"Anyone can cook!"

One of my all time favorite movies, Ratatouille, encourages that in fact anyone can cook. I wholeheartedly agree!

Here's why...

When I was 19, I knew how to make only a couple of things- sandwiches and sweet tea. Then I got pregnant... I wanted food all the time, and tuna was a no-go! Now, let me clarify a couple of things. My mother tried to teach me to cook. I, however, was under the notion that I was going to marry very wealthy and have a personal chef (what a dreamer, right?!) So, there was no need for me to learn how to cook! These are actual words and thoughts of my 14-15 year old, okay okay okay- maybe even 17-18 year old, brain! Also, in my defense, my mother's form of cooking was pulling out Schwan's from the freezer! So here I am 19, home alone in my apartment, pregnant and HUNGRY! Scour the cabinets; hmm, Campbell's Cream of Chicken, other "cream of" whatevers, of course some ramen, some stuffing, and other odds and ends. Fridge; some chicken breasts, some shredded cheese, milk, water, salsa, etc. Ya get the gist, there wasn't much. I didn't really know what I was looking at, a bunch of random things. So, I go back to the cabinet, "Guess I'll eat some soup." For some reason I picked up the cream of chicken and happened to see "more recipes on inside label". Oh my goodness, the yumminess that followed is still a beloved recipe in our family today! 

The fact is, if I hadn't been on my own and forced to be realistic, I probably would not have learned to cook. Now, in fact, I actually love cooking. I love making my family try new recipes, some good- others, not so much! Either way, we can laugh about it, chase it down with a big glass of tea, and move on to the next ooey-goodness! 

If I can cook, anyone can!

So, without further ado- here is the very first recipe I ever tried, still use to this day (with a couple of adjustments), have given out many times, and it is actual greatness!

I give you- Chicken and Stuffing...

What You'll Need

• 2 tablespoons softened butter 
• 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1 box (6 ounces) Stuffing Chicken Mix 
• 1 can (10 1/2 ounces) Cream of Chicken Soup
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese 

How to Make It

• Preheat the oven to 375. Spread the softened butter in the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Add the chicken and cook for 40 minutes or until cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan.

• While chicken is cooking, prepare the stuffing according to the package directions. 

• Place the prepared stuffing in the bottom of the 9x13 pan. Put the cooked chicken on top of the stuffing. Pour the soup over the chicken. Top with the cheese. Cover and cook until the cheese is melted.