Artichoke Salsa

6 ½ oz jar marinated artichoke hearts
½ c black olives
½ c grape tomatoes
2 cloves garlic
2 TBS fresh basil
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper, to taste
Drain artichokes, reserving 2 TBS of the marinating liquid. Coarsely chop the artichokes, olives and tomatoes. Place in a small bowl. Finely mince garlic and basil. Stir into bowl along with seasonings and reserved marinade. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour before serving. Serve with pitas, pita chips, tortilla chips or bagel chips.
Ok, for those who know me, I almost ALWAYS have to put my touch on a recipe.  Since I was shopping in a hurry I didn't really read the recipe standing in front of the artichokes and bought plain by mistake, and the grape tomatoes were very unreasonable.  So below is what I really used -----

12 oz plain artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
2 1/2 oz can chopped black olives
1 can petite diced tomatoes, drained
2 cloves garlic
2 TBS fresh basil
Salt and pepper, to taste
A couple of squirts of fat free italian dressing (enough to bind it together)
I made the day before and let marinate.  We decided this would be wonderful over pasta, served warm or cold with chicken.

Eat at Home

Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo

8 oz whole wheat pasta
1 c broccoli
1 lb chicken, cooked and cubed (used 3 chicken thighs)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
½ c milk
½ c grated Parmesan
½ tsp pepper
Cook pasta according to package directions. Add broccoli to the pasta for the last four minutes of cooking. Drain pasta and broccoli. Add chicken. In a separate bowl, mix soup, milk, cheese and pepper. Stir soup mixture in with pasta, broccoli and chicken. Heat through on stove top. Top with extra Parmesan cheese.
Thought I had cream of mushroom - used cream of chicken instead.  I would add more broccoli and at least 1 can of sliced mushrooms.  This has a nice mild flavor and everyone had seconds!!  (that's the best review for something new!!!)

Dreamsicle Pie

8 oz Cool-Whip
2 cartons (12oz total) Yoplait Orange Crème flavor yogurt
1 graham cracker Pie Crust,
Thaw the whipped topping. Fold the whipped topping into the Orange Crème yogurt. Pour the filling into the pie crust. Cover and freeze. To serve: Thaw pie on counter 5 minutes so it's easier to cut. Cut and serve frozen. Put any leftovers back in the freezer. Variations: Make this with any flavor yogurt. Key Lime, lemon, and mixed berry are the best. Use a reduced fat crust and Cool Whip Free and light yogurt only 2 Weight Watchers points per serving. Serves 8.  Not sure where this came from I've had it for years and usually make with strawberry yogurt instead of orange yogurt

Ham Tetrazzini

1 c ham, chopped
1/4 c onion, chopped
1 can cream of mushroom soup
½ can water (may need a little more if too thick)
1 c cheddar cheese, grated

Sauté ham and onion in pan for just a minute, until onion is soft. Add soup and water. Mix well. Add cheese, stir until melted. Serve over spaghetti noodles or any shape of macaroni. Frozen ham will defrost will being sautéed.  Serve with a salad and garlic bread.  If making ahead do not add cheese, reheat and then add cheese.

A friend made this for dinner for us over 25 years ago.  It is always on the menu after serving a ham.  We usually chop several bags of ham and freeze.

Terri's Corn Dip

8 oz extra sharp cheddar cheese
1 bunch green onions
2 cans mexi-corn, drained
1 -3 TBS mayo (or enough to hold the dip together)
Cayenne to taste

Mix and refrigerate until chilled. Serve cold.
 
I have a friend that will do anything (almost) for a batch of this.  I always double it so we can eat it and so that she has some after we leave.

Artichoke Bread

1 loaf french bread
1 can artichoke hearts in water, drained
1 TBS olive oil
½ c Parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ tsp. pepper
1 c shredded mozzarella cheese
1 gallon freezer bag

Slice bread. In a bowl, combine drained artichokes, garlic, olive oil, Parmesan cheese and pepper. Spread evenly over sliced bread. Sprinkle with shredded cheese. Place under broiler for 5-7 minutes or until bread is toasty and cheese is melted and bubbly. Freezing Directions: Prepare as directed above but DO NOT broil. Instead, place on a cookie sheet and flash freeze, then place in a freezer bag, label, and return to freezer. To serve: Place under broiler for 5-7 minutes or until bread is toasty and cheese is melted and bubbly. Servings: 4

Made this for a farewell dinner.  I did (almost) cut through the bread (like scoring).  That made it easy to "pull-a-part".


Eat at Home

Pesto Torte

16 oz cream cheese
1 c butter, softened
1 small jar oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
10 oz pesto
½ c parmesean cheese
1 c grated cheddar cheese

Beat butter and cream cheese together till smooth and well blended. Stir in the cheddar cheese. In another small bowl mix together the pesto and the parmesean cheese. Line a 10 to 12 ounce size bowl with plastic wrap. Divide the cream cheese mix into three parts and spoon 1/3 of the cheese into the bowl. Top that layer with 1/3 of the tomatoes. Spread 1/3 of the pesto/cheese mix over top of the tomatoes. Repeat the layers using the remaining mixtures. Fold the plastic over the torte and seal well. Chill overnight till firm. Unmold onto a plate and remove plastic wrap. Serve with a crusty bread or firm crackers.. You can also divide this and make two smaller tortes using custard-type bowls.
* I put the sun-dried tomatoes in the magic bullet and chopped to be close to the same size as the pesto.
I took this to dinner and EVERYONE thought I'd bought it!!!
Since it makes two I plan to freeze one - will let you know how it turns out!!!

This is linked to Eat at Home Ingredient Spotlight.

Chicken Divan

2 c chicken, cooked and cut into 1 inch cubes
2 c broccoli florets
3 cans cream of chicken soup
½ c mayonnaise
2 c cheddar cheese, shredded
1 sleeve saltine crackers, crushed
4 TBS butter, melted
Combine the chicken, broccoli, soup and mayonnaise in a 13×9 dish. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top of mixture. Combine crushed crackers and melted butter. Spread on top of shredded cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 1 hour. Remove foil for last 15 minutes of baking. This recipe is so easy to double if you’re making it for a large group (or if you want leftovers!). I have also swapped the chicken for leftover Thanksgiving turkey in this dish and it is fantastic!

We used 3 chicken breasts cut up and the small bag of frozen broccoli cuts (cooked for 5 minutes).
This came from a friend while we were stationed in England.  It quickly became a favorite, and a great dish to take  when you have to deliver a meal.

Chicken Orzo Salad with Goat Cheese

¼ c uncooked orzo
3 c grilled chicken breast, chopped
1 ½ c arugula
1 c grape tomatoes, halved
½ c red bell pepper, chopped
¼ c red onion, chopped
2 TBS fresh basil, chopped
1 tsp fresh oregano, chopped
2 TBS red wine vinegar
1 TBS extra virgin olive oil
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 ½ oz goat cheese, crumbled
Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain well. Combine pasta, chicken and the next six ingredients in a large bowl. Toss well. Combine vinegar, oil, salt and black pepper in a small bowl, and combine with a whisk. Drizzle mixture over pasta. Toss well to coat. Sprinkle with cheese. Serve warm or cold. (I did end up substituting baby spinach for the arugula and I used fresh mozzarella in place of the goat cheese. However, I did keep the spinach out when I stored it. I didn’t want it to wilt. I will bring the spinach in a separate Ziploc bag and add it when I’m ready to eat it.)

Ok, so Walmart looked at us like we had grown 3 heads when we asked for arugula. We subbed Walmart's Herb Mix Salad Blend and Tomato Basil Feta Cheese (not real fond of goat cheese).  We did chiffon the salad blend to be more the "size" of the salad.  This was quick and easy to put together.  Will be great for lunches for several days.

Homemade Chicken, Ranch and Rice Soup

2 TBS olive oil
1 med onion, finely chopped
2 lg carrots, peeled and sliced
3 stalks of celery, chopped
3 TBS minced garlic
2 lg blsl chicken breasts
1 c dry rice, steamed….comes out to about 3 cups cooked
64 oz chicken broth
1 TBS dry Ranch Dressing seasoning
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
2 TBS Dijon Mustard
1 tsp hot sauce, like Tabasco

Heat oil into a large dutch oven over medium heat. When hot, saute onion, carrots and celery for 7-10 minutes or until softened slightly. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in chicken breast and rice then pour in chicken broth. Stir, then season with ranch seasoning, salt, pepper and add in Dijon and hot sauce. Reduce heat to low and simmer until serving. Taste and season accordingly. 8 servings

We doubled this recipe, but did not double the Dijon mustard (used 2 TBS). We didn't use the Tabasco either. In taste testing we couldn't decide what it needed, so we ended up adding a can of cream of chicken soup, and that gave it the consistency it needed.