Recipes that appear in Idea Alley have not been tested by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
Getting dinner on the table -- stat -- is a priority for most of us on weeknights.
Rob Johnson shares two recipes that can help.
"Here is an easy one to make that doesn't take a lot of time. Add side salad and vegetable of choice," Johnson writes.
Rob's Supper in a Hurry
1 package Crescent Rolls
1 small container shredded chicken
1 can cream of mushroom, chicken or celery soup
Shredded cheese, to taste
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Unroll crescent roll dough and divide into portions.
In a large bowl, combine chicken and soup.
Add one or two spoonfuls of mixture to each portion of dough. Roll the crescent rolls up. Arrange on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Johnson suggests serving this with oven-baked asparagus and cabbage slaw.
Rob's Chicken and Almost Dumplings
Small container of shredded chicken
1 carton chicken stock
1 can biscuits (size not given)
Combine chicken and about 1/2 cup chicken stock in a skillet. Heat just to simmering and let cook about 10 minutes.
Add about 1 cup of chicken stock to a 2-quart sauce pan. Unroll biscuits, flatten and tear into strips. Add biscuit pieces to stock and heat on medium until biscuits puff up, about 5 minutes or so. Add biscuit pieces to the chicken and stir.
Lynn Rogers shares this easy recipe for homemade enchilada sauce. It comes together quickly and can be made with ingredients you probably already have in your pantry.
"Serve over enchiladas or tamales. Leftovers make great Ranch Style eggs, Huevos Rancheros," writes Rogers.
I made the sauce to use in my favorite enchilada casserole (seasoned ground beef, chili beans, green chiles and shredded cheese layered with corn tortillas), and it worked great.
New Mexico Chile Gravy
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons chile powder (regular or New Mexico)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups boiling-hot water
Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat, just until the oil shimmers.
Mix all dry ingredients in small bowl, stir well. Pour into oil, stirring constantly. Turn heat to low, cook about 5 minutes, being careful not to let the chile powder mixture burn. (If it burns, toss it out and start over.)
Add hot water all at once. Stir constantly on low to medium heat, low simmer, until thickened to desired consistency.
Send recipe contributions, requests and culinary questions to Kelly Brant, Idea Alley, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, Ark. 72203; email:
Food on 05/10/2017