Mashed Potato & Cheese Balls

I had some leftover Velveeta in the fridge last week and looked on Kraft for a recipe to use it in.  I found these and they are amazing!  I made them for our Super Bowl party, and they were a big hit!  

They absolutely must be served hot, so that the cheese is gooey and wonderful.

Next time, I will probably use regular cheese instead of Velveeta (The thought of Velveeta just doesn't sit as well with me as regular old cheese does!), and I may include ham or some other meat in the center as well.  There are lots of possibilities for this dish.

MASHED POTATO AND CHEESE BALLS
2 lb. baking potatoes (about 5), peeled, cut into chunks

2   green onions, thinly sliced

1 egg, beaten

1/4 tsp.  black pepper

4 oz. VELVEETA cut into 24 cubes

1 pouch  SHAKE 'N BAKE Extra Crispy Seasoned Coating Mix

 

Cook potatoes in boiling water in large saucepan 15 to 20 min. or until tender; drain.
Cool 10 minutes.
Mash potatoes until smooth.
Add onions, egg and pepper; mix just until blended.
Roll potato mixture into 24 balls, using about 2 Tbsp. for each.
Insert 1 Velveeta cube into center of each ball, completely enclosing cube with potato mixture. Cover each potato ball with coating mix; turn until evenly coated.
Place on baking sheet.
Bake at 400 degrees for 14 to 16 min. or until heated through.

Marble Brownies

I recently discovered this recipe on the inside of a cream cheese box.  Since I don't eat chocolate, I asked Stephen if he thought this sounded tasty, and since he answered in the affirmative, I decided to make them for him for Valentine's.  He says they are really good, and "creamy" (which he likes, evidently).  He did say they are very sweet, so I wonder if next time I could put less sugar in the cream cheese mixture.

 MARBLE BROWNIES

1 package brownie mix (without syrup pouch)

1 package cream cheese, softened

1/3 c. sugar

1 egg

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Prepare brownie batter as directed on package; spread into greased pan.

Beat cream cheese with mixer until creamy.  

Add sugar, egg and vanilla; mix well.

Drop by tablespoonfuls over brownie batter; swirl with knife.

Bake 40 minutes at 350 degrees or until cream cheese mixture is lightly browned.

Cool completely before cuting to serve.

Keep refrigerated.

Cheesy Chicken Casserole

Stephen's mom, Susan gave me this recipe recently...complete with instructions to "relax and have a glass of wine while it cooks".  This is a very tasty recipe that will definitely be entering the regular rotation!

CHEESY CHICKEN CASSEROLE

1 can cream of chicken soup
1 1/3 c. water
3/4 c. uncooked long grain white rice
1/2 tsp. onion powder (I used garlic powder)
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2 c. frozen mixed vegetables (I left out the veggies this time)
4 skinless boneless chicken breasts (obviously, I just used two...1 lb. of meat)

1/2 to 3/4 c. cheddar cheese, shredded

Mix first 6 ingredients together.

Place chicken breasts on top of mixture.

Cover and bake at 375 for 50 minutes.

Take dish out of oven, top with cheese and let stand still about 10 minutes.

Just before serving, stir around rice and cheese.

Chicken Pasta with Lemon Parmesan Sauce

I found this recipe by googling some ingredients that I had in the fridge.  Stephen wasn't feeling very well and said he wanted something light and lemony.  So, I found this at dianasaurdishes.com and will definitely go to this blog again for some good, healthy and low-cost meals.  This dish was super-easy and really very tasty.  It will easily become a staple in our diet!

CHICKEN PASTA WITH LEMON PARMESAN SAUCE.

2 servings spaghetti noodles
1/2 cup chopped raw chicken (1/2 inch pieces)
kosher salt and pepper
1 TBS canola oil (I used olive oil)
2 TBS fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup 2% milk
1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of water to boil.  

Sprinkle the chopped chicken with salt and pepper.

Add oil to a skillet and turn heat on medium high.  

Add the seasoned chicken.  

Start cooking your pasta in the boiling water according to package instructions. 

Cook the chicken for about 5 minutes, or until completely white, stirring occasionally.  

Bring heat up to high to brown chicken to a golden color, cooking another 2-3 minutes.

Add lemon juice, milk and parmesan to the skillet of chicken and stir well.

Reduce heat under the skillet to the lowest setting. 

When pasta is done, drain it completely and mix the chicken and sauce in with the pasta and peas.  

Top with additional parmesan if desired.