Lazy Sunday Casserole

**I am listing the original recipe for those who are interested in trying it out.  I found out my husband does not like fennel and he could taste the rosemary in the Italian seasoning (which he also doesn't like!), so I will be modifying it next time taking these out.  I loved it using the original recipe!

Ingredients:

• 4 sausages (beef or pork)...I used Italian Sausage
• 1 lb. potatoes
• 1/2 lb. carrots
• 1 bell pepper
• 1 large onion
• 1 fennel bulb (or omit)
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp oil
• freshly cracked black pepper and kosher salt
• 1 1/2 tsp Italian herbs (I used combo of oregano & basil)
• 1/2 cup chicken broth 
• 4 tbsp balsamic vinegar 

Peel the potatoes, wash them and cut each potato in four pieces. Peel one large or two smaller onions and cut them in wedges. Remove the base and stalks of the fennel, and turn that one into wedges as well. Looks so fresh green.  Slice 1/2 to 1 bell pepper in strips. Place everything in a big roasting tray. Use a big bowl to combine the oil with the Italian herbs, grated or chopped garlic, and chicken broth. Pour all over your veggies and toss them around a bit.  Season with a generous amount of salt (kosher salt would be great) and cracked black pepper.
Cover the tray with aluminum foil and pop it in a preheated oven. Bake at 450F (225C) for 45 minutes.
That gives you plenty time to brown the sausages. No need to cook them all the way through, just lightly brown them. Slice each sausage in half. I’ve used half pork/ half beef sausages. You can also use Italian sausage or any type of flavored sausage.
After 45 minutes the potatoes and vegetables should be fork tender. If they’re not, cover the tray with the foil and pop them back in the oven for a few more minutes. If they are fork tender, place the sausages in there and pour the balsamic vinegar all over. Place the tray back in the oven, uncovered, for 25 to 30 minutes. Take it out after 15 minutes, flip over those sausages and ladle some of the juices lurking at the bottom all over the vegetables and sausages. Put it back in the oven for the remaining time, until everything is nice and brown.

Creamy Caprese Quinoa Bake

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked quinoa
• 1 cup of your favorite pasta sauce
• 2 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1/3 cup parmesan cheese
• 1 cup mozzarella, divided
• 1/2-1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 large bunch fresh basil, cut into ribbons
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Heat tomato sauce and tomato paste over low heat in a large saucepan. Once warm, stir in heavy cream, parmesan, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and stir in the quinoa. Fold in half of the mozzarella and half of the tomatoes, then chop 6 fresh basil leaves and add them in too. Once combined, spray an 8x8 or 9x9 baking dish with non-stick spray and pour the entire quinoa mixture into the dish. Top with fresh mozzarella rounds or shredded mozzarella and the remaining tomatoes.
3. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes and then turn the broiler on and broil for 1 to 2 minutes or until cheese is golden and bubbly.
4. Remove from the oven and top with fresh basil ribbons. Allow to sit five minutes and then serve.

Recipe: http://www.halfbakedharvest.com/creamy-caprese-quinoa-bake/

Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Ingredients

• 8oz cream cheese
• 16 oz light sour cream
• 1 stick (8 tbsp) unsalted butter
• 1½ – 2 cups shredded Parmesan cheese
• 14 oz quartered artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped
• 4 oz can diced jalapeños, drained
• 10 oz frozen spinach (thawed and drained)
• 2-3 garlic cloves, pressed

Instructions

1. In a medium pot over medium heat, melt together 8oz cream cheese, 16 oz sour cream, 1 stick butter and 1.5-2 cups parmesan cheese, stirring frequently until melted and an even consistency. It should start to bubble.
2. Stir in coarsely chopped artichoke hearts, your drained jalapenos and drained spinach (I used my hands to squeeze spinach over the sink to remove excess water). Finally, stir in 2-3 pressed garlic cloves.
3. Serve hot with chips or crackers or toasted baguettes.

Recipe: http://natashaskitchen.com/2012/09/30/spinach-and-artichoke-dip-recipe/

Warm Bean Dip

Ingredients:

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 cans (16 ounces, each) refried beans
• 1 packet taco seasoning
• 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
• 2 cups monterey jack cheese, shredded 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together cream cheese and sour cream in a large bowl. Mix in refried beans until combined. Stir in taco seasoning.

Spray a 9×13 baking pan with cooking spray. Spread mixture evenly into the bottom of the baking dish. Sprinkle the top with both cheeses.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until cheese in melted and slightly browned. Serve with tortilla chips.

 

Recipe: http://life-in-the-lofthouse.com/warm-bean-dip/

 

Tomato Basil Chicken

**We used home-grown tomatoes from the farmer's market.  Fabulous!  The more flavorful the tomato, the better the sauce will be.

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts 
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
• 2 tsp minced fresh garlic
• 4 Tbsp cold butter
• 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
• freshly grated Parmigiano reggiano cheese, for garnish
• 8 oz pasta (spaghetti, linguine, fettuccine)

Season chicken breasts with kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper.  Add a couple of tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil to your skillet.  This may seem like quite a bit, but it will form the base for the sauce.  While waiting for the oil to heat up, go ahead and get your water going for the pasta. When the oil is HOT, add the chicken breasts.  After about 4-5 minutes, the chicken breasts should be ready to turn.  By the way, when did chicken breasts get SO HUGE?!   You'll want to cook them on the second side another 4-5 minutes,or until the juices run clear when you pierce them with a small sharp knife.  If you pounded yours out thinner, they will cook faster than this.

After the second side has been cooking for about 4 minutes, go ahead and add in the fresh tomatoes that you have chopped up.  Next, add the fresh basil that you have chopped into ribbons, the cold butter, the minced garlic, and you will probably want to add some more kosher salt and black pepper to season the sauce.  Now give it all a good stir so all those flavors will marry together.

When your chicken is "done," turn the sauce down on the lowest setting to keep it all warm until the pasta is cooked, which should be any minute now.  At this point, if still waiting for the pasta, you can remove the cooked chicken to a cutting board, and after resting just a couple of minutes, cut the chicken into slices on the bias.   Divide the pasta among individual bowls, and top each with half of a chicken breast, sliced into pieces, and equal portions of the tomato basil sauce.  Top with more fresh basil and freshly grated Parmigiana reggiano cheese.

 

Servings: 4

Recipe: http://menumusings.blogspot.com/2013/04/tomato-basil-chicken.html via Pinterest

Ranch Style Chicken

  Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Dijon Mustard
• 1/2 cup Honey
• 1/2 whole (juice of) Lemon
• 1/2 teaspoon Paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• Crushed Red Pepper (optional To Taste)
• 6 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
• 1 pound Thick Cut Bacon
• Bacon Grease
• Sharp Cheddar Cheese, to taste
• Canola Oil

To begin, make the marinade. In a large bowl mix together ½ cup Dijon or country/grainy mustard with ½ cup honey, juice of ½ lemon, ½ teaspoon paprika, and ½ teaspoon salt and whisk until smooth. Sprinkle in some crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne if you like things a little spicy. Set aside.
Next, rinse the chicken breasts, place between two sheets of waxed paper and pound to around ½ to ¾ inch thick with a mallet. Next, add the chicken to the bowl with the marinade, cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 1 to 3 hours.
While the chicken marinates, fry up some bacon. When finished cooking, reserve ¼ cup of the bacon grease and clean out the skillet.
When the chicken is done marinating, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Remove the chicken from the fridge and pour off excess marinade. Heat half of the reserved bacon grease with an equal quantity of Canola Oil in the clean skillet over medium-high heat. When the grease is nice and hot add two or three pieces of chicken to it. Cook until brownish/blackish, about 1 to 1 ½ minutes per side. Remove chicken to a large baking sheet. If cooking many pieces of chicken, repeat skillet process and remove finished chicken to baking sheet. Place chicken in preheated oven and cook for about 10 minutes. Remove from over.
Lay a few pieces of bacon over each chicken breast. Sprinkle shredded sharp cheddar cheese over the top of the chicken as generously as you like. Return pan to oven for an additional five minutes until cheese is melted and bacon is sizzling. Serve immediately.

**In PW's cookbook, it says to grill the chicken instead of fry it over the skillet.  Approx. 3 minutes per side on the grill and add the bacon and cheese while 2nd side is cooking.  This is how we did it and it was fabulous! I'm sure it's great either way though.

Recipe: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/01/ranch-style-chicken/ 

Cheesy Chicken & Wild Rice Casserole

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 white onion, diced
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 3 carrots, diced
• 2 tablespoons garlic, minced
• 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded
• 1/2 cup white rice (modified from 1 cup in original recipe)
• 8 oz. wild rice (modified from 16 oz. in original recipe)
• 3 tablespoons butter
• ¼ cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 4 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
• Garlic salt
• Salt & pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil, onion, celery, garlic, and carrots in a pan over medium heat for 10 minutes. Prepare wild rice and white rice according to package instructions.
2. Stir in chicken, rices, and a dash of salt, pepper, and garlic salt. Reduce heat to low.
3. In a medium pan over high heat, melt butter. Whisk in flour, vegetable broth, and a sprinkle of salt & pepper. Continue to whisk until boiling. Add 2 cups of the shredded cheddar and continue to stir until melted. Transfer chicken and rice mixture to a greased 9×13 baking dish. Pour cheese sauce over rices and top with remaining cheddar.
4. Bake for 30-35 minutes.

Serves 8-10

Recipe: http://rachelschultz.com via Pinterest