Healthy Flavored Water

1/4 Watermelon

1 Large Cucumber

1 Tangerine (or Orange)

10-12 Fresh Mint Leaves

Slice all fruit and add to water container, fill with water, let sit 24 hours before drinking, serve over ice.

Loaded Baked Potato and Chicken Casserole

Ingredients:

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

5 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1/4 cup olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper

1 tablespoon paprika

5 small cloves garlic, crushed

Topping:

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

5 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled

1/2 cup diced green onions or chives

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°.

In a medium bowl mix together the olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic and paprika.

Add the cut potatoes to this mixture, stir to coat. 

Grease 8x8 baking dish with butter and add potatoes. When scooping the potatoes into the baking dish, leave behind any extra mixture.  Add cut up chicken to remaining mixture and let marinade until potatoes are cooked. 

Roast the potatoes for 45 minutes, stirring every 10-15 minutes until the potatoes are tender.

Remove pan from oven, add the chicken on top of the potatoes, cover chicken with the shredded cheese, sprinkle the bacon on top of the cheese. 

Bake at 400° for 25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the topping is bubbly. 

Serve with hot sauce, ranch dressing or sour cream. 

Serves 4

Ham & Potato Soup

1 large ham bone

5 cups of hot water

Cook ham bone in hot water on low for 3 hours. Remove ham bone making sure to scrape off any meat left on the bone and put back in the ham broth, set aside.

7-8 medium/large potatoes, peeled and diced into 1" cubes

1 large onion, diced

3-4 large carrots, chopped

2 cups of ham diced

1 cup heavy cream (or milk)

1 cup sour cream

salt and pepper to taste

4-5 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Add diced potatoes, onion, carrots, and ham to ham broth. Cook on medium heat until potatoes and carrots are done. 

Add milk and sour cream and cook until heated through.  If you would like a thicker soup remove about 2 cups of the cooked potatoes, mash and return to the soup.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Pour soup into a bowl, top with shredded cheddar cheese and bacon bits, serve hot. 

Hawaiian Roll Ham & Swiss Sandwiches

1 - 12 pack of King's Hawaiian Original Rolls

1 lb deli ham, shaved

1 lb swiss cheese, thinly sliced

1 stick butter

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard (I used garlic herb mustard and it was very good)

1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

3 teaspoons of poppy seeds

1/4 large onion, finely chopped

Heat oven to 350°. 

In small saucepan melt butter, mix in mustard, Worcestershire sauce, onion, and poppy seeds. Simmer for several minutes (until onion is cooked).

Cut the entire pack of rolls in half, horizontally (keeping top and bottom halves in tact). 

Grease a cookie sheet (bottom only), place the bottom half of rolls on the cookie sheet and spread 1/3 of the onion mixture over the bottom of the rolls.  Layer the ham and swiss cheese in 3 layers of each or until used up. Paint the remaining onion mixture on the underside of the top half of rolls. Place top half of rolls on the ham and cheese.   Cover with foil and bake for 20-25 minutes.  Separate into individual sandwiches and serve. 

Cheesy Chicken Spinach Pasta Bake

2 lbs chicken, chopped into bite size pieces

6 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 small onion, chopped

8 large mushroom caps cut into pieces

1 package frozen chopped spinach, thawed

3/4 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup white wine
1 egg, beaten
1 cup romano cheese, shredded
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
1 box rigatoni pasta, cooked

In large skillet cook chicken, garlic, onion and mushrooms until chicken is done. Add the thawed (or fresh) spinach and cook.

Add heavy cream, sour cream and white wine, mix well and heat it up. Turn heat down and add beaten egg, stirring constantly.  Now add the romano and mozzarella cheeses and stir until cheese is melted and blended in. Turn heat off.

Pour the cooked pasta into a large 9x12 baking pan. Pour the chicken spinach sauce over the pasta, stirring to be sure all the pasta is coated with the sauce.  Top with the parmesan cheese and bake at 350° for 20-30 minutes.

Stuffed Butternut Squash

2 medium butternut squash, cut in half and deseeded 

5 medium cloves of garlic, crushed

1/2 medium purple onion, chopped

2 medium zucchini, chopped

1 pkg frozen chopped spinach (or fresh spinach)

2 small tomatoes, chopped

8 large mushrooms, chopped

1 lb ground chicken or turkey

Preheat oven to 350°. 

Put pat of butter on cookie sheet for each 1/2 butternut squash, season each area with salt and pepper, then place butternut squash half face down on the butter, salt and pepper.  Bake for 45 minutes. 

Stuffing:

Put 3 tbsp butter and a bit of olive oil in a large skillet, add garlic, onion, zucchini, spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms and ground chicken or turkey. Cook until meat is cooked thoroughly and veggies are tender. 

Place squash on plate, stuff bulb with stuffing mixture. Serve with 1/3 cup wild rice. Approximately 350 calories for each serving.

Serves 4

Baked Crispy Cheddar Chicken

2 lbs chicken thighs (with skin or without), about 5 pieces

1 sleeve Ritz Crackers, crushed

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 cup whole milk

2 cups cheddar cheese, grated

1 tsp dried parsley

Sauce:

1 10 ounce can cream of chicken soup

2 tablespoons sour cream

2 tablespoons butter

Pour the milk, cheese and cracker crumbs into 3 separate small dishes. Toss the salt and pepper into the cracker crumbs and stir the mixture around to combine. Dip each piece of chicken into the milk, then the cheese. Press the cheese into the chicken with your fingers. Then press the cheesy coated chicken into the cracker crumbs. 

Grease a 9x13 pan with butter. Lay the chicken inside the pan. Sprinkle the dried parsley over the chicken. Cover the pan with foil and bake at 400° for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.

In a small sauce pan combine the cream of chicken soup, sour cream and butter. Stir over medium heat until the sauce is blended and hot. Serve over the chicken.