Jalapeño Kettle Chip Crusted Chicken

Recipe from: My Life as a Mrs.

ingredients:

For the Jalapeno Ranch Dipping Sauce:

1/4 cup mayo

1/4 cup lowfat sour cream

1/4 cup (plus 2 tablespoons) lowfat buttermilk

1 tablespoon Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing (the powder)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

dash of cayenne

5-6 hot pickles jalapeno slices, finely chopped

For the Chicken:

4 chicken breasts (about 1 3/4 - 2 pounds total)

1 bag Jalapeno Kettle Chips, crushed

1 cup low fat buttermilk (I used Ranch dressing)

1 teaspoon salt

dash cayenne

directions:

For the Jalapeno Ranch Dipping Sauce:

Mix ingredients together (adding additional buttermilk until desired consistency). Refrigerate until ready to use.

For the Chicken:

Preheat oven to 375º. Place an oven safe cooling rack in a large jelly roll pan and spray with non-cooking spray. In a bowl, whisk together buttermilk, salt, and cayenne. Pound out chicken breasts to roughly 1/2" thickness and add to buttermilk mixture (toss to coat well).

Place crushed Kettle chips in a shallow baking dish. Pull one piece of chicken at a time out of the buttermilk and gently shake to remove some of the excess. Dip into the chips and coat thoroughly on both sides. Place on prepared baking sheet. Repeat until all chicken breast are thoroughly coated.

Place into oven and bake for 25-35 minutes, until cooked through (cooking times vary based on chicken thickness and actual oven temperature). Serve hot with jalapeno ranch dipping sauce.

**This was super yummy and a little spicy.  The crispiness was a nice addition! 

Book It

If you're a college student or you know someone who is, this post is just for YOU! I wanted to let you know about an awesome website that will save you a ton on next semester's books.  I sure wish this had been around when I was in school.

It's called... 

Here's how it works:

• You can save 40-90% off of campus bookstore prices - for example, if you wanted to rent the Living Ethics by Michael Minch, Christine Weigel textbook, the campus retail price is $118.95, but with Campus Books, it can be your's for $16.87. 

You just saved yourself 86% on one book!

• There's also free shipping (both ways)

• You can highlight in the book! big perk!

• They have flexible renting periods

• With each textbook rented, a donation is made to Operation Smile love it!

 I love this not only because you save money, but because you're not stuck with those old textbooks that the school won't buy back.  Yes, I even still have some of mine from college.  

If you or someone you know is a college student, tell them about Campus Book Rentals ASAP!

Pesto Cheese Bread

Rather than just have the same ole cheese toast with dinner, I decided to experiment with a healthier version of your regular pesto cheese bread.

 

My version of pesto cheese bread:

Ingredients:

1 Ororwheat Sandwich Thin

1/2 tbsp. pesto sauce (per 1/4)

slice of tomato 

sprinkle of cheddar and swiss cheese

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 400.

2.  Slice bread.

3.  Spread pesto.

4.  Top with tomato and cheese. 

5.  Bake 10 minutes or until brown 

Sweeter Green Beans

Want to give your green beans a little more flavor?

Just add 2 tbsp. of brown sugar per can of green beans!  

Just cook the green beans as stated on the can and you've got a delicious side. It's really that easy and yummy! 

Spinach Lasagna Roll Ups

Recipe from:  The Daily Dish

Ingredients:

- 10 lasagna noodles, cooked

- 10 oz of frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry with a paper towel

- 1 (15 oz) container of part skim ricotta (I used the Sorrento brand)

- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

- 1 egg

- Salt & pepper to taste

- 1 (32 oz) jar of tomato sauce, for topping

- 10 tbsp of part skim shredded Mozzarella, for topping

-1 lb. spicy Italian sausage 

Method: 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Cook lasagna noodles and brown sausage

3. Take a 9 x 13 baking dish and place 1 cup of tomato sauce at the bottom. Spread the sauce around evenly.  

4. In a large mixing bowl, combine the spinach, ricotta, Parmesan cheese, egg, salt, and pepper all together. 

5. Lay a piece of wax paper out on the counter and lay out the cooked lasagna noodles (making sure they are dry).  

6. Take 2 tbsp of the ricotta mixture and spread evenly across the noodle. 

7. Starting from one side, roll the noodle carefully and place the seam side down onto the baking dish.

8. Repeat this process with the remaining noodles. 

9. Place about 1/4 of a cup of sauce over each noodle in the baking dish (or until the top of the noodle is covered in sauce). 

10. Then also top each roll up with 1 tbsp of the shredded mozzarella. 

11. Cover the baking dish with tin foil and bake for 40 minutes (or until the cheese melts). 

**We loved this recipe.  It was so yummy!  Fred even requested that it be put "in the rotation".  I served it with salad and bread. 

Italian Pork Chops

Ingredients:

Boneless pork chops

1 family sized can of Campbell's tomato soup

1 can diced tomatoes (drained)

1 tbsp. oregano
1/2 tbsp. Italian seasoning (can omit)

1 garlic clove

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Place all ingredients into a slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours. 

*I even put my pork chops in frozen and they were still ready. We also like to use some of the remaining sauce on our pork chops and rice.  Yummy!!

The Columbia’s Original “1905” Salad

Recipe from:  Columbia Restaurant

Ingredients:

4 cups iceberg lettuce, broken into 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" pieces

1 ripe tomato, cut into eighths

1/2 cup baked ham, julienned 2" × ⅛" (may substitute turkey or shrimp)

1/2 cup Swiss cheese, julienne 2" × ⅛"

1/2 cup pimiento-stuffed green Spanish olives

2 cups “1905” Dressing (see recipe below)

1/2 cup Romano cheese, grated

2 tablespoons Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce®

1 lemon

Preparation:

Combine lettuce, tomato, ham, Swiss cheese, and olives in a large salad bowl. Before serving, add “1905” Dressing, Romano cheese, Worcestershire, and the juice of 1 lemon. Toss well and serve immediately. Makes 2 full salads or 4 side salads.

“1905” Dressing Ingredients:

1/2 cup extra-virgin Spanish olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons dried oregano

⅛ cup white wine vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Salad Dressing Preparation:

Mix olive oil, garlic, and oregano in a bowl with a wire whisk. Stir in vinegar, gradually beating to form an emulsion, and then season with salt and pepper. For best results, prepare 1 to 2 days in advance and refrigerate.

**AMAZING!  This salad comes from my favorite restaurant in the Tampa Bay area.  It tasted just like it does in the restaurant.  I am so happy that now I can have it whenever I want it.