Southwestern Egg Rolls

I'm in love with Mexican food.  Not as much as C, no one can love Mexican food as much as him!  Luckily for the both of us, I whipped up these tasty treats recently.  The method is so easy and you end up with restaurant quality southwestern egg rolls in a jiffy!  I've seen a lot of recipes for southwestern egg rolls recently, so I decided to jump on the bandwagon and make some myself.  You should too, you will be so happy you did!

Southwestern Egg Rolls

Adapted from: Kevin and Amanda, Picky Palate, and The Hungry Housewife

Olive Oil

1/4 cup diced bell pepper

1/4 cup diced onion

2/3 cup black beans, drained and rinsed

1/3 cup corn

1 cup cooked chicken

1/2 cup cheddar cheese

1 tablespoon ranch seasoning

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1 package egg roll wrappers (I usually use 10-12 per batch)

Vegetable Oil for frying

Heat one tablespoon olive oil over medium heat.  Add diced pepper and onion and cook until soft, a few minutes.  Add beans, corn, and chicken and heat through. Remove from heat and stir in ranch seasoning, cumin and cheddar.  Heat 1" vegetable oil over medium heat for frying.  Meanwhile, place 1/4 cup chicken mixture in the center of each egg roll wrapper.  Roll into an egg roll (directions are on the inside of the egg roll wrapper if you aren't sure exactly what to do...I had to refer to them a few times).  Make sure that you seal the edges with a little brush of water! Once the oil is hot, place the egg rolls into the oil, cooking in small batches.  Fry until golden brown - a couple of minutes - and then flip and finish frying.  Remove to a paper towel lined plate to cool.

Yields: 10-12 egg rolls depending on how fat you stuff them.  Serves 3 hungry people or 4 as an appetizer with sides.  We are always the hungry people...

Alternate method:

If you are short on time and have cooked chicken on hand, you can do this instead.  Omit the peppers and onions, and just stir together the beans, corn, chicken, cheese and seasonings.  Fill the egg rolls and fry them up!  This will cut your dinner making time down to nothing, but you can still serve a delicious meal. It might not be the healthiest meal I make, but it's good every once in a while! :)

We love these!  I've made them a few times in the past month, and they are a hit either way I make them.  Honestly, I completely forgot the peppers and onions the second time I made them and that's how the Alternate Method was born.  The flavors are great, and I love the crispy outside of the egg roll! Really, you can throw together just about any combo of veggies and seasonings and stuff it in an egg roll.  You can't go wrong with fried goodness!  Serve them up with some sour cream, guacamole and a bean dip and you are good to go.  For my bean dip, I took the extra black beans, heated them up and mashed them up.  I added a spoonful of sour cream, some ranch seasoning and cumin and stirred it together.  Yum, Yum!  You'll want to make these very soon!

What's Cooking?

Hello....is anyone still out there?  I'm becoming a very lazy blogger these days!  I've still been cooking up a storm and experimenting with new recipes, I just haven't taken the time to sit down at the computer and create a post!  Life keeps me busy sometimes all the time!  Even though I'm not bringing you a beautiful post with lots of pictures and new ideas, I thought I would share a few of the recipes I've been cooking up over the past few weeks.  I try to plan our weekly meal plan on Mondays.  That usually means I'm scouring the internet trying to find that one post I saw with the crispy stuffed eggrolls from a few months ago.  I should really start bookmarking these things! :)  Anyway, here's a few classics that we have tried.  I know you will love them!
Sour Cream Noodle Bake from Pioneer Woman
{Um...delicious!  It sounds quite weird and when you see the ingredients list, you may be a little skeptical.  Don't be, take my word for it...it's great!  (I sound a little like Tony the Tiger there)  It's even better the second and third day!}
Chicken and Black Bean Grean Enchilada Bake from Picky Palate
{Yum!  This has everything you need for a great southwestern dish.  I was a little hesitant to make an "enchilada bake" that did not include tortillas, but you won't even notice. The flavors have just enough kick and the rice adds a nice, appetite pleasing touch.  You will definitley have plenty for leftovers when you make this!}
Salsa Chicken and Ranch Florentine Tostadas from Picky Palate
{Another great winner from the Picky Palate (can you tell I love her style of cooking).  I should just pick 5 or 6 of her recipes every week and make them, but then that wouldn't be fair to the other wonderful blogs out there!  Gotta mix it up a little!  Thanks Jenny for creating such awesome recipes - she's coming out with a cookbook soon.  I can't wait to get my hands on that!  These are so simple, yet pack a lot of punch!  I love the spinach and chicken combo mixed with a little salsa.  I also love crisping up my corn tortillas until they have a nice crunch to them!  Declared a keeper in our house!  I've probably made this 4 or 5 times since I stumbled on the recipe a couple of months ago!}
Chicken Tostada Upside Down Bake from Picky Palate (Who Else?)
{Are you sensing a southwestern theme in my baking lately?  I am.  C liked this, I wasn't as much a fan of the cresent rolls on top.  Maybe I didn't cook it quite long enough to make it not soggy, but it wasn't my favorite.  Don't get my wrong, I loved the filling underneath, just not the top layer.  And that's probably my fault for being impatient and taking it out of the oven too soon.  Sometimes that happens when you are trying to get dinner on the table by 6:30 to feed the masses!}
Cheeseburger Macaroni from Kevin and Amanda
{This little number is amazing!  Don't be worried that it looks suspiciously like Hamburger Helper - it most definitely is not!  I would never serve Hamburger Helper to my family (no offense to it or anyone who like it, it's just not my style) and I told C when he took the leftovers to work that he had to inform people that it was not Hamburger Helper!  I think my favorite part of this dish is the cheesy sauce that you drizzle over the top of the meat and tomatoes.  It's so creamy and thick, I kind of wanted to just dip my finger in it and eat it (I didn't though, I was good).  And the addition of Rotel to the ground beef is fantastic.  I {heart} Rotel, it has to be one of the best inventions out there.  Mix it into anything and it livens it up!}
I have also been making Meatloaf Muffins and Mushroom Chicken a lot!  Those are my go to meals when I can't seem to fill a week up with delicious, nutricious, new recipes.  Mainly because I don't take the time to search through my cookbooks and bookmarked recipes! :)
So that's what's been cooking in my kitchen!  Up on the docket for this week, we have:
~Creamy Chicken Spaghetti Casserole from PW
~Cheesy Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole from Picky Palate
~Southwestern Eggrolls inspired by Kevin and Amanda's Crispy Southwestern Wontons (I couldn't find the smaller wonton wrappers at the grocery, so I'm resorting to egg roll size, I know they are still going to be fantastic)  I'm also thinking of whipping up some creamy guacamole to go with it, and maybe this creamy salsa too!
~Taco Soup that I have in the freezer
~Mushroom Chicken - I told you it's a staple here!
And just for fun, I might even make some of these treats {Salt River Bars}! Layers of crackers, caramel, and chocolate...yes please!

I'll let you know how the new recipes turn out!  We have loved everything we have every tried from all three of these bloggers, so I know we will not be disappointed.  Now that you know what we've been eating, what's on your menu planner this week?  I'm always looking for new recipes, if you have one you just love, let me know!  Happy Cooking!

Saucy Drumsticks and Thighs

I'm back with a new recipe!  I won't go into the details of why I haven't posted lately, let's just say that life can get a little hectic!  I think I'm trying to balance quite a few things in my life right now and something had to give!  I will have to say though, that during this time I have made a lot of progress on our 2010 family digital scrapbook...it's one of my goals to finish it before the summer!  Between that, chasing Little Man every where, being sick, doing two Beth Moore Bible Studies at one time, my Thirty-One business, and basically keeping up with the house...I've been one busy momma!  I have still taken the time to make nutritious, delicious food for my family so I thought I would spend a little time today sharing one with all of you!  This one is from one of my favorite slow cooker cookbooks, it's called "Southern Living Slow Cooker Cookbook."  I highly recommend it if you love your crock pot.  I received it as a Christmas present while I was in college and use it so much that the pages are falling out of it! :)  So let's get right to it!

Saucy Drumsticks and Thighs
6 chicken drumsticks (about 1 1/2 lbs.), skinned
6 chicken thighs (about 1 1/2 lbs.), skinned
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes with roasted garlic, undrained
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1/2 cup dried onion flakes
2 teaspoons chicken-flavored bouillon granules
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper *add this at the very end, if at all!  Red Pepper Flakes have a tendency to get extra "flavorful" when stewing in a crockpot all day.  Trust me on this one!

Place chicken in slow cooker.  Combine tomatoes and remaining ingredients; stir well.  Pour over chicken.  Cover; cook on high-heat setting 1 hour.  Reduce to low-heat and cook 4-5 hours until chicken is tender.   Serve over cooked egg noodles or rice!
So, I didn't realize until I started to post this how much I deviate from the recommended cooking times.  Typically when I am using my crock pot, it's because I have a lot going on that day and don't have time to babysit dinner!  So I rarely put something in for one hour and then change the temperature after that!  For this recipe, I typically throw it all together and leave it on low for about 6-7 hours until it just falls apart!  Also, I prefer to use all boneless, skinless chicken thighs.  It seems a little healthier to me and I don't have to sift through dinner trying to make sure I remove all of the bones.  Oh, and sometimes you can't find just the right can of tomatoes (the ones with just garlic), so if I can't I usually get anything that sounds Italian...basil, oregano, garlic..you get the idea!
This is a family favorite and depending on how many pounds of chicken you use, you can usually get a good couple of days worth of meals out of it.  We usually pile it on top of some egg noodles and eat it with a big salad!  Voila...dinner is done.  Hope you enjoy it!

Sausage and Rice Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Hallelujah, I'm feeling well enough to start experimenting in the kitchen again!  The first one out of the gate is a winner, winner!  We found some really great poblano peppers at a local farm and I couldn't wait to get them cooking.  I knew I wanted stuffed peppers, but I wasn't sure what to do.  And then, as if someone was reading my mind, I was walking through the meat department at HEB and stumbled upon "Poblano, Cheddar, Chicken Sausage."  What?  That's exactly what I needed!  How fitting.  I have to be honest and say that I've never stuffed a pepper (except my bacon wrapped, cream cheese stuffed jalapenos, but that's a little different).  I always saw photos in cookbooks with the bell pepper stuffed with rice and tomatoes and other various foods.  To me they just weren't appetizing, but these bad boys changed my mind!  So let's get started.  You'll need the following:

Poblano Peppers, Your Favorite Rice, Chicken Sausage (I used the Poblano, Cheddar that I gushed about above, but you could do just about anything here), some cheddar cheese and a sprinkle of Mrs. Dash Chipotle Southwest Seasoning.  And that's it, nothing fancy here...just good, simple ingredients.
Start by cooking your rice according to the package directions.  C and I bought a rice cooker over the holidays to speed up his sushi making process.  I must say I always thought they were a useless, waste of counter/cabinet space appliance, but this little guy has changed my mind.  I love being able to throw the rice in there and let it work it's magic.  The one we have knows when the rice is done.  Can you believe that, I can't!  We've made many different types and they all come out perfect, how does it do that?  Anyway, I made two servings of rice and I added a sprinkle (maybe a teaspoon full) of the Mrs. Dash Chipotle Seasoning to the rice as it was cooking.  While that was cooking, I removed the chicken sausage from it's casing and started cooking it in a skillet over medium-high heat.  I find it easiest to break the sausage apart by using a potato masher, unconventional yes, but it works like a charm.  Thanks for the tip Rachael Ray!  Anyway, brown the sausage and then toss in the rice and about a cup full of cheddar!  That's it, really it sounds so simple and it is.  When you have a really great flavored sausage, you don't have to add much else to the mix.  Here's the stuffing in all it's cheesy, gooey glory!  Oh my...perfection!

While your stuffing is melting together, wash the peppers and slice a great big "T" in them.   Scoop out the innards *why does that word make me laugh?*, leave a few seeds if you like it spicy!  Oh, and don't touch your eyes after you touch the pepper insides, these little dudes are worse than jalapenos!  Next, take a giant spoon and start stuffing the peppers.  Don't worry if you make a mess, it adds to the dish!  Here's what you'll have:

Make sure you stuff them to the top, you wouldn't want any of that stuffing to go to waste!  If you have some rice and sausage mixture that won't stuff into the peppers, then by all means go at it with a spoon.  I wish I had taken a picture of C and I with our faces over the pan, shoveling the leftover stuffing into our mouths as if we hadn't eaten all day!  Yes, it was that good!

I tossed them in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes.  Long enough for the peppers to soften up, the stuffing to get a little crunchy on top and the skin of the pepper to char a little.  After a little time in the oven, you're going to end up with this:

Look at it, it's so...what's the work I'm looking for?  It's so amazing, fantastic, wonderful, superb, splendid...yes that's it!  Can you see the charred skin and the crunchy stuffing top?  Just looking at these pictures again makes me want to get in the kitchen and cook them up right now!  I know I'm going on and on about these peppers, but I have to say it was a pretty brilliant creation!  It's a Rachael Raves original, I can't say that about too many of my posts, YET!  Serve it up with some corn on the side, if you must!  We did that so that Little Man would eat more (we mixed the stuffing and the corn together for him, tricky, tricky)! 

I'm already scheming other pepper/stuffing combos.  After all, this is just a method and you can do just about whatever floats your boat, within reason of course.  Be sure to check out the pre-flavored sausages at your local store, they really are great.  You could even do a beef mixture, or a pork, or...anyway you get the idea.  Or you could make it just like I did and stick with perfection!  I kid...I'm not perfect, nor or my experiments, but I am very proud of this one if you couldn't tell!

Pretzel Crusted Chicken

Where have I been?  I wish I knew...I feel like the first part of this year has just flown by.  Between the strep throat/restricted airways incident in January and the flu outbreak a few weeks ago, I just can't seem to stay healthy!  Things are changing soon, I can feel it!  C and I have made a plan to ease back into working out and eating healthier.  I know that not all of my flu and strep throat is related to these things, but it can't hurt right?  Anyway, before we get into the full swing of "healthier eating," I thought I would share a family "not so healthy" favorite!  It's chicken coated in pretzels then smothered in a cheesy mustard sauce, what's not to love?

Pretzel Crusted Chicken Breasts with Cheddar Mustard Sauce
from: Rachael Ray

4 quart-size plastic food storage bags

4 small, boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 5-ounce bag of salted pretzels, any shape

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 eggs

Vegetable oil, for frying

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

2 cups milk

3/4 pound, about 2 1/2 cups, sharp yellow cheddar cheese, shredded

2 heaping tablespoons spicy brown mustard

1/4 cup flat leaf parsley leaves, a generous handful, chopped

1/4 small yellow onion, finely chopped

1 large sour dill pickle, finely chopped

1 lemon, cut into wedges

Preheat a large non-stick skillet with a 1/4-inch of vegetable oil over medium-high heat.
Sprinkle a little water into four medium food storage baggies. Place 1 chicken breast in each bag and seal it up, pushing out excess air. Use the bottom of a heavy pot or pan and pound each breast until flat, just shy of busting out of the bag. Repeat with the other 3 chicken breasts.

Place the pretzels in a food processor or blender and grind until fine. Transfer the ground pretzels to a shallow dish, add the thyme and some salt and pepper. Crack and beat 2 eggs in a second shallow dish with a splash of water. One at a time, coat each chicken breast in the egg and then the ground pretzels.

Add the pretzel-coated chicken breast to the hot oil. Cook in a single layer, in 2 batches if necessary, about 3 or 4 minutes on each side, until the juices run clear and breading is evenly browned.
While the chicken is frying, in a medium saucepot over medium heat, melt the butter and add the flour to it. Cook flour and butter for 1 minute and then whisk in the milk. When the milk comes to a bubble, stir in the cheese and mustard with a wooden spoon. Season with a little salt and pepper, and remove cheese sauce from the heat.

Transfer the fried pretzel-crusted chicken breast to a serving plate, drizzle with the mustard cheddar sauce, then sprinkle with a little parsley, finely chopped onion and sour dill pickle. Serve lemon wedges alongside.

My notes on the recipe:  I omit the lemon wedges, the onion and the dill pickle.  I'm not a fan of garnishes on top of my dishes, it just doesn't float my boat!  I love having the crunchy pretzel coating surrounding the super moist chicken!  And the cheesy mustard sauce is really good.  It does make way too much though, so I try to halve the recipe when I remember.  I like this dish, it's not one of C's favorites though.  He doesn't care for the mustard in the cheesy sauce, to each his own.

It has been SOOOOOO long since I have blogged, I almost feel like I forgot how!  :)  I promise that this blog is going back on my high priority list.  For the last few weeks the only things on that list have been laying on the couch, drinking Gatorade and trying not to cough up a lung!  I've got so many things to catch up on, but I promise there will be more posts!

Let the cooking experiments commence.  I added Peanut Butter Extract to my pantry today, now I'm just trying to figure out what to do with it! :)  Suggestions?  C already claimed it for buttercream icing...what else?  Stay tuned, I know it's going to be fantastic!

Chicken, Bacon, Ranch Sliders

So I'm apparently having a slider addiction.  I can't keep myself away from these delicious little burgers!  They are so stinkin' cute and who doesn't love a miniature version of a classic?  Ever since I first made the Beefy Onion Sliders, I've been scheming new slider recipes in my head!  I've come up with one that I think is going to be a hit.  It starts out with a spicy ranch dip, mixes in a little chicken and bacon and finishes up with some ripe sliced avocado on top.  What's not to love?  Time to get started... This recipe requires a little prep time if you want to add in the spicy ranch dip (which you totally will).  I made the dip around lunch time and let it work it's magic in the refrigerator until I was ready for it at dinner.  For the dip you will need the following:

Jalapeno Ranch Dip
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup mayo
1 package Hidden Valley Ranch dip mix
1 jalapeno (with or without seeds, depending on how much heat you want your dip to have)
1/2 cup Salsa Verde (I use Herdez brand)
a dash of cayenne pepper

Slice and dice the jalapeno.  Mix all of the ingredients together and thoroughly mix.  Refrigerator until ready to use...this gets better the longer you let it sit in the refrigerator.

Once you are ready to make your sliders, you will need the following:

Chicken Bacon Ranch Sliders
1 pound ground chicken
4 slices of bacon,
1/4 cup Jalapeno Ranch Dip (see above) plus some for spreading on the slider buns
1/2 cup Monterrey Jack and Cheddar Cheese
1 teaspoon Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning
sliced avocado.
Oh, and you need slider buns.  Oops...left those out of the photo!

Start by cooking your bacon using your favorite method.  I prefer to do it in the oven, but when I'm in a hurry I try to do it on the stove top.  Oh, and if you do it this way, make sure you pay attention to your bacon.  Don't try to take ingredient photos when you should be cooking your bacon; otherwise, you might end up with this:

a sad, sad sight.  Inedible, overcooked bacon.  I almost cried when I had to throw these pieces away.  I did try to eat them, but they were too cooked!  While your bacon (perhaps your 2nd batch) is cooking, start cooking your ground chicken in a little bit of olive oil over medium-high heat.  While the chicken is cooking, sprinkle it with about a teaspoon of the ranch seasoning.  Once cooked, add in your diced up bacon, 1/4 cup of the Jalapeno Ranch dip, and the cheese.  It will start to look like this:

as C describes it, "A little like scrambled eggs!" Thanks honey!  That doesn't make it seem at all appetizing, but it really is.  While the cheese is melting, slice the slider buns and spread a little Jalapeno Ranch dip on each side.  Evenly distribute the chicken mixture on your sliders and then top with a nice slice of avocado (you could spread some guacamole on top if you prefer, that would be delicious too).  Once all steps are complete, you should have something that looks like this!

Toss them in a 350 degree oven for 3-5 minutes, just long enough to heat the bread and get it a little crispy around the edges.  Serve them up with chips and the extra Jalapeno Ranch dip!  Just like this!

Mmm, mmm!  This was quite the delicious experiment!  This is just what you need on a night when you have to throw something together faster than the speed of light.  Even if you don't have time to make the Jalapeno dip, you could always substitute your favorite ranch dressing!  I'm loving the mini burger - I'm dreaming up a few others, stay tuned!

Beefy Onion Sliders

Wow, I can't believe it is already the 16th and I've only had one blog post in all of January.  And it wasn't even a fun one...it was about me being sick!  Yuck!  I can now say that I am feeling much better and glad to be back in the swing of things.  It seems like the first half of the month just ran me over this year.  Between being sick and catching up from the awesomeness of December, I don't know where the last few weeks have gone.  I've been busy, I've been cooking and cleaning and doing my normal things, but it seems like there aren't 24 hours in a day anymore.  Maybe I'm doing too much?  Nah...
I'm back with my first recipe post of the new year...and it's a good one.  So good that I've already made it twice this month!  When we were up in Tennessee visiting family for the holidays, C's Aunt made these yummy sliders for lunch.  I didn't get the recipe from her, I just watched her throw things in the pan and committed it to memory.  Luckily, there aren't that many ingredients so I was able to remember everything!  I love the taste of this little burgers.  And isn't there just something about eating a little burger?  You don't feel guilty for having more than you should  because they are so tiny and petite, right?  Let's get to it!
Here's your cast of characters:  one pound ground beef, Lipton Beefy Onion Mix, Mayo, Cheddar and Slider Rolls. (Not pictured because I forgot to buy them: Dill Pickle Slices, oops)

Begin by browning your ground beef.  Once the meat is browned, stir in your beefy onion mix, a generous spoonful (yes that's the accurate measurement), and 1/2 to 3/4 cup of grated cheddar cheese.  Let this all melt together until it looks like this:

Slice the rolls and place them on a cookie sheet.  Divide the beef mixture evenly among the rolls.  The package I buy has 12 rolls, I usually end up with some extra beef mixture.  I usually eat this when no one is watching, it's quite delicious.  Next, place 2-3 pickle slices on each roll.  Imagine they are in the photos that follow.  Toss the rolls in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 3-5 minutes.  That's just long enough to warm the rolls and let them get a little toasty around the edges.  Don't leave them in their too long, you'll regret it!  Mmm....yum!

Serve them up with chips or mashed potatoes for a yummy, super quick lunch or dinner.  Did I say how much I love these little sliders?  I'm scheming up other recipes because I love them so much!  I'm thinking chicken, bacon, ranch.  Anyone with me on that?  I thought so!

Rachael Ray's Chicken with Wild Mushroom and Balsamic Cream Sauce

This is one of my favorite weeknight meals.  It comes together so quickly and has such a wonderful flavor - like you have been slaving all day to make it!  I'm a big fan of Rachael Ray and this was one of the first recipes that I tried.  I was hooked, and I've been making at least once a month since then.  Don't let the Wild Mushroom and Balsamic Cream Sauce deter you from making this wonderful dish.  The balsamic vinegar gives it a nice hint of something different, it's not over the top.  And the wild mushrooms aren't very wild at our house, I usually end up just using baby portobellos or white mushrooms.  I used to make a dish with Chicken and Cream of Mushroom Soup, but this has since replaced it!  Here's what you need:

Chicken with Wild Mushroom and Balsamic Cream Sauce

adapted from: Rachael Ray

Salt

1/2 pound orzo pasta

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into pieces 

Pepper

2 tablespoons butter

12 cremini or baby portobello mushrooms, sliced

12 shitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced

12 white mushrooms, sliced

2 large cloves garlic, chopped

1 tablespoon thyme leaves, a couple of sprigs, chopped

2 large shallots, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups chicken stock

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

3 tablespoons heavy cream or half-and-half

1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

To cook:  Heat a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water and add orzo pasta. Cook to al dente.  Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add extra-virgin olive oil.  Season chicken liberally with salt and pepper and add to the hot skillet. Cook the chicken. Remove the chicken from the pan and cover with foil to keep warm.
Return the skillet to the heat, turn heat back a bit, and add the butter. Once the butter melts add the mushrooms and brown stirring occasionally for about 4 to 5 minutes. Once the mushrooms are brown season with salt and pepper then add the garlic, thyme and shallots. Cook stirring occasionally for about 2 minutes or until the shallots are wilted. Sprinkle the flour into the pan and cook 2 minutes more. Whisk in the stock, balsamic vinegar and the cream. Turn the heat up to high and simmer for about 2 minutes or until thickened. Add the parsley and the chicken back to the skillet to heat up, about 1 minute.
To serve, pile orzo on dinner plates and top with the sliced chicken and sauce.

Delicious!  Just a few notes, I usually use one type of mushroom (whatever looks good the day I'm at the store), I rarely use fresh herbs in this recipe, and I don't add the parsley at the end.  It tastes great even with my modifications - I'm sure it tastes better her way, but I just don't buy fresh herbs very often!  What can I say?  Spices in a jar are so much easier!

I hope you guys are ready for Christmas.  I know I am!  I want to wish each of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Chicken Enchiladas

We love Mexican food in our house.  I think C would choose it everyday if I was game for that.  I'm not though, but I do love it every now and then.  One of my favorite weeknight meals is Chicken Enchiladas.  A friend gave me this recipe a few years ago.  I've adapted it a little and been making it ever since.  It has very few ingredients, but those few ingredients pack a nice punch.  I used to make this with pre-cooked fajita chicken strips, but now that I've had my Chicken *WOW* Moment I will only be using chicken cooked in a crockpot.  If you don't have time to cook the whole chicken, feel free to substitute pre-cooked strips or cooked chicken breast.
Chicken Enchiladas
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken breast
1 package cream cheese, (8 oz.)
Tortillas
1 can green enchilada sauce
1 package Monterrey Jack cheese (10 oz.)

Heat the chicken and cream cheese thoroughly.  In an 11x7x1/2 inch pan, pour enough green enchilada sauce to lightly cover the bottom.  (Do you like my obscure pan size?  I have no clue where that pan came from, I just know it's great for enchiladas.  If you don't have that size, which I'm guessing most people wouldn't, use whatever you have.)  Place approximately 1/3 of a cup of cream cheese/chicken mixture in each tortilla and roll up.  Place the tortilla seam side down, repeating until you fill the pan, run out of tortillas, run out of chicken, or just get tired of rolling. ;)  Cover the enchiladas with the remaining green sauce and the Monterrey Jack cheese.  Make sure you cover the ends of the tortillas with sauce so they don't get too crunchy and dried out.  Unless you like crunchy ends of tortillas, some people in our house don't so we cover everything with sauce.  Cook them for 15-20 minutes in a 350 degree oven until the cheese on top is melted and bubbly.  Serve them piping hot with a nice Spanish style rice, some refried black beans and some guacamole that you whipped up while the enchiladas were cooking.  Enjoy!  I usually get eight enchiladas out of the recipe.  The last ones that I roll are significantly larger than the first ones.  Once I see I'm running out of space in the pan, those last ones get a lot of chicken and cream cheese stuffed in them.  I mark the larger ones with a toothpick and serve them up to C. :)  I'm not exact when it comes to cooking and I like it that way!

My Chicken *WOW* Moment

So I mentioned last weekend that I was *thinking* about cooking a whole chicken in the crockpot.  There is one thing that you need to know about me before you read this...I can't stand raw chicken.  I despise handling raw chicken.  I've mustered up the courage to cut it into pieces for dinners, but it still makes me a little squeamish to handle.  I know it's weird.  As much as I love to cook, I should be over this irrational fear of raw chicken, but I'm not.  Whew, that feels better.  Back to our regularly scheduled post...
So I finally did it, I cooked a chicken in the crockpot!  Yay me!  I started by unwrapping the bad boy, hoping that the insides would be nicely packaged in a bag to pull out.  Nope wrong, I had to fish them out myself.  Nothing like doing that before you eat breakfast, gross!  So after being grossed out enough for one week, I rinsed the chicken and put it in the crockpot.  I seasoned it up with a generous amount of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning.  I know you have all seen the HV Ranch packets, but did you know that you can buy it in a shaker to sprinkle on everything.  Yes, I mean everything.  I found this tasty tidbit over at the Picky Palate and have used it multiple times already.  Run out and buy it today.  By the way, I am loving the recipes I'm finding there!  Stop by and check them out.  Back to the chicken (I'm definitely diverting today, sorry about that).  I let it cook for 8 hours on low and by the time hour seven rolled around you could see the chicken falling away from the bone.  Yum, Yum!
Next I de-boned the chicken.  This is not a fun task either.  Make sure that you have plenty of time to devote to sorting chicken from bones.  These little chickens have what seem like a thousand bones.  It's something you definitely want to spend time on, especially if you have Little Ones who will be eating it.  So I'm making cooking a chicken sound like a horrific task, right? Yes, but now it's time for the *WOW* moment.  Ready?
The moment we sunk our teeth into that chicken, we knew we would never go back to frozen, pre-cooked or any other forms of chicken.  This chicken was out of this world tender and had the most amazing flavor.  I can't say it enough, the best chicken ever.  This makes so much chicken, I had enough to make the following:
Chicken Enchiladas (recipe to come soon) - this chicken made a world of difference in the taste of my go-to Enchilada recipe.  C and I took our first bite and we were sold on the chicken.  Our enchiladas will never be the same!
Salsa Chicken and Ranch Florentine Tostadas - a Picky Palate find that I am now in love with.  It was Soooo good!  What little leftovers I had, I put on top of a spinach salad the next day - oh my!
Cajun Chicken Pasta - Pioneer Woman Style.  Very tasty, not as good looking as PW's though.  She has mad skills though, and I sadly do not.  I'm working on them! :)
Chicken and Artichoke and Garlic Cream Pasta - a tasty concoction that I threw together using a Nutcracker Market find.  It's an Artichoke and Garlic Cream sauce.  I tossed it with a can of chopped artichoke hearts, a little chicken and some thin spaghetti.  I'm working on recreating this cream sauce, it's on my massive to-do list.  Maybe in January I'll cross that off my list!
That's more chicken dinners than we normally eat in a week.  I usually try to have a nice variety of beef, seafood or chicken.  I wanted to give this a try and see how it worked out though.  Next time I'll plan to make a couple of chicken dinners and freeze the rest for future dinners.
So all my squeamishness and being grossed out by the chicken in the beginning was totally worth the results.  Something that had me so intimidated in the kitchen turned out to be something great!  I'm sure I'll have a whole chicken on my grocery list at least twice a month now.  Hopefully I've encouraged you to get in the kitchen and try something that makes you nervous!  What intimidates you the most in the kitchen?

Good Intentions...

It's shaping up to be a sloppy joe kind of night!  I had intentions of cooking my first whole chicken in the crock pot and then using the meat for enchiladas tonight and other dishes throughout the week.  Waking up later than usually, rushing out the door as always and forgetting to put a chicken in the crock pot may make that a little difficult don't you think?  Good thing I'm prepared with my trusty can of Manwich...*everyone cringe* and hamburger buns!  I like Manwich every now and then...please don't stop liking me! :)

Maybe I'll get that chicken cooked tomorrow and bring you a delicious Enchilada Recipe to go with it...just maybe!

Thanksgiving Day Menu

Thanksgiving week is here!  Are you ready?  I think I'm ready, but we will see when Thursday rolls around!  We are having a little get together, 6 adults and Little Man so we are keeping it low key this year.  I'm sure most of you have your menus finalized, but I just wanted to share mine in case you are still looking for that last minute side dish!  Here's the plan:

Turkey and Cornbread Dressing
My aunt has offered to cook the turkey and dressing for us.  I'm so very thankful for this, because I've never actually cooked a turkey before.  I can't believe that I am admitting that to you...

Hashbrown Casserole
Cheesy, potatoey, ooey-gooey goodness.  You need this crunchy cracker topped goodness in your life!

Cheesy Bacon Green Bean Casserole Pot Pie
The name says it all: Cheese+Bacon+Green Beans+Puff Pastry=Deliciousness.  I might not need the rest of the sides once I start eating this!

Sweet Potatoes
My mom's recipe which I have yet to perfect.  It contains sweet potatoes (obviously), some brown sugar, a touch of honey, a little Karo syrup and lots of marshmallows toasted on top!  It's like eating candy!  Delicious.Sweet.Potato.Candy!  Enough said!

Rolls, Gravy, Cranberry Sauce
The essentials.  Can't have Thanksgiving Dinner without these!  I'm using a little help from the store on these items....shhh don't tell anyone!

Desserts - yes please!
Pumpkin Praline Pie - yep it's pumpkin pie on the top with a crunchy pecan praline layer on the bottom!  Courtesy of my mother-in-law!
Pumpkin Bread  - I haven't made this one myself, but I have several friends who have and it is delicious!  It makes a ton of bread though, be prepared to gift some of it off to your guests when they leave! :)
Toffee - I'm thinking of substituting Graham Crackers for the saltines in this one.  I'll let you know how it goes.  This might end up being Christmas Cookie of the week! :) 

After stuffing our faces with such good food, I don't know if I'll be able to waddle my way to the laptop for Friday's cookie post!  I hope that you and your family have a blessed Thanksgiving and enjoy spending time with each other.  Remember the spirit of this holiday, be thankful for all that we have been blessed with!  I'm blessed beyond measure and I hope that you feel the same too!  Happy Thanksgiving!

Taco Soup - Paula Deen Style!

Another bowl of soup?  Yep, with the cooler fall weather I'm trying to get in all the soup I can before the 90 degree weather creeps up on us again!  I love this Taco Soup recipe.  My sister-in-law introduced me to it during the holidays last year and I couldn't stop making it.  I've been patiently waiting for the temperature to drop so that we could have Taco Soup for dinner again!  I love this recipe!  It is so simple and feeds a large group of people...very hungry people!  The recipe serving suggestion is 12-16.  I don't know about you guys,  but I rarely feed that many people at once.  That's the best part about this recipe though, it makes enough to freeze at least two nights worth of dinner for us!  This soup freezes so well, you can't even tell you didn't throw it together that day!  After last night's dinner, I have two large containers in the freezer and two in the refrigerator for lunch tomorrow.
I love meals that serve double duty for those nights when I know I won't have time to cook!  I freeze my soups in large round food storage containers and dump the frozen circle of soup into my crock pot.  Turn it on low and walk away until dinner time, no mess, just dinner!  I love it!
This recipe uses a lot of cans of beans, tomatoes and other assorted goodies!  I think I counted 11 cans that I opened and dumped into the pot.  That's the beauty of this recipe, while you are browning 2 pounds of ground beef and an onion, you are opening cans and dumping them into a pot!  Easy, easy!
We love to put corn chips on the bottom of the bowl and then top with the soup and lots of grated cheese.  This soup is filling and comforting, it's exactly what you need when the weather outside is cooling down!  I love all of the beans and tomatoes...Paula Deen has done Taco Soup the right way!  Here's the recipe:
Taco Soup
from: Paula Deen

2 pounds ground beef

2 cups diced onions

2 (15 1/2-ounce) cans pinto beans

 1/2-ounce) can pink kidney beans

1 (15 1/4-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can tomatoes with chiles

2 (4 1/2-ounce) cans diced green chilies

1 (4.6-ounce) can black olives, drained and sliced, optional

1/2 cup green olives, sliced, optional

1 (1 1/4-ounce) package taco seasoning mix

1 (1-ounce) package ranch salad dressing mix

Corn chips, for serving

Sour Cream, for garnish

Grated cheese, for garnish

Chopped green onions, for garnish 

Pickled jalapenos, for garnish

Brown the ground beef and onions in a large skillet; drain the excess fat, then transfer the been and onions to a large slow cooker or a stockpot.  Add the beans, corn, tomatoes, green chilies, black olives, green olives, taco seasoning, and ranch dressing mix.  Cook in a slow cooker on low for 6-8 hours or simmer over low heat for about 1 hour in a pot on the stove.  To serve, place a few corn chips in each bowl and ladle soup over them.  Top with sour cream, cheese, green onions and jalapenos!  Enjoy! 

PW's Corn Chowder with Chilies

I have to start out by saying that we don't eat a lot of soups at our house.  I'm not quite sure why, but we just don't.  This is the second one I have made in the last few weeks, remember the Baked Potato Soup.  I think we still both have this notion that it's not very filling, but once I saw this recipe for Corn Chowder over at the Pioneer Woman's website I decided to give it a shot!
Oh man, it was so simple!  The hardest part was cutting up the frozen bacon! :)  That's about the point I realized that my knives could use a serious sharpening!  Have I done it yet, no...maybe I can talk C into it this weekend.  Something about sharpening knives makes me nervous!  Anyway, after the bacon debacle it was basically opening cans and cartons and waiting patiently!  I opted to use a bag of frozen corn kernels rather than fresh corn, I'm all about simplicity people.  If you haven't figured that out yet, you aren't really reading my blog!  The smell of the chilies cooking is something else.  I opted to use a couple of teaspoons of Mrs. Dash Southwest Chipotle Seasoning rather than the Chipotle in Adobo from a can.  I had a bad experience with it last year, and I haven't gotten over it!  I was so upset about the oh so spicy, inedible dinner that I still haven't forgiven the Chipotle in Adobo!  Maybe one day we can be friends again, but not anytime soon!
I let the soup sit for a while after I added the corn meal, but I never got it to thicken up like the Pioneer Woman's, but let's face it...I'm no Pioneer Woman.  I am me and that's enough!  Even though it never really thickened up, it still tasted so refreshingly delicious.  As C said, who thought corn and chilies in a soup would taste so good!
Corn Chowder with Chilies
Adapted from: the Pioneer Woman

2 slices Bacon, Cut Into 1/2-inch Pieces (or Smaller)
2 Tablespoons Butter
½ Onion, Diced
1 bag frozen corn (need about 4 cups)
2 teaspoons Mrs. Dash Southwest Chipotle seasoning
4-ounce Can Diced Green Chilies
32 ounces Low Sodium Chicken Broth
1-½ cup Heavy Whipping Cream
½ teaspoons Salt (more To Taste)
3 Tablespoons Corn Meal OR Masa
¼ cups Water
"(Carefully) slice the corn kernels off the cob. Set aside.
Add bacon pieces to a pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Cook for a couple of minutes. Throw in diced onion and stir, cooking the onion for 3 to 4 minutes. Add butter and melt. Add corn. Stir and cook for one minute. Add both kinds of chilies and stir.
Pour in chicken broth and cream. Add salt. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low.
Combine cornmeal (or masa) with water. Stir to combine, then pour into the chowder. Cover and cook for 15 minutes over low heat. If chowder needs more thickening, add another tablespoon of cornmeal mixed with water. Cook for another ten minutes.
Serve with crusty sourdough bread or in a bread bowl. Absolutely yummy!"

Baked Potato Soup

I have been looking for a fantastic baked potato soup recipe recently.  I didn't have the courage to try any until I saw this one.  As soon as I saw it, I knew I would love it.  And I did, and so did my taste testers.  I followed the recipe for the most part, with a few exceptions:  I left out the onions, substituted whole milk and regular sour cream.  I'm not anti low fat, it's just what I happened to have in the house.  I am anti onion though, at least on my baked potatoes and baked potato soups.  Feast your eyes on this!

Don't you want to grab a spoon and dig in?  I did!  The soup was so creamy and smooth.  I mashed my potatoes until there were no chunks...I don't like chunky potato soup.  I think it gave the soup a little something extra!  And look at these toppings...oh my!  You can't go wrong with cheese and bacon!

I think that we each had two bowls, it was that good!  The flavor was fantastic.  A perfect combination of potatoes, milk and cheese!  Serve it up with some yummy rolls and dinner is ready!  It was so fast once you baked the potatoes (allow an hour to bake them in the oven) and easy!  Throw it all in a pot and watch it simmer!

I love a good soup in the fall, even though it's still 80 degrees here!  What's your favorite fall soup?

"I Forgot the Cashews" Chicken

 Does anyone see anything missing in the photo above.  My plan was to make cashew chicken, but I forgot the stinking cashews.  Who does that?  Apparently someone in a hurry to get dinner on the table.  Honestly it didn't cross my mind that I was making Cashew Chicken and didn't even get the cashews out of the pantry!  Oh well, call it Chicken if you will...it still tasted great.  I love Rachael Ray's Park City Cashew Chicken recipe, but change it up a bit.  Here's my adapted version.
Cashew Chicken
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1.5 lbs. chicken breast, cut into pieces
1 green bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1 small onion, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons chipotle powder (I used Mrs. Dash Southwest Chipotle seasoning)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 cup cashews (A must for cashew chicken)
Your favorite rice (I chose Minute Brown Rice in the microwave, sticking with my easy dinner theme)
Directions:
Heat large skillet over high heat.  Add the olive oil then the chicken.  Brown the chicken, then add the onion, bell pepper and garlic.  Cook for 3-4 minutes then add the chipotle powder and cumin.  Add the honey and maple syrup, stir and turn off the heat.  Add the cashews and serve!

I was so excited to present this at the dinner table tonight...

and then C looked at me very politely and asked "Are there any cashews in it?"  I didn't know what to say..."Um, yep it's cashew chicken right?"  Nope, I just laughed and said darn I forgot.  Other than that mishap, it was fantastic.  We love the kick that comes from the chipotle powder.  If you can't find that, you can always use a little chipotle in adobo from the can.  I will warn you though, it can be very spicy.  The last time I made this dish with it, I couldn't even it it.  That's why I play it safe with the powder.  You can always add more for those who like it extra spicy, just pass it around the dinner table.  We serve it over brown rice with a few egg rolls on the side.
As Rachael Ray says, it's "Make Your Own Take-out Night."  And it's ready in just 30 minutes, quicker than they can deliver to my house, how about you?

Crockpot Beef Strips and Mushrooms

My sister-in-law emailed me some fantastic crockpot recipes after we recently had a conversation about how much we love our crockpots.  I could go on for days and days about how much I love it, but I'll spare you.  This one sounded like a winner the first time I read it, and it couldn't be simpler.
Beef Strips and Mushrooms
1 pound top round steak
1 package (16 ounce) frozen stir fry mix
1 can (10 ounce) Golden Mushroom Soup
1 package (8 ounce) sliced fresh mushrooms
1 envelope onion soup mix
Slice steak diagonally across grain into thin strips (1/2 inch or so).  Combine all ingredients in slow cooker and cook 3-4 hours on high or 6-7 on low.  Serve over rice or your choice of pasta.

I chose a broccoli, carrot and water chestnut stir fry mix.  The original recipe called for a pepper stir-fry mix which for the life of me I could not find at the store.  I was tired of searching and grabbed the nearest one.  Served over rice, this is the perfect week night dish.  It's a one-dish meal that reminds me of a very saucy beef and broccoli.  It had a wonderful flavor and the beef was soooo tender.  I cooked it for about 3 1/2 hours on high and it was perfect.  The vegetables almost melted in your mouth and the mushroom flavor was excellent.  I love it...I'll be making it again soon.  Enough said!

Beef and Bean Bake

Fall is in the air, which means it's time to break out the crock pot and make chili and stew.  I decided to try this Beef and Bean Bake tonight and it did not disappoint.  It's from my Southern Living Slow Cooker Cookbook (the one with the brisket sandwich on the front).  I wouldn't consider this your standard slow cooker recipe.  It required some "prep" cooking, which I don't usually like.  Since the recipe only cooks for 3 to 4 hours in the crock pot, I knew I would have time to do the prep cooking during Little Man's nap.  If I were gone from the house all day, this recipe would not be on my list of things to try.  Since I'm so fortunate to stay at home, I was able to try it out.
Here's the recipe:
Beef and Bean Bake
(adapted from Southern Living)
3 bacon slices
1 pound ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 (15 oz.) can lima beans, drained
1 (15 oz.) can pork and beans, undrained
1 (15 oz.) can light red kidney beans, drained
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup barbeque sauce
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon dry mustard

Cook bacon until crisp; crumble and set aside.  Cook beef and onion in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until beef is browned.  Place bacon, beef mixture, and remaining ingredients in slow cooker.  Stir well.  Cover, cook on high heat setting for one hour.  Reduce to low heat setting and continue to cook for 3 to 4 hours.  Yields 6 one cup servings.

Cook's notes:
The original recipe calls for 1/2 pound ground beef, I buy mine in pound increments so I just used the whole thing.  Tasted good to us - I don't think a half of a pound would be enough.  I used Stubb's original sauce.  It's the only brand we use.  Don't remember that? Read this.  I always use a slow cooker liner.  Always, always, always!  It makes for such an easy cleanup and you don't have to leave your crock pot in the sink to soak for days on end!  If you haven't tried them, you must.  You can find them by the foil and baggies, Reynold's makes them...not sure if anyone else does too!

Verdict:
This was surprisingly sweet, not in a bad way...just a surprising way.  We aren't used to sweet chili or BBQ, so for us it was different.  Don't take that in a negative way, we loved it!  The beans were so nice and tender and it thickened up to a nice consistency.  The combination of BBQ sauce, brown sugar, ketchup and dry mustard is outstanding.  I think I'll try that combo on chicken soon!  Little Man wasn't too excited to eat it with a spoon out of the bowl, but we gave him some crackers to "dip" into it and that made his day.  This made more than enough for the three of us for dinner, lunch tomorrow and one more container for another day.  I thought about freezing it to see how it survives.  We'll see how much gets eaten tomorrow and then maybe I will.
Don't you love the bowl?  It was a gift from my mom for our anniversary last year.  It came with a big chili pot and four of these cute bowls!  I wish I used them more often, but I'm always in a hurry to get dinner on the table I forget about them.  Reminds me of the "chili" bowls we used when I was a kid.  They were these gigantic mugs that had the word "chili" printed all over them.  I was so excited when it was chili pie night because I knew I would get to eat out of those bowls.
I'm searching for other good fall/winter slow cooker meals.  What's your favorite?

King Ranch Casserole

I was perusing Tasty Kitchen recently and found this yummy looking King Ranch Casserole.  I tried it out last night and it was as good as anticipated.  I'm sure every one has their own King Ranch recipe, but I just had to give this one a try.  It was super simple and aside from cooking the chicken and sauteing the veggies, it required little effort.  It had just the right amount of crunch from the chips, gooeyness from the cheese, and zip from the bell peppers. 
I made a few slight changes from the original recipe, which turned out nicely.  I somehow forgot to purchase Rotel at the grocery store...luckily I had a can of fire roasted diced tomatoes in the pantry.  It saved our dinner, I have no idea why I even had it, but I'm so glad I did!  I also used 1/2 of an onion instead of a whole one, too much onion can be a bad thing.  And my last modification was to up the temperature to decrease the cooking time.  I ended up at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes.  I'm impatient when it comes to dinner and if it's not on the table in 30 minutes, it's not fit for me!
I should also add that this makes a heaping casserole, so be prepared for leftovers.  The casserole loses it's crunch during the subsequent days, but it still tastes delicious!