White Chicken Chili

White Chicken Chili
4-6 chicken breasts, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup chopped jalapenos
1/2 small white onion, minced
2 tbsp. minced garlic
Olive oil
1/4 cup taco sauce, hot
3 cups chicken broth
4 cans pinto beans - rinse and drain 2 cans
Rice

1.  Heat oil in a stock pot over medium heat. When hot, but not smoking, add jalapenos, onion, and garlic. Cook for 1 minute then add chopped chicken. Cook chicken thoroughly.
2. Add taco sauce to chicken to coat well, cook for 1 minute longer.
3. Add chicken broth and pinto beans. Cook until beans are warmed through.
4. Add rice to thicken soup, usually about 2 cups uncooked rice. Continue to simmer, covered, until rice is cooked.
5. Serve with crushed tortilla chips, sour cream, shredded cheese, jalapenos, hot sauce.

Mexican Chicken Bake

Mexican Chicken Bake

 

This one is super delicious. We have it at least 2-3 times per month. Adjust to your desired level of spicy, we're on the medium-high end with this recipe.

 

Ingredients:

4-5 Chicken breasts

Dash or two of olive oil (we used jalapeno infused)

2 TBSP minced garlic

2 TBSP Taco Seasoning (or one packet)

1/2 cup jalapeno slices

1 can pinto beans

1 can black beans

1/4 cup hot taco sauce

1/2 cup hot salsa

Shredded cheese of your choice - 1 cup with 1/4 cup reserved

2 cups water - for rice

2 cups rice

Lime juice, if desired

Tortilla chips

 

 

 

 

1. Cut chicken into bite sized pieces. Preheat oven to 350. Heat olive oil in pan. Add garlic to pan and let cook for 30 seconds. DO NOT LET IT BURN! It gets very bitter if the garlic burns. Add chicken to pan and cook thoroughly.

2. Add taco seasoning and mix well. May need to add a few sprinkles of water if you don't have much liquid. 

3. Dice jalapenos and add to pan. Let cook for a few minutes. Will get very aromatic! Start water for rice.
4. Add beans, sauces, and salsa. Reduce heat to medium low and cover.
5. When the water for the rice comes to a boil, add the rice. Cook as directions stated on package.
6. When rice is nearly done, add cheese to chicken/bean mixture - save 1/4 cup. Continuously stir so it gets to be a melty mess.

7. Transfer rice into a oven safe container that has a lid. (We use a Le Cruset dutch oven)

8. Sprinkle lime juice over rice and stir. Add the cheesy bean and chicken mixture to the top. Spread evenly.

9. Crush tortilla chips over the top of the chicken. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top and cover. Place in oven at 350 for 15 minutes to melt cheese.

Blackened Chicken and Veggie Bake

I was in the mood for something a little different for dinner the other day. I checked out the pantry and found a bunch of spices and some potatoes. I decided to make blackened chicken with blackened potatoes and green beans. Holy, it turned out delicious and was so easy!

The green beans got a little dark, but still very tasty!

Blackening Spices (I used all dried spices)
1 tablespoon paprika
1/2 tablespoon fresh black pepper
1/2 tablespoon garlic
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon thyme

Blackened Chicken and Veggie Bake
Blackening spices
4 boneless chicken breasts
3-4 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
2 cups fresh or frozen green beans
Olive oil
Cooking spray

1. Combine all of the spices and stir well. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Spray a 13x9 baking pan with cooking spray.
3. Add chicken, potatoes and green beans to pan.
4. Drizzle olive oil over contents of pan.
5. Add spices to top of chicken, potatoes, and green beans. Stir potatoes to ensure the bottom layers get some spice on them.



All ready for the oven!

 6. Bake at 350 until chicken is thoroughly cooked. I used frozen chicken breasts and it took about an hour.

Chicken Wing Sliders

I failed miserably at frying up some chicken wings at our Super Bowl party and we've both been craving that taste of home. So I came up with these delicious sliders the other day while staring at our pantry with 2 bottles of Anchor Bar wing sauce, a Franks hot sauce, and some bleu cheese dressing. We had some sliders on St. Patty's Day so one, two, six we have chicken wing sliders!


Buffalo Chicken Sliders with Bleu Cheese Spread and Cheese



Chicken Wing Sliders (Makes at least 12 sliders)

5 chicken breasts, frozen

1 bottle of Franks hot sauce

3 celery stalks

1 cup bleu cheese dressing

12 Hawaiian rolls

Shredded cheddar, if desired

1. As per my usual, stick the chicken and almost all the hot sauce in the crockpot. Cook on low for 8 hours.

2. When its all done, shred the chicken in the hot sauce juices.

3. Let that sit with the top off while you chop up the celery into tiny pieces.

4. Mix the chopped celery with the bleu cheese and the tablespoon+ of hot sauce you saved.

5. Cut open your rolls and toast.
6. Assemble your slider with a pinch of cheese, a spoonful of bleu cheese mix, and a scoop of chicken.

Freezer Meals #1

To celebrate a long, holiday weekend I decided to do my monthly freezer meal "cooking." Most of the sites I have seen in the past actually require you to cook certain parts of the freezer meal. Since that bothers me for some reason, my freezer "cooking" day requires zero cooking at all which makes it super easy, super quick. I spent less than 2 hours from the time I started taking out the ingredients to a clean kitchen.

Today's adventure gave me 15 meals that will last us at least a month. Since it is just the two of us, each meal feeds us plus gives at least one of lunch the next day; each meal could feed a family of 4 (2 adults, 2 kids). With eating out once a week, nights we just aren't hungry, or eating leftovers, today's work will enable me to ignore major grocery shopping and prepping for awhile. A lot of my meals are adopted from ones I have found on Pinterest (Six Sisters' Stuff, When the Dinner Bell Rings, Loving My Nest) and made to fit our particular taste.

It is amazing to start the slow cooker before we head off to work and walk in to a home with a delish dinner ready to eat. All we have to do is come up with a side dish (usually mashed potatoes, pasta, rice, other grains). By the time we clean up whatever mess Zoe has left for us and change out of our work clothes, we have a complete meal ready to devour.

Below are the recipes as well as a shopping list. I made 2 of each of the chicken dishes and 1 of each pork dish. The recipes are for 1 bag while the shopping list is everything *I* used today. To save time, chop all the onions and cilantro before putting the bags together.

Creamy Ranch Chicken – 2 bags

2 cans “cream of” soups (I used celery and potato)
2 packets ranch dressing mix
8 chicken breasts

Combine ranch dressing mix and soups. Divide between bags. Place 4 chicken breasts in each bag. Seal well. Cook x8 hours on low. Serve with buttered noodles or mashed potatoes.

Cilantro Black Bean Chicken – 1 bag

1/4  bunch cilantro, washed and coarsely chopped
1 can black bean
2 tablespoons lime or lemon juice
1 tablespoon garlic per bag
1/4 cup shredded cheese
4 chicken breasts

In bag place ¼ bunch cilantro, beans, juice, garlic and cheese. Combine in bag. Add 4 breasts chicken to bag. Cook on low x8 hours. Serve with rice or quinoa.

Spicy Coconut Chicken -- 1 bag

1 can coconut milk (I used lite)
2 tablespoons sriracha
1 tablespoon garlic thai chili paste
1/4 cup green onions, chopped
1 tablespoon soy sauce (low sodium)
1/4 cup white onions, chopped
1 teaspoon basil
1/4 bunch cilantro
4 chicken breasts

Combine basil and liquids in bag. Add onions and cilantro, lightly combine. Add chicken breast. Cook on low x8 hours. Serve with rice.

Spicy Taco Chicken – makes 10-12 tacos in 1 bag

 

**We like these spicy, feel free to use milder salsa/taco sauce and omitting the jalapenos**

1 cup salsa (I used Pace Picante® Hot)
2 tablespoons taco sauce (I used hot)
1/4 cup jalapenos
1 packet taco seasoning
1 cup shredded cheese
1 can pinto beans, ground to smooth
4 chicken breasts
1/2 cup sour cream or plain greek yogurt
Taco shells
Taco toppings (sour cream, taco sauce, lettuce, tomato, etc)

Combine spices, cheese, peppers, salsa, beans until well mixed in bag. Add chicken breasts. Cook on low x8 hours. Add sour cream or yogurt. Shred chicken. Serve with whatever toppings you’d like as tacos. We prefer this with whole grain soft taco shells.

Alfredo Chicken – 1 bag

1 jar Alfredo sauce
1 tablespoon garlic
1 cup green beans or broccoli
1/2 cup chopped white onion
4 chicken breast

Combine first 4 ingredients until mixed well in bag. Add chicken. Serve over whole grain or veggie pasta. Cook on low x8 hours.

Cranberry-Apple Pork Roast – 1 roast

1 can cranberry sauce
1 cup applesauce
1 tablespoon garlic
1/4 cup white onion
1 pork roast, 2 lbs

Mix cranberry sauce with applesauce in bag until smooth. Add garlic and onions, mix. Add pork roast. Cook on low x 8 hours. Serve with mashed potatoes.

Honey Mustard Pork Chops – 1 bag

1/2 cup mustard, Dijon or Yellow
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons agave nectar *or just a touch more honey*
4 boneless pork chops

Combine all but chops in bag. Add chops after well mixed. Cook on low x8 hours.

Cinnamon-Apple Pork Chops – 1 bag

 

 

1 cup applesauce

3 tablespoons cinnamon

4 pork chops, boneless

 

Mix applesauce and cinnamon in bag. Add chops. Cook on low x8 hours.

 Shopping List to Make 2 bags Each of Chicken Dishes, 1 Bag Each of Pork Dishes

2 cans “cream of” soups
2 packets ranch dressing mix
2 cans black beans
2 packets taco seasoning
2 cans pinto beans
1 can cranberry sauce
2 cans coconut milk
1 white onion
1 bunch cilantro
1 bunch green onions
2 jars alfredo sauce
1 bag frozen green beans or broccoli
1 jar chopped garlic (or ~12 garlic cloves)
15 freezer bags
1 jar picante salsa
1 jar applesauce
Sriracha
Garlic thai chili paste
12 taco shells
Taco toppings
Basil
Soy sauce
Honey
Dijon mustard or Yellow mustard
Red wine vinegar
Apple cider vinegar
Agave nectar (optional)
Cinnamon
Lime juice
8 pork chops, boneless ~1 inch thick
~40 chicken breasts
1 pork roast, ~2 pounds