$14.95 meal

I want my own little diner.  You know the one where everything is home made & down right delicious food.  When you think of say...bacon wrapped chicken my little diner is the place you think of first.  We have a fake menu going on at our house, what I'd serve at my diner, & how much each item would be.  This tonight at my kitchen diner was $14.95.

I made three new recipes tonight. Spinach and blue cheese, bacon wrapped stuffed chicken, honey & balsamic green beans, & smashed potatoes. I used my own potatoes and green beans, nothing like it!  It was one of those nights where everyone was 'starving', so I couldn't get a good picture of the food. Never mind the horrible lighting and display, the troops were demanding food!  I should have cut the chicken open & showed you all the gooey cheesy goodness inside of the chicken. Why have I not stuffed my own chicken ever before? I really don't understand, really it is a simple process.

I usually start with a recipe and then make it my own. At the request of a few of you I will add the recipes below.  A word to the wise.  I love to cook therefore I may throw in seasoning, evoo, this & that at my own discretion & that is why there may not be the measurements for some of the ingredients on the recipes.  For example, below for the chicken I have no idea how much spinach I used just take a handful and mix it all together & see if it's enough...really try it, it won't be difficult.

Oh & smile when you are making these dishes because you know anything is over the top good with bacon.  One more thing, let me know if you made any of my recipes and what you did different....I wanna know!  Send me some of your recipes you'd like me to try.  I'll make 'em, take pics of them & post them.

Bacon wrapped, spinach and cheese stuff chicken

4 chicken breasts (bonless, skinless)

blue cheese (I also did a couple with feta cheese)
spinach
arugula
bacon
pepper

Take a paring knife and cut down the middle of the fat side of the chicken about 1/2 way.  Put your finger in the cut to loosen it up.  You will be cutting right in the middle of the breast, don't cut all the way through.

Take some spinach & arugula & mix it together.  Then throw some cheese in the mix & mix it all together.

Put the green/cheese mixture into the cut of the chicken.  Use your finger & really stuff it down in there.

Pepper the chicken.

Wrap bacon around the chicken, like a spiral.

Put in a baking dish at 425 for about 30 minutes.

Honey and Balsamic Green Beans

16 oz green beans
2 garlic cloves
evoo
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp honey
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
salt & pepper

Heat the evoo in a pan over medium heat.  Put in the beans & garlic.  Cover & cook for about 10 minutes. Stir when you feel like it.

Put in the onion powder, honey, balsamic vinegar, & salt & pepper to taste.

Cook for about 3-5 minutes longer.

Smashed potatoes
(my kids can take or leave potatoes depending on how they are cooked.  I've never made this recipe before tonight & they all loved them)


4 medium potatoes
1/4 chicken broth
3 T evoo
4 scallions (green & whites)
salt & pepper

Cook potatoes in boiling water about 15-20 minutes.  Drain. Put back in same pot.

Add evoo, broth, scallions, & salt & pepper to taste.

Smash with the back of a fork.  These will be a bit chunky, not like your Mamma's mashed potatoes.

Eat!