Cowboy Cheesy Chicken

This is by far our favorite chicken recipe. Brady says it's as good as a restraunt's. I don't make it that often because it's not exactly low fat- but it's worth all the flavor sometimes. We had downed most of the pan before I got my camera. I love to make this when company comes and Jessica and Cameron were visiting us so it was a must make recipe. Hope you enjoy it as much as we do. It's great with the pillaf recipe that can be found in the main dish section under Apricot chicken. The sauce in the bottom of the pan is great on the rice.

Marinade:

1/2 cup dijon mustard

1/2 cup honey

1 1/2 tsp olive oil

1 tsp lemon juice

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 8oz pkg fresh mushrooms

2 cups shredded colby jack cheese

1/2 pkg bacon cooked (not to crispy because you bake it in the oven too) (cut the pkg in half so the bacon stips are half length and use that half of the pkg)
parsley

Combine marinade and put 1/2 cup marinade in a plastic bag with the chicken. Save the rest of the marinade. Refridgerate the chicken for 2 hours (sometimes I don't get it in the fridge that long and it still tastes great). Drain and discard the marinade from the chicken. Brown chicken chicken in a little bit of olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and place in a 9x13 baking dish. Cover with remaining marinade. Place mushrooms in pan that you browed chicken in and cook until tender. Sprinkle over chicken. Spinkle cheese over chicken and place bacon pieces over chicken. Spinkle with parsley and cook at 375 for 20-25 min. Server with lemon rice pillaf. SO YUMMY!!

Cheesy Beef and Spinach Enchiladas

Sorry this isn't the best picture of this dish. It doesn't do it justice. I didn't get a good picture of it until we had almost eaten most of the pan. It is really good though. Even Savannah liked it, which is saying a lot when it comes to enchiladas.

Enchiladas:
1 lb. ground beef
2 gloves garlic
1 1/2 cups frozen cut leaf spinach
4 oz cream cheese
1/2 tsp cumin
1 can (4 oz) chopped green chiles
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese (or the colby jack preshredded kind- easier to find)
1 pkg (8 or 10) 8 inch flour tortillas (I try and find a 10 pack because I usually have one that is messed up- breaks- and I like to have a few back ups- then I have an extra tortilla to give Alyssa since I don't think she'd eat these)
1 can (19oz) Old El Paso Red Enchilada sauce (you can use mild or medium depending on you taste. I use mild to make it more kid friendly, but Brady would prefer the medium)

Toppings if desired:
Sour Cream, Salsa, Fresh Cilantro

Cook ground beef and garlic in a skillet until browned. Drain or pat with a paper towel to get off extra grease. Add spinach and cook until it is thawed. Stir in cream cheese, cumin, chiles and 1 1/2 cups cheese and cook until all combined. Spoon about 1/3 cup beef mixture into each tortilla and roll up. Place seam side down in a greased glass baking dish. Pour enchilada sauce over rolled tortillas sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 for 20-25 min. I cover them for the first 15 min and remove for the last 5-10 min. Put your favorite topping on. This is great with rice or the Texas Caviar recipe that is under appetizers.

Easy to Freeze:
Make and put in a throw away aluminum pan. Cover with foil and the plastic lid and freeze. Note: Let it cool before you freeze or it will sweat.

Easy Orange Carrot Cake

If you like carrot cake this is a very easy recipe that I found in a magazine. I love it because it has a touch of orange flavor and because it uses a cake mix as a base so it is really easy.

Cake:

1 pkg yellow cake mix

1 pkg instant vanilla pudding mix

2 tsp cinnamon

4 eggs

2/3 cup orange juice

1/2 cup oil

3 cups grated carrots

1/2 cup raisins (optional)- I don't put these in because I don't like raisins in cake

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Orange Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 pkg (8oz) cream cheese

1/2 cup butter, softened

3 cups powdered sugar

1-2 TBSP orange juice

1 TBSP grated orange peel (the zest from about 1 med. orange)

Combine cake mix, pudding mix and cinnamon. Whisk the eggs, orange juice and oil: add to dry ingredients. Beat until well blended. Stir in the carrots, raisins and nuts.

Pour batter into 2 greased 9 in round pans and bake at 350 for 30-35 min. Let cool before frosting. Store the cake in the fridge.

Patrician Potatoes

This is a great potatoe side dish. It makes a lot but it keeps really well for left overs. Would be a great side dish to meat for company or feeding the missionaries (we do a lot of that around here).

5 lbs. potatoes, peeled and cooked
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 pkg (8 oz) Light cream cheese (you can use regular if you want)
1 cup Low fat sour cream
3 tsp salt
2 tsp minced chives (you can use fresh or the freeze-dried kind you get in the spice isle)
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (I just use the grated kind in the can and it works great)
1 tsp paprika

Cook potatoes and drain. Add butter, cream cheese, and sour cream and mix until like mashed potatoes. Add salt and chives. Put in a casserole dish and sprinkle with parmesan cheese and paprika. Cook at 350 for 20-25 min.

We all really like these potatoes and they are even great the next day and the next!

Frosty Toffee Bits Pie

You will LOVE this Pie!!! It is so easy, so fast, and ohhhh so yummy! You will want to make it every weekend. Especially this summer.

3 oz. cream cheese softened
2 TBSP sugar
1/2 cup half & half (don't have half & half, but you have cream in your fringe?- use half cream, half milk- that's what half & half is)
1 carton (8 oz) Cool Whip thawed
1 pkg (8 oz) Toffee bits (you get them next to the chocolate chips- Health make them- just like the candy bar)
1 graham craker or shortbread prepared crust- I used the shortbreat crust and we really like that one. They are right next to the graham cracker crusts.

Mix the cream cheese and sugar. Pour in the half & half and mix until smooth. Fold in the Cool whip and then fold in the toffee bits. Pour in the crust and freeze for a few hours- 2- 4 is usually good. The whole family loves this easy pie. Great for a fast FHE treat!!

Sloppy Joes

I wish I could say this is a Family Favorite, but I cannot for the life of me get Savannah to eat Sloppy Joes. However, Kayla can't get enough of them. She'll eat a whole one and want more and want them for 3 nights in a row.

I know some of you may be Manwich people out there, but I never grew up on Manwich so to me making them from scratch is easier than having to remember to buy the Manwich.

2 lbs. ground beef
1 onion chopped
1 1/4 cups ketchup
1/2 cup water
1 TBSP brown sugar
1 TBSP white vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground mustard (the dry kind, but I'm sure you could use the wet kind if thats all that you had)
1/2-3/4 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground allspice (the secret ingredient that makes these so good)

Cook and drain ground beef. Add the rest of the ingredients and put on toasted buns!! Yummy and really fast!!
Easy to Freeze:
Freeze leftovers or make a whole batch and freeze for a busy day.

Apple Cake with Butterscotch Sauce

This has to be one of my favorite dessert recipes (o.k., I'm lying I LOVE all my dessert recipes- I could never choose just one. I have a sweet tooth if you can't tell) Anyways, this is SOOOO good and my kids love it. What kid doesn't like butterscotch sauce and whipped cream, even if it's on cardboard. Luckily, this cake if to die for and you'll talk yourself into a piece for breakfast because it's almost like a sweet bread. So, I'll stop babbling and just give you the recipe.
Cake:
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
6 cup chopped apples ( this is the point that I altered this recipe, I decided that I like to use the cheese grater to grate the apples rather than chop them- much faster and my kids like it a lot better whent he chunks of apples aren't very noticeable. I use about 3 large apples- Gala is usually what I have on hand, but use your favorite)

Butterscotch Sauce
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Cream butter, sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Add eggs one at a time. Combine dry ingredients together and gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well (batter will be stiff). Add grated or chopped apples until well combined. Spread into a greased or sprayed 9x13 baking pan and cook for 40-45 min. at 350.

In a sauce pan combine the brown supgar and butter. cook over medium heat until butter is melted. Gradually stir in cream and bring to a slow boil, stirring constantly. Remover from heat, serve with the cake (I like to cool it off a while so it's a little thicker). It's really good if the cake is slightly warm. Top with whipped cream. YUMMMMY!!!!

I like to double the sauce recipe because everyone likes LOTS of sauce on their cake and then there is plenty to go around.