Dinner Time Favorites!!!

Jack-Pots (by gigner)
Spray muffin tin and stretch out can biscuits to fit into tin.
fill "biscuit cup" with Lloyds' shredded pork
top with shredded cheddar cheese.
I serve this with sweet potatoes ( you can also use frozen sweet potatoes fries) and Bushes baked beans

Semi-homemade Jambalaya( by Jamie Booth)

1 box Zatarain's Jambalaya Mix
1/2 cup each bell pepper, onion, and celery-chopped
1 pound chicken and sausage(I like to use deboned rotisserie chicken and turkey sausage)
Tony Chachere's creole seasoning, to taste

Follow stovetop cooking instructions on box, adding vegs with the meat. Sprinkle Tony's in last 5 minutes of cooking. This is very semi-homemade!

Hamburger Noodle Bake
-Courtney Passarella

1 pound ground beef
1 clove of garlic pressed ( i use minced)
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. sugar
2 (8 oz.) cans of tomato sauce
1 (5 oz.) pkg. of wide egg noodles
1 (8 oz.) carton sour cream
1 (3 oz.) cream cheese
6 green onions, chopped
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown meat in skillet, drain fat. add next 5 ingredients; cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Cook noodles according to pkg. directions; drain. Combine sour cream, cream cheese, and green onions. Grease a 2 quart casserole. Layer with 1/2 the noodles, 1/2 the sour cream mixture, then 1/2 the meat; repeat. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top. Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Freezes well, but don't add cheese until ready to bake.

I usually serve this with a green salad and french bread.


Red Pepper and Sausage Baked Ziti
-Katie Compton

-prepare one box of ziti pasta according to directions
-saute 1 sliced red pepper with olive oil, salt, and pepper
-brown 1 pound of sausage
-in pasta pot, mix pasta, sausage, red pepper, 1 jar classico spicy red pepper marinara, 1 jar classico roasted red pepper alfredo sauce
-grease casserole dish and transfer mixture
-top with parmesan
-bake at 350 for about 30 minutes

(SO easy - and even campbell loves it! she says "mmmm....picey! (spicy)" haha)

I usually do this with a salad - here is a recipe for grilled ceasar salad that i haven't tried yet, but can't wait to!

dressing:
-2 garlic cloves
-3 T lemon juice
-1 T dijon mustard
-3/4 cup plus 3T olive oil
-1/2 cup parmesan

*combine all ingredients other than oil in food processor, then add in oil slowly

-slice romaine hearts in 1/2 lengthwise
-drizzle with 3T olive oil, salt and pepper
-grill on medium, about 2 minutes per side
-drizzle with dressing and serve

Enjoy! see y'all tomorrow...

Chicken Spaghetti
(katie finley)

4 chicken breast, boiled and cubed
1/2 lb spaghetti
1 lg. onion, diced (i just use some onion poweder)
1 c. chopped celery (i just use some celery salt)
6 Tbsp. butter
8 oz. can mushrooms, sliced
6 Tbsp. flour
1 quart (32 oz.) chicken broth
1 Tbsp. Lawrys seasoning salt
1/2 lb. grated cheddar cheese

cook spaghetti according to package. brown onion and celery in butter. add mushrooms. add flour and mix vigorously. add chicken broth slowly, stirring constantly to make a thin gravy. add lawrys, cheese chicken and spaghetti. grease a 3 quart casserole dish then add your spaghetti mixture. bake at 350 for 45 mins-1 hour.

this freezes well too!

i serve with salad and bread...

a few other dinner time favs from the finley's that are very very easy...
1. rotisserie chicken, pasta with pesto sauce (i buy pesto in the container and just mix it with whole wheat noodles) and a salad... a quick and easy meal!
2. salmon (we buy frozen salmon at sams). i thaw two salmon filets. marinade in soy sauce and a little garlic salt and a couple dashes of worsch. sauce. line a small rimmed cookie sheet with foil and bake at 400 degrees 7 minutes, then flip and bake 7 more minutes. i usually serve with garlic mashed potatoes and snapped green beans. oh, and rolls of course!
3. pork tenderloin (i marinade in teryaki sauce and lemon pepper). bake according to package directions. i usually serve with roasted red potatoes and baked carrots or green beans!

Mexican Chicken Casserole
(Lindsey Slagley)

4 chicken breasts (cooked and diced)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cheddar cheese soup
1 (10 oz) can of rotel, drained
1 package flour tortillas
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Mix soups, rotel and chicken pieces in large bowl, then layer chicken mixture, tortillas, chicken mix, tortillas, etc. and end with chicken mixture. Then top with cheddar cheese and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

This is great with a big salad, or with chips and salsa/cheese dip. I buy the 15 ounce can of Publix brand rotel and use the leftover 5 oz. to make velveeta-rotel cheese dip!

Chocolate Recipes

Rocky Road Drop Candies - Jamie Booth

9 ounces (1.25 cups) dark chocolate, chopped
2 cups miniature marshmallows
1/2 cup chopped, toasted walnuts

Prepare a cookie sheet by covering it with aluminum foil or parchment. Melt the chocolate in the microwave or over a double boiler. Stir until completely smooth.
Add in the walnuts and marshmallows, stirring until they are completely covered with chocolate. Drop by teaspoonfuls on the cookie sheet, and chill in the refrigerator until set.

Cream Cheese Tarts with Chocolate Chips - Robin Peterson

2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 eggs
12 vanilla wafers
1 (21-ounce) can blueberry filling, or other pie filling (I used chocolate chips)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place a paper cupcake liner in each cup of a muffin pan.
Beat cream cheese with a handheld electric mixer until fluffy. Add sugar and vanilla, beating well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Place a vanilla wafer, flat side down, in each muffin cup. Spoon cream cheese mixture over wafers. Bake for 20 minutes. Allow tarts to cool completely. Serve with blueberry filling on top, or pie filling of your choice.

apple dip

mix the following ingredients:
1, 8 oz. block of cream cheese
1/2 c. sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
stir in half a bag of Heath bits, chill and serve with granny smith apples!!!

**its best to make this a day ahead and let it "set" overnight.

Slow Cooker Hot Fudge Cake - Katie Compton

1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup flour
3 T unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
2 T melted butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 3/4 cup boiling water

-mix together 1 cup brown sugar, flour, 3 T cocoa, baking powder and salt
-stir in milk, butter, and vanilla and spread on bottom of slow cooker
-mix 3/4 cup brown sugar, and 1/4 cup cocoa then sprinkle over mixture in slow cooker
-pour in boiling water, do not stir
-cover and cook on high 2-3 hours or until toothpick comes out clean
-serve with cool whip or ice cream

Chocolate Sheet Cake- Lindsey Slagley
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 cup flour
16 oz chocolate syrup
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Frosting:
1/2 cup sugar
6 Tbsp butter
6 Tbsp milk
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Cream the butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition. Add flour, chocolate syrup, vanilla and nuts. Pour into greased and floured jellyroll pan, bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes.
To prepare frosting, place sugar, butter, and milk in medium saucepan. Bring to a slow boil, and boil for 30 seconds. Add chocolate chips, stir until smooth. Remove from heat and pour immediately over cake. Frosting seems thin, but sets well.

puppy chow (katie finley)

½ box of Crispix Cereal
2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
½ cup peanut butter
3 cups powdered sugar

Melt chocolate chips and peanut butter on stovetop over medium/lo. Place cereal in large Ziploc bag. Pour melted chocolate mixture over cereal. Close back and shake until cereal is well coated. Pour powdered sugar over coated cereal and shake to cover cereal. Enjoy!!!