Rachael Ray's Turkey, Tomatillo, and Bean Burritos

This recipe is from Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats.  I've typed out how she does it and then added my changes at the bottom.

Ingredients:
4 12-inch flour tortillas*
2 TBSP vegetable oil
1 1/3 lb. ground turkey breast*
1 large onion, chopped*
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup chicken stock or broth
1 15 oz. can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 16 oz. jar tomatillo salsa*
2 TBSP fresh cilantro leaves (a handful), chopped
1 10 oz. package (2 1/2 cups) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Preheat the oven to 275.  Wrap the tortillas in foil and warm in the oven. 

Preheat a large nonstick skillet with the vegetable oil.  Add the ground turkey and break it up with the back of a spoon as it cooks and browns, about 4 minutes.  Add the onions, garlic, bell peppers, salt and pepper.  Continue to cook for 3 minutes.  Add the chicken stock, pinto beans, and 1 1/2 cups of the salsa.  Turn the heat up to high and continue to cook for 5-6 minutes, or until the mixture is thickened.  Remove from heat and add cilantro, stirring to distribute. 

Remove the tortillas from the oven and turn on the broiler.

Pile the turkey mixture into the warm tortillas, sprinkle each with 1/4 cup of cheese, and then roll them up.  Line a baking dish with the burritos, seam side down. Top each burrito with a little bit of the remaining salsa, spreading it over the burritos. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and place the dish under the broiler.  Broil for 5 minutes to melt and brown the cheese.  Serve immediately.

*I find that the recipe will make more like 8-10 burritos so you might want more tortillas.  I usually only use 1 lb. of ground turkey and half the onion.  I use less salsa because I put salsa in the filling but not on top, only cheese on top.  And I use regular salsa because its easier to find than tomatillo.*

Santa Fe Corn Bake

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef or turkey
2 cans (14 1/2 oz. each) diced tomatoes
1 can (15 1/4 oz.) corn, drained
1 TBSP chili powder
1-2 packages (8 1/2 oz. each) corn muffin mix  (my recipe called for 1 but it is easier to cover the entire pan with 2)

To prepare the muffin mix/es:
1-2 eggs
1/3-2/3 cup milk

Prep:
1.  Brown meat in skillet, drain.
2.  Add tomatoes, corn and chili powder.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3.  Pour into 2 quart baking dish.
4.  Prepare muffin mix/es according to package directions.  Spread evenly over meat mixture. 
5.  Bake at 400 degrees, 25 minutes or until golden. 

Next Exchange

Our next meal exchange will not be until Monday, February 13 at 10:30am at Savanna's House. Hope you all enjoy the holidays! See ya in February!

Divine Crock-Pot Chicken (Girlfriends on the Go)

5-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 can cream of celery soup (I substituted with cream of chicken because it has more flavor)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
1 tsp. dried parsley

Place chicken in slow cooker. Mix all other ingredients together and pour over chicken. Cook on low for 4-6 hours.

We love serving this over mashed potatoes (and will sometimes pour in an extra can of either soup for more "gravy" type consistency.

The Ravioli Casserole recipe can be found under the pasta label, FYI.

Hearty Turkey Chili

From one of my favorite websites:  www.melskitchencafe.com
http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2011/10/hearty-turkey-chili.html

INGREDIENTS:
1 pound ground turkey
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 yellow or red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
2 (16-ounce) cans tomato sauce
1 (15-ounce) can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon brown sugar

DIRECTIONS:
In a large pot, brown the turkey with the onion and garlic over medium heat, until cooked through, breaking up the ground turkey into pieces as it cooks. Drain off extra grease. Add the chopped bell pepper and cook 1-2 minutes until slightly tender. Add the rinsed and drained beans. Stir. Add the remaining ingredients and spices. Stir well. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the chili to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes (or upwards of an hour if you have more time), stirring occasionally and making sure the chili isn’t sticking to the bottom of the pot.

Serve with sour cream, shredded cheese and tortilla chips, if desired.

We also like this with cornbread and honey butter.

Chicken Stuffing Casserole

4 cups of cubed cooked chicken breast
1 can cream of chicken soup
8 oz lite sour cream
1 package stuffing-prepared according to package directions

Generously butter casserole dish
Add cubed chicken
Mix soup and sour cream, pour over chicken
Spread prepared stuffing over sour cream layer
Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 mins


We like this with salad or green beans.

Meat Loaf

Meat Loaf by Lesa Gunn

1 1/2 lbs ground beef
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup onion, grated
2/3 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp sage

Sauce:
1/2 cup ketchup
3 tbs brown sugar
1 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Mix ground beef, eggs, onion, crumbs, milk, salt, pepper, and sage well in a mixing bowl. put into loaf pan; pat and level mixture. Mix sauce ingredients (ketchup, brown sugar, dry mustard, nutmeg) together and pour over meat mixture. Bake about 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Unthaw. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees.

If frozen bake for 2 hours at 350 degrees and check the temperature before serving.

6 Servings

Easy Chicken Pot Pie

This is a receipe that was made previously.

Easy Chicken Pot Pie

2 cups cooked shredded chicken (I use rotisserie because it's fast and yummy)
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 TBS. milk (or add a little more to make creamier)
1/4 C. frozen mixed vegetables (or less if you don't like a lot of veggies in your pie)
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1 package of refrigerated pie crust. (2 crusts are in package)
Mix chicken, soup, milk, veggies and pepper together.
Line 9 inch pie tin with one crust.
Put mixture into pie tin and cover with second crust.
Roll and pinch edges and make slits on top of pie.
Place in freezer bag and FREEZE.
To Bake:
Preheat oven to 400. Place pie on cookie sheet.
If you want, you can cover edges with foil and remove foil last 15-20 minutes of baking.
Bake at 400 for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown.
Cooking time may vary on oven so just keep your eye on it.
If you're not going to freeze, just bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown

Don't Forget

Tomorrow is the deadline to sign up for freezer meals. If you want to participate we are cooking two seperate meals and taking January off. So please sign up!

Cheesy Chicken

Cheesy Chicken (courtesy of Macey's ad)

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 cans Campbell's cream of chicken soup
1 can Campbell's cheddar cheese soup

Mix it all together in the crock pot and cook 4-6 on high or 6-8 on low.

December's Meals

Please sign up for two different meals:

Savanna Sorensen: Chicken Pot Pie and Meatloaf
Natalie Ball: Ravioli Casserole and Divine Crock-pot Chicken
Nanci Edwards: Turkey Chili and Chicken/Stuffing Casserole
Rachel Mardis: Turkey & Bean Burritos and Santa Fe Corn Bake

December's Exchange Group

At our last meal exchange we decided that for December we would make two seperate meals each and then not get together on January. With Christmas and New Years so close to the exchange deadline we thought it would be easier on everyone to do it this way. So please remember...Decembers meals exchange please bring TWO different meals.
We will meet at Savanna's house on Monday, December 12 at 10am. Please make arrangements with someone to bring your meal if you can't make it.
Hope to see you all then!

Pesto Meatball Stew

Makes: 6 Servings

Ingredients

2 14 1/2 ounce cans Italian-style stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 16 ounce package (32) frozen cooked Italian-style meatballs, thawed
1 15 - 19 ounce can cannellini (white kidney) beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup basil pesto
1/2 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese (2 ounces)

Directions

1. In a 3 1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker, combine undrained tomatoes, meatballs, drained beans, the water, and pesto.
2. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 5 to 7 hours or on high-heat setting for 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours. Sprinkle each serving with cheese.


Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 6,Calories 408,Protein (gm) 17,Carbohydrate (gm) 24,Fat, total (gm) 27,Cholesterol (mg) 34,Saturated fat (gm) 10,Monosaturated fat (gm) 1,Dietary Fiber, total (gm) 6,Sugar, total (gm) 6,Vitamin A (IU) 680,Vitamin C (mg) 2,Riboflavin (mg) 0,Cobalamin (Vit. B12) (μg) 0,Sodium (mg) 1201,Potassium (mg) 7,Calcium (DV %) 212,Iron (DV %) 2,Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Chicken Spaghetti

From: The Pioneer Woman
Ingredients

• 2 cups Cooked Chicken
• 3 cups Dry Spaghetti, Broken Into Two Inch Pieces
• 2 cans Cream Of Mushroom Soup
• 2 cups Grated Cheddar Cheese
• 1/4 cup Finely Diced Green Pepper
• 1/4 cup Finely Diced Onion
• 1 jar (4 Ounce) Diced Pimentos, Drained
• 2 cups Reserved Chicken Broth From Pot
• 1 teaspoon Lawry's Seasoned Salt
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• 1 cup Additional Grated Cheddar Cheese

Preparation Instructions

Cook 1 cut up fryer and pick out the meat to make two cups. Cook spaghetti in same chicken broth until al dente. Do not overcook. When spaghetti is cooked, combine with remaining ingredients except additional 1 cup sharp cheddar.

Place mixture in casserole pan and top with remaining sharp cheddar. Cover and freeze up to six months, cover and refrigerate up to two days, or bake immediately: 350 degrees for 45 minutes until bubbly. (If the cheese on top starts to get too cooked, cover with foil).

Pork Chops and Potatoes

From the 30 Minutes Meals Cookbook

6 pork chops
1 tsp seasoned salt
1 Tbl canola oil
1 10.75 oz can cream of celery soup
2/3 cup milk
1 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1 Tbl dried onions
3 cups frozen shredded hash browns
1 cup French fried onions

Sprinkle pork chops with seasoned salt and brown in oil on both sides. Combine soup, milk and sour cream until smooth. Add salt, pepper, cheese and onions. Mix in hash brown potatoes (do not thaw potatoes). Place in greased foil baking pan. Arrange chops on top of potatoes. Press down. Cover with extra heavy foil. Label and freeze.

To serve: Thaw. Bake covered, 1 hour at 350º. Uncover, top with French fried onions (optional). Bake 10 minutes.

6 Servings

November Meal Exchange

We will be exchanging our meals on Monday November 14th at 10am at Savanna's house. Please bring your meals frozen and ready to go. If you can't make the exchange but signed up to bring a meal, call me and you can bring your food over early or get someone to bring your meals for you.

Thanks

November Meal Exchange

Alright, it's that time again. If you would like to participate in the next meal exchange please sign up by Oct. 24th. Spread the word and tell all your friends so we can have a big exchange this month.

Thanks to all that participated last month. So far the dishes have been delicious and I know that my family and I really appreciate it.

What we're cooking in November:

Savanna Sorensen: Pork Chops and Potatoes
Nanci Edwards: Chicken Spaghetti
Rachel Mardis: Pesto Meatball Stew
Natalie Ball: Cheesy Chicken
Bobbi Loosli: Tortilla Chicken Soup

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Chicken Cordon Bleu
from Dinner Is Ready

6 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves
2 Tbl Dijon mustard
6 slices ham
6 slices Swiss cheese
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 cup dry bread crumbs

Place each chicken breast half between two pieces of plastic wrap. Pound until thin. Spread mustard on each piece of chicken. Wrap cheese in ham and place on chicken. Roll chicken around cheese and ham. Secure with a toothpick. Dip chicken first in evaporated milk then in bread crumbs. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake on greased baking sheet for 10 minutes at 400º. Reduce heat to 350º and bake an additional 25 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Cover chicken on baking sheet with plastic wrap. Freeze for at least 3 hours. When frozen transfer to a freezer bag. Label and freeze.

To serve: Thaw. Heat in microwave or in oven.

Serve with chicken gravy made from 1 can cream of chicken soup and 1/2 cup sour cream. Heat through on stovetop.

6 Servings

Calzones

Pizza dough (you can do frozen, store bakery, homemade, etc)
Italian dressing
2 lbs mozzarella cheese
1 C Parmesan cheese
Pizza sauce
Pepperoni
Olives
Mushrooms
Pineapple
Or any other pizza topping

Roll out dough to the size of calzone you want. Add pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese and desired toppings. Fold edges over and go over with a fork to seal the edge. Baste Italian dressing on top and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese (if desired). Bake at 350 degrees for 20 min or until golden brown. Serve Alfredo sauce or pizza sauce to dip in.

Navajo Tacos

10 Rhodes Texas Rolls, thawed and risen

Vegetable oil, for frying bread and cooking onions

1 small onion, chopped
1 lb. ground beef
1 envelope taco seasoning
1 (15oz.) can pinto beans
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups shredded lettuce
2 medium tomatoes, diced

1 cup sour cream

Salsa

To Prepare:

Flatten each roll to a 6-inch circle.  Fry each side in oil at 375°until golden brown.  Cook onions in a little oil until softened then add ground beef.  Follow directions on taco seasoning package to prepare ground beef.  Add pinto beans and heat through.  Place desired amount of ground beef mixture on warm fry bread.  Top with desired toppings.  

(from Girlfriends on the Go, by Suzie Roberts)

--------------------------------------------------------

This is a little different than the recipe I gave each of you.  Mostly I just switched the ingredients around to go in the order they are prepared.  Also, I realized that I gave you the recipe but not the instructions to prepare from frozen.  Basically you let the meat thaw and the rolls thaw and rise.  The meat is fully cooked so you will only need to heat through.  Then follow the instuctions to fry the bread and create your Navajo Tacos!  

Sorry that I confused things a little but I'm so glad I got to participate this month!  If anyone has any pointers for me please let me know.  Thanks!

Country Style Pork and Beans

I got this recipe from www.melskitchencafe.com.
Here is the link to the original.
http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2010/11/country-style-pork-and-white-beans-slow-cooker.html

We to serve this over cooked white rice and eat it more like a soup.  Steve likes to add a little hot sauce for an extra spice.

Weight Watchers Chicken & Cheese Casserole

WW Chicken & Cheese Casserole

2 cups cooked pasta (about 1 1/2 c. uncooked)
2 cups cubed chicken (cooked or grilled)
2 cans undiluted cream of mushroom soup
2 cups skim milk
2 cups lowfat cheddar cheese**

Combine all ingredients together and put in dish. Bake @ 350 for 35-45 minutes covered. Remove cover and bake 10-15 more minutes. Serve immediately. If frozen you'll have to adjust your times accordingly.

**As mentioned before I used regular cheddar cheese, not low fat, but I did use the skim milk.

Obviously it is super easy!! It might look bland, but my whole family thought it was really good.

October Meals

Do we still want all the nutritional value of the meals or just the recipe? I vote for the later, but will do whatever majority wants. And are we supposed to be setting up surveys to see if people like our meals? I feel like a newbie all over again.


Natalie Ball -- Chicken Pasta Casserole (it was a weight watcher recipe, but I used real cheese)
Nanci Edwards - Country Style Pork and Beans
Savanna Sorensen- Chicken Cordon Bleu
Rachel Mardis- Navajo Tacos
Amanda Jones- Calzones

October's Meal Exchange

The October meal exchange will be MONDAY OCTOBER 10TH AT 10AM at my house. If you can't make this date then please don't sign up for the exchange or arrange for someone to bring your food and pick it up.

Thanks

Beef Empanadas

I know I have cooked this recipe before but I just think it makes a great September meal because it's easy, relatively light, you can pair it with all the fruits and vegetables of the season and have a healthy dinner. So if you want the recipe just look under the label for beef and mexican.

Grilled Teriyaki Chicken

Find the recipe and directions at this link:

http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2011/06/grilled-teriyaki-chicken.html

We like to eat this with peas and grilled pineapple.  We'll put the pineapple on kabob skewers and grill it for a few minutes.  If you don't have a grill you can bake the chicken in the oven at 350 for 30-40 minutes until it is done.

September's Recipes

Please add to this post (don't add a comment but actually edit the post) what you will be serving for September's Meal Exchange. There are only a few days left to sign up so make sure you add your name to the Official List for September if you would like to participate. Also spread the word to your friends. The more people that participate the less meals we have to cook later on. :)

Savanna Sorensen: Beef Empanadas
Natalie Ball: BBQ Chicken
Nanci Edwards:  Teriyaki Chicken

Starting Up Again!!

Well Maples Moms, the summer is about over. Kids will be going back to school and that means lots of time spent driving kids back and forth to school, activities, practices etc and not a lot of time to cook. It's time to get our game faces on and get ready for the madness!

The Maples Moms Freezer Meal Exchange will be starting back up again on Monday September 12th at 10:00am at my house (Savanna Sorensen's-7416 Sunset Maple Dr.). So if you are interested in participating you must sign up before August 29th.

Depending on the amount of people (especially new people) that are interested in participating, I might hold a "How to" session at my house. That way we can go over the rules and the how to's of freezer meal making. Let me know if you are interested in coming to something like that. TBA. If there isn't a huge need for a refresher course at my house then I will provide a quick refresher online. Also for you more experienced Meal Exchangers, please review the How To label on the left hand side of the blog so that we are all on the same page.

A couple of quick things to remember:

Please add your name to the Offical Members of the Month list if you are intersted in participating in the September exchange.

Add your dislikes and allergies to the lists labeled "dislikes" and "allergies" on the left hand side of the blog.

If you are new and would like to participate then you must have administrative access in order to add anything to the blog. Please let me know and I will change your status. You can email me at guaygunn@aol.com

And finally, please don't forget to spread the word. It's always better to have more people participating because then we get a variety of foods to try.

Thank you all and I look forward to this winter and all the new foods we will be trying.

Savanna

Just a Thought

I wanted to tell everyone thank you for all the yummy dinners.  My family has loved this.  I wanted to throw a thought/suggestion out there... maybe this summer while we're taking out break, find some new recipes and try out some new meals.  It would be wonderful to have some new recipes on our fall lineup.  When I'm trying a new recipe, I try it a few weeks ahead of time.  I make it fresh, then freeze it for a few days so I can see how it defrosts and cooks after being frozen.  Also, lets all do some recruiting over the summer so we can get our group back up to size.  Thanks again everyone.

Nanci

Spaghetti and Company

This recipe is already listed with the nutritional information. Look under "Pasta" label.

Chicken and Stuffing Casserole Recipe

Chicken and Stuffing Casserole (Makes approx 8 servings)

8-10 chicken tenders cooked and shredded (enough to cover bottom of pan)
6 slices of swiss cheese
1 10.75oz can cream of chicken soup
1 14oz can green beans
1 box of chicken stuffing (prepare according to box directions)

In a greased 9x13 pan put already cooked and shredded chicken in the bottom of the pan. Layer with swiss cheese, a can of cream of chicken soup, a can of green beans, and a box of already made chicken stuffing mix.

Cover with tinfoil and bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes until hot and bubbly.

You can serve this with cranberries to put on top. It makes it taste like thanksgiving dinner. Serve with a fruit and you have a well balanced meal.

Nutritional Information-per serving

Calories 238.9

Total Fat 8.8 g

Saturated Fat 4.5 g

Polyunsaturated Fat 0.6 g

Monounsaturated Fat 2.3 g

Cholesterol 43.8 mg

Sodium 755.8 mg

Potassium 79.7 mg

Total Carbohydrate 15.2 g

Dietary Fiber 0.7 g

Sugars 2.3 g

Protein 17.7 g

Sticky Coconut Chicken

In honor of the warm weather, this is a grilling meal.  If you don't have a grill or don't want to grill, it works in the oven too.  Instead of grilling, put the chicken and all the sauce in a 9x13 pan and cook at 350 for 40-50 minutes until chicken is done.  Serve over rice or salad.  Use the glaze sauce as a dipping sauce.

Adapted from www.melskitchencafe.com

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 cup canned coconut milk
1/2 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger
1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

Marinade chicken in coconut milk, ginger, pepper and red pepper flakes at least one hour (I let mine marinade four about four to five hours). Grill on barbecue.

Glaze:
3/4 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

While the chicken is grilling, bring above ingredients to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until mixture is reduced and thickened, about 8-10 minutes. Be patient because it takes a little while. But once it starts getting really thick, immediately take it off the heat! Glaze both sides of chicken the last few minutes of grilling and serve chicken over rice.

Calories:  204

Fat 9.5 g

Cholesterol  68.4 mg

Sodium  81.6 mg

Carbs 1.1 g

Fiber 0

Protein 28 g

Next Exchange

Our last exchange before the summer will be next Tuesday, May 10th at my house (Savanna's) at 9:30am. Please come with your meals frozen and ready to exchange.

I just wanted to thank everyone that has participated over these last 9 months or so. This really has been an amazing thing and I appreciate all the wonderful meals that everyone has made.
I look forward to a break for summer but can't wait til fall for more yummy recipes.

Savanna

May Menu

Please post your meal for May here. Thanks.

Nanci Edwards: Sticky Coconut Chicken
Lesa Gunn: Cheese Manicotti
Savanna Sorensen: Spaghetti Sauce
Bobbi Loosli: Kabobs
Vanessa Gunn: Sloppy Joes

I'm so sorry!

I didn't even think to check the blog before I went shopping. I made French dip also. Please forgive me and if you don't like French dip I would be happy to exchange any of my meals or make you something else. I love this food exchange and am so thank full to all the great cooks!

Taco Soup

1 pound ground beef cooked
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
1 15 oz can corn
1 32 oz can diced tomatoes
1 15 oz can black beans (or any kind of beans you love)
1 package taco seasoning


Mix all ingredients together.  Do not drain any of the cans you need all the liquid for the soup.  Heat through in either the crock pot or stove top either way the soup turns out great.


Serve over tortilla chips and top with cheese and sour cream.
I estimated that this serves about 8 and serving size is 1 to 1.5 cups.  It is always plenty for us.  If you need more you could add another can of beans.


Nutritional info was calculated on the soup only not the chips, cheese and sour cream
Calories  265
Fat  9.8 g
Carbs  30 g
Fiber  7.6 g
Protein  17.4 g

French Dip Sanwiches

1 LB Siced Roast Beef Sandwich Deli Meat
6 Sour Dough Rolls
6 Slices Provolone Cheese
1 Package Au Jus For Dipping

To prepare-
Slice rolls in half and open. On one side add roast beef and cheese on top. Broil on low for about 5 min. Prepare Au Jus to package. Cut sandwiches in half and dip in Au Jus. YUM!

Nutritional Facts:
Calories 413.0
Total Fat 13.1
Sat. Fat 6.5g
Cholesterol 50.6mg
Sodium 1,686.0 mg
Total Carb. 36.9g
Fiber 1.3g
Sugar 1.2g
Protein 35.1g

Mexican Chicken

6 chicken breasts

1 can green chilies

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 cup grated cheddar

1 onion, chopped

 

Put all ingredients in a 9 X 13 pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour, or until chicken is done. Serve over rice.

 

We like this with corn as a side and also with a green salad.

 

This is for 8 servings.  I actually think it will be a little less because this makes a lot of sauce and we usually have leftover sauce that doesn't get completely eaten.

 

Calories  277

Fat  10.6 g

Cholesterol  86.3 mg

Sodium  897.5 mg

Carbohydrates  11.2 g

Fiber  1.8 g

Protein  33.2 g

Change of Location

Sorry to make things more confusing but I will be out of town during our next meal exchange. Bobbi has been kind enough to offer her house for the exchange this month. So please bring your frozen meals to Bobbi's house Tuesday April 12th at 9:30am. Thanks.

PS Don't worry, I'm still participating. Bobbi has also offered to exchange my meals for me. Thanks Bobbi!!!!

Tater Tot Casserole

Tater-Tot Casserole
1 lb lean ground beef
1 8oz container low fat sour cream
0.5 cup skim milk
1 10.75oz can cream of mushroom soup
1 pkg (26oz?) tater-tots
1 can green beans
1 cup medium cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp onion powder

Directions
Brown the beef. Drain. Add sour cream, cream of mushroom, salt and pepper, and the onion powder to the mixture. Stir and cook until simmering.

In a greased 8x10 or 9x13 (depending on how thick you want your casserole) add the tater-tots. Then layer the green beans, sauce and cheese.

Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees.

Makes 6 servings.
*If you want more sauce, add another 8oz sour cream and 8oz milk to meat mixture.

Nutritional Information:
Calories 380.7
Total Fat 21.1 g
Saturated Fat 10.0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.1 g
Monounsaturated Fat 3.7 g
Cholesterol 75.9 mg
Sodium 825.3 mg
Potassium 135.9 mg
Total Carbohydrate 21.0 g
Dietary Fiber 1.0 g
Sugars 0.7 g
Protein 25.1 g

FYI- This is how you would make the recipe if you were not freezing it. In order to prepare it from the freezer, follow these instructions:

Thaw the sauce. In a greased 8x10 or 9x13 pan (depending on how thick you want your casserole) layer the tater-tots, green beans, sauce and cheese. Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees.

April Meal Exchange

Tiffany Stradley: BBQ Pork
Lesa Gunn: Tater Tot Casserole
Vanessa Gunn: Cranberry Chicken
Nanci Edwards: Mexican Chicken
Marilyn Keil: French Dip Sandwiches
Savanna Sorensen: Chicken and Stuffing Casserole
Brandie Rudy: Taco Soup
Bobbi Loosli: French Dip (back by popular demand) Hee Hee

I MADE A MISTAKE!!!

Attention readers: I made a mistake! I put down on the top left hand corner gadget that the deadline to sign up for meal exchange was March 29th, but in looking at it, it really should be March 22 (two Tuesdays from the next meal exchange.) So sorry for the inconvenience. If you know of anyone that wants to participate this month please let them know of the correction. Let's give them a day to sign up making the deadline March 23.
Hope this didn't screw anyone up.
Thanks

MUST READ!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is for all MMMM members and readers: We will only be having two more meal exchanges before we take a break for the summer. We will be exchanging April 12 and May 10 only. There won't be any exchanges in June, July, or August. We will then begin exchanging again come September 13th. Please pass on the word to those you know that might be or want to participate so that they can exchange and stock up before the summer rolls around.

This is just a suggestion but with the economy the way it is maybe over the summer it would be a good idea to use the money that we would spend on freezer meals towards the essentials for food storage. I was watching CNN the other night and they were saying that in the upcoming months we are going to see huge price jumps in the food basics such as wheat, rice, sugar etc. Also during the summer the stores tend to hold their case lot sales so maybe this would be a good time to take advantage of those sales while the prices are still low. Just a thought!

Easy Swedish Meatballs

30 pre-cooked frozen meatballs
1 pkg. country gravy mix
1 cup sour cream
1 (12 oz. ) pkg. egg noodles


Prepare gravy according to package directions.  In a large saucepan, mix prepared gravy with 1 cup sour cream.  Add frozen meatballs.  Heat until meatballs are cooked through and the mixture is bubbly.  Serve over prepared noodles.


Nutritional info for meatballs and sauce only
Calories  285
Fat 19
carbs 13
fiber  .5
protein 15

Chicken Tortilla Soup

4 chicken breast halves
2 15 oz. cans black beans undrained
2 15 oz cans Rotel tomatoes
1 cup salsa
4 oz can chopped green chilis
14.5 oz can tomato sauce


tortilla chips
2 cups grated cheese


Combine all ingredients except chips and cheese in slow cooker.  Cover cook on Low 8 hours.  Just before serving, remove chicken breasts and slice into bite-sized pieces.  Stir into soup
To serve, put a handful of chips in each bowl.  Ladle soup over chips.  Top with cheese and sour cream if desired.  This soup is great plain or with the chips, cheese and sour cream.


Nutritional Info:


Calories 348.4
Fat 9.7
carbs  35.1
fiber 10.9
Protein 31.7

Yet Another Meal Exchange!

Just a friendly reminder for those that are participating in the March Meal Exchange, we will be exchanging this Tuesday at 9:30am. Please come with your food frozen and ready to swap. The exchange will be at my house. Hope to see you there.

Looking Ahead to Summer

With the weather becoming warmer it has made me start thinking about the summer. With that in mind I have a question for everyone...are we going to want to continue the meal group during the summer? I'm okay with it if we do but I was wondering how everyone else feels about it. At least for us the summer is really busy, plus we do lots of grilling, picnics, vegetables, fruits and not a lot of casseroles.

I was thinking that maybe starting April or May we could either exchange every two months or take a break until September. This is just an idea of course but I wanted to get everyone's opinions. We seem to be in a lull anyways with the amount of people exchanging so maybe this would give people more desire to exchange if we cut back on how often we did it or if we even took a break.

Let me know!

Cowboy Dinner

**This meal will need 2/3 cup milk and 2 eggs for the cornbread.**

Adapted from http://www.melskitchencafe.com/

1 pound ground turkey
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 can corn
1 1/2 cups salsa (jarred or homemade)
1 can (15 ounce) black, pinto or white beans, rinsed and drained (I used pinto)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

2 boxes Jiffy corn muffin mix - mixed according to package directions

Spread meat mixture in a greased 9x13 pan.
Sprinkle cheese on top.
Mix two boxes cornbread, 2/3 cup milk, and 2 eggs in a bowl.
Pour cornbread evenly over meat and cheese.

Bake for 40-45 minutes until the edges are bubbly and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cornbread comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Let the casserole stand for 10 minutes before serving.

This was good with a green salad on the side.

9 Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories		415.7
Total Fat		16.0 g
	Saturated Fat	7.4 g
	Polyunsaturated Fat	0.2 g
	Monounsaturated Fat	1.2 g
Cholesterol		48.7 mg
Sodium		1,349.6 mg
Potassium		58.1 mg
Total Carbohydrate		48.6 g
	Dietary Fiber	3.4 g
	Sugars	13.6 g
Protein		16.3 g

Easy Baked Chicken

**On the freezer bag, I put the directions for the crock pot.  My family likes this better in the crock pot, but it's good baked too.  Do whichever you have time for.  I got this recipe from http://www.cjaneinthekitchen.blogspot.com/

Easy Bake Chicken

From LION HOUSE CLASSICS

1 tsp garlic salt

1/2 tsp paprika

6 chicken breasts

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 cup heavy cream (I used fat free half & half)

chopped parsley

Mix salt, garlic salt and paprika. Thoroughly rub mixture into chicken pieces. Place chicken in one layer in shallow baking dish. Dilute the soup with cream and pour over chicken; sprinkle with parsley. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until tender.

Crock pot - cook on low 4-6 hours. Shred or leave whole.

We like this served over rice with green beans for the vegetable.

6 Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories		200.3
Total Fat		4.2 g
	Saturated Fat	1.0 g
	Polyunsaturated Fat	0.7 g
	Monounsaturated Fat	0.7 g
Cholesterol		75.4 mg
Sodium		692.6 mg
Potassium		114.6 mg
Total Carbohydrate		7.0 g
	Dietary Fiber	0.0 g
	Sugars	2.1 g
Protein		32.5 g

Creamy Bacon Chicken

Creamy Bacon Chicken

18 chicken tenders
2 (10 1/2 ounce) cans cream of mushroom soup
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon garlic powder
3 ounces precooked bacon bits

Place chicken (frozen or thawed) in slow cooker. Mix all remaining ingredients together and pour over chicken. Cook on low for 6-8 hours (longer if frozen). Serve over egg noodles, rice or potatoes.

Nutritional Info:

Calories 275.2

Calories from Fat 175 63%
Total Fat 19.4 g 29%
Saturated Fat 7.7 g 38%
Total Carbohydrate 16.3 g 5%
Dietary Fiber 0.3 g 1%
Sugars 2.8 g 11%
Protein 8.8 g 17%

Breakfast Burritos

1 lb pork sausge (can substitute hamburger)
1 pkg frozen hashbrowns
6 eggs
tortillas
cheese (optional)
Catsup or salsa (optional)
Cook meat. Brown hash browns. Mix in eggs. Place desired amount in prepared tortilla shell. Add cheese and catsup or salsa if desired. Serves 6

Calories 501.8
Fat 25.7 g
Cholesterol 239.4 mg
Sodium 347.3 mg
Carbohydrate 43.1 g
Protein 24.3 g

Hawaiian Chicken

12 Chicken Tenders
1 c. Russian Dressing
1 pkt Dry Onion Soup Mix
1 c. apricot or peach jam

Mix well: Dressing, soup, and jam. Pour over chicken. Cover with foil. Bake 350 for 30 minutes. Serve over rice. 6 Servings

Calories 461.8
Fat 4.6 g
Cholesterol 134.1 mg
Sodium 642.2 mg
Carbohydrate 49.4 g
Protein 52.8 g

Meal Exchange Dates

Just a reminder that March's meal exchange will be on Tuesday March 8th at 9:30am at my house (Savanna's).

For those of you who are interested, the next several exchanges are posted below:

April 12
May 10
June 14

March's Meal Exchange

UPDATE!!! We are making TWO different meals each for the march exchange. Please list both. Thanks!

Please post your meals for March. Remember to edit this post rather than commenting on the post or adding another post. This will help keep all the information in one location and make it easier to see. Thanks!

Bobbi Loosli:
Marilyn Keil: Chicken Enchiladas, meatball gravy to go over rice or pasta
Nanci Edwards: Cowboy Dinner (from Melskitchencafe.com) and easy baked chicken (from jane's blog)
Lesa Gunn: Hawaiian Chicken, Breakfast Burritos
Natalie Ball: Creamy Bacon Chicken, ravioli casserole
Brandie Rudy: Chicken Tortilla Soup,  Easy Swedish Meatballs

French Dip Sanwiches

1 LB Siced Roast Beef Sandwich Deli Meat
6 Sour Dough Rolls
6 Slices Provolone Cheese
1 Package Au Jus For Dipping

To prepare-
Slice rolls in half and open. On one side add roast beef and cheese on top. Broil on low for about 5 min. Prepare Au Jus to package. Cut sandwiches in half and dip in Au Jus. YUM!

Nutritional Facts:
Calories 413.0
Total Fat 13.1
Sat. Fat 6.5g
Cholesterol 50.6mg
Sodium 1,686.0 mg
Total Carb. 36.9g
Fiber 1.3g
Sugar 1.2g
Protein 35.1g

Chicken Stew

1 can potatoes
2 cups baby cut carrots
8 oz mushrooms
1 chopped green pepper
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp instant chopped onion
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 jar roasted chicken gravy
1/2 c. white wine or water

Toss carrots, mushrooms, pepper into slow cooker. Arrange chicken on top. Sprinkle salt, onion and garlic powder over chicken. Stir tomato paste into jar of gravy. Pout gravy mixutre and water over all.
Cover & cook on low heat 8-10 hrs or until vegies are tender and chicken is cooked.

Calores: 365
Fat: 15g (Saturated 5g)
Cholesterol: 85mg
Sodium: 740mg
Carbs: 25g
Protein: 35g

LInda Holman's Mexican Casserole

Tortilla chips crushed in a 9x13 pan
2 c. pre cooked and diced chicken
1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies
1 can of diced chilies
1 can cream mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 lb grated cheese

Combine all ingredients but chips and cheese.
Pour mixture over chips.
Bake 350 degrees until bubbly (about 30 minutes)
Add cheese to top last 10 minutes.

**You can add rice and/or canned corn to mixture. Olives can be added to the top before baking. Our exchange recipe had 2 c.cooked rice and 1 can of corn added to each recipe. (If you use rice make sure to cook it first. There is not enough liquid in the recipe to cook the rice soft.)

Calories 541
Total Fat 21
Saturated Fat 7
Cholesterol 68
Sodium 1,325
Potassium 481
Total Carbohydrate 60
Dietary Fiber 5
Sugars 3
Protein 30

Cream Cheese Chicken and Broccoli

**This recipe is taken from my mom Lesa Gunn and our many Sunday dinners over the years. **

12 chicken tenders
1 8oz pkg cream cheese
1 10.75oz can cream of celery soup
1 (dry) Italian Dressing packet
1 16oz bag of frozen chopped broccoli

Dump everything but the broccoli in a crockpot. Stir together. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-6. The last hour of cooking add the broccoli. (How crispy you like your broccoli depends on how long you let it cook in the crockpot.)
Serve over rice.

Calories: 483
Total Fat: 33
Sat. Fat: 12
Carbs: 26
Fiber: 4
Sugar: 3
Protein: 22

Porcupine Meatballs (Girlfriends on the Go)

I forgot to write on the bags to turn meatballs haflway through cooking!!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef (I used Jennie-O ground turkey for my meal and calculations)
1/2 cup uncooked brown rice
1 tsp seasoned salt
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 Tbsp dried, minced onion
1 can (10 3/4) tomato soup
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Directions:
Combine meat, rice, salts, pepper and onions and mix well. Place in 9 x 13 pan. Combine Worcestershire sauce and tomato soup and pour over meatballs. Cover and bake at 350 for 1 - 1 1/2 hours until rice is tender. Turn meatballs halfway through baking.


Calories 260.2

Calories from Fat 84 32%
Total Fat 9.4 g 14%
Saturated Fat 2.4 g 12%
Monounsaturated Fat 3.2 g 16%
Polyunsaturated Fat 2.7 g 13%
Trans Fat 0.1 g 0%
Cholesterol 78.2 mg 26%
Sodium 386.9 mg 16%
Potassium 454.9 mg 12%
Magnesium 56.3 mg 2%
Total Carbohydrate 19.9 g 6%
Dietary Fiber 1.2 g 4%
Sugars 4.8 g 19%
Protein 24.4 g 48%

A lost meal

All,

I forgot to mention at the meal exchange this morning, one of the meals was marked for Savanna.  It's the chicken enchilada pasta with no olives.  It has her name on the outside of the bag and also on the freezer bag inside.  If you have this meal, will you let me know please?  I'll get the one Savanna has and trade yours out.  Thanks for your help.

Nanci

Taco Braid

1 pound ground beef, browned and drained
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1 loaf Rhodes bread thawed
1 (15 oz.) can refried beans
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese


Follow directions on taco seasoning packet to season ground beef.  Roll out bread into a rectangle about the length of a cookie sheet.  Spread refried beans down the center.  Top with meat mixture and then sprinkle with the cheese.  Use a pizza cutter to cut strips along each side of the dough(even #'s on each side).  Starting at the bottom, take each piece, cross and twist.  Crisscross dough across top of filling.  continue until you pizza is braided.  Carefully place on a cookie sheet and back at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes until bread is golden brown.


Recipe from girlfriends on the Go!

Cafe Rio Pork

Click on the following link for the info on Cafe Rio Pork

http://themaplesmomsmakingmeals.blogspot.com/2010_10_01_archive.html#7019297174044797554

Chicken Enchilada Pasta

Chicken Enchilada Pasta

*Plan Ahead: the recipe calls for cooked chicken so use leftovers or plan enough time to cook the chicken beforehand.

2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed or shredded
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 medium onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
4-ounce can diced green chilies
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
2 (10-oz) can green chili enchilada sauce (I used mild)
2/3 cup red enchilada sauce (I used mild)
1 can large black olives, cut in half
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (I used sharp cheddar)
16-20 oz. penne pasta (Depending on how "saucy" you want the pasta)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the pasta until tender. While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet and add the onion. Cook for 2-3 minutes until onion is translucent. Add the garlic and red pepper and cook for another 2 minutes, until pepper is barely tender. Add the cooked chicken, green chilies, spices, enchilada sauces and olives. Let the sauce simmer for about 8-10 minutes. Add the sour cream and cheese and heat through, until the cheese is melted (but don't boil!). Pour the sauce over the hot pasta. Garnish with extra sour cream, cheese, diced tomatoes, green onions or crushed tortilla chips.

Recipe Source: My Kitchen Cafe (www.mykitchencafe.blogspot.com)/Adapted from my friend, Suzie

Serving size is about 1 cup.  This info is for the sauce only.  It will be different when eating over pasta or salad.

Calories		127.6
Total Fat		6.3 g
	Saturated Fat	2.9 g
	Polyunsaturated Fat	0.2 g
	Monounsaturated Fat	1.3 g
Cholesterol		24.9 mg
Sodium		556.4 mg
Potassium		146.8 mg
Total Carbohydrate		6.7 g
	Dietary Fiber	0.6 g
	Sugars	3.8 g
Protein		8.3 g