Easy Chicken Rav-Soup

I'm unable to be standing up doing anything for very long so I've been finding the easiest things to make...Last night was cold so it was a chicken noodle soup night with grilled cheese!  This variation of the delicious soup is SUPER easy and fast and it tastes just like the "real thing".

8 Cups Chicken stock/broth
3/4 C chopped carrots
3/4 C chopped celery
1 or 2 C frozen raviolis (I used the beef ones and it was AWESOME)
1 C diced pre-cooked chicken (I now always keep a bag of frozen cooked chicken strips for simple recipes)
salt and pepper to taste

Boil the stock or broth and add the veggies.  Let veggies simmer in broth for 20 minutes and then add the ravs and chicken continuing to simmer for 5 or 10 more minutes. Serve!

TOLD YOU IT WAS EASY!

Pepper-Honey Cedar Plank Salmon

I just love salmon but I could never make it taste as good as in a restaurant, until now!  Perfect recipe for salmon-lovers!!  FYI: I get my cedar planks online through Amazon and its way cheaper then in the store ;)

Time: 1 hour 45 mins  (includes time for soaking the planks)
Ingredients:

• 2 cedar planks
• 1/4C pineapple juice
• 1/3C soy sauce
• 2 Tbs wite vinegar
• 2 Tbs lemon juice
• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 3/4C honey
• 1/4C packed brown sugar
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• up to 6 fillets of Salmon

1. Soak the cedar planks in warm water for 1 to 2 hours.  Add a splash of bourbon to water if desired. *Note: I put apple cider vinegar in the water and it worked as well.
2. Bring the pineapple juice, soy sauce, vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil and hone to a simmer in saucepan over medium-high heat.  Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir in the sugar, pepper, cayenne, paprika and garlic powder.  Simmer stirring occasionally, until the sauce has reduced to a syrupy consistency (about 15 minutes).
3. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat.  Place the planks on the grate.  They are ready to cook on when they start to smoke and crackle just a little.
4. Season the salmon with a light sprinkling of salt and pepper.  Place the fillets onto the smoking cedar planks, close the lid of the grill and cook for 10 minutes.  Spoon small amounts of the sauce over the salmon fillets and continue cooking until the fish turns opaque in the center.  Serve with remaining sauce. *I spooned the sauce every 2 minutes until it was done...delish!!

*Serve with baked potatoes and veggies!

Mexican Lasagna

Definitely one of my faves!!  Quick and easy does it!

Time: 30 mins
Ingredients:

• 3 Tbs EVOO
• 2lbs chicken breast, either cubed or ground
• 2 Tbs chili powder
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 15oz can black beans, drained
• 1C taco sauce or 14oz can fire roasted tomatoes
• 1C frozen corn kernels
• salt
• 8 spinach flour tortillas
• 2 1/2C shredded Cheddar or shredded pepper jack
• 2 scallions, finely chopped

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Preheat a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add 2 Tbs EVOO.  Add chicken and season with chili powder, cumin and red onion.  Brown the meat, 5 minutes.  Add taco sauce or tomatoes.  Add black beans and corn.  Heat the mixture through, 2 to 3 minutes then season with salt.
3. Coat a shallow baking dish with remaining EVOO.  Cut the tortillas in half or quarters to make them easy to layer with.  Build lasagna in layers of meat and beans, then tortillas, then cheese.  Repeat: meat, tortilla, cheese.  Bake lasagna 12 to 15 minutes until chees is brown an bubbly.  Top with the scallions and serve. *Note: I also served with sour cream and salsa!!

Chicken Cordon Bleu

I was very nervous about making this since it requires a bit of creativity but it turned out absolutely fantastic and James went back for thirds!!  LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this meal!!

Time: 1 hour
Ingredients:

• 6 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
• 6 slices Swiss cheese
• 6 slices ham
• 3 Tbs flour
• 1 tsp paprika (I used a little more...)
• 6 Tbs butter
• 1/2 C dry white wine (I used Sherry cooking wine since I didn't have white wine)
• 1 tsp chicken bouillon granules
• 1 Tbs cornstarch
• 1C heavy whipping cream

1. Pound chicken breasts if they are too thick. *This is where your creativity comes in handy* Place a cheese and ham slice on each breast and fold the edges of the chicken over the filling; secure with toothpicks.  Mix the flour and paprika in a small bowl and coat the chicken pieces.
2. Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook the chicken until browned on all sides.  Add the wine and bouillon.  Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
3. Remove the toothpicks and transfer the breast to a warm platter.  Blend the cornstarch with the cream in a small bowl and whisk slowly into the skillet.  Cook, stirring until thickened and pour over the chicken.

*Mashed potatoes and mixed veggies make for good sides!!

Meatball Nirvana

Very delicious!  Word to the wise, to make it easier to eat make sure the meatballs are smaller...I looked like a 2 year old who just ate spaghetti after all was said and done!!

Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:

• 1lb ground beef
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 onion, diced
• 1/2 tsp garlic salt
• 1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 3/4 tsp oregano
• 3/4 tsp red pepper flakes (I used more to give it more spicy-ness)
• hot pepper sauce, to taste
• 1 1/2 Tbs Worcestershire
• 1/3C milk
• 1/4C Parmesan cheese
• 1/2C bread crumbs

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place beef in a mixing brown and season with salt, onion, garlic salt, Italian seasoning, oregano, red pepper flakes, hot pepper sauce and Worcestershire; mix well.
3. Add the milk, Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs; mix until evenly blended, then form into meatballs and place on baking sheet.
4. Bake in preheated oven for about 20 to 25 minutes.  Hint: Turn meatballs halfway through so they don't stick to the pan.
5. Serve in hoagie rolls; add warm pasta sauce if you would like.

*Mixed veggies make an excellent side!

Italian Sausage Soup with Tortellini

Perfect for our Poker night!  Fed 7 people and there was still some leftovers...

Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Ingredients:

• 1lb Italian sausage (ground works the best so you don't have to bother with the casings)
• 1C chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 5C beef broth
• 1/2C Water
• 1/2C red wine
• 4 large tomatoes - chopped
• 1C sliced carrots
• 1/2 Tbs basil leaves
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 8oz can of tomato sauce
• 1 sliced zucchini
• 8oz tortellini pasta
• 3 Tbs chopped parsley

1. In a 5 quart Dutch oven, brown sausage.  drain but reserve the drippings.
2. Saute onions and garlic in drippings.  Stir in beef broth, water, wine, tomatoes, carrots, basil, oregano, tomato sauce and sausage.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.
3. Stir in zucchini and parsley.  Simmer covered for 30 minutes.  Add tortellini during the last 10 minutes.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese on top of each serving.

Spaghetti Casserole

I didn't think that this would be good, but it turned out to be great!!  So easy...

Spaghetti Casserole
Time: 45 mins

Ingredients:

• 1-8oz cheese whiz
• 1/2 C milk
• 7oz spaghetti, break into thirds, cook and drain
• 2 Tbs butter
• 10oz cooked broccoli
• 1 C chopped chicken or turkey (I used chicken and I actually used about 3 chicken breasts chopped up)
• 1-4oz can mushrooms, drained
• 2 Tbs chopped pimento (didn't use this...)
• salt and sage to taste

1. Combine cheese and milk, mix.  Toss spaghetti with butter.  Combine all ingredients and mix well.  Spoon into a 2qt casserole.  Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 mins.  Stir well before serving.

*Sides: Mashed potatoes and peas.

Slow Cooker Cheesy Tortellini

This one wasn't my favorite way to prepare torellini...I think I might just stick to the old fashioned way next time!!  Kids would love this one I think...

Slow Cooker Cheesy Tortellini
Time: 8 hours

Ingredients:

• 1lb ground sausage or beef
• 16oz of favorite pasta red sauce 
• 1-4.5oz can sliced mushrooms
• 1-4.5oz can Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1-9oz package cheese tortellini
• 1 C shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 C shredded Cheddar cheese

1. Crumble the meat into a large skillet.  Cook over medium-high heat until browned, drain.
2. Combine the ground meat, pasta sauce, mushrooms and tomatoes in a slow cooker.  Cover and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours.
3. Stir in the tortellini and sprinkle the mozzarella and cheddar cheese over the top.  Cover and cook for 15 more minutes on low or until the tortellini is tender.

*Sides: A salad or any frozen veggie

Chicken Casserole

I wasn't a fan...James liked it though! My problem was that it tasted pretty bland...

Ingredients:

• 1 roll of Ritz Crackers
• 4 Tbs butter
• 1-8oz tub sour cream
• 1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 package shredded Cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large pot, boil the chicken until cooked all the way through.  
3. While the chicken is boiling, in a medium bowl, combine the sour cream and soup.  Mix thoroughly.  Put the mixture in the bottom of a small casserole dish.
4. After the chicken is done, cut into bite-size pieces.  Then place on top of the sour cream and chicken soup mixture.  Add shredded cheddar cheese on top of the chicken.
5. Crush the Ritz crackers and dot the butter over the top.  Cover and bake in the oven for 25-30 mins.

*Sides: Rice (just plain) and green beans (I used frozen to keep it cheap but obviously fresh is delish)

Slow Cookin' Stroganoff

Very easy and tasted wonderful (even over cooked...6 hour cooking time vs. 8 hour work day, go figure).

Slow Cookin' Stroganoff
Time: 6 hours

Ingredients:

• 2 cans cream of mushroom soup
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 envelope dry onion soup mix
• 1 C sour cream
• 1/2 C warm water
• 2 lbs lean beef stew meat
• parsley, to taste
• egg noodles or rice
• mushrooms, optional and to taste

1. In a slow cooker, mix first 5 ingredients until blended well.  Toss in raw stew meat making sure all of the meat is coated quite well.  Set slow cooker on LOW for 6 hours.  Toss in egg noodles and mushrooms and allow to cook for another 10-15 mins or until noodles are tender.  Garnish w/ parsley.

*Side: Frozen Mixed Veggies, cooked of course ;)

Spicy Chile Casserole

This was some excellent Tex-Mex!  Loved it and the leftovers were plentiful...

Spicy Chile Casserole

Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbs veggie oil
• 1 C chopped onion
• 3 Tbs flour
• 1 C chicken broth
• 1 1/2 C milk
• 1-4oz can diced green chilies
• 1-10 oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 1/2 C cubed, cooked chicken meat
• 1 pkg tortillas, cut into strips (I only ended up using about 5)
• 1-8oz pkg shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

1. In a medium sauce pan, cook onion in oil over medium heat until soft.  Stir in flour.  Add broth and milk; cook, stirring constantly, until thickened.  Stir in chilies and tomatoes.
2. Coat a 9x13 pan w/ nonstick spray.  Place 1 C sauce in bottom of pan.  Layer half the chicken, half the tortilla strips and 1 1/4 C sauce.  Repeat w/ remaining ingredients.  Top casserole with shredded cheese.
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.

Fiesta Cheese Rice

Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3 C uncooked instant rice
• 3 C water
• 1-10oz can diced tomatoes w/ green chilies, undrained
• 1 Tbs chicken bouillon granules
• 3/4 C sour cream
• 1 1/2 C shredded Cheddar cheese, divided

1. In a bowl, combine the rice water, tomatoes and bouillon; mix well.  Pour into a greased 2-qt microwave-safe dish.  
2. Cover and microwave on high for 10 mins.  Stir in sour cream and 1/2 C of cheese; mix well.  Sprinkle w/ the remaining cheese.
3. Cover and microwave for 1 minute or until cheese is melted.

Lime-Honey Glazed Chicken

I messed this up when I was making it...too much going on that night but it still came out tasting delicious!!

Lime-Honey Glazed Chicken
Time: 3 1/2 hours

Ingredients:

• 6 Tbs honey
• 6 Tbs soy sauce
• 2 tsp grated lime zest (I omitted this...)
• 6 Tbs lime juice
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper
• 8 pieces of chicken (skinless, bone-in or boneless, breasts or thighs)

1. Mix honey, soy sauce, lime zest, lime juice and crushed red pepper in a large bowl.  Add chicken; stir to coat.  Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
2. About 20 mins before you are ready to grill, preheat the grill to medium (oven 400 degrees).
3. If cooking in the oven, bake for 20 minutes; if grilling, turn off one side of the burners and place chicken over the non-burning side close cover and roast for 25 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, place the marinade in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and boil until reduced by about half and thickened to a glaze (8-10 mins).
5. If in oven, coat the chicken with the glaze and continue to back another 10 minutes or until center is no longer pink; if on grill, rotate the chicken to other spots on the unheated portion of the grill to ensure even cooking and lightly brush with some of the glaze.  Cover and continue roasting, basting once more about halfway through cooking (10-20 mins).

*Sides: Potatoes and a pasta

Tijuana Torta

Turned out really good!  This is super easy and really yummy!  Surprisingly it holds up well as leftovers too!

Tijuana Torta
Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1-15oz can black or pinto beans, rinsed
• 3 Tbs salsa (or more to taste)
• 1 Tbs chopped jalapeño (I used the jar of sliced and did no additional cutting)
• 1 ripe avocado
• 2 Tbs minced onion
• 1 Tbs lime juice
• baguette
• 1 1/3 C shredded green cabbage
• shredded cheese of your liking

1. Mash beans, salsa, jalapeño and cumin in a small bowl.  
2. Mash avocado, onion and lime juice in another small bowl.
3. Cut baguette into preferred lengths for sandwich.  Split each piece in half horizontally and pull out most of the soft bread from the center so you're left with mostly crust.
4. Divide the bean paste, avocado mixture and cabbage evenly among the sandwiches.  Sprinkle with cheese and serve!

*Sides: Spanish Rice (from the box, lol) and corn

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.