2 cup dry breadcrumbs
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic salt
3/4 tsp pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp dry mustard
boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to even thickness

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with foil. Combine dry ingredients and parsley in shallow bowl; mix thoroughly. Melt butter and add Worcestershire sauce and dry mustard. Dip chicken into butter mixture. Place chicken on baking sheet and drizzle with any remaining butter. Bake for 50-60 minutes, until thoroughly cooked and golden brown.

Have company over! This makes a big potful of delicious chili.

8 skinned and boned chicken breasts
2 medium onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 Tbsp canola oil
2 (14 oz) cans chicken broth
4 (15.5 oz) cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 (4.5 oz) cans chopped green chiles, undrained
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cumin
3/4 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
Toppings: shredded Monterey Jack cheese, cheddar cheese, salsa, sour cream, black olives, cilantro

Cut chicken into bite-size pieces. Saute chicken, onion, and garlic in hot oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat for 10 minutes. Stir in broth and the next 10 ingredients; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for 30 minutes. Serve with desired toppings. Makes 15 cups.

3 lbs. sirloin or tri-tip steak
3 Tbsp canola oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
1 medium green pepper, cut into strips
1 medium red pepper, cut into strips
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1 can condensed beef broth
1 1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh black pepper
2-3 Tbsp soy sauce, to taste
1/2 cup water
3 Tbsp cornstarch
2 cups cherry tomatoes

Slice beef into thin strips about 2″ long. Brown in oil in dutch oven. Stir in onion, garlic, broth, salt, and pepper. Cover and simmer gently for 20-30 minutes. (Don’t boil; boiling will toughen meat.) If desired, meat can be refrigerated at this point.

Before serving, stir in peppers and mushrooms. Simmer until crisp-tender, 3-4 minutes. Mix cornstarch and water in small bowl. Add to meat mixture to desired thickness. Stir in soy sauce; add cherry tomatoes and heat for 2-3 minutes. Serve over rice, noodles or mashed potatoes.

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup minced flat-leaf parsley
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp grated orange peel

Mix ingredients together; pour into shallow pan. Add pork chops; turn to coat. Grill over medium-high heat, watching carefully, until 145 degrees in center, or to desired doneness.  (Any nasties in pork are killed at 140 degrees, so don’t overcook. Pork will be dry if overcooked.)

Because of the honey in the glaze, the chops will brown beautifully. If they get brown too quickly, move to cooler space on the grill to finish cooking.

This is simple to prepare, but homey and comforting, like going to Grandma’s house. Give it a try! Kids love it as well as adults.

1 lb lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 slice bread, torn
1 large egg, beaten
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 can beef broth, undiluted
1 (3 oz) pkg cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Combine beef, onion, bread, egg, garlic, salt, and pepper in large bowl; mix lightly . Line baking sheet with foil (easy clean-up!). Shape meat into 16-20 small meatballs. Arrange on baking sheet and bake in 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. Drain well and set aside. Put soup, broth and cream cheese in deep skillet. Heat and stir until combined; add meatballs and simmer until meat is thoroughly cooked, about 10 minutes. Stir in sour cream and parsley and cook just until heated; do not boil or sour cream will curdle. Serve over egg noodles or mashed potatoes. If desired, garnish meatballs with dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of more parsley. Peas are a great accompaniment, and add needed color.

To up the ante to this dish, saute fresh sliced mushrooms in skillet before adding soup, etc. I really like the difference this makes!

12 oz pkg dried soup bean mix
9 cups water
1 cup ham cubes or meaty ham bone
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
16 oz can tomatoes, undrained
1 1/2 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped celery
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp hot sauce (I like Frank’s)

In large pot, cover beans with water. Soak overnight. Drain and add 9 cups water, ham, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then cook, uncovered for 3 hours or until beans are very tender (High altitude takes longer). If you used a ham bone, remove bone; remove meat from bone and chop into bite-size pieces. Return meat to pot. Add tomatoes, onion, celery, garlic, lemon juice and hot sauce. Simmer an additional 30 minutes. Garnish each serving with shredded cheese and/or homemade croûtons.

20 oz. pkg. frozen broccoli or fresh equivalent
4 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1 can cream of broccoli soup, undiluted
1 can cream of chicken soup, undiluted
3/4 c. mayonnaise
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
3 c. shredded cheddar cheese
crushed potato chips

Cook broccoli until just tender and layer in 9×13 baking dish. Top with shredded chicken. Mix together soups, mayo, lemon juice and 1 cup of cheddar cheese. Pour evenly over chicken. Top with remaining cheddar cheese. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes, then top with crushed potato chips. Continue to bake an additional 20 minutes. For a complete meal, serve with rice, salad and dinner rolls.

1 lb. penne pasta
4 cups fresh broccoli florets
1 onion, sliced
2 T. olive oil
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
3/4 c. sundried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped
1 c. heavy cream
1/2 c. chicken broth
2 T. golden balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
3/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

Put large pot of water on to boil for the penne pasta. Sauté onion slices in olive oil until softened, about 6 minutes. Add chicken breast strips; sauté about 5 minutes. Stir in chopped sundried tomatoes, chicken broth, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper and cream. Simmer to finish cooking chicken and blend flavors. Cook penne according to package directions, adding broccoli to the pot during the last 3 minutes of cooking time. Drain pasta and broccoli. Toss with chicken mixture, and add the Parmesan cheese as you toss.

Serve on a large platter, garnished with extra Parmesan cheese. Crushed red pepper adds an extra zing. I also vary this dish by adding peeled, deveined shrimp to the mixture at the end of the cooking time. Serve with a big Caesar salad and toasty garlic bread.

1 ½ cup water
1 Tbsp. butter
1 ½ tsp. chicken bouillon
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 cups shelled and cleaned shrimp
1 cup uncooked couscous
1/3 cup sliced green onion
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper

In medium saucepan, combine water, butter bouillon and cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil. Add shrimp; return to a boil until shrimp turn pink. Stir in couscous, onions and bell pepper. Cover; remove from heat. Let stand about 5 minutes. Fluff with fork before serving.

1 med. onion
2 carrots
2 celery ribs
4 oz salt pork, cubed
2 Tbsp olive oil
½ cup dry red wine
2 (29 oz.) cans crushed tomatoes
1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

In a food processor, place the onion, carrots, celery, and salt pork. Pulse until finely chopped. In stockpot, heat olive oil and saute the vegetable-pork mixture until tender. Stir in red wine and simmer for 3 minutes. (The alcohol will cook out.) Stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, red pepper flakes, and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes. Serve with your favorite pasta, adding meatballs if desired. Note: sometimes tomato puree is too acidic; if necessary, add a teaspoon of sugar to neutralize the acid.

8 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 7oz can diced green chilies
4 oz Monterey Jack cheese, cut into 8 strips
1 cup fine dry bread crumbs
½ c. grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp chili powder
½ tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 stick butter, melted

Pound chicken pieces to 1/4 in. thickness. Put 1 tsp. Chilies and 1 strip cheese in center of chicken. Roll up, tucking ends under. Stick a toothpick in to keep it from unrolling if necessary. Combine bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, child powder, salt, cumin, and pepper. Dip each chicken roll into melted butter, then into crumbs. Drizzle with leftover butter. Cover and chill for at least an hour, or overnight. Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve with Spanish Rice, salad, salsa, sour cream and guacamole.

1 (9-inch) pie pastry made from your favorite recipe (or use purchased crust)
1 c. sliced fresh mushrooms
1 Tbsp. butter
1 c. grated cheddar cheese
1 (10 oz.) pkg. chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed very dry (I wring it in a clean lint-free kitchen towel)
3 eggs
1 1/2 c. whipping cream
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. crushed garlic
1/2 tsp onion salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground pepper
6 strips bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled
1/3 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll pastry dough and fit into 9-inch pie pan, fluting edges. In small skillet, cook mushrooms in butter until soft. Drain on paper towel to absorb any remaining moisture. Sprinkle cheddar cheese in bottom of crust. In large bowl, combine spinach, eggs, cream, Worcestershire, sugar, garlic, onion salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly until combined. Stir in cooked mushrooms and crumbled bacon. Pour into crust, using fork to distribute ingredients evenly. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake for50-60 minutes, until knife inserted in center comes out clean. If quiche browns too quickly, tent with foil. (I usually bake the quiche on the lowest oven rack). Remove from oven and let stand for 5-10 minutes before cutting. Makes 6 servings, or more if you’re thinking about moderation….

1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 lb. chicken breasts, thinly sliced into bite-size pieces
4 cups chicken broth (or more, depending on how soupy you like it)
1 4 oz. can diced green chilies
1 15 oz. can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1 tsp. lemon pepper
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
½ tsp. Franks hot sauce
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
2-4 Tbsp. flour
½ cup water
salt and pepper to taste

Condiments: tortilla chips, sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, chopped cilantro (optional), additional hot sauce.

In a large saucepan, sauté onion and garlic in oil over medium heat until softened. Add chicken; sauté until no longer pink. Add chicken broth, green chilies, diced tomatoes, lemon pepper, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, cumin, corn, black beans and hot sauce. Simmer for 20 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine flour with water. Add to soup, straining if lumpy. Bring the soup back to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes, until slightly thickened. Ladle into bowls and top with tortilla chips and condiments. Enjoy!

1 yellow onion, diced
2-4 cloves garlic, minced
3 ribs celery, sliced
2 carrots, halved and thinly sliced
1/2 red or green bell pepper, diced
2 zucchini, halved and sliced
1 pkg. turkey or beef kielbasa (halve, then slice lengthwise, then slice into bite-size pieces)
2 cartons chicken broth
1 can petite diced tomatoes (don’t drain)
1 can white kidney beans (or great northern)
fresh Italian parsley, chopped (optional)
few dashes of hot sauce (I like Frank’s), added to the pot or served on the side according to taste
freshly grated black pepper, kosher salt to taste
Grated cheddar cheese

In a soup pot, saute onions, garlic, celery, carrots and green pepper in small amount of olive oil until almost tender. Add zucchini and kielbasa and cook until mixture melds together and is fragrant. Add broth, tomatoes, and beans. Cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Stir in parsley if using. Serve with hot sauce and grated cheese. Add crusty bread, and you’re gonna be happy!

To speed things up or if you don’t have all the fresh veggies on hand, saute onion, garlic and celery, add the kielbasa, then replace the other veggies with a bag or two of frozen mixed veggies. Add them with the broth. This recipe could be done many different ways according to what you like and have on hand. Try adding uncooked pasta toward the end of simmering time; it’s a great addition.

1 ½ cups water
1 Tbsp butter
1 ½ tsp chicken bouillon granules
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
2 cups frozen shelled, deveined shrimp, thawed
1 cup uncooked couscous
1/3 cup sliced green onions
1/4 chopped red bell pepper

In medium saucepan, combine water, butter, bouillon and cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil. Add shrimp; return to boil. Stir in couscous, onions and bell pepper. Cover; remove from heat. Let stand until water is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Fluff with fork. Serve hot or chilled.

4 slices firm white bread, torn into pieces
2 ½ lbs ground beef
1 small onion, cut into 1/8’s
2 cloves garlic
2 stalks celery, cut into 2 inch pieces
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces
½ cup Italian parsley leaves
1 large egg
½ cup ketchup
2 tsp dry mustard
1 ½ tsp kosher salt
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Glaze:
½ cup ketchup
1 tsp dry mustard
2 Tbsp dark brown sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheet with foil. Line cooling rack that will fit inside baking sheet with parchment paper (makes cleanup easy). With a knife, poke holes in parchment paper to allow excess fat to drain off during baking.

Place bread in food processor. Pulse until fine crumbs form. Add parsley leaves and pulse just until incorporated into crumbs. Remove from processor bowl. Without cleaning bowl, place carrots, onion, celery and garlic into processor bowl. Pulse until fine, but not pulverized. Saute veggies briefly in a bit of canola oil until tender. Cool.

In large bowl, break up ground beef. Add bread crumbs and mix gently; add cooled veggies. Mix together the ½ cup ketchup, egg, mustard, salt and pepper. Pour over meat mixture and mix gently. Form into mini loaves about the size of a medium potato and place on rack in baking sheet. Make indentation in center of each loaf and brush with glaze mixture. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until thoroughly cooked. I love serving them with creamy mashed potatoes and peas with carrot coins. Mmmm.

Dough: (or use your own recipe)
1 cup warm water
1 Tbsp. cooking oil
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
1 pkg. yeast
3 cups flour

Filling:
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 c. diced onions
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 c. yellow mustard
1/4 c. dill pickles, finely diced
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
sesame seeds

To prepare dough, mix together water, oil, salt, sugar and yeast. Mix until yeast is dissolved. Stir in flour. Work into a smooth ball. Leave in bowl and cover to rise.

Brown ground beef and onion together until fully cooked. Remove from heat and drain to remove excess fat. Mix in ketchup, mustard, and pickles. Cool.

On floured surface, roll dough out into a 12 x 18-inch rectangle. Spread filling over dough down the center of the rectangle. Sprinkle with crumbled bacon and cheese. Cut 6 strips along each side and braid over filling. Tuck end under. Place on greased baking sheet. Brush with egg wash (1 egg plus 1 Tbsp. water), then sprinkle with sesame seeds. Let rise for 20 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Dig in!

Update: To see more thorough instructions on making a filled braid, please see this helpful site. I don’t make so many cuts for the braids, but the method is the same.

1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1 onion, sliced
2 Tbsp. butter
2 cups sliced mushrooms
2 Tbsp. taco seasoning
4 cups pre-cooked chicken or beef strips
4 oz can diced green chilies
1/2 cup sliced black olives
2 cups salsa
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese
Large potatoes, baked at 400 degrees for 1-1 1/2 hrs until soft.

Sauté peppers and onions in butter until crisp-tender. Add mushrooms and taco seasoning; sauté until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in chilies, olives, and 2 cups of salsa. Add meat, stirring until heated through. To serve, make a large X in the top of each baked potato with a knife; squeeze to open. Top with meat mixture; sprinkle with cheddar and Monterey jack cheeses. Garnish with desired condiments: sour cream, salsa, jalapeños, etc.

16 oz. pkg. linguine
1large bunch fresh broccoli, cut into florets
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 (13 3/4 oz) can chicken broth
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Prepare linguine according to package directions. In skillet over medium heat, cook broccoli and garlic in hot oil for 2 minutes. Add broth and tomatoes; bring to boil and cook 6 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain pasta and place in serving bowl. Top with broccoli mixture, red pepper flakes and Parmesan cheese. Toss gently, adding kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste. Garnish with fresh basil (optional). To make this a complete dinner, add cooked shrimp or chicken to the broccoli mixture.

1/4 c. finely chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
2 T. vegetable oil
3/4 c. ketchup
1 tsp. grated lemon peel
1 T. lemon juice
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. Tabasco sauce
4 lbs. chicken pieces, skin on

Cook onion and garlic in oil until tender. Stir in ketchup, lemon peel, lemon juice, Worcestershire, sugar, dry mustard, salt, pepper, and Tabasco. Simmer over low heat, covered, about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Place bone side down over medium hot grill for 25 minutes. Turn skin side down; grill 20 minutes more. Brush with barbecue sauce and continue grilling until done, 10 to 15 more minutes, turning frequently and basting with sauce.

I sometimes cook the chicken, covered, in a 350-degree oven for the first 30 minutes, then transfer to the grill to finish cooking. This helps the chicken to cook thoroughly without getting too dark on the outside.