Does “weeknight-easy” have an appeal? That and terrific flavor both accompany this pot-pie recipe.

This week I passed the 300-mark in term of blog entries in “The Newfangled Country Gardener”. If I were to ask my hubby to reflect on these featured items and to name his absolute fave, he’d quickly reply that it was any recipe that pertained to making chicken-pot pie, his always-first-choice for a meal. It has been ever since I first met him when he was 21 (just yesterday!). He’s traveled all over the world (45-plus foreign countries and the 48 continental states) and sampled some of the finest cuisine anywhere, yet his “heart dish” never wavers. I knew he would adore this upcoming selection.

Southern Living’s “Mama’s Way or Your Way?” feature pairs classic, usually from-scratch recipes with updated, often simpler and quicker versions of that same dish. I always enjoy these selections and usually end up cooking both versions. I had torn out a page from the February 2011 issue which featured “Stovetop Chicken Pie”. Since these days we’re all high on the hunt for stovetop recipes so we can avoid overloading the heat grid in our broiling-temp afternoons, I was glad I had saved this suggestion. Plus I knew Hubby would be beyond pleased to have this meal set in front of him.

Cooked chicken bits, fresh mushrooms, and frozen green peas are cooked in a simple sauce of cream of mushroom soup, chicken broth, white cooking wine, less-fat cream cheese, and part of an envelope of Italian dressing mix. The whole process from start to finish is 35 minutes. Dinner in no time.

This mixture can be topped with frozen buttermilk biscuits that have been baked or can be served over cornbread or cornbread waffles, hot cooked pasta, baked potatoes, or pecan wild rice. We had cornbread on hand and some leftover whole-wheat dinner rolls, so I used these instead of breaking out a can of buttermilk biscuits.

This recipe makes just oodles and oodles of this delicious chicken topping, so we’ve already enjoyed it for two nights now and are onto a third. (This is one dish of leftovers Hubby would never mind seeing ad infinitum.) It is flavorful and well-seasoned. As SL describes it, Stovetop Chicken Pie is “weeknight easy”. Who wouldn’t like that?

Stovetop Chicken Pie

8 frozen buttermilk biscuits

1 small sweet onion, diced

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 (8-ounce) package sliced fresh mushrooms

4 cups chopped cooked chicken

1 (10 3/4-ounce) can reduced-fat cream of mushroom soup

1 cup low-sodium chicken both

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 (8-ounce) package 1/3-less fat cream cheese, cubed (I used Neufchatel)

1/2 (.7-ounce) envelope Italian dressing mix (about 2 teaspoons)

1 cup frozen baby peas, thawed

Bake biscuits according to package directions. Meanwhile in a large skillet over medium-high heat sauté onion in hot oil. Add mushrooms and sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in chicken and next 5 ingredients; cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and mixture is thoroughly heated. Stir in peas and cook 2 minutes. Spoon chicken mixture over hot, split biscuits (or over cornbread, waffles, cooked paste, baked potatoes, or wild rice). Makes 6 to 8 servings.

What's red and green and just the best thing ever for a pre-Christmas crazy-ness meal? Don't pass up these quesadillas

The first major freeze of the year sent us racing to the garden to raid the bell pepper bushes of every last pepper down to the smallest babies that were just popping out. Now a huge bushel basket of peppers sits in wait to be chopped and frozen to carry us through the winter until garden time next spring.

All those peppers, both green and red, plus holiday leftovers netted us one of the best meals ever—a true delight for a busy night that saw me start to decorate the Christmas tree and wade right into the swirling current of December crazy-ness.

Fresh Ham and Pepper Quesadillas were ready in almost as much time as one could sing "Here Comes Santa Claus" and brought so much cheer that the Grinch just had to stay far away on this Christmas-prep night.

Into a hot skillet went a flour tortilla that had been spread with mustard and topped with Monterey Jack cheese. Atop that went the mixture of ham, green peppers, and green onions and another cheese layer, with a second mustard-spread tortilla on top. A quick browning in the skillet melted the cheese and stuck the layers together. Dinner—ready with a maximum of 15 minutes' work from the time I chopped the first pepper to the moment the quesadillas were sliced with a pizza cutter and placed on the dinner plate. Love it, love it, love it!

Fresh Ham & Pepper Quesadillas

1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped

1/2 cup green bell pepper, chopped

2 ounces sliced ham, cut in strips

1/4 cup green onions, minced

4 large flour tortillas

2 tablespoons yellow mustard

1/2 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese

salsa, sour cream (optional)

Combine peppers, ham, and onions. Spread 2 tablespoons yellow mustard on two tortillas. Spread a thin layer of cheese over the mustard; sprinkle with ham mixture. Spread remaining cheese over the top and cover with a second tortilla. Spray a skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium heat. Place one quesadilla in the pan and cook until lightly browned. Flip the quesadilla gently and cook until the bottom is lightly browned. Repeat with the second quesadilla. Remove the quesadilla from the pan; cut and serve with your favorite salsa and/or sour cream. Makes four servings.

Real men DO eat quiche-like frittata, especially when health-laced spinach is a main ingredient

From my recent preparation of Fruity Spinach Salad, the one that contained sliced pears and dried cranberries, I had half a bag of fresh spinach remaining. On the same Prevention magazine page as that yummy recipe was another spinach suggestion. I don't have an ovenproof frying pan, so I was hesitant to try (recipe recommends placing the frittata in the oven briefly to broil at the end), but I gambled that the dish would be just as successful without being brown on the top and prepared it anyway. I was glad I took the gamble!

It turned out a bit like a crustless quiche and was served in pie-shaped slices. A bit of patience is required while the preparer waits for the egg mixture to set over the medium-low heat at the end, but the rewards are great.

Real men DO eat quiche--at least the real man under my roof does, especially when that quiche-like frittata is laced with spinach, always acclaimed to be one of the world's healthiest foods. And once again my conscience is assuaged--I used up the remainder of those spinach leaves that were left over in the fridge, always a challenge to me since spinach can wither quickly.

Fall Frittata

1 small onion, chopped

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

12 small potatoes, unpeeled (10 ounces)

1/2 teaspoon salt, divided (or salt substitute)

2 cloves garlic, minced

5 cups spinach (about 4 ounces)

8 large eggs, beaten (or 2 cups egg substitute)

3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Saute onion in 2 tablespoons oil in nonstick, ovenproof frying pan. Thinly slice potatoes and add to skillet along with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cover and cook 10 minutes; stir occasionally. Add garlic and cook until potatoes are done. Uncover; stir in spinach until it is wilted. Remove onion-potato-spinach mixture from skillet and cool in bowl. Into cooled mixture in bowl stir in eggs, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and black pepper to taste. In same skillet in which you just prepared the onion-potato-spinach mixture (that has been removed), heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-low heat. Into skillet with oil pour back in the egg mixture, sprinkled with cheese, until mixture is almost set. If desired, broil briefly to brown. Makes 6 servings.