Chicken Parmesan, Garlic Bread, and Chocolate Chip Cookies

Dinner 9/1/12

Happy Labor Day weekend!!!!

Saturday night I cooked one of my favorite meals, Chicken Parmesan and garlic bread.  I actually made two dishes of it.  One for my family and I took one to a friend who recently had a beautiful baby girl. 

I usually buy the thin chicken breasts but boneless chicken breast were BOGO at Harris Teeter last week so I just used what I had.  So I cut them in half and had 6 pieces of chicken.

Chicken Parmesan

• 3-4 Boneless chicken breasts
• Italian bread crumbs
• 2 eggs
• Parmesan cheese
• Mozzarella cheese
• 1 can crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup sweet onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• Olive oil

*Double recipe if cooking 6 pieces of chicken

First chop up onion and garlic.  Heat 2 tsp olive oil in sauce pan (make sure the pan is large enough to hold crushed tomatoes).  Add 1 cup of onion and 2 garlic cloves to oil.  Sautee for 2 minutes.  Add Crushed tomatoes, 2 tsp sugar, 1 tsp salt, 1/4 pepper.  Stir well.  Reduce heat to a simmer, cover stirring occasionally.

In a medium bowl whisk together 2 eggs.  In another medium bowl pour some bread crumbs (about 2 cups) add 1/4 cup parmesan cheese.  Dip chicken in egg mixture then bread crumb mixture coating both sides.

Heat another 2 tsp olive oil in large frying pan on medium heat.  Add chicken.  Cook 10-14 minutes flipping once.  When chicken is fully cooked (I usually pick the thickest piece and cut in the middle to check for any pink)  reduce heat to low and add tomato sauce.  Top with mozzarella cheese (usually takes full 2 cup bag) and sprinkle some parmesan cheese.  Heat until cheese is melted.

Mine is in a casserole dish because I put everything together and heated it later since I was making 2 dishes and had to go deliver it.

While my chicken was cooking I fill a pot with water.  I usually serve my Chicken Parmesan over angel hair pasta.  I do it then so that I can add the pasta when the water starts boiling and the pasta is usually done when my cheese has melted.

Dish out some pasta and add I piece of chicken with cheese and sauce on top.  I also made some garlic bread it goes great with this because you can dip the bread in sauce YUM!

Homemade chocolate chip cookies

I love this recipe and I recently changed it because they were a bit too fluffy for me. 

• 1 cup butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips (chocolate chunks are good too)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp hot water
• 1/2 tsp salt

Heat Oven to 350 degrees

Cream together butter, white sugar, brown sugar until smooth.  Beat in egg one at a time, stir in vanilla extract.  Dissolve baking soda in hot water add to batter with salt.  Stir in flower and chocolate chips.  Drop a large spoon full on a pan.

Bake for about 10 minutes or until light brown.   Remove from oven but leave on pan for about 3 minutes.  Serve warm with a nice glass of milk!! :) 

MY FAVORITE DESSERT!!

Marinated Chicken Kabobs, 3 Cheese Perogies, Peach Pie

Dinner Wednesday 08/29/2012

Marinated Chicken Kabobs, 3 Cheese Perogies, Peach Pie.

OK so tonight I had help making dinner.  My wonderful husband cut up all the vegetables and chicken for the kabobs.  And grilled them on the grill (the grill is his domain)

Chicken Kabobs

 10 Kabob skewers

3 Boneless chicken breast

2 Zucchini

2 Yellow squash

1 Sweet onion

1 Package cherry tomatoes

(You can use whatever vegetables you like I just picked these)

Marinade

1/2 Cup soy sauce

1/2 Pineapple juice

1/4 Virgin Olive Oil

1 tsp. Dry mustard

1 tbsp. Brown sugar

2 tsp. Ground ginger

1 tsp. Salt

1/4 tsp. Pepper

If using wooden skewers-Soak in water for a few minutes so the skewers do not burn on the grill.

• Cut chicken into chucks big enough to put on skewers. 

• Slice zucchini, squash, and onion.

• In a medium sauce pan combine all ingredients for the marinade.  Simmer for 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and let cool before marinating chicken and vegetables.

• Pour marinade into large bowl.  Marinade chicken and vegetables in marinade mixture for a few minutes.  (I did not put tomatoes in marinade)

• Start kabobing (I guess that's a word LOL)  Alternate chicken-vegetables-chicken (see picture of finished kabobs for details) My husband loves meat so I did a few kabobs with just chicken.

• Grill on medium heat for about 30 minutes or until fully cooked, turning kabobs often.

3 Cheese Perogies

I love these things.  I always have them in the freezer.  They are a great different side to any meal and my kids love them.  If you are not familiar with Perogies they are potatoes filled raviolis.  We prefer the cheese flavored but the onion flavored are good as well.

This is how I cook them.  (You can just saute in a little olive oil or just boil until cooked.)

• In a medium sauce pan add peroiges in warm water.  Boil until the peroiges are no longer frozen.  Usually about 5-7 minutes.

• In a medium frying pan add a little olive oil (just enough to coat the pan)  Sautee on both sides  until light brown.

• Serve warm

Peach Pie

While shopping in Target the other day (one of my favorite stores).  My husband and I walked by the frozen section to find some frozen pies on clearance.  A peach pie for $2.50 YES PLEASE.  I love having a planned dessert after dinner.  One it helps me get my kids to finish their dinner if they know they get a dessert after.  And two I LOVE something sweet after dinner!  And of course we had to add some whip cream. It was Yummy!!!!

Thanks to my hunny for being my partner in life and in the kitchen!!!!!



Meatloaf, Mash Potatoes, Spinach Salad, and Mini Cherry Pies

First Dinner 08/27/2012

Tonight was a special occasion it was my Mom's birthday!  So Happy Birthday Mom!

We had my Mom and Dad over for dinner.  I made meatloaf, homemade mash potatoes, and spinach salad with tomatoes, croutons, and sunflower kernels on the side.  For dessert I just did mini gram cracker pie shells with cherry pie filling and whipped cream on top.

Meatloaf:

•  1lb of 93/7 hamburger
• 1 Lipton onion soup packet
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup on breadcrumbs

Mix that all together.  Put in a loaf pan and pat until meat is packed in and flat. 

Meatloaf Topping:

3 tbs brown sugar

3 tbs ketchup

1 tbs mustard

Mix together and put on top of meatloaf

Bake on 375 for 50 minutes.  Take out of pan and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Homemade Mash Potatoes:

• I used 4 large baking potatoes you can use 8 small russet potatoes

Peal and cut into small chucks (for lack of a better word).  Boil until potatoes are soft.  Drain water.  Pour into bowl add butter or margarine which ever you prefer.  Use hand blender until butter is melted. Add milk till desired texture is reached. Mix well again with blender.  I usually add more butter than some salt and pepper and stir with spoon.

Spinach Salad:

I had some spinach left from last weeks grocery shopping I needed to use.  I had picked up some tomatoes at the farmers market on the way home to go with the spinach. I added some croutons and some sunflower seed kernels on the side.  Pair with you favorite salad dressing.

Mini Cherry Pies (Thank you Nana)

A few weeks ago my family and I were visiting my Grandparents and my Nana made us these mini tarts if you will.  I had been craving them ever since plus they went well since it was my Mom's Birthday.

• I package mini gram cracker pies (6 count)
• I can cherry pie filling
• Whip cream or Cool whip

Spoon out cherry pie filling into mini pies.  Top with whip cream or cool whip and you are done.



It was a wonderful evening with family and a great meal.