Surprise Cookie Pies!

INGREDIENTS

1

box Pillsbury® refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box

8

Pillsbury® Ready to Bake!® refrigerated chocolate chip cookies (from 16-oz package)

8

milk chocolate candy drops or pieces, unwrapped

1

teaspoon sugar

DIRECTIONS

1 Heat oven to 450°F. Remove pie crusts from pouches; unroll on work surface. Cut eight 3 1/2-inch rounds from each crust. 2 Place 1 unbaked cookie in center of each of 8 of the rounds; top each with 1 candy, pointed end into cookie. Brush edge of each crust with water. Top with remaining 8 rounds. Press edges together with fork to seal. Brush top of each with water; sprinkle with sugar. 3 Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.

Shannon's Enchilada Soup

Combine 6 cups of water with chopped onion, celery, salt, pepper and chicken bouillon to taste. Add 1pd chicken breasts and simmer for 2 hours. Remove chicken, cut in to bite sized pieces

Reserve 6 cups of broth and add.....
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can chopped green chili's
1 can enchilada sauce
1 can evaporated milk
1 8oz carton sour cream

Mix well stirring occasionally. Add chicken back to soup.  When ready to serve top with grated cheese and enjoy!

Bacon and Brie Potatoes

kosher salt
20 new potatoes
5 slices thick cut bacon
1/2 cup onion diced
1 cup spring onions, chopped
4 oz brie
1/2 bunch parsley

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425. Place a thin layer of kosher salt on backing tray. Place potatoes on top and cook for 30 minutes.

Allow to cool slightly, Slice off the tops of potatoes lengthwise and scoop out the middle with a teaspoon.

Dice and fry bacon. Remove bacon, add diced onions to the pan and cook until soft about 3 minutes

Add the rest of the ingredients , including reserved bacon, to pan. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Mix in with scopped out potatoes

Spoon into shells.

Easy Chicken Enchilada's

Ingrediants
1pkg Tortillas (flour are easier to work with)
3 chicken breast fully cooked and shredded
1 pkg Mecian Flaor Shredded Cheese
1 Tub Philidelphia Cream Cheese Santa Fe Blend

How to Make It
Cook chicken breast fully without seasonings and shred
Add tub of Phili on top of shredded chicken until it is combined and melted together
Fill each Tortilla
Top with cheese and add any left over cream from pan over the top

Bake at 350 for 20 min
Serve with corn and spanish rice

Simple Crock Pot Pot Roast

1 Rump Roast
1 Bag frozen green beans
1 Bag fresh or Frozen small Carrots
1 Carton Mushrooms
1 Can Beef Broth
1 Can of Water
1 Pkg Pot Roast Seasoning (McCormick)

Combine all ingrediants in crock pot cook on low 8 hours!

Serve with biscuits!

Baked French Toast

Ingredients

• 1 (1 pound) loaf French bread, cut diagonally in 1 inch slices
• 8 eggs
• 2 cups milk
• 1 1/2 cups half-and-half cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 cup butter
• 1 1/3 cups brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons light corn syrup

Directions

1. Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish. Arrange the slices of bread in the bottom. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, milk, cream, vanilla and cinnamon. Pour over bread slices, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
2. The next morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a small saucepan, combine butter, brown sugar and corn syrup; heat until bubbling. Pour over bread and egg mixture.
3. Bake in preheated oven, uncovered, for 40 minutes.

Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving Calories: 395 | Total Fat: 19.8g | Cholesterol: 186mgPowered by ESHA Nutrient Database

Weight Watchers Chicken Taco Soup

Ingredients

---

• 1 lb. ground turkey/beef or shredded chicken
• 1 large onion, chopped shopping list
• 1 (1 oz.) package hidden valley ranch dressing mix
• 1 (1 oz) package taco seasoning Mix                                                 
• 1 (16 oz.) can pinto beans
• 1 (16 oz) can chili beans
• 1 (16 oz) can whole kernel corn
• 1 (8 oz) can Mexican-style tomatoes
• 1 (8 oz) can diced tomatoes (any flavor)                                                 

How to make it

---

• Brown meat & onions and drain.
• Mix Ranch & Taco seasonings into meat.
• Add rest of ingredients, undrained to mixture.
• Simmer 1 hour.
• 2 Weight Watchers points per cup.

Breakfast Pizza

On a pizza pan spread:

1 tube crescent rolls, to form 1 crust
1 lb. package thawed frozen hash browns
1/2 lb. sausage, browned
1 cup cheddar cheese grated
4 eggs beaten well with a little milk and salt and pepper

On top of crust place hash browns crumbles up, spread sausage next. Make sure that both go to the edges of crust. Slowly pour eggs over top of hash browns. Then sprinkle on the cheese all over the top. Bake at 350°F for 30 to 40 minutes. Cut in pizza slices and serve with fruit and juice.

240 calorie Wrap - Delish

You will need:
whole grain Mission Tortillas
Baby Spinach
1 can Black Beans
and your favorite salsa (i perfer to make my own with rotel and  season mix)

Directions really not needed but I will walk you through just so you get the picture of how great this will taste.
Start with your tortilla (no need to heat it up)
tear about 1/3 c Baby spinach and place in the middle
Layer 2 tbs of Black Beans (I use low sdium Bush's)
top with 1TBS Salsa
Fold up in a wrap and ENJOY!!!!

This has become a new favorite lunch wrap at the Fredin house.  It also keeps well so you can make it ahead of time throw in your lunch box and enjoy while your out and about or at work!

At 240 calories, this is delicious and VERY FILLING!

Beef Stir Fry and Peppers

Ingrediants:
1/4c A1 steak sauce
2tbsp Teriayki sauce
1tbsp sherry cooking wine
1lb flank or bottom round steak, sliced thinly and stripped
2tbsp butter
2 large green peppers, sliced
Hot cooked Brown Rice

Blend steak sauce, teriayki sauce and sherry. In non metal dish pour marinade over steak. Cover and chill at least 2 hours.

In large skillet, over medium heat, cook peppers in butter for about 3 min or until tender. Remove with slotted spoon; reserve.  Add steak with marinade to same skillet ; cook and stir for 8 min or until done. Add peppers back in; heat through.  Serve over rice if desires.

Makes servings for 4

Chicken and White Bean Salad

Vinagrette:
1 medium clove garlic
1/4 tsp salt
5tbs extra virgin olive oil
6tbs orange juice
1/4c white wine vinegar or red wine vinegar
1 tbs Dijon Mustard

Salad:
1 - 15 oz can white beans, rinsed and drained
2 1/2 c cooked chicken breast
2 c Zuchinni or Summer Squash
1/4c feta cheese
1/3c sun dried tomatoes
1 c basil
4 c Fresh Baby Spinach or Romaine

Vinegarette: smash garlic, using a fork mash garlic with 1/4tsp salt in a small bowl to form a paste.  Whisk 5 tbs in of oil. Add orange juice, vinegar and mustard. Whisk until well blended. Set aside at room temperature

Salad: Combine beans, chicken, zuchini, cheese and sun dried tomatoes in a large bowl until well blended. Add basil and 3/4 cup vinegarette; toss until combined. Mix together with spinach or romaine and add the rest of vinegarette.

Nutrition Facts:
Calories: 428
Fat: 23g
Sat Fat: 5g
Mon Sat. 15g
Cholesterol: 79mg
Carbs: 24g
Protein: 34g
Fiber: 8g
Sodium: 667mg
Patassium: 648mg

Eggplant Parmesan for 318 calories

Ingrediants Needed:
2 Large Eggs, lightly beaten
1 tbs water
2 cups whole wheat panko
1/4 grated Parmesan
2 Eggplants , peeled and cut crosswise in to 1/2 thick slices
Cooking Spray

Filling:
1/2 cup basil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 tsp red pepper
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp salt
1 16 oz container part-skim ricotta cheese
1 large egg

Topping:
1 jar pasta sauce
1/4 tsp salt
8 oz mozzerella

1. Preheat oven to 365
2. To make eggplant: combine 2 large eggs and water in shallow dish.  Combine panko and parmesan in second shallow dish. Dip eggplant in egg mixture and then follow by dipping in panko mixture. Pressing firmly to adhere panko to the eggplant. Place eggplant on a baking sheet coated in cooking spray and cook for 30 min or until golden, turn once at 15 min.
3. To make filling: combine all ingrediants
4. To assemble: spoon 1/2 c pasta sauce in bottom of a baking dish coated with cooking spray. Layer half of slices over the sauce.  Top with about 3/4 c pasta sauce and spread half of ricotta over eggplant and top with a 1/3 c mozzerella.  Repeat layers once ending with about a cup of pasta sauce spread on top.  Bake at 375 for 35 min with foil on top. spread the rest of the cheese on top and bake uncovered for 10 more minutes or until chesse is melted and sauce is bubbly!

Nutrition Facts: Calories: 318
Fat 15.1g
Sat fat 8.2g
Mono Saturated Fat 2.7g
Polysaturated: 0.6g
Protein 19.3g
Carbs: 26.8g
Fiber: 4.8g
Cholesterol: 99mg
Iron: 1.6mg
Sodium: 655mg
Calcium: 365mg

Vegetarian Santa Fe Enchiladas (Freezer to Oven)

Another easy but yummy dish that is great for the freezer when you need a quick meal to pull out.  This is even a great dish to take if you have that "I signed up for dinner and forgot" night!

What you need:
1 pkg 8-10 Tortillas (I used flour)
1 pkg Morning Star Crumbles
1 container Philidelphia Santa Fe Cooking Cream
2 c Cheese

Heat crumbles either on stove or in microwave.  Add 1/2 container of cooking cream to mixture.  Fill each tortillas with a large spoonful of crumble mixture roll and repeat until pan filled.  Warm additional cooking cream to a saucy consistency (in microwave about 30sec).  Spread over enchiladas and top with cheese.

If going from dish to freezer there is no need to preheat your crumbles. 
When going from freezer to oven thaw for a couple of hours in fridge before cooking on 350 for 25 min.

ENJOY!

Spinach and Crab Bake (Freezer to Oven)

Okay this is one that may not sound as great as it taste, but this was  FREDIN KID FAVORITE!

Here is what you need
1 package crab delights
2 c Low Fat Cottage Cheese
1 C Cheddar Cheese
1/2 pkg Frozen Spinach
2 eggs
1 C Texas Toast Croutons

Layer your baking dish with spinach to fill.  Mix your Cottage cheese, Cheese and eggs in to a cheese mnixture.  Cut delights in crab in to bite size pieces and spread over the spinach.  Layer croutons across the top of your crab spinach mix.  Top with cheese mixture.
Bake on 350 for 30mn

If you choose to freeze this, cover and freeze and pull out to thaw for 12 hours in fridge before baking.

Sweet Potato Bacon and Beef Stew in a Bag

Last week in preparing for surgery, I made several meals that I could put in the freezer and have available for my husband to pull out and pop in the oven or in the crockpot without any fuss.  In preparing, I also chose to use what was in my freezer to also get rid of some of my stockpiled meat collection :) I found a deliciously easy recipe for stew in a bag.
Here is what you need
1 Large ziplock Bag
1 Package Beef Stew Meat
2 Sweet Potatoes (cleaned and cut in pieces)
1 small onion

6 pieces of bacon (pre-cooked)
1 can of beef broth
1 can of stewed tomatoes
1 can sliced mushrooms

Dump all in your ziplock bag.  Pull out the night before you plan on using it and place it in the fridge to thaw.  Dump in crockpot and cook on low 8 hours!
Enjoy!

Freezer to Oven Lasagna Casserole

What you Need:
1 Box of Rotini Noodles
1/2 Carton Fat Free Cottage Cheese
1 PKG Fat Free Italian Cheese
1 Jar Spaghetti Sauce
1 Can Crushed Tomato
1pd Ground Beef (or we use the Morning Star Crumbles for a vegetarian lasagna)

How to Make it:
Boil noodles until tender
Combine cottage cheese and crushed tomatoes until fully mixed
Brown ground beef or warm your Vegetarian Crumbles
LAYER:
Begin layering with the noodles followed by the cottage cheese mixture, the beef or crumbles, spaghetti sauce and top with cheese (add one more layer)

You can either take this straight to the oven at 350 for 30 min or cover tightly and put in the freezer for an easy go to meal.
Today, I doubled the recipe and made one for dinner tonight and the other for the freezer.  I love to cover and write on the top what it is and how to bake it if freezing. 

Why did I not use the regular lasagna noodles?  They weren't on sale! I only buy FREE pasta! If I can't get it free, I don't get it is my rule!!! Rotini was FREE had homeland (2 boxes of Smart Taste with coupon)!!!!!

Broccoli and Tuna Cheese Bake

Before you turn your eyes away from this one, let me say upfront - MY 3 YEAR OLD DEVOURED THIS!!!!
The titel doesn't sound to yummy, but the taste was quite good.  Good enough this mom ate it straight out of the pan instead of washing the left over down the drain.
What you Need:
1 Can of Tuna
1 Pkg of broccoli (thawed and drained)
2 C of Cottage Cheese
1 C Cheddar Cheese
3 Eggs

Layer a baking dish with your broccoli and then add a layer of tuna on top of the broccoli.
Mix the cottage cheese, cheese and eggs together until you have a saucey substance.
Pour Cheese Mixture evenly over the tuna and Broccoli

Heat at 350 for 20 min

Now, see how easy that was.  It's even easier if you make an extra to freeze so next time your in a rush you can just pop one from freezer to oven.

This was a last minute meal at our house last night.  It was alsi one I had all the ingrediants right there in my own pantry!

Try it out and share your thoughts. 

Tricky Little Cupcakes!

I found this recipe the day before April Fool's Day and made a batch to "trick" my kids and a few of their friends!

For the Mashed Potato and Gravy Cupcakes you will need:
1 Box of White Cake Mix
1 Can of Vanilla Whipped Frosting
Yellow Starburts (as many as cupcakes you make)
1 Bottle of Pour on Carmel Syrup

Cook your cupcakes as directed and allow to cool. After cooling top with Frosting.  Make it lumpy and fun.  Insert and Yellow Starburt in the middle and drizzle with Carmel syrup!

For the Peas and Carrots on top of Mashed Potatoes Cupcakes you will need:
1 Box of White Cake Mix
1 Can of Vanilla Whipped Frosting
1 Box of Mike and Ike Candy's (not tropical go with the regular ones)
Orange Starburts

Cook cupcakes as directed and allow to cool.  After cooling top with frosting.  Make them lumpy and fun! Cut your mike and ikes in half using green ones only.  stick to the top of cupcake. Cut your orange starburt in to small squares.  Place on top of cupcake.  The fuller the  more realistic!

Taco Stuffed Shells

What you will need:
1 Box of Jumbo Pasta Shells (you will use as many as your family needs)
1 can of Santa Fe Philidelphia Cooking Cream
1 Bag of Morning Star Crumbles (or 1 pd of Ground Beef)

What to do:
Boil your noodles until soft and drain

If using ground beef brown your ground beef and then add in the Cooking Cream
If using Crumbles warm them on stove and add cooking cream

Fill each shell to the top with Beef or Crumble filling

Bake on 325 for 15 min

I would make double what you think your family will eat.  Mine ate more than expected! These will also freeze well.

To freeze: Place in an air tight container (the new Pyrex that goes from the freezer to the oven or the glad ones would be perfect).  Allow to thaw in the fridge.  Bake as directed above.

You could mix these up with spaghetti sauce and Beef or Crumbles too.  Although the Shells seem to never be on sale this was still a very inexpensive meal to make.  We served our with Ranch Beans and Chips and Salsa.

This mom hasn't been cooking much!

Well it's hit that time of year where our schedule is as crazy as rush hour in Dallas.  My poor family has eaten alot of Taco Bell, McDonalds, and Cheezie's Pizza.  1 more month and I hope to soon return to the kitchen to cook yummy healthy meals for my family again.

I will be posting over the next few days some recipes that are simple throw it together and chow it down quick meals that we have used on the fortunate nights that the six of us gather together at the table.  Some of these easy meals to come will be Stuffed Taco Shells (sounds fancy, but trust me it's a BREEZE and Cheap!), Bleu Cheese Burgers, and Lasagna Casserole (this one freezes beautifully).

I have also discovered a few simple products out there in the grocery store that will now become stapels in the Fredin Pantry.  I think you will enjoy finding new ways to use them as much as I have.  Old El Paso has come out with Enchillada Stuffers they are found in the Mexican Food Aisle and right now a lot of stores have a rebate you can try them for free with.  We recently bought the Garlic Chicken.  It had CHICKEN AND RICE in the package already and all you do is pop it in the microwave for a few min and stuff away.  We filled Taco Shells the other night with them.  Another new Favorite is Philidelphia Cooking Cream (again you can get this for free at a lot of stores right now with the $1.50 off coupon found last month in the paper).  We love the Santa Fe Blend. Our Stuffed Taco Shells Recipe comes from this product.  For my vegetarian friends, we have fallen in love with Morning Star Crumbles! These are a great substituition for Beef in taco's, spaghetti sauce, and even Hamburger Helper!!!!!

Until I cook again, I hope you enjoy the quick simple recipes!