Tropical Chicken Salad Sandwiches

I think these are the kind of things that taste better than they look. I wasn't sure about them at first, but the mix is really yummy! The original recipe calls for a couple things I didn't add (shredded coconut and nuts), but I don't love either. It also says to put the mix on croissants, but I went for a healthier whole-wheat pita option. I think it was great that way! I was able to make 8 pita halves with some mix leftover (I probably could have done 10, but I ran out of pitas). This is easy, peasy, too!

Ingredients:

1 large can chicken (drained)

1 large can mandarin oranges (drained)

1/2 cup crushed pineapple

1/4 cup shredded coconut (optional)

1/2 cup nuts (optional)

1 T. milk

1/2 cup mayo (I used lite and it worked great)

1/2 tea. garlic salt

1/2 tea. sugar

Directions:

1. Put all ingredients in a bowl.

2. Mix well.

3. Serve on croissants (or in pita pockets!).

4. Or, save in the refrigerator until ready to put into sandwiches.

Crisp-and-Creamy Baked Chicken

So so yummy. Break out the Shake'N'Bake!

3-4 small boneless skinless chicken breasts

1/2-1 pouch Shake'N'Bake Extra Crispy

2 cups instant white rice, uncooked

1/2-1 can condensed cream of celery soup

1/4 cup milk

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

-

PREHEAT over to 400 degrees. Coat chicken with coating mix as directed on package; place in greased 9X9 baking dish.

BAKE 20 min or until chicken is cooked through. Meanwhile, cook rice as directed on package.

BEAT soup and milk with wire whisk until well blended. Pour evenly over chicken; sprinkle with cheese. Bake an additional 5 min. Serve with rice.

Makes 4 servings.

Calfornia Grilled Veggie Sandwich

I'm always on the lookout for good vegetarian recipes. This one is great. I've made it a couple of times now - including for my sister and my dinner co-op - and it has been thoroughly enjoyed every time!

I think the sauce really makes this sandwich what it is. The bread helps, too. This recipe is slightly adapted from a highly-rated one I got on All Recipes. The original calls for foccacia bread which I've tried and is good. I prefer (homemade) ciabatta because the flavor of the sauce and veggies really comes out that way. You can also swap veggies (add mushroom or eggplant) and cheeses (feta, provolone, Parmesan...) to suit your desires.

Ingredients:
Sauce -
1/4 cup light mayonnaise
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Sandwich -
1 T. olive oil
1 red bell peppers, sliced
2 small zucchini, sliced
1 red onion, sliced
1 small yellow squash, sliced
Good bread (foccacia, ciabatta, etc...)
Your choice of cheese (optional; I've used Parmesan and Provolone)

Directions:
1. In a bowl mix sauce ingredients (mayo, garlic, lemon juice); refrigerate until ready to use.
2. Preheat grill or broiler.
3. In a separate bowl, toss veggies with olive oil until all are coated.
4. Grill or broil, turning as necessary and watching carefully until veggies are done to your likely.
5. Assemble sandwich: put sauce on bread, top with veggies, add cheese (if desired).
6. Enjoy the vegetarian goodness!

Baked Oatmeal

Breakthrough! My 2-year-old ate oatmeal today! Granted, it wasn't the healthiest version of oatmeal, but he got eggs, heart-healthy oatmeal, and calories. It took some time to get him to try it, but he enjoyed it once he did! My husband also gave it rave reviews and he just took a little portion with him on the way to school. Give it a shot for a little variety in your morning breakfast! PS: I got the recipe from the My Kitchen Cafe website.

Ingredients:

6 cups oatmeal (you can use quick or rolled)

2 cups brown sugar

2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 cup oil

2 cups milk

4 beaten eggs

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mix dry ingredients in large bowl.

3. Add wet ingredients and stir.

4. Pour mixture into a greased 9x13 pan.

5. Bake 20-25 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean.

6. Let sit 5 to 10 minutes to cool before cutting.

7. Serve with milk in a bowl, if desired.

Notes: I halved mine and put it in an 8x8. Mine also took about 15 minutes longer to get done in the middle, but my oven is crap. If you don't wait for it to cool a bit, it will come out in pieces, which is fine if you want to eat it like regular oatmeal in a bowl with milk. It's yummy either way!