1.) Broccoli Casserole. My changes to this one are not earth shattering, but enough that my husband who does not like broccoli and used to only tolerate the casserole can now eat more of it than I do, and that's saying a lot. The original recipe is a staple for any kind of holiday meal at my grandmother's house and I LOVE it just the way it was. I only changed a couple of things and now, it is a recipe that I can remember without having to dig out the card every time.
Broccoli Casserole
1 bunch of FRESH broccoli, chopped (Jimmy says this makes all the difference!)
1/2 of a medium onion, chopped
2 Tbsp butter
1 cup instant white rice, prepared according to directions on box
1 can cream of mushroom soup (The original calls for cream of celery. I suppose you could use cream of broccoli, etc. and come out with similar results.)
4 oz. Velveeta
3 slices of whole wheat bread, cubed
2 Tbsp butter
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Steam broccoli (I just put it in a medium pan with about 1/2 cup of water, put the lid on it and turn the burner on medium. It takes about 5 minutes.). Drain all water off of broccoli. Add chopped onions and butter. Put the lid back on the pan and let simmer until onions are tender. Add soup and Velveeta. Cook, stirring frequently, until cheese is melted. Pour into a greased 2 quart casserole dish.
In a small bowl, melt butter. Add bread cubes and toss well. Top casserole with buttered bread crumbs.
Bake for 20-30 minutes or until bubbly.
2.) Brownies. I will be honest. I am not a huge brownie fan, but Jimmy could eat them all day every day. I have attempted to make brownies from scratch, but they never turn out as good as the ones from a mix, so I gave up on that a long time ago. Every now and then, though, I start feeling creative and start adding things to the mix. And every now and then, they actually turn out pretty good. This recipe has turned into a small (ok, HUGE) addiction in our house and I have received so many compliments. If only they knew how EASY this is.
S'mores Brownies
1 large box brownie mix (I use Betty Crocker "Family Size" Fudge Brownie mix)
3 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup water
2.3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup peanut butter and chocolate chips
3 graham crackers, crushed
1 cup mini marshmallows
Prepare brownies according to directions on box. Bake in a 9x13 pan. As soon as they are done, turn your oven to broil. Top brownies with peanut butter and chocolate chips, crushed graham crackers and marshmallows. Put back into the oven and WATCH CAREFULLY for marshmallows to become toasted (this only takes 1-2 minutes.). Remove from oven immediately. Allow to cool for a few minutes before trying to cut
3.) BBq Chicken Wrapped in Bacon. I think I have already posted Jimmy's most delicious chicken wrapped in bacon recipe. I kid you not, he won my heart with that mess in college. It is a go-to recipe that I don't mind going to time and time again. Last night, he took it to a whole new level....barbecue sauce!! And instead of wrapping the bacon around chicken breast "tenders," he used whole breast and turned them into more of a roll. Then, while on the grill, he topped them off with a little barbecue sauce. YUM YUM!
BBQ -Chicken and Bacon Rolls
3-4 chicken breasts (he cut these in half "widthwise"? so they would not be very thick and then cut each into about 2-3 pieces)
bacon (the same number of slices as you have pieces of chicken
1 cup of your favorite barbecue sauce
Start the grill to let it be getting ready. Prepare chicken. Salt and pepper each piece. Lay one slice of bacon on cutting board. Put one piece of chicken on top. Roll chicken and bacon into a "pinwheel." Secure with a toothpick. Repeat with remaining chicken and bacon. Brush with barbecue sauce. Cook on grill until chicken is no longer pink, turning once during cooking. This probably took 15-20 minutes total. Brush again with barbecue sauce and allow to cook for 1-2 additional minutes.
This morning, I turned one of these "rolls" into a quesadilla and it was even more delicious than I thought it would be. I simply sliced the chicken and put it on a flour tortilla, added a few small pieces of apple that I we had leftover from breakfast and then topped with cheddar and provolone cheese.
So, there are three super-easy and delicious recipes for you to try. What have you been having for dinner lately? Have you dug up an "oldy, but goody?" Have you gotten creative and changed up something you have made a million times before? Share! We are back to having cube steak for dinner tonight...blah!
