Baby, It's Cold Outside!

If you didn't see the national news tonight, you might not know that we are FREEZING in Minnesota tonight!  When I left this morning, it was -16 degrees outside, with a wind chill of -34.  Yes, you read that correctly.  NEGATIVE THIRTY-FOUR!!  I think the high for today was -6.  So, you know what that means for the Armstrongs....a hot meal!  As promised, I have some more recipes to share with you from dinner tonight.  Nothing fancy and more chicken, but it is EASY and very good.  And on a cold night, it is a good thing to have your oven running!  

Ava, Travis and I are just relaxing tonight, watching the madness that is American Idol.  We are quite entertained, although I've already had to run out of the room for the bathroom once! I was laughing so hard at one particular contestant and I almost wet my pants...this could be a problem!!  I never cease to be amazed at the people who honestly think they can sing and have a total look of shock on their face when they're told they cannot.  It's priceless and crazy.  Even Ava thinks so.  She's jumped several times at the shreaking noises coming from the TV!  

Don't you just love a jammies and TV kind of night??  Trav's even rockin his new slippers!  Yep, it's that cold outside.  

So, on to the entree we had this evening...Rice Krispy Chicken.  See, I said it was easy!  And it only requires three ingredients.  Chicken breasts, butter, and Rice Krispies.  

Dip your chicken breasts in melted butter, 

Then roll them in rice krispies.

I usually pour the remaining butter over the chicken and then pour the remaining rice krispies on top too.  Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes, covered.  

The second dish I made is one of my Mom's recipes and one of Trav's favorites.  I married a guy who loves corn and because I'm from Iowa, he also married the right girl!  I'm full of recipes that involve corn :)  This one is kind of like a corn souffle.  No idea if I spelled that right.  You need the ingredients above.  1 can of creamed corn, 1 can of whole kernel corn, 2 eggs, 8 oz. of sour cream, and a package of corn bread mix.  The jiffy brand is the perfect size.  You also need a stick of butter.  Yes, my secret is out, we like butter at the Armstrong's!  

Mix all the ingredients and pour into a greased 9x13 pan.  Top with the stick of butter, cut into pieces.  I actually used a pan here that was a little bit smaller than a 9x13, so I just cooked it a little bit longer until it was done in the middle.  

Here is the yummy chicken goodness, fresh out of the oven. 

And here is the Corn Bake.  

If you use an 9x13, it will be a little thinner than this and will cook for 30-35 min. in a 350 degree oven.  If you use a slightly smaller pan, it is thicker and fluffier and will cook for about 45-55 min. at 350.  It is so good though!  It's very buttery and tastes a lot like corn bread.

Because I am a carb fanatic and I could eat some type of potato at every meal, every day, I also whipped up some mashed potatoes and gravy tonight.  Now, I would have preferred to serve the chicken and potatoes with fresh green beans, but I was trying to cheer up my husband tonight and make something he loves.  He had a long day and occasionally I'm that thoughtful:) 

It did occur to me that this meal is a little too "golden" in presentation :)  Perhaps I should have put Coldplay's "Yellow" on a playlist tonight... 

Anyway, if you're looking for an easy, kid-friendly meal, this is an option.  We loved this chicken when we were kids and today it's still one of those simple comfort foods that I love.  Those rice krispies are a great coating, kind of like corn flakes, but even better.  And the corn bake is a great substitute for corn bread.  I hope you stay warm tonight where ever you are and I especially hope I stay warm tonight!  It's a good thing I'm pregnant, I need the heat!!!