Because "Bruschetta Bake" was awful...

The kids and I have taken turns being sick for the last two weeks (hence the lack of fun posting material or even a cute photos), but one upside to being more-or-less confined to the house for so long is that I've had time to try a few new recipes. Unfortunately, my track record with ones from magazines or fancy cookbooks has been abysmal. My latest attempt, Bruschetta Bake (sounds good, right?!), was just barely edible. My sweet husband was still very encouraging but we will not be having that again! The tried and true are so much better. A few friends and I have been exchanging a few of our families' favorites so I thought I would share a couple with all of you.

Chicken Enchiladas: This is a great one for groups because it makes a lot and you're not throwing a lot of things together at the last minute. It also freezes well so if you're not serving a group, plan on using it for at least another 2-3 meals.

4 breasts of chicken, boiled and shredded

1/4 cup milk

1 can each of cream of mushroom and cream of chicken soup

8 oz of sour cream

1 medium can sliced olives

1-10oz can of Rotel diced tomatoes with green chilies

1-14oz can of diced tomatoes with onion and garlic

(OR, two cans of plain diced tomatoes and add your own dried minced onion, garlic powder and green chilies)

1 Tbsp chili powder

16oz shredded cheddar or mexican blend cheese

flour tortillas

Butter a few 9x13 pans.

Combine all but chicken, cheese and tortillas in bowl.

Add a small handful of chicken, about 1/2 cup of mixture and a sprinkling of cheese into flour tortilla.

When the pan is full of rolled tortillas, spoon extra mixture and more cheese on top (I'll often add a little extra milk to the leftover mixture at this point to make it cover better).

Cover with foil.

Bake at 375 for about 40 minutes, until slightly browned and bubbling.

Uncover for the last couple of minutes.

I usually serve this with El Torrito sweet corn tamale mix - so yummy and easy! - and a green salad with tomatoes, avocado, pepitas, and El Torrito cilantro dressing. Sometimes Mexican rice too.

Chicken Parmesan: I always have these ingredients on hand and it doesn't take much more than 20 minutes or so to make. A very hearty and easy meal.

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (or more, or less, depending on how many you're serving - I don't really measure this one so much anymore).

1 egg slightly beaten

1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs

2 Tbsp butter

2 cups marinara sauce

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella - I usually end up just peeling apart a few sticks of string cheese =)1 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (only if you care about it being pretty!)

Use hand to flatten chicken to even thickness... OR, I will often just slice the chicken into strips. It's a little easier for the kids that way, we all like the extra breading, and it cooks a little faster.

Dip chicken into egg and then into crumbs to coat.

In skillet over medium heat, in hot butter, brown chicken on both sides.

Add marinara sauce (shield your shirt with the pan's lid - it will splatter!)

Reduce heat, cover, simmer 10 minutes until sauce is bubbling.

Sprinkle with cheeses and parsley.

Cover, simmer 5 minutes or until cheese melts.

I usually serve this over spaghetti or angel hair, along with broccoli or some other green veggie.

Dutch Babies: We're a family that loves breakfast for dinner and this is my favorite breakfast dish. I had never known anyone else who knew about dutch babies until I met Danny's family, so this is a tradition from both sides!

1 1/2 cups of flour

1 1/2 cups of milk

6 eggs

1/2 stick butter

Melt butter in 9x13 pan while you're waiting for it to preheat up to 425.

Combine other ingredients in blender until well mixed.

Pour into butter pan and bake for about 20 minutes.

You'll know it's done when the edges are brown and towering above the pan.

Serve right away! It's still good after it's "fallen" but the kids especially love to see how high it can get.

My side of the family tops their dutch babies with syrup, but Danny's prefers lemon and powdered sugar. Both are good and both of our big kids are still divided on which way is better. Alyssa usually wants it Daddy's way, and Parker prefers it like Mama.

I usually serve this with sliced, pan-fried kielbasa or bacon and lots of fruit.

This makes enough for the 5 of us, but just barely now that the kids are eating more. When it was just Danny and I we halved the recipe and used a 9x7 pan.

As you can tell I'm no gourmet chef, but these are easy, yummy receipes our family has enjoyed over and over. Perhaps yours will too!