Most of us have been self-distancing and sheltering in place (with the exception of going to essential jobs or grocery shopping) for the last 3 weeks. Yes... 3 weeks... or maybe longer for some people... and there's currently no end in sight. Coronavirus has turned our lives upside down. A lot of us are not used to spending so much time in our homes. There are mouths to feed and endless messes... and dishes (and work and crisis schooling and all.the.things). So... much... cooking... (and cleaning...)... and sometimes a bit of a challenge due to lack of items at the grocery store... although improving. Thankfully, some restaurants are still serving drive-thru and pick-up, but most of our meals are being eaten at home. Like us, you might be finding yourself out of meal ideas, so this week I thought I would share a few of our easy favorites with you!
Chicken Pot Pie
Ingredients - 6 TBS butter, a shredded rotisserie chicken, 1 C diced onion, 1 cup sliced carrots, 1/2 C sliced celery, 1 garlic clove mined, 1/2 tsp dried thyme, 1/3 C flour, 1 1/2 C chicken stock, 3/4 C half and half, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1 C frozen peas, 1 pkg of 2 pie pie crusts brought to room temperature, 1 egg.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Shred the chicken. In a skillet with 6 TBS butter, saute the onions, carrots, celery, garlic and thyme until tender. Add the chicken. Stir in the flour until no lumps remain. Add the chicken stock, then the half and half and bring to a boil. Then lower the heat and simmer, stirring frequently until the filling has thickened. Season with salt and pepper and add the peas. Lay 1 pie crust into pie pan and pour the filling in. Then lay the 2nd crust over the top, cutting a few slats inside the crust. Beat the egg in a bowl and brush some of it over the top of the pie. Bake for 30 minutes then serve.
Easy Taco Soup
Ingredients - 1lb of ground meat, 1 pkg of taco seasoning, 1 pkg of ranch dressing seasoning, 2 cans of mild diced tomatoes with green chiles, 3 cans of drained and rinsed beans (black, pinto, kidney), 1 can of drained corn or hominy, toppings for soup including cheese, sour cream, tortilla chips, avocado etc.
In a large soup pot, brown the meat and drain if needed. Add the cans and seasoning packets and simmer. Serve with the fixings.
Easy Chicken and Dumplings
Ingredients - 1 shredded rotisserie chicken, 6 TBS butter, 1 C chopped onion, 1 C matchstick carrots, 1 C diced celery, 4 cloves minced garlic, 3 TBS flour, 1 12 oz can of evaporated milk (or a little heavy cream), 32 oz chicken stock, 1 tsp dried thyme, 1 tsp pepper, 2 tsp salt, 1 can of standard size biscuits.
In a large pot, melt the butter and add onion, carrots, and celery. Cook for 5 minutes, then add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add flour and stir for 1 minute. Add evaporated milk and chicken stock and stir. Bring to a boil and add the chicken, thyme, black pepper and salt. Turn down to simmer. Open the biscuits and pinch off small pieces (dumplings) and add to the soup. Place the lid on your pot and let the soup simmer for about 15 minutes, gently stirring as needed. Then serve.
Skillet fried sausage, potatoes, and sautéed cabbage
Ingredients - Sliced smoked sausage, sliced little potatoes, 1 large diced onion, 6 slices of bacon diced up, 1 head of cabbage chopped, salt, pepper, garlic salt, olive oil.
In one large skillet start frying up the bacon, add the onions, and eventually add the cabbage and saute until cooked, add salt, pepper and garlic salt. In a second skillet, heat some olive oil and add the sliced potatoes and cook until almost done and then add the sliced smoked sausage and continue cooking until completely heated through. Add a little salt and pepper. Then serve.
Ingredients - 6 TBS butter, a shredded rotisserie chicken, 1 C diced onion, 1 cup sliced carrots, 1/2 C sliced celery, 1 garlic clove mined, 1/2 tsp dried thyme, 1/3 C flour, 1 1/2 C chicken stock, 3/4 C half and half, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1 C frozen peas, 1 pkg of 2 pie pie crusts brought to room temperature, 1 egg.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Shred the chicken. In a skillet with 6 TBS butter, saute the onions, carrots, celery, garlic and thyme until tender. Add the chicken. Stir in the flour until no lumps remain. Add the chicken stock, then the half and half and bring to a boil. Then lower the heat and simmer, stirring frequently until the filling has thickened. Season with salt and pepper and add the peas. Lay 1 pie crust into pie pan and pour the filling in. Then lay the 2nd crust over the top, cutting a few slats inside the crust. Beat the egg in a bowl and brush some of it over the top of the pie. Bake for 30 minutes then serve.
Easy Taco Soup
Ingredients - 1lb of ground meat, 1 pkg of taco seasoning, 1 pkg of ranch dressing seasoning, 2 cans of mild diced tomatoes with green chiles, 3 cans of drained and rinsed beans (black, pinto, kidney), 1 can of drained corn or hominy, toppings for soup including cheese, sour cream, tortilla chips, avocado etc.
In a large soup pot, brown the meat and drain if needed. Add the cans and seasoning packets and simmer. Serve with the fixings.
Ingredients - 1 shredded rotisserie chicken, 6 TBS butter, 1 C chopped onion, 1 C matchstick carrots, 1 C diced celery, 4 cloves minced garlic, 3 TBS flour, 1 12 oz can of evaporated milk (or a little heavy cream), 32 oz chicken stock, 1 tsp dried thyme, 1 tsp pepper, 2 tsp salt, 1 can of standard size biscuits.
In a large pot, melt the butter and add onion, carrots, and celery. Cook for 5 minutes, then add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add flour and stir for 1 minute. Add evaporated milk and chicken stock and stir. Bring to a boil and add the chicken, thyme, black pepper and salt. Turn down to simmer. Open the biscuits and pinch off small pieces (dumplings) and add to the soup. Place the lid on your pot and let the soup simmer for about 15 minutes, gently stirring as needed. Then serve.
Ingredients - Sliced smoked sausage, sliced little potatoes, 1 large diced onion, 6 slices of bacon diced up, 1 head of cabbage chopped, salt, pepper, garlic salt, olive oil.
In one large skillet start frying up the bacon, add the onions, and eventually add the cabbage and saute until cooked, add salt, pepper and garlic salt. In a second skillet, heat some olive oil and add the sliced potatoes and cook until almost done and then add the sliced smoked sausage and continue cooking until completely heated through. Add a little salt and pepper. Then serve.
And when all else fails, make a meat and cheese picnic tray with crackers and dip and all the yummy things... my favorite way to eat! And it pairs nicely with a glass of red wine... something that definitely helps during this crazy season, right?!
And you can always support your favorite small local businesses by ordering some take-out every week! Hmmm.... pizza! Also goes nicely with a glass of red wine....
As we continue to spend lots of time in our homes, use this time to teach your kids how to cook (and clean!), enjoy family time around the table, try new recipes, and keep choosing joy!
Stay well friends. Fill your cup (with red wine) so you can spill out to others ~ Allison
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