Cabbage Lovers

I think cabbage gets a bad wrap sometimes. It seems to be one of those love it or hate it vegetables. Even people who will eat coleslaw will hate on cabbage. Um...okay.

Our family can't get enough cabbage and I am always looking for new recipes to utilize it. Now the little guy isn't as big of fan as the rest of us; but he loves Brussels sprouts ( I know, makes no sense) so I don't push the subject. My kids are so NOT picky that when they find something they truly don't enjoy, as long as they express that without whining or complaining, I won't make them eat it. 

My latest cabbage craving came when I was meal planning, in need of side dishes, and I wanted a casserole. I started reading different recipes, but couldn't quite find exactly what I was after, until I stumbled upon this one. 

Amish Cabbage Noodle Casserole has easy ingredients, is perfect with any protein and has similar flavors to my Fried Cabbage & Noodles, our favorite cabbage recipe of all time!

If you are looking for new ways to get more cabbage into your meal plan, this casserole is just what you need. And I won't lie, I think it would be a great recipe to keep in the back of your mind for the holidays too! Something different to add to your table alongside all those traditional dishes we are looking forward to! 

What Kind Of Noodles To Use? 

My pick was medium egg noodles, but any size would work. You really want egg noodles and not a macaroni or dried pasta though.

What Kind Of Cabbage To Use?

Don't get fancy here. Good ol' green cabbage is all you need. As much as I enjoy other varieties I have no idea if/how they would work.

What Kind Of Cheese To Use?

Monterey Jack was my pick because I wanted the marbled coloring and flavor of white and yellow cheese. Mozzarella or Swiss would be great too. 

Do I Have To Use Cream Of Potato Soup?

I know many people don't like using condensed cream soups. However, I use them a lot in cooking, so I can't really provide a good substitution, other than saying cream of celery would be delicious too. 

Best Tips:

If your cream of potato soup has chunks of potato in it, simply use a slotted spoon to remove them. 

Cream of celery or mushroom soup could also be used.

Egg-less egg noodles would work too. 

If you cut recipe in half, still bake in a 9x13 dish.

Store leftovers in a covered dish in the fridge for 2-3 days. 

I have no idea if this would work in a Crock Pot. If you try it, let me know!

 

Amish Cabbage Noodle Casserole

2 TBS olive oil

1 medium head green cabbage, thinly sliced

1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

3 TBS fresh parsley, chopped

16 oz. medium egg noodles

2 cans cream of potato soup, potato chunks removed

2 cups milk

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese 

Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick spray. In a large skillet heat oil over medium high heat. Sauté cabbage, onion and garlic until slightly brown and tender. Season with salt, pepper and two tablespoons parsley. Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain well. In a medium bowl whisk together soup and milk until smooth. Combine noodles, cabbage mixture and soup mixture and stir well. Transfer to prepared baking dish. Top with cheese and extra black pepper. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Garnish with remaining parsley before serving. 

Inspired By All Free Casserole Recipes

 

A Little Down On The Farm At Home

The days are getting dark before 5pm here in Indiana, which is no doubt one of the things I dislike most about winter. The others being freezing, snow, ice...I don't even try to hide the fact I'm not a fan. Besides Christmas and then my birthday in February, I don't really have many nice things to say about Old Man Winter. 

But I live in northern Indiana, and haven't won the lottery this week, so that beach mansion isn't happening anytime soon, so time to focus on the positive! Winter in our neck of the woods means it is also soup season, stew season, chowder season and comfort food season! Yep, while I don't enjoy the cold days, I do love the food. 

Most of you know I worked at Bob Evans all through high school and college; but what some might not realize is now my oldest is carrying on the family tradition and is now working at the same location for the same general manager that hired me 24 years ago! How cool is that? It has become a true family to us, and we are so thankful he loves his job, and the people he works with/for as much as I did. It warms this mama's heart to see him thriving in the same way as a young person about customer service, food service and how good earning your own money feels! 

To this day one of Bob Evans' most popular recipes continues to be their Chicken and Noodles. It was a favorite back in the day when I was serving tables and it remains so today. After all these years I knew it was time to recreate it at home in my own kitchen.

This is what you want to come home to after a very long, cold day when you've been out in the kind of cold that makes your face hurt. Oh, I forgot to mention, my version happens to be a slow cooker meal too! Talk about putting the icing on the cake! 

If you've never used the frozen Reames noodles they are the closest thing to homemade I've ever had and absolutely perfect in this recipe. They are the thicker, chewy style like my grandma used to make and remind me of the ones they use at the restaurant both in flavor and texture. 

Did you happen to freeze some leftover turkey after Thanksgiving, or maybe you will have some come December 26th? You could easily make this with turkey instead of chicken! Oh, that would be so yummy! 

Winter might not be my favorite time of year, but warm, hearty, comfort food meals help to make it better! Turn on the Christmas tree, grab a blanket, and enjoy a big bowl of this deliciousness!

 

Copycat Bob Evans Chicken and Noodles

3 boneless chicken breasts, about 2 lbs.

2 (32 oz.) cartons chicken stock

1 (16 oz.) bag frozen home style noodles, like Reames

1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

4 carrots, finely chopped

3 celery stalks, finely chopped

2 TBS butter

1 tsp. dried thyme

1 tsp. garlic powder

2 tsp. dried parsley 

Salt and pepper 

Place all ingredients, except noodles, in slow cooker. Cook on LOW for 4-6 hours until chicken cooked. Remove chicken and shred. Return to slow cooker and cook 1 hour. Add noodles and cook 30-45 minutes until tender. Serve.

Springtime Lemon Lovers

 Spring has arrived! Okay, last week old man winter reared his ugly head again and gave us 4 inches of unwanted snow, but it melted quickly and this week we have 70s and even 80 in our forecast, so thankfully spring time might just be here to stay!

For me, no other flavor in the world screams spring and warmer temps more than lemon. I love it year round, but this time of year my taste buds crave the freshness and brightness of it in everything from drinks, side dishes, main dishes and of course desserts! 

For this recipe I was looking for a simple noodle side dish for a chicken supper I was having and wanted to cook from my pantry/fridge. I think a lot of us learned to do that more over the past year in the pandemic. Using what we had on hand meant we didn't have to venture to the grocery store, and let us experiment too. 

I would bet many of us have lemon pepper in the back of our spice rack and need more ways to use it! I always have it on hand for an extra flavor boost in dishes, but a little goes a long way so it lasts forever.

In this dish mixing the lemon pepper with fresh lemon juice really takes the flavor to a whole new lemony level. The sauce clings to every single noodle making each one burst with bright, bold flavor. 

These noodles are a terrific side dish with any protein you're making, but we really love them with chicken and fish. The recipe could also be doubled easily for a main dish pasta supper. 

If one of your favorite spring time flavors is lemon too, be sure to save this recipe to add to your menu plan soon! Your taste buds are sure to thank you! 

Lemon Pepper Noodles

1 lb. angel hair pasta

6 oz. cream cheese, cubed

3 TBS sour cream

6 TBS milk

1/4 tsp. onion powder

1 1/2 tsp. lemon pepper

1 TBS fresh lemon juice

2 tsp. dried parsley, extra for garnish

1/4 c. pasta cooking water

3 TBS butter

2-3 cloves garlic, minced 

1/4 c. grated Parmesan/Romano cheese blend

Salt and Pepper 

Cook pasta according to directions. While pasta cooks, in a large skillet melt butter over low heat. Saute garlic in butter for about a minute. Add sour cream and milk. Stir well. Add cream cheese a little at a time, stirring constantly. Season with lemon pepper, onion powder, salt and pepper. Continue stirring until smooth. Add parsley and lemon juice. When smooth, add Parmesan cheese and stir until melted. When pasta is cooked, reserve 1/4 c. cooking water and add to cheese sauce. Mix well. Drain pasta well and add to sauce, mixing well with tongs. Garnish with extra parsley. 

Noodle Lovers

If you are a chicken lover. If you are a noodle/pasta lover. If you are a simple meal lover. Any or all of these are reasons why you are going to be so happy you logged on for this week's new recipe.

Well, new to me anyway. When I showed a preview pic of this on my personal and blog Facebook pages, I was kind of surprised how many people said "Oh I love Chicken Lazone!" I guess I've been living under a rock because I've only come to know about it the last year or so. And ever since I first saw a picture of it, I knew I had to try it! Chicken. Pasta. Cream sauce. Three of my favorite things in the world all on one plate!

So, if this isn't new for you, I'm sorry you won't be as excited as me. But OH. MY. GOSH. This is good. Like, I want to make it, eat it, make sure there are leftovers so I can eat it a few more times!

The chicken is seasoned to perfection, with just a little kick! And the sauce over the top of it and the noodles just brings it all together for dinner perfection.

This is a great meal at the end of the day when you need something delicious and filling, but not need a lot of hassle. (In fact, if you half this recipe, it will be even easier, since I had to cook my chicken in batches.) I think this would also be great to make on the weekend and simply use all week for packed lunches. I can tell you Mr. E and I both thought it heated up really well.

A complete stove top meal can be your BFF in the hot summer months. One that tastes this good will make you want to make it over, and over, and over...

Chicken Lazone

2 lbs. fresh chicken tenderloins

2 c. heavy cream

1.5 lbs. vermicelli pasta, cooked and drained well

2 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. paprika

1/2 tsp. pepper

8 TBS butter, divided use

 Dried Parsley

About 20 minutes before cooking, place chicken on a large platter and allow to come to room temp. In a small bowl combine garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, paprika, salt and pepper. Reserve 2 tsp seasoning mix. Sprinkle on both sides of chicken. Melt 3 TBS butter on medium heat in a large skillet. Brown half of the tenders in skillet. Add 1 TBS butter to skillet before flipping to other side. Cook chicken about 4 minutes on each side. Remove from skillet and cover with foil to keep warm. Repeat process with other half of chicken. In same skillet, add 2 cups heavy cream and remaining seasoning. Cook over medium heat until simmering. Continues cooking, stirring often, for 10-15 minutes until thickened. Serve chicken over pasta with sauce poured over, and sprinkled with dried parsley. 

Inspired by Plain Chicken

Shared at Weekend Potluck

Oops

Some recipes come to be because I brainstorm, test, tweak, test again, tweak a little bit more and finally they are ready to share with all of you. Others? Well, they happen because I screw up, are a complete accident and were never planned. Such is the case today!

I've been making my Lemon Chicken Noodle Soup for years. In fact, it's one of the first recipes I can remember tearing from a magazine and making when we were newlyweds. It's one of those that I know so well I can make it from memory, and it turns out perfect every time. Then basketball season happened.

Back when the boy was practicing 3-4 times per week, plus games too, I tried really hard for us to still have a meal on the table we could all sit down to. Many time I would simply cook it, and then keep it warm until he came home. It was really important to me that he wasn't eating leftovers every night and we weren't hitting the drive through either.

So, one cold January night I figured, what better meal for him to come home to than a warm bowl of my yummy soup he's loved since he was little. I prepared it, I turned off the heat, covered it and let it wait on us. Well, do you know what happens when you let noodles sit in broth? (For the record, so do I, but I had a total brain fart!) Yep, they soaked up all the liquid to the point when I ladled it up...there was barely a drop of broth left.

I was so mad at myself, and then I looked around the table and all the boys were gobbling it down. Hmmmm, maybe I'm onto something!

We love chicken and noodles, so why not put a new spring twist on it? I knew I had a new recipe up my sleeve, after a little tweaking of course!

This is a fresh twist on a classic perfect for a chilly spring day!

Lemon Chicken & Noodles

1 lb. egg noodles

2 lbs. chicken tenders

2 large carrots, peeled and diced

3 celery ribs, diced

1 small white onion, chopped

1/4 c. vegetable oil, divided use

1 TBS butter

2 (32 oz.) boxes chicken broth

1 c. water

1 TBS dried basil

1 TBS dried parsley

1 lemon, juiced

Salt and Pepper to taste

Garlic Powder to taste

Preheat oven to 350. Lay chicken tenders on baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 TBS oil. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Roast for 30 minutes until juices run clear. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool for a few minutes. Shred chicken using two forks. Set aside. 

In a large stock pot, heat 2 TBS oil and butter over medium high heat. Saute vegetables for 10 minutes until they begin to soften. Add chicken and saute for a few minutes more. Add broth, water, basil, parsley, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. reduce heat, cover and simmer 15 minutes. Add noodles, increase heat and bring back to boil. Cook 10 minutes until noodles are tender. Add lemon juice and stir well. Turn off heat and cover. Allow to sit for 20-25 minutes until noodles have absorbed broth. Stir and serve.

 

 Shared at Weekend Potluck

Shared at Meal Plan Monday

Holiday Inspired

Back at Christmas, we celebrated with our aunt and uncle, also Max's godparents, with a delicious meal. Alex had actually went through her recipe box a few months before and found this chicken recipe he asked her to make; and we are all so happy he did!

That same night, I learned something new. This breaded chicken was served with a fantastic creamy, mushroom gravy.  I asked how she went about making it. She told me "I just use mushroom gravy mix." Immediately in my head I started to think about all the packets of gravy mix I had seen, and didn't recall a mushroom one. Do you know what she meant? Yep. A can of cream of mushroom soup! Sure, I know how much it's used in cooking, especially casseroles, but I had never heard it referred to as a gravy mix. I kind of felt sheepish, but was happy to heave learned something new.

Fast forward a month or so later, and while figuring out meals for the week, I wanted to try to work with what I had. Chicken tenders. Egg noodles. A can of mushroom soup. Bingo. I knew I wanted to play with the same flavors we had that night, in a new way.

If you like Beef Stroganoff, this will seem familiar to you. Think chicken instead of beef, but the mushrooms and creamy sauce are still there. It's hearty, delicious and great comfort food on a cold night.

Remember, even if you know a lot about cooking and consider yourself a "pro" (I use that term very lightly for myself, believe me) there are always new things to learn!

Chicken with Mushroom Gravy

1.5 lbs. boneless chicken tenders (my package had 12)

1 lb. white mushrooms, sliced

5 TBS butter, divided use

1 small white onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 TBS flour

1 c. milk

1/2 c. whipped cream cheese

1 can cream mushroom soup

 4 TBS vegetable oil, divided use

1 TBS dried parsley, plus extra for garnish 

1 lb. egg noodles, cooked to package directions

Salt and Pepper to taste 

Garlic Powder to taste

Preheat oven to 350. Brush chicken with 2 TBS oil. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Roast for 25-30 minutes. Let cool and cut into bite size pieces. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Saute mushrooms, onion and garlic until soft, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate. In same skillet, melt 4 TBS butter. Add 2 TBS flour and whisk until well combined. Slowly pour in milk while whisking. Bring to a bubble, and cook until thickened. Add soup, cream cheese and continue whisking until smooth. Add chicken and mushroom mixture back in and cook for 15 minuets for flavors to combine. Drain egg noodles, add 1 TBS butter and 1 TBS parsley. Mix well. Serve chicken mixture over noodles.

Shared at Weekend Potluck

My Asian Boys

No, I don't have children ya'll don't know about. I'm referring to my husband and oldest son. Well, and I guess with his love of all things rice, my baby too. They love Asian cuisine. I can't say much, so do I, but there is no doubt Mr. E could eat it every day and never tire of it. It is by far his favorite, and he has even mastered some dishes on his own that are, shall we say, exotic? 

With warmer weather here, and the hot summer just around the corner, (YAY!!!) our menu is adjusting accordingly. We are those people who like lighter meals on hot days, and even things that aren't necessarily hot when eaten. A lot of salads, fresh veggies and fruit, cold meat sandwiches, etc. are what we live on during the summer. 

There is no doubt this will be showing up on our dinner table over and over this year. Sure, it has cooked components, but it is served cold, but is still super filling. It would be a terrific take along to that neighbor's barbecue, a light supper like we had, or lunches all week long.

Don't let the number of steps or ingredients intimidate you. Everything can be found at your regular grocery store (I'm talking Aldi, Kroger and Walmart where I shop) and a couple of the steps you can actually do ahead of time to save precious minutes at supper time. 

Oh, and if you want to leave the chicken out, no problem! You could even add more veggies instead. I think mushrooms would be delicious! 

I'm so thankful grilling, mowing, play all day, sunscreen and extra baths season is here. We waited so long! Plus, we get to eat some yummy things too!

Sesame Noodle Salad

1 lb. spaghetti

1 lb. boneless chicken thighs

1 (8 oz.) can sliced water chestnuts, drained

1 lb. tri-color coleslaw mix

2 green onions, chopped

1 cup chow mein noodles, extra for garnish

Garlic Powder, to taste

Salt and Pepper to taste 

Vegetable Oil

Dressing

1/2 c. sugar

3/4 c. soy sauce

2 TBS sesame seeds

1/4 tsp. allspice

1/4 c. rice wine vinegar

1/2 c. vegetable oil

3 TBS sesame oil

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray.  Lay chicken on sheet, baste with vegetable oil. Season with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes until juices run clear. Remove to plate and allow to cool. When cooled, chop into bite sized pieces.

For dressing, combine sugar, soy sauce, sesame seeds, allspice and vinegar in a glass jar. Shake well for 2 minutes. Add both oils. Shake for 3 minutes more. Chill at least 2 hours. 

When ready to assemble salad, cook spaghetti until al dente. Rinse with cold water and drain well. In a large bowl combine pasta, chicken, coleslaw, water chestnuts and chow mein noodles. Mix well. Pour dressing over and mix again. Garnish with green onions and extra chow mein noodles. 

*NOTE* The chicken can be made the night before or earlier in the day. Just keep it in the fridge until you're ready to use. I made the chicken and dressing in the morning and chilled until supper time. If you want to make the salad and take it somewhere, add the chow mein noodles right before serving. 

 

Shared at Weekend Potluck

Inspired by Lil' Luna 

Lemons In The Winter

Okay, was it just me or did January last 215 days? Seriously! I know winter months can drag on and on, but that was especially painful. Yes, it had 5 Mondays, which in itself should be outlawed, but I think there were 9 Tuesday and 17 Thursdays in there somewhere too.

Regardless, we onto February, and while for our family it is a very busy month, I realize for many it can drag on too.

Now is about the time of year my taste buds start to crave brighter, spring like flavors. They are ready to come out of winter hibernation and live again. Sure, we eat really well during these cold, drab months...soup, stew, casseroles...and there is nothing wrong with that. But they are always way ahead of the calendar and the weather, and wanting more.

One way I can wake them up a little is lemon! I will take lemon pretty much any way I can get it. Savory dishes, desserts, main dishes, sides, and everything in between.

This recipe is extra special, because it gives you pasta as a side dish. I don't know about you, but 99% of the time if I'm boiling pasta, it is going to be the star of the meal. Either on it's own, or in a casserole. But not with this. It is perfect alongside some chicken, or maybe some fish since we are entering Lent!

If you feel like this winter is never going to end, I assure you it will. Just maybe not as quick as we would like. In the meantime though we can have a burst of springtime on our plate!

Baked Lemon Noodles

1 lb. rotini pasta

16 oz. sour cream

1 stick butter

Juice of 1 lemon

1 tsp. lemon zest

2 TBS dried parsley

2 TBS grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400. Grease a 2 1/2 quart casserole dish. Cook noodles to al dente. Meanwhile in a medium sauce pan melt butter. Add lemon juice and zest. Slowly whisk sour cream until well blended. Add parsley, salt and pepper. Keep on warm. When pasta is done, drain well. Return to hot pot. Add sauce. Stir well. Transfer to casserole dish. Sprinkle with cheese and extra parsley. Bake for 25 minutes until heated through.

Inspired by Montana Happy

Another Recipe Contest

Yep, once again I am trying to see if a recipe I create can be named "best in show." I have to admit, I really enjoy entering recipe contests, but just don't have as much time to do them right now as I would like. (For those of you keeping track, I am almost 9 months pregnant...hence the short on time issue!)

But when I heard about this one from JSL Foods, I decided to make the time to enter one more before my days are completely full of bottles, diapers and cooing!

The idea was simple. They would send me whichever of their products I wanted to incorporate into a recipe and then I got to play and create in my kitchen. How cool!

I decided to use their Teriyaki Yakisoba Noodles, but in a different way than I normally would.

We are Asian food fanatics, but in the summer time, we are also salad ones too. We like eating lighter, cooler and more refreshing meals when the sun is beating down and it's too hot to move. So I decided I could take these tasty noodles, add some fresh ingredients, a tasty sauce and create a salad that is both filling and light at the same time.

This makes a terrific main dish, with some fresh fruit on the side. Or whip up a big batch of it for your next cookout. Feel free to add whatever veggies you think you would be delicious, I think I might add zucchini next time.

If you want to learn more about JSL Foods and all the great products they have to offer, check them out online, on Facebook and Twitter. Or, look for them at your local Safeway or Target store. Oh, and wish me Good Luck!!

Sweet n Spicy Asian Noodles Salad

3 packages Fortune Teriyaki Yakisoba Noodles, sauce packets discarded

1 (12 oz.) bag frozen cooked medium shrimp, thawed and tails removed

1 (8 oz.) bag frozen shelled edamame, thawed

1 lb. fresh broccoli crowns, cut into florets

1 red bell pepper, julienned

1/4-1/3 c. creamy peanut butter

1/4 c. soy sauce, extra for serving

1/4 c. lemon juice

1/2 c. chicken broth

3 TBS sesame seeds, extra for garnish

1-3 tsp. sriracha, to taste

Bring 2 large pots of water to a boil. When they are rapidly boiling, add noodles to one, and broccoli to the other. Cook EACH 2 minutes total. Immediately transfer both the noodles and broccoli to a large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Drain well.  In a medium bowl whisk together soy sauce, lemon juice, chicken broth, peanut butter, sriracha and sesame seeds. Transfer noodles and broccoli to a large bowl. Pour sauce over. Add shrimp, peppers and edamame. Toss to combine. Chill for at least an hour before serving. Stir well again. Sprinkle with extra sesame seeds. Serve with extra soy sauce on the side. *NOTES* I use 2 teaspoons of sriracha, because I can't take much heat. Feel free to use less or more depending on the heat level your family enjoys. Or, you can always serve extra on the side. When you pour the sauce down over the noodles, you will notice extra. This is fine because it will absorb a lot while chilling.