Taco Chicken Bowl

It is taco flavored and cooks in the crockpot. It is bound to be a favorite!

INGREDIENTS:

1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast

16 oz jar salsa (whichever hotness you prefer)

15 oz can black beans, drained

8 oz frozen corn

1 Tablespoon chili powder

1/2 Tablespoon ground cumin

1/2 Tablespoon minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Salt and Pepper to taste

green onions (optional)

8 oz shredded cheddar 

Rice (brown or white, approximately 6 servings)

DIRECTIONS:

Place chicken breast (can still be frozen), salsa, beans, corn, and seasonings into crockpot.

Mix together, making sure chicken is mostly covered. Cover and cook on low for about 8 hours.

By the time it is ready, the chicken will be super tender. Stir everything in the crockpot and the chicken should shred/fall apart easily.

Cook the rice (we used Minute Rice).

Scoop cooked rice into the bowl, topped with the chicken mixture, cheese, and green onions. Enjoy!

Vegetable Enchiladas

When I first made this, I honestly didn't have high hopes. I was pretty sure the kids wouldn't eat it and that Matt and I would just tolerate it. I was wrong. It is sooo good! It is very filling without being heavy, and the kids gobbled it up. It is a little bit on the spicy side with the pepper jack cheese, but that can always be substituted for another kind. The sauce isn't all that great alone, but I think it goes really well once the dish is put together.

INGREDIENTS:

Sauce:

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1/4 cup flour

1 teaspoon ground cumin

5 oz can tomato paste

14.5 oz can vegetable broth

3/4 cup water

salt and pepper, to taste

Enchiladas:

2 cups grated pepper jack cheese

1 cup Colby jack cheese

1 teaspoon ground cumin

10 oz frozen spinach, thawed and excess moisture removed

10 frozen corn, thawed

15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained

4 green onions, chopped, separate whites and greens

10 fajita-sized flour tortillas

DIRECTIONS:

In a medium saucepan, heat oil. Add cumin, flour, and tomato paste. Mix together.

Add the vegetable broth and water. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened, about 5-8  minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

In a large bowl, combine pepper jack cheese, ground cumin, spinach, corn, black beans, and onion whites. Mix well.

Divide mixture evenly among tortillas. Roll up, placing seam side down in a greased baking dish (I only made 6 to start, and they fit in an 11x7 pan. If making all of them at once, use probably a 9x13).

Spread the Colby jack cheese evenly on top, and cover with sauce.

Bake uncovered @400F for 20 minutes. Garnish with onion greens. Enjoy!

adapted from HERE

Lemon Dill Chicken

When our oldest boy was younger, this was the only chicken he would eat. If I made a different flavor, I had to make the lemon dill sauce to pour over his or he wouldn't eat it.

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup butter or margarine

6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

1/2 cup chic
ken broth

1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 green onions, sliced

DIRECTIONS:

Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken in butter until light brown, turning once.

 

 

Meanwhile, mix broth, dill weed, lemon juice, and salt.  Pour over chicken once its browned.

Heat to boiling. Reduce heat and cover. Simmer 10-15 minutes, until no pink.

Remove chicken. Heat sauce to boiling, for about 3 minutes. Pour over chicken and sprinkle with the green onions. 

 

 

Katie's Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

I have yet to meet someone that doesn't fall in love with these enchiladas (and trust me, I have made them for a lot of people. When Matt makes new friends at work, he invites them over for enchiladas every time). When we invite friends over for supper and give them the option of what we are going to eat, the answer is always enchiladas.

INGREDIENTS:
about 2 lbs chicken, cooked and shredded (I always use a 2.25 lb bag of boneless skinless breasts)
4.25oz can of chopped black olives
3-4 green onions, chopped (both white and green parts)
1 large tomato, diced
2 cups shredded cheese (I have used cheddar as well as cheddar jack, both are delicious)
4.5oz can of diced green chilies
16 oz sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
8 burrito sized flour tortillas

DIRECTIONS:
In large bowl, mix chicken, black olives, onions, tomato, and 1 cup of cheese. Mix well.

In medium bowl, mix sour cream, cream of chicken, and green chilies. Spread about a cup of this onto bottom of a 9x13 pan. Divide chicken mixture evenly among tortillas.

Roll tortillas up and place in pan, seam side down. Cover with remaining sour cream mixture. Top with remaining cheese.

Bake @350 for about 30 minutes, or til cheese is bubbly and enchiladas are heated through.

NOTES:
The easiest way we have found to serve them is to cut them in half. It doesn't always look as pretty but it is so much easier to dish up!

These can be made ahead of time and placed in the fridge until ready to bake. Just remember to take them out about 30 minutes before baking (if not, they still bake just fine but will need to be in longer to heat up the inside).

Spicy Thai Noodles with Chicken

Like most of my favorites, this is quick and easy! :)  

INGREDIENTS:
12 oz bag egg noodles
1 Tablespoon crushed red pepper
1/3 cup Sesame oil
5 Tablespoons honey
6 Tablespoons soy sauce, plus another 1-2 Tablespoons for chicken
Vegetable oil (enough to stir fry chicken, I didn't measure)
3-4 boneless skinless chicken breast fillets, cut into bite sized pieces
3-4 green onions, chopped
2-3 carrots, shredded

DIRECTIONS:
Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and return to pot.
Heat sesame oil and crushed red pepper over medium heat for 2 minutes. Strain the pepper, reserving the oil.
Whisk honey and 6 Tablespoons soy sauce into oil.
Pour over noodles, tossing to coat evenly.
Stir fry chicken until no pink. Drizzle soy sauce over chicken, cook another minute. Add chicken to noodles. Mix together.
Serve warm, topped with carrots and green onions.

NOTES:
The original recipe (found HERE) called for 1-2 Tablespoons crushed red pepper, and many reviews stated 1 was plenty. For kids, 1 is probably on the spicy side, but Matt and I would have preferred a little more.

Cheesy Chicken Skillet Dinner

This is one of my absolute favorite meals. Im pretty sure I could eat it a couple times a week and never get bored with it.

INGREDIENTS
1 tsp Vegetable Oil
1.25 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces (doesn't have to be exact, thats just how much is in the pack I buy for this)
2 medium carrots, thinly sliced
2 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
2 Tbs soy sauce
2 green onions, sliced (both green and white parts)
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar

DIRECTIONS:
Heat oil over medium high. Add chicken. Stir fry 4-5 minutes until no more pink. Remove from skillet.
Add carrots and zucchini to skillet. Stir fry 4-5 minutes until crisp tender.
Return chicken to skillet. Add soy sauce and toss until all is coated.
Sprinkle with onions and cheese. Cover skillet and heat until cheese is melted.

Tortilla Pinwheels

This is definitely one of our favorite snack foods. The hardest part is having to wait for them to chill in the fridge! 😊

INGREDIENTS:
8 oz sour cream
8 oz cream cheese, softened
4 oz can green chilies, drained
2.5 oz can chopped black olives
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 cup shredded cheddar
garlic powder and seasoned salt to taste
5 10 inch flour tortillas
salsa for dipping

DIRECTIONS:
Mix all ingredients together (except for tortillas, obviously haha).
Spread evenly among tortillas, getting close to the edges. Roll tortillas up tight (but not too tight so filling doesn't all squish out). Wrap each one with plastic wrap. Refrigerate a couple hours or overnight.
Unwrap and cut into 1 inch slices. Enjoy!

Chicken Garlic Pizza

This pizza is SO good! It is supposed to be similar to Papa Murphy's chicken garlic pizza, but I have never eaten that particular one from there, so I can't say how close it is. In any case, it is delicious!

Before the top layer of cheese:

 Right out of the oven:

INGREDIENTS:
2/3 cup Ranch Dressing
3/4 Tbs minced garlic
2 cups shredded mozarella
1 cup shredded cheddar
1/4 cup grated parmesan
3/4 cup grilled chicken breast, bite sized pieces
3/4 cup diced Roma tomatoes
1/4 cup sliced green onion (green part only)
Homemade pizza crust

DIRECTIONS:
Mix ranch and garlic together. Spread over pizza crust.
Mix all cheeses together. Spread about half over the sauce.
Evenly spread chicken, tomatoes, and green onions on pizza. Top with remaining cheese.
Bake @ 425F for 12-15 minutes, til cheese is golden brown.

NOTES:
I use this chicken instead of making my own:

Also, any kind of tomatoes will work but if you use something other than Roma, be sure to drain off extra liquid/seeds.


adapted from here

Chicken Tamale Pie

One of Matt's favorite meals! He took leftovers in to work and it is now a favorite among co-workers. I made 2 just for him to take in the other night. He managed to get 2 pieces of them, and the rest was gone!

**Updated to include green chilies. Makes it even tastier!**

INGREDIENTS:
8.5 oz packet of corn bread mix
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (plus a little extra for topping)
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 cups cubed cooked chicken
1 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup chopped green onions (green and white parts)
1 garlic clove, minced
3/4 tsp chili powder
small can of chopped green chilies

DIRECTIONS:
In mixing bowl, combine muffin mix, egg and milk. Add cheese. Spread into bottom and up sides of a greased 9 inch pie plate.
In saucepan, combine remaining ingredients. Heat through. Pour into crust. Sprinkle with cheese.
Bake @ 400F for 20-25 minutes or til crust is golden and filling is hot.

NOTES:

I boil the chicken, and I add salt, pepper, and a dash of chili powder to the water for more flavor. I have also used canned chicken. Matt said he couldn't tell a difference (I could though. Still good, but not my favorite). 

Crispy Southwest Chicken Wraps

When I saw this recipe, I knew we would love it! I made a few small changes to suit our tastes. It is definitely going to be a common meal in our house! Makes excellent leftovers as well. I made how many we would eat for supper, then saved the rest of the mixture to make more for lunch the next day.

The jalapeno cream cheese we used is just a block of regular cream cheese, with jarred jalapenos chopped and mixed in by hand. Since the boys usually don't like spicy foods, I didn't put the cream cheese on theirs. Instead, I used sour cream. They both really liked it. Matt tried one with just sour cream and he said it was really good too...I will continue to stick to my cream cheese though!

The tortillas we used were on the smaller side (they say burrito sized, but I have seen bigger burrito sized ones), so we were able to make about 9 wraps (I put less in the kids, more in matts, so it all just depends).

The filling:

 The Jalapeno cream cheese:

Ready to roll:

 All rolled up:

Ready to eat:

INGREDIENTS:
1.5 cup cooked brown rice, warm or at room temperature
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 green onions, finely sliced (white and green parts)
1/2 green pepper, diced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon garlic salt
shredded cheese (at least 2 cups)
flour tortillas
jalapeno cream cheese

DIRECTIONS:
Mix rice together with chili powder, cumin and garlic salt. Add chicken, beans, green onions, and green pepper. Spread desired amount of cream cheese over tortillas. Top with cheese, leaving small border around edges. Spoon chicken and rice mixture down the center of each tortilla. Roll stuffed tortillas, folding in edges like a burrito. Spray top and bottom with cooking spray.

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-low heat for 1 minute. Put 2 wraps at a time, seam-side down, in pan and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 3-4 minutes per side. Enjoy!