Pressure Cooking: Chicken Alfredo

So, once again my day went off balance and dinner took the hit.

I said- what can I do with the Pressure Cooker?

I threw in -

• a package FROZEN Chicken Tenders (yes, they were frozen solid) 
• a jar of Alfredo Sauce (which is something I NEVER usually have... much too good!).  

I popped it on for 20-25 mins/40 psi.  While it was cooking I boiled some pasta and prepped romaine for salad.

Not Bad!  AND it tasted GREAT!!

Of course, now Coco has decided she LOVES Alfredo but I had to explain it is not something we can have every week.   As I learn some new recipes I will share!!

5th Grade Play

A few weeks ago they announced the 5th Grade play at Coco's school.  I am excited to share it is:

MARY POPPINS!

After some nerve wracking tryouts (well nerve wracking for me!) we finally learned yesterday that our Coco was cast as... drum roll...

Mrs. Banks!

We are thrilled for she will be signing a solo.  She tried out for Mary Poppins, Mrs. Bank and for a dancing chimney sweep.  I can tell you I know every word to 'A Spoonful of Sugar' now too.  We think she has a lovely voice.

But the exciting part is - I get to help sew costumes!!  I am looking forward to being part of the play in this way.  I am proud of all the girls but especially proud of my Mrs. Banks!

Thank you for allowing me a moment to GUSH over my beautiful daughter!

Baking Tip: Prices

Did you know that NOVEMBER is the month to plan your Christmas/Holiday Baking?  Do you know why?

From now until Thanksgiving baking supplies are on sale.  NOW.  And guess what - they don't go on sale before Christmas.  I always review and re-stock my baking center supplies this time of year.

SO If you take a little time now to plan your baking for December - you may save a little money.


 

Easy Chicken Divan

The Mr.'s favorite dinner ... hands down.

Chicken Divan

It sounds elegant but is really very simple.  The recipe is below but here are the fly by directions:

 A layer of lightly steamed broccoli

Mix Cream of Chicken and Mayo with some lemon juice

 Layer some cooked chicken over brocolli

 Layer the cream mixture over the chicken

A layer of cheese:

 Melt butter in a dish & add Ritz or breadcrumbs

Layer that on top of cheese

 and bake 350 for 25-30 or until bubbly.  

NOW you serve this on a bed of egg noodles on your dish.  BUT ...  we ate it so fast I do not have a 'finish' photo!! Sorry!

Chicken Divan

1-2 heads of broccoli (or frozen)

1-2 cooked chicken breast - cubed

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup mayo

fresh squeezed lemon juice (1-2 tsp)

1/2 cup shredded cheese (yellow or orange)

8-10 Ritz crackers OR 1/2 cup breadcrumbs

2 Tbsp butter melted

Egg Noodles.

Pressure Cooking

Here at the Little Red House I am VERY limited on space for appliances.  BUT I do try to sneak in as many as possible!!  I LOVE all these cooking toys.


Growing up - WAY back in the 1960s & 70s my Mom used a Pressure Cooker.  She would do Irish Boiled Dinner in it, among other things.  I can actually tell you yes, one time it did explode.  All Over The Ceiling.

SO when I set up my house hold back in 1996 I decided to give it a go.  I had a stove top pressure cooker.  It took a while to learn how to use it properly and plan my timing for things but I grew to L O V E  that thing.  I would do beef stews, veggies, potatoes, frozen chicken breasts, just about anything that needed to be cooked after a long day at work.  (Yup, I used to work too!)  And it NEVER exploded!

Mine looked like this

When the girls were young I would pressure cook their veggies - a GREAT healthy way to prep food for little ones.  Then as we moved into the 2000's we upgraded or electric range to a ceramic top and my poor pressure cooker was not making enough contact with the cooker to heat up enough.  I was terribly sad.  I moved away from using it - and began a life of crock potting.  I am NOT knocking the crockpot - but a pressure cooker it is not.

About two years ago I ordered an electric pressure cooker from QVC.  I just never got into the swing of it again.  I usually pull it out to make Risotto, yes, Risotto - as in NO STIR perfect every time Risotto! But it mostly sits in the 'appliance' storage area and has not been moved much.

Fast Forward to 2011


This weekend when it snowed my plans to grill chicken wings for the Patriots game went south when the grill was covered with snow.  Quick thinking led me to ribs in the pressure cooker!  Out she came of her dark storage and they were delish!

I have a chicken carcass ready to go to make stock.  You know how I LOVE my chicken stock.  But I got home late from an activity at school this morning and time is slipping away from me.

LIGHT DAWNS ON MARBLEHEAD

(is this a saying you use outside of New England?)

I decided to pop it all into my electric pressure cooker!!  In goes the onion, carrots, celery, chicken and water.

25 -30 mins under full pressure....

Look what I have!!

Looks like we may be having soup more OFTEN!!

Notes: I get very fustrated with how long it takes this electric pressure cooker to come up to steam.  I really need to add 15-20 mins into prep and warmup time to get it running.  Also - I like to get 20 cups of stock with the stovetop method.  My 4 qt limits me to about 12 Cups.  Sorry Grammy - no soup for you!!

DO YOU PRESSURE COOK?!?!

Leave me a comment and tell me what YOU make!



 

Treats

It's been sitting there all day... taunting me.  I should REALLY relocate my laptop.... 

Halloween Night

Not much to say other than the girls had a GREAT time!

Lulu as Nora the Dog:

Coco as '1980s Party Girl':

The BOOTY~

 Another Halloween, and they are getting so much older.... and SO much candy