Thirty Minute Meals...Paula Deen Broccoli Casserole

Last night we had Big Daddy's parents over for dinner and at the last minute I felt like I didn't have enough food.  I whipped this up in matter of minutes and it stole the show.  The best thing about this recipe is that it is made with ingredients that everyone has lying around.  This is a show stopper...trust me!!!

image via www.food.com

First you will steam 2-10oz. packages of frozen broccoli.  I have to tell you that I NEVER buy the chopped broccoli because I feel like you get a bunch of stems and now florets, so I buy the frozen florets and chop them myself once they are steamed...much better that way.  Just sayin'.

While the broccoli is steaming away, chop up a small onion and saute it in some butter until soft.

Mix your steamed broccoli, sauteed onion, 1/4 cup of mayonnaise, 1 can cream of mushroom soup, about 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese (I probably used more like 2), and house seasoning.  If your mixture is too thick add more mayo until its the consistency you want.  It shouldn't be "packy".   Pour the mixture into a small casserole dish  and top with 1 cup of crushed Ritz crackers.  Pour about 1/3 stick of melted butter over the crackers and bake uncovered at 350 for about 20 minutes...just long enough to get those crackers brown and crispy!

You can thank me later!!!  Enjoy!!

Thirty Minute Meals...King Ranch Chicken Casserole

This week has been going so great with school!!  Part of the ease has come with knowing what my menu is going to be each morning when I wake up.  Life changing...hello!!!

Here is a must have recipe that you will love to cook and love to eat...enjoy!!!

First, boil 4 chicken breasts and save the broth.  Next, dip flour tortillas in the broth and line a greased 13x9 with them.  Then add your boiled chicken breasts that you have chopped in bite size pieces.  Top the chicken with 2 cans of cream of chicken soup and 1 can of mushroom soup.  Top with lots of cheese and 1 can of drained rotel.  Make sure you put the cheese then the rotel...yummy!!!

Bake uncovered at 350 for about 20 minutes.  Once the cheese is melted and the rotel is cooked it is ready to eat..YUMMO!!!

Thirty Minute Meals...Stuffed Pasta Shells

I know that I totally stood everyone up last week, but yall, all I can say is that I am barely keeping my head above water getting adjusted to this homeschooling thing!  It is awesome and wonderful and a perfect fit for us, but it takes some tweaking and a whole lotta' changing and moving around to end up where you want to be...and we are almost there!!

I promise that this recipe will totally make up for my absence last week.  You are going to NEVER not have a bag of these shells in your freezer ever again.   I try to keep an extra bag at all times because you never know when you are going to need something so super easy and there is nothing easier...I promise you!!!  And its delicious.  So invite some folks over and enjoy dinner!!  Here is the recipe...

If its just me and Big Daddy and the girls, we use half a bag.  If we have company, we usually use the whole bag...trust me there will be none left.  I buy these at Sam's for $10.00.

After you put the shells in your 13x9 (crammed in there good and tight) you will cover them with a jar of spaghetti sauce and lots of shredded cheese.  And you are going to bake them uncovered at 350 for about 20 minutes or until the cheese is good and melted.

Here is the finished product.  I had to make 2 dishes because I ran out of room in the big pan and I knew we needed more...

Add a caesar salad and some garlic bread and its a meal everybody will be talking about.

The best part is every time I cook it for company, they always ask me what I stuff the shells with because its soooo good.  Buwwwaaahaaahaaahaa {that is my evil laugh}.  Enjoy!

Thirty MInute Meals...Beef and Bean Burritos

photo via

I really really wish that I could tell you this recipe was my own and take credit for it, however, I absolutely cannot.  I wish I could take credit for the picture.  Can't do that either.  Both of them belong to The Pioneer Woman and I'm sure she isn't interested in me hijacking her recipes.  But yall, this stuff is sooooo good.  I don't know if you notice a pattern here for my quick and easy supper series, but the reality is that you can cook mexican in a flash.  If you are in a hurry, whip out the cheese and tortillas and some sort of meat and make it a meal.  This was a huge hit in my house tonight and everyone made a happy plate which is highly unusual seeing that Wootie eats enough to barely keep a bird alive.  She lapped this up, and your crew will too, I promise.  Im from South Louisiana, you can trust me.  When I say its good...its good!


I did change things up just a tad and gave them my Kellye twist by adding sour cream to the beef and bean mixture when I smeared that mound of goodness on my nice warm tortillas.  I also fixed these in my 9x13 instead of individually like Ree did.  Something about microwaving supper just kind of makes it not supper.  At least for me that is!!  Anyhoo....they were delish and I will definitely be making them again...fo sho!!!  Head on over to The Pioneer Woman and get all the details!

Enjoy!

Thirty Minute Meals...Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

As we get back to the school year, I know that for me I am going to be looking for quick suppers to prepare in the afternoons.  I figured that you might be thinking the same thing so I am totally swiping Rachel Ray's name and every Thursday I will post a meal that takes 30 minutes or less to prepare.  Sound yummy to your tummy?

Today's 30 minute meal is Creamy Chicken Enchiladas a.k.a the best enchiladas you have ever made

Here is how you make 'em:

In a large mixing bowl, beat 1 pkg. cream cheese, 2 tbs. water, 2 tsp. ground cumin, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper, and 2 tsp. onion powder until smooth.

Now, stir in 2 or 3 boiled boneless skinless chicken breasts that you have chopped up.

Place a heaping spoonful down the center of a flour tortilla, roll up and place seam side down in a greased 13x9 baking dish.

In a bowl, combine 1 can cream of mushroom soup, 1 16oz. container of sour cream, 1 can of diced green chillies, 1/2 cup of milk and pour over the enchiladas.

Bake, uncovered at 350 for about 20 minutes, then cover with cheddar cheese and bake another 5 or so until the cheese is melted.  It makes 10 enchiladas, and you can easily double the recipe for bigger dinners.  Yall, this meal is soooo easy and soooo good that the first chance I got to take a picture of the finished product this is what it looked like...

It is literally a race to get your plate over here fast enough.  YUMMY!!  I hope you enjoy!!  

Recipe Swap: Lunchbox Love

Life As Mom is hosting a recipe swap for ideas on what everyone packs in their lunches. By this point in the school year, I am fresh out of ideas so I am very excited about this swap! Here is my favorite lunch item. If you are like me and need some new lunch menu items stop by Life As Mom and check out what others are packing. If you have a fave let everyone know about it!!

Tortilla Wraps

1 flour or whole wheat tortilla

mayo

shredded cheese

salt and pepper

anything you want to stuff it with like ham, turkey, bacon, chicken, tuna, etc...

Spread a little bit of mayo all over the tortilla. Then add your toppings. My favorites are ham and shredded chesse with a little bit of lettuce and tomato or grilled chicken with bacon, cheese, lettuce and tomato. Then just sprinkle with salt and pepper and roll up. You roll up by making sure that you put your toppings in the middle of the tortilla, then fold one side over, fold up the bottom, and then roll entire tortilla over onto the other side. Very easy, packs well, stays good until lunch and tastes great! Oh yeah, very low cal lunch as well!! Enjoy!!