Monday, August 13, 2018

Skillet Cordon Bleu Dinner: Simplify Your Life Blog With Friends

Today’s post is the next in our series of Blog With Friends theme collaborations. Each month a group  of bloggers get together and each publish a project based on a theme. What I love about this partnership is that it’s not bloggers with similar interests or strengths but a diverse group coming up with a variety of posts. In any given month we may have a recipe, sewing tutorial, crafts projects, book review and/or a technology post all related to the theme of the month.


Blog With Friends, a monthly project based blogging collaboration | www.BakingInATornado.com | #MyGraphics


This month's theme is Simplify Your Life.

There will be individual project pictures and links to what everyone else has to offer at the end of my post, but here’s a peek at what we all came up with:


Blog With Friends, a multi-blogger project based post incorporating a theme, Simplify Your Life | Featured on www.BakingInATornado.com


I made Skillet Cordon Bleu Dinner.

Skillet Cordon Bleu Dinner: simplify your life by making a hearty, flavorful dinner in one skillet repurposing leftovers. | Recipe developed by www.BakingInATornado.com | #recipe #dinner

Skillet Cordon Bleu Dinner

Last month for our Anti-Boredom themed Blog With Friends post I made Layered Thai Shrimp Salad. I could have easily used that recipe for today's theme, as it meets all of my criteria. For me, when it comes to recipes, the best way to simplify my life is to come up with a satisfying meal that can be either made ahead or at least prepped ahead, and that uses leftover and/or pre-made ingredients.

Of course, ordering take-out is a great way to simplify life too, and I'm certainly not averse to take-out as an option now and then, but I don't think you need me to tell you how to do that, so for today I'll share a recipe.

I have been deliberately making more food than we can eat. It's partly because I don't know if one or both of the boys might show up for dinner (and whether they'll have friends with them), it's partly because I find it hard to cook for just two, and it's mostly to have leftovers.

In the winter I tend to freeze leftover casseroles to serve another time. In the summer, when leftovers tend to not be in casserole form anyway, I'm looking for easy (but different) repurposing of the leftovers. Frequently it's cold dishes, but sometimes it's something hot. Quick and easy though, to simplify my life.

Although I made Skillet Cordon Bleu Dinner for today's post, you can change this up easily. Switch the flavor of the rice mix, change up the meats and vegetables based on what's leftover in your fridge, skip the sweet hot mustard and you've got another version.

To start, I opened the fridge to check out what leftovers I had. Last week I had made Roasted-style Grilled Chicken:

Roasted Style Grilled Chicken, the flavors of roasted chicken in a grilled chicken breast | Recipe developed by www.BakingInATornado.com | #recipe #dinner


Marinated Grilled Ham Steaks:
Marinated Grilled Ham Steaks are breakfast ham steaks marinated and grilled for a quick and easy dinner | Recipe developed by www.BakingInATornado.com | #recipe #dinner #ham


and Pralined Snap Peas and Carrots (for this recipe I pulled out the leftover snap peas from the dish).

Pralined Snap Peas and Carrots, a bright flavorful side dish | Recipe developed by www.BakingInATornado.com | #recipe #vegetables


Based on the chicken and ham I decided to make a take-off on a cordon bleu. I gathered the leftovers and added a few other ingredients:

Ingredients for Skillet Cordon Bleu Dinner: simplify your life by making a hearty, flavorful dinner in one skillet repurposing leftovers. | Recipe developed by www.BakingInATornado.com | #recipe #dinner


Grabbed a skillet, and in about 15 minutes I had a hearty, flavorful dinner on the table. 

Skillet Cordon Bleu Dinner: simplify your life by making a hearty, flavorful dinner in one skillet repurposing leftovers. | Recipe developed by www.BakingInATornado.com | #recipe #dinner

Now that is simplifying my life!
 
Skillet Cordon Bleu Dinner: simplify your life by making a hearty, flavorful dinner in one skillet repurposing leftovers. | Recipe developed by www.BakingInATornado.com | #recipe #dinner



Skillet Cordon Bleu Dinner: simplify your life by making a hearty, flavorful dinner in one skillet repurposing leftovers. | Recipe developed by www.BakingInATornado.com | #recipe #dinner


As always, any time you make one of my recipes, feel free to post a picture of it to my Baking In A Tornado Facebook Page. I'd love to see it!


Be sure to visit all of this month's other Blog With Friends projects:

Dawn of Spatulas on Parade shares her recipe for Parmesan Ranch Chicken
Blog With Friends, a multi-blogger project based post incorporating a theme, Simplify Your Life | Parmesan Ranch Chicken by Dawn of Spatulas on Parade | Featured on www.BakingInATornado.com

Lydia of Cluttered Genius shares Simple (On-A-Budget) Laundry Room Update.
Blog With Friends, a multi-blogger project based post incorporating a theme, Simplify Your Life | Simple (On-A-Budget) Laundry Room Update by Lydia of Cluttered Genius | Featured on www.BakingInATornado.com


Tamara of Part-Time Working Hockey Mom shares her Keep - Donate - Toss Buckets
Blog With Friends, a multi-blogger project based post incorporating a theme, Simplify Your Life | Keep - Donate - Toss Buckets by Tamara of Part-Time Working Hockey Mom | Featured on www.BakingInATornado.com



Rabia of The Lieber Family blog shares tips on how to Simplify Your School Year.

Blog With Friends, a multi-blogger project based post incorporating a theme, Simplify Your Life | Simplify Your School Year by Rabia of The Lieber Family Blog | Featured on www.BakingInATornado.com

Jules of The Bergham Chronicles shares Easy Ways to Keep Your Family Organized and On Track
Blog With Friends, a multi-blogger project based post incorporating a theme, Simplify Your Life | Easy Ways to Keep Your Family Organized and On Track by Jules of The Bergham Chronicles | Featured on www.BakingInATornado.com



Baking In A Tornado signature | www.BakingInATornado.com | #MyGraphics





Skillet Cordon Bleu Dinner
                                                                          ©www.BakingInATornado.com

Ingredients:
2 cups chicken stock
1 TBSP butter
1 clove minced garlic
1 TBSP sweet hot mustard
1 (about 5 oz) package of flavored dry rice mix (like Knorr)
1 cup leftover cooked chicken, room temperature, chopped
1/2 cup leftover cooked ham, room temperature, chopped
1 cup leftover cooked vegetables, room temperature
1/2 cup Swiss cheese, chopped

Directions:
*In a large skillet, bring the chicken stock, butter, garlic and mustard to a boil. Add the packaged rice mix, cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
*Add the chicken, ham and vegetables. Cover and cook for 2 more minutes or until the rice is tender. 
*To serve, mix in the cheese or sprinkle it over the top.

14 comments:

  1. Ha, a Cordon Bleu dish without the fiddly stuffing and coating! I like!
    The other day I saw a recipe that incorporated all the ingredients of Shepherd's Pie, but they were individually cooked and put into a lunch box. They called it "deconstructed Shepherd's Pie" - which makes me smile and call your recipe "deconstructed Cordon Bleu" :-)

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  2. I just happen to have all but the snap peas in my left-overs at the moment! (rubs hands in glee . . .)

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  3. Creativity with leftovers is the way to go. This looks yummy. I love making enough for dinner to have leftovers for lunch the next day!

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  4. That looks amazing and my daughter would LOVE this!

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  5. This is perfect. So many ways to sub out ingredients you don’t have. And to make totally different variations. And to use up a rotisserie chicken...Alana ramblinwitham.blogspot.com

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    Replies
    1. Yes, I love using leftover rotisserie chicken, it adds so much roasted flavor to a dish.

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  6. You are just brilliant with your use of what's on hand! :)

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    Replies
    1. What is that old saying, necessity is the mother of invention?

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  7. I just love the idea of 'Simplifying your life.' There's so much in it! Great pick of theme, I must say. There's a lot simplicity in accepting life as it is while living the beauty within it! And you're a pro in creating simple "flavors" of life- with food.

    Hugs,

    www.thepositivewindow.com

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    Replies
    1. There's more time to enjoy life if we can sometimes simplify those things that need to get done. And sometimes that's dinner.

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