My family loved this!  We love all things pasta.  Our weekly menu always includes at least one pasta dish.

So when Philadelphia Cooking Creme asked me to swap out one of our regular dinners with one of their recipes, I jumped at the chance.    There are several recipes in their Fresh Family Favorite recipe collection.  I chose this Creamy Chicken Florentine. Creamy pasta meals make my family happy. And you know how I love easy recipes.  This one fits that category too.

I chose to use the Reduced Fat Savory Garlic flavor of Cooking Creme.  I was afraid it might be too garlicky tasting, but it was perfect.  The taste was subtle, with just the right amount of flavor.

I did make a few minor alterations to the recipe.  First, I doubled it.  The original recipe serves 4.  Not enough for my family of 6.  I also skipped the pine nuts.  You can substitute slivered almonds, if you don’t want to spring for pine nuts.  (I love pine nuts, but they are pricey.)

Here’s what you’ll need: 

You can win a $50 Grocery Gift Card!

PHILADELPHIA Cooking Creme is giving one of you a $50 Grocery Gift Card!

To enter:

• First entry – Leave a comment here letting me know if you’ve tried PHILADELPHIA  Cooking Creme or which flavor you’d like to try.
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Contest closes Monday, 2/13 at 9am.  Winner will be announced on the Eat at Home Facebook Page.

Disclosure: I am one of 9 bloggers selected by Kraft Foods to participate in the Philadelphia Cooking Creme recipe program. While I have been compensated for my time, my opinions are my own, and I have not been paid to post positive comments.

Yesterday, we talked about how to make white sauce.  That is the basis for this dish too.  The simple white sauce poured over layers of potato, ham ans shredded Swiss cheese makes for a wonderful dinner.

In order to keep the baking time to a minimum and ensure the potatoes get cooked all the way through, I boiled the whole potatoes and then sliced them.  Since everything is hot going into the oven, it only needs about 20 minutes to melt the cheese and finish off the dish.

Here’s what you’ll need to make it: 

Have a cut of beef in your freezer that you need to fix for dinner?  Not in the mood for a recipe?  No problem!

Here are some ideas to get you started.  No recipe required.

These ideas are for roasts or other cuts.  If you’ve got a nice steak, you’ll want to choose a different cooking method.

All of these ideas can be done in the oven or slow cooker.  The cooking time will depend on the cut of beef and how large the piece is.  As a general rule, beef roast or a round steak weighing about 2-3 lbs. will take 6-7  hours on high in the slow cooker.

9 ways to fix beef roast or other cuts of beef

1. Salsa – any type.
2. Diced tomatoes and green chilis.  Shred the meat and serve in tortillas or slice and serve with cornbread and veggies.
3. Enchilada sauce, shred and serve in tortillas.
4. Jar of gravy, add potatoes, carrots and onions cut in chunks.
5. Cream of mushroom soup.  Serve with baked potatoes.
6. Spaghetti sauce -  Pour over the meat.  Add green peppers and onions.  Serve over angel hair pasta.
7. Bbq sauce – Shred or slice and serve on buns.
8. Sprinkle with Italian seasonings, add onions, garlic and a splash of red wine.
9. Bay leaf, rosemary, salt and pepper, red wine or beef broth.
10. Make French Dip Sandwiches – Pour can of beef broth and 1 Tbs. worcestershire sauce over meat. Shred and serve on sub buns.

Sometimes, when I sit down to write up a recipe post, I can’t find anything to say.  This is one of those times.

Because, really, the beauty of this sandwich is that it’s so simple.

Grilled fish that cooks up quick on a George Foreman or other indoor grill.

Cajun seasoning  kicks the flavor up a notch or three.

Homemade tartar sauce that is just mayo with a little sweet relish stirred in.

Put it on a bun, serve it with fries and carrot sticks or salad.  It’s a little out of the ordinary, but casual and easy enough for a weeknight supper.

Here’s what you’ll need: 

The fish is in a bowl of water to thaw.  It takes about 15-20 minutes to thaw like this.

I thought the sandwiches would be great with lettuce, tomato and red onion.  Sadly, I didn’t have any of those.

How often do you eat fish?

Sometimes I make a recipe exactly as it’s written.  Maybe because I’m not familiar with the dish.  Or because it’s a baked good that will just work better if I follow directions.  Or because I like the results of that specific recipe.

But other times, I use recipes as a jumping off point.  I swap out ingredients for what I have in my pantry or fridge.  This is how I cook most often.  I love to read comments from readers that say something like, “I loved this recipe.  I used chicken broth instead of beef, added more veggies, skipped the green chilis and topped it with cornbread.”  It’s not the same recipe at all, but the reader loved it! She used her creativity and shopped her pantry to serve her family a meal that they all liked.  Success!

One reason I like enchiladas so much is that they are a prime candidate for substituting.  These enchiladas are a recent result of shopping my pantry and fridge for ingredients.  They are simple to make and my family loved them.

Here’s what you’ll need.  Feel free to substitute as needed.  The recipe makes about 9-10 enchiladas.  The picture above only shows part of the recipe.

Do you feel comfortable substituting ingredients or do you stick to the recipe?

Does this ever happen to you?  You know dinner is going to be chicken because you’ve got a pack of boneless breasts/thighs/tenders or bone-in legs/breasts/thighs.  But you have no desire to think up a recipe to turn them into dinner.

You don’t need a recipe.  You just need some ideas.

Here are 10 ways (plus a few cooking methods) to get you started.  

Cooking method 1:  Slow Cooker

This is my favorite way to cook.  Throw it in the crock and bam – hours later, dinner is ready.  Obviously, this method works best if you have plenty of time.

Cooking method 2:  Oven

Thawed boneless pieces should take about an hour to cook, less if they’re thin (like breast tenders).  Bone-in pieces I give an hour and 15 minutes or more if they are thick.

Sprinkle or Pour on Flavor

1. Salsa  – Any type.  Try black bean and corn or chipotle lime or another style for a fun variation.
2. Bbq sauce – Any type.
3. Salad dressing – French, Catalina, Italian etc.
4. Stir fry sauce, orange sauce, mandarin sauce etc.
5. A sweet (like honey or jelly) with a sour/tart (like ketchup, cocktail sauce, chili sauce, bbq sauce) use up the bottles in your fridge.
6. Taco seasoning – shred and serve in tortillas
7. Spaghetti sauce – add mozzarella or provolone slices during the last few minutes of cooking
8. Crushed tomatoes/diced tomatoes/tomato sauce with Italian seasoning
9. Jar of gravy
10. Cream of…soup, add onions and/or other veggies

What’s your favorite way to fix chicken?

When I was growing up, my family always called sandwiches like this Wimpys.   I’m not sure how old I was when I figured out that everyone else calls the Sloppy Joes.

When I made these, my intention was to just use a can of Manwich.  But I couldn’t find it anywhere in the grocery.  I looked in all the logical places, but no Manwich.

So, I decided to make some homemade.  This recipe is adapted from Simply Recipes.  Her recipe has ketchup and carrots.  I used chili sauce and red peppers.  Mine also has more meat, but I liked her base of seasonings although I skipped a few of the herbs and spices.  Change this up for your tastes and pantry.

Here’s what you’ll need: 

Do you call these sandwiches Sloppy Joes, Wimpys or something else?

Would you believe that delicious stuffed potato is a 15 minute meal?  Now that’s fast food!

It’s super easy to fix, thanks to the sweet potato.  They are all scrubbed, wrapped and ready to microwave from Express Bake PotatOH!

As soon as I was contacted by the Express Bake PotatOH! people I knew what I wanted to do with the sweet potatoes.  And it didn’t disappoint.   Sweet potatoes have never been topped so well.  While the potatoes took a spin in the microwave, I fixed the sausage and apple topping.  The entire meal was ready in about 15 minutes.

I also had the opportunity to try baked potatoes and fingerlings.  Delicious and so easy!  I topped the baked potatoes with creamed chicken.  My kids loved it.  The potatoes bake perfectly in the microwave.  Express Bake PotatOHs are perfect for nights when you’re in a hurry.  They can be topped with all kinds of things or eaten as a side dish.  Either way, they are quick and healthy.

Here’s what you’ll need for  the Sweet Potatoes topped with Chicken Apple Sausage and Apples: 

The creamed chicken recipe is also super fast, providing you’ve got cooked chicken in the freezer.  This makes a comforting and fast weeknight meal.  Here’s what you’ll need:

I was very impressed with the quality of these potatoes.  They cooked perfectly in the microwave and were super convenient.  You can find more about Express Bake PotatOH! brand products on YouTube.  I’m kind of a food geek, but I loved these videos.  It was fun to see how they plant and harvest the potatoes and the fact that they grow in Colorado (we visited there this summer) made it even cooler!  Now I know how those huge irrigation contraptions get used.  Awesome!

You can also find Express Bake PotatOH! on Facebook and Twitter.

This is a sponsored post by Express Bake PotatOH! I have been compensated for my time, as well as my writing about my experience. I have also been provided products for review. However, my opinions are entirely my own and I have not been paid to publish positive comments.

Stir fry is a cooking method that can’t really be replicated in a slow cooker.

But you can make a pretty good fake!

I’ve made this recipe twice now.  It’s easy and quick to fix.  The chicken gets cooked in stir fry sauce for several hours.  The veggies are added later, so they don’t get mushy.

No ingredient photo this time.  I was in a big hurry both times I’ve made it.

I’m sure you can use this method for other meats and veggies too.  We love Asian food and it’s fun to be able to make it in the slow cooker, even though it’s not authentic at all.

Off the wall question: Do you know how to eat with chopsticks?

This meal is so fast to get on the table.  The soup cooks up very quickly and Sister Schubert’s Mini Baguettes are not only the prefect accompaniment, they are also quick to the table.

Do you like dipping bread in your soup?  I do and these were perfect for doing that.  The outside of the baguette is crunchy, making them great for dipping.  The inside is soft and warm, which gives them a homemade taste.  I also really appreciate that they are individual servings, versus a whole loaf that needs to be cut.  When you need to get dinner to the table fast, every little time-saving step helps!

The other thing I love about this whole meal is that it requires no advanced planning.  It’s basically a pantry/freezer meal.  All the ingredients can be kept on hand and pulled out when you need them.  The Mini Baguettes warm in the oven while the soup comes together.   I love meals like this!

Here’s what you’ll need to make the soup: 

In the photo, you’ll see beef broth, but I ended up using chicken broth.  Either would work fine.

How do you eat your soup?  Do you like to dip bread in it?  Do you like to crush crackers in soup?  Or are you a purist, keeping the bread/crackers on the side?

I was one of eight bloggers selected by Sister Schubert’s Homemade Rolls to review their products. I have been compensated for my time commitment to the program as well as my writing about my experience. I have also been provided products for review. However, my opinions are entirely my own and I have not been paid to publish positive comments.