Rocket to Mars Casserole

    A little spice, some crunch, lots of cans, mixing of cultures, and a chance to use up that leftover rotisserie chicken or Thanksgiving turkey.   

       This is a tribute to a friend named, Jack, who is interested in all things having to do with space.  He also likes to cook, but this recipe is probably too simple for him.

1 can cream/mushroom soup

1/2 C sour cream (or yogurt)

1/2 C mayonnaise

1 C frozen peas

1 can sliced water chestnuts, rinsed and drained

1  4 oz. can diced chiles

1-2 C seasoned stuffing cubes*

2-3 C cooked chicken, shredded or cubed*

Topping: 1/4 C sliced almonds

Optional: smoked paprika and aleppo pepper

Preheat oven to 350° F.  Spray an 8” x 11”* baking dish with oil.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together the soup, sour cream, and mayonnaise.  Add the remaining ingredients, except the almonds.  Mix together and place in prepared dish.  Sprinkle with sliced almonds, then paprika and pepper, if desired. 

Bake for 35-45 minutes.  Remove from oven and let it rest for about 5 minutes before serving.  Enjoy!

Serves 4. 

*Use a 9” x 13” casserole dish and the larger amounts (or more) for 6-8 servings.  You can also increase the sour cream, mayo, and peas (or whatever veggies you like) by 1/4 C or so.

Mexicali Chicken

This is a really tasty, really easy dish, followed by lots of compliments.  It was given to me by a friend who is originally from Germany.

Measurements are approximate.  I often use frozen chicken tenders from Costco.  They thaw out quickly, so I can make these without planning too far ahead.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts   

1 package taco seasoning + 2 TB flour

oil to saute

1/2 cup of your favorite salsa 

3-4 TB peach jam, apple jelly, or other jam

Dust chicken breasts w/ taco seasoning-flour mix.  Brown in oil for 2-3 minutes on each side.

Add salsa and cook.  Stir in jam and cook until chicken is done.  

Serve with Mexican Rice and a green salad.

Sandra’s 10-minute Szechwan Chicken

I'd forgotten how good this recipe is, and how easy.  It's also very adaptable.  You can use pork or tofu instead of the chicken.  You can also add cooked broccoli, asparagus or other veggies to it at the end, or just serve the vegetables along side.  And of course, it goes well with steamed rice.  We now use a combination of medium grain brown rice from an Asian market mixed with brown Basmati rice from Trader Joe's.  (This recipe is from my cousin who submitted it for the Disneyland Tour Guide Cookbook.)

1 tsp sugar                                         1 Tbsp oil

3 Tbsp soy sauce                               3 cloves garlic, minced            

1½ Tbsp vinegar                                3-4 green onions, sliced           

¼ C water                                          1/8- ¼ tsp cayenne or ground

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts        red pepper 

3 Tbsp cornstarch_______       

Mix together sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, and water.  Set aside. 

Cut chicken into bite-size pieces.  Put cornstarch in a gallon-size baggie, then add chicken.  Shake to coat chicken.

            Heat oil in a non-stick skillet.  Add chicken and garlic.  Stir-fry until chicken is lightly browned.  Add soy mixture; cover and cook 3 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.  Uncover, add green onions and ground red pepper.  Heat 2 minutes longer.

            Serve with hot rice.

Quick 40-Clove Chicken

This is from the newspaper in the late 80s.  The garlic becomes soft and mild and delicious.

6-8 skinless chicken breast halves (or lots of chicken tenders)

4-6 Tbsp olive oil                     

salt and pepper                         

20-40 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced if desired

½ C chopped parsley

Preheat oven to 400°.  In a 13 x 9” baking dish, arrange chicken breasts in a single layer.  Drizzle with olive oil.  Turn chicken pieces to coat evenly.  Season with salt and pepper.  Scatter garlic cloves over chicken. 

Cover and bake for 20 minutes.  Sprinkle with parsley and bake uncovered 10 more minutes.                            Serves 6

Pool’s Parmesan-crusted Chicken

This recipe comes from my "mentor" teacher, Kathy, who lead me through the first years of teaching.  She has also shared many favorite recipes with me.

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1-1/4 lbs.) or chicken tenders
4 tsp. Italian seasoned dry bread crumbs
Slivered almonds, (Sunkist Almonds Accents Original are a nice touch)

1. Preheat oven to 425°.

2. In medium bowl, combine Mayonnaise and cheese. In baking dish, arrange chicken. Evenly top with mayonnaise mixture, then sprinkle with bread crumbs and sliced almonds.

3. Bake 20 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked.

For other options, see: http://www.bestfoods.com/recipes.aspx