Welcome to the Menu Maker Mom kitchen! The kitchen is tiny, warm, and cozy. Yummy smells tease the tummies of anyone passing through. Life happens in this kitchen!
Fortunately my freezer is already full of the meals we'll be eating this week, so I don't have much cooking to do! Because of that, I'm going to post a mini Chicken Cooking Session of recipes that my family loves. This session will fill your freezer with six to seven meals to include the following menu items:
Almost Famous Chicken Patties - 12 patties (2 - 3 meals)
Chicken Spaghetti - 2 pans (each serves 6-8)
Chicken Stuffed Mega Shells - 2 recipes (each serves 6-8)
Ingredients List:
1/2 tsp. dried Basil
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
3/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. paprika
2 Tbsp. dried, minced parsely
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. seasoned salt
1 cup bread crumbs
1 boxes jumbo pasta shells (about 60 total)
6 cups spaghetti noodles broken into 3-inch pieces
4 cups chicken broth
4 cans cream of mushroom soup
8 oz. jar pimentos
Olive oil
6 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
32 oz. cottage cheese
16 oz. package monzerella cheese, shredded
2-1/2 cups parmesan romano cheese, grated
7 eggs
1/2 cups onion, minced
1/2 tsp. garlic, minced
1/2 cup green pepper, chopped
8-oz. package fresh mushrooms, finely diced
16 cups chicken, cooked and chopped
You will also need to have the following supplies on hand:
Wax paper, 8 gallon-size freezer bags, 2 2-quart casseroles that can go from freezer to oven, 2 quart-size freezer bags, large skillet.
STEP #1
1. Cook and chop the chicken
2. Grate all cheeses
3. Chop all vegetables
STEP #2
Prepare the Chicken Spaghetti:
1. Cook spaghetti pieces until al dente.
2. When spaghetti is cooked, combine in a large bowl with the following:
4 cans Cream of Mushroom Soup
4 cups chicken
4 cups of the cheddar (reserve the other 2 cups)
1/2 cup green pepper
1/2 cup onion
8 oz. pimentos, drained
2 tsp. seasoned salt
Salt & pepper to taste
3. Put the mixture into 2 greased 2-quart casserole dishes. Put 1-cup portions of shredded cheddar cheese into 2 quart-size freezer bags. Cover casseroles securely, attach freezer bags of cheese, and label.
4. To cook: Thaw in fridge overnight. Take cover off, sprinkle with cheese, bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Cover if cheese is over-browning.
Step #3
Prepare the Chicken Patties:
1. Combine the following in a large bowl:
4 cups chicken, very finely shredded or mince in a food processor
4 eggs
1 cup parmesan romano cheese
1/2 cup bread crumbs
2. Heat up a large skillet. Add enough olive oil to cover. Shape chicken into 12 patties. Fry in the skillet until browned well. You may also broil these to save calories.
3. To freeze, sandwich patties between wax paper, put into a gallon-size freezer bag, and set in the freezer. To serve, thaw and reheat in a skillet or in the oven.
4. Serving suggestions: Chicken patty burgers, chicken patty parmesan, chicken patty alfredo, chicken patties served with mashed potatoes and gravy, chicken patties served with fries and ketchup. Use your imagination!!
Step #4
Prepare the Chicken Stuffed Mega Shells
1. Cook and drain pasta shells.
2. Make the filling: Saute the mushrooms and 1/4 cup onion in 2 tbsp. olive oil. Add the minced garlic and saute briefly. In a large bowl, mix 1/3 cup breadcrumbs, parsley, paprika, salt, pepper, oregano, basil, and nutmeg. Add the cottage cheese, 16 oz. monzerella cheese, 1-1/2 cup parmesan/romano cheese, 3 eggs, the sauteed vegetables, and 4 cups finely shredded chicken.
5. Carefully stuff the shells using a tablespoon.
6. Place the filled shells on a wax paper lined cookie sheet. Freeze until hard. Transfer to 2 gallon-size bags, labeling and sealing well.
7. To serve, thaw in the fridge overnight. In a casserole dish, layer spaghetti sauce or alfredo sauce in the bottom of the dish. Top with the pasta shells. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until bubbly. YUMMMMM!!
Fortunately my freezer is already full of the meals we'll be eating this week, so I don't have much cooking to do! Because of that, I'm going to post a mini Chicken Cooking Session of recipes that my family loves. This session will fill your freezer with six to seven meals to include the following menu items:
Almost Famous Chicken Patties - 12 patties (2 - 3 meals)
Chicken Spaghetti - 2 pans (each serves 6-8)
Chicken Stuffed Mega Shells - 2 recipes (each serves 6-8)
Ingredients List:
1/2 tsp. dried Basil
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
3/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. paprika
2 Tbsp. dried, minced parsely
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. seasoned salt
1 cup bread crumbs
1 boxes jumbo pasta shells (about 60 total)
6 cups spaghetti noodles broken into 3-inch pieces
4 cups chicken broth
4 cans cream of mushroom soup
8 oz. jar pimentos
Olive oil
6 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
32 oz. cottage cheese
16 oz. package monzerella cheese, shredded
2-1/2 cups parmesan romano cheese, grated
7 eggs
1/2 cups onion, minced
1/2 tsp. garlic, minced
1/2 cup green pepper, chopped
8-oz. package fresh mushrooms, finely diced
16 cups chicken, cooked and chopped
You will also need to have the following supplies on hand:
Wax paper, 8 gallon-size freezer bags, 2 2-quart casseroles that can go from freezer to oven, 2 quart-size freezer bags, large skillet.
STEP #1
1. Cook and chop the chicken
2. Grate all cheeses
3. Chop all vegetables
STEP #2
Prepare the Chicken Spaghetti:
1. Cook spaghetti pieces until al dente.
2. When spaghetti is cooked, combine in a large bowl with the following:
4 cans Cream of Mushroom Soup
4 cups chicken
4 cups of the cheddar (reserve the other 2 cups)
1/2 cup green pepper
1/2 cup onion
8 oz. pimentos, drained
2 tsp. seasoned salt
Salt & pepper to taste
3. Put the mixture into 2 greased 2-quart casserole dishes. Put 1-cup portions of shredded cheddar cheese into 2 quart-size freezer bags. Cover casseroles securely, attach freezer bags of cheese, and label.
4. To cook: Thaw in fridge overnight. Take cover off, sprinkle with cheese, bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Cover if cheese is over-browning.
Step #3
Prepare the Chicken Patties:
1. Combine the following in a large bowl:
4 cups chicken, very finely shredded or mince in a food processor
4 eggs
1 cup parmesan romano cheese
1/2 cup bread crumbs
2. Heat up a large skillet. Add enough olive oil to cover. Shape chicken into 12 patties. Fry in the skillet until browned well. You may also broil these to save calories.
3. To freeze, sandwich patties between wax paper, put into a gallon-size freezer bag, and set in the freezer. To serve, thaw and reheat in a skillet or in the oven.
4. Serving suggestions: Chicken patty burgers, chicken patty parmesan, chicken patty alfredo, chicken patties served with mashed potatoes and gravy, chicken patties served with fries and ketchup. Use your imagination!!
Step #4
Prepare the Chicken Stuffed Mega Shells
1. Cook and drain pasta shells.
2. Make the filling: Saute the mushrooms and 1/4 cup onion in 2 tbsp. olive oil. Add the minced garlic and saute briefly. In a large bowl, mix 1/3 cup breadcrumbs, parsley, paprika, salt, pepper, oregano, basil, and nutmeg. Add the cottage cheese, 16 oz. monzerella cheese, 1-1/2 cup parmesan/romano cheese, 3 eggs, the sauteed vegetables, and 4 cups finely shredded chicken.
5. Carefully stuff the shells using a tablespoon.
6. Place the filled shells on a wax paper lined cookie sheet. Freeze until hard. Transfer to 2 gallon-size bags, labeling and sealing well.
7. To serve, thaw in the fridge overnight. In a casserole dish, layer spaghetti sauce or alfredo sauce in the bottom of the dish. Top with the pasta shells. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until bubbly. YUMMMMM!!
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Now here are some pics of the chicken patty process:
Now here are some pics of the chicken patty process:
Everything's in the bowl!
Here is a ball made out of the mixed ingredients. It is about the size of a large tangerine.
The patties are fryin' in the pan. The aroma and smell of sizzling chicken and parmesan is will make your taste buds dance... My family can hardly contain themselves!! (Notice that I don't have much oil in the pan. I pour just enough olive oil into the pan to keep everything sizzling.)
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Oh, before I close this post...
If you'd like to learn lots of really cool kitchen tips, please visit Tammy's Recipes!!
