Barbecued Chicken on Garlic Toast

Barbecued Chicken on Garlic Toast is a quick and easy recipe that makes it possible to put dinner on the table even on my busiest days! The whole family loves this sandwich and it is budget friendly too!

Turkey Taco Bites

Turkey Taco Bites combine classic taco flavors with sliced turkey all rolled up into a bite sized morsel of deliciousness! It makes a tasty appetizer that is quick and easy too. If you have 5-10 minutes you can whip these up ahead of time and refrigerate until ready to enjoy! It doesn't get much better than that for quick and easy party food! Perfect for #TacoTuesday

Hot Corn Dip Recipe

Sweet crunchy corn, tangy cream cheese, and spicy tomatoes brought together in a tasty appetizer recipe that is ready in about 10 minutes! This delicious Hot Corn Dip is made in a skillet to quickly heat all of the ingredients so you can have this on the table in no time!

Sausage and Egg Muffin Recipe

Sausage and Egg Muffin recipe makes for a great on-the-run breakfast! Make these up ahead of time and just reheat and eat!

Greek Style Pork Chops

Greek Style Pork Chops with a Cucumber and Tomato Salad is a low carb, healthy meal full of flavor!

Ore-Ida Pesto Chicken and Potato Patties

posted by Marion@Life Tastes Good on 2013-10-28

Shhhhhhhhhhhhh....wanna hear a secret? Ore-Ida Pesto Chicken and Potato Patties makes a quick, satisfying meal! Your fam will think you worked way harder to get these on the table, but we'll just keep that between us! Go ahead, let them stand in awe of your amazing abilities! Who knows, maybe they'll pamper you with foot massages and let you control the remote and fight over who gets to do the dishes!! Okay, so that's not gonna happen in my house either, but why not take a happy break and dream a little :)

I have another secret... I've actually NEVER used frozen hash browns before, so I had no idea what to expect with this product. Don was not looking forward to it either, but guess what he took for lunch today? Yessireeee! He took leftovers! He got creative and made them into a sandwich! He's so clever...sometimes. I will definitely be making these again!

Boneless Pork Loin Chops with Raspberry Sauce

 allrecipes.com Pork Chops with Raspberry Sauce

I love pork - it is no secret!  Of course it has to be cooked properly. Many folks are afraid of pork and tend to overcook it. After all, most of the meat thermometers advise you to cook pork to 160 degrees. Please don't ever do that! Those are old standards and it overcooks the pork to a dry, tough, tasteless, nasty something you don't want to eat (which is probably why many don't care for pork)! Pork should be removed from the oven between 140-145 degrees and let rest for about 10 mins. I like to remove it closer to 140 degrees.

This is a quick and easy meal you can make any night of the week, yet it is so delicious and impressive it is good enough for company! It is one of my faves!

Ingredients

• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon dried sage, crushed
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 4 (4 ounce) boneless pork loin chops
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

Directions

Preheat oven to 200 degrees F. In a small bowl, combine crushed thyme, sage, salt, and pepper. Rub evenly over pork chops.

Melt butter and olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook pork chops for 4 minutes on each side. Remove from skillet and keep warm in preheated oven.

In the skillet, combine raspberry jam, orange juice, and vinegar. Bring to a boil, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until sauce is reduced to desired consistency (sauce will thicken as it cools). Spoon sauce in a pool onto a serving plate, and top with pork chops.

This pairs perfectly with Garlic Spinach and Mashed Potatoes

NOTE:  If you aren't a fan of the tang vinegar offers, I advise to  add 1 tablespoon of the white wine vinegar and then reduce the sauce to desired consistency. Then give it a taste to see how that works for you. Add more as desired. Personally, I use the full 2 tablespoons - it is just right for my tastes.

TIP:  When I make this for company I always double the sauce. I double everything in the sauce except the vinegar. I do add more before serving if I feel it needs it.

Two Quick and Easy Chicken Recipes

  

allrecipes.com Salsa Chicken

Last week when I got home from Savannah I found some chicken breasts in my freezer, which is rare because I don't really like to freeze meats. In an attempt to avoid going to the grocery store, because I was exhausted from the drive (and lazy), I thawed out the chicken and went to allrecipes.com for some inspiration

I was so happy with the recipes I found. The first night home I made an easy Garlic Chicken. I had everything on hand, and the recipe looked simple. No fuss is what I needed! This is a great recipe for a quick meal in a pinch! Next time boneless, skinless chicken breasts are on sale I will stock some in the freezer for those busy times - it was that easy!

Again, because I was exhausted (and lazy) from the drive, I did not get a picture of the Garlic Chicken. I did make the recipe exactly as stated, but I recommend cooking for 15-20 minutes and then checking the temp. It should be 155-160 degrees before removing from the oven. Then let rest for about 10 minutes. The 30 minute cook time in the recipe was a bit long for the chicken breasts I used. They were quite thick, so I am guessing that time is just long in general.  NOTE: Be sure your olive oil is fresh. Old oil can ruin a recipe quickly. I also like to buy a better brand of olive oil - my fave from the grocery store is the Lucini brand. Also, before breading the chicken I like to turn it over and pull it open on the bottom - there is always a part at the thickest point where you can open it up. It evens out the meat for more consistent cooking throughout

The next night I was a little more adventurous! I made some Salsa Chicken and even had enough energy to get a picture! woohoo! It was delicious too! This coming from a girl who doesn't generally like recipes made with boneless, skinless chicken. I was pleased to find another easy recipe to make in a pinch!

I made Fresh Tomato Salsa to use in the recipe, but a store bought salsa would work well. I didn't have taco seasoning mix on hand, so I made this Taco Seasoning recipe from allrecipes.com. It worked well, but when making the Salsa Chicken recipe again I would use 1/2 the taco seasoning called for in the recipe. I thought the flavor was a bit too much and so much seasoning made it a little chalky. I also used my new favorite cheese - Manchego, and it was wonderful on this recipe!
NOTE:  The Salsa Chicken recipe was even better leftover the next day! The flavors worked their mingling magic overnight in the fridge!!

I served this with allrecipes.com Black Beans & Rice. I've made this recipe many times, and it always turns out great! It has great flavor! The recipe is spot on! We really like it!

I had sour cream on hand, and I made some fresh guacamole because I LOVE it! I use an avocado with a couple gloves of garlic, a little lime juice, and some salt and pepper for the guac. Mush that up well and chill in the fridge for a couple hours. mmm mmmm good!

Another yummy al fresco All Natural Sausage recipe.  As with all the other recipes we have tried, this one is easy and economical.  I used a red wine I had on hand, and spent under $10 for the remaining ingredients.

I added sliced mushrooms to the recipe because I love them <<smile>>

Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage with Tomato Cream Sauce Over Linguine

By Life Tastes Good
Published 04/24/2012

Ingredients

• 1 (12 ounce) package al fresco All Natural Pre-Cooked Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage, sliced
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon freshly minced garlic
• 3/4 cup dry red wine
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with Italian herbs, with juices
• 1 teaspoon fresh oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper (or to taste)
• 1/2 cup light cream
• 1/2 pound uncooked linguine
• 2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
• Fresh oregano leaves for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Begin cooking linguine in boiling salted water according to package directions. Cook until al dente. Drain.
2. While linguine is cooking, heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add 1 cup chopped onions and 1 cup sliced mushrooms. Saute for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 1 tablespoon minced garlic and cook, just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add 3/4 cup dry red wine, 1 can diced tomatoes, sliced sausage, 1 teaspoon fresh oregano and 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper. Boil until reduced a bit. I recommend doing this to taste. When it tastes right to you then you can reduce the heat and add 1/2 cup cream and cook for one minute.
3. Portion cooked linguine onto 4 warm plates or pasta bowls. Spoon sausage/sauce over pasta. Sprinkle each with Parmesan and garnish with fresh oregano if desired.

Yield: 4 Servings
Prep Time: 15 mins.

Cook time: 15 mins.
Total time: 30 mins.

Tags: Italian, Sausage, Chicken, Cream Sauce, Tomato, Pasta, allrecipes.com, al fresco chicken sausage

recipe inspired by allrecipes.com Grilled Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage with Tomato Cream Sauce over Linguini