Crock Pot Chicken Parmesan ~ by Sarah

Why, hello, Richelderfers' Recipes!  Long time no post!  

Tonight I made something worthy of posting, so I want to make sure I can find the recipe again in the future.  I wanted to make something in crock pot, so after searching Pinterest for awhile, I found something that I thought everyone in the family would enjoy.  And we definitely did!  This was super good and super easy.

Here is the recipe and directions and then I'll give my tips:

Ingredients: 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 2 eggs, beaten 1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese 1/2 teaspoon oregano 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1 tablespoon olive oil 4 slices mozzarella cheese 24 oz jar marinara sauce
Directions: Pour olive oil in the bottom of the slow cooker. Place beaten egg in a shallow bowl. Mix bread crumbs, Parmesan, oregano, garlic powder, pepper, and salt in a second shallow bowl. Dip chicken breasts in egg and then in bread crumb mixture, coating both sides. Place breaded chicken in the crockpot and top each with a slice of mozzarella. Pour marinara sauce over chicken. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6-8 hours.

**My two cents:

• Four hours in the crock pot was too long because the chicken basically fell all apart and was a little shredded when I pulled it out.  I'm not sure how to remedy this.  Maybe less time?  I think next time I make it I will use the crumb recipe and then bake it in the oven and will add the sauce before serving.  (First I'll simmer the sauce to heat it up.)
• It's almost not enough sauce, so next time I'll probably use two jars.
• I served it all over spaghetti noodles and it made it even better!

P.S. I can't post a picture because I didn't take one and the website I got it from won't let me steal theirs.  Here's the link to the site if you want to see it: http://www.mostlyhomemademom.com/2013/07/crockpot-chicken-parmesan.html#_a5y_p=1050189

Chicken and Cheese Lasagna Roll-Ups ~ by Sarah

This is a Pinterest recipe I came across, but I modified it some.  Very easy and very delicious!  I definitely recommend!

 
Ingredients:
3 cups chopped cooked chicken (I boiled three chicken breasts and chopped them up)
1/4 cup milk
1/8 teaspoon white pepper (I used black)
1 cup Ricotta cheese
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
8 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained
2 cups marinara sauce (I think Barilla is the best...)

My additions:
fresh basil, chopped
mozzarella, shredded

Directions:
In medium bowl, combine chicken, cheeses, milk, and pepper. Spread 1/2 cup mixture on each lasagna noodle; roll jelly-roll fashion. In a 13x9-inch baking dish, spread 1 cup spaghetti sauce. Arrange lasagna rolls, seam-side down in sauce in baking dish. Top with remaining spaghetti sauce. Cover. Bake at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes or until hot.

My modifications:
I warmed up the marinara sauce in a pan and added the fresh basil and let it simmer for a few minutes to get the herb's flavors.

I also baked it (covered) for about 25 minutes, then took off the foil, added the mozzarella, then cooked it until the cheese was bubbly.

Not my picture and not the picture from the website where I got the recipe, but it looks very similar!

Manicotti Italian Casserole ~ by Sarah

I found this on AllRecipes.com and it was a big hit with my family.  So delicious!  And easy, too!

*I have no idea why it is named this...it doesn't really resemble manicotti at all!


Ingredients:
1 pound rigatoni pasta
1 pound ground beef
1 pound Italian sausage (I used "Hot" and it wasn't too spicy at all)
1 (8 ounce) can mushrooms, drained OR 1 package fresh mushrooms, sauteed
2 (32 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce
1 1/2 pounds shredded mozzarella cheese
thinly sliced pepperoni


Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil. Pour in rigatoni, and cook until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, and set pasta aside. Meanwhile, brown ground beef and Italian sausage in a large skillet over medium heat. With a slotted spoon, remove beef and sausage to a large bowl. Stir mushrooms, spaghetti sauce, and cooked pasta into bowl and mix with meat.   Pour mixture into large baking dish.  Sprinkle cheese and pepperoni over the top. Bake in preheated oven until the cheese is brown and bubbly, about 20 minutes.

Penne With Chicken Thighs ~ by Sarah

I saw this on The Pioneer Woman's website the other day and wanted to try it because it looked quick, easy, and good!  It was delicious--who knew chicken thighs could be so tasty?!?

**Note...make sure you remember that you need to allow for 1 1/2 hours of baking time!

Click here for her step-by-step instructions with pictures all along the way: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/10/penne-with-chicken-thighs/

Ingredients

• 8 whole Chicken Thighs, Bone-in, Skin-on
• Salt And Pepper
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 whole Large Onion, Diced
• 4 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 2 jars (24 Ounces Each) Marinara Sauce
• Fresh Basil - To Taste
• Parmesan Cheese, For Sprinkling
• 16 ounces, weight Penne Or Rigatoni

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Sprinkle chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large skillet or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown chicken thighs quickly on both sides until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Remove to a separate plate.

Pour off all but 1 tablespoon grease/oil. Add onions and garlic to pan and stir around to cook, about 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in marinara sauce and stir to heat. Add chicken thighs back into the sauce. Cover and place pan in the oven for 1 1/2 hours. (You may also simmer on the stovetop on the lowest heat possible.)

Cook the pasta according to package instructions Serve 1 chicken thigh with sauce over pasta, adding more marinara if needed. Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve. (For smaller children, you can cut the meat off the bone for them. Chicken is very tender!)

(Pioneer Woman photo)

Vegetable Lasagna (With Meat) ~ by Sarah

It's lasagna--without the carbs! I got most of this recipe from my ground beef cookbook, but I changed it quite a bit to more closely resemble the regular lasagna I make. You can add or subtract vegetables as you wish. My kids don't usually eat spinach, zucchini, or mushrooms, and they ate them in this. They had no clue they were in there! It was really, really good!

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 jar marinara sauce
1 can Italian stewed tomatoes
1 package sliced mushrooms
4 zucchini or 2 zucchini and 2 yellow squashes, sliced lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices
2 T flour
1 to 2 cups fresh spinach
2 T chopped fresh basil
16 oz. small curd cottage cheese
2 eggs, beaten
shredded mozzarella cheese  (I used reduced-fat and it was fine)
shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Brown ground beef and onion over medium-high heat.  Season as desired.  If you have Italian Seasoning, dump some in!  Drain.  Add marinara sauce, stewed tomatoes, and mushrooms.  Mix well (I used the spatula to chop the mushrooms into smaller pieces) and simmer over low heat for 10-15 minutes.

 While the meat is simmering, grease a baking dish and layer the bottom with zucchini and yellow squash.  Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon flour.

In a small bowl, combine cottage cheese with beaten eggs.  Add 1 tablespoon fresh basil.  Pour half of the mixture over the zucchini and squash and spread evenly.  Add a layer of half of the meat sauce, then another layer of zucchini and squash with 1 tablespoon flour.  Spread the second half of the cottage cheese mixture over that.  Sprinkle with as much spinach as desired.

Spread with the last of the meat mixture.  Add as much Parmesan and mozzarella cheese as desired.  Sprinkle with remaining basil.  Bake at 375 degrees about 40 minutes or until cheese is golden and bubbly.  Let stand 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

As you can see, it's pretty watery due to all the vegetables.  The flour is to help that, but the more veggies you use, the watery it will be.  It didn't bother us, though!  This is nice because it doesn't require a side dish.  I baked some garlic bread, but that was it!  A meal in one!

Chicken Cacciatore ~ by Sarah

I got this recipe out of the newspaper a few years ago.  It is delicious and my family loves it!  Easy, too!

Ingredients:
2 t. olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper to taste
1 bell pepper cut into strips (I used half a green and half a red.)
1 regular-sized package sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 c. dry red wine
1 1/2 c. marinara sauce
2 T chopped fresh parsley

Directions:
Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add chicken.  Season meat.  Cook 4 minutes per side.  Transfer chicken to a plate--set aside.  Combine bell pepper and mushrooms in skillet over medium heat.  Sprinkle with salt.  Cook 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add wine and cook 2 minutes.  Stir in sauce; heat.  Return chicken to skillet; reduce heat and simmer about 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.  Flip the chicken at least once.

Top with fresh Italian parsley.  (But, if you're like me and accidentally buy cilantro instead of parsley, using dry parsley flakes is fine.)

I serve it with noodles.  (Usually I cook penne, but halfway through cooking them tonight I realized there were weevils, so I had to use regular spaghetti.)

The sauce is the best part, but it doesn't make a whole lot of it, so if you're feeding more than just a couple people, you might want to double the sauce. 

Ravioli ~ by Sarah

I'm not exactly sure where I came across this recipe, but for the last couple of years, it's been a favorite in our house.  It is SO fast and easy to prepare!

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef, browned
1 jar marinara sauce
18 oz. ravioli, cooked and drained (I used 4-cheese today, but I usually buy spinach and cheese to sneak more nutrients in!)
1 1/2 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded
4 T. Parmesan cheese, shredded

Directions:
Mix meat and sauce in large bowl.  Add pasta and 1 cup mozzarella.  Mix.  Spoon into casserole dish.  Top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.  Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until bubbly.