Chefs-R-Us

Week 17 Sunday, December 6, 2009

Chicken Potato Casserole, Cinnamon Bread

Sunday's meal was decided upon by the fact that I had chicken and potatoes to use for ingrediants and about an hour or so before the kids would become ravenous. I found an easy casserole recipe and tried this different version of another one that I make. This was easier and quicker to get in the oven but longer to cook. Bottom line is I would make this recipe earlier in the day when the kids aren't ready to eat their toys.

As for the dessert, since we had reached a bit of a saturation point on sugar with all the holiday baking, we decided to try a new sweet bread recipe. It turned out scrumptous and one I would definitely make again.

Hmmmm Where are my helpers???
Building mega lego houses.

Starting the Potato casserole before it's too late!

The kids take over the Cinnamon Bread.

Laney can never resist playing in the flour and sugar. If an open container is left unattended for too long. You can bet their hands end up in it.

Goofy Girl!

They were happy to have something to taste while they licked their chops waiting for dinner.

Good job Pouring Jordan!

Good job Tasting Girls!

I love the little mini loaves.

The kids were using their special Christmas wear they got on our "Polar Express trip." JJ's parents and his little brother Zach were in town this weekend (they left sunday morning). JJ's mom and I decided on Saturday to do our own Trip to the North Pole with the kids. We went to the dollar store and got them each their own Christmas Mugs and plates and set of antlers to wear. We told them we had a special surprise and they had to get in their jammies. Then they came down the stairs and we gave them tickets we made out of gold paper. JJ was the conductor and punched the first letter in thier ticket. Then we choochooed around the house and ended up in the family room where they sat down to watch The Polar Express on the projector screen. When it was the hot chocolate scene, we served them hot chocolate in thier mug, with chocolate cookies and popcorn on their plates. At the end of the movie JJ finished punching their tickets. Isabel's was Love, Laney's was Laugh, Jordan's Live, and Zach's was Sing. It was such a fun and magical night! So they spent a good portion of Sunday wearing their antler ears and I did too as you can see.

Chicken and Potato Casserole

3 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (chopped into pieces)

6 Tablespoons of butter

4 large potatoes (peeled and sliced into round pieces)

10 oz. Cream of Mushroom soup

salt and pepper

I added:

a chopped onion

Mushrooms
Cheese
Minced garlic

Pour butter in the bottom, ( I didn't use as much as it called for). Spread potatoes over it, spread out chicken and onions and pour cream of mushroom over it. It calls for cooking 45 min- 1 hour @375 but it was will over and hour before the potatoes were soft enough to eat. And even then While we were eating JJ said they were too hard for his liking. But we were so hungry we kept eating until it was pointless to try to cook the last of it longer in the oven. At the end I cranked it to 400. I would probably cook it @ 400 for 1 hour next time. I like my other chicken divan recipe that my mom makes better, but with that one you cook everything first and just melt the cheese in the oven at the end. This one is nice if you don't have enough time for preparation but flexibility to let it cook a long time. Unfortunately that night I really didn't have either.

Cinnamon Bread

2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

4 tsp. baking powder

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup buttermilk

1/3 cup oil

2 tsp. vanilla

2 eggs

Struesel Topping:

2 tsbsp. sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

2 tsp. butter ( melted)

Directions:

Mix dry ingrediants. Mix wet ingrediants separately. Stir dry and wet together just until thouroghly mixed. Do not over mix! Pour into mini loaf pan and bake @350 for 15-20 min. Or Pour into 9x5 loaf pan and bake 45-50 min.

It was very tastey especially with butter on it! It makes a great breakfast bread or holiday bread treat!