Recipes

Spinach Florentine Lasagna (triple the recipe for freezer dinners)

10 Lasagna noodles

For filling:

10-oz pkg frozen, chopped spinach (cooked), drained well

8-oz pkg cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup chopped onions

1/8 tsp. pepper

1 garlic clove, minced

1 egg

4-oz (1 cup) mozzarella cheese

For sauce:

3 8-oz cans tomato sauce

1 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp basil

1/4 tsp oregano

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Cook noodles, drain well. On a wax paper-lined cookie sheet, lay out noodles.

Combine all filling ingredients except mozzarella cheese and mix well. Spread mixture over noodles. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over spread mixture. Roll noodles up, jelly roll fashion. Place roll seam side down into baking dish. Combine all sauce ingredients except Parmesan cheese. Pour sauce over roll, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Let stand five minutes before serving.

Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1/2 cup celery, sliced thin

1/2 cup carrots, sliced thin

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup flour

4 cups chicken broth

Dried or fresh parsley flakes

1 cup half & half (or cream)

2 cups cooked and diced chicken

1/2 cup uncooked wild rice

Paprika

Prepare wild rice according to package instructions. Saute onion, celery, and carrots in butter. Blend in flour and stir. Cook 1 minute. 

Add chicken broth and parsley flakes. Stir until thick.

Angel Hair Tetrazzini

8-10 oz. angel hair pasta 2 cups mushrooms, sliced 1/4 cup butter 1/4 cup flour 2 cups chicken broth 3/4 cup cream 1 tsp salt 2 T fresh parsley (or more) dash of pepper 1/4 tsp nutmeg 3 cups cooked chicken, diced 1/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese Saute mushrooms in butter, stir in flour and cook on eminute. Add chicken broth. Cook until thick. Remove from heat. Add cream, parsley, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Add chicken. Cook pasta and place in a 9x13 greased pan. Pour chicken mixture over pasta and mix together. Top with Parmesan cheese. Bake @ 350 degrees for 25 minutes

White Chicken Chili

Husband rating:7.5/10 (9 following directions a few days later)

White Chicken Chili is a very Utah-ish delicacy, in my opinion. Jeff and I love it. We usually follow my mother-in-law, Michelle's recipe (which I guess is Heidi Johnson's recipe). I only generally followed the recipe this time around and suffered. I added hominy, which was a great touch, but forgot green chilies and only used one can of chicken broth. Don't do that, but by all means, use the hominy. They are delicious!

Here's Heidi/Michelle's recipe. Following the directions exactly made it a 9 out of 10 on the husband scale.

1 48-oz can of Great Northern Beans

4 cups cooked chicken, diced

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 medium onions, chapped

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 4-oz cans chopped green chilies

1 1/2 teaspoon oregano

2 teaspoons cumin

6 cups chicken broth

Saute onions in olive oil. In pan or Crockpot, compine chicken, onions, undrained beans and all other ingredients. Bring to a boil and then cook on medium heat for 30 minutes. You can cook up to 5 hours in a Crockpot.

Top with cheese, tortilla chips, [avocado, fresh cilantro] and fresh lime juice.

Just Because Pancakes

Husband rating: 8.5/10

Just Because Pancakes

Just because pancakes were inspired partly by the Mango Berry Salad at Zupas. We had mangos and strawberry yogurt and I thought Jeff could use a special "just because" breakfast. 

I used this pancake recipe. Here's how they turned out:

 For one serving, I combined the following for the "dressing:"

1 cup of Yoplait Strawberry Yogurt

2 tbsp water (add more to get the desired consistency)

1 tbsp agave nectar

1/2 mango cubed

1/2 banana sliced

1 dash of cinnamon

I mixed everything, spooned it on top, and added a pinch of cinnamon. Pretty simple, but also very special looking. :)

What do you think?

Pizza Recipes

Recently, I have been really into this recipe for the dough. This recipe prepares two pizza crusts (Make two freeze one?). You can also make and cook pizza crusts to freeze for a quick pizza dinner later. I have substituted wheat flour and it is just as good, if you're into that sort of this.

Buffalo Wing Pizza (Slab Pizza copycat--not perfected):

1-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (depending on personal taste--I used two)

1-3 Tbsp buffalo wing hot sauce (any variety--we used Frank's)

1-3 celery stalks 

1-2 cups mozzarella cheese 

3/4 cup ricotta cheese

1Tbsp olive or vegetable oil

1/4 tsp seasoned salt or Creole seasoning

1/2 tsp Italian seasoning 

Optional - 1/4 cup bleu cheese and/or 2 Tbsp bleu cheese dressing--we do not do this

Optional - 1 and 1/2 mozzarella string cheese

Preheat oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit and use oil to prepare cookie sheet or pizza pan. 

Prepare chicken however you want. I recommend dicing chicken and cooking in a skillet along with garlic, 1/4 tsp of salt, 1/4 oregano, and 1 tsp of olive oil (rotisserie chicken is delightful as well). 

Once pizza dough is rolled out on the pan, sprinkle half of the seasoned salt/Creole seasoning and half of the Italian seasoning onto the crust. If you want stuffed crust (because this was a highlight of the 90's, in my opinion) quarter the string cheese lengthwise and lay out around pizza border. Fold the outer crust edges inwards covering the cheese sufficiently and knead gently into the dough completely concealing the string cheese.

Spread ricotta cheese out with a rubber spatula or the back of a wooden spoon. Scatter fully cooked chicken across pizza. Top with mozzarella cheese and about a tsp of hot sauce. Add the remaining seasoned salt/Creole seasoning and place in the preheated oven.

Bake for 5-10 minutes or until dough is cooked and cheese is bubbling.

Add remaining hot sauce and celery shreds. 

Serve hot. :)

Chicken Enchilada Pizza (Slab Copycat)

1 Tbsp olive or vegetable oil

1-2 cup mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup chili verde sauce (any variety)

2-4 Tbsp salsa (we used Pace, but it really is a preferential thing)

1-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (we used 2)

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp seasoned salt or Creole seasoning 

At least 1/2 fresh lime juice

1-2 garlic cloves

Optional - 1 can of olives

Optional - 1/2 a head of romaine lettuce

Preheat oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit and use oil to prepare cookie sheet or pizza pan. 

Prepare chicken however you want. I personally dice the chicken and cook it on the stove with olive oil, minced garlic, cumin, oregano, chili powder, and fresh lime juice until the chicken is cooked through. Marinating chicken in cilantro, lime juice, and the aforementioned seasonings for a couple hours in the refrigerator would also be a tasty option before cooking. 

Once pizza dough is rolled out, spread out chili verde sauce and half the called for regular salsa. Scatter cooked chicken onto the pizza.  If you want stuffed crust quarter the string cheese lengthwise and lay out around pizza border. Fold the outer crust edges inwards covering the cheese sufficiently and knead gently into the dough completely concealing the string cheese.

Bake for 5-10 minutes or until dough is cooked and cheese is bubbling.

Once pizza is cooked, add olives, chopped romaine lettuce, and remaining salsa. 

By the way, this pizza is so delicious! It's a personal favorite and once you have the basics on hand, it's super easy to throw together.