French Onion Mashed Potatoes

You will actually get 2 recipes here.

First is the all time favorite...French Onion Dip
1 package French Onion Soup Mix
16 oz Sour Cream
Mix both together and you have a great dip for an appetizer or a little snack.


Second as a side dish we'll take that dip and make mashed potatoes.
(for 4 adults this made plenty and had leftovers)
3 large potatoes (peeled and cut into chunks(cuts down on cooking time))
1 TBSP Garlic Salt added to the boiling water
Cook potatoes until tender and easy to mash.

the rest of the ingredients are to taste and depending on the amount of potatoes

1 TBSP Butter
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup French Onion dip
1 tsp salt

Add more milk if needed to make them creamy.

Carley's Happiness!!!

OMG, I just discovered the secret to happiness!! Make brownies in 2 round cake pans, let cool & assemble/stack like a cake with a thick center layer of chocolate pudding, then frost with chocolate frosting/pudding combo and sprinkle with chocolate chips. Yummmm! It'll cure all that ails you..... just don't forget the milk! :)

Chicken Soup

you will need about 8 oz of cooked chicken
what I did was took a whole chicken (this will give you more than 8oz so you can either make more soup or use the rest of the chicken for another meal)
I buttered the skin of the bird and then sprinkled on a spice blend that I created
3 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp dried thyme
Bake at 425* for 15 min only then turn the oven down to 350* and cook until the internal temp if the thickest part is 180* about 1.5 to 2 hours

I also cooked some carrots and potatoes in chicken stock/water mixture (diced)about a cup each

1/4 cup butter (melted)
1/4 cup flour
Slowly combine the 2 over med heat until smooth

Gradually stir in
1 can (12oz) evaporated milk

Stirring constantly bring to a boil.

Add
1 3/4 cup chicken stock (I used what I cooked my veggies in )
8 oz Chicken
Veggies

Then add more seasoning of what you like I added some onion powder, garlic salt, salt and pepper. Season to your taste.


This will serve about 2-4 people depending on portion size

Spaghetti Olie e Aglio

1 lb Spaghetti Noodles (cook)
1/2 Cup Olive Oil (heat up in a pan)
3 Garlic Gloves (finely chopped)(add to the oil constantly stirring so not to brown the garlic 3-4 min.)

*Drain pasta and transfer it to a serving dish. Pour oil over the top and sprinkle with the parsley.

3 TBSP chopped fresh Parsley


This was good a nice light side dish. I would however add bacon next time.

Chicken Marsala

6 Chicken Breasts (Pound out til even)
1/2 Cup Flour (Add salt and pepper to flour and dredge the chicken breasts)
1/4 Cup Veg Oil (Brown the chicken in the oil)
Remove the chicken from the oil set aside
5 Gloves Garlic
3 Bulbs Shallots (Sweat garlic and Shallots)
1/2 LB Sliced Mushrooms (add to mixture and cook for about a min.)
1 Cup Marsala (Deglaze the pan)
2 Cups Chicken Stock (Whisk into mixture)
2 TBSP Butter (let boil and thicken)

I shredded up the chicken and added it into the pan. I also added about 2oz of cream cheese to help thicken it up.

It was pretty good however I would look for something else to add to it maybe salt pepper or something just to up the taste a little bit.

Stuffed Shells with Chicken and Arugula and Creamy Alfredo Sauce

jumbo pasta shells (conchiglioni)

Filling:
2 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups arugula (I use Spinach, but to each is own)
2 cups chopped cooked chicken (rotisserie chicken works well)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper


Sauce:
4 tablespoons butter
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup milk
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1 cup plus 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan
1 cup grape tomato halved Italian parsley for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9 by 13-inch glass baking dish and set aside.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil add the pasta shells and cook for approximately 9 minutes until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water being careful not to break the shells. Set aside.
Meanwhile prepare the filling. In a large bowl mix together the ricotta and Parmesan. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat, add the garlic, and cook 1 minute, being careful not to brown it. Stir in the arugula until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Add the chopped chicken and stir well. Remove from heat and let cool for about 10 minutes. Add chicken mixture to cheese mixture and stir carefully. Stuff each shell with approximately 1/2 cup of the cheese filling and place in prepared baking dish.

For sauce, heat the butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute until fragrant but not brown. Add the flour and whisk until smooth. Gradually add the cream and milk and whisk until mixture begins to thicken and bubble. Remove from heat and add the chives, 1 cup Parmesan, cherry tomatoes and stir gently. Pour sauce over shells and sprinkle with remaining 3 tablespoons of Parmesan. Bake for 30 minutes until the sauce is bubbling and cheese is golden brown. Sprinkle with parsley.

Weekly Dinners (Just a little Late)

Monday- Grilled fish, corn on the cob and salad
Tuesday- Chicken Kabobs and caesar salad
Wednesday- Steak fajitas
Thurday- Spaghetti and salad
Friday- Chili Dogs