The Jolly Kitchen

Crunchy Chicken Fingers

Ingredients:
4oz reduced fat sour cream
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups dry stuffing mix
2 lbs chicken tenderloins

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a large baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Combine sour cream, mustard, salt and pepper in a shallow bowl.
3. Put stuffing in a ziplock bag and crush stuffing into smaller pieces. Transfer to a shallow bowl.
4. Dip each piece into sour cream mixture and then roll in stuffing coating each piece as thoroughly as possible.
5. Put chicken strips onto baking sheet and spray tops of chicken with cooking spray.
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes until they are cooked through and lightly golden.


Sweet Potato Fries

Ingredients:
2-3 large sweet potatoes, peeled
2 tbsp Olive oil
salt and pepper

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Cut sweet potatoes into fries and place into large bowl.
3. Add olive oil, salt, and pepper to fries and stir.
4. Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray and place fries in a single layer on the pan.
5. Bake for 20-30 minutes until fork tender and slightly crispy.

This week The Jolly Kitchen is featuring some delicious recipes courtesy of Felicia from Go Graham Go. Felicia is helping us stay out of the kitchen by bringing us simple recipes for busy moms! When you get a chance, stop by her blog and let her know how much you love her recipes!

Ingredients:

Family pack of cubed steak

Flour

Cream of chicken soup

Beefy onion soup mix

1 Cup of water

Directions:

Add water and cream of chicken soup to crockpot and set to HIGH

Coat the cubed steak in flour lightly

lightly brown in frying pan

Mix Beefy Onion Soup mix in with water/cream of chicken soup mixture in crockpot

Put browned cubed steak in crockpot with mixture and cook on HIGH for about 5 hours (more or less depending on how much cube steak you have)

Serve as is or over rice!

This week The Jolly Kitchen is featuring some delicious recipes courtesy of Felicia from Go Graham Go. Felicia is helping us stay out of the kitchen by bringing us simple recipes for busy moms! When you get a chance, you should stop by her blog.

Enough Chicken Salad to feed an army! Cut it in half for a family of four!

Ingredients:

4 Cans of White Meat Chicken (larger cans usually 2 for $5)

1 8oz block of cream cheese

1 cup of mayo

1/2 cup of chopped celery

3 tbs of chopped onions

4 cups of pecans chopped into fine pieces

Crumble chicken into bowl with celery, onions, and pecan pieces

Melt mayo and cream cheese in the microwave for about 15-20 seconds and mix together.

Mix in mayo/cream cheese mixture with the chicken mixture

Eat and enjoy alone or with crackers or bread!

This week Felicia from Go Graham Go is helping us stay out of the kitchen by bringing us simple recipes for busy moms!




Chicken Squares
Ingredients:1 tube of crescent rolls
1/2 cube of cream cheese
6-8 chicken tenderloins
1/2 small onion finely chopped
1 can of cream of chicken soup

Directions:
Cook chicken thouroughly. Finely chop cooked chicken. Melt cream cheese for about 15 seconds in microwave for easy mixing. Mix all ingredients together.
Lay crescent rolls out flat, spoon mixture onto the biggest section of crescent roll. Wrap sides around the mixture to form a "square" or pocket. Bake according to crescent roll package. Serve with cream of chicken soup on top for gravy!

If you want, you can also shape the dough into a ring as featured in the picture above. Just lay the crescent rolls out like a star and fold over top. This is a wonderful presentation if you are having dinner guests!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Here are some ideas for what to do with all of the food sitting in your refrigerator.

Turkey Pot Pie

Potato Croquettes

Pumpkin Bars

Sweet Potato Biscuits

Shepherds Pie

Turkey & Mashed Potato Frittata

Mr Breakfast's Holiday Leftover Tips

1. Mix leftover cranberry sauce with cream cheese to make a spread for toast and muffins.
   
   
2. Cranberry sauce makes an excellent topping for pancakes and waffles. Its flavor even blends well with maple syrup.
   
   
3. Shredded turkey can be added to almost any omelet recipe. Take a mushroom and cheese omelet; add some leftover turkey and it becomes a Turkey Tetrazzini Omelet. Here are 122 omelets you can experiment with.
   
   
4. Refrigerate your leftovers as soon as possible. Use leftover turkey within 3 days. Cranberry sauce keeps for about a week.
   
   
5. You know those crispy French Fried Onions on the top of your green bean casserole? Toss a little handful over scrambled eggs or omelets. Trust me.
   
   
6. Instead of hashed browns, fry up some leftover stuffing in a little bit of oil. Pat it down in rounds as its frying and it turns out like little pancakes.

My husband says this is the BEST meal ever! It really is great. The chicken has a tangy taste from the mustard. So good!

Chicken Dijon

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp paprika
3 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp water
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 Tbsp butter

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray it with nonstick cooking spray. Pound the chicken breasts with a mallet to a uniform thickness of about 1/2 inch. This is so they cook evenly and quickly.
2. In a shallow bowl or plate, combine the bread crumbs, flour, and paprika. In another shallow bowl or plate, combine the mustard, honey, water, salt, and pepper. Coat both sides of the chicken breasts with the mustard mixture, then the bread crumb mixture, and place them on the baking sheet.
3. Melt the butter in the microwave and drizzle it over the chicken breasts. Bake the chicken for 10 minutes or until the thickest part is no longer pink inside.

**Note** I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs because it tastes a lot better and is harder to dry out. However, if you use chicken thighs, you will need to cook longer. I cooked them about 20-25 minutes.


Baked Macaroni & Cheese with Tomatoes

Ingredients:

8 oz (2 cups dry) macaroni
1 cup skim milk
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tbsp butter
1 egg, beaten
2 1/4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
2 Tbsp bread crumbs

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a large casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Cook the macaroni according to package instructions and drain it.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix together the milk, salt, and mustard. Set it aside.
4. In a large microwave safe bowl, combine the macaroni with the butter, the beaten egg, and 2 cups of cheese. Stir it thoroughly.
5. Place the macaroni mixture in the microwave on high for 2 minutes to melt the cheese more thoroughly. Mix well.
6. Add the milk mixture and tomatoes to the macaroni and toss it. Place it in the casserole dish and smooth the top. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and the bread crumbs and bake it, uncovered, for 40-45 minutes or until set.

So simple to make and very good! Also, this is much lighter than traditional Alfredo.

Ingredients:
1 pkg. (16 oz) penne pasta
1/2 pound (1 head)broccoli florets
3/4 cup reduced fat ricotta cheese
3/4 cup plain nonfat yogurt
1 Tbsp butter
1 1/2 tsp chopped garlic
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook it until is 2 minutes short of being done, then add the broccoli for the final 2 minutes of cooking.
2. While the pasta cooks, use a blender or food processor to combine the ricotta, yogurt, butter, garlic, walnuts, Parmesan cheese, basil, pepper, and salt. Blend until it is smooth.
3. When the pasta and broccoli are cooked; drain then and toss them with the sauce. Serve pasta warm.

**Note** I ommitted the walnuts because my son is under 2 years old.**
***Note*** This recipe calls for 1 box of pasta. This made A LOT and the pasta seemed to need more sauce so the next time I make this, I will only use 1/2 box of pasta. If you are feeding a lot of people, use 1 box of pasta and double the ingredients for the sauce.***

Ingredients:

1 cup low fat sour cream
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 pound cubed Angus stewing meat or beef tenderloin tips
2 Tbsp butter
8 ounces sliced mushrooms
3 large celery stalks finely chopped
1 tsp fresh dill or 3/4 tsp dried dill
1/8 cup red wine
1/8 cup light soy sauce

Instructions:

Remove the sour cream from the refrigerator so it warms slightly. Stir the mustard into the sour cream and set aside.

In a large heavy skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat. Sear the meat (cook without moving it) on all sides for about 1 minute until it is no longer pink on the outside. With a slotted spoon, tranfer the meat to a plate.

Using the same skillet, reduce the heat to medium and add butter. Add the mushrooms, celery, and dill and saute them for about 5 minutes until they are softened. Add the red wine and soy sauce and continue cooking the mixture for about 5 to 7 minutes until the vegetables are very tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. If the vegetables get too dry, add 1/4 cup water to the skillet.

Return the meat to the skillet and cook it for 2 to 3 more minutes until it is cooked through. Reduce the heat to low, let the temperature lower for a minute, and stir in the sour cream mixture until it is warmed through. Remove from heat and serve immediately over potatoes or egg noodles.

This is the best meatloaf I have ever had. The couscous is delicious and a total comfort food.

Apple Meatloaf

Ingredients
2 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef
1 1/2 c. packaged stuffing mix
2 c. finely chopped Paula Red apples
3 eggs
2 t. salt
2 T. prepared mustard
1 large onion, minced
3 T. prepared horseradish
3/4 c. ketchup

Directions
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients, mixing well. Pack into a greased 8×5x3 inch loaf pan. Bake at 350° for 1 and 1/4 hours.

Couscous with Cauliflower and Carrots



Ingredients:

5 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 head cauliflower (or 1 bag frozen florets)
1 pkg Near East Parmesan couscous
chicken broth
salt to taste

Directions:
1. Put cauliflower and carrots in a large pot with water and bring to a boil until vegetables are fork tender. Drain. Lightly mash cauliflower and carrots and set aside.
2. Cook couscous according to package directions BUT replace the water with the chicken broth.
3. Combine couscous and vegetables and stir to combine.Season with salt according to your taste.

This pizza was so good and the closest thing to pizza from a true pizzeria. The reason those pizzas are so good is that they are cooked at really high temperatures in stone ovens. Your oven at home can never come close to that. The next best thing is using your grill.

White Wheat Pizza Dough Recipe

4 1/2 cups King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour
1 3/4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon instant yeast
2 Tbsp Honey
1/4 cup olive oil
1 3/4 cups water, ice cold
a few tablespoons chopped herbs (optional)
Semolina flour or cornmeal for dusting

Stir together the flour, salt, and instant yeast in the bowl of an electric mixer. By hand stir in the oil, honey, and the cold water until the flour is all absorbed. Add the herbs. Switch to the dough hook and mix on medium speed for 5 to 7 minutes, or as long as it takes to create a smooth, sticky dough. The dough should clear the sides of the bowl but stick to the bottom of the bowl (to me it looks like a tornado). Add a touch of water or flour to reach the desired effect. The finished dough will be springy, elastic, and sticky, not just tacky.

Transfer the dough to a floured countertop. Cut the dough into 6 equal pieces and mold each into a ball. Rub each ball with olive oil and place in a bowl. Cover the bowl with a dishtowel and let rise for at least an hour in a warm place. I like to put really hot water in a baking dish in the lower rack of my oven (do not turn oven on) and place covered bowls with dough on rack directly above. After the dough has risen, roll out the dough. Take each ball and form into a disk and roll out. I like thin crust, but thick works as well.

If you do not want to grill your pizza, then preheat your oven to 450 degrees and bake for 10-15 minutes on a pizza stone or baking sheet.

Makes six 6-ounce pizza crusts.

Toppings:
Really, anything goes here. We did sauteed mushrooms, ham, mozarella cheese, and tomato sauce. The best thing to do when grilling a pizza is to use less toppings. Do not load the pizza.

Grilling:
Turn on all the burners of your gas grill to high and let heat for 10 minutes. Bring out the rolled dough and all of your toppings. It is best to have your toppings already cooked. For example, I sauteed the mushrooms beforehand. I put all of the toppings on a plate so they were ready as soon as the crust was ready. Once you get the dough on the grill, everything goes really fast.

Ok, so you have preheated the grill for 10 minutes on high. Turn the burners down to medium heat.

Rub olive oil onto top of dough and put that side down on the grill. Close the grill. Check the dough about 2 minutes later by using tongs and peeking under the dough to make sure it is not burning. If you need to, rotate the dough. Don't worry about grill marks-you are supposed to get them. Close the grill again and wait 1 minute and check again. At this point, if you have a thin crust, it will probably be done. Take the dough off the grill and now rub olive oil onto the top (ungrilled) of the dough.

Flip over so that you have the grilled side up and put your toppings on. Turn off 2 burners (if you have a 3 burner grill or turn off 1 burner if you have a 2 burner grill). Place pizza on the grill over the burner that is turned off and close the lid of the grill. You will be using indirect heat to finish the pizza. The key is to get your cheese to melt BEFORE the crust burns. Keep checking the underside of the crust to make sure it is not burning. When your cheese melts, the pizza is done. If your cheese melts and the crust does not seem done on the bottom, slide it over to the burner that is on for 30 seconds to a minute.

I know this seems like a lot, but it is actually very easy and goes really, really fast. We were really nervous about it at first because we had never grilled a pizza, but it was really easy and so delicious.

I forgot to take a picture of this meal, but I have to post it on here because it so good and a favorite at my house. It is especially good in the winter because it is such a comfort food.

1 tray boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 small onion coarsely grated
1-2 cups peas or broccoli
1 can biscuits
salt and pepper to taste

1. Pour soup into crockpot and using can from soup, add 2 cans of water to pot and stir soup and water.
2. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Add chicken into crock pot and add onions. Flip chicken in crockpot to coat with soup mixture.
3. Set crock pot to low and cook for 5 hours.
4. When done, remove chicken from crockpot and shred. Put back into crockpot and add vegetables. Stir.
5. Place biscuits over chicken mixture.
6. Turn crockpot to high and cook 30 more minutes.

Low Fat Burgers with Caramelized Onions on Whole Wheat Bun
Apple Coleslaw

The burgers were delicious! The Apple Coleslaw was ok, but could do without the scallions. I will post the recipe anyway for those who may enjoy it. I know I just said it, but the burgers were fabulous! The husband, the toddler, and I loved them! I know I sound like a mad woman raving about a simple burger, but have you ever tried to make a burger with lean beef? It is so difficult to make them come out juicy. These were great!

Low Fat Burger

1Lb Lean Ground Beef
1/2 Cup Seasoned Bread Crumbs
2 Egg Whites
1/2 Cup Low Fat Milk
2 TB Light Soy Sauce


Combine ingredients by hand and form into patties. Grill or broil 4-6 minutes each side. Serves 4.

Caramelized Onions

Heat a heavy bottomed pan on medium heat. Add a Tbsp of extra virgin oil to the pan. Thinly slice 1 large onion. Put onions in the heated pan and add 1 tsp of sugar. Cook for 15 minutes stirring occasionaly.


Apple Coleslaw
8oz Cabbage (any kind you like)
1 coarsely shredded carrot
1 coarsely shredded apple
1 thinly chopped scallion
2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 freshly squeezed lemon
2 Tbsp Light Mayonaise
Salt & Pepper to taste

Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl until combined. Refrigerate until right before serving.