Creamy Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast

This is like one of those meals you come up with when you open your fridge and all you see is a mealy apple, some carrots, expired milk and 2 slices of lunch meat. Of course, this has none of the above in the ingredient list... But everything in this chicken is so basic, you are guaranteed to make it any time, no matter what the content of your fridge.
I did however, come to make this savory dish when we were first married, in an attempt to replicate Chicken Cordon-Bleu. Obviously this is not that, and that is not this. But I'll take this any day.


Creamy Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
4 Medium Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast, pounded 1/4 in thick
6 oz Cream Cheese, softened
2 Cloves Garlic
1 tsp Italian Seasoning
Black Pepper, to taste
Cajun Seasoning, to taste
1/4 cup Grated Parmesan
Breadcrumbs
Toothpicks

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Pour breadcrumbs in a shallow pie pan.
Pound each chicken breast to about 1/4 in thick using a meat pounder/mallet thing, or the side of a heavy can. Lay in a baking dish.
Mix cream cheese with garlic, seasonings and cheese using a spoon. ( You can use any seasonings you have on hand) Spread the cream cheese on the chicken breast, be generous. At this point you can use those 2 slices of lunch meat from the fridge. :) Lay on the meat, if using.
Roll up the chicken and secure with tooth picks. Roll in breadcrumbs, coat well. Place back in baking dish.
Bake at 375 for about 20 min, or until cooked through. BUT the last 5 min turn on the broiler. Let the edges blacken, and the cheese burn. YUM!

Sweet Pork Smothered Burritos

If you have not had the euphoric experience of eating Cafe Rio's Sweet Pork, I have only one thing to say to you; "Na-Na-Na-Na! Ha!"

It really is amazing. I can only imagine that it must be one of the very few reasons that people live in Utah. Lucky you, you don't have to move to the "Green Jello Capitol of the West" in order to share in this bliss. Thank you, World Wide Web! This pork is great for many reasons. First and foremost, it's delicious flavor. Second, it's versatility. It really can be used in so many dishes.Roll it up in a homemade tortilla, serve it on a bed of leafy greens, or between two toasty buns with melty cheese. I don't care how you eat it, just eat it!
I would love to be able to take credit for this ingenious recipe, but I can't. So, I won't. I will however give credit to my sister R, for sharing it with me though. Thanks!

Sweet Pork Smothered Burritos
Serves: 8-12

Ingredients:
4lb Boston Butt Pork
Rub pork with:
1 tbsp Chili Powder
1 tbsp Dry Mustard
1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1/2 tbsp Garlic Powder
1/2 tbsp Salt
1/2 tbsp Pepper

Directions:
Put in slow cooker and cover pork with:
16 oz Coke
about 1 cup Brown sugar, adjust to taste
1/4 c Worcestershire Sauce, adjust to taste
1/4 Bottle BBQ sauce, adjust to taste
Cover and cook over low heat for about 6-8hrs. Shred with fork and serve burrito style.
For the enchilada sauce, use a small can of El Pato tomato sauce, and warm in a small saucepan. Stir in a 1/4 cup of cream cheese. Stir until melted.

A Sunday Roast

I can't carve a chicken.
I can't carve a turkey.
Or a ham.
It always ends up looking like someone hacked into with a weed wacker! Not appetizing.
Now that I think about it, I can't cut anything!
Brownies always end up uneven.
Cakes and pies? Forget it!
And paper...HA! The 3 year old demons children that I teach at church are more likely to cut a straight line than myself.

 But that's ok! I don't have to show anyone my cutting skills. I can always take a picture of the full bird/beast prior to my hack job. It's better this way. Trust me!

Roasted Chicken
Serves:4

Ingredients:
1 4-5lbs Whole Fryer Chicken
Salt
Pepper
Olive Oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Rinse the chicken thoroughly, inside and out.
Pat dry with paper towels, inside and out.
On a cutting board or clean counter, lay the bird down and salt and pepper generously, inside and out. About a teaspoon of each. Make sure to get all sides seasoned well.
Next, drizzle olive oil over all sides of the chicken, rub and massage the oil in, covering the whole bird.
Roast in the oven for about 70-80 min. Mmmm.

Now, someone please come teach me how to carve!

Italian Stuffed Steak Rolls

Have I ever mentioned how much I love my Crock Pot?
Well, I do. It saves me so much time and energy. Between the Facebooking and the Tweeting and the Blogging, and the 30 handfuls of this, let's face it I need more time on my hands.
Anywhoo...
Slow cookers are a fickle kitchen appliance. I feel like many meals get dried out and tire rubber like. Bleck!
So, I just always add more sauce. I keep a little on the side, too, just in case.
These rolls are really yummy. I really like them because it has all the flavors of an Italian pasta dish, while not compromising the big, juicy masculine meaty steak. Without such, someone in this house would bulk and kick and scream. (Excuse me, Mr. Marine.)  I also love the recipe because if you don't have quite all the ingredients, you can surely improvise.  And in case you needed a third reason, it's made in the Crock Pot, saving me time and energy.

Italian Stuffed Steak Rolls
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:
1/2 c Shredded Carrot
1/3 c Chopped Zucchini
1/3 c Chopped Red or Green Sweet Pepper
1/4 c Sliced Green Onion
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp Fresh Parsley
1 clove Garlic, minced
1/4 tsp Ground Black Pepper
6 Beef Round Steaks, tenderized
2 c Spaghetti Sauce or Marinara

Directions:
In a small bowl, combine carrots, zucchini, sweet pepper, green onion, Parmesan cheese, parsley, garlic and black pepper. Spoon 1/4 c of the veggie filling onto each piece of steak. Roll up steak around the filling and secure with toothpicks.
Place steak rolls in a slow cooker. Pour spaghetti sauce over the steak rolls.
Cover and cook on low heat for 8-10 hours or in high heat for 4-5 hours.
Discard toothpicks and serve sauce with steak rolls.

Cranberry Chipolte Beef

Whoa. This is just so good. I am loving the tang from the cranberries and the heat coming from the chipolte peppers. Make this. This week!


Cranberry Chipolte Beef
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
1 medium Onion, sliced
1 1/2 lbs Beef Chuck Roast
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Black Pepper
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1 16 oz can Whole Cranberry sauce
2 tsp Chipolte peppers in Adobo sauce, finely chopped
2 cups cooked Brown Rice
Fresh Jalapeno peppers, halved (optional)

Directions:
Place onion in a slow cooker. Add beef to cooker. Season with salt, pepper and garlic.
Combine cranberry sauce and chipolte peppers. Pour over all.
Cover and cook over low heat for 6 to 8 hours, or on high heat for 3 to 4 hours.
Serve with cooked rice and garnish with jalapeno peppers.

Spicy Italian Pot Roast

Looking for a juicy, tender pot roast? A pot roast with a kick to it? Look no further! By request of my beloved husband, I created a pot roast that was "spicy." This is perfect for Sunday dinner, especially if you have 2o'clock church like we do. Throw it in at 10:00 in the morning, (it's hard for me to smell meat that early, but we do what we must!) and let it cook, and it's ready by the time you walk in from church!  That is how I do Sunday dinners, at least while I have 2 o'clock church. :) 

Spicy Italian Pot Roast 
Serves:4-5

Ingredients:
1 whole 2.5 Pound, Rump Roast, Timmed Of All Excess Fat 
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil, For Rubbing 
2 pinches Kosher Salt, For Rubbing 
1 dash Black Pepper, For Rubbing 
1 can (14.5 Oz.) Diced Tomatoes, Undrained 
1 can 6 Oz Tomato Paste 
1 clove Garlic, Minced 
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning 
1 Tablespoon Sugar 
1-½ cup Pepperoncini Peppers,chopped, 1/4 Cup Juice 
8 ounces, weight Baby Carrots 
1-½ whole Onion, Sliced Into 1 Inch Slices

Directions:

Begin by rubbing the olive oil all over the roast. Season with salt and pepper on both sides. Brown both sides in a large pot over medium heat. Transfer to slow cooker.
In a medium bowl, combine the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic, Italian seasoning, and sugar. Stir well. Mix in the pepperoncini peppers. Stir in the reserved juice. Set aside.
Place the onion slices and carrots in the slow cooker with the roast. Pour the sauce over the meat and veggies, combine well. Cook over high heat for 1 hour. Then switch to low for remaining 6 hours.
Remove roast from slow cooker, shred meat and serve with carrots and sauce.