Turkey Burgers "Ciao Down Burgers"

1 Egg
1 1lb ground turkey breast
2 crushed cloves garlic
1/3 cup drained diced & green chili tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon salt & pepper to taste
*Optional 1/2 cup parmesan cheese (tends to hold the burgers together better)

*In large bowl whisk egg and add everything else, mixing with hands until well blended. Form into 8 patties. Or 4 very thick patties

*Place patties on a grill pan or nonstick skillet that's heated over medium - high

Serve as a hamburger.

Yogurt Parmesan Baked Chicken

Combine and set aside:
2 cups Ritz crackers
3 Tablespoons parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons garlic salt
1 teaspoons seasoned salt

4 chicken breasts
Plain Yogurt
1/4 cup melted butter

Cut chicken in half, lengthwise. Cover each piece with yogurt and coat in crumb mixture. Arrange in greased 9x13-inch dish. Drizzle with the melted butter. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Coconut Shrimp & Pina Colada Dipping Sauce

24 medium shrimp (peeled & deveined)

2 large eggs - beaten

1 cup flour

1/2 cup shredded coconut

Pour shrimp into large bowl, beaten eggs in small bowl, flour into small bowl and coconut into small bowl. Take shrimp and dip into flour, egg, flour and then coconut. (I skipped dipping it into the flour the second time because the coconut didn't stick that well. But when I put them on the pan I sprinkled coconut all over them again.) Place shrimp on a nonstick pan.

Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden.

Pina Colada Dipping Sauce

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup pina colada nonalcoholic drink mix

1/4 cup crushed pineapple (canned)

2 Tablespoons granulated sugar

Mix all of the ingredients together and enjoy with the shrimp!

Mock Lasagna and Peasant Bread

Oh boy, this is such a yummy combination. It's also taken first place in the "Jake's favorite food" category. It takes a little more prep time, but is SO worth it. It's sure to please if you are having guests over. Be warned, your family will want seconds, and maybe even thirds.

MOCK LASAGNA

1 (8 oz.) package of cream cheese
1/4 cup sour cream
1 cup cottage cheese
1-1 1/2 lb. ground beef, browned with chopped onion
1/2 lb. lasagna noodles
1 Jar of Prego/Ragu spaghetti sauce
(add another 8 oz. can of tomato sauce if you like your lasagna with more sauce to dip bread in)
Mozzarella cheese
Parmesan cheese

Combine cream cheese, sour cream, and cottage cheese in mixing bowl. Boil lasagna noodles according to directions on package. Mix ground beef with tomato sauce. Layer half of noodles in a 9X13 inch baking pan. Top with all of cheese mixture. Top the cheese layer with the remaining half of the noodles. Top with meat/sauce mixture. Refrigerate for at least an hour, then bake at 375 for 45 minutes. Top with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese during the last 5 minutes of bake time.
Serving suggestion:
May add parsley or spinach to cheese mixture

PEASANT BREAD

1 pkg. dry yeast
2 C. warm water
1 T. sugar
2 tsp. salt
4 C. flour
Oil (1-2 T.)
Corn meal
Melted butter

Place yeast, water, sugar and salt in bowl and stir until dissolved. Add flour and stir until blended. Do not knead. Cover and let rise one hour or until doubled in size. Flour hands, remove dough from bowl and place in 2 rounds on an oiled cookie sheet sprinkled with corn meal. Let rise an additional hour. Brush the top with melted butter and bake at 425 for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375 and bake an additional 15 minutes. Remove from oven and brush again with butter. Serve warm!


*If you are making these together and have only one oven like I do, bake the lasagna first (without adding the cheese topping). Let it sit in your microwave to keep it warm while you bake the bread. Then put the lasagna back in (with the mozzarella and parmesan cheese topping) on the top rack of the oven for the last 5 minutes of the bread baking time.

Sausage and Peppers

2 Pkgs of Turkey Kielbasa
1 Red Pepper
1 Yellow Pepper
1 Green Pepper
1/4 - 1/2 Onion
Olive Oil
1 pkg of bow tie noodles
Parmesan cheese

Cut up turkey in 1/2 inch thick pieces. Combine sausage and olive oil (I don't know measurements on olive oil I just guess) and saute till brown.

Slice up peppers and onions. Add peppers, onions and a bit more olive oil. Put lid on pan, and cook till veggies are steamed and caramelized.

Serve over bowtie noodles and top with parmesan cheese.

This is something that makes great left overs!!! Sorry don't really know measurements. Just wing it like I do...works every time!

Crock Pot Italian Chicken

Ingredients:

• chicken
• bottle of italian salad dressing
• dash of red pepper
• dash of crushed garlic

Directions:
Combine all the ingredients in the crock pot and cook on low for 4-5 hours.  Shred and serve.

I usually make burritos with the chicken but you could serve over rice or even make a chicken salad!

Panko Chicken

This recipe isn't the fastest but whenever I have a little bit more time this one is really good!
Ingredients:

Chicken
skinless chicken
panko breadcrumbs
2-3 eggs
Flour
Oil

Sweet & Sour Sauce
Pineapple Apricot preserves
Ketchup
Soy Sauce
Worchester Sauce

Directions:
Heat Oil on Med/Low in skillet on stove
Take the chicken and cut into strips. Pound chicken to be thin and even in thickness.
Coat chicken in flour. Then dip into eggs. Then dip into panko breading.
Fry chicken in oil

To make the dipping sauce:
(As with most of my recipes I have no idea what the measurements are I guess and do a lot of taste tests. Sorry but you will have to make sauce with no measurements.)

 Mix pineapple apricot preserves, soy sauce (just a little), Worchester sauce (just a little) and ketchup together until desired flavor.

I serve the chicken and dipping sauce with rice and broccoli.

Taco Soup

1 lb. hamburger
1 chopped onion (brown with hamburger)
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 can beef broth
2 cans cream of potato soup
2 cans kidney or chili beans, drained
1 large or 2 small cans tomato sauce
1 pkg. taco seasoning mix
1 1/2 cup chopped celery
1 1/2 cup chopped carrots

Cook all day on low in a crock pot or until vegetables are tender. Serve with grated cheese, tortilla chips, and sour cream.
Makes a lot. Really good the next couple of days as left overs, too.

Creamy Chicken - Crock Pot style

1 pkg dry Italian Salad Dressing mix
1/4 cup of water
3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 8oz pkg soften cream cheese
1 can of Cream of Chicken soup
1 can of sliced mushrooms

Combine chicken breasts, water, and Italian salad dressing mix in the crock pot. Set at low temp and cook for 4 hours.

On the 5th hour add cream cheese, soup, and mushrooms. Mix well. (sometimes I melt the soup and cream cheese in small sauce pan till creamy, than add to crock pot). Cook for an hour on high.

Serve over rice or bowtie noodles.

Russian Chicken

Ingredients:

• 1 package lipton onion soup mix
• 1 bottle Russian salad dressing
• 1 jar pineapple apricot preserves
• Boneless/Skinless Chicken

Directions:

1. Mix salad dressing, preserves, and soup mix together
2. Pour over chicken
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes

* I serve over rice