5 way Chicken Santa Fe

I got this recipe from a really great friend over at The Hungry Mamma (Hi Chels!) her sister in law made this for a party we had around christmas time, and I fell in LOVE! 

4 large Chicken breasts

1 jar of medium salsa

1 can Black Beans, drained

1 can Corn, drained

5 TBS taco seasoning (or 1 package)

1 (heaping) cup of shredded cheese

Spray crock pot with cooking spray.

Place chicken on bottom of crock pot.

In a small bowl, add salsa, black beans, corn and taco seasoning and mix well. Pour over chicken and cook on high for 4-5 hours.

When chicken is done, shred and add cheese. continue to cook until cheese is melted.

This filling is SO versatile! You can basically use it for anything... but here are the 5 ways we've used it.

DIP: This is the easiest way! Top with sour cream and cilantro, and use as a dip for tortilla chips!

TACOS: Spoon into taco shells, add lettuce and sour cream.

BURRITOS: Spoon into tortillas and fold up to close. Cover with enchilada sauce and cheese. Top with sour cream.

NACHOS: Dollop filling over corn chips, and cover with cheese. Bake at 300 for 10 min or until cheese is melted.

ENCHILADAS: Spoon into corn tortillas and roll up. Place into a 9x13 pan and cover with enchilada sauce and cheese. Bake at 350 for 10-20 min.

Chicken & Pesto Panini

MMM. Sandwiches have to one of my all time favorite meals, eating out, or eating in. Paninis have become a staple in our house after we got a George Foreman grill not too long ago! It's so nice to be able to throw leftovers in-between bread and have a delicious meal!

Chicken & Pesto Panini

2 slices sourdough bread

sliced (cooked) chicken

2 TBS pesto

1/4 cup mozzarella cheese

butter

Butter one side of each slice of bread, and place on slice, butter down, on a preheated panini press (or George Foreman) add 1 TBS of the pesto to the bread and spread around, then layer the cheese and chicken, and spread the remaining pesto on the other slice and add it to the top of the sandwich. Close panini press and cook until golden.

Dip in extra pesto, or ranch dressing.

*yes, I realize I added an extra N in panini on the photo, that's what I get for blogging so late!

BBQ Chicken Panini

You know when you get something new, oh say, a kitchen gadget, and you wonder how you ever lived without it!? Well, my friends, I got a George Foreman. Holy Moly. I love that thing! After the usual chicken and meat, I tried making paninis, and they were SO yummy we've been making them in every possible combination ever since! This one has definitely been a favorite!

Sourdough bread

Shredded/Rotisserie Chicken

BBQ Sauce ( I like honey)

Mozzerella Cheese

Mayonnaise (trust me on this one)

Okay, so preheat your grill/george foreman/panini press, or whatever you're using. On the outsides of each slice of bread, spread a thin layer of mayo. You CAN use butter if you want, but I heard this tip on The Chew, and it's wonderful!! In a bowl, mix the chicken and bbq sauce, and place a big scoop on the bread and spread it out. Top with cheese and the other piece of bread. Grill on med/high until the cheese melts and the bread is golden and crispy. Serve with RANCH! Yum! Or, whatever dipping same you want! ;)

Spicy French Dip Sliders

French dips are a STAPLE in or house! They are SO easy and yummy! They are perfect for a cold winter day!

2 lb roast

1 tsp ground red pepper (GROUND... not crushed)

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

4 cup beef broth

water

1 packet au jus mix + 1/2 tsp ground red pepper + 1/4 tsp garlic powder

French rolls

spicy brown mustard

 

put the roast, seasoning and broth in the crockpot, set onto low, and walk away for about 8-10 hours. Shred the roast and place back into the broth until you're ready to eat. Prepare the au jus according to the package directions, adding the red pepper and garlic powder.

Assemble sandwiches and add the spicy brown mustard.

Dip into au jus and ENJOY!

 

Aloha Chicken Sandwich with warm pineapple salsa

I made these sandwiches the other day for dinner when I had NO time to make dinner. And they were amazing! Definetly a keeper!

For 2 Sandwiches:

1 large chicken breast

2 burger buns

1 cup Kraft toasted sesame asian dressing

2 TBS thick teriyaki sauce

Salsa:

1 can pineapple chunks

1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

1 red bell pepper - large dice

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp garlic powder

another 1/4 cup of the asian dressing

Butterfly chicken breast, so you have 2 thin fillets. In a gallon sized ziplock bag, place chicken, Kraft dressing and teriyaki sauce. Marinade in the refrigerator for 2-6 hours. or however long you have! ;)

Preheat a skillet to medium, and add marinated chicken. Cook 8-10 minutes, until no longer pink.

While your chicken is cooking, in a smaller skillet, add pineapple, mushroom and red pepper, then add the remaining dressing and seasonings. Heat through on med/low until chicken is done.

Assemble sandwiches. We used mustard and mayo, and garnished with lettuce.

Baked Chicken Nuggets with 'The Sauce'

These chicken nuggets take me back to my childhood faster than watching an episode of My Little Pony. I loved these nuggets as a kid, and I love them even more now! She used to tell us we were eating out at 'McCarlson's' for dinner! It's still one of my favorite dinner memories! My mom pan fried them, but I like to bake them (less mess and of course, a little healthier!) And I love that my little guy actually EATS them! He is the pickiest eater, and any meat is immediately tuned down from him. But he gobbles these up like they were straight from the happy meal bucket! Can't complain with that!

 

Baked Chicken Nuggets

*2 large chicken breasts sliced into "discs"

1 egg

2 TBS water

2 cups Italian breadcrumbs

garlic powder

onion powder

salt and pepper

* to make slicing chicken a little easier, place it in the freezer for 20ish minutes so its firm, but not frozen.

Preheat oven to 400.

In a shallow bowl, mix egg, water and a sprinkle of each, onion and garlic powder.

In a separate shallow bowl, mix breadcrumbs and  a sprinkle of each, onion and garlic powder.

Season sliced chicken with salt and pepper, and dip them, one by one, into the egg mixture, and then the breadcrumbs. Place on a cookie sheet, sprayed with cooking spray.

Bake for 20-30 minutes, depending on the size of your nuggets.

PLEASE make sure the chicken is fully cooked, especially before serving this to your little ones!

And here's the best part about homemade chicken nuggets... The Sauce! I don't really even think it has a name, we just always came to expect it when we had chicken! Funny story, the day I made these nuggets, I was watching The Pioneer Woman, and she made this sauce as a sandwich spread! But my mom was making it LOOONG before that ;) Haha, but really, if your going to make the nuggets... make the sauce.

Here's how it works...

Mix equal parts miracle whip (or mayo) and yellow mustard.

Easy! right!? And SOO yummy!

 



Jalapeno Chili Melts :: 2 minute meal

To be quite honest, I'm not even sure if I should be calling this a recipe!? It's really more of a really quick meal idea, and by quick, I mean... QUICK! I have this a lot when it's just me at home and I really don't feel like cooking. And it only ha 3 ingredients! Can't beat that!

 

Hamburger buns -- the cheap, squishy kind.

Nalley Jalapeno Chili

Shredded cheese

 

Layer and heat in the microwave for 30-45 seconds.

Taco Salad :: 101

I have a thing for Taco Salad. It's one of those go-to meals for me, that I can make just for me, or for the whole family! I know that every family makes Taco Salad in a different way, so I thought I'd share mine!

1. A layer of crushed tortilla chips.

2. lettuce, lots and lots of lettuce. I like chopped romaine the best.

3. Shredded Chicken.

4. Cheese. Colby Jack to be exact.

5. A drizzle of ranch dressing.

6. A few spoonfulls of salsa. I like Walmart's corn and blackbean salsa.

7. Veggies/Toppings. Today was carrots and red bell pepper, but I also like any combination of kidney beans, black beans, onion, tomato, broccoli, etc.

8. Avacado. This one is not optional. ;)

9. A big ol' dollop of sour cream.

 

Not too hard, right?

How do YOU make your taco salad? Am I missing anything that would be amazing!?

Baked Chubby Chicken Flautas

I made these for lunch today and after my first bite, I couldn't WAIT to get the recipe up! These were so darn easy and yummy!

 

2 cups shredded chicken

1 can pinto beans- drained and rinsed

1 small can of green chilies

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 cup salsa

1/2 cup shredded cheese

10-12 fajita size flour tortillas

 

Preheat oven to 400.

In a bowl, add all ingredients and mix well. Spoon 2 spoonfulls of filling into softened tortillas and roll tightly, place onto a greased baking sheet SEAM SIDE DOWN.  Spray tops with a good amount of coming spray and bake about 20 minutes until golden brown.

Salmon Burgers with homemade tarter sauce

These burgers remind me of my childhood! My mom used to make salmon patties for us all the time and my favorite was when she would make extra, and for lunch the next day, we would have them as burgers! Yum!

So now that I'm in charge of the meals, sometimes we skip right to the burger phase! Although I still do love them plain!

::Salmon Burgers::

Makes 2 thick burgers, or 4 thin

5 oz salmon (I use two 2.5 oz packages)

1 egg

1/4 cup breadcrumbs

1/4 tsp parsley

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/8 tsp crushed red pepper (optional)

 

In a bowl, combine all ingredients and mix until well combined. Spray a hot skillet with cooking spray and cook burgers on medium for about 5-6 minutes (turning 1/2 way through) or until the burger seems firm and the outside is browned.

Place your burger on a bun and top with *tarter sauce (or 1000 island dressing) and lettuce.

 

*Making your own tater sauce is really easy! All you need is

miracle whip (about 1-2 cup)

lemon juice (about 1 TBS)

sweet relish (a few TBS)

spicy brown mustard (optional-- about 2 tsp-ish)

onion powder (a dash or 2)

salt and pepper (a dash or 2)

mix well and chill until ready to serve.



Crispy Chicken Ranchero {Taco Time copy cat}

I worked at Taco Time for quite a while in my teenage years. And still to this day, I love their food, but this has to be my favorite thing on the menu! I love chicken strips anyways, but wrap them in a tortilla, with ranch and cabbage!? Uh, YUM! They are even better made at home too, because you dont have all the fry oil and who-knows-what-else that goes in fast food! We had these for much the other day with leftover spanish rice and it all came together really quick!

 

Makes 2 Burritos

2 large flour tortillas

4 frozen chicken strips, cooked (I used baked popcorn chicken)

1 cup prepared spanish rice

shredded cheese

shredded cabbage

ranch dressing

pico de gallo (I left this off because my husband hates it)

 

On your tortilla, place half the rice, 2 of the chicken strips and cheese. Nuke in the microwave for only about 15 seconds.

Top with cabbage and salsa, drizzle with  ranch. Roll and serve!

Apple Pecan Chicken Salad

Chicken salad is one of those things I always forget about, until it's the only option for lunch! I made this the other day last minute when I had to take my husband lunch, and we were out of lettuce to have regular ham sandwiches. They were a huge hit with my husband, and a nice change from the norm!

2 cups cookes, shredded and cooled chicken

1 apple, diced

1/4 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup miracle whip

salt & pepper

Mix everything in a bowl and chill. Serve on wheat bread (our favorite) or on crackers.

Easy Oven Nachos

This has to be the worlds easiest recipe, and I'm pretty positive everyone already knows it or at least has their own version! However, Everyone does things a little different, so I thought I'd share my way! We love eating this while watching movies, or as a quick dinner!

 

1 bag of corn tortilla chips

1 can of olives

1 can of yellow corn (drained)

1 can of refried beans

3-4 cups of shredded cheese

jalapeno slices

Toppings: salsa, sour cream, guacamole etc.

 

In a large casserole dish, add a layer of chips to just cover the bottom. Dollop refried beans all over, sprinkle sliced olives and some corn. Repeat with 2 MORE layers. Top with jalapeno slices.

Bake in the oven at 350 for about 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Top with toppings and serve immediately.



Chicken Bacon Ranch Wrap

Lunch is hard at our house. My husband doesnt come home from work for the time being, and my 2 year old's nap is at 12, so he eats earlier. That just leaves me. I never really want to make a huge fuss over lunch, but if I don't eat something substantial, I'll snack all day long. Not good.

Wraps and sandwiches are usually my favorite lunch food, and I try to switch them up quite often so they dont get too boring. My husband got the chicken rach quesedillas from Chili's a couple nights proir, and they were still on my radar (thank you pregnancy) so I decided to do a slightly lighter version.

 

Makes 1 wrap

1 large wrap or tortilla

1 TBS ranch dressing

3 oz grilled chicken (eyeball it)

2 slices monterey jack cheese

2 slices of turkey bacon

lettuce

red onion

Siracha hot sauce (optional)

 

Cook your bacon until crisp. If you chicken is leftovers (like mine was) heat it in a skillet until very warm.

Spread the ranch dressing evenly over the tortilla.

 Once the chicken is heated, place on the tortilla and imedietly cover with the cheese. This will allow the cheese to melt slightly.

 Follow with all the other ingredients. Roll and Enjoy.

 

Mini BBQ Chicken Pizza

I love anything mini. :) And I love pizza. So mini pizza? This was right up my alley ;)

You could really do this with any kind of pizza, I just happened to have a hankering for bbq chicken that night.

Mini BBQ Chicken Pizza

makes 4 mini pizzas

Pizza dough (I used this recipe)

2 cups shredded chicken

BBQ sauce

shredded mozzerella cheese

Once you have made your pizza dough, divide into 4 equal portions, roll into cirlces and bake according to recipe directions until crusts are about 3/4 done. (mine took about 10 minutes)

While crusts are cooking, mix chicken and bbq sauce, I didn't put an amount because it depends on how 'saucy' you like it, and how dry your chicken is.

Remove crusts from oven. Spread about 2 TBS of bbq sauce on each crust, and top with 1/2 cup of the chicken. Top with cheese and return to the oven until cheese is melted and crusts are done cooking.



Fuji Chicken Sandwich

I get a lot of odd looks when I mention that one of my favorite sandwich toppings is... apples! Yes, apples! Especially in summer! It just adds a nice crisp, sweet taste that you don't get from anything else!
Makes 2 sandwiches
4 slices Whole Grain Bread
Chicken breast lunch meat
1 fuji apple
letttuce
red onion
miracle whip (or mayo)
yellow mustard

I think making a sandwich is pretty self explanitory ;)
I just sliced the apple in 1/4 inch slices and added it to the middle of the sandwich.
Soooo yummy! Try it!

Garden Ribbon Pasta

We have an abundance of zucchini in our garden (like I've already explained) and I needed a way to use it up! This was perfect! It made a yummy quick lunch, and it was very filling!

2 cups cooked spaghetti (I used leftover)

1 large carrot

1 medium zucchini

1 cup cooked, diced chicken (I used leftovers again)

2 TBS olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 tsp good lemon pepper

a few drops siracha chili sauce (optional)

If not using lefotvers, cook your pasta and chicken, and set aside. Take a vegtable peeler, and peel long, thin strips of your carrot and zucchini intil you've got about a cup of each. Add pasta and olive oil to a pan and heat through, add vegtable ribbons and saute for about 3-5 minutes or unil the ribbons are slightly soft. Add spices and chicken and heat until chicken is warmed through.

Sweet Citrus Grilled Chicken

Tis the season for grilling! Don't you think?! I have been loving keeping my kitchen clean and doing all the work outside in the fresh air! This was a great recipe for a saturday or sunday lunch! I made it up the night before and then all I have to do was throw it on the grill and we had lunch in about 20 minutes!

Sweet Citrus Grilled Chicken

2 large chicken breasts pounded to 1/2 inch thick

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup lime juice

1 TBS lemon juice

2 TBS honey

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (optional

2 tsp lemon pepper

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

Place all ingredients in a ziplock bag, seal and shake well. Place in the fridge to marinade for al least 4-5 hours, preferably overnight.

Remove chicken from bag and discard marinade. Preheat grill to medium and grill chicken for 15-20 minutes or until no longer pink.

Simple Pot Sticker Dinner

Remember when I was talking about these pot stickers from costco? Yup, I am still addicted! But this time I wanted to share a different way to use them instead of eating them plain! This is the way my husband grew up eating them so he loves it when I make this!

You just need 3 things...

12 pot sticker dumplings

1 bag stir fry veggies

1 cup uncooked rice

Cook rice and pot stickers according to packages. When the pot stickers are done cooking, add the bag of veggies to the pan and cook until they are thawed. If you want, you can drizzle with some kind of chinese sauce, like sweet and sour, or teriyaki.



Sloppy Joe Grilled Cheese

Saying that I love grilled cheese is like the understatment of the year. I love grilled cheese. love. So when I saw this on pinterest I knew I had to try it. SO good. You'll make it for luch again and again! I promise you!

makes 2 sandwiches

4 slices bread

1/2 cup sloppy joe meat (I used this from the freezer)

4 slices cheese

butter

Butter one side of each slice of bread. On the non-buttered side, spead 1/4 cup of the sloppy joe meat and top with the cheese and the other slice of bread. Put in a hot grill pan until browned nicely. Flip and repeat on the other side.