Entrees

I'll enter main dish recipes here to help you make Lunch and Dinner.  These recipies have truly been tested and I'll let you know how I've changed them to make them more tasty.



Slow cook mozzarella chicken

This recipe is for those days when you have a million things to do and want a delicious dinner in a couple of hours with minimal work.  You can make this with chicken or pork chops, and it's equally yummy.  I'll tell you the slight difference in instructions at the end.  The recipe calls for 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but I love leftovers, so I get a 13X9 glass baking dish and fill it up.  It's great to serve 6 or 8 people this way.  First I'll tell you the recipe and then we'll tweak it to make it work in the real world.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 pound mozzarella cheese
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 16 oz tub Sour Cream
1 Tbsp dried onion
1/2 soup can Milk
1 Cup Ritz or saltine crackers
1/2 stick butter, melted

Okay, since we're making enough for a larger group or for left overs, place the chicken in the bottom of a 13X9 glass baking dish side by side.  The chicken can be frozen or thawed, it doesn't matter.  The chicken can be touching each other.  Since there's more than 4 chicken breasts, we need more cheese, about 1 lb.  I cut pretty thick slices of cheese, about 1/4 inch thick, and place a slice of cheese on top of each chicken breast.

In a separate bowl, mix cream of chicken soup, sour cream, dried onion, and the milk.  Pour sauce over the chicken and cheese and spread out to cover.  In a small bowl, crush the crackers and combine with the melted butter.  Sprinkle this mixture over the chicken, cheese & soup mixture.

Do not cover.  Bake 275 degrees for 2 1/2 hours.  You can serve with rice or noodles.

If you would rather make this with pork chops, trim fat before placing them in the dish.  Pork cooks faster, so check it at 2 hours.  If you are watching carbs, you can delete the cracker/butter topping.  It's still very good without it.


Peppercorn Chicken

This is a quick, easy chicken entree.  I'll start with the recipe and let you know how I have changed it in a pinch and still rescued dinner.

4 large chicken breast halves, skinned and boned
1 Tbsp crushed whole peppercorns
2 tsp butter
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 tsp dried tarragon leaves

Place chicken in a zip-lock bag and pound with flat edge of mallet to about 1/4 inch thickness.  Remove from bag and sprinkle with peppercorns.

Heat heavy non-stick skillet.  Add butter and chicken.  Cook, turning once, until chicken is done, about 5 minutes.  Remove chicken to a plate and keep warm under foil.

Increase heat and add orange juice to pan and whisk in the cream and tarragon.  Boil, stirring, until sauce is glossy, thickened and reduced to about half the original volume.

Spoon sauce over chicken and serve.

Okay, this is really a good recipe.  I've done a couple of things with the orange juice, because I don't often have orange juice in the fridge in the evening.  You can spoon a Tablespoon of frozen OJ into the pan and add water to bring it up to the half cup, but if you don't add the full amount of water, you've just reduced the time to boil and reduce the sauce.  A time savings.  There have even been times when I haven't had a can of frozen OJ.  Don't laugh, but Tang works just as well.  Sprinkle about a Tablespoon of Tang in the pan and add a little water.  Again, don't put in the full 1/2 cup of water and you've just saved some time.  If you are cooking for more than 4 people, you can increase all the sauce ingredients to make more.

Before you start this dish, start some rice cooking to serve with this dish.  I like to spread the rice on a nice platter and then place the chicken breasts on the rice.  Then pour the sauce over the chicken and rice.  Now you have a really tasty side dish of Orange/cream rice instead of just plain rice.  A real crowd pleaser, and if the sauce isn't too thick, it soaks into the rice and tastes terrific.  Enjoy!