Monterey Ranch Baked Chicken

Have you ever seen those packages in the dairy section of the store that have shredded cheese on one side and seasoned bread crumbs on the other?  I had a couple coupons, so I tried them.  We really enjoyed the flavor the seasoning and cheese gave the chicken.  (And I may or may not have tried the cheddar jack & bacon on pork chops.  I had planned to use it on chicken, but how can you go wrong with pork on pork!?!)  They are pricey if you don't have a coupon, and I hated throwing away the unused portion.

 

A couple week's ago, I came across this recipe on Pinterest that used bread crumbs, seasoning and cheese.  What made me like it even more was it was homemade, less expensive, made-to-your-desired portion -- perfect!  Not to mention, my family devoured it!

 

 

Monterey Ranch Baked Chicken

 

1 cup dry bread crumbs

1 cup finely shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1 (1 oz) pkg ranch dressing mix

1/2 cup milk

6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Combine the bread crumbs, Monterey Jack cheese, and ranch dressing mix in a large bowl; set aside.

3. Pour the milk into another bowl, then dip the chicken breasts into the milk. Gently press the chicken into the bread crumb mixture. Arrange the chicken in a 9x13-inch baking dish.

4. Bake the chicken breasts in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, 40 to 45 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F.

 

Recipe source: Allrecipes.  Photo source: Bing -- This picture looked closest to the real thing since I didn't take a picture.

Creamy Garlic Pasta

I've never had this pasta from Olive Garden, but I've heard this recipe is just as delicious!  I believe it's served with Italian sausage, but we used it as a side dish with grilled pork chops (if I remember correctly).

 

My tips:  I used roasted garlic (that I make myself).  You can cut down the olive oil and just diffuse your butter with the roasted garlic.  (Did you know that adding oil to butter in a pan will help keep the butter from burning?)  And I add a little extra chicken broth to thin it out just before serving because it thickens up more than I prefer.  I've also learned you have to cover the pan while cooking the noodles because the broth doesn't cover the pasta well enough to cook thoroughly.  I might also add . . . it's not as good reheated.

 

One of my latest Pinterest finds . . . ENJOY!

 

Creamy Garlic Pasta

2 tsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp butter
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
3 cups chicken stock
½ lb spaghetti or angel hair pasta (I use angel hair)
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
¾ cup heavy cream (I use 2% milk or skim)
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (I used 1 Tsp dry parsley)

 

In a pot, bring the olive oil to medium-low heat. Add the garlic and stir, allowing it to cook for 1-2 minutes. Mix in the butter until melted. Add the salt, pepper and chicken stock. Raise the heat to high and let it come to a boil.

 

Once it is at a rolling boil, add the pasta and cook for as long as the box’s directions indicate. Reduce the stove to medium heat and mix in the parmesan until completely melted. Turn off the heat and stir in the cream and parsley. Serve immediately.

For a direct link to the recipe, click here.

Country-Style Pork BBQ Ribs

Sometimes I think I should have been born in the south.  Then I think I would be 300 pounds if I had been born in the south!  I love me some BBQ of any kind just the same!  I've tried many different rubs, BBQ sauces and methods of cooking never reaching that desired flavor and tenderness with a partially crunchy exterior -- until last week! 

It was a fluke honestly.  I had forgotten to think about dinner.  When I realized what my menu choices were, I was bummed because I usually cook my ribs in a crock pot for HOURS, and I only had a couple hours left until dinner.  I was going to attempt a new rub but nothing was jumping out at me.  I had found one online years ago that I liked but didn't print it out and cannot find it again (Food Network person that no longer has a show).  When I was younger, we used to visit family in Florida.  My uncle made a BBQ sauce out of a mixture of things.  I've used it occasionally on hamburgers and other things we've grilled.  I like the flavor, so thought I'd just use that since I was in a bind.  It turned out to be the most wonderful thing EVER!

Country-Style Pork BBQ Ribs

3/4 c Open Pit Original BBQ sauce
1/3 c ketchup
1/2 Tbsp garlic powder
Pinch of salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp sugar
1 1/2 pounds country-style pork ribs


1.  Preheat grill on high.  Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Mix first six ingredients in a bowl.  Generously baste ribs with BBQ mixture on all sides.  Grill ribs only to sear outside to desired amount.  Reapply BBQ mixture as you turn the ribs to grill other sides.  Do not grill ribs until completely cooked.  Should only take about 10 minutes.

2.  Remove ribs from grill.  Place them in a 9x13 pan and cover the pan with aluminum foil.  Poke a few small holes in the aluminum foil.  Continue cooking ribs in a 300 degree oven for 2 - 2 1/2 hours.

Country-style pork ribs have more meat on them the traditional ribs we think of.  Feel free to try this method with other ribs, chicken, pork roasts or tenderloins.  I'm pretty sure it will be yummy!  You could also substitute your favorite BBQ sauce in the recipe above.  (Note: The sugar helps attain that wonderful crusting on the ribs exterior.)  We ate these to-die-for potatoes along with our ribs.

Due to my camera's untimely death and my cell phone's poor picture quality, enjoy the picture above I found on Bing images.  Please try not to drool on your computer. =D

Pinapple Grilled Pork Chops

I'm tiring of making the same meals, so I picked something new to make this week.  We tend to revolve around the same type flavors, so I thought I would pick something a little outside the box.  It went well and suprisingly all but one person ate the pineapple!  My hubby and I agree we'd lower the amount of soy sauce (a little too salty for us).

Pineapple Grilled Pork Chops

1 (8 ounce) can pineapple rings, juice drained and reserved

1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
4 pork chops
1 pinch ground black pepper

1. Mix together the drained pineapple juice, brown sugar, soy sauce, and garlic powder together in a large plastic zipper bag, and smush the bag a few times with your hands to mix the marinade and dissolve the sugar. Place the pork chops into the marinade, squeeze out any air in the bag, seal it, and refrigerate overnight. Reserve the pineapple rings.


2. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat, and lightly oil the grate.

3. Remove the chops from the marinade, shaking off excess, and grill until browned, the meat is no longer pink inside, and the meat shows good grill marks, 5 to 8 minutes per side. Brush several times with marinade and let the marinade cook onto the surface of the meat. Discard excess marinade. While the meat is grilling, place 4 pineapple rings onto the grill, and allow to cook until hot and the slices show grill marks; serve the chops topped with the grilled pineapple rings.
 
Photo found online.  Recipe found at Allrecipes.com.

Pork Roast & Sauerkraut

(Couldn't find my picture easily, so I'll just post this and try to add it later.)

This is a simple, "feel-good" kind of meal. If you use a crock pot, it takes less than 10 minutes to throw everything together, and you can enjoy the smell of it cooking all day long. Although I will warn you, you may feel tortured by the time dinner rolls around. Even if you aren't a big fan (as my kids like to say) of sauerkraut, I'd challenge you to try this recipe. I'm the only one in my family that eats the actual sauerkraut, but they love the flavoring it gives the roast. The apple in the recipe cuts the tartness of the sauerkraut.


Pork Roast & Sauerkraut
Pork Roast
can or bag of sauerkraut
small onion, sliced
1/2 granny smith apple, peeled, cored and diced
1/2 tsp caraway seed
1/2 tsp minced garlic or a couple cloves fresh garlic

Pour 1/2 of the kraut into the bottom of the pan.
Sprinkle 1/2 of onion and apple over kraut.
Sprinkle with caraway seeds and minced garlic
Place roast in pan.
Pour remaining kraut over roast. Add onion, apple, caraway seeds and minced garlic on top.
I set the crock pot on low for at least 6 hours for a small 1 lb roast and 8 hours for 2 lb roast.

You could buy a big roast and use an appropriate amount of sauerkraut for one meal and use the remainder of the pork for BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches. If the pork is tender enough to pull apart, pull apart with a couple forks. Add BBQ sauce of your liking and reheat in a crock pot on high for a couple hours another day. If the pork isn't that tender, cook longer in the crock pot until tender. You can add some BBQ sauce to the remainder of the roast to start flavoring it, adding more once you pull it apart.


Cooking times will vary for different size roasts. I have always like to "over cook" my pork so it is fork-tender. For a quick guide to crock pot cooking times, click here. For a quick guide to roasting meats in the oven, click here.

Chicken-Lickin' Pork Chops

This recipe is from the new Gooseberry Patch Ready, Set, Eat! cookbook I bought at Jo-Anns with my 50% off coupon! (Those of you that were at the last meeting will understand where I got that idea.)

I'm not quite sure about the name, but these pork chops are really good. My favorite part -- it's a slow cooker recipe! I've been trying to find more crock pot recipes. I've also been making casseroles and freezing them ahead for hectic days (which seem to be fewer than far between).


Chicken-Lickin' Pork Chops

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp dry mustard
garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste
6 pork chops
1 to 2 Tbsp oil
10 3/4 oz can chicken & rice soup

Combine flour, mustard (I only added 1/2 tsp as I was afraind my non-mustard liking family may veto it from the get go), garlic powder, salt and pepper; dredge pork chops in mixture. Shake off excess flour and brown chops in oil, about 5 minutes per side. (I had ample flour mixture left over. I would guess that you could make double the chops with the measurements listed.) Arrange chops in a slow cooker; pour soup over chops. Cover and cook on low setting for about 6 hours, until tender. Serves 6.

*Next time I will add a cup or two of cooked rice to the crock pot before cooking. The amount of rice in the chicken & rice soup wasn't enough for a side dish.