Spinach Dip (Cold)

Today I was supposed to finally meet The Former Roomy's precious baby girl, but woke up feeling like I might be getting a cold. This is the second time I should have been around this baby but started feeling like something might be coming. Better safe than sorry this sick season, so I decided to postpone the meeting yet again. Bummer!

Yesterday was our first tailgate of the season and it was so much fun! The weather forecast threatened rain, but it held off and was a nice, cloudy, breezy Saturday gameday. We certainly ate well too. Here's what we had:

Garlic Dijon Marinated Pork Chops
Pioneer Baked Beans
Corn Salad
Spinach Dip

You'll remember that I shared a recipe for Spinach Dip that was warm and so good! Well, this is my absolute favorite recipe for a cold Spinach Dip. I just use the Knorr Vegetable Soup Mix recipe without the water chestnuts. I leave those out because I just personally don't care for them. Of course, it is long gone to be able to take a picture but you can click on the Knorr link and see their picture. Mine was in a bowl of plastic instead of bread, although we had to smell fresh baked bread all night and that would have been good to have! :)

Country Style Chicken Cutlets

First, take a minute to look at the best gift My Buddy made for me. It stays in the kitchen all the time and I think of him every time I look at it. He helped me marinate some corn one time a LONG time ago, but I found the picture of him helping so I will post that recipe soon.

These chicken breasts are very easy to make and very good.

Country Style Chicken Cutlets

1 envelope Lipton onion soup mix
3/4 c. bread crumbs
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
6 chicken breasts (obviously, you see I used more but the breading last the whole way)
1 egg
1 tsp. water
2 Tbsp. butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350. In medium bowl, combine soup mix, bread crumbs and cheese. Dip chicken in egg beaten with water, then bread crumb mixture to evenly coat. Arrange chicken on sprayed baking sheet and drizzle with butter. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink, turning once.

Bacon Ranch Potato Salad

This could be considered somewhat of a cold version of the Roasted New Potato Salad that I have made. In our office building, there is a deli that at least one person in our office relies on for breakfast or lunch. He has the best breakfast sandwich (that The Bun and I are certainly enjoying regularly), very good Chicken Pot Pie that I have to get every time, and he also has a cold potato salad with bacon and ranch flavor. I've had the same salad at a restaurant before, and I believe it can be purchased at Sam's. I finally saw a similar recipe in Paula's magazine and changed up a few things to make her version more like the deli's. This was what I made to go with the Sloppy Joes.

Bacon Ranch Potato Salad

1 bag new potatoes, unpeeled and sliced (so still in circles)
1 pound bacon, fried and crumbled
1-1/3 c. mayonnaise
1/2 c. sour cream
1 (1 oz.) pkg. ranch dressing mix

Boil potatoes until tender. Drain and allow to cool. Place in mixing bowl and add bacon. In a separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients and mix in with potatoes. Cover and chill for at least 4 hours before serving.

Sloppy Joes

We have had such a baby boom in our church! In one week, I made three meals for three separate families. It was so much fun. One of the things I decided to make was this recipe for Sloppy Joes. It is the easiest recipe to be able to make something from "scratch." Manwich is pretty good, but I prefer this recipe. Very quick fix!

Sloppy Joes

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. vinegar
1/2 tsp. mustard
3/4 c. ketchup
2 Tbsp. flour


Brown ground beef and drain fat. Add other ingredients and mix well. Sprinkle with brown sugar and flour over top and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Other things I made for those new babies and their families were Sweet and Sour Chicken over Rice(instead of Pork), Squash Casserole, Oriental Slaw and a yummy new potato salad that you need to look for in the next post.