Coping With A Harsh Michigan Winter – Saucy Chicken & Sugar Snap Pea Stroganoff

The 2019 Winter Season has settled in here in Michigan–and hard. For the past three weeks, at least one day of school has been cancelled due to unsavory weather conditions. One entire week was cancelled just because of the low temperatures. It’s times like this that I am so grateful I don’t have to leave the comfort of my home. The freezers are stocked, the fridge is full, and the pantry is restocked after the 2018 holiday season. If I choose, I only have to leave the house every couple of weeks to pick-up milk and fresh fruits and vegetables.

Truth be told, I do like to get out of the house at least once a week to pick up things that go on sale at our local grocery store. Beyond that, however, I’m pretty content staying inside the warm house, safe from the harsh winds and bitter temperatures we have been bombarded with as of late.

I have wanted to make a chicken version of Stroganoff for some time, but I really didn’t want it to taste “just” like beef Stroganoff only with chicken. Don’t get me wrong, I love beef Stroganoff, especially with shaved beef, but I like variety, as does the family. With the challenging weather conditions outside, I finally found the time to sit down and figure out how I to tackle this recipe. First, I decided that adding sugar snap peas would be a good alternative to mushrooms. Keeping with the mushroom theme, though, I used cream of mushroom soup.

The next change from my traditional beef Stroganoff was to use chicken broth to thin the soup rather than milk. This would give the sauce a richness and more depth than the milk. I figured that any creaminess that might be lost by eliminating the milk would easily be compensated for with the sour cream.

The results? Well, this turned out to be an instant hit. It was mild, tender, tasty, and an immediate addition to my recipe arsenal. And best of all, it didn’t mimic my beef Stroganoff but rather established itself as a new and unique dish.

Saucy Chicken & Sugar Snap Pea Stroganoff

• Servings: 4-6
• Time: 45 minutes
• Difficulty: Easy
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Ingredients

• 3-4 Pounds Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs, cut into bite-size strips
• ½-¾ Pound Sugar Snow Peas
• 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
• Salt & Pepper
• 2 Cans Cream of Mushroom Soup
• ½-1 Cup Chicken Broth
• 2 tsp. Paprika
• 1 Cup Sour Cream
• 8 Ounces Cooked Noodles

Directions

1. In a deep 12-inch skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat.
2. Add chicken and cook 5-6 minutes, turning several times. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. Add snow peas and cover. Allow to cook undisturbed for 5 minutes.
4. Remove lid and stir. Return lid and allow to cook another 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Add in condensed soup and paprika. Stir until sauce is smooth.
6. Depending on how much liquid has accumulated in the pan, add chicken broth to thin soup to desired consistency.
7. Bring chicken to boil and simmer 10-15 minutes until chicken is cooked through and sauce is hot.
8. Reduce heat to low; stir in sour cream and cook 1-2 minutes more.
9. Serve over cooked noodles.

Cooking Note

If you happen to use too much broth or if the sauce is thinner than desired, stir 1 Tbsp. corn starch in 3 Tbsp. cold water until smooth and add to boiling sauce before adding sour cream.

Another option is to add 8 ounces of sliced mushrooms with the snap peas. Note that the mushrooms may produce even more liquid when being cooked, so adjust the broth proportions as needed.

 

Recipe by:  Tilly Frueh – Simply Grateful Cooking 2019

I love it when a plan comes together (yeah, I grew up during the days of the original A-Team), and for this I am — Simply Grateful.

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Chicken & Mushroom Alfredo Stuffed Shells

Fettuccine Alfredo is one of my favorite dishes. For many years, however, making it always left me with the feeling that I was missing something. Fortunately, finally, I figured it out. In order for fettuccine Alfredo to leave you with a true feeling of fulfillment, you need to make an authentic Alfredo sauce.

Don’t Be Intimidated – Chicken Marsala

There are some dishes that by their name alone, intimidate me. Dishes with key words like – Florentine, piccata, Marsala, burgundy, or even balsamic used to make me cringe and steer clear from attempting them. 

B&B Gourmet SOS

Have you ever heard the phrase, “Shit on a shingle?”

My grandfather used to love to tell me about having this served to him day in and day out while serving in the army during World War II. Needless to say, he never wanted to eat that again and as far as I know, never did.

Although I never ate creamed chipped beef on toast, I do make an awesome chipped beef dip that has always received rave reviews. Still, the thought of serving chipped beef on toast (or shit on a shingle as coined by many an enlisted man), gave me pause when I’d recall my grandfather’s utter distaste for the dish.

Did he hate it because it was all they served him? Was it horrible tasting? Was it just one more thing about the war that brought back bad memories? Alas, I’ll never know. My grandfather passed away several years ago leaving me guessing as to the grounds for his distaste.

Not too long ago, I came across a recipe that seemed based in the old chipped beef on toast recipe with a few changes. I decided it was time to put this debate to rest once and for all and see if there was any foundation to the bad rep this dish was getting. Of course, there was no way I wanted to duplicate what came so lovingly referred to as “Shit on a Shingle.” No, that little anecdotal said enough. I chose to build on updated recipes proclaiming this dish has evolved from its original basis.

First off, I knew that chipped beef can be a flavor lost in a white sauce unless there are some really strong accompaniments to pull it together. In my chipped beef dip there was cream cheese and sour cream. I didn’t want to go that route, so I opted to go with another meat — bacon. Bacon makes everything better. Plus, I wanted to use this creamed chipped beef in a breakfast style meal, so bacon made perfect sense. Also, what goes better with bacon than eggs? So with this premise, I began.

What I ended up with is a very tasty gravy to put over a baked egg on an English Muffin.

The first time I served this Hubby thought I was serving him sausage gravy. He was delightfully surprised with the change. I asked him what he liked about it, and he said there wasn’t anything not to like. That says it all.

Bed & Breakfast Gourmet Shit On A Shingle

• Servings: 6 Servings
• Time: 30 minutes
• Difficulty: Easy
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Ingredients

• ½ lb. Bacon, cooked and chopped
• 4 Ounces Packaged Chipped Beef Lunchmeat, chopped
• 4 Ounces Fresh Mushrooms, diced
• ¼ to ½ Cup All-Purpose Flour
• 2 Cups Whole Milk
• 6 Large Eggs
• 3 English Muffins

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. In a large fry pan, cook bacon till crisp. Remove from pan, leaving all grease in pan; crumble.
3. Spray six 4 ounce custard cups with cooking spray.
4. Break one egg in each custard cup; beat egg with a fork and sprinkle with salt.
5. Place custard cups on baking sheet and place in oven.
6. Bake 15 minutes, until centers are set.
7. Add chipped beef and mushrooms to pan and fry until mushrooms begin to release their juices.
8. Add flour and stir until well combined. Stir in bacon.
9. Slowly add in milk and whisk until thickened; turn burner down to low and keep warm until ready to serve.
10. Split English muffins and toast.
11. Assemble servings: Place half an English muffin on a plate. Top with one egg patty and a generous helping of beef/bacon gravy.

Cooking Note

This is probably nothing like what my grandfather had to endure while in the army, but when it comes to making something for my family to eat, I really didn’t want to duplicate that torture. This is hearty, filling, and a great addition to any breakfast recipe arsenal.

 

Recipe by:  Tilly Frueh – Simply Grateful Cooking 2018

Yeah, I know — this recipe doesn’t actually contain the traditional “dried” chipped beef. This isn’t an oversight, it’s an improvement. The lunchmeat version of chipped beef is tender and tastes superior to the “dried” version. I’m sure this changes the taste considerably, but it works for me, and for this I am — Simply Grateful.

Personal Portobello Pizza’s – Another Use for Leftover Spaghetti Sauce

Yesterday while I was working on my post for Loose Pepperoni Pizza Burgers I started thinking about the different meals I use leftover spaghetti sauce for. In going through my list of recipes that I have been collecting to do blog posts for, I came across at least four additional recipes that use leftover spaghetti sauce. Today I’m going to share another one of the families favorites – Personal Portobello Pizza.

I made this for the first time in May of last year and it was an immediate hit.I’m not sure whether you would consider this an appetizer, a side dish, or a main course. Actually I think it could be considered all of the above. When I served it, it was as a side dish/appetizer. Being that this is very rich, I’m not sure if as the sole main course it could hold its own, but if you were to have something else with it I think it would work out fine.