This week, we picked up chicken leg quarters because they were on a good sale. Not that long ago, we wouldn’t have bought it because my family isn’t a fan of bone-in chicken. But now that we have a pressure cooker, I’m putting my food to work for me in a big way! I’m saving time by cooking my chicken ahead of time and then adding some things to the pot along with the bones to get even more out of the chicken.

Cook the Chicken

Sprinkle the skin of the chicken with kosher salt. How much you use depends on your personal preference.  Place in the pressure cooker along with 4 cups of water and a teaspoon of peppercorns. Because of how you’re cooking the chicken, peppercorns work better than ground pepper.

Close the pressure cooker and bring to 15 pounds of pressure. On my Fagor pressure cooker, 15 pounds is setting #2. Once the cooker is to pressure, cook for 5-7 minutes at pressure for bone-in chicken pieces or 12-18 minutes for a whole, thawed chicken.

Release the pressure and remove the chicken from the pressure cooker. Allow the chicken to cool and pull all meat from the bones. Place the bones back into the pressure cooker. Take the cooked chicken you’ve pulled from the bones and portion one pound at a time into freezer bags. I do one pound to make it easy for using in recipes. Yes, this does mean we use a little bit more chicken than we would if it was precooked pounds, but that’s okay by my meat loving men.

I don’t put anything other than salt and pepper on the chicken at this point because I want it to be as versatile as possible later. Also, if I used specific seasonings (for example, most of today’s chicken will be going to enchiladas, so I could have used traditional Mexican seasonings) it wouldn’t be great for the next step…

Back in the pot

Now that your bones are back in with the water, go to the fridge and see what vegetables you have. Today, I’m using onion, celery, one green pepper and two small hot red peppers. Normally, I would put a couple of carrots in the pot as well, but I don’t have any in the kitchen and it’s all about keeping things simple. Add 2 more cups of water, garlic another teaspoon of peppercorns, a teaspoon of sage and one bay leaf into the pot.

Cover the pot and bring back to 15 pounds of pressure. Let the stock cook under pressure for 55 minutes and release the pressure. For the first strain, I simply dump everything into a strainer over a large bowl. This will get rid of all of the big pieces. Then, line your strainer with a cheesecloth and strain again. This will get the small bits, including any tiny bones, out of the stock and give you a clearer chicken stock.

Mama’s Homemade Salsa

Ingredients:

• 4 large tomatoes, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• salt to taste
• 1 jalapeno pepper, minced (we like things spicy, so we doubled this)

Directions

It really couldn’t be any simpler! Mix everything together, let it sit for about 30 minutes so the flavors all slide together and serve! Have you tried the Salsa Chicken that we posted a while ago?

Ever had one of those days where breakfast might be the only answer, even at dinner time? That’s the type of day it is here today, and this is one of my favorite breakfasts for any meal! It may be known to some as a sausage breakfast casserole or an egg dish, but if you were raised a Lutheran girl in Wisconsin, it’s church basement casserole.

You see, when I was younger, this was Easter morning breakfast every year. Women from the church would each make their favorite recipes and bring them to the church early on Sunday morning. We’d have to sit through the early morning service with the smells of bacon, sausage, eggs and cheese wafting up through the stairwell and filling the sanctuary. After the service was done, it looked like the running of the bulls as everyone descended for their slice of the ultimate breakfast dish.

Unlike many of the recipes I saw as a child, this one can be made easily in a few minutes, it doesn’t require soaking overnight. I’m sure it’d still be great if it did soak overnight, but we aren’t patient people in this house!

Ingredients

• 1 package breakfast sausage
• 10 eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 cups milk
• 2 teaspoons dry mustard
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 6 cups cubed bread
• 2 cups shredded cheese (I use whatever I have on hand)
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325F. Cook sausage over medium high heat, cooking until no longer pink. I typically add my onion and green pepper when I’m cooking the sausage because my guys won’t eat them if they’re still crunchy at all.
2. Combine eggs, milk, mustard and salt in a large bowl. Beat everything until the mixture starts to foam a bit. This will give your finished product a nice, airy consistency.
3. Place half of the bread cubes into the bottom of a greased 9×13 pan. Sprinkle with half the pepper, half of the cheese and half of the sausage mixture. Repeat with the other half of ingredients.
4. Pour egg mixture evenly over casserole. Let sit for 10 minutes so the bread absorbs the eggs.
5. Bake uncovered for 55-60 minutes or until eggs are set. If the top begins to brown, place a sheet of aluminum foil over the pan, but do not seal.

I hadn’t made this in a long time, until I was digging for recipes to put on the site. If that keeps happening, my family is going to LOVE me! We love this creamy sausage pasta, it’s a quick meal that doesn’t taste quick!

Creamy Spicy Sausage Pasta

• 1T olive oil
• 1 pound Italian sausage
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 3/4 cup Newman’s Own tomato sauce (I used the roasted garlic)
• 1 1/2 cup frozen peas
• salt and pepper (don’t let the 4 year old help with the pepper!)
• 1 pound rigatoni
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese

Cook the sausage, then add cream and tomato sauce.  Simmer until slightly thickened.  Add peas and cook until peas are hot.  Boil pasta according to directions and add to sausage and sauce mixture.  Top with mozzarella cheese and cover to let cheese melt.

With using salt, pepper, and cheese that I already had on hand, I was able to make this meal for 5.97 and it easily could have fed 6 people.  My husband, one of the biggest eaters I know asked why I made so much, and he only saw what was left after I had some and after Bug had 2 little bowls.

The first time I made this, I was sure my family would hate it and complain. Now, they ask for it time and time again! You may even have all of the ingredients in your stockpile…

Apricot Chicken

Ingredients:

• 1.5# boneless, skinless chicken breast, pounded thin
• 1 1/2 cup apricot preserves
• 1 packet dry onion soup mix
• 1/2 cup mayo

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix preserves, soup mix and  mayo to form a sauce.
3. Place chicken breasts in 9×13 pan and cover with sauce.
4. Bake uncovered 45 minutes.

Serve with white rice, pouring the sauce and juices over the rice. I also made baby carrots steamed with butter and a touch of brown sugar.

In honor of National Burger Day yesterday, we made the Ultimate Cheeseburger Meatloaf. This is a staple in our menu rotation and it’s about the only meatloaf that everyone in the family agrees on.

Ingredients:

• 1.5# ground beef (I recommend 80/20 to reduce greasiness without being dry)
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 1 cup Italian bread crumbs
• 1t Italian Seasoning
• 1t salt
• 1/2t pepper
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Combine ground beef, milk, egg, bread crumbs, and spices by hand.
3. Once it’s well mixed, add shredded cheddar cheese and mix lightly.
4. Place in loaf pan.
5. Sprinkle the top with bread crumbs and press into pan to form a solid loaf.
6. Bake for one hour.

Easy Salsa Chicken

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup salsa
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 tablespoons sour cream

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease 9×13 baking dish.
2. Mix all spices and sugar to make a homemade taco seasoning. Sprinkle over both sides of the chicken breasts. Place chicken in pan. Pour salsa over chicken breasts.
3. Bake 25-35 minutes or until juices in chicken run clear. If you’re in a hurry, pound chicken breasts flat and they will cook faster.
4. Sprinkle cheese over chicken and bake until cheese is melted.
5. Serve with sour cream on the side.

Helpful Tips:

• Save a spice container and fill it with the seasonings listed to have homemade taco seasoning available at all times.
• A good meat pounder (HERE is the one I got on Amazon) will be your best friend on nights when you need to get dinner on the table in a hurry. The thicker your meat, the longer it takes to cook.
• Serve this with Mexican corn and rice for a great weeknight meal!