Scrumptious Chicken Broccoli Divan with Bacon

A couple of nights ago, I was clueless about what to make for dinner.  I had 2 thawed skinless boneless chicken breasts, but no plan!  I could not think of anything so I started going through some old recipes I used to use and found this "oldie but goodie".  Fortunately, I had all of the ingredients on hand (hardly ever happens!).  Finally, a plan for dinner ~ YAY!


The original recipe from Campbell's Kitchen does not include bacon or the seasonings I used for the chicken, but one of my sons requested bacon to be added so I did.  The bacon and seasonings added some really great flavor to the casserole!


The recipe is below.  I hope you and yours enjoy it!

Scrumptious Chicken Broccoli Divan with Bacon


*** I seasoned the chicken breasts with coarsely-ground garlic powder, Lawry's Seasoned Salt, black pepper, and a little Himalayan pink salt (any kid of salt is fine) before sauteing them in olive oil.  The casserole was served with steamed brown rice (simmered in chicken broth for more flavor) and steamed butternut squash . . . it was a very yummy dinner which my kids really liked! ***


Serves:  4 to 6


4 cups cooked broccoli florets (cook/steam until tender, yet firm)
11/2 cups cubed cooked chicken (can also use rotisserie chicken)
1 can (103/4 oz.) cream of chicken soup (reduced sodium or fat free soup will work fine in this recipe)
1/3 cup milk
3 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled (optional)
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 Tbsp. dry bread crumbs (I used French's fried onion rings instead!)
1 Tbsp. butter, melted (omit if using French's friend onion rings)


Preheat oven to 450 degrees.


Spray 2-quart shallow baking dish with cooking spray.  Place cooked broccoli and chicken in baking dish.


In a small bowl, mix soup and milk; pour over the broccoli and chicken.  If adding bacon to the casserole, sprinkle the bacon crumbles on top of the soup mixture.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Mix bread crumbs with melted butter and sprinkle on top.  (If using French's fried onion rings instead of bread crumbs, omit the butter and sprinkle the onion rings on top of the bacon and cheese.)

Tasty Restaurant Style Salsa

Since I have obviously been in a Tex-Mex frame of mind lately, I am going to post a great recipe I made recently for salsa!  It was really easy and yummy!  I only made half a batch of the salsa, but am posting the full recipe below.


I found the recipe on Pinterest (my new favorite obsession!).  I believe the original is from www.browneyedbaker.com and was adapted from a recipe by The Pioneer Woman.


The next time I make it, I plan to use fresh tomatoes (instead of canned) to see if it tastes even tastier!


The recipe is below, with my changes notated in parentheses.  Grab a bag of tortilla chips and enjoy!

Restaurant Style Salsa


***This makes a large quantity so use an 11-cup food processor or larger.  You can also work in batches OR half the recipe if you have a smaller food processor.***


Yield:  About 6 cups


Prep Time:  15 minutes


1  28 oz. can whole peeled tomatoes with juice
2  10-oz. cans Rotel diced tomatoes with green chiles (I used Rotel Mexican Lime & Cilantro)
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 jalapeno, quartered and sliced thin (remove the seeds and membrane from the jalapeno for a milder salsa)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
juice from 1/2 a fresh lime
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. ground cumin


Add all ingredients to a food processor.  Pulse until you get the desired consistency, about 10 pulses.  Refrigerate for at least one hour and then serve with your favorite tortilla chips.

Can't Get Enough Guacamole!

I absolutely LOVE Tex-Mex (a.k.a. Mexican food) and have been eating it since I was a toddler, from what my mother has told me.  In the 70's and 80's, we used to eat at the El Fenix Restaurant (a Dallas institution since 1918; http://elfenix.com/ ) on Northwest Highway, near NorthPark Center, in Dallas several times a month.  My mother would always offer me the guacamole-donned tostada that came with her meal, as one did not come with the children's meal.  Of course, I always gladly accepted her tostada and devoured it and the creamy guacamole in short time!  :-)

Below is a terrific guacamole recipe I have been using for awhile.  I am not sure where the recipe originated from, but it's really fresh, easy, and yummy!  Each time I make this for a gathering, it's one of the first things to get eaten up!  (Will post a pic the next time I make it!)

The recipe follows!

Can't Get Enough Guacamole

5-6 large ripe avocados

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded & chopped

1/2 medium sized red onion, finely chopped

3-4 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, finely chopped

1/2 lime, juiced

1/2 tsp. salt

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and mash together until smooth.  Add additional lime juice or salt to taste.

Serve with tortilla or corn chips!

Frito Salad

Here is another family favorite!  I usually serve this salad with my enchilada casserole and some jalapeno cornbread . . . it's sooooo good!  (Please refer to my blog entry dated 1/22/12 for the enchilada casserole recipe!)   


I apologize for not having a photo to post with this recipe (will post a pic the next time I make it), but trust me this is a really yummy salad!  You and yours will love it!


The recipe is below ~ dig in and enjoy!

Frito Salad

Salad Ingredients:

1 head iceberg lettuce (I use Romaine lettuce and iceberg lettuce.)
1 can chili beans, rinsed and drained
chopped green onion
tomatoes, diced
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
2 cups Original Fritos corn chips (the small ones)
Catalina salad dressing, chilled


Toss all of the ingredients in a bowl and serve!

Healthy & Refreshing Salad

I made this wonderful salad recently and wanted to share the recipe with you!  This is a recipe I found on Pinterest and it's really quite good.  (I believe the original recipe can be found here:  http://www.jehancancook.com/?p=439 .)

This salad would be absolutely perfect to serve alongside beef brisket or any other type of grilled or smoked meat on Memorial Day, 4th of July, or Labor Day!  It would also go well with burgers!  I served it with my Enchilada Casserole a couple of days ago and it was a great accompaniment!  (You can find my Enchilada Casserole recipe in an earlier post on my blog.)

The recipe for this refreshing salad is below ~ enjoy!!!

Grilled Corn, Avocado, & Tomato Salad with Honey Lime Dressing

Original Recipe:  http://www.jehancancook.com/?p=439

Salad Ingredients:

1 pint grape tomatoes

1 ripe avocado

2 ears of fresh sweet corn

2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped

Honey Lime Dressing Ingredients:

Juice of 1 fresh lime

3 Tbsp. vegetable oil (I used olive oil)

1 Tbsp. honey

sea salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste

1 clove garlic, minced

dash of cayenne pepper

Remove husks from corn and grill over medium heat for 10 minutes.  The corn should have some brown spots and be tender and not mushy.  Cut the corn off the cob and then scrape the cob with the back of your knife to get the juices. Set aside and let cool.  

(Note from Penny: I did not have time to grill the corn, so I sauteed about 2 cups of frozen sweet yellow corn in a little olive oil, sea salt, fresh ground pepper, and granulated garlic until it was tender but firm.  It tasted really good.  Grilled corn would obviously be fresher, but the frozen corn also worked well.)

Slice the tomatoes in half.  

Dice the avocado.  

Chop the cilantro.

Add all of the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to combine.  Set aside.

Place the sliced tomatoes, avocado, cilantro, and grilled corn in a large bowl.  Add the honey lime dressing and mix gently so everything is evenly coated.  Be careful not to mash the avocados.  Let the salad sit for 10 to 15 minutes to let the flavors mingle.  

(Note from Penny:  I refrigerated the salad for several hours and it was terrific!)

Not My Mama's Enchilada Casserole

Sorry, not the best photo!  But rest assured, this is quite yummy!

As long as I can remember, my family has been making Enchilada Casserole.  We eat a lot of Mexican food here in Texas (a.k.a. "Tex-Mex") and this casserole is great when you feel like eating Tex-Mex at home instead of visiting your local cantina!  It's also a great dish to take to a church potluck or any type of social gathering.  I have made it for many friends and it is always well liked by everyone!

The recipe my mother has always used is a bit different from the one I now make for my own family.  For instance, my mother's recipe uses ground beef and mine uses lean ground turkey.  I also add cilantro to my recipe, which her recipe does not include.  No worries ~ whether you make it with beef, turkey, or even ground chicken it will taste GREAT!  Just remember to add a bit of olive oil or vegetable oil to the pan when you use turkey or chicken, as they are quite a bit leaner than ground beef.

My version of the recipe is below ~ enjoy!!!

PENNY'S ENCHILADA CASSEROLE

1 lb. ground turkey

1 can cream of chicken soup (I use the fat-free kind)

1 can mild enchilada sauce (the red kind, not the green stuff)
1 can chopped green chiles (do not drain)

1 pkg. corn tortillas, quartered

1 small onion, chopped

2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped

2 cups Mexican blend shredded cheese or cheddar cheese

11/2  Tbsp. olive oil

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. salt (I prefer sea salt or kosher salt)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray large casserole dish with cooking spray (will make clean-up much easier!).

Take a large stack of corn tortillas and slice in half.  Take those halves and slice in two.  After slicing, you should have a bunch of little tortilla triangles.

In a large skillet, sautee the chopped onion in oil for several minutes.  Add ground turkey and season it with the garlic powder, black pepper, and salt.  Cook the turkey until no longer pink.

While the turkey is cooking, place a single layer of the tortilla triangles on the bottom of the casserole dish.  (It's okay if they overlap some!)


When the turkey is cooked through, add the chopped green chiles and the chopped fresh cilantro to the skillet and cook for a couple of more minutes.  Then stir in the cream of chicken soup and enchilada sauce.  Continue to cook the mixture for a couple of minutes so the flavors meld.  Turn off the heat.


As is you were making lasagna, you will layer the enchilada casserole in the following manner . . . layer of tortillas on bottom, place 2 or 3 large spoonfuls of turkey/soup mixture over the tortillas, then sprinkle shredded cheese on top on the turkey/soup mixture. Repeat layers.  The top of the casserole should be topped with any remaining cheese.


Bake the casserole uncovered for 35 to 40 minutes until bubbly.  Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

My Foodie Friend!

My friend, Lauren, has a great food blog called "From Everyday to Gourmet" and you need to check it out . . . http://fromeverydaytogourmet.blogspot.com/!  



Lauren and I went to middle school and high school together and she is a fellow food lover and blogger "with southern charm and a Texas drawl".  She likes to "turn everyday ingredients into tasty and easy recipes with a gourmet touch".



Her latest recipe is "BST - Bacon, Spinach, & Tomato - Baked Breakfast Sub" and I absolutely cannot wait to make (and eat) it!!!

Cake Anyone?

My stepmother made a chocolate chip cake for me after the birth of my daughter in 2002, and because it was so yummy I have been baking it ever since (have no idea where the original recipe came from!).  

This is my favorite "go-to" recipe for a quick and easy dessert and everyone always LOVES it!  I have made it many, many, many times and it always comes out perfectly moist and scrumptious!  I actually like to make it the DAY BEFORE serving it, as it tastes even better the second day!


Enjoy!!!

CHOCOLATE CHIP CAKE

1 box yellow cake mix

1  3 oz. pkg. instant vanilla pudding

1  3 oz. pkg. instant chocolate pudding

1/2 cup vegetable oil (sometimes I use half veg. oil & half olive oil ~ tastes great!)

11/2 cups water

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup flour

4 eggs

powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour bundt pan.  In a small bowl, combine flour and chocolate chips; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine cake mix and pudding mixes.  Add oil and water and beat 2 minutes.  Add eggs one at a time and beat well.  Stir in chocolate chips mixed with flour.  Pour batter into prepared bundt pan and bake for 1 hour.

After cake has completely cooled, remove from pan.  Dust with powdered sugar before cutting and serving.

Love home decor?

If you love keeping up with the latest home decor trends or simply just want some creative ideas to spruce up your space, check out my friend's "Embellished Home" blog at http://embellished-home.blogspot.com/!  Karen Larson is not only a very sweet friend and a great mom, but she is extremely talented and very stylish as well (you should see her gorgeous house!) and you'll love all of her decorating tips!

I hope to be able to hire Karen someday to help breathe new life back into my home with new accessories, fabrics, and paint colors!  Until such time, I am going to follow her blog and get some great ideas I can do on my own!


Talk to you soon and, in the meantime, have a GREAT day!

MY FIRST POST!

I am so excited to begin writing my first post!  I have never blogged before, so bear with me!!!  :-)  I am writing tonight just to tell you a little about myself so you can get to know me a bit and also to let you know what this blog will be about.


ABOUT ME . . .
I am a lucky Texas mother of 3 wonderful children (2 boys & a girl) ~ these kids bring such joy to my life!  After almost 15 years of marriage, I am currently going through the divorce process but we won't focus on that (staying positive and forging ahead!).  I have been a stay-at-home mom for the past 12 years and enjoy volunteering at my kids' schools.  In my 20's, I worked in the corporate arena as a Personal/Executive Assistant to several high profile executives and busy families in the Dallas area and had to leave my career behind, unfortunately, due to health issues in 2000.  I am self-employed now and work part-time from home supporting several busy female sales directors.  In addition to my administrative work, I have a side business ~ please feel free to visit my cool new website at http://www.marykay.com/pennys!

Below is a picture of two of my sweet kiddos and me, taken at Christmas.  My son is 13 and my daughter is 9.  I also have another son, not pictured, who is 22.

ABOUT MY BLOG . . . 
I have decided to start a blog because I enjoy baking, cooking, entertaining, decorating, and even crafting on occasion.  I am admittedly better at the cooking, baking, and entertaining however!  :-)  I feel this blog will be a great form of expression for me and perhaps may even be helpful to others as they search for recipes, cooking tips, entertaining ideas, inspiration, etc.!


Please come back and visit my blog often!  I am not the best writer, but will certainly give it a try and attempt to post regularly.


Before I end this post, I would like to share a really great quote my sister emailed to me earlier today.  I have no idea who wrote it, but it really moved me so I thought I would share it with you.  I hope it touches you, too!  :-)

"May today there be peace within. May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith in yourself and others. May you use the gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content with yourself just the way you are. Let this knowledge settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love.  It is there for each and every one of us."

Thanks so much for visiting!!!