Hashbrown Casserole

Ingredients:
6 eggs well beaten
12 oz evaporated milk
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
30 oz frozen shredded hashbrown potatoes
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 green bell pepper
1 cup diced ham

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine eggs, milk, salt and pepper.  Ass potatoes, cheese, bell pepper and ham.  Mix well.  Pour mixture into 13x9 greased baking dish.  Bale 60 - 65 minutes or until set.

Tip: I spoon the stuff from the bowl into the dish and then pour the remaining egg/milk mix over the top.  It's just easier for me.  I purchased already chopped ham to save time and energy (totally worth it!).  You can also use egg beaters instead of real eggs if you like.  Feel free to add onion or any other breakfast veggies to the mix.

Pimento Cheese Stuffed Chicken

Disclaimer:  This recipe takes a little longer and requires more work than some of the others that I have posted, but it's worth it!

Ingredients
3 - 4 boneless skinless chicken breast
6 oz cream cheese
3 Tbsp pimentos, chopped
1 large clove of garlic, grated or finely chopped
3 tsp paprika
1 cup breadcrumbs
toothpicks

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Butterfly the chick breasts so they open like a book and pound them to 1/4 inch thickness. Combine cream cheese with pimentos, garlic and 1 tsp of paprika.  Combine the remaining paprika with breadcrumbs in separate dish.  Spread equal parts of the cream cheese mixture on each piece of chicken.  Roll chicken up and secure with 2 toothpicks. Roll each piece in breadcrumbs.

Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable or olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Brown chicken a few minutes on each side.  Then transfer to oven safe baking dish and into oven for 15-18 minutes or until juice run clear.

Tips:
Butterfly and pound chicken the night before.  I used a KitchenAid mixer to mix the cream cheese while I prepared the breadcrumb mixture.  Once I got the chicken and cream cheese ready to start rolling, I turned on the heat on the stove to heat the oil.  I spread, rolled, toothpicked, and coated one piece of chicken and put it in the skillet.  Then I completed the next and placed it in the skillet and turned the first.  I followed this pattern for the remaining chicken breasts.

I cut 1/4 of a finished chicken breast up for my 10-month old.  He was able to feed himself, albeit a little messily.  I paired it with some chopped up french style green beans and a few pinches from my roll.  He LOVED it.  The remaining chicken breast was put in the fridge and fed for lunch the next day.  He had another 1/4 and I had the remaining 1/2.  It was perfect!

Mini Mexican Meatloaf

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 egg
12 crumbled saltine crackers
1.5 cup mexican shredded cheese
1 cup mild salsa (can substitute crushed tomatoes if you don't want any spice, but include liquid to keep beef from drying out)

Directions:
Mix beef, onion, crackers, egg, 1 cup of cheese, 1/2 cup salsa (tomatoes).  Put in sprayed muffin tins.  Make a divit in the center.  Bake at 400 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes.  Put remaining salsa (tomatoes) and cheese in divit.  Cook for an additional 3 minutes.

Tips:
I prepared the beef mixture during my son's afternoon nap and put in the fridge.  All I had to do was put it in the tins and into the oven while he was demanding my attention.  I paired it with some green beans for an extra veggie.

Can be reheated in microwave.  Heat whole for 1 minute.  Mash and let outer parts cool for a couple of minutes.

Recipe courtesy of Lindsey Smith