Extremely Easy Chicken Rolls

My sister-in-law gave me this recipe ages ago. It's been a consistent staple in the Catenzaro home. I hereby deem worthy of a post. :)

Ingredients:
1 8 oz pkg of cream cheese
1/4 T. butter
1 can chicken (or the 'real' stuff...)
1 can croissant rolls (at least 6 in a can)
1/4 t. black pepper

Instructions:
In a medium size bowl mix cream cheese and butter together (may have to soften in microwave). Add chicken and pepper). Mix well.

Open croissant rolls. Stretch or spread each croissant roll with your fingers to make them each a little larger (I just do it directly on the cookie sheet I'm going to cook them on). Spoon cream cheese mixture into each roll. Fold up and pinch to close.

Cook for about 15 min (read the back of the roll can) at 350 degrees.

Serve with a veggie and enjoy!

Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4-6
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I've heard of people rolling the final product (before you cook it) in stuffing mixture, then cooking it. I've also heard of making a gravy to poor over it. Have you heard of any other ideas?

chicken broccoli divan.

ingredients:
1 lb fresh broccoli, cut into spears, cooked & drained {or 1 10 oz package frozen broccoli, cooked & drained}
2 cans chicken {i cooked my own chicken and used about 2 cups}
1 can broccoli cheese or cheddar cheese soup
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 tbsp dry bread crumbs
1 tbsp butter or margarine, melted

directions:
place broccoli in 2-qt. shallow baking dish. top with chicken. mix soup and milk. pour over chicken. sprinkle with cheese. mix bread crumbs and butter. sprinkle over top. bake at 450 for 20 minutes or until hot.

note:
i like to have my own cooked chicken on hand. my favorite way to cook it is in the slow cooker: 5-6 chicken breasts, half a stick of butter, half a package of italian dressing dry mix. when cooked, i chop it and divide it into plastic bags to freeze. it makes it super easy when i have a recipe that calls for cooked chicken!

Beef & Broccoli Stir Fry

1/2 lb. beef steak
1 T. cornstarch
4 T. soy sauce
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
1 lb broccoli
1 1/4 c. water
4 tsp. cornstarch
3 T. vegetable oil
1 onion, chunked
1/2 c. sliced carrots

Cut beef into thin slices. Combine sugar, ginger and garlic with 1 T. of soy sauce and 1 T. cornstarch. Then add raw beef. Let stand 15 min. Cut veggies lengthwise. Combine water, 4 tsp. cornstarch and 3 T. soy sauce; set aside. Heat oil. Add beef and stir fry for 1-2 min. Add veggies; stir fry 4 min. Add soy sauce mixture. Cook and stir until mixture boils and thickens. Serve over hot cooked rice.

Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4
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**Does anyone know a trick to getting the slices of beef extra tender?? That's the only thing I would change about this recipe: the tenderness of the beef. Would using a meat tenderizer do the trick or marinating? I dunno, any thoughts?

shredded turkey & pinto bean burritos.

ingredients:
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped {i used about half}
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp chile powder
1 can diced tomatoes with green chiles
2 tbsp lime juice {i used the juice from half a lime}
1 can cooked, shredded turkey
1 can pinto beans, rinsed
4 10-inch flour tortillas or wraps, warmed

to top:
grated monterey or pepper jack cheese, shredded lettuce, sliced avocado, cilantro, diced tomatoes... basically any of your favorite mexican toppings.

directions:
heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. add onion and cook, stirring until softened. stir in garlic, cumin, and chile powder and cook for about 30 seconds. add tomatoes and lime juice; bring to a boil. reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the onions are very soft {about 5 minutes}. stir in turkey {or chicken, if you prefer} and beans and continue cooking until mixture is heated through {3-5 minutes}. divide turkey-bean mixture among tortillas. top with your favorite toppings, roll into burritos and serve. serves 4.

note:
the original recipe called for 4 cups of shredded turkey. i felt like this was too much turkey and not enough beans, but if you wanted to add an extra can of turkey, it would serve 6 easily.

healthy chocolate chip cookies

yes that's right, don't be grossed out its delicious, I've had 10 people test them before i posted this and they all LOVED them. They are healthy, high in fiber and kids LOVE them. Also they are pretty much fat free.

2 Cups refried beans
1C. white sugar
2 1/2 C. brown sugar
3 eggs
4 T. vanilla
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
6 C. flour
2 pkgs. chocolate chips

cream beans and sugars together, add remaining ingredients one at a time. bake @350 for 11 min. makes 7-8 dozen.

***you can substitute refried beans for butter in any recipe. just double the amount of beans. ie 1C butter = 2C beans