Chicken gyros with tzatiki sauce

Chicken gyros with Tzatiki sauce

Ingredients 

16 oz plain greek yogurt

1 medium cucumber - seeded, chopped finely and squeezed of liquid

pinch of salt

4 cloves garlic - minced 

1 tbsp olive oil

3 tsp red wine vinegar

6-8 mint leaves - minced

4 pita flatbreads - cut in half

2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken

Shredded lettuce

Slices of cucumber, tomatoes and red onion

Mix together yogurt, cucumber, salt, garlic, oil, vinegar and mint in a bowl - refrigerate for at least 1 hour before using.

Stuff each pita half with 1/4 cup shredded chicken and desired vegetables.  Top with sauce.

I like to serve these with frozen french fries for a simple dinner.

Enjoy!

Carbonara pasta bake

Carbonara Pasta Bake

This is a great meal to prep in the morning, chill it in the fridge then pop in the oven when you get home from work.

Ingredients

8 slices of thick cut bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 pound spaghetti - cooked according to package directions

4 eggs

2 egg yolks

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 cup milk

1/2 cup half-and-half

2 tbsp chopped parsley

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Heat oven to 375 degrees and coat a 2 quart baking dish with non-stick spray

Cook bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp, drain on paper towels

In a large bowl whisk together eggs, yolks, cheese, milk, half-and-half, parsley, salt and pepper.

Toss pasta with sauce and pour into prepared dish

Bake for 40 minutes and let cool for 10 minutes before slicing.

Be sure to use a good cheese in this dish, the flavor will be better with a nuttier parmesan!  Try adding some chopped chicken for a more filling meal.

Enjoy!

Chicken cordon bleu casserole

I found this recipe in the Columbus Dispatch and thought it would be worth a try.  Boy it is good!!!!  I adapted it a bit for our tastes and that is the version I will be posting.  The original can be found in the Dispatch from May 9, 2012.

Ingredients
1 egg
1 1/2 cups of milk
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast- cut into chunks
2 cups panko breadcrumbs
4 Tbsp canola oil
8 ounces swiss cheese - shredded
6 ounces ham - diced
1 can (10.75 ounces) condensed cream of chicken soup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Coat a 10x14 baking dish with non-stick spray

Whisk egg with 1/2 cup of milk in a shallow dish.  Dip chicken in egg mixture and then roll in breadcrumbs to coat.
Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat, cook chicken until golden brown and transfer to the baking dish (don't worry if chicken is not fully cooked, it will finish in the oven)
Sprinkle ham and cheese over top of the chicken.  Mix the soup with the remaining 1 cup of milk and pour over top .
Bake for 30 minutes until bubbly.

Serve with rice pilaf and a simple green salad.

When I first tried this recipe I thought that quick frying and then baking the chicken seemed like too much work but it was worth it.  The panko breadcrumbs give such a nice texture to the dish.   Definitely don't skip this step!  Also don't go cheap on the ham, in a dish like this were there aren't many ingredients each one is important.  Go to the deli and ask for a thick slice of a good quality ham, then dice it up fine.

Enjoy!!