30 Minute Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients

• 2 pounds potatoes, such as russet, peeled and cubed
• 2 tablespoons sour cream or softened cream cheese
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1/2 cup cream, for a lighter version substitute vegetable or chicken broth
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
• 1 3/4 pounds ground beef or ground lamb
• 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup beef stock or broth
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire, eyeball it
• 1/2 cup frozen peas, a couple of handfuls
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions

Boil potatoes in salted water until tender, about 12 minutes. Drain potatoes and pour them into a bowl. Combine sour cream, egg yolk and cream. Add the cream mixture into potatoes and mash until potatoes are almost smooth.

While potatoes boil, preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add oil to hot pan with beef or lamb. Season meat with salt and pepper. Brown and crumble meat for 3 or 4 minutes. If you are using lamb and the pan is fatty, spoon away some of the drippings. Add chopped carrot and onion to the meat. Cook veggies with meat 5 minutes, stirring frequently. In a second small skillet over medium heat cook butter and flour together 2 minutes. Whisk in broth and Worcestershire sauce. Thicken gravy 1 minute. Add gravy to meat and vegetables. Stir in peas.

Preheat broiler to high. Fill a small rectangular casserole with meat and vegetable mixture. Spoon potatoes over meat evenly. Top potatoes with paprika and broil 6 to 8 inches from the heat until potatoes are evenly browned. Top casserole dish with chopped parsley and serve.

Tater Tot Cassorole

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 can mushroom soup
• 1 can cream of chicken or celery soup
• 1 cup grated cheese
• 1 32-ounce bag tater tots

Preparation

Brown ground beef and drain.

Add the soups and cheese.

Grease baking dish.

Pour mixture into baking dish and lay tater tots on top to completely cover.

Cook according to temperature on bag for tater tots or until brown.

Crockpot Sesame Chicken

2 1bs. skinless, boneless chicken thighs.
1/2 c. low sodium soy sauce
1/3 c. packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1 Tbsp. ketchup
1 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds

Place chicken thighs in the slow cooker. Whisk together remaining ingredients in a bowl and pour over chicken.Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours or on high 3 or 4. Serves 4 - 6.

French Dip Sandwiches

It's easy but sooooo good.... we've decided it's way better than any restaurant French Dip we've ever had.

1 roast (cheapest one at the store - don't buy a nice one)

2 loaves of day old bread from Jimmy Johns ($.40 here!)

2 packs of Au Jus gravy powder mix

butter

mozzarella cheese

Stir up 1 Au Jus packet with 1-2 cups of water (depending on the size of your crock pot) and place the roast in the crock pot with the water/ powder mix. Add water until it's about half way up the pot.

Let the crock pot cook it on low all day.

When you get home from work, take a fork and shred up the meat (you can do this while it's still in the crock pot). It should just pull apart really easily.

Heat up the second Au Jus packet according to the directions.

Cut the bread in half length-wise and then again width-wise so you have 4 pieces of bread for 2 sandwiches/ loaf. Butter the inside of the bread and place it on a cookie sheet butter side up. Add cheese if you want on top of one of the buttered sides.

Broil the bread until it's toasted.

Put the shredded meat on the bread and make sandwiches then dip it in the Au Jus you heated up.

Sooooo good!

Creamy Chicken and Rice

Serves 2-3

1 cup frozen veggies
1 teaspoon minced onion
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
1 bay leaf
1 can reduced-fat cream of chicken soup
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
[or 1 (12.5 ounce) can of chicken for stovetop]

White rice (approx. 1/2 cup per serving)
Water (approx. 1 cup per serving)

Crock pot Cooker Directions
1. In a 3 or 4 quart crockery cooker, stir together soup and water. Add minced onion, parsley, thyme, pepper, celery salt, and bay leaf. Stir together. Add frozen veggies and stir together. Add chicken breasts side by side.
2. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 9 hours or on high-heat setting for 4 to 5 hours.
3. Approx. 30 minutes before soup mixture is done cooking, add rice and water to a pot on the stovetop over medium heat. Cover and let rice cook until it is tender (15 to 25 minutes).
4. Meanwhile, remove bay leaf and chicken from crockery cooker. Discard bay leaf. Cut or shred chicken into bite-sized pieces. Return chicken to crockery cooker and stir.
5. To serve, pour soup mixture over rice.

Stovetop Directions
1. In a medium to large pot, stir together soup and water. Add minced onion, parsley, thyme, pepper, celery salt, and bay leaf. Stir together. Add frozen veggies and stir together. Shred up canned chicken and stir it into the mixture.
2. Cover and cook on medium-heat for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Meanwhile, add rice and water to a separate pot on the stovetop over medium heat. Cover and let rice cook until it is tender (15 to 25 minutes).
4. Remove and discard bay leaf before serving. To serve, pour soup mixture over rice.

BTS Cake

(Better Than ...haha you can figure out the S)

1 chocolate cake mix
1 1/3 cups water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 to 3/4 (16 ounce) jar hot fudge topping (to taste)
1/2 to 3/4 (16 ounce) jar caramel topping (to taste)
Cool Whip
2 or 3 Skor or Heath candy bars, crushed

1. Make and bake chocolate cake according to directions on box. Let cool.
2. Thoroughly poke holes in the cake with a fork. Pour sweetened condensed milk, hot fudge topping, and caramel topping over entire cake. Let sit for several hours to allow ingredients to soak in.
3. Spread Cool Whip over cake, sprinkle with crushed candy bars, and enjoy! Refrigerate leftovers.

Three Cheese Chicken Penne

1 lb pkg Penne pasta
1-2 lbs Boneless/Skinless Chicken Breast
1 pkg (9 oz) Fresh Spinach (chopped)
1 tsp Dried Basil
1 jar Spaghetti Sauce (I used 1 can each of tomato sauce and diced tomatoes and threw in some oregano, etc.)
1/2 Onion- minced
4 cloves Garlic- minced
1 tbsp olive oil
4 oz Cream cheese- cubed
1 1/2 cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1/2 cup Shredded Parmigiano- Reggiano Cheese

Pre-heat oven to 375*. Cook pasta. While that's boiling, work on the remaining ingredients.
Cook chicken in oil. Remove to a large bowl. Add garlic and onion to chicken drippings. Sautee until tender, add to chicken. Pour Spaghetti sauce in with chicken mixture. Add basil. Before you remove the pasta, add the chopped fresh spinach for about a minute. Then drain and add to bowl. Add cream cheese and 1 cup of mozzarella cheese. Mix well. Pour into baking dish and bake at 375* for about 15 minutes. Top with remaining mozzarella and parmigiano reggiano cheese. Bake for another 5- 10 minutes, until cheese starts to bubble. Garnish with chopped fresh basil.

Baby Food Bars

My visiting teacher in Rexburg, ID made these at her baby shower!! They are sooo tastey, I couldn't stop eating them! Give it a try for your next baby shower...they will be gone in a flash and you'll get some surprised looks when you tell them it is made from baby food!

1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
3 eggs, well beaten
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 6 oz. jar strained carrots
1 6 oz. jar strained applesauce
1 6 oz. jar strained apricots
1 tube of either cream cheese or vanilla frosting

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Sift dry ingredients together. Combine eggs and oil in a separate bowl, and beat well. Mix the eggs and oil into dry ingredients. Beat in baby food. (I actually couldn't find apricots, so I used peaches instead.)

Click Here to view Jenn's Together We Learn website!

Poppyseed Bread

I found this recipe on the Shade Clothing blog!!

3 cups flour
2 ½ cup sugar
1 ½ t. salt
1 ½ t. baking powder
3 eggs
1 ½ cup milk
1 1/8 cup oil
1 ½ T. poppy seeds
1 ½ t. vanilla
1 ½ t. almond extract
1 ½ t. butter flavoring

Mix together and beat 2 minutes. Bake in 2 large loaf pans (greased) at 350 for 1 hour. As soon as out of oven, pour glaze over bread after poking a few holes in bread with toothpick. Be careful to brush it on slowly so that it can be absorbed.

¾ cup sugar
¼ cup orange juice
½ t. vanilla
½ t. almond extract
½ t. butter flavoring

Take out of pans when cooled.

Click Here to find more great recipes by Caroline

Lemon Chicken

My husband introduced me to this yummy Italian restaurant called Buca di bepo...and this is his all time favorite meal from there! I am making this tomorrow, so I hope it tastes as good as Buca's!

Ingredients

• 2 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless (about 3/4 lb total)
• salt, to taste
• 1 cup flour
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup white wine( I substituted this with chicken broth)
• 4 large lemons
• 4 ounces unsalted butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons capers

Directions

1. 1

   Cut three lemons in half and use for fresh lemon juice. Pour the juice through a fine strainer. Cut the last lemon into wedges for garnish.

2. 2

   Begin to heat the olive oil in a 12 inch sauté pan on med-high.

3. 3

   Pound the chicken to about 1/4 inch thickness.

4. 4

   While oil is getting hot, lightly season both sides of the chicken breast with salt.

5. 5

   Lightly dust the chicken breast in the flour, shake off excess flour.

6. 6

   Place chicken in the sauté pan skin side down; when the chicken is golden brown, turn over and brown the other side as well. It is important to brown both sides to insure the chicken is completely cooked through.

7. 7

   When both sides are nice and brown, add white wine and lemon juice.

8. 8

   Continue to cook for approximately two to three minutes. The liquid should reduce approximately half.

9. 9

   Once the liquid is reduced, remove the chicken breasts from the pan and turn off heat.

10. 10

    Check to make sure the chicken breasts are cooked by turning each piece of chicken over and cutting it halfway through with a knife. There should be no visible pink. If the chicken is not completely cooked through, place inches a 400 degree oven for five minutes to complete cooking.

11. 11

    Finish the sauce by placing the softened butter in the pan. Using rubber spatula, work the butter into the sauce as it melts.

12. 12

    Add capers to the sauce.

13. 13

    Pour sauce directly on top of chicken breasts. Garnish with lemon wedges.

Baked Potato Soup

Yields: 8-10 servings

Ingredients:

2/3 cup Butter or Margarine

2/3 cup Flour

7 cups milk

4 large baking Potatoes, baked cooled, peeled, and cubed

4 green onions, sliced

12 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

1 & 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup sour cream

3/4 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Pepper

Directions:

1. In large pan, melt butter. Stir in flour; heat and stir until smooth

2. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly until thickened

3. Add cooked potatoes and green onions. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly

4. Reduce heat; simmer for 10 min.

5. Add remaining ingredients; stir until cheese is melted. Serve immediately!

Chicken Alfredo

This recipe was given to me when I was a teenager by a family I babysat for...it has always been a hit! (it is my husband's favorite)

Ingredients:

1lb Wide Egg Noodles

1 TBS Garlic salt (or fresh garlic cloves)

1 cup Butter or Margarine (I use the light country crock to cut down calories)

1 can Evaporated milk (I like the fat free kind)

2-3 tsp Parsley

Fresh Ground Pepper to taste

4 cooked Chicken breasts ( I like to use the precooked Italian flavored chicken strips..cuts down on cooking time)

Directions:

1. Cook noodles and dice chicken

2. Saute garlic salt and margarine until melted

3. Add evaporated milk, heat 1 minute

4. Add remaining ingredients, and then mix everything together in a casserole dish

Banana Bread

I got this recipe from my roommate in college!! It is the BEST banana bread I have ever had!!

Ingredients:

1 & 1/2 cups of Flour

1 cup Sugar

1/2 tsp Salt

1 tsp Baking Soda

2 Eggs

1 cup Oil

1 & 1/2 c Overly Ripe Mashed Bananas

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease bread pan

2. In medium bowl, mix together flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda

3. In a separate bowl mix eggs, oil, and bananas

4. Combine both mixtures

5. Pour mixture into pan and bake for 45-50 min

Chicken Empanadas

• Cooking Time: 15
• Servings: 12 to 15
• 3 cups chopped, cooked chicken
• 1 (8-ounce) package shredded Colby and Monterey Jack cheese blend
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 (15-ounce) package refrigerated pie crusts
• Water

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Lightly grease a baking sheet. In a large bowl, combine the chicken and next 7 ingredients. Unroll 1 piecrust onto a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 15-inch circle. Cut out rounds, using a 3-inch cookie cutter. Re-roll dough as needed. Repeat procedure with remaining piecrusts, making 12 to 15 circles total. Arrange 1 round on a clean, flat surface. Lightly brush the edges of crust with water. Place 1 heaping teaspoon of chicken mixture in the center of the round. Fold the dough over the filling, pressing the edges with a fork to seal. Repeat with the remaining rounds and chicken mixture. (Up to this point, the recipe can be made ahead and frozen for up to 1 month). Arrange empanadas on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes.

Crack Brownies

A good friend from back home made these brownies for me and they are AMAZING!!

Ingredients

• 24 caramel candies
• 1/3 cup fat-free evaporated milk

• 1 (18 1/4 ounce) package German chocolate cake mix
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup fat-free evaporated milk
• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. 2

   In heavy saucepan, combine caramels and 1/3 cup evaporated milk. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until caramels are melted.

3. 3

   Grease and flour a 9x13-inch baking dish.

4. 4

   In a large mining bowl, combine dry cake mix, melted butter, and the other 1/3 cup evaporated milk. Stir by hand until the dough holds together. Divide dough in half and press first half of dough into prepared baking dish.

5. 5

   Bake at 350°F for 8 to 9 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips over baked crust.

6. 6

   Pour caramel mixture over the chocolate chips. Crumble the other half of the dough over caramel layer.

7. 7

   Return to oven and bake for 20 minutes. Remove and cool for 15 minutes, then cut into squares.

8. 8

   Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. Return to refrigerator when no eating, as they get goopy at room temperature.
9. A fabulous recipe from the book, It's Called A Breakup because It's Broken by Greg and Amiira Behrendt.