Best Foods Parmesan Crusted Chicken

Best Foods Parmesan Crusted Chicken
Found on BestFoods.com.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Hellmann's or Best Foods Real Mayonnaise
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
4 tsp. Italian seasoned dry bread crumbs

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Combine Mayo with cheese in medium bowl.  Arrange chicken on baking sheet.  Evenly top with mayo mixture, then sprinkle with bread crumbs.
3. Bake 20 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked.

Adaptations:
I used fat free store brand mayo instead of Hellmann's/Best Foods.

The Verdict:
OMG this is so yummy!  The chicken was so moist inside unlike any other recipe I've tried. It was also VERY easy and quick to prepare.  The mayo/ bread crumb topping didn't stick very well and slide off the chicken when it was transferred to the plate and that is honestly what makes the chicken so darn tasty.  The kiddo liked this chicken as well and even asked for more.  We will have this again soon.

Sweet Itailan Sausage Pasta Toss

Hillshire Farms Sausage Pasta Toss
Adapted from Hillshire Farms Beef and Bacon Smoked Sausage with Sun Dried Tomatoes and Mushrooms Recipe.

Ingredients:
1 package Hillshire Farms Gourmet Creations, Sweet Italian Style with Peppers and Mozzarella Cheese
8 oz pasta (any variety)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 cups mushrooms, sliced
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup julienne-cut sun dried tomatoes
1 package Knorr Homestyle Stock Concentrate, Beef flavor
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:
1. Cut sausage into 1/2" slices.
2. Cook pasta according to package directions.
3. Add olive oil into a large non-stick skillet.  Add sausage, mushrooms and onion.  Cook, stirring frequently 4-5 minutes or until sausage is lightly browned and vegetables are tender.
4. Stir in sun dried tomatoes and beef stock; heat through.
5. Toss sausage and vegetables with pasta. 
6. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, if desired. Serve.

The Verdict:
This dish was very yummy but still not the flavor I was expecting to get with this sausage.  I used fresh mushrooms and onions from the farmer's market.  They soaked up the flavor of the stock very well and were delicious all by themselves.  Hubby could have done without the sun dried tomatoes but for me, they added a great acidity that the meal was lacking.  We will defiantly have this dish again.

Best Foods Creamy Cheddar Broccoli

Best Foods Creamy Cheddar Broccoli
Found on Best Foods website.
Prep Time: 5 minutes, Cook Time: 10 minutes, Serves: 6

Ingredients:
1 head broccoli, cut in florets
1/3 cup Hellmann's or Best Foods Canola Cholesterol Free Mayonnaise
1/3 cup milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (4 oz)
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
Pinch ground nutmeg

Instructions:
1. Cook broccoli until crisp-tender
2. In 4-quart saucepan, with wire whisk, combine Mayonnaise and milk until smooth.  Add cheese, pepper and nutmeg.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until cheese is melted (do not boil).
3. Add broccoli and toss to coat; heat through.

Alterations:  I steamed the broccoli florets in a Ziploc Steamer Bag as that's how we like to cook our vegetables.  Easy, worry free cooking with super easy clean up.  Also, I used a fat free store brand Mayonnaise because I didn't want to buy two different types of Mayonnaise.

The Verdict:  I don't eat broccoli, let me rephrase that... I HATE BROCCOLI!  But this topping drowned the flavor of the broccoli so well that I went back for seconds.  Hubby (the broccoli eater) said it was 'okay' and the kiddo didn't even try it but we agreed to have it again. 

The sauce was very runny and did not stick to the broccoli as I expected so I had to swipe the broccoli through the cheese sauce before each bite.  Also, when the sauce gets cold, it tastes similar to sour cream, which isn't so bad but it could turn off some people like my hubby.

McCormick's Recipe Creations: Garlic Lime Chicken Fajitas

McCormick's Recipe Creations: Garlic Lime Chicken Fajitas
A McCormick's Recipe Creation recipe.
Prep time: 15 minutes; Marinate: 30 minutes; Cook time: 10 minutes
Yields: 8 servings

Ingredients (per recipe):
1 tsp. Minced Garlic (dried seasoning)
1tsp. Minced Onions (dried seasoning)
3/4 tsp. Ground Cumin (dried seasoning)
3/4 tsp. Oregano Leaves (dried seasoning)
1/2 tsp. Cilantro Leaves (dried seasoning)
1/2 tsp. Coarse Ground Black Pepper (dried seasoning)
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup orange juice
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
1 medium green or red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
8 flour tortillas (8-inch)

Additional ingredients
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, trimmed
2-3 small Roma tomatoes, chopped
1 avocado, mashed
2 cups lettuce
1 cup shredded cheese (optional)


Directions:
1. Mix juices, oil, all of the spices and salt. 
2. Marinade chicken strips in 1/2 of the spice mixture for at least 30 minutes.
3. Saute chicken in heated skillet. Remove from skillet when cooked thoroughly.
4. Cook bell pepper and onion in unused 1/2 of the spice mixture until soft.
5. Add chicken to vegetables and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
6. Serve on warm tortillas dressed with (or without) fresh cilantro, tomatoes, avocado, lettuce and cheese.

Verdict:
YUM!  The marinade aroma was beautiful.  I can't say enough about how flavorful the chicken and onions were (I didn't try the bell pepper).  The fresh cilantro and avocado absolutely made these fajitas for me.  The only complaint from the "testers" was that the medium shredded cheddar cheese was too overpowering for these fajitas.  We will try a milder cheese next time and will DEFIANTLY do this again.

Pasta with Hillshire Farms Gourment Creations Sausage

Pasta with Hillshire Farms Gourment Creations Sausage

Ingredients:
1 package Hillshire Farms Gourmet Creations Sweet Italian Style Sausage
1 Tbsp. oil olive
1/2 package fresh mushrooms
1 small onion chopped
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
1 jar Ragu Sweet Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce
3 cups dried pasta (any style)

Directions:
1. Saute sausage, mushrooms and onion in olive oil until browned.
2. Add pasta sauce and garlic powder; simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Cook pasta per package directions while pasta sauce mixture simmers.
4. Drain pasta.
5. Combine pasta with sauce mixture and simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Serve.

The verdict: 
The sausage smelled awesome when cooking but I didn't get the great flavor I expected based on the smell.  I believe the tomato sauce overshadowed the sausage.  In the future, I will save some dough and use regular Italian sausage in my pasta.  The Gourmet Creations sausage smelled so good that I will try it in another dish, perhaps a sausage skillet.

Curry Chicken (Stovetop)

Curry Chicken
Borrowed from Taste of Home Simple & Delicious, March/April 2008
Prep/Total Time: 30 min.; Yields: 4 servings


Ingredients:
1.5 cups uncooked instant rice
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 teaspoons curry powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 can (13.5 ounces) coconut milk
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 cups fresh baby spinach
1 cup chopped tomato

Directions:
1. Cook the rice according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, sprinkle the chicken with curry, salt and pepper.
3. In a large skillet, saute chicken and onion in oil until the chicken is no longer pink.
4. Stir in coconut milk and tomato paste. Bring to a boil.
5. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until thickened.
6. Add spinach and tomato; cook 2-3 minutes longer or until spinach is wilted.
7. Serve with rice.

The Verdict:

I did not add spinach as I am the only one in the family who eats it. Other than that, I followed the recipe exactly as you see here. It was super easy!

While cooking the chicken, it smelled awesome but we had to open a window and turn on the stove fan because it was a bit overwhelming. Once we added the coconut milk, the tasty smell dissipated a bit.

Taste wise, it was okay; it tasted like deli curry. It didn't have the strong curry flavor we've been looking for. Maybe it's because we fell in love with the curry we had on the West Coast and many recipes tend to be tame to accommodate all tastes. We really want more flavor. I am wondering since this is our second curry meal that doesn't meet our expectations that it is the curry powder. I know there are many different kinds so maybe I need to go to a speciality grocery store to find a better curry powder? Then I'll try it again.

Portobello Roast Beef Hoagies

Portobello Roast Beef Hoagies

Borrowed from Taste of Home Simple & Delicious, May/June 2008

Yield: 4 servings; Prep/Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

4 whole wheat hoagie buns, split

4 Tablespoons butter, softened, divided

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

3/4 pound sliced deli roast beef, julienned

1/2 pound sliced baby portobello mushrooms

1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 pound sliced provolone cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

1 Tablespoon prepared horseradish

Directions:

1. Spread cut sides of buns with 2 Tablespoons butter; sprinkle with Italian seasoning and garlic salt. Set aside.

2. In a large skillet, saute the beef, mushrooms, rosemary and pepper in remaining butter until the mushrooms are tender. Spoon onto buns; top with cheese.

3. Place on a baking sheet. Broil 2-3 in. from the heat for 2-4 minutes or until cheese is melted. In a small bowl, combine sour cream and horseradish; serve with sandwiches.

The Verdict:

I altered the ingredients a bit to accommodate our budget and likes/ dislikes.

1) Used Italian Steak buns because that is all our store had.

2) Used as much butter as needed because I made 6 instead of 4.

3) Garlic powder instead of salt because that's all I had.

4) Sprinklings of garlic powder and the Italian seasoning because I didn't want to dirty extra measuring spoons.

5) 1 lbs. of roast beef, thinly sliced and not really julienned but cut into strips.

6) No mushrooms because I forgot to buy them.

7) Rosemary was not crushed.

8) No sour cream/ horseradish for sauce (ie. no sauce).

The prep/cook time was NOT 15 minutes, it took closer to a hour and I am not really sure why. Having the roast beef julienned might have made a difference but I honestly didn't know what that meant so I went with sliced strips. Broiling... I have never broiled a thing in my life and wasn't actually sure if the broiling setting needed to be pre-heated. I was so wrapped up in that part that I missed the whole 2-3 inches from the heat so my bread was not as crispy as it probably should have been but it was warm. Otherwise, the recipe was fairly easy and turned out super tasty. The husband and I both agree that the garlic SALT and mushrooms would have balanced the flavor as it was a bit on the meaty side but we will defiantly do this again.

It was also fairly inexpensive... $8/lb for the meat, about $3 for the buns, and $2.50 for the cheese. Getting the mushrooms will push the price up a bit as portobellos are on the pricier side but I am sure canned mushrooms would be okay too. Hubby suggested adding onions to the saute mixture so I think we will try that next time.