Week of November 2, 2014

Sun - Beef Enchiladas
Mon - Spaghetti alla Margherita

One Pan Chicken Meal

Tue Slow Cooker Ropa Vieja (Food Network)
Wed - One Pan Chicken Meal
Thur - Lemon Greek Chicken
Fri - Penne and Alfredo

Spaghetti alla Margherita 
2 cups cherry tomatoes
3 garlic cloves in skin
1/2 cup loosely packed, fresh basil
1 tbsp fresh, Italian parsley
1 cup diced or shredded mozerrella
1 lb spaghetti pasta
Sauted Mushrooms (see below)Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Preheat oven to 425F. Top, cut in half, and seed tomatoes. Lay out tomatoes and garlic on a sheet pan, coat with a few tablespoons of olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast in oven until tomatoes are soft and shriveled, and garlic is browning but not burnt/black, 30-40 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool 5 minutes. Remove garlic skin by squishing with a fork.
Cook pasta according to package. (Retain 1 cup of pasta water if blending sauce) Chop basil and parsley. Dice or shred cheese. Mash garlic.
You can either eat as is or blend sauce. AS IS: Stir ingredients together with spaghetti and balsamic vinegar, enjoy. BLENDED SAUCE: blend tomatoes, garlic, 1 tbsp olive oil, balsamic vinegar together. Add water 2 tbsp at a time until desired thickness. Mix with pasta. Sprinkle with shredded cheese and herbs, enjoy.

One Pan Chicken Meal

2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breast

6 medium red potatoes, quartered

1 lb fresh green beans

1 package dry Italian Dressing Mix

1/4 cup olive oil

Mix ingredients until everything is coated with oil and seasonings. Place in 9X13 baking pan. Cover with foil. Bake at 350F for 30-45 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and potatoes are tender.

Lemon Greek Chicken
INGREDIENTS

3 lemons, divided

1/4 cup (50 mL) olive oil

4 garlic cloves, pressed

1 tbsp dried oregano leaves

3/4 tsp (4 mL) salt

1/2 tsp (2 mL) coarsely ground black pepper

4 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts (2 1/2-3 lb/1.1-1.3 kg)

8 petite red potatoes (about 12 oz/350 g)

1 medium red bell pepper

1 medium red onion

8 oz (250 g) white mushrooms

DIRECTIONS
1 Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Using Zester/Scorer, zest two of the lemons to measure 1½ tbsp (22 mL) zest. Juice one of the zested lemons using Juicer to measure 2 tbsp (30 mL) juice. In Stainless (4-qt./4-L) Mixing Bowl, combine zest, juice, oil, garlic pressed with Garlic Press, oregano, salt and black pepper; mix well. Place chicken on center of Rectangular Baker or Large Bar Pan. Using Chef’s Silicone Basting Brush, brush chicken with about 2 tbsp (30 mL) of the lemon juice mixture.

2 Cut potatoes in half using Crinkle Cutter. Cut bell pepper into 1-in. (2.5-cm) strips using Santoku Knife. Cut onion into 1-in. (2.5-cm) wedges. Thinly slice remaining lemon using Ultimate Mandoline fitted with v-shaped blade. Combine potatoes, bell pepper, onion, lemon slices and mushrooms with remaining lemon juice mixture in mixing bowl; toss to coat.

3 Arrange vegetables around chicken on pan. Bake 1 hour or until registers 180°F (82°C) in thickest part of breast, brushing chicken and vegetables with pan juices after 30 minutes.

Yield: 4 servings Nutrients per serving: Calories 630, Total Fat 35 g, Saturated Fat 8 g, Cholesterol 145 mg, Carbohydrate 26 g, Protein 51 g, Sodium 590 mg, Fiber 3 g
U.S. Diabetic exchanges per serving: 2 starch, 6 1/2 medium-fat meat (2 carb)

Cook's Tips:
The ingredients in this recipe can be easily cut in half to serve two. Proceed as recipe directs and bake on the Medium Bar Pan.

It's not necessary to peel the potatoes for many recipes. Simply scrub them well and pat them dry with a paper towel before cutting them into desired shapes. With the skins left on, the potatoes retain more flavor and nutrients.

Believe it or not, oregano was rare in the United States until soldiers returning from Italy after World War II raved about it. Oregano is a member of the mint family and has an assertive flavor that awakens tomato-based dishes, poultry and meats.

Week Oct 26, 2014

Sun- Mini-Make-Your-Own Pizzas
Mon- Baked Potato Chowder
Tue- All in One Chicken Dinner
Wed- Taco Tater Tot Casserole

Kids' Pizzas

Thur- Penne with Roasted Vegatbles (Food Network)
Fri- Halloween! Mummy Dogs

Mini-Make-Your-Own Pizza

Make Your Own Pizza Bar

Pillsbury recipe using Grand's Biscuits. I like to put out toppings and let the family make their own before baking. The kid's think it's fun!


Baked Potato Chowder
3 tablespoons butter
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 box stock (chicken or veggie), heated
4 large baker potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 cups milk
1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup sour cream
3 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup minced chives
grated Cheddar Cheese
1/2 lb bacon, cooked crispy and broken up to chunks
Directions
In a large sauce pot, over high heat melt the butter and garlic. Cook over medium heat until fragrant. Add the hot stock and whisk to combine. Add potatoes. Add enough hot water to just cover potatoes. Stir in salt and pepper. Boil until potatoes are tender. Meanwhile, cook bacon. DO NOT DRAIN potato water.
When potatoes are ready, mash in water with a masher. Leaving some lumps depending on how chunky you like your soup. Stir in the milk, cream, sour cream, and 1/2 the chopped bacon. Heat through. Serve in bowls with chives, cheese, bacon pieces and extra sour cream if desired.

Roast Chicken - 30 Minute Chicken (Pampered Chef)

Chicken:

1 whole chicken (3½-4 pounds)

1 tablespoon olive oil

All-in-One Chicken Dinner 

Lightly spray Deep Covered Baker with oil using Kitchen Spritzer. Remove and discard giblets and neck from chicken cavity. Rinse chicken with cold water; pat dry with paper towels. Trim excess fat using Kitchen Shears, if necessary. Tie ends of legs together with cotton string. Lift wing tips up toward neck; then tuck under back of chicken. Place chicken on Cutting Board; brush with oil using Chef’s Silicone Basting Brush.

For seasoning mixture, combine ingredients in Prep Bowl; mix well. Completely coat outside of chicken with seasoning mixture. Place chicken, breast side up, in baker.

Combine 1 cup each celery and carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces, and 3 cups red or russet potatoes, cut into 2-inch pieces, in Classic Batter Bowl. Toss with additional seasoning, if desired. Arrange vegetables around chicken. Microwave, uncovered, on HIGH 35-40 minutes or until Pocket Thermometer registers 165F in thickest part of breast and juices run clear. Remove from microwave. Cover with lid and let rest 10 minutes (temperature will rise to 170F). Remove and use juices to make gravy.

Yield: 4-6 servings. Nutrients: per serving: Calories 490, Total Fat 29 g, Saturated Fat 8 g, Cholesterol 165 mg, Carbohydrate 2 g, Protein 52 g,Sodium 450 mg, Fiber 0 g 

Variations:  Spice rubs and seasoning mixes give alternate flavors to your chicken.

(My) Gravy
drippings/liquid from baker
3-4 tbsp AP flour
1 (14 oz) can chicken broth
Mix drippings and flour in a pan with a whisk until incorperated. Add in chicken broth and heat to a boil. Boil until the gravy comes to the thickness you like (remember it will continue to thicken off the heat for a bit). Taste, add salt and pepper as necessary.

Tater Tot Taco casserole

1 can of condensed nacho cheese OR tomato soup

            (cheese if you want extra cheesey, tomato is you want it more taco flavored)

1 (25-30 oz) bag of tater tots

1 lb ground beef

1 package of taco seasoning (or 3 tbsp of my taco seasoning mix)
1 (15 oz) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

salt and pepper

1. Crisp tots in oven on a cookie sheet at 425F for 10 minutes. Sprinkle 1 tbsp taco seasoning on ground beef, brown and drain. 

2. Mix taco seasoning with soup.

3. Layer 1/2 the tots, 1/2 the soup, 1/2 beef, 1/2 the beans, and then 1/2 the cheese in a 2 quart casserole dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Repeat. Bake at 350F until warm in center, about 30 minutes.

NOTE: you can also use salsa instead of condensed soup and taco seasoning, for a less rich, lower calorie dinner.

Week of Oct 19, 2014

Sun - Ground Beef Tacos Salad
Mon - Zuppa Tuscana
Tue - Fried Pork Dumplings
Wed - Hamburgers
Thur - Pork Chops
Fri- Spaghetti Marinara (boxed and jarred, according to directions)

Taco Salad

1 (about 11 oz) sack Doritos or any corn tortilla chips

1-2 cups cooked, shredded chicken (using left over from roast chicken) OR 1 lb Ground Beef, browned, crumbled and drained

2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped (optional)

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 package taco seasoning

1 cup lettuce or cabbage

3 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1 can black beans

Handful cilantro leaves, chopped

Juice of 1 lime

Beef Taco Salad

2 cups each shredded Monterey Jack and sharp Cheddar cheese

Salsa and sour cream or salad dressing (optional)

Sprinkle chicken with taco seasoning. Heat chicken and beans, on stove or microwave until hot. Meanwhile, combine tomatoes, remaining onions, jalapenos, cilantro, and the juice of the lime in a large bowl. 

Layer salad: chips on bottom, then meat mix, veggie mix, handful of lettuce or cabbage, top with cheese, and salsa and sour cream or salad dressing.

Zuppa Tuscana

Zuppa Tuscana2 cups chopped kale
1 lb hot italian sausage
1 tbsp olive oil (if needed)
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 box stock (chicken or veggie), heated
3 large baking potatoes, sliced
1 cups milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground pepper

In a large sauce pot, over medium heat cook sausage, chop into chunks. When no longer pink, remove meat but leave oil in pan.  Add garlic, and oil if there is less then 2 tbsp of fat in the pan. Cook over medium heat until fragrant. Add the hot stock and whisk to combine. Add potatoes. Add enough hot water to cover potatoes. Stir in salt and pepper. Boil until potatoes are tender. DO NOT DRAIN potato water.

When potatoes are almost done, add the kale and cook until kale and potatoes are tender. Stir in the milk and cream. Return sausage. Heat through. Serve immediately. (If left to simmer the potatoes will begin to turn into mush and disappear in the liquid.)

Pan Fried Pork Chops

4-6 (about 1 1/2 lb) pork chops

3/4 + 1/4 cup  milk

1 egg

3/4 cup bread crumbs (I use Progresso Italian)

Oil to coat the bottom of the pan (veg or canola)

flour coating:

1/2 cup AP flour

1 tbsp seasoning salt (such as Johnny's)

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp garlic salt

To bread the chops you will need: 2 bowls, 2 paper plates, 1 non-stick cooling rack, a fork. Set up the assembly line: bowl with 3/4 cup of milk, paper plate with flour coating, bowl with 1 egg and 1/4 cup milk beaten together, paper plate with bread crumbs, and last the cooling rack. Put all the chops in the 1 st bowl. let set in the milk for 5 minutes. One chop at a time, place on the flour and coat with the coating. Dip in the egg mix. the place on the bread crumbs and coat the chop. Lay on the cooling rack until all chops are breaded.

To cook the chops, heat the oil in a large skillet (with a lid) on med-high heat. Add chops one at a time, being careful not to splatter yourself. Cover, and cook for 5-10 minutes or until the bottom side is golden brown and top is starting to turn from pink to white. Turn and cook until done. Middle of chop should reach 160F. Let rest 5 minutes on the cooling rack to drain oil. Serve with mashed potatoes and milk gravy (recipe follows).

Milk Gravy

About 1 tbsp Pan drippings from meat (chops, bacon, sausage, ect)

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp leftover flour coating (or AP flour + seasoning salt)

salt and pepper to taste

3 cups milk

Scrap the pan and get the chucks out. Melt the butter in the pan on high heat. using a whisk, add the flour coating mix to the pan, turn down the heat to low and stir for 2 minutes or until it smells nutty. Turn the heat back up to high and add the milk, constantly whisking. Boil until the gravy comes to the thickness you like (remember it will continue to thicken off the heat for a bit). Taste, add salt and pepper as necessary.

Week of Oct 12, 2014

Fried Rice, Egg Roll, Cream Cheese Ragoons

Sat - Baked Chicken and Dumpling Pie
Sun - Fried Rice and Egg Rolls
Mon -  Penne with Cream Sauce (Food Network)
Tue -  Mexajita Chicken (Slow Cooker Food Network Recipe)
Wed - Chicken Stuffing Casserole (Stove Top)
Thur & Fri - MOVING! Eating out

Baked Chicken and Dumpling Pie

chicken and veggies

1 lb cooked, 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.

Baked Chicken and Dumplings

 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.

Chicken Fried Rice and Egg Rolls
Egg Rolls:
1 lb ground pork or chicken/turkey
1 bell pepper
1/2 medium onion
1 cup fine shredded cabbage
1 carrot
2 tbsp Asian Seasoning Mix
Salt and Pepper
Egg Roll wrappers
In a food processor  shred bell pepper, onion, carrot, and cabbage. Sprinkle ground meat with Asia Seasoning Mix, salt and pepper. Cook ground meat and shredded veggies in a skillet, over med-high heat until meat is browned and veggies are soft. Use a spatula to crumble the meat and veg into very small pieces. (I prefer to cook meat prior to rolling to ensure it is done)
Use the directions on the egg roll wrappers on how to roll these together. Allow to cook in freezer for 5 minutes before frying at 365F until golden brown on both sides 3-5 minutes. keep warm in oven if necessary.
Rice:
1 lb cooked, diced chicken
3 cups cooked white rice
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tbsp oil
1/2 cup peas and carrots frozen mix
2 eggs
Scramble eggs, warm up carrots and peas. In a non-stick skillet heat oil, vinegar and soy sauce on high - med-high. Add in rice. Stir until incorporated. Stir in eggs and carrots peas.

Stove Top Chicken Stuffing Casserole
1-2/3 cups hot water
1 pkg. (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Chicken
1-1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1 can (10-3/4 oz.) condensed cream of mushroom soup or cream of chicken
1/3 cup Sour Cream
Cook:
HEAT oven to 400ºF.
ADD hot water to stuffing mix; stir just until moistened.
PLACE chicken in 13x9-inch baking dish. Mix soup and sour cream until blended; pour over chicken. Top with stuffing.
BAKE 30 min. or until chicken is done.
kraft kitchens tips:
SERVING SUGGESTION: Serve with a steamed green vegetable, such as broccoli, and cold glass of fat-free milk.
SPECIAL EXTRA Top chicken with 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables before covering with soup mixture.
VARIATION Substitute 2-qt. casserole for the baking dish.

Week of Oct 5, 2014

Navy Bean Soup

Sun - Pizza
Mon - Navy Bean Soup (Ham and Beans)
Tue - Chicken Fajitas
Wed - Piroshki (Russian Meat Pies)
Thur - Chicken Stir Fry Noodles
Fri - Beef-a-roni

Navy Bean Soup

1 ham bone

1 pound navy beans, rinsed, sorted, soaked overnight and drained

2 (32 oz) boxes of stock (veggie, pork or chicken)

2 carrots, diced fine

1 celery, diced fine

1/2 onion, diced fine

4 cloves garlic, pressed

1 tbsp olive oil

2 bay leaves

salt and pepper to taste

In a large stock pot, on medium heat saute onion, carrot, garlic and celery in oil until fragrant. Add stock, heat to a boil (high heat). Add ham bone and bay leaves. Simmer for at least 3 hours on medium-low heat, stirring and checking liquid level and skimming fat off the top often. When beans are cooked, and the meat has fallen off the bone, the soup is done. Remove bone, leaves, and any large pieces of fat or cartilage. Continue boiling on high until thickness desired is reached. Add pepper and salt to taste. Serve.

If desired, you can put all ingredients in a slow-cooker for 8 hours on low, 4-6 hours on high, instead of on the stove.

NOTE: I will be making dough for "Grandma Long's rolls", using 1/2 the recipe (12 rolls) for dinner Monday and the rest of the dough Wednesday.

Prioshki

rolls

Beef and Onion Filling:
1 lb ground beef
1 onion, diced
1 tbsp butter
1 each salt and fresh cracked black pepper, + 1/2 tsp salt
2 cups shredded provolone or swiss cheese 
Season beef with salt and pepper. Melt butter in large skillet, and onion add 1/2 tsp salt. Cook until translucent. Add beef, chop/crumble with spatula to get very small peices. mix with cheese.
Flatten dough (from Monday's rolls), and make into 12 squarges. Fill with scoop of filling and close. See video to see how to close.
OTHER FILLING OPTIONS

Beefaroni

1 lb ditalini or  macaroni

1 lb ground beef, sprinkled with seasoning salt

15 oz tomato sauce

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic salt

1 tsp brown sugar

salt and pepper to taste

Sprinkle ground beef with seasoning salt. Brown over medium heat. Drain. If pan is very greasy, use paper towel to clean out (about 1 tbsp of grease is okay). Return meat to pan.  Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package. Drain, keep warm. Mix tomato sauce, sugar and seasonings together. Stir sauce with meat in pan over medium heat. Stir in pasta. Mix until all pasta is covered and sauce is warm. Taste, add salt and pepper as needed.

Stir Fry 
1 lb of your favorite stir fry meat sliced thin (chicken, pork, whole shrimp, beef, etc)
2 tbs of Asian seasoning OR 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, 1 tsp garlic powder
2 tbs soy sauce
2 tbsp hoisin sauce (found in Asian isle at grocery store)
1 tbsp honey
2 tbs oil for cooking meat
1 tbsp fresh ground ginger
1 bell pepper, sliced

1/2 medium onion, sliced

1/2 lb snow peas

1 can water chesnuts, drained

2 carrots,sliced

2 (3 oz) packages Ramen noodles - discard seasoning packets

Add oil into large skillet or wok. Add veggies and cook until almost done on medium heat, add meat and raise heat to medium-high, cook until cooked through. 

Meanwhile, cook noodles in boiling water from 3 mintues, drain.  

Add seasoning and noodles to meat/veggies. Stir and heat through. Serve.

Week of Sept 30, 2014

Scalloped Potatoes

Mon - Spaghetti
Tue - Grilled Cheese and Soup
Wed - Crock Pot Pot Roast
Thur - Scalloped Potatoes
Fri - Hot Beef Sandwiches

Spaghetti and Meatballs
1 lb dried spaghetti
1 (25 oz) jar of marinara sauce

1 lb ground Italian sausage OR ground beef/turkey (or combination of those)

1/2 cup Italian style bread crumbs

1 egg

1 tsp each salt and pepper

1/2 cup grated parmesaen cheese
Prepare spaghetti according to package directions.
Meatballs:
Combine ground meat, bread crumbs, cheese, egg, and salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl (I like my Batter Bowl for this), mix just until combined. Do not over mix. Using small or medium size scoop, spoon out scoop-fulls of mix, roll into ball and drop meatballs in large nonstick skillet - all should fit. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until browned and internal temp of 165F is reached. Add sauce to skillet. Simmer until hot.  Serve with pasta

Grilled Cheese and Soup

8 slices of bread

16 slices of cheese (I like cheddar or american)

butter, softened OR mayo OR margarine

1 can Campbell's Condensed Tomato Soup (made according to directions with water)

Goldfish crackers for soup (optional)

Lightly butter both sides of bread. Place 2 pieces of cheese on 4 of the bread slices. Top cheese with another slice of bread. move to a large non-stick skillet. Cover and cook on medium for 5-10 or until the bottom piece turns golden brown. Uncover. Turn sandwiches over and cook until golden brown on other side, about 3 minutes. Serve hot with hot soup. Serves 4.

Scalloped Potatoes and Ham

4 medium baker potatoes, thoroughly washed

1 cup cooked, diced ham

3 cups sharp/medium cheddar cheese

3 tbsp butter (not margarine)

3 tbsp AP flour

1 1/2 cups 2% milk

1 tsp each salt and pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tbsp dried parsley flakes

1 tsp Dijon Mustard (optional; don't substitute yellow mustard)

2 tbsp chives, chopped and/or fresh parsley, chopped, for topping (optional)

Slice potatoes thinly, with or without skin, (I prefer using a Mandolin or food processor for this).  Place in "Microcooker" or other microwave steamer (you can also use a microwave-safe bowl partially covered with plastic wrap) with 2 tbsp water. Cook in microwave on high for 7 minutes, or until ALMOST done. You may have to do this in 2 batches.

To make sauce, melt butter in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in flour with a whisk (that is safe for non-stick, such as silicone coated). Reduce to low heat and let cook for about 2 minutes or until there is a nutty aroma. Increase temp back to medium-high, and stir in milk. Add 2 cups cheese, 1/2 cup at a time, letting each batch melt before adding more. After all cheese is incorporated, add in seasonings and parsley. Taste sauce, add salt and/or pepper if necessary. Take off heat. THIS WILL HARDEN/THICKEN UP QUICKLY! MAKE WHEN READY TO ASSEMBLE CASSEROLE!

To assemble, in a greased 9 in square baking dish or 2 qt casserole dish, layer potatoes, ham then cheese sauce, and continue until you run out of potatoes, about 4 layers. On the top layer, spread any remaining sauce and top with the other 1 cup of cheese. If baking immediately, bake at 375F for 30 minutes, or until cheese on top is browned and potatoes are completely cooked. Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes before cutting. Serve with with chopped chives and/or parsley.

(NOTE: You can also let this cool and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months to cook later. Make sure to allow the casserole to completely defrost before baking, and allow to warm up with the oven, do not pre-heat.)

Week of Sept 21, 2014

Sun - Ham Pie

Spaghetti alla Margherita (blended sauce)

Mon - Spaghetti alla Margherita 
Tue - Slow Cooked Chili
Wed -Coconut Thai Chicken
Thur - Game Day Chili Dogs
Fri - Chicken and Rice Casserole

Ham Pie

Crust: (use pre-made, fresh pie crust if desired)

2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

8 tbsp butter

8 tbsp Crisco shortening

1 tsp white vinegar

2 tbsp - 1/4 cup water

Filling:

2 cup diced ham

1 can condensed cream mushroom soup

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

4 pats of butter

1 can whole corn

Pie

To make crust: using a fork or a pastry blender, mix butter, shortening, salt, and flour together until it looks like small beads. Add vinegar and 2 tbsp water and mix until dough forms. If it is too dry to mix add water, a tbsp at a time until it comes together. Roll into a ball, cover with plastic wrap, and let rest 20 minutes (can be refrigerated for up to 3 days). After resting, roll out into 2 circles for your pie.

To make pie: Put 1 circle of crust in the bottom of the pan. Add 1/2 the ham to the bottom, then 1/2 the cheese and 1/2 of the corn. Spread 1/2 the soup on top. Repeat 1 more time. Put the butter on, then the top crust on. Make sure to slit a few hole on top for venting. Brush with egg wash. Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until crust is golden brown. Let rest for 15 minutes before slicing.

Spaghetti alla Margherita 
2 cups cherry tomatoes
3 garlic cloves in skin
1/2 cup loosely packed, fresh basil
1 tbsp fresh, Italian parsley
1 cup diced or shredded mozerrella
1 lb spaghetti pasta
Sauted Mushrooms (see below)Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Preheat oven to 425F. Top, cut in half, and seed tomatoes. Lay out tomatoes and garlic on a sheet pan, coat with a few tablespoons of olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast in oven until tomatoes are soft and shriveled, and garlic is browning but not burnt/black, 30-40 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool 5 minutes. Remove garlic skin by squishing with a fork.
Cook pasta according to package. (Retain 1 cup of pasta water if blending sauce) Chop basil and parsley. Dice or shred cheese. Mash garlic.
You can either eat as is or blend sauce. AS IS: Stir ingredients together with spaghetti and balsamic vinegar, enjoy. BLENDED SAUCE: blend tomatoes, garlic, 1 tbsp olive oil, balsamic vinegar together. Add water 2 tbsp at a time until desired thickness. Mix with pasta. Sprinkle with shredded cheese and herbs, enjoy.

Hearty Oven Chili (pampered chef recipe)
NOTE: I will be doing this in the slow cooker on low for 8 hours, instead of in the oven. just replace "baking bowl" with slow cooker. If you are baking it, use a casserole dish with a lid.
INGREDIENTS

3 pounds boneless beef chuck pot roast (arm, blade, chuck eye or shoulder) or 2 1/2 pounds boneless beef stew meat
4 garlic cloves, pressed
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups onions, coarsely chopped
2 cups green bell pepper, coarsely chopped
3 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cans (8 ounces each) tomato sauce
2 cans (15.5 ounces) kidney, pinto or black beans, drained and rinsed  
Optional Toppings: such as shredded cheddar cheese, sliced ripe olives, sliced green onions, chopped white onions, and/or sour cream
DIRECTIONS
1 Preheat oven to 350°F. Trim excess fat from meat with Chef’s Knife. Cut meat into 1/2-inch cubes. Place in Stoneware Baking Bowl. Press garlic over meat using Garlic Press. Sprinkle with seasonings; stir to coat meat. Chop onions and bell pepper using Food Chopper. Add to Baking Bowl along with tomatoes, tomato sauce and beans. Cover Bowl with Deep Dish Baker. Bake 2 1/2 hours or until meat is tender. Carefully remove Deep Dish Baker from Baking Bowl, lifting away from you. Using Magic Mop™, skim any fat from top of chili. Top with desired toppings when served (optional).
Yield: 12 servings of 1 cup. Nutrients per serving: Calories 340, Fat 10 g, Sodium 570 mg, Dietary Fiber 6 g

Game Day Chili Dogs
8 hot dogs (the kids and I like cheese dogs! Husband likes all beef)
8 whole wheat hot dog buns
1 cup shredded Cheddar
1/2 onion, chopped
Sour Cream, for topping - optional
Directions
Heat hot dogs follwoing package directions OR if you have a George Foreman Grill, use to cook until hot.  About 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and place each hot dog in a bun. Top with a generous serving of the chili. Top with cheese, onion, and sour cream, if desired.

Chicken and Rice Casserole
4 skinless, boneless breast filet
1 can cream of mushroom soup (I perfer Campbell's Healthy Choice)
1 1/2 cans of water
2 cups dry Long Grain White Minute Rice
2 tsp+ each Salt and Pepper
1 tsp Garlic Salt
Grease a 9x13 pan with butter. Sprinkle Chicken Breasts with salt and pepper - both sides. Mix rice, salt, pepper, garlic, soup and water in the pan. Evenly spread out rice. Place chicken on top. Cover with foil. Bake in 350F oven for 40-60  minutes, or until rice is done and chicken is no longer pink and liquid is adsorbed. Serve with a vegetable or salad.