Category Archives: quick
Ziti with Sausage and Broccoli
Filed under Broccoli, Cooking, easy, healthy, Italian sausage, pasta, quick, Recipes, Southern Living, Tomato, vegetables, Ziti
Chicken Pie
This takes 10 minutes to put together!
This is one of my favorite comfort foods. Chicken Pie!!! This is quick to make and easy. While it is baking you can do whatever for 45 minutes. You know fold laundry, help with homework, call your mother.
To make this even easier I just pulled leftover turkey out of the freezer. I have used a roasted chicken purchased at the grocery or just cooked 2 large chicken breast. Any method is a snap.
I paired it here with a salad , but any steamed or roasted vegetables will do. I just don’t think that there is a serving of vegetables in the pie. Okay here is the recipe for the easiest Chicken Pie ever!
Lasagna – For a Lazy Day
You are going to love this recipe!!
I love this recipe for the ease of it. You can make it the night before . Come home from work put it in the oven, make a salad and bread . Set your table and you are ready to entertain guests with no hassle. This is the way to go.
I found the recipe in a Pillsbury cookbook years ago and have since noticed that it now appears on the box of Mueller’s Lasagna. The one on the box uses more sauce and more eggs. I have made both and they are delicious!!
You are not going to believe that it is made with your favorite brand of premade sauce. That is the beauty of this recipe. Using Italian sausage gives it the flavor it needs. I use Johnsonville Hot Italian Sausage. I love the flavor. I cannot find it without the casing. I use kitchen shears to remove them before browning.
Vote today for the best LASAGNA!!
Who will make the top of the post?
Yesterday we made Lazy Day Lasagna. Today we cooked and ate it! It was fantastic. We used a new sauce this time and it was the best I have tasted.
Check out the post tomorrow for the recipe and find out who won.
Vote for the Lasagna that has the best presentation. All of them tasted great!
Put your comment at the end of the post. If you click on the picture your comment is not seen. Thanks.
Good luck,
The Teacher Cooks
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- 2nd Block Kitchen 5
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- 2nd Block Kitchen 1
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- 1st Block Kitchen 2
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- 1st Block Kitchen 6
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- 1st Block Kitchen 1
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- 1st Block Kitchen 1
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- 1st Block Kitchen 4
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- 1st Block Kitchen 5
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- 2nd Block Kitchen 4
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- 2nd Block Kitchen 3
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- 2nd Block Kitchen 2
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- 2nd Block Kitchen 6
Parmesan Chicken and Pasta with Anna’s Easy Tomato Sauce
They got the most votes!
Yesterday my room was as if we were in a famous Italian restaurant. I had teachers, administrators and students sticking their head in the door to see what we were cooking up. Garlic in olive oil, then add oregano and basil. It permeated the halls making everyone hungry. The food both classes made was the best! All involved had really paid attention to the demo and seemed to know what they were doing.
They had a lot of fun setting up for the photographs for the blog. It is so funny to see some of the students wiping off the plates to make a better presentation. The food network has really changed the way we do a lot of things in the kitchen.
This is a quick and easy meal to put together. You can prepare it and plate it up in about 45 minutes.
Let’s get to the recipes. The Parmesan Chicken came from Gracious Goodness by The Junior League of Macon. This cookbook is fantastic. The Easy Tomato Sauce came from my best friend Anna. She is a fantastic cook and you will be seeing more of her recipes later.
Here are the photos to help you along and the recipes after that. ENJOY!
Butterfly 4 large boneless chicken breasts
Bread crumbs, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and parmesan cheese
Half stick butter cubed
Dip chicken in milk
Coat with crumbs (I use a fork)
Place a cube of butter in skillet and top with a piece of chicken
Cook for about 7 minutes on each side. Here we used an electric skillet at 325 degrees. I like using the skillet because you can get about eight servings in at once. Adjust the temperature according to your skillet. Some may cook faster and you will need to turn the heat down. If yours seems to cook slower turn it up a bit. Peak at it before the time is up. It should be golden brown. Your timing is important ,too. Chicken cooked too long will be very dry.
Why do some want to take a bent-edge spatula and push all the juices out of the chicken? I don’t understand it!! I guess they don’t realize they are pushing out all of the juice and making it dry and tasteless.
Notice another cube of butter on chicken before turning
Cook for another 7 minutes or until it is done. Remember don’t overcook it.
2 Cans of Italian Tomatoes
Before you add 2 cans of diced Italian tomatoes saute a clove of garlic diced in a little olive oil. Forgot to take that picture. Sorry. Then add seasonings
Add 1/2 teaspoon of oregano
1/2 teaspoon of Basil ( add bay leaf,too)
Simmer for about 15 minutes and serve over your favorite pasta. Top with parmesan cheese. So easy and so delicious. Thanks to Anna!!!
Second place only by 10 Votes!!
Here are the recipes for both:
Parmesan Chicken
- 4 chicken breasts boneless
- 1 cup of bread crumbs
- 1/3 cup of Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or more to taste
- 1/2 stick butter
- milk
Mix all dry ingredients together. Dip chicken in milk, then in bread crumb mixture to coat. Saute in butter over medium heat until done. About 7 minutes on each side. Chicken will be browned and crisp.
Anna’s Easy Tomato Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1-2 cloves garlic
- 1 28 oz. Italian tomatoes or 2 small cans
- 1/2 teaspoon basil
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- Parmesan cheese
- Cooked pasta of your choice about 14 oz.
Saute garlic in olive oil. Add tomatoes and seasonings. Simmer for 15-20 minutes. Serve over pasta. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
Enjoy,
The Teacher Cooks
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- 2nd Block Kitchen 4
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- 2nd Block Kitchen 5
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- 2nd Block Kitchen 3
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- 2nd Block Kitchen 2
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- 2nd Block Kitchen 1
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- 1st Block Kitchen 6
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- 1st Block Kitchen 2
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- 1st Block Kitchen 4
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- 1st Block Kitchen 3
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- 1st Block Kitchen 1
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- 1st Block Kitchen 5
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- 2nd Block Kitchen 6
Pralines
Making candy is not my favorite thing to do. Too many things can go wrong that you have no control over. Humidity is one of them. And here in the South you know we have plenty of humidity. I was so happy to find this recipe in my mailbox at school. It was just by chance that I can now share this with you.
Vickie B. a great English teacher submitted this for a school cookbook that never hit the press. Somehow it was placed in my box. I am so thrilled!! Thanks to Vickie all of us can enjoy these pralines. I promise you that they are pretty close to what you can get on River Street in Savannah! In other words they are fabulousa!!
So here is what it takes for you to be the best candymaker ever. No need for a thermometer or worry if it is raining. Enjoy every melt in your mouth bite! Here ya go!
2 cups of Toasted pecans
1 stick of butter in saucepan
Add 2/3 cup of heavy cream
Add 2 cups of brown sugar
Brown sugar, cream and butter
Just warming up!
Bring to a boil
Boil for 1 minute
Stir in 2 cups of powdered sugar
Stir in 2 cups of pecans and 2 t. vanilla
Stirring
Drop on wax paper
Vickie B.’s Louisiana Pralines
- 1/2 cup real butter
- 2 c. brown sugar
- 2/3 c. heavy cream
- 2 c. powdered sugar
- 2 t. vanilla
- 2 c. chopped, toasted pecans ( 200 Degrees for 15 min.)
Bring butter, brown sugar and cream to a boil, stir often. Boil for 1 minute. Remove and add vanilla, powdered sugar and pecans. Drop on wax paper and cool.
Thank you Vickie for the great recipe. Because of you I am a hit in Macon with this candy!!!
Happy Cooking,
The Teacher Cooks
Deviled Eggs
They are just waiting for you!!
I love deviled eggs. They are so southern. They are right up there with fried chicken, pimento cheese, biscuits, and potato salad. Deviled eggs are just something that you take to a family reunion, to your aunt’s at Thanksgiving, or to a family picnic. They are easy to make, but so many people don’t know how to cook eggs. And that could be a big problem in this case!
So how do you prepare this almost perfect food wrapped in a shell. Well, first you do not BOIL eggs. Eggs are either soft-cooked or hard-cooked in water. Never, ever boiled. Have you ever been to an Easter egg hunt where they used real eggs and you cracked into one and the yolk was green. That’s what happens when you boil eggs. A chemical reaction takes place inside the shell that turns the yolk green. No one wants green eggs. Unless of course you are Dr. Seuss.
Follow these simple steps and you cannot go wrong:
Eggs in cold water
I used large eggs here. You can use extra-large eggs, but will take a few more minutes to cook. Don’t use eggs that you just purchased. Fresh eggs are very hard to peel. They don’ t have a big air space therefore it is hard to remove the shell. Cover them with cool water not hot water which will affect the cooking time. I usually add an extra egg in case one cracks, then you have an extra yolk to make a little more filling.
Just do bring them to a boil and turn down to simmer. Set your timer for 15 minutes. You can take the saucepan off of the heat and set the timer for 30 minutes. Either method is good.
Immediately plunge into cold water to stop the cooking process. Use ice cubes if needed. Crack the shell under running water. Start from the large end when removing the shell. It will be much easier because the air cell is located here. Split the eggs lengthwise. This will make a nicer presentation. Place the yolk in a bowl.
Cut eggs lengthwise
Mash with a fork
Add about a teaspoon of mustard
Drain olives
I like to add olives or dill relish to my eggs. This is just my personal preference. You may add sweet pickles or horseradish or whatever you like to flavor them.
Mince olives
Add olives and mayonnaise to yolks
Be really careful when adding mayonnaise to the yolks. Just a little will go a long way. You can always add more but you cannot take out too much. This mixture will not work if it is too thin.
Mix it up!
Fill 'em up!
Ready to put on plate!
This is it! So easy and so good! At my house half of these are gone before I can put them on a plate. Make sure that you make extras. You will need them I promise.
Happy cooking,
The Teacher Cooks
Sausage Bread
At meal time we all want something fast, easy and great tasting to prepare. Here is the answer. This sausage bread is great! You are going to love it for more reasons than just the taste.
The recipe is two recipes that I combined one from a friend and the other from Southern Living. It is a great main dish with a salad or you can serve as an appetizer at a party pairing it with a marinara sauce.
Here's what you need to put this together!
Spread the Dough out
Using Pillsbury French Bread Dough spread it out onto parchment paper. Take it out of the refrigerator right before you need it. If you take it out too soon it makes it very hard to work with.
Brown sausage and drain
Brown sausage in a skillet and drain. For the best flavor I like to use the hot sausage.
Sausage, egg, cheeses, garlic, oregano, and basil
Here you have the drained sausage 1/2 cup swiss cheese, 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, 1 egg, 1/2 teaspoon oregano, 1/2 teaspoon basil. and 1/2 teaspoon garlic. Mix together.
Spread sausage mixture on the French bread dough
Roll up the dough lengthwise
Roll the dough lengthwise. It is pretty easy to peel the parchment paper off the dough if it sticks. If you tear holes in it just pinch it together. Pinch the ends together and tuck under. Pinch the long side together and flip over.
Make slashes is dough with a knife
Now just stick it the oven and bake. This is so much easier than homemade pizza and satisfies the pizza craving.
Here is the recipe. Enjoy!
Sausage Bread
- 1 lb. hot sausage browned and drained
- 1 can refrigerated French Bread dough
- 1/2 cup shredded swiss cheese
- 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 egg slightly beaten
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon basil
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic
Cook sausage in a skillet until browned. Drain. Stir in the rest of ingredients together with sausage. Unroll dough into a rectangular shape onto parchment paper. Sprinkle evenly with sausage mixture. Beginning with long side roll up, jelly roll style. Turn seam side down on baking sheet, and pinch ends to secure filling inside. cut slits across top of dough with a knife or scissors. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until browned. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.
Happy Cooking,
The Teacher Cooks
Paula Deen’s Szechaun Chicken
1st Block Kitchen 5
These last two days have been really crazy for me. Yesterday the local government station here came to film my class. Yes, they did!! I have never done anything quite like this. Years ago I was on WSB radio, but you know no one can see you. All you have to worry about is what you say. On TV you have to worry about how fat you look, or did you have a stupid grin on your face or if you have lipstick on your teeth and much much more. I was a little scared. No ! I was alot scared. My Tennessee friend called the day before to see if she could help with makeup and hair. I needed some mental help…….but I made it through without doing anything really stupid. At least I think I did. We’ll see when the broadcast is played for God and everyone to see . Oh my Gosh, I don’t know if I can stand to watch myself. I have never watched a video of myself. I’m too scared!!
Because there were six extra people in my room some of which had cameras or lights it was hard for my students to concentrate on my demonstration. At least that’s the excuse I’m using for why some of them had no clue as to what they were doing in class today. Now mind you 60% of them knew when to add the soy sauce or how to mince the ginger, but the other 40% were really struggling and I do mean struggling. I will say that they all finished in time to eat, clean their kitchens and get to the next class on time. That is a good thing!!! We are definitely discussing why it is important to know what you are doing before class. It was if someone hit instant replay on my name all morning. I must have heard it a million times!
This recipe is from Paula Deen”s first cookbook and it is delicious. Very Healthy!! Very Tasty!!
I did not take pictures yesterday. Too nervous and forgot! So today I took pictures as my students prepared their meal. Great job!!
This should make it easy for you to prepare for yourself and guests. Let me be the first to say that this recipe is going to get you a lot of compliments. No more Chinese takeout for you. By the way my perfume of the day was sesame oil and hot chili paste. I was a walking advertisement for my class.
Butterfly with kitchen shears
Slice a bunch of green onions
Slice a Yellow and Red Pepper
Need a bunch of broccoli Florets
1 1/2 tsp. minced fresh ginger
1 T Sesame Oil
1/4 cup Soy Sauce
I did not take pictures of two items. I was busy running around putting out fires. Not really, just helping the lost.
4 Tablespoons of Chili Paste
2 Minced garlic cloves
Cooking Chicken in Sesame Oil & 2 T chili Paste
What happened to this photograph? Oh my!!!!!!
We used an electric skillet for convenience in class. I recommend that you use a large skillet or wok. Do not worry about the paste turning a dark color and sticking to the pan. I panicked the first time I prepared it, but you will deglaze the pan in the end. The flavor will be incredible.
Take the chicken out after cooking about 4 minutes on each side. Let it rest 5 min. and slice with the grain into long strips. Let your husband, children, or guests do this while you finish the vegetables.
Keep Angel Hair Pasta Hot
The recipe calls for 1 lb. of angel hair pasta. I found this to be too much. The chicken and vegetables make about 6 servings so make pasta accordingly.
This looks so good!
Add broccoli, onions, and peppers to the skillet as soon as you take out the chicken. Pour soy sauce, 2 T of Chili paste, garlic, and about 1/4 cup of water and cook vegetables until just tender.
Good job slicing the chicken!!
Add the sliced chicken to the vegetables and serve over hot angel hair pasta. This is too good to be true.
Thanks to Paula Deen . Here is her original recipe.
Szechuan Chicken with Angelhair Pasta
- 1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
- 1/4 cup chili-garlic sauce ( I found this in the vegetable section of the grocery. It comes in a tube like toothpaste)
- 4 boneless chicken breast ( I butterfly them so they will be thinner and cook faster)
- 1 lb. of angelhair pasta ( I decreased the amount)
- 1 1/2 pounds broccoli crowns cut into florets
- 1 red bell pepper cut into strips
- 1 yellow bell pepper cut into strips
- 12 green onions thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 11/2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
- 1/4 cup water ( I added this especially if the skillet is hot a lot of the liquid will evaporate and you will need more)
Heat the oil and 2 tablespoons of the chili sauce in a large skillet over medium heat: add the chicken, and cook for 4 minutes on each side, or until cooked through. Meanwhile bring a large pot of water to boil for pasta. Add pasta to boiling water, cook as directed on package, and drain. Remove the chicken from the pan and cut it into strips. Add the broccoli, bell peppers, green onions, garlic, remaining chili sauce, soy sauce and ginger to the skillet. Cook the vegetables stirring until they are crisp tender. Add the chicken strips and cook until heated through. Serve over the pasta.
Here is the 2nd place winner of the Iron Chef!
1st Block 3rd Kitchen
Happy Cooking,
The Teacher Cooks
Filed under Chicken, Chicken stir fry, Cooking, easy, quick, Recipes, vegetables
Szechuan Chicken Iron Chef Contest
This is what I cooked yesterday in class. Today is the test. Let’s see what’cha got!
Will post results today around 3 PM and voting will begin. It will end at midnight Nov. 5,2009. Friday morning I will post the winner.
This should be interesting since there are not too many ways to plate this dish. Let’s see who is the most creative and which group prepares the dish correctly . Good luck and may the best chef win.
The Teacher Cooks
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- 2nd Block Kitchen 6
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- 2nd Block Kitchen 2
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- 2nd Block Kitchen 3
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- 2nd Block Kitchen 1
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- 2nd Block Kitchen 5
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- 1st Block Kitchen 6
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- 2nd Block Kitchen 4
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- 1st Block Kitchen 5
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- 1st Block Kitchen 4
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- 1st Block 3rd Kitchen
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- 1st block 2nd Kitchen
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- 1st Block 1st Kitchen
The Teacher Cooks 