Pesto Stuffed Cheesy Chicken

Pesto Ingredients: 

4 cups spinach

2 cups basil

2 cloves garlic

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/3 cup olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon

Pesto Directions: 

Place the spinach, basil, garlic, garlic, lemon juice, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper in a food processor or blender. Turn on the machine and blend for 30 seconds. Slowly stream in the olive oil while the machine is running. Process until smooth. 

Chicken Ingredients:

2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Pesto from above

4 T cream cheese

4 T grated mozzarella cheese

3 T finely grated Parmesan cheese

black pepper to taste

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400. Spray a small casserole dish with non-stick spray. Trim any visible fat from chicken breasts, then put them one at a time inside a heavy plastic bag and pound with meat mallet until the chicken is as thin as you can get it.  Don't worry too much about the shape or whether there are some loose pieces, you can tuck them in when you roll up the chicken.

In a small bowl mix together the basil pesto, cream cheese, and grated mozzarella.  Use a rubber scraper to spread a thin layer of this mixture over each chicken breast, stopping about 1/2 inch from the edge of the chicken (so it doesn't run out so much as it cooks.)   Roll up the chicken breasts. 

Put chicken breasts into the casserole dish and bake until the chicken is firm and lightly browned. Spread more pesto on top of chicken if wanted. Sprinkle parmesan, some salt and pepper. Bake for 35 minutes, or until 165 degrees and slightly brown on top. 

Pizza Shells

Ingredients:
1 box large shell pasta
1 package pepperoni, quartered
2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 can olives, chopped
Parmesan cheese, to top
Tomato Sauce (below)

Tomato Sauce:
1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
1 T garlic
1 tsp salt
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
pepper, to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook pasta until al dente. Combine sauce ingredients in the can. In a seperate bowl, mix pepperoni, cheese, and olives together. Ladle 2 spoonfuls of sauce in the bottom of a 9X13 pan. Fill the cheese mixture into each shell, one at a time. Ladle the rest of the sauce on the top of the shells. Top with parmesan (generously). Cook for 20 minutes.

Philly Cheesesteak Soup

Ingredients

2 Tbsp butter

1 bell pepper, chopped

1 onion, diced

8 oz pot roast, shredded*

1 package cream cheese, melted

1 carton mushrooms

1 tsp salt

7 cups beef bouillon

1 cup water

1 tsp pepper

Directions

This recipe is something that we made up ourselves. It stemmed from our love of soups and Todd’s weakness for a good philly cheesesteak sandwich.

First, melt the butter in a large saucepan or pot. Sauté the bell pepper, onion, and mushrooms until cooked down, about 7-10 minutes.

Stir in beef bouillon, water, and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and cook for 10-15 minutes.

Add the meat (*leftover pot roast works great; so does steak if you don’t have leftovers. All you really need is some shredded beef). Simmer for 10- 15 minutes. Add the melted cream cheese and stir until well-combined.

Potato Soup

Ingredients:
12 slices Bacon, diced
1 onion, diced
5 large Russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 c. chicken stock
3 T. butter
3 T. flour
1 1/2 c. milk
2 oz. reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 t. black pepper
Sour cream and green onions for garnish, optional
Directions
1. In a large stock pot, cook bacon until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon to drain and set aside. Cook the onions in the pot for about 5 minutes, until tender.
2. Add potatoes and chicken stock to pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer about 20 minutes, until potatoes are tender. With a slotted spoon, remove a few scoops of potatoes. Place in a bowl and mash with a fork. Set aside.
3. In a small sauce pan, melt butter. Stir in flour and cook for 2 minutes. Whisk in milk, bring to a boil and simmer until thickened. Slowly stir in to stock pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer. Stir mashed potatoes back into pot.
4. Add 1/2 c. shredded cheese and the reserved bacon to pot. Stir to combine. Cook an additional 5 minutes.
5. To serve, top soup with some shredded cheese, bacon, green onions and sour cream.

Pork and Mango Lo Mein

Ingredients:

3 large pork chops
2 mangoes
Chinese-style noodles
1 inch piece ginger, grated
2 cloves garlic, chopped fine
Soy sauce
Sesame oil
Rice vinegar

Pork breading:
1 cup flour
1 T salt
1 tsp liquid smoke (optional)
2 t garlic salt
1 t ground mustard
1 t Chinese five spice
1 T sesame oil



Directions:
1. Cut pork into bite sized pieces. Mix pork breading ingredients together in a gallon-size bag. Add pork and shake well. Dump pork in a strainer and shake to get extra flour off.
2. Heat wok with 2 T oil. Put meat in and cook through. Set meat aside.
3. Bring noodle water to a boil. But don't put in noodles yet.
4. Dice mangoes. Add a little more oil to wok, and cook ginger and garlic for 3 minutes, being careful not to burn. Add mangoes and stir for one more minute.
5. Cook noodles being careful not to overcook.
6. Add meat back to wok. When noodles are done, ladle them out, draining the water and add to wok.
7. Add pork back to wok, and add soy sauce, sesame oil, and rice vinegar to taste. Stir fry together until done.
enjoy

taco pasta

Ingredients:

Tomatoes, diced
Cheddar Cheese, shredded
Lettuce, chopped
1 lb. Hamburger
Shell pasta (or other small pasta)
Cilantro Dressing (below)

Cilantro Dressing:
1 bunch Cilantro
1 cup Mayonnaise
1/2 cup Buttermilk
1 Buttermilk ranch packet
3 Tomatillos
2 cloves garlic

Directions:
Cook noodles to al dente and set aside. Cook meat. Add salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, chili powder, and garlic to taste. While meat is cooking, chop tomato, lettuce, and cheese. Put dressing ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. To eat: put noodles in a bowl, topped with meat, cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes. Pour dressing on top. And enjoy!

savannah's burgers

Ingredients:
1 lb hamburger
salt and pepper
white cheddar cheese slices
tomato slices
lettuce
hamburger buns

Directions:
Mix salt, pepper, and hamburger. Divide in four pieces. Squish until flat. Heat a grill pan and cook patties for about 5 minutes on one side. Prepare toppings. Flip hamburgers. When almost done, put cheese slices on top. Put a foil tent to help the cheese melt. Make burgers!