Guacamole Tacos!

I'm sure this idea is out there somewhere in the inter-webs, but my husband felt pretty genius when he came up with it on a night we were set to have boring soft guacamole tacos. I'm so glad he decided to be adventurous because these are amazing! They remind me a bit of the nacho cheese chalupa that Taco Bell sells. Before caring about where my meat came from, I happily devoured many nacho cheese chalupas! I am glad to have a yummy home alternative that is even better for me! Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, golden, warm and comforting- it doesn't get any better than that!

Heat 1/2 inch vegetable oil over medium heat. Fold a small flour tortilla in half and place in oil. Use a fork to prevent the tortilla from opening if it starts to bubble over. After 30-45 seconds, flip to the other side and allow to become golden brown. Remove carefully and place standing up on a paper towel or napkin, allowing to drain any excess oil. If you have a cooling rack, that might work better. Fill with guacamole, tomatoes and lettuce. Enjoy!

Menu Plan Monday 10/3-10/9

Last week, I spent $85 on our food for the week! That's $15 below my $100 budget! But I ended up not buying buffalo for our burgers (we had leftovers instead), and I made sure to stay out of Target all week to avoid temptation. This week, my goal is to stay below $90. This is only for food as toilet paper, diapers, toothpaste, wipes, dish soap, laundry soap, dish washer detergent, shampoo, etc. come out of my $50 per month household budget. I have a few things on hand in our pantry like onions, buns, garlic, oats, flour and the basic staples, but our fridge is almost bare by the end of each week! Oh and we haven't eaten out except for once or twice in the last several months! Woohoo! Here we go! Linking up with Menu Plan Monday and Keeper of the Home's Plan It, Don't Panic, Week 2.


 Fall has arrived! 

Breakfast Options:

We always have some home-brewed coffee in the morning or my favorite- an iced vanilla latte.

1. Pumpkin muffins
2. Oatmeal with mango and walnuts
3. Bacon, egg and cheese Biscuits
4. Practically Perfect Pancakes
5. Zucchini Slice
6. Toast with peanut butter

Lunch Options: 

1. Leftovers
2. Wacky Mac Pasta
3. PB&J's
4. Miso Ramen
5. BLAT's 
6. Bean and cheese crisps

Snack Options:

1. Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins 
2. Fruit and yogurt
3. Pretzels and cheese

Dinner Options:

1. Hamburgers and home-made wedges
2. Sun-dried tomato Alfredo pasta
3. Soft tacos, Spanish rice and beans
4. Roasted vegetable lasagna and salad
5. French onion soup and rosemary bread
6. Mushroom Gougere
7. Pizza

Beverage Options:

1. Water
2. Iced Tea
3. $5 white wine (for use in the French onion soup and for drinking)

Green Chicken Enchiladas

Enchiladas are my husbands favorite meal, and they have recently become a favorite of mine as well. When we were living in New Zealand, it was hard to find enchilada sauce, and the cost of other ingredients made this meal impossible to make. Thankfully, Dad thoughtfully put together a package of tortillas, beans, enchilada sauce and instant margarita mix in a box and even included a $20 for the chicken, green onions, cheese and cilantro (called rocket or coriander in New Zealand-no wonder I couldn't find it at New World!) and shipped it half way around the world to us. We followed Dad's enclosed recipe and enjoyed a yummy Mexican dinner for the first time in many months- it was delicious.

So this recipe was inspired by the one Dad sent us, but includes cilantro because that is the way my Sis makes hers, and ever since having that way, there was no going back!


Green Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients:

6 large flour tortillas
2 chicken breasts
Mexican blend cheese
enchilada sauce (our favorite is green Las Palmas)
black olives, sliced
green onions, chopped
cilantro, chopped

Directions:

Boil and shred chicken breasts. Add about 1/2- 1 cup of sauce and mix together.

Prepare the olives, onions and cilantro.

In each tortilla, spread a few spoonfuls of the chicken mixture, then sprinkle some olives, onions and cilantro, to taste. Top with a handful of cheese and roll up. Make as many as you want. Then cover with sauce to taste and bake at 350F for 20-30 minutes, until the cheese is melted, the edges are brown and the sauce is bubbling.

Serve with Spanish rice and refried beans. Enjoy!

Menu Plan Monday 9/26

Here's our meal plan for 9/26-10/2. We rarely eat out, and when we do (once or twice a month tops) it's Taco Bell- $10 or less. Knowing we can make our own burritos for 1/4 of the cost is quite the incentive to planning and making our own meals. Starbucks coffee beans is our only planned indulgence, twice a month. :D

My goal is still to spend $100 a week (or less would be great), and while I made the goal last week, we went to Target for a re-stock of fruits and milk on Friday- so the true number would be closer to $125.  


Our meal plans are flexible, so if we want breakfast for dinner instead, we just improvise and move a meal to a later date. No food gets wasted, but we're not being forced to eat food that sounds unappetizing to us either. 

Linking up with Plan It- Don't Panic as well as Menu Plan Monday.

Breakfast Options:

We always have some home-brewed Starbucks coffee in the morning... either Yukon blend or my favorite- an iced vanilla latte.

1. Bagel with peanut butter and fruit or egg
2. Oatmeal with mango and walnuts
3. Sausage, Hash-browns and eggs
4. Pancakes (James' favorite)
5. Zucchini Slice

Lunch Options: 

1. Bean Burritos or Quesadillas (family favorite for lunch)
2. Tuna Melts
3. Wacky Mac Pasta
4. Leftovers from Dinner

Snack Options:

1. Banana Nut Muffins
2. Fresh Fruit and yogurt
3. Pretzels or Triscuits and cheese

Dinner Options:

1. Lentil Shepherd's Pie
2. Pizza and Salad
3. Dad's Enchiladas, Spanish Rice and Beans
4. Buffalo Burgers and Wedges
5. Sun Dried Tomato Alfredo Pasta
6. Nachos
7. Roasted Vegetable Lasagna and Salad

Dessert Options:

1. Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins 

Beverage Options:

1. Water
2. Iced Tea

The Best Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins

I've made these twice this week. They are light and fluffy, simply scrumptious! 

Chosen for us by size by my husband, I snagged the biggest one (how embarrassing!), he got the medium and our little one happily gobbled his- unaware of the size difference. I tried to glam up the picture on photobucket because the lighting was bad and I'm not a professional photographer, but trust me, these babies are beautiful IRL. :)

The Best Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins

Ingredients:

1.5 cup flour
1 cup white sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 cup water
3/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions:

Mix dry ingredients. Add oil, vinegar and water. Mix well. Add chocolate chips and blend. Scoop into greased muffin tin and bake at 350F (180C) for 20-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out relatively clean. Cool for as long as possible, then enjoy!

These are about 100 times more delicious than my older recipe. The egg made them too dense for my liking- maybe better for a brownie pan. Let me know if you these! :)

Mushroom Spinach Alfredo Lasagna

I love white sauce lasagna's and this one is my new favorite! Hope you like it as much as we did!


Mushroom Spinach Alfredo Lasagna
inspired by this recipe

Ingredients:


6 oz fresh spinach, chopped (or you can thaw frozen and pat dry)
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
8 oz ricotta cheese
1 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, divided
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt (this makes it pretty flavorful, use less if desired)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 jar of Alfredo sauce, divided (Newman's Own is our favorite)
1/2 box lasagna noodles
1 egg


Directions:


Boil lasagna noodles according to package directions for al dente preparation- be sure not to overcook them. Add some vegetable oil to your boiling water to prevent sticking. 

• Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Combine spinach, ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, egg, salt and pepper in large bowl; set aside.

• Spread 1 cup Alfredo sauce in 9 x 9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle extra cheese if desired. 

• Layer 4 lasagna noodles, then 1 cup Alfredo sauce and 1/2 the ricotta mixture; repeat. Top with remaining 4 noodles and Alfredo Sauce, then sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Bake for 30-40 minutes until bubbling and golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

You can double this recipe and use a  9 x 13- inch pan as well. Enjoy!

Menu Plan Monday 9/19

I have fallen off the wagon with my meal planning since we've been back from NZ, so this week is the first in a long while that I am happily participating in Menu Plan Monday and it sure feels good to be back!
 Here's our menu for the week of 9/19-9/25. My goal is to keep our grocery bill below $100 this week (I used to be so good at this- must get back on track!)- right now, my estimation is that it will cost $99.29....so we will see. Here we go!

Breakfast Options:

We always have some sort of coffee in the morning... either brewed Yukon blend or iced espresso with almond milk.

1. Bagel with peanut butter and/or fruit preserves
2. Egg in a Hole
3. Oatmeal with fruit and nuts
4. Pancakes (James' favorite)
5. Zucchini Slice

Lunch Options: 

1. Bean Burritos
2. Quesadillas (family favorite for lunch)
3. Tuna Melts
4. Baked Potatoes
5. Leftovers from Dinner

Snack Options:

1. Chips and Salsa
2. Pretzels or Triscuits and cheese
3. Smoothies

Dinner Options:

1. Lentil Shepherd's Pie
2. Miso Soup and Veggie Sushi
3. Mushroom Gougere and brown rice
4. Vegetable Tian and brown rice
5. Un-Baked Ziti and salad
6. Spinach Alfredo Lasagna and salad
7. Pizza and salad

Dessert Options:

1. Banana Nut Muffins
2. Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins (recipe coming soon)

Beverage Options:

1. Water
2. Iced Tea

Vegan Pineapple Banana Mango Smoothie

I recently discovered that using coconut milk in smoothies makes them taste more tropical and refreshing compared to using cow's milk or the thicker option- almond milk. Give it a try!

Vegan Pineapple Banana Mango Smoothie

Ingredients:

1 Banana (frozen is best, but not necessary)
1/2 cup frozen Mango
1/2 cup frozen Pineapple
1-1/2 cups milk of choice (add less or more to achieve desired consistency)

Blend it all up, pour into a glass and enjoy! We love smoothies and have been experimenting with different fruit combos. Sometimes it is inspiring to look at Smoothie King's menu for new varieties to try.

Now all you need is to use your imagination and pretend you're sitting on the coast of somewhere beautiful in a hammock!

Blue Kalamata Pizza

This is my favorite pizza recipe. It's cheesy, tart, zesty and downright delicious! It's super light compared with it's saucy counterparts and I love the thin crust with these toppings.

Blue Kalamata Pizza

Ingredients:

Mozzarella cheese, shredded (1.5-2 cups)
Blue cheese, crumbled (1/4-1/2 cup)
Kalamata olives, sliced
Mushrooms, sliced
Purple onion, sliced
Olive oil
Pizza Crust

Cover your hands in olive oil and knead your pizza dough. Spread it out on your pizza pan and add the mozzarella cheese, blue cheese crumbles, olives, mushrooms and onion. Bake at 375 F until golden brown. Does it get any easier!? Share and enjoy with a yummy white wine!

Copycat Starbucks Iced Vanilla Latte

This is the recipe we use for our home-made iced vanilla latte's. We make them nearly every day during the summer months and are more than happy to say that we enjoy them nearly as much as Starbucks without handing over a $10 bill. Having our home smell like Starbucks every afternoon is a great perk!

Ingredients:

Vanilla syrup, from Starbucks or you can make your own (we alternate)
1 cup milk of choice, we like almond, coconut and dairy
Starbucks Espresso beans, ground (decaf or regular)
Ice

We love our Cafe Roma Breville espresso maker. We have used it for several years and it still keeps pulling shots for us. Though it was pricey, we've never had a problem with it and it has saved us tons of money over the years. It was the perfect housewarming gift to ourselves.

If you don't have an espresso maker and don't mind the difference in taste, you can use instant espresso with similar results. I used instant espresso in New Zealand and though it did the job, I found it to be bitter- though that could have been the one brand I found. These look pretty good! Needless to say, I was thrilled to have my espresso maker back here in the US.

Grind your espresso beans and pull your shots. We pack ours pretty firmly, and my favorite shot takes about 20-25 seconds to pull. 30 seconds and it will be bitter!


 In your favorite cup, pump three pumps (three tablespoons) of vanilla syrup. Add one cup of your milk of choice.

Add ice. Quickly dump your shot over the ice and admire.

 


Then, stir it up and enjoy thinking of yourself as a savvy barista. 

secret tip:
 when I buy our espresso and coffee beans every 2 weeks or so, I always ask for two iced Venti cups with lids and straws. I've never had to pay for them and it's never been an inconvenience. So don't be shy!

Honey Peanut Butter Cookies

Peanut butter cookies are my favorite kind of cookie. David prefers oatmeal raisin any day, and up until I baked these, he was turned off to any kind of peanut butter cookies- the very smell of them baking was revolting to him. I always found that odd because he loves peanut butter on bread!

Needless to say, I haven't baked any in a while, but in an effort to reduce our costs on pre-packaged foods, I avoided buying Oreo's this time around the grocery store, and when James asked for a cookie, I knew we had the ingredients on hand for these. Boy are they delicious! David loves honey, so I think the smell of honey softened the smell of the peanut butter and the absence of the smell of egg helped too! He actually really liked these, as did James, and of course they both had a dark chocolate button pressed in the middle. Actually, James had many, including this one:

Honey Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:

3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup honey (use brown sugar instead if preferred)
1/2-3/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter or earth balance/whipped spread
1 egg or flax egg (works great!)

1 1/4 cup flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Chocolate kisses or buttons, optional

Directions:

Mix sugars, honey, peanut butter, butter and egg in large bowl. Stir in dry ingredients. Place bowl in freezer until oven is preheated to 375ºF (190ºC). Shape a tablespoon or teaspoon (size is up to you) of dough into a ball and place on the sheet. Give space to spread. Using a fork dipped in flour, make a criss cross, and add a chocolate kiss or button to the middle (Toddlers love helping at this part*). Place on an un-greased baking sheet and bake for 9-10 minutes or until golden brown. Cookies will be soft until they cool, so transfer to rack (or mouth*{As well as this part}) carefully. 

Now if only the weather would cool off, I can't take many more 110ºF days! Some rain would be lovely too. Hurry up Autumn!

Thin and Crispy Pizza Crust

  We have given up on eating out since moving to Christchurch. In the US, the options are endless, it's cheap and there is a drive thru at all of them. Convenience, Options, Cheap= US Fast Food. Why do I miss Taco Bell so much? Oh man, I could use a bean burrito with extra red sauce and a 7 layer burrito. Alas, our least favorite fast food options are available here: KFC, Mc Donald's and Burger King. And they all cost us $20+ (!!!!) to eat one meal! In short, Fast Food is just not appealing here. That's a blessing in disguise. We never ate much in the US, but it was there when we wanted it. Anyways. We've learned to make our own food for everything we love from take-away (sushi, burgers, chicken sandwiches, subs, breakfast foods, etc.) and we think homemade is the way to go. My only snag was with pizza. We tried a few less than stellar pizza shops and wondered how people got by on those shops and were about to forget about a thin crust pizza ever being available again. Then we discovered La Porchetta. It wasn't stellar, but it was close. But it was also $15 for a pizza with a handful of veggies on top. I've tried a few recipes with no luck copying the crispy, thin crust. Until now....YES!

Thin and Crispy Pizza Crust

recipe from here.

Ingredients:

2 1/4 teaspoons yeast
1/4 teaspoon sugar
3/4 cup hot water
1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

Dissolve yeast and sugar in hot water. Let sit for 10 minutes. Add flour and salt, then mix gently with a wooden spoon. Flour your hands and mix the dough well. To make one large pizza, just press the dough into a pizza pan, top with desired toppings and bake at 190C (375F) for 10 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown.

I made 3 personal pizzas from the dough. One large, one medium and one small. I'm so glad to have discovered this recipe- thin crust pizza was the last take away we were unable to replace at home... well now I can make it at home in just about as much time as it takes to order and pick it up, and it's better for us and cheaper to boot.

David had grapeseed oil, tomato and basil. Next time we'll use fresh basil... yum!

James had grapeseed oil, tomato and black olive.

Mine had blue cheese mixed into the dough, and I topped it with grapeseed oil, mushrooms and kalamata olives. Delicious!

Best Easy Beef and Broccoli

This recipe was so easy and delicious I just had to share it with you! It has been ages since I have had beef and broccoli, with the last time being at Panda Express in Southern California (do they even use real beef!? I don't think I want to know...). I'm sure that if I were able to eat there today, I would not. Which is why I am glad to be experimenting in the kitchen with yummy home made alternatives to the fast food options that are so low quality and high priced! This was so easy to prepare in about 15 minutes, and it was less than 30 minutes from starting the rice to eating at the dinner table. Faster than take away!

The Best Easy Beef and Broccoli 

recipe adapted from here and rated 4.5 stars after 352 reviews!


Ingredients:

3 tablespoons arrowroot powder (or cornstarch), divided
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons water, divided
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 lb boneless round steak, cut into strips
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups broccoli florets
2 small onions, sliced
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, chopped
hot white rice

Method:

Prepare your rice according to directions.
In a bowl, combine 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 2 tablespoons water and garlic powder until smooth.
Add beef and toss.
In a large skillet or wok over medium high heat, stir-fry beef in 1 tablespoon oil until beef is nearly done, then add broccoli and onion. Cook until broccoli is soft and onion is translucent.
In a separate bowl, combine soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger and remaining cornstarch and water until smooth.
Stir into beef and broccoli mixture until covered. Turn off heat and allow to sit for 5 minutes.
Serve over hot white rice and enjoy!

Miniature Banana Nut Muffins

I had a few bananas that were needing to be used up so I decided to make some banana nut muffins. I bought a mini muffin tin at the Warehouse the other day and was excited to use it. It was on sale for just $10, so I snagged it to make mini muffins for my little guy. Turns out they are fun to eat for adults too! It's nice getting to eat more of them, rather than just one big muffin, and having smaller muffins means less baking time! An added bonus: you'll get more of the toasty outside as well! 

mini morsels

Miniature Banana Nut Muffins
makes 48 mini muffins


Ingredients: 

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup white flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda 
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup pure cane sugar 
1/2 cup olive oil (you can use butter, but I took this opportunity to get some nutritious plant fats into our baking)
1 egg
2 bananas, mashed
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 tablespoons milk
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, if desired

Directions:

Preheat Oven to 350°F/ 180°C. Grease your baking pan. You can use a mini muffin tin like me, or you can also make one 9x5 bread loaf, 12 regular muffins or 6 jumbo muffins. 

Mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, sugar and salt. Sift or use a whisk and mix well.
Add oil, egg, bananas, vanilla and milk and mix until just combined. Add nuts, if desired.

my little boy loves to help in the kitchen. especially (only?) if I'm baking! turns out, it's challenging making banana muffins with a little monkey nearby- he ate half of the first banana. 

Fill muffin tin to the top so that you have a nice cap on top when they are done. Bake until golden brown and toothpick comes out clean, about 15 minutes. If the tops start to brown before the muffins are baked through, move to the bottom rack. Allow to cool at least 5 minutes before serving, and enjoy!

does it get any cuter than this!?

Is it bad that we have already consumed half of the first batch? Let's see... 12 mini's = 6 regular/ 3 people = 2 each. Sigh... not so bad! They're simply irresistible!

Quick and Easy French Toast

I came up with this idea one morning after trying to make french toast with really spongy sandwich bread. It was a soggy mess. James loves carbs for breakfast: pancakes, waffles, toast with jam, oatmeal, etc and it's difficult to get him to eat egg unless it is disguised smothered in ketchup, so this is an easy way to get half of an incredible egg into him!

Ingredients:
Makes 3 pieces of french toast

1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
pinch sea salt
1/2 teaspoon butter for each slice
3 pieces of bread

Mix the egg, milk and salt until fluffy. Heat your skillet over medium heat and add butter. Holding a slice of bread in your hand, spoon the egg mixture onto it and cover surface well.

Place onto skillet and spoon egg mixture on top side as well. Flip when golden brown and cook for another minute or two.

Sprinkle with cane sugar and cinnamon and top with maple syrup to make it perfect. These reheat well in the skillet, and soon I plan to make a weeks worth so I can freeze them and pull them out, heat them in the toaster and serve. My little guy wakes up ravenous, so the faster I can have breakfast on the table, the better!

David and I enjoyed two slices each... so good! Like cinnamon toast crunch, only better for you!

James approves!

Zucchini Slice (Quiche)

I made this quiche this morning and it was so easy! Preparation took less than 15 minutes. After picking my husband up from an early morning class, we came home and I threw this in the oven to bake. 30 minutes later, we enjoyed brunch! He rated this 10.5 stars out of 10. That means it's a keeper- and good enough to share with you! Next time, I plan to add broccoli and tomatoes as well. What a wonderful veggie filled way to start your day!

Zucchini Slice (Quiche)
Serves 6-8
recipe adapted from About Face

Ingredients:

1 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 onion, chopped
1 red pepper (capsicum), chopped
2 cups grated zucchini (courgette)
1 medium carrot, grated
1/2 cup cheese, grated (I used mild/cheddar)
5 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 180 C or 350 F (160 C if fan forced).

Combine dry ingredients in a large glass bowl, then add other ingredients and mix well.

Pour into a greased pie plate and bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown on top, and set in the middle. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before cutting.

Enjoy! And be sure to let me know if you try it!

Mouthwatering Doughnut Muffins

I found this recipe on Meghan's blog here (go to her blog for drool worthy pictures) a while ago and we have enjoyed these muffins several times already. I've made miniature muffins and found that they are the best because you get more sugary-cinnamon coating, of course! Big or small, they are perfect with a cup of coffee. My little guy enjoys them so much that he is responsible for consuming 4 of them in two days.

Doughnut Muffins

Ingredients for the muffins:
1 3/4 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup oil
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup milk

For the coating:
1/4 -1/2 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Directions:
1.Preheat oven to 350F or 180 C degrees and grease a muffin tin.
2.Combine flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon in a medium bowl.
3.Combine oil, sugar, egg and milk in a large bowl. Add dry ingredients and stir only to combine.

4.Bake at 180 degrees for 15-20 minutes. While muffins are baking, melt butter in a small bowl. In another small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon.

5.Shake muffins out of the muffin tin while the muffins are still hot.

6.Dip muffins in the melted butter and then into the sugar and cinnamon mixture. Place on a wire rack and allow to cool.

Easy Home-Made Chicken Pot Pie

Last night, I made my first ever, home made chicken pot pie! It was so much fun to make and it was delicious. We thought it was very similar to Marie Callender's frozen pot pies (which are decadent and amazing, if you ask us). This was the first time I made a pie crust using oil, and I'll admit I was nervous. But I forgot to read the entire recipe for the butter crust and it required over 4 hours in the refrigerator. So this recipe was a dinner-saver! Thankfully, it was flaky, delicious and easy as pie!

Here's the recipe:

Pie Crust: (make two batches- one for the top and one for the bottom)
recipe from All Recipes

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons milk or buttermilk

Mix flour, sugar and salt. Then add oil and milk. Form a ball, then flatten into pie plate or casserole dish. Try to cover the sides up to the top of the pan.

Pot Pie Filling:

1 can cream of chicken soup
1 chicken breast, cut into chunks
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/4 cup milk or water
2.5 cups frozen veggies (we used corn, peas, green beans and carrots- next time, I'll add chopped potatoes)

In a large sauce pan, heat olive oil and add rosemary. Add chicken and cook through. Add the soup, salt, garlic powder, black pepper, thyme and milk or water. Mix well. Add veggies and cook until bubbling.

Pour into pie/casserole dish and cover with top crust. Using a fork or your fingers, go along the outer edge of the dish and press the crust onto the dish. Using a knife, make a few X marks along the top of the crust, to allow ventilation.

Bake on the lowest rack in your oven at 375 F or 190 C for 30-45 minutes, until golden brown and bubbling. Allow to cool for 15 minutes and serve.


*Tip*:
Since the crust recipe is rather doughy and crumbly, it will be difficult to form the top crust and successfully transfer it to the top of the dish. What worked for me was this:

Take your ball of dough, and place it between two pieces of plastic wrap that are longer than your dish. Stretch the dough out into the shape of your dish using the protection of the plastic wrap to avoid breaks in the dough. Once the size is right, pull the top plastic wrap off, carefully life the dough by holding the ends of the bottom plastic wrap and quickly flip it onto the top of your dish. Move into place and trim up the excess dough. If your dough falls in the filling, just patch it up using the excess dough. You can see in my pictures that on the right side, there is a patch job. :)

My husband's bowl:

My bowl: I like the crust mixed into the filling!

Leftovers!