Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole

I love rice and chicken so when I found this recipe online from Campbell's, I went to work in the kitchen one day and tried it for dinner. It came out so yummy I wanted to share it with you all. :)

Prep: 15 minutes
Bake: 50 minutes
Stand: 10 minutes
Serves: 4


Ingredients:

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup (Regular or 98% Fat Free)
1 1/3 cups water
3/4 cup uncooked regular long-grain white rice
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cup frozen mixed vegetables
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:

Heat the oven to 375°F. Stir the soup, water, rice, onion powder, black pepper and vegetables in a 2-quart shallow baking dish.

Top with the chicken. Season the chicken as desired. Cover the baking dish.

Bake for 50 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the rice is tender. Top with the cheese. Let the casserole stand for 10 minutes. Stir the rice before serving.

Serving Suggestion: Serve with a Caesar salad. For dessert serve frozen Italian-style water ice or gelati.

Cost per recipe: $9.09
Cost per recipe serving: $2.27
Total cost of meal (including serving suggestion): $14.62

Tip: To try it Alfredo, substitute broccoli flowerets for the vegetables and substitute 1/4 cup grated Parmesan for the Cheddar cheese. Add 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese with the soup. Sprinkle the chicken with the remaining Parmesan cheese.

Trim It Down: Use Campbell's® 98% Fat Free Cream of Chicken Soup instead of regular soup and use low fat cheese instead of regular cheese.

Mexican: In place of onion powder and pepper use 1 teaspoon chili powder. Substitute Mexican cheese blend for Cheddar.

Italian: In place of onion powder and pepper use 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, crushed. Substitute 1/3 cup shredded Parmesan for Cheddar.

Recipes That Will Make Your Kids Sleepy

This is an interesting list of recipes that I thought would interest tired moms like me who needs a break from their kids once in a whike. :)

Article: "SLEEPING POTIONS"

Got to get the kids to sleep before Desperate Housewives? Try treats with tryptophan. This amino acid spurs the body to make serotonin, which slows nerve activity and encourages drowsiness. Milk, yogurt, soy, figs, bananas, and, famously, turkey are all sources. Supersize the effect with a carbohydrate — carbs stimulate insulin production, which sweeps away other amino acids, leaving the tryptophan to do its sleepy thing.

Full Moon Cookies: Smoosh a slice or two of banana between 2 small oatmeal raisin cookies, and freeze for at least 1 hour. (Think ice cream sandwich.)

Yogurt Drifts: Spoon a little vanilla or blueberry yogurt into a small paper cup, then sprinkle with wheat germ. Eat, or freeze for 1 to 1 1/2 hours for a frozen-pudding consistency.

Midnight Figs: Purée 1 cup dried figs with 1/2 cup water and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in a food processor. Spread on vanilla wafer cookies.

Sleepy Sunflowers: Put a spoonful of cottage cheese on a round whole wheat cracker. Sprinkle with sunflower or sesame seeds.

Twilight Toast Points: Spread blueberry preserves on whole wheat toast, then cut into bite-size pieces.

Source: Wondertime.com

Beef Vegetable Burger Recipe By Sara Moulton

Yup, Sara Moulton is one of my top favorite celebrity chef. I find her recipes unique, easy-to-follow and of course yum-o! :)

I own one of her best-selling recipe books called "Sara Moulton Cooks At Home" and have tried some of her recipes there.

Here's a simple, quick recipe that I tried making before, following Sara's recipe. This was just tasty! I love it! :)

*Beef Vegetable Burgers*

Serves 6

3/4 pound ground beef
1 cup grated potato
1/2 cup grated carrot
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup finely chopped red or green bell pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons vegetable shortening or butter (or a mixture)
6 sandwich buns, optional

The addition of vegetables to these burgers gives them a lot more flavor than the usual "just-meat" variety.

Directions:

1. Combine beef, potato, carrot, onion, bell pepper, egg, ketchup, chili powder, salt, and black pepper in a medium bowl. Shape into 6 burgers.

2. Heat 1 teaspoon shortening in a large heavy skillet. Add burgers and cook over medium heat 10 minutes.

3. Add remaining shortening; turn and cook until both meat and potato are cooked.

4. Serve on sandwich buns, if desired.

Chocolate Cookie Bark

Prep: 20 min.
Total: 1 hour 20 min. (incl. refrigerating)
Makes: 14 servings, one piece each.

1 pkg. (8 squares) Baker's Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate

1 pkg. (6 squares) Baker's Premium White Baking Chocolate

2 Tbsp. peanut butter

10 Oreo Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

PLACE semi-sweet chocolate and white chocolate in separate medium microwaveable bowls. Microwave until completely melted, following directions on package. Add peanut butter to white chocolate; stir until well blended. Crumble half the cookies over chocolate in each bowl; mix well. DROP spoonfuls of the chocolate mixtures onto wax paper-covered baking sheet, alternating the colors of the chocolates. Cut through
chocolate mixtures several times with knife for marble effect.

REFRIGERATE at least 1 hour or until firm. Break into 14 pieces. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.

Oven-Baked French Toast Recipe

Yumm..I love French Toast. Whenever we go out and have breakfast at IHop or La Madeleine (my hubby and I's two favorite breakfast places), I always order a big old, mouth-watering cinnamon French Toast.

Here's a wonderful Oven-Baked French Toast recipe I found online. I am thinking of making this one day this week for breakfast. Gotta put this on my grocery list for the next stop. :)

*For French toast
8 ounces (1/2 loaf) stale bread (preferably challah, or a soft French or Italian bread with the crusts removed), cut into 1-inch cubes
4 eggs
2 1/2 cups whole milk or half-and-half
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

*For topping
3 tablespoons butter, cut into slices
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, then butter a 9- by 9-inch baking pan. Arrange the bread cubes in the pan in one layer. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, sugar, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla until sugar is dissolved. Pour the mixture over the bread cubes, then chill, covered, for 1 hour.

Make topping: In a small bowl, stir together butter, sugar, and walnuts with a fork until mixture is crumbly and butter is evenly distributed. Sprinkle topping over soaked bread cubes. Bake French toast until custard is set and bread is evenly puffed, about 45 minutes. Cool slightly, about 10 minutes, before serving.

Yummy!!! :)