Chicken Enchiladas Supreme, Beans and Carrots

Enchilada Prep: Follow instructions below...don't forget to add the salt since I didn't include it. Make guacamole with avocados.

2 cups cooked, chopped chicken or turkey meat (about 3 breasts)

1 4-oz can chopped, mild green chiles

1 7-oz can green chile salsa

1/2 tsp. salt

2 cups heavy cream

8-12 corn tortillas

1 1/2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese

oil for frying tortillas

Combine chicken, green chiles, and salsa. Mix salt and heavy cream in a medium-sized bowl. Heat about 1/2 inch oil in a small skillet. Dip each tortilla into hot oil for about 5 seconds, just to soften. Drain on paper towel. Dip each fried tortilla into bowl of cream, coating each side. Fill each tortilla with chicken mixture. Roll and place in ungreased flat baking dish. Pour remaining cream over enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese. Bake uncovered 350 for 20-25 minutes.

Oven Tri-Tip, Corn, and Mini Potato Gratins

**You will want to prep the potatoes first as they need to go in oven first.

OVEN TRI-TIP

1. Preheat oven to 400

2. Sear both sides of tri-tip, fat side first, approx. 5 min per side

3. Place meat, fat side up on a rack set on a foil-lined baking sheet

4. Bake in oven until internal temp is 125 degrees (about 20-30 minutes)

5. When meat reaches 125, take out, wrap in foil, and let rest for 10 minutes.

6. Slice against the grain and serve.

CORN ON THE COB

1. Place ears in pot and cover with water

2. Bring to rolling boil.

3. Turn off heat and let corn sit in hot water for 4-5 minutes, then serve.

MINI POTATO GRATINS

1. Spray muffin tins with PAM

2. Peel and slice potatoes THINLY

3. Layer in each muffin cup: potato slice, cheese, onion, potato slice, cheese, onion.

4. Season with salt and pepper

5. Top each gratin with 1-2 T of heavy cream

6. Cover with foil and bake for 30-40 minutes, removing foil half-way through cooking time.

7. Invert gratins onto plate and serve.

Roasted Chicken, Salad, and Potato Salad

Prep: Soften butter. Add spices from bag, garlic, and your own salt and pepper to your preference. Rinse chicken under cold water and remove giblets from the cavity. Use paper towel to pat dry. Apply butter spread and bake as noted below.

1 Whole Chicken (4-5 lb)

1 stick butter, softened

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried rosemary

sea salt

black pepper

1 lemon halved (optional)

Heat oven to 350. Push fingers between skin and meat on breast. Mix garlic, basil, oregano, rosemary, sea salt, black pepper and butter. Put butter spread between skin and breast, between legs and body and in cavity. Put lemon in cavity. Salt and pepper skin. Place in a roasting pan (over a rack if you have one), breast side down. Bake 60-90 minutes until juices run clear. In the last 20 minutes or so, flip the chicken over (use tongs inserted in the cavity) to brown the breast.

Chef's salad with homemade parmesan ranch

Prep: Peel and slice hard boiled eggs. Cut up avocado. Rinse and slice cucumber. Rinse tomatoes. Bake cheese biscuits (thanks, Betsy, for the good idea!).

Chef's salad

Ham- 1/4 inch slab cut into pieces

Turkey- 1/4 inch slab cut into pieces

Cheddar cheese- 1/4 inch slab cut into pieces

Jack cheese- 1/4 inch slab cut into pieces

Lettuce

Tomatoes

Cucumbers

Carrots

Avocado

Bacon

Hard boiled eggs

Croutons

Toss vegetables together. I serve by putting out bowls of meats and cheeses for everyone to top their own salad.

Parmesan Ranch salad dressing

1 1/4 c. mayo

1 c. sour cream

1/2 c. buttermilk

2/3 c. milk

1 Tbsp garlic salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese

3 Tbsp white wine vinegar

Blend all ingredients in blender. Shake before each use. Keeps 1 month. Makes 1 quart.

Grilled flank steak and parmesan potatoes

Prep: Thaw the steak and cover with marinade. See remaining instructions in recipe below. Serve with potatoes (see recipe below) and steamed green beans.

Grilled flank steak (modified from Colorado Cache Cookbook)

juice of 1 lemon (about 1/4 c.)

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup dry red wine

3 Tbsp vegetable (or olive) oil

2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 large clove garlic, sliced or smashed

pepper to taste

chopped green onions

dill weed

celery seed

1 1/2 pounds flank steak, trimmed of fat

Mix all ingredients in a pan and marinate steak for 2-12 hours in refrigerator, turning occasionally. Grill on medium heat (or broil) for about 5 minutes each side for rare meat. Slice on the diagonal across the grain and serve.

Parmesan potatoes

6 Tbsp butter, melted

3 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese

1-3 lb potatoes (petite to medium, red or gold), washed and cut in half

Heat oven to 400. Pour butter in 9x13 pan. Sprinkle cheese over butter. Place potatoes with cut side down over cheese. Bake uncovered until tender (about 25 minutes for petite, 45 minutes for medium-sized). *The amounts here and cooking times are very loose. I just fill up the pan with a nice layer of cheese and then fit in as many potato halves as I can. They should turn out fine as long as you keep an eye on them. Potatoes are done when you can easily slide a fork in and out, and the cheese should get golden brown.

Chicken Pot Pie

This is Pioneer Woman's Chicken Pot Pie...modified with potatoes instead of peas. :)

I'm giving you strawberries as a side. This is a really filling meal so I thought just some fruit would be good. If you really want to be fancy, squirt some whipped cream on the top of your strawberries. Enjoy!

Instructions for meal swap...

-Preheat oven to 400 degrees

-Peel and chop potato into small cubes

-Melt butter in large pot or dutch oven over medium heat

-Add onion, carrots, celery and potato and saute for about 3 minutes

-Add chicken and stir to combine

-Sprinkle flour over the top and stir to combine. Cook for a couple minutes, stirring gently.

-Pour in chicken broth, and bouillon cube and stir and simmer until a gravy has formed

-Pour in cream and stir.

-Simmer on low heat for about 4 minutes

-Add thyme, salt, and pepper. Taste and add more salt if necessary.

-Pour mixture into a deep pie pan

-Roll out crust so it is 1 inch larger than pan

-Place on top, and press gently into the sides of the dish to seal. Cut small slits in the top.

-Bake for 30 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving. I usually put a baking sheet on the rack below in case it bubbles over.

Chicken Salad in Melon Rings and Bran Muffins

Chicken Salad

3 Tbsp lemon juice

4 c. cut up cooked chicken

1/3 c. chopped onion (or onion powder to taste)

1 c. sliced celery (about 3 stalks)

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/3 c. mayo

1 c. seedless green grapes, halved

1/4 c. diced roasted almonds

1 small can pineapple pieces, drained

cantaloupe or honeydew melon

In medium bowl, pour lemon juice over chicken. Add celery, onion, salt, pepper, almonds, mayo, grapes and pineapple. Toss, cover, and chill. Slice melon into rings and scoop out seeds. To serve, place each ring on a bed of greens. Spoon chicken mixture into the center of each ring.

Ready Bake Bran Muffins

3 c. whole bran cereal (ie. All-Bran or Trader Joe's High Fiber Cereal)

1 c. boiling water

2 eggs, slightly beaten

2 c. buttermilk

1/2 c. vegetable oil

1 c. raisins

2 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 c. sugar

2 1/2 c. unsifted flour

In large bowl, mix bran cereal with water. Stir to moisten evenly and set aside until cool. Then add eggs, buttermilk, oil and fruit. Blend well. In separate bowl stir together soda, salt, sugar and flour. Stir into bran mixture. Bake muffins now, or refrigerate in tightly covered container for up to 2 weeks, baking at your convenience. Stir batter evenly to distribute fruit before using. Spoon batter into greased muffin pan, filling 2/3 to 3/4 full. Bake in 425 over for 15-20 minutes, or until tops spring back when touched. Serve hot. Makes about 2 dozen.