Chicken Parmesan Casserole

 This is a dish I make from time to time.  It tastes great and goes together quickly.

1 box linguini

1 tablespoon cooking oil

1 lb. chicken breasts, about 3

1 cup mozzarella

1 24 oz. jar marinara sauce

1 cup parmesan

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

salt - pepper - crushed garlic

Cook the pasta and set aside.  Stir in the oil to keep from sticking.

Preheat oven to 350.  Cut chicken breasts in half horizontally.

Season with salt, pepper, and garlic.

Layer chicken on top of pasta in 13 x 9 inch baking dish.

Top the chicken with sauce, the sprinkle parmesan, and then mozzarella, and the Italian seasoning

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes.

Pork Chops Piquante

This is one of my oldie but goodie recipes that I've made over the years.

4 thick loin pork chops

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup finely chopped onions

1 1/2 cups tomato puree

1 cup dry white wine

pinch of thyme

1 bay leaf

salt and pepper

1/2 cup finely chopped parsley

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons grated lemon find

Brown the chops on both sides in the butter in a skillet.  Transfer meat to a platter.  Pour off most of the fat.

Add the onions to the skillet and cook briefly, stirring until onions are wilted.  Add the puree, wine, thyme, bay leaf, and salt and pepper.

Return the chops to the  pan and turn them in the sauce.  Cover and cook for one hour, basting occasionally, until the meat is fork tender.

Mix the parsley, garlic, and lemon rind together and sprinkle over the chops.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

There are a lot of broccoli cheddar soup recipes out there.  I like this one because it is delicious and easy to prepare.

2 bunches broccoli florets

1/2 cup cream cheese

salt and pepper

2 quarts chicken broth

Put the above in a crockpot and cook on high for two hours.

Add: 1 cup sour cream and 3 cups grated cheddar.  Cook on high for another ten minutes.

Using a hand blender, blend the ingredients.

That's it!

First time making granola

Had dinner with friends recently and Stacey had just taken a batch of granola out of the oven.  LOVE this stuff!

Here is the recipe.

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup honey

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon salt

Combine the above until thoroughly mixed.

5 cups old fashioned rolled oats 

3 cups your choice (any combination) of:  dried fruit, chopped nuts, seeds, grated coconut, raisins.  I added (in no particular amounts) dried cranberries, chia seeds, sunflower kernels, chopped nuts.

Mix well and spread into a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Bake at 325 for 30 minutes.