Shrimp and Mushroom Casserole

Per Paula Deen recipe...
"This recipe can be served as a main dish with a green salad and French bread or as a side dish with steak."

8 T (1 stick) of butter
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 cups half & half
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 (13 1/4 oz) can of sliced mushrooms, drained
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 pound cooked shrimp, peeled, deveined, and coarsely chopped
garlic powder to taste
buttered bread crumbs for topping (I used a sleeve of Ritz crackers tossed with a little butter)

Preheat oven to 350. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and stir in flour, then slowly blend in half & half, stirring constantly. Sauce with be thick. Do not brown. Add mushroom soup, sliced mushrooms, and Parmesan. Fold in shrimp. Add garlic powder to taste. Pour mixture into buttered casserole dish and top with bread crumbs. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Preschool Spinach Salad

I got this recipe from a girl at our preschool. Really easy and a little different that the normal spinach salad with strawberries (the apples in it are yummy!)

I made it using spinach, granny smith apples (sliced thin), feta cheese, and walnuts. Toss with the dressing recipe below!

2 T fresh lemon juice
2 T white wine vinegar
1/3 c sugar
1 T oil
1 t poppy seeds (optional)

Steaks with Peppercorn Sauce

I made this last night for Kevin's birthday dinner...it was yummy! And the easiest way to make a steak -- I don't think we will ever grill them again! I do think on the sauce I would use 1 T of mustard instead of the 2 T it calls for, but it was good fixed as is.

Thanks Pioneer Woman!

Ingredients
■2 whole Beef Fillets Or Other Good Steaks
■2 Tablespoons Butter
■Kosher Salt And Freshly Ground Pepper
■2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
■¼ cups Brandy
■2 Tablespoons (additional) Brandy
■½ cups Heavy Cream
■1 Tablespoon Good Peppercorns, Crushed
Preparation Instructions
Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Sprinkle both sides of steak with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Melt butter in a medium ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. When skillet is hot, brown steaks on both sides, about 45 seconds per side. Place skillet into the hot oven for about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove pan from oven and remove steaks to a separate plate.

Return pan to stovetop over low heat. Add Dijon and brandy, then whisk together. Add heavy cream and crushed peppercorns, whisking to combine. Allow to bubble for about 45 seconds, then remove from heat.

Spoon sauce over steaks and serve.

Incredibly Yummy & Easy Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:

1 cup Picante Sauce
2 cans (10 3/4 ounces each) Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 cups frozen whole kernel corn
1 can (about 15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 soup can water
1 teaspoon ground cumin
4 corn tortillas (6-inch), cut into strips
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (about 4 ounces)
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Instructions

Stir the picante sauce, soup, chicken, corn, beans, water and cumin in a 4-quart slow cooker.
Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours or until the chicken is cooked through.
Stir the tortillas, cheese and cilantro into the cooker. Cover and cook for 15 minutes. Serve with additional cheese, if desired.
Time-Saving: Or you may cook this recipe on HIGH for 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 4 hours 15 minutes

Easy Skillet Pork Chops

This is the recipe I talked to some of you about last night at dinner. I got it from an older lady at my church from growing up (she catered and was a great cook!)It is very EASY and really good served over rice.

4 pork chops (about 1 lb)
2 T. oil
1 can cream of celery
1/3 cup water

Brown chops in oil. Pour off drippings. Stir in soup and water. Cover and simmer 45 minutes until tender. Stir every now & then.

Pioneer Woman's Chicken Tortilla Soup

Another soup recipe!

I made this today and it is GOOD...glad I made extra to freeze for later too. As for alterations: I think next time I will put a can of hominy or corn in it and I used 1 can of black beans and 1 can of pinto beans and I liked it like that (instead of 2 black beans the recipe calls for).

Enjoy!

Ingredients

■ 2 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
■ 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
■ 1-½ teaspoon Cumin
■ 1 teaspoon Chili Powder
■ ½ teaspoons Garlic Powder
■ ½ teaspoons Salt
■ 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
■ 1 cup Diced Onion
■ ¼ cups Diced Green Bell Pepper
■ ¼ cups Red Bell Pepper
■ 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
■ 1 can Rotel Tomatoes And Green Chilies
■ 32 ounces, fluid Low Sodium Chicken Stock
■ 3 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
■ 4 cups Hot Water
■ 2 cans Black Beans, Drained
■ 3 Tablespoons Cornmeal Or Masa
■ 5 whole Corn Tortillas, Cut Into Uniform Strips Around 2 To 3 Inches

■ Garnishes:
■ Sour Cream
■ Diced Avocado
■ Diced Red Onion
■ Salsa Or Pico De Gallo
■ Grated Monterey Jack Cheese
■ Cilantro

Preparation Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix cumin, chili pepper, garlic powder, and salt. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil on chicken breasts, then sprinkle a small amount of spice mix on both sides. Set aside the rest of the spice mix.

Place chicken breasts on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until chicken is done. Use two forks to shred chicken. Set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pot over medium high heat. Add onions, red pepper, green pepper, and minced garlic. Stir and begin cooking, then add the rest of the spice mix. Stir to combine, then add shredded chicken and stir.

Pour in Rotel, chicken stock, tomato paste, water, and black beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 45 minutes, uncovered.

Mix cornmeal with a small amount of water. Pour into the soup, then simmer for an additional 30 minutes. Check seasonings, adding more if needed—add more chili powder if it needs more spice, and be sure not to undersalt. Turn off heat and allow to sit for 15 to 20 minutes before serving. Five minutes before serving, gently stir in tortilla strips.

Ladle into bowls, then top with sour cream, diced red onion, diced avocado, pico de gallo, and grated cheese, if you have it! (The garnishes really make the soup delicious.)

Potato and Ham Soup

I found this recipe on allrecipes.com and tried it today....delicious!  My kids (who don't love potatoes) loved it too.  It reminded me alot of the creamy new potato soup at Cafe Express, but had more flavor.

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups peeled and diced potatoes (I used new potatoes and left peel on)
1/3 cup diced celery
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
3/4 cup diced cooked ham
3 1/4 cups water
2 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon ground white or black pepper, or to taste
5 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk (I used 2%)

Directions

Combine the potatoes, celery, onion, ham and water in a stockpot. Bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the chicken bouillon, salt and pepper.
In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour with a fork, and cook, stirring constantly until thick, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in milk as not to allow lumps to form until all of the milk has been added. Continue stirring over medium-low heat until thick, 4 to 5 minutes.
Stir the milk mixture into the stockpot, and cook soup until heated through. Serve immediately.  (I topped each bowl with grated cheese)

**It would be easy to add carrots or green beans for a little more nutrition.

**I will probably try it next time without the ham (although it was great this way!) and top it with crumbled bacon, green onions and cheese just to change it up.