Who would have thought....

that Jessica Simpson cooks? Well, she does and here is one of her favorites! It comes from one of her parent's church cookbooks and her mom used to make this all the time while she was growing up! I thought it would be perfect for this cold front that blew in! LOL - it's still in the high 80's!!! Now with football on TV, it really puts you in the mood for colder weather and comfort food! And this really fits the bill! And since my oldest requests this all the time, I thought it was time to put in on the blog. So, enjoy :O)

Jessica Simpson's Chicken and Dumpling Casserole

3 rolls of croissant rolls, divided
1 small rotisserie chicken, cubed (we cook a few chicken breasts instead)
1-2 cups frozen mixed veggies (my addition)
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1 cup chicken broth
Salt and ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Roll out the cans of croissant sheets and separate into diamond shaped sections. Place a small handful of rotisserie chicken on each diamond, fold dough over and press ends together to create dumplings. Cut up any excess dough into strips. Line a 9x13" baking dish with one layer of dumplings. Toss in the frozen veggies in between all the dumplings. Pour the can of cream of chicken soup over the layer of dumplings, followed by the can of cream of mushroom soup, and then your chicken broth. Place strips in a crisscross pattern on the top of the dumplings and soup mixture, season dish with salt and ground black pepper and bake until the dumplings are tender and cooked through and the top is bubbly and brown, about 30 minutes.

**she does fat free of everything - but I of course took that off!!! ;-)

School is in session!!!

So, that means I am in desperate need of quick and easy meals!!!! This is definitely a kid favorite in our house! Thanks Big Red Kitchen for coming to my rescue :O)

White Castle-like Sliders

1/2 cup dried onion flakes
2 pounds ground chuck- 80/20 ground beef
1/2 t. seasoned salt
6 slices cheddar cheese
24 small party rolls
24 dill pickle slices

Evenly spread the onions on the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Gently press the ground beef on top of the onion flakes. Press evenly making one giant patty. Sprinkle with seasoned salt. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes. Using a paper towel, pat the excess grease from the top of the patty. Top with cheddar cheese, return to oven for 2 more minutes. Remove from oven, let set 5 minutes then cut into 24 patties. Slice open and separate each party roll. Place bottom of rolls on a large platter. Using a spatula lift patty with onion layer onto each bun bottom. Top each slider with a pickle slice then the bun lid. Serve immediately.

Makes 24 Sliders.

* I think next time we will cut back on the onion flakes - just a tad too much for our tastes!

Happy Labor Day :O)

I'm sure most of you are grilling today - well, here in Tomball and most of South Texas we've been having torrential downpours off and on all day. Instead of grilling, we are having a fish fry. In the spirit of this holiday weekend, I thought I'd post this photo from a while back... Enjoy!!!

Margarita Pork Tenderloin
(from myrecipes.com)

3 garlic cloves, minced
1 green onion, minced
1/2 jalapeño pepper, minced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 1/2 tablespoons tequila
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
2 (1-pound) pork tenderloins

Combine first 10 ingredients in a shallow dish or large zip-top plastic freezer bag. Cut pork diagonally into 1-inch-thick slices, and add to tequila mixture. Cover or seal, and chill 1 hour, turning occasionally. Remove pork from marinade, discarding marinade. Grill, covered with grill lid, over high heat (400° to 500°) 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until done.

* We served this with Tex-Mex Summer Squash Casserole, that I'll try to post tomorrow.

Last Dish of the Summer....

This is a wonderful Taste of Home recipe - just perfect for those warm summer evenings! My hubby was not to thrilled with the idea of eating strawberries on top of his grilled pork, but he loved it!!! It was actually a great combination! This was even better right on top of the salad!!! This would be a great recipe to impress your dinner guests with!!!

Sweet and Tangy Chops

3/4 cup raspberry vinaigrette
2 tablespoons chopped green onion
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons dried rosemary, crushed
1/2 to 1 teaspoon pepper
4 pork loin chops
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 cups sliced fresh strawberries

In a small bowl, combine the vinaigrette, onion, brown sugar, paprika and Worcestershire sauce; set aside. Combine rosemary and pepper; rub over both sides of pork chops. In a large skillet, cook chops in oil over medium-high heat for 5-6 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer reads 160°. Pour vinaigrette mixture over meat; cook 3-4 minutes longer or until pork juices run clear. Remove chops and keep warm. Add strawberries to the cooking juices and toss to coat; serve with pork chops.

* We grilled the pork instead and just mixed the vinaigrette mixture in a saucepan on the stove. Towards the end of the cooking time, we added the strawberries to the pan and then poured over the pork when ready to serve.

Summer Favorite!!!

My kiddos requested this all summer long!!! We had it several times - not only is it to die, for but it is soooo easy!!! So, how could I say no? Thanks Robin Sue for a great idea!!!

Cookie Dough Pie

15.25 ounce package Chips Ahoy Cookies- Original kind

8-12 ounces Cool Whip
1 1/2 cups milk

Quickly dip cookies in milk, shake off excess liquid, and layer in 9 inch pie plate, breaking cookies to fill any gaps. Once the first layer is complete, top with a thin layer of Cool Whip. Repeat twice more making last layer of Cool Whip a bit thicker. Garnish with chocolate syrup if desired. Place in freezer 2-3 hours before serving. Serves 6-8.