Tuna Noodle Casserole

Do you have a dish that speaks to your childhood or reminds of you dinners at your house growing up. Tuna Noodle Casserole is one of those things for me. I loved it then and I still love it and to make things even more exciting my son LOVES it!! I was so excited when he ate his whole bowl and did not make it a challenge. It was wonderful! Do you have any childhood favorites? Mine would be Mac & Cheese and Peas, Apple Pie, Apple Crisp, Marion berry Pie, Rolled Chicken, Lasagna, Chocolate Chip cookies, this dreamy creamy rice and Chicken dish (I am not even sure it has a name;)), Potato chips and cottage cheese (weird, maybe, but its delicious), my Dad's homemade breakfast (my dad makes the best breakfast, I love going over to his house for breakfast). Back to the Tuna Noodle Casserole, this comes from my Dad's Mother my Grandma Camilla:) She was truly the kindest, sweetest lady you ever met. She loved to tell a good story and while in my younger days I do not think I appreciated that much she still loved me all the same even though I didn't always sit through them:) She would watch us when my parents went out of town and when she picked us up from a sports practice she always had a full meal as a snack for us waiting! I always remember riding in her car and thinking how am I going to eat all this Grandma!! Its no wonder such a comforting dish comes from a lady who was so gracious, kind, and loving, you felt comfort around her and she made comfort food!! 

You start with a few basics that I think should always be in your fridge or pantry. I am a huge believer in always having a stocked up pantry and fridge that way you can always throw together something at the last minute no matter what. Milk, Cheddar Cheese, Parmesan Cheese, Sour Cream, Canned Tuna, Frozen Peas, Egg Noodles, Breadcrumbs, Salt & Pepper.

Grate up your 2 heaping cups or Cheddar and 1/3 cup Parmesan. Always use fresh if you can, it just tastes so much better.

Get your noodles cooking. Have you seen this trick on Pinterest were you put the wooden spoon over the pot to prevent over flow?!?! I love it!! I found it a year or so ago and I have been doing it ever since! It works so good:)

After your noodles are cooked and drained put them back into the pot and add the ingredients: 2 can well drained Tuna, 1 1/2 cups sour cream, 3/4 cup milk, 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, i cup frozen peas, 3/4 teaspoon salt (add more to taste if needed), 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Stir together and pour into a 9x13 baking pan.

 Assemble your 1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs, 2 tablespoons melted butter, 1/3 cup Parmesan. Mix together and spread over casserole.

Add the rest of your Cheddar Cheese and bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes or until bubbling.

Serve it up warm with the top browned a little and the inside creamy and comforting! This recipe is so quick and easy that it is good all year round. It is a comfort food that to me has no season and if my son gobbles it up it really has no season! I goes on the menu 1-2 times a month no questions or complaints:)! 

Tuna Noodle Casserole

Ms. Marquet's Kitchen-Gillian

8 ounces extra wide egg noodles

2 cans albacore tuna, well drained

1 1/2 cups sour cream

3/4 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon pepper

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cup cheddar cheese

1 cup frozen peas

1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons butter melted

1/2 heaping cup cheddar cheese

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cook noodles as directed on package. Return drained noodles to the pot they were cooked in. Stir in tuna, sour cream, milk, salt & pepper, cheese, and peas. Pour into 9x13 baking pan.

Mix breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese and butter; sprinkle over casserole, the top with the cheddar cheese. Bake 25 minutes or until bubbly.

Weekly Round-up

Happy Good Friday and Easter weekend (if you celebrate Easter)! I love Easter, it is right up there with Christmas. I love the time of year, everything is fresh, the grass and trees are a beautiful green, the spring flowers are in full bloom, and the birds are out singing! I have a few books that I have been reading to my son that explain a little more about Easter then just the Easter bunny, to me Easter is all about the Cross and Jesus Christ finished work. I am so blessed that he paid the price for all my sins past and to come, a man who knew no sin took all our sins upon him. Its a love I am so grateful for and blessed to have and share with my son. 

I found this super cute Easter Bunny last year and I apologize I do not have the source, it is most likely on pinterest:) It is a gentle reminder of the true meaning of Easter in a great way to teach our little ones. Do you have any fun Easter traditions?! We did our first Easter egg hunt for my son and nephews last year and I am excited for them to go at it again this year! I love seeing the joy that children have in whatever activity or holiday they are partaking in. Children are always so filled with Love, joy, and Grace...its contagious! My oldest nephew just turned 6!!! I am still shocked at how time has gone by, we celebrated on Sunday at a bounce house place and the kids had a blast!! They jumped till they were sweaty, red in the face so tired they didn't want to be done but did at the same time;) My son has a few war wounds to show from it and he keeps talking all week about how much fun he had! Sometimes the best wounds tell great fun stories:) 

 I can not wait to make this delicious Kale and Wild Rice Bowl from Iowa Girl Eats, she always has fresh, delicious, and healthy gluten free dishes on her site! So go ahead and put this on your menu for next week, I will be and I can already tell it will be amazing! I have to say I am so blessed that my husband never complains about any meal that I prepare, I always try and ask if there is anything special he wants on the menu and he normally says no but I always try to incorporate him in it. He has never complained about eating Kale and loves it, for that I am so thankful! We like to eat healthy and Kale is a beautiful thing to have 2-3 days a week in the meals or as a side dish!

This past week for Bible study I made this seriously decadent Lemon Almond Bread from Two Peas and their Pod, it was so good!! I always like to bake new things for Bible Study and experiment with my Pinterest finds:) This one did not disappoint in any way, I was glad that I shared it with many because I could have easily eaten the whole thing:) It was fresh and light! Go and make it for Easter brunch!

Have you decided what you will be making for Easter, I saw this Carrot Cake Cheesecake Cake from Recipe Girl and it looks AMAZING! I mean to combine carrot cake and cheesecake two of probably my favorite things (on a side not I have realized I have many favorite things especially yummy baked goods, I am not sure I could pick my top favorite). I have a carrot cake that I usually make and will make for Easter but I will for sure be trying this one out in the near future!! Also there is this delicious Hummingbird Cake below that would be perfect for Easter as well;) 

Wishing you a beautiful, Sunny, and Happy Easter Weekend!!

Rolled Chicken

This dish is one of those comfort food Sunday Dinner meals. It takes a little bit of time to prepare but it is worth the effort and plus maybe you have had a rough day and all the beating you have to do on the meat will get out any frustration you may or may not have:) This is honestly one of my favorite meals, when asked growing up what I wanted for my birthday dinner I frequently remember asking for this chicken. My mom was and is a wonderful cook and baker, my Aunt Karen her sister is a dynamite baker, her pies and cheesecakes are delicious!!! I got blessed with their talent!

You start out by beating you Chicken breast till they are very thin, when you think you have pounded them down enough keep going a little longer:)

Season them with salt and pepper and spread some melted butter on them.

Spread 1-2 teaspoons of Grey Poupon on each Chicken Breast, depending on how much you like Dijon, I really like it but I meet halfway because my husband is not as favorable to it.

Next do a very generous layer of Monetary Jack cheese on top about 1/4-1/2 cup on each Chicken breast, yes generous is key. Then Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of Italian Seasoning evenly over the Chicken Breasts. I topped a few with Kale as an experiment and really liked it, so add some Kale to yours if you wish.

Next roll them up and secure them with toothpicks, I find it is much easier to dredge and roll them in the flour,eggs, and breadcrumbs this way:) I recently just went to my first Pampered Chef party and I purchased these AMAZING coating trays they are fantastic! 

Roll them in Flour, Egg Wash, and Italian Breadcrumbs. Fry them in some butter and olive oil in a skillet till browned on each side.

Pour 2 Tablespoons melted butter on top and sprinkle some Monetary Jack Cheese on them and bake them in the oven @ 350 for 30 minutes.

Serve with your desired vegetables and enjoy. Perfect for a delicious comforting Sunday dinner and I think even better the next day for leftovers!!

Rolled Chicken
Ms. Marquet's Kitchen

4 Chicken Breasts
Salt & Pepper
4 Tablespoons Melted Butter
Dijon Mustard
3 cups Monetary Jack Cheese
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
Chopped Kale (optional)
Flour
2 Eggs 
2 Cups Italian Breadcrumbs

Trim and Beat your Chicken breasts till thin. Spread 2 tablespoons of melted butter on chicken breasts and season with salt and pepper. Spread 1 -2 teaspoons of Dijon on each chicken breast, top with 1/4-1/2 cup cheese, sprinkle 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning evenly over the chicken breasts, lay some shredded Kale if desired in there and the roll up and fasten with toothpicks.
Preheat Oven to 350.
Roll each Chicken Breast in flour, Egg, then Breadcrumbs.
Heat a Skillet over medium high heat with 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil plus more if needed and fry each chicken breast till golden brown on each side, about 2 minutes each side.
Place in a baking dish and bake at 350 for 30 minutes!

Enjoy!

Healthy Freezer Waffles

It is beautiful here in Washington, I actually felt warmth outside, like I could wear a t-shirt and still be warm weather! It is WONDERFUL!!  Last week we left on Thursday to drive over to WSU to visit my sister for mom's weekend, it was so much fun! I love going over to visit her and create those special memories.

My sweet and extremely hilarious boy is really coming into his own personality! He is pretty funny and loves to make himself and others laugh! In honor of Master's weekend we sported the golf shirt and I could not be more excited that Bubba Watson won it again!!! On the right is my sister Carmen and her boyfriend Andy at the WSU baseball game:)!

While I had ever intention on posting this before I left it did not happen so here it is today;) It was a busy week preparing and baking to be gone for 4 days and there is nothing better to have on hand on a busy week then a quick and easy healthy breakfast for your kiddos. Breakfast is big to me, its should not be skipped, its the most important meal of the day. Sometimes we moms don't have time for it, I never leave the house at least without having a piece of Toast and Peanut Butter, it is my go to, my favorite besides Oatmeal. So anyway back to the Waffles... 

I was using these waffles  for the longest time for my son and they are great! He loved them and I trusted all the ingredients in them. But I still wanted to be able to have some that I made for him and he still loved that I could grab from the freezer. A while back I had seen a recipe for healthy waffles and I kept it in the back of my mind, always saying just do it and being too lazy to do it. Well I did it one day and am so glad I did! Its super easy, saves money, and you can trust your child is getting a nutritious waffle on the go.  Over at Our Best Bites I found these Healthy Whole Grain Waffles that were exactly what I wanted. I made one small minor change. I add Pear Juice, just gives them an added sweetness and I think lighter texture. When looking at the back of the box on the waffles above they added Pear/Grape juice. You could do either one or none at all. We do not drink Juice in our home, so I bought some Organic Juice boxes and I aways double the waffle mix so I don't feel like I am wasting the entire box;)

Here is what you will need: Whole Wheat Flour, Flaxseed, Wheat Germ, Baking Powder, Sugar, Milk, Juice(if desired), Canola Oil, Egg, & Vanilla

Mix all the dry ingredients together: 1 1/2 Cups of Whole Wheat Flour, 1/4 cup Wheat Germ, 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Next your wet ingredients: So you can either do all milk of 1 1/2 cups of 1 1/4 cups milk plus 2 tablespoons and 2 tablespoons pear/grape juice, 1/3 cup canola oil, 1 Egg, 1 teaspoon Vanilla.

Mix wet ingredients into dry just until they come together, do not over mix. Pour into your heated waffle iron and cook. I don't like to cook mine too dark just because when I go to toast them they will get a little more cooking time then as well.

Lay to cool on a wire rack right after you remove them from the waffle maker. you do not want to set them on a plate or the bottoms will get soggy.  One recipe will give you about 6 waffles, I can not remember how many my son ate when I made these but I think it was almost 2 1/2! He LOVES them! 

I place them on a cookie sheet and stick them in the freezer till frozen.

Place in frozen bag and use on your busy mornings or the mornings were you want no dishes:) 

How do you like to eat your waffles? Butter and Warm Maple Syrup?!? Just Butter?!? We eat ours with a nice helping of Peanut Butter and Strawberries, its our favorite. 

Healthy Whole Grain Waffles
Our Best Bites

1 1/2 cups 100% whole wheat flour
1/4 cup wheat germ
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed meal
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups nonfat milk 
1/3 cup canola oil
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla

Whisk together flour, wheat germ, flaxseed meal, baking powder, sugar, and salt.  In a separate bowl mix together milk, oil, egg, vanilla, and oil and whisk until combined.  Add wet ingredients to dry and whisk until just mixed together, don’t over-mix.

Pour into your waffle iron and cook until golden. Serve warm or freeze for those busy mornings!

Freezer Instructions:  Lay waffles in a single layer on a baking dish in the freezer for a few hours.  When frozen, place in a ziplock bag or freezer container.  Reheat in toaster. 

Weekly Roundup

 Hello there, Happy Sunday! We are locked in today with a heavy mist, my body is screaming for warmth and sunshine, I need it badly! They say that it is suppose to be almost 70 tomorrow, I do hope so!! Spring has been springing up around our yard lately and it is lovely to see. 

My Daphne Odora plant is blooming and really starting to have a beautiful fragrance, loved seeing a bee doing some pollination. Bees who help with pollination are a wonderful thing. In fact as I was watching Dinosaur train this morning with my little man, before the show they did a fun fact on honey bees and making your own honey. I told my husband I think we should start that in our back property, it might even help our fruit trees;) Not sure if he is on board but give it a year and we may be honey bee farmers:)!! How delicious would fresh honey be in homemade honey butter on a warm roll, it is great for your skin, a delicious substitute for corn syrup! I think we need to do it!!

My sweet 3 year old has been loving helping out the dishes. He grabs his stool, I grab a nice big towel to put under the stool, he goes to town and has tons of fun! I love making chores fun and not even having to ask. He just jumps right in and has about 30 minutes of fun entertainment. He has always been such a big helper and I am so blessed by his eagerness to help others and learn new things. Enjoying these moments while they last!

 Dear friends of ours are having twins!!! We are so very excited for them, on Friday she had a gender reveal party and made this delicious cake. I have been eyeing it up on Pinterest and it was just as tasty as I imagined it would be, Sally's Baking Addiction Lemon Blueberry Cake. She did food coloring in the layers to reveal, 2 boys?, 2 girls?, 1 of each? ? I won't reveal what she is having because she has not made it public. But I am super excited to get to planning a Couple's Shower with one of her good friends! Party Planning season is in full swing!!!

This is how we do wake-up time in our home. My husband is wide eyed ready to conquer the world, my little man and I like to relax a little and watch Dinosaur Train, he has a slight obsession with it and I actually enjoy learning some new things. Mostly though I just like the cuddle time, I could cuddle with him and the doggies all day!!

I have been getting the house ready for Easter and I recently just got this new Chalkboard that I LOVE! This is my first go ahead at it and while the writing could be improved, I am not stressing over it! Thank you pinterest for fun Chalkboard ideas I have seen around. So glad to finally have one and write fun things with the change of seasons and events!! I am currently working on my table scape for Easter, I will try to reveal that this week to help with any ideas you might be having. I love to decorate!

I went to England, Ireland, & Scotland in High School for a Basketball Tour. It was so much fun to be able to travel and play Basketball in another country. It is something I will never forget. We stayed at a host home in England and Scotland. This wonderful lady we stayed with in Englad made this AMAZING pie. I am telling you 13 years later I can still remember how good it was. I saw this recipe on Brown Eyed Baker and I think this might be the pie! I can not wait to try it!!! 

How cute is this printable! It was all gone on etsy but I am hoping maybe she will do another one or I can find someone to recreate it!! Its perfect! I hope you all had a wonderful week and weekend! I am hoping for lots of sunshine this week, baking, cuddles with my little man, and Fun!!

Salsa Chicken

If there is one thing I love it is a simple go to meal that is still delicious and not terrible for you! Sometimes I feel like the quick ones are carb loaded and I do my best to eliminate the carbs and stick to my protein, fruits, and veggies at dinner time! I love sticking quick dinners into my meal plan for the week, it gives me extra play time with my son around dinner prep and not a lot of dishes! I have been making Salsa Chicken since I was pregnant and it is always a hit and its so simple! I believe the kind of Salsa you use has a huge factor, but just use your favorite and I am sure you will love it! I have tried using homemade and the consistency just is not the same, use the jarred stuff and you won't go wrong!

 Its a pretty simple line-up, 2-4 Chicken Breasts (depending on how many bodies you are feeding), Cheddar Cheese, Cream Cheese, salt & Pepper, & your favorite jar of Salsa.

Pre-heat your oven to 350.  Take about 1/3 of your salsa and spread it on on the bottom of your baking dish.

 After you have trimmed your Chicken Breasts of any Fat and beaten them down a little. I always beat my Chicken with a paddle, it makes it more tender:) Lay them on top of the Salsa and season with Kosher Salt and Fresh Black Pepper.

 If you are using 2 Chicken Breats I use 3 Ounces of Cream Cheese, if you have 4 I would use 5 ounces. Heat the Cream Cheese up in the micorwave to soften and spread on top of the Chicken with 1/2 cup of Freshly grated Cheddar Cheese (Freshly grated is always so much better then the bagged stuff, it is worth the extra time).

 Pour the remaining Salsa on top and Sprinkle a generous layer of Grated Cheddar on top(about 1/2 to 3/4 of a cup). 

Cover with Foil and Bake for 15 minutes, remove the cover and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes until the Chicken is cooked through, juicy, and tender!

This picture could be a lot better but at the time I took it I had a hungry 3 1/2 year old, hungry dogs, and a husband who just walked in the door. My photography skills will get better as time goes on;) But anyway I serve it up with some sauteed Kale and a small side of Qunioa Medley. Next time you have 30 minutes or less to get dinner in the oven, whip this delicious and juicy Chicken up!!

Salsa Chicken:
Ms. Marquets Kitchen

2-4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 Jar of your favorite Salsa (if you are using 4 Chicken Breats I do recommend that you use 1 1/2 jars, I like a lot of extra salsa with mine, chunks of salsa and chicken together make it pretty delicious) 
3-5 ounces of Cream Cheese
1 heaping cup of Grated Cheddar Cheese
Salt & Pepper

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.
Spread 1/3 of your salsa in your baking dish.
Arrange your Chicken Breasts on top and Season with Salt & Pepper
Spread your soften Cream Cheese and 1/2 cup of Cheddar on top.
Pour the rest of your Salsa on top of Chicken & Cheese. Top with remaning Cheddar Cheese and cover with Foil.
Bake covered for 15 minutes and uncovered for 20-25 minuites.

Serve with your favorite sides!!

Enjoy!

Gillian Marquet