Au Gratin Potatoes

I realize that there are a million versions of this recipe and, if you grew up with them like I did, I am sure you believe that the version you are familiar with is the best. Well, I'm going to tell you that this is the TRUE best. I absolutely love these potatoes. So much so that I will eat them cold, right out of the pan, the next day. I have never made them by myself before and so this was a great adventure for me. They turned out wonderfully and I am excited to make them again. The picture is courtesy of Kraft Foods.

AU GRATIN POTATOES


5 - 6 good sized potatoes
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 tsp. salt
1 cup sour cream
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
Chives and pepper to taste

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add potatoes, washed and cut in half. Cook just until potatoes are getting soft. Using a cheese grater, grate the potatoes like you are shredding a block of cheese. (This is easily accomplished if you are wearing an oven mitt on your grating hand. The potatoes should be soft enough that the potato peel will pull away during grating and can be discarded.)

Place shredded potatoes in a bowl. Mix together all ingredients other ingredients with the potatoes and place in a greased 13x9 pan. Top with extra cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 30 minutes.

Pesto Chicken Florentine

This delicious, creamy, and flavorful dish was a hit at our house! My little girl had 4 helpings all by herself! I really loved how this alfredo had a different twist on it with the spinach and the pesto. There are a couple of things I would change and I have listed my altered recipe below. The original recipe only calls for 2 cups of spinach but the full bag is absolutely necessary. Also, the original recipe calls for 1 pkg dry Alfredo mix that you make up - but it was cheaper to buy the jar of already prepared Alfredo sauce. Because of this, however, we had a TON of sauce so I would double the amount of noodles that are called for, or just bite the bit and make the dry Alfredo mix. I would prefer to double the noodles, however, so that the dish will go further and the sauce won't be so overwhelming. Whatever you do just add the sauce slowly so you get exactly the amount that you want. All of these changes are reflected in the recipe below. The original recipe and picture are courtesy of Allrecipes.com and can be found here.

PESTO CHICKEN FLORENTINE

From Allrecipes.com
Serves 4 - 6
Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts - cut into strips
• 1 full bag fresh spinach leaves
• 1 jar Alfredo sauce
• 2 tablespoons pesto
• 1 (16 ounce) package dry penne pasta
• 1 tablespoon grated Romano/Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic, saute for 1 minute; then add chicken and cook for 7 to 8 minutes on each side. When chicken is close to being cooked through (no longer pink inside), add spinach and saute all together for 3 to 4 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat Alfredo sauce. When finished, stir in 2 tablespoons pesto; set aside.
3. In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente. Rinse under cold water and drain.
4. Add chicken/spinach mixture to pasta, then stir in pesto/Alfredo sauce. Mix well, top with cheese and serve.

*SIDE DISH DELIGHT!*

GARLIC FRENCH BREAD

1 loaf french bread, thinly sliced
Butter
Garlic powder
Italian Seasoning
Parmesan

Butter both sides of a slice of french bread. Continue with remaining slices until your cookie sheet is filled or you have the amount of slices you need to feed your family. Sprinkle top side with garlic powder, italian seasoning, and parmesan. Place in oven and turn broil on LOW. If your oven doesn't have the heat option turn it on HI but WATCH CAREFULLY! The bread should take about 5 minutes on LOW and only 2-3 on HI. Bread should be slightly crunchy and golden brown when done.