Green Chili Turkey Burgers

Found these on Elana's Pantry.  I despise cilantro, so I left it out.  You can check out the original recipe if you must have it :-)

 
2 (4 oz.) cans diced green chiles
1 pound ground turkey
½ cup onion, finely chopped
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon sea salt

1. In a medium sized bowl mix diced chiles with turkey, onion, cumin, chili powder and salt
2. Form into burgers and grill
3. Serve-we topped with cheddar and served on buns with fries on the side!

***Yummy! Super easy, excellent flavor, pretty healthy!***

Buffalo Chicken in the Crockpot

I found this recipe HERE, originally intended for lettuce wraps. It is pretty versatile, and could be used for wraps, salads, tacos, etc.

Ingredients:

• 24 oz boneless skinless chicken breast
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic
• 16 oz chicken broth
• 1/2 cup hot cayenne pepper sauce (I used Frank's)

Directions:

In a crock pot, combine chicken, onions, celery stalk, garlic and broth (enough to cover your chicken, use water if the can of broth isn't enough). Cover and cook on high 4 hours.

Remove the chicken from pot, reserve 1/2 cup broth and discard the rest. Shred the chicken with two forks, return to the slow cooker with the 1/2 cup broth and the hot sauce and set to on high for an additional 30 minutes. Makes 3 cups chicken.

***Super delicious! We had this as lettuce wraps one night, tacos another night, and hubby ate some with rice to finish it off.  And a little secret I learned...if you are lucky enough to own a kitchenaid mixer, put those chicken breasts in with the paddle attachment for about 30 seconds and Voila! Shredded for you!!!***

Tangy Ranch Chicken

Recipe by French's:

2/3 cup ranch dressing
1/3 cup prepared mustard
3 Tbs brown sugar
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Mix salad ranch, mustard, brown sugar in a bowl.  Pour 1/2 cup sauce into a serving dish.
Coat chicken with remaining sauce in a greased, oven-safe dish.
Bake at 350f for 25 minutes.

Serve over rice, with remaining sauce.

***Yummy and easy!  Tastes like honey mustard after it has been baking.  The ranch flavor doesn't really come through, except a little bit in the uncooked sauce.***

BBQ Pineapple Chicken

I found this recipe here, and tweaked it just a little.

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup BBQ sauce
1 can pineapple rings

Marinate chicken in BBQ sauce and pineapple juice overnight.

When you're ready, grill chicken on BBQ until no longer Pink. Grill the pineapple rings too, at the same time. They're delicious this way!

Don't toss the sauce!  Boil it in a saucepan over medium-high heat for 5 minutes.  Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Serve chicken and pineapple over rice, with a couple spoonfuls of sauce over the top. Or make it into a sandwich with cheese, like the original recipe :-)

***Great flavor, incredibly easy!  This will go into the regular rotation!!!***

Chicken with Creamy Dijon Sauce

1/2 cup Chicken Broth
6 Tbs Dijon Mustard
1/3 cup cream cheese, softened
1 Tbs Italian Seasoning
1 Tbs Oil
4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 tsp minced garlic

Mix broth, mustard, cream cheese and herbs until well blended.
Cook chicken in hot oil in a skillet until browned on both sides, about 15 minutes.

Stir in mustard sauce and garlic. Simmer over medium heat 3-5 minutes until sauce thickens slightly.

***Delish!  I cut up the chicken before browning, so it was bite-sized.  We ate it with rice, but it would be great over pasta as well.***

Crockpot Chili

1lb ground turkey
2 small onions, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (14.5oz) kidney beans, drained
1 can (14.5oz) white beans, drained
1 can (14.5oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (8oz) tomato sauce
3 Tbs chili powder (add more if you like it spicy)
1 1/2 Tbs cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Brown turkey, onion, and garlic together. Drain and add to crockpot with remaining ingredients. Cook on low 5-6 hours.

***Yummy!!! I threw in a few fresh, chopped roma tomatoes...I think it made a difference! But of course it will taste great without! You could also add another can of diced tomatoes, drained. Perfect amount of spice, great flavor!***

Lil' Cheddar Meatloaves

This recipe is a comfort food reminder of my late childhood...something my dad and brother loved to make for dinner. Yum!

Ingredients

1 egg

¾ cup milk

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

½ cup quick-cooking oats

½ cup chopped onions

1 teaspoon salt

1 lb lean ground beef

²⁄₃ cup ketchup

½ cup packed brown sugar

1 ½ teaspoons prepared mustard

Directions

1. In a bowl, beat the egg and milk.
2. Stir in cheese, oats, onion, salt and rubbed sage.
3. Add beef and mix well.
4. (It will seem runny at first but will thicken up as you mix.) Shape into 8 equal sized loaves (oval/egg shaped) and place in a greased 9X13X2" baking dish.
5. Sauce: Combine ketchup, brown sugar and mustard.
6. Spoon over each loaf so they are all covered in the sauce.
7. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until meat is no longer pink and a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees.

***Soooo good! I do not like meatloaf, but I LOVE these! Easy, tasty, and hubs loved them as well! Great with mashed potatoes and corn!***

Cajun Ranch Chicken Pasta

Slightly modified from Plain Chicken:

Grilled Cajun Ranch Chicken Pasta
Chicken
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup ranch dressing
3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp Cajun Seasoning
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp white vinegar
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 Tbsp sugar
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

In a medium bowl, stir together the olive oil, ranch dressing, Worcestershire sauce, cajun seasoning, lemon juice, white vinegar, pepper, and sugar. Let stand for 5 minutes. Place chicken in the gallon size ziplock bag and pour in the marinade. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours (the longer the better). Preheat the grill for medium-high heat. Grill chicken for 8 to 12 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, and the juices run clear.

Pasta
16 oz bowtie pasta
1/4 cup butter
2 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 Tbsp pepper
2 tsp Cajun seasoning
1/2 c. shredded Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain; set aside.

In a small saucepan, melt butter, add garlic, whipping cream, Cajun seasoning, pepper, and parmesan cheese. Whisk together on low heat for 5-6 minutes. In a large bowl, pour over cooked, drained pasta. Top with Cajun ranch chicken and sprinkle a little bit more shredded parmesan cheese on top.

***Yummy!!! We had green beans on the side, which was perfect! I might adjust the seasonings a little...the chicken was not spicy at all and the pasta had a good kick.***

Chicken Pot Pie

I combined a few recipes to come up with this one. I needed it to be GF, wanted it to be from scratch, and still be fairly easy. I like how it turned out!

Ingredients:

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cubed

1 cup sliced/diced carrots

1/2 cup frozen green beans

1/2 cup frozen corn

1/3 cup butter

1/3 cup chopped onion

2 cloves minced garlic

1/3 cup all-purpose flour (I used GF of course!)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 3/4 cups chicken broth

2/3 cup milk

For the top crust:

• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 1 cup all-purpose flour (GF) + 1 1/2 tsp baking powder (or use 1 cup bisquick mix)
  

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a saucepan, combine chicken, carrots, beans, and corn. Add water to cover and boil for 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and set aside.
3. In the saucepan over medium heat, cook onions in butter until soft and translucent. Stir in garlic, flour, salt, and pepper. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk. Simmer over medium-low heat until thick. Remove from heat and set aside.
4. Place the chicken mixture in an 8x8 glass dish. Pour hot liquid mixture over. Stir to combine.
   
5. Mix milk, egg and flour/baking powder. Pour over chicken mixture. Bake 30 minutes or until golden.

   

***So good! I made this for lunch on my day off, because hubby doesn't like Chicken Pot Pie. Pretty sure it is the only thing he really doesn't like. So I'll deal. Besides, that means more for me, right???***

Chicken Spiedini (Minus the Spiedini) :-)

So I found this recipe over at What's Gaby Cooking? It was a guest post, and an amazing recipe!

Of course, I tweaked it. Preferences, ingredients available, and of course I can't leave a recipe alone... :-)

Oh, and the spiedini...that means meat on a stick. So basically I just didn't skewer the chicken.

Ingredients:
2 cans diced tomatoes, drained as much as possible

1 Tbs butter

1/4 cup chicken broth

1 1/2 Tbs sugar

1 pinch coarse salt (more or less depending on the salt in your tomatoes)

1 pinch pepper

1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

1 clove garlic, minced

3 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 cup bread crumbs (I used ground rice Chex)

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 Tbs EVOO

4 Tbs butter, melted

8-12 oz spaghetti, cooked according to package directions (we like a quinoa-corn mix)

Lemon juice for sprinkling

Instructions

1. Simmer tomatoes, butter, broth, sugar, salt, pepper, Italian seasonings for 20-30 minutes on medium. Stir occasionally.
   
2. In a shallow dish, combine the breadcrumbs, parmesan, garlic and a tiny pinch of salt and pepper.
3. In another, combine oil and melted butter.
4. Dredge the chicken pieces through the butter/oil mixture, then through the breadcrumb mixture.
5. Heat 2 Tbs. oil in a medium skillet over medium-high. Cook the chicken until golden brown on all sides and cooked through, about 8 minutes total.
6. Add cooked pasta to the tomato sauce. Toss to combine.
7. Serve chicken over a bed of spaghetti. Sprinkle with lemon juice.

***Super yummy! Took me a bit to set it up and make it, but now that I've got the steps down, it is actually pretty simple. Yummy, comforting meal! This will be in the regular rotation!***

Mashed Cauliflower

I have always wanted to try this, but never got around to it...

Cauliflower was on sale recently, so I went for it, and I am soooo glad I did!

Simple:
Steam your cauliflower however you like. I use our steamer/rice cooker. You could also roast it for a deeper flavor.

Once it is done, mash it and season like you would mashed potatoes-butter, salt, pepper, garlic, etc.

It smells kinda funky, because cauliflower does. But tastes amazing! You will know it is not potato, but wouldn't necessarily guess it is cauliflower!

Another great side dish to help reduce the carbs/grains we usually eat!

Crockpot Meatballs

Modified from a recipe by the amazing Crockpot Lady!

1.25 pounds ground turkey (it's what I had, can use beef)

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup Panko-style breadcrumbs ( we use ground rice/corn chex or rice krispies)

2 eggs

2 tablespoons dried minced onion flakes

1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

additional ingredients:

1 cup flour (I used GF)

1 3/4 cups chicken broth (can use beef)

4oz tomato paste

The Directions.

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Spray the inside of your cooker with cooking spray. In a good-sized mixing bowl, combine the turkey,Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, eggs, and the dried spices. Combine well--- use your hands!.

After the meat is mixed, line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or non-stick foil. Pour 1 cup of flour into a shallow dish.

Roll meat into golfball-sized balls and then lightly dust each meat ball with flour before placing onto the lined cookie sheet. When all the meat is gone, put the whole cookie sheet into the freezer for 1 hour, or until completely frozen.

Once your meatballs are frozen, place them one-by-one (don't dump!) into your lightly greased slow cooker. It's okay to stack them. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the broth and tomato paste to create a gravy. Pour this evenly over the meatballs.

Cover, and cook on low for 5 hours, or until the meatballs have browned and are fully cooked. They can stay on warm for about 3 hours if you need...

Serve with pasta or rice!

***Yummy! These came out really great! I really liked the flavor of the ground turkey, although I'm sure ground beef would be just as good. We at this with pasta. There is just the right amount of sauce for all of the meatballs. Easy-peasy!***

Dijon Crusted Chicken

Found at Taste of Home:

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup dry bread crumbs-we use ground rice or corn Chex!
  
• 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 ounces each)
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard-we used a little more
  
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon butter or margarine

Directions

• Place the first six ingredients in a shallow bowl. Brush chicken with mustard; roll in crumb mixture.
• In a large nonstick skillet, cook chicken in oil and margarine over medium heat for 5-6 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer reads 170°.
  

***Super easy and delicious! Great weeknight meal!***

Big Cheese Potatoes

2 Tbs Butter
1 tsp minced garlic
8 cups peeled, shredded baking potatoes
1 Tbs lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup (4oz) grated Gruyere cheese
1/2 cup (2oz) grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup whipping cream (can use heavy cream or 1/2 & 1/2)

Heat oven to 400
Melt butter in shallow 2qt baking dish
Add garlic
Brush to coat bottom and sides of dish
Combine potatoes, lemon juice, salt and pepper in large bowl
Combine cheeses in another bowl
Spread half the potatoes in the baking dish, cover with half the cheese
Repeat layers
Pour cream over top
Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes
Remove foil and bake another 15-20 minutes

Serve with Italian Pork Chops and Broccoli Italiano for a complete, easy meal!

***So yummy!!! This is a recipe from my childhood, and it brought back so many memories of us all sitting around the table enjoying dinner together! My mama was/is a good cook!***

Homemade Corn Dogs

Found on Bakingdom...LOVE this site!

Makes 8 to 10 corn dogs and about 1 dozen corn puppies

Ingredients

1 cup yellow corn meal or corn flour
1 cup all-purpose flour (we used GF of course!)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 to 1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 egg
3/4 to 1 cup milk
1 to 2 tablespoons honey or agave
8 to 10 hot dogs

Preheat oil to 375 degrees in a large pot on stove. Preheat oven to lowest setting (around 175 degrees). Line a wire cooling rack or baking sheet with clean paper towels and place it in the oven.

In a medium bowl, combine the corn meal (or flour), all-purpose flour, salt, pepper, sugar, and baking powder. Make a well in the center and add the egg, milk, and honey. Mix until thoroughly combined, adding more milk, as needed.

Dry hot dogs off by rolling them on clean paper towel. Place a couple of dogs in the prepared batter and use a fork, chopstick, or your clean hands to roll it around and get it coated. Fry the corn dogs for 3 to 5 minutes, until deep golden brown. Place the dogs in the preheated oven on the prepared rack or pan. Once all of the dogs are cooked, serve immediately.

To make corn puppies: Using a table- or soup spoon, drop excess batter into the hot oil and fry for about 4 minutes, until deep golden brown. Drain on paper towels and serve hot.

***Sooooo good! I don't eat hot dogs very often, but being GF has pretty much meant no corn dogs, which is a bummer! These turned out great, our whole family at them, and no one knew they were GF. We used corn meal, and really liked the texture. Although it sounds intimidating, these were super easy to make!***

Meatloaf

Modified from a recipe found at Allrecipes:

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 egg
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 3/4 cup milk
• 3/4 cup quick oats
  
• 1/4-1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
• 1 Tbs Worcestershire
  
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons prepared mustard
• 1/3 cup ketchup

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, combine the beef, egg, onion, milk, oats, salt, pepper and Worcestershire. Place in a lightly greased 5x9 inch loaf pan, OR form into a loaf and place in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish.
3. In a separate small bowl, combine the brown sugar, mustard and ketchup. Mix well and pour over the meatloaf.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 1 hour.

***Great flavor! Super moist! I actually hate meatloaf, and I enjoyed eating this! Might have been the parmesan mashed potatoes and green beans I served with it... Hubs approves!***

Mac N Cheese

Inspired by a recipe by Gina...

8 oz Pasta (we like a quinoa-corn pasta)
2 Tbs butter
4 Tbs Flour (we used GF)
1 Tbs minced garlic
1 Tbs onion flakes
1 1/4 cups milk
3/4 cup chicken broth
2 cups shredded cheese (sharper cheese works best, we used a blend)
Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs (we used ground Chex with a little salt/pepper/garlic)
Pam cooking spray

Cook pasta al dente, according to package (especially if using GF pasta)

Spray baking dish with cooking spray (or use a Demarle silicone pan like I did-no spray!)

Preheat oven to 375°

In a large skillet, melt butter. Add garlic and onion, and stir over medium heat 1 minute.

Add flour and stir another minute, until golden and well combined.

Add chicken broth and whisk until well combined. Whisk in milk, raising heat to medium-high until it begins to boil. Continue whisking for about 5 minutes, while mixture thickens.

Season with salt and pepper.

Remove from heat and stir in cheese, until melted.

Add pasta, then pour into baking dish.

Pour breadcrumbs (or Chex + seasonings) over the top evenly. Spray with cooking spray (helps browning).

Bake in oven for 20-30 minutes, until bubbly and golden.

***Oh my! This was delicious. Of course it doesn't closely resemble the inspiration recipe anymore since I used full fat options, but hey, it's Mac-N-Cheese! It is supposed to be sinful and delicious! At least that's what hubby says :-) Hubby's request: DO NOT ever, EVER lose this recipe (and don't add veggies to my mac n cheese)! Done and done. Make this! It is definitely a keeper! (p.s. we ate this with grilled chicken and brussel sprouts. It's all about balance :-) )***

Eggplant Parm

Inspired by AllRecipes:

1 eggplant, peeled and sliced (1/4")
1 egg, beaten
2 cups crushed chex (corn or rice)
1/2 cup grated parmesan
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp italian seasoning


Marinara or Spaghetti sauce

Directions:
Preaheat oven to 350
Mix chex, parmesan, seasonings in a bowl (if not GF, use italian seasoned breadcrumbs)
Dip eggplant slices in egg, then chex mix.
Place in a single layer on a baking sheet (lined with parchment for easy clean up!)
Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown.
Serve with marinara sauce (can eat over pasta too!)

***Delicious and easy!!! Will definitely be making this again. This amount serves 2-3 people.***

Stuffed Peppers

(not the best pictures...just trust me and MAKE THESE!)

Modified from AllRecipes:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1 lb browned ground turkey (or beef)

2 cups cooked rice

1 onion, diced and browned

1 Tbs minced garlic
1 tsp worcestershire

2 medium tomatoes, diced

1/4-1/2 tsp sea salt, to taste

1/2-1 tsp black pepper, to taste

1 can tomato sauce

1 tsp Italian seasoning

6-8 bell peppers, washed/tops cut off/seeds removed (we like red)

Mix turkey, rice, garlic, onion, worcestershire, tomatoes, salt and pepper in large bowl.

Spoon mixture into bell peppers, just to top, not overflowing. Place in baking dish.

Mix tomato sauce and Italian seasoning together, and spoon over each pepper.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes, until peppers are tender. Check 2-3 times during baking and spoon any extra sauce over peppers.

***These were excellent!!! I put some cheese over a few peppers in the last 10 minutes of baking, at hubs request. Will definitely make these again! The turkey/rice mixture freezes well, so it could be make ahead of time for a quicker meal prep.***

Easy Chicken Enchiladas

Slightly adapted from Here!

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked chicken
1 jar (8oz) salsa
8oz cream cheese
3/4 lb velveeta
8 corn tortillas
1/4 cup milk

Directions:
-Stir chicken, 1/2+ cup of salsa, and cream cheese together in a saucepan, over low heat until smooth.
-Spoon mixture onto each tortilla, roll up and place seam side down in a lightly greased 9x13 pan.
-Stir velveeta, milk, and remaining salsa over low heat until smooth. Pour sauce over tortillas and cover pan with foil
-Bake at 250 degrees for 20 minutes, or until thoroughly heated.

***Good, easy meal. Would have been great with some rice or other veggies, as it was a little rich. Note to self-Does not freeze well!***