Week of April 15, 2012

Sun - Baked Chicken and Dumplings
Mon - Maccaroni and Cheese
Tue - Cheese Burgers  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/bacon-cheese-burger-recipe/index.html
Wed - Chicken Curry (see Week of Dec 4th, 2011)
Thur - Ground Beef Tacos
Fri - Chicken Pesto Flatbread (Pampered Chef)


Baked Chicken and Dumplings

(chicken and veggies)

1 lb diced chicken or turkey

1 can cream of celery or chicken soup

2 stalks of celery, diced

2 cloves of garlic, pressed

1/2 medium onion, diced

1 small bag of frozen mixed veggies

1 1/2 can of water

salt and pepper

Sauté the onion, celery and garlic until onion is translucent. Meanwhile, mix soup, water, salt and pepper in a 9x13 baking pan. Add all other ingredients, and mix together.

(dumplings - drop biscuits)

2  cups flour

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

4 tbsp soft butter

4 tbsp shortening

3/4 cup butter milk (to make butter milk - add 1 tsp of white vinegar to 3/4 cup milk, let sit 2 minutes)

 Mix dry ingredients, butter and shortening in a large mixing bowl with a fork or pastry bender. Until it resembles peas. Add butter milk mix until it forms a dough. Scoop small dumplings out of the mix and drop into the pan on top of the chicken/veg mix.

Bake at 375 uncovered until the dumplings are golden brown and done all the way through. About 30-40 minutes.

Mac'n Cheese

Ingredients

1/2 lb elbow macaroni

3 tbsp butter

3 tbsp flour

3 cups milk

12 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded

salt

Fresh black pepper

Topping (optional):

3 tbsp butter

1 cup bread crumbs

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Boil the pasta to al dente. The water, like all pasta water, should be salted before hand until it tastes like salt water.

While the pasta is cooking, in a separate pot, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and keep it moving for about five minutes. Make sure it's free of lumps. Stir in the milk, simmer, stirring constantly, until it starts to bubble. Turn down heat to medium. Stir in 3/4 of the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Fold the macaroni into the mix and pour into a 2-quart casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese.

Melt the butter in a saute pan and toss the bread crumbs to coat. Top the macaroni with the bread crumbs. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and rest for five minutes before serving.

Ground Beef Tacos

1 lb lean ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 cup Pace Pacanta Sauce (not chunky) OR your fav salsa

1/2 tsp ground cummin

1/2 ground Cheyenne pepper

8-12 corn tortillas

Shredded Cheese

1 cup loosely packed cilantro, chopped

4 Limes

2 cups shredded cabbage OR lettuce (optional)

Chop onion. Add 1/4 of the onion and 1/4 of the cilantro and the beef to a skillet. Sprinkle on cummin and cheynne. Stiring frequently, brown beef, crumble. Drain. Return to skillet, add in sauce. Heat through.

Meanwhile,  add rest of onion and cilantro, juice of 1 lime, 1 tbsp of lime zest, and 1 tsp of salt to a bowl. Mix together. 

Heat tortillas in microwave in a paper towel for about 1 minute or until hot. (OR heat with a small amount of oil on in a pan, keep warm in a warmer) 

To assemble tacos: tortilla, beef mixture, cilantro mixture, cabbage, cheese, and a dash of fresh squeezed lime juice. 

The Pampered Chef ® Chicken, Pesto & Tomato Flatbread Recipe

2-3 plum tomatoes   1/2 tsp (2 mL) kosher salt    3 tbsp (45 mL) plus 1 tsp (5 mL) olive oil, divided   1 pkg (11 oz) refrigerated thin crust pizza crust (see Cook’s Tip)   1 cup (250 mL) loosely packed fresh basil leaves    1/4 cup (50 mL) pecan halves, toasted   1 oz (30 g) Parmesan cheese, divided   2 cups (500 mL) shredded Provolone cheese (8 oz/250 g), divided   2 cups (500 mL) diced cooked chicken breasts   2 garlic cloves, pressed

Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Line Stackable Cooling Rack with paper towels. Slice tomatoes usingUltimate Mandoline fitted with v-shaped blade. Place tomatoes on cooling rack; sprinkle with salt. Let stand 10 minutes or until salt is dissolved. Blot tops of tomatoes with paper towels; set aside. Brush Large Bar Pan with 1 tsp (5 mL) of the oil using Chef's Silicone Basting Brush. Unroll crust onto bottom of pan, gently stretching and pressing dough to cover bottom. Bake 11-13 minutes or until golden brown. Meanwhile, finely chop basil and pecans using Food Chopper. Grate Parmesan cheese usingMicroplane® Adjustable Grater. Combine basil, pecans, half of the Parmesan cheese, half of the Provolone cheese, chicken, remaining 3 tbsp (45 mL) oil and garlic pressed with Garlic Press in Classic Batter Bowl; mix well. Remove pan from oven to cooling rack. Sprinkle crust with remaining Parmesan cheese; top with tomatoes, chicken mixture and remaining Provolone cheese. Bake 5-7 minutes or until cheese is melted. Cut into squares using Pizza Cutter.

Yield: 8 servings

Nutrients per serving: Calories 350, Total Fat 21 g, Saturated Fat 7 g, Cholesterol 45 mg, Carbohydrate 21 g, Protein 22 g, Sodium 630 mg, Fiber 1

Cook's Tip: If desired, a 13.8-oz (283-g) package of refrigerated pizza crust can be substituted for the refrigerated thin crust dough. Unroll crust over bottom of pan. Bake 16-18 minutes or until golden brown. Proceed as recipe directs; baking 6-8 minutes.