Fried Chicken with Pan Gravy

Fried chicken is a messy business. Oil-everywhere. But it ends up so delicious. And since I try not to eat fried food too much, I guess I"ll make it every once in awhile. This recipe ended up great tasting and rather easy to make. The gravy in the original recipe was very simple, but also bland. I added quite a bit of additional seasoning. I put in estimated amounts, but you will want to adjust to your own taste. I made mashed potatoes and it was delicious!

Fried Chicken with Pan Gravy-Adapted from Taste of Home
Total Time: 45 Minutes
Serves 6

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon rubbed sage
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 3 1/2-4 pounds chicken pieces
• Oil for frying

Gravy

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon seasoned pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1-1/3 cups milk

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. This will be to keep the cooked chicken warm.

In a large resealable baf, combine the first five ingredients. Add chicken, a few pieces at a time, and shake to coat.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1/4 inches of oil; fry chicken until browned on all sides. Repeat through all pieces of chicken.

Pour off excess fat, reserving 3 tablespoons drippings. Stir in flour and seasonings until blended; gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Serve with potatoes and chicken.

Chicken and Rice

I pinned this recipe on Pinterest a long time ago, and finally got around to making it. I've seen it repinned a lot over time, so I was excited to try it. It was easy, simple and very delicious. The chicken was moist and flavorful. I'd definitely recommend it.

Chicken and Rice-adapted from Stick a Fork In It
Total Time: 6 hours
Serves 4

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 8 ounces low fat cream cheese
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 packet Italian dressing seasoning
• White rice, or rice of your choice

Place chicken in 4-5 quart slow cooker and top with cream cheese, soup and italian seasoning. Cook on low 4-6 hours, until chicken is cooked through and tender. 

Just before chicken is done, make your rice. Serve the chicken mixture over the rice.

Italian Chicken

This was one of the easiest and most delicious chicken recipes I've made in a long time. It was so flavorful as well as moist. Just a nice twist on some chicken--this is great during the week when you're busy.

Italian Chicken-adapted from '365 Last-Minute Meals' by Better Homes & Gardens

Total Time: 30 Minutes

Serves 4

• 1 package long grain rice and wild rice pilaf
• 2 thinly sliced green onions
• 1/2 cup Italian dressing
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium tomato, sliced
• 4 sliced mozzarella cheese

Place chicken into a ziploc bag with Italian dressing to marinade for at least 30 minutes. Prepare rice mix according to package directions. Stir green onions in after finished cooking, set aside and keep warm.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken 8-12 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and cooked through. Reduce heat; Place halved tomatoes on chicken breasts and top with mozzarella cheese. Cover, and cook another 2 minutes, until cheese is melted. Serve with rice mixture.

Antipasto Pizza

Anitpasto (antipasta?) is one of my favorite things as of late. How can you not like mozzarella, salami and black olives? This pizza was super easy to make, and delicious!

Antipasto Pizza-adapted from Pillsbury

Total Time: 40 Minutes

Serves 12

• 1 1/2 teaspoons flour
• 1 can pizza crust
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 10 ounce can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 1 can sliced black olives, drained
• 3 ounces hard salami, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 3 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
• 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
• 1/2 teaspoon italian seasoning

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Sprinkle flour over cookie sheet. Unroll dough and stretch evenly to cover cookie sheet. 

Sprinkle pepper, artichoke hearts, black olives and salami even over dough. Top with mozzarella, feta

and Italian seasoning.

Bake for 15 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted. Cut into squares and serve.

Zucchini Muffins

I got the Hungry Girl 300 Under 300 cookbook for Christmast this year, and this is the first time I've cooked something out of it! The recipe was delicious, even though I had to make a few changes as I didn't realize I was out of stuff at home! They turned out really moist and I will definitely be making again!

Zucchini Muffins-Adaptes from 300 Under 300 by Hungry Girl
Total Time: 30 Minutes
Makes 10 Muffins

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 large zucchini, shredded
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

In a large bowl, combine flours, sugars, baking powder, allspice, nutmeg and salt. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine zucchini, eggs, butter and vanilla. Add mixture to large bowl and stir until blended.

Line 10 cups of a muffin tray with liners, or spray with cooking spray. Fill cups evenly with batter. Place in oven for 20-25 minutes, or until toothpick is inserted and comes out clean.

Italian Pasta

I have come to realize that Italian sausage makes every pasta dish instantly better. I honestly don't know how I used regular ground beef in pasta before. The flavor is just amazing and totally worth it.

I was a little bit nervous about this recipe as the only sauce was whipping cream, but it was still delicious! I know whipping cream isn't great for you, but for every once in awhile, this recipe is totally worth it.

Italian Pasta-Adapted from Pillsbury's 5 Ingredient, 15 Minute Recipes
Total Time: 20 Minutes
Serves 4

• 12 ounces uncooked pasta
• 1 pound Italian sausage
• 2 medium tomatoes, diced
• 1 can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 1 can sliced black olives
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

In a large skillet, cook sausage until browned and drain. Return to skillet. 

Add tomatoes, artichokes, olives, seasonings, pasta and cream and stir gently to mix. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until heated through. Serve on plates and top with Parmesan cheese.

Chili-Barbecue Sandwiches

I made these for the Superbowl and they were a big hit. I definitely added more barbecue sauce than the recipe asked for, but it was worth it. The flavors were great, and using a roast definitely made it tasty!

Chili-Barbecue Sandwiches-Adapted from Betty Crocker
Total Time: 8 Hours
Servings: 10

• 3 pound beef chuck roast
• 1 packet chili seasoning
• 32 ounce bottle barbecue sauce
• 1 small onion, diced
• 10 kaiser rolls
• 10 slices cheddar cheese

Trim fat from roast and place in 4-5 quart slow cooker. Top with chili seasoning, barbecue sauce and onion. Cook on low for 8 hours. Remove beef and shred into pieces. Serve with cheddar cheese.

Broccoli Topped Potatoes

This was a filling way to enjoy baked potatoes. To be honest, I never would've thought to combine broccoli and potatoes, but it was awesome! I had this as my meal, but it would also be a hearty side!

Also, this is hands-down the best way to make steamed broccoli! I had no idea, and probably won't be buying frozen broccoli ever again!

Broccoli-Topped Potatoes-adapted from The $5 Dinner Mom Cookbook by Erin Chase

Total Time: 1 hour

Serves 4

• 4 large baking potatoes
• 1 head broccoli
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Wash and scrub potatoes. Cut slits in potatoes and wrap in tin foil. Place directly on rack of heated oven, and cook for 1 hour, or until potatoes are soft.

Cut the broccoli into spears and trim the stems. Place into a microwave safe bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave for 5 minutes until tender.

Halve open the potatoes, and top with broccoli and even amounts of cheddar cheese.

Caramel Rice Krispie Bars

For what seems like FOREVER I have been craving rice krispie treats. I don't know why, but the thought of making them myself has always terrified me. I think I tried once a long time ago and way over cooked the marshmallows so the bars were uber hard.

I made this recipe for the Superbowl gathering we had and they were AMAZING. I LOVED the caramel flavor, and the chocolate turned out great. It really was an easy, albeit sticky, recipe.

Caramel Rice Krispie Bars-adapted from Making Memories with your Kids
Total Time: 45 Minutes (that includes cooling time)
Makes 28 bars

• 1 cup caramels
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 10 ounce bag mini marshmallows
• 6 cups rice krispie cereal
• 1 bag chocolate chips
• 1 tablespoon shortening

In a large saucepan, melt the caramels and butter, stirring frequently, until smooth. Add the marshmallows, and stir until melted. Turn off the heat and add in the rice krispies, stirring until completely coated. Pour into a lightly greased 9x12 inch baking pan. Let cool for about 30 minutes.

Once cool, place chocolate chips and shortening into a microwave safe bowl. Heat in mircowave in 30 second intervals, stirring after each round, until fully melted. Pour over rice krispies and spread across entire pan. Let cool and cut into squares.

Lasagna Rolls

When we first moved into our new apartment a few weeks ago (that explains the delays in postings!),  we hadn't yet gone grocery shopping, but I really didn't want to go out to eat anymore. Buying fast food and pizzas is starting to make me feel sluggish and lazy and overall just unhealthy. I looked for what I had in the pantry and what I could buy very little ingredients for at the grocery store. I had seen the lasagna rolls on Pinterest and always wanted to try them! They were absolutely delicious!

I followed the originaly recipe, but added some fresh mushrooms as well since we are huge fans of mushrooms. The spinach flavor was slightly overpowering, but I still think the overall taste was great.

I know whenever I make lasagna, I always have half the box leftover, but I don't want to make a new pan. This is a great way to use up however many lasagna noodles you have leftover! You could add beef, chicken, or any other flavors you like in your pasta to these rolls!

Lasagna Rolls-adapted from Chef Mommy

Serves 4-5

Total Time: 1 Hour

• 9 uncooked lasagna noodles
• 10 ounces chopped spinach, drained
• 15 ounces fat-free ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 8 ounces mushrooms, diced
• 1 egg
• 32 ounce jar of your favorite pasta sauce
• 4 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
• Beef, chicken, or other filling, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and dry complete. Place dry noodles flat on a piece of wax paper and set aside.

Mix spinach, ricotta, parmesan cheese, mushrooms and egg in a medium size bowl until combined. Spoon even amounts onto each noodle. Once filled, carefully roll up noodles from end to end, and place seam side down into a lightly greased 9x12 baking dish.

Pour pasta sauce evenly over noodles and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Cover pan with tin foil and bake for 40 minutes, or until heated through and cheese is melted.

Venison Roast

Our neighbor was nice enough to give us a 3 pound venison roast after hunting this year and I finally got around to making it! His one hint was that it was supposed to be tender,s o my first thought was to make it in the slow cooker! It turned out delicious! I'd definitely use this recipe, both on venison and any other kind of roast!

Super easy--give it a try!

Venison Roast-Adapted from AllRecipes.com
Total Time: 6 Hours
Serves 6

• 3 pound boneless venison roast (or beef or pork would probably work too)
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon garlic salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 ounce package dry onion soup mix
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup

Place roast in 4-5 quart slow cooker and put ingredients from onion to black pepper on top. 

In a small bowl, mix soup mix and soup together until blended. Pour over roast and other ingredients  Cook on low for about 6 hours or until meat is cooked through to desired doneness.

Best of Heat's Kitchen-January 2013

The most viewed posts from January!

1. Feta Pasta Salad--a huge hit for gatherings! So delicious!

2. Scalloped Potatoes and Ham-When you want some comfort food, but don't want to stand over the stove or oven all day!

3. Switch up your plain ol' chicken breasts with Mushroom-Herb Chicken!

4. A great, simple, yummy egg bake! Cheesy Potato Breakfast Bake

5. Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes-To use up that extra buttermilk you have from some other recipe!