#1,795: Stuffing Crusted Chicken

I made this super simple recipe for dinner tonight and my family really enjoyed it.  This is so super simple it would make a great weeknight dinner because by the time my side dish was ready, so was the chicken.  Allison enjoyed this chicken cut up into strips and eaten on a little roll.  The rest of the family ate this sans-sandwich.  This will definitely be going onto our dinner menu again.

1½ pounds boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips (I used chicken tenders)

2 eggs

6 oz seasoned stuffing mix 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Trim fat from chicken breasts and slice into strips.  Beat 2 eggs in a shallow bowl, set aside.

In blender or food processor pulse stuffing mix until it's a fine crumb and transfer crumbs to a shallow bowl or plate.

Coat each chicken strip in the egg and then with the stuffing crumbs. Repeat until all chicken is coated.

Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray and place the chicken on the pan.  Bake for 15-20 minutes, flipping once.  

If you would prefer to pan fry your chicken: Fill skillet with oil about ½ inch deep. Heat oil over medium until it begins to ripple or until bubbles form immediately on the back of a wooden spoon inserted into the oil.  Fry for 4 minutes on each side.

#1,794: Baked Sloppy Joes

This was a really easy sloppy joe recipe and my family enjoyed this different take on a simple, traditional meal we eat often.  The hardest part of this recipe is trying to get the biscuit to stay closed.  I don't know if it was just me or the biscuits I used, but these did not want to stay sealed shut.  I thought it was going to be a big messy pool coming out of the oven, but as you can see from the ones I photographed, it wasn't bad at all.

1 lb Ground Beef or Turkey

Onion, 1/2 cup chopped

15 oz Tomato Sauce

1 tbsp Brown Sugar

2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce

1 tsp Seasoning Salt

Jumbo Biscuits, 1 package of 8

Start by browning your ground beef or turkey and then add chopped onions. Allow to cook for until your ground turkey is completely cooked through.

Add tomato sauce, brown sugar, worcestershire sauce, and seasoning salt. Allow to cook together for 3-4 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  Flatten your biscuits and then add about 2 spoonfuls of sloppy joe mix to each biscuits. Fold biscuit over and pinch end together.  Place on a cookie sheet and allow to cook for 13-15 minutes or until your biscuits have started to brown on the top.

#1,793: Thai-Style Vegetable Rice

I made this vegetable rice for dinner when my mom was visiting one night.  Although we both enjoyed it, it wasn't something we wanted to take again for lunch the next day.  So I took the leftovers to a coworker who also enjoy it, but agreed, eating it once was enough.  We both thought it lacked a little flavor.  It was good, but it wasn't great.  I personally wouldn't make this again, but was glad to have tried it.  I pulled this recipe out of my Family Circle magazine.  

1 1/4 c chicken broth
1 c frozen edamame (shelled)
1 small sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces (1 cup)
1/2 c thinly sliced carrots
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp ground ginger
1 clove minced garlic
1 c uncooked instant brown rice
1/4 c unsweetened light coconut milk
1 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tbsp chopped cashews

In a slow cooker combine the broth, edamame, sweet potato, carrot, curry powder, cumin, ginger, and garlic.  Cover and cook on low for 4 1/2 - 5 hurs, or until sweet potato and carrots are tender.  Add the uncooked rice into the cooker, cover and cook 10-15 minutes more or until rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed.  Stir in coconut milk and cilantro.  Sprinkle each serving with cashews. 

#1,792: Hamburger Mac

I was shocked when my picky eating 4 year old asked for seconds of this Hamburger Mac meal.  Any meal that he wants more of and doesn't make his "don't make me eat this" face is a good meal at our house.  I should get a picture of the pathetic look he gives us at most meals.  

2 cups uncooked macaroni
1 Tbsp olive oil

1 pound ground beef

1 yellow onion, chopped

1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt

Pinch chili pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon celery seed

1 large can (28 oz) of diced tomatoes (I omitted and added 1/2 a can of petite diced tomatoes and some jarred spaghetti sauce)

2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Salt  and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Start cooking the pasta: Get a large pot of hot water heating and begin cooking the macaroni as per the directions on the macaroni package.

Brown the beef and onions: While the water is heating and macaroni cooking, prepare the sauce. In a skillet, brown the ground beef in a tablespoon of olive oil on high heat. Stir only infrequently so that the ground beef has an opportunity to brown.  When the beef has mostly browned, add the onions to the pan and toss to combine. Cook until the onions are soft, about 4-6 minutes.

Add seasonings, tomatoes, and Worcestershire sauce and stir to combine. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Mix in the drained and cooked macaroni and the parsley. Cook for another 5 minutes.

Add freshly ground black pepper and  salt to taste.

#1,791: Pasta with Sausage and Ricotta

I thought MOST of my family would enjoy this meal, but figured the typical ones would balk at it (ahem my 4 and 6 year old).  Shockingly, my family really enjoyed this dinner, but most surprisingly was my picky 4 year old.  Generally, dinner consists of him crying and whining that he doesn't like dinner and doesn't want to eat.  So I was super shocked when he not only ate seconds, but came and gave me a fist bump afterwards.  LOL.  I guess he liked it.  

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 tablespoons finely chopped yellow onion

6 ounces mild pork sausage, casings removed

1 14-ounce can no-salt-added whole peeled tomatoes, chopped, with their juice (I used jarred spaghetti sauce)

1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

1/8 teaspoon salt plus 1 tablespoon, divided

12 ounces thin tube-shaped pasta, such as pasta al ceppo (I used spaghetti)

6 tablespoons part-skim ricotta cheese

10 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (I omitted)

Put 2 quarts of water on to boil in a large pot.

Meanwhile, combine oil, onion and sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring and crumbling the sausage with a spoon, until the onion is golden, 4 to 5 minutes. 

Add tomatoes, pepper and 1/8 teaspoon salt; cook until the tomatoes have reduced and separated from the oil, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon salt to the boiling water, stir in pasta and cook according to package instructions until just tender.

Just before the pasta is done, return the sauce to medium-low heat. Add ricotta and basil and stir until combined. When the pasta is done, drain well and toss with the sauce and Parmigiano. Serve at once.

#1,790: Chicken and Waffle Bites

There aren't a ton of recipe that I make that my entire family (and I mean everyone!) goes ga-ga over.  I was a little disappointed in my crew for making such a big deal about this recipe and raving about how great it was.  I made chicken and waffles with frozen chicken tender and freezer waffles.  (This is such a silly recipe I almost didn't post it!).  Sadly, I can't take credit for this super easy recipe either as I found it here.  I was supposed to make these waffle bites using mini freezer waffles, but I can't find them in my town (or at least where I shop...unless I want chocolate flavored!), so I just got regular sized ones and cut them into quarters.  My family loved this so much I've made it twice already.  So sad that THIS is what they want for dinners.  LOL  

Frozen mini waffles, toasted

chicken tenders, cooked

real maple syrup (this was pushing it with my family, so I omitted)

toothpicks

Slice your cooked chicken fingers into 3-4 pieces each. Break your toasted mini waffles apart.

Sandwich 1 piece of chicken between 2 mini waffles. Secure with a toothpick. Drizzle with maple syrup and serve warm.

#1,789: Peanut Butter Cup Brownies

I originally made these to take to book club with me, but Brian and I had to get up early the next day to give a presentation for a grant we won and I decided it was best to stay home and go to bed early.  Plus my mom was in town and I didn't want to leave her home too.  So my mom and I enjoyed a few of these (hers with a scoop of ice cream on top) and I took the rest to share with some of my teaching team members.

The original recipe has you made homemade brownies, and although I'm not opposed to that at all, I was taking the lazy route and used a box mix.  I made these in my brownie pan from Pampered Chef so all of these have nice edges to them.  I also used my Pampered Chef mini tart shaper to push a hole/well into the center of these and where I put the peanut butter filling.

These are really, really good brownies.  They are a little bit addicting and it's hard to stop after eating one.  Or at least it was for me.

I omitted these ingredients and used a box mix (with oil, egg, and water) instead.
3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 tablespoon water

1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

1 large egg*

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup milk chocolate chips

1/3 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray or grease 12 muffin cups.

I omitted this step and made a box mix of brownies.  In a medium sized microwave-safe bowl combine sugar, softened butter, and water. Microwave on high for about 45 seconds or until butter is melted. Stir in 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips until melted. Stir in egg and vanilla extract, mix well. Add flour and baking soda, stir until combined. Allow the batter to cool to room temperature (doesn’t take very long). Then, stir in 3/4 cup milk chocolate chips and remaining 1/4 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips. Spoon batter evenly into muffin cups.

Bake for 13-15 minutes or until top is set and a toothpick inserted into center comes out slightly wet. After brownies are out of the oven, wait for centers to fall. This should happen upon cooling. If not (they did not for me) then tap the centers with the back of a teaspoon or a mini tart maker to make a hole for the peanut butter.

Place peanut butter in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 45 seconds then stir. While brownies are still warm spoon about a tablespoon full of peanut butter into the center of each brownie. Top with remaining semi-sweet chocolate chips. Cool completely in pan.

Store at room temperature or in the refrigerator. To reheat the brownies just pop ’em in the microwave for 10-15 seconds.

#1,788: Banana Oat Bread

I'm always looking for easy things to give my kids for breakfast that hopefully has some sort of nutritional value to it!  (The Avenger's cereal my son picked out is not cutting it!!).  My kids really like banana bread (without nuts), so when this recipe added some oats, I was excited to try getting these non-oatmeal loving kids to get some oats in them!  They loved this bread...well the girls did.  Matthew liked it but the Avenger's cereal kept winning out.  Don't judge this bread by how brown it is...I MAY have forgotten it in the oven and over-baked it!  Oops!

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup rolled oats

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

½ cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 very ripe bananas, mashed (about 1¼ cups)

½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts (I omitted) 

Preheat oven to 350˚F (180˚C). Grease a 9-inch square baking dish and line the bottom with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisked together flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream the sugar and eggs until light and fluffy. Add the vegetable oil, vanilla and mashed banana, beat until combined.Whisk in the flour mixture by hand, about a third at a time, until combined. Stir in nuts.

Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.  Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

#1,787: 3 ingredient stuffing meatloaf

There is no shortage of meatloaf recipes on this blog!  We also absolutely love stuffing muffins at our house, and my non-meat-eating picky 4 year old loves meatloaf stuffing muffins, so when I found this recipe that only uses 3 ingredients, I knew I wanted to try it.  It's always so hard to get dinner on the table during the week.  Although this recipe needs 45-60 minutes to cook, you can get it in the oven very quickly, so you have time to go through backpacks, check homework, or sit down and pretend you can't hear your kids calling you while you watch Real Housewives (that's not me, lol).  

1.5 – 2 lbs of Hamburger (I used ground turkey)

1 box of Kraft Stove-Top Stuffing Mix

1/2 cup of Milk

Add all three ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Mix until everything evenly distributed.  Place the mixture into a baking dish and cover with foil.

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and then place your meatloaf into the oven, and bake for one hour.  (I uncovered mine at about 35 minutes and I added some ketchup to the top the last 10 minutes of baking. Mine did not take a full 60 minutes).  

#1,786: Oven Baked Parmesan Chicken Tenders

So I had intended to make a different chicken recipe for dinner and realized I was out of eggs and couldn't make it after all.  So I switched up our dinner menu and quickly threw together this oven baked parmesan chicken instead.  I am not a big fan of baked chicken but not only did I enjoy this chicken, but my kids really did too!  Allison even wanted to take the chicken for lunch the next day.  

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves or tenders

1 cup garlic bread crumbs

1/2 cup Grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400°. (I skipped this step) Pound chicken with a meat mallet to 1/2-in. thickness. 

Place bread crumbs and parmesan cheese in a large resealable plastic bag. Add chicken, a few pieces at a time; close bag and shake to coat. Transfer to a greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan.

Bake, uncovered, 15-20 minutes or until no longer pink. 

#1,785: Chicken Meatballs

So my family loves meatballs.  Ok, maybe I love meatballs and want an excuse to make them for dinner. Now if I try to serve meatballs with pasta, my family could care less about them, but I add them on bread and make a sub sandwich, they have a very different opinion!  I got some ciabatta bread from the grocery store bakery and toasted them up before adding the meatballs and some cheese...the girls were fighting over these!  They were SO good.  Ground chicken was super expensive at the store this week so I used some ground turkey instead.  And I was shockingly out of tomato sauce so I added some pizza sauce that was left in the fridge.  :)  This was a very good recipe!  

1 lb ground chicken (I used ground turkey)

1 small yellow onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

3 strips bacon, finely diced

1 egg yolk

2 tablespoons homemade tomato sauce (I used pizza sauce)

3 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley

Preheat your oven to 400º and place a rack in the upper third of your oven.

In a medium skillet over medium heat, add the diced bacon and cook until a good amount of fat has been rendered out, about 1 tablespoon or so.  (I didn't cook the onion or garlic before adding it to the meat mixture...I was too lazy).  Add the diced onion and the garlic and cook until the onion is translucent and the bacon is crispy.  Remove from the heat and cool slightly.

Combine the ground chicken, egg yolk, tomato sauce, parsley and the bacon, onion and garlic in a large bowl.  Season with salt and pepper and mix well.  Form meatballs and roll into little balls, about 1 tablespoon of mixture per ball.  Place the formed meatballs into a large baking dish about one inch apart.

Bake for 15 minutes or until cooked through (I flipped mine over once). 

These can be served as an appetizer, alongside your favorite pasta, over zucchini noodles, etc.  As you can see above, I put my cooked meatballs in a bowl and poured spaghetti sauce over it, then added it to toasted ciabatta bread with melted mozzarella.  

#1,784: Easy Wonton Tacos

This is one of those "why didn't I think of that?!" type of recipes.  It's so simple it's almost silly.  As you can see from the photo the sides without the filling are a little crispy and quite brown.  My family didn't mind that at all and enjoyed these just as is.  But next time I might try folding these up a little more like a crab rangoon with the sides folded up as well and see how they taste that way.  We loved these.  Add this one to our family favorite list!

The original recipe was made with shredded chicken but I just used some leftover taco meat that I made, and added some cheese.  My family doesn't like anything "fancy" in their tacos but this would be good with some olives, peppers, and/or jalapenos too.  We dipped these in sour cream (kids) and guacamole (me).  Two thumbs up from this family!

1 package of wonton wrappers (I actually used egg roll wrappers cut into quarters)
Small bowl of water
Leftover taco meat (beef or chicken)
Shredded mexican-blend cheese
Any other desired filling ingredients (olives, peppers, jalapenos, etc.)

Lay out one wonton wrapper and place about 1-2 tbsp in the center of each.  Add a pinch of cheese and any other desired filling ingredients.  Dip your finger in the water and moisten 2 of the corners of the wonton wrapper.  Pull up the two moistened sides and pinch together.  The water will help keep the sides stuck together.  Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and spray each lightly with some non-stick spray or olive oil spray (so it doesn't dry out too much).  Bake at 375 degrees for about 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned.  

#1,783: Glazed Strawberry Squares

If you've ever made a form of strawberry pretzel jello, this recipe is really closely to it except you don't have to cook the bottom layer first.  This recipe was also supposed to have blueberries in it, but I forgot to buy them. That's ok, because for someone who doesn't like the fruit in her jello very much, it was less fruity for me.  :)  Personally, I think this would have been better if the bottom layer was baked so that it stayed together better, but I also liked that it was quicker to make because I didn't have to cook and cool that bottom layer.  Regardless, this was good, and I made this for a family gathering and it was almost completely gone at the end of the night.  I would definitely make this again. 

2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/2 cup sugar, divided

1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted

2 pkgs. (8 oz. each) Cream Cheese, softened

8 oz thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping

1-1/2 cups fresh blueberries (I omitted)

1-1/2 cups sliced fresh strawberries

1-1/2 cups boiling water

1 pkg. (6 oz.) JELL-O Strawberry Flavor Gelatin (I used cherry because I had some on hand)

1-1/2 cups ice cubes

Mix graham crumbs, 1/4 cup sugar and butter; press onto bottom of 13x9-inch dish.

Beat cream cheese and remaining sugar in medium bowl with mixer until blended. Whisk in cool whip; spread over crust. Top with berries.

Add boiling water to gelatin mix in large bowl; stir 2 min. until completely dissolved. Add ice; stir until melted. Pour over berries. Refrigerate 4 hours or until firm.

#1,782: French toast cinnamon roll pull apart muffins

I know that these muffins probably look over cooked, but when they were done, I took them out of the muffin tins and the bottoms were still soggy.  So I flipped them over and continued cooking so that they were cooked all the way through.  Although these still tasted good, and my kids (and husband) loved them, they were a little dry because I had to cook them for so long.  Would I make these again?  Probably.  But my family would like just cinnamon rolls just as well.  

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1 package Pillsbury Grands Cinnamon Rolls (the regular would work find as well, but wouldn’t make quite as much)

2 eggs

1/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons maple syrup

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Brush butter into regular sized muffins cups, coating the bottom and sides of each cup.

In a medium sized bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, cinnamon and vanilla.

Unwrap package of cinnamon rolls and set icing aside. Cut rolls into 8 pieces each and place in the egg mixture, stirring to coat.  Divide mixture into muffin cups. Spoon any remaining egg mixture over the top of each cup.  Drizzle each cup with about half a teaspoon of maple syrup.

Bake for about 15 minutes, or until tops are golden brown.  Pour icing into a microwaveable container and heat for 7-10 seconds, just until icing is pourable. Spoon over each muffin.

Using a knife gently remove muffins from the pan and serve warm.

#1,781: Latte Overnight Oats

I have been eating overnight oats for about 2 months now almost every day for breakfast because they are so filling and really, just good.  So when I saw this recipe for latte overnight oats I was a little excited.  Sadly, these were disappointing.  I do enjoy drinking coffee, but this was way too much for me.  IF I make this again I'm going to cut way back on the coffee and use more milk (I like unsweetened cashew milk).  

1/2 cup rolled oats

1 tablespoon chia seeds

1 teaspoon turbinado sugar or brown sugar

1/2 cup Original Silk Soymilk (I used unsweetened cashew milk)

1/4 cup brewed coffee, hot or cold

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
I also added some mini chocolate chips

Add all ingredients to a bowl or jar and stir to mix completely.  Place, covered, in the fridge for at least 3 hours, or overnight. Add extra soymilk in the morning if you want to thin it out a little bit. Serve cold.

#1,780: Sausage Rolls

I made this recipe a few weeks ago for dinner and am just now getting around to posting it here for you all to see.  I made this and was a little leery that my family wouldn't like either the puff pastry or the Dijon mustard in this, but they devoured this recipe.  Granted, I didn't brush each piece of pastry with the mustard, but instead mixed it right into the cooked sausage so it would be a little less noticeable.  This will end up on another monthly menu soon!

1 pound raw bulk pork breakfast sausage 

1/2 cup finely minced onion

2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme

1 teaspoon minced fresh sage

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 (17.3 oz.) package frozen puff pastry, thawed

2 tablespoons plus 2 tsp. smooth Dijon mustard

In a bowl, mix sausage, onion, thyme, sage and crushed red pepper. Set mixture aside.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Working on a lightly floured work surface, unroll 1 sheet of puff pastry so a long side is near you. Divide dough horizontally into 2 long rectangles. Repeat with remaining sheet of puff pastry.

Brush each rectangle with 2 tsp. mustard. Cut 6 vertical 1 1/2-inch strips from each rectangle and discard any excess pastry. Place 1 Tbsp. sausage mixture in center of each strip and, beginning at one end, roll dough around mixture, pressing seam to seal. Place each roll seam-side down on a rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with remaining strips and sausage.

Bake rolls until pastry is puffed and golden, 20 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

#1,779: Asparagus walnut green bean salad

So I made this veggie side dish for Easter, but due to a child getting sick, I was the only one who ended up eating it.  :(  Boo.  Sadly I over cooked the asparagus, so it might have been a good thing that no one else had to eat it.  I personally enjoyed this dish, but it would have been better without the asparagus.  I LIKE asparagus though but it has to be cooked just perfectly for me to eat/enjoy it.  If you are a huge asparagus lover, you might love this dish then.  The walnuts are a wonderful addition as they give a nice crunch/texture to it.

This recipe also is supposed to have baby red potatoes, but I wanted just veggies in mine so I just omitted them.  

1 pound of new potatoes, about 15 (I omitted)

1 pound of green beans

1 bunch of asparagus

2 Tbs minced red onion

2 Tbs minced parsley

1 large handful of walnuts

4 Tbs olive oil

2 Tbs red wine vinegar

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 large clove of garlic, minced

8 twists of black pepper

(I omitted this step) Slice new potatoes in half or quarters (depending on size) and place in a large pot. Cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat to a slow boil and cook for 12 to 15 minutes - until fork tender.

Trim green bean ends and cut green beans in half.  Snap off tough ends of asparagus and then slice asparagus into an equal size as the green bean pieces.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Once it's boiling add both the green beans and asparagus to the boiling water. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes.

Prepare and ice bath (large bowl with half ice and half water). When the green beans and asparagus are ready - drain in a colander and then plunge into ice bath. Let them sit in the ice bath until completely cool.

Prepare vinaigrette by whisking together olive oil, red wine vinegar, dijon mustard, minced garlic and black pepper.

Drain the potatoes when ready, add to a bowl, add half the vinaigrette to the warm potatoes and toss to coat the potatoes.

Drain the green beans and asparagus from the ice bath. Pat green beans and asparagus with paper towel so they are mostly dry.

Add green beans, asparagus, red onion, parsley and walnuts to potatoes. Toss with the remaining vinaigrette and serve. 

#1,778: Marinate-all-day Parmesan Chicken

This was not the recipe I intended to make for dinner tonight, but when I went to make a different chicken dish, I realized I was out of eggs (we may have gone a little overboard coloring Easter eggs and I used them all up).  So I quickly threw this together just before lunch so it had more time to marinate in the fridge.  Phew, dinner crisis avoided.

My family LOVED this chicken.  Loved, loved, loved it.  The protein/meat is usually the least favored part of our dinner, but my kids went back for seconds.  Even super picky Matthew even at this, once I actually got him to try a piece (bribery to Chuck E Cheese may have been involved....don't judge me, we were going anyways, he just didn't know it).  

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I used chicken breast tenders)
2 tsp. crushed garlic
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
1/4 cup whole wheat Panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

I was in a rush so I didn’t heat this up.  I just poured it over the chicken and mixted it together in a ziplock bag.  Combine crushed garlic, olive oil, and poultry seasoning in small pan and heat 1 minute, until just warm.

Put chicken into ziplock bag, pour heated oil over, and marinate all day in refrigerator.

To cook, take chicken out of refrigerator and let it come to room temperature for a few minutes while you preheat oven to 425.

Mix bread crumbs and Parmesan and place cheese/breadcrumb mixture in flat dish and dip each chicken breast into it, pressing on as much of the coating as you can.

Place each chicken piece in casserole dish which has been sprayed with nonstick spray or olive oil. Bake until chicken is firm and cooked through, about 25 minutes, then put under the broiler to brown more if desired. 

#1,777: Blooming Onion Cheesy Pull Apart Loaf

I cannot believe how long it's been since my last post.  Of course, as you can imagine, I have about 10 or more coming soon now.  Life is busy.  Life is crazy.  Life is wonderful...but life is busy.  :)

I made this recipe a few weeks ago when I hosted book club.  I've had this on my pinterest board for over 2 years now, and it was way past due to try it and review it.  Holy cow, this was delicious!!  Like, go back for thirds kind of good.  It was really easy to make too, but you have to cut it very carefully so it all stays together.  Super well worth the effort though!  DELICIOUS!!

The original recipe had mushrooms in it, but as much as I like mushrooms, I really did not want mushrooms in my bread, so I omitted them.  I think it was a good call too, unless you really, really love mushrooms. 

I omitted these:
For the Mushrooms

12 oz sliced mushrooms

1 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme

For the Bread

1 unsliced loaf sourdough bread

12 ounces Provolone cheese, thinly sliced

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup finely diced green onion

2 teaspoons poppy seeds

(I omitted this step:) For the Mushrooms

Heat a medium skillet on medium. Add the butter. Once the butter is melted, add the mushrooms. Cook 4-5 minutes until they start to sweat. Add the thyme and continue to cook another 2-3 minutes.  Set mushrooms aside and allow to cool.

For the Bread

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cut the bread lengthwise and width-wise without cutting through the bottom crust. This can be a little tricky going the second way but the bread is very forgiving. Place loaf on a foil-lined baking sheet.

Insert cheese slices between cuts. Pour the mushrooms between the cuts. Use your fingers to push the mushrooms down into the loaf.

Combine butter, onion, and poppy seeds. Drizzle over bread. Wrap in foil; place on a baking sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.  Unwrap the bread and bake 10 more minutes, or until cheese is melted.