Mexican Style Chicken & Rice

You will be singing my praises after you make this dinner. Right there, in your kitchen, you will do a little dance because this is so good, and so easy! Just 5 main ingredients! (Thanks Jessica for giving me another rockin' recipe!)

2 Chicken breasts (you can use left over baked chicken or rotisserie, shredded...or you could use canned)

8 oz. cream cheese

1 can Rotel tomatoes and green chilies, drained

1 can corn, drained

1 can black beans
Optional: Rice, tortilla chips, tortillas

- Cook chicken using your preferred method. Shred it into bite sized pieces.
- In a large pan or pot, cook everything together until cream cheese is melted.
- Serve over rice. You can eat it with chips or in a tortilla, burrito style.

Chicken Spaghetti

Ingredients:
2-3 large chicken breasts - cooked & chopped
12 oz package of spaghetti - cooked
1/3 cup of cheez whiz sauce in a jar (or 3 oz of velveeta/mexican velveeta cheese block)
1 can of cream of chicken OR cream of mushroom soup
1/2 onion finely chopped
1/2 green pepper finely chopped
8 oz package (2 cup package) of shredded cheese (I like mexican blend)

Optional: add chopped broccoli, chopped mushrooms, or chopped red bell pepper

Instructions:

Cook chicken by boiling water. Keep leftover broth.

Cook spaghetti by boiling water. Don't overcook it because it will get mushy in the oven. Drop 1-2 min off the package directions and you should be fine.

In a large mixing bowl mix cheez whiz, cream of chicken soup, diced onion, diced green peppers, cooked diced chicken, & 1/2 pack of shredded cheese. Add 1/2 cup of reserved chicken broth (or water) and stir. Add any other optional ingredients. Add cooked spaghetti and stir. Pour everything into large baking dish (9x12) and top with remaining package of cheese.

Bake for 350 for 20-30 minutes until everything is heated and cheese is melted.

** ** The cheez whiz in a jar is kind of pricey, but it is cheaper than the velveeta block stuff. Get the smallest jar you can find. You don't need a ton of it. If you can't find it, get the larger 16 oz (4 cup) package of shredded cheese in it's place. Just use 2 cups of shredded cheese to mix, and 1 cup of shredded cheese on top. You should have about 1 cup leftover. You can add up to 1/2 cup more chicken broth if it seems to thick.

Golden Potato Chowder

This recipe is from the clean eating magazine. You can make this healthiest by using skim milk & light cream cheese. So good!

Ingredients:
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion chopped
2 large carrots, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch slices
8 oz white mushrooms, cut into quarters
3 cups of chicken broth
1 lb. spaghetti squash, skin & seeds removed, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
3 redskin/new potatoes, unpeeled, cut into 1 inch cubes
6 oz ham cut into 1/4 inch cubes
1/4 cup milk
2 oz cream cheese

Instructions:
Heat oil in a large pot on medium for 1 minute. Add onion, carrots, and mushrooms. Cook for 5 minutes.

Stir in broth, squash, potatoes. Bring soup to a boil on high heat, then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in ham and heat through.

Meanwhile, in a small pot on low heat, add milk and cream cheese. Cook, whisking constantly for 1 minute or until mixture is smooth.

Ladle 1 cup soup mixture into milk mixture and mix. Pour milk mixture back into pot and stir to combine. Serve immediately. Use a fork to break up any spaghetti squash that is still in chunks. It should resemble shredded cheese when you are finished.

** I have the deli counter cut a slab of honey ham at thickness "11" One slab is usually enough, unless it is near the ends of the ham. I add 2 tsp of Italian seasonings while it is cooking.

Sausage & Herb Stuffing

image courtesy of foodnetwork.com

I have revamped this recipe to make it easier. Plus, I just wasn't getting the results I wanted with thick chunks of bread. Our stuffing would fall apart, and while everything was tasty, I wasn't a big fan of eating individual bites of celery, sausage, and bread.

The original recipe comes from the Barefoot Contessa. The recipe can be found here. There is a quick video. Watch it, as it clarifies a couple of steps in the directions.

2 boxes of stove top stuffing - favorite flavor
1 bag of dried cranberries, 6 oz
1 pkg. Johnsonville Sweet Italian Sausage links
2 stalks of celery, diced
1 large onion, finely diced
parsley to taste
1 large granny smith apple, diced (unpeeled)
1 stick of butter

1. Cook sausage. Remove casings, and brown sausage in large skillet. Drain & set aside.
2. Dice celery, onion, & apple. Saute in large skillet with olive oil until vegetables are soft about 10 minutes. Add parsley, salt & pepper to taste.
3. In large pot, boil 3 cups of water. Add 1 stick of butter. Once butter is melted & water is boiling, add 2 packages of stove top. Stir, remove from heat, and cover with a lid for 5 minutes. (This is the package directions)
4. Combine everything, including cranberries, in the large pot & stir. Add cranberries to your liking. (I used about 3/4 the package.)

Put everything in a large, sprayed 9 x 12 pan. Spread out in pan. Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes.

I cooked this in my largest rectangle pan, and it filled it to the top.

Poppy Seed Chicken

Image courtesy of allrecipes.com

2-3 large chicken breasts (about 5 cups)
small container of sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 sleeve ritz crackers
4 tbsp - 1/2 cup melted butter (depending on how much you like, I used 4 tbsp)
1 tspn poppy seeds

1. Cook & chop chicken into bite sized pieces.
2. Stir in cream of chicken soup & sour cream together. Add 1 tspn poppy seeds and stir.
3. Add in cooked, chopped chicken and stir to mix together.
4. Put crackers in a ziploc bag and smash away.
5. Pour melted butter into bag and shake to coat all the cracker pieces.
6. Pour cracker/butter mixture on top of chicken mixture. If desired top with more poppy seeds.

Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes until hot and bubbly.

Thanks Shannon for the great recipe!

Golden Potato Chowder

This is so good, I wish I would have taken a picture! This is a white creamy soup, with bite sized chunks of vegetables.

Ingredients

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into bite sized slices
8 oz white mushrooms, cut into quarters
3 cups chicken broth
1 lb. spaghetti squash, skin and seeds removed. Cut flesh into small bite sized pieces.
1 1b. redskin potatoes, cut into cubes
2 tsp dried sage (or parsley & basil)
6-8 oz. ham, cut into cubes.**
1/4 skim milk
2 oz. light cream cheese

(The recipe calls for the healthiest options, but I used what I had on hand, which was not low fat milk & cream cheese. Use what you have.)

** Ham - I had a slab, cut at a 11, of Prima Della Honey Ham.

Instructions:
1. Heat oil in a large stockpot on medium heat for 1 minute. Add onion, carrots, and mushrooms. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Stir in broth, squash, potatoes, and sage. Bring soup to a boil on high heat, then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in ham and heat through.

3. (During last few minutes of cooking soup) In a small pot on low heat, add milk and cream cheese. Cook, whisking constantly, for 1 minute or until mixture is smooth. Ladle 1 cup soup mixture into milk mixture and whisk. Pour milk mixture back into stockpot and stir to combine. Serve immediately.

Note: Spaghetti Squash - When spaghetti squash is cooked, its fibers naturally separate and look like short strands of golden spaghetti, or shredded cheese.

The Verdict: This was really good! Adam ate a whole bowl. Of course he thought the squash was shredded cheese, so that helped! Good flavor & filling.

Sausage Lasagna

Image & Recipe courtesy of Johnsonville.com

12 lasagna noodles, cooked

1 pkg. (16 oz.) Italian Ground Sausage

1 medium onion, chopped

1 Tbsp. garlic, chopped

1 container of chunky pasta sauce

1 container (15. oz.) Ricotta cheese

1 egg

2 cups shredded Italian cheeses

3 cups fresh spinach, chopped and packed

Prepare noodles according to package directions; drain and set aside.

Sauté Italian sausage, onion and garlic in a skillet until sausage is browned; drain.

Add pasta sauce to the sausage mixture and set aside.

In a medium bowl, blend ricotta cheese, egg and 1/2 cup of Italian cheese and set aside.

Coat a 9 x 13 baking dish with non-stick spray and spread 1 cup of the sauce mixture on the bottom.

Top with 3 lasagna noodles.

Spread ¼ cup of the ricotta cheese mixture on the noodles and layer on 1 cup of the sauce mixture.

Sprinkle 1 cup of the spinach and ½ cup mozzarella cheese.

Repeat this whole process 3 more times starting with the noodles; top with remaining shredded cheese to finish.

Bake uncovered in a 350°F oven for 45 minutes until hot and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

My substitutions:
I use a 9 x 9 inch pan because I don't think there is enough sausage for the larger size. I would get two packages of meat in you need more servings. I use about 8 noodles and half a container of pasta sauce for the smaller size. A 9 x 9 pan yields 6 generous sized portions.

Find the original recipe here.

Double Potato Soup

Double Potato Soup

From Fly Lady

Serves 6

2 sweet potatoes -- peeled and cubed
2 russet potatoes -- peeled and cubed
2 onions -- chopped
3 cloves garlic -- pressed
1 teaspoon thyme
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cans vegatable broth or chicken broth
2 cups half and half
salt and pepper -- to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil

Peel & chop 2 sweet potatoes & 2 russet potatoes.

(Time Saver: Peel & Chop potatoes. Cover with cold water to prevent

browning, and refrigerate up to 24 hours)

Chop onion. Recipe calls for 2 onions, I usually just do 1.

Heat olive oil, and cook onion until translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add Potato, cayenne pepper, thyme, salt & pepper, & broth and bring to a boil.

(I make my own broth and freeze it in ice cube trays.)

You can use 2 cans of vegetable or chicken broth.

Reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes until potatoes are soft.

Use a potato masher to mash the potatoes.

Add 16 oz. of half and half.

Mix in the half and half. Heat to warm. Do not boil or it will break.

Your soup will be lighter & a thinner consistency than this. I missed the last picture.

Cooking with Quinoa

My mom got me a Clean Eating magazine. I've enjoyed trying out different recipes & trying new ingredients. I've recently tried Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah). It's a small grain that is similar in size to couscous, although the flavor is different. It's extremely healthy and you can substitute in almost any recipe you'd use rice or couscous in.

I was inspired by this recipe to create our lunch today. I used some leftovers (chicken, corn, diced tomatoes) from last night's dinner and topped it over cooked quinoa. I also added some cilantro & feta cheese we had in the fridge. Lunch was ready in 15 minutes! Fast, easy, & healthy!

I was surprised to find quinoa at Walmart. I have also seen it at Kroger in their organics food section at the front of the store.

Potato Soup

I got this recipe from my mom, and it's so good. Since I am making this for dinner tonight, I don't have a picture of it finished. Here's the ingredients you'll need. Have you seen potato soup before? Well it looks like that.

Ingredients:

7-8 medium/large potatoes

milk (2 percent, whole, whatever you've got)

1 can cream of celery soup

1 small bag of real bacon pieces

- Boil water in a large pot.

- Peel & chop potatoes into bite sized pieces.

- Cook potatoes in boiling water until soft (about 20-30 minutes)

- Drain water, return potatoes to pot.

- Pour milk to cover just the top of the potatoes.

- Add cream of celery soup & stir until mixed.

- Add bacon bits now to entire batch, or add to each serving while in the bowls.

-Let soup heat up on medium-low heat for about 15 minutes.

I usually make this with a cornbread mix. I just let it re-heat until the cornbread is done.

Santa Rosa Valley Salad

My good friend Brandy W. gave me this recipe a few years back. This is a cold salad. I brought it to baby shower and it was gobbled up so fast! Jared & I love this, but I will warn you, you're kids will turn up their noses and tell you it is disgusting. You might want to prepare some PB&J for them and enjoy their portions.

The recipe says it serves 13, but I'd say more like 10 if you are serving snack sized portions, and serves 5-6 if you are serving dinner sized servings. We had ours with almond crackers. Yum!

Ingredients:

1 box Uncle Ben's Seasoned Long Grain & Wild rice (not instant)

Juice of 1 lemon

1 red pepper diced

3 oz. snow peas ends removed

4 green onions chopped

3 chicken breasts cooked & diced

1 cup pecans toasted and chopped

2 avocados diced

red leaf lettuce for garnish -optional

Dressing:

2 cloves garlic minced

1 tbs dijon style mustard

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/3 cup seasoned rice vinegar

1/3 cup vegetable oil

Directions:

Cook the rice according to the package, but reduce water by 1/3 cup to prevent overcooking and the rice getting too mushy. Salad looks best with a firmer grain. Cool rice. Combine remaining ingredients except for the pecans and avocados. Prepare dressing by combining all ingredients in a blender and blending until emulsified. Pour over rice mixture and mix well. Refrigerate 2 to 4 hours or overnight. Just before serving add pecans and avocado. Serve on bed of red leaf lettuce.

What I did different:

- I'm not a fan of snow peas, so we didn't have them.

- I had already chopped my red & green pepper earlier in the week and they got all mixed together, so my recipe had both.

- I only used 2 large chicken breasts because that's what I had defrosted. It was plenty for us, but you might like more chicken.

- I also completely missed the part about adding 1/3 cup less water, so I didn't do it and it was fine. Probably not as firm, but still tasty.

What's for Dinner

Black Beans & Rice with Cornbread

I know rice and beans sounds boring, but if you do it right it can be really good, super cheap & healthy. It's an easy meal if you plan ahead.

1 Bag of dried black beans

1 onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 bell pepper, chopped

1 bag of Ludenberg Jubilee Gourmet Rice *(or your favorite)

1 box Krusteaz Honey Cornbread (or your favorite)

*I tried this rice on a whim last time, and it's my new favorite rice. It's pricey as far as rice goes, but it's so good that it's worth it. Plus when you think pricey rice paired with $1 for a whole bag of beans you still have a cheap dinner at about $1.25 per serving. Half a bag of rice serves 4 adult size portions. I got everything at Walmart.

Prep:

Night before:

- Sort beans and remove any non-bean items. Rinse dried beans in a colander. Put beans in a large bowl and fill completely with water, and then add some more. Your beans are going to suck all that water up during the night.

- Chop your onion, garlic, and bell pepper and put them in a container in the fridge. (You can just throw them all in the same container because they are going to get mixed together anyway)

Morning:

-Drain beans in a colander & rinse.

-Place beans in crock pot, completely cover with water. Add chopped onion, garlic, & bell pepper. Add salt & pepper to taste (you can add a lot it cooks out.) Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or high for 4-6 hours.

An hour before dinner

- Cook rice per package directions. This bag has you boil water & rice, cover the pan & then simmer for 50 minutes. Just leave it alone, it does all the work!

- Make cornbread per package directions.

I've been thinking next time I might throw a whole bag of rice with a whole bag of beans in the crock pot. Has anyone tried that before? I can't see why it wouldn't work.

Sometimes we throw diced ham or sliced sausage into the beans while they are cooking. It's really good, just not as cheap.

Apricot Glazed Pork Tenderloin

Thanks Jessica for the recipe!

Apricot Glazed Pork Tenderloin

2 Pork Tenderloins, 1 lb. each

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 c. apricot preserves
3 Tbsp. chicken broth (or veggie broth)
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves minced or 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. fresh Thyme or 1/4 tsp. dried thyme

Preheat oven to 450 degrees
Place pork on a shallow roasting pan (line with foil for easy clean up.)
Combine the oil, salt and pepper. Rub on the pork.
Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Spoon apricot sauce over the pork. Bake for 15 minutes longer, until no longer pink in the middle.

Here's all the ingredients you need:

15 Bean Soup

Ingredients:

1 pkg. 15 bean soup

3/4 - 1 lb. deli ham cut in 1-2 slabs, cut into cubes (I like Prima Della Honey Ham)

1/2 large onion, chopped

1 - 15 oz. can diced or stewed tomatoes

1 tsp chili powder

juice from 1 lemon

1-2 cloves minced garlic

Directions:

Soak beans overnight.

Drain, and place beans in a crockpot. Generously cover beans with new water.

Stir in all other ingredients.

Cook on high 4-6 hours, or low for 6-8 hours.

Note:

You can omit the ham and make this really cheap. It comes with a mystery ham flavoring packet, but I never use it. I've found this at Walmart, Krogers & Albertson's. (This recipe is on the back of the package)

So good on a cold day!

Greek Salad

This is one of my favorite, quick recipes that my friend Diane M. shared a few years back. It's so good! We ended up eating it with some garlic bread that I forgot to cook up earlier last week. I wish I wouldn't have polished the rest of it off when I came home last night, it would have made a great lunch.

One day I'll be able to take beautiful pictures of food, but for right now you'll have to settle for quick shots that aren't always cropped or visually appealing.

-Good quality cherry or grape tomatoes cut in halves (splurge, it makes a difference)

- 1 cucumber cut into bite sized pieces

- crumbled feta cheese -about half a pkg.

- Greek Dressing or my new favorite: Mediterranean Sundried Tomato & Feta Cheese Dressing

- Sliced Black Olives, drained - optional

Put everything into a container with a lid. Put on lid and shake until ingredients are mixed together. (I never measure the dressing. I put on some, shake, and check. If it needs more to coat everything I add more.) Serve immediately, or refrigerate.

Juicy, Tender Pot Roast

Ingredients:

Red or yellow gold potatoes - chopped in large pieces

1 lb. of baby carrots

chuck roast

1 can of beef broth

Directions:

- Chop up veggies & put in bottom of crock pot. Salt & Pepper to taste.

- Place roast on top of veggies. Pour one can of beef broth over the meat. Salt & Pepper meat to taste.

- Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Crockpot Chicken

Image courtesy of barefootandbaking.blogspot.com

My friend Shannon sent me a link (click here) to this great, easy recipe.

Crockpot Chicken

1 can cream of chicken soup
1-8 0z package cream cheese (room temperature blends better)
1 package italian dressing mix
2-4 skinless boneless chicken breasts (I use frozen and don't even defrost!)

Mix these together with electric mixer and spread over chicken in crockpot. Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours. This is for frozen chicken, could be less if chicken is NOT frozen. Serve over cooked rice or noodles.

Sides:

1 bag steamfresh broccoli (one bag serves 4)

10 minute Success Whole Grain Brown Rice (one bag serves 2 adults & 1 kid)

This was so easy & good! There is plenty of the gravy mix so no need to double those ingredients if you are trying to feed 4-5 people. Just add 4 chicken breasts & an extra bag of rice.

Easy Chicken Wraps

Here's a super easy week night dinner.

Sometimes every dinner can't be a total photo op, but you get the idea.

Ingredients:

(use whatever vegetables you have on hand, the more you have the better)

Sun dried Tomato Tortilla Wraps

2 large chicken breasts

red, yellow, orange pepper, or green pepper - sliced into 3-4" strips

red onion - sliced into 2-3" strips

1 bag of steamfresh sweet corn

cilantro

cherry tomato

salad greens

shredded cheese

avocado

ranch dressing or sour cream

Directions:

- Crock pot your chicken earlier in the day by placing frozen chicken breasts & about 1/2 cup of water. Cook on high until done about 3-4 hours. Cut your chicken into bite sized pieces and reserve for later.

- Chop all the vegetables.

- Microwave corn per package directions.

- Heat oven to 350. Heat tortillas in a stack while cooking -- about 3-5 minutes in a hot oven.

- Use a 1 tbsp of olive oil and heat over med-high heat. Throw in vegetables and cook until vegetables begin to soften about 3 minutes.

- Add chicken & cilantro and cook until chicken is heated throughout about 3-5 minutes.

- On warm tortilla spread sour cream -optional.

- Top with warm chicken & veggie mixture. Top with salad greens, corn, & cheese.

If you are trying a healthier option, then use light sour cream moderately or not at all. If you want a more flavorful option try this recipe for cilantro ranch dressing. It's delicious, but not especially diet friendly.

Dressing
1/4 cup ranch dressing
1/4 cup salsa verde (herdes)
1/2 cup tightly packed cilantro leaves

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend away until smooth. Refrigerate.

(I found this dressing for the topping of Chicken Taco Cornbread Wedges with Ranchero Cilantro drizzle on the Martha White site. I love this recipe, of course, it's from Jenny of picky-palate.com) You can double up the ranch if you don't have salsa verde on hand.

Tip: Spend 20 minutes one day washing & chopping all your vegetables for your weekly meals. It makes preparing dinner so much faster, and increases the likelihood you'll actually use the veggies you bought.

Andrea's Tortilla Soup

My good friend, Andrea, shared this recipe with me a few years back. It's a lot of cans, but it's so easy. You can substitute rotisserie chicken to make it even faster.

Andrea's Tortilla Soup:
1 can cream of chicken
1 can cream of mushroom
1 can rotel (drained)
1 can of ranch style beans with onion (or 1 can reg. ranch style beans & 1/2 chopped onion)
2 cans of chicken broth (or reserve 3 1/2 - 4 cups of broth from cooking chicken)
2 large chicken breasts
Tortilla chips
Shredded cheese
Optional:
Sour Cream
sliced avocado

Directions:
1. Boil chicken, reserve broth.
2. Add cream soups & chicken broth & whisk into smooth
3. Add beans & rotel. Simmer for 10-15 minutes
4. Cut cooked chicken into bite sized pieces & add desired amount to soup.
5. Pour soup over tortilla chips & top with cheese.

*I use mild rotel & drain it because otherwise it would be too spicy for the kids. You can leave the juices in if you like it a little spicier.

Chicken & Dumplings

I made some chicken and dumplings this week and they were so good!

4 Large Chicken Breasts (or whole chicken parts cut up)
2 cans reg. sized biscuits (1 can if you aren't a fan of the dumpling)
2-3 peeled sliced carrots
2 stalks sliced celery
1/4 - 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 finely chopped onion

-In a very large pot, cook chicken by boiling. Cover generously with water. Throw in all vegetables & parsley. Cook for 30-45 minutes until chicken is done.
- While chicken is cooking prepare dumplings. Cut each biscuit into 4 pieces, roll into flour to make a ball shape. Set dumplings aside
- Reserve broth, remove chicken and cut into bite sized pieces (remove from bone if necessary.) Return chicken to broth mixture. Add dumplings into broth. If necessary add a little water. Cook on medium heat for 10-15 minutes until dumplings are no longer doughy on the inside. They will look a bit doughy on the outside.
- I cut the vegetables, aside from the onion, into big chunks so that the purists in our family could pick them out. Fresh parsley makes all the difference and it's so cheap. The vegetables gave everything a nice flavor and even the kid ate two helpings (once he picked out all the carrots of course.)