Lunch Box Special

I'm probably going to get made fun of for posting this, but I don't care! I had never thought of putting something other than meat or vegetables on a sandwich. This is super easy, and a nice (less sugary) substitute for jelly on a peanut butter sandwich. I'll definitely be making it again, especially when I forget to buy lunch meat!  From Taste of Home.

Lunch Box Special

• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1/2 cup finely chopped apples
• 1/2 cup finely chopped dates, optional
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, optional
• 8 slices bread

In a bowl, combine the peanut butter and orange juice until blended. Add the apples and dates and walnuts if desired. Spread on four slices of bread; top with remaining bread.

Nutritional Info (from SparkRecipes):

Serves 4
Total Time: Less than 10 minutes

401 calories

18 g fat (4 g saturated fat)

1 mg cholesterol

419 mg sodium

51 g carbohydrates

5 g fiber

13 g protein

Sloppy Chicken Joes

I absolutely LOVE sloppy joes! I was excited to try this new recipe for them, and they turned out great! Next time, I might shred the chicken instead of dicing it, but either way they were awesome! I may have added a tad bit too much red pepper flakes, but that can be fixed next time!  From $5 Dinner Mom Cookbook!

Sloppy Chicken Joes

• 1 1/2 pound packaged boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon prepared mustard
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 4-6 hamburger buns

Dice the chicken breasts into 1/2 inch pieces.

In a large skillet whisk together the tomato sauce, vinegar, mustard, brown sugar, salt and pepper. Add the diced chicken breast, cover, and cook over medium heat for 8-10 minutes or until the chicken pieces are cooked through.

Total Time: 15-20 Minutes

Nutritional Info:

4 servings

Lemon-Dill Butter Chicken and Zucchini

I made this dinner tonight for me and a friend. It was delicious! I don't think I have ever made or eaten zucchini, but I decided to take the risk! So worth it! This is super easy, and quick to do! Highly recommended! This is from Better Homes & Gardens 365 Last-Minute Meals. I've decided to start adding nutritional information to my posts as best I can. This post it was included in the cookbook, in other posts I will be using the recipe calculator from SparkRecipes, which I found from my high school classmate's blog.

Lemon-Dill Butter Chicken and Zucchini

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon dried dill
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped cucumber or zucchini

Preheat broiler. Place chicken on the unheated rack of a broiler pan. Broil 4 to 5 inches from heat for 12 to 15 minutes or until no longer pink, turning once halfway through broiling.

Meanwhile, in a small skillet melt butter over medium heat. Stir in lemon peel, lemon juice, dill, salt and pepper. Stir in cucumber. Cook and stir over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes or just until cucumber begins to soften. Spoon sauce over chicken.

Total Time: 25 minutes

Nutritional Info:

4 servings

244 calories

11 g total fat (6 grams saturated fat)

107 mg cholesterol

477 mg sodium

2 g carbohydrates

0 g fiber

33 g protein

Easy Cheesy Lasagna

This is not your ordinary, average, every day lasagna. It is more of a deconstructed lasagna. But it is super simple and super delicious!

Easy Cheesy Lasagna
Makes 4-6 Servings
Total Time: Less than 30 minutes

• 1/2 pound ground beef
• 26 ounce jar spaghetti sauce
• 8 ounce package wide egg noodles, cooked
• 8 ounce package shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup cottage cheese
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Brown ground beef in a saucepan; drain. Stir sauce into beef; simmer for 5 minutes. Add noodles, mozzarella cheese, and cottage cheese; stir together and place in a greased 2 quart casserole dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese; bake and 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Basic White Sauce

This is the sauce used for the Baked Ziti. It was super easy to make. It definitely needs seasoning to it: salt, pepper, and garlic for sure. But you can do it all to your own taste. I had never really thought about making my own pasta sauces, but it does make sense. In the long run, it will be cheaper, and I won't be eating as many preservatives! And if you ever have a craving for pasta with sauce, and you don't have any in the pantry, chances are you will have all the ingredients already!!

Basic White Sauce
Makes 4 cups
Total Time: 15 minutes

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 6 tablespoons flour
• 3 cups milk
• salt and pepper

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk with the melted butter until it forms a paste and bubbles. 

Whisk in the milk. Whisk until flour and butter have dissolved into the milk. 

Cook the sauce over medium heat for 5-6 minutes, stirring continuously. The sauce will begin to thicken, as it bubbles and cooks. To reach desired consistency, add the milk or flour, one tablespoon at a time.