I originally received this recipe from a Super Suppers demo.  I have since made it work for me.

Here are the ingredients:

About two chicken breasts - I have used the leftover meat from a whole chicken cooked in the crockpot, or, if this is a last minute dinner plan, I have stopped by the grocery store to pick up a fully-cooked deli chicken.  If all else fails you can keep canned chicken in your pantry.  One large size can will work great (12.5 oz) or if you want chunky chicken use two!

1 15-oz jar of Alfredo Sauce.  I love Classico Roasted Garlic Alfredo.

1/2 cup frozen peas and carrots.  I just add until it looks "right" and any veggies will do.  This is a great way to use up leftover veggies.

2 T chopped pimentos.  I never have these but I've been told a roasted red pepper would work too (Apparently red peppers can be roasted and then frozen)

Salt & pepper to taste

ADD THYME...I'm guessing ....maybe one tsp.  This really adds a nice flavor.

1 package Pillsbury pie crusts.  You can use a generic brand but I've tried a few and the Pillsbury always tastes better.

1. Preheat the oven to 375.
2. Stir together the chicken, pasta sauce, and veggies.  Stir in seasonings.
3. Line a pie pan with one piece of the pie dough.  Fill with the chicken mixture.  Top with remaining piece of pie dough and crimp the edges.
4. Use a brush to apply an egg wash to the top of the pie.  An egg wash is one egg mixed with about a tablespoon of water.  You then take a brush and brush the wash (you won't use it all) over the top of your pie.
5. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes or until crust is golden brown and pie is hot and bubbly

This is definitely a family favorite!  It takes 10-15 minutes of prep time and 30 minutes of baking time.  I've included some pictures of the prep below.  We usually serve it with salad.  I figure since it's not a LOWFAT recipe at least I can wash it down with some ruffage.  Let me also say that as a family we are trying to eat less of stuff like this (hydrogenated fat in the crusts, and extra fat in the pasta sauce), but I'm not perfect and every now and then I need a "SAVE ME"  dinner.  Hope someone enjoys this!

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I have wonderful memories of my mother's cooking wafting into my room in the wee hours of the morning.  She's be up very late and very early making sure that holiday memories were made.  This is an Evans family favorite and I've finally learned from my Mom the art of making this tasty bread and recreating this beautiful aroma and memory in my home and for my family.

This pumpkin bread has already made two appearances at our house this past week.  Once as muffins for breakfast and once as loaves to share at Thanksgiving.  I love the sound of my littles asking for "Punkin Bed" :)

2 cups Pumpkin (1 15oz can will do)

1 cup oil (I have been using vegetable)

3 cups of sugar (gotta find a substitute)

4 eggs

3 1/4 c flour (I have substituted freshly ground wheat for white and it works wonderfully)

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp clove powder

1 tsp nutmeg

2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

Stir dry ingredients together.  Then, mix pumpkin, oil, sugar, and beaten eggs in another bowl.  Add wet to dry and stir.  This will make about 2 dozen muffins or 2 loaves.

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes for muffins and 45 minutes for loaves.  I think that it really takes more time than this but this is what I set my timer for before I start sticking the bread with a toothpick checking for doneness.  One of these days I'll figure out exactly how long this takes in my oven :)

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Tonight I cooked Shake-N-Bake Chicken with corn on the cob and lima beans.  This is a family favorite.  I defrosted some chicken breasts in a bowl of warm water.  I just kept filling the bowl with warm water until dumping it each time it would get cold.  Defrosting took about an hour.  then I cut up the chicken breasts into nugget-sized chunks before dumping them in the brown paper bag holding two cups of mix.

 I LOVE the site where this recipe comes from Hillybilly Housewife.  This lady has AWESOME recipes as well as wonderful tips and tricks for the kitchen.  In addition, many of her recipes are budget friendly.

I follow Maggie's recipe almost exactly...I add Season All for the poultry seasoning.

Once you make this mix, it keeps forever and you can actually use it for chicken, pork, fish, etc.  So flexible, so quick, and BETTER than store bought!

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Ingredients:

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/4 cup melted butter or margarine

Salt & pepper, to taste

2 packets dry Ranch or Italian Dressing Mix

1 can cream of chicken soup

8 ounces cream cheese, cut into cubes

1/2 c chicken broth

1/2 chopped onion

Directions:

Brush chicken with butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Place in a CrockPot and sprinkle 1 packet dry mix over all.  Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours.  About 45 minutes before done, brown onion in 1/4 cup of juices from CrockPot.  Add soup, second packet of dry dressing mix, cream cheese and chicken broth.  Cook until smooth.  Pour over the chicken and cover and cook another 45 minutes.  Serve with sauce.

I serve with rice, pasta, or mashed potatoes.  You can add in broccoli or other veggies for variety.

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Thought I'd share a recipe I tried out today.  My kids loved it and it is a great lo-carb solution to traditional spaghetti.

Spaghetti Squash is a specific kind of squash so look for a large oval-shaped squash colored item.  It is seasonal I believe and prominent during the fall.

Poke holes in it and bake it on 350 degrees for anywhere from 30 minutes to one hour depending on the size.  It is done when the outside is very soft to the touch.

About 15 minutes before the squash is done.  Start on your sauce.

If you are making a meat sauce brown your ground beef or turkey w/1 chopped onion first then add the following sauce to it and simmer until your squash is done.

I made the sauce with the following recipe.  It's easy to do this because even if I don't have store-bought spaghetti sauce on hand I ALWAYS have tomato sauce on hand.

1 (28 oz) can tomato sauce

1 (6oz) can tomato paste

2 tsp minced garlic (substitute garlic powder if necessary)

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp oregano

I just dump each item into skillet that already contains the meat, stir, and simmer for about 15 minutes or until I'm finished with the squash.  You can always jazz up your sauce with other stuff you like.  That's the beauty of making your own and it doesn't take much more effort than Prego or Ragu off the shelf!

Back to the squash.  I then cut the squash in half, scoop or fork out the seeds, then begin to fork out the spaghetti squash onto a plate.  It comes out just like spaghetti! 

Pour your sauce on top and there you have it!  Lo-Carb Spaghetti!

I sprinkled a little cheese on top to finish it off :)

If you make it, let me know how it turns out and any variations you make to your sauce!

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