Easy, Kid Friendly Fish Sticks or Chicken Nuggets

Like any other kid, my boy loves him some fish sticks and chicken nuggets. When he first started eating meat, I would buy him the bags of breaded fish sticks or chicken nuggets from the freezer section of the supermarket. Even though I always baked them for him, they still felt so greasy whenever I'd cut them up. So I decided it couldn't be that hard to make my own version. I recently discovered Panko bread crumbs (I know they've probably been around forever) and I'm in love. They make everything so crispy, like it's really been fried. Don't get me wrong, he gets the real thing every once in a while (he's even had McDonalds's once or twice). I just feel better about giving him these from day to day.

1 to 1 1/2 cups Panko Japanese Style bread crumbs

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/2 cup flour

2 eggs

1 pound fish filets (I used tilapia) or chicken breast, cut into pieces

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Season raw meat with salt and pepper, to taste, and set aside. In a shallow dish, combine flour and spices.

In a separate shallow dish, combine Panko bread crumbs and melted butter.

In a third shallow dish, beat eggs.

Dip meat, one piece at a time, into flour and shake off excess.

Dip in egg and then press into bread crumbs, coating all sides.

Place coated meat on a baking sheet. Repeat until all the meat is coated.

Bake at 400 for 15 to 20 minutes, or until cooked through. The chicken usually takes a couple of minutes longer than the fish. After they have cooled, you can put them in a ziploc bag and store in the freezer. I put them in the toaster oven or microwave straight from the freezer and they're ready in just a few minutes. (Pay attention to the chicken when you microwave it; it's easy to get rubbery chicken if you nuke it too long.)

Barbecue Chicken Pizza

This pizza will always remind me of Prague. The first time I ever had it was at our friends' the Brummitts when we were living there (in Prague, not at the Brummitts). I have to admit I was pretty skeptical the when Andrea told me what was on the menu for dinner. You see, my only experience with pizza had ever been with the kind that involves tomato sauce and mozzarella (just call me old fashioned). I called it adventurous when I tried ham and pineapple for the first time. I was just always afraid that trying something new on pizza would be such a waste of a good pizza-eating experience. Boy, was I wrong. This definitely makes my top 3 pizza topping choices. Okay, enough reminiscing, let's get to it!

pizza dough for 2 pizzas

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

1/2 - 1 cup barbecue sauce

1/2 medium red onion, sliced thin

2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed

2 cups cheese (your choice!)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. In a medium skillet, brown chicken. When chicken is cooked through, pour about 1/4 cup barbecue sauce over and toss to coat. In a small skillet, saute onion and garlic in a little olive oil until tender. Roll your pizza crust onto a pizza pan or stone. Top with half of the remaining sauce and use the back of a spoon to spread around.

Top with onion mixture and chicken and then cheese. (I used colby jack cheese for the first pizza and mozzarella for the second. We really prefer the colby jack.)

Repeat for second pizza. Bake pizzas for 15 minutes or until crispy and cheese is bubbling.

Easy Pot Roast

2 to 3 pound beef roast (preferably chuck)
1 package onion soup mix
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup water

4 to 5 carrots, peeled and cut up

3 to 4 potatoes, peeled and cut up

1 medium onion, cut up

salt and pepper

In a small bowl, combine onion soup mix, cream of mushroom soup, and water.

Season roast with salt and pepper. I used kosher salt because it sticks to the meat. And it makes me feel fancy.

In a large skillet, brown on all sides.

Remove from skillet and place in slow cooker or roasting pan. Place carrots, potatoes and onions on top and cover with soup mixture.

For a slow cooker, cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or on high for 4 to 6 hours. If roasting, cook at 275 degrees F for 3 to 3 1/2 hours. Try to leave the meat alone while it's cooking, especially if it's in a slow cooker. The roast is finished when it is falling apart (fork tender).

Serve up the meat and veggies and pour the pan juices right over everything. Best when served with Delicious Dinner Rolls.

Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken Pot Pie is one of the best comfort foods. And you don't have to feel that bad about eating it. After all, there are lots of veggies. And chicken is low fat. Right? Anyway, it's the only way Matt will eat peas. But it must have a little sprinkling of Tony Chachere's. Enjoy responsibly.

2 large potatoes, diced
1 tsp butter
1/2 small onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and sliced thin
1-2 ribs celery, chopped
salt and pepper
1 Tbsp flour

1 cup chicken broth (2 tsp chicken bouillon + 1 cup warm water)
1 cup peas
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup light cream

2 cups cooked chicken, chopped (I use a rotisserie chicken)
2 prepared pastry crusts, unbaked

Boil the potatoes until just soft. In a large saucepan, melt butter. Heat to med-high and add celery and carrots for about 3 minutes.

Add the onions and continue cooking until carrots are brightly colored and just starting to soften. Stir frequently. If the veggies begin to stick to the pan, add a few spoonfuls of chicken bouillon.

Sprinkle flour over top. Stir until evenly blended.

Stir in seasonings, peas, remaining broth, and drained potatoes.

Add milk and cream, heating slowly and never allowing it to boil. Stir often, letting it thicken slowly.

Add chicken and stir well.

Roll out the pastry crust and place in a pie dish or round cake pan. Pour chicken mixture into pastry crust.

Cover with second pastry crust. Make a few slits in the top crust to allow for the release of steam.

Bake in preheated oven at 375 for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

*Adapted from Kari's Savory Chicken Pot Pie at Bon Appétit!

Beef Enchiladas

When I was little, on special Sundays (at least they were special to me), my mom would take my brother and me out to a restaurant after church. If we were really lucky, we got to go to Casa Ole (yeah, high class). Anybody remember that commercial with Jose Lima? "Caaasa Ole!" Anyway, I would always order the same thing: kids cheese enchiladas with rice and refried beans. It was divine. I would eat the enchiladas first, then mix together the leftover enchilada sauce with the rice and beans. Mmmm, yummy! Every once in a while, I crave that meal like nobody's business. So here's my grown up version of Mexican restaurant-style enchiladas (Grown up means they have beef.)

Chili Gravy (from Robb Walsh)
1/4 cup lard (or vegetable oil)
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt (I leave this out because the chicken broth makes it salty enough)
1-1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano (Mexican oregano is preferred if it’s available)
2 T chile powder
2 cups chicken broth
1 - 1 1/2 pounds ground beef, finely chopped flank steak, or shredded beef
1 medium onion, finely diced
2 4-ounce cans diced green chilies, or 1 -2 fresh, diced chilies
10 to 14 corn tortillas
½ cup canola oil
3 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese, or any combination of your favorite Mexican cheeses (I love some Monterrey Jack in there)

Preheat the oven to 350. Heat the lard/oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the flour and continue stirring for 3 to 4 minutes, or until it makes a light brown roux. Add all the dry ingredients and continue to cook for 1 minute, constantly stirring and blending ingredients.







Add chicken broth, mixing and stirring until the sauce thickens. Turn heat to low and let sauce simmer for 15 minutes. Add water to adjust the thickness. Makes about 2 cups.

Saute onions (and chilies, if you're using fresh) in a skillet.

Add meat and brown. Drain off fat. (If you're using canned chilies, stir them in and set aside.)

(This is an optional step.) Heat canola oil in a small skillet over medium heat. One by one, using tongs, fry tortillas oil until soft, not crisp—about 30 seconds per side. Remove to a paper-towel lined plate. Repeat until all tortillas have been fried. Dip each tortilla into enchilada sauce, then remove to work surface.

Spoon meat and a little grated cheese in the center of tortilla. (I used a little strip of Velveeta because it melts all gooey and yummy.) Roll up and place, seam down in baking pan.

Repeat until pan is filled.

Pour enchilada sauce over the top.

Top with remaining cheddar cheese. Again, I used a little Velveeta because the cheddar cheese that we buy here in Prague isn't yellow and you can't have Tex-Mex without gooey, yellow cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes or until bubbly.

*Alternative Recipe: Cheese Enchiladas (from Homesick Texan)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
12 corn tortillas
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese (can make it with Velveeta for extra melting oomph and good ol' Tex-Mex authenticity)
One medium onion, diced (optional)
2 cups chili gravy

Take a tortilla, put 1/4 cup of cheese and 1 tablespoon of onion in the center and roll it.
Place rolled tortilla in baking dish, seam side down.
Continue with remaining tortillas.
Take remaining chili gravy, and pour it over the rolled tortillas.
Sprinkle remaining cheese and onions on top.
Bake for 10 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and cheese is melted.
Makes 12 enchiladas.

*Recipe adapted from Homesick Texan and Pioneer Woman

Sloppy Joe...Sloppy, Sloppy Joe

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/4 pounds ground beef
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon steak seasoning blend, such as McCormick brand Montreal Seasoning
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 cups tomato sauce
2 tablespoons tomato paste
4 crusty rolls or buns split, toasted, and lightly buttered

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add oil and meat to the pan. Spread the meat around the pan and begin to break it up. Combine brown sugar and steak seasoning. Add sugar and spice mixture to the skillet and combine. When the meat has browned, add onion, red peppers, red wine vinegar and Worcestershire sauce. Reduce heat to medium and cook with meat for 5 minutes.

Add tomato sauce and paste to pan. Stir to combine.

Reduce heat to simmer and cook Sloppy Joe mixture 5 minutes longer.

Using a large spoon or ice cream scoop, pile sloppy meat onto toasted, buttered bun bottoms and cover with bun tops.

Serve with your favorite sides. Have plenty of napkins on hand!

Makes 6-8 sandwiches.

*Borrowed from Rachel Ray on FoodNetwork