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.

Ham and Cheese Braid

I posted this recipe quite a while ago and since then I've modified it slightly and taken new pictures. I love the combination of flavors. I originally got the recipe from my friend Laurel when we were in a freezer meal group together. With my modifications it now makes 2 large sandwich braids which feeds my family of 6 with plenty of left overs.

Ham and Cheese Braid

2 loaves frozen Rhodes bread dough
1/2 cup or 1 stick butter, softened
1 envelope Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix
1 lb. thinly sliced deli ham
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 teaspoon poppy seeds

Thaw bread dough by placing on a greased platter and covering with non-stick sprayed plastic wrap. Set out at room temperature for 4-5 hours or until thawed.

Take one loaf of bread dough and roll it out into a large rectangle about 1/2" thick. Using a pizza cutter, cut strips about 2 1/2 inches long into each side of the dough rectangle - make sure to cut the same number of strips on each side. In a bowl combine softened butter and dry ranch dressing mix. 1/4 of the butter mixture down the middle of the dough. Place half of the ham down the center of the dough over the butter. Sprinkle about 1 cup of shredded cheese over the ham. Starting on one side of the rectangle criss-cross the strips of dough to create a sandwich braid. Tuck and pinch the ends of the loaf together well so it doesn't unravel when baked. Brush 1/4 of the butter over the top. Sprinkle with about 1 teaspoon of poppy seeds. Place on a greased or silpat lined baking sheet.

Repeat this process with remaining loaf of bread dough and place on the same baking sheet. Cover sandwich braids with non-stick sprayed plastic wrap and allow to rise for 30-40 minutes. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until top and bottom of sandwich braid is golden brown. Cut into pieces and serve.

30 Minute Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

This is a kid pleasing version of chicken cordon bleu. More like a chicken cordon bleu macaroni and cheese. It's creamy and cheesy and good. I got this recipe from Jamie Cooks It Up and changed it just slightly. If you are in the mood for an easy comfort food casserole this is right up your alley. And the best part about it is that it's a fast weeknight dinner that will make your whole family happy.

30 Minute Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

1, 12 oz package bowtie pasta
1 cup chicken broth
2 cups half and half
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
salt and pepper
3 tablespoons sour cream
2 cups cooked and cubed chicken
2 cups chopped ham
1-2 cups shredded swiss cheese
1 cup Italian panko bread crumbs

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Cook pasta according to package directions, drain, and set aside.

In a large skillet combine chicken broth, half and half, cream of chicken soups, mustard, onion powder, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring the sauce to a simmer and allow to simmer for 4-5 minutes. Add sour cream, chicken, ham, and cooked and drained pasta. Toss to coat well. Pour into a 9x13 baking dish. Top with shredded swiss and then panko bread crumbs. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes or until bubbly and hot and the crumbs on top are starting to brown.

Corn Chowder

I'm posting this recipe again because I've updated it and I like it even better now. It is the perfect corn chowder, to me anyway. I took out the carrots and added more celery. I also added more bacon and if you want even more bacon flavor, follow the cooking note at the bottom of the recipe. I also changed the method, cooking the veggies first in butter, which I think is the key to a really good soup. This is my oldest daughter's favorite soup and she requests it all the time, even in the middle of summer! It's just that good. I hope you like it too!

Corn Chowder

3 tablespoons butter
8 slices bacon, cooked and cut up into small pieces**
1 small finely chopped onion, about 3/4 cup
3 stalks celery, diced (include some of the leaves from center of celery bunch)
1 clove garlic, minced
6 cups chicken stock or broth, divided
2 large russet potatoes, peeled and diced
3 cups frozen corn
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
2 cups half and half
1 can creamed corn
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
ground black pepper, to taste
milk as needed to thin soup

In a large soup pot melt 3 tablespoons butter. Add onion, celery, and bacon pieces and saute until vegetables are softened. Add garlic and cook another minute. Pour in 4 cups of chicken stock. Add potatoes and corn. Bring to a boil, then turn down heat to medium and boil for about 15 minutes or until potatoes are cooked through, stirring occasionally.

In a saucepan melt 1/2 cup butter, add flour and cook, whisking, for about 2 minutes. Add half and half slowly, whisking, and cook until thickened and just starting to bubble. Pour this white sauce mixture into the soup pot. Add can of creamed corn, remaining 2 cups of chicken stock, salt, onion powder, cayenne, pepper. Bring to a boil and heat through. Thin as needed with milk. Season again with salt and pepper and serve.

**As a note: If you want this soup to have even deeper bacon flavor, which makes it fabulous, use 8 strips of uncooked bacon at the beginning. So instead of melting the butter first, cut up the bacon into small pieces and put that in the bottom of the soup pot to cook and render out the fat. Once it is cooked remove the bacon pieces to add back in later, leaving the bacon fat at the bottom of the pot. Add a couple tablespoons of butter and melt, then add the onion and celery and saute until softened. Then add back in the bacon, add the garlic and cook for a minute. Then follow the directions above from that point (next you'll add the chicken stock, and so on). I don't always do it this way because a lot of times I buy big packages of precooked bacon from the freezer section of Costco, but when I make it with uncooked bacon I love the flavor even more.

Apricot-Ginger Glazed Pork Chops

My husband really loves pork chops, but I've found that pork chops tend to be dry, at least the way I've been cooking them. This is a MUCH better way to cook pork chops - pan frying with a sauce. They stay moist and tender. I don't know if I'll ever bake pork chops again. I'll keep frying them. This recipe is from Our Best Bites cookbook and I changed it slightly to add more servings to the recipe and tone down the ginger a little. My family loved this and it ended up having a very Asian flavor which was very tasty. I served it with Parmesan roasted broccoli - recipe coming later this week.

Apricot-Ginger Glazed Pork Chops

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
7 boneless loin pork chops, about 1/2 inch thick
4 teaspoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup apricot jam
1/2 cup pineapple jam

Combine salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper. Sprinkle one side of the pork chops with some of the spice mixture. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add pork chops (spice side down). Sprinkle the other side of the pork chops with spice mixture. Cook the pork for 3 minutes on each side. Remove pork chops from pan and cover with foil to keep warm.

Reduce heat to medium and add butter to the skillet. When melted add garlic and ginger and saute for 30 seconds. Add chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Use a spatula to scrape up the browned bits form the bottom of the pan. Simmer for 1 minute. Whisk in the jams. Bring to a simmer and return pork chops to the pan. Cook for an additional 3 minutes on each side. Remove from heat and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve pork and sauce over rice.

Baked Western Omelet

This is a great baked omelet recipe. I have made it multiple times now for breakfast for dinner nights, because it's so easy to throw together, and my whole family has loved it. If you like salsa on your scrambled eggs/omelets this is the recipe for you (we love salsa on our eggs). I got the recipe from Chef in Training and modified it slightly.

Baked Western Omelet

12 eggs
16 oz sour cream
1 cup salsa (I used Pace picante sauce)
8 oz grated colby jack cheese
1/2 cup crumbled bacon

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl whisk together eggs and sour cream until well blended. Set aside.

Spread salsa in an even layer into a greased 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle half the grated cheese over the salsa. Pour the egg mixture over the grated cheese. Sprinkle the bacon over the top of the egg mixture. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes or until the egg is firm in the center. Allow to cool for 5 minutes then cut into squares and serve.

Crock Pot Pork Roast with Vegetables and Gravy

This is another great recipe from Jamie Cooks It Up. It's the pork roast equivalent of a pot roast and the pork comes out tender and moist. The gravy that you make from the juices is so good and would be delicious over mashed potatoes. In fact, I think next time I'll just add the onions and carrots and have mashed potatoes with it instead of the chunked potatoes, because my family thinks every roast should have mashed potatoes and gravy along-side it. This really is a great Sunday dinner and a good switch up from the regular beef roast.

Crock Pot Pork Roast with Vegetables and Gravy

1, 3 lb pork roast
3 tablespoons olive oil
5 russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 large onion, cut into chunks
3 cups baby carrots
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup brown sugar

Gravy:
juices from roast
2 packets pork gravy mix
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup milk
1 can cream mushroom soup

Heat oil in a large skillet. Brown the pork roast on all sides and place in the bottom of your slow cooker. Place cubed potatoes, onions, and baby carrots on top. In a bowl combine minced garlic, soy sauce, balsamic dressing, water, and brown sugar; pour this mixture over the vegetables in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 7 hours or high for 4-5 hours.

After cooking time remove the pork roast to a cutting board and let it rest for 5-10 minutes, then cut into slices. Remove vegetables from crockpot to a large bowl and cover with foil.

Meanwhile, prepare the gravy by pouring the juices from the crockpot through a sieve into a large saucepan. Add pork gravy packets, water, milk, and cream of mushroom soup, whisking well together. Heat until boiling, stirring occasionally. Serve gravy over pork and vegetables.

Creamy Wagon Wheel Pasta and Ham

This is a great, family pleasing, 30 minute meal that's easy to throw together on a week night. I hardly ever use wagon wheel pasta, but my kids thought it was fun and this has got to be one of my baby's favorite meals ever (something about that wagon wheel pasta being easy to grab and shove in her mouth). I pick up recipes all over the place and think this one was from flipping through a magazine at my son's orthodontist's office (if I remember right it was a Taste of the South magazine). I served it with some French bread and it was quick and easy.

Creamy Wagon Wheel Pasta and Ham

1 lb wagon wheel pasta
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped carrots
2, 15 oz jars Alfredo sauce (I used Classico)
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 teaspoon parsley
2 cups cubed ham
Parmesan for serving

Cook pasta in boiling water according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water and drain the pasta.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet melt the butter. Saute onions, celery, and carrots until most of the liquid has evaporated and the vegetables are lightly browned, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in the Alfredo sauces. Cover and reduce heat to medium low, simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in cooked pasta, peas, parsley, and ham. Cook until heated through. Add reserved pasta water as needed to loosen sauce to desired consistency. Heat through and serve with shredded Parmesan if desired.

Sausage, Rice & Noodle Casserole

It has been quite a while since I made this casserole, which used to be a staple of our newly-wed days. I don't know why it's taken me so long, because after making it again I remembered how yummy it is. It's easy and the sausage makes it a little different from your average casserole. My kids loved it, even my 1 year old, so I'm sure I'll start making it more regularly. It's such a homey tasting dinner.

Sausage, Rice, and Noodle Casserole

1 lb bulk pork sausage (I used 12 oz Jimmy Dean reduced fat sausage)
1 onion, chopped
1 cup rice
1/2 cup slivered almonds
4 cups water
2 envelopes dry Lipton Chicken Noodle Soup mix

Brown sausage with onion in a large skillet. Add rice and slivered almonds and cook until almonds just start to brown; spread into a 9x13 baking dish.

Meanwhile, boil 4 cups of water and add Lipton Chicken Noodle Soup Mixes to it. Stir well. Pour this over the sausage/rice mixture in the baking dish, stir around to distribute ingredients evenly. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 1 hour. Take foil off and bake another 10 minutes or until rice is cooked through.

Pork Chops and Rice Casserole

This is a yummy basic pork chop casserole and it has great flavor. I combined a couple of recipes to make this one and I'm really happy with how it turned out. I tend not to cook pork as much as other meats, but my family really loves pork chops so I'm sure I'll make this one again. It's actually the rice that makes this casserole great - I love the toasted beefy flavor. Be sure to take the pork chops out 45 minutes into cooking time or they will dry out too much; they don't need as much baking time as the rice.

Pork Chops and Rice Casserole

4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup long-grain converted rice (like Uncle Ben's Original)
6 pork chops
2 tablespoons oil (olive, canola, veg, etc)
1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1, 14.5 oz can beef broth
1/2 cup water
1 onion sliced into rings
1 green pepper sliced into rings
ground pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt butter in a large skillet. Add onion and uncooked rice and cook until rice is toasted and onion is tender. Place rice/onion mixture in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.

Combine flour, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper in a shallow bowl or pie plate. Dredge pork chops in flour mixture and set aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in the previously used skillet. Brown pork chops on both sides. Place browned pork chops on top of the rice mixture in the baking dish. Combine broth and water and pour over pork chops and rice. Place sliced onion rings and sliced pepper rings on top of pork chops. Sprinkle pepper to taste over all. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes or until pork chops are cooked through and tender.

Remove pork chops to a plate and cover tightly with foil. Return baking dish to oven and cook uncovered until rice is cooked - 15-25 minutes - you want all the liquids to be absorbed and rice to be tender. Serve pork chops with rice.

Fall Off the Bone Ribs

My husband requested ribs for Father's Day and I tried this new recipe from Six Sisters Stuff blog - it was great!! Everything ribs should be: sticky, moist, flavorful, and fall of the bone tender. My husband loved them and so did my kids. I am sometimes intimidated by ribs, but these were actually quite easy to make since they are mostly cooked in the crockpot and then finished under the broiler or on the grill. YAY for easier to make ribs! I served it alongside my husbands favorite pasta salad that I make every Father's Day and watermelon.

Fall Off the Bone Ribs

2, 2-3 lb racks of ribs (pork loin ribs or baby back)
3 1/2 cups pineapple juice
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2, 16 oz bottles BBQ sauce, divided

Cut slabs of ribs into serving size pieces of 2-3 ribs. Place ribs in the crockpot. Combine pineapple juice, brown sugar, and 1 bottle of BBQ sauce; pour over ribs. Cook on low for 10 hours.

Broiler (I used this method):
Line a cookie sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. Gently lift ribs out of crockpot with tongs and place on cookie sheet. Brush ribs liberally with BBQ sauce. Place under broiler for about 5 minutes. Flip ribs and brush again with BBQ sauce. Broil for another 5 minutes or until BBQ sauce it set up and sticky.

Grill:
Place ribs gently on the grill and brush with BBQ sauce. Turn the ribs twice, slathering with more sauce each time - they will take 10-15 minutes to glaze over.

Pineapple Glazed Ham with Gravy

This really is the perfect glazed ham in my opinion. I love pineapple with ham; they are the perfect compliment to each other. I got the ham glaze recipe from Pinterest. originally from the blog "The Life of Faith". The gravy is slightly sweet because it's made from the ham and glaze drippings and I thought it turned out great. I made this ham for our Easter dinner and everyone loved it. Our Easter dinner was nice and simple this year: glazed ham, gravy, this cheesy potato casserole, and green beans. Easy and delicious.

Pineapple Glazed Ham with Gravy

Ham & Glaze:
7-10 lb spiral sliced ham
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1, 20 oz can crushed pineapple, undrained
3 tablespoons lemon juice (bottled works fine)
1 tablespoon Dijon or spicy brown mustard

Gravy:
1/3 - 1/2 cup strained juices from baked ham
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 - 1 1/2 cups chicken broth

Place ham flat side down in a large baking dish or roasting pan. Cook uncovered at 325 degrees for 45 minutes.

Meanwhile in a sauce pan combine brown sugar, cornstarch, salt, crushed pineapple with juices, lemon juice, and mustard. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cook for about a minute stirring constantly until thickened. Once ham has baked for 45 minutes pour this glaze over the ham and use a basting brush to coat the ham well with the glaze. Return to oven and bake an additional 45 minutes or until ham is heated completely through.

To Make Gravy:
Place ham on a serving platter. Strain all juices and bits from the baking dish into a saucepan. You should end up with about 1/3 - 1/2 cup of juices. Add 2 tablespoons of butter to the juices in saucepan and heat until butter is melted. Add 2 tablespoons of flour and whisk well. Slowly add 1 to 1 1/2 cups chicken broth depending on how thick you like your gravy and heat until boiling whisking constantly. Remove from heat and serve with ham.

Crock Pot Ham and Potato Casserole

I don't know about you, but I have a couple crazy nights each week. The kind that I feel like a taxi driver from about 4:00-7:00pm. Those are the nights when getting dinner on the table is really hard. So I've started planning crockpot meals or meals that take 10 minutes or less to prepare for these nights. This is one of those crazy night meals and it worked out perfectly - yes those are canned green beans again... Remember 10 minutes or less and at least they are a vegetable. (And my son absolutely loves canned green beans - he requests them!) My family really enjoyed this meal and I thought the stuffing mix on top really added a nice touch (a little bit crispy and herby). This recipe is from Six Sisters' Stuff - I love that blog!

Crockpot Ham and Potato Casserole

1, 30 oz bag frozen shredded hash browns (thawed for a couple hours at room temp)
1 tablespoon dried minced onion
1 teaspoon salt
8 oz sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 cups diced ham
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1, 6 oz package herb stuffing mix
1/4 cup butter, melted

Spray crockpot with non-stick cooking spray. In a large bowl combine hash browns, dried onion, salt, sour cream, cream of chicken soup, ham, and cheese. Spread into crockpot. Sprinkle with about 3/4 of the packaged herb stuffing mix. Drizzle with melted butter. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or high for 2-4 hours.

Hibachi Restaurant Ham Fried Rice

I absolutely love the food at Japanese Steakhouse/Hibachi restaurants. It's my favorite food ever!! And how I love the fried rice at these places. I've been trying for a long time to come up with a recipe that is as close as possible to authentic Japanese fried rice, and so far this is my best version. I think the day old rice, garlic butter, and sesame seeds are key. I'm sure I'll keep tweeking this recipe, but "as is" I'm so happy with it and my family loved it. I served it with a green salad dressed with Asian sesame dressing. You can also leave out the ham and serve it as a side dish.

Hibachi Restaurant Ham Fried Rice

2 1/2 - 3 cups uncooked Calrose rice (cooked the day before)
3 tablespoons (or more) spreadable butter with canola oil (Land O' Lakes)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup frozen peas and carrots (cooked)
1 onion, chopped (you can use green onions instead)
2 eggs, beaten
soy sauce
3 tablespoons sesame seeds
diced ham (about 1 1/2 cups)
onion salt
onion powder

The Day Before:
Cook rice according to package directions. I cook rice in a rice cooker and it always comes out perfect - rice cookers are awesome. Place rice in a covered container and refrigerate overnight.

The Day of:
Combine spreadable butter and garlic. Set aside.

Cook frozen peas and carrots and set aside.

In a large skillet or electric skillet (I like to use my electric skillet for this) melt the garlic butter over medium high heat. Add the onion and saute until soft. Push onion to the side and scramble the egg in the skillet. Add the rice, peas and carrot, and stir until combined and heated through. Add sesame seeds, ham, and season with soy sauce to taste. Add onion salt and onion powder to taste. If the mixture is too dry add another couple tablespoons of spreadable butter. Taste before serving adding more soy sauce as needed. 

Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes & Ham Casserole

Wow, this is the best potato and ham casserole I've ever made. The recipe is from The Food Nanny cookbook - a fantastic cookbook full of so many great family-pleasing recipes. The cheese sauce is what really makes this casserole great and it's made from scratch without any cream soups, just yummy fresh ingredients. I served it with a green salad and whole wheat biscuits and it was a great comfort food dinner.

Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes & Ham Casserole

2 lbs russet potatoes, peeled
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
couple pinches black pepper
2 cups milk (skim works fine)
2 cups shredded cheddar (8 oz block grated)
1 lb precooked ham steak, cut into small pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x13 baking dish.

Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Add flour, salt, and pepper to taste and whisk until smooth. Add milk all at once, whisking constantly and cook until the mixture thickens and bubbles. Remove from heat and add 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar (save 1/2 cup for later), stirring until combined and cheese is melted completely. Cover and set aside.

Thinly slice the potatoes and place in a large bowl. Add cheese sauce and ham and stir to combine. Pour into greased baking dish and press the potato mixture into an even layer. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes at 350. Remove foil and bake for 20 minutes more. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup of cheese and bake a few more minutes until cheese is melted. Remove from oven and let sit for about 10 minutes before serving.

*You can also serve this as a side dish, just omit the ham.

Slow Cooker Barbecued Ribs

These ribs are so good! They're fall off the bone tender and have great flavor. My whole family loved them, especially my husband. I'm so glad I found another great crockpot recipe. This one is from The Food Nanny Cookbook. I made a sauce/gravy from the drippings in the crockpot and it was so good served over the ribs. I highly recommend this recipe!

Slow Cooker Barbecued Ribs

4 lbs country-style pork ribs (you could probably use country style beef short ribs too)
1 can tomato soup
1/2 cup cider vinegar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon chili powder

Sauce:
drippings from slow cooker
2 tablespoons cornstarch
water

Place ribs in slow cooker. In a bowl combine soup, vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce, celery salt, and chili powder. Pour over meat. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or high 3-4 hours. Remove ribs to a platter and cover tightly with foil to keep them hot while you make the sauce.

Strain juices from the slow cooker into a large measuring cup. Allow to sit for a minute and then spoon off as much of the fat as you can from the top. Pour juices into a saucepan. In a small bowl mix 2 tablespoons cornstarch with enough water to make it smooth and pourable.  Whisk this cornstarch mixture into the hot juices and bring to a boil. Boil until thickened. Serve over the ribs.

Malibu Chicken

I got this recipe from One Crazy Cookie and it's easy and family pleasing. It reminds me of going to Sizzler with my family when I was young. You could make this with grilled chicken for a healthier version, but this time I made it with Tyson frozen crispy chicken breasts because it was a particularly busy night. I served with wild rice pilaf (made in my rice cooker - yay) and steamed mixed veggies.

Malibu Chicken

Tyson frozen fully cooked chicken breasts (or grilled chicken breasts)
sliced deli ham
sliced Swiss cheese

Cook the chicken breasts according to the package instructions or grill up some chicken breasts. Place 2-3 slices of ham on each breast and cover with a piece of Swiss cheese. Put chicken back in oven just until cheese melts. Serve with mustard sauce (below) if desired (3 out of the 5 in my family like the mustard sauce).

Mustard Sauce:
1/2 cup mayo or Miracle Whip
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and serve with the chicken.

Pork Chops with Amber Rice Casserole

I hadn't made this casserole in such a long time, even though it is a family favorite. The recipe is from my sister and she gave it to me at my wedding shower. The invitation for the shower asked the women coming to also bring me a recipe - yes I have been obsessed with recipe collecting for a while. This casserole is a great kid pleasing meal. The rice has just a slight orange flavor to it. Yum.

Pork Chops with Amber Rice Casserole

4-5 pork chops
salt and pepper
olive oil
1 1/2 cups Minute Rice (or about 2 cups cooked rice, just decrease cooking time a bit)
1/2 cup orange juice
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can chicken with rice soup

Season both sides of pork chops with salt and pepper. Heat enough oil to coat the bottom of a large skillet. Brown pork chops in oil and place in a 9x13 baking dish. In a bowl combine Minute Rice, orange juice, cream of chicken soup, and chicken with rice soup. Spread this rice/soup mixture over the pork chops. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes (check rice to make sure it's done).

Root Beer Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Pulled pork sandwiches are a favorite dinner around here and I have quite a few recipes on this blog for pulled pork, but I hadn't tried this one yet. This recipe has been going around the food blogs like crazy. It is a super easy way to cook pulled pork and the result is awesome. We had these sandwiches and chips for dinner on Super Bowl night (not that we are actually football fans, but we did watch some of it - mostly for the commercials :)) and my whole family gobbled dinner down without complaint. Thanks for the recipe blogland!

Root Beer Pulled Pork Sandwiches

2, 2 lb pork picnic roasts (or a 4 lb pork butt/shoulder roast)
2 cans root beer
1 bottle of your favorite barbecue sauce, plus more for serving
hamburger buns or homemade rolls

Place pork roasts in slow cooker (I use picnic roasts, which are small pork shoulder roasts because they are easier to shred at the end). Pour root beer over the roasts. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours. Remove pork and discard liquid in slow cooker. Shred pork, removing fatty pieces, and return to slow cooker. Add barbecue sauce, using about 3/4 of the bottle. Toss pork with sauce to coat. Fill hamburger buns with pork and top with more barbecue sauce.

Ham and Cheese Penne Bake

I am a huge macaroni and cheese fan. Who isn't right?! Well this is a great macaroni-&-cheese-like casserole with ham and a nice crunchy topping. I think I got the recipe from one of those seasonal Pampered Chef pamphlet cookbooks a while ago. I wrote it down and put it in my "recipes to try" binder and it has been waiting ever since to be made. Well I'm glad I made it. My family loved it and it was a great comfort food dinner. Oh, and if you'd like it to taste like a chicken cordon blue casserole, add a cup or 2 of diced chicken and use Swiss cheese for half of the mozzarella.

Ham and Cheese Penne Bake

3 cups penne pasta (or other pasta like macaroni or shell)
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk (skim is fine)
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup cream
8 oz cubed ham
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (cheddar also works for a more mac&cheesey flavor)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 sleeve Ritz crackers, crushed
4 tablespoons butter

Cook penne according to package directions. Drain and set aside. Preheat oven to 350.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a large saucepan or pot. Stir flour into butter whisking to create a smooth paste. Slowly stir in milk. Cook until thickened and bubbly. Add cream, paprika, salt, and pepper continuing to cook until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in ham, mozzarella, Parmesan, and penne pasta. Turn into a greased 9x13 baking dish. In a bowl combine cracker crumbs and melted butter. Sprinkle buttery cracker mixture over the casserole. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees until topping is browned.