Vittles Divine

Mmmmm..... chicken that is equally delectable as a main dish or salad fixin's. Home run. Ingredients 3.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, trimmed of all yucky parts 4 Tbs butter 1/2 cup honey 1/4 cup dijon mustard 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp curry powder Directions: Melt butter in 9 x 13 pan. In separate bowl, mix butter, honey, mustard, salt, and curry powder. Pour all sauce into the pan with the butter. Roll chicken around in the pan, coating well. Arrange in single later. Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for approximately 55 minutes, or until rich, glazed, and thoroughly cooked, basting every 20 minutes. To baste, I just take it out of the oven for a minute and use a spoon to re-douse the chicken with the juices/sauce. Be sure to use a clean spoon each time.

If you like my Apricot Chicken recipe , here is a similar take with a recipe I received from my friend Susie. It's subtly different, a little less sweet, and was equally well-received by those who dine at my table. Like the Apricot Chicken recipe, this is very very fast to make! Ingredients: 4 chicken breasts 1 bottle french dressing (DO NOT use "creamy" french!! Don't even use "light" creamy french!) 1 can cranberry sauce (with or without whole berries -- I used without) 1 envelope lipton onion soup 1 can mandarin oranges Cooked rice Directions: Combine dressing, cranberry sauce, and soup mix together in a bowl. Fold in can of mandarin oranges (do not drain the oranges). Pour entire mixture over the chicken in a greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake covered on 350 for 60 minutes. Take chicken out and shred. Mix chicken back into sauce. Serve over rice.

Last week I made some delicious homemade chicken strips. The recipe came from my food-loving friend Emily, who originally pilfered it from Rookie Cookie . I may never eat another dino nugget for as long as I live. (If you know how deep-rooted my love for dino nuggets happens to be, you'll understand just how much I enjoyed these strips!) Our whole family loved them, even the difficult-to-impress husband. He begrudgingly admitted they were fantastic. Four times. I have made a really yummy Ritz Chicken before and assumed this recipe would turn out to be very similar. It didn't. Since I'm in a declaration kind of mood: I'll never make Ritz Chicken again either. Ingredients 2 sleeves of Ritz Crackers ( I used a generic store brand, not Ritz ) 1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese 1 tsp paprika 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp ground pepper 4 or 5 chicken breasts 4 eggs 4 Tbsp honey 2 Tbsp water Directions: Set the oven to 400 degrees. Spray ...

Mmmmmm.... we're heading into the time of year when it's more respectable to eat pasta for every meal. As with most marinara sauces, this is best served at least one day after it has been simmered. This recipe makes a huge party pot of yummy delicious spaghetti sauce. Any extras can be easily frozen for future use. Ingredients 2 pounds ground beef 1 medium onion, chopped 1 medium green pepper, chopped 8 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced 3 celery ribs, chopped 1-1/2 teaspoons minced garlic 2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) Italian stewed tomatoes (I blend the contents briefly in a food processor; my kids and husband hate tomato chunks) 1 jar (26 ounces) of your favorite store-bought spaghetti sauce (we love Ragu Mama's Special Garden Sauce, but any flavorful recipe will work) 1/2 cup ketchup 1 can tomato soup 2 teaspoons brown sugar 1 teaspoon sugar 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon dried oregano 1 teaspoon chili powder 1 teaspoon prepared mustard Hot cooked spaghetti Directions In a larg...

I was originally inspired by this recipe that I found online (it was delicious, btw). I decided to take it in a different direction and the end result was sensational! I'm only judging by the groans of ecstasy from every quadrant of the dinner table, but they're usually pretty reliable food critics. Ingredients 24 rolls Mayonnaise Baked chicken breasts, shredded BBQ sauce of your choice (I'm a sucker for KC Masterpiece Hickory Brown Sugar) Cheddar or provolone cheese, shredded or sliced Brush Sauce 1/4 c. melted butter 1 Tbs mustard 1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce Optional Toppings Lettuce Tomatoes Sliced apples Cole slaw Carmelized onions Avocado Directions Mix together shredded chicken with bbq sauce until well coated. Slice rolls in half. Spread of mayo on the inside of each roll. Assemble rolls with bbq chicken and cheese. Place assembled rolls on a cookie sheet. Mix together the melted butter, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce with a whisk. Brush t...

This recipe came from the Top Family Recipe Collections of two of my friends. Knowing what talented cooks they both are, I took a leap of faith, despite my reservations on the whole concept. Peanut butter? With my pasta ? That seemed rather sacrilegious to this little Italian. Especially when I don't really love peanut butter all that much in the first place. Consider me converted. Thank you , Wendy and Allison! Kinley's response: "Wow... Wow.... WOW . This is good. SO good. If you ever go on The Next Food Network Star, you need to make this for sure to win the whole thing!" I made the recipe exactly as written and it was perfect just the way it was. I wasn't familiar enough with some of the ingredients to mess around anyway. I have never used sesame oil, ginger, rice vinegar, or chili-garlic sauce before. 12 ounces linguine ( NOT 16 ounces!) 2-3 breasts of cooked and chopped or shredded chicken. (I used 2 somewhat large ones) Sauce: 1 ...

I made these enchiladas on Saturday and they were de lectable. Justin told me 9 times throughout the night how delicious dinner had been, more delicious than Los Hermanos or Cafe Rio (I don't know about that , but high praise, indeed!) Kinley and Tanner clamored for seconds (and thirds for Kinley), which almost never happens. Kinley actually ate as much as Justin did, oink oink, claiming that these enchiladas are officially her new favorite food. I ran a sample of the meat over to our neighbor to see if it was really as delicious as I thought and she was in wide-eyed agreement. If you try nothing else , make the beef for the best taco salad meat of your life. I modified a recipe that I found on Allrecipes.com. It may look complicated at first glance; it's not. Ingredients: 2-3 pounds beef roast (my roast was 2.5 pounds) 1 can beef broth (2 cups) 1/3 cup water 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar 2 tablespoons chili powder 1 tablespoon ground cumin 1 medium onion, chopped or dic...

This recipe is also good with strips of chicken. And a little easier too.

My friend Jennie gave me a delicious recipe for shredded pork. We've made it several times now and it's a new favorite for the entire family. Kinley and Tanner love it by itself as a main dish; Justin eats it on sandwiches and I enjoy it on salads. It's different/unique and yummy and even better the second day! Ingredients: 2-pound pork sirloin tip roast (the 4-packs at Costco are perfect !) 1 cup apricot preserves 3 tbs yellow mustard 3 tbs worchestershire sauce 2 and 1/4 cups water (divided) Directions: Put roast into crock pot with 2 cups of water. Cook on high for 4 hours. Take roast out, shred with fork and dump out crock pot, removing any ickies from the bottom. Put the shredded pork back into the crock pot. Mix preserves, mustard, worchestershire sauce, and 1/4 cup water in a bowl. Add to crock pot and mix until pork is well coated. Continue to cook on high for 1-2 more hours. Serve warm.

Sigh... This is a dish that haunts me in my dreams at night until I make it. I love it. I mean I really really love it. I originally got the recipe from my friend Heather W. and it's one of their family favorites too. My kids go bananas (in a happy way) when they find out Rosemary Chicken Pasta is on the menu. It doesn't look like much, but the flavors are unique and addicting. It's crazy good. Ingredients 2 breasts of boneless, skinless chicken 1/2 cup flour 4 tsp olive oil (divided) 4 tsp butter (divided) 1/3 cup diced onions 2 tsp minced garlic 3 cup unsweetened white grape juice 4 tsp chicken boullion 1 tsp ground or regular rosemary leaves 1/2 tsp salt dash pepper 12 ounces angel hair pasta (not 16 oz!!) fresh chives (optional; I have never used them) Directions Cut thawed chicken breasts into bite-size pieces and put into bowl. Pour flour into bowl and stir until chicken is well coated with flour. In a wide, deep skillet, combine 3 tsp olive oi...

Nobody loves roast beef like my Justin and I don't mind bragging that I make a great one. When we have it on hand, he'll eat it on sandwiches. It also goes great with potaters, of course! My friend Bethany helped me take my old roast to the next level with the recommendation of Montreal Steak Seasoning to wake up the flavors for "a party in your mouth"! Ingredients: 2.5 - 3 pound Roast 3 cups water Montreal Steak Seasoning Directions: Place roast in crock pot with water. Season the top liberally with Montreal steak seasoning. Cook on high for 8-10 hours. Shred with fork on a cutting board or platter and serve. Tip: It's extremely, delightfully moist, but it will dry out fast if you don't serve or store immediately. The moisture will evaporate from that super-hot meat if you aren't careful. If you plan on using it for next-day sandwiches, put it in a ziploc back immediately after shredding to keep it moist. Once it cools with the moisture...

This was another Allrecipes.com success story ! This is supposed to be a grilled chicken, but it's barely March. And we're out of propane anyway. Sooo.... it was fantastic broiled in the oven!! Can't wait to try grilling it outdoors this summer! Ingredients 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 2/3 cup dijon mustard 1/2 cup honey 4 tbs mayo (fat-free is ok!) 2 tsp steak sauce Directions Soak wooden skewers in water for at least 5 minutes. Cut chicken into chunks and set aside. Mix mustard, honey, mayo, and steak sauce in bowl. Separate in half. Pour half of the mixture onto the chicken and stir well, until chicken is nicely coated in sauce. Thread the chicken on skewers. Place skewers on greased cookie sheet. Broil on one side for approximately 20 minutes. Turn over, baste with remaining sauce and broil for additional 10 minutes or until chicken is completely cooked. It's great for a main dish, sandwich innards, or to use in a salad. Great reviews over here!

My friend Emily recommended The Rookie Cookie website for yummy recipes. A quick perusal of Rookie's listings landed me in the arms of her Sesame Chicken . Mmmm... no more Panda Express for us. Sesame Chicken Ingredients 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast, trimmed of any fat and cut into bite-size pieces 2 Tbsp flour salt and ground pepper 2 Tbsp olive oil 1/2 cup soy sauce 1/2 cup sugar 2 tsp sesame seeds 1 stalk green onion, chopped** 2 cups white or brown rice, cooked according to package directions In a bowl, combine soy sauce and sugar and stir well to combine. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine chicken pieces and flour. Season with salt and pepper. Stir well to combine. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Once hot, add chicken. Cook, stirring often, until cooked through, about 5-10 minutes, depending on how large or small your pieces are. Transfer chicken pieces onto a plate and put the pan back on the heat. Stir the soy sauce mixture again (some...

For Valentine's Day, I made a delicious baked ziti for the family. It was extremely easy and just as delicious! I see why it had such high ratings on allrecipes.com . INGREDIENTS 1 pound dry ziti or mastaccioli pasta 2 cups onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic 1 pound lean ground beef 2 (24 ounce) jars PLUS 1 cup of spaghetti sauce** 6 ounces provolone cheese, sliced 16 ounces sour cream (fat-free is OK) 6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded 3 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese DIRECTIONS Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti pasta, and cook until al dente; drain. In a large skillet, brown onion, garlic and ground beef over medium heat. Add spaghetti sauce; warm through. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a (deep!) 9x13 inch baking dish.  Make sure it's plenty deep; this is a large meal! Layer as follows: 1/2 of the ziti Sour Cream (I like to mix the first half of the ziti WITH the sour cream.  Easier and faster) Provolone cheese...

We love grillin'! I found several versions of this recipe online. I merged them into what I thought I'd like best. It was awesome and we're doing it again super soon! If you smell somone grillin' it's probably us!! INGREDIENTS 3/4 cup soy sauce 1/4 cup sugar 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 4 small skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces 1-2 red, orange, or yellow peppers, cut into 1-2 inch pieces. 1 fresh pineapple cut into 1-2 inch pieces 1 onion, cut into 1-2 inch pieces DIRECTIONS Mix first five ingredients. Pour half of mixture over onions, peppers, and pineapple. Stir very well. Let sit for 5-10 minutes, stir well again. Drain/strain marinade back into original container. Pour almost all of remaining marinade (remember to keep some out for basting later!!!) into a bowl with the chicken. (If you don't do this, the pineapple will soak up too much of the marinade). Stir well, refrigerate at...

This dish is a low-fat primavera that I originally found in a Pillsbury magazine. While it's a little more time-intensive than I generally prefer, it's yummy and worth it. Plus, I'm getting faster at streamlining the process. Our whole family loves it and it doesn't taste all that healthy! Ingredients: 16 oz sliced fresh mushrooms 2 cups broccoli florets 1/2 cup chopped onion 1 cup diced tomatoes* 1 cup diced, cooked chicken 2 cups halved fresh snow pea pods (optional, and did not use) 12 oz uncooked fettucini 2 cups fat-free (skim) milk 3 tbs cornstarch 1 tbs chopped fresh basil or 1 tsp dried basil leaves 1/2 tsp salt 1/8 tsp pepper 1 cup light ricotta cheese 1/4 cup shredded fresh parmesan cheese ( not in the green can!!) 3/4 cup chicken broth 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped Directions 1. Cook and drain fettucini as directed on package. Lightly spray with Pam and toss to keep from sticking together. Cook and chop/shred chicken. 2. Meanwhile, in a 2-quart saucepan,...

This turkey was pretty much amazing. Very flavorful and extremely tender throughout. I'm not very experienced with making delicious turkeys, so I would call this a no-fail recipe. I found it originally at Allrecipes . I served it for Thanksgiving dinner and all the eaters were completely ga-ga! Ingredients 1 (12 pound) whole turkey 6 tablespoons butter, divided 4 cups warm water 3 tablespoons chicken bouillon 2 tablespoons dried parsley 2 tablespoons dried minced onion (I used fresh) 2 tablespoons seasoning salt Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Rinse and wash turkey. Discard the giblets, or add to pan if they are anyone's favorites. Place turkey in a Dutch oven or roasting pan. Separate the skin over the breast to make little pockets. You do not need to cut the skin. Just pull it up a little and shove your hand under it -- gross, but if I can do it, you can do it. Put 3 tablespoons of the butter on both sides between the skin and breast meat. This...

Philly Beef and Everything Ingredients 1 and 1/2 pounds shredded beef, cooked in a crock pot in advance . I used thin steaks, but a roast will do. 1 green pepper Entire large package of fresh mushrooms (what is that, 8 oz? 16 oz?) 1 cup diced onion 3 tbs butter 1/2 block of cream cheese (I used fat-free) 1 cup mozzarella cheese. 2 tbs worchestershire sauce 1 clove garlic salt and pepper to taste Directions Use the butter to saute green pepper, onion, mushrooms, and garlic together. Add worchestershire sauce, beef, salt, and pepper. Slowly stir in cream cheese, then mozzarella cheese. Serve immediately on toasted deli rolls. Notes: This made a SURPRISINGLY large amount of food. We had plenty of leftovers for today. I think one of the keys to success is not having too much beef in the mixture. I prefer it heavy on the toppings, lighter on the beef (strange, since I'm generally a rabid carnivore). But it seemed more flavorful that way. It turned out to be a good thing that I didn...

My friend Jamie gave a recipe for the most amazing chili. We have made it several times and we never get sick of it. It really is fan. tas. tic. This is one of my husband's very very very favorite recipes. I'll just say that regardless of how the ingredients below may sound, this is definitely chili . This is not taco soup! Ingredients 1 can chicken broth 2 lbs ground beef (you can substitute 1 of the pounds with pork) 3 cooked, shredded chicken breasts 3 cans "ranch style" beans 2 C sweet corn (frozen) 2  24-oz jars of salsa (I always use one jar of Sam's Choice (Walmart brand) "black bean and corn", and 1 jar of their "garlic and lime".** 1 additional cup salsa if your choice  1 cup brown sugar Directions Brown beef and cook chicken. Mix all other ingredients in the crock pot. Add meat, mix well, and simmer in crock pot on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours, stirring occasionally. *Be sure to add wet ingredients first , m...

My friend Johanna gave this recipe to me and we make it all the time. So good, so good! This is a regular staple at our house and perfect for taking in a meal to a neighbor. INGREDIENTS 6 cups cooked farfalle (bow tie or mini-bow tie) pasta*** 2 Tbs butter 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 (10.75 o unce) can condensed cream of chicken soup 1 cup milk 1 tablespoon dried parsley 3/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 2-3 cooked skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut or shredded into bite-size pieces Approx 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, drained 4 tablespoons grated Romano or parmesan cheese (not from the green can!) DIRECTIONS In a large pot with boiling salted water cook farfalle pasta until al dente. Drain. Meanwhile, melt butter in a large saucepan. Add garlic cloves and cook until garlic browns. Add the cream of chicken soup, stir in the dried parsley, salt, and ground fresh pepper. Blend milk and tomatoes gently in food processor or blender and add to pot. Let simmer for 5-10 m...