Martha Stewart's Cheesy Hash Brown Bake ***

This was really nothing special, but because of how simple it is to throw together and how yummy it tastes, we all gave it two thumbs-up. The potatoes get just a little crispy on top, which gives the perfect contrast for the chili. The cheese is just slightly mixed into the potato, so it's not an overly cheesy taste. I used the Hormel chunky chili, which was actually really good.

MARTHA STEWART'S CHEESY HASH BROWN BAKE
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ Martha Stewart Living)

4 cups chili
1 (16 ounce) bag frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
2 Tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
coarse salt
ground pepper

Preheat oven to 425, with rack set in upper third. Divide chili among four individual baking dishes (10 to 12 ounces each). Set aside.
Place potatoes in a double layer of paper towels; squeeze out as much liquid as possible.
In a large bowl, combine potatoes, cheese, and cilantro; season with salt and pepper. Scatter potato mixture over chili. Place baking dishes on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until potatoes are golden brown and chili is bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve.
*Amy's notes: I made mine altogether in a 9x13 baking dish.

Crockpot Pork Chops and Stuffing ***

As my 5-year-old said when he was little, "This was dee-hishus!"  I ran through Food.com this morning, looking for something I could easily pick up from the grocery store and throw in the crock on my lunch break.  This was perfect.  As I've mentioned before, sometimes I get a craving for StoveTop, and nothing else will suffice.  The pork chops come out so tender and flavorful.  I made a few changes, as always, but nothing drastic.  I used 10 thawed boneless chops, added an extra 1/4 cup of water, and cooked for 6 hours on low.  I also used onion-mushroom soup mix instead of plain onion and StoveTop cornbread dressing instead of stuffing, since those are my preferences.  It was a little salty, but I just noticed that I used two packets of soup mix when it only called for one.  That explains the saltiness, lol.  Other than that, it was great.  Definitely a keeper for us.

Photo courtesy of Recipezaar

CROCKPOT PORK CHOPS AND STUFFING
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ Recipezaar.com)

8 frozen pork chops
1 package dry onion soup mix
2 boxes Stove Top stuffing mix
4 cups water

Place 2 cups warm water in bottom of crock pot.
Place pork chops in crock pot.
Sprinkle onion soup mix on top of pork chops.
Pour stuffing mix on top and pour water on top of stuffing mix.
Cook on High for 2 hours and then cook on low for about 4 more hours.
Usually the stuffing comes out mushy and moist, just the way my family likes it.
If you don't want to change temps while cooking, just cook on low for 6-8 hours.
*Amy's notes: I used 10 thawed boneless chops, added an extra 1/4 cup of water, and cooked for 6 hours on low.  I also used onion-mushroom soup mix instead of plain onion and StoveTop cornbread dressing instead of stuffing.

Chicken Stuffed Shells ***

I've had this one for so long that I can't even remember where I got it.  I know it was somewhere on the web. 
Anyway, we loved this one.  It takes a little bit longer to cook than most recipes like this, but it was really good.  I sometimes get a craving for Stove Top, for some reason, and this really hit the spot.  The gravy on it is yummy too, even though it's just broth and cream of mushroom.  The kids ate it up.  I did have to use manicotti noodles, since the store didn't have the jumbo ones.  I hate stuffing manicotti noodles, but I really think I like the way they taste in this more than the jumbo shells.  I didn't have enough time to put it all together tonight, so I mixed up the stuffing and stuffed the shells last night.  I also mixed the soup and broth but left them in another container.  I threw both in the fridge until I got ready to cook them tonight.  It still only took an hour to cook.  I'll definitely do it that way again next time, since it cuts down on the overall time in the evenings.

Photo of similar recipe,

courtesy of TipTopChicken.com

CHICKEN STUFFED SHELLS
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ somewhere on the web)

2 cups cooked, chicken cut in small pieces
1 box Stove Top chicken stuffing
½ cup mayonnaise
1 box large shells, boiled
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 1/4 cup chicken broth
Parmesan cheese

Cook stuffing. Mix the chicken, stuffing and mayo together. Stuff the shells and put in 9 x 13 pan.  Set aside. Combine soup and chicken broth; stir. Pour soup mixture over the shells; sprinkle with cheese. Place in oven 350 degrees for an hr.

Chocolate Chip Sour Cream Banana Bread ***

I combined different aspects of several banana bread recipes on the web and came up with this one.  We loved it.  It's actually a tad bit too moist, so I will probably reduce the applesauce next time.  Other than that, it was amazing.  We all inhaled it at breakfast this morning.  :)

Photo of similar recipe from Recipezaar

CHOCOLATE CHIP SOUR CREAM BANANA BREAD
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy)

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1 cup mashed banana
1/2 cup chopped nuts (omit if you don't like nuts)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Grease 1 large loaf pan.
Combine applesauce, sugar, eggs and vanilla; mix well
Add dry ingredients, then bananas, nuts, chocolate chips, and sour cream; mix well.
Bake at 350 F for 1 hour.
*Amy's notes: I want to try cutting the applesauce amount in half next time.

Crockpot Chili Pork Chops **

This is another one that I had in my old files, but I had labeled it as one that we really liked.  It was good, but nothing special.  Definitely not as good as the Creole Pork Chops in Crockpot.  In my mind, they were very similar, but they're really not.  The sauce on this was good, but the meat was really dry.  Dh and I were talking, though, and we really think it would be better with a more tender side of meat.  A pork steak would probably be excellent in it.  Maybe I'll try it again, maybe I won't.  For now, this one's getting demoted to 2 stars.  Sorry, Charlie.  :)

Photo courtesy of Recipezaar

CROCKPOT CHILI PORK CHOPS
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ Recipezaar)

¾ cup chopped onions (I used minced)
3 tablespoons olive oil
3-4 garlic cloves (I used minced)
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 ¼ cup water
1 ¼ cup ketchup
1 ½ teaspoons chili powder
8-10 pork chops, bone-in preferred (I used 10 boneless)
salt and pepper

Cook onions in oil until lightly brown.
Add garlic, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, water, ketchup, salt, and pepper.
Cover and simmer the sauce for 10 minutes.
Arrange pork chops in crock pot, pour sauce over the chops.
Cover and cook on low heat for 6-7 hours.
OP’s notes: I find that the longer you cook them, the more tender they are. I normally serve them with mashed potatoes and a vegetable. I put the sauce over the mashed potatoes (yummy!).

Rachael Ray's Grilled Beer Chicken With Potato Slabs ***

I doubled the recipe on this, since it said it only made 4 servings, and I like to make enough for dh to take some to work for lunch the next day.  That's absolutely wrong.  It's more like 6 servings.  Next time, I'll keep the marinade the same and just add a bit more chicken.  I used boneless/skinless thighs instead of drumsticks, since that's what I had.  The marinade smells divine.  The flavor is wonderful.  I forgot that I would need to cook it longer with thighs than with drumsticks.  I ended up cooking it an extra 10 minutes, but it could have used even longer.  Of course, if I hadn't doubled the recipe, there wouldn't have been more on the grill, so the 10 extra minutes probably would have been fine.  The chicken was so moist and flavorful, though.  I'll be doing that again soon.  The potatoes weren't a keeper for me.  I expected them to crisp up some on the grill, but they never did.  The outer edges were mushy, while the inner circles weren't even completely cooked.  It says to only cook them 3 minutes per side, but I cooked them a total of 15 minutes, and they were still slightly raw.  Next time, I'll skip them and just do baked potatoes.

Photo courtesy of Recipezaar

RACHAEL RAY'S GRILLED BEER CHICKEN WITH POTATO SLABS
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ Recipezaar)

12 ounces beer, room temperature (can or bottle)
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons salt, plus more
salt, for sprinkling
6 chicken drumsticks (about 1.5 pounds)
2 baking potatoes
olive oil, for drizzling
lime wedge, for serving

In a resealable plastic bag, combine the beer, butter, garlic, chili powder, brown sugar and salt.
Add the drumsticks, seal the bag and let marinate while you proceed.
Preheat a grill or grill pan to high.
Microwave the potatoes on high until slightly softened, about 5 minutes.
Slice the potatoes lengthwise about 1/4-inch thick.
Drizzle both sides generously with olive oil.
Transfer the chicken and potatoes to the grill.
Grill the drumsticks, brushing with the beer marinade and turning occasionally, until the skin is golden and crisp and the juices run clear, 20 to 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, grill the potatoes until grill marks appear, about 3 minutes on each side.
Transfer to a plate and sprinkle with salt.
Serve the chicken and potatoes with the lime wedges.

Comforting Smothered Chicken ****

(meltort)

3-4 boneless chicken breasts
2 tsp seasoning salt
1 tsp black pepper
2/3 c flour
½ c vegetable oil
1 small onion, sliced
2 c chicken broth, low sodium

Season flour with salt and pepper and mix well. Coat chicken completely with the seasoned flour. Heat oil in heavy skillet. Add chicken and brown on each side (about 4 minutes per side). Remove and set aside. Add sliced onions to the pan drippings and cook for 1 minute. Add remaining flour and continue to stir until onions and flour begin to brown. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil, stir until incorporated and return chicken to the gravy. Cover skillet, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes until gravy is thick and chicken is tender.