Chicken and Fluffy Dumplings

 

 During the winter, I love to make one pot meals like soup. Nothing beats a hot and hearty meal that is very filling. This is my easy chicken and fluffy dumplings recipe.

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Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4

Items Needed:

• Large pot
  
• Medium bowl
  
• Cutting board
  

Ingredients:

• 1.5lbs chicken breasts (or shredded rotisserie chicken)
  
• 2 stalks celery, diced
  
• 12-16oz frozen peas & carrots
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
  
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon mustard powder
  
• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 32oz low sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup half and half (or milk)
  
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  
• 1 cup Bisquick
  
• 2/3 cup milk
• Black pepper to taste
  

Directions:

1. If you have not cooked your chicken, I recommend cooking it in the pot with butter, Italian seasoning, and black pepper. Then cut it in pieces or shred it. Remove it from the pot.
2. Add the butter, celery, onions, and garlic. Cook until softened.
3. Add the flour and mix thoroughly.
4. Add the half and half slowly and whisk.
5. Add the chicken broth and stir well.
6. Add the peas and carrots, chicken, and seasonings including black pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes.
   
7. While the soup continues to cook, mix together the Bisquick and 2/3 cup of milk to form a soft dough. Do not over mix. (I prefer using my hands)
   
8. Take pieces of the dough and drop them into the soup. I kept them to about 2 inches. Do not mix them, just drop them in.
   
9. Once all the dumplings have been added to the soup, cover the pot with a lid and steam them for 10 minutes. 
• Do not cook them longer than 15 minutes as they may become less fluffy and more dense due to being overcooked. It is very important not to lift the lid so that the dumplings steam properly. Make sure the soup is still simmering while they cook.
10. Serve hot in a bowl with 2-4 dumplings (depending on size).
    

You can add seasonings to the Bisquick dough. I would suggest just a little dried parsley, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and black pepper. If you enjoy a thicker soup, add more flour or try heavy cream instead of half and half. If you prefer it thin and soupy, use less flour. If you like a lot of dumplings, I suggest doubling the Bisquick and milk mixture.

Dill Ranch Chicken Salad

 Chicken salad can be one of the most refreshing meals during the summer. I love chicken salad but my husband who dislikes mayonnaise won't eat traditionally chicken salad. Therefore, I came up with a simple ranch based recipe.

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Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Serves: 4

Items Needed:

• Large pot
  
• Large bowl
  
• Cutting board
  

Ingredients:

• 1-1 1/4 lbs chicken breasts
  
• 2 stalks celery, diced
  
• 5-6 sprigs of fresh dill
  
• 2 teaspoons of ranch seasoning
  
• 13oz bottle of Litehouse Homestyle Ranch
  
• Ground or cracked black pepper
  

Directions:

1. Add water to the large pot, chicken, 2 sprigs of fresh dill, 1 teaspoon of ranch seasonings, and sprinkle of pepper. Boil on medium-high until chicken is cooked through (10-15 minutes)
2. While the chicken is cooking, chop of the celery into small diced bits. Chop up 3-4 sprigs of fresh dill until you have 2 tablespoons worth. Add the celery and dill to the large bowl.
3. When the chicken is cooked through, shred it and add it to the large bowl.
4. Add about 1 teaspoon of ranch seasoning. Do NOT add any additional salt to the mixture. Add almost the entire bottle of Litehouse Homestyle Ranch. Mix in a little at a time to make sure you like the ratio. Add pepper to taste.
5. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving as the chicken will still be warm. Serve by itself, on bread, crackers, or lettuce.

Please use fresh dill NOT dried dill for this recipe. It makes the taste very different with that freshness. You can also add onions or chives to the chicken as it cooks.
Any type of ranch can be used but I highly recommend Litehouse products for their low carbs and low sugars. Litehouse tastes homemade and I will not touch any other brand of ranch dressing anymore. The consistency is less thick than other brands, which makes it ideal for this recipe.
Feel free to add other favorites such a diced small onion, green onions, or grapes to your mixture. We do not like them, so we do not add them but you can!

Best Beef Stroganoff

 Good beef stroganoff can be hard to come by. There are two secrets to making the best beef stroganoff. The first is to ensure that a quality tender meat is being used. I prefer top sirloin, but filet mignon is another option. Some people also choose to use ground beef. The second secret is to temper the sour cream to make sure it doesn't curdle in the sauce.

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Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours
Serves: 4

Items Needed:

• Large pot
  
• Large frying pan
  
• Cutting board
  

Ingredients:

• 1lb top sirloin, thinly sliced into bite sized pieces
  
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  
• 6oz mushrooms, sliced
  
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
  
• 14oz can low sodium beef broth
  
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  
• 1/2 cup sour cream
  
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  
• Salt & pepper
• 16oz box of noodles such as egg noodles or cavatappi
  

Directions:

1. Add water to the large pot and wait for it to boil. Add noodles once it starts to boil. Cook until al dente.
   
2. In the pan, add the extra virgin olive oil and the top sirloin with salt and pepper. Cook for a few minutes on each side on medium-high heat to ensure the meat is cooked, but be careful not to overcook the meat.
3. Remove the meat and set it aside, add only 2 tablespoons of butter to the pan and add the onions. Cook for a few minutes until softened then add the mushrooms. After another few minutes, cook the mushrooms until softened then add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Usually 1-2 minutes.
4. Add the 2 tablespoons of flour and cook until the flour is cooked. Usually a 1-2 minutes.
5. Add the beef broth and heavy whipping cream, ensuring you scrape along the edge and thoroughly stir. Simmer for a few minutes until it starts to thicken.
6. Take the sour cream and add about 5 spoonfuls of the sauce slowly to the sour cream and stir it to temper it. Once the sour cream has been incorporated with some of the sauce, add it to the pan. Keep stirring to make sure it doesn't curdle and it evenly distributes in the sauce.
   
7. Stir in the worcestershire sauce, dijon mustard, fresh parsley, salt, and pepper. Cook until the sauce is creamy with a slightly thick consistency.
8. Add the cooked beef back into the pan with the sauce and cook for another minute and then turn off the heat.
   
9. After the pasta has been drained, add the last 2 tablespoons of butter to the pasta.
10. Add the pasta to a plate with the beef and sauce on top. Add a sprinkle of fresh parsley and pepper to finish it off.
    

Mississippi Pot Roast Meets Traditional

I absolutely love pot roast, especially on a busy day when I come home to dinner cooking in the crock pot all day. Recently, I tried "Mississippi Pot Roast" and it was almost the best I have ever had, but I did miss some of the traditional elements of other pot roasts. I cooked up a perfect blend between the two and I promise if you try it, you won't go back!

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Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours
Serves: 4

Items Needed:

• Crock pot
• Large frying pan
  
• Cutting board
  

Ingredients:

• 3lbs+ chuck or rump roast
  
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  
• 2 ribs of celery, diced
  
• 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
  
• 1lb bag of baby carrots
  
• 6-8 pepperoncini peppers, stems removed
  
• 1 packet au jus gravy mix
  
• 1 packet ranch seasoning
• 1 packet pot roast seasoning
  
• 14oz can low sodium beef broth
  
• 2 sprigs of rosemary
• 2 sprigs of thyme
• Handful of fresh parsley, chopped OR 1 tablespoon of dried parsley
  
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon worschstershire sauce
• 1 stick of butter (unsalted preferred)
  
• Salt & pepper
• *2-3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour (optional, for making gravy)
  

Directions:

1. Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of the roast, put the extra virgin olive oil in the pan and sear the roast for a few minutes on each side on medium-high heat.
   
2. Add all of the ingredients listed above into the crock pot, except the flour.
   
3. Cook for 8 hours on low.
   
4. After the roast has completed cooking, remove the sprigs of rosemary and thyme then shred the meat inside the crock pot with a couple of forks.
5. Serve over mashed potatoes with garlic bread or rolls on the side.
   
6. Optional: I remove the solids for the most part using a strainer or slotted spoon and then make a gravy with the broth and juices left in the crock pot by slowly adding the flour and stirring. Depending on the amount of broth left, more/less flour is needed. I tend to add a tablespoon at a time slowly stirring to incorporate and cook the flour to make a gravy to the consistency I like it. The crock pot is usually still set to low to help with cooking the gravy. Alternatively, you don't need gravy or can buy store bought. This gravy has a bit of kick to it from the peppers.
   

Change it up: You can add a packet of onion soup mix if you like an onion flavor, add the pepperoncini juice, 10oz bag of peas, 6oz diced mushrooms, or some gold/red potatoes!

Lasagna Soup!

 Traditional lasagna in a thick soup! This recipe is much quicker to make and just as tasty!

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Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Serves: 4

Items Needed:

• Large pot
• Medium bowl
  
• Cutting board
  
• Measuring tools
  

Ingredients:

• 1lb Italian chicken sausage, removed from casings & diced
  
• 15oz can tomato sauce
  
• 15oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1lb lasagna noodles - oven ready
• 4oz mozzarella cheese, diced 
• 15oz ricotta cheese
• 4oz shaved or shredded Parmesan cheese 
• 4oz spinach
• 32oz low sodium or fat free chicken broth
  
• 1 bunch of fresh basil, shredded 
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
  
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, set extra aside
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  
• Salt & pepper to taste
  

Directions:

1. In the large pot, add the olive oil, chicken sausage, and garlic on medium high. Cook until sausage is cooked and browned
2. Add the tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, and seasonings. Include salt and pepper to taste. Stir and add the chicken broth. Stir again.
   
3. Break up the lasagna noodles to bite sized pieces and add to the pot.
4. Cook for about 5 minutes and add the spinach and basil.
5. Cook for another 5 minutes and add the mozzarella and half the Parmesan cheese.
6. In the medium bowl, add the ricotta and some Parmesan cheese. You can add them Italian seasonings, basil, salt, and pepper too. (optional)
7. When the noodles are done cooking, turn off the heat and add half the ricotta mixture and stir well.
8. Serve in a bowl with more ricotta mixture and Parmesan cheese on top.
   

Note: You can do any type of sausage, but we love Italian chicken sausage. Some people prefer cottage cheese over ricotta. I haven't tried it, because I don't like cottage cheese in lasagna, so I can't say whether it's a good substitute or not. You can also use store-bought sauce, but we don't use that.

Cucumber Tomato Ranch Salad

 This salad is the most easiest and simple recipe I know, while still being tasty. It's citrusy, light, and fresh with just the perfect amount of seasoning.

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Prep Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 4

Items Needed:

• Large bowl / Salad bowl
• Measuring tools
  

Ingredients:

• 1 large cucumber, cut into quarters
• 1 pint grape tomatoes, cut into quarters
• Juice from 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 ranch seasoning packet / salad dressing mix packet (we used hidden valley)
  

Directions:

1. Add all of the ingredients into a bowl and mix gently until thoroughly combined. There should not be any visible 'powder' from the seasoning packet.
   

Note: You can add a little red onion, shallot, or green onions to this dish or any type of salad dressing.

Chicken Bacon Ranch Avocado Salad!

 A quick, tasty meal that's mostly healthy! It's a salad that most people will love!

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Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4

Items Needed:

• Large bowl / Salad bowl
  
• Measuring utensils
• Large frying pan OR grill
  

Ingredients:

• 1.5lbs chicken breasts
• 1 head of lettuce, chopped (we used iceberg)
  
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese (we used cheddar)
  
• 1 avocado, diced
  
• 2 eggs, hard or soft-boiled, diced
  
• 1-2 Roma tomatoes, diced
• 1 cucumber, diced
  
• 1 package of bacon, cooked & diced (crispy bacon works best)
  
• 1 bottle of ranch dressing
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (if you are pan frying)
  
• salt & pepper
  

Directions:

1. Cook the bacon first. Crispy bacon works best for this recipe. We cheated and bought pre-cooked bacon with 12 pieces and heated it up for an extra 30 seconds in addition to the suggested cooking time on the package to get it crispy. Let it cool to touch and dice.
   
2. Cooking chicken pan fry method: Cut the chicken into tenders and smaller sections to cook evenly and faster in a pan. Cutting the breasts lengthwise may be helpful. Season both sides with salt and pepper to taste. In the large frying pan, add the olive oil and put it on a medium-high heat. Add the chicken. Cook on both sides for about 10 minutes each. They should be a light to dark brown color as pictured to get a good 'crisp' on the outside. Alternatively, you can grill your chicken. Once done, cut into bite sized pieces.
3. While the meat is cooking, chop up the rest of the ingredients and add them to the large bowl.
4. Add the bacon, chicken, and cheese to the bowl and mix it together.
5. Serve salad into individual bowls and add ranch dressing as desired. Don't add it to the large bowl because the lettuce will get soggy.

Note: You can use whatever type of cheese, lettuce, bacon, tomatoes, and ranch dressing as you would like to! We went with what was cheap and convenient for us.

We really love Litehouse brand dressings. It's pictured above if you're curious. They have the best flavors with nearly NO sugar or carbs, which is perfect for diabetics. We used the Homestyle Ranch, but their Buttermilk Ranch is great too! I would also highly recommend their Bleu Cheese dressing too for this salad.