  Pour evenly into the three pans and bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Drizzle buttermilk glaze evenly over layers.  Cool in pans on wire racks for 15 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely on wire racks. Spread cream cheese frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake.

Buttermilk Glaze: 
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup butter
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine sugar, baking soda, buttermilk, butter, and corn syrup in a large Dutch oven. Bring the ingredients to a boil, stirring often for 4 minutes. Remove from heat, then add vanilla.

Cream Cheese Frosting: 
3/4 cup butter, softened
8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
3 ounce package cream cheese, softened
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth. This makes plenty of frosting, so don't be afraid to frost the layers with plenty of frosting!

Mmm, Mmm Monday-Chicken Pot Pie Cupcakes

Wow it's been a long time since I've posted a recipe! I swear, I've been feeding my family!

I've seen this recipe floating around Pinterest and it looked right up our alley. It is a great weeknight recipe and it makes a lot so you'll have yummy leftovers for lunch the next day.

Easy peasy. My kind of recipe. ;)

This is usually my view when I'm cooking. The cheese snatchers begin to lurk.

Flatten the biscuit dough and press it into your greased muffin tins. As you can tell, this doesn't have to be an exact science.

Mix everything up and spoon the mixture into the dough.

Bake for 12-15 minutes until the dough is browned and the mixture is bubbly.

 

Reviews from the Peanut Gallery

Me: 5 out of 5 stars: A whole meal, wrapped up in a neat little package. Perfect! 

Andy: 4.5 out of 5 stars: He doesn't like peas (or most veggies) but they are hardly noticeable in this recipe.

Emma: 3 out of 5 stars: She liked the cheese and the crust. 

Sophia: 4 out of 5 stars. She ate these right up. She did not enjoy having the filling fall out once she ate the bottom of the cupcake. ;)

Chicken Pot Pie Cupcakes 
Recipe from SunnySlideUp

2 (10 oz) cans Pillsbury biscuits
2 cups cooked chicken; diced
1 cup shredded cheese
1 cup frozen vegetables
1 can cream chicken
seasonings (I used salt, pepper, thyme, garlic powder, and onion powder)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix chicken, cream of chicken, cheese, vegetables, and seasonings. Slightly flatten biscuit dough and press into greased muffin tins. Spoon mixture into dough cups and bake for 12-15 minutes. 

Mmm, Mmm Monday - Crock-Pot Ravioli Casserole

Once school starts, I am on the hunt for quick and easy recipes. If it can be done in the crock-pot, I love it even more. While this recipe was delicious, I wouldn't say it necessarily needed to be done in the crock-pot and it isn't one I would be able to throw together in the morning before school. This would make a great weekend meal to come home to though!

Crock-Pot Ravioli Casserole
Recipe from Becoming Betty

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (15 oz.) can stewed tomatoes
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
salt/pepper
10 oz. frozen spinach, thawed (I used fresh spinach)
16 oz. bowtie past, cooked
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
1 1/2 cup mozzarella, shredded

First set of ingredients

Brown the ground beef with onions and garlic.

Put in the crock-pot and add the sauce, stewed tomatoes, and seasonings. I did this step the night before. The next morning, I cooked it on low for 6-7 hours.

The second set of ingredients.  I also cooked the pasta the night before.

Add the spinach, pasta, Parmesan and 1 cup of the mozzarella. Mix well and top with the remaining cheese. Turn on high and cook for 30 more minutes. I cooked mine a little longer to make sure my cold noodles were thoroughly warmed.

We served ours with warm, crusty bread.

Reviews from The Peanut Gallery:

Me: 4 out of 5 stars. This was really good, but could have been done without the crock-pot. When cooking crock-pot recipes, I'm a "throw it all in" kinda girl. I really loved the addition of the fresh spinach and stewed tomatoes. I love sneaking in those veggies!

Andy: 5 out of 5 stars. He has already requested that this be made again.

Emma:

This recipe has meat and offensive noodle shapes. She ate it, but not without some drama. Normal kids would love it, though.

Sophia:

She ate it up without complaint. She tried to pick the spinach out, but chopping the spinach up prior to adding it would be an easy fix.

Mmm, Mmm Monday- Man Pleasing Chicken

Don't you love the name of this dish? Ha! We now call it "Yummy Chicken" because it's not just man pleasin'.

I stumbled upon this recipe on Pinterest and the picture looked so mouthwatering that I just had to give it a try. Plus, it looked so simple to make--score!

Some comments on the website where I found the recipe said that it had too strong of a mustard flavor. Others said it didn't taste like mustard at all. I think it's in the middle. If you don't like mustard, please don't eat this because it does taste like mustard. It's baked in mustard for heaven's sake! However, both of my girls love it, even my picky three year old, if that tells you anything.

Man Pleasing Chicken

Recipe adapted from Witty in the City

1 package of chicken thighs

1/2 cup dijon mustard

1/4 cup maple syrup (not pancake syrup)

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a small bowl, combine the mustard, syrup, and vinegar.

 Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a small bowl, combine the mustard, syrup, and vinegar.  Line a square baking dish with foil (PLEASE don't miss this step!). Place your chicken in the pan and season both sides with salt and pepper. Pour the mustard mixture over the chicken and turn to coat. Bake uncovered for 40 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165. Baste the top of the chicken halfway through baking. I put it under the broiler for the last 5 minutes of cooking to brown the tops. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving. Serve each piece with plenty of sauce!

Reviews from the Peanut Gallery:

Me: 5 out of 5 stars. I love, love, love this dish.  I have made it several times and each time I say that I'm going to try it with pork chops, chicken wings, in the crock-pot.... I've also made this with chicken breasts and it was good, but I'm not a big fan of chicken breast. 

Andy: 5 out of 5 stars. The name doesn't lie.

Emma: Yum!

Sophia: Tried to eat her sauce covered hand when all the chicken was gone.