Pork Medallion With Dijon-Mushroom Sauce

We eat a lot of chicken and beef in our house and sometimes it is nice to change things up a little. Pork is one of those ingredients that I am never quite sure what to do with it. Give this Pillsbury recipe a try. It is easy to make and only takes about 30 minutes. This recipe makes two servings but can easily be doubled.

Pork Medallion With Dijon-Mushroom Sauce

Ingredients:

5 teaspoons butter

1 shallot, finely chopped (2 tablespoons)

1 jar (4.5 oz) sliced mushrooms, drained

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1 pork tenderloin (1/2 to 3/4 lb), cut into 8 (3/4 inch thick) slices

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon apple juice

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/2 cup whipping cream

fresh thyme sprigs or basil leaves, if desired

Directions:

In eight inch skillet, melt 2 teaspoons of the butter over medium heat. Add shallot and mushrooms; cook and stir 1 minute or until tender. Remove from skillet. To same skillet, add remaining 3 teaspoons butter and the oil. Add pork; cook 8 to 10 minutes, turning slices halfway through cooking, until browned and no longer pink in center. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Remove from skillet; cove to keep warm. Gradually add apple juice to same skillet; stir in mustard and cream. Heat to boiling; boil 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened. Add mushroom mixture; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Serve sauce over pork slices; garnish with thyme.

Loaded Baked Potato Pizza

This Pillsbury recommendation comes from Margaret. She said when she first saw this recipe she thought it was odd and they wouldn't like it, but they ended up loving it and have made it several times. If you like stuffed baked potatoes you will love this recipe.

Loaded Baked Potato Pizza

Ingredients:

1 can (13.8 oz) Pillsbury refrigerated classic pizza crust

1 medium white potato

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 box (10 oz) frozen broccoli and cheese sauce

2/3 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon ranch dressing

1 cup shredded Colby-Monterrey jack cheese blend (4 oz)

5 slices cooked bacon, coarsely chopped

1 small tomato, seeded, chopped (1/2 cup)

2 medium green onions, chopped (2 tablespoons)

Directions:

Heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray large cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Unroll pizza crust dough on cookie sheet; press dough into 13x9 inch rectangle. Bake 10 to 13 minutes or until crust is light golden brown. Remove from oven; set aside. Meanwhile, pierce potato with fork; place on microwavable paper towel in microwave oven. Microwave 4 to 5 minutes, turning once, until tender. Cover; let stand 5 minutes. When potato is cool enough to handle, peel potato and cut into 1/4 inch cubes (1 cup). In small, bowl, mix potato, oil, salt and pepper; set aside. Cook broccoli in microwave as directed on box. Empty from pouch into another small bowl to cool slightly; set aside. In another small bowl, mix sour cream and ranch dressing. Spread mixture over pizza crust to within 1/2 inch of edges of crust. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the cheese evenly over sour cream mixture. Sprinkle with bacon. Spread broccoli mixture and potato mixture evenly over bacon. Sprinkle tomato, onions and remaining 1/2 cup cheese evenly over potato mixture. Bake 15 to 22 minutes longer or until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting.

Quick 'n Crunchy Potato Chip Chicken

If you ever find yourself stuck in a chicken dinner rut and don't have any fresh ideas you should give this recipe a try. This recipe caught my eye when I was checking my e-mail and like most Betty Crocker recipes is is fast and easy to prepare. You could probably even try this recipe with different chip flavors for more variety.

Quick 'n Crunchy Potato Chip Chicken

Ingredients:

4 cups sour cream and onion flavored potato chips crushed (1 cup)

1 tablespoon parsley flakes

1 large egg

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/4 lb)

Directions:

In a shallow bowl, mix crushed potato chips and parsley. In another shallow bowl, beat egg and Worcestershire sauce. In 10 inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-low heat. Dip chicken into egg mixture, then coat with potato chip mixture. Cook chicken in oil 10 to 12 minutes, turning once, until deep golden brown and juice of chicken is clear when center of thickest part is cut.

Taco Pizza

I like tacos and pizza but never really considered combining the two. This Pillsbury recipe sounds easy to prepare and there are plenty of ways to change it based on what you like. I'm thinking this might be a good recipe for future social gatherings!

Taco Pizza

Ingredients:

1 can (11 oz) Pillsbury refrigerated thin pizza crust

1 lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef

1 package (1 oz) taco seasoning mix

1/4 cup water

1 can (4 oz) chopped green chiles, drained

1/4 cup sliced ripe olives, drained

2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend (8 oz)

1 1/2 cups shredded lettuce

1 cup seeded chopped tomato (1 large)

crushed corn chips, if desired

salsa, if desired

Directions:

Heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray or grease 15x10 inch or larger dark nonstick cookie sheet. Unroll dough on cookie sheet; starting at center, press dough into 15x10 inch rectangle. In 10 inch skillet, cook beef, taco seasoning mix and water as directed on package. Spoon evenly on dough. Top with chiles, olives and cheese. Bake 13 to 16 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted. Top with remaining ingredients.

Creamy Chicken And Rigatoni

I love pasta recipes because they are so easy to make and versatile. Here is another easy to prepare Betty Crocker recipe. If you re up to it, you could probably make this recipe even tastier by using fresh vegetables instead of frozen vegetables.

Creamy Chicken And Rigatoni

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1 inch pieces

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 teaspoons dried basil leaves

2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves

2 cans (14 1/2 oz each) diced tomatoes, well drained

2 cups whipping (heavy) cream

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)

2 1/2 cups rigatoni pasta (8oz)

1 package (16 oz) frozen broccoli, red pepper, onions and mushrooms, thawed and well drained

shredded Parmesan cheese, if desired

Directions:

Heat oil in dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook chicken, garlic, basil and oregano in oil about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until chicken is no longer pink in center. Stir in tomatoes, whipping cream, salt, pepper and red pepper. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered about 10 minutes or until slightly thickened. Cook and drain rigatoni as directed on package. Stir rigatoni and vegetables into chicken mixture; cook until hot. Serve with cheese.

Beef And Spinach Lasagna Roll-Ups

This is a Pillsbury twist on lasagna. Though I wasn't a fan of spinach when I was younger it is now a welcomed ingredient in many dishes. I hadn't heard of frozen precooked lasagna before. Depending on how easy it is to find frozen precooked lasagna, I would probably experiment with boiling some dry lasagna noodles and purposefully under cook them a little.

Beef And Spinach Lasagna Roll-Ups

Ingredients:

1/4 lb extra lean ground beef

3 tablespoons chopped onion

1 jar (14 oz) tomato pasta sauce

1 egg white

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves

3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (3 oz)

4 (8x2 1/2 inch) frozen precooked lasagna noodles, thawed

1 cup fresh baby spinach leaves, washed, stems removed

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In 8 inch skillet, cook beef and onion over medium-high heat until beef is thoroughly cooked, stirring frequently; drain. Stir in 1/2 cup of the pasta sauce. Remove from heat. In bottom of ungreased 8 inch square (2 quart) glass baking dish, spread 3 tablespoons of the remaining pasta sauce. In medium bowl, beat egg white. Stir in ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, oregano and 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Spread 1/4 each of ricotta mixture, spinach leaves and beef mixture over each lasagna noodle. Starting with short side, gently and loosely roll each noodle; place seam side down over sauce in baking dish. Top roll-ups with remaining sauce. Cover with foil. Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until bubbly and thoroughly heated. Remove foil; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese. Bake and additional 2 to 4 minutes or until cheese is melted. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Southwestern Chicken Biscuit Pot Pie

This recipe comes from the Pillsbury Cooking For Two newsletter. It sounds pretty easy to make and I am sure you can increase the recipe to feed more people. You could even make it more of a challenge by making your own soup instead of using canned soup.

Southwestern Chicken Biscuit Pot Pie

Ingredients:

1 can (18.5 oz) Progresso Traditional southwestern-style chicken soup

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle chiles

cooking spray

1/2 cup frozen extra sweet whole kernel corn

1 package (3 oz) diced cooked chicken (2/3 cup)

2 oz monterey jack cheese, cut into 4 slices

3 tablespoons chopped roasted red bell peppers (from jar)

1 Pillsbury Grands frozen Southern Style Biscuits

2 to 4 tablespoons sour cream

1 to 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives or green onions

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Pour soup into 2 cup measuring cup or bowl. Stir in onion powder, garlic powder and ground chipotle chiles. Spray insides of 2 ovenproof 2 cup bowls with cooking spray. Place 1/4 cup corn and 1/3 cup chicken in each bowl. Pour about 1 cup soup mixture evenly into bowls. Carefully place 2 cheese slices in center on top of soup in each bowl. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon roasted peppers evenly around cheese in each. Place biscuits over cheese; spray biscuits with cooking spray. Place bowls on cookie sheet; bake 38 to 43 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown and soup bubbles around edges. Cool 5 minutes before serving. Serve topped with sour cream, chives and remaining tablespoon roasted peppers.

Turkey Mac Skillet

This Betty Crocker recipe is fast and easy! It also probably qualifies as fairly healthy since it uses ground turkey. If you aren't a fan of ground turkey I'm sure it would be just as tasty with ground beef.

Turkey Mac Skillet

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

1 1/4 pounds lean ground turkey

1 cup uncooked wagon wheel pasta (2 ounces)

1/2 cup chunky salsa

1 cup water

1/2 teaspoon salt

dash of pepper

2 medium stalks celery, thinly sliced (1 cup)

1 medium tomato, chopped (3/4 cup)

2 cans (8 oz each) tomato sauce

Directions:

Heat oil in 12 inch skillet over medium heat. Cook turkey in oil 4 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink; drain. Stir in remaining ingredients. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer 8 to 10 minutes or until pasta is tender.

Slow Cooker Cheesy Ravioli Casserole

My sister sent me this recipe. She suggests cooking on the higher end of low if you have a slow cooker with numbers instead of just low and high settings. She also mentioned that she would like to try it with a different type of ravioli although her husband was very happy with the Pillsbury recipe the way it is.

Slow Cooker Cheesy Ravioli Casserole

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 large clove garlic, finely chopped

2 jars (26 oz each) four cheese-flavored tomato pasta sauce

1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

2 packages (25 oz each) frozen beef-filled ravioli

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (8 oz)

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

Spray 5 to 6 quart slow cooker with cooking spray. In dutch oven or 12 inch skillet, heat oil over medium heat until hot. Cook onion and garlic in oil about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onion is tender. Stir in pasta sauce, tomato sauce and Italian seasoning. Put 1 cup of the sauce mixture in slow cooker. Add 1 package frozen ravioli; top with 1 cup of the cheese. Top with remaining package of ravioli and 1 cup cheese. Pour remaining sauce mixture over top. Cover; cook on low heat setting 5 1/2 to 6 1/2 hours or until hot. Sprinkle with parsley before serving.

Mandi Forester's White Chicken Chili

Katie got this recipe from her mother and wanted me share it with everyone. White chicken chili has become very popular recently and can be made many different ways. It is definitely a staple at our house! The recipe below is from the Rachel Ray show. The handwritten notes on the scanned recipe say this is recipe is even better the second and third day, the person who wrote the notes made it on the stove instead of in a crockpot, and they opted to serve their chips on the side as opposed to crushed.

Mandi Forester's White Chicken Chili

Ingredients:

1 (32 ounce) box chicken stock

3 cans white beans, left undrained

5 cups cooked chicken (rotisserie or boiled)

1 (16 ounce) jar salsa

1 (8 ounce) block pepper jack cheese, grated

2 teaspoon ground ground cumin

2 cloves garlic, minced

black or white pepper to taste

1/2 cup finely crushed corn chips (if you like your chili thicker)

sour cream, for garnish

Directions:

Place all ingredients except the corn chips in a crockpot. Cook on high until the cheese is melted. Chili may also be cooked on the stove top over medium-high heat until cheese is melted. When the chili is ready, add the crushed corn chips, if using, and simmer for 10 minutes to thicken. Garnish with more chips, cheese and/or sour cream and serve.

Apple, Cranberry, & Orange Juice Punch

Amongst laughter, salads, presents, friends, and cupcakes at a recent baby shower there was an amazing batch of punch. We begged Alia to share the recipe she got from Kim. I'm not sure how to properly name a punch but I guess it really doesn't matter as long as it tastes good!

Apple, Cranberry, & Orange Juice Punch

Ingredients:

1 (32 fluid ounce) bottle apple juice, chilled

1 (12 fluid ounce) can frozen cranberry juice concentrate

1 cup orange juice

1 1/2 liters ginger ale

1 apple

Directions:

In a large punch bowl, combine apple juice, cranberry juice concentrate and orange juice. Stir until dissolved, then slowly pour in the ginger ale. Thinly slice the apple vertically, forming whole apple slices. Float apple slices on top of punch.

Twice Baked Potato Casserole

Jodi served this dish at a recent party and everyone loved it! Jake's mother slightly modified an Emril Lagasse recipe and it was quite tasty. The recipe below is the original recipe. Selene replaced the sharp white cheddar with a package of softened cream cheese because the white cheddar has a very strong flavor. No matter which way you make it this recipe is definitely a winner!

Twice Baked Potato Casserole

Ingredients:

10 large russet baking potatoes (about 7 pounds total)

8 tablespoons (1 stick) plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

3/4 pound bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled

1/2 pound sharp white cheddar, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

3/4 pound mild cheddar, grated (3 cups)

1/2 cup finely chopped green onions

3 eggs, lightly beaten

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Scrub the potatoes well and rinse under cool water. Pat dry with paper towels and prick the potatoes in several places with a fork. Place the potatoes in the oven and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until tender. Remove from the oven and set aside on a wire rack until cool enough to handle. When the potatoes have cooled, cut each potato in half and, using a spoon or a melon baller, scoop the flesh out of the skins, leaving as little flesh as possible. Place the potato flesh in a large bowl and add 1 stick of the butter, the sour cream, heavy cream, salt, and pepper and mash until chunky-smooth. Add the bacon, cubed white cheddar, half of the grated cheddar, the green onions, and eggs and mix thoroughly. Butter a 9 by 13 inch casserole with the remaining tablespoon of butter and reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the seasoned potato mixture in the prepared casserole and top with the remaining grated cheddar. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until bubbly around the edges and heated through and the cheese on top is melted and lightly golden. Serve hot.

Italian Wedding Soup

Even though soup is good just about anytime, the recent cold weather has made soup even more enticing. This is one of my favorite soup recipes! Giada De Laurentiis is my go to for anything Italian. The recipe doesn't include pasta, but we typically boil up some small pasta (our favorite variety of pasta for this soup is picture above...not sure what it is called...sorry) to add to the soup.

Italian Wedding Soup

Ingredients:

For Meatballs-

1 small onion, grated

1/3 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

1 large egg

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon salt

1 slice fresh white bread, crust trimmed, bread torn into small pieces

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

8 ounces ground beef

8 ounces ground pork

freshly ground black pepper

For Soup-

12 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 pound curly endive or escarole, coarsely chopped

2 large eggs

2 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for garnish

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

To make the meatballs-

Stir the first 6 ingredients in a large bowl to blend. Stir in the cheese, beef and pork. Using 1 1/2 teaspoons for each, shape the meat mixture into 1 inch diameter meatballs. Place on a baking sheet.

To make the soup-

Bring the broth to a boil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and curly endive and simmer until the meatballs are cooked through and the curly endive is tender, about 8 minutes. Whisk the eggs and cheese in a medium bowl to blend. Stir the soup in a circular motion. Gradually drizzle the egg mixture into the moving broth, stirring gently with a fork to form thin strands of egg, about 1 minute. Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve. Finish soup with Parmesan cheese if desired.

Firecrackers

Here is a quick and spicy snack to start the new year! One of the teachers at my school started making them and they are quite tasty.

Firecrackers

Ingredients:

2 sleeves of saltine crackers

1/2 cup canola oil

1 package ranch dressing mix (dry)

3 tablespoons crushed red pepper flakes (less if you don't like spicy food)

Directions:

Mix oil, crushed red pepper, ranch dressing mix together. Place saltine crackers in a bowl with a lid or a large zip lock bag. Pour mixture over crackers and turn and shake gently until most of it is spread around on the crackers. If you make them in the morning and turn every hour or so they should be ready to eat in the afternoon. All of the oil, ranch dressing, and crushed red pepper flakes will be absorbed into the crackers.

Slow Cooker Savory Pot Roast

Walking in the door and smelling a ready to eat homemade dinner is one of the best feelings in the world! Give this Campbell's recipe a try. It takes just a little prep work and the slow cooker will do the rest.

Slow Cooker Savory Pot Roast

Ingredients:

1 can (10 3/4 oz) Campbell's Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup

1 envelope dry onion soup and recipe mix

6 small red potatoes, cut in half

6 medium carrots, cut into 2 inch pieces

1 boneless beef bottom round roast or chuck pot roast (3 to 3 1/2 pounds)

Directions:

Stir the mushroom soup, soup mix, potatoes, and carrots in a 4 1.2 quart slow cooker. Add the beef and turn to coat. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 9 hours or until the beef is fork-tender. (You can cook on high for 4 to 5 hours.)