Saturday, May 29, 2010

Garlic Mashed Potatoes & Butternut Squash Soup!

It snowed today here... Yes, SNOWED! So, quite honestly, I'm in no mood to cook.....

This is what I randomly found in my pantry and thought 'Why not??!'

1 Box of Gardennay Butternut Squash (500mL)
1 Box of Betty Crocker Garlic Mashed Potatoes* (2 packages inside)
*Requires: 2/3c. Hot Water, 1 1/3c. Milk & 2tbsp Margarine/Butter per package.
Bacon Bits
Kraft Tex Mex Cheese

In one pot start mashed potatoes (boil water, milk and margarine/butter then pull from heat and stir in packages (double recipe above for 2 packages) of dry potatoe flakes.

While the potatoes sit covered on the stove (on the non-hot side) start the soup in another pot on a low temperature.

Once the soup is hot, turn off the heat and get ready to eat!

I placed scoops of Mashed Potatoes onto the plate, poured some soup over it, grabbed a handful of cheese and sprinkled on top with bacon bits and there you have it!

A quick and easy pantry meal for dinner!


AND the kids ate it!!! With smiles and 'This is yummy, you should try it!' before I could scoop myself some!

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Chicken and Rice! Yum!

I was lazy these last few days.... Instead of planning meals while we at leftovers from our last few big meals I hung out with my kids... *L*

So this is what I had in my pantry.... And it turned out wonderfully! My kids even asked for seconds!

CROCKPOT!

Ingredients:
4 large Chicken Breasts (I had four small ones, anything will do really)
2 cans Cream of Chicken
1 can of Cream of Celery
1/2 Cup diced Celery
1 Stalk diced Celery (can you tell I forgot this part and added it in afterwards?)
2 Cups Minute Rice

Directions:
Mix rice and soup* and 1/2 Cup. Celery in crockpot. Place Chicken on top of mixture and sprinkle he rest of the Celery on them.

Cook on Low for 3-4 Hours or High for 2-3 Hours.

Serves 4 (add more rice, can of soup and extra chicken to make more servings!)

*Can use ANY cream soup. IE: Mushroom

Sorry all, this is the leftovers a few days later!

Saturday, January 9, 2010

Excellent Dessert!

Last year while on a trip visiting family I came across a book called '101 Things To Do With A Slow Cooker'....

The recipes in the book are excellent... I did notice that there is a wide range of serving choices from 2-4 right up to 8-10. And since I like to cook WAY too much food (and am working on remembering to freeze the extra portion), the higher the serving quantity the better!

Enjoy!

CROCKPOT!

Easy Granola Apple Crisp


Ingredients
2 cans (21 ounces each) Apple Pie Filling
2 1/2 Cups Granola Cereal
1 1/2 tsp Cinnamon (or more if you like the flavor)
1/3 Cup Sugar
1/3 Cup Melted Butter or Margarine

Directions
Grease 3-4.5 quart slow cooker.

Place pie filling on bottom of slow cooker.

In the order listed above, sprinkle the rest of the ingredients over the pie filling.

Cover and cook on low heat for 3 hours.

Makes 6-8 servings.

** Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped topping!

Yummy Dinner/Lunch Idea!

Ages ago (years actually) I bought a book called 'Getting Ya Through The Summer - Cooking for the Rushed'.... At the time I thought I would use it non-stop... It's a wonderful book broken down into sections and week schedules. It also includes each weeks shopping list to make things easier for you.... And the meals are quick!

WELL.... *L* It hasn't been used until today! Wish me luck!

** This is a TIME SAVER recipe! **

Vegetable Tortellini Soup with Whole Wheat Crackers

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Crockpot!!

Ingredients
1 Onion
1 lrg stalk of celery
1 lrg tetrapack chicken broth (30 oz or 900 mL)
1 jar Catelli Garden Select pasta sauce Country Mushroom (24.5 oz or 700 mL)
2 tsp prepared garlic
2 tsp Mrs. Dash Italian Seasoning
2 Cups frozen mixed veggies (I used 1 cup peas, 1 cup corn and few good handfuls of French Cut Carrots)
1 Cup water
4-5 Cups fresh Cheese Tortellini
Whole Wheat Crackers

*For some more kick to the meal add 1 tsp chili flakes

Directions
Night Before:
Chop Onions an Celery (finely) and place in the crockpot as you go.

Add to crockpot in this order: Chicken Broth, Pasta Sauce, Garlic, Spice, Veggies and water.

Stir together and store overnight in the fridge.

Chilling in the fridge overnight!
Morning:
Put crockpot together (if you have one with a pull out center that was in the fridge) and set for low heat (6-8 hrs)!

On low heat!
When you get home:
Add tortellini to the pot and set timer for 15 minutes.

15 minutes later!
*Can sprinkle some Parmesan cheese on top for that extra touch!

Looks good!

Serve with whole wheat crackers (or whatever else of your choice - I'm offering Multigrain Wheat Thins and Mini Italian Breadsticks) and enjoy!

A teacup is a great way to give everyone a portion of crackers and breadsticks!

Serves 4-6

Friday, January 8, 2010

Snack/Treat Idea!

I made these for my daughter's grade one Christmas Party... It's fun and sneeks in a bit of healthy foods...

Cranberry Chocolate Tartlets

Ingredients
1 Box Tenderflake Tartlets (Wal-Mart in the freezer section -aka: Mini-Tart Shells)
1 Bag Ocean Spray Crasins* (Wal-Mart)
1 Bag Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Directions
Remove tartlets from freezer, take out amount you need and thaw at room temperature for 5-10 minutes. Place on cookie tray.

Heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (Time Saver: Heat while tartlets thaw!).

Bake tartlets for 10-12 minutes or until golden.

Mix Crasins and Chocolate Chips together (as much as you'd like... Or you can place them in the tartlets one type at a time).

Remove from oven and place in Crasins and Chocolate Chips ASAP. This way the Chocolate Chips melt over the Crasins!

Let cool and serve!

*You could use any dried fruit that you'd like. If the fruit is bigger then the tartlets, dice it down first.

Easy!

Fuzzy, sorry.... But SO yummy!

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Great Lunch and/or Dinner Idea!

Beef Ravioli in Tomato and Meat Sauce with Peas, Corn and Parmesan Cheese!
Along with Garlic Nann Bread!


Ingredients
1 Family Size Can of Chef Boyarde Beef Ravioli in Tomato and Meat Sauce (Would feed 3-4, add another can for more or extra)
Frozen Peas (as much as you'd like)
Frozen Corn (as much as you'd like)
Kraft Parmesan Cheese (I use the shaker kind)
1 pkg Garlic Naan Bread (I use International Flats Garlic Tandoori Naan bread from Wal-Mart)


Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit

Combine Peas and Corn in a microwave safe dish (with lid or cover with tin foil). Put in microwave for 3 minutes, stir, in for 3 more minutes.

While Peas and Corn heat up pour can of Ravioli in a oven safe dish with enough room to add the Peas and Corn.

Add Peas and Corn to Ravioli. Stir together (or layer).

Sprinkle Parmesan Cheese on top (who doesn't love LOTS of cheese?)

Put in oven for 10 minutes (give or take).

Prepare Naan bread (place on cookie sheet sprinkle with water).

Take out Ravioli dish and sit aside (covered). Put in Naan bread for 2-3 minutes.

Take out Naan bread and share your meal with your family!!


And the kids will LOVE it!