Chicken Salad

Chicken salad is one of my favorite things to make. Here are a few reasons why:

1. It's light, tasty, simple, and quick.

2. I usually have most (if not all) of the ingredients in my house already.

3. It can be made in advance and enjoyed later. (make it on Sunday to pack in your lunch for the week, make it one evening and pull it out the next night for dinner, make it on Friday for your lunches all weekend, etc!)

4. It's versatile
     *great for lunch or dinner
     *put it on bread to make a sandwich, serve with 
      crackers, on a tortilla, or with lettuce cups for a low 
      carb option!
     *perfect to feed your family or for entertaining- (think bridal/baby showers, parties, pool days, etc.)


5. The homemade version is so much better than store-bought. (Trust me!! Anytime we try to buy chicken salad at a deli or grocery store, my husband is so disappointed since he's had the real deal!) 

6. Did I mention it's easy? 

Here's what you'll need:

For real... this is it!

Ingredients:
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts 
3 stalks of celery (this is the one ingredient I don't usually have on hand)
1/2 onion (I use the sweet yellow kind)
15-20 grapes
1 cup Miracle Whip (I use the "light" version)
Salt & Pepper to taste



Directions:

1. Bring water in a medium sized pot to a boil.

2. Reduce heat, add chicken breasts to water. Let chicken breasts simmer for about 20 minutes or until cooked through.

3. While chicken is cooking, dice celery and onion. Set aside.

4. Remove chicken from heat. Drain, let cool.

5. Once cool enough to handle, use a food processor or fork to shred chicken in a large bowl. 

6. Add celery/onion mixture, salt & pepper, and Miracle Whip to chicken. Stir until all ingredients are combined. 

I usually do a little "taste test" here. Add a bit more salt/pepper if needed or a little Miracle Whip if it seems too dry.

7. Slice grapes in half, add to mixture, stir well.

8. Store in refrigerator in airtight container until ready to serve. 

Everyone uses paper plates sometimes, right?!?! :) 

Again, this recipe is PERFECT for so many situations. This time, I made it the night before a big work meeting... I knew that when I got home from work the next day, I wouldn't want to cook or worry about dinner. We had chicken salad sandwiches and I had enough left over to take a wrap for my lunch the next day! 

-Alison

Lasagna

It seems appropriate to make lasagna my first blogged recipe. I am not a picky eater whatsoever and I appreciate all types of food. However if you force me to choose a "favorite food", LASAGNA is it. 

This recipe has never failed me... it is one of my "go-to" dinners when I'm not sure what to make. It's also great for hosting/entertaining... guests always love it! Not to mention, it's GREAT as leftovers!! 

What you'll need:

-2 lbs ground beef
-1 large onion (I use the sweet yellow kind)
-1 large can of tomato sauce
-1 small can of tomato sauce
-8 lasagna noodles (I usually end up using 6, but make more because some of mine always rip)
-garlic (I used chopped garlic from a jar but you can use fresh or any form that you have in your kitchen!)
-1 bag of shredded mozzarella cheese
-1 bag of "other" shredded cheese (you can mix and match here- I've used american, colby jack, another bag of mozzarella or an italian blend... the secondary cheese isn't as important, it always tastes good!)
-Sugar*
-Italian Seasoning*
-Salt & Pepper*
-Olive Oil
          
         *Use these according to your taste. If you prefer a sweeter sauce, you'll add a little more sugar. If you like a lot of Italian seasoning, add as much as you want! There's no "wrong" when it comes to seasoning, it depends what YOU like! 



Optional: you may want to have an assistant... you know, someone to chop onions, stir sauce, wash dishes, etc. My assistant wasn't all that helpful... he just sat on the counter and did this:

Directions:

1.) Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

2.) Fill a large pot with water, add noodles once boiling. Cook noodles until soft, remove from heat.

3.) While your noodles are cooking, brown the ground beef, chopped onion, and garlic in a large skillet coated with olive oil (feel free to use an alternative cooking oil or spray for this step, I've used it all!).

4.) Drain grease from meat/onion/garlic mixture.

5.) Return your meat mixture to skillet. Add tomato sauce, salt and pepper, sugar, and Italian seasoning. Let simmer until warmed through. 

   I usually taste-test here. The sauce is the heart of this recipe, so make sure you're satisfied with how it tastes! If needed, add a little more sugar, Italian seasoning, or salt.

6.) Spray a 13x9 inch pan with cooking spray (or line with aluminum foil) and assemble your first layer of noodles.

7.) Add a layer of meat/sauce mixture on top of noodles. 

8.) Cover sauce with mozzarella and other choice of cheese.

9.) Repeat- noodles, sauce, cheese so that you have 2 layers of each. 

10.) Bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes. 

11.) Serve & Enjoy!!

-Alison