Category: Family Favorite

Easy Chicken Tika Masala for Dinner

Working full time out of the house and raising a family has it’s own challenges. One of those challenges is meal preparation. Wherever I can cut corners to save on time – but still provide healthy and yummy food – I take those opportunities! This dinner is super easy to make because the hardest part of making the Chicken Tika Masala is already prepared for you. I’ve made Tika Masala from scratch before – several hours of prep and cook time – but my family loves this ready-made version from Costco more… win for Costco!

For an easy dinner for 4 people (2 adults, 2 teenagers) try this menu for Easy Chicken Tika Masala:

Sukhi’s Chicken Tika Masala from Costco
Basmati rice
Stonefire mini naan from Costco
Vegetable
1 cup cilantro, rough chop for garnish

 

Directions:

1. Use your rice cooker to prepare 1.5 uncooked rice.

2. While the rice is cooking, start a pot of water to boil. Once boiling, carefully drop in one of the bags of Sukhi’s Chicken Tika Masala. Don’t open the bag, keep it sealed to boil. You can start from frozen if you forgot to take out of the freezer earlier, it’ll just take a few minutes longer. I usually let it boil for about 8-10 minutes. You can microwave the Tika too, but I try to avoid microwaving food as much as possible so that it’s not rubbery. The boiling doesn’t take that long anyhow.

3. Prepare your vegetables while the Tika Masala is boiling. We prefer steamed broccoli or roasted Brussels sprouts. You can make a green salad too, but with this yummy masala sauce, I think you’ll enjoy having some warm veggies to dip into it.

4. The Stonefire Mini Naan is a great way to enjoy the Tika Masala. Keep it in the fridge to last longer. Just as you’re about to eat, toast the mini naan to heat it up. Stack on a plate to keep warm. Be careful, the bread will be hot out of the toaster.

 

To put on the table:

1. Put cooked rice in big bowl with serving spoon.

2. Carefully remove the Tika Masala package from the boiling water. Cut the edge with scissors and pour into a serving bowl – careful of splatters because it’ll be hot from the boiling water. Provide serving spoon.

3. Veggies in a bowl with a serving spoon.

4. Fresh chopped cilantro in a small bowl as a garnish for the Tika. This adds a wonderful extra layer of flavor.

5. Plate of toasted naan.

To plate from the table:

Each person will want a heaping scoop of basmati rice, then scoop the Tika Masala on the rice – add a sprinkle of cilantro! Scoop of veggies on the side of the rice. Break off a third the naan and scoop up some of the Tika Masala sauce, chicken and rice. Yum!

Leftovers make for a great work lunch the next day… if you have any left overs. Enjoy!

I’ll see you at the table!

 

Chad’s Favorite Sloppy Joe Recipe

You know when you have a recipe that your husband loves… the recipe where other recipes pale in comparison to their taste buds? Well, this Sloppy Joe recipe is my husband’s favorite. I tried making another recipe – and got “the look” coupled with “the comments” about how it wasn’t as good as his favorite Sloppy Joe recipe.

Ingredients:
Servings 4 Units

  • 1 lb lean ground beef
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon French’s yellow mustard
  • 1⁄2 cup ketchup
  • 1⁄4 cup barbeque sauce
  • 3 teaspoons brown sugar
  • Salt and black  pepperto taste
  • Dash of cayenne pepper (Jen’s Note: Add more if you want a lot of spice)
  • 1⁄2 cup shredded cheese (Jen’s Note: I use the Mexican blend from Costco)

Directions

  1. In a skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef, onion and garlic; drain off liquids.
  2. Stir in the mustard, ketchup, BBQ sauce, and brown sugar; mix thoroughly.
  3. Season with salt, pepper & cayenne pepper to taste.
  4. Reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes.
  5. Serve on buns and top with shredded cheese.

Serve with:

  1. Potato chips (we love Salt and Vinegar because the tart flavor goes well with the bold flavor of the Sloppy Joe’s)
  2. Fresh carrot sticks for a little bite of sweet
  3. Fresh fruit – like pineapple or watermelon

I’ll see you at the table!

Salsa Chicken and Rice Bake

I love easy to prepare dishes that are full of flavor. In our house, anything Mexican is pretty popular, so this dish was and easy success.

Original recipe from TipHero.
Serves 4
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients:
– 1 cup uncooked basmati rice, rinsed
– 1 can corn kernels, drained
– 1-15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed (Jen’s Note: Omit if your breast feeding and beans don’t work well with baby)
– 1-16-ounce jar salsa
– 1 cup chicken broth
– 1-½ teaspoons ground cayenne pepper (Jen’s Note: Omit for less spice)
– 1 teaspoon oregano
– ½ teaspoon salt
– ¼ teaspoon black pepper
– 2 large chicken breasts (about 1-1/2 pounds), thawed (Jen’s Note: Cut in half length wise)
– 1 cup shredded cheese blend
– 2 green onions, sliced

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. In an 8-inch-by-8-inch baking dish, add the rice, black beans, corn, salsa, chicken broth, chili powder and oregano. Stir to combine. (Jen’s Note: Or, use a 8×11″ dish and you can add a third chicken breast)
  3. Cut the chicken breasts into 2 pieces and submerge into the liquid in the baking dish as far as possible.
  4. Cover the casserole dish tightly with foil and bake for 1 hour, until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed.
  5. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with cheese. Return to the oven and bake just until the cheese has melted.
  6. Top with green onions and serve.

Jen’s Note: We like to have garnishes like sour cream, cilantro, lime, hot sauce, so have those on hand to enhance the dish. Serve with green salad for a great, easy, week day meal!

I’ll see you at the table!

Parmesan Crusted Pork Chops

Parmesan Crusted Pork ChopI love a good pork chop. I love an easy recipe. Giada provided a great recipe – thank you, you hot Italian mama!

Serves: 4

Ingredients
    • 2 large eggs
    • 1 cup dried Italian-style bread crumbs (Jen’s Note: Only need 1/2 cup)
    • 3/4 cups freshly grated Parmesan (Jen’s Note: Only need 1/2 cup)
    • 4 (1/2 to 3/4-inch thick) center-cut pork loin chops (each about 10 to 12 ounces) (Jen’s Note: I had some really think pork chops from Costco, so I filleted them and am glad I did because the thinner chop allowed for a juicier and more tender dish)
    • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
    • 6 tablespoons olive oil
    • Lemon wedges, for serving
Directions
  • Whisk the eggs in a pie plate to blend. Place the bread crumbs in another pie plate. Place the cheese in a third pie plate. Sprinkle the pork chops generously with salt and pepper. Coat the chops completely with the cheese, patting to adhere. Dip the chops into the eggs, then coat completely with the bread crumbs, patting to adhere. (Jen’s Note: If you
  • Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a very large skillet over medium heat. Add pork chops, in batches if necessary, and cook until golden brown and the center reaches 150 degrees, about 6 minutes per side. Transfer the chops to plates and serve with lemon wedges.

Jen’s Additional Notes:

1. You HAVE to serve with lemon. The burst of citrus is what really makes this dish. And don’t just supply a tiny little lemon wedge, trust me that you’re going to want to squeeze a healthy size lemon wedge on your pork chop – my husband was dying over how flavorful it was too!

2. Recommend that you serve with mashed potatoes. Rice just doesn’t cut it for this recipe… you really want to serve with mashed potatoes and no gravy needed, just a pad of butter. I’m a salad fanatic too, so I loved this with a big cesar salad with fresh croutons.

I’ll see you at the table!

Biscuits and Gravy Breakfast Casserole

Biscuits and gravy casseroleThis is an easy to make breakfast casserole. These days, I’m all about easy, tasty, and healthy. I wouldn’t put this dish in the healthy category though! It was a hit for teens, preteen and parents alike.

Ingredients:

1 12-oz tube refrigerated biscuits
6 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 lb cooked sausage – I used maple and the touch of sweetness was really yummy
1 cup shredded cheese

For the gravy:

4 Tbsp. butter
4 Tbsp. flour
salt & pepper to taste
2 cups milk

Directions:

  • Cook sausage in pan. Instead of links, I used tube of Jimmy Dean so was crumbly and easy to spread in dish.
  • Cut each biscuit into 8 pieces. Set aside.
  • In a bowl, mix the eggs, 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper. Set aside.
  • In a saucepan, melt the butter. Stir in flour, salt, and pepper, and slowly add the 2 cups of milk. Simmer, stirring, until it’s thickened. This can burn easily so keep stirring. Should only take 2-3 minutes.
  • In a greased (I sprayed a light layer of Pan) 9×13 glass baking dish, layer the biscuits, sausage, cheese, egg mixture, and gravy.
  • Bake at 350°F/180°C for 35-45 min, until the eggs on the bottom are cooked.
  • Allow to cool 5 minutes, if you can wait that long!

Serve with Frank’s Red Hot sauce for an awesome vinegar-y kick. Enjoy!

I’ll see you at the table!

Whole Baked Chicken

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I love baking a whole chicken because it looks great on the dinner table, tastes great and the left overs are great for making chicken noodle soup.

Ingredients:

  • 1 (5 to 6 pound) roasting chicken
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 lemon, halved
  • 1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise
  • 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, melted
  • 1 large yellow onion, thickly sliced
  • 4 carrots cut into 2-inch chunks

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
  2. Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pin feathers and pat the outside dry. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with onion slices, both halves of lemon, and all the garlic.
  3. Lift the skin of the chicken and using your fingers, rub butter on the chicken meat. Try to get this all over the breast, thigh and leg meat. Sprinkle again with salt and pepper on the outside.
  4. Place the whole chicken upside down in the baking pan – that way the juices flow to the breast and keep it moist.
  5. Place the onions and carrots around the chicken in a roasting pan. Place any extra onion slices on top of the chicken.
  6. Roast the chicken for 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Remove the chicken and vegetables to a platter and cover with aluminum foil for about 20 minutes. Slice the chicken onto a platter and serve it with the vegetables.
  7. Carefully pour juices from pan into gravy boat and serve as well – nice alternative to gravy if you serve with potatoes too.

I’ll see you at the table!

Creamy Cauliflower Soup

I could probably eat soup everyday of my life! Creamy soups, broth soups, stews and chilis… doesn’t matter what type of soup it is, I just love them!

Here’s a favorite soup from Taste of Home that everyone enjoys in our household, the Creamy Cauliflower Soup. Not cheesy like the Cream of Broccoli version, rather healthier with more veggies. Also, this recipe is easily doubled and makes great left overs.

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Ingredients:

 

1 large head of cauliflower, cut into small pieces
2 medium side Russet potatoes, cubed (Jen’s Note: I’ve also added roasted parsnip before and that was a hit with the family!)
1 large yellow onion, small dice (Jen’s Note: or use 1/2 cup dehydrated onion and add 1 cup additional water for broth)
3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2″ pieces (Jen’s Note: or use 1 cup dehydrated carrot and add 1 1/2 cup additional water for broth)
6 celery stalks, cut into half-inch pieces (Jen’s Note: I love celery, so often I use 10 stalks and use the leafy tips)
1 tablespoon dried basil
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme
8 cups chicken broth, may substitute vegetable broth
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup sour cream
Fresh tarragon, optional (Jen’s Note: I never use this)

 

Directions

  1. In a soup kettle or Dutch oven, sauté the onions, carrots, celery and garlic in 1/4 cup butter until tender. Add cauliflower, potatoes, broth, parsley, salt and pepper, basil and tarragon. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
  2. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, melt the remaining butter. Stir in flour until smooth. Gradually stir in the milk and whipping cream. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add to cauliflower mixture. Cook for 10 minutes or until thickened, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat; stir in sour cream. Garnish with tarragon if desired. Yield: 8 servings (about 2 quarts).
  3. If you want a creamier version, remove 1/3 of the mixture and blend until creamy in a high powered blender. Just remember that hot soup will explode easily in the blender, so cover tightly and only pulse blend.

Serve with rolls and a leafy green salad for a healthy meal. Looks great in bread bowls for a more robust dish. Enjoy!

I’ll see you at the table!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

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I want my children to have a love affair with vegetables and fruit. So when they like a veggie dish, my heart beats with joy! Roasted Brussels Sprouts are a hit in our home and even a favorite at extended family dinners too.

These are best served right out of the oven, so plan your meal accordingly.

Ingredients:

  • 2 lb Brussels sprouts, cut into thirds
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • Optional: 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper if you want a little heat

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
  2. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper
  3. In a large bowl, toss the Brussels Sprouts with olive oil until coated.
  4. Spread the Brussels sprouts on the parchment paper. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  5. If you want to add some serious heat, add the cayenne pepper (or for the real-heat-crazies add a teeny-tiny sprinkle of Ghost Pepper Salt).
  6. Bake for 30 minutes. Check for crispiness and then bake for 10 more minutes.

Serve immediately. Enjoy!

I’ll see you at the table!

 

Turkey Spiral Casserole

I find it very helpful to have dishes that I can make better all in one part, pan, baking dish. This casserole was inspired from a recipe that I got at Costco of all places! In typical Jennifer fashion, I’ve added some additional ingredients to really pack in the additional nutrition.

Serves 6
Ready in 55 minutes

Ingredients:
2 cups spiral pasta, cooked and drained (you can use macaroni too)
1 – 12.5 ounce can Harvest Creek diced turkey, drained (this is the turkey you can buy at Costco, any canned turkey will be good)
2 cups shredded cheese (I used a cheddar and Jack cheese combination, you could also do just Swiss cheese for a bolder flavor)
1 – 10 ounce can condensed cream of chicken soup
one soup can of water
half white onion, diced
2 cups broccoli, small pieces
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup plain breadcrumbs

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In medium pot cook pasta until done.
3. Using a large mixing bowl to combine the turkey, cheese, soup, water, onion, broccoli, and black pepper.
4. Softly fold in the cooked pasta and transfer to a 9 x 13 baking dish.
5. Bake at 350° for 30 to 35 minutes or until it is hot and bubbly.
6. Combine the Parmesan and bread comes in a small bowl then evenly spread out over the top of the casserole. Broil for about five minutes or until a nice golden brown color.

Serve with a large green salad. Enjoy!

I’ll see you at the table!