new 2012 recipes, part 1.

One of the goals that I consistently set each year is to try several new recipes. Here is the first set for 2012:

[Sources: 1 - www.kraftrecipes.com, 2 - www.chef-in-training.com, 3 - www.laaloosh.com, 

4 - thewaytohisheart.wordpress.com, 5 - www.skinnytaste.com]

Chicken, Cheese and Spinach Manicotti

I made a couple of changes to this recipe, just to suit my taste and what I had on hand - I eliminated the eggs, changed the spices a bit, and used ricotta instead of cottage cheese. It was pretty easy to put together, especially since I cooked the chicken earlier in the day in the oven. I like the idea of stuffed manicotti better than a lasagna made with similar ingredients, because they are already portioned. The leftovers were good, too, and I had enough for a few lunches, plus dinner with Mom. I'm definitely making this again.

Slow Cooker Chicken Cordon Bleu

Good! But the leftovers - not so much. I do think this is probably one of the only new recipes that I will try this year, that both my dad and brother would enjoy, so I might save it as something to make for them, when I wouldn't be counting on the leftovers.

Crockpot Beef and Broccoli

This was a bit different than most things I cook, mostly because I don't use red meat all that often and even then, it's usually hamburger. But it was good and I'd like to try it again, though next time I think I would add more teriyaki sauce, because it seemed a little thin.

Mexican Stuffed Shells

These seem kind of weird, I know, but they were really good. I used ground chicken, and skipped the taco sauce (instead just adding a bit more salsa). I also used 2% milk cheddar, instead of the cheddar and monterey jack combo, and just eyeballed how much I wanted.

The only thing about this recipe is that it took quite a bit of time, since you need to cook the taco meat and the shells, then assemble and bake it. It used a lot of pots and dishes, which is something I'm a bit more sensitive to without the use of a dishwasher. All in all, it was tasty enough that I will probably make it again, but not often.

Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Soup

Also good, though I have to be honest that if I'm using my crockpot, I'd really rather not have to do a lot of prep work (notice a theme here?). This recipe didn't require a lot, but there is a little bit of sauteing and cooking in a pan at the beginning. And since I already seem to have so many similar recipes, I'm not sure I will make this again.