An Unconventional Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup

I like to refer to this as the gourmet version of grilled cheese and tomato soup...I actually do not like tomato soup but this recipe I enjoyed!

Grilled Chicken and Apple Sandwich

Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 12 oz can chicken meat, drained
• 1/2 C mayo
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 1/2 C grated swiss cheese (shredded works too)
• 2 stalks celery
• 1 apple, finely chopped
• 1/2 C grated carrot
• bread w/ butter

1. In a small bowl, combine chicken, mayo, lemon juice, cheese, celery, apple and carrot.
2. Butter one side of each slice of bread and make sandwiches with the chicken mixture.
3. Place sandwiches on griddle over medium heat and cook each side until browned to your liking.

Tomato and Cabbage Bisque

Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 C shredded cabbage
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1/4 C tomato sauce
• 2 (10oz) cans tomato soup
• 1/2 C heavy cream
• 3/4 C milk
• 2/3 C shredded Parmesan cheese (I used grated...)

1. In a saucepan, saute cabbage, onion and garlic in olive oil and butter until tender.
2. Add remaining ingredients, stirring well.  Cook until hot but don't boil.
3. Sprinkle with cheese and serve.

Ranch "Meatloaf"

Made this without specifying the meat that was used for the meatloaf....After he devoured it and stated that it was delicious, I divulged the truth!

Ranch "Meatloaf"

Time: 80 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 eggs, beaten
• 3/4 C tortilla chip crumbs (I actually added about 1/2 C to this b/c the loaf was a bit soggy)
• 2 Tbsp salsa
• 2 Tbsp ranch dressing
• chili powder, to taste
• cumin, to taste
• 1 lb ground chicken (I actually used pork and you probably could substitute turkey as well)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl, mix together eggs, tortilla chips, salsa, salad dressing, chili powder and cumin.  Add meat and mix gently but thoroughly.  Shape into a loaf and place on a slotted baking pan or broiler pan.
2. Bake for 1 hour or until internal temp registers 175 degrees.
3. Cover with foil and let stand for 10 minutes.  Slice and serve with sour cream and salsa.

Sour Cream Potatoes

Time: 4 hours

Ingredients

• 10 oz can condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 8 oz container sour cream
• 1 1/2 C shredded Cojack cheese (I used red pepper cheese...any cheese will work here though)
• 32 oz pkg frozen cubed hash brown potatoes

1. Spray 4-6 quart slow cooker with cooking spray.  Comine soup, sour cream and cheese in medium bowl and mix well.
2. Pour half of potatoes into crockpot.  Top with half of the sour cream mixture.  Top with rest of potatoes, then remaining sour cream mixture.  Spread evenly.
3. Cover and cook on high for 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours.

Alpine Meatballs

Great meal! Easy too!  Made for excellent leftovers the next day...

Alpine Meatballs

Time: 70 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 1/2 C shredded swiss cheese, divided
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 C finely chopped onion
• 1/4 C chopped celery leaves (I didn't add this...)
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp allspice
• 1 C cooked rice
• 10 oz can condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 3/4 C milk
• garlic, to taste
• 1/2 C grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 C cooked rice

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl, combine beef, 1/2 C Swiss cheese, egg, onion, celery leaves, nutmeg, allspice and 1 C cooked rice and mix gently.
2. Form into 1" meatballs and pplace on a large baking pan.  Bake for 20-30 minutes until browned.
3. Combine 1 C Swiss chees with soup, milk, garlic, Parmesan cheese and 2 C cooked rice in large bowl.  Add cooked meatballs and mix gently.  Pour into 3 quart baking dish.
4. Bake at 325 degrees for 40-45 minutes until sauce bubbles around the edges.

Pecan Mandarin Orange Green Salad

Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients
2 Tbsp white wine vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar...)
3 Tbsp honey
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp celery salt
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 C olive oil
3/4 C pecan halves
1/4 C sugar
1 head red leaf lettuce, torn into pieces
15 oz can mandarin oranges, drained
1 C chopped celery

1. To make dressing, combine vinegar, honey, dry mustard, celery salt, paprika and olive oil in a small screw-top jar and shake vigorously.
2. Combine pecans and sugar in medium saucepan over medium heat.  Cook and stir until sugar is melted and pecans are coated.  Place on parchment paper separating nuts and let cool completely.
3. When ready to serve, combine lettuce, oranges, pecans and celery.  Drizzle with dressing, toss and serve.

Tortellini with Peas and Parmesan

Fast, easy, cheap and yummy!  I was tired of the chicken noodle soup while being sick so I just wanted something easy since I wasn't feeling 100%...turned out great!

Tortellini w/ Peas and Parmesan

Time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

• 2 - 7oz boxes of tortellini (you can use ravioli as well)
• 2 C frozen peas
• butter
• 1/2 C Parmesan cheese

1. Cook totellini (or ravioli) as directed on box.
2. Place peas in colander.  When the tortellini is cooked, pour over the peas and then return to pot.
3. Add butter and stir over low heat until melted and pasta is coated.
4. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.

Nectarine Coleslaw

Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 C creamy deli coleslaw (or homemade if your feeling frisky)
• 2 nectarines, peaches or mangoes, chopped
• 1/2 C honey roasted peanuts OR chopped salted cashews

1. Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and toss gently to blend.

Ahead of the Curve....

Just found this article on msnbc.msn.com.  I just wanted to share!!

updated 11/4/2010 10:13:15 AM ETnt:

Grocery shopping takes a big bite out of most budgets. The average family of four spends nearly $6,000 a year at the supermarket. But you don’t have to. It’s easier to trim your grocery bill than to cut back on most other household expenses. Here’s how:

Have a plan Make a list before you leave home. Use the supermarket flyer from your mailbox or the store’s website to take advantage of weekly sales. But read it carefully. Don’t assume that every featured product is on sale. Manufacturers might have paid for placement.

Pace your purchases Get with the program
You usually have to sign up for a club card to get advertised sale prices. The programs are free, and some entitle you to extra members-only specials. A&P cardholders, for example, recently got 10 to 15 percent off their total bill of $100 or more, up to $30 savings on a $200 tab. At Price Chopper and Giant Food Stores, you can earn points toward discounted gas at the stores’ pumps and Shell gas stations.

You rarely have to pay full price for the staples you buy again and again. Products go on sale at predictable intervals that are easy to figure out if you read your store’s flyer every week. For example, if you prefer Tropicana orange juice, you’ll notice it’s on sale every few weeks. So buy it during those times and save.

Buy store brands Most supermarkets offer their own private-label brands, which cost around 25 percent less than comparable big-name brands. We found that savings can be more than 50 percent. And private brands are no longer limited to canned fruit, frozen veggies, and paper towels. Stores are now putting their own names on cold cuts, baked goods, and fancy sauces. In our latest tests, most store-brand products scored as well as or better than their national counterparts.

Clip and click coupons
Save coupons for products you buy often. Savings will add up quickly if you redeem manufacturer and store coupons at the same time, a practice known as “stacking.” You can find coupons in weekly newspaper inserts, at the store, and increasingly on retailer websites. Go to sites like Coupons.com and CoolSavings.com to search for discounts. You’ll have to register to download and print coupons, which will generate loads of spam. So you might want to set up a separate e-mail account just for coupons.

And don’t be lured into buying more than you want by “three for a dollar” sales. In most cases, you don’t have to buy the suggested quantity to get the discount.

Shop smarter Stores use a variety of tactics to coax you into spending more. For example, shelves are often stocked with the priciest items at eye level. So check high and low for better deals. Be aware that products on aisle ends aren’t always on sale. Sometimes these “end caps” display new items at full price or stuff that’s about to expire. Check unit prices—the price per ounce, per quart, or per 100 sheets — to make sure you buy the most economical size. Larger packages aren’t always cheaper.

Additional information appears in Consumer Reports magazine and online atwww.ConsumerReports.org.

© 2010 Consumers Union of United States, Inc. All rights reserved. No redistribution allowed. Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertiser on this site.

Sirloin Steak and Corn Salad

Here's my attempt at eating light before bed while still satisfying the man of the house's MANLY hunger!  Too be honest, not exceptionally filling but for salad fans, this is a winner!  And, I even was able to take it as leftovers to work the next day.

Steak Salad

Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 lb boneless sirloin steak
• Vinaigrette Italian salad dressing (marinade to taste)
• 2 C frozen corn, thawed and drained
• 1/2 C sliced green onions
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 C cherry tomatoes, cut in fourths or halves depending on what you like
• 1 C sliced mushrooms
• 1 C cubed cheese of your choice (Can possibly attempt shredded if cubed is disliked)
• Creamy Italian salad dressing to taste
• bag of mixed salad greens

1. Marinate steak with vinaigrette salad dressing for at least 15 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, combine everything except salad greens and steak.
3. Prepare the steak to your liking (grilling/frying/baking...) and slice thinly.
4. Combine the salad greens and corn mixture, place on serving bowls and top with the steak.

Soft Garlicky Breadsticks

Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 8 oz pkg refrigerated dinner roll dogh
• 1/4 C melted butter OR one lightly beaten egg white
• garlic salt
• Parmesan cheese

1. Roll out breadsticks (approx. 4 inches long) and place on a greased cookie sheet.
2. Brush lightly w/ butter or egg white.
3. Sprinkle with the garlic salt and Parmesan to your liking.
4. Bake at 350 degrees until slightly browned, about 10-15 minutes.

Sensational Six-Layer Dinner

Great meal...James was a huge fan of the main dish but not the side because he said he doesn't like cold foods but I thought the side was pretty unique and yummy!  I've added in my comments/suggestions that I will incorporate next time so that it will be perfect!

Sensational Six-Layer Dinner

Time:1 hour

Ingredients:

• 2-3 medium sliced potatoes (less is more...)
• 2 C sliced carrots
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 C sliced onion (I used more b/c I LOVE onions)
• 1 lb browned & drained ground beef (next time I'm using 2lbs or halving the rest of the recipe)
• 1.5 C green beans (I used frozen)
• 1 can favorite cream soup (I'll use two next time and pre-mix it with the beef and green beans)

1. Lightly oil or spray baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Layer ingredients in order given.  Cover.
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until tender.
4. Uncover and bake for 15 more minutes.

Bean Salad

Time: Overnight refrigeration (or make in the morning to serve at night)

Ingredients:

• 1 (15oz) can kidney beans
• 1 (15oz) can garbanzo beans
• 1 (15oz) can wax beans
• 1 (15oz) can cut green beans
• 1 C diced celery
• 1 C diced green pepper
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 C sugar
• 1/4 C oil
• 1/4 C vinegar

1. Combine all ingredients and stir gently.  Refrigerate for at least a couple hours before serving, overnight is the best.

Spicy Thai Chicken

Winner, winner chicken dinner!  This was delish.  We didn't even eat it the night I made it, we had it for lunch and dinner the next day.  It was really yummy!

Spicy Thai Chicken

Time: 6 hours

Ingredients:

• 1 (16oz) bottle Asian-style sesame dressing
• 1 Tbs Thai chili paste (or more to taste)
• 1 Tbs ginger garlic paste
• 2 Tbs peanut butter
• 6 pieces chicken

1. Stir together all of the ingredients and place into a slow cooker.
2. Set the cooker on low and cook 4-6 hours until tender.  *I used frozen chicken and cooked for 8 hours (my workday, hehe).

Ramen Noodle Salad

Time: 8 or more hours
*I made this the night before so it would be good and chilled.

Ingredients:

• 4 (3oz) packages chicken flavored ramen noodles
• 1 C diced celery
• 1 (8oz) can water chestnuts, drained and sliced
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 1/2 green bell pepper, diced
• 4 oz frozen green peas
• 1 C mayo

1. Break noodles and cook as directed on package.  Drain and rinse noodles under cold water.
2. In a large bowl, combine the noodles, celery, water chestnuts, red onion, bell pepper and peas.
3. Prepare the dressing by whisking together the mayo and ramen noodle seasoning mix.  Pour over noodle mixture and toss until well coated.  Refrigerate until chilled and serve (overnight is best).