Easy Chicken Enchiladas

In the mood for Mexican but don't feel like making it all from scratch?

I'm a die-hard, make-it-from-scratch kind of gal but there are some days when you want a nice meal and you are willing to cut a few corners. Here is my short-cut, easy to make Chicken enchiladas.

Keeping a well-stocked kitchen is essential. I have tons of spices at home that I could have thrown together my own seasoning for the chicken but I knew I would be sharing this recipe so I chose to make it easier.

This recipe will make a hearty two servings or add plenty of side dishes and you can get four servings out of it. (we will most likely have leftovers)

Start out with 2 boneless chicken breasts. Perdue was on sale and let me just say that buying quality shows when you open the package. There was very little chicken "gunk" to remove.

I diced the chicken pretty small and added it to a pot with 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil.

Then I slowly allowed the chicken to cook, stirring occasionally until the pink was gone.

Here comes the simple part. Instead of playing with my own combinations of cumin, chili powder, cayenne and garlic I opened 1 package of Old El Paso LOW SODIUM taco seasoning. It was on sale for just 99 cents so I figured- why not? Normally I don't use pre-packaged anything but I wanted to make it simple.

I added it to the chicken along with about 1/4 cup of water and let it simmer.

Meanwhile I cooked a box of Goya Mexican rice. Again, another rarity for me but hey, there was no time to steam brown rice and chop vegetables, etc.

I allowed the chicken to cook for about 25 minutes and then I shut it off.

I took two small flour tortillas and put some home-shredded extra sharp cheddar on the center of a tortilla, loaded it with half the chicken, topped it with a bit more cheese and folded it over.

Then I took a deep-dish pie plate and prepared my sauce.

I had some plain tomato sauce leftover in the refrigerator. I added 1/4 cup of water to it (there was only about 3/4 cup) and added some spice. 2 teaspoons cumin, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon garlic powder and 1/2 teaspoon chili powder.

I simply stirred it together and poured half of it into the bottom of the pie pan.

Then I placed the chicken tortillas into the pan.

I "sealed" the top with 3 pieces of cheddar.

Then I poured over the remaining sauce.



I would normally bake this in the oven for about 20 minutes (a pre-heated 350 degree oven) but it is way too hot today to turn the oven on.

Instead I will microwave it just to heat and melt the cheese.

I'm serving this with some buttered corn and rice. A nice chopped salad would go great as well but no lettuce in the house today.

As I suspected, the finished product is a lot! It made two hearty enchiladas but with the side of rice and corn, we split one in half and were very satisfied.

Creamy Chicken Primavera Made with Greek Yogurt

I've been hearing an awful lot about substituting Greek yogurt for cream in recipes and I have been dying to give it a try. I whipped up a batch of delicious Chicken primavera using Greek yogurt in place of milk/cream and let me tell you, I am sold on this substitution!

Here is how I made this. This recipe makes a good amount which I am putting into individual-serve containers for quick dinners.

First I took about 4 cloves of garlic that I chopped roughly and sauteed slowly in about 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. (the orange is from the fresh carrots I had chopped on the same cutting board)

I then added 1 chicken breast that I chopped into small pieces.

Allow it to cook until it is no longer pink.

Meanwhile I steamed a bag of broccoli florets and also almost 2 cups of fresh, diagonally cut carrots.

I melted 1 tablespoon of butter and stirred in 1 teaspoon cornstarch into the frying pan with the chicken and garlic.

Then I dumped in the vegetables.

I stirred that together and then added a small container of non-fat plain Greek Yogurt, 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese and 1/2 cup of warm water. (you could use Chicken broth or vegetable broth- I had neither on hand)

I allowed this to simmer slowly and it thickened as it cooked.

I added about 8 ounces of cooked rotini (along with a small amount of the pasta water)

I gave it about 10 minutes to cook and then I turned the heat off and served it!

This was delicious and even better- plenty of leftovers that I put in containers for a quick dinner or lunch!

Red Velvet Cakies for Valentines Day

These cookies are so easy to make and taste like cake! Anyone can make these and they will come out delicious. These are made from a cake mix with only a few additional ingredients.

Here is the recipe and how-to.

1 stick of butter (allow it to soften by either leaving it out or microwaving for about 6 to 8 seconds)

1 teaspoon of vanilla

2 eggs

1 box of Red Velvet cake mix


sprinkles and candies for decorating

Hand mix together the softened butter, vanilla, eggs and cake mix. Put in refrigerator to set for about 15 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.

Take cookie dough out of refrigerator and roll into small balls.

(Make sure they are uniform in size!)

Press each ball into your sprinkles and then onto baking sheet (ungreased!)

Bake for 5 to 7 minutes and allow to cool slightly before removing.

They will be of a cake/chewy cookie consistency.

Happy Valentines Day!

Cheesy Red Potato and Bacon Bake

Bacon adds a lot to this easy-to-make homemade cheesy potato casserole. Serve this on its' own or as a side or even a hot appetizer.

Here is how to make my homemade cheesy red potato and bacon bake.

Start off with red potatoes with skins on that have been scrubbed clean. I used 7 medium potatoes. (leftovers are even better)



Cut each potato in half lengthwise and then slice them thin. Put into a casserole dish. Make sure to sliced as thin as possible. If you prefer a thicker potato, par-boil them or else it will take FOREVER to cook.



Cook 1 lb of thick slice bacon and drain on paper towels. Chop the bacon and spread over the top of the potatoes.


Make the cheese sauce. In a saucepan melt 1 tablespoon butter and add 1 1/2 cups of milk. I only use fat-free milk and this will work just fine. Add 1 tablespoon flour or cornstarch (thickener) and your cheese. I used 8 oz. of sharp cheddar, 8 slices of American cheese and two snack sticks of Monterey Jack.

Stir until cheese is melted and sauce thickens.

Pour over the top of the potatoes and bacon and stir together.



Cover with foil and bake in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for 45 minutes. Take off foil, check doneness of potatoes and allow to bake uncovered for about 15 minutes more. If potatoes are not done, cook until they are. (they should be done if they were sliced thinly enough)

Delicious!!!

So Easy Homemade Hot Pockets

Is yours a household where gathering around the dinner table is impossible due to crazy work schedules? Mine is and because of that I had to come up with home-cooked meals that were easy to reheat.

My husband eats (I'm ashamed to admit) Hot Pockets from time to time and I cringe at the thought of him putting all that processed junk into his body. I'm a cook-from-scratch kind and also I'd like to save some money at the grocery store. Buying ready-made meals is expensive not to mention all the artificial ingredients. This is my quick and easy homemade hot pocket recipe that although it does contain stuff I normally wouldn't eat, all the ingredients were on sale and the cost was less than buying Hot Pockets.

I have posted a similar recipe for Chicken Pot Pie pockets which except for the biscuits, everything else was from scratch. This recipe does use convenience foods but hey, no one is perfect. They reheat really well and served with a side of gravy they are delicious!

Here's what you need:

1/2 to 3/4 cup diced cooked chicken
1 package of Birds Eye red potatoes and broccoli in cheese sauce
6 Grands Biscuits
1 tablespoon milk

Allow the Grands to come to room temperature. They are much easier to work with if they warm up.

Spray a cupcake tin with non-stick cooking spray.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Microwave the Birds Eye red potatoes and broccoli for 4 minutes.

Stir in 1 tablespoon milk.

Stir in the chicken, mixing well.

Spread each biscuit into a cupcake "hole" and allow the dough to overlap.

Spoon the mixture into the center evenly.

Wrap the dough over the mixture.

Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes until golden.

These are very hot so allow to cool for a minute or two.

You can serve with a side of gravy.

So easy to make and like I said, get these ingredients on sale and they really cost very little to make.

Chicken Pot Pie Pockets

You've probably seen the commercials for this easy-to-make chicken pot pie? Well my husband did too and I told him that I would make him something similar but I would not be using the recipe that was just full of processed items. I did use Grand biscuits but that was the only not from scratch item I used.

These were simple to make and are perfect for households where people eat at strange times and sit-down dinners are rare. They reheat well and the only thing he would have liked would have been some homemade gravy on the side for dipping.

Here is how I make these chicken pot pie pockets.

Ingredients:

1 package of Grand biscuits

1 medium carrot peeled and cubed

1/4 cup of frozen peas

1 cup chicken stock

1 chicken breast chopped into chunks

1 tablespoon cornstarch

salt and pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Step 1- Spray a cupcake tin with non-stick spray. Take your Grands biscuits out of the refrigerator and allow to warm up to room temperature so they will be easier to work with.

Step 2- Put the chopped (raw) chicken into a pot with 1 cup chicken stock and the carrots. Cook on medium heat until chicken is cooked.

Step 3- Turn off the heat and add the peas to the pot. Stir together.

Step 4- Add the garlic powder, salt and pepper and cornstarch. Stir together. Mixture should thicken.

Step 5- Take a biscuit and form it into the cupcake tin, stretching it so it overlaps outside of the cupcake tin.

Step 6- Add about 3 tablespoons of the chicken mixture to each tin and stretch and fold dough over it. It doesn't matter if it is not sealed perfectly.

Step 7- Bake in a pre-heated 325 degree oven for 20 minutes. Allow to cool a bit before eating- inside will be hot!

Variations to this recipe include changing up the vegetables and using broccoli and carrots or use mixed vegetables. There are so many ideas for these pot pie pockets. Use your imagination (and leftovers) for an easy dinner!

Best Ever Beef Stew

There's nothing like a hearty beef stew to cure those winter blues. Comfort food at its best and if you have a crock pot, this is super easy to make!

Yes you can also cook this on your stove top but I like the meat to be very well cooked and it is so much easier to do that in your crock pot.

This recipe also has one shortcut that I normally would never do but I confess I despise peeling potatoes! Yes, I used canned potatoes in my beef stew and they do taste slightly processed (to those who are not used to canned foods) but trust me, they do pick up lots of flavor from the stew and doing this one simple shortcut doesn't ruin the stew. Here is how to make my easy, best ever beef stew.

Ingredients:

About 2 lbs of beef - I like to buy a london broil that I trim and cube myself. When it is on sale it is almost always cheaper than buying stewing cubes.

4 to 5 medium carrots- peeled and cut into diagonal chunks

4 to 5 stalks of celery- washed and cut into diagonal pieces about the same size as the carrots

1 small onion- chopped

1 1/2 tablespoons of cornstarch

1 teaspoon paprika

salt to taste

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

1 1/2 cups homemade beef stock or if you must use canned- use low-sodium!

2- 14 oz cans of whole peeled potatoes

How to begin:

Cube the beef into equal size cubes. Size is totally up to you.

Turn on your crock pot and set it to a medium setting.

Add about 1 tablespoon of olive oil to your crock pot and add the beef cubes. Allow these to brown, stirring after about 30 minutes.

When beef is browned (about 1 hour), add the onion, paprika, salt and pepper. Add half of the broth and stir together. Allow this to cook on medium heat for 30 minutes.

Next add the rest of the broth and the celery and carrots. Again stir together and then allow to cook for 45 minutes.

Add the potatoes (make sure to rinse them in a collander before adding)

Stir in the cornstarch at this time. If there does not seem to be enough gravy, add about 1/2 cup of water. Stir well, turn to low and cook for 30 minutes.

Test the vegetables. They should not be mushy but still firm. Serve and enjoy!

I try to keep the meat and vegetables all about the same size. The "trick" is to make sure you allow enough time for the meat to cook on its own so it gets tender. You want the meat to be somewhat falling apart. The vegetables you want to still have firmness so if you cut them smaller, cook for less time. Don't want to use canned potatoes? Peel and cut your own. Just add the potatoes (raw) at the same time as the carrots and celery.

Cornstarch will thicken the gravy and if you prefer extra gravy for dipping, just add a half cup more broth or water while cooking.

Annies Shells & Real Cheddar A Review

Being the type that absolutely hates processed foods, buying a box of macaroni and cheese mix is something I never do. Unfortunately I recently had major surgery and not knowing what to except from my recovery I decided that having some easy-to-make meals would be a good idea.

I cooked and froze several things before my surgery date in anticipation of not being able to get around. My surprise recovery is another story but in the meantime I decided on one horribly cold day that comfort food was just what I needed.

I decided to make Annie's Shells & Real Aged Cheddar. It is made with Organic pasta and the box promises no artificial flavors, synthetic colors or preservatives.

Preparing this is similar to Kraft mac & cheese or any store brand. Basically you cook the macaroni and then drain it. You add the envelope of powdered cheese to a few tablespoons of milk. Annie suggests using 1/2 cup lowfat yogurt in place of the milk or adding some butter for more flavor. Not having any yogurt I used some fat free milk and a small pat of butter. The cheese sauce mixed up similar to other mixes I have made.

For variety I could have added some freshly steamed broccoli but I decided to see how well (or not) this tasted on its own.

It's been a really long time since I have had anything like this. I didn't miss it.

Even though there are no artificial flavors in this mix it still had a processed taste to it. It was creamy but far from homemade. I guess if I was feeding young children and I was in a hurry I would choose this brand over the more popular ones out there. You could add some of your own cheese to make it taste better and of course, vegetables are always a perfect add-in.

Would I buy this again?

Doubtful. I prefer to make my own and knowing my way around the kitchen, making a quick white sauce to make into cheese sauce is simple. For those who like macaroni and cheese but don't want all the artificial stuff, Annie's was a good value. Just $.99 for the box which is pricier than store brands but it is more natural than anything else I have seen.

Chicken Soup with Spinach and Orzo

It's soup weather!!!

We've been fighting a cold around my house lately and a cool November day is the perfect time for a nice pot of chicken soup. Loving spinach as I do I've been toying with the idea of making a soup that combines my love of spinach along with the husband's favorite chicken soup.

The following is my recipe for homemade chicken soup with spinach and orzo. Enjoy!!!

By mid-winter my freezer will have plenty of homemade stock in it but since the weather around here is just starting to become soup-worthy I had to cheat a little and use a helper. I love Wegman's and their organic chicken stock is really hearty and makes for a great soup base. Here's how I got started making my delicious chicken soup with spinach and orzo.



In my non-stick dutch oven I slowly cooked 1 medium onion (chopped well) in 1 tablespoon olive oil.

Once the onion became somewhat transparent I added 1 teaspoon of chopped garlic.



Then I added 1 cup of raw, chopped chicken breast. I slowly cooked this until the chicken was no longer pink and then I added my chicken stock-


I used the entire 32 ounce container and also added 32 ounces of water.

Then I added the following:

1 cup of frozen chopped spinach

1 cup of diced carrots (fresh)

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

I turned the soup down to a simmer and allowed it to cook until the carrots were tender. This took about 1 hour.

I didn't put the orzo right into the soup but instead cooked it separately and put some orzo in a bowl first and then added soup.

Just add salt and pepper to taste and that's all!

Delicious the next day this soup would also freeze well.



Again the finished pictures were an afterthought; we were too busy enjoying it to remember to take pictures.

Creamy Chicken Parmesan Florentine

I am the queen of putting dinner together with not a lot of stuff on hand. I am also the self-proclaimed queen of getting the most out of a chicken roaster!

The chicken soup was a success and I had set aside about 2 cups of chicken broth along with some cooked chicken. Here is what I did with it along with "stuff" I had on hand:

I love spinach (it is my happy food) and I try to always have some chopped spinach in my freezer. You can add it to so many dishes. Garlic is another must-have and I use it almost daily.

I didn't used to keep leftover pasta but times are tough and now I do save it. Good thing too. This dish was thrown together and ready to eat in less than 15 minutes, thanks in part to leftover cooked rigatoni.

First I took some olive oil and sauteed some garlic in a frying pan.

I added about 1 cup of frozen chopped spinach.

Then I put my leftover chicken and chicken broth into the pan and stirred it together.

I took out about 2 tablespoons of hot broth and stirred in about 1 teaspoon of cornstarch and made a paste.

I added about 3 tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese and mixed it together.

I then stirred that mixture into the spinach and chicken mix.

I had about 1 and 1/2 servings of leftover rigatoni in the refrigerator so I threw that in to reheat. Stirred it all together and this is what the final result was:

Simply delicious and so simple to make. And the best part is how fast it was to do! I hate to throw out food and I love it when I can come up with meals that stretch my food dollar!

Plus it tastes really really good!!!