<p class="mceTemp">Think back to when you were a young'un LOL.  If you are over the age of 30 you will remember when your mom used to make food that would seemingly feed the masses.  How did she do that?  Back then we probably didn't think about it too much or you thought she was just magic.  Well, the reality of the situation is that she probably made a lot of meals that were inexpensive and would stretch...Spaghetti (or really any type of pasta dish), Casseroles with rice at the base, Stew, Pot pies, etc.  I have recently decided to try and cook more at home.  This will not only help me reach my financial goals, but my health goals as well...see how that all ties together.  Anywho, in my self-reflection, I am realizing that my excuses for not doing it are pretty sad.  Have you used any of these...I'm too busy to cook, it's cheaper for me to eat out or I'm too tired, it's too hard to cook for one person...yeah yeah yadda yadda.  If I'm honest with myself I will face the fact that I am just L.A.Z.Y...yeah I can call myself that.</p>
Well, I realize that you can't change a habit overnight, but I can definitely try to change one small step at a time.  I have for years made this dish that is absolutely delicious and it doesn't take much at all.  I am going to post the recipe here (as I remember it) but know it has no measurements because I stopped measuring after the first time making it (I will update with the precise measurements if I find the recipe).
<h1><strong><a title="Full Recipe from Recipe.com" href="http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/anniversary-chicken-i/Detail.aspx" target="_blank">Anniversary Chicken</a></strong> (my adapted recipe from allrecipe.com click the title for the full recipe)</h1>
<dl class="wp-caption alignright"><dt class="wp-caption-dt"><a href="http://thehappinessbucket.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/anniversary-chicken.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-1148 " title="Anniversary Chicken" src="http://thehappinessbucket.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/anniversary-chicken.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="250" /></a></dt><dd class="wp-caption-dd">HtCasey's Photo from allrecipes.com</dd></dl>
<p class="mceTemp"><strong>Ingredients</strong></p>

<ul>
	<li>Chicken (however much you want)</li>
	<li>1/2 cup teriyaki basting sauce (low sodium)</li>
	<li>1/2 cup Ranch-style salad dressing</li>
	<li>Shredded Cheese (whichever kind you prefer)*</li>
	<li>Bacon bits (real or canned)*</li>
	<li>Rice (enough to serve number you are feeding)</li>
	<li>Water (enough to cover the rice)</li>
</ul>
<ol>
	<li>Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).</li>
	<li>Place chicken in a baking dish, pour teriyaki sauce and then the ranch dressing over chicken evenly.</li>
	<li>Sprinkle rice in between the chicken pieces and pour water over rice (Don't add too much water at the beginning, you can add more later to thin sauce out if necessary).</li>
	<li>Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear. Baste chicken with sauce halfway through cooking time.</li>
	<li>*Optional - You can add bacon bits and cheese to the top of your chicken at the end of cooking until melted. Garnish and serve.</li>
</ol>
Tips:  The teriyaki sauce and ranch dressing and water create this delicious sauce that the chicken and rice cook in, so depending on your preference you can make the sauce thick or more liquid by adding more water.  I usually turn and baste the chicken (stirring and blending the sauce some) halfway through the cooking time.  Remember teriyaki sauce is sweet and can be high in sodium so I usually buy the low sodium sauce.  You can adjust your teriyaki to ranch dressing measurements based on your preference.

This meal is very inexpensive and can feed a ton of people based on how you make it.  It takes me maybe 5 mins to prepare and the magic happens all on its own.  You can omit the rice from the recipe and make it separately if you choose...I just like one pot cooking whenever possible and the sauce that is made is mixed with the rice which is delicious.  So, try this recipe and let me know how it works for you.

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