Friday, August 22, 2008

Food for Friday...

I am a recipe collector. My best recipes from friends and family are kept in this cookbook. There are recipes that have been passed down to me like Mimi's Caesar Salad Dressing, and Mom's special recipe for a pie crust. I have Nana's Corn Souffle, and of course Nana's Buckeyes. I have recipes that my sister has given me like The Very Best Onion Dip, and Hot Brown Soup. Many recipes are from friends who happen to be really great cooks. Like I said, the best of the best recipes are in this book.


As much as I like to cook, I'm not really an adventurous cook. I really only make dishes that I know are to be good, ones that have been passed onto me from someone else. My mom on the other hand is known for just "throwing things together". She is creative with her cooking and knows what needs to be added or substituted. My sister is the kind of cook that is willing to try a new recipe every week. I'm just not that brave when it comes to new recipes. I guess I owe a BIG thank-you to all the cooks in my life who have so graciously shared their recipes with me. I haven't come across any of those kind of cooks. You know, the ones that when you ask for the recipe the say, "It's a family recipe that I just can't share." Whatever.

Some of my most favorite recipes have come from cookbooks that I'm not at all afraid to try. How could you possibly go wrong with Paula Deen or Southern Living?
Food for Friday is my way of sharing with you my favorite recipes. I'm not one of those cooks. If someone has been kind enough to share it with me, I want to pass it on. These will all be recipes that I've made and are a family hit. I hope you find them as delicious as we do!

My first shared recipe is the one and only Poppyseed Chicken. For all you "southerners", I'm sure you are well acquainted with this dish. It's comfort food at it's best. Enjoy!!!

POPPYSEED CHICKEN~
6-8 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
2 cans cream of chicken soup
8 oz. cream cheese
50 Ritz crackers ( 1 sleeve)
2 T. poppy seeds
1 stick melted butter

Place chicken in casserole dish. In saucepan, combine cream cheese and soup. Melt and pour over chicken. Crush crackers and add poppy seeds. Pour better on top of crackers. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Sorry I don't have a picture of this dish. We had it for dinner (at 9:00 PM!) one night this week and we were so hungry that there wasn't time to get a picture!

* Here is a time-saving tip for you.... I plan my meals a couple weeks at a time. I have done it for up to a month at a time. I will spend a couple of hours cooking all the chicken and hamburger I will need for upcoming dinners. I then place it into a labeled freezer bag according to the recipe I will need it for. It is then put into the freezer for when I will need it. That way, when I'm ready to prepare that particular recipe, all I have to do is pull the cooked meat out of the freezer and let it thaw. No need to waste time cooking the meat. This saves SO much time and I've found that I don't dread making dinner as much. It's time on the front side but really worth it.

So, when I made Poppyseed Chicken all I had to do was pull out my already cooked and shredded chicken, let it thaw and it was ready to go!

I also shred chicken (instead of dicing it) because I think it makes it go a little farther. Maybe I just have myself convinced it does, I don't know.

Have a great weekend!




21 comments:

  1. Please, come to my house and teach me. My poor family is begging you!

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  2. I love aquiring receipes too. Cooking your meat ahead of time is a great idea!

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  3. I like to cook meat ahead of time, too. :) Thanks for sharing the recipe!

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  4. I am also a recipe collector and I am putting this one into my book!!!

    From one Paula lover to another!

    Have a great weekend,

    Krista

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  5. PS thank you for the cooking ahead tip~ Love that!

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  6. I plan my menu two weeks ahead, but just can't bring myself to prepare the meat etc, as you have...but, your right, it probably is a time saver in the end!

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  7. YUMMY! I am going to jot this one down and try it out on Sunday! Anything with cream cheese and Ritz crackers ROCKS in my book! I will post a chicken recipe with Ritz this weekend. It's a HIT with my 8 year old (who tends to get a bit finicky about foods!) Happy almost the weekend to you~ Leslie

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  8. Sounds yummy. I'll have to give it a try.
    Have a good weekend.

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  9. Yum-oh...that Poppy Seed Chicken sounds wonderful. I'll be sure to try this one.

    I may just have to join you on Fridays, posting favorite recipes. Great idea.

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  10. I just made this poppy seed chicken recipe last week. I had gotten it from one of my other blog friends. It was a big hit! I love it, and so does my husband (who is picky). It's very similar to my regular chicken casserole that I make (chicken, 8 oz. sour cream, 1 can cream of mushroom, topped with buttered crackers).

    I have been trying to do this with freezing food ahead of time. I have been wanting to do this with the meats. I'm glad to hear that this is what you do and that it works for you. I have been doing weekly meal plans for about a year now. Now, I would love to (and need!) to start working more on a monthly basis. And cooking and freezing my meat ahead of time is something I'm very interested in!

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  11. That looks like a really good recipe. You have a darling blog, I'm so glad I dropped by.

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  12. Oh, I love getting new recipes, especially ones that you know are good because someone else has already tried them. I feel like I am always asking people for recipes, so thanks for sharing this one! I will admit I haven't heard of this, not being from the south, but I can't wait to try it! Have a great weekend Christy! :)
    -Carrie

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  13. This sounds delicious. I love poppy seed recipes. I wish I liked to cook as much as it sounds like you do!

    Thanks for your sweet words today...I have to tell you I loved your idea about ice-cream for dinner. Loved it!

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  14. I am adding this to my recipe book as it sounds wonderful!! Sounds like a great idea to prepare the meat and freeze ahead of time.

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  15. Love that poppyseed chicken casserole. That may be a Sunday lunch idea. Aren't Susie's tassels just great? Thanks for sharing. Have a super weekend. Jackie

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  16. Hello! Two comments:
    1. I have that same pattern but as a notebook, so cute!
    2. I am eating poppyseed chicken as I read this blog! My southern friend Sarah, from Georgia, made it for me!
    Have a lovely weekend!

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  17. Hi Christy! YUM, that sounds like a delicious chicken recipe.
    Have a great weekend!

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  18. Love It, Love It, Love It! This is soooo yummy! It's a hit here in Illinois!!! I just put a recipe that my fam loves up today with Ritz. Hope you like it! ~ Les

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  19. I love this poppyseed chicken recipe!

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  20. Oh yum. I just printed your recipe out to add to my menu for the next 2 weeks. :o) Thank you for sharing!
    Sincerely ~ Tricia Anne

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