Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Cheesy Leftovers


The title probably doesn't sound very yummy but our lunch today got rave reviews from Gram! I took leftover vegetables and Mac & cheese and warmed them on the stove in a simple cheesy sauce made of butter, milk and cheese. I could have added ham or chicken but didn't have any.
It turned out so ooey, gooey and delicious! And it earned Gram's comment of approval: "I love these one dish meals!"

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Tomato-Topped Chicken & Cheesy Rice


My first recipe isn't actually all in one dish, but it is all in one plate!

The Tomato-Topped Chicken came from a Taste Of Home magazine and used all the ingredients I had on hand. Since I was cooking for my aunt who is gluten-free, I switched out the bread crumbs for crushed cornflakes and added my own seasonings to them. 

Tomato-Topped Chicken:
-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts 
-1 cup Italian dressing 
-8 tomato slices (1/4 inch thick) 
-1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs (I seasoned cornflakes) 
-1/2 teaspoon dried basil 
-2 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese 

Marinate chicken breasts in half of the Italian dressing for 1-2 hours. Put chicken in shallow baking dish; discard marinade. Drizzle other half of Italian dressing over chicken. Bake chicken at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Top each chicken breast with tomato slices, bread crumbs, basil and Parmesan cheese. Cover and bake for 10 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10-15 minutes longer or until chicken is cooked through. Makes 4 servings.


My mom always made Cheesy Rice when I was growing up. I especially love it with her Sloppy Joes! Often she just throws handfuls of shredded cheese into hot cooked rice, this time I made a cheese sauce on the spur of the moment and it came out great! Add more cheese if you like or experiment with different kinds!

Cheesy Rice:
-1 cup uncooked rice 
-1 stick butter -3 slices American cheese 
-1 cup cheddar or monteray jack blend 
-2 or 3 Tablespoons milk 
-salt & pepper or seasoned salt -Dijon mustard (optional)

Cook rice according to package directions. Melt butter in saucepan. Add cheeses and let melt a bit before adding milk. Stir constantly so that cheese and milk won't stick to pan or burn. Add salt & pepper or seasoned salt to taste. I added a teaspoon or two of Dijon mustard because I like the flavor it adds to cheesy dishes (like Mac & cheese!). Pour cheese sauce over cooked rice and stir to combine. Cheesy rice with thicken as it cools a bit.