Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

There are a couple of things that are great about this recipe. First of all, it is very budget friendly. Instead of using Cream of Chicken soup, you make a simple sauce from scratch. Also, any casserole with rice as the base is going to lower the cost of the meal. Second, it's a great way to sneak broccoli into your family's diet!

Ingredients:
- 4 Cups Cooked white rice (I just popped some into my rice cooker.)
- 2 Cups Cooked chicken, cubed
- 2 Cups Fresh broccoli, chopped into bite size pieces
- 1 1/2 Cups Cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1/4 Cup Butter
- 1/3 Cup Flour
- 1 Cup Milk
- 1 1/2 Cups Chicken broth
- Salt and Pepper
- 1/3 Cup Crumbled Ritz Crackers*
- 1 tsp Butter, melted


Instructions:
1. Bring a small pot of water to a boil and add in your fresh broccoli. Allow to cook until the broccoli turns bright green, about 3 minutes. Strain the broccoli and set aside.
2. Melt 1/4 butter in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Once it is completely melted, add in your flour and allow to cook for 1-2 minutes. Begin slowly adding your milk and chicken broth. Once all of the liquids are incorporated, allow the sauce to simmer for about 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until it begins to thicken. Salt and pepper to taste. (Be generous. At least 1/2 tsp each.)
3. Put the rice, chicken, broccoli, and cheese in a large bowl. Pour the sauce over and stir well. Pour the mixture into a casserole dish or 9x13 pan.

4. Mix together the cracker crumbs and butter and sprinkle over the top of the casserole.

5. Bake casserole at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

*This is about half a sleeve of Ritz Crackers. I just put them in a ziplock and let my 18 month old go to town smushing them. :)

Creamy Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese

I have always loved Macaroni and Cheese, but sometimes the blue box just doesn't cut it. Consequently, I created this recipe for creamy, comforting stovetop Mac n' Cheese.

Ingredients:
- 2 Cups uncooked macaroni or shell noodles.
- 3 TB Butter
- 3 TB Flour
- 2 Cups Milk
- 1/4 tsp Mustard powder
- 2 Cups Cheddar cheese, shredded*
- 1/2 Cup Velveeta Cheese**
- Salt and pepper

Instructions:
1. Cook noodles according to directions on package.
2. While the noodles are cooking, melt the butter in a medium sized sauce pan over medium heat. Stir in the flour to form a roux and allow to cook for 1-2 minutes.

3. Slowly begin incorporating the milk. Start with a tablespoon or two and make sure it's all absorbed into the roux before adding more. My general rule of thumb when making a white sauce is to about double the amount I add to it each time. (Start with 2 TB, then 1/4 cup, then 1/2 cup...) If you add in all of the milk at once, your sauce will never work. 
 4. Once all of the milk is incorporated, mix in the mustard powder and salt/pepper to taste.  Allow to simmer over medium heat for about 7 minutes, stirring frequently. The sauce should become noticeably thicker.

5. Once the sauce has thickened, add your cheddar and Velveeta and stir until melted.
6. Put warm noodles in a serving bowl and pour the sauce over them. Stir well and serve.
7. YUMM!

*If you are cooking on a tight budget or are watching your calories, you can definitely reduce the amount of cheese to 1 Cup. (I often do this.) It won't be as yummy, but it will still satisfy the craving. 
** Here's the deal with Velveeta. The more you add, the cheesier it will taste. However, it will also taste more processed. I don't like the processed/fake cheesy flavor, so I usually use a little less. If you change up the recipe, do note that you need to add at least 1/4 cup to get the pretty orange color that is associated with Mac N' Cheese. Cheddar alone won't give you that.

Sausage Calzones

Both my mom and my husband said these are the best calzones they've ever had. Very easy and very delicious!

Ingredients:
- 1 lbs Spicy breakfast sausage
- 1 Container Ricotta cheese
- 1 Cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 (2 1/4 tsp) Package active dry yeast
- 1 Cup warm water (Think - how hot you'd want the water to be if you were taking a bath.)
- 1 TB Olive oil
- 1 tsp White sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 1/2 cups flour

Instructions:
1. Cook breakfast sausage in a fry pan. Combine it with the Ricotta and cheddar and place in the fridge until ready.
2. Dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Mix in the olive oil, white sugar, salt and 1 cup of the flour. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to sit for about 15 minutes until the sponge begins to rise and look bubbly. Add in the remaining flour and turn onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for about 5 minutes. Place dough in an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap again. Allow to rise until doubled, about 40 minutes.
3. Punch down the dough and divide into 6 sections. Roll each section into a small circle on a floured surface. Place a 6th of the filling on the circle of dough. Lightly brush the edges with water, fold it over, and seal by pinching/rolling the edges..
4. Bake at 375 degrees for 28-30 minutes. Serve with tomato sauce (recipe below).

Adapted from http://allrecipes.com/recipe/real-italian-calzones/

Perfect Simple Tomato Sauce:
Ingredients:
- 2 Small cans tomato sauce.
- 1 tsp Sugar
- 1 tsp Oregano
- 1 tsp Basil
- 1 tsp Parsley
- 2 TB Grated Parmesan Cheese

Instructions:
1. Combine all ingredients in a small sauce pan. Put over low heat and allow to simmer for about twenty minutes. It's as easy as that!!

Soft Breadsticks

Here's a recipe I adapted for very yummy breadsticks! Great to go with pasta!

Ingredients:
- 1 Cup + 2 TB Warm Water
- 2 tsp Active Dry Yeast
- 2 TB Olive Oil
- 2 TB Sugar
- 2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning (Optional)
- 3 Cups flour
- 1 tsp Olive oil 
- 1 tsp Butter
- 2 tsp Garlic Salt

Instructions:
1. Dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Stir in 2 TB oil, sugar, salt, and Italian Seasoning (if using) along with one cup of the flour. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to sit for about 15 minutes. (It should rise a bit and get bubbly.)
2. Stir in the remaining 2 cups of flour. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5-10 minutes.
3. Pour 1 tsp of olive oil in a large bowl. Turn your dough in the bowl to coat it with the oil. Cover it with plastic wrap and allow to rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.
4. Divide dough into about 20 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a 1 inch diameter rope. (The dough is pretty elastic so it may spring back a bit after you form your rope. This is fine.) Lay on a greased baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.
5. Bake at 350 degrees F for 28-30 minutes. Brush with the butter while warm and sprinkle the top with garlic salt.

Southwest Chicken Eggrolls

Made these for the Super Bowl! Yum!!

Ingredients:
- 1 lb of prepared Mexican Chicken (Recipe below.)
- 1/2 Cup Defrosted frozen corn.
- 1/2 Cup Drained canned black beans
- 1/2 Cup Salsa
- 1/2 Cup shredded cheddar cheese.
- 12 Egg Roll Wrappers
- 1 Quart of Vegetable Oil

1. Combine prepared chicken, corn, beans, salsa, and cheese in a large bowl.
2. Assemble egg rolls. You do this by placing a few tablespoons of filling on the egg roll wrapper and folding/rolling it up like a burrito. Seal the end by brushing a bit of water on the final edge.
3. Heat oil over high  heat in a large stock pot. Test the oil (CAREFULLY with tongs!!) with a scrap of egg roll wrapper. When bubbles form around the wrapper, the oil is ready. Turn temperature down to medium-high. Put the egg rolls in three at a time, turning occasionally. Once they turn golden brown, pull them out and rest them on a paper towel to drain.
4. I like to serve them with a dipping sauce of equal parts ranch dressing and salsa. Yum!!

Mexican Chicken:
1. Butterfly your chicken breasts so they are nice and thin. Season them with salt and and taco seasoning. Rub the seasoning into the chicken breast.
2. Heat the olive oil in the skillet over medium/high head and add the chicken. Cook until browned, three or four minutes per side. Once the chicken has been browned, add the water to the pan and cover. Cook until the chicken is fully cooked, approximately 10-15 minutes, adding more water if needed.
3. Remove the chicken from the pan and dice.

Chicken Gyros

I LOVE gyros. When I was pregnant with my son, this was the one thing that I really craved. However, my family isn't big into lamb, so I wanted a chicken alternative. This recipe is a fabulous option for the non-lamb gyro lover!!

Ingredients:
- 1 Pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into strips.
- 1/4 Cup Lemon juice
- 2 tsp Vinegar
- 2 TB Olive oil
- 1 TB Dried oregano
- 3 Cloves garlic, minced

- Pita Bread
- Tzatziki Sauce (See Below)
- Optional: Diced tomato, minced red onion, shredded lettuce. 

1. Combine Lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil, oregano, and garlic and mix well. Pour over the chicken strips and toss to coat. Cover container and allow to sit in the fridge for about 1 hour.
2. Once the chicken has marinated, heat a medium fry pan over medium-high eat. Add chicken to the pan and cook until lightly browned and fully cooked.
3. Serve on warm pita bread (Microwave for about 25 seconds) with Tzatziki sauce. My family likes ours plain, but you can also top the gyro with tomato, red onion, and lettuce.


Tzatziki Sauce Ingredient:
1 (16 oz) container Greek Yogurt.
1 Small cucumber peeled and shredded
3/4 tsp Dried Dill
3/4 tsp Dried Thyme
2 Cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp Vinegar
1 tsp Lemon Juice
Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Combine all ingredients and mix well.
2. Allow to sit in the fridge for about 1 hour.