Recipe Swap: Chicken with Mushrooms in Balsamic Cream Sauce

Another Blogger's Choice Recipe Swap and I was lucky enough to receive Katie's blog again. I make a lot of dishes from her blog; in fact, I ended up making two different recipes. The second will post soon but I wanted to talk about this Chicken with Mushrooms in Balsamic Cream Sauce for the swap.

When I chose this recipe I kept thinking I'd made something like it before. A quick search through my archives revealed that I did make something similar way back in 2007. That dish was served over orzo, which would be great here. I decided to do mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli since that's what Katie made, although I did add a few crushed garlic cloves to the potatoes for a mild garlic flavor.

I modified the recipe slightly, coating the chicken in seasoned flour, adding more chicken broth to increase the amount of sauce, swapping half and half for the heavy cream and leaving out the red pepper flakes since Baby Girl balks at spicy food. We all cleaned our plates.

Chicken with Mushrooms in Balsamic Cream Sauce
As seen on So Tasty So Yummy

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 small white onion, sliced
1 pound baby Bella Mushrooms, sliced
1 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
1/4 cup half and half

Slice each chicken breast in half lengthwise. Add salt, pepper and flour to a plastic food storage bag. Add chicken and toss to coat the chicken in the seasoned flour.

Add the olive oil and butter to a large sauté pan and heat over medium-high. Brown the chicken on both sides, remove to a plate. Reduce the heat to medium and add the onions and mushrooms; sauté until caramelized, about five minutes.

Deglaze the pan with the chicken broth and vinegar; add the red pepper flakes, if using. Stir in the half and half. Return the chicken to the pan, cover and cook until chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes.

Serve over rice or mashed potatoes.

Grasshopper Mint Brownie Bars

I love brownies, I love mint and I wanted to make something fun (and green) with Baby Girl for St. Patrick's Day, so I turned to this recipe for Grasshopper Mint Brownie Bars, which I had drooled over when I saw them in my Google Reader. I've been wanting to make something like this for awhile (the cream cheese layer and the frosting on top sounded utterly divine), so I was pleasantly surprised to see how easy it looked.

These are insanely good and insanely rich. Baby Girl and I had a ton of fun making them, especially the green cream cheese layer, and she was a big fan of the finished product. I thought I was going to end up in a sugar coma after eating one bar, but man was it good. Like dream about it the next day good.

In the interest of our waistlines I sent most of the bars to work with SP where I'm told they were a BIG hit. One of his coworkers was rendered speechless and another referred to them as the baking equivalent of crack cocaine. If that isn't a stellar review I don't know what is. I froze about 3 1/2 bars and I'm hoping the cream cheese layer survives the freeze because I can't wait to have another one of these in a few weeks.

Grasshopper Mint Brownie Bars
As Seen on Stick a Fork In It, originally from Pillsbury
Yields: 24 bars

1 family size brownie mix
1/2 cup butter, softened
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon mint extract
Green food coloring (optional)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup butter

Prepare the brownies according to the package instructions, then cool completely.

Meanwhile, beat the 1/2 cup butter and cream cheese together in a medium bowl until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar, mint extract and green food coloring, if using. Spread evenly over the cooled brownies.

Place the 1 cup chocolate chips and 1/3 cup butter in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for 30 seconds, stir, then microwave again for 10-15 seconds as needed until the chocolate is melted. Stir until smooth. Pour evenly over the filling, and gently spread to cover.

Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before cutting into bars. Store in the refrigerator.

Tex Mex Sloppy Joes

I love sandwiches for easy weeknight meals but I couldn't tell you the last time I had a Sloppy Joe. We didn't eat them growing up so they just aren't on my radar. But I had some ground beef in the freezer, a hankering for guacamole and I'd printed out Tara's recipe for Tex Mex Sloppy Joes awhile back so I decided to give them a try.

Since I'm not a beer drinker I cut the amount of beer down to 6oz from a full 12oz bottle, which was a good call because there was plenty of beer flavor with just those 6oz.

This is a messy but yummy sandwich. A lot of my filling spilled out of the bun with my first bite. Baby Girl's sandwich had a lot less filling so she managed to eat hers without too much trouble.

This was a momentous meal for two reasons, the first being Baby Girl finally likes tomatoes and has rediscovered her love of avocados/guacamole. Avocado was one of her first foods, mashed up and fed to her with a spoon, so when she started turning up her nose at it I was sad. I absolutely love avocados and eat them plain with some salt and lemon juice frequently. I offer her new things or things she's previously disliked every time I make it - my rule is she has to try something but if she doesn't like it she doesn't have to eat it. Tomatoes have been something I've offered countless times over the years and she will dutifully take a bite, spit it back out and say "no thank you, mommy." The night I made these sandwiches I was chopping grape tomatoes for the guacamole and offered her a piece. She chewed, swallowed, asked for more and proceeded to eat most of the tomatoes I'd just finished cutting. And then later, when I'd mixed up the guacamole, she asked for a chip so I told her she needed to try the guac as well. She did, asked for more, and later asked for more with dinner. It was a banner night, I'm telling you.

Tex Mex Sloppy Joes
As seen on Smells Like Home

1 (14.5 oz) can tomato sauce
1 chipotle chile en adobo
2 teaspoons oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
Pinch of cayenne
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/4 lbs ground chicken, turkey, or beef
1 teaspoon canola oil
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 oz beer, such as a light ale or lager
2 tablespoons ketchup
1/4 cup cilantro
1 tablespoon lime juice
Salt and black pepper to taste
4 warm hamburger buns
Guacamole
Chopped cilantro, diced onion, grated cheddar or Monterey jack

Add the tomato sauce, chipotle chile (or powder), oregano, ground cumin, smoked paprika, allspice, cayenne and Worcestershire sauce to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth.

Brown the ground meat in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally until browned, about 10 minutes. Drain off the fat. Warm the canola oil in the pan with the browned meat then add the onions and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Pour the tomato mixture into the skillet along with the beer, ketchup and cilantro. Stir until well combined.

Bring to a low simmer over medium heat then reduce the heat to medium-low heat and cook uncovered for 15 minutes or until the mixture thickens. Stir in the lime juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve on warm buns with guacamole and other add-ons, if desired.

Potato Pancakes

It isn't often that I see a picture of something and need to make it immediately but sometimes that craving packs a powerful punch. Melissa posted these Potato Pancakes recently and the photo alone made me start salivating. I just happened to have some leftover baked potato in the fridge from the Cheesy Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Potatoes so I whipped these up for lunch.

Holy yum is all I have to say. I used the flesh of maybe one potato to make two pancakes and with a little sour cream and applesauce these truly hit the spot. Melissa's version with grated potato and onion is more like the latkes my grandmother makes but mine were still nice and crispy, just softer inside.

Potato Pancakes
Slightly adapted from I Was Born to Cook, originally from Allrecipes
Makes two pancakes

1 baking potato, cooked and peeled
1/2 small onion, grated
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
salt and pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons flour
vegetable oil for frying
applesauce and sour cream, for serving

Mash the flesh of the potato with the grated onion in a bowl. Mix in the cornstarch, salt and pepper and flour.

Heat 1/4 inch of vegetable oil in a non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Divide potato mixture into two patties and add to the pan. Flatten with a spatula to make 1/2 inch thick pancakes. Fry until golden brown, turning once.

Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Serve with applesauce and sour cream.

Cheesy Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Potatoes

We love anything buffalo chicken and it had been awhile since I'd made anything with those flavors when Mary Ellen chose Ashley's recipe for Cheesy Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Potatoes for a recent recipe swap. A baked potato stuffed with creamy, cheesy buffalo chicken? Sold!

This was a meal that almost didn't happen. I had it on the meal plan for a Monday so Sunday morning I went into the freezer looking for chicken breasts only to discover we were out of chicken. Ooops. Monday I went to the grocery store to pick up a rotisserie chicken, got home and realized we were out of Frank's hot sauce. Nothing to do at that point but sub another dinner from later in the week and push these back. Not a big deal, really, but frustrating when I'd been practically salivating over these potatoes all day.

My baking potatoes were more medium-sized but I still managed to fill 4 of them and have leftover filling, so I froze it for another time. I'm glad my potatoes were on the small side - the filling is quite rich and I wasn't able to finish my potato.

To tie the theme together I made a quick salad of celery, shredded carrot, grape tomatoes, romaine and blue cheese crumbles with ranch dressing. It was the perfect accompaniment.

Cheesy Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Potatoes
As seen on Mary Ellen’s Cooking Creations, originally from Cheesecurd in Paradise

4 baking potatoes
2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
6 oz cream cheese
1/4 cup Frank's Red Hot
2 tablespoons ranch dressing
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup blue cheese crumbles
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Bake the potatoes or heat in the microwave until tender (mine took 25 minutes in 5 minute intervals since I was cooking four). When they are done, allow to cool slightly then cut off the top and gently scoop out the insides, saving the potato flesh for another time, to make a well for the filling.

Mix the shredded chicken, cream cheese, hot sauce, ranch dressing, mozzarella cheese and 1 tablespoon blue cheese.

Place the potatoes on a baking sheet lined with tin foil and spoon the chicken mixture into the potatoes. Top with the cheddar cheese and the remaining blue cheese crumbles.

Bake for about 20 minutes to melt the cheese.

GIVEAWAY: Land O Lakes® "Kitchen Simplifiers" (CLOSED)

This giveaway is now closed. The winner is Wendy. Please check your email to claim your prize.

It's time for a giveaway! Recently I was contacted by Land O Lakes® to sample their Butter with Canola Oil, which is made with only three ingredients: sweet cream, canola oil and salt and is spreadable straight from the fridge (which comes in handy when you're making grilled cheese).

I've used the butter on toast, for grilled cheese and in baking and I really appreciate knowing there are no artificial ingredients.

Land O Lakes® has offered one lucky reader the “Kitchen Simplifiers” Kit. This kit includes multi-purpose spreaders, an over-the-sink cutting board with colander, and multi-tier oven rack. This giveaway will run until Friday, March 22 at 12:00am. Winner will be announced by 11:00am on March 22.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Disclosure: I received a product sample for Land O Lakes® Butter with Canola Oil for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

Broccoli Pesto Pasta

As soon as I saw Annie's recipe for Broccoli Pesto Pasta in Google Reader I knew I needed to make it ASAP. Broccoli is one of our favorite veggies and I loved the idea of pureeing it into a sauce rather than leaving it whole. I don't know about you but I get into a rut with veggies and how I prepare them so this was a refreshing twist.

Like almost every working parent I love easy weeknight meals and this fits the bill. Prepping the broccoli probably took the most amount of time and even though the ingredient list is short this packs a great flavor punch between the onion, garlic and red pepper flakes. Baby Girl kept sneaking pieces of the blanched broccoli before I added it to the sauce. Proud mama moment right there.

Like Annie's kids, Baby Girl gobbled up her serving and asked for more. I cut down on the red pepper flakes because I didn't want it to be too spicy and 1/4 teaspoon was plenty for our tastes. SP wasn't sure how he felt about the pureed broccoli sauce so I think next time I might keep a few pieces of broccoli aside to toss in at the end to appease him.

I wanted to give a quick shout-out to the end of daylight savings time. I was able to photograph dinner outside for the first time in months. Cue happy dance.

Broccoli Pesto Pasta
As seen on Annie’s Eats

1 lb. broccoli crowns
1 lb. pasta
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup half-and-half
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Grated Parmesan, for serving

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Meanwhile, chop the broccoli crowns into florets. Use a vegetable peeler to remove the tough outer skins of the broccoli stems, and chop the stems into ½-inch discs. When the water is boiling, add the broccoli to the water to boil briefly just until fork-tender, about 3-4 minutes. Remove to a bowl, leaving the water in the pot. (Use a skimmer or strainer to remove the broccoli if you boiled it.)

Maintain the water at a boil. Add the pasta to the pot and cook according to the package directions until al dente. Reserve 1½ cups of the pasta water and then drain the pasta well. Set aside.

Return the pot to the heat. Add the butter and olive oil to the pot over medium-high heat, heating until the butter is melted. Add the onion to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, red pepper flakes and salt and cook 1-2 minutes more. Return the cooked broccoli to the pan and cook 1-2 minutes more to heat through. Season with pepper to taste.

Transfer the broccoli mixture to a food processor or blender. Pulse in short bursts, scraping down the sides as needed, until the mixture is finely chopped. Add in the cream and process until smooth. If needed, add the reserved pasta water a little bit at a time just until the sauce is smooth and creamy. (Don’t overdo it – you don’t want a watery sauce!) Season with freshly ground pepper to taste. In a large bowl (or in the pot), toss the pasta with the sauce. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan.