Monday, December 6, 2010

Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese, from Amber


3 cups pasta, uncooked
3 Tbl. butter, unsalted
8 oz. Velveeta cheese, cubed
1 ¼ cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 cup milk
½ cup heavy cream
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper

Cook the pasta in salted boiling water for 5 minutes or until it is just under al dente. Drain and place in the slow cooker. Add the remaining ingredients to the pasta and stir until well combined. Cook on high for 2 – 3 hours stirring about every 30 minutes. The pasta should still hold its shape and the cheese is completely creamy. This makes about 6 servings as a side dish.

Karli's Chicken Concoction, from Karli

Cut 4 chicken breasts into bite sized pieces and brown in some olive oil. 
Add one 1 can of cream of chicken soup, 2 cups water, 2 cups macaroni, a bag of pepper & onion stir fry frozen veggies and salt/pepper/garlic powder. 
Bring to a boil then simmer until pasta is done. 
Add 1/2 brick of cream cheese and cook just until cheese is melted.

Creamy Chicken Enchilada Lasagna, from Cara


Mix 8oz. of cream cheese with 2/3 of a 16 oz container of light sour cream. Add garlic powder, cumin, oregano, chili powder, cayenne, cilantro... like a LOT of this stuff to make it super tasty.

Saute chicken breasts or tenders in a pan with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Shred with 2 forks in pan and add 1 diced red bell pepper, 1 can of diced green chilis, and 1 can of diced tomatoes. Cook until peppers are tender.

Spray a 9 x 13 pan with non-stick spray. Layer taco sized whole wheat tortillas with the sauce and the chicken mixture in any order you see fit. When you're done with that dump an ass-load of sharp cheddar on top and bake until it is all melty, about 20 minutes.

Sweet Potato Apple Casserole, from Kris

Sweet Potato Apple Casserole:

- 4 or 5 small - medium yams or sweet potatoes cut to 1/4 inch thick rounds
- 4 cored apples (granny smith) cut to 1/4 inch rounds
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup toasted pecans
- 4 TBSP butter cut into slices
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ginger
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 3/4 cup orange juice
- 2 TBSP dark molasses
- miniature marshmallows to preference

In small bowl mix cinnamon, ginger and brown sugar together.

In microwave safe cup, heat orange juice and molasses and stir together until well mixed.

In a baking dish that has been lightly sprayed with no stick spray, layer 1/2 of the sweet potato slices, top with half of the apple slices, add half of the raisins, half of the pecans and top with half of the brown sugar mixture. "Dot" with half of the butter slices, making sure to get little chunks of butter well distributed. Repeat for one more layer and then pour the orange juice mixture over entire casserole. Bake covered at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Remove cover and bake an additional 20 minutes (or until sweet potatoes and apples are tender). In the last 5 minutes of cooking, add as many marshmallows to the top as you want. Remove from oven before marshmallows burn (this is a very important step!).

Easy As Apple Pie Pork Chops, from Stacy

Spray a 9x13 baking dish.
Put a can of apple pie filling on the bottom. 
Layer with boneless pork chops. 
Prepare boxed stove top and layer that on top of the chops. 
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes covered. 

Note from Stacy:  That stuffing, apples, pork chop casserole was delicious. Easy and probably not all that healthy, but yummy!  


I sprinkled cinnamon on the apples, then garlic salt on the pork. I also used the pork flavored "Stove Top" stuffing. I'll definitely be making it again in a pinch. I have to remember to keep that stuff on hand.

Chicken Comfort Casserole, from Kris

2 cans green beans, drained
breasts of 2 rotisserie chickens shredded
1 can mushroom soup
1 pint sour cream
1 envelope onion soup mix
1 bag/box cubed stuffing mix, preseasoned
1 cup hot chicken broth
1 cup sharp cheddar, grated

In 9x13 pan that has been lightly sprayed, add both cans of green beans. Top the green beans with shredded chicken. Mix together sour cream, mushroom soup and onion soup mix. Spread over chicken layer. Mix together chicken broth and cube stuffing, place in pan as top layer. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove cover, sprinkle cheese on top of stuffing and bake additional 15 - 20 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve with a crisp green salad.