EASY Chicken Cordon Bleu

We made this for dinner last night. It was a combination of a few recipes and a few substitutions because I didn't want to go to the store. It turned out so good!

For the chicken part:

Bread chicken breasts in Shake and Bake or something similar. We dipped in egg then used plain Italian bread crumbs. Place chicken on a baking sheet (lined in foil for easy clean up!) Bake for 15-20 min. on 400 deg. Add a slice of (deli) ham and and a slice of Swiss cheese on top. Bake for 5 min.

Sauce: We found this here

MORAY SAUCE (Serves 4):

1 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. flour
1 c. milk
1/3 c. Parmesan cheese
1/2 - 1 tsp. garlic powder
Salt and pepper

We mixed the flour and butter over medium low heat, then slowly added the rest, while stirring. It was so good! It tasted like Alfredo sauce from Olive Garden, but much healthier!

When the chicken was done we poured this over top.

So delicious. Easy. Enjoy!

Substitutions

I thought this was a great list, if you ever run out of something and need to substitute something else in it's place. I 'stole' the list from here (this is a great site for recipes, etc).

Handy Substitutions

Baking Products
Baking powder, 1 tsp.: 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar + 1/4 tsp. baking soda
Semisweet chocolate, 1 oz.: 1 oz. unsweetened chocolate + 1 Tbsp. sugar
Unsweetened chocolate, 1 oz. or square: 3 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa + 1 Tbsp. butter, margarine, shortening, or oil
Semisweet chocolate chips, 6 oz., melted: 2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, 2 Tbsp. shortening, + 1/2 c. sugar
Unsweetened cocoa, 1/4 c.: 1 oz. unsweetened chocolate (decrease fat in recipe by 1/2 Tbsp.)
Corn syrup, light, 1 c.: 1 c. sugar heated to a syrupy consistency with 1/4 c. water (GENIUS!!)
Cornstarch, 1 Tbsp.: 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

See flour substitutions here

Marshmallow cream, 7-oz. jar: 16 oz. package marshmallows, melted, plus 3 1/2 Tbsp. light corn syrup
Marshmallows, miniature, 1 c.: 10 large marshmallows
Pecans, chopped, 1 c.: 1 c. regular oats, toasted (in baked products); this is another smart one, especially for people with nut allergies!
Powdered sugar, 1 c.: 1 c. sugar + 1 Tbsp. cornstarch, processed in food processor
White sugar, 1 c.: 1 c. corn syrup; decrease liquid in recipe by 1/3 c.

Dairy Products
Buttermilk, 1 c.: 1 Tbsp. vinegar or lemon juice, plus milk to make 1 c. (let stand 10 minutes); 1 c. milk + 1 3/4 tsp. cream of tartar
Sweetened condensed milk, 14 ounces: Heat 1/3 c. +2 Tbsp. evaporated milk, 1 c. sugar, 3 Tbsp. butter or margarine until sugar and butter dissolve
Sour cream: Plain yogurt

Miscellaneous
Tomato sauce, 2 c.: 3/4 c. tomato paste + 1 c. water
Chili sauce, 1 c: 1 c. tomato sauce, 1/4 c. brown sugar, 2 Tbsp. vinegar, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, dash of grown cloves, dash of allspice
Ketchup (for cooking): 1 c. tomato sauce, 1/2 c. sugar, 2 Tbsp. vinegar

Spices
Allspice, ground, 1 tsp.: 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon + 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
Apple pie spice, 1 tsp.: 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg, 1/8 tsp. ground cardamom
Bay leaf, 1 whole: 1/4 tsp. crushed bay leaf
Chives, chopped, 1 Tbsp.: 1 Tbsp. chopped green onion tops
Garlic, 1 small clove: 1/8 tsp. garlic powder or dried garlic
Garlic salt, 1 tsp: 1/8 tsp. garlic powder plus 7/8 tsp. salt
Herbs, fresh, 1 Tbsp.: 1 tsp. dried herbs or 1/4 tsp. ground herbs
Mustard, dry, 1 tsp.: 1 Tbsp. prepared mustard
Onion powder, 1 Tbsp.: 1 medium onion, chopped or 1 Tbsp. dried minced onion
Parsley, dry, 1 tsp.: 1 Tbsp. fresh parsley
Pumpkin pie spice: 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. ground ginger, 1/8 tsp. ground allspice, 1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
Vanilla bean, 1: 1 tsp. vanilla extract
Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp.: 1 tsp. bottled steak sauce

Alcohol (use water, white grape, or apple juice to make up the rest of the amount of liquid called for in the recipe)
Amaretto, 2 Tbsp.: 1/4-1/2 tsp. almond extract
Bourbon or Sherry, 2 Tbsp.: 1-2 tsp. vanilla extract
Brandy, fruit-flavored liqueur, port wine, rum, or sweet cherry, 1/4 c. or more: Equal amount of unsweetened orange or apple juice plus 1 tsp. vanilla extract or corresponding flavor
Brandy or rum, 2 Tbsp.: 1/2-1 tsp. brandy or rum extract
Grand Marnier, 2 Tbsp.: 2 Tbsp. unsweetened orange juice concentrate
Kahlua, 2 Tbsp.: 1/2-1 tsp. chocolate extract plus 1/2-1 tsp. instant coffee dissolved in 2 Tbsp. water
Red wine: Equal amount of red grape or cranberry juice
White wine: Equal amount of white grape or apple juice

Cake Balls

For Easter dinner I was in charge of bringing the dessert. I was really excited because I had wanted to try to make some cake mix balls (kinda like oreo balls), shape them like eggs, and dip them in chocolate. They are super yummy, but weren't very pretty, so I didn't take a pic.

Make a cake (any cake mix/flavor will work)
Cook it and let it cool.
Crumble the cake then mix in a can of frosting.
Roll into balls/shape you want, and stick it in the freezer for 10-15 minutes. Then try dipping them.

They are so rich and amazingly yummy!!!

Corn Flake Baked Chicken

This was okay, but we decided that it needed some sort of sauce/gravy with it. So next time we make it, we will make some sort of sauce with it, because the chicken was pretty dry.

1 c. milk
1 c. mayonnaise
2 c. crushed corn flakes
pinch chopped garlic
1 t. italian seasoning
boneless chicken breasts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix milk & mayonnaise together. Then mix crushed corn flakes, garlic, and italian seasoning all on a plate. Dip 6 boneless in milk mixture, then roll in corn flake mixture. Bake in a greased or buttered pan until chicken is tender but thoroughly cooked, about 30-45 minutes. Serves 6.

Cafe Rio Pork

If you live in Utah or have been to Utah, you KNOW Cafe Rio pork. This is a GREAT recipe. I am going to start making it every couple weeks and freezing some. We've now eaten all the stuff we had in the freezer, by eating them on nachos and also just in tortillas. It is SOOOO good! Great sweet pork! I found the recipe here.

2 pounds pork

3 cans Coke (NOT diet)

1/4 c. brown sugar

dash garlic salt

1/4 c. water

1 can sliced green chilies

3/4 can enchilada sauce (I use Old El Paso brand, medium spiciness but any will work)

1 c. brown sugar

Put the pork in a heavy duty ziploc bag to marinade. Add about a can and a half of coke and about 1/4 c. of brown sugar. Marinade for a few hours or overnight.

Drain marinade and put pork, 1/2 can of coke, water, and garlic salt in crock pot on high for about 3-4 hours (or until it shreds easily, but don't let it get TOO dry) or on low for 8 hours.

Remove pork from crock pot and drain any liquid left in the pot. Shred pork.In a food processor or blender, blend 1/2 can Coke, chilies, enchilada sauce and remaining brown sugar (about a cup, you can add a little more or less to taste..). If it looks too thick, add more Coke little by little.

Put shredded pork and sauce in crockpot and cook on low for 2 hours. That's it!

Aloha Pork Chops

These were amazing!!! We LOVED them. The recipe calls for the crushed pineapple, but I added some sliced pineapple too. SO yummy!! Plan to make these when you aren't going to be around the house, because they make your house smell SOOOO yummy, you won't be able to be around without wanting to dip in.

4-5 boneless pork chops
1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and diced **(I used a whole green pepper)
1 medium chopped onion
20 oz. crushed pineapple **(I also added a couple sliced pineapple slices)
18 oz. honey-mustard barbeque sauce **(I couldn't find honey MUSTARD, so I just used Honey BBQ sauce. And I just poured almost the whole bottle in)

Place pork chops in greased crock pot. Sprinkle bell pepper and onion over meat. Spread drained pineapple over top. Pour barbeque sauce evenly over pineapple. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Cut meat into chunks **(we just ate whole porkchops). Makes 4-6 servings. Serve over hot cooked brown rice.

Pineapple Pork Chops and Rice

This was a pretty easy recipe. Wasn't as good as it looked. I think that the rice didn't turn out exactly right, but it was really good. I will definitely try it again though.

Sprinkle 4-6 1/4" thick pork chops with salt and pepper. Brown well on both sides in 2T. butter; add 1 8oz. can crushed pineapple with syrup. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes. Move chops to one side. Add 1c. water and 3/4t. salt in the skillet. Bring to a boil and add 1 1/2c. Minute Rice. Cook until rice has absorbed liquid.

Blonde Brownies

We used to always make these growing up. And I was in the mood to make something, so I decided on Blonde Brownies, because I didn't know if I wanted cookies or brownies. They are SO yummy. I love the crust. ((I didn't have shortening, so I used butter instead and they still turned out good))

2 c. sifted flour 2/3 c. shortening
1 t. baking powder 2 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 t. baking soda 2 slightly beaten eggs
1 t. salt 2 t. vanilla
1 c. chopped nuts (optional) 1 pkg. chocolate chips

Sift dry ingredients 2 times. Add nuts. Melt shortening (add 2 T. hot water if vegetable shortening is used). Cool. Stire in eggs and vanilla. Add flour mixture gradually, mixing well. Spread in greased 9x13x2 in. pan. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top. Bake at 350* for 20-25 minutes. Cool in pan, cut into bars.

Chocolate Chip Dump Cake

I really want to make this cake. What kind of occasion can I use as an excuse?

Chocolate Chip Dump Cake
Jen

1/4 cup oil
1 1/2 cup water
2 eggs
1 chocolate cake mix (I prefer Duncan Hines)
1 6 oz pkg chocolate chips
1 small chocolate instant pudding

Pour oil in bundt pan to grease. (some oil will puddle at the bottom of the pan which is fine) Stir remaining ingredients until moist and transfer to pan. Bake 40 minutes - 350 degrees. Cool - dust with powdered sugar. Can be served with vanilla ice cream or cool whip.

Easter Jello

If I'm feeling super motivated on Sunday, I might make this for Easter (or maybe tomorrow night). It's SUPER cute. I'll definitely take pictures if I do.

Chicken Noodle Soup with Homemade Noodles

Noodles: Super Easy - Don't be intimidated!
First thing in the morning mix:
1 egg
1/4 c. evaporated milk
salt
Then add flour to make it the consistency of bread dough. Dump onto floured surface and knead a little. USE TONS OF FLOUR. Roll out to about 1/8 in. thick and cut into noodle sized pieces with a pizza cutter. Add flour and move the noodles around. All day. Until they dry out.

Later that afternoon:
Boil chicken in chicken broth with chopped onion, parsley, and basil. Take out the chicken and shred it. Combine it all again, add 1 can cream of chicken soup and about 6 cups of chicken broth or bouillon equivalent. Add carrots and celery. Boil until the veggies are crisp-tender. Add noodles - brush off the flour a little. Make sure you add the noodles to BOILING soup, stir while adding. They will be done in about 10 minutes, and they soak up the broth so you may need to add more.

It is a good, hearty soup. My Mom makes it after Thanksgiving with leftover turkey and serves it over mashed potatoes! So good!