Crunchy Chicken Nuggets

Fast, delicious, and easy!  What more could you want?  The coating stays nice and crunchy, even for leftovers.  Recipe from Kellogg’s.  Linking up with Women Who Do It All.

Ingredients:

-2 egg whites

-1 Tbsp water

-2.5 cups Rice Krispies cereal, crushed (I use my hands to mush it up a little bit but still keep them mostly in tact)

-1.5 tsp paprika

-1 tsp seasoned salt (I use Lawry’s)

-1/8 tsp garlic powder

-1/8 tsp onion powder

-1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1.5 inch pieces

-1 Tbsp butter, melted

Directions:

1.  In a shallow dish, combine egg whites and water.  In another shallow dish, combine Rice Krispies, paprika, seasoned salt, garlic powder and onion powder.  I use pans for my mixtures as you can see below.  I also spray the pan I use to cook them on with a little oil before placing the nuggets on it. 

2.  Dip chicken pieces into egg white mixture, coating all sides.  Roll in cereal mixture.  Place in single layer on baking sheet.  Drizzle with melted butter (I usually leave this step out to make them a little bit healthier).

3.  Bake at 450 degrees about 12 minutes or until no longer pink in center.

Sorry I didn’t get that great of a picture of these – the little one was starving by the time they got out of the oven and there is no containing her when she is hungry! 

Tutorial: Fabric Flower Pin

I’ve seen these tutorials for a while now all over Blogland.  The only difference is that most require you to cut perfect circles and sew them all together.  Well, I was getting ready for work one day and had the idea for these and was able to pull it together in about 10 minutes.  LOVE short projects with big outcomes.  I recently saw flower pins like this at Ann Taylor Loft (although not as full) for $15.  This was free because I had the materials on hand.

Materials needed:

-Fabric (I used about 1/8 to 1/4 yard or so)

-Small piece of felt

-Pin for the back of the flower

-Glue gun

-Scissors

Directions:

1.  Cut several circles out of the fabric you choose.  You can use a template (like a Tupperware or a glass) if you like, but they really don’t have to be exact, just similar in size.  I cut about 30 circles for a nice full pin.  Also cut a circle out of a piece of felt (for the backing).

2.  Have your glue gun ready!  Take each circle and fold in half, and then in half again.  Once you have it folded, twist a little so it looks like the picture below.  This will give you each of your petals.

3.  Take your petal and apply glue down one side.  Place on your felt circle with the tip in the middle of the circle.  You’ll repeat this step moving around the circle until your bottom layer is done.

Sorry for the blurry picture because I was really in a hurry making this.  The picture is an example of your bottom layer, as you glue your petals around the circle.

4.  Build your petals on top of the bottom layer and keep filling in until your flower is finished.  It’s up to you how full you want your flower.

5.  Glue the pin on the back.

All done!  The pink flower is a linen type fabric, so it’s not as tight as the yellow and black flower.  Again, it’s up to you how tight you glue your petals and how many circles you cut.

I wore this attached to a suit one day to work and got a lot of comments on it.  You can make them as big or small as you like, just depending on the size of the circles you cut!

Cheesy Broccoli Bake

Another “go to” side dish in our family.  I love broccoli and cheese together and this one also incorporates rice.  Plus, you can throw the broccoli in frozen so it’s quick.  I have to admit that after making this for the past 3 years, I just realized that I was making it wrong!  I always use queso in it but it actually just calls for Velveeta.  So I’ll give you an option either way in the ingredients, but I think the queso is what makes it so good.  Recipe from Yahoo! foods.

Ingredients:

-1 (10 oz) package frozen chopped broccoli

-1 can condensed cream of chicken soup

-1 (8 oz) jar processed cheese spread OR queso

-3/4 cup uncooked instant rice

-3 Tbsp seasoned bread crumbs

-1 Tbsp melted butter

Directions:

1.  In a bowl, combine the broccoli, soup, cheese (or queso) and rice.  Transfer to a greased 1.5 qt baking dish. 

Toss bread crumbs and butter; sprinkle over top.  Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes; uncover and bake 15 minutes longer.

Lumpy Pan Pizza

This is super easy to assemble and makes a great weeknight meal.  Very tasty!  Recipe from the “Dough Magic” cookbook from Pillsbury.

Ingredients:

-1 can Pillsbury Grands! Refrigerated Original Flaky Layers Biscuits

-1 (8 oz) jar pizza sauce

-2 cups finely shredded mozzarella cheese

-about 16 slices pepperoni

-any other pizza toppings you like: mushrooms, onions, sausage, etc.

Directions:

1.  Heat over to 375 degrees.  Separate dough into 8 biscuits.  Cut each biscuit into 8 pieces (I use kitchen shears for this); place in medium bowl. 

Add pizza sauce and 1 cup of cheese; toss to coat.

 

2.  Spoon and spread mixture in ungreased 9” square (2 quart) baking dish.  Top with pepperoni, toppings, and remaining cheese.

3.  Bake at 375 for 22-28 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.  Note: I usually have to cook it for at least 30 minutes to make sure the biscuits are cooked.  Dig into the pizza to make sure all the doughy parts are cooked before removing from oven.

Chicken (or Beef) and Black Bean Tostizzas

It’s a pizza . . . it’s a tostada . . . it’s a tostizza!  Yummy, quick and easy.  Definitely a fun one for the kiddos.  Recipe from Pillsbury.

Ingredients:

-1 can Pillsbury Grands! Refrigerated Flaky Biscuits

-1 cup cooked, diced chicken (or you can use 1/2 lb cooked ground beef in you have it on hand)

-1 cup black beans, drained

-1/2 cup Thick and Chunky salsa (I like Pace)

-2 Tbsp taco seasoning mix

-2 green onions, chopped (optional)

-1/2 cup bell pepper strips (optional)

-6 oz shredded cheese

Directions:

1.  Heat oven to 350.  Separate dough into 8 biscuits.  Squish and spread biscuits to form a 5.5 inch round.  I just use my hands, but you can roll them if you prefer.

(I put them on a cookie sheet lined with foil and lightly sprayed to make them easier to get off)

2.  In medium bowl, combine chicken (or beef), beans, salsa and taco seasoning mix; mix well. 

Spread evenly over biscuits to within 1/4 inch of edges.  Top evenly with onions, bell pepper and cheese.

3.  Bake at 350 for 20 to 24 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown and cheese is melted.  If desired, garnish with sour cream and guacamole.

Balsamic Green Beans

I heart green beans.  I will eat them in any dish, in any way, just as long as there are green beans involved.  We love them fresh in the summer and this has a wonderful, light balsamic sauce.  They get better overnight as they marinate so making this the day before is a good idea too.  Recipe from Southern Living Magazine.

Ingredients:

-1 pound green beans, trimmed

-2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

-1 Tbsp brown sugar

-1 tsp Dijon Mustard

-Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1.  Cook green beans in boiling salted water to cover 5 to 6 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain.  Plunge green beans into ice water to stop the cooking process, and drain.

2.  Stir together vinegar, brown sugar and mustard until smooth.  Add salt and pepper.  Add green beans; toss to coat. 

Lemony Chicken

Everyone has that same old chicken casserole recipe.  You know the one with Cream of Chicken soup, rice, etc.  I can’t stomach it.  I just can’t.  So when I had this dish at a church meeting, I was in LOVE.  Such a great variation on the same old chicken casserole.

Ingredients:

-4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, baked and diced

-1 can Cream of Chicken soup

-1 cup sour cream

-1.5 Tbsp lemon juice

-1 sleeve of Ritz crackers, made into crumbs

-1 Tbsp poppy seeds (can be left out)

-4 Tbsp melted butter

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place diced chicken in bottom of an 8x8 baking dish.  Mix cream of chicken soup, sour cream and lemon juice together.  Spread over chicken.

2.  Combine Ritz cracker crumbs and poppy seeds in a bowl.  Sprinkle over top of casserole.  Drizzle melted butter over cracker crumbs.

3.  Bake at 350 until brown and bubble, about 30-45 minutes.

This recipe can be doubled and cooked in a 9x13 pan for company or to take to someone who just had a baby or is ill.  It’s very versatile dish!

Bread and Butter Pickles

Thank you for allowing me some time to heal before getting back into this blog.  I’ve missed posting but needed the time.

There is nothing better in the summer than homemade Bread and Butter Pickles!  This is my Dad’s recipe.  It makes a good bunch to keep in the fridge and snack on over a month or so.

Ironically, I had a pickle incident last night.  As I was picking up the Tupperware container of pickles in the fridge, the lid was not on tight and it slipped and fell.  Nothing like pickle juice ALL OVER yourself, the floor, your child, your dog, etc.  It was a huge mess and a major disaster.  Yuck. 

Ingredients:

-Cucumbers (I use 3 large ones)

-Coarse salt

-2 cups sugar

-2 cups white vinegar

Directions:

1.  I am going off of using 3 cucumbers for this recipe.  It gives you a good bunch to keep in the fridge without having too many.  First, peel and cut your cucumbers.  I cut some thick and some thin so we have a nice mix but cut them the way you prefer.

2.  Place cut cucumbers in a colander in the sink and salt heavily.  Let sit for 1 hour.

3.  Rinse cucumbers and squeeze to remove excess water.  This is what makes them nice and crisp.

4.  Put 2 cups of vinegar in small saucepan over low heat.  (If you decide to use more or less cucumbers, the ratio is 1 cup sugar and 1 cup vinegar per 1.5 cucumbers).  Add 2 cups sugar in parts, dissolving completely after each addition.  I use a whisk to do this part.  I make sure that I can see the bottom of the saucepan each time before adding more sugar.  This is so important!  If your sugar is not completely dissolved, your cucumbers won’t taste right.

5.  Place cucumbers in airtight container and pour vinegar mixture over them.  Let sit in the fridge overnight before tasting.  Can be stored up to one month.