Chicken Cordon Bleu Skillet

 Chicken Cordon Bleu is one of my favorites so I was excited to try this recipe.  This meal is very easy to prepare and tastes delicious.  Start by cooking some egg noodles.  In a skillet, add some butter and cook up your diced chicken.  I added  some mushrooms to the chicken.   I then added the remaining ingredients and mixed well.  When the cheese was melted and the chicken no longer pink, I added the noodles, stirred, heated through and served.

It was a hit.  The family enjoyed the meal and it was easy to prepare.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Skillet
From Taste of Home Adapted by From My Southwest Kitchen


Ingredients:
8 ounces uncooked medium egg noodles (about 5 cups)
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in 1-inch pieces
3/4 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon butter
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1/2 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
1/2 cup cubed fully cooked ham
1/4 white wine
Fresh parsley for garnish

Directions:
1. Cook noodles according to package directions; drain.
Meanwhile, sprinkle chicken with pepper.
2. In a large cast-iron or other heavy skillet, heat butter over medium-high heat; saute chicken just for about 2 minutes and then stir in the mushrooms.  Cook for another 2 -3 minutes.
3.  Stir in soup, cheese, ham and wine; cook, covered, over medium heat until cheese is melted and chicken is no longer pink, 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in noodles and warm through. Sprinkle with parsley.

Makes 4 servings

Happy Easter

Homemade Bread

 Sometimes when I go to the store they are out of bread. I decided to try making some home made bread.  I found a very easy to follow recipe to bake bread on the Taste of Home website.  This is a basic white bread that is perfect for sandwiches, toast, or just eating it with some jam.

Basic Homemade Bread
From Taste of Home

Ingredients:
1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
2-1/4  cups warm water (110 degrees to 115 degrees)
3 tablespoons sugar plus 1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoon canola oil
6-1/4 to 6-3/4 cups bread flour
2 tablespoons melted butter

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and 1/2 teaspoon sugar in warm water; let stand until bubbles form on surface.  Whisk together remaining 3 tablespoon sugar, salt, and 3 cups flour.  Stir oil into yeast mixture; pour into flour mixture and beat until smooth.  Stir in enough remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, to form a soft dough.
2. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 8-10 minutes.  Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top.Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, 1-1/2 to 2 hours.
3. Punch dough down.  Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide dough in half.  Shape each into a loaf.  Place in 2 greased 9x5-inch loaf pans.  Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, 1 to 1-1/2 hours.
4. Bake at 375 degrees until golden brown and bread sounds hollow when tapped or has reached an internal temperature of 200 degrees, 30-35 minutes.  Remove from pans to wire racks too cool.  Brush tops with melted butter.

Makes 2 loaves

Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs

With Easter coming this week, a lot of us will be hard boiling eggs.  I tried making hard boiled eggs in my Instant Pot and I will never go back to the old way again.

The recipe I used was from Taste of Home magazine which used the 5-5-5 method.  Five minutes pressure cook, five minutes release and five minutes to cool.  The eggs came out perfect.  Never has hard boiling eggs been easier.

Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs
From Taste of Home

Special Equipment:
Instant Pot
Steamer Basket or Trivet

Ingredients:
1 cup water
Eggs

Directions:
1. Pour water in Instant Pot. Place steamer basket  or trivet on top of water. Carefully place eggs on top of trivet or basket.
2.Secure the lid. Set the pressure release to Sealing.
3.Select Manual setting and set the cooking time to 5 minutes at High Pressure.
4.While cooking, prepare an ice bath.
5.When cooking is complete, let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes. Then, move the pressure release to Venting to release all remaining steam.
6.Open the pot and transfer the eggs to the ice bath to cool for 5 minutes. Peel when ready to eat or use.

Quick Green Chicken Chili

This chili is fantastic and so easy to make.  You use many ready made products like rotisserie chicken, green salsa, and canned cannelloni beans.  Put all of the ingredients in a pot, stir and cook.  That is it.  Dinner is ready and it tastes as if you spent hours preparing it.

I love this recipe.  It tastes wonderful and has a nice light spicy flavor to it. Leftovers taste better the next day.  The family also loved this chili.  It is a keeper.



Quick Green Chicken Chili
From Cook's Country

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion chopped fine
3/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
4 cups chicken broth
2 (15-ounce) cans cannelloni beans, rinsed
1 cup jarred green salsa
1 (2 1/2-pound) rotisserie chicken, skin and bones discarded, meat shredded into bit-size pieces (3 cups)
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:
1. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering.  Add onion, pepper, and salt and cook until softened, about 4 minutes.  Stir in garlic and cumin and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
2. Increase heat to medium-high.  Stir in broth, beans and salsa and bring to boil.  Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until flavors have melded, about 10 minutes.
3. Using  the back of  a wooden spoon, mash some beans against side of pot until chili is slightly thickened. Stir in chicken and cilantro and cook until warmed through, about 2 minutes.  Serve.

Serves 4

Skiillet Baked Ziti

Wondering what to make for dinner tonight.  Why not try Skillet Baked Ziti. This is a very tasty dish that is easy to prepare and maybe a future family favorite.  I like this dish because it is all cooked in one pan and it comes together nicely. It also tastes great the next day - if you have any leftovers.


Skillet Baked Ziti
From Our Best Bites Adapted Slightly by From My Southwest Kitchen

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 medium cloves of garlic minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt
3 cups water
12 Ounces (about 3 3/4 cups) ziti or penne pasta

1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup torn fresh bail leaves or 1 tablespoon dried basil added to the crushed tomatoes
Black pepper
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Diretions:
1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position.  Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F.
2. Heat a 12-inch or larger oven-safe skillet on medium high heat and add the olive oil.  Brown the ground beef.   Drain the beef of excess fat.
3. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes to the ground beef.  Cook until fragrant.  Stir in the tomatoes and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
4. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently for about 10 minutes stirring occasionally.
5. Stir in the water and add the pasta.  Cover and increase the heat to medium-high.  Stir often and cook until the pasta is tender about 15-20 minutes.
6. Stir in the cream, Parmesan cheese, and the basil if using fresh. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over the top.
7. Place the skillet in the oven and bake until the cheese has melted and is a nice golden brown about 10-15 minutes.
8. Remove from oven and serve.

Makes 4-6 servings

Instant Pot Swiss Steak

A traditional meal cooked in my favorite kitchen appliance -INSTANT POT.  I was never a big fan of Swiss Steak but I thought I would try any way.  I am glad I did.  I have a new favorite family meal.

This is an easy dish to prepare.  You start by seasoning the beef with some salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and oregano.  Brown the meat in the Instant Pot and then set aside.  Add some onions, carrots, celery, and garlic to the pot and sauce.  Pour in some tomatoes and mix with the other ingredients.  Place the beef on top of the mixture and sprinkle mushrooms on top.  Place the lid on the   pot and seal.   Cook for 30 minutes and release pressure.  If the sauce is too thin, boil for about 20 minutes and serve.

Serve with rice, potatoes, or noodles.   Enjoy.


Instant Pot Swiss Steak
From Savory Tooth Slightly Modified From My Southwest Kitchen

Ingredients:
2 pounds beef eye of round, bottom round, or top round
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup diced onions
1/2 cups diced carrots
1/2 cup diced celery
1 (14.5-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
8 ounces mushrooms
3 cloves garlic minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Dry Seasonings:
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon dried oregano

Directions:
1. Trim the beef of any excess fat and cut into  slices about 1/2 inch thick.  Pat dry with paper towels. In a small bowl, combine all dry seasonings and stir to mix well.  Add sliced beef and all seasonings to a resealable bag.  Toss until the beef is well-coated.
2. Select the sauce mode on the Instant Pot.  Add olive oil and coat the bottom of the pot.  Add beef in a single layer and brown each side.  Transfer the beef to a plate.
3. Add onions, carrots, celery, and garlic to the pot.  Cook for a few minutes until slightly soft.  Turn off sauce mode.
4. Add the crushed tomatoes and Worcestershire sauce.  Stir together until well-mixed.  Place beef onto of the mixture.  Evenly distribute the mushrooms over the beef.
5. Secure and seal the lid.  Using the manual setting cook for 30 minutes on high pressure.  Follow by a 10 minute natural release followed by a manual release of pressure.
6. Remove the lid and transfer the beef to a plate and cover with foil.  Turn the Instant Pot to sauce mode and boil the sauce for about 20 minutes or until  desired thickness.
7. Place steak on a place and pour sauce over.

Serves 4