Chicken, Mushrooms and Parmesan with Orzo

I have to admit... I've been feeling like a bit of a blog stalker lately! :)  I find that I get hooked on different sites and end up making recipe after recipe suggested by that blogger.  Don't worry-- I rotate around and will likely come to yours, next!  That's my fair warning!  Lately, I have been making quite a few recipes from Pam's site, For the Love of Cooking.  I was so excited to find this on a new site, Macaroni and Cheesecake, and was thrilled that I would break up my harassment of Pam in the meantime!  I had to laugh when I started  to read the post only to find that it was another of Pam's recipes.  I guess I haven't broken my pattern after all!  I do have to thank Macaroni and Cheesecake for bringing this one to my attention.  I'm not sure how I missed it and it might be one of my new favorites! 

(As a side note... this dish reheats really well making it a perfect choice for the meal sharing plan.)

Chicken, Mushrooms, and Parmesan with Orzo

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup yellow onions, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
8 ounces button mushrooms, sliced
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
1/4 pound of orzo, cooked per instructions (I actually used closer to a 1/2 pound)
2-3 chicken bouillon cubes
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Cook the orzo according to the box directions.  Add the chicken bouillon cubes to the water while cooking.  Drain the orzo thoroughly.  Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add chopped onion, mushrooms, and thyme.  Sauté for 5 minutes or until the onion is tender. Add the chicken, sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Sauté 7-8 minutes or until chicken is golden brown and cooked through. Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Remove skillet from the heat then add the cooked orzo, Parmesan and parsley to the chicken mixture and toss.  I served this with a garnish of freshly grated Parmesan and additional parsley.

Source: Macaroni and Cheesecake, originally posted on For the Love of Cooking

Skillet Chili Mac with Corn and Green Chiles

This dish, from Donna's blog, immediately gained my attention as a great option for our 'meal sharing' plan.  I'm officially dedicating this post to Christy's daughter, Megan, who excitedly named this one "Homemade Hamburger Helper!"  :)  This was a great recipe for busy families for several reasons: it's inexpensive, it's all made in one skillet-- so much less to clean up, and it comes together incredibly quickly!  I will note that if you are making it for kids, you might want to consider decreasing the amount of green chiles you use.  I left mine out completely and it still had a nice kick as a result of the chili powder.  Thanks, Donna, for another great one!

Skillet Chili Mac with Corn and Green Chiles

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 pound ground beef
1 onion, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
½ teaspoon salt
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon brown sugar
16 oz. can tomato sauce
2 cups water
8 ounces (2 cups) elbow macaroni
1 cup frozen corn
1 4.5-oz can chopped green chiles
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
2 cups shredded cheese (I used a mexican cheese blend)

Heat the oil in a 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef, onion, chili powder, cumin and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook the ground beef until it is no longer pink, draining off any grease. Stir in garlic and brown sugar and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomato sauce, water, and macaroni. Cover and cook, stirring often and keeping the heat at a steady simmer, until the macaroni is tender, about 12–15 minutes.  Stir in 1 cup of the cheese, frozen corn, green chiles and cilantro and sprinkle remaining 1 cup of cheese over the top. Cover and let sit off the heat until the cheese melts, about 2 minutes.

Source: Donna at My Tasty Treasures

Sour Cream Pork Chops

This is another meal that worked well for our new 'meal sharing' plan!  It was actually the main course that I prepared to go with the rice casserole that I recently posted.  I was able to brown these chops the night before and get everything ready to go so that I could pop them in the slow cooker before leaving for work and could come home to a hot, home-cooked dinner.  They cook all day on low, but like any other meat in a slow cooker, they can easily dry out... so make sure that you don't skimp on the liquid.  This is definitely a dish I will make again.  They were tender and had a nice, rich flavor.  Best of all, they passed the 'kid test'!

Sour Cream Pork Chops
6 pork chops
salt and pepper, to taste
garlic powder, to taste
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 large onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 cubes chicken bouillon
2 cups boiling water
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream  

Season pork chops with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and then dredge in 1/2 cup flour. In a skillet over medium heat, lightly brown chops in a small amount of oil.  Place chops in slow cooker, and top with onion slices. Dissolve bouillon cubes in boiling water and pour over chops. Cover, and cook on low 7 to 8 hours.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.  After the chops have cooked, transfer chops to the oven to keep warm. Be careful, the chops are so tender they will fall apart. In a small bowl, blend 2 tablespoons flour with the sour cream; mix into meat juices. Turn slow cooker to high for 15 to 30 minutes, or until sauce is slightly thickened. Serve sauce over pork chops.

Source: Allrecipes.com

Rice Casserole and a New Idea!

My mother has raved about this recipe for years, but I didn't actually get a chance to try it until my sister made it for me last year.  Shortly after my daughter was born, my sister made us a wonderful meal of lemon chicken and served it with this rice casserole.  The flavors in this casserole define comfort food.  The best thing about it is that it reheats beautifully-- so you can definitely make a big batch of it and then you'll have plenty to enjoy through the week. 

Recently, my friend Christy and I started a 'meal sharing' plan.  We found that we were both rushing each evening to attempt to prepare a meal for our families, and decided that it made much more sense to share the work-- and the rewards! :)  We each prepare a dinner to share two nights a week-- picking the nights that fit best into our families schedule.  She takes Mondays and Wednesdays and I take Tuesdays and Thursdays, then we each do our own weekend meals.  By creating meals to share in this way, we are saving money and are able to enjoy the precious evening time with our kiddos before they fall asleep.  It's also a great way to try some favorites from each of our recipe collections.  This rice was a perfect side dish for my 'share meal' last night.   I was able to prep and cook it the night before and all Christy had to do was reheat it for her family.  Watch our blogs for other great meal share ideas coming up!  We highly recommend trying a meal swap of your own!  Partner up and enjoy your newly found time!      

Rice Casserole
1 1/2 sticks margarine or butter
1/2 pound very thin egg noodles
2 cans condensed onion soup
2 cans condensed chicken broth
1 cup water
2 cups minute rice
1 can water chestnuts, sliced and drained

In a large skillet, brown the raw noodles in butter.  Stir frequently.  Add the remaining ingredients.  Bake in a covered 3 quart casserole for 1 1/4 hours at 350 degrees.