Poppy Seed Chicken

4-5 chicken breasts 1 TB. poppy seed

2 cans cream of chicken soup garlic salt

1/2 C. sour cream salt and pepper to taste

3/4 tube ritz crackers 2-3 cups egg noodles cooked

2 TB. butter

In a large ziplock bag crush ritz crackers and add garlic salt and 1/2 tbs poppy seed. Coat chicken with egg then put in bag and shake until coated with cracker mixture. Cook chicken in oil for 2-3 minutes each side. In a separate bowl mix together soup, sour cream, and salt and pepper. Put mixture in bottom of glass baking pan, add chicken then drizzle with melted butter. Top with any extra crackers and poppyseed. Cook covered at 350* for 25-30 minutes. Serve over cooked noodles.

Slow-Cooker Golden Potatoes and Ham

6 C. Potatoes 10-3/4 oz. can cream of mushroom soup

2 1/2 C. cooked ham, cubed 1/2 C. evaporated milk

1 1/2 C. shredded cheddar cheese

In a slow cooker, layer one-third of potatoes, ham and cheese. Repeat layers 2 more times. Combine soup and milk and blend until smooth; pour over potato mixture. Cover and cook on low setting for 7 to 8 hours. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Baked Penne with Chicken, Broccoli and Smoked Mozzarella

Topping:
3/4 cup bread crumbs (store-bought or make your own)
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling:
1 bunch broccoli (about 1 ½ pounds), stalks cut off, florets trimmed into 1-inch pieces
12 ounces penne pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
6 medium garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
1 teaspoon dried thyme
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 3), trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces
3 ounces smoked mozzarella, shredded
8 ounce jar oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped into pieces

In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs and butter and set aside. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking dish and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and make sure the oven rack is placed in the middle of the oven. In a large pot, bring the water for the pasta to a boil. Stir in one tablespoon salt and the broccoli. The broccoli cooks quickly so stay close! Cook the broccoli for 1 minute, until it is bright green. Quickly remove the broccoli with a slotted spoon to a plate. Return the water to a boil and add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 1-2 minutes less than how you would eat it normally (it will cook a bit more in the oven while baking). Drain the pasta in a colander and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Leave it in the colander and set it aside.

Wipe the pot dry. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and return to medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook until softened and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and thyme; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add the flour, salt and pepper, and cook, stirring constantly, until golden, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the broth and cream; bring to a simmer, whisking often. Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, about 6-7 minutes. Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes and smoked mozzarella.

Add the cooked pasta and broccoli to the sauce; stir to combine. Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with the bread crumb topping. Bake until the casserole is bubbling and the crumbs are lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

*The casserole can be prepared in advance with the following steps: after the broccoli is removed from the boiling water, plunge it into a bowl of ice water and cool completely. Assemble the casserole following the directions in the recipe. After the casserole is spread in the prepared baking pan, let it cool for 5-10 minutes before covering with plastic wrap and refrigerating for up to 8 hours. To bake, preheat the oven to 375 and bake uncovered for 30 minutes.

White Chili

1 lb. chicken
1 med onion
2 Tablespoons garlic, minced

Saute these ingredients in oil in soup pan. Season chicken with Salt and Pepper, Cumin, Chili Powder and Cayenne Pepper. After chicken is cooked through, remove from pan and let cool.

Add the following to onion and garlic mix:
2 14 oz cans Great northern Beans, drained
2 cans chopped green chilies
2 cups chicken broth
1 can cream of chicken soup
splash of milk

Shred or finely chop chiken. Add to soup. Simmer for 30 min. uncovered. Add 1 cup of sour cream.

Beef Stroganoff

1 lb hamburger
1/4 c. chopped onion
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 c. sour cream
1/2 c. margarine
1 bouillon cube
1 T dry buttermilk salad dressing mix
1 can mushrooms (opt)

Brown hamburger and onions.  Drain if necessary.  Add chicken soup, sour cream, margarine, bouillon and buttermilk seasoning.  Heat and serve as a topping for baked potatoes or noodles.  If it is too thick, add a little milk.

Zupa Toscano Soup

Ingredients:

1 pound Italian Sausage, cooked
1 large onion
1/2 cup precooked bacon
2 garlic cloves, pressed
5 red potatoes, peeled and cubed (I don't peel them)
7 cups water
4 chicken bouillon cubes
2 cups kale, chopped small (found in the produce by the parsley and cilantro)
1 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions:

In skillet cook sausage. Set aside. Peel potatoes and cut into small cubes. Bring water to a boil. Add onion, potatoes and garlic. Cook on medium heat until potatoes are tender-crisp. Drain sausage and add to water. Add bacon. Simmer 5 min. Add kale and cream. Cook on low for 10 min.

Fettucini Alfredo

Ingredients:
- 1 percent milk
- 1 tablespoon butter or margarine
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1 tablespoon of flour
- Parmesean cheese
- Low fat cream cheese

Directions:
Start by melting 1 Tablespoon of low fat margarine in a pot. Chop up your garlic and add it too the butter when it's melted and saute it for about 30 seconds. Next, you're going to add the flour. When the flour, butter and garlic mix together it is going to form a crumbly, pasty mixture called a roux. Now, you are going to add the milk. You will probably need about 2 cups. So, start by adding about half of your milk. Take a whisk and just start stirring until you get the lumps out. The flour will make it thicken, so when it starts to get thick, just add more milk. You are going to have it on Medium High heat here. So, just stir, stir, stir, stir until you have a good creamy consistency. Time to add the cream cheese. You want 2 to 3 tablespoons, or about half the container. Slap it into the pot, and stir until it is melted in. It should be really creamy now. Time to add the parmesean cheese. And NO, you CANNOT use the stuff in a can!!! Use FRESH! Add about 2-3 tablespoons. Again, stir it in and just taste it. If you want to add more cheese, add it. Now add some salt and pepper to taste. Lots of pepper! Toss with the cooked noodles and add meat of your choice and you are good to go!