These were the prefect addition to Our Holiday meal.  My husband loves brussels and these were perfect - made on a sheet pan and roasted.  Oh so tasty - this recipe my husband found adapted from Simple Truth.  Enjoy! Diane 

Ingredients: 
  1 1/2 pounds Fresh Brussel sprouts: cleaned, bottom trimmed off and cut in half. 
  3 Anjou pears, cubed
  1 package of bacon: cooked, diced and 2 Tbs bacon grease reserved for baking.
  1/3 Cup Pecan Halves 
  1/4 Cup Maple Syrup
  Salt & Pepper to taste 

Directions: 
Preheat oven to 375F 

• Cook your bacon by your preferred method (my method click here).  Set bacon aside but, make sure to keep at least 2 Tablespoons of the bacon grease. 
•  Add cut Sprouts to a bowl, add in the 2 Tablespoons of bacon grease and toss.
•  Sprinkle in salt & pepper and mix well.
•  Place Sprouts on a parchment or non-stick foil lined baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes (or until tender.)   
•   Pull the sheet pan out and add in pears and pecans as well as the diced cooked bacon.
•  Drizzle the maple syrup over everything and place back in the oven to Bake for an additional 10 minutes. 
• Serve Warm. 

  

     My husband calls me the "Queen of Casseroles"
     I love making traditional dishes into casseroles.  Granted, there are some ingredients that need to be sauteed to get a good depth of flavor (such as the onion in this dish.)   Try this dish and let me know what you think.  Enjoy! Diane 

Chicken & Broccoli "Non Stir Fry" 

Ingredients: 
Two chicken breasts - diced into 1" pieces
16 oz bag Frozen Broccoli Florets, cooked according to package
1 medium onion, diced
1 small can diced water chestnuts, drained  
Sauce:
1 TBS garlic, minced
1 TBS Low Sodium Soy sauce
4 TBS Hoisin Sauce
1 TBS Rice Wine Vinegar
Dash toasted sesame oil
1 tsp red hot chili oil
1/2 can Cream of Chicken soup

Salt & Pepper 
Prepared Rice to serve with Dish

Directions: 
Preheat Oven to 355F

• Sauté onion on stovetop, cook broccoli according to package, make your side of rice.
• Lightly oil a 9x13 casserole dish.
  
• Into 9x13 Add:  Chicken, Water chestnut, Sauteed onion, broccoli and sauce.
  
• Mix together thoroughly.  Lightly Salt & Pepper. 
• Bake 35 mins then stir, cook final 5 more minutes.
• Serve over rice.

     I love one pot meals!  This meal resembles a "spruced up" Hamburger Helper.  You can swap out the ground beef for ground turkey or ground chicken.  I've also used a rotisserie chicken.  We prefer cellentani pasta (corkscrew type.)  I usually serve this dish with a nice side salad and fresh green beans.  Enjoy! Diane 

Creamy Tomato Beef Pasta 
​
Ingredients

1 Tablespoons butter 
1 teaspoon olive oil 
2 minced garlic cloves 
1 diced onion
1 Pound ground beef 
1 Tablespoon dried Italian herbs 
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
14 oz can petite diced tomatoes 
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, optional
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 cups chicken broth 
12oz dried pasta: cellentani, penne, bow tie, rotini or elbow macaroni
3/4 cup heavy cream

Topping before Serving: 
Grated Parmesan Cheese 

Directions

1. Heat the butter and oil on medium high heat in a large pot. Cook the onion for 5 minutes, add in the garlic the last minute.
2. Add in the ground beef and cook until you can no longer see pink in the meat. Add the Italian herbs and cook for 30 seconds, then add tomato paste.
3. Add in the diced tomato, chicken broth, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.  Stir, then add the pasta.
4. Bring the liquid to a boil, then lower slightly - place a lid on the pot and cook for 15 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes then more frequently towards the end to ensure pasta doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot.
5. Add cream, then simmer for the final 1 to 2 minutes. 
6. Serve with grated parmesan.

   Yep!  I am that odd person that would make my cooking life purely casseroles if I could!  One dish bakes that render the same flavors of stove top and stir fry versions.  Sure, there are times when the traditional way of making a recipe is best.  I have been working on turning my Cashew Chicken recipe into a "Casserole."
​I think I finally perfected it.  It passed the "husband test."    Enjoy! Diane 

Diane's Cashew Chicken Casserole

Ingredients:
 2 Cups chicken breasts cut into 1-to-2-inch pieces
 1 sweet red, orange or yellow bell pepper; cored, seeded, cut into 1-inch pieces
 1 small zucchini, cut into small rounds or quarter rounds
 1 small can of diced or sliced water chestnuts
 1 small onion, diced
 1 Cup cashews unsalted, slightly crushed
 1 Tablespoon sesame oil
 4 Tablespoons soy sauce*
 4 Tablespoons hoisin sauce
 2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
 1 tsp minced garlic
 1/2 tsp red chili oil
 2 Tablespoons light brown sugar
 salt & ground black pepper
1 teaspoon of butter, for sautéing 
1 Tablespoon cornstarch

Directions:

• Lightly oil a 9x13 casserole dish, set aside. 
• In a small sauté pan, sauté the diced onion and sweet pepper over medium heat in butter for about 8 minutes. 
• While the onion and bell pepper mixture is cooking, add the chicken, zucchini, water chestnuts and cashews to the prepared casserole dish.   
• Add all the remaining ingredients to the casserole dish, except for the cornstarch. 
• Stir the sweet bell pepper and onion into the casserole dish. 
• lightly salt & pepper.
• Mix all ingredients until well combined.  
• Bake at 375F for 30 minutes. 
• Remove dish from over and sprinkle over the cornstarch, mix in well and place casserole dish back in oven for a remaining 5 minutes. 
• Serve over cooked rice or noodles.

*Recipe Note: you can use low sodium soy sauce

     Love the taste of homemade whipped cream on desserts?  Want to keep your whipped cream from deflating?  Make Stabilized Whipped Cream (there are many ways to make it - this is my preferred method)
It will last well in the fridge for 3+ days.

Stabilized Whipped Cream
Ingredients:
  2 Cups Heavy Whipping Cream
  1/4 C Powdered Sugar
  1/4 C Vanilla Instant Pudding Powder
             (Instant NOT cook type)

Directions:
Beat on HIGH until thickened to soft peaks
((Start with a COLD bowl and milk!))
Can last 3 days in fridge.
Try different pudding flavors too!
Add up to 2 more Tbs powdered sugar for more sweetness