Honey Ham and Fresh Pineapple Pizza

Honey Ham and Fresh Pineapple Pizza

Your Easter dinner was a success!

The guests ate and drank and ate and drank their fill of mimosas, honey glazed ham, twice baked cheesy potatoes, pineapple bread pudding, roasted asparagus, french silk pie and more peanut butter filled chocolate eggs than you can count.

Some of the leftover ham was sent home with your relatives, but there is still 3 pounds of the spiral cut beauty sitting in your refrigerator.  After ham sandwiches, omelets filled with ham, and split pea soup with ham, what will you make with all that ham?

Honey Ham and Fresh Pineapple Pizza is what will be for dinner tonight.  Flour tortillas stand in for the crust and are topped with a spicy marinara sauce, monterey jack cheese, diced ham and pineapple and a sprinkling of herbs.  A few minutes in the oven is all that is need to melt the cheese and crisp up the crust.

Your family will never know you are serving "leftover ham," and there is no need to tell them ;)

Honey Ham and Fresh Pineapple Pizza

serves 4

4 (9-inch) flour tortillas
1/2 cup marinara sauce
2 tablespoons barbecue sauce
1 1/3 cups shredded monterey jack cheese
1 cup diced ham
1 cup diced fresh pineapple
dried oregano
dried basil
chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Place tortillas on 2 large baking sheets.  Combine the marinara and barbecue sauces and spread about 2 heaping tablespoons on top of each tortilla.  Sprinkle 1/3 cup of the cheese on top of the sauce followed by 1/4 cup each of the ham and the pineapple.  Sprinkle with a little oregano and basil.

Bake in oven for 6 - 8 minutes or until the cheese is melted and slightly golden brown and the tortillas are crispy.  Let cool 2 - 3 minutes before cutting in pieces and sprinkle with the parsley.

Lemon Barbecued Shrimp

Lemon Barbecued Shrimp

With a spell of warm Spring weather over the past couple weeks, I dusted off the Weber grill and made a few dinners in the great outdoors.  First up was a platter of Lemon Barbecued Shrimp.  I love grilling because...

1.  I spend time outside
2.  Dinner cooks by itself with little help from me
3. No dirty pots and pans to wash

Lemon Barbecued Shrimp includes a homemade marinade with ingredients most kitchens have on hand.  Making your own marinades is a quick proposition.  With a mason jar, you can add all the ingredients and give it a vigorous shake.  Also, you control the ingredients that go in so you can make your homemade marinade as healthy - or not - as you would like.

After spending about 30 minutes in the marinade, the shrimp get a a double flavor boost from the tangy lemon barbecue sauce and the char or the grill.  Head outside and prepare this is a quick meal for your family.  And you will get the added benefit of getting a dose of vitamin D from some time spent in the sun.

Lemon Barbecued Shrimp

serves 4

for the mariande --
1/4 cup ketchup
3 scallions, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 pounds extra large shrimp (16 - 20 count per pound), peeled and deveined with tails
12 inch wooden skewers

lemon wedges

In a mason jar with a lid, combine the marinade ingredients and shake well.  Place shrimp in a resealable bag and add about 2/3 of the marinade.  Place in refrigerator to marinate for about 30 minutes.

Heat grill to medium high.  While the grill is preheating, thread 4 shrimp on each skewer.  Grill for 3 - 4 minutes per side, brushing with remaining marinade during the last couple minutes.  Can be served straight from the grill or chilled with lemon wedges.

Thyme Rubbed Pork Chops with Apple-Shallot Sauce

Thyme Pork Chops with Apple-Onion Sauce

If you grew up in the 1970s, The Brady Bunch was required television viewing.  It is the story of a lovely lady bringing up 3 very lovely girls who meets a man named Brady who was bringing up 3 boys of his own.  They knew that this group would some how form a family and that is how they became the Brady Bunch.  I have seen every episode at least 3 or 4 times and have a few favorites:  the multi part episode when the Brady's vacation in the Grand Canyon and Bobby and Cindy smuggle beans and franks in empty flashlights for the Indian boy Jimmy, the suspenseful episode when Marcia breaks her nose and has dates with 2 different boys on the same night, and the musical episode when the Brady kids compete as "The Silver Platters"  in a television talent show.  Oh the memories........

One classic Brady Bunch episode that particularly stands out for me is the "Pork Chops and Applesauce" episode.  Peter is testing out new personalities and does his best Humphrey Bogart impersonation while discussing dinner with Alice the housekeeper and his mom Carol.

Putting an updated twist on the classic Brady Bunch pork chops and applesauce recipe, I developed Thyme Rubbed Pork Chops with Apple-Shallot Sauce.  Apples are one fruit which we always seem to have on hand at our house. Both crisp, tart Granny Smith and sweet and slightly soft Macintosh apples are two favorites that are readily available in the refrigerator fruit drawer.  Pan sauteed pork chops are topped with a chunky apple and shallot sauce that gets a kick from Dijon mustard and Garam Masala (an Indian spice blend readily available at your local grocery store).  A simple dish to prepare that packs a complex flavor wallop.

Sit down to a family dinner of Thyme Rubbed Pork Chops with Apple-Shallot Sauce and then watch an episode or two of the The Brady Bunch.  You will fall in love with the vintage show all over again.

Thyme Rubbed Pork Chops with Apple-Shallot Sauce

serves 4

4 (6 - ounce) pork chops, center cut and about 1-inch thick each
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
salt and pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil

1 large apple, such as Braeburn or Rome, peeled, and chopped in large dice
2 shallots, sliced thin
1 garlic clove, chopped
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup white wine
2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala

Sprinkle pork chops with thyme, salt and pepper.  Heat a saute pan over medium high heat and add oil.  Add pork and saute on each side for about 4 - 5 minutes or until just cooked through.  Transfer to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm.

In the same pan, add the apple, shallot, and garlic.  Saute, stirring occasionally, for 3 - 5 minutes or until the apples begin to just soften and the shallots are translucent.  Stir in chicken stock, wine, honey, mustard, and Garam Masala.  Continue cooking for an additional 3 - 5 minutes or until the sauce is slightly thickened.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

To serve, top pork chops with apple-shallot sauce.

Crumb Cake Muffins

Crumb Cake Muffin

New Jerseyans have a crazy love affair with crumb cake.  It is sold in every bakery, diner, and bagel shop across the state.  From north to south and east to west, New Jersey is overflowing with crumb cake and Jerseyites never seem to tire of eating it.  There are even heated discussions over steaming cups of coffee and huge pieces of crumb cake in the local diners as to which part is the most cherished and desirable - the cake or the crumb.

It can be a messy proposition to eat a piece of crumb cake.  All that crumb is crumby.  I am surely not complaining, but sometimes I like to take my treat on the road.  I decided it was time to develop a handheld version of this popular bakery treat.  It would need to be easily portable for a quick breakfast while heading out the door and sturdy enough to be packed in a lunch bag and still make it to school with crumb intact.  After some trial and error and lots of taste testing, the perfect Crumb Cake Muffins were born.  And my No Thank You Boy deemed them "the best muffin.....ever."  With a dense, moist cake-like muffin base and a heaping layer of crumb that both sinks slightly and graces the top of the muffin, the portable baked good does not disappoint.

Make a batch of Crumb Cake Muffins this weekend and decide for yourself which part of the muffin you like the best - the crumb or the cake.  It is a tough decision, but it will be tasty trying to decide.

Crumb Cake Muffins

makes 15 muffins

for the crumb topping--

2 tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 2/3 cups cake flour *
1 sticks butter, melted


for the muffins--

2/3 cup half and half
1 tablespoon vinegar
2 1/2 cups cake flour *
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 sticks butter, cut in chunks
2 extra large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a regular sized muffin pan with muffin papers and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the crumb topping ingredients and stir to combine into large chunks. Set aside.

In a small bowl, add vinegar to half and half and set aside. In a large mixing bowl of a standing mixer, combine the flour, sugar, salt and baking soda. With mixer on low, add the butter chunks, one at a time. Mix for about 2 - 3 minutes until mixture resembles a coarse crumble. Add eggs, vanilla, and half and half mixture. Beat on medium high speed for about 1 - 2 minutes until smooth.

Fill muffin papers about 2/3 full and top with a generous amount of the crumb topping. Bake for 18 - 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool in pan for 5 minutes and then remove to a cooling rack.  Store at room temperature for 3 - 4 days (if they will last that long ;) .

* - If you do not have cake flour, you can make your own with all purpose flour and cornstarch.  Here's the formula: Take one level cup of all-purpose flour, remove two tablespoons, and then add two tablespoons of cornstarch back in.  In other words, 1 cup all purpose flour - 2 tablespoons all purpose flour + 2 tablespoons cornstarch = 1 cup cake flour.

Curried Beef Lettuce Cups



Curried Beef Lettuce Wraps

Has it been a crazy busy day?  Then Curried Beef Lettuce Cups is just the recipe you need to add some peace and calm to your dinner time.  Incorporating Asian and Indian cuisines, Curried Beef Lettuce Cups pack a flavor punch from browned ground beef seasoned with garlic, fresh ginger root, serrano chilies, and slighty sweet and spicy curry powder.  The bright flavors of chopped fresh mint and basil and a squeeze of lemon juice further heighten the flavor of the dish.  Sweet, nutty, and mild Boston Bibb lettuce cups cradle the curried meat making the buttery and crispy lettuce an ideal accompaniment to the spicy meat.

Curried Beef Lettuce Cups is a flavorful entree that can be prepared in about 20 minutes.  Or better yet, make it a do-it-ahead meal and prepare it in the morning or even the day before.  A quick reheat in the microwave or on the stove top is all that is needed before you sit down at the dinner table to enjoy your home cooked meal.

Curried Beef Lettuce Cups

adapted from this recipe

serves 4

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 (1 - inch) piece ginger root, chopped

2 serrano chilies, remove half the seeds and chop chilies

1 1/2 lbs ground beef

2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder

1/2 cup fresh mint, chopped

1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped

1/2 lemon, juiced

2 heads Boston bibb lettuce

1/2 red pepper, diced

In a large saute pan, heat oils over medium high heat and add onion, garlic, ginger root, and serrano chilies.  Saute for about 5 - 7 minutes or until the onions are translucent.

Add the ground beef and continue cooking until browned, about 5 - 6 minutes.  Stir frequently and break up and any large pieces of meat.  When browned, pour off any grease.  Add soy sauce and curry powder and stir to combine.  Cook for 3 - 4 minutes so the seasonings cook into the beef.

Meanwhile, separate the leaves of the lettuce to form cups.  Wash and dry thoroughly.

Stir the mint, basil and lemon juice into the cooked meat.  Spoon seasoned meat mixture into lettuce cups and top with the chopped red pepper.

Vietnamese Caramelized Pork Tenderloin

Vietnamese Caramelized Pork Tenderloin

The combination of sweet, salty, and spicy has always been a favorite of mine.  Add in grilled meat with a caramelized rub and tender crisp vegetables, and it is a perfect meal for me.  Vietnamese Caramelized Pork Tenderloin is a quick fix meal which has all the bells and whistles for an unforgettable dinner.

If you are a fan of Asian inspired dinners and want something healthier than take out from your local Chinese restaurant, this is the meal for you.  The dinner takes at most 20 minutes to prepare, and the cast of characters features pork tenderloin, snow pea pods and fresh bean sprouts.  A host of seasonings give the dish a truly authentic Asian taste and include rice wine vinegar, fish sauce, soy sauce and Sriracha which is a Thai hot sauce.

Print out the recipe and pick up the ingredients at the grocery store today.  You will be ecstatic when you make Vietnamese Caramelized Pork Tenderloin for dinner tonight.


Vietnamese Caramelized Pork Tenderloin

serves 4

for dressing --
2 teaspoons honey
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon Sriracha
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin, sliced lengthwise and then into 2 inch pieces
2 teaspoons fish sauce
2 teaspoons Sriracha (hot chile sauce)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons sesame oil
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 of small onion, thinly sliced
2 cups snow pea pods
1 1/2 cups fresh bean sprouts
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the dressing and set aside.

Heat a grill or grill pan to medium high heat.  In a small bowl, combine the fish sauce, Sriracha, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and brown sugar.  Rub on pork tenderloin pieces.  Grill pork for about 4 - 6 minutes per side or until pork is just cooked through.  Watch closely so it does not burn.  Remove from grill and place on a platter.  Drizzle with the dressing.

In a saute pan, heat the sesame oil and add the red pepper and onion.  Stir and cook for 3 - 5 minutes until tender crisp.  Add the snow peas and bean sprouts and cook an additional 2 - 3 minutes.  You want the vegetables to remain crisp but slightly tender.  Add the soy sauce and toss to coat.

To serve, place some of the vegetables on each plate and top with the caramelized pork.  Sprinkle with cilantro.

Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Cookies!

Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Cookies

Nothing compares to a home baked cookie.  The aroma of peanut butter or chocolate chip cookies baking is intoxicating.  It draws anxious kids and adults alike to the kitchen hoping to grab one of the first warm cookies from the oven.

With the hundreds of thousands of cookie recipes in cookbooks, magazines, on food blogs, and passed down through generations of home cooks, there is a cookie recipe that appeals to everyone.  Add Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Cookies to your list of must try cookies.  With a short list of ingredients, the peanut butter, chocolate, and banana flavors shine in this chewy cookie.

Bake a batch today.  The most inviting kitchen is one with a full cookie jar.

Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Cookies

adapted from this recipe from Bon Appetit, September 1999

makes about 30 (3-inch) cookies

1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 ripe banana, mashed
1 large egg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine peanut butter, brown sugar, banana, egg, baking soda, vanilla extract, and cinnamon using a standing or hand held mixer.  Beat for about 3 - 4 minutes.  Add the chocolate chips and mix to just combine.

Drop by rounded tablespoons of dough on baking sheets about 2 inches apart.  Bake for 10 - 11 minutes or until cookies are golden brown and still slightly soft in the middle.  Cool on sheets for 2 - 3 minutes then transfer to a cooking rack.  Store in an air tight container for 3 - 4 days or freeze for up to 2 months.

General Tso's Chicken

I have a confession to make.

When a client of mine recently asked if I could make General Tso's Chicken as part of his weekly menu.   I emphatically said,

"Of course I can!"

And in my head I said,

"I have never made it before, but how hard could it be?"

I have made Asian Beef and Noodle Bowls, Sesame Chicken and Stir Fried Bok Choy, Sweet and Sour Pork with Snow Peas and Carrots, and Beef and Sugar Snap Peas, as well as dozens of other Asian inspired dishes, but never General Tso's Chicken.  That is when a small amount of panic set in and my research began.

I scoured my cookbooks, culinary magazines and endless sites on the Internet and I combined a few recipes to come up with my own version of the popular Chinese take out entree.  After giving it a test run in my home kitchen (and with thumbs up all around the dinner table), I set off to my client's kitchen on a crisp winter morning to prepare General Tso's Chicken along with Pork Tenderloin Marsala, Creamy Chicken Enchiladas, and Grilled Bison Steaks with Balsamic Reduction.  The assembling and cooking of the General Tso's Chicken went off without a hitch.  A little background prep on a recipe and a dose of confidence in the kitchen helped me create a memorable dish.

Occasionally you need to go out on a limb and try something you never had before.  Some might think that trying a new recipe is not a big deal.  But people get in a rut and cook the same dishes night after night after night.  If you have not made General Tso's Chicken before, give it a try this week.

Confidence is key.

General Tso's Chicken

serves 4

3 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup cornstarch plus 2 teaspoons, divided

1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders, cut in 1-inch chunks

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

3 tablespoons rice wine

3 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon ginger

3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce

safflower or peanut oil

8 dried chili peppers

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

4 cups cooked jasmine rice

In a large bowl, combine the eggs and 1/2 cup cornstarch.  Add the chicken and toss to coat.  Set aside.

To make the sauce, in a small bowl combine the 2 teaspoons cornstarch, rice wine vinegar, rice wine, sugar, ginger, and soy sauce.  Set aside.

In a large saute pan, heat about 1 inch of oil over medium high heat.  Add the chicken in batches (do not crowd the pan) and cook until just cooked through and lightly browned.  Remove from pan to paper towels.  Drain out all but about 1 tablespoon of the oil.

Over medium high heat, add chicken back to the pan and add chili peppers.  Cook for 30 seconds being careful not to burn the peppers.  Add in the sauce mixture and toss with the chicken and peppers for about 1 minute.

Sprinkle with the red pepper flakes and serve over jasmine rice.

Chicken Parmesan Sliders



Chicken Parmesan Slider

We are getting back to the family dinner table at our house.

After a busy few weeks surrounding Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's, we fell out of the habit of eating dinner together as a family.   Sure we were all together for feasting on Christmas Eve and Day (I missed our family Thanksgiving dinner with an unfortunate case of the flu), but our typical weeknight meal was replaced with work, a track meet, or grabbing a quick bite at the local diner with friends.  I would love to say that each night at 6 p.m. we gather around the table for a well rounded meal with all family members present, but that is not typically the way dinner time flows in our kitchen.  We, like any other family, have made choices to participate in these activities and sometimes our family dinner time suffers.

When we returned home from visiting family in the Midwest, I made dinner for our family on Sunday night.  My Oldest had an invitation to go out with friends but declined.  She informed her friend,

"My Mom is making dinner tonight.  I am staying home."

So at 7:30 p.m. on a unseasonably warm winter evening in northern New Jersey, we all sat around our kitchen island and enjoyed conversation and Chicken Parmesan Sliders.  Smal, thin chicken cutlets were panko and Parmesan cheese coated and pan fried to a crunchy crispiness.  Topped with a homemade marinara sauce, melted mozzarella cheese and served on mini buns, we chatted about our day's events and the upcoming week when most of the family would be going back to work and school.

For a half hour, we shut out the technology-filled world and just ate dinner.  We may make eating dinner together more than a weekly habit.

Chicken Parmesan Sliders

makes 16 sliders

for marinara sauce --
marinara sauce (either make your own with my recipe or use your favorite store brand)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup diced onions
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 (28 ounce) can whole plum tomatoes, crushed by hand or a potato masher
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon salt

for chicken --
4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
2 cups panko
3 eggs, beaten
1 cup flour
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
salt and pepper
about 1/4 cup olive oil

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
16 mini buns

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

To make marinara sauce --

In a medium sized saucepan over medium high heat add oil, onions and garlic.  Saute, stirring occasionally until translucent, about 6 - 8 minutes.  Add tomatoes, basil, oregano, thyme, fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, and salt.  Stir to combine and continue cooking over low heat for 15 minutes.  Season to taste.  Keep warm.

To make chicken --

Place chicken on a cutting board and slice lengthwise into 2 thin cutlets.  Slice each cutlet into 2 smaller pieces.

Place a cooling rack over a baking sheet and set aside.

In three separate shallow dishes place (1) panko, (2) eggs, and (3) flour, Parmesan cheese, basil, oregano, and a 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.  In a large saute pan over medium high heat, add the olive oil.  Dredge the chicken pieces first in the flour mixture then the eggs and finally the panko.  Pan fry the chicken for about 2 - 3 minutes per side or until lightly browned and the chicken is cooked through.  Remove to cooling rack and sprinkle lightly with salt.  Continue frying chicken in batches until all have been cooked.

To assemble the sliders, leave chicken on the baking rack on top of the baking sheet and top each piece with about 2 tablespoons each of the marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese.  Bake in oven until cheese is melted; about 3 - 5 minutes.  Remove chicken from oven and place in buns.  Serve.

**Note - to make Chicken Parmesan Sliders ahead of time --  Prepare the chicken and marinara sauce, cool and package for the refrigerator until dinner time.  Reheat the chicken topped with the marinara sauce and cheese in a 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes before serving on buns.

Overnight Creme Brulee French Toast

New Year's Day breakfast and a house full of kids = Overnight Creme Brulee French Toast.

It will take all of 10 minutes for you to prep this divine breakfast for your next overnight guests.  While my kids and their friends are still sleeping after a late night of New Year's fun with fireworks, ping pong, and Dance Dance revolution, I popped this overnight casserole in the oven for 30 minutes and breakfast is ready.  This French Toast is TO DIE FOR!  Thick slices of crusty bread soaked overnight in a creme brulee sauce and baked with brown sugar and butter.  It is a decadent dream come true!

Good thing it reheats well because I am not sure when they will wake up to enjoy it.

Happy New Year!!


Overnight Creme Brulee French Toast

serves 6

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons corn syrup
1 loaf (unsliced) crusty white bread
5 large eggs
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon triple sec

In a small heavy saucepan melt the butter with the brown sugar and corn syrup over moderate heat, stirring, until smooth and pour into a 13- by 9- by 2-inch baking dish. Cut six 1 1/2-inch thick slices from the center portion of the bread, (reserving the ends for croutons). Arrange the bread slices in one layer in a baking dish or casserole, squeezing them slightly to fit.

In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, vanilla, and triple sec until well combined and pour evenly over the bread. Chill bread mixture, covered, at least 8 hours and up to 1 day.

Preheat the oven to 350° F. and bring the bread to room temperature.

Bake the french toast, uncovered, in the middle of the oven until puffed and edges are golden, 30 to 35 minutes.

Serve sprinkled with powdered sugar and topped with berries.

*recipe adapted from one by personal chef Jim Gray

Chicken with Mushrooms and Spinach Casserole



Chicken with Mushrooms and Spinach Casserole

It was time to make dinner - again! - and I was on the hunt for something quick, easy and would use the cooked shredded chicken I had in the refrigerator.  Lo and behold, a recipe just happened to appear in my inbox that I tinkered with to become Chicken with Mushrooms and Spinach Casserole.

I subscribe to many recipe newsletters, and my inbox is typically sprinkled with recipes for breakfast casseroles, easy and healthy dinners, and the Top Ten side dishes of all time.  As I was clicking through my emails and trying to come up with something for dinner, a recipe caught my eye.  It was included in an email from Everyday Food and with a few changes, it was a welcome addition to our dinner table.

No Thank You Boy was his typical "no thank you" self.  He said it tasted like chicken soup without the soup.  He also commented that he doesn't like spinach or mushrooms, but he does like chicken.

"This would be my favorite without the vegetables," he added.

My Middle One liked dinner but was not a fan of the spinach.

"Spinach is kinda leafy and stringy when cooked.  I don't think it has much flavor.  But the chicken and mushrooms are really, really good.  And the crunchy bread on top is especially good.

I, unlike my dinner companions, loved the whole casserole.  It used ingredients I had on hand.  It was ready to eat in about 30 minutes.  It included the 4 major food groups.  And there was even some left for me to enjoy for lunch today.  I think that is a win-win all around.

Double the recipe.  You won't be sorry.

Chicken with Mushrooms and Spinach Casserole

adapted from this recipe 

serves 4

2 cups torn bread
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
coarse salt and ground pepper
1 tablespoon butter
1 (10 ounce) package mushrooms, sliced
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
3 garlic clove, chopped
2 cups packed baby spinach
2 tablespoons white wine
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup milk (I used 2%)
2 cup shredded cooked chicken
pinch of nutmeg

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

In a medium bowl, combine bread with 1 tablespoon oil; season with salt. Set aside.

In a large saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon oil and the butter over medium-high. Add mushrooms, onion, and garlic and saute for 6 - 8 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add the spinach and cook, stirring, until wilted, 2 minutes. Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes.  Stir in the flour and cook for an additional minute until it is incorporated.  Stir in the milk and stir to combine.  Cook for 2 - 3 minutes or until the sauce thickens slightly.  Stir in the chicken, add the nutmeg, and season with salt and pepper.

Transfer to a 2-quart baking dish and top with bread pieces. Bake until bread is golden brown and mixture is bubbling, 8 to 10 minutes.

Crock Pot Steak and Mushroom Stuffed Potatoes



Crock Pot Steak and Potatoes Baked Potato


I really want to use my crock pot more often.  It is such a wonderful notion that you can put a few ingredients in the pot and as you are out living your life it miraculously cooks dinner for you.  Really good crock pot recipes are hard to find and, I have a dozen on my blog as only the best ones I create make the cut.

After a day of personal cheffing, I am usually heading off to watch a cross country meet or volleyball game smack dab in the middle of my dinner preparation time.  There are many nights when we are eating dinner later than anticipated because of my lack of planning so I decided it was time to put my crock pot thinking cap on again.

No Thank You Boy is a fan of baked potatoes and steak so I set out trying to find a recipe that would include both of these foods.  And knowing that baked potatoes take 1+ hours in the oven, I knew that I would have to find another way to cook them as I am typically not home or I forget to put the potatoes in the oven so we end up eating dinner at 10 p.m.  Baking the potatoes ahead of time is not an option as I don't think they taste the same as when they just come out of the oven. 

Ah ha!  The crock pot can sit at home for me and do the work.  With a quick scrub, a few fork pricks and a wrap in foil, they are set for a day in the crock pot.

Russet potatoes snuggly wrapped in foil for their day in the crock pot

Looking for something hearty to top the potatoes with after their 8 hours in the crock pot, I prepared a mushroom and onion sauce with bite-sized slices of beef tenderloin and Crock Pot Steak and Mushroom Stuffed Potatoes were invented.  The sauce only takes about 15 - 20 minutes to make so it can easily be whipped up when you walk in the door after work, play and whatever else fills your day.  Or better yet, make the sauce the night before and just reheat it at dinner time.

Dinner will be on the table in no time at all.


Crock Pot Steak and Mushroom Stuffed Potatoes

serves 4

Note -- The potatoes I used very very large - about 7 inches long - and therefore took longer to cook than an average size potato which is about 5 inches long.  If you use a smaller potato than I did, I recommend setting your crock pot for about 5 - 6 hours on low.

4 large russet potatoes, washed and pricked with a fork

2 teaspoons olive oil
salt and pepper
2 beef tenderloin steaks, about 1 pound total
2 tablespoons butter
10 ounces (2 cups) quartered crimini mushrooms
1/2 cup thinly sliced onion
2 chopped cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon each chopped fresh thyme and sage
3 tablespoons red wine
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups beef stock
extra fresh thyme leaves for serving

In the morning (about 7 hours before dinner time), place the potatoes in the crock pot and set it for 8 hours on Low.  Place the lid on and let the crock pot do the work.  At this point, you can either wait until just before dinner time to prepare the mushroom, onion and steak sauce or better yet make it the night before.

Heat a large saute pan over medium high heat and add about 2 teaspoons of olive oil.  Season the steaks with salt and pepper and saute for about 4 - 5 minutes per side depending on thickness.  Cook the steaks to medium rare.  Remove steaks from pan and place on a plate.

In the same large saute pan over medium high heat, melt the butter then add mushrooms, onion and garlic.  Saute for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the mushrooms and onions are lightly browned.  Add the thyme and sage and saute for 1 minute.  Deglaze the pan with the red wine and stir up any browned bits.  Cook for a minute or so.  Add the flour and stir to combine with the mushroom mixture and the flour is no longer visible, about 1 minute.  Slowly add the stock and stir to combine.  Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 4 - 5 minutes or until the gravy is slightly thickened.

Meanwhile, thinly slice the steak into bite-sized pieces and add along with any of the accumulated juices to the sauce.  Stir to combine.  Continue simmering until the steak is just heated through.

To serve, remove potatoes from the crock pot and carefully unwrap.  The potatoes will be HOT.  Slice each potato lengthwise and slightly squish the ends together to open the potato.  Top each potato with about 1/4 of the steak and mushroom sauce and sprinkle with extra fresh thyme leaves.

Note:  I put the potatoes in the crock pot in the morning and made the sauce.  After the sauce cooled, I packaged it for the refrigerator.  At dinner time I heated it in a saute pan over low heat for 4 - 5 minutes before topping the potatoes.

Buffalo Chicken Nachos

Buffalo Chicken Nachos

A Sunday afternoon in the Fall is No Thank You Boy's favorite time of the year.  Football games continue one right after another from early afternoon all the way into the late evening.  And an integral part of watching football games for him is the eating of football food.

Nachos are on every sports restaurant/bar menu with the usual ingredients of tortilla chips, seasoned ground beef, beans, cheddar cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, sour cream, salsa and guacamole.  This version of the pseudo-Mexican snack is good enough on its own, but I decided to change up a few ingredients to suit No Thank You Boy's spicy taste buds and affinity for chicken.  Buffalo Chicken Nachos combine shredded chicken with Frank's Hot Sauce and cheddar and blue cheeses on top of blue and white corn tortilla chips.  After a few minutes in a hot oven, the nachos are topped with celery, tomatoes, and scallions.

It is only 2 days until Sunday.  Make sure you have the ingredients to make Buffalo Chicken Nachos and sit back and cheer on your favorite football team.

Buffalo Chicken Nachos

a large bag of tortilla chips - corn or blue corn or a combo of both
3 cups cooked and shredded chicken
5 tablespoons hot sauce, or more to taste
3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup crumbled blue cheese
6 scallions, chopped
3 celery ribs, small dice
1 medium tomato, small dice
sour cream for serving
salsa for serving

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Line an 18 x 10 inch baking sheet with parchment paper.  This is not necessary but makes clean up much easier.  :)

Place a layer of tortilla chips in the baking sheet overlapping some of the chips.  Make sure the pan is full of chips.

In a bowl, combine the chicken and hot sauce.  Spread the chicken evenly over the chips and sprinkle with the cheddar cheese and blue cheese.  Bake for 6 - 8 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Remove baking sheet from oven and sprinkle the scallions, celery and tomato evenly over the melted cheese.

Serve with sour cream and salsa.

Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki Sandwich

Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki Sandwich

A new Subway opened in our town about 4 months ago. What a hoopla surrounded the shiny, new dining option as there is only one (a Burger King) fast food joint in our community. My kids love a good Subway sandwich just as much as the next teenager and, No Thank You Boy favors the sweet onion chicken teriyaki sandwich. What is not to love about a footlong squishy white roll loaded with teriyaki sauced chicken, lettuce, tomato, and onions all slathered in a sweet onion sauce?

I like a good fast food meal, albeit infrequently, just as much as the next person. Just last week I had my bi-annual Big Mac Value Meal. Being that I like to recreate many meals I have tried at restaurants, (example #1 - The Mini Mac), it was time I made Subway's Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki sandwich.

I Googled, Yahooed, and Binged my way around the World Wide Web as I searched for the recipe that would recreate Subway's famous sandwich.  With bits and pieces from the recipes I found through my search, I struck upon the rendition that I thought would recreate the sandwich the best.  My recipe included grilling the chicken which was marinaded in a homemade teriyaki sauce and serving it on long soft white rolls with a quick-to-make sweet onion sauce, shredded lettuce, and sliced tomatoes and onions, was deemed a success by No Thank You Boy and My Middle One.

"It is good.  Really good.  Even better than the chicken teriyaki sandwich at Subway.  The sauce is not as sticky sweet.  I like this one even more than the one at Subway."

--No Thank You Boy, August 10, 2011

Success!  I prepped the sandwich ingredients in the late afternoon so when dinner time rolled around, all I had to do was reheat the chicken (just like they do at Subway) and assemble the sandwiches.  And with all the ingredients packaged up for the refrigerator, the kids could make their own sandwiches the next day for lunch while I was at work.  Yea!

Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki Sandwich

serves 4

1 pound boneless chicken breast, cut in thin strips

teriyaki marinade --
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1 teaspoon dried minced onions
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon pepper

sweet onion sauce --
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 tablespoon dried minced onions
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon poppy seeds
1/8 teaspoon salt
pinch of pepper

4 sub rolls
shredded lettuce
sliced tomatoes
sliced onions
sliced cucumbers

In a large resealable bag, place the teriyaki marinade ingredients and the chicken.  Let chicken marinate for about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, in a small sauce pan over medium high heat, combine the sweet onion sauce ingredients.  Bring to a boil while stirring to combine.  Add 2 tablespoons of water and stir.  Set aside.

Heat a grill or grill pan to medium high heat.  Remove the chicken from the marinade and grill for 2 - 3 minutes per side or until cook through.

To serve, slice rolls and top with chicken and desired toppings.  Drizzle with the sweet onion sauce and enjoy!

A Leaner Chicken Parmesan

A Leaner Chicken Parmesan

Who doesn't love a good Chicken Parmesan?  Tender chicken cutlets are coated with a crispy breading and covered in a tomatoey marinara and ooey gooey cheesy goodness.  These days, many people are looking for healthier versions of their favorite dishes without losing any of the flavor that they love.  Have your Chicken Parm shed the breading and viola --  A Leaner Chicken Parmesan.

After making A Leaner Chicken Parmesan for my personal chef client today, I decided that it would be a dinner my family would enjoy.  And for the first time in about a month, our whole family was home at dinner time.  Besides the slap fight between My Middle One and No Thank You Boy, it was relatively calm around our kitchen island as we ate and discussed our day's events (My Oldest going to Zumba, No Thank You Boy's aching hamstrings from his first day of cross country practice, and My Middle One's major accomplishment of painting her nails purple).  After having first and seconds of the chicken parm, the kids begrudgingly cleared the dishes, emptied the trash and loaded the dishwasher, I packaged up the few extra pieces of chicken so there will be leftovers for the kids to reheat on the days I am working.

I have to say this recipe will be in our dinner rotation on a frequent basis.  And I don't think I will hear too many complaints.

A Leaner Chicken Parmesan

serves 4

adapted from this recipe

Grilled herb chicken breasts are covered in a simple marinara sauce and topped with fresh mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.  The final step of melting the cheese can be done on your outdoor grill so you will not need to heat up your oven on a warm summer day.

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 chopped garlic cloves
salt and pepper
1 (28-ounce) can whole Italian plum tomatoes
6 large fresh basil leaves
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
8 (3 ounce each) thin chicken cutlets
8 slices fresh mozzarella
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 lb angel hair pasta, cooked, drained and kept warm (skip to make gluten free)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons olive oil, onion, garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper.  Saute for 6 - 8 minutes until the onions are translucent.  Add the tomatoes, crushing first in your hand and the basil leaves.  Stir to combine and simmer for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a grill or grill pan to medium high heat.  In a small bowl, add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, rosemary, thyme and parsley.  Season the chicken with salt and pepper and brush both sides with the herb oil.  Grill for 2 - 3 minutes per side or until just cooked through.  Remove to a rimmed baking sheet. 

Spoon some of the marinara sauce over each cutlet and top with a mozzarella slice and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.  Bake in oven until the cheese melts.  Alternately, return chicken to the grill and cover.  Remove after a minute or 2 when the cheese has melted.  Serve on top of the pasta with the extra marinara sauce.

Note -- this dish can be made ahead until the step right before the chicken is put in the oven.  Cool the marinara and cheese topped chicken and package for the refrigerator.  When ready to serve, heat in oven for 10 - 15 minutes until cheese is melted and the chicken is heated through.

Pesto Gnocchi with Shrimp and Broccoli

Pesto Gnocchi with Shrimp and Broccoli



I thought our home life could not be much busier than it was during the school year.  I was wrong.  The last week of school and the following week were jammed with state high school softball games and a championship, two graduations, numerous parties, packing for a trip to Costa Rica for My Middle One, visiting the grandparents at the Jersey Shore, and planning and cooking for my EAT! clients.  Needless to say, dinner prep for my own family fell be the wayside.

I threw together a quick dinner one night after work, and I must say a tasty one too.  Gnocchi, a bag of frozen wild shrimp, a few cups of fresh broccoli florets, a couple tablespoons of pesto and a handful of Parmesan cheese all came together for a satisfying dinner in all of about 15 minutes.

Even if your schedule has your family running in many different directions, a nutritious and pleasing dinner is only minutes away.

Skip the drive thru.  Make dinner at home tonight.


Pesto Gnocchi with Shrimp and Broccoli

serves 4

1 pound gnocchi, I like De Cecco Potato Gnocchi
1 1/2 pounds extra large (21 - 25 per pound) shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 cups broccoli florets
2 - 3 tablespoons pesto, I like De Cecco Pesto alla Genovese
Parmesan cheese, for serving

Cook gnocchi according to the package directions.  Drain and and place in a large bowl.

Fill the same pot with 2 quarts of water and bring to a boil.  Add shrimp and broccoli and cook for 3 - 4 minutes, until the shrimp is just cooked through and the broccoli is tender crisp.  Drain and pour into bowl with gnocchi.

Add 2 tablespoons of pesto to the gnocchi, shrimp and broccoli and toss to coat.  Taste and add more pesto if desired.  To serve sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Lite Pasta Alfredo with Chicken, Kielbasa and Broccoli



Lite Pasta Alfredo with Chicken, Kielbasa and Broccoli

Sometimes I stumble upon a dish that is so easy to prepare and loaded with flavors that I make it for all my EAT! clients in one week as well as for my family.  Lite Pasta Alfredo with Chicken, Kielbasa and Broccoli was the Dish du Jour last week and it will be showing up on our family dinner table very soon.

My Oldest loves pasta alfredo with chicken.  She requests it frequently for dinner and orders the cheesy entree when it appears on a restaurant menu when we are dining out.  Since it is a dish that is typically very high in calories and loaded with cheese and butter, I do not make it as often as she would like.  I have been searching and testing different versions of her favorite dish as I tried to hit upon the creamy, cheesy flavor without all the fat and calories.

Lo and behold!  I have found just such a recipe.  A multitude of flavors abound in this one dish entree loaded with chicken, smoky kielbasa, sauteed onions, mushrooms, and red peppers and just barely cooked broccoli.  Tossed with bowtie pasta and a just enough Parmesan sauce to hold everything together, this dinner will be a hit every time you serve it.

Lite Pasta Alfredo with Chicken, Kielbasa and Broccoli

serves 4

2 cups bowtie pasta
1/2 cup low-fat evaporated milk
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
1 egg yolk
4 teaspoons olive oil, divided
3/4 pound chicken tenderloins, cut in small chunks
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup diced onion
1  cup diced red pepper
2 chopped garlic cloves
1/2 pound kielbasa, sliced in half moons
2 tablespoons white wine
2 cups broccoli florets, blanched
salt and pepper
extra Parmesan cheese for serving
thinly sliced scallions for serving

In a large pot of boiling water, cook the pasta according to the package directions.  Drain and set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together evaporated milk, cheese, and egg yolk.  Set aside.

In a saute pan over medium high, add 2 teaspoons of olive oil and saute the chicken until cooked through and lightly browned, about 4 - 5 minutes.  Remove from pan.

In the same saute pan over medium high heat, add the remaining olive oil, mushrooms, onion, red pepper, and garlic.  Saute for 3 - 4 minutes.  Add the kielbasa and continue to saute for an additional 3 - 4 minutes.  Add the wine and cook until it almost evaporates.  Add the evaporated milk mixture and stir until it begins to thicken.  Add bowtie pasta, chicken, and broccoli and toss gently to coat.  Season with salt and pepper and serve with extra Parmesan cheese and scallions sprinkled on top.

Peanut Butter Power Bites

Peanut Butter Power Bites

I am teased by my family that I don't need a cellphone.  More times than not, I miss their calls or fail to answer their text messages.  It is not that I am always ignoring them, but there are times I don't want to be so...accessible.

But today while I was cooking for a new EAT! client, my phone vibrated with 2 test messages within minutes of each other.  Being that it was during school hours and both messages were from my daughters, I decided to take a look at them.  The girls texted me saying how much they and their friends loved the Peanut Butter Power Bites I packed in their lunches.  A friend of one of my daughter's (and a frequent dinner guest at our house) even stated that she would do anything to get a few more of the crunchy and chocolatey peanut butter treats.

I made a batch of 50 Peanut Butter Power Bites yesterday afternoon and there are about 15 left.  It looks like it is about time to make some more.

Peanut Butter Power Bites

adapted from this recipe in the April, 2011 All You magazine

makes 50

4 tablespoons butter
1 1/3 cups peanut butter
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup honey
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups Rice Krispies cereal
2 1/2 cups oats
1 cup mini chocolate chips

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Remove pan from heat and stir in peanut butter, confectioners' sugar, honey and vanilla. Stir in Rice Krispies and oats and allow mixture to cool.

Stir in the chocolate chips. Form mixture into 1-inch balls, pressing tightly to form balls. Store in refrigerator.

Chicken Souvlaki Pitas

Chicken Souvlaki Pitas

If - and that is a capital I capital F if - I am really organized in the morning, my dinner prep starts before I leave for work to cook for another family.  But if the stars and moons align during my morning routine, I can chop a few vegetables, slice some chicken breasts or mix up a marinade to make dinner time a little less hurried.

Chicken Souvlaki Pitas were on my menu for Monday night's dinner.  Lemon and oregano marinated chicken was grilled and tucked into pitas along with chopped lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers and drizzled with a Greek yogurt dressing.  I managed to mix up the marinade in the morning so the chicken could benefit from a long soak.  Even if your chicken marinates for as little as 30 minutes just before grilling, it will still have have loads of flavor.

This is one of those meals that can be tailored to the quirky flavor preferences of your family.  Your "No Thank You Boy" can eat just the chicken.  The starving softball player will eat two loaded pitas with all that is offered.  And The Husband that is working late will have a dinner that tastes like it was just made after a quick reheat of the grilled lemon chicken in the microwave.

And if you can manage to grill up a couple extra chicken breasts and chop some additional vegetables, you will have tomorrow's lunch waiting in the refrigerator in the morning.  It will be a lunch your co-workers will envy.


Chicken Souvlaki Pitas

adapted from this recipe in the March 2011 issue of  Cooking Light magazine

makes 8 half pita sandwiches

1 (6 ounce) container plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup shredded cucumber
1/4 cup lemon juice, divided
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts, boneless and skinless and sliced into thin fillets
4 (6-inch) pitas, cut in half
shredded lettuce
chopped cherry tomatoes
thinly sliced cucumber
thinly sliced red onion

In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, cucumber, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and garlic salt.  Set aside.

In a large resealable bag, combine the remaining lemon juice, olive oil, oregano, salt, and pepper.  Add the chicken and seal bag.  Make sure the marinade covers all the chicken.  Marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for 30 minutes up to overnight.

Heat a grill pan to medium high heat.  Remove the chicken from the marinade and grill for about 2 minutes per side or until the chicken is just cooked through.  Remove chicken to a plate and cover with foil.

To serve, open one of the pita halves and fill with some of the lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and red onions.  Slice the chicken in thin pieces and add some to the pita.  Drizzle with the cucumber sauce and serve.  Fill the remaining pitas in the same manner.

Chicken and Herb Stuffing Bake



Chicken and Stuffing Bake

 I love a good casserole.

A one-dish meal that is soul-satisfying and stick-to-your-ribs.

Even though there have been glimpses of Spring, Winter is not quite ready to let go of its grip on northern New Jersey.  With temperatures still dipping into the 30s at night and on some days, Chicken and Herb Stuffing Bake is a comforting dinner at the end of a long day.

Thumbs up from The Husband, My Oldest and Middle One.  They are suckers for a gravy-filled dish reminiscent of Thanksgiving dinner.  No Thank You Boy could do without the gravy and stuffing (2/3 of the dish).  With a side of steamed green beans, (a vegetable on No Thank You Boy's approved list and one he will eat more than his typical "no thank you" bite) dinner is complete.

Hopefully the weather will be warming up and the daffodils will be poking their heads out.  Then casseroles will be a distant memory until next Fall.  Until then, Chicken and Herb Stuffing Bake will be a welcome dinner at our kitchen table.

Chicken and Herb Stuffing Bake

serves 4 generously

4 tablespoons butter
2 cups crimini or button mushrooms, sliced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
1 cup water
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1/2 teaspoon sage
salt and pepper to taste
4 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
1/2 package (14 ounces) herb stuffing cubes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large saute pan over medium high heat, melt butter and add the mushrooms, garlic and onion.  Saute for 8 - 10 minutes or until the mushrooms are softened and the onions are just beginning to brown.  Stir in the flour and cook for a minute or so.  Slowly pour in the milk and water and add the bouillon cubes and sage.  Continue stirring so the sauce does not have any lumps and the bouillon cubes dissolve.  Cook the sauce for 4 - 5 minutes or until slightly thickened.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

In a 2 quart baking dish, place the chicken breasts and pour the sauce over.  Top with the stuffing cubes and press down gently.  Bake for 50 - 60 minutes or until the chicken has an internal temperature of about 165 degrees.  Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.