Cranberry Chicken

easy. different. good.  Originally from my friend Lisa.

6 chicken breasts
1 can whole berry cranberry sauce
1 pkg. onion soup mix
1 cup california french salad dressing

Place the chicken breasts in a 13x9 glass pan.  Stir the soup mix, cranberry sauce and dressing in a bowl until well combined.  Pour over chicken.  Bake uncovered at 350 for 1 hour and 15 minutes.  Top should be bubbly and slightly browned.  I've also thrown this mixture in the crock pot.  It comes out good, the sauce just doesn't thicken.  If you are making it for a crowd you could easily add more chicken and use the same aount of sauce since it does make a lot.

These are the leftovers, next time I'll take the picture before we eat it :)

Farmhouse Chicken

Creamy and flavorful chicken breast chunks topped with stuffing and baked.  My pickiest eater really likes this recipe.  I would just dice the onion and celery really tiny so they are not noticed by any children that don't like them.  As you can see I added half a bag of frozen peas just before I put the stuffing on top. 

4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
2 cup milk
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
4 celery ribs, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
12 ounce package of stuffing mix

Instructions: 

1. Saute onion, and prepare stuffing mix according to package directions and set aside.

2. In a medium sauce pan, melt butter and then add flour. Stir until bubbly, then cook one minute. Slowly add in milk, stirring continually to avoid lumps.

3. Add chicken, celery, onion, salt and pepper. Cook and stir for 5-10 minutes, until chicken is done and celery is starting to get tender. 

4. Pour mixture into an 8x8-inch casserole dish. Top with stuffing. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

I used more chicken and a larger bag of stuffing for my family and kept the rest of the ingredients the same and baked it in a 13x9 pan instead of the 8x8. 

I think the sauce could be used instead of "Cream of ... Soups" in other recipes.

Hope you enjoy!

Teriyaki Salmon Steaks

Salmon is so healthy for you, but alone it is a little too fishy for our tastes.  The teriyaki flavor makes this salmon tasty and most of our children will eat it.  Hope your family will enjoy it as well.

3-4 salmon steaks or filets
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons fresh lemon
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon salt

1.  Combine all ingredients and pour over salmon in a shallow baking dish.
2.  Marinade for at least 30 minutes, turning at least once.
3.  Broil at 500 degrees for 7-10 minutes on each side.
4.  Serve with wild rice and steamed veggies for a healthy meal.

Pasta and Shrimp with Asparagus

This one comes from my neighbor, Sue, who always seems to have something good planned for dinner.  Inspiring...  We've been making this for years now and I like how it comes together quickly.

3 tablespoons olive oil
4 garlic cloves
1 pound cooked shrimp, tails removed and cut in half (or thirds if they are large)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound bow tie pasta (I use 3/4 lb. of whatever bite size shape we have)
1 teaspoon parsley
1 teaspoon basil
4 tablespoons parmesan cheese
1 bunch asparagus

Cook asparagus in the microwave in a little water until tender, about 5 minutes.  Drain and set aside.  Boil the pasta, drain, reserving about 1 cup of the water from the pasta.  Saute the oil, garlic and shrimp just until warmed (about 3 minutes).  Do all 3 of these things at once! J

 Add cooked asparagus, parsley and basil to the shrimp.  Add pasta to the shrimp.  Add ¼ cup of the reserved water to the shrimp until desired consistency.  It will make a “sauce” so it isn’t too dry.  Sprinkle parmesan cheese on just before serving.