Crunchy Chicken Broccoli Bake and Spring Salads

As much as we wish, it is not spring out yet. It may be almost May, but mother nature just can't seem to let winter go this year. Last week we comforted  ourselves with delicious new recipes as we try our hardest to be patient and wait for spring. 

 One of the many fun things about this blog is that we can keep track of what we make each week. At the end of every successful Girl's Dinner Night, we laze around full to the brim and try to think of what to make next week. Granted, we could have written it down, but whatever, we've been doing it almost 3 years now, so we're bound to forget from time to time... 

Crunchy Chicken Bake

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups chopped cooked chicken

1 can (10 ¾ ounces) condensed cheddar cheese soup or homemade condensed cheddar cheese soup 

½ cup milk (use even if you are using homemade soup)

Dash ground pepper

2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen broccoli cuts, cooked and drained

1 can (2.8 ounces) French fried onions

Directions:

1.  Stir the cooked chicken, soup, milk, pepper, broccoli and 2/3 cup of the onions into a 1 ½ quart casserole.  Cover.

2.  Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes until hot. Stir the mixture.

3.  Sprinkle the remaining onions over the mixture.

4.  Bake for 5 minutes more until the onions are golden. Makes 6 servings.

Who doesn't love those fried onions? This is a comfortingly  crunchy casserole style dish. So simple to whip up and delish!

Is it Spring Yet? Salad

-3 cups mixed greens

-2 mandarin oranges, sectioned

-3 strawberries, diced

-1/2 cup almonds

-2 green onions, chopped

-1/2 cup feta cheese

- Raspberry Vinaigrette

Directions: Divide ingredients evenly in three bowls and add dressing to taste.

We needed color to brighten up this dark spring. This is just an amalgam of colorful and flavorful fruits and veggies to help us think summery thoughts.We also did a spring dance, which is the opposite of a rain dance and meant to bring the sun out from behind the clouds. hey, it can't hurt, right? ;)

Next week's menu: Mexican fusion night: Taco Pasta, guacamole and Tex-Mex truffles!!

Not-So-Vegan Tacos and Watermelon Feta Salad

Dinner night has been on a bit of a hiatus lately, as we are all very popular ladies with demanding social lives.... Or perhaps we just over-commit? Either way, I'm FINALLY writing this blog post, a few weeks late. Sabrina found an awesome recipe for vegan tacos, and what we found out is that they were really good with cheese on them. And sour cream. You could easily make the recipe with it's original vegan intentions, and I'm sure that's great too. To balance out the spicy tacos (and these can be quite hot if you want to make them that way) I made a Watermelon and Feta salad recipe I'd been eyeing up for a while. Stephanie got dessert, which was white wine. 

Not So Vegan - Vegan Tacos

1 teaspoon canola oil

2/3 cupfinely chopped onion

1 small clove garlic, minced

2/3 cup dried lentils, rinsed

1 tablespoon taco seasoning, or to taste (I used about 1/2 pouch of Old El Paso Hot & Spicy...it absorbs so became quite spicy!)

1 2/3 cups chicken broth

2/3 cup salsa (prefer homemade)

12 taco shells or tortillas

Saute garlic and onion in oil.  Add lentils and and chicken broth, and bring to a boil (most of the broth will absorb into the beans),   stir in taco seasoning.  Add salsa and mash lentils and salsa together.  Serve with your favorite taco fixings!

 

 

These tacos were nice and spicy, but the spice level can be easily adjusted for northern taste buds by adding regular taco seasoning. Lentils are a great source of protein and antioxidants, and they were a great play on taco meat!

*this picture was taken at a later date.  Originally we made beautiful tacos in a crispy corn shell...but we were so excited to eat them that we forgot to take the picture.  :)
 

Watermelon Feta Salad

-3 cups cubed watermelon

-1/2 cup diced red onions

-1 container feta cheese

-1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

- 1 T. lime juice

Directions: Combine all ingredients in a bowl and let sit for one hour before serving.
 

 

This salad was a perfect compliment to the spicy tacos, with the fresh juicy watermelon and salty feta. This combination sounds a bit odd at first, but tastes grand. It will be a welcome addition to my meals this summer when melons are nice and fresh!
 

 

Our meal was triumphant, we made some different sorts of fare and the experiments turned out fabulous! We should be on a more regular schedule again now, so stay tuned!

 

Slow Cooking and Time Saving!

It's been a while since the 3 of us have gotten together.  The snow is melting, and Spring/Summer activities are already underway.  While it is difficult for 3 awesome ladies to coordinate schedules in our busy lives, one thing anyone that can add delicious meals to anyone's time crunch...slow cooker!  Seriously whoever invented the crock pot was an absolute genius.  Fast and delicious!

Bayou Bourbon Pulled Pork

- I Pork Roast (shoulder)

- BBQ Sauce (desired amount)

(I used 1/2 bottle Tastefully Simply Bayou Bourbon Glaze)

- 1/4 Teaspoon Salt

- in addition, some salt, pepper to taste.

 

Directions:  Couldn't be easier!  Add a little oil to a and bring to Medium Heat.  Add the salt/pepper to the roast to trap in the flavor.  Sear the roast on all sides and edges.  Just enough to brown.  This will seal in the juices.  Next put that whole roast in your crock pot and set on High.  Walk away.  Get your spring cleaning done!

Next - after about....5-6 hours, remove the pork from the cooker and place on a big platter or cutting board.  Using 1 fork, hold the roast in place, and use a second fork, to pull the meat apart in shreds.   When all the meat is shredded, add the shredded pork back into the slow cooker, add your bbq sauce, and set on low until ready to eat!

 

Artichoke & Spinach Dip

- 8 oz cream cheese

- 1 Cup shredded swiss cheese

1 packet Tastefully Simple Warm Artichoke & Spinach Dip Mix

(yes, two TS products in one blog...major time savor!)

 

*No, it's not mold on the bun...it's dip.  :)

 

Soften cream cheese, and mix with 3/4 Cups of the swiss cheese and dip mix.  Chill for an hour.  Once chilled and the ingredients have set, you can either reheat and add remaining cheese to the top, OR....since we're on a slow cooker discussion....set in in a dip warmer on low, and forget it!

 

Serve with a nice kaiser roll or crusty bread with cheese or onion if you choose, and veggies, crackers or chips for the dip!

 

Slow cookers leave your house smelling delicious while giving you the freedom to get done all those pesky weekend tasks that need to be done.  And when you're done - bon appetit!