Mayo Parm Chicken Bake

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Moist and juicy chicken baked under a layer of Swiss and lots of Parmesan and Romano cheese.  Oh my goodness this is good.  You can use chicken breasts or chicken tenders as I did in the photos.  I find that I can make my whole meal in only 20 minutes or so when I go for the chicken tenders.  Chicken breasts unless pounded thinner will take an hour to bake.

Mayo Parm Chicken Bake

4 Boneless Skinless Chicken breasts (or use thinner tenders)

4-6 slices Swiss cheese

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup sour cream

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, Divided

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Preheat oven to 375 and line a pan with foil to make clean up easier.  Spray the foil lightly with non-stick spray. Lay chicken

on pan so that it is touching and pat dry with a paper towel.

Add sliced cheese on top of chicken breasts. You can overlap cheese.

 

In a bowl mix mayonnaise, sour cream, ½ cup Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Spread this over chicken and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese.

  

Bake for 1 hour for thicker chicken breast and less time for thinner.  Chicken is done when temperature reaches 165 degrees. 

Remove from oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.  Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photography is the property of and copyrighted to Welcome Home

Chicken Cordon Bleu Pizza

 Chicken Cordon Bleu Pizza

Every now and then you want pizza but you get tired of the same old sauce and toppings.  I love this one that turns regular pizza into an elegant dinner!

Chicken Cordon Bleu Pizza

1 large sheet puff pastry, thawed and rolled out to 12 x 8 inches 

2 cups of Tyson Grilled Chicken Strips, diced
2 tablespoons butter 
1 cup shredded provolone cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
½ cup Ragu Alfredo sauce
½ cup ham, diced

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line a baking pan with parchment paper.

Roll out the thawed puff pastry onto a floured work surface.  Smooth the seams and increase the size slightly to about 12 x 8 inches.

Lay out the puff pastry onto a parchment-lined baking tray. Spread the alfredo sauce evenly on the dough spreading to edges. Sprinkle on half the provolone and Mozzarella cheese.  

Next top with the chicken and the ham and cover it with the remaining cheese.

Bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until pastry is puffed, flaky and golden brown.  Slice and serve.

Photography is the property of and copyrighted to ©Welcome Home.

Simple Buttery Croissant Casserole

 Simple Buttery Croissant Casserole

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I make a lot of breakfast casseroles.  They are so easy to make and you can create whatever taste and flavors you want by mixing different ingredients.  Usually, I make them up as I go along depending on whatever I have in my fridge and pantry.  Leftover ham or sausage, different breads and I might use cheddar or Monterrey Jack cheese. It’s truly whatever I have on hand.  But this one my friends, is by far the best breakfast casserole I make.  It is so simple and has so few ingredients and yet it is better than all of the others.  Why?  More eggs that make a rich custard base.  toasted buttery croissants. Heavy cream. Gruyere cheese.  Those ingredients come together and make the most delicious casserole you will ever eat!

 Simple Buttery Croissant Casserole 

10 large eggs, beaten

1 cup heavy cream

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard (optional)

1 teaspoon salt

 

½ teaspoon pepper

    5–6 croissants, torn into small pieces 

Toast your croissants pieces in the oven at 350 for about 10 minutes or until they are golden brown and just slightly crispy. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Leave the oven on at 350 degrees.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the cream, Dijon and salt and pepper.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spray a baking dish with non-stick spray or grease it with butter. You can use a 9 x 13, which is standard, but I like my casserole thicker so I use a 10 x 7 -inch dish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Arrange the toasted croissant pieces in the bottom of the dish. 

Sprinkle the top with half the cheese.  At this point you could add other ingredients such as ham, sausage, veggies, etc.  But this casserole is just perfect as is without any other fillers. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pour eggs all over the top, making sure you cover as much of the croissants as you can. Take the back of a spoon or spatula and press down any croissants that are not covered in the egg mixture.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add the other half of the cheese on top and cover with aluminum foil shiny side up.  You want the non-stick part facing the casserole.

Bake for 30-40 minutes, depending on what size pan you used. Remove foil and bake for another 5-10 minutes. You don’t want to overcook the eggs. The middle of the casserole should be firm if you shake the dish a little. You will notice the entire casserole has puffed up beautifully.  

You can also do a test by inserting a skewer or knife in the very middle of the casserole to make sure it comes out clean or just cheesy and not runny egg.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cut into squares and serve warm.  So Good! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Want a bite?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Store covered in the refrigerated for up to 3 days. For leftovers, heat in microwave.

 

Photography is the property of and copyrighted to Welcome Home.

Smothered Pork Chops in Caramelized Onion Mushroom Gravy

OMG this is so good.  Tender smothered pork chops pan-seared to golden perfection and then served in a savory caramelized onion and mushroom gravy.  I start by dredging bone-in pork chops in onion powder, garlic powder, flour and salt and pepper.  Then I pan fry them in olive oil and butter until they are crisp and golden.  I make a rich thick gravy with onions that I sauté  in the same skillet and let them cook until caramelized. There is no better comfort food…. This is one of my favorite recipes in my Mom’s collection.

 

Smothered Pork Chops in Caramelized Onion Mushroom Gravy

 

4 (1-inch thick) bone-in rib chops

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

¼ cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 tablespoons butter, divided

1 large onion (sliced thin), *SEE NOTE

10 ounces mushrooms (sliced)

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/2 cup chicken stock

1 cup heavy cream

 

*NOTE:  Take a short cut and buy caramelized onions in a jar.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dry the pork chops well with paper towels. Place flour, salt and pepper, onion powder and garlic powder in a shallow bowl and dredge the pork chops until evenly coated. 

 

 

 

Heat 2 tablespoons of butter and the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork chops and sear them for 2-3 minutes or until golden and crispy on the bottom. Then flip them over and sear them for another 2-3 minutes or until they are golden on the other side. Remove the pork chops from the pan and lay on paper towel lined plate.

Caramelized onions:

If there is less than a tablespoon of oil left in the pan, add a little more. Add the onions and cook on low heat, stirring occasionally, until they are soft and brown.  It usually takes about 25 minutes for onions to caramelize so be patient.  The more caramelized the richer and more flavorful the gravy. Once onions have caramelized, add them to bowl and set aside.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the same skillet add your mushrooms and sauté until soft and lightly browned.  Add in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter then sprinkle the ¼ cup of flour over the top of the mushrooms and stir until combined.  Cook for 2 minutes until the flour taste is gone.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Slowly whisk in the cream and chicken broth, scraping the brown bits off the bottom of the skillet. Continue to whisk and you will see it start to thicken.  Add salt and pepper and Italian seasoning to taste. Once you have it seasoned to your liking, you are ready to add in the onions you caramelized earlier.  If you are using the store-bought onions in a jar, now is the time to stir in at least a tablespoon or two.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next, add in your pork chops and any accumulated juices back into the pan. Turn heat to low and allow the pork chops to cook for another 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure they are not sticking. Temp of chops should be 145 degrees.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Serve with Mashed potatoes.  Drizzle more sauce on pork chops and potatoes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recipe Notes

If the gravy gets too thick for you, add a little more chicken broth or heavy cream.

You can use boneless or bone-in pork chops.

Photography is the property of and copyrighted to Welcome Home.