Crescent Chicken Squares

4 oz cream cheese
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
2 TB pimento
1/3 cup Italian bread crumbs
5 TB butter
salt & pepper to taste
1 TB onion flakes
1 tsp oregano
2 cans crescent rolls

Blend cream cheese and 4 TB butter. Add chicken, pimento, onion flakes,oregano, salt & pepper. Mix well. Separate dough into 8 squares. Put 1/3 cup mixture into each square. Pull corners together and pinch to seal. Brush top with melted butter and sprinkle bread crumbs on top. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet for 20-25 minutes on 350*.

This is a recipe that my mom had when I was growing up. I think she got it from a lady at our church. I, of course, have added some things and deleted some things to make this my own :) I use this recipe a lot for company because they look "fancy" but are so easy. They taste yummy too! (I usually do 2 chicken thighs and 2 chicken breasts..only because I think the dark meat adds some flavor to it)
Dinner tonight was all three of the following posts. Crescent Chicken Squares, Italian Potatoes and Green Bean Bundles. This is a nice little dinner for guests...because it looks cute and different and is easy to make! :)

Italian Potatoes

6 regular size potatoes
1 pkt dry Italian dressing mix
1 stick of butter

Skin, Wash and Dice potatoes. Put into microwave safe bowl with lid. Cut butter into pats and add to potatoes. Sprinkle with Italian dressing mix. Put lid on and microwave for 10 minutes. Stir, then microwave for 10 more minute (covered).

I am not sure where I got this recipe but a BIG thank you to you wherever you are! The original recipe doesn't have you skin the taters....just wash and dice and cook with skins still on...but my kiddos are not fans of that, and the taters are so much more tender when you cook without the peel...BUT whatever you like will work! :) It is SOO easy and SOO good. It is a wonderful recipe when you need taters but are sick of mashed or baked :)

Green Bean Bundles

3 cans whole green beans
Bacon (cut in half)
3/4 sticks butter (melted)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 tsp dry ground mustard

Wrap 1/2 piece of bacon around 8-10 green beans. Place in 9x13 baking dish. Make a glaze with remaining ingredients. Pour over beans. Cover and bake for 30 minutes on 350*. Then uncover and bake 15 more minutes.

I got this recipe from my sister in law, Jessica. This is one of my favorites!!! It is always a big hit...whether it is my 4 year old daughter or company...everyone loves these! SOOOO GOOD!

Cheesy Chicken Casserole
2 chicken thighs (cooked)
3 chicken breast (cooked)
1 medium onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 cup celery
1 stick of butter
1/2 lb Velveeta
1 can cream of mushroom
12oz pkg egg noodles
1 cup crushed corn flakes

(I cook my chicken in the crockpot all day. I add a little water so I can use the broth to boil my noodles) Saute onion, celery and bell pepper in part of the butter til tender. Add soup and cheese and heat until cheese melts..stirring occasionally. Cook the noodles in the chicken broth until tender. Cut or shred chicken into small pieces. Add noodles and chicken to soup mixture. Pour into lightly greased 9x13 dish and bake at 350* for 30-35 minutes. Meanwhile Mix one cup crushed cornflakes with remaining butter and sprinkle on top and bake for 15 more minutes or until browned.

This is one of my favorite recipes that my mom used to make at home. (She got it from my Mammaw.) But I used to request this dinner ALL THE TIME! Mom even made it for me when she came to visit and I was pregnant with my daughter!

Lasagna Supreme
1 lb ground beef
1 lb sausage
1 green pepper, diced
1 med. onion, diced
1 small carton mushrooms, sliced
1 lg container cottage cheese
15 oz ricotta cheese
1 large jar spaghetti sauce
16 oz Mozzarella cheese
16 oz Italian blend cheese
Lasagna Noodles (approx 18)

Add beef, sausage, green pepper, onion, and sliced mushrooms to large pan, cook until meat is browned and veggies are tender. Drain. Add spaghetti sauce to meat mixture. In separate bowl mix ricotta and cottage cheeses together. Meanwhile boil lasagna noodles according to pkg directions. Lightly grease a 11x15 pan (yes I know that is bigger than 9x13..but face it..this is a LOT of food!) and place noodles in pan. (I usually do 4 noodles horizontally, then two on each side...to fill bottom of pan) Then add 1/3 meat mixture to noodles. Top with 1/3 of ricotta and cottage cheese mixture. Then top with Mozzarella cheese. Next 2 layers.. (noodles, meat mixture, cheese mixture, shredded cheese). Bake at 350* for 30-35 minutes or until nice and bubbly.

This is a recipe that I have just kinda fiddled with for years. And this is my final creation :) I will admit this is a LOT of Lasagna...so I usually make this for company...or my poor hubby would be eating these leftovers for lunch for a month! But it is totally worth it! So good!!!

Chicken & Cheese Chowder
2 chicken thighs
4 chicken breasts
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small bag of baby carrots, diced
6 potatoes, peeled and diced
salt & pepper to taste
1 tsp garlic salt
1/2 cup flour
2 cups milk
one stick of butter
large block of Velveeta
Place chicken in pot, cover with water (fill pot with 2/3 full of water). Add celery, onion, salt, pepper and garlic salt. Cook chicken until it is very tender or starting to fall off the bone. While chicken is cooking, cut up carrots, and taters. Remove chicken from pot and add carrots and taters to broth, cook til tender. Remove chicken from bone, tear into bite size pieces add back to pot. Let this simmer....MEANWHILE
Melt ONE STICK of butter in large bowl in microwave. Add 1/2 cup flour to melted butter and stir til creamy. Add 2 cups milk and stir into flour butter mixture. Cut large block of Velveeta into chunks and add to mixture. Place in microwave, cover and cook for 5-10 minutes. Stirring every 2 minutes until cheese is completely melted and creamy. Add to soup stirring constantly...heat on low to keep soup from sticking.

I will admit to you....this recipe is SOOOOO delish! But it is VERY time consuming! It isn't complicated or anything but it takes awhile...but I promise it is totally worth it!! I serve this with Garlic Cheese biscuits... SO YUMMY! And this recipe makes a lot!

Beef Tips
2 lbs stew meat
1 can cream of mushroom
1 pkg dry onion soup mix
small onion (diced)
salt and pepper to taste
Rinse meat and put in dutch oven. Salt and pepper. Cut up onion and put over meat. Mix soups plus one can of water in bowl then pour over meat. Roast at 325* for 3 1/2 hours. Serve over rice. Altho today I tried it with mashed potatoes and it was just as yummy!!! :)

Crescent Breakfast Casserole
2 cans crescent rolls
8 oz cream cheese
1 lb sausage
1 can chopped olives
Add sausage, cream cheese and olives to skillet and cook til sausage is browned and cream cheese is melted. Layer bottom of 9x13 LIGHTLY greased pan with one can of crescent rolls. Bake for about 5-7 minutes on 350*. Then add cream cheese mixture on top and then second can of crescent rolls on top of mixture. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

I have had this recipe for years. I got this recipe back when I was working as a teller at a bank...waiting for Matt to graduate college so we could get hitched! :) The bank I worked at had a kitchen in the back and usually someone would bring stuff to make breakfast in the mornings and this was a recipe we made at least one a week. I have been known to add fresh mushrooms and an onion to the mix to spice it up a bit.
This recipe is also a big hit in my Sunday school class when I bring breakfast! This is also a very yummy thing for brunches. :)

Banana Nut Muffins
2 cups sugar
3/4 oil
3 eggs
4 large ripe bananas
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup buttermilk**
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans
6 oz chocolate chips
Dissolve baking soda in buttermilk and set aside. Cream together sugar, oil and eggs. Add bananas and mix. Add salt, flour and buttermilk (with dissolved baking soda). Mix then add vanilla, nuts and chocolate chips. Grease muffin tin and fill cups up 1/3. Bake on 350* for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
**I never have buttermilk on hand so I have to make it myself. I found this recipe in my trusty Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook. Add 1/4 TB of vinegar to measuring cup, then add enough milk to equal 1/4 cup total. Let it stand for 5 minutes. Tadah! :)

I got this recipe from my pal Erin. She used to make loaves of banana nut bread that were SOO delsih!. But one day I decided to fiddle around with it a little and changed her recipe to make muffins...oh and I added the chocolate chips! :)

Chicken & Rice
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1/2 cup butter
salt & pepper to taste
1 pkt dry onion soup mix
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup uncooked white rice
2 cups water.
In a 9x13 melt butter, salt and pepper chicken pieces and place them in the dish. Sprinkle with dry onion soup mix and mushroom soup. Then spread rice evenly over all. Then add 2 cups of water and seal with foil. Bake at 325* for one hour.

I have no idea where I even got this recipe but it is one of my favorites! It is SOOO easy and SOOO yummy. I was feeling a little "under the weather" today so I made this for dinner, cuz you just throw it all in the pan and bake it and its done! I usually serve this with green beans or broccoli. Enjoy!

Angel Chicken
I got this recipe from my buddy Shelly, and it is SOOOO tasty...this picture doesn't do it justice! This is so rich and filling and DELICIOUS! A wonderful comfort food meal. (I also modified this recipe...a smidge from Shelly's original :)

1/2 cup flour
3 TB grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 TB Season salt
12 Boneless Skinless Chicken tenderloins
2 cups whipping cream
1 pkg of shredded Parmesan cheese
12 oz Angel Hair pasta
Put flour, grated Parm cheese, salt, pepper and season salt in Big Plastic baggie. Add chicken tenders and shake to coat. Then brown chicken tenders in skillet with oil. After browned on both sides, place chicken tenders in a 9x13 dish. Pour the whipping cream over chicken and sprinkle the bag of shredded Parm cheese on top. Cover and bake on 350* for 25 minutes. Meanwhile cook pasta according to pkg directions. Drain pasta. Serve chicken and creamy cheese sauce over angel hair pasta. ENJOY!

Shrimp Scampi Pasta
So my buddy, Janell made this for me a few years ago, and I LOVED IT. But I decided to play around with it and added a couple ingredients to make it my own:) Bacon & mushrooms...how can you go wrong! :) This is a dish my 4 year old daughter requests ALL the time...she told me it was her favorite (my little mushroom lover). Probably not the healthiest dinner, and I admit we have it more than we should...but it is so good! So eat in moderation! :) Serve with a big ole salad to make you feel better :)

Ok so the recipe...
12 oz pasta (I use bow ties cuz that is what my daughter requests :)
3 TB butter
2 1/2 TB olive oil
1 1/2 TB minced garlic
1 lb shrimp
1/3 c chopped fresh parsley
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1 carton of mushrooms, sliced
6-8 strips of bacon
Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile in cook bacon in a skillet. Remove when crispy, set aside. Save the bacon drippings and add the butter and olive oil to the warm drippings. Add the garlic & mushrooms and cook til mushrooms are tender. Add shrimp, salt and pepper and saute til shrimp turn pink. (about 5 minutes) Remove from heat and add parsley and crumbled bacon. Toss to combine. When pasta is done drain and return to pot and immediately add shrimp and sauce. Toss well and serve. And enjoy!

Stuffed Mushrooms
2 cartons of large mushrooms
1 lb sausage
8oz cream cheese
1 pkg shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 to 3/4 cups Italian bread crumbs

Put sausage, cream cheese, Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs in skillet. Cook until sausage is brown and cheeses are melted. Meanwhile pull stems from mushrooms and dice (add these diced mushroom stems to the sausage and cheese mixture). Then spoon mixture into mushroom caps. Broil on low for 30 minutes or until done. (I sometimes bake mine on 350* instead...either way works fine)
I got this recipe from my mother in law and father in law. They are asked to bring these to most family occasions. My 4 year old even tried these and loved them (of course this is my pizza partner...we order our pizzas with mushrooms only!)
I made these for a Super Bowl party with my Sunday school class...and not to brag but I did hear someone say "Wow, these are divine." and I totally agree! DELISH!

Beef Noodle Bowl
8 oz linguine, uncooked
3 cups broccoli florets
3 carrots, peeled and sliced (about 2 cups)
2 tsp oil
1 lb thin beef sirloin steak, cut into strips
1/4 cup Kraft Asian Toasted Sesame Dressing
1 TB teriyaki sauce
Cook pasta as directed on package, adding vegetables to the boiling water for the last 2 min. of the pasta cooking time. MEANWHILE. heat oil in large nonstick skillet. Add meat and cook 4 minutes or until browned on both sides, stirring occasionally. Stir in dressing and teriyaki sauce, cook 2 min or until sauce is thickened, stirring occasionally. Drain pasta mixture, place in large serving bowl, Add meat mixture and toss to coat.
**You could substitute the beef for strips of boneless skinless chicken or pork tenderloin...

I found this recipe in an old Kraft Food & Family magazine and it has become another staple at our house. It is so easy and sooo yummy...and it isn't too bad for you! :) We love this recipe served with some egg rolls.