Recipes | laborofwonder

Macaroni Twist (Simply Impressive)

by motherofwonder

Ok, so I don’t have pictures to include with this post (yet!), but I will this evening! I have gotten out of the habit of my Impressively Simple Thursdays, and I am wanting to get back into the habit! So today I am just starting doing it! (It can’t be a habit if I don’t ever start, can it??) Because I’m hoping to get a ton done today (I’ve been hiding from the mountain of laundry screaming my name.), I want a meal that’s simple, and doesn’t require a lot of time or effort… which is why this wonderful, yummy casserolesque dish gets the pick! I got an email (click here to see original recipe) that I got the base from, and of course, adapated to make it my own. It’s incredibly yummy and incredibly heavy (so not something I’d make on a weekly basis, but a wonderful comfort food!). Perfect twist on plain old macaroni if you ask me! And hubbyman loves any recipe that includes bacon!

Some things to know before hand: They used penne pasta, but my children loooove “phone noodles” (otherwise known as elbow) and so that’s what we’ll be using, but I of course recommend using whatever your favorite kind of noodle is (or even better, let your kids pick out what their favorite kind is- they’re waaay more likely to eat and enjoy it!). Also they said a serving size of 12 and since I’m only feeding 5…. 12 seems unnecessary. So this is for a family of five and you can reduce it still if necessary, or copy their ratio (or just double what I have listed here) and freeze the leftovers (or make it in two dishes- one for tonight and one for another night!). Anyways, here’s what I did:

Ingredients:

pasta (about 5 handfuls or whatever equals 5-6 servings)

bacon (I used 3 pieces of bacon)

1/2 cup crushed protons (gluten free croutons- you can use panko or whatever breadcrumbs you normally use, or even a little almond meal instead. whatever you have on hand!)

1/8 cup butter, melted

1 tsp parsley (fresh; use less if dried)

1 1/2 tbs olive oil

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/2 small onion, finally chopped

1 tbs flour (I used coconut flour with an extra pinch or two of almond flour, but you can use all-purpose or whatever your favorite flour/thickener is)

1 cup heavy cream (the recepiet called for 4 CUPS of heavy cream… yikes! I happened to have a small amount left, so I used it up because otherwise it would go to waste, but I’d really just use milk otherwise. That’s alotta cream! And between the bacon and the cheese, heavy cream just seems above and beyond!)

1 cup milk

1/2 tsp thyme (fresh, less if using dried)

1/2 cup cheese (calls for monterray jack but I had pepperjack and mozzarella… so I did half and half)

1 cup cheddar cheese

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 350.

Now, go ahead and cook your noodles (boil slightly salted water, add noodles, bring to a boil again. Now you don’t want these all the way mushy, you want them still slightly firm to the bite. So if you think they’re not quite done enough to eat, they’re done.) and drain well.

Cook bacon until evenly browned, reserving (saving) the drippings in a small bowl. Drain bacon on towel-lined plate, and then crumble bacon into a bowl, mix in the breadcrumbs (or in my case the crushed GF protons/croutons), butter, and parsley.

Heat olive oil in skillet over medium, adding in onions and garlic. Cook and stir until they’ve softened; 3-5 minutes. Stir in bacon drippings and flour. Cook and stir for one minute and then whisk in the cream/milk and thyme. Continue cooking and stirring until reduced by about 1/3. Then add the cheeses, stirring until melted. (I find it clumps less if you add it in slowly rather than all at once.) Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the pasta. Transfer mixture into an oven-safe dish. Sprinkle with the breadcrumb/bacon mixture and bake until crumbs have browned and sauce is bubbly. About 15-20 minutes.

Seem like a lot to do? Here’s how I simplified it. Instead of doing it one at a time, I did it all at once. I promise it’s not as complicated as that may sound. Get water going for noodles. While water is boiling, cook your bacon in a skillet (or something similar that you can then use for cooking the onions and garlic = less dishes). Yes, your noodles will probably be done before the full cheese mixture is done, but it will save you time in the long run. This way too if your noodles are not as firm as you need/want them, you have time to run some cold water over them or throw some ice cubes in with them and let them firm up before baking. As far as reheating, it’s not quite the same when microwaving (especially if you used all that heavy cream)… but you can reheat it in a skillet with a little extra milk/butter) for just a minute or two and voila it’s yummy!

Gluten Free Impressively Simple Life According To Me Pasta

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Simply Irresistable!

by motherofwonder

This is so, so yummy (and so, so simple)… and those that know me that this time of year is a busy time in my kitchen. Salsa making and canning will occur and end shortly and then the fall season will start. Which brings apples galore! My grandparents have an apple orchard and lots of friends with apple orchards. Which for me, equals- I get lots of apples! I make (and can) applesauce, apple butter, and send hubbyman to work with countless batches of one of my personal favorite treats- apple crisp! It’s actually one of the few desserts that I can make a whole pan of and not have to throw any out! (We’re just not big dessert eaters, hubbyman and I.) Plus, this is one dish that always says home to me. And have always made it no matter where we lived!

My brother and his new bride have apple trees in their new yard and my dad brought back a bun was thoughtful enough to share them with me! There was exactly enough for each of the kids to help themselves to one and for me to make a (7×7) pan! I know what I will be having for breakfast the next couple of days! The recipe is so simple, truly! For a 7×7 pan this is what I used: 6-8 small to medium apples (peeled and sliced in wedges- uniform size is best so they all cook the same) Drizzle cut apples with splash of lemon juice 1/4 cup of sugar 1/2 cup apple juice (you can use water and it will still taste good!)

Next (this is the topping) you will combine 1 cup of flour (you can also use oats. I used too many oats/not enough flour… I think a 3/4 c flour to 1/4 c oats would be a better consistency than my half and half- but it still tasted good.), a cup of butter (2 sticks), and 1/3 cup of sugar in a small bowl. I usually start with the butter and soften (not melt!) and then “cut” the butter into the flour/sugar, (Which means I take a knife and fork and act like I’m literally cutting it) until it’s in about pea size balls. I love the topping so I make sure that it covers the whole thing. Top it off with cinnamon and bake at 375 for 35 minutes. And voila! You have an amazing dessert! Serve it hot and top with vanilla ice cream (especially if you’re trying to impress someone!) or cold with a dollop of cool whip! Yum!

Dessert Gluten Free Impressively Simple

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Impressively Simple Leftovers

by motherofwonder

Last weekend was craazy, followed by what’s been a fairly crazy week. Tuesday our power went out! And it didn’t get fixed until around 3:30pm yesterday! While it was a major annoyance, it wasn’t life stopping that’s for sure. Big E found his “miner’s light” (one of those flashlights that goes around your head) and Miss E has a Princess lantern (I believe both are thanks to an Auntie- thank you!) and they had lots of fun with those. They even put on a shadow puppet show for Littlest E. So sweet. Plus, since it was dark they were convinced it was bedtime almost an hour before their normal bedtime… that was awesome! And it afforded us to do some things that I otherwise would have declared myself too “busy” to do. Like walking to a lovely little cafe we like and sitting in their garden area while enjoying Yogurt Parfaits (which Big E deemed “better than candy,” and Miss E followed it with, “Or treats!” thanks in part to the shaved chocolate on top!). The older couple sitting a table away had a good chuckle over their statements. Followed up with playtime at their favorite playground. Something it’s been either too hot or rainy to do very often this summer. I think they were actually a little disappointed when the power came back on. Not much, but maybe a little. Until they realized their toast could again be toasted.

So food… leftovers, of course! Because I threw out everything that was a)going bad or b) had already gone bad or c)would never get eaten and was not worth taking up precious cooler space. I try (this is a continuous process for me!) to make sure everything continues to get eaten, not just one time and the rest thrown away… and what better reminder than a mandatory fridge cleanout! I found pre-made (and frozen) noodles, already cooked chicken, and a small container of pre-mixed-GF all-purpose flour…. so I made chicken alfredo! Yummy! The noodles are incredibly easy to make, alfredo sauce is super simple to make (and so easy to personalize into whatever your taste buds are craving most! For me it’s usually salt, for hubbyman it’s usually pepper! Bring 1 cup milk, 2 tbs butter, 2 tbs flour, and any of your favorite seasoning- I used garlic, lowry’s, pepper, sea salt, parsley, and oregano. to a boil for 2 minutes and voila- instant Mmmm.)… so that’s what we ate! What is your favorite, easy to throw together, “leftover” meal? Mine is probably salads, because I just love salads and you can throw almost any kind of (leftover) meat on top and make it especially “special.”

Chicken Gluten Free Impressively Simple Pasta Recipes

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Bring In Da Noise, Kick Out Da Funk

by motherofwonder

So if you read my post yesterday, you know that I’ve kind of been in a cooking funk. I don’t know if it’s the end of summer blues or just how much company we’ve had over the summer that’s left me a little burn out… as my sister-in-law says, You are the food lady. And what that means is that when you come to my house, you will be fed. I’m like your grandma (or at least my grandma)… food is one of my “love languages.” So if you come to my house, I will cook for you. If you request something, I will make it. (And I really love it when I get special requests!) At a “cousins’ dinner” I hosted last year, one of my cousins said, Who knew you’d be able to cook like this? While we all shared a laugh over it and really, I probably never would have guessed growing up that I would have cared at all about new recipes or that I’d always, always, always, have to make each and every recipe my own. I like to tell my hubbyman that he really lucked out when we got married, because at the time neither of us knew if I could really cook. (Although to a single, Navy man, anything that didn’t come from a box or a can was probably an improvement.)

So blah, blah, blah…I usually enjoy cooking, and I still have been cooking, just kind of thoughtless, easy, throw something together because I have to feed my family, kind of cooking. And while I didn’t make the eggplant chicken alfredo that I’d been planning to make, mainly because hubbyman wasn’t coming home until 7ish and I let the kids choose what they wanted for dinner. Which was phone noodles (what they call elbow noodles) and “the red sauce we like.” And can I just say what a relief it is to be able to give Miss E things with tomatoes in it again?! Whew! That poor girl! Her list of can’t haves is finally dwindling down to just a few! We’re still in the reintroduction phase, so we’re taking it slow and minimal, but so far so good!

Ok, back to me… so I found that website yesterday (from the post you read yesterday, right?) and I made them! Well, I made my version! (*grin*)

: I turned the rolls into bread…and it was fabulous!

I made the frosting pink for Miss E since lots of times she gets left when it comes to deserts.

They were both phenominal! I was so impressed! Plus, I had everything I needed on hand… I guess I did a couple substitutes, but I didn’t have to run to the store for anything and they turned out great! If you want to try them, go here for the full recipe!

Notes on how mine were different: I made one batch of dough and filled one bread pan and then had enough dough left for 6 of the cream cheese rolls.

Favorite Rolls: Not only did I turn it into bread, but I didn’t have potato flakes, so I googled and found I could substitute potato flour or starch (1/2 cup flakes = 3 cups flour). I also didn’t have buttermilk, so I made my own (1 tbs lemon juice, add milk until it equals a cup. Let sit for 5 minutes. Viola!). Also since it was bread, it needed about 30 minutes. This was SO good and really very simple!

Cream Cheese Rolls: Oh this filling is so good! I made the whole batch and put the rest in the fridge- I’m thinking stuffed french toast this weekend! Or pancakes! Oh yum! So good! Anyways, you do want to make sure to push the top layer (of dough) down onto the filling, or yours will turn out like mine- with a little bubble in the middle that’s not completely filled with filling. Still good, just not quite right. And the topping, I didn’t have almond, so I just used vanilla. And I, of course, made it pink. Because my little girl hardly ever gets to partake in “deserts” and it was a way of making them special for her! She was so pleased!

GF and craving cinnamon rolls? If you’re not making the rolls/bread too, and only the cream cheese rolls, then I’d highly recommend throwing some cinnamon into the roll’s dough and if it were me, I’d throw in some almond or vanilla too. I know there’s not a lot of sugar in the dough, but I don’t think it needs more, the filling is so sweet, that it’s good without more. Definitely making these again! Yum!

Dessert Family Gluten Free Impressively Simple Life According To Me Recipes

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The GF Life

by motherofwonder

Today I was thinking about making some bread, because my children are sandwich fiends! And store-bought GF (GF= Gluten Free) breads are just not as yummy as homemade (then again, what bread is?) and they’re expensive. Today I came across a feed on my facebook that had a picture of some yummy rolls. I clicked on it thinking, I’ll just see if it’s GF transformable, all while inwardly feeling sorry for myself and wondering why I’d even both following something with food we can’t actually eat (I follow lots of GF cooking blogs, this was not one of them). I seriously was so excited to see the following words when opening the link: {Gluten Free} Dinner Rolls and Cream Cheese Rolls. Seriously, almost cried. Maybe I’m just feeling a little emotional this morning or something, but for some reason I was feeling overwhelmed and a little fenced in by our dietary needs. And this was like a welcomed desert oasis!

I think I’ve been feeling a little overwhelmed lately, we have lots of projects going on in the house, we have a house full of little people, we have every weekend consistently booked up (last weekend we had 3 birthday parties on one day. I wasn’t feeling well so we just stayed home- our first weekend of not doing things, all summer!), my mom is going through weeks of many, many kinds of testing to figure out just what is going on with her body, and it’s looking like Littlest E is Celiac as well. Obviously, this is not an end of the world situation, and while it’s not really a life changing situation either (since we’re already a GF household), but when the majority of our children need a GF diet, it takes more thought. If it’s just one, it’s easy to just throw a couple things in my bag and we’re good to go, but when there’s two… it means I’ll have to be more thoughtful and careful over meal times. And creative. I may have to come up with some new things to make that are easy and cart-able for when we’re on the go and may not have other GF options available. Good thing I like a challenge.

Family Gluten Free Life According To Me Recipes

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Impressively Simple

by motherofwonder

This week has been caarraaayyyzzzzyyyy! Sunday we had Miss E’s 3rd birthday party! Filled with little girls, family, and friends, and one totally overwhelmed-with-being-surrounded-by-girls Big E. I’d call the day a success. Monday I was just relaxing and letting the kids enjoy just some peace and quiet after the week of preparing for the party, along with the party itself, when I received a call from my grandmother about my mother. So, my sweet and supportive hubbyman came home and stayed with ALL of our children (and even did some cleaning!) while I picked up one of my brothers, picked up my dad from the airport, and then spent the rest of the day at the hospital with my siblings and parents while my mom underwent an angiogram (we thought an angioplasty was likely, but happy surprise- it wasn’t necessary!). By the time I woke up on Tuesday (after a late night decompressing all my feelings about the day and my feelings over my mom’s mortality) feeling: blah. More than blah, I’d been battling my allergies for over a week, and was feeling run down, headachey (I’ve had several migraines this past week), and like crawling in bed for the next few days. We also had company coming and by the time I felt really miserable, we had only an hour before their arrival. So I took some Ibuprofen and that relieved my headache and the achy-ness enough that I was able to enjoy our evening. (Hurray for another couple with kids! And they have a boy Big E’s age and a girl Miss E’s age!! And Miss E actually climbed out of my lap and played with the kids- the whole time! This is a HUGE development in the land of Miss E, as she is usually painfully shy.) After another late night, though, I was totally spent and felt completely miserable on Wednesday. (Boo!) And we ran out of kleenex before my first cup of coffee. In fact, I felt so crappy that I didn’t even care if I got to the cup of coffee!! (*collective gasp* I know, right?!) I did throw the kids in the stroller for a trip to the grocery store for the makings of my “feel better meal” and kleenex. It was painful. And I got home, only to realize that I had forgotten to get kleenex. I almost cried. Anyhow, I spent the next couple hours cuddled up on the couch while the kids played around me.

If you’re wondering why this doesn’t feel like a recipe post… well, you’re right. Kind of. Where I’m going with this was that afterwards, I made the meal that I tend to make if I’m not feeling the greatest (or if I’m just in need of a little comfort). Most people think chicken noodle when they’re under the weather. And if I’m really sick, I would probably agree. But if you’re just under the weather enough that you’re not up to your normal self, without being worthy of a dr visit… this is my go to meal. This says comfort to me. I made tomato basil soup. I love to top it off (once it’s in my dish) with a little shredded cheese and some “croutons” (or gluten free protons as the bag calls them- I got a bunch from my in laws, nacho chili cheese, and they went perfectly!). Along with, of course, grilled cheese. If I’m just feeling a little down, I may add chicken, or some spinach, or do a specialty cheese (or even better- a spicy cheese!). But because I’m not feeling up to snuff, just generic, plain, old grilled cheese. My kids thought this was the best meal ever, and hubby didn’t seem to complain either! Win-win! So today’s impressively simple recipe is just that, it’s impressive in the fact that it never fails to make me feel better, if even momentarily.

Maybe you’re not sick, but you’ve had a long, stressful day… so go ahead and make whatever feels best to you! And I would love to know what your “pick me up” meal of choice is!

Chicken Gluten Free Impressively Simple Recipes

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Survival Of The Vacation

by motherofwonder

As I’ve mentioned before, the kids and I spent part of last week at Camp Arrowhead (a place dearly beloved by both mine and my husband’s families… especially because that’s where we met). It’s really a lovely experience. You stay in a cabin, or in a building, with lots of rooms that are filled with bunk beds. You have a lovely lake to swim, boat, lay out in the sun. And the dining hall…where someone else does all the cooking! As head chef of this household, I really appreciate someone else doing the work. And as much as I just wanted to go and revel in the glory of not having to plan out meals… I have a child with food allergies, and so I don’t really have that luxury. (For the full version of why we eat the way we eat, go here.) So I packed some pre-packaged meals since I wouldn’t really have access to a kitchen to actually cook a whole meal, and lots of snacks. It turned out to be unnecessary. One of the benefits of a camp you’ve attended your whole life, is you know everyone and they know you. Plus the cook, and the cook’s family, is like family to me…so there’s that. So she had sweetly thought ahead of my family’s needs! GF Chicken nuggets and GF biscuits (for the all important PB&Js …of all the meals I make, that is the one thing they will ALWAYS eat). Plus, my kids are big vegetable and fruit eaters, so there is lots of things in that realm that they can eat.

Unfortunately, not everyone will have a cook like that, or people who are so understanding. There was a man working in the kitchen (not a camp employee, just someone volunteering to help) that was not so understanding. In fact, a comment was made to the effect of: People with allergies like that should probably just stay/eat out of the general public. And then something about how it’s not really a healthy diet anyways. Are you kidding me?! Do they know how much of the public this would eliminate? And how unfair! I’d like him to look into my daughter’s sweet little face and tell her she has to go and eat by herself. I’d also like to see his face, when seeing my daughter’s little face, and telling him that if he feeds her the “normal” wheat laden, food-colored foods she will break out in big hives all over her body (especially her face), spend the night vomiting, and lots of time in the bathroom. Or she could have really bad symptoms. Tell me that’s fair. We don’t do this “diet” for vanity’s sake, we do this for survival. After a month of being gluten-free (GF), my MissE was free of hives that her sweet little face had for a year while the Drs (and her parents) tried to figure out what was bothering her. Thankfully, “my other mother” (who moonlights as a camp cook) said to him the things I wasn’t there to say. (I love her.)

Unfortunately, this is not an isolated event. I think people have a lot of misconceptions of allergies in general. It’s easy to think, “I’m allergic to cut grass, but it only bugs me while I’m cutting the grass.” Food allergies are not like that. You can have symptoms days after you’ve eaten something that bugs you, and they can be miserable, and they can even be life threatening. And when it’s your child, you’re going to be as cautious as you can be. So you have to be aware of the fact that people are not going to understand it and therefore not prepare for it (if you’re going to a friend’s or family’s home). I bring easy to pack, easy to put together, meals for the kids, because I know it’s likely they weren’t thinking about it (I’m not judging them- they don’t have to worry about it for themselves, so it’s easy to forget! And I’m the one responsible for her well-being.). Unfortunately, you do have to be watchful because there’s always at least one person who thinks it’ll be no big deal if they slip them something. And sometimes you’ll run across people who think they’re giving your child a “treat” that you just won’t allow them to have. Seriously, even at two, I could tell Miss E she couldn’t have the cookie that was offered to her, because it will really make your tummy hurt. And she knows that it’s true, so she doesn’t fight it! Seriously. It makes her feel that bad, that a 2 year old knows it is not worth eating that cookie. That said, I try to keep a few GF snacks in my purse and/or diaper bag. Because while she may understand that certain foods will make her not feel good, it’s not easy to watch the kids around you (or your brother) have an Oreo while you have a carrot stick.

Thankfully, there are ways around this…for the most part. While you cannot help what other people do or cook, you can still choose to feed your children similarly to how you would at home. I brought some of their favorite snacks to camp: real fruit, fruit snacks; puff corn, beef jerky, pretzels, and cereal (all GF, of course). I also brough GF noodles, and boxed (organic, GF) macaroni and cheese, for quick, easy meals. (Which are pretty key for vacation time!) Thankfully, I didn’t have to worry about the meals (and I can’t say enough how thankful I am for that!), but the snacks were good in times of wheat-filled munchie times. The key for my kids is to have the alternative there with you. Because when offered with a cookie now, they’re not going to be satisfied with a “We’ll get something yummy later.”

For those that we’ve gotten together with that do go the extra mile and prepare something GF for my children (or anyone else they know), thank you, thank you, thank you! For those that forget- no hard feelings. My word of advice to fellow GF-ers: prepare for your host to be unprepared. My word of advice for non-GFers: Don’t feed other people’s children without consulting their parents first. For some kids, it’s a matter of life and death, and that’s not a choice for you to be making, don’t you think?

Family Gluten Free Life According To Me

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Simply Impressive

by motherofwonder

Yesterday, my hair dresser/brother-in-law came over to #1) Give hubbyman a haircut! (He’s in a wedding this weekend, and we’d like a little less shaggydoo for it) and #2) To have me make him a wonderful vegan meal! So I am made stuffed peppers! I found hundreds of recipes, so I did my usual (look hundreds of recipes over, decide I only like one ingredient from each recipe) and combined them all…

So, here is today’s version of stuffed peppers, which in my opinion ALWAYS look impressive- no matter what you’ve put into them. And the more you put into them, the more impressive they sound!

Take 3 large, red, sweet peppers (you can use any kind, I love the flavor of red and orange, personally), cut the top off and take seeds out.

You can cook this in a 5qt slow cooker (mine is too big!), so I just did them in a 2 1/2 qt dish. Basically you want it big enough that everything fits and you can still get a lid on, but small enough that they don’t move or slide around. So whatever size that may be for you (which will of course depend on how many peppers you make as well. I’d of made more, but we’re leaving for out of town tomorrow and worried they’d go bad… and then I found out they’re great to freeze, so now I wish I would have made a couple more!!). Anyways, put peppers in dish, and set aside.

1 cup cooked rice (or quinoa)

1/2 onion

1/2 yellow zucchini, sliced

1 1/2 cups spinach

1 cup mushrooms

3 cloves garlic

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

3/4 cup spaghetti sauce (meatless)

1/2 cup of water

*While I had the rice cooking, I threw the spinach, onion, garlic, and mushrooms in some olive oil and sauteed. This next step you probably don’t have to do, but for consistency’s sake I threw it all in my food processor (just so it was more uniform, not to puree it).

Next mix rice, sauteed veggies, salt, pepper, and any other herbs you’d like to throw in (I threw in a pinch of oregano and basil) in a large bowl. This is what the kids had for dinner- it was so, so, so very yummy. I added in a pinch of cheese thinking it would need it, (don’t get me wrong, it was fantastic with it) but it was really good even without the cheese. Seriously, like it would be a terrific side in any meal, not just stuffed in peppers. So good. (Can you tell that I liked it, and was very impressed with my creation?)

Stuff rice mixture in the peppers. You don’t have to pack it in, but fill it. Next mix the water and spaghetti sauce, pouring half into the bottom of the dish and the rest over/in the peppers.I topped with quarters of the squash and threw some into the sauce in the bottom as well. For color and taste! I cooked covered at 375 for 30 minutes and then uncovered at 350 for 10 minutes.

So good! Hubbyman declared it the best began meal he’d ever had! If not making it vegan, I probably would have thrown cheese into the rice mixture. This would be a great option for a Meatless Monday meal! Have to have meat in it? I think it would go really well with a shredded chicken.

Gluten Free Impressively Simple Life According To Me Recipes

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Impressively Simple Thursday

by motherofwonder

So…I’ve done an “Impressively Simple” post before, and love to make and create meals that look and/or sound difficult, but are really easy. So, I’ve decided (and hoping to stick to!) doing an “Impressively Simple” recipe every Thursday. We’ll see how it works out. But seriously, who doesn’t want to have a repertoire of recipes that they can throw together for the surprise guests or unplanned get together that is sure to impress!?

This week is Chicken Cordon Bleu. I saw a recipe in a magazine and thought, that looks so good, but it sounds like a lot of work… which to me sounded just like a challenge! So I made it about 4 times, 4 different ways. Trying to find the best, the easiest, and the impressivest! (Yes, I am aware that’s not an actual word, but let’s just go with it ok, just this once!)

My first attempt was traditional. My second attempt was spicy. My 3rd attempt was easy. And my 4th attempt was impressive. They were all delicious.

Ok so… here’s the best that I came up with:

Usually it’s one whole chicken breast (plus everything inside) for each person, which is a whole lot of chicken…. so I butterflied it (as best I could), cut it into three strips, and made it so that it had the look of an appitizer, but the taste (and stomach filling powers) of a huge meal.

So…here’s what I feel is the easiest, easily impressive way to make chicken cordon bleu:

4 chicken breasts, cut in half length wise (so it’s like you butterflied it- kitchen scissors will do the trick) and hammer flat and even- I used a rolling pin to do this). Cut into 2 or 3 long (1 1/2 inch width) strips (depending on size of the breast)

Place one slice of cheese (I used the spicy cheddar I’d used previously, I used swiss, and I also used just plain cheddar, because it’s what I had… all of them were good. I vote you pick out your favorite cheese and use that -I’m always going to vote for using what you already have!)

Lay a slice of ham (I also used prosciutto -because I love it- and that was really wonderful!) over the cheese and roll tightly.

You could secure it with a toothpick, but I found that it wasn’t necessary if you rolled them tightly.

*This part is optional* dip rolled chicken in egg. It just helps the next step to stick the chicken.

I dipped them in 1 1/2-2 cups of almond flour that I seasoned with seasoning salt and pepper. (If you are not a GF household, you can also use breadcrumbs, as it traditionally calls for)

Place in greased pan (with the seam on the bottom) and top each with some shredded cheese (I used a shredded asiago/parm blend)

bake @ 350 degrees for 35 minutes. And viola mini chicken cordon bleu! In healthier portion sizes! Use as appetizers or as the entree! I made it a combination of both! Once as the main entree (in whole chicken breast form… so stuffing, which is why I thought about making the portions smaller…) and then when I made the smaller rolls, I served 2 rolls over broccoli and rice. Very good!

Variation: This adds time, but it was really good, so I’m going to throw this out there, just in case you want to go above and beyond: Before placing the cheese and ham on your chicken, drizzle each chicken slice with some hollandaise sauce. (here’s the recipe for that I used) I had all the ingredients to just make it (And I wanted to start out my chicken cordon bleu process by starting with the fanciest version I could and work my way from there), but they sell packets for easy hollandaise sauce at your local grocer and that will work too. Just before baking drizzle remaining sauce over the rolled chicken. I would highly recommend trying it with the sauce. So yummy. I’m not sure if that’s traditional or not, but I read a lovely blog where he tried it, and figured I’d give it a go- well worth it!

Chicken Gluten Free Life According To Me Recipes

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I Was Feelin’ Saucy

by motherofwonder

So I went to a cousin’s graduation party over the weekend, and my aunt sent me home with TONS of food!! So yesterday as I was looking through all the leftovers and trying to decide what kind of meal I could make with it- and really not wanting to have to go to the store… I had a gallon bag full of veggies (broccoli, carrots, cherry tomatoes, peppers, and celery) but no meat. Suddenly, I remember that when I was separating chicken to put in the freezer, one of the bags had been leaking so I’d rewrapped it it another bag…which meant I did have chicken after all. So I decided on a stir fry. I should mention that this was what I wanted because I was sent home from some BWW (Buffalo Wild Wings) sauce that I thought would be perfect for a stir fry!

So I cut up the chicken in stir-fryable pieces, threw them in the pan, and then realized I’d forgotten the container of sauce on my Auntie’s counter! Shoot! I was so disappointed. And I knew that I’d just thrown out the last of our very expired teriyaki sauce last week when I cleaned the fridge out! So just when I was contemplating running to the store after all (or more likely, sending hubbyman to the store)…I thought I’d just look up some stir fry sauces and see if I could happen to have the ingredients. Turns out, I didn’t. But I had similar ingredients. It turned out AMAZING. Hubby was so impressed!! He even asked that I make it in bulk and freeze so that it can be used again and again! I’d call it a success!!

So as I cooked the chicken, I got out all the veggies (leaving out the celery) out, and began to throw together the sauce. True to my normal form, I don’t have exact measurements for you, but hopefully close enough! And it’s all about taste anyways! So if you like more of one ingredient, and less of another- do that!

4 chicken breasts cut into strips

as much and many veggies as you want (I did throw the tomatoes in, but not until the very end)

sauce: 3/4 cup soy sauce (our favorite brand just went gluten free! so exciting!!), 1/2 cup sunflower oil (you could use olive oil, or if you had some- sesame oil would be perfect), 2 1/2 tsp (ish) ginger (I may have used a little more, but I like ginger), minced garlic (about 1/4 tbs), some toasted sesame seeds, and some crushed red pepper (maybe a little too much but it just swooshed on out of the jar), about 1/2 cup of brown sugar and maybe a tbs or two of honey (because that’s all I had.) Oh yeah, and a couple pinches of corn starch to thicken it up. See, I told you it’s not exact, but it was good… maybe next time I’ll get specifics. I also took pictures, but for some reason they’re not wanting to upload…so I’ll have to add them as soon as they do! Ok, so still can’t find my camera (boo!), so I had to use my phone…so they’re small and not great quality, but they’re there, so there you have it!