Mexican Chicken

Submitted by Angela

2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 (15-ounce) cans black beans (drained)
8 boneless skinless chicken breasts
3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack Cheese (I used reduced fat shredded Mexican cheese)
1/2 cup picante sauce

Mix chili power, garlic powder, and salt and pepper to create seasoning mix. Mix 1/2 of the seasoning mix with black beans in a bowl. Season the chicken with the remaining seasoning mix. Saute the chicken in skillet with olive oil until brown (I just did it for a couple of min on each side). Place chicken in 9x13 glass baking dish, spoon 1 tablespoon of picante saue on each chicken breast. Pour seasoned black beans on top of chicken. Bake at 350 degrees covered with foil, for 35 or 40 minutes or until chicken is cooked. Remove foil, sprinkle with cheese and bake until cheese is bubbly.

I served with a side salad (Southwest ceaser), and the meal was a hit in our household.

Green Chicken Chilaquiles Casserole

Submitted by Angela (from book clubber Renee)

8 chicken breast halves with skin
1 large yellow onion, quartered
8 (7 oz.) cans Herdez Salsa Verde
1 cup sour cream
2 small white onions, thinly sliced (*I leave these out, b/c I don’t like onions)
1 1/4 t. salt
3/4 t. sugar
12 oz. (about 3 c.) grated panela cheese
3 c. grated monterrey jack cheese
1 1/2 c. grated aged white hard cheese (queso anejo or freshly grated parmesan or romano)

18 day old corn tortillas, quartered (they should not be soft, so let them sit out to get stale)
Place chicken and yellow onion in a pot with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer for 15 minutes or until chicken is tender. Let chicken cool in broth. When cool, remove skin and bones and shred or chop the meat into bite size pieces.
In a vey large bowl, combine salsa verde, sour cream, white onions, salt, sugar, and shredded chicken. In a separate bowl, combine the cheeses.

Preheat oven to 350. Butter a large lasagna pan (16x12 approx). Sprinkle a thin layer of the cheese mixture on bottom. Dip each tortilla piece in the chicken mixture then place in the bottom of the pan. When a layer of tortillas covers the pan, top with half the chicken mixture. Sprinkle half the remaining cheese mixture on top. Make another layer of “dipped” tortillas, cover with remaining chicken mixture, and then remaining cheese. Cover tightly with a large baking sheet or nonstick foil. Bake 1 hour until the edges begin to brown. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting and serving. Makes 14-16 servings.

Hamburger Quiche

Submitted by Aunt Bonnie (My Dad's sister)

1 lb hamburger, browned

Mix:
2 eggs
1/2 c mayonnaise
1/2 c milk
2 Tbsp corn starch

Add to liquid mixture
l c cheddar cheese, shredded
1/3 c green pepper . diced
black pepper to taste

Spread hamburger in unbaked deep dish pie shell (9") and cover with liquid mixture. Cook in microwave 15 minutes. ***I'm assuming you could alternatively bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.

Chicken & Rice Casserole (aka magic kid casserole...because they love it!)

Submitted by Kendall

I modified a recipe from a Gooseberry Patch cookbook to come up with something that is so creamy, so yummy, so comfort food and so loved by the kids!! My measurements are less than scientific at this point because you can really just throw it together until it looks right.

1 pkg seasoned Long Grain & Wild Rice - prepared per directions (I like to use Mahatma)

Saute in 2 tablespoon butter:
1 Zucchini
1 Yellow Squash
1/2 cup diced or sliced mushrooms (these are optional for those who aren't fungi fans)
A few dashes of onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste.

2 cups cooked and cubed chicken breast (I usually use about 3 skinless, boneless breasts)
1 can Cream of Mushroom or Chicken soup
1/2 cup Sour Cream
Mix all of the above together and then add enough chicken broth to loosen it up a bit. I think I usually use 1 cup or more. (**this was my mom's idea and it really makes it a lot creamier and not so heavy)

Pour into greased 2 qt casserole dish and bake fro 30 minutes at 350 degrees. This casserole freezes quite welll. I have baked big batches in those alumnium square cake pans, let cool COMPLETELY, cover with saran (pat down and make contact with the whole top to prevent freezer burn) and then alumnium foil for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and then warm it up!

This is not a throw it together quick dinner, the rice alone takes 25 minutes to prepare. So if you are great at multi-tasking and bake the chicken, while the rice is in the micro and you are doing the veggies...it could be ready in about an hour. BUT since my timing in the kitchen rarely goes that smoothly, I like to make it the night before and just reheat for dinner the next night.

My kids will literally eat three helpings of this in a sitting. Be creative with the veggies! I have thrown in peas and corn when I didn't have anything else and a friend has used broccoli. You can make the veggies a bit chunky or chop them finely to help "hide" them.

I recently made this, but didn't have any rice, so I used whole grain pasta and added some shaved parmesan cheese...it was sooooo good!