Chicken tetrazzini

I had a craving for a casserole, and no "cream of" soups in the house. So I found a recipe online and then changed it to fit my fridge!

Chicken (I had 5 tenderloins, 2 thighs)
Spaghetti
Peas
Butter
Flour
Milk
Cheese

Here's what I did with my random ingredients and 1 pan/pot goal!

Boil chicken for 20 minutes. Take out the chicken, but leave the water in the pot. Add half lb of spaghetti broken in thirds. Boil the pasta, and 1 cup of peas, while you chop the chicken.

Pour the water off, and save 1 cup of broth/pasta water to the side. Add the pasta and peas to the chicken (ok I ended up using 2 containers).

In the warm pot, add 5 T of butter to melt. Add 1/4 cup of flour and mix. Pour in the broth while mixing. Slowly add 1 cup milk (I used skim) and mix.

Chop about 2/3 cheese- I had a small hunk of Dublinear, 2x4 hunk of Brie, and one wheel of baby belle cheese. Water you have- throw it in! Mix until mostly melted. Add in the pasta/chic/peas mixture and toss. And serve! (I Broiled it for 5 min but unnecessary.)

If you want to see the original recipe, click here: www.allrecipes.com/recipe/8697/chicken-tetrazzini

Biscuits from pancake mix

When you only have whole wheat flour and a craving for sausage gravy, you'll go to great lengths to make tasty biscuits.

I recently bought buttermilk pancake mix, the kind you only need to add water (sometimes I find myself with nothing in the house to eat and this will usually do the trick as I ALWAYS have butter and syrup...). As a kid my mom would make chicken pot pie with bisquick biscuits on top. Figured pancake mix had to be similar!

2.5 cups pancake mix (just add water variety)
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup melted butter
1 egg

Mix, and flour a counter. Roll out dough until 1/2 inch.

Using a wine glass, I punched out biscuits and placed on greased cookie sheet.
I baked at 425 for 8-10 minutes.

Then I made a quick sausage gravy! http://waxedbean.blogspot.com/search/label/sausage%20gravy?m=0

Egg in a hole

Recently watching the Pioneer Woman, she made Egg in a hole- and now I've made it twice and it is suuupeeer good. Worth a post.

Bread (or bagel in today's case)
Egg
Butter
Salt
Pepper

Cut a hole in the center of bread. I used a wine glass with a slice of bread and a cookie cutter with my bagel.

Butter the pan/ bread. Sauté.

Add egg to the hole, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook for a minute and flip. Cook a minute.

Not Julia's

Beef bourguignonne... wow. That's a big word. And usually big recipe.

But this version works well and takes about 30-40 min!

1 lb potatoes
1 onion
1 lb beef tenderloin in 2" pieces
1/2 t kosher salt
1/2 t pepper
5T butter
1 slice of bacon
8oz mushrooms
1 clove garlic
1/2 t thyme (half if dried)
1/2 t sugar
2t tomato paste
1/2 c red wine
1 c broth
2 T water
2 t flour
1/2 c milk

Boil potatoes.

Dice one cube of beef and bacon.

Pat dry other cubes with paper towel, cover in salt and pepper.

Heat beef in pan with 1 T butter. Until brown. Save.

And diced beef and bacon to pan. Sauté 3 min, then add quartered mushrooms until brown. Add garlic, thyme, sugar, sauté for 1 min.

Add tomato paste, sauté a minute.

Add wine and boil for 2 min.

Add onions and broth.

Meanwhile, mix water and flour separately, add roux to pot. Add beef back for a few minutes.

Add rest of salt an pepper to the drained potatoes. Mash and add butter and milk (and I like sour cream).

Serve!

Pork tenderloin with apples and onion

Amazing dinner.
Pork with apples and onions
I took and apple and an onion and sautéed them, and then layered them in a pan.

I took a pork tenderloin, covered it in garlic powder, Dijon mustard, and a little honey. I laid the pork on the apple and onion.

I cook it for 35 min at 450.

Also, I cut up sweet potatoes and carrots, covered them in olive oil and salt and pepper, and bakes them at 350.

Caramel popcorn

For a quick and simple dessert that adds crunchy, sweet and salty an you want it in 10 minutes, this is for you!

EASY CARAMEL POPCORN
4 lg. marshmallows (not minis)
3 T butter
1/4 c brown sugar
1 bag popped corn
Bring marshmallows, brown sugar and butter to a boil. Pour over popped corn. Cool.

Pasta with sausage, basil and mustard

I've made this so many times in my adult life, I was SHOCKED to not find it on the blog!

Boil pasta.

Meanwhile, cook sausage in olive oil. Brown 5 minutes.

Add 3/4 cup white wine (or beer) and reduce.

Add 3/4 cup heavy cream (or milk and butter), 3 tablespoons mustard, crushed red pepper flakes, and simmer.

Add pasta and some basil.

Apple crisp

A classic for me that's perfect for fall, and with vanilla ice cream.

You'll need:
Apples, lemon juice, cinnamon, butter, oats, brown sugar, flour

Peel and slice apples. I had 4 small ones, but the recipe calls for 6.

Sprinkle with cinnamon, a teaspoon, a tablespoon of water, and a teaspoon of lemon juice.

In a bowl, mix softened butter (half a cup), 3/4 cup flour, 3/4 cup brown sugar, 1 cup oats.

Pour topping over apples and bake in a 375 degree oven for 35 minutes.