Hot Ham and Cheese Croissant Sandwiches

On busy nights I tend to plan crockpot or sandwich meals. And if we have kids going all different directions and I know they're going to eat at different times I definitely do sandwiches. They are easy to fix for 1 or 2 kids at a time and everyone is still happy because it's not cereal. (Sometimes it is cereal night and they just deal.) These hot ham and cheese croissants are perfect! You can make them ahead of time, wrap them in foil, and pop as many in the oven at a time as you need (or have your kids pop them in the oven when they want to eat). Did I mention they are absolutely delicious too?!

Hot Ham and Cheese Croissants

1 1/2 lbs deli ham
sliced deli cheese (we like Colby Jack, Cheddar, and Swiss)
honey mustard, sweet hot mustard, or pineapple mustard (whatever fancy mustard you like)
split croissants

Spread mustard on each size of split croissants. Place a slice of cheese, then some ham, then another slice of cheese on each bottom croissant. Top with tops of croissants and wrap each sandwich in foil. Place in fridge for later bake right away. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until heated through.

Brown Butter and Mizithra Spaghetti - Old Spaghetti Factory Copy Cat

We love Old Spaghetti Factory! It is just a great Italian restaurant that we go to whenever we are in Utah. My 4 year old especially loves it because there is a trolley you can sit in and that is the coolest thing ever to her. Now I usually get the spaghetti and meatballs because I just love it, but my 17 year old and 10 year old always get the brown butter and mizithra spaghetti. I thought I'd try to make it at home because they love it so much and it turned out great. I did have to look around a bit for the mizithra cheese, which is a Greek cheese that's sorta like Parmesan, but I found it at my local grocery store's cheese counter. My kids all loved this and it was fun to recreate a favorite restaurant meal.

Brown Butter and Mizithra Spaghetti

16 oz thin spaghetti
1/2 cup butter
8 oz Mizithra cheese, finely grated
salt and pepper to taste

Cook pasta in a large pot of salted water to al dente. Drain. While pasta is cooking melt butter in a saucepan, stirring, and heat until it turns golden brown. Remove from heat. Toss the cooked spaghetti with the butter and about 1 cup of grated Mizithra. Add salt and pepper to taste and toss again. Serve immediately.

**You could totally make this with Parmesan instead of the mizithra and it would be delicious!

Super Easy Chicken Stir Fry

This stir fry can be made in about 20 minutes if you have already made the rice to serve it with and you know I have, because I love my rice cooker. Below I'm going to talk a little about my undying love for my rice cooker, but right now let's talk stir fry. This recipe is from Lauren's Latest and it is fabulous. It is a family pleasing, 20 minute meal and that makes it a total winner. The stir fry sauce is a little sweet and a little spicy. Yum! I highly recommend this one and I know I'm gonna have lots of requests for it in the future - especially from my husband and my 4 year old that loved the baby corn.

Rice cookers! This is a link to mine, the Zojirushi Neuro Fuzzy, on Amazon *link*. It is just wonderful. It cooks rice perfectly and starts and ends with cute little songs. It really is adorable and highly functional. I bought mine at a local Asian grocery store about 6 years ago and I have used it at least once or twice a week since. I am not great at making rice on the stove top and this really has made my life so much easier. If I'm making a dinner with rice in the evening I start the rice in my rice cooker in the morning and it keeps the rice hot and perfect until dinner time. It says it keeps it hot and ready to eat for up to 2 days set on the "keep warm" cycle. That's amazing though I never have tried to keep it that long. I have tried quite a few other rice cookers over the years that were much less expensive and none of them worked all that well. This one does. It's awesome. I'll stop now. :)

Super Easy Chicken Stir Fry

2 tablespoons oil (I used avocado, but canola or olive oil work great too)
1 medium onion, chopped
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, chopped into bite size pieces
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2, 12 oz bags frozen Asian stir fry vegetables (Bird's Eye has a good one I like)
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup sweet Chili sauce (found in Asian section of grocery store)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon ginger powder
1 heaping tablespoon cornstarch

In a large skillet heat oil. Add onions and chicken and cook for 3-5 minutes or until onion is translucent and chicken has cooked through. Add garlic and cook another minute. Add in frozen stir fry veggies and heat through.

In a bowl whisk together: chicken broth, chili sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, ginger, and cornstarch. Pour this over the cooked chicken and vegetables. Bring to a boil, stirring, and heat until sauce is thickened. Serve over rice.

Tortellini Chicken Noodle Soup

I've seen this soup all over Pinterest and I can tell you why - it's great! The tortellini ends up tasting a lot like dumplings. Everyone in my family had seconds and raved about how yummy it was. I got the recipe from Cooking Classy and modified it slightly, but I think there are a lot of different blogs with similar recipes. I served it with the Perfect Dinner Rolls recipe I posted last week and it was a great dinner.

Tortellini Chicken Noodle Soup

3 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups chopped carrots, about 5 medium carrots
1 cup chopped celery, about 3 stalks
1 cup chopped onion
4 teaspoons minced garlic
2, 1 quart boxes chicken stock
1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon dried parsley
2 teaspoons chicken bouillon
19 oz frozen cheese tortellini
3 cups cooked and chopped chicken (I used rotisserie chicken)
salt and pepper to taste
2-3 tablespoons Ultra Gel (or you can use cornstarch mixed with a little water), optional

In a large soup pot melt the butter. Saute carrots, celery, and onion in the melted butter until tender, about 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook another minute. Add chicken stock, Italian seasoning, parsley, bouillon, tortellini, and chopped chicken. Bring to a boil and  cook until tortellini is cooked through. Add Ultra Gel or cornstarch just to thicken up the broth a little bit (totally optional). Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Navajo Tacos with Quick Fry Bread

Have you ever had a Navajo taco?? They are truly delicious! I have another recipe for Navajo tacos on this blog, but it uses yeast risen bread dough and this recipe is the quick bread version which uses baking powder. Both are extremely tasty. Fried bread and taco fillings. How can you go wrong really? I probably only make this about once a year, because it involves deep frying and I just don't do that all the time, but whenever I do make these my kids are so happy. And any leftover fry bread can be slathered with butter and honey, which is also amazingly delicious!

Navajo Tacos with Quick Fry Bread

Fry Bread:
4 cups flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups milk
vegetable or peanut oil for deep frying

Toppings:
1-2 lbs seasoned taco meat
large can refried beans
1 small can El Pato tomato sauce
shredded cheese
guacamole
shredded lettuce
chopped tomato
chopped green onion or red onion
sour cream

Directions for Fry Bread:
In a stand mixer  (or by hand) combine flour, baking powder, salt, and milk. Knead until dough comes together. You may need to add a little more flour so the dough isn't too sticky. Turn out dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth add flour as needed. Cover with a towel and let rest for 5 minutes.

Pour enough oil into a heavy deep skillet so that the oil is 1 1/2 inches deep. Heat the oil to 375 degrees.

Divide the dough into 12- 20 pieces depending on how big you want your fry bread (I ended up making about 18). Roll out dough with a rolling pin to about 1/4 inch thickness ovals.

Fry the bread, about 2-3 at a time, until golden, then flip until the other side is golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Top fry bread with refried beans (how to prepare them below), then taco meat and any other toppings. Eat right away. We like to have the leftover fry bread for dessert with butter and honey - yum!

Directions for Refried Beans:
In a saucepan combine refried beans from the can with about 1/2 a can of the El Pato. Stir and heat until it loosens. You might add a little more El Pato until you get the desired consistency. Add a handful of shredded cheese (maybe 1/2 - 1 cup) and heat through until the cheese melts. Serve this spread on the fry bread before topping with other toppings.

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

Here's another lovely soup recipe. We really love soup around here and usually have it once a week with homemade rolls or bread. It is definitely one of my kids' favorite dinners. This soup was ranked right up there with chicken noodle and corn chowder so it was a hit. It tastes so much like chicken pot pie filling in soup form. I served it with some wheat rolls and it was seriously delicious.

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

3 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped onion
3 stalks celery
2 large carrots, chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
4 cans or about 7 cups chicken broth, divided
3-4 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 large potato, peeled & small dice
1 can corn, drained
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup frozen green beans
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon Mrs. Dash
pepper to taste

In a large soup pot melt 3 tablespoons butter. Saute onions, celery, and carrots until cooked, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook another minute. Add 2 cans chicken broth, chicken, potatoes, and vegetables and bring to a boil. Turn down heat to medium and cover and boil 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

In another saucepan melt 1/2 cup butter, add flour and cook, whisking for a minute. Add heavy cream and 1 can chicken broth and whisk and cook until smooth and thickened. Just before it begins to boil add to the soup pot and stir. Thin the soup to desired consistency with the last can of chicken broth. Season with salt, chicken bouillon, onion powder, Mrs. Dash, and pepper to taste.

Crock Pot Sweet and Sour Beef Brisket

This is a great way to cook brisket! It turns out so tender and flavorful! This recipe is from Your Home Based Mom and it is just awesome. I think it will go into regular rotation for our Sunday dinners. I served it with mashed potatoes and green beans and it was great!

Crock Pot Sweet and Sour Brisket

3-4 lb beef brisket
1 cup beef broth
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup chili sauce
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup chopped onions
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons cornstarch

Place brisket in crockpot. Mix together remaining ingredients, except for cornstarch, and pour over brisket. Cover and cook on low for 9 hours or 5-6 hours on high.

Remove brisket and slice the meat across the grain. Place on a platter and cover with foil.

Strain the juices from the crockpot into a saucepan. Mix together cornstarch and enough water to just mix it together and make it pourable; add to the juices and heat until boiling. Remove from heat and served thickened sauce over the sliced brisket.

One-Pot American Goulash

This yummy, easy dinner is an American classic. And it's a one pot 30 minute meal. Yay! I have another recipe on here called macaroni and beef which is very close to this, but I love that you can cook this recipe so quickly all in one pot, so I make this one more often. I'm not sure were I got the original recipe, but I have seen so many on Pinterest. I served this with some cheese on top and homemade French bread and my family loved it.

One-Pot American Goulash

1 lb ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 cups beef broth or water
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
2 teaspoons oregano
2 teaspoons basil
2 cups elbow macaroni
salt and pepper to taste

In a large, deep skillet brown the ground beef and onion until onion is tender and beef is cooked through. Drain excess fat. Add garlic and cook for a minute. Add remaining ingredients and stir well. Bring to a boil. Turn down heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve with shredded cheese on top if desired.

Slow Cooker Sweet & Saucy Meatballs

I got this recipe years ago from my friend Brenda. We made crockpots of these meatballs using her recipe for a church activity. Its a great recipe to make in bulk to feed a lot of people because it's so easy. The meatballs taste like a cross between sweet and sour and barbecue meatballs. It comes out super yummy. I used a bag of frozen Swedish style meatballs, but you can also use Italian style meatballs and it tastes great. I served the meatballs and sauce over rice with veggies on the side and it was an easy weeknight meal that my whole family enjoyed.

Slow Cooker Sweet & Saucy Meatballs

2 lbs frozen meatballs
12 oz bottle chili sauce
1 cup grape jelly
cooked rice, for serving

Place frozen meatballs in a non-stick sprayed slow cooker. In a bowl whisk together chili sauce and grape jelly; pour over the meatballs. Cook on low for about 5-6 hours or until hot. Serve meatballs and sauce over rice.

Hawaiian Pineapple Chicken

Winner, winner, chicken dinner! We've been having a lot of new chicken dishes lately! And fruity ones too! Any saucy chicken over rice is a hit at this house so I keep trying new recipes that have that basic theme. My family loves it. This pineapple chicken is fantastic. It is pretty much pineapple sweet and sour chicken. The recipe is again from Jamie Cooks It Up - I love her recipes. I served it with some humble green beans and everyone loved this dinner. This one is definitely worth a try if you need a new chicken recipe.

Hawaiian Pineapple Chicken

5 chicken breasts
1/2 cup flour
1 tablespoon lemon pepper
3 tablespoons oil (avocado, canola, etc.)
1 can pineapple chunks or tidbits
1 1/4 cup pineapple juice (the juice from the can plus enough water to equal 1 1/4 cups)
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
sliced green onions, optional for topping

In a dish mix together the flour and lemon pepper. Cut the chicken breasts into strips. Dredge the chicken strips in the flour mixture and place on a plate.

In a hot skillet heat 3 tablespoons of oil. In batched brown the chicken in the oil on both sides. Place browned chicken strips in a non-stick sprayed 9x13 baking dish.

In a saucepan combine pineapple juice (set the pineapple chunks from can aside for now), apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, bouillon, sugar, and cornstarch. Whisk until combined. Heat and bring to a boil and let boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and pour 2/3 of the sauce over the browned chicken in the baking dish.

Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Take the chicken out of the oven and spread pineapple chunks evenly over the chicken. Pour the rest of the sauce over all and return to the oven. Bake for an additional 10 minutes. Garnish with sliced green onions if desired before serving over rice.

Skinny Orange Chicken

This delicious orange chicken recipe is from Gimme Some Oven and it's a lot healthier than the orange chicken at Panda Express and I think my kids liked it just as much (well maybe not my 12 year old who is obsessed with Panda Express). I thought the sauce was just a little too thick so I cut down the amount of cornstarch - if you like a thick sauce add another tablespoon. This was a fast dinner to get on the table if you cook your rice ahead. Yay for fast tastey recipes!

Skinny Orange Chicken

5 chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons oil (avocado, canola, olive oil...)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup orange juice
zest of 1 orange
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
pinch red pepper flakes
sliced green onions, optional for topping
toasted sesame seeds, optional for topping

To make orange sauce: In a bowl whisk together garlic, orange juice, orange zest, honey, soy sauce, vinegar, cornstarch, pepper, ginger and red pepper flakes. Set aside.

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large saute pan. Add chicken and stir fry for 4-6 minutes or until browned and nearly cooked through. Pour in the orange sauce and stir to combine. Let the sauce come to a boil, turn down heat to a simmer and let simmer, stirring, for a few minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Serve immediately over rice and garnish with green onions and sesame seeds.

Crispy Cheddar Chicken

This recipe is from Jamie Cooks It Up and it's great! My kids loved it, especially my 4 year old who thought it was cheesy chicken nuggets - which it basically is. The chicken is moist and the cream of chicken sauce is yummy. I served it with a brown rice quinoa blend from Costco and broccoli. I will definitely be making this again.

Crispy Cheddar Chicken

5 chicken breasts
2 sleeves Ritz crackers, crushed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup milk
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon dried parsley

Sauce:
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup milk

Cut each chicken breast into 3 large chunks. Pour the milk, cheese, and cracker crumbs into 3 separate bowls (or loaf pans work well). Toss the chicken chunks with salt and pepper and then dip each piece into the milk, then the cheese. Press the cheese as well as you can into the chicken. Then coat it in the cracker crumbs and press them into the chicken also. (This process is messy and cheese will end up in the cracker crumbs, but it's ok.)

Place coated chicken pieces into a non-stick sprayed 9x13 pan. Sprinkle parsley over the chicken. Cover with non-stick sprayed foil and back at 400 degrees for 35 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until the chicken is golden and crispy.

Prepare sauce by  combining cream of chicken soup, sour cream, butter, and milk in a saucepan. Heat stirring until smooth and hot. Serve over chicken.

Pioneer Woman Spaghetti and Meatballs

This is the best spaghetti and meatballs recipe I have ever tried so it totally makes sense that it came from Pioneer Woman. I swear, her recipes are just so great! This recipe actually came from the back of one of her "Charlie" children's books, but I also think it's on her website. The meatballs are moist and flavorful and the sauce it super yummy. We have spaghetti all the time - which is why I have so many spaghetti recipes on my blog - and I think this spaghetti will go in to our regular rotation. I served it with Caesar salad and garlic bread and it was a fabulous dinner.

Pioneer Woman Spaghetti & Meatballs

Meatball Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup bread crumbs (about 2 pieces of thick bread processed in a food processor)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
2 eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
pepper, to taste
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
splash milk

Sauce Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1, 28 oz can whole tomatoes
1, 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1/4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
8 whole basil leaves, chopped finely

To make meatballs combine meat, garlic, bread crumbs, Parmesan, eggs, salt, pepper, parsley, and a splash of milk. Mix together well. Roll into 1 1/2 inch balls and place on a foil-lined, non-stick sprayed cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a heavy pot. Add onion and cook for a few minutes or until translucent. Add garlic and cook another minute. Pour in whole tomatoes and crushed tomatoes. Add salt, Italian seasoning, pepper, sugar, and parsley. Stir to combine and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes. At this point I used an immersion blender to blend up some of the bigger chunks of tomatoes. Add meatballs and stir gently. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, stirring gently a few times during the simmer. Just before serving, stir in finely chopped basil. Serve over cooked spaghetti with grated Parmesan on individual servings.

Chicken Salad for a Crowd

I recently helped out with the food at my good friend's daughter's wedding. They had this chicken salad on croissants and I made two big batches of it. It was so yummy! It's a very simple chicken salad, but that's what makes it so good. You could add in some halved grapes or Craisins for a little sweetness, but just like this it is delicious. Thanks Kimberly for a great recipe!!

Chicken Salad for a Crowd

5 lbs chicken breasts, cooked* and chopped
4 cups diced celery
2 cups chopped green onions
1 cup slivered almonds
2 cups mayonnaise (or more)
salt & pepper, to taste

Combine chopped chicken with celery, green onions, and almonds. Add enough mayonnaise to moistened but not make too mushy. Season with salt and pepper to taste (I used probably 1/2 - 3/4 teaspoon of salt). Serve in croissants or prepared puff pastries.

*To Cook Chicken Breasts:
Place chicken breasts in a 5 quart crockpot and add about 1 cup chicken broth. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours. Remove chicken, cool, and then chop/dice the chicken.

Kid Friendly Spaghetti Sauce

I am updating this wonderful spaghetti sauce recipe from Lil Luna because I doubled it according to our taste preferences and it turned out great! This is now my go-to spaghetti sauce recipe. My kids love it and I love it. It's mild, beefy, and tasty - the perfect spaghetti sauce in my opinion.

Kid-Friendly Spaghetti Sauce

1 1/2  lbs ground beef
2, 15 oz can tomato sauce
2, 6 oz can tomato paste
4 cups hot water
4 beef bouillon cubes or 4 teaspoons beef bouillon granules
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Brown ground beef in a large deep skillet. Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, hot water, bouillon, sugar, garlic salt, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil and then turn heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cover and simmer another 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve over spaghetti or other pasta with Parmesan cheese on individual servings.

Chicken Gloria Casserole

I didn't realize how blurry this picture was! Oh well. Anywho, this is a fantastic, creamy, chicken and mushroom casserole. I served it over rice, but you could also serve it over pasta or mashed potatoes (YUM). It really was awesome! The chicken turns out so moist and tender. Better yet, it's a casserole with out any condensed soups. I definitely recommend this casserole! I got this recipe from the blog Natasha's Kitchen.

Chicken Gloria Casserole

5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but into 1 inch thick strips
salt & pepper
1 cup flour
6 tablespoons avocado (or olive) oil, divided
1 lb mushrooms, sliced (baby bella or button)
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup half & half
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/4 teaspoon dried sage
salt & pepper

Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Then dredge chicken pieces in flour. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet. Once oil is hot, add chicken and saute on both sides until golden. Work in batches to not over crowd pan. Once chicken is browned (you do not need to cook through) place in a non-stick sprayed 9x13 baking dish.

Wipe down skillet with a paper towel. Add 3 tablespoons oil  and heat. Add mushrooms and onions and saute until soft and golden. Add garlic and cook another minute. Spread this mushroom and onion mixture over the chicken in the baking dish.

Add 3 tablespoons of butter to the skillet and melt. Add flour and whisk until lightly golden, about 2 minutes. Add chicken broth, whisking constantly. Add half & half, basil, rosemary, sage, and salt and pepper to taste. Pour this sauce over the chicken and mushrooms. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 5 minutes. Serve over rice, pasta, or mashed potatoes.

Indian Butter Chicken

Oh my goodness, this recipe is so good!! I've mentioned my love for butter chicken at Indian restaurants before and now being able to make it at home makes me so happy! This really is a great at-home version. My whole family really loved it too and I have kids ranging in age from 3 to 16 - so don't be afraid of the spice level - it's actually quite mild. The sauce is smooth, creamy, and has such a great mixture of Indian spices. And it's not hard to make! If you make the rice ahead it's certainly a 30 minute meal. I served it over jasmine rice this time with naan on the side. It was a great weeknight meal. Thanks to Mel's Kitchen Cafe for another great Indian recipe.

Indian Butter Chicken

2 tablespoons oil (I used avocado oil, but olive or canola works too)
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons garam masala
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cardamon
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1, 14.5 oz can chicken broth
1, 6 oz can tomato paste
1/2 cup cream
5 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons butter
hot cooked rice for serving

Heat oil in a large deep skillet. Add onion and jalapeno and saute over medium high heat until the onion is translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir in ginger and garlic and saute another minute. Add in garam masala, chili powder, cardamon, and black pepper. Stir around for about a minute just to cook those spices a little. Remove from heat.

In a blender combine chicken broth and tomato paste and blend until smooth. Pour this mixture into the skillet and put back on the heat. Add cream and bring to a simmer. Add chicken pieces and salt and bring to a boil, turn down heat, and simmer for 15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has slightly thickened - stirring frequently.

Cut the 3 tablespoons of butter into chunks and stir into the sauce until melted. Serve immediately over rice.

Zuppa's Garden Chowder

I love Zuppa's! Sadly, we don't live near a Zuppa's so I have to make my own copy-cat recipes and I think this recipe is pretty darn close to their garden chowder. My kids all love that soup at Zuppa's and they love this one just as much (even though it has zucchini in it - go figure). It is creamy and full of veggies. SO good! It's very much a summery soup. I served it with shredded cheddar on top and homemade bread on the side and it was a hit. I think my kids wish I would have also made chocolte covered strawberries to serve with it like Zuppa's - maybe next time!

Zuppa's Garden Chowder {Copy Cat}

2 tablespoons oil (avocado, olive, or vegetable oil)

3 small zucchini, diced

2 large tomatoes, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 onion, diced

1 can corn, drained

3 cloves garlic, minced

4 cups chicken stock

6 cups whole milk, divided

½ cup butter

½ cup flour

3 teaspoons chicken bouillon powder

1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

½ teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste

½ teaspoon onion salt

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

¼ cup fresh finely chopped parsley (or you can use 2 teaspoons freeze dried/dried)

Heat oil in a large stock pot. Add the diced zucchini, tomatoes, bell peppers, onion, and drained corn. Cook, stirring, until most of the liquid has evaporated and the veggies are just starting to caramelize a little. Add the garlic and cook another minute. Add the 4 cups of chicken stock and 2 cups of the whole milk. Bring to a boil, turn down heat and simmer.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a saucepan. Add flour, whisk and cook for 1-2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the remaining 4 cups of whole milk. Bring to just a simmer, whisking constantly. Stir this mixture into the large stock pot of soup and bring back to a simmer.

Season soup with chicken bouillon, salt, oregano, Italian seasoning, black pepper, onion salt, and cayenne. Stir well. Add the parmesan and chopped parsley. Season to taste with more salt and pepper. Allow to cook and simmer, stirring occasionally, for another 10 minutes. Serve with more grated parmesan or shredded cheddar sprinkled on individual servings if desired.    

Traditional Beef Stroganoff

Stroganoff is a wonderful comfort food dinner and this is a great traditional recipe. No condensed soups or ground beef in this one. It's tender sliced steak in a creamy mushroom sauce. My family really liked this meal (some of my mushroom haters picked out the mushrooms, but they still liked it!). I got this recipe from The Food Nanny Rescues Dinner cookbook and modified it just slightly. I served it with egg noodles and hot buttered peas and it was delicious!

Traditional Beef Stroganoff

2 tablespoons butter
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 lbs beef sirloin, cut into thin strips
1 lb mushrooms, sliced
2 cups beef broth (1 can)
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons beef bouillon granuales or 2 cubes
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup cream
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1/2 tablespoon cornstarch, mixed with 2 tablespoons water
salt and pepper

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook and stir until soft. Add beef and stir and cook unitl browned. Add mushrooms, broth, salt, nutmeg, beef bouillon, basil, cayenne, and pepper. Bring to a boil and immediately decrease heat to low. Simmer for 30 minutes uncovered. Cover and cook on low for 10 minutes. Stir the cream and sour cream into the mixture. Stir in the cornstarch mixed with water and cook for about a minute until thickened. Season with salt and pepper and serve over cooked egg noodles.

Olive Garden Fettuccine Alfredo

This Alfredo sauce recipe is from Olive Garden's website and it really does taste like Olive Garden's sauce. Yay! When I was pregnant with my second I craved fettuccine Alfredo like mad. I thought about it all the time and every time I had the chance to eat out all I wanted was pasta and Alfredo sauce! I now manage my occasional Alfredo cravings better and probably only make this at home once or twice a year, but oh how good it is and this sauce is perfect. It is creamy and coats the pasta so well. I served it with Caesar salad and garlic bread and my family loved it, me especially.

Olive Garden Fettuccine Alfredo

1 lb fettuccine
6 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
pepper to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions. Before draining reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water. Drain pasta and set aside.

In a large skillet melt butter. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in heavy cream, milk, Parmesan, Romano, and salt. Whisk constantly and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat. Stir in the cooked fettuccine. If needed add a little of the reserved pasta water to thin the sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.