Perry's Chicken Divan

You will need...

3 cups cooked chicken

1/2 box fettucini noodles cooked

1 box frozen/fresh broccoli cooked

6 strips bacon cooked; break into small pieces

1 jar alfredo sauce

18 oz. bag of American cheese

Directions

Cook everything separate. Layer a casserole dish starting with half the noodles.

Add half the chicken, broccoli and bacon pieces. Pour about half the alfredo sauce over dish and sprinkle with half the cheese. Layer again starting from the beginning. Put a cover on the dish and cook for about 30 minutes (or until hot) at 350 degrees.

Enjoy! ~Perry

Perry's Steak & Cheese

You will need...

Steak Ums steak (meat chopped)
onion
provolone cheese
lettuce
mayo
fresh french bread

Directions

Cook steak (according to package) only a couple minutes. Cook onion separate, once cooked add the two together. Fill your roll with steak and onion mixture. Put 1 slice of provolone cheese on top of steak mixture and cook in toaster oven for 2 minutes. Add mayo, lettuce, whatever else you want!!

Enjoy! ~Perry

Lisa's Pesto Chicken Rolls

Ingredients:
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 cup pesto sauce
4 thick deli slices of mozzarella cheese
Olive Oil
Italian Seasoning

Directions
1.) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2.) Pound each chicken breast half to 1/4 inch thickness
3.) Spread Olive Oil on chicken breast halves then lightly cover in Italian seasoning.
4.) Spread 2-3 tablespoons of pesto sauce on each flattened chicken breast. Place a whole slice of cheese over pesto sauce. Roll up chicken wrap and secure tightly with toothpicks.
5.) Place rolls in a lightly greased baking dish and cook uncovered for 30 minutes.

Enjoy! ~Lisa

Sarah's BBQ Chicken Salad

After a long day at work, I sometimes don’t want to take the time to cook dinner. So I have a few staple items at hand that I know I can whip up very quickly. This one is particular is very easy, healthy and delicious. Great thing about this recipe is that you can add whatever amount of ingredients you want.

Ingredients:

1 bag Lettuce (any type)

1 can pinto beans

1 can sweet corn

1 cup Feta cheese

1 tablespoon EVOO

1 tablespoon minced garlic

ChickenBBQ sauce

Directions: Add EVOO and garlic to a pan over medium heat. Wash and cut chicken into small 1 inch cubes and add too heated pan. While cooking the chicken, add the lettuce, beans, corn and feta into a large bowl. Mix well. When the chicken is just about finished cooking, reduce the heat just a tad and add the BBQ sauce. Continue cooking for another 5 minutes. Add BBQ chicken to the salad and enjoy. ~Sarah

Leanne's Chipotle & Rosemary Roasted Nuts

Drew and I love making these roasted nuts! They are the perfect blend of spicy, salty and sweet. They are a delicious snack, appetizer or gift and smell AMAZING when they are roasting in the oven. Roasting nuts bring out the most flavor and you will not be disappointed with this tasty batch. We found this recipe out of Ina Garten's Cook Book- How Easy is That, along with many other fabulous recipes. ~Leanne

You will need:
Vegetable oil
3 cups whole roasted unsalted cashews (14 ounces)
2 cups whole walnut halves (7 ounces)
2 cups whole pecan halves (7 ounces)
1/2 cup whole almonds (3 ounces)
1⁄3 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
2 teaspoons ground chipotle powder
4 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary leaves, divided
Kosher salt

-Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
-Brush a sheet pan generously with vegetable oil. (but not too much or they will not be crunchy!!)
-Combine the cashews, walnuts, pecans, almonds, 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, the maple syrup, brown sugar, orange juice, and chipotle powder on the sheet pan. Toss to coat the nuts evenly. Add 2 tablespoons of the rosemary and 2 teaspoons of salt and toss again.
-Spread the nuts in one layer. Roast the nuts for 25 minutes, stirring twice with a large metal spatula, until the nuts are glazed and golden brown.
-Remove from the oven and sprinkle with 2 more teaspoons of salt and the remaining 2 tablespoons of rosemary.Toss well and set aside at room temperature, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking as they cool. Taste for seasoning.
-Serve warm or cool completely and store in airtight containers at room temperature.
*Chipotle chile powder is different from ordinary chili powder— it’s ground dried smoked jalapeños and has a distinctive hot, smoky, sweet flavor.

ENJOY!

Wings

I went over to my parents house this weekend for the Redskins game and my mom made these wings! They were tasty. Send me your Sunday favorites. Enjoy. ~Ali

Directions: Wash and dry wings. Next, spray pan. Season both sides moderately with seasonal, garlic powder and lemon pepper. Place wings on baking sheet. Bake 425 degrees for an hour or until golden brown. Flip halfway through.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Every now and again I try to bake...sometimes it works out and others it does not. I tend to stick with cooking. I decided to go with the classic chocolate chip cookie a few nights ago because I have made them multiple times. I was in a very brave mood and added a cup of trail mix to the second portion of the batter. They turned out to be a hit.

You will need...

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Directions
1. PREHEAT oven to 375° F.

2. COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

3. BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Enjoy! Happy Friday :)

Classic Hummus

I have always wanted to make fresh hummus! I never realized how much cheaper it would be to make my own. All you need is a can of chickpeas, a lemon and some common spices. Enjoy! ~Ali

You will need...
1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
Garnishes such as chopped green onions, chopped olives and chopped tomato (optional)

Directions
1. Drain chickpeas, reserving 1/4 cup of the liquid. Place chickpeas, garlic, lemon juice, cumin, red pepper and salt in food processor; cover. Process until smooth, scraping down sides as necessary. Add reserved liquid; process until smooth.
2. Spoon hummus into serving bowl. Drizzle with olive oil. Garnish with toppings as desired. Serve with pita chips or warm pita wedges. Store hummus in airtight container in refrigerator up to 2 days.

Chicken Parmesan

I love Fall recipes! They warm you up and fill you up. If you have a Fall recipe you would like to share please email me. Here is the recipe I use for Chicken Parm. I think I finally have it down after a few years of practice.

You will need...

1/4 cup bread crumbs ( I use Italian bread crumbs)

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 pound thinly sliced boneless skinless chicken breast halves

3 tablespoons EVOO, divided

1 cup marinara sauce or spaghetti sauce

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning and garlic powder on plate. Moisten chicken lightly with water. Coat evenly with bread crumb mixture.

2. Heat 2 tablespoons of EVOO in skillet on medium heat. Cook half of the chicken pieces 3-4 minutes per side or until golden brown. Transfer chicken to foil-lined baking pan. Repeat with remaining chicken. Add 1 tablespoon oil if needed. Spoon sauce evenly over chicken. Sprinkle with mozzarella.

3. Bake 10-15 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted.

Enjoy!

Kelly's Salsa de Mayo

Ingredients:
6-7 tomatillos, husked and washed
1/4 c. onion, roughly chopped
1 jalapeno pepper (seeds removed if you prefer it less spicy)
1 clove of garlic
1/2 c. cilantro
lime juice (as much or little as you prefer)
pinch of salt

Directions
1.Boil water - add tomatillos. Boil for about 8 minutes or until they aren't bright green anymore.
2.Drain and transfer to a bowl filled with ice water (I just stuck the pot under cold water and let it run until the temperature went down)
3.Put the cool tomatillos and everything else into a food processor (I used the magic bullet) and pulse until it's the consistency you want.

*Sidenote: I took the seeds out of the jalapeno and next time I make it I will probably keep them in, or at least 1/2 of them in... I think I would add a little more lime next time - I used 2 little limes this time.

Party Pizza

Let football season begin!

You will need...

1 (12-inch) pizza crusts
1 1/4 cup cheese
1 cup thinly sliced vegetables, such as red bell peppers, mushrooms and zucchini.
1 tablespoon EVOO
1 teaspoon italian seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions

1. Place pizza crust on baking sheet.
2. Toss vegetables, 1/2 cup of cheese, oil, italian seasoning and garlic powder in a bowl. Spread mixture evenly over crust. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top of the pizza.
3. Bake in 450 degrees oven 8-10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Enjoy! ~Ali

Chili

I was so cold yesterday at work and I could only think of one thing to go home to...CHILI! I was tired because it was my first day back at work (oh the life of a teacher) and I just wanted to curl up on my couch and watch a movie. I decided to make my easy-version of chili and save the big time chili for football season. Enjoy!

You will need...
1 pkg. McCormick® Chili Seasoning
Mix 1 lb. lean ground beef or turkey
2 cans (8 oz. each) tomato sauce OR 1 can (14 ½ oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (15 to 16 oz.) kidney or pinto beans, undrained
Assorted Toppings: Shredded Cheese, Chopped Onions or Sour Cream

Directions
1. Brown meat in large skillet on medium-high heat. Drain fat.
2. Stir in Seasoning Mix, tomato sauce and beans. Bring to boil; cover.
3. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve with toppings, if desired.

Newport-A Hidden Treasure

We went to a wedding this weekend in Newport, RI. I have been to the island two times before but I have never taken the time to explore my surroundings. We saw lots of boats, water, mansions and sunsets on our trip. The picture above is from a place called The Landing in Bowen's Wharf. We grabbed a couple of drinks at the outdoor bar and people watched.

If you are looking for a place to eat brunch...walk over to the Gas Lamp Grille. The french toast was delicious! It had been dipped in granola and covered with strawberry and blueberry bliss!

This was by far my favorite meal on our trip! If you like BBQ and sweet potato fries, make sure to check out Smoke House. Best BBQ sandwich I have ever had.

Next time I make my way up to Newport I will make sure to take a mansion tour or sailing trip! There is so much to do in this town...a weekend is simply not enough.

Fettuccine Alfredo

You will need...

1 package McCormick sauce mix (or make your own)
1 cup milk
3 tbsp. butter
4 oz. fettuccine or other pasta, cooked and drained
peas
bacon

Directions
1. Mix gradually sauce mix and milk in saucepan until well blended. Add butter.
2. Stirring frequently, cook on medium heat until sauce comes to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 2 minute, stirring occasionally. Serve over pasta.

Extra-Add bacon and/or peas