Chicken Stew with Sausage and Beans

Printable Recipe

Chicken Stew with Sausage and Beans
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 lb chicken breast
12 oz cooked andouille sausage, sliced
1 lb carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 stalks celery, diced
1 onion, diced
2 cans white beans (15 oz), rinsed and drained
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp garlic salt

Heat oil in a large pot. Season chicken with salt and pepper to taste and add to pot. Cook chicken until cooked through, about 5-6 minutes on each side. Remove to a plate, let rest for 10 minutes and then cut into small pieces.

Add sausage to the pot and cook until browned; remove. Add carrots, celery, and onion to the pot and cook until tender, about 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Add sausage, chicken, and beans to the pot.

In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and stir for 1 minutes. Slowly add chicken broth. Bring to a boil and stir for about 5 minutes and then transfer to the pot. Stir in salt, pepper, and garlic salt. Simmer until ready to serve.

Serves 6-8

Recipe adapted from Picky Palate

Creamy Chicken Ala King

Printable Recipe

Creamy Chicken Ala King
2 Tbsp butter
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 1/2 cup milk
1 1/4 cup hot water
1 1/2 tsp chicken bouillon
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 cup frozen peas, rinsed in a strainer
hot rice

Melt butter in a large skillet. Add mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in flour, salt, and pepper. Cook over low heat for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in milk, hot water, and chicken bouillon. Increase heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly until sauce thickens. Stir in chicken and peas and heat through. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve over hot cooked rice.

Serves 6

Bacon Jalapeno Deviled Eggs

I have always loved deviled eggs. Adding bacon and jalapeño takes it over the top! They're not spicy with the jalapeños, it just gives it some extra flavor and crunch. These eggs are so delicious! Definitely a favorite!

Printable Recipe

Bacon Jalapeno Deviled Eggs
12 large eggs, hard boiled and peeled
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 tsp rice vinegar
3/4 tsp ground mustard
1/2 tsp sugar
2 jalapenos, seeded and diced
6 pieces of bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
paprika

Slice hard boiled eggs in half lengthwise. Remove yolks, place in a mixing bowl and mash. Add mayonnaise, rice vinegar, ground mustard, and sugar to yolks. Stir until combined. Mix in jalapenos and bacon. Place mixture in a large ziploc bag. Cut a small hole in the corner of the bag. Fill each egg with the mixture. Sprinkle with paprika. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Recipe from Real Housemoms

Barbie Birthday Party

Last weekend I threw a Barbie birthday party for my 6 year old. It was a simple party but so much fun! I actually did the same party for my older daughter 3 years ago so this time it was just a repeat. So that made it super easy!

 We served cupcakes, fresh fruit, and Nail Polish Bites.

 

The Nail Polish Bites were definitely a favorite of all the girls. They were super easy. It was just marshmallows dipped in colored chocolate with a tootsie roll on top. 

The girls were all turned into Barbies by getting their hair and nails done. 

Then I took a picture of each of them in the Barbie box. The Barbie box was pretty easy to make but a little time consuming. That's why I saved it and used it 3 years later! 

To make the box, I used a large box (the box our tv came in) and cut out a hole in the center. I wrapped it with pink wrapping paper and used black & white polka dotted wrapping paper for the inside background. I printed some Barbie logos that I found online and glued them to the box. Super simple! I'm kind of craft challenged so if I can make this anyone can!

While the girls were waiting to get their hair and nails done, they either played outside (I'm so glad the weather was nice) or they colored Barbie pictures. I just googled Barbie coloring sheets and I found a ton of pictures for them to color.

It was such a fun, simple party. The girls had a blast!

Nail Polish Bites

This weekend I threw a Barbie birthday party for my 6 year old. They girls got their hair and nails done and then I took a picture of each of them in a life size Barbie box. It was so much fun! I made nail polish bites for one of their treats. They turned out so cute. Don't they look like real bottles of nail polish? They were so easy to make and I thought they turned out adorable!

Printable Recipe

Nail Polish Bites
1 bag of large marshmallows
colored white chocolate (I used Wilton Candy Melts)
tootsie rolls

Melt colored white chocolate in the microwave at 30 second intervals until melted, stirring in between. Using two forks, dip each marshmallow into the white chocolate until fully coated, letting the excess chocolate drip off. Place on parchment paper. Immediately set a tootsie roll on the top of the marshmallow. Let set completely.

Chicken Pot Pie Crumble

My kids love chicken pot pie. I think they would eat it every single day if they could. This has the same great flavor of a chicken pot pie but it was just a little different. I loved the ratio of crumble to pot pie. It's definitely not fat free but maybe that's why it tasted so good.

Printable Recipe

Chicken Pot Pie Crumble

Chicken and Sauce:
1 1/2 lbs chicken breasts
2 cups chicken broth
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup onion, diced
1 cup carrots, sliced
1/2 cup celery, chopped
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 cup frozen peas

Crumble Topping:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsps baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
6 Tbsp butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes and chilled
3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 cup half & half

Place the chicken and broth in a large pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook until just done, about 10-12 minutes. Transfer chicken to a bowl. Pour the broth through a fine-mesh strainer into a liquid measuring cup and reserve. Return the pot to the stovetop.

While the chicken cooks, preheat oven to 400. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Sprinkle butter pieces on top of flour. Using your fingers or a pasty cutter, rub the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles course crumbs. Stir in the parmesan cheese. Add the half & half until just combined. Crumble the mixture into irregular shaped pieces onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake until fragrant and it starts to brown, about 15 minutes, tossing halfway through. Set aside.

For the filling, heat olive oil in the now-empty pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender, about 5-8 minutes. While veggies are cooking, shred the chicken into bite size pieces. Transfer the veggies to the bowl with the shredded chicken; set aside.

Over medium heat, melt the butter in the empty pot. Stir in the flour and cook one minute, stirring constantly. Slowly whisk in the reserved chicken broth and milk. Bring to a simmer and stir occasionally until sauce thickens. Add 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Remove from heat and stir the chicken, vegetables, and peas into the sauce.

Pour into a 9x13 baking dish. Scatter the crumble topping evenly over the filling. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Serves 6-8

Recipe adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

BBQ Meatballs

There is just something so wonderful about meatballs and mashed potatoes. It is the ultimate comfort food. So yummy!

Printable Recipe

BBQ Meatballs

Meatballs:

1 1/2 lb ground beef

3/4 cup quick oats

1 cup milk

3 Tbsp minced onion

1 1/2 tsp salt

ground black pepper, to taste

1 cup all-purpose flour

canola oil

Sauce:

1 cup ketchup

2 Tbsp sugar

3 Tbsp vinegar

2 Tbsp worcestershire sauce

4 Tbsp minced onion

1 dash of tabasco sauce

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine meatball ingredients and mix well. Roll into 1-2 inch balls and place on a cookie sheet. Place in the freezer for 5 minutes. Remove from freezer. Dredge meatballs in flour. Heat oil in a large skillet. Brown meatballs in hot oil until just browned. Place in a 9x13 baking dish.

Combine ingredients for sauce. Pour over meatballs. Bake for 45 minutes.

Serves 6

Recipe adapted from Pioneer Woman