French Fried Onion Baked Chicken

I have to warn you, this meal should come with an addictive sticker warning. It is that good! I got a frantic message from a good friend urging me to try this chicken. I was a little apprehensive after all I am watching my calories but after a little tweaking of the recipe and adding it to some vegetables, I am safe to say I didn't go over my allowed calories. Even better was the reaction I got from The Fireman. He liked it, he really liked it!! Thanks to Carousel Ride for the tip!

French Fried Onion Baked Chicken
1 package of thin chicken breasts (you can pound them thin or buy them that way)
1 cup of French Fried Onions (you know the ones you use at Thanksgiving!)
1/4 cup egg substitute (or 1 egg)
1/4 cup water

These are just smaller breasts that are not as thick. They happen to be the perfect serving size for this girl that is watching her calories. If you see them on sale, grab them! If not, just put your chicken breast between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound it thin.
Take the egg and water and mix together. Dip the chicken into it. Now you could dip in flour first and then egg but I am really trying to avoid flour and these yummy onions aren't the lowest in calories so if you can avoid the flour, it wont make too much difference.
Cover with the french fried onions. Now you could only cover one side. Still yummy, but I am going to the full onion affect!
Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked all the way through.
Serve immediately.

Cauliflower and New Potatoes

I like to cook challenging meals but The Fireman is just happy when I just toss dinner together. That is exactly what I did tonight. These aren't short on taste though. The cauliflower and the potatoes go perfectly together.



Cauliflower and New Potatoes
1 head of cauliflower broken into florets
4 medium sized New potatoes cut into chunks
2 TB light butter spread
1 tsp garlic powder
1 TB fresh parsley

This is too easy. Just boil the potatoes and cauliflower together. Drain, add the additional ingredients and serve.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins

Some recipes are so yummy that making them only during the season they are meant to be cooked is just not enough. This is one of those recipes. With the cold weather, my old retro kitchen just begs for recipes that are thick with autumn scents. This is one that your family will be wondering if Thanksgiving really passed.


Muffins;
2 cups Original Bisquick® mix
1/2 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 Large egg (sometimes I use 2 if they look small)


Preheat Heat oven to 400°F. Grease your muffin pans, or place paper baking cup in each muffin cup. I don't buy the papers. I always forget or don't have enough so I ditched that years ago.
Mix all dry ingredients. Reserve 1/2 cup of dry ingredients. Put the 1/2 cup aside. Add the wet ingredients.

Fill muffin pan 1/2 full. I like to use my ice cream scoop. It is about the equivalent of 1/4 cupNow Make the cheesecake filling...


Cheesecake filling
1 cube (8oz) cream cheese softened
1 egg
zest of one orange
1/2 cup of sugar
Cover each muffin with 1 TB of cream cheese mixture.Cover each cream cheese covered muffin with one more TB of muffin mixture.

Now make the crumb topping...

Crumb Topping
Take your reserve dry ingredient. Place in a bowl with 1/2 cup of chopped pecans and 3 TB melted butter.
Cover each muffin with the crumb mixture.
Bake 25 minutes (please check to make sure they are done. My oven is a dinosaur and everything takes longer)

Easter Brunch Recipes

A great alternative to the big dinner is a quick Easter Brunch. My kids love breakfast dishes. In fact, I can't think of one family member that would complain over breakfast dishes. Some of these recipes can be made ahead of time and reheated Easter morning.


Baked French Toast
Put together the night before and cook while the kids are searching for Easter eggs or opening their Easter Baskets!

Quiche
This one was using leftover ingredients but you can use any of your favorites!Breakfast Scramble
What is great about a Scramble is that you can put YOUR family's favorite ingredients in it.
Cinnamon Monkey Bread
Serve with strong coffee!


Blueberry Scones
These scones are tender and great with a smudge of butter or berries with cream

Favorite Easter Dinner Recipes

Of all the holidays, I think Easter is the easiest for me. I usually prepare a Ham. Ham is so easy to make. Usually you can toss it in the oven and glazing is optional. The most important of the meal is the potatoes. I usually give up carbs for Lent and those potatoes are the only thing I think about the entire 40 days. Add a vegetable like grilled asparagus and you have the most simple Easter Meal.

Apricot Glazed Ham
Just a ham and a jar of Saucy Susan! Really it is that easy!
Easy Italian au Gratin Potato
Italian cheese and potatoes all together in one casserole pan!Speedy Cheesy Augratin Potatoes
Cheesy potatoes! How can this be wrong?Sweet Potato Gratin
If you are still watching your carbs, the sweet potato is a great alternative.
Parmesan Roasted Asparagus
These are so easy that you guest won't believe you cooked them in fifteen minutes!











Cauliflower Gratin

Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf

My kids do not particularly like meatloaf. They tolerate it. I happen to love meatloaf. Its comfort food at it's best. Tonight I am wrapping my meatloaf in bacon. Everything is better with bacon. This happens to be a well coordinated meal. See we have a baseball game tonight so I am shoving this into the oven and hoping I don't burn the house down while I am a block away at the game. It all worked out fine. Dinner was a little brown on top but tender and perfect.

Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf
1 pound of lean hamburger
1 pound of Italian sausage
1 cup of bread crumbs (seasoned or Italian style)
1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of tomato sauce
1 bell pepper diced
1 onion diced
1 clove of garlic minced
2 eggs
2 TB Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 pound of bacon

Combine the veggies in a saute pan with a TB of oil. Cook until softened.


Combine the softened veggies, Italian sausage, hamburger, bread crumbs, spices, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, eggs (beaten) in a large bowl and combine until mixed. This is a tender mixing. You don't want to over mix the meat. It will produce tough meat.Now pile the whole meat mixture into a baking dish. I am using a 9x13 dish. Form into a log of sorts.Now cover the meatloaf with bacon and don't be stingy!
Bake in a 350 degree oven for about an hour and half. Don't take my word for it though, make sure you cook it until it is thoroughly cooked. My old oven takes longer.

Trader Joe's Cabernet Pot Roast

I make a killer pot roast. But tonight it isn't my pot roast getting the rave reviews. It's the pot roast I bought from Trader Joe's. I am sucker for just about anything they have. The pot roast is marinading in the wine and spices. My trusty crock pot is going to make it nice and tender. Love winter meals!


1 Trader Joe's Cabernet Pot Roast (I am making two since everyone is home)
3 jumbo potatoes cleaned and cut into quarters
1 can cream of chicken or mushroom soup

Drain the pot roast from the juice it has been marinading in. Heat up a little oil in a saute pan and brown the meat. You are not looking to cook the meat but just brown it. It will cook for hours in the crock pot.
Place the meat in the crock pot. Add 1/2 cup of water. cover with the potatoes.Cook on low for six hours or high for four hours.Once the roast is fork tender take the meat and potatoes out of the crock pot. Skim the juices of the drippings left in the crock pot. Mine is pretty lean. Add the cream of chicken soup (shhh don't tell The Tortured Teenager! She doesn't like Cream of Anything soup!) It may not look pretty but it sure makes some great gravy! Mix well with a whisk. You can add a sprinkle of Wonder Flour if it is too thin.Slice up the meat and serve.

Pan Fried Cube Steak

I have been on the low carb wagon for so long that I am craving to fall off. I took out these beautiful cube steaks. I was thinking I would make Cube Steak with Bacon and Mushrooms but as usual I don't have everything I need and cant justify running to the store one more time this week. As a kid my father used to make cube steak with artichokes. It was one of my favorite meals.

Pan Fried Cube Steaks
1/2 cup corn starch
1/2 cup flour
1 TB Season Salt
oil

In a pan combine the corn starch, flour, and seasoning.Flour the cube steak.Fry over high heat until both sides are brown.