January Menu ~ 2013

I did A LOT of cooking in December! Did you? This month I am slowing down and resting  My menu for January is mostly comprised of comfort foods and recipes that I have made before. Also, because there was quite an over-indulgence of sweets and desserts last month, I will not be making too many of those this month either.

I will also be spending this month researching gluten-free recipes. I have gotten many inquiries over the past few months for them and I am aiming for a GF-February for my whole family. We’ll see how that goes.

I hope you find something new that you will love, or an old favorite to enjoy. Just click on the picture for the link. Happy New Year!

Zucchini Noodles with Meatballs

Crispy Cheddar Chicken

Chicken Cordon Bleu

BBQ Salmon

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Cheeseburger Salad

Meatball Minestrone

Cheesy Rice and Beans

Chicken & Rice Pilaf

Quesadillas

Couscous Stuffed Peppers

Ultimate Baked Beans

Cheesy Rice Fritters

Creamy Skillet Veggies

Oven Spanish Rice

A few new recipes I will be trying this month:

Chicken with Basil-Artichoke Sauce

Chicken Pasta Milano

Slow Cooker Indian Chicken Stew

Tilapia al Ajillo (Garlic Tilapia)

Avgolemono

Crispy Cheddar Chicken

This one is a winner already and I’ve only made it twice so far! I will post the original recipe and then follow-up with my changes and add-ons

4 large Chicken breasts, boneless and skinless

2 sleeves Ritz crackers

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

1/2 Cup milk

3 cup cheddar cheese, grated

1 tsp. dried parsley

FOR SAUCE:

1 (14 oz) can cream of chicken soup

2 Tbsp. sour cream

2 Tbsp. butter

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cut each chicken breast into 2 or 3 large chunks

2. In small food processor grind up Ritz crackers.

3. Pour the milk, cheese, and cracker crumbs into 3 separate small pans. Toss the 1/4 tsp. salt and 1/8 tsp.pepper into the cracker crumbs and stir the mixture around to combine.

4.Dip each piece of chicken into the milk, then the cheese, and finally the cracker crumbs.

5. Spray a 9×13 pan with cooking spray and lay the chicken inside the pan in a single layer, and sprinkle the dried parsley over the chicken.

7. Cover the pan with foil and bake at 400* for 35 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 10 minutes, or until the edges of the chicken are golden brown and crispy.

8. In a small saucepan, combine soup, butter, and sour cream until blended well and heated through. Serve over chicken.

TIME: 15 minutes prep + 45 minutes baking

YIELD: 5-7 Servings

WHAT I DID:

The first time I prepared this dish I followed the directions to a T (I know, shocking) and it turned out really well. The whole family enjoyed it and ate every bite. I was surprised that a sauce made from sour cream, cream of chicken soup, and butter could taste so good. I chose to ignore the fat content. This time I changed things up just slightly because I wanted to see if I could improve it- and I have to say, why yes, yes I did

1. First off, I realized that 2 sleeves of Ritz crackers was too much and wasteful so this time I easily got by with only 1 sleeve.

2. I used what shredded cheddar I had but I also used a mexican parmesan (It’s similar to feta in texture but way more crumbly and fine – like a wet italian parmesan) Any cheese of strong flavor would do the trick here.

3. Instead of regular milk I used buttermilk. I love the way it coats and breading always seem to stick better when I use it. (BTW did you know that meat gets super tender and fall-off-the-bone fabulous when marinated in buttermilk? Marinate a pork chop (I know, can’t believe I’m advocating pork…) for 3 days and then pan saute it in butter and cream and watch it fall off the bone. Wow! Works for chicken, too, of course.)

4. In the sauce I added 1/8 cup of the mexican parmesan.

4. Parsley goes into the cheese sauce as well. Very yummy.

So, that’s it. I served this with a brown and wild rice mixture, roasted brussles sprouts for me and the hubby, and green beans for the boys. It’s a can’t miss meal that you’re whole family will enjoy!