Greek Chicken Over Orzo

8 oz orzo (you can substitute with white rice to make this an Aldi Recipe)
1.5# skinless, boneless chicken breasts
2 cloves garlic or 2 tsp bottled garlic
1 can diced tomatoes
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 jar artichoke hearts (14 oz), quartered
1 can sliced olives (3.8 oz)
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil

Cook orzo or rice as directed. Heat oil in pan and add chicken. Cook until chicken turns white on the outside (approximately 4 minutes). Add garlic to the skillet. Add tomatoes with their juice and tomato sauce. Drain artichokes and add them to the skillet. Drain olives and them to the skillet. Add oregano & basil. Cook until chicken is no longer pink (about five minutes). Reduce heat to low utnil ready to serve. Serve chicken with sauce over the hot orzo.

*To add extra flavor, cook the rice/orzo in chicken broth, instead of water.

Tuscan Pork Chops

1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon pepper
4 1 inch thick pork chops, boneless
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves minced garlic
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup chicken broth
3 plum tomatoes seeded and diced-or small can diced tomatoes, drained
2 tablespoons capers- (can be omitted to make this an Aldi store recipe. Feel free to add, should you have these in your pantry!)

Combine first 3 ingredients in shallow dish, dredge pork chops in flour mixture. Cook pork chops in hot oil in large skillet over medium high heat until golden brown on each side.One or two minutes per side. Remove chops and set aside.  Add Garlic to skillet, sauté for 1 minute. Add vinegar and chicken broth and stir to loosen particles from bottom of skillet, stir in tomatoes and capers.  Return pork chops to skillet, bring sauce to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 4-5 minutes until pork is done. Plate pork chops and cover with sauce.

Serve over angel hair or thin spaghetti pasta.

This is for when you need to get dinner on the table in a hurry!

Stroganoff Skillet

1 lb ground beef
1- 10 ¾ oz can cream of mushroom soup
3 c wide egg noodles (uncooked)
1 c sour cream
1 c beef broth,
½ c water

Brown ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat; drain and return meat to skillet. Gradually add soup and remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil; cover. Reduce heat and simmer for ten minutes or until noodles are tender. Makes four to six servings.

Note- This meal came from a freezer cookbook. You can make extra of these and keep them in the freezer. I do not freeze the pasta in the sauce, only freeze the sauce & chicken itself. When preparing this, just toss everything into a freezer bag and label it. To prepare- unthaw it and pour into a 9×13″ pan. Then add dry pasta to the sauce.

Penne with Rosemary Chicken

1 pound diced cooked chicken
1 pound penne pasta (can sub with any short pasta, should penne not be available)
1 cup low-fat shredded cheese blend
1 tbsp dried rosemary
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 cups nonfat milk
1 1/2, 15 ounce cans of cream of mushroom soup

Preheat ovent o 350. Place everything into a baking dish and cover with the foil. Bake for 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Or, place in a slow cooker set on low heat for five to six hours.

Lemon Crumb Tilapia

12 ounces tilapia fillets, thawed
¼ cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese (fresh)
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp lemon zest
3 tbsp butter
1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
Rinse fish and pat dry. Combine bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, garlic salt, and lemon peel on waxed paper. Melt 2 tablespoons butter. Dip fillets in melted butter. Coat fillet with crumb mixture. In nonstick skillet, melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter with oil over medium heat. Cook fillets for 2 to 4 minutes per side or until fish flakes easily. Sprinkle with lemon juice. When removing fish from skillet, use a spatula or the fish will fall apart.

Yield: Four-Six Servings
Serve with steamed broccoli & white rice. Substitute the water ratio with chicken broth and zest some of the lemon into the rice for a different variaton.

This is a fun dish and the kids can help you make it!

Pepperoni Bread

1 lb loaf frozen bread, thawed
1 egg, beaten
4 oz sliced pepperoni
1 cup mozzarella
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
1½ tsp Italian seasoning

Preheat oven to 375°. Roll bread into rectangle and brush with egg. Arrange pepperoni and cheeses. Sprinkle on the seasoning. Roll and pinch seam to seal. Place seam side down on greased cookie sheet. Bake 40 minutes or until golden.

Yield: Four Servings

Serve with spaghetti sauce for dipping and a salad with cut up pepperoni, olives, and Italian dressing.

You can add a package of mild taco seasoning mix to add a more Mexican flavor to this. Just follow the instructions on the packet.

Doritos Casserole

Bag of generic Doritos, any kind (you can also substitute these with regular tortilla chips)
3-4 cups cooked ground beef (optional: cooked in a taco seasoning packet, following directions on packet)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can diced tomatoes
2 cups shredded cheddar or taco cheese

Layer a 9×13 greased pan with the following. Layer of crushed lightly chips, layer of chopped meat, another layer of chips, a layer of cheese, a layer of the soups and tomatoes mixed together (heat them lightly), and then top finally with a cup of chips and another cup of cheese. Bake the casserole at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

Yield: Six Servings

Serve with extra tortilla chips.