Creamy Chicken Bake

Juicy, tender chicken is smothered in a creamy, flavorful sauce in this easy weeknight dinner solution. For a complete meal, simply serve it over your favorite starch (such as rice, pasta, or potatoes) with a side of steamed vegetables. Enjoy!

Creamy Chicken Bake
Yield: 8-10 servings

Ingredients

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 lbs)
• salt & pepper, to taste
• 1 (10.5 oz) can gluten free cream of chicken condensed soup
• 1 (10.5 oz) can gluten free cream of mushroom condensed soup
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp paprika

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Lightly grease 9x13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Place chicken breasts in single layer in prepared pan and season with salt & pepper, to taste.
3. In medium bowl, mix together cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, sour cream, and onion powder. Spread mixture evenly over chicken breasts in baking dish and sprinkle with paprika.
4. Bake 50-60 minutes, or until chicken breasts reach internal temperature of 165°F and cream sauce is lightly browned.
5. Serve over rice, pasta, or potatoes with a side of steamed vegetables.

Recipe adapted from 100k Recipes.

Baked Lentils

This barbecue-flavored side dish has sweet and savory elements all wrapped into one!

Baked Lentils
Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

• 1 cup uncooked French lentils
• 12 oz pkg bacon, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1/2 tsp minced garlic
• 6 oz can tomato paste
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/3 cup coconut sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 Tbsp white vinegar
• 1 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp ground mustard
• 3/4 tsp paprika
• 3/4 tsp chili powder
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease large casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
2. Prepare lentils according to package directions; set aside.
3. Cook diced bacon in large Dutch oven set over medium-high heat for 5-10 minutes. Drain excess grease, leaving a little behind to cook veggies. Add pepper and onion. Reduce heat to medium and cook 10 minutes, until veggies are translucent and tender. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes longer. Remove Dutch oven from heat.
4. Stir in lentils, tomato paste, maple syrup, coconut sugar, water, vinegar, and spices. Mix until thoroughly combined.
5. Pour mixture into prepared casserole dish. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake additional 30 minutes.
6. Allow dish to cool 15 minutes, then serve warm.

Recipe adapted from "Baked Beans" found on page 128 in Danielle Walker's Against All Grain Celebrations cookbook.

Classic Italian Tomato Sauce

This authentic marinara sauce is full of rich tomato flavor and savory Italian spices.

Classic Italian Tomato Sauce
Yield: 8-10 servings

Ingredients

• 2-3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced (about 1 Tbsp)
• 2 (28 oz) cans diced tomatoes
• 1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper

Directions

1. Heat large pot over medium heat. Add oil and then onion. Saute for 10 minutes, or until softened. Add garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes longer.
2. Add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper; stir to combine.
3. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for at least 20-30 minutes. If time permits, simmer on low for 1-2 hours, stirring occasionally, to allow sauce to thicken and flavors to develop.
4. Serve sauce over pasta.

Recipe adapted from Modern Honey.

Rich Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

My daughter has been talking about functional texts in school, and her teacher asked every student to bring an example from home to share with the class. She chose a cookbook and found this recipe inside. Since I want to support her budding interest in the kitchen, we spent the day baking together. Cake is definitely my love language!

Rich Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
Yield: 2 layer cake

Ingredients
Chocolate Cake:

• 1 cup boiling water
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 tsp instant coffee
• 1 1/2 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting:

• 1/2 cup Crisco (original flavor in blue tub)
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp clear vanilla extract
• 5 cups powdered sugar
• 6-8 Tbsp milk (I use almond milk)
• sprinkles, for decorating

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease two 9-inch cake pans with nonstick cooking spray, line with parchment paper, then grease parchment paper; set aside.
2. Whisk together boiling water, cocoa powder, and instant coffee in small bowl until smooth; set aside.
3. In separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
4. In stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy, scraping down sides of bowl as needed, about 5 minutes.
5. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add vanilla and beat until combined.
6. Add hot cocoa mixture and beat until combined, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
7. Add flour mixture and stir on lowest speed until combined. Finish by scraping bottom of bowl with spatula and folding all batter together.
8. Pour batter into prepared pans and bake 20-22 minutes, or until cake feels firm and toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few crumbs. Be careful as cakes overbake easily!
9. Remove from oven and run knife around edges between cake and pan. Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out from pans, remove & discard parchment paper, and cool completely on wire racks. Cakes must be completely cool before frosting and assembling.
10. Once cakes are cooled, prepare frosting. In stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, cream together Crisco and butter until smooth. Add cocoa powder, 2 cups powdered sugar, and 3 Tbsp milk; mix until smooth.
11. Add remaining powdered sugar and milk; mix until smooth. Keep an eye on frosting consistency - add more powdered sugar if too thin or more milk if too thick.
12. To assemble cake, place one cake layer (dome side down) on platter and top with about 1 cup of frosting. Smooth frosting into an even layer. Place second cake layer on top (dome side up). Smooth remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Decorate with sprinkles, if desired.
13. Cake doesn't need to be made a day in advance, but do allow a few hours after assembly before serving for moisture and flavors to develop.
14. Serve at room temperature. Cake is best for 3-5 days.

Cake recipe adapted from "Creamy, Dreamy Chocolate Gateau" found on page 189 in The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook by Dinah Bucholz.

Frosting recipe adapted from Wilton.

Pistachio Sugar Cookie Bars

My husband's favorite pistachio dessert from childhood was full of dairy: butter in the crust, milk to prepare the pudding, whipped cream on top... you get the point! Since the two of us try to limit the amount of dairy we consume, I was super excited when I stumbled upon this recipe that would evoke similar feelings of nostalgia while still accommodating our current dietary needs. His final verdict? They are just like a Lofthouse cookie! (And our youngest daughter has asked me to make this for her birthday next fall.) I'd call that a resounding win!

Pistachio Sugar Cookie Bars
Yield: 9x13 pan

Ingredients
Cookie Bars:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 tsp almond extract
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1 (3.4 oz) pkg instant pistachio pudding mix
• 2 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt

Buttercream Frosting:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/4 cup Crisco (original flavor in blue tub)
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp almond extract
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 3 Tbsp milk, plus more if needed
• green sprinkles, for decorating

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease 9x13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
2. In stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar. Mix in vanilla and almond extracts. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Scrape down sides of bowl as needed.
3. Stir in dry pudding mix. Add one cup of flour, baking soda, and salt; mix until combined. Add remaining one cup of flour and mix until just combined.
4. Press dough *very* evenly into prepared pan. (Bars will not spread when baking, so this step is important!)
5. Bake for 12-14 minutes. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.
6. Once bars have cooled completely, prepare buttercream frosting. In stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, combine butter, Crisco, salt, vanilla extract, and almond extract; mix until creamy.
7. Add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, and beat until smooth and creamy, adding milk to reach desired consistency.
8. Spread frosting over cooled sugar cookie bars and top with sprinkles.

Recipe adapted from Eat Cake For Dinner.