Hasselback Chicken.

My last normal meal before Christmas cooking begins tomorrow!  Glad this was so simple!

Ingredients:

3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 pkg deli ham (I used Black Forest)

4 slices of cheese of your preference, cut in fourths. 

Season salt & pepper to taste 

Preheat oven to 350. 

Spray baking dish with non stick spray. 

Slice slits into chicken breasts about 1" apart all the way through, leaving the bottom surface connected. 

Fold ham slice in half, place slice of cheese, then another slice of ham folded in half. 

Stuff into slits in chicken breasts. Then top with pepper & season salt. 

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked. *note: there will be a bit of a pink tint due to ham juices. 

I served with homemade mashed potatoes & shells and cheese. DELICIOUS!

Slow Cooker Ham & Potato Casserole.

Ingredients:

1 30 oz package frozen hashbrowns

1 tbsp minced onion

1 teaspoon salt

1 8 oz container sour cream

1 small can cream chicken soup

2 cups shredded cheddar

2 cups chopped ham

1/4 cup melted butter

1 16 oz pkg herb flavored stuffing 

Spray slow cooker with non stick cooking spray. Combine hashbrowns, dried onion, salt, sour cream, cream of chicken, cheese, and ham. 

Top with stuffing mix, then drizzle melted butter over stuffing. 

Cook on low for 5-6 hours or high for 2-4 hours. So deliciously decadent. 

Chicken Taco Salad.

Because I can't resist posting pictures of my baby dog, this is a collage of her first year!  My baby turned 1 on Saturday the 14th of December.  She is the best dog ever!

& of course, she got a birthday cake. 

I made the most delicious salad I have ever made this past weekend. I just HAD to share it with you. I first saw this on The Pioneer Woman and I knew is want to try it!  I didn't know my husband would love it as much as I did!  He did use ranch instead of the homemade dressing on the recipe, but I give home major kudos for trying & liking this!  

You will need:

For the dressing:

3/4 cups ranch

1/4 cups salsa

3 tbsp finely minced cilantro (of course you will need to pick the leaves off the stem and mine only the leaves)

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl & refrigerate while you prepare the rest of the salad. 

For the chicken you will need:

3 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts

A package of taco seasoning

1/4 cups veg oil

2 tbsp butter

Season both sides of the chicken breasts with taco seasoning 

Place butter and oil in a skillet on medium high heat. Once hot, cook chicken, about 4 minutes on each side. Cool 10 minutes, then cut into cubes. 

For the salad you will need:

1 head of lettuce, shredded thin

3 whole Roma tomatoes, diced

1/2 cups shredded pepper jack

2 ears corn, shucked 

3 green onions diced

1/2 cup cilantro leaves

Tortilla chips, crushed

The corn will need to be placed in the same skillet you cooked your chicken in. You will only brown the corn. Not cook it all the way through. 

Once browned, cut off the cob and set aside. 

Assemble your salad any way you would like & enjoy!  This was the most delicious salad I have had in a very long time. 

How gorgeous is that?!

Butter Chicken.

I had every intention of making this yesterday before going into work, instead I spent my morning at Urgent Care. A spider decided to give me a bite. Guess that's the price I pay for living in the country. Now I get to take these lovelies for the next 10 days. 

Oh goodie!  Nonetheless, I keep on cooking!  Today I made butter chicken & boy was it tasty!  How can it not be with butter in the name?  Everyone knows country girls love butter!  (:

You will need:

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 can evaporated milk

1 cup flour

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1/4 cup butter

1 can cream chicken soup

1/4 cup water 

First pour a little evaporated milk into a bowl (saving some in the can) and on a plate mix together flour, salt, and pepper. 

(Sorry I forgot to photograph the milk!)

This will be your batter for the chicken. Also melt your butter into the baking dish you are using. 

Coat your chicken in the milk, then flour, then place in baking dish. 

Bake for 30 minutes on 425. 

While they are baking, prepare your gravy by adding together water, soup, and left over evaporated milk (from the can). 

(Sorry about the recipe book in the pictures!). 

After 30 minutes turn your chicken and add the gravy mix. 

Bake for an additional 30 minutes until nice and golden/bubbly. 

I served with mashed potatoes and corn. Using the gravy for my potatoes and to top my chicken. 

Delicious!!!

Cheeseburger Pie.

I used to make this recipe for my husband twice a week when we first started dating.  He still loves it to this day. 

You will need:

1 can crescent rolls

1 lb ground beef

1 tsp onion powder

1/3 cup chopped dill pickles 

2 tbsp ketchup

1 tsp mustard 

2 tbsp flour

2 tbsp pickle juice 

2 tbsp milk

2 cups shredded cheddar 

Preheat oven to 375. Spray a pie pan with cooking spray and line with crescents. 

(Make sure to cover bottom AND sides)

Cook ground beef and drain. Place back in skillet and add onion powder, chopped pickles, ketchup and mustard. 

Add flour, pickle juice, and milk. Cook & stir until thick and bubbly. 

Remove from heat and add 1 cup of cheese. This can be any variation. I used mozzarella this time. 

Once melted, stir and pour into pie pan. 

Top with 1 cup cheddar and bake for 15 minutes. 

When serving, garnish with ketchup, mustard, and pickle. 

I served mine with the best chips ever that I purchased from a local farm store. 

Crockpot Potato Soup

This is one of my favorite soups, so when I found this easy recipe I was excited!  

You will need:

1 bag (30 oz) frozen hash browns

3 14oz cans chicken broth 

1 can cream chicken soup

Salt & pepper to taste

8 oz cream cheese 

Optional: chicken bouillon cubes for added flavor

Add all of your ingredients, except cream cheese, into the crockpot. 

This is where you would add the bouillon cubes (2 of them) for added flavor. Again this is completely optional. 

Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Add cream cheese on the 4th hour. 

Stir occasionally to mix flavors. When I serve this I top with bacon and shredded cheddar. YUMMY!!

Tortellini Casserole

This dish was so simple and very delicious. I ended up eating 2 helpings. Oops. 

You will need:

1 jar marinara

1 jar Alfredo

1 bag (16 oz) frozen tortellini 

Salt/pepper

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

1/2 cup grated Parmesan 

Cook tortellini per package directions. 

Then drain. While draining add both jars of sauce to pan. 

Add drained tortellini. 

Mix well. Pour into baking dish. 

Top with Parmesan. 

Top with mozzarella. 

Bake for 15 minutes on 350. 

When served add your salt and pepper. 

Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Toast Cups.

Today I celebrated the birth of the most amazing man I've ever known, my Husband. His birthday was Monday but the both of is worked all day so he took off work today so we could celebrate together. What a fun day!  Aside from the fact that our whole town was shut down yesterday due to a winter storm, we enjoyed our time together today. I made bacon, egg, and cheese toast cups for breakfast and ended up having breakfast again for dinner by my Husband's request. 

All you need for the cups is

6 eggs

6 slices of bread (I used wheat)

6 slices of bacon

Salt & pepper

Shredded cheese, if desired

Take a cookie cutter and cut a circle out of your pieces of bread and place in a buttered muffin tin you may have to put some additional pieces in the muffin space to make sure it's up to the edges. 

Place your bacon (that has been skillet fried for 4 minutes on each side) on top of the toast. 

Then crack an egg on top. Salt and pepper to taste as well. Also add cheese if desired. 

Bake at 375 for 20 minutes to set eggs. 

Serve immediately. 

So simple. So delicious!

After breakfast we had to journey into town to the grocery. The closest grocery is about 20 minutes away from our country home, and of course, in the country they don't salt/scrape the roads when there is a winter storm. Here are some photos from our journey. 

Thankfully we made it safely!  We got to play in the snow with our boxer baby, Lilly. This was her first snow and she loved it!

Just look at that snow bunny!  She's so cute!  She will be 1 on Saturday!

Our backyard. So snowy!

Snow day, matching camo jackets and hats, because the couples who wear camo together, stay together!

& just look at how happy/gorgeous my Husband is. This man taught me what honest, selfless love is. He has made me a better woman and taught me things I never knew about myself. He is my soulmate and my life. I am so glad we found each other, he saved me. Happy Birthday to my one and only, always.