March has come in roaring like a lion. Rain, rain everyday; colds and flu still hanging around. It can be difficult to get motivated to cook or try new recipes. 

 

Linda: I’ve noticed some Campbell’s soup adds on TV recently, showing recipes that use their soup for a shortcut. It reminded me of their cookbook I purchased, featuring many of these recipes. And of course, it doesn’t need to be Campbell’s. Other brands can be substituted. 

 

Lucy: Let’s browse through the recipes and find a few that inspire us. This Beef Taco Bake is tempting. Prep time is only 10 minutes and baking time is 30 minutes. Sounds perfect when you’ve had a busy day. 

 

Linda: The ingredients would be easy to have on hand, waiting for a day you rush home to get supper on the table. Kids usually love anything that sounds like “tacos”. 

 

Lucy: Here’s one called Thyme Chicken and Roasted Winter Vegetables. Prep time is quick but it takes time to bake. It would be good for a rainy Sunday afternoon, and we seem to be having plenty of those. 

 

Linda: And here’s my favorite classic recipe, Chicken Broccoli Divan. This has been my “go to recipe” for many years. It’s easy if you had a rotisserie chicken one night and have left over chicken. Or I buy boneless, skinless chicken breasts and cut them up. It doesn’t take long to sauté them in a frying pan.  

 

Lucy: It’s a good recipe for left over Thanksgiving turkey. You can use leftover stuffing on the bottom. 

 

Linda: That’s a great idea. You could also use a stuffing mix and add to the chicken divan recipe. Just follow the directions for the stuffing and place it on the bottom of the casserole. 

 

Lucy: I’m ready to start cooking. Let’s give our readers some inspiration with our recipes. 

 

Beef Taco Bake 

Ingredients 

1 lb ground beef or ground turkey 

1 can condensed tomato soup 

1 cup chunky salsa or Picante Sauce  

½ cup milk 

8 (6 inch) corn tortillas cut into 1 inch pieces 

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese 

 

 

Cook beef or turkey in medium skillet over medium high heat until browned, stirring to separate meat. Add soup, salsa, milk, tortillas, and half the cheese. Spoon into a two quart baking dish. Cover. Bake at 400 for 30 minutes until hot. Remove cover, sprinkle with remaining cheese. Serves 4-6 

 

Thyme Chicken & Roasted Winter Vegetables  

Ingredients 

Vegetable cooking spray 

3 pound broiler fryer chicken or can use chicken breasts 

1 Tbs butter, melted 

4 medium red potatoes, cut into quarters 

6 medium carrots, peeled and cut in 2” pieces (could use 2 pounds baby carrots,  

already peeled) 

1 cup Brussels sprouts, cut in half 

4 medium onions, cut into quarters 

1 Tbs chopped fresh thyme leaves, or 1 tsp dried thyme leaves 

1 cup chicken broth 

½ cup dry white wine (or if preferred ad an extra ½ cup chicken broth. 

 

Spray large roasting pan with cooking spray. Place chicken in prepared pan. Brush with butter. Place potatoes, carrots, Brussels sprouts, and onions around chicken. Sprinkle with thyme.  Mix broth and wine and pour half of mixture over chicken and vegetables. 

 

Roast at 375 for one hour or until chicken is no longer pink. Add remaining broth mixture. Roast for another 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Combine chicken and vegetables on serving platter and pour broth from pan over all. Serves 4-6 

 

Chicken Broccoli Divan 

Ingredients 

1 pound fresh broccoli florets or 10 ounces frozen broccoli florets, cooked and drained 

1 ½ cups cubed, cooked chicken or turkey 

1 can Condensed Broccoli Cheese Soup 

1/3 cup milk 

½ cup shredded cheddar cheese 

Dry bread crumbs 

 

Arrange broccoli and chicken in two quart shallow baking dish. Mix soup and milk and pour over broccoli and chicken. Sprinkle bread crumbs on top, enough to cover lightly. Sprinkle cheese on top of bread crumbs. Bake at 400 for 25 minutes or until hot. Serves 4 

 

Stay dry and happy cooking!