Posted on April 27, 2009
Filed Under Chicken and Turkey, Main dishes
Sometimes I feel stuck. In a rut. With cooking, that is. Well, other things too, but we’ll just stick with cooking. ????
I have a certain style of cooking and I don’t deviate from it much. I want to change that. Maybe doing some more ‘Out of my Comfort Zone’ foods would be a good idea. I don’t make stir-able casseroles. Pretty much the only all-in-one casserole type things I make are wet burritos and lasagna. Other than that, it’s sandwich-type things (like these melts) and most of the time it’s meat, potatoes/pasta, veggies, and rolls. And I pretty much use the same seasonings too. So, this evening for supper, I was browsing a cookbook for new recipes and passed up the Chinese Beef and the Sirloin Squash Shish Kabobs and landed on something ‘safer’ like Chicken Cheese Melts. I use way more chicken breast than any other meat and I never buy the dark meat unless I get a whole rotisserie chicken. Other meats I keep on hand and regularily use are ham, ground beef, beef roasts, and bacon. And that’s pretty much it. Other kinds of meat are very rare. Over the summer (think, more grilling), I buy pork chops, brats, and steaks.
Do you think I need a bit of help here with diversity? 
What’s your style of cooking? I’d love to hear it! Tell us in the comment section!
Meanwhile, here is a recipe using exotic ingredients like chicken breast, butter, cheese, and bread. Just kidding about the exotic part. This recipe comes from my newest cookbook, which I’ve owned for a little over 48 hours now… What’s Cookin’, compiled by the Schlabach family. Makes it more fun because I’m good friends with some of these Schlabachs. And I like seeing their names under a recipe now and then.
Chicken Cheese Melts
1 cup chicken, cooked and chunked (I used more like 1 1/2 cups, you can never go wrong with more meat ???? )
1/4 cup margarine, melted (I used butter)
1/4 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp. onion, chopped
1 Tbsp. parsley flakes
Shredded cheese
Saute onions in margarine briefly.
Mix together all ingredients.
Put on slices of French bread or any other bread. I used hamburger buns. And toasted them first.
Top with cheese.
Bake at 350 until cheese is melted. The cheese was melted after about 5 minutes, but then I turned on the broiler because I like cheese to have a bit of browning on top.
These, by the way, got rave reviews and were thrown into the ‘Yum! Make again!’ category. And they were easy and fast too, esp since I pulled chunked up fried chicken breast out of the freezer.
Now, I wanna hear about your this-is-the-norm-for-me cooking. Also, do you plan menus? I’ve seriously thought of doing that. Seems like that would eliminate the 4:00 p.m. staring in the fridge/freezer/cupboards/cookbooks for a supper idea!
Comments
15 Responses to “Chicken Cheese Melts”
Last week I made a Chicken Tetrazzina which was basically a chicken spaghetti. I thought it was good and I asked Dan if he liked it. His reply, “I don’t talk like that. :)”” Okay. All this to say casseroles aren’t a big hit here.
I don’t really plan out menus specifically, but something that has helped me is I kind-of have certain things I make on nights of the week. For example, on Wednesday night we always have soup and some kind of bread. On Thursday nights I make some thing using chicken. Monday and Tuesday nights can vary, but usually on one of them I use ground beef, and the other one I use steak or pork chops,sometimes using the grill. Friday evening is usually something simple like grilled hamburgers and fries, or tacos. Saturday evening is always pizza. Sunday, roast beef (I have alot of meat, so for some people this might not work) Or if we have to many leftovers we eat those. (Yes,leftovers for Sunday lunch!)
This has really helped me, because usually the week before when I get my groceries I’m already thinking into the next week.
I enjoy your site, and have used quite a few of your recipes!
My normal cooking style would be hot dogs, and on a daring morning a scrambled egg, but then I am a guy with a bad case of culinary illiteracy. Though I think sometime if I really want to impress my girlfriend with a special high class meal I just might be able pull off the Chicken Cheese Melts.
Those look great!! My normal mode of cooking is like you — several tried and trues that are relatively safe. I work outside the home (ugh) so many times I’m looking for something fast that will just fill the need. Right now while I’m caring for my husband 24/7 after his transplant I’m needing to cook for his eating abilities and right now that’s soft food which means lots of pasta with very mild sauces. It’s also kind of strange to only be cooking for 2.
Same old, same old here. Generally when I try something new, they turn up their noses at it unless it has the basic ingredients that I use in most everything else. I think I’ll try these soon. They look fast, easy and good!
These look like my style- fast, easy, and good.
I love to try new things, but my family doesn’t as much, so we try to find a balance. I stick with the basics, with a few different things stuck in every now and then. 
Hi Kay!
First off, I ALWAYS meal plan. It keeps our grocery bill down, which is important for us. Every meal during the week is planned, and weekends consist of leftovers or a treat at eating out.
I blog my menus/meal plans every Monday morning, if you are looking for ideas.
I plan my menu Friday night or Saturday morning, then make a grocery list, farmer’s market list, and walmart list. Then DH goes to the grocery store, and I do farmer’s market and walmart. Honestly, most of our stuff comes from the farmers market — fresh fruit, veggies, dairy, meat, etc. Grocery store is for pantry items, and walmart for toiletries and paper products.
Since I love blogging, I try to make at least 1 new recipe per week. It can be a lunch for me at work, or a dessert for my co-workers, or a dinner, but at least 1 new recipe. That helps me incorporate new things all the time. Admittedly, sometimes they’re flops, but sometimes they’re pure deliciousness!
We eat pretty similar to you as far as meats, etc, but I just try to find new ways to eat those things.
I’ve learned I DON’T like at-home-chinese-style food. It just isn’t as good. I also don’t like most vegetarian meals, or anything with soy or tofu. So I just try to adapt the meats and veggies we already love into new things. I’ll post some of the new items I’ve made recently that were delicious to give you some ideas.
Finally, I use my vegetable steamer all the time. I steam fresh veggies and toss them with olive oil, or lemon juice, or whatever, and it makes us new, healthy sides all the time. We eat a lot of broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, potatoes, peas, etc. Pretty standard veggies!
Spicy Honey Chicken (grill recipe, so the hubby can make it!): http://kellycooksandotheramazingfeats.blogspot.com/2009/04/spicy-honey-chicken.html
“Ben-chiladas”: http://kellycooksandotheramazingfeats.blogspot.com/2009/04/ben-chiladas.html
Saucy Baked Chicken: http://kellycooksandotheramazingfeats.blogspot.com/2009/03/saucy-baked-chicken.html
Cafe Rio Pork (this one is truly amazing and delicious): http://kellycooksandotheramazingfeats.blogspot.com/2009/03/cafe-rio-pork.html
Crockpot Ranch Pork Chops: http://kellycooksandotheramazingfeats.blogspot.com/2009/03/crockpot-ranch-pork-chops.html
Southwestern Potatoes (great side!): http://kellycooksandotheramazingfeats.blogspot.com/2009/03/southwestern-potatoes.html
Well, as you know, I do plan menus, kind of off and on. But it sure if nice to know what you are making that night instead of the midafternoon going through cookbooks, starting at the refrigerator, etc.
I like to try new things but I would say about 1/2 of the time they are not a hit with my family and two times lately they would hardly even eat what I made. Kind of hurt my feelings just a little, cuz I try to make things I think they will like.
I usually do my menus on a 6 week rotation and then when I am kind of tired of that 6 week menus (maybe I would do it 3 or 4 times) then I’ll make up a new one. The way that I kind of narrow down what to pick for menus is that I divide it up by the meat part of the meal and then fill in from there. Like, I plan one meal with pork, one meal with chicken, one with hamburger, one with ham slices, one breakfast meal and one no-meat meal. Like soup or english muffin pizzas, or this crock pot lasagna stuff that uses ravioli.
But recently I found that site called “Recipe Zaar” and so I’ve gotten lots of new recipes from there. I’ll just put in chicken for the ingredient, put main dishes, takes less than 60 minutes and I’ll look through what comes up.
But, if you’re “stuck in a rut” and that works out well for you and your family, then hey, whatever works. I think sometimes Jeremy would say he’d rather have me “stuck in a rut” than trying all of this new stuff. But I think, “How would I ever find these wonderful new recipes if I’m afraid to try stuff??”
By the way, do you know that Jeremy is pretty closely related to the Slabaugh’s (his Dad was Ada’s son) and that I even have some recipes in that cook book??
Kay,
Don’t really have a “normal” cooking style. I love to try new recipes, but have a house full of very picky eaters (even my hubby!) so I’m kind of limited. I do make out a menu every week. otherwise, I can’t think of anything and we end up with sandwiches or cereal or something!!
Also, there are quite a few blogs that I regularly follow to get new meal ideas. There are tons of great blogs out there!
This is really interesting!
I like all your thoughts, tips, and ideas.
Thanks for the recipe links, Kelly. Yeah, I knew you plan menus… some week I oughta just do your menu. ????
Aug, I saw a recipe in that cookbook for Eclair dessert w your name under it, wondered if that was you.
Ha, Cheryl, sounds like you’ve got a ‘meat&potatoes’ man, too.
Twila, your rough menu planning is kinda like my mom used to do. I remember chicken on Tues nights, breakfast on Wed nights, and pizza on Sat nights, and i forget what the other ones were, but she kinda had a plan with certain types of things on certain days, but the actual dishes would vary.
Glad to see there are some like me too, including some nights you can’t think of anything, so it’s kinda just eat whatever. ????
Those look like total comfort food to me. So delicious!
My cooking style is lots of Mexican and Italian. Those are our two favorites and the easiest for me to slap together. We used to grill once a week, but don’t have a grill anymore. I miss it!
I have already done the certain type of food per day thing. Funny thing is, I rotated startch instead of meet. Like Monday might have been rice, Tuesday potatoes, Wednesday pasta:) One day was leftovers or whatever, one day grill, one pizza-ish something and the other day?
When I got married, my sister wrote up a list of probably 75 menu ideas. I still refer back to it when I get stuck in a rut. Or then I’ll try a new recipe. Or make one up; that would be the most likely.
mMMMMMMMM…I’m trying these sandwhiches tonight AND the Southwestern Potatoes from Kellycooks! Can’t wait for supper! Thanks Ladies!
Hi Kay! I just discovered your site and have spent the last hour (at least) just browsing. So interesting! Katie made your berry mandarin salad for the sewing today, & it was delicious! These Chicken Cheese Melts look really good…I will try them sometime soon.
These look yummy! I’ll have to try them