Breakfast for Dinner

BREAKFAST FOR DINNER

This can be done in the oven or in a Dutch oven when camping.

2 lb. bag frozen, shredded hash browns, thawed
1 lb. cooked sausage or bacon cut into pieces
10 eggs mixed with 1/2 cup milk
shredded cheddar cheese

Mix meat and potatoes together then place in a 9 x 13 pan. Pour egg mixture over potatoes. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes. Remove and stir cooked areas into the center of the pan. Cook 10 minutes more until egg is cooked. Remove and top with cheese. Additions you could include would be green peppers, onions, or celery

Chicken and Rice Casserole

CHICKEN AND RICE CASSEROLE

I hate the word casserole. To me it implies that the dish is a combination of yucky leftovers. This is one casserole that we like though, it is my brother's birthday request every year.

1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 c. milk
1 pkg. dry onion soup
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts or one fryer chicken cut up
2 c. cooked rice

Combine soups and milk, set aside. Steam rice, place in bottom of 9 x 13 pan. Arrange chicken on rice. Pour soup mixture to cover all chicken pieces and moisten rice. Sprinkle dry soup mix over the top. Cover with foil and seal tightly. Bake and 325 degrees for 1 1/2 hours until chicken is done.

White Enchiladas

WHITE ENCHILADAS

1 can green chilies
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1/2 c. milk
1 c. sour cream
2 c. grated cheese
1 pkg. flour tortillas
2 c. cooked, shredded chicken
chopped green onions

Mix chilies, 1 can soup, sour cream, half of cheese and chicken. Spray a 9 x 13 pan. Put chicken mix in tortillas, roll and place in pan seam side down. Mix remaining can of soup and milk and pour over tortillas. Top with cheese and chopped green onions. Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Smothered Chicken

SMOTHERED CHICKEN

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
montreal steak seasoning
1 T. vegetable oil
1 small carton of mushrooms, quartered
1 lb. bacon, cooked and cut into small pieces
4 slices Colby Jack cheese
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 1/2 cups diced tomatoes (about 3 Romas)
4 T. BBQ sauce

Pound chicken to 1/4-inch thick. Sprinkle with Montreal seasoning. In an electric skillet set at 350 degrees, brown chicken in the vegetable oil. Cook it until it is almost done, 6-8 minutes each side until juices run clear. In a separate pan, saute mushrooms and bacon until bacon is crispy. Drain excess grease. On each cooked chicken breast place the following: 1 T. BBQ sauce, a pile of mushrooms and bacon, and one slice of cheese. Cover and let cheese melt. Remove from heat and top with diced tomatoes and chopped onions. Serve with mashed potatoes, black pepper gravy, and steamed broccoli.

Chicken Po' Boys

Chicken Po' Boys

2 c. diced, cooked chicken
1 1/2 c. diced celery
1/2 c. toasted, slivered almonds
2-3 green onions, chopped
1 T. lemon juice
1/2 c. grapes, sliced in half
1 t. salt
1/2 c. mayo
1 loaf French bread
1/4 lb. shredded cheddar cheese
toasted sesame seeds

Cut off the top of the bread. Scoop out the center and set aside. Combine mayonnaise, lemon juice, and salt. Add everything else to the mayo mixture with the exception of cheese and sesame seeds. Put chicken mixture in the hollowed out bread. Sprinkle with cheese and sesame seeds. Place on a large cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees until cheese bubbles. About 10 minutes.

Ranch Garlic Pizza Sauce

Ranch Garlic Pizza Sauce

1 c. Ranch dressing
2 t. basil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 c. shredded Parmesan cheese

Mix together and spread over pizza crust.

EZ Steak

EZ Steak

2 lb. round steak
1 can cream of mushroom soup
a/2 can water
1 pkg. Lipton onion soup mix

Cut meat into pieces and place in greased pan. Combine soup and water and pour over emat. Sprinkle soup mix over the top. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 2 hours or use crock pot. I prefer the crock pot on high for 3-4 hours.

Calzones

Once you make these you'll never want to eat another Hot Pocket. Trust me! I got this dough recipe from a good friend, (thanks SS!) It has just the right amount of herbs and makes a great bread to wrap up whatever yummy ingredients you have on hand. The recipe makes between 6 to 8 meal-sized calzones or you can make them smaller, (like a Hot Pocket, ) and freeze them.

CALZONES

3 c. flour
2 1/2 t. yeast
1 T. sugar
1/2 t. oregano
1/2 t. basil
1 t. salt
1 T. olive oil
1 c. warm water
1 egg white, beaten (for brushing on top of the calzones)
kosher salt or toasted sesame seeds (for sprinkling on top)
pizza sauce or ranch dressing

FILLING COMBINATIONS

Pepperoni, mozzarella, pizza sauce
Ham, Swiss, tomatoes, green onions, ranch dressing
Salami, Swiss or mozzarella, pizza sauce
Hamburger, cheddar, onions, pizza sauce
Chicken, mozzarella, artichokes, ranch dressing

1. Add 2 c. flour, oregano, basil, salt, yeast, and sugar to a large mixing bowl.
2. Add warm water and olive oil.
3. Combine well and then add remaining flour a half cup at a time. It usually takes around 3 - 3 1/4 cups of flour. The dough should be smooth and elastic. Knead for 5 minutes.
4. Let dough rest for 30 minutes.
5. Separate into 6 - 8 balls of dough.
   
6. Roll each piece of dough into a circle. Spread sauce on the whole circle leaving a 1/2-inch bare (so you can seal it.) Add fillings on half of the dough. Just a note, add more cheese than you think you need. When it is melted you'll wish you had more.
   
7. Fold the dough over to create a half circle shape.
   
8. Pinch edges tightly so cheese doesn't leak out. If you need to, lightly wet the edges of the dough so it sticks better and then press with a fork.
   
9. Spray a large cookie sheet with cooking spray and then sprinkle it with corn meal.
   
10. Brush the calzone tops with a beaten egg white and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds, or kosher salt (if desired.)
11. Let rise for 30 minutes.
12. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 - 20 minutes until lightly browned.
    

Montreal Steak Marinade

Nothing makes me long for summer like the smell of outdoor grilling. Last week we had unseasonably warm weather. We were craving steak, so early in the day I whipped up this easy marinade and we satisfied our appetites. It's a little on the salty side, which I love, so if you're not so keen on salt, cut back on the Montreal seasoning by about a tablespoon. This week's snow on the daffodils made me realize that summer is still a few weeks away, but it was nice to enjoy it for a few days.

MONTREAL STEAK MARINADE-cooks.com

1/2 c. olive oil
3 T. McCormick's Montreal Steak Seasoning
2 T. soy sauce
3 crushed garlic cloves (1/2 T.)
2-3 steaks

1. Combine ingredients in a large zip top bag. Add steaks and let refrigerate for at least one hour.
2. Grill about 5 min. each side for steaks that are a little pink in the middle.
   

Grilled Chicken Sandwich

Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone! I hope you have your green dinner planned.

Today's recipe comes from the newspaper again, (J.M. Hirsch-Associated Press.) This is a very easy and delicious marinade that makes a tender, juicy chicken sandwich. I would dare say it rivals most grilled chicken sandwiches that you would order at a restaurant. The recipe said to let it marinate for 30 minutes. I mixed mine up after lunch and let it refrigerate for a few hours. I recommend outdoor grilling because for some reason, that makes all the difference in the flavor.

GRILLED CHICKEN SANDWICH

4 T. olive oil
2 T. apple cider vinegar
3 cloves crushed garlic
2 t. salt
1 t. ground black pepper
1 t. ground ginger
1 t. smoked paprika (regular will work fine.)
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 buns
red onion slices
mayo
red leaf lettuce
tomato slices

1. Combine the oil, vinegar, garlic, salt, pepper, ginger, and paprika in a large Ziploc bag. Mix well.
   
2. Pound chicken breasts to between 1/4 and 1/2-inch thick. Add chicken to the marinade in bag. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes, longer for more flavor.
3. Grill chicken breasts about 6 minutes on each side until juices run clear. The key is low heat. Don't rush it.
   
4. Brush buns with olive oil and grill slightly 1-2 minutes.
5. Assemble sandwich with toppings and serve.
   

Oven-fried Chicken

We dug into this before I remembered to photograph it so please forgive the lack of visual aid. There are two things that make this chicken great. By dredging the chicken in the flour and then dipping it in the milk it stays nice and moist. The second fabulous thing is the crunchy, cornflake coating. I love crispy little bits on fried chicken but I don't like to eat the skin. This way I get to have what I want. Serve it up with mashed potatoes and corn on the cob and your family will thank you.

OVEN-FRIED CHICKEN

1/4 c. flour
1 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1 t. onion powder
1 c. cornflake crumbs
1 1/2 c. milk
4 chicken breasts

1. Mix together the flour, salt, pepper, and onion powder in a bowl.
2. Set up a dipping station with three bowls. The first one with the flour mixture, the second one with milk, and the third bowl with crushed cornflakes.
3. Pound the chicken so it is about 1/4-inch thick.
4. Dip the flattened chicken in the flour, then the milk, then the cornflake crumbs.
5. Place a little bit of oil in a cookie sheet. Probably about 2 T. You can line the cookie sheet with foil for easy clean up.
   
6. Lay the coated chicken breasts in the cookie sheet.
7. Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 25 minutes. Turn the chicken over and bake for another 25 minutes. Serve immediately.
   

Chicken Bacon Pizza

Who doesn't love pizza? That's right, everyone loves it! This recipe is much better than the cheap $5 Little Caesar's or a yucky frozen pizza, which by the way I got for free the other day. See how unappetizing that frozen pizza is below?!? (When I opened the box all of the toppings were in one frozen lump on the side of the thin cardboard crust. Very disappointing!) I don't think it requires too much effort to mix up a batch of dough and slice up some toppings. It's well worth it to create a meal that everyone loves. Sometimes we do a pizza a bar and let the kids add what they want to their own personal pizza. Other days we make one big one. Two of our favorites are this chicken bacon that I will list the ingredients for and Hawaiian (you know, the old ham and pineapple.)

Recently a local grocery store had a promotion where you purchased the pizza stone and received several grocery items for free. (See ugly pizza on the side!) I had been thinking about buying one because my old one broke. I decided there was no better time to buy than when I could get some groceries for free...I guess the salad and Texas toast was worth it.

PIZZA DOUGH

1 c. + 2 T. warm water
2 1/2 t. yeast
1 t. sugar
2 T. olive oil
3 c. flour
3 t. salt
1/2 t. basil (optional)
1/2 t. oregano (optional)

1. Combine water, sugar, and yeast in a mixing bowl. Let it proof (sit) for 5 minutes. It should look frothy.
2. Add olive oil, salt, basil and oregano.
3. Add flour a 1/2 c. at a time. When all flour is incorporated knead for about 5 minutes. The dough should be soft and springy.
   
4. Let rise for 30 minutes or until it doubles in size. This is a good time to cut up your toppings.
5. Heat oven to 400 degrees. If you are using a pizza stone put it in a cold oven.
   
6. After dough has rested, roll out and shape.
7. Remove hot stone, place dough on stone and bake for 5 minutes.
8. Remove dough from oven, add sauce and toppings. Bake until golden brown. It usually takes me about 15 to 20 minutes for the edges to look nice and golden.
   

SAUCE

1 c. ranch dressing
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 t. basil
1/2 c. Parmesan

1. Combine above ingredients well and spread on pizza dough.

TOPPINGS

2 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
2 -3 green onions, sliced
3 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 pkg bacon, cooked and cut up
2 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded

Beef Stew

Yesterday I tried two recipes from the newspaper that turned out to be successful. One was a slow-cooker beef stew that I just happened to have most of the ingredients for. I didn't have a can of beef broth so I used water and beef bouillon and the frozen peas I thought I had could not be located in either freezer. That didn't stop me because the beauty of a stew, is that you can add more of another ingredient to make up for one that you might not have on hand. I plugged the slow-cooker in at 2:00 p.m., started the homemade bread, and by 6:00 dinner was ready to be served. You've got to love a success like that!

BEEF STEW-Deseret News-Beverly Mills and Alicia Ross

1 c. cubed white potatoes (I used 3 potatoes to make up for the missing peas.)
1 c. baby carrots (I used about 1 1/2 cups, leave them whole.)
1 c. diced celery
8 oz. sliced fresh mushrooms
1 1/2 lbs. lean beef cubes (I cut up half of a cross rib roast.)
1/2 of an envelope dry onion soup mix (Lipton)
2 bay leaves
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 t. dried thyme (I used ground thyme.)
1/4 t. black pepper
1 can beef broth (I used 2 c. water + 2 t. beef bouillon.)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can diced tomatoes with juice
1/2 c. frozen green peas
3 T. cornstarch + 3 T. water

1. Cut up all vegetables and stew meat.
2. Layer ingredients in the order listed above except for the peas and cornstarch. The potatoes and carrots need to be at the bottom in order to cook completely. Do not stir until later.
3. Cover and cook: crock pot 8 - 10 hours; slow-cooker on medium 4 hours. At 8 hours (or 3 1/2 hours depending on what kind of appliance you used,) remove lid, stir well and add frozen peas.
   
4. Mix the cornstarch with water and combine well. Gently stir in half of the cornstarch. Add remaining cornstarch as needed to reach desired consistency.
   
5. Serve immediately.
   

Italian Nachos

No, I haven't fallen off the face of the earth. Honestly, I've been making some of our old stand-by meals and I'm working the bugs out of a couple of recipes. Oh, and we've been eating out more than we should...speaking of which, one of my favorite appetizers comes from Johnny Carino's. I love their Italian nachos. This dish consists of crispy pasta chips that are drizzled with Alfredo sauce, and covered with meat, cheese, and veggies. Yum! It can be served as a side or a main dish and would be a fun and unique party food. Just line up the ingredients, put the Alfredo in a fondue pot and let your guests build their own nachos.

ITALIAN NACHOS

CHIPS
wonton wrappers (Found in the refrigerated produce section of the store.)
oil for frying

TO MAKE CHIPS

1. Heat oil over medium heat. Drop a small piece of a wonton in to check the heat level. It should immediately float to the top and get covered with tiny air bubbles.
2. The wontons come shaped in squares. While the oil is heating, slice them diagonally so you end up with two triangles. This makes them easier to eat. I usually use half of a package for 4 people.
   
3. Drop the triangles into the hot oil making sure they stay separated from each other. Fry on each side for about 30 seconds. They should be slightly browned. Drain on a paper towel and set aside.

TOPPINGS
1 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 roma tomatoes, diced
2 green onions, sliced
2 chicken breasts, roasted and thinly sliced
black olives, sliced
jalapenos

1. Shred, slice, and dice all toppings.
   
2. Cook the chicken. I sprinkle it with salt and pepper or Morton's Nature's Seasoning. Thinly slice it.
   

ALFREDO SAUCE

1 T. butter
1 T. flour
2 c. half and half
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese, shredded
1/2 t. black pepper
1 t. salt
1 chicken bouillon cube

1. Melt butter, then add the flour to create a roux. Let it slightly brown. It will be very thick.
2. Slowly whisk in the half and half. Once the mixture is combined add the bouillon cube. Once small bubbles appear around the edge of the pan, allow the sauce to simmer, whisking constantly, for about 5 minutes. The sauce will still look a little runny.
   
3. Add the salt and pepper.
   
4. Add the Parmesan. This will thicken up the sauce. If it seems to thick after the cheese melts, slowly whisk in a little more half and half or milk until it reaches a consistency you like.
   

ASSEMBLY

1. Place chips on plate and add desired toppings. Top off with several spoonfuls of sauce. Serve immediately.
   

Spaghetti Pie

Three words: simple, fast, yummy. This is a twist on traditional spaghetti that I like to call "cheater lasagna." Everyone in my family loves this but I must admit, they picked off the green peppers. It's a great dish to make with leftover spaghetti noodles and goes together super fast using commercial spaghetti sauce. The noodle "crust" made with Parmesan cheese makes this dish flavorful and unique.

SPAGHETTI PIE

6 oz. uncooked spaghetti
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1 lb. hamburger
1 small onion, chopped
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
1 jar (16 oz.) spaghetti sauce
1 green bell pepper cut into rings
1 c. shredded mozzarella

1. Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Drain and rinse.
2. Combine cooked spaghetti, Parmesan and eggs. Form a crust by pressing into the bottom and ups the sides of a 9-inch square baking dish or a deep dish pie plate.
3. Brown hamburger with onion and mushrooms. Drain grease.
   
4. Stir spaghetti sauce into the drained hamburger mixture.
5. Spoon beef-sauce mixture over spaghettie crust.
6. Top with bell pepper rings and sprinkle with mozzarella.
7. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.
8. YIELD: 4 - 6 servings.
   

Jumbo Shells & Cheese

My kids love these cheese filled jumbo shells. It's another easy to put together dinner that can be made complete with a side salad and garlic bread. The recipe is from the box of American Beauty Jumbo Shells. Having it printed on the box makes it easy to shop for the ingredients at the store. You can use commercial spaghetti sauce to make it easy or try this link for my favorite sauce if you have more time.

JUMBO SHELLS & CHEESE

1 pkg (12 oz.) jumbo shells
4 c. (2 lb. container) ricotta cheese
2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
3/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs, beaten
1 T. chopped fresh parsley
3/4 t. dried oregano
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. black pepper
3 c. (28 oz. jar) spaghetti sauce

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.
3. In a large bowl, stir together cheese, eggs, parsley, oregano, salt, and pepper.
4. Spread 1/2 cup spaghetti sauce in a 9 x 13 pan.
5. Fill each cooked shell with about 2 tablespoons cheese mixture. Layer in baking dish.
6. Pour remaining sauce over shells.
7. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan.
8. Cover with foil and bake 35 minutes until bubbly.
9. YIELD: 8 - 10 servings. You can successfully cut this recipe in half or make the whole thing and freeze half for another dinner.
   

Shredded Sweet Pork

I saw this recipe in the Deseret News food section and decided I needed to test it out. Once I put it together, it cooked all by itself and was delicious. The only thing I would do differently is use a larger roast. Mine was between 3 and 4 pounds and in the end I ended up with too much sauce for the amount of meat that I had. I also omitted the cilantro. I served this on rolls-our favorite ones are from Wal-mart believe it or not. They are called French Steak Rolls and you get 2 dozen for $3.75. They are thick enough to hold a juicy filling like this but still have a nice chewy texture. (Also good for French Dip sandwiches.) You could also serve it on tacos or in pita bread.

SHREDDED SWEET PORK

5 lb. pork roast
1 T. cooking oil
1 chopped onion (or 2 T. dried onion)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 20 oz. bottle of Coca-Cola, may be caffeine-free but not diet
2 t. salt
2 t. cumin
1 t. chili powder
2 small cans green chiles (I used mild)
1 19 oz. can red encilada sauce (I used mild)
1 c. salsa (again, I used mild)
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. fresh cilantro, chopped

1. Pour cooking oil in a large roasting pan. Add onion and garlic and lightly brown the roast on all sides.
2. Pour in Coca-Cola, sprinkle on the salt, cumin, and brown sugar. Cover and cook at 275 degrees for 5 - 6 hours (or use a slow cooker on low for 5 - 6 hours.)
3. When the roast is done, pour off the liquid and allow the fat to rise to the top. This will take a few minutes. Let it sit while you shred the pork. Skim off the fat.
4. Using two forks, shred the pork, remove the bones and fat.
5. Add the chiles, enchilada sauce, and salsa to the liquid. Boil over medium-high heat. I added 1 1/2 T. of cornstarch to help thicken the liquid. To do this put a little of the liquid that you cooked the pork in into a cup and dissolve the cornstarch in the cup of liquid. When the rest of the liquid boils, whisk in the cornstarch mixture. It will thicken quickly.
   
6. Add pork to thickened liquid.
7. Serve on rolls or tortillas. akes 5 - 7 cups of pork.
   

Chicken Salad

This recipe came from my sister-in-law SW. It is my favorite chicken salad recipe. It tastes great and the measurements in this recipe make it very easy to make a lot of salad for a crowd. We 10x'd the recipe to make croissant sandwiches for her sons wedding brunch several years ago.

We've all tried many different kinds of chicken salad, some we never want to eat again! There are a couple of things I like about this one. The sweetness from the chopped fruit is appealing and I love the toasty flavor of the almonds. It also uses one of my favorite seasonings, Morton's Nature's Seasoning. This seasoning is very versatile. It is good in salads like this one or just to sprinkle on something like a chicken breast.

This salad is good served on croissants, small rolls, or pita's. I hope you enjoy it too!

CHICKEN SALAD

2 c. chopped, cooked chicken
2 apples, chopped (1 red and 1 green looks pretty plus you get the sweet and sour)
OR use 2 c. halved grapes instead of apples
2 green onions, chopped
1 c. sliced celery
1 c. cooked pasta shells
2 T. lemon juice
3/4 to 1 c. mayonnaise (I prefer mayo over Miracle Whip for EVERYTHING. However, I know there are those of you who like the "tangy zip" of Miracle Whip. You family members know who you are! We are a two jar household...his and hers. He-hee;)
2 - 3 T. toasted, slivered almonds
Morton's Nature's Seasoning to taste

1. Sprinkle chicken with Morton's Nature's and cook until juices run clear. Chop and put in a large bowl.
2. Cook pasta shells according to package directions. Let cool and add to bowl.
3. Toast almonds in a pan over medium heat. Watch carefully so you down burn them.
   
4. Core and chop apples, onions, and celery. Add to bowl.
5. Add lemon juice and 3/4 c. mayo. Sprinkle several times with Morton's Seasoning. Stir and taste. If it needs more seasoning, sprinkle again. I usually do 2 or 3 good sprinkles.
   
6. Use 1/2 cup of salad per sandwich.
   

Pasta Milano

This is a copycat recipe of Macaroni Grill's Pasta Milano. It has a creamy garlic sauce and lots of Parmesan cheese. The sun-dried tomatoes and mushrooms add an interesting flavor that we loved. It takes a little extra time to prepare this dish, but it is well worth the effort. I've changed the quantities a little bit because it made a huge amount and I felt some of the amounts were a little bit off. This served 5 with leftovers.

Here is the whole list of ingredients, I will break it down as we go along:

1 whole garlic bulb
2 - 3 chicken breasts
2 c. heavy cream
1/4 t. black pepper
1 1/2 T. coarsely chopped fresh parsley (I left this out)
1 t. salt
1/2 c. Parmesan, shredded
12 oz. of bowtie pasta
3 T. butter
1/2 c. chopped, sun-dried tomatoes
6 oz. sliced mushrooms
3 T. grated Parmesan
olive oil

• First we need to roast a whole garlic bulb:

1. Chop off about 1/4 inch of the top of the bulb.
   
2. Line a custard cup with a large piece of foil. A muffin tin will also work.
   
3. Place the garlic bulb in the foil. Drizzle about a teaspoon of olive oil over the top. Wrap the foil over the bulb.
   
4. Bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes.
5. Remove from oven. Let the garlic cool and then remove the individual cloves and mash them with a fork.

• Second, we need to make the garlic cream sauce:

2 c. heavy cream
1/2 of the mashed, roasted garlic about 1 T. (save the rest for another dish)
1/4 t. black pepper
1 1/2 T. coarsely chopped fresh parsley (I left this out)
1 t. salt
1/2 c. Parmesan, shredded

Using a blender, (I used my Braun hand blender) process the cream and the roasted garlic until smooth. In a large saucepan, combine the garlic cream and the parsley. Bring to a boil and then simmer, while stirring, for about 15 minutes until thickened. When it is thick, add the salt and Parmesan.

• Third, we are going to cook the pasta:

Boil water and add 12 oz. of bowtie pasta. When it is al dente, drain, then drizzle with olive oil and cover.

• Fourth, while the pasta is boiling, we will saute the vegetables:
  

3 T. butter
1/2 c. chopped, sun-dried tomatoes
6 oz. sliced mushrooms
3 T. grated Parmesan

Saute the butter, mushrooms, and sun-dried tomatoes for about 1 minute. Add this to the garlic cream sauce. Then add the sauce to the pasta. Just before serving sprinkle with the 3 T. Parmesan cheese

Last we will cook the chicken. The reason this is last is so that it doesn't dry out or cool off while you are doing the other more involved things.

Pound chicken breasts. Sprinkle with your favorite seasoning, I used Montreal Chicken seasoning, then grill or broil. It's a little cold here right now, and since I tossed the cheap grill in the trash last summer...I broiled about 5 minutes on each side. Cook until juices run clear. Slice and arrange on top individual servings of pasta. If you want to get really cute, add a sprig of parsley ;)

Tomorrow I'll post the recipe for the Spinach and Raspberry salad I served with this dish.

Mini Bacon & Egg Quiches

These mini quiches are a simple, unique breakfast that your kids will love. Just a warning, they will disappear in seconds so my suggestion is to double the recipe if you are using it as a meal. I used a mini muffin pan. If you want larger quiches, use a regular muffin tin, just cut the biscuits larger.

MINI BACON AND EGG QUICHES

1 can crescent rolls
1 egg, beaten
3/4 c. evaporated milk
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. Worcestershire sauce (a little more if you want a stronger flavor)
3/4 c. shredded Swiss cheese
6 - 8 strips cooked bacon, crumbled

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Spray muffin tin with cooking spray.
   
2. Roll out crescent dough and cut enough circles to fill your muffin tin. I used a biscuit cutter. If you don't have a biscuit cutter, use the rim of a glass. One can of rolls will fill one mini muffin pan (24 biscuits.) Press into prepared muffin tin.
   
3. In a small bowl, combine egg, milk, Worcestershire, and cheese. Pour into prepared biscuits. Sprinkle with crumbled bacon.
4. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the egg has set. Let cool and serve.