Hot Buttery Ham and Cheese Sliders

Here is another dish that I prepared today and placed in the fridge for dinner this week!  I was introduced to this recipe by a fellow teacher at my school who made these for a staff snack day.  I fell in love with them and they have been a staple in my household ever since!  I like to cook up some sweet potato fries and a side of veggies to go with it.  Enjoy!

To make this Ham & Cheese Slider recipe, you will need the following ingredients:

24 white dinner rolls
(I use King’s Hawaiian rolls)

24 pieces honey ham ( I used lower sodium)
24 small slices Swiss cheese ( I used low fat)
1 cup mayonnaise ( I skipped this part and just buttered the rolls with Smart Balance Butter)
Poppy seed sauce
1 tablespoon poppyseeds
1 1/2 tablespoons yellow mustard
1 1/2 sticks butter, melted
1 tablespoon minced onion

1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Start by slicing the roll in half.

Spread butter on both sides of the roll liberally.


Add a piece of the honey ham,

then a slice of cheese.
Continue assembling sandwiches until you have filled a large
Pyrex dish. Make sure the sandwiches are right next to each other!


Poppy Sauce:

After the sandwiches are assembled, make the Poppy Sauce!

In a pourable container, add melted 1 1/2 sticks of butter,

1 tablespoon poppy seeds,



1 1/2 teaspoons yellow mustard

1 tablespoon grated onion,

and 1/2 teaspoon of Worcestershire. Mix Mix Mix.

Pour poppy sauce over sandwiches,

and cover with foil.
Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 25 minutes.
uncover and bake an additional 2-3 minutes. Serve warm.

Enjoy!!

Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings

I don't know about you, but after a long day of work I like to come home to some major comfort food.  With school starting tomorrow I know I will be exhausted when I come home so I wanted to find something that I could prepare ahead of time and have it finished by dinner time.  I prepared everything today already in the crockpot, and even cut up the biscuits and have them in a ziplock baggie ready to go as soon as I get home from work.  I hope that you enjoy!

To make this Chicken & Dumplings Recipe, you will need the following ingredients:

4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts (I used 3 very large ones)

2 tablespoons butter

2 cans cream of chicken soup ( I used the Healthy Request version)

1 can chicken broth ( I used lower sodium)

1 onion diced

1 tablespoon dried parsley

4 grands flaky refrigerator biscuits ( I used reduced fat)

Place chicken in crock pot.

Add the butter,

cream of chicken soup,

chicken broth

onions,

and parsley.

Cook on high for 4-6 hours.

After cooking time has elapsed, take a fork and break up the chicken into pieces.

Now, cut biscuits into 9 pieces. Stir into hot chicken and continue to cook for 30 minutes. (Turn crock pot back on)

Serve hot! Add more chicken broth as necessary.

Enjoy!!

Taco Stuffed Shells!

Okay, so I saw this recipe on one of my new FAVORITE blogs, and had to try it.  I am trying to find recipes that I can prepare on Sundays, and then pop in the oven or crockpot for convenience.  I am trying to alter some of the recipes to make them a little healthier, but without sacrificing the taste. Now that we have two babies in daycare I am also looking for something a little more affordable than what my palate was used too:)  We ate this one last night and it was so good!  I am taking some to my fourth grade team for lunch today:)

Taco Stuffed Shells

1 lb. ground beef (I used ground turkey)

1 pkg. taco seasoning

1 {14 oz.} pkg. cream cheese ( I used reduced fat)

12 large pasta shells

1 cup salsa {I used World Casera}

1 cup taco sauce {I used Taco Bell}

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese ( I used 2%)

1/2 cup tortilla chips, crushed ( I used baked)

3 green onions, chopped (optional)

1 cup sour cream (optional)

First on the list, go ahead and brown your meat. Drain and return to pan. Add taco seasoning & prepare according to package directions. Then go ahead and toss in your cream cheese, cover, and let it simmer until the cream cheese is melted. Mix it around until it’s nice & blended and then set it aside. You’ll want to make sure this little mix has time to cool off before stuffing your shells.

In the meantime, cook your shells according to package directions. Drain, return to pot, and mix with butter. Pour some salsa in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. 

Now stuff your shells with the meat mix and place them in the baking dish on top of the salsa. Cover the tops of the shells with taco sauce. I know the recipe called for a cup, but I just eyeballed it and put on as much…or as little…as I wanted :)

Cover the baking dish with foil and cook at 350 for 30 minutes. I put this in the refridgerator Sunday afternoon and pulled it out yesterday around 5:30 and had to cook it for about 45 minutes as it had been sitting in the fridge.  Remove from oven, uncover, and sprinkle crushed tortilla chips and the cheeses on top of the shells. Cook for about 15 more minutes {uncovered} or until cheeses are all melted.

Remove from oven and top with whatever makes your little heart happy. We didn't top our with anything,and it was still good!  

**Recipe courtesty of Pearls, Handcuffs, and Happy Hour blog