Manic Monday Meals ~ Thanksgiving Ideas :)

I love Thanksgiving flavors and try to incorporate them into more meals during the season! My crockpot of course is my friend so I have to throw in one of my meals that way and a few others that can be used in Thanksgiving Day!

Here we go! I have some can goods (don't shutter hey sometimes I do get use them). And sorry my non pork loving friend Amy ... it was on sale :).

Slow Cooker Pork Chops & Sweet Potatoes

Found on Sparks Recipe

Ingredients

6 Pork chops, trimmed of fat
3 or 4 sweet potatoes, cubed or 1 can sweet potatoes
1 can whole cranberry sauce
salt and pepper to taste




Directions

Season pork chops to taste. Layer pork chops and cranberries in slow cooker. Cook on high 4 hours or low 6-8 hours. If you use fresh sweet potatoes, add on top of slow cooker at start of cooking time. If you use canned sweet potatoes, add at last hour of cooking. Makes approx. 6 servings

ALEXIS NOTES: I used canned sweet potatoes & cranberry. Yes the cranberry can was labeled upside down you had to open the bottom to get htem out ... lol. I used whole cranberries added a little something nice to the plate :). Don't forget your crockpot liner!

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Second Recipe is one I made for the Church Thanksgiving Dinner we had last night. It was a huge hit, I even had people that wrote their email address down to email to them :).

Mom's Turkey Stuffing Recipe

by Simply Recipes

INGREDIENTS

• 1 loaf of day old French bread, cut into 3/4-inch cubes (about 10-12 cups)
• 1 cup walnuts
• 2 cups each, chopped onion and celery
• 6 Tbsp butter
• 1 green apple, peeled, cored, chopped
• 3/4 cup of currants or raisins
• Several (5 to 10) chopped green olives (martini olives, the ones with the pimento)
• Stock from the turkey giblets (1 cup to 2 cups) (can substitute chicken stock)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning or ground sage (to taste)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper (to taste)

METHOD

1 If you haven't already made the stock, take the turkey giblets - heart and gizzard - and neck if you want, and put them in a small saucepan, cover with water and add a little salt. Bring to a simmer; simmer for about an hour, uncovered. Strain the stock into a container for use with the stuffing. Alternatively, you can use chicken stock or just plain water with this recipe.

2 Toast the walnuts by heating them in a frying pan on medium high heat for a few minutes, stirring until they are slightly browned (not burned) OR put them in the microwave on high until you can smell the aroma of them toasting, about a minute or two. Let them cool while you are toasting the bread, then roughly chop them.

3 Heat a large sauté pan on medium heat. Melt 3 Tbsp butter in the pan, add the bread cubes, and stir to coat the bread pieces with the melted butter. Then let them toast; only turn them when they have become a little browned on a side. Note, if you aren't working with somewhat dried-out day-old bread, lay the cubes of bread in a baking pan and put them in a hot oven for 10 minutes to dry them out first, before toasting them in butter on the stove top. The bread should be a little dry to begin with, or you'll end up with mushy stuffing.

4 In a large Dutch oven, sauté chopped onions and celery on medium high heat with the remaining 3 Tbsp butter until cooked through, about 5-10 minutes. Add the bread. Add cooked chopped walnuts. Add chopped green apple, currants, raisins, olives, parsley. Add one cup of the stock from cooking the turkey giblets or chicken stock (enough to keep the stuffing moist while you are cooking it). Add sage, poultry seasoning, salt & pepper.

5 Cover. Turn heat to low. Cook for an hour or until the apples are cooked through. Check every ten minutes or so and add water or stock as needed while cooking to keep the stuffing moist and keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Serves 8-10.

ALEXIS NOTES: I doubled the recipe for the event at church. I used golden raisins & chicken stock. I toasted my walnuts in the microwave, in a hurry girl :). I ended up toasting the bread and then putting in a big pan, did the same with veggies in the stock pot. I ended up putting it in the oven so it would be crunchier :). Sorry no finished pic, I had to run out the door to church when the timer went off. Yes I was late, I swear one day everything will line up for me.

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And my last recipe was my desert for the church event. When I came by to get one I ended up getting the last one, and oh boy I'm so glad I got a chance to get one it was fab!!

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

by Betty Crocker

Cookies

1	pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® sugar cookie mix
1	tablespoon Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1/2	cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
1/3	cup butter or margarine, softened
2	teaspoons ground cinnamon
1	egg

Filling

2/3	cup marshmallow creme (from 7-oz jar)
1/3	cup butter or margarine, softened
2/3	cup powdered sugar

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1. Heat oven to 375°F. In large bowl, stir together cookie mix and flour. Add remaining cookie ingredients; stir until stiff dough forms.
2. Onto ungreased cookie sheets, drop dough by 36 rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart. Lightly press tops with floured fingertips to flatten slightly.
3. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.
4. In medium bowl, beat filling ingredients with electric mixer until light and fluffy. For each whoopie pie, spread about 2 teaspoons of the filling on bottom of 1 cooled cookie. Top with second cookie, bottom side down; gently press together. Store tightly covered in refrigerator. Sprinkle with additional powdered sugar just before serving.

ALEXIS NOTES: I actually stuck to a recipe, I know get that! LOL ok but NEXT time I'll switch the cinnamon out for pumpkin spice. I'm so glad I bought a cookie scoop it made it so easy. NOW I bought a cheap $3 at Walmart BUT I may go look online for the pampered chef one. This was truly yummy and easy, Cole my helper did a great job!

TMT ~ 3 Rice Dinners

Nothing new times are a little tight so I've been using up everything I can in the house and still trying to stick to my mission of always making something new for dinner. Rice has become a HUGE hit in the house, Cole actually ask for it several times a week so I'm trying to find new ways to bring it in the meals.

I'm back logged on recipes so here is 3 to choose from :).

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Cheesy Broccoli Rice Recipe from Taste of Home

Cheesy Broccoli Rice

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 3 cups cooked long grain rice
• 2 cups fresh or frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

• In a skillet, cook beef, onion and garlic over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the rice, broccoli and cheddar cheese.
• Transfer to a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30-40 minutes or until heated through. Yield: 4 servings.
  
  Making Cheesy Broccoli Rice for a holiday dinner? Give it a festive look by stirring in some drained pimientos.

ALEXIS NOTES: I used the brown rice I have it tasted great and used the cheese I had on hand which was the Colby Jack. This was super yummy!!!

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Chicken and Rice Casserole Recipe by Simply Recipes

Chicken & Rice Casserole

INGREDIENTS

• 2 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 to 1 1/2 inch pieces, patted dry
• Salt and pepper
• Olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 lb cremini or button mushrooms, sliced
• 1/4 cup dry sherry or white wine
• 1 1/3 cups* chicken stock**
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup cream
• 1 cup raw, medium or long grain, white rice
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon each of Italian seasoning and poultry seasoning (or 2 teaspoons of one of these herb mixes, or 2 Tbsp chopped fresh herbs such as rosemary, sage, thyme, and basil)**
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

*This recipe assumes the rice requires approx 1 1/2 cups liquid per cup of rice to cook. Some rice varieties, such as brown rice, require more liquid (and a longer cooking time). Adjust recipe accordingly.

**If you are cooking gluten-free, use homemade stock or gluten-free packaged stock, use gluten-free packaged herbs and spices.

METHOD

1 Preheat oven to 375°F. Heat 2 Tbsp of olive oil in a large sauté pan on medium high or high heat (hot enough to brown but not burn). Sprinkle a dash of salt on the bottom of the pan. Season the chicken pieces all over with salt and pepper. Working in batches, brown the chicken pieces on two sides, about 1-2 minutes per batch. Add a little more salt to the pan (and more olive oil if needed) after every batch. This will help prevent the chicken from sticking to the pan. Remove chicken pieces and set aside in a bowl. Note that the chicken does not have to be cooked through, only browned.

2 In the same sauté pan add 1 Tbsp olive oil, lower the heat to medium, add the onions, and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, cook 30 seconds more. Remove onions and garlic to a shallow (9 x 13 x 2) casserole dish.

3 Raise heat to medium high, add the sliced mushrooms. Dry sauté them (no need to add butter or oil), allowing the mushrooms to brown lightly, and release some of their moisture. Add the mushrooms to the casserole dish.

4 Add 1/4 cup dry sherry or dry white wine to the pan to deglaze the pan, scraping off the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. (At this point, if you are making ahead, reduce the sherry to 1 Tbsp and pour off into the casserole dish. Refrigerate cooked onions, garlic, mushrooms, and browned chicken pieces until you are ready to make the casserole.) Let the sherry reduce to about 1 Tbsp, then add the chicken stock, and remove from heat. Stir in 1 1/2 teaspoon salt, the cream, and the sour cream. Add the raw rice to the casserole dish. Then pour the stock, sherry, cream, sour cream mixture over the rice. Add the Italian and poultry seasonings (or fresh herbs) and paprika to the dish. Stir the rice, onion, mushroom, herb mixture so that they are evenly distributed in the casserole dish.

5 Place the chicken pieces on top of the rice mixture (in a single layer if you can, they will be crowded). Cover the casserole dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake in a 375°F oven for 45 minutes. Remove foil. If the casserole is still too liquidy, let it cook a few minutes more, uncovered, until the excess liquid has evaporated away.

Sprinkle with fresh parsley before serving.

Serves 6 (with leftovers)

ALEXIS NOTES: I used my Fat Free Half & Half, skipped the mushrooms and used the white wine I had left over (remember you can sub with more broth). As you'll see I added in some carrots & celery got to sneak them in where I can :). Ok don't freak when you remove the foil and it's really liquid. I promise it will firm up. I used brown rice so I used more stock.

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And my last addition is this great addition!!!

Naked Chicken Burrito Bowls by Relish.com

Naked Chicken Burrito Bowls

4	boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1	packet taco seasoning
1 1/2	cups basmati rice, uncooked
2	tablespoons cilantro, chopped, more for garnish
3	tablespoons lime juice
1	15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1	cup shredded cheddar cheese
2	avocados , peeled and sliced
2	green onions , sliced
1/4	cup prepared chunky salsa
1/4	cup sour cream
	coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

[1] Mix taco seasoning with water as directed on package. Place chicken breasts in a large resealable plastic bag, pour seasoning mixture over top and turn to coat. Refrigerate for approximately 2 hours or all day.

[2] Heat grill to medium-high or heat a grill pan until hot but not smoking.

[3] Cook rice according to package instructions. When done, toss rice with chopped cilantro and the lime juice. Keep warm.

[4] Remove chicken from bag and discard marinade. Grill chicken, turning once, 4-5 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board and cut into 1-inch chunks. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

[5] Heat beans in microwave or in a small saucepan.

[6] Assemble burrito bowls: in each bowl, layer rice, chicken, beans, cheese, avocado slices and green onions. Top with a dollop of salsa and sour cream. Garnish with chopped cilantro, if desired.

ALEXIS NOTES: Of course I was running late so I cut up the chicken add the seasoning and water and cooked it that way ... it rocked! Out of black beans so I used pinto beans, use what you got :). No avocados and green onions hello on a budget! But at Caden's request added corn :). ENJOY

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