Pork Chops with Sweet Potato Salad

This one is a favorite and only a 30 minute meal. It serves 4.

4 Pork chops (about 2 lbs)
coarse salt
3 Sweet potatos (about 1.5 lbs) peeled, cut into 1 inch pieces
3 Tbs red wine vinager
2 cloves minced garlic
2 Tbs raspberry jam
2 tsp dijon mustard
1/3 cup + 1 tbs Extra virgin olive oil
1 red or yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 bunch scallions, green part only, sliced

1. In a large bowl, dissolve 2 Tbs coarse salt in 2 cups cold water (brine). Add the pork chops to the brine and soak in fridge for 20 min.

2. Place sweet potatos in a medium pot of salted water and bring to a low boil. Cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together vinager, garlic, jam and mustard. Whisk 1/3 cup EVOO in the thin stream until smooth.

4. Preheat broiler and place a large, heavy oven proof skillet over high heat. Remove chops from brine, pat dry and brush with remaining EVOO. Sear the chops for 3 minutes on each side, then baste with 1/4 of raspberry dressing. Broil chops, basting once, for 2 to 3 minutes on each side.

5. In medium bowl, toss Sweet potatos, bell pepper, and scallions with remaining raspberry dressing. Season to taste with salt.

Chicken Divan

2 (10-ounce) packages frozen broccoli, chopped
6 cups shredded chicken, cooked
2 (10 3/4-ounce) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
1 cup grated sharp Cheddar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon curry powder
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/2 cup soft bread crumbs
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Remove the outer wrappers from the boxes of broccoli. Open 1 end of each box. Microwave on full power for 2 minutes, until thawed. Drain the broccoli and put into a casserole dish. Add the shredded chicken.

In a medium bowl, combine the soup, mayonnaise, sour cream, Cheddar, lemon juice, curry powder, salt and pepper, to taste. Whisk together to make a sauce. Pour the sauce over the broccoli and chicken. Mix well with a spatula.

Place the mixture into an 11 by 7-inch casserole dish or 2 (9-inch) square disposable aluminum foil pans that have been sprayed with vegetable oil cooking spray. Pat down evenly and smooth with a spatula. Combine the Parmesan, bread crumbs and butter and sprinkle over the top.

Bake for about 30 to 45 minutes.

Pumpkin Bars

Bars: 4 eggs
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
15-ounce can pumpkin
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

Icing: 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Using an electric mixer at medium speed, combine the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until light and fluffy. Stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix at low speed until thoroughly combined and the batter is smooth. Spread the batter into a greased 13 by 10-inch baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting. Cut into bars.

To make the icing: Combine the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the sugar and mix at low speed until combined. Stir in the vanilla and mix again. Spread on cooled pumpkin bars.

Oriental Casserole

1 1/2 pounds beef
1 cup instant rice
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
2/3 cup water
dash of salt and pepper
good shake of soy sauce
1 cup Chow Mein noodles

Mix all ingredients together except of the Chow Mein noodles. Place in a casserole dish and bake at 350 for about 45 minutes. Top with Chow Mein noodles. Serve with salad, makes a quick yummy meal.

Luscious Tropical Dream Cake

(Taken from Kraft Foods magazine. I would post my own picture of it, but it was gone before I could take one! )

1 can (20 oz.) crushed pineapple, undrained
1 pkg. yellow cake mix
1-1/2 c. cold milk
1 pkg. lemon pudding (or vanilla pudding if you prefer it)
2 c. thawed Cool Whip
1/2 c. coconut, toasted
1/2 c. chopped pecans


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Drain pineapple, reserving 1 cup of the juice; set pineapple aside. Prepare cake batter as directed on package, substituting 1 cup reserved juice for 1 cup of the water. Pour batter into greased 15x10x1 inch baking pan.


Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.


Add milk to dry pudding mix. Beat with wire whisk 2 min. or until well blended. Stir in pineapple. Spread over cake; cover with whipped topping. Sprinkle with coconut and pecans. Store in refrigerator.


Makes 24 servings.

Zucchini Apple Pie

I know this sounds wierd, but it really does taste and look like apple pie.

4 cups zucchini - peel, remove seeds and slice like apple slices
Cook until tender in water and then drain.
Add to Zucchini:
2 TBS lemon juice
Dash of salt

In a bowl add:
1 1/4 Cup Sugar
1 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp Cream of Tarter
Dash of Nutmeg

Mix and then add to Zucchini, Mixture will be runny.
Dump into unbaked pie crust, dot with about 2 TBS butter and put top crust on.

Bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes.

Tried a Lunch Box Club Recipe?

Hi everyone! I am hoping that I am not the only one that has tried some of these yummy recipes. If you have, leave a comment and tell us what you thought. I hope everyone is enoying being a part of the club and collecting new recipes.