Chicken, Broccoli & Cheese Bake

Easy, healthy and yummy. This casserole makes the perfect weeknight meal because it is so quick to put together. Our beloved Jen made this one night and I've been hooked ever since. Ellie loves this meal, too, especially since it has "trees" in it. (Trees are codeword for broccoli around here.) Enjoy!

-1 box Stovetop cornbread stuffing
-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked & cubed (I sprinkle mine with garlic salt, pepper and a little olive oil, cover and bake at 375 for 30 minutes.)
-2 cups fresh broccoli florets
-1 can cream of chicken soup
-1/3 cup sour cream
-2 cups cheddar cheese
-fresh cracked pepper

Prepare stuffing according to package directions. In a large bowl, mix together soup, sour cream and pepper. Stir in broccoli and chicken. Pour into a 2-quart baking dish and top with stuffing. Baked, covered, at 375 for 20 minutes. Remove cover, top with cheese and bake an additional 10 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly. Yum, yum!

Black Bean & Corn Salsa

A few years ago, my friend Abby brought this into the Governor's office with tortilla chips and I've been making it every spring/summer since. Hallie makes a similar version and serves it as a side dish. It is also great on top of grilled chicken or fish. Really, you could put whatever vegetables you like in it. It's a lot of chopping, but very worth it in the end. This salsa is also always better the second day.

-1 can of yellow corn, drained (I guess you could use frozen)

-1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

-1 red pepper, diced fine

-1 orange pepper, diced fine

-2 or 3 jalapenos, diced fine (leave the seeds if you want some heat)

-1 small red onion, diced fine

-1 pkg cherry tomatoes, cut in quarters or halves

-1 bunch of cilantro, chopped

-juice of 1 or 2 limes

-salt and pepper to taste

Dice everything and combine in a large bowl. Chill and serve. This feeds and army! I have also started zesting the limes and adding that as well. YUM!

Stir-Fried Veggies

I use this recipe with just about any fresh vegetable and it's always a perfect side dish. Green beans, peppers... Last night it was sugar snap peas. I don't have measurements because I just eyeball everything with these. YUM!

Couple handfuls of fresh veggies (or a few bell peppers, whatever!)
olive oil
minced garlic
soy sauce
slivered almonds

Heat a skillet to medium-high heat. Add olive oil; just enough to coat the bottom of the pan. Toss in veggies and keep them moving. When they are just heated through but still crisp, add soy sauce and garlic. Stir fry for a few minutes so the flavors absorb. Add slivered almonds and toss to coat. Serve immediately.

The vegetables will be crispy and really flavorful. YUMMY!