Chicken Noodle Casserole

Ingredients:

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

6 ounces egg noodles

1 (10.75 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup

1 (10.75 ounce) can cream of chicken soup

1 cup sour cream

salt and black pepper to taste

1 cup crumbled Ritz crackers

½ cup butter

Add large chicken to a large pot of simmering water. Cook until no longer pink in center, about 12 minutes. 

Remove from pot and chop into bite size pieces and set aside. 

Bring chicken cooking water to a boil and cook pasta in it. Drain. 

Add noodles back into pot and mix with chicken pieces.

In a separate bowl, mix together mushroom soup, chicken soup, and sour cream. Season with salt and pepper. Add the cream soup mixture with the chicken mixture and stir to combine. 

Melt butter in microwave. Add the crumbled crackers to the butter and stir until all coated. Place the cracker mixture on top of the casserole.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, until heated through and browned on top.

Hamburger Beef Stew

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef

1 small onion, chopped

4 carrots, peeled and sliced

4 potatoes, peeled and cubed - bite size

28 oz stewed tomatoes, plus juice

10.5 oz beef broth, and then possibly an additional 10oz or more

2 Tbsp. parsley flakes

2 Tbsp, tapioca

1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 - 5.5oz cans of v-8 original

1 head of cauliflower, chopped - bite size

1 can peas

Brown ground beef with onion until the meat is no longer pink.

Meanwhile, chop other ingredients.  Set cauliflower aside. 

*Note I decided I should have cut potatoes smaller - more bite size after this batch!

Add all ingredients into the crockpot, except cauliflower, canned peas and 2nd portion of beef broth. Keep bay leaves on top for easy removal later.

Cook on low of 8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.  

Add cauliflower, canned peas and 2nd portion of beef broth (as much as needed for the consistency that you prefer) the last cooking hour.

I served this with frozen dinner rolls that I popped into the oven the last 15 minutes of cooking with a little bit of melted butter on the top.  

Teriyaki Chicken Rice Bowls

Ingredients:

for the sauce:

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce

2 Tablespoons rice or apple cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

2 cloves garlic minced

1 Tablespoon cornstarch

additional:

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast or tenders, cut into bite size pieces

salt and pepper

1 Tbsp oil

rice

broccoli, cut into bite size pieces

Cook rice according to instructions on packaging.

Add broccoli to a pan with about an inch of water. Add lid and bring to boil to steam broccoli for about 5 minutes.

Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper and place in large non stick skillet with oil.

Cook until no longer pink, stirring often.

In a small bowl or a measuring cup, combine brown sugar, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, vinegar and cornstarch. Whisk together until there are no cornstarch lumps. 

Add sauce to chicken and cook stirring constantly, until it thickens into shiny glaze.

Remove from heat and serve immediately with rice and steamed broccoli. I add chow mein noodles and a bit more soy sauce to my own plate.