Food In A Pan!

As January comes to a close, and in the spirit of economy, this week I have selected some tasty recipes to feature that: are simple to prepare, will fiscally feed your family, and satisfy even finicky taste buds.  Enjoy our food in a pan theme this week!

Beef And Noodle Casserole

There is something to be said for simple and homey, like this beef and noodle casserole.  It reminds me of my mom's cooking, and the scent of casseroles baking in her oven.  Casseroles are making a come back!

Boston Market Meatloaf

Yummy.  You can't say Boston Market and meatloaf in the same sentence and not smile.  If you haven't had their meatloaf, I highly recommend Boston Market.  It is worth every bite to go to a restaurant and actually order meatloaf off the menu.  Plus, now you can make it at home!

Cheesy Ham and Potato Bake

Another delicious dish that cooks up nice and easy in a pan, this cheesy ham and potato concoction will surprise and please your family at the dinner table this week.  Give it a try.  I am on a one woman mission to bring back the art of casseroles and food in a pan!

Enjoy!  Remember, we love feedback and photos!

Fun-ky Chicken Dishes!

One of the things I love most about chicken is it's versatility.  You can pair it with so many different ingredients to create lovely, mouth-watering dishes for your family or for yourself.  Chicken is fun to use in Asian, Mexican, Italian, and American recipes, and is very hard to mess up.  I chose a few funky chicken recipes for today that I think will please your taste-buds and your budget.

Cashew Chicken

Whether you put "mandarin, orange, or cashew" in front of the chicken, the word on your tongue will be "mmm!"  I love Asian inspired recipes as they have just the right combination of exotic flavor and spices balanced with the tell-tale taste of chicken.  Chicken makes it less scary to try new dishes too!

Chicken and Dumplings

If you are more of an all-American type of cook, chicken paired with dumplings, potatoes or other vegetables, will please your palate every time.  Less spicy than Mexican or Asian dishes, chicken and dumplings is a traditional comfort food that will soothe and relax you.

Chicken Cacciatore

And, if you are feeling a little more romantic, Chicken Cacciatore, Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo, or Chicken Marsala, will do just the trick.  From the Italian style family of recipes comes dishes that spotlight pasta, chicken, tomatoes and cheese.  Consequently I feel these should actually make up the four basic food groups.  (I could live on fettuccine.)

Enjoy you chicken, whatever your tastes!  Remember, we love feedback and photos!

Happy Friday!

We are not superstitious here at Alicia's, so in honor of Friday the 13th, I decided to have a little fun with our recipe recommendations today!  I put together a few recipes that our bound to brighten the dreariest of days, and be enjoyable over the weekend!

Chocolate Bar Cookies

I was going to go with a caramel theme for today, but thought I better take a break from the candy and caramel to give our New Year's resolutions a chance to work!  We all get a little overloaded on sugary treats at the holidays, but you really can't ever have enough cookies...That's totally different!

Deidre's Extraordinary Chocolate Chip Cookies

Admittedly, I have not attempted to bake Deidre's Extraordinary Chocolate Chip Cookies, but what a name!  The name alone makes me want to try them just to see if Deidre speaks the truth.  Give me a shout out if you try the recipe and the cookies end up blowing your mind!  And be careful!

Lemon Ricotta Cookies with Lemon Glaze

I added the Lemon Cookie recipe mainly to give you a break from the chocolate chip cookie overload.  But as I said before, can you really ever get enough cookies?  I could live on cookies if I had to.  This recipe looks especially tempting due to the glaze.  I am a huge fan of glaze.

Enjoy the cookie recipes!  Remember, we love feedback and photos!

Belly Thrillers

Talking to a friend recently about must see movies and "thrillers," it occurred to me that's exactly what we need for the winter months - Belly Thrillers.  Belly thrillers are recipes and meals which 1. are hearty, 2. are healthy, and 3. thrill the belly!

Beef Pasta and Mushroom Soup

In honor of winter and January, I am pleased to introduce our first belly thriller: Beef Pasta and Mushroom Soup.  Soup, by its very nature, is a belly thriller.  Soup is warm and warms the body from the inside out.  Soup is comforting and can be hearty at will.  And soup is thrilling (at least to me) and filling!

Bow-tie Pasta with Chicken & Broccoli

Our second belly thriller is Bow-tie Pasta with Chicken and Broccoli.  Chicken and broccoli are healthy and hearty and get two thumbs up.  But the thrilling part of this recipe is definitely the Bow-tie pasta.  Change out your boring old noodles (whatever staple they may be) and exchange them for some BOW-tie!  (Not to be confused with Tiebow.)

Buffalo Chicken Tacos

Last, but never least, anything with the word Taco in the recipe title is automatically on the belly thrillers list.  What thrills me about these tacos is the buffalo chicken element of surprise.  I've done beef tacos, fish tacos, and chicken tacos...but it never occurred to me to spice things up with some buffalo-wow.  A must-taste belly thriller this season!

Enjoy!  Remember, we love feedback and photos and movie recommendations!

Chicken, Not Just For The Birds!

The birds may have flown south for the winter, but the chickens are still plentiful and plenty full!  If you are short on ideas for dinner this week, or wanting to spruce up your staple go-to meals, try out one of our fresh and fun chicken recipes.

Chicken Broccoli Bake

Do yourself a favor this year, and investigate recipes and meals that are quick to prepare, easy on your budget, and crazy tasty.  Casseroles, crock pots (aka slow cookers), and freezer meals are three great ideas for feeding your family healthy stuff that doesn't overtake your evening hours to prepare.

Baked Ranch Chicken

Get back to basics too.  Baking does not equal boring.  Baked chicken is very nutritious and can be very simple to prepare.  But how to make it worth tasting?  Revisit your spice rack, pantry, and salad dressing shelf in the refrigerator for some clever ideas for pleasing your family's taste buds.  Ranch dressing, seasonings, BBQ sauce and even jams/jellies can be refreshing ingredients for taste bud wake up.

Chicken & Orzo Skillet

Often a staple in Greek and Turkish cuisine, Orzo is a "big rice" way of rounding off a Chicken dinner.  Branch out in 2012.  Leave your old rice, pasta, and potatoes for another day; and dig into a new side dish that could also be better for you (think whole grains vs. white starch).

That's all I can say for Chicken at the moment and it's probably plenty for now.  I don't want to cause Chicken overload.  Enjoy trying some new recipes in 2012 and be adventurous!  Remember, we love feedback and photos!

Hearty Baked Dishes for Winter

Welcome to Winter 2012!  If it's as chilly at your house outside as it is at mine, you could use some hearty recipes to prepare for your family, to keep everyone warm and toasty!  Below are three recipes with a "baked" theme to tie them all together just for you.

Baked Barbecue Beef Short Ribs

Ribs are always a huge hit around my house, and the three guys living here (hubby & two sons) will be drooling and thanking me before it hits the table.  What's your family's favorite beef dish?  Ribs, Roast, or other relished parts?

Baked Barbecued Pork Chops

And while we are on the subject of barbecued, let's not forget pork, the other white meat!  Although not as popular with some people, I find pork chops to be very easy to prepare and hard to mess up: thus, they have become a favorite at my house.

Baked Chicken

Last, but certainly not least and my personal favorite, Baked Chicken is on the menu this week!  Chicken is simple to prepare, easy to accent, and pleases most people since you can add spices to give it a zing or leave it a bit more plain for blander palettes.

Enjoy Winter!  And  as always, we love feedback and photos of your results!