Creamy Chicken Skillet

     My fellow foodies, THIS is delicious. It was a simple dinner that I threw together in very little time, and allowed me to use some leftover ingredients so I didn't waste them! It was fast, it was easy, it was simple, and most of all, it was SO tasty. Michael and I agreed it tasted almost a bit like a broccoli casserole, minus the cheese. It did taste very similar, so I'm thinking adding cheese wouldn't be such a bad idea. Then again, when has adding cheese to something ever been a bad idea?

     We went to a furniture outlet this weekend and purchased a couch for our new home. I'm so excited! It is being made now and we will be able to pick it up May 17, 2013 or sooner! Hopefully, we will be moving into our home on April 25, but it may be pushed back. Keep us in your thoughts and prayers that the underwriting process through our loan moves quickly and everything stays on schedule.

     

Creamy Chicken Skillet

Yields: 4 servings

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, 1" cubes

1 (10.75 oz) can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted

1½ c. milk

1½ c. water

½ tsp. dried basil

¼ tsp. garlic powder

2 tbsp. dried onion, minced

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. black pepper

2 c. short cut pasta, uncooked

1 c. fresh broccoli, small chop

1 c. frozen peas

In a large skillet with high sides, heat olive oil over high heat. Once the oil is heated, add the chicken and brown on all sides. Cook the chicken thoroughly and then remove and set aside. 

Add the water and deglaze the pan, then add the milk. Once mixed, whisk in the cream of mushroom soup, dried onion, and basil. 

At this point, add the peas (or any other frozen vegetable you choose).

Bring this mixture to a boil and then add the pasta. Bring back to a boil and reduce to medium heat. 

Add the broccoli (or any other fresh vegetable you choose) and simmer for 10 minutes. 

At this point, add the chicken back in, with any juices that were left in the bowl, and cook for 5 minutes or until heated through.

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I served along side my garlic breadsticks, which will be in a recipe to follow!

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 4
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 346.5

• Total Fat: 6.4 g
• Cholesterol: 66.9 mg
• Sodium: 1,420.7 mg
• Total Carbs: 39.9 g
• Dietary Fiber: 3.9 g
• Protein: 33.8 g

Cube Steak with Mushroom Gravy

I don't have much to say...no word on the house yet. VERY frustrated. Not only do we not have any word on the house, I haven't even heard from my agent. Okay. Just breathe, right? AHHHHH! Anyways, cube steak is great because sometimes it is referred to as "minute steak" because they cook up so well. They are a little "ho-hum" and boring, but if you add your own twist on it, like I did with this gravy, it's actually quite delicious! I generally prefer them with plain ole' ketchup, but this was a nice change! Enjoy!

Cube Steak with Mushroom Gravy

Yields: 3 servings

1.5 lbs of cube steak

1/4 c. AP flour

2 tsp. garlic powder

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

2 tbsp. canola oil

For the gravy:

1 small onion, diced

8 oz. button mushrooms, quartered

2 tbsp. canola oil

2 tbsp. butter

2 tbsp. flour

1 1/2 c. fat-free milk

salt and pepper, to taste

To prepare the cube steak, in a shallow pan, combine the flour, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Coat the steak on both sides in the mixture. In a large skillet, add oil and heat over a medium-high heat. Add the steak and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove from skillet and set aside. To the drippings from the cube steak, stir-fry the mushrooms and onions until tender. Remove and set aside.

For the gravy, add butter to the skillet, removing the crispy bits from the bottom of the pan. Once the butter is completely melted, whisk in the flour. Gradually add the milk, stirring as you pour and whisk until smooth and creamy. Taste, and adjust for seasoning, adding salt and pepper as needed. Add in the mushrooms and onions and heat through, about 5 minutes.

Serve the gravy over the cube steak and enjoy!

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 3
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 629.4

• Total Fat: 35.7 g
• Cholesterol: 163.2 mg
• Sodium: 1,605.4 mg
• Total Carbs: 21.8 g
• Dietary Fiber: 1.4 g
• Protein: 57.1 g

Bustin' My Chops

     Tonight for dinner, I decided to do pork chops. I haven't cooked (or eaten, for that matter) pork chops in YEARS, due to some pretty gnarly experiences. Particularly, bone-dry meat and an aching jaw for a few days. It seems as though no matter how much you chew a ridiculously dry piece of meat, it will never go down quite right! I figured I would sear the pork chops in a pan and then bake them off in the oven. This ended up making fork-tender pork chops that were DELICIOUS...and a recipe which I will be using again! I served them alongside a green bean casserole and yeast rolls. 
     Note: I would not recommend serving with a green bean casserole, simply because the cream of mushroom soup in both parts of the meal (pork chops and casserole) makes it almost too rich to enjoy. Serving the pork chops with a side of just green beans would have been a better idea. Oh well, live and learn!

Baked Pork Chops

6 Pork Chops

1½ tsp. Garlic Powder

1½ tsp. Seasoning Salt

2 Eggs, beaten

½ c. All-Purpose Flour

1½ c. Italian-Seasoned Bread Crumbs

¼ c. Olive Oil

1 (10.75 oz) can of Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup

⅓ c. Milk

⅓ c. White Wine

Preheat oven to 350°F. 

Rinse pork chops, dry thoroughly, and season on both sides with the garlic powder and

seasoning salt, to taste. (I went liberal and rubbed it in a little.)

 Dredge the pork chops first in the flour, then into the egg, and coat liberally with bread crumbs.

Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Sear the pork chops 

approximately 3-4 minutes per side, or until the breading appears brown. 

Place the pork chops in a 9"X13" baking dish, cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the can of cream of mushroom soup, milk, and white wine in a medium bowl. 

After the pork chops have baked for 30 minutes, remove from the oven and pour the soup mixture over them. Replace the foil and bake for another 30 minutes. 

Once finished, remove from the oven and leave foil on for about 5 minutes to let the meat rest, then remove and serve!