Dinner Recipes for- November 5-11, 2012

Pizza-Stuffed Chicken Breast

From: Schwan's

Serves 6

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Salt and Pepper

¼ cup Italian Style bread crumbs (find a quick recipe for it here)

Filling

1 cup shredded pizza cheese blend (or ½ cup shredded mozzarella and ½ cup shredded cheddar, parmesan , or Romano cheese)

1 cup pepperoni slices

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Place chicken in a plastic bag or between two layers of plastic wrap. Pound to flatten to 3/8 inches thick OR butterfly chicken breast to make thinner. Put aside.
   
2. Mix Cheese(s) and Italian seasoning in a small bowl.
   
3. Divide filling ingredients in center of each chicken. Put cheese first, pepperoni on top.
   
4. Wrap chicken around filling. Secure with toothpicks, put stuffed chicken in a baking dish.
   
5. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Lightly spray with cooking spray or brush with oil. Sprinkle chicken with breadcrumbs.
   
6. Bake 25-30 minutes, or until cooked through.
   

 

Mashed Potato Cakes

From: Schwan's

Serves 4

2 cups cooked mashed potatoes(homemade, or from a box)

2 TBS. vegetable oil

2 TBS. butter

½ cup flour

1 tsp. granulated garlic

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Divide mashed potatoes into 8 portions and form patties.
   
2. Heat oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
   
3. Mix together remaining dry ingredients. Place on a large plate.
   
4. Coat patties in dry mixture. Place into skillet and cook 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.
   
5. Turn over and cook 5-7 minutes or until golden brown.
   
6. Optional- serve with a dollop of sour cream, bacon crumbles, and chives.
   

 

Meat and Veggies Calzone

Okay, I'll admit. I have no idea of what normally comes inside a calzone. I've never had a "real calzone" before. I made this last week on the grill while our power was out. My original intention was pizza, but I was afraid I was going to burn the bottom(since I've never grilled a pizza before), so I quickly folded it and this is the end result. If it's not a "real calzone", then I'm just going to call it a huge hot pocket, so I don't offend any potential calzone lovers. J

You can also mix and match whatever sounds good or you have available.

Serves 8

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks

1-2 TBS. oil

Monterey Chicken Seasoning, to taste

10 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled

2 cups shredded cheese( I used mozzarella and cheddar)

1 cup spinach leaves, sliced

1 tomato, chopped

1 recipe Multi-purpose dough (found here)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

1. Mix chicken cubes, oil, and Monterey chicken seasoning. Cook in a skillet over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes, or until cooked through. Put aside to cool.
   
2. Once chicken in cooled, mix with bacon, cheese, spinach, and tomatoes.
   
3. After multi-purpose dough is done rising, divide into two dough balls. Roll out each dough ball to form a large circle(almost like you're making a pizza).
   
4. On one half of dough, put chicken mixture. Fold and seal closed to form a half circle. Repeat the same process with second piece of dough.
   
5. Put on a baking sheet, bake 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven, allow to cool a few minutes.
   
6. Slice each calzone to 4 pieces, enjoy!
   

 

Taco Seasoning Mix

My family loves tacos, but since starting the process of better eating, I've noticed with pre-packaged taco seasoning, I get terrible heartburn. No matter how little or what brand I used, the result was always the same. We started to cut down on our taco eating, but then I bought the Fix-It and Forget It Diabetic Cookbook for my dad when he found out he had diabetes. When he passed due to other health issues a year later, my stepmother gave me back the cookbook, saying she had no need for it. I found this recipe, tried it, and we haven't bought pre-packaged taco seasoning since. It doesn't leave a funky aftertaste in your mouth, and I have yet to get heartburn from it.

Found at- Fix-It and Forget it Diabetic Cookbook

Makes- 3 servings(equivalent to using 3 packets of the store-bought stuff)

6 tsp. chili powder

5 tsp. paprika

4 ½ tsp. cumin

3 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. garlic powder

2/3 TBS. dry cornstarch

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in bowl. Put in a small Tupperware or ziplock container. Make sure to label it!
   
2. One-third of mix(or, about 7 tsp.) is equivalent to 1 package of purchased taco seasoning mix. To use for cooking, mix 7 tsp. of taco seasoning mix with ¾ cup water and cook until thickened(about 5-10 minutes), and mix with meat of choice.