Chicken Cakes by Big Mama

I love me some Big Mama and I have a feeling I'm about to love me some Chicken Cakes as well.

Chicken Cakes with Remoulade Sauce

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 medium size red bell pepper, diced
• 4 green onion, thinly sliced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 3 cups chopped cooked chicken
• 1 cup soft bread crumbs (The Mama uses Progresso bread crumbs with Garlic and Onion)
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise (you can use light or fat free)
• 1 tablespoon Creole mustard (or stoneground mustard if you can’t find Creole)
• 1 tsp. Creole seasoning
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• Remoulade Sauce (recipe follows)

 Directions:

• Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add bell pepper, green onions and garlic. Saute 3-4 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
• Stir together bell pepper mixture, chicken and next five ingredients. Shape mixture into 6-8 patties depending on the size (you can also make mini-patties to serve as hors douerves).
• Fry 4 patties at a time in 2 tablespoons hot oil in a large skillet over medium heat 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Repeat until all patties are cooked. Serve immediately with Remoulade Sauce.

Remoulade Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 3 green onions, sliced
• 2 tablespoons Creole Mustard
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4-1/2 tsp. ground red pepper

Directions: 

 Stir together until well-blended.

Pat's Smoked Sausage and Pepper Sandwiches

I have been trying to cook from our freezer lately and I found some smoked sausage that I had purchased with a coupon. I decided to try a recipe that I've been keeping in the wings for quite some time now and I was pleasantly surprised with how well it turned out. It's super easy, too! I love Pat and Gina Neely. Their show is hilarious and we love one of their chicken recipes. Well, this one is going into our arsenal as well. If you like smoked sausage (which I had forgotten my affinity for), you will love this. Enjoy!

Pat's Smoked Sausage and Pepper Sandwiches
Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound smoked sausage, sliced into quarters then lengthwise
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
• 1 orange bell pepper, sliced
• 2 medium yellow onions, sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced (I used my garlic press)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 cup beer
• 1/2 cup Neely's BBQ sauce (I used our favorite, Open Pit)
• 4 fresh hoagie rolls (I found a loaf of sourdough on sale and we used that)

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (I used my toaster oven).
• Heat the olive oil in a large cast iron skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sausages and brown on all sides, about 7 to 8 minutes. Remove from skillet and reserve.
• Add onions and peppers to the skillet and saute until tender and golden brown, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant. Stir in the tomato paste, beer, and BBQ sauce. Cook for a few minutes, then add the sausages back to the pan. Reduce the heat and simmer until the sauce is nice and thick, about 10 minutes.
• Slice the bread open, put on sheet tray, and toast in the oven while the sausage is simmering. Remove the bread from the oven and fill with the sausages and peppers.
• Transfer to serving dishes and serve.
  

Not Yo' Mama's Banana Pudding

This recipe is from Paula Deen. It is anything but low calorie. Don't say I didn't warn you.

 

 

Not Yo' Mama's Banana Pudding

 

Ingredients:

•  2 bags Pepperidge Farm Chessmen cookies
• 6 to 8 bananas, sliced
• 2 cups milk
• 1 (5-ounce) box instant French vanilla pudding
• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 (12-ounce) container frozen whipped topping thawed, or equal amount sweetened whipped cream

Directions:

• Line the bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch dish with 1 bag of cookies and layer bananas on top.
• In a bowl, combine the milk and pudding mix and blend well using a handheld electric mixer. Using another bowl, combine the cream cheese and condensed milk together and mix until smooth.
• Fold the whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture. Add the cream cheese mixture to the pudding mixture and stir until well blended.
• Pour the mixture over the cookies and bananas and cover with the remaining cookies. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Baked Spinach Pasta

I'm really hoping to try Jessica's Baked Spinach Pasta soon. It sounds amazing! I love that it uses fresh spinach rather than frozen. This is on my meal plan for next week!

Baked Spinach Pasta

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef
• 2 cans stewed or diced tomatoes
• 1 jar of spaghetti sauce (I prefer Bertolli tomato basil)
• 1 onion
• Italian seasoning
• Garlic
• Salt and pepper
• 1 box of penne or bow tie pasta
• 1 lb of spinach- chopped (I find baby leaf much easier to chop)
• 1.5 bags of shredded Italian cheese (2 cups portion bags)

Preparation

• Chop the onion finely.
• Put the onion and meat in a frying pan. Brown the meat, seasoning it with Italian seasoning, garlic, salt and pepper.
• Drain off any fat.
• Drain most of the juice from the diced tomatoes and add the two cans to the browned meat.
• Let simmer for about 8-10 minutes, stirring often.
• Add jar of spaghetti sauce and let simmer for 20-30 minutes on low, stirring occasionally. You want the meat, tomatoes and sauce to get a lot of flavor and the simmering does this. You can’t really simmer too long. Just let it simmer while you do the next steps.
• While the sauce is simmering, go ahead and chop all your spinach finely with a chopper.
• Boil your noodles in a large pot (so you can use it to mix all the ingredients.)
• Once your noodles are cooked, drain the water.
• Add 1 bag of cheese to the pot of hot noodles and stir so the cheese starts to melt.
• Stir in the spinach and the meat sauce.
• Pour everything into your pans – this usually makes an 11×17 and an 8×8 pan of pasta for me.
• Sprinkle the tops of both pans with the other half bag of cheese.
• Bake for 30 minutes at 375 so everything can bake together and the cheese will melt on the top. Enjoy!

 A couple notes: Jessica does not recommend using frozen chopped spinach in this recipe. It waters it down and is not nearly as flavorful. Also, do not use a food processor to chop the spinach, as it chops it too fine.

Recipes I Want to Try

This is more for me then anyone else. Just a heads up!


Shrimp Pot Pie
Shrimp Scampi Pizzas
Chicken Taco Bake Over Chips


BBQ Patty Melt-- 4 servings

1 bag gourmet onion rings, Ore-Ida
8 precooked bacon strips
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1/4 c. bbq sauce
1/4 c. steak sauce
1 egg
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1 envelope onion soup mix
8 slices sourdough bread, toasted
4 slices cheddar cheese
BBQ sauce
Bake onion rings according to package. Heat bacon according to package and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients except bread, cheese and extra bbq sauce. Stir thoroughly. Form mixture into four patties slightly larger than bread slices.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook patties for 4 minutes per side. Lay a slice of cheese on each patty. Cover pan for 1 minute to melt cheese. Place patties on toasted sourdough bread. Top each with 2 slices of bacon, an onion ring and bbq sauce. 

Poppyseed Chicken

I got this recipe from Kelly and it is delicious! It's not fat free by ANY means but it is great comfort food when you've had a rough day. We absolutely love eating this and even Tyler can whip it up if I'm busy! It is to die for and I hope you like it as much as we do!


Poppyseed Chicken

Ingredients

• 2 or 3 chicken breasts, boiled and cut in small pieces
• 1 16 oz sour cream
• 2 cans cream of chicken
• 2 tbls of poppyseeds (I don't measure - I just shake a ton in)
• Ritz crackers
• 1 stick of butter

Directions

Mix the first 4 ingredients and put in a baking dish. Cover with crushed up Ritz crackers. Melt a stick of butter and pour on top. Bake for 20-30 minutes at 350. Serve over rice.


MMMMM... I could eat some right now! Not so good for my hips, though.

Chicken Enchilda Chili

I absolutely love using my slow cooker and by far, the best book of slow cooker recipes I've ever had is Stephanie's Make It Fast, Cook It Slow. There are so many great recipes. However, one of my favorite recipes was found on her website. Chicken Enchilada Chili combines my love of enchiladas, chili, and slow cooking in a combination that is out of this world! We ate this for a few days and it got better after it had some time to sit in the fridge. Go make this; you won't regret it!!

Chicken Enchilada Chili

1 1/2 pounds chicken (boneless & skinless, OR fish out the bones and skin after about 4 hours)
1 1/2 cups prepared enchilada sauce (read labels carefully if avoiding gluten)
2 chopped celery stalks*
2 (14.5 oz) cans tomatoes with seasoning (your choice: I had garlic and olive oil on hand)
2 (15 oz) cans pinto or kidney beans, undrained (or 1 cup dried pinto beans, soaked overnight)
1 onion, diced (or 1 tablespoon dried, minced onion flakes)
1-2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin

Directions

Pour enchilada sauce and canned tomatoes into the bottom of a 6 quart slow cooker. Add beans, celery, onion and spices. Stir to combine. Place chicken on top.

Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours, or until flavors have combined. If you are using dried beans, you may need to cook longer to fully soften the beans. Since I was using the chicken quarters I got on sale, I fished out the chicken after about 4 hours, and removed the bones. I then stirred the chicken back into the pot.

Serve with shredded cheddar cheese and a dollop of sour cream, if desired.

*I don't like celery, so I took this out.


This is OUTRAGEOUS. I need to make it again soon! You won't be disappointed!

Golden Mushroom Chicken

I don't like mushrooms. In fact, I hate them. I will rarely eat ANYTHING that has a mushroom in it and always eliminate them if a recipe calls for them. When my friend Michelle gave me this recipe, I was wary of trying it because of the word "mushroom". I am so glad I braved it and tried this recipe because it is one of our favorites. I hope you like it too!

Golden Mushroom Chicken

Ingredients

• 1 can Campbells Golden Mushroom soup
• 1 stick of butter, cut into pieces
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1 dry packet of Italian dressing (I use Good Seasonings)
• 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
• Bowtie noodles

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
   
2. Combine soup, butter, white wine, and Italian seasoning. Mix together until combined.
3. Pour over chicken in an oven proof dish. (I usually let this sit in my fridge overnight, making the chicken much more tender. However, it's not necessary!)
4. Bake for an hour and stir the sauce. I usually cut into the chicken at this point to see if it's cooked through. If not, I put it in for about 15 more minutes and check it again.
5. Serve the chicken over cooked noodles with lots of sauce.
   

Hope you enjoy this! It is a great meal when you've had a long day at work and want something delicious. Thanks for the great recipe, Mitchy!

Pioneer Woman's Pot Roast

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 whole (4 To 5 Pounds) Chuck Roast
• 2 whole Onions
• 6 whole Carrots (Up To 8 Carrots)
• Salt To Taste
• Pepper To Taste
• 1 cup Red Wine (optional, You Can Use Beef Broth Instead)
• 2 cups To 3 Cups Beef Stock
• 3 sprigs Fresh Thyme, or more to taste
• 3 sprigs Fresh Rosemary, or more to taste

Preparation Instructions

First and foremost, choose a nicely marbled piece of meat. This will enhance the flavor of your pot roast like nothing else. Generously salt and pepper your chuck roast.

Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Then add 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil (or you can do a butter/olive oil split).

Cut two onions in half and cut 6 to 8 carrots into 2-inch slices (you can peel them, but you don’t have to). When the oil in the pot is very hot (but not smoking), add in the halved onions, browning them on one side and then the other. Remove the onions to a plate. Throw the carrots into the same very hot pan and toss them around a bit until slightly browned, about a minute or so.

If needed, add a bit more olive oil to the very hot pan. Place the meat in the pan and sear it for about a minute on all sides until it is nice and brown all over. Remove the roast to a plate. With the burner still on high, use either red wine or beef broth (about 1 cup) to deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom with a whisk to get all of that wonderful flavor up. When the bottom of the pan is sufficiently deglazed, place the roast back into the pan and add enough beef stock to cover the meat halfway (about 2 to 3 cups). Add in the onion and the carrots, as well as 3 or 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary and about 3 sprigs of fresh thyme.

Put the lid on, then roast in a 275F oven for 3 hours (for a 3-pound roast). For a 4 to 5-pound roast, plan on 4 hours.

From Rachel: I can't even tell you how much we enjoyed this. It was tender and delicious. I served it over mashed potatoes and I couldn't get enough. I have found my pot roast recipe for life! Pioneer Woman does it again!

Get Yo' Man Chicken

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 chicken thighs, skinless
• 1 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoons pepper
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can crushed tomatoes in thick puree
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 tablespoon dried rosemary
• 1 tablespoon lemon-pepper
• Hot buttered rice
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions

Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat.

Pat chicken dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper. Brown the chicken, meat-side down first, and turning once, about 4 minutes on each side. Transfer to a plate to reserve.

Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of oil from the pan.

Add onion to the pan and saute until tender, roughly 3 minutes. Add the stock and wine and stir, scraping any brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Turn heat to high and reduce by half, about 3 minutes. Pour in the crushed tomatoes and add the dried herbs and lemon pepper. Add the chicken thighs back into the pan.Cover and cook on medium-low heat for 40 minutes.

Remove chicken from liquid and serve on hot buttered rice. Ladle the sauce on top and garnish with fresh chopped parsley.

From Rachel: We absolutely love this recipe. It's low maintenance and healthy comfort food. I got this recipe from the Neelys on Food Network.