Favorite Go-To Recipes

I'm taking a partial maternity leave from this blog as we recently welcomed a sweet baby boy into our home. So today I am happy to be sharing a guest post from my dear friend Janene.

You know the days where things get so crazy that you don't think about dinner until. . . ohhh. . . . 5:00 in the evening and everyone is asking, "Hey, Mom, what's for dinner?"

I really don't like that question.

I know most mom's have their basic "go-to" recipes. Recipes that you have memorized, with most ingredients coming straight out of your pantry or items you have on hand. I am always curious to know what others are. So today I am sharing my "go-to" meals, in no particular order. Maybe you'll be able to add another quick meal to satisfy your family after a busy day!

Chicken Broccoli Bake

Ingredients:
1-2 large chicken breast
1-2 bunches of broccoli
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup sour cream
1/3 cup water
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
Prepared rice to serve with

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Boil or grill chicken and cut into small pieces. While the chicken is cooking, prepare broccoli and steam for 7 or so minutes. Mix well the cream of chicken soup, sour cream, and water in bowl. In 9x13 pan put softened broccoli, then spread chicken chunks evenly. Pour cream of chicken mixture evenly over the top and then spread grated cheddar cheese last. Spray a piece of foil with non-stick oil (so the cheese doesn't stick while baking) and cover pan. Bake until heated through and cheese is melted and bubbly, about 20-30 minutes. Serve over cooked rice.

Slow Cooker Italian Bowties

Ingredients:
1 large chicken breast
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese
1/2 cup milk
1 pkg. dry Italian seasoning
1 box bowtie (or Farfalle) pasta - cooked

Directions:
In mixer combine: softened cream cheese and milk. Mix until there are no more cream cheese chunks. Add cream of chicken soup, mix well, then add Italian dressing. Put chicken breast in slow cooker and pour mixture over the top. Cook on low for 5 hours. Serve with 1 box of cooked bowtie (or Farfalle) pasta.

Sausage Casserole

Ingredients:
1 package of sausage
1 green onion
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup. sour cream
splash of milk
2 cups frozen hash browns (squares, not tots, also known as Southern Potatoes)
1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Saute sausage and gr. onion and put in 8x8 pan (or glass pie pan.) Mix cream of mushroom soup, sour cream, and milk. Pour over top of the cooked sausage. Put frozen potatoes over the top and then cover with cheese. Cover with foil (sprayed with non-stick spray) and cook 20-25 minutes, then remove foil and cook (or broil) until cheese is melted.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients:
5 cups water
1 cups evaporated milk
1 large chicken breast
2 t. salt
1 T. chicken bouillon
1/4 t. pepper
2 cups chopped celery
3 cups homemade noodles*
2 cups chopped carrots
1/2 cup chopped onion

Directions:
Bring water to a boil in large pot. Add chicken and bouillon and stir until dissolved. Cover and cook for 20-30 minutes until no longer pink. Remove chicken and cut in small pieces. Return to broth and add celery, carrots, and onion. Cook until tender. Add noodles and cook for 10 minutes. Mix cream of chicken soup, evap. milk, and spices together and then add to soup. Re-heat.
*Homemade Noodles - combine in mixer 3 eggs, 4 T. water, and 1 t. salt. Add 3 cups of flour, 1 cup at a time, until dough is smooth and not sticky. Separate into two sections. Roll out, paper thin, on floured surface. Cut into 1/2in by 4in long strips - I use my pizza cutter. Add to boiling water for 7-10 minutes until firm. Add 1/2 of the noodles to soup, and freeze the other half for another soup later.

Chili and Cornbread

Ingredients:
2-3 cans of your favorite chili - or make your own

1 box Jiffy Cornbread Mix
1 box Jiffy Yellow Cake Mix
1/3 cup milk
1/3 cup water
2 eggs

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine all ingredients in mixer until just combined. Spray pan (9x13 for regular size cornbread squares, or 9x9 pan for big puffy squares) with non-stick spray. Pour in batter and bake for 15-20 minutes for 9x13 pan, or 30+ minutes in 9x9 pan, until top is golden brown.

Chicken Spinach Wraps

Ingredients:
4-5 chicken nuggets per wrap
wrap fixings: lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, ranch dressing
1/2 cup mayo
2 T. buffalo sauce or other hot sauce (Tabasco or Frank's)
1 pkg. spinach tortillas

Directions:
Cook chicken nuggets according to directions. Combine mayo and buffalo sauce in separate bowl. Put nuggets in spinach wrap with desired fixings and buffalo sauce mixture on top. I like to serve with french fries or baked potato.

Stromboli and Soup

Ingredients:
Soup - we like quick and easy Bear Creek "Cheddar Broccoli"
1 Pillsbury French Bread Loaf
1-2 packages of sandwich meat
2 cups cheese (cheddar, mozzarella, or if you like heat, pepper jack is yummy!)

Directions:
Roll out the french bread dough to make a large rectangle (on a greased counter top works best). Layer sandwich meat, then cheese, then more meat, then more cheese until you use all of your ingredients. Roll up dough to form a tight loaf and place seam side down on a cookie sheet. Cook according to package directions. Slice into little sandwich rolls and serve with your soup of choice.

Cheesy Chicken Tacos

(this is one of my kids tacos, just with meat, sour cream, and ranch)

Ingredients:
6 four tortillas
1 package taco seasoning
1 pound chicken breast, cut into thin strips
1/2 cup water
2 cups chopped - almost pureed) tomatoes (fresh or canned)
2 cups cheddar cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place tortillas in a single layer on a large cookie sheet. Spray tortillas with cooking spray on both sides and sprinkle with a little of the taco seasoning mix. Bake 7-8 minutes or until crisp and golden brown. When one pan comes out, put another batch in. Or you can grill them on the BBQ grill - yum!

Meanwhile, mix the sliced chicken, remaining taco seasoning mix, and water in large skillet. Bring to a boil on med-high heat. Reduce heat to med-low and simmer for 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Stir occasionally. Add 1 1/2 cups of tomatoes and cook until heated through. Remove from heat and add 1 1/2 cups cheese and mix until melted.

Spoon chicken mixture evenly over tortillas and top with remaining tomatoes and cheese. Add a dollop of sour cream, ranch, and some lettuce if you like too.

Janene is the mother of three children. She loves to take pictures and read good books and she is a fabulous friend! You can view her work at jkphotography and reserve your next photo session with her.