Just married...dinner help?!
Just married...dinner help?
I just got married, and am not the best cook. not terrible, but not great. we eat a lot of chicken, and haha my husband is rather picky: everything has to be very moist and flavorful..... so please, any simple but tasty dinner ideas?
Answers:
Congratulations on your new marriage and life together. This is the best way to ensure perfectly juicy chicken breasts every time...Using thawed boneless, skinless chicken breasts marinate them in whatever marinade you like...Italian dressing is good and so are Lawry's 30-Minute marinades. Preheat the oven to 350 and place the chicken on a foil lined baking sheet. (Make sure to spray the foil lined pan with cooking spray first.) Bake for 27 minutes. I promise you it'll be tender and juicy EVERY time! I do it almost everyday.
Here are some really good and EASY recipes that me and my husband LOVE...
STOVE TOP? One-Dish Chicken Bake
1-2/3 cups hot water
1 pkg. (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Chicken
1-1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 can (10-3/4 oz.) condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/3 cup BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream
PREHEAT oven to 400°F. Add hot water to stuffing mix; stir just until moistened. Set aside.
PLACE chicken in 13x9-inch baking dish or 2-quart casserole. Mix soup and sour cream; pour over chicken. Top with prepared stuffing.
BAKE 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
Jazz It Up
Prepare as directed, topping chicken with 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables before covering with soup mixture. (I always use chopped frozen broccoli...about 1 1/2 cups...it's so yummy!!)
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Simply Lasagna
1 lb. ground beef
2-1/2 cups KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese, divided
1 container (15 oz.) POLLY-O Natural Part Skim Ricotta Cheese
1/2 cup KRAFT 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese, divided
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 jar (26 oz.) spaghetti sauce
1 cup water
12 lasagna noodles, uncooked
PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Brown meat in large skillet on medium-high heat. Meanwhile, mix 1-1/4 cups of the mozzarella cheese, the ricotta cheese, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese, the parsley and egg until well blended; set aside. Drain meat; return to skillet. Stir in spaghetti sauce. Pour water into empty sauce jar; cover and shake well. Add to skillet; stir until well blended. (You should have about 5 cups sauce.)
SPREAD 1 cup of the meat sauce onto bottom of 13x9-inch baking dish; top with layers of 3 lasagna noodles, 1/3 of the ricotta cheese mixture and 1 cup of the meat sauce. Repeat layers two more times. Top with remaining 3 noodles and the remaining sauce. Sprinkle with remaining 1-1/4 cups mozzarella cheese and remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Cover tightly with greased foil.
BAKE 45 min. Remove foil; continue baking 15 min. or until center is heated through (160°F). Let stand 15 min. before cutting for easier serving.
P.S. I always top this with loads of extra cheese...make sure to buy extra!
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This is a perfect side for just about anything!! Yummy too!
Cheesy Broccoli Casserole
1 pkg. (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Lower Sodium Stuffing Mix for Chicken
2 pkg. (10 oz. each) frozen broccoli florets, thawed, drained
1 can (10-3/4 oz.) 98% fat-free condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 cup CHEEZ WHIZ Light Reduced Fat Cheese Dip
PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Prepare stuffing mix as directed on package, using only 3 Tbsp. margarine. Set aside.
MIX remaining ingredients in 2-qt. baking dish; top with stuffing.
BAKE 30 min. or until heated through.
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The Lady's Cheesy Mac
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen (Foodnetwork.com)
4 cups cooked elbow macaroni, drained
2 cups grated Cheddar
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup sour cream
4 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup milk
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Once you have the macaroni cooked and drained, place in a large bowl and while still hot and add the Cheddar. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and add to the macaroni mixture. Pour macaroni mixture into a casserole dish and bake for 30 to 45 minutes. Top with additional cheese, if desired.
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Chicken Chili
1 (48 oz.) jar deluxe Great Northern beans
1 (4 oz.) can diced green chilies
2 (10 oz.) cans chicken breast, NOT drained
1/2 cup frozen chopped onion (or raw diced)
1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 cup chicken broth
Sour cream
Spray slow cooker with cooking spray
In the cooker add beans, chilies, chicken, onion, chili powder, and broth. Mix well.
Cover and cook on high 3-4 hours -OR- low for 6-9 hours
Stir 1 Tbsp. sour cream into each 1 cup serving
Yield : 9 Servings 1 cup each
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Creamy Chicken Soft Tacos
4 frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 jar (16 oz.) salsa
1 cup sour cream
6-8 flour tortillas
Place chicken in greased slow cooker. Pour salsa on top. Cover and cook on high heat 6-8 hours or on low 10-12 hours. Shred chicken by pulling apart with 2 forks. During last hour of cooking stir in sour cream.
Put chicken in tortillas with your favorite taco/burrito toppings.
(My husband and I LOVE this recipe…we have found that we needed more like 10 tortilla shells as this made A LOT of chicken…we used black beans, extra sour cream, lettuce and shredded cheese as our toppings…we made burritos instead of tacos…this is SUPER easy to make and it tastes SO good!!)
Source(s):
www.kraftfoods.com
www.foodnetwork.com
Busy People's Slow Cooker Cookbook
Check out the "Life" section on the Yahoo home page every Monday. They pick seven easy dinner recipes and show them. I've tried many of them and think that are usually quite good and not to much work!
SIMPLE ARROZ CON POLLO
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 lb hot italian sausage
1 lg green pepper, chopped
1 lg red pepper, chopped
1 tbs garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped onion, chopped
1 pkg yellow rice or saffron rice, family sized
salt & pepper
hot sauce
good grade olive oil
Coat the bottom of a large fry pan or saute pan with olive oil. Over med high heat, saute garlic and onion in the oil until tender but not browned.
Cut the chicken breasts into 1.5" chunks. Remove the sausage from its casings and crumble into small pieces. Add the chicken and sausage to the garlic and onion mixture; salt and pepper to taste. Saute the mixture, stirring frequently.
When the meats are almost cooked through, add the chopped pepper and continue to saute until done.
Add the rice and any packaged seasonings to the mixture and stir. Add water (according to package directions) and hot sauce to taste and stir.
Cover and simmer until water is absorbed, approx. 25 minutes or according to package directions.
Fluff with fork and serve.
Chorizo can be substituted for the Italian sausage.
Frozen peas may be used instead of the pepper. If so, add them when the rice and water is added to the pan.
SIMPLE CHICKEN CORDON BLEU
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast
4 slices Swiss or Provolone cheese
4 thin sliced smoked ham
? cup all-purpose flour
1 egg; beaten
1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
4 tablespoons butter
? cup chicken broth
1 cup whipping cream
Pound chicken breast to ?-inch thickness. Sprinkle each piece on both sides with salt and pepper. Place 1 cheese slice and 1 ham slice on each breast. Roll up each breast using toothpicks to secure if necessary. Dredge each in flour, shake off excess, then in egg and finally in bread crumbs. Place seam side down in baking dish that has been sprayed with Pam. Place 1 tablespoon butter on each piece of chicken. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes until juices run clear. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, combine broth and whipping cream; season to taste (salt, pepper, garlic, oregano). Simmer on low stirring until thickened; Pour over chicken.
SIMPLE TATOR-TOT CASSEROLE
1/2 1 lb beef
1 can green beans
1 can corn
2 12oz. cans cream of chicken/mushroom
1/2 cup water
enough Tator-tots to cover the top of dish
shredded cheddar cheese
Brown the beef (preferably 7% fat or less). Place the beef into the bottom of a 13x9x2 in. casserole/baking dish.
Combine green beans, corn, cream of chicken/mushroom, and water in a medium bowl. Pour the mixture over the beef.
Arrange the Tator-tots to cover the mixture.
Bake in a 350°F oven for 20-25 minutes, or until Tator-tots are lightly browned. Sprinkle shredded cheese over the top and bake for 5 more minutes.
Let cool on wire rack for 5 minutes, then serve!
Buy him an outdoor BBQ Grille, Cookbook for Men, Apron with his favorite Team Logo on it, and Chef's hat.
try grilling something with a good seasoning. or try fried rice, you can do either pork fried rice or chicken fried rice. if you have any doubts just follow the recipe exactly. this is a GREAT site for recipes. have fun! good luck with dinner and congratulations on your marriage!
make some chicken and dumplings. those are always a hit. Use boneless skinless breasts if you can and buy some chicken boullion cubes instead of using broth.
shepard's pie,
lasagna
Very simple, but very delicious... Its one of my new hubbies favorites...Here goes:
Take 3/4 cup mayo
3/4 cup parmesan cheese mix together
Spread over about one pound of boneless skinless chicken breasts. You can season the chicken breast with a little salt and pepper beforehand, not too much salt though.....Sprinkle the topped chicken with plain or italian bread crumbs.
Bake at *425 for 30 minutes, its very easy, I think you will like it! Good luck!
Go to foodnetwork.com check Paula Deen's site. She has some of the best recipes there. Also another one that would be good is Sandra Lee's site. Semi Home made. Same website.
Congrats on your marriage - I know what you can have for desert and he won't get tired of it night after night [hee hee]. God Bless and good
luck. Bonn Appetite.
Just a tip...
Make lots of different things. if you only cook what he thinks he likes.. you'll be stuck making the same thing week after week, year after year. Keep him on his toes as far as what for dinner. If he complains too much.. do what the other answerer said.. buy a grill and let him cook.
Meat Loaf.
300g Lean minced beef.
1 Large onion, sliced.
1 Large potato, grated.
1 Medium carrot, grated.
310g can Three bean mix, drained and mashed.
1 Egg, lightly beaten.
Ground black pepper.
2T Soy sauce.
1 Clove Garlic, crushed
1t Paprika.
150g Tomato paste or puree.
1t Mixed herbs.
? C Tasty cheese grated.
(I) Mix all ingredients together (except cheese)
(II) Press into a loaf tin and sprinkle with cheese.
(III) Bake at 180C for 1 hour.
My mother makes a really easy casserole which is very tasty. You just cook up your choice of pasta ( she uses elbow macaroni ) then drain and put in a casserole dish with your favourite pasta sauce. She makes her own little meatballs and puts them in it. Then she sprinkles mozzarella cheese all over it and bakes it in the oven. It is great and fast. Sometimes she adds leftover chicken or turkey to it, instead of the meatballs.
Another quick dish of hers is chicken or steak cacciatore.
All she does is in a roasting pan put a 1/4 to 1/2 an inch of water. Some broth (packet) or onion soup mix. She puts in the meat and then puts in potatoes and any other vegetables she likes. Then she covers it with cans of diced tomatoes. (1-2 cans depending on how much she is making) She just plays with it. Then she cooks it until the meat and vegetables are done. The tomatoes tenderize the meat.
Hope these suggestions help. My mom's favourite cookbook is Purity Cook Book.
chicken dumpling
CHICKEN FRIED STEAK
2 pkg. tenderized cube or round steak
1 c. whole milk
1 1/2 c. flour
2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. black pepper
1 1/2 - 2 c. cooking oil
Good heavy skillet
I start heating my skillet first and when it gets warmed up (7 minutes), I add my cooking oil and let it heat also. While that is heating up, I get the steak ready, pound each steak with the side of a mallet or palm of your hand until very thin. Place steaks (2 at a time) in shallow dish containing milk. Next, mix the flour, salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Remove steak from milk, dredge in flour mixture, place into skillet and brown on both sides. Continue cooking until all steaks are cooked.
CREAM GRAVY:
1/3 c. hot steak drippings
1/4 c. flour
2 c. milk
Salt and pepper to taste
I use another skillet, let it get hot and add steak drippings, flour, salt and pepper. Stir with wire whisk until blended. Next add 2 cups milk, continuing to stir until gravy thickens. Serve with chicken fried steak and mashed potatoes.
EASY ONION STEAK & POTATOES
1 lb. cube steaks, cut in half
1 tbsp. salad oil
1 env. onion soup mix
4-5 potatoes, peeled, sliced
1 pkg. French's gravy mix
In large skillet (or electric fry pan) brown steaks in salad oil. Mix soup mix according to directions. Add to steaks, top with sliced potatoes. Reduce heat to low or simmer. Continue cooking until tender, about 30 minutes. You may have to add little more water. Serves 4.
ITALIAN HONEY MUSTARD BAKED CHICKEN
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/3 c. Italian dressing
1 bulb garlic (or less/more to your taste)
3/4 tbsp mustard powder
3/4 tbsp honey
2 tsp salt
Preheat oven to 400F.
1. Place Chicken in a glass casserole dish that has a cover.
2. Sprinkle salt over chicken.
2. Pour italian dressing over chicken.
3. Peel cloves from Garlic Bulb and scatter them over the chicken.
4. Sprinkle mustard powder over chicken.
5. Drizzle Honey over chicken.
6. Cover casserole dish and bake for 1 hour or until chicken is cooked through.
Serves 4.
Try salmon filets on the grill. You need:
1 Zucchini
1 Yellow squash
1 Onion
2 minced garlic cloves
1 wedged lemon
1 wedged lime
Mrs. Dash blend, or seasoning salt with a little cayenne
Spray foil or grill pan with cooking spray. Do not use something with slits as the juice will keep the fish moist. Place the fish in the foil and season with spices. Cover with the onion and garlic. Squeeze the juice from the lemon and lime and place wedges on and around salmon. Spread the zucchini and squash around the fish and sprinkle the vegetables with spice. If desired you can place butter pats on the fish. Grill or bake until fish is pink and fork tender.
Fresh summer salad
Slice 2 zucchini in a bowl, add cherry tomatoes and italian dressing. Toss and let sit in the fridge over night. Grate parmesan cheese over the top and serve. Easy and tastes great.
Tips for fried chicken
1. You can steam the chicken first and use ginger
2. Then you can deep fry the chicken whole
3. Serve with potato salad (chilled)
Grilled Chicken Wings
1. You can steam or boil the chicken wings
2. Marinade in teriyaki sauce mixed with a bit of sugar. Sometimes I use clear soda like 7UP overnight.
3. Grill
4. Serve with white rice & clear soup
Tips for Chicken Fillet
1. Prepare chicken breast steak fillets by marinading with soysauce and chopped garlic
2. fry or grill chicken fillets
3. Get one sizzling plate and place bacon to heat sizzling plate
3. Put chicken fillet on top of the plate with the bacon
4. Use ordinary campbells mushroom soup as the steak sauce. Pour sauce while it is hot.
5. Serve with boiled yellow corn
Hope this helps