Red Sauce Enchiladas

Red Sauce Enchiladas

1 1/2 c. shredded chicken

1 1/2 c. cheddar cheese, divided usage

1/2 c. chopped onion 

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can tomato soup

1 can Old El Paso mild enchilada sauce

12 corn tortillas

Combine chicken, 1/2 c cheese and onion; set aside. Combine soups and enchilada sauce. Dip tortillas in hot oil to soften. Top each tortilla with one heaping tablespoon of meat mixture; roll up. Place seam side down in a  13x9 baking dish. Pour sauce over  and top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Makes 6 servings.

Creamy Italian Crock-pot Chicken

Creamy Italian Crock-pot Chicken

2 cans of Cream of Chicken Soup
1 8oz Package of cream Cheese
3/4 cup of water
1 Package Dry Italian Dressing Mix
3-4 Chicken Breast

Place chicken in Crock pot and sprinkle with half of the Italian dressing.
Mix soup, cream cheese and water and pour on top of the chicken. Sprinkle with the remaining Dressing mix. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or high for 3-4 hours. Remove and shred chicken. Return chicken to crock pot until ready to serve over rice or noodles.

Balsamic Chicken with Noodles and Feta

In a saucepan over medium-high heat, stir and bring to a boil:

1 cup balsamic vinegar

1 1/2 cups sugar

Boil for a few minutes to thicken.  This is your yummy syrup.

Saute in olive oil:

1 lb. chicken breasts or chicken tenders

season with:

salt

pepper

garlic

basil

Boil noodles of choice according to directions (spaghetti, bowtie, whatever you have on hand.) 

Right before your chicken is fully cooked, add a couple of spoonfuls of your syrup to the chicken and stir it around.

To serve, place the noodles on a plate, put your chicken on top and douse with your yummy syrup.  Top with feta cheese, or goat cheese.

Anniversary Chicken

2 T. vegetable oil

6 boneless skinless breast halves

1/2 c. teriyaki basting sauce

1/2 c. Ranch dressing

1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

3 green onions. chopped

1/2 (3 oz.) can bacon bits

Preheat oven to 350.  In a large skillet heat oil over medium high heat. Add chicken breasts, and saute 4 to 5 minutes each side until lightly browned. Place browned chicken breasts in a 9x13 baking dish.  Brush with teriyaki sauce, thern spoon salad dressing. Sprinkle with cheese, onions and bacon bits. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes.

Smoked Boston Butt

1 (4-5 lb.) pork butt roast

1 T. seasoned salt

1 T. garlic salt

1 T. pepper

4 T. liquid smoke

1 large sweet onion sliced into rings

1 c. water

BBQ Sauce

Sprinkle all of seasoning onto roast evenly on both sides. Rub into meat. Repeat the process with the liquid smoke. Place meat into crockpot. Put onions on the meat. Pour water into the crockpot. Make sure not to pour over the meat or you will wash away the falvorings. Cook on low 8-10 hours. When ready to serve, pull away excess fat, and either chop or pull pork with forks. Serve with BBQ sauce.

Pepper Fiesta Shrimp

2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 small jalapeno, seeded and diced
3 garlic cloves minced
1 1/2 lbs. frozen, uncooked medium shrimp; thawed and peeled - I buy mine already peeled
1/2 cup sliced red bell pepper
1/2 cup sliced green bell pepper
1/2 cup sliced yellow bell pepper
2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro.

Heat oil, add jalapeno, and garlic.  When the garlic is fragrant, add the shrimp and saute for 2 min.  Add the bell peppers and saute for 3 min or until the shrimp are opaque and the peppers are done to your liking.  Remove from heat and toss with cilantro.

Sides:  Uncle Ben's Country Inn Mexican Fiesta Rice
lime wedges

Mom's Easy Mac 'n' Cheese

This recipe is a quick, cheap family favorite. I often make it for potluck parties or when I'm taking someone dinner. 

2 cups elbow macaroni, uncooked
1 medium onion, diced
1 tablespoon butter
1 can cream of celery soup
2 cups milk
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup crushed Ritz crackers
dried parsley (for garnish)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook and drain pasta according to al dente instructions. Prepare a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick spray and dump drained pasta into it. Sauté onion in butter until translucent over medium heat. Stir in soup and milk until combined. Add shredded cheese and stir until smooth, then add salt and pepper to taste. Pour cheese sauce over pasta and stir until pasta is evenly coated. Sprinkle crushed crackers evenly over the top, followed by a sprinkle of parsley for color, and bake covered for 20 minutes. Remove cover and bake an additional 10 minutes to crisp the crust.

Bolognese Sauce (Pioneer Woman)

Prep: 30 minutes  Cook Time: 2 hours   Servings: 8-10

1/2 cups olive oil
1 1/2 cup grated carrots
1 whole large onion, diced
2 pounds ground beef (I use 1 pound)
2 Tablespoons dried oregano
2 Tablespoons dried basil leaves
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 - 2 cups red cooking wine
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
2 (28 oz) cans diced tomatoes
1 cup milk
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh Parmesan cheese

Preparation:

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add grated carrots and onions and cook for a few minutes. Make a well in the center of the mixture, and then add in the ground beef. Cook for a few minutes until brown, gradually stirring it into the carrot mixture.

Throw in oregano and basil. When the meat is browned and combined with other ingredients, make another well. Add tomato paste and let it heat. Add garlic and stir to combine.

Make a well in the center of the mixture and add wine. Stir together. Add Worcestershire and stir. Add canned tomatoes. Finally pour in milk, stir, and let simmer for 30 minutes to 2 hours - however long you need.

Serve with pasta and a generous sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

Spaghetti with Artichoke Hearts and Tomatoes (Pioneer Woman)

Prep: 15 minutes  Cook Time: 30 minutes Servings: 6
Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Butter
3 cloves Garlic, minced
1/2 whole Medium Onion, finely diced
1 can Artichoke Hearts (14.5 oz quartered), drained
1 can diced Tomatoes with juice (14.5 oz)
1 cup heavy Cream
1/2 cups Chicken Broth (more as needed)
1/2 teaspoons Nutmeg
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 pound Thin Spaghetti
1 cup Parmesan Cheese, freshly grated
2 Tablespoons fresh chives (or other herbs), chopped

Prep:
Cook spaghetti. Drain. Set aside.

Melt olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and saute for 2 to 3 minutes.

Add artichoke hearts and tomatoes. Stir and cook for 8 to 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Stir in cream and chicken broth. Add salt and pepper to taste (don't under salt!) Cook over low heat until heated through, then turn off heat.

Place drained pasta in a large bowl. Sprinkle with 1 cup Parmesan. Pour sauce over the top. Add chives. Toss lightly to combine and coat; add a tiny bit of reserved pasta water if sauce seems too thick. Serve.

Simple Sesame Noodles (variation of Pioneer Woman recipe)

16 oz spaghetti noodles, cooked and drained
4 whole green onions, chopped
Saute:
2 chicken breasts, diced
1 carrot, shredded
4 cloves garlic
Mix:
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tablespoons sugar
3 Tablespoons pure sesame oil
1/2 teaspoons hot chili oil
3 Tablespoons canola oil

Combine noodles, green onions, chicken, carrot, and garlic in a bowl. Pour sauce over. Serve.

Copy Cat Cafe Rio Pulled Pork

(This is as close to the real thing as I've ever found. Adapted from a recipe I found on mmmcafe.blogspot.com)

3-4 lb. Pork Butt or Shoulder Roast
2 small cans El Pato Tomato Sauce (found in the Mexican food aisle, it's seasoned with mexican spices)
1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
2 1/2 cups brown sugar
salt
pepper
cumin

Rub salt, pepper, and cumin all over the roast, then wrap it completely in foil. Place roast in a slow cooker and pour 1/2 cup water around it. Cook for 8 hours on low. Remove the roast and foil, drain the juices, remove the fat, and shred the meat. Add the tomato sauces and brown sugar to the slow cooker and stir together. Add the shredded pork back in, stir it all together and cook an additional 2 hours on low.

Delicious!

Spicy Honey Chicken

(adapted from Our Best Bites)

1-2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken tenders, breasts, or thighs
2 teaspoons vegetable oil

Rub:
2 teaspoons granulated garlic
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder or smoked paprika

Glaze:
1/2 cup honey
1 tablespoon vinegar

Combine the rub spices in a bowl and mix well. (Note: I didn't have all the exact ingredients, so I threw in what I had.)

Pat chicken dry and place in a plastic bag, then drizzle with vegetable oil and work it around. Dump in rub and work it around until the chicken is thoroughly coated. Grill the chicken for 3-5 minutes on each side, until cooked through.

While chicken is cooking, warm honey and vinegar in the microwave and stir well. Reserve 2T honey glaze for later. Take the rest of the glaze and brush it on the chicken (both sides) in the final moments of grilling.

Serve over rice or on sandwiches. Top with reserved glaze just before serving.

Honey Lime Chicken Enchilada

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup lime juice(freshly squeezed)
1 tsp. chili powder (can spice up more if you like)
1 tsp. cumin (can spice up more if you like)
garlic clove minced
1 14oz can green enchilada sauce
1/2 cup cream
2 chicken breasts(cooked and shredded)
cheese (I like monterey or colby jack)
cilantro - for looks and garnish
*Combine in a bowl honey, lime juice, chili powder, cumin, and garlic. Add the shredded chicken and marinate (the longer the better). Mix in another bowl the green enchilada sauce and cream - set aside. In a 9x13 dish add a little of the cream sauce to bottom of dish before assembling so the enchiladas won't stick to pan. Roll as normal - tortilla, chicken mixture, cheese. Once all enchiladas are rolled, pour the remaining honey lime sauce from the chicken mixture and add it to the cream/enchilada sauce and pour over the top of enchiladas. Sprinkle(load) the top with cheese and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Super Sliders

Sandwiches
24 Costco rolls
24 slices roast beef
24 slices swiss cheese

Sauce
1/2 cup butter
4 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon garlic pepper (or garlic powder and black pepper)
2 tablespoons poppyseeds or sesame seeds (or some of each)

Directions
Cut the rolls in half and place one folded slice of roast beef and cheese inside. Place in a 9 x 13 pan, making room for 12 rolls.

Melt butter and mix all sauce ingredients together. Brush generously onto the rolls (sauce will make enough for 2 pans or 24 rolls). Cover pans with tinfoil and cook at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve with honey mustard or horseradish.

Quick Chick and Noodle Soup

Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium carrots, peeled, chopped
1 parsnip, peeled and chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
2 bay leaves, fresh or dried
salt and pepper
6 cups good quality chicken stock
1 lb chicken breast tenders, diced
1/2 lb wide egg noodles
A handful fresh parsley, chopped
 A handful fresh dill, chopped

Place a large pot over moderate heat and add extra-virgin olive oil.  Work close to the stove and add vegetables to the pot as you chop, in the order they are listed.
Add bay leaves and season vegetables with salt and pepper, to taste.  Add stock to the pot and raise flame to bring liquid to a boil.  Add diced chicken tenderloins, return soup to a boil, and reduce heat back to moderate.  Cook chicken 2 minutes and add noodles.  Cook soup an additional 6 minutes or until noodles are tender and remove soup from the heat.
Stir in parsley and dill, remove bay leaves and serve.  This is a thick soup.  Add up to 2 cups of water if you like chicken soup with lots of broth.

(Note: If you are serving immediately, and don't plan to have left-overs, then the wide egg noodles work well.  Otherwise, they become quite "thirsty" and will soak up all of your broth.  A good hearty noodle is preferred; Amish noodles are the best, but hard to find in the West.)

Chicken Roll-Ups

1  8oz package cream cheese
4 Tbsp melted butter
1/8 tsp pepper
2-3 cups chicken, cooked, cubed
1/2 cups bread crumbs
2 -3 cans cresent rolls
1/2 cup (1 cube) butter
chicken gravy

Combine cream cheese, 4 Tbsp butter, pepper and chicken.  Separate rolls.  Put chicken mixture in widest part of roll dough, fold the dough up around it, and pinch the edges together to seal.  Dip in melted butter, then roll in bread crumbs.  Bake on ungreased cookie sheet @ 375 degrees for 15 minutes.  Top with chicken gravy to serve. 
(This also works great with turkey left-over from Thanksgiving -- especially if you have left-over turkey gravy to top it off with!  I usually skip the dipping in butter and bread crumbs, just to save calories; I also usually throw some veggies into the chicken mixture.)

Road Trip Chicken Salad

I used to always make this chicken salad before we'd take a road trip. I'd put it in a container and bring along some Wheat Thins and eat a salad-topped cracker every 300 yards.

Road Trip Chicken Salad

2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
1 cup mayonaise
1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
1 tablespoon lemon pepper
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons dill (use less if using fresh dill)
1 cup red grapes, halved
1 medium apple, cored and diced
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 stalk celery, diced
3/4 cup cashews, chopped

Directions
Prepare all ingredients and then combine them together in a mixing bowl with a large spoon. Chill for about an hour before serving to set flavors. Serve on fresh croissants or simple crackers. Keeps in refrigerator 2-3 days.

Mini Pizzas

The canvas, or crust, for all three recipes is a simple Indian flatbread (sometimes called naan bread). It’s the perfect size, and because it’s precooked, it crisps up really nicely with these toppings. You should be able to find some in the bakery department of most grocery stores. All you have to do is top it, bake it, and slice it into wedges. Great for a main course or appetizers.

Corn Salami & Feta Mini Pizza

1 flatbread
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 slices hard salami, chopped
1/8 cup yellow corn (fresh is best, but canned works fine)
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
sliced jalapeño (fresh or pickled)

Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Brush olive oil over flatbread and top with salami, corn, and cheese. Top with jalapeño (remember to remove seeds if you want to reduce the pepper’s heat). Bake for 6 minutes, then switch the oven setting to broil (without removing the pizza). Broil for an additional 3-4 minutes, or until toppings and crust are slightly browned.

Caprese Mini Pizza

1 flatbread
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 roma tomato, thinly sliced
1/2 cup mozzerella, thinly sliced or shredded
3-4 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
salt
pepper
balsamic vinegar (optional)

Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Brush olive oil over flatbread and top with a layer of tomato. Sprinkle tomato layer with salt and pepper before adding mozzerella.  Bake for 6 minutes, then switch the oven setting to broil (without removing the pizza). Broil for an additional 3-4 minutes, or until toppings and crust are slightly browned. Remove pizza from oven and top with shredded basil and balsamic vinegar.

Apple Blue Cheese & Honey Mini Pizza

1 flatbread
2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
1/2 apple, cored and thinly sliced
1/8 cup crumbled blue cheese
honey

Directions
Spread a thin layer of cream cheese over the flatbread. Add a layer of sliced apples until surface is covered. Sprinkle blue cheese crumbles on top. Bake for 6 minutes, then switch the oven setting to broil (without removing the pizza). Broil for an additional 3-4 minutes, or until toppings and crust are slightly browned. Remove pizza from oven and allow to cool for 1-2 minutes before drizzling honey sporadically over the top.

Chicken Broccoli Alfredo

Chicken Broccoli Alfredo

Alfredo Sauce
1/4 cup of butter
2-ish tsp garlic
1 can chicken broth
1-ish cup of cream
1/2-ish cup of half -n-half
3/4 container of Kraft shredded parmesean
1/4 - 1/2 cup Kraft Three Cheese blend
1 big spoonful plop of low-fat mayonnaise
Salt to taste (approx. 1 - 2 tsp.)
pepper to taste
Fresh chopped parsley, several Tbsp.

Melt butter over med-low heat, add garlic and saute. Pour in chicken broth then cream and 1/2-n- 1/2. Add salt & pepper and cheeses and continue to heat over medium to medium-low heat until cheese melts into sauce. Plop in mayonnaise and stir in. Add fresh chopped parsley just before pouring over noodles, chicken sausage, and veggies.

*****
Cook fettuccini noodles to al dente in chicken broth.
*****

Saute chopped chicken sausage (Bistro Sensations, smoked mozzarella with artichoke and garlic) in chicken broth. Add more chicken broth, add chopped broccoli and chopped red bell pepper. Cover and steam for a few minutes.

******
Combine everything and serve with garlic bread and Ceasar salad.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

1 (13 oz.) can of chicken, drained
1 onion, chopped
2 (10 3/4 oz.) cans cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream (I use reduced fat)
1 (4 oz.) can diced green chilies
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
3 oz. cream cheese (optional)

Place above ingredients in mixing bowl and mix well.

1 (15 oz.) package flour tortillas

Stack tortillas and cut with a sharp knife into thin strips.

2 cups grated Colby Jack or Cheddar cheese

In a greased 9"x13" glass baking pan, layer half of tortillas strips, half of chicken mixture, and half of cheese; repeat. Bake for 30 min at 350 degrees. (I usually cover with foil for 25 min, then broil on low for the last 5 min to get the cheese just a little toasty.)