Sweet Autumn Chicken

This was really easy and yummy, and perfect for fall. Plus, the chicken cutlets make enough for 2 meals (at least for my family of 6), so you can freeze the rest and have another quick meal on another night!

Sweet Autumn Chicken (Family Fun Magazine)

20 ounces fresh or frozen cubed butternut squash
4 cubed Golden Delicious apples (I used Gala)
6 frozen chicken cutlets (see below)
1 cup apple cider
2 tablespoons butter
Salt and pepper

For the cutlets (makes 12, you can wrap and freeze half for another meal):
6 large boneless, skinless chicken-breast halves, rinsed, blotted dry, and sliced lengthwise
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup mustard
1 tablespoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
2-1/4 cups panko bread crumbs

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
In a shallow dish, mix together the mayonnaise, mustard, and garlic powder. Spread the bread crumbs in another shallow dish. Working with one cutlet at a time, season both sides of each one with salt and pepper, coat it with the mayo mixture, then the bread crumbs. Place the cutlets on the prepared baking sheet. Bake the cutlets for 10 minutes, rotate the sheet, and continue baking until golden brown and cooked through, another 10 to 15 minutes. (After cooled, you can tightly wrap and freeze half the cutlets for later use. To use, just heat on a cookie sheet at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes.)

While the chicken is cooking, microwave the cubed butternut squash until slightly soft — 6 minutes for fresh, 10 to 12 minutes for frozen. Place squash on a greased cookie sheet and toss in cubed apples. Make a glaze by reducing the apple cider in a saucepan over high heat for 10 minutes. Remove it from the heat and whisk in the butter and salt and pepper to taste. Pour half the glaze over the squash mixture. Bake the squash mixture on the oven's upper rack for about 15 minutes.

Serve each cutlet atop the squash and apples, drizzled with the remaining glaze.

Blog Vacation

I have been so overwhelmed lately with kid duties, house duties, PTA duties, etc. It has been a busy and stressful time. So I decided to take a little break from blogging so I can relax and enjoy my summer. I may post a few times this summer, but not regularly. So to anyone who may read this, have a great summer and see you in a few months!

Menu Plan Monday: Week 11

Hope everyone had a wonderful Mother's Day! My hubby and kids got me a new cookbook that I've been wanting- Lidia's Italy- so this week I will be trying out a few recipes from it. The 3 starred recipes are the ones I'm trying from the book-I'll write a review next week! Here's this week's menu:

Monday: Southwest Shepherd's Pie
Tuesday: Chicken Fajitas
Wednesday: Spring Asparagus Pancetta Hash with fried eggs
Thursday: Pork Scaloppine with Mushrooms & Marsala*
Friday: Pizza Night
Saturday: Asparagus & Rice Soup*
Sunday: Chicken with Artichokes* and Italian Bread

Chicken Cordon Bleu

This yummy and easy recipe from Melanie at My Kitchen Cafe was my first attempt at traditional Chicken Cordon Bleu. It turned out not only delicious, but pretty, too! Thanks, Melanie!

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Note:To make sure the cheese doesn't leak out of the chicken while baking, use large (at least 8-ounce) chicken breasts and chill the stuffed chicken breasts in the refrigerator before breading.

25 Ritz crackers (I used whole wheat crackers and loved the extra nuttiness)

4 slices hearty sandwich bread, white or wheat (again, used homemade wheat bread and it was hearty and delicious)

6 tablespoons butter, melted

8 thin slices deli ham (about 8 ounces)

2 cups shredded swiss cheese

4 thick boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds total), see note above

Salt and pepper

3 large eggs

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 cup all-purpose flour

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Pulse the crackers and bread in a food processor until they are coarsely ground. Drizzle in the melted butter and pulse to incorporate together. Transfer the crumbs to a rimmed baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the crumbs are lightly browned. Transfer the crumbs to a shallow baking dish (a pie plate works great!). Leave the oven on. Top each ham slice with about 1/4 cup shredded cheese. If your ham slices are too smile, shingle two ham slices on top of each other to create a larger slice and roll the cheese up in that. Roll tightly and set aside. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Cut a pocket in the thickest part of the chicken breast and stuff each pocket with 2 ham/cheese rolls. Pull the top flap of chicken over the rolls and press to seal (you can use a toothpick to gently secure the pocket edge, if you like). Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Refrigerate the stuffed chicken, covered, for at least 20 minutes.In another shallow dish or pie plate, beat the eggs and mustard. Place the flour in a third shallow dish. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator. Working with one stuffed chicken breast at a time, coat the chicken lightly with flour and then dip in the egg mixture, covering both sides. Dredge the chicken in the toasted bread crumbs, pressing lightly to help the crumbs stick to the chicken. (The breaded chicken can be refrigerated covered for up to 1 day.) Transfer the chicken to a lightly greased rimmed baking sheet. Bake on the lowest rack of the oven until the bottom of the chicken is browned, about 10 minutes. Move the chicken to a middle rack in the oven, reduce the temperature to 400 (you don't have to leave the chicken out of the oven while the temperature adjusts, just put it back in the oven and then reduce the temperature), and bake until golden brown and the chicken is cooked through (160 degrees on an thermometer), about 25-30 minutes. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Cowboy Cookies

I got the recipe for these cookies from the Sister's Cafe blog, and man, were they good. Full of chewy oats, sweet coconut, and creamy chunks of chocolate, these cookies were a really hearty version of a chocolate chip cookie. Mmmm!

Cowboy Cookies
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2 cups flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips or chunks (I used milk chocolate)
1 cup chopped pecans or shredded coconut (optional- I used the coconut)

In a large bowl stir together the oats, flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. In the bowl of your mixer blend the butter and sugars until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and continue to beat until fluffy, about 1 1/2 minutes. Blend in vanilla. Using a wooden spoon, stir in dry mixture, half at a time. Mix in chocolate chips and coconut. Refrigerate dough for at least 1-2 hours (I did not do this). Heat oven to 350. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or spray. Using a scant 1/4 cup per cookie shape dough into balls and slightly flatten (I just dropped balls on). Place about 2 inches apart. Bake for 12-14 minutes. Let cool on pan for 5 minutes and then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

**To change it up--**
Omit the chocolate chips, cinnamon and nuts and add:
2 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup dried sweetened cranberries

The Best Grilled Cheese Sandwich Ever

This is Pioneer Woman's favorite sandwich, and it is seriously awesome. I mean really, really, REALLY awesome. I'm not sure I can ever eat a plain grilled cheese again. It is THAT good! We tried it a few weeks ago and had it again for dinner last night, and I am drooling looking at the pictures as I post this. Try it, you'll love it! Unless you don't like green chiles, or tomatoes, or onions. In which case you won't love it. But if you do like them, you will love it, I promise! Have I convinced you yet?

PW's Favorite Sandwich (aka the best grilled cheese sandwich ever)

1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard, to taste

1 Tablespoon Mayonnaise, to taste

1 whole Tomato

1 whole Red Onion, Small

2 slices Mild Cheddar

1 can (4 Oz.) Whole Green Chilies

2 slices Provolone

2 slices Rye Bread (I used my whole-wheat and it was great!)

Butter

First make the special sauce. Measure 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard and 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise and mix them together in a small bowl, and then spread a very thin layer onto the inside of both pieces of bread. Now slice a nice ripe tomato. Thinly slice a red onion. Place two slices of tomato on one piece of bread and two slices of mild cheddar on the other slice. On top of the tomatoes place several slices of red onion followed by two slices of provolone. Open your can of whole green chilies and lay one or two slices on top of the provolone. Now very carefully put the two halves of the sandwich together. Spread a good amount of butter on top of the bread (or just generously butter the griddle, that's what I do becuase it's quicker. If you do it this way, don't forget to butter it again when you flip the sandwiches). Flip the sandwich over and repeat on the other side. Meanwhile, heat a skillet (non-stick is preferable here) over LOW heat. Place the sandwich in the skillet and cook it for at least 5 minutes. Flip and continue cooking for another couple of minutes, until golden brown. Remove to a cutting board and slice in half and eat. YUM! Makes 1 sandwich (obviously, I make 6).

BTW, here are some awesome pictures of the awesome bread my awesome hubby made the other night. Have you tried this bread yet? If not, you really must. The link is here.

Menu Plan Monday: Week 10

Monday: Southwest Chicken Salad (Lemon Mousse for dessert)
Tuesday: Quiche Lorraine and fruit
Wednesday: Cinco de Mayo- Chili Rellenos, quesadillas, and guacamole
Thursday: Sweet & Spicy Salmon, baked sweet potatoes, and asparagus
Friday: Chicken-artichoke Pizza
Saturday: Southwest Shepherd's Pie
Sunday: California Rolls and Teriyaki Chicken