Why this blog??

Why this blog?? I often find myself stressing over what to make for my family for dinner. We live a busy life and some meals need time to prep, cook and let's not forget shopping for everything you need. I love cookbooks and websites, but there are so many recipe's at times it is overwhelming. The recipe's I will be posting are things I actually made. I will tell you if they are easy or more time consuming. I will also tell you if they are good. Most of these are recipe's I have made for years and continue to make because they are easy or quick and my family loves them and i know yours will too! I will also try to at least once in a whlie try a new recipe I've found on line or in a book and honestly rate it. I always encourage others to send me their favorite recipe's as well! I am a mom... not a chef. But I am a mom who enjoys cooking for her family and making a somewhat healthy meal (some days more healthy than others:) ) In each recipe I will share how I recommend serving it, any substitutions I can think of that are also good, or ways to prepare ahead of time to make the cooking part seem quicker! I am not a photographer, as you can see... most of these pictures are taken from my phone camera, so may not be the best! I love to hear from others who have made these recipes and what they have done to change the recipe... please post comments! Thank you! To "like" me on facebook, go to this link... It's What's Cookin

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Rice and Noodle Casserole


This was one of my favorite meals my mom used to make me growing up. It reminds me of an asian style rice a roni. I LOVE it! I made it so much in college that I couldn't even look at it for years. So after not eating it for 10 years, my mom made me it last night:) It's a great side dish to serve with any main meat. Great with chicken, fish, steak... we served ours with sauteed shrimp in a lemony garlic-butter sauce. It makes a ton, but is great as leftovers too!

Ingredients
*2 cups minute rice
*1/2 lb fine egg noodles (We got our bag in the asian section at the grocery store)
*1 can sliced water chestnuts (I then cut all the chestnuts in half)
*2 cans Campbell's french onion soup
*2 cans chicken broth/stock
*1/2 cup butter
*1 cup water
*1 T soy sauce

Preheat oven to 350

First melt butter in a ban and brown the noodles. Then add the rest of your ingredients. Stir well and heat up.

Spray a 9x13 pan with Pam. Pour in mixture and make sure you even out the noodles/rice throughout the pan.

Cover with tinfoil and bake for 45 mins. Take tinfoil off and fluff/stir with a fork. If all the liquid isn't gone, put back in the oven uncovered until all liquid is absorbed.

Serve alone or along side favorite protein and veggie!

Browned noodles and then started adding ingredients (here i've added french onion soup) 
Pour in your pan and make sure rice/noodles are dispersed evenly

Bake till liquid is fully absorbed

We added sauteed shrimp and steamed Mukimame.