African Chow Mein

1 – 1 ½ lbs. ground beef/turkey
1 cup chopped onion
¾ cup uncooked quick rice
2 cups celery, chopped
1 can chicken noodle soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup (see alternative below)
¼ cup soy sauce
1 cup water

Cream of Mushroom Alternative:

¼ cup butter
¼ cup flour
2 cups milk
1 (8 ounce) can mushrooms, keep the juice in

For cream mixture:  Melt butter.  Add flour and stir over medium heat until thick and bubbly.  Slowly add milk while stirring.  Add mushrooms.  Allow to thicken over medium heat.

Brown beef and onion.  Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.  Pour into a 2-quart casserole dish and bake 45-50 minutes at 350º.

Easy Meatloaf

1 package Stove Top stuffing
½ cup Salsa
1 ½ lb. Ground beef
1 egg

⅓ cup water

 Combine dry stuffing, egg, salsa, and water in the mixer.  Mix for about 30 seconds.  Add ground mean.  Mix for another 30 seconds.  Put in loaf pan.  Cook for 1 hour on 350°.

Meatloaf

Source: my sister-in-law.  She made this for me when I was pregnant and sick with my second daughter.  It was like manna from heaven.  (Makes a great freezer meal)

1 – 1 ½ lbs ground beef or turkey
½ cup oatmeal
1 teaspoon mustard
½ cup milk
1 small onion
1 egg
¾ teaspoon salt
Dash pepper

Topping:
¾ cup Ketchup
2 TBSP brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350º.  Combine all ingredients and place in a 9X13 baking dish (it's going to be long and flat...not like a traditional meatloaf).  Spread topping evenly over the top of the meatloaf.  Cover with foil and bake 1 – 1 ½ hours.

Tara’s Chicken Salad

2-3 chicken breasts, shredded
Golden raisins
Mayonnaise (not Miracle Whip) until moist
Diced green peppers
Green onion, chopped
Celery

Boil chicken and shred.  Add remainder of ingredients.  Allow to chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.  Serve chilled in croissants. 

**This is a good recipe for recycling chicken.  We like this as a summer recipe.

Creamy Italian Chicken

¼ cup butter
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 Italian Dressing mix packet
1 (4 ounce) container cream cheese
1 can cream of mushroom soup (see alternative below)

Cream of Mushroom Alternative:

¼ cup butter
¼ cup flour
2 cups milk
1 (8 ounce) can mushrooms, keep the juice in

For cream mixture: Melt butter. Add flour and stir over medium heat until thick and bubbly. Slowly add milk while stirring. Add mushrooms. Allow to thicken over medium heat.

In a crockpot melt butter.  Add chicken and sprinkle packet of Italian Dressing mix over the chicken.  Cook on high for 3-5 hours until chicken is done.  Shred with a fork.  Add cream cheese and cream of mushroom soup (or alternative).  Cook on low for 1 more hour.  Serve over rice.

Dijon-Lime Chicken

3 ½ lb. Precut chicken or Split breasts
3 TBSP Dijon mustard
1 TBSP Mayonnaise
1 clove minced garlic
 zest and juice of 1 lime
¾ teaspoon pepper
Salt

Preheat the oven to 400°.  Rinse the chicken and pat dry; place in a large bowl.  In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, mayonnaise, garlic, lime zest and juice, and pepper.  Season the chicken generously with salt.  Pour the mustard-mayonnaise mixture over the chicken and toss well to coat.  In a large baking pan, arrange the chicken to fit in a single layer.  Bake until it is cooked through; breasts will take about 30 minutes and lets will need 5-10 minutes longer.  Serve the chicken with the pan juices drizzled over the top.  If desired sprinkle a little more lime zest on chicken as a garnish

Chicken Pot Pie

1 Package (10 ounce) frozen Vegetables (Your choice...I like mixed & add extra)
⅓ cup butter or stick margarine
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
⅓ cup onion
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 ¾ cups chicken broth (1 can)
⅔ cup milk
2 ½ to 3 cups cut-up cooked chicken or turkey
Frozen Pie Crust (the roll out kind works great!)

 Rinse frozen peas and carrots in cold water to separate; drain.  Melt butter in 2-quart saucepan over medium heat.  Stir in flour, onion, salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is bubbly; remove from heat.  Stir in broth and milk.  Heat to boiling, stirring constantly.  Boil and stir 1 minute.  Stir in chicken and peas and carrots; remove from heat.  Heat oven to 425º.  Make pastry.  Roll two-thirds of the pastry into 13-inch square.  Ease into ungreased square pan, 9 X 9 X 2 inches.  Pour chicken mixture into pastry-lined pan.  Cover top with remaining pastry.  Cut slits in top.  Bake about 35 minutes or until golden brown.

**Good recipe for using up leftover chicken.

Beef Fajitas

Source

1/2 C Canola oil
1/3 C soy sauce
1/4 C balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp fresh lime or lemon juice
1 1/2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 1/2 pounds flank steak
Combination of peppers – red, yellow, orange, green and onion, sliced.
Olive oil
Salt

Using a medium bowl,combine the oil, soy sauce, vinegar, lemon or lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, garlic, and ground black pepper. Place meat in a large zip loc baggie and pour marinade over the steak. Turning meat to coat thoroughly. Refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours or overnight.

Preheat grill for medium-high heat.  Place steaks on the grill, and discard the marinade. Grill meat for 5 minutes per side, or to desired doneness. Slice meat thinly going across the grain.  While meat is grilling, saute onions and peppers in olive oil and salt until tender.

 Serve with meat on a tortilla. Add sour cream, guacamole and or salsa.

**The is the fajita recipe I've been looking for all my life.  Love it!

Lemon Basil Chicken

1 cup Miracle Whip
2 teaspoon honey
2 TBSP lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1 fryer, cut up (2 ½-3 lbs.)
 
Preheat oven to 375 º.  Mix Miracle Whip, juice, honey, and basil.  Place chicken in 13X9 baking dish (sometimes I place cooked/uncooked rice and a little water under the chicken).  Spread with salad dressing mixture.  Bake 45 minutes or until cooked through and rice is cooked. 

*This recipe is nothing special, but its kid friendly and a good way to use chicken.  I like to use the precut fryer or just the split bone-in chicken breasts, which are less expensive anyways; making this a cheap meal!

Easy Chicken Wrap

⅓ cup mayonnaise

4 whole wheat tortillas
2 cups cooked chicken Breast (I like mine shredded)
¼ cup roasted sweet red peppers
¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
¼ cup sliced Basil leaves

Warm tortilla and chicken.  Spread Mayonnaise on tortilla and top with chicken and remaining ingredients.

*With this recipe I like to boil a split chicken breast (the bone-in kind...remove the skin) ahead of time.  Bone-in chicken tends to be cheaper, so its a good way to save money.  Boil the chicken until its done then remove and cool.  When chicken is cool, remove from the bone and set aside.  You can do this a day or so in advance or earlier in the day, which will make this a quick meal when you're ready to eat.  I like to plan this meal around another meal involving boiled chicken, because then I can do it all at once and utilize the chicken in several meals.