Crock Pot Chicken Fajitas

I love cooking in the crock pot!!  When I saw this recipe at Cooking Classy, I couldn't wait to try it.  I left out the ground coriander and added chopped jalapeno.  

I cooked mine on low for 5 hours and then shredded the chicken.  The vegetables get quite soft, if you cook them for the full time.  I didn't mind them so soft, but if you like them to have a little bite, you could probably keep them out and add them the last hour or two of cooking.  I thought the flavor was great and our family all loved them!!

Crock Pot Chicken Fajitas

Ingredients:

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts halved

1 (14.5 oz) can petite diced tomatoes with green chilies

1 of each red, orange and green bell pepper, sliced

1 large yellow onion, halved and sliced

1 jalapeno pepper, chopped

4 cloves of garlic, minced

2 1/2 tsp chili powder

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp salt

3/ tsp pepper

2 Tb fresh lime juice

1 Tb honey

For serving:  flour tortillas, sour cream, cheese, salsa, chopped avocado

Directions:  Pour half of the canned tomatoes into the bottom of a crock pot and spread into an even layer.  Add half of the peppers and half of the onions and garlic.  Top with chicken breasts.

In a bowl whisk together chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper.  Evenly sprinkle half of the seasoning over chicken breasts then flip chicken and sprinkle in remainder.  Top with the rest of the tomatoes and then peppers and onions.

Cover and cook on high heat for 2-3 hours or low for 4-6 hours, until the chicken is cooked through.  I cooked mine on low for 5 hours and then shredded the chicken.  (The vegetables get quite soft, if you cook them for the full time.  I didn't mind them so soft, but if you like them to have a little bite, you could probably keep them out and add them the last hour or two of cooking...on low).  If you want your chicken to be a little more 'firm' so that you can slice it instead of shred it, don't cook as long....but make sure that the chicken is cooked completely!

Remove chicken and cut into strips or shred.  Ladle out 1 cup of the juice from the crock pot and discard.  In small bowl whisk together lime juice and honey and add to the crock pot along with the chicken.  Season with additional salt to taste, if desired.  Gently toss together.  Serve warm in warmed tortillas with cheese, sour cream, salsa and chopped avocados.

Recipe slightly adapted from:  Cooking Classy

Roasted Corn

This stuff is DELICIOUS!!  seriously...like candy :)  I have bags of frozen sweet corn in my freezer.  We always buy LOTS of sweet corn when it is ready in the summer.  We blanch it, cut it off the cob and freeze it so that we have that deliciousness all winter long.

This is my new favorite way to cook it.  I take it from the freezer, spread it on a cookie sheet, sprinkle it with salt and fresh ground pepper, mix it around with my hands and then cook it.....seriously SO good!!

Roasted Corn

(no measurements...you can make a large batch of small)

Ingredients:  

Frozen Corn

Olive Oil

Salt

Fresh Ground Pepper

Directions:   Preheat oven to 450.  Spread corn onto baking sheet.  Drizzle with Olive Oil.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Mix with spatula or hands :)....Bake for 10 minutes(on rack in middle of oven), stir and bake for approx. 10 more minutes or until the corn starts to brown up nicely.  I really keep an eye on it the last 10 minutes.

Zuppa Toscana

I have been seeing recipes for Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana everywhere lately.  I have never tried this soup before, so I don't have any idea how close it is to Olive Garden's...but I do know that it is DELICIOUS!!  I adapted my recipe from this one.  I used spinach instead of Kale, but feel free to use whichever you prefer.  I used spinach so that I could get my kids to eat it.....they just DON'T like Kale in soup....fruit shakes yes, soup...NO.  I didn't even chop my spinach, just used baby spinach and it cooked up nicely.

Zuppa Toscana

 Ingredients:

1 pound ground hot sausage

4-5 russet potatoes, chopped (I left skins on)

1 onion, chopped

2 T. minced garlic

32 oz. chicken broth

fresh baby spinach...I added 3 large handfuls...it seems like a lot, but cooks down fast, I wish I had added more.

1 cup heavy whipping cream

2 T. flour

salt, pepper, cayenne pepper

Real bacon bits and Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:  Brown sausage in a medium size pot.  Drain sausage.  Add cooked sausage and onions to pan.  Cook until onions start to brown.  Add garlic, cook an additional 30 seconds.  Add chicken broth and potatoes.  If vegetables aren't covered by the chicken broth, add just enough water to cover them.  Cook until potatoes are tender.  Whisk heavy whipping cream together with flour until there are no lumps.  Stir into soup.  Add spinach, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste. Cook until the soup starts to thicken, stirring frequently...20-30 minutes.   Serve topped with bacon bits and Parmesan cheese.

One Skillet Spicy Sausage Pasta

My family LOVED this dish!!  I found this recipe here at Kevin and Amanda's blog.  It is SO simple and I love that you only dirty one pan :)  The recipe calls for a can of Rotel tomatoes, but I just used a can of store brand petite diced tomatoes with green chili.  Because we LOVE green chili around here...I also added extra.

Mmmm...delish!!

One Skillet Spicy Sausage Pasta

Ingredients:

1 tbsp oil
1 lb smoked sausage, chopped
1 diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 (10 oz) can Ro-Tel tomatoes and green chili, Mild (I used store brand diced tomatoes w/green chili)
1/4 cup chopped green chili, optional
1/2 cup heavy cream
8 oz Gemini pasta
1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper, each
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Directions:   Heat oil in an oven-safe skillet(I LOVE a good cast iron skillet) over medium high heat until HOT.  Add sausage and onions, cook until light brown, approx 4-5 minutes.  Add garlic and cook an additional 30ish seconds.  Add broth, tomatoes, green chili, cream, pasta, salt and pepper.  Stir together.  Bring to boil, cover skillet and reduce heat to medium-low.  Simmer until pasta is tender, approx. 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 cup cheese.  Top with remaining cheese and broil until cheese is melted, bubbly and beginning to brown.

Pizza Talk (BBQ Chicken w/alfredo and BACON)

i LOVE LOVE pizza!!  Usually when we make pizza we use this Versatile Bread Dough.  The recipe makes a ton, so I use what I need, divide the rest into freezer bags and freeze for next time.

I really LOVE BBQ chicken pizza w/Alfredo..mmmmmmm!!!  My husband's favorite is pepperoni w/sliced jalapenos.  My other boys are split between the two.

A few years ago while I was attending a Scouting Round Table meeting, the guy taught us how to make dutch oven pizza.  It is delish.  He told us that the secret to good pizza is in the cheese.  He used half Provolone and half Monterrey Jack cheese.  The blend is SO yummy!!  It melts SO nice and doesn't 'stretch' and pull all of itself off the pizza as you eat it!  Since that meeting we have changed the way we make pizza in our house :)

My husband likes a thicker crust, but I like to make our pizza with a thin crust so that it is nice and crispy all the way to the middle.  I don't think there are many things that are worse than a soggy pizza crust in the middle of your pie!  Below is how I have found to make the perfect pizza...according to me anyway ;)

The Perfect BBQ Chicken Pizza w/Alfredo Sauce and Bacon

Ingredients:

Dough

Alfredo Sauce 

Monterrey Jack Cheese ~1/4 of a pound, grated

Provolone Cheese ~1/4 of a pound, grated

2 chicken breasts pounded thin, marinated in Italian Salad Dressing

Your Favorite BBQ Sauce 

Bacon, cut into small pieces, fried and drained of grease

Directions:  Grill your chicken.  Salt and Pepper your chicken, I also sprinkle a little onion powder on it when I am cooking it for the pizza.  When chicken is almost cooked through baste each side with BBQ sauce.  Chop your chicken, add additional BBQ sauce and set aside.  Roll out your dough to desired size of pizza(~1/4-1/2 inch thick), cover with kitchen towel.  Preheat your pizza stone to 475 degrees as you preheat oven, put the pizza stone into cold oven (unless your pizza stone directions say not to preheat).  When the stone is preheated, cover with a small amount of cornmeal.  Transfer dough to pizza stone, coat dough with a thin layer of Alfredo sauce.  Evenly arrange BBQ chicken over Alfredo sauce, we always add a little more BBQ sauce at this point...just drizzle it on.  Top with your grated cheese (mix cheese together first so you have a good mix of both in each bite).  Now add Bacon(obviously in the picture above I just tossed it on, you may want to arrange it more evenly).  If you put your bacon on top of the cheese, the bacon will stay crispy.  Bake at 475 for 13 minutes on the bottom rack of your oven.  Remove and let cool a bit, cut...serve...enjoy!!

Same process for other types of pizza, just different toppings...same cheese :)  

PS, for pepperoni pizza we use Hunt's 4 cheese spaghetti sauce from the can.  Inexpensive and yummy!

PSS, Italian dressing is a SUPER simple...SUPER yummy marinade for grilling chicken!!

Another note....if you don't have a pizza stone, round cake pans work SO well for making pizza.  Just spray a little cooking spray in the bottom, add a dusting of corn meal, dough and toppings.  When we used to use the cake pans, I would put my topping clear to the edge of the pizza.

Versatile Bread Dough

Today I am going to share with you a bread dough recipe that I use to make lots of yummy food :)  It makes A LOT of dough.  Enough for 6 or 7 loaves of bread.  You can also use it for rolls(If I am making rolls, I usually use THIS recipe..unless I am in a hurry and have some of this in the refrigerator already) and pizza dough.  I usually make a batch, use part of it for pizza or whatever and then divide the dough into bags to freeze for later.

You will need a large mixer to make this recipe.  I use a Bosch.  Or...if you are ambitious, you could always mix by hand.

This week I will share the recipes or processes to make the yummy stuff in the bottom picture.

Versatile Bread Dough

Ingredients:

3/4-1 cup sugar (depends on how sweet you like your dough, I usually do 3/4)

3 T yeast

6 1/2 cups warm water

2 T salt

3/4 cup oil

~16-20 cups all-purpose flour

Directions:  Add the sugar and yeast to the warm water and let sit until the yeast starts to bubble.  Add oil and 5 cups of flour, mix.  Add salt, mix.  Add enough flour to make a soft, but not too sticky dough..when the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the mixer.  Knead in mixer for 5-6 minutes, or knead by hand.  Put the dough into a large greased bowl and cover until doubled, 45-60 minutes(if making bread or rolls).  I like to cover my dough with Saran wrap that has been sprayed with cooking spray and then with a towel, so the dough doesn't stick to the towel.  Form into bread loaves or rolls, place into greased pans.  Cover and let rise again until doubled, 30-60 minutes.  Bake at 350 until golden brown(mine usually takes 30-35 minutes, but it may depend on altitude, loaf size and your oven).  Take out and butter tops.  I let mine sit in a pan on a cooling rack for approx 5 minutes and then remove the bread from the pan and let cool on the cooling rack or a towel.  If you leave it in the pan for too long, it will begin to 'sweat' and then it will be 'wet' on the bottom of your loaf when you take it out.

Note:  If you are going to freeze this and then make it into bread....remove from freezer, let thaw on counter until room temperature.  Form into loaves or rolls, let rise until doubled in size and proceed as above.

Top left: Pepperoni pizza(obviously :)), Top right:  BBQ chicken pizza with Alfredo and bacon, Bottom left:  Pull-apart cinnamon bread, Bottom right:  Cinnamon pizza pizza(inspired by Papa John's Cinnapie)

Chicken-Chipotle Burrito Bowls

This is going to be quick...I found the recipe here.  Sorry this picture isn't really focused...my camera battery is almost dead(like flashing battery light) and I can not find my charger anywhere!

I made this for dinner last night and it was SO good and SO easy!!  Next time I would add a little salt to the tomato mixture.  This is great in a bowl or wrapped up in a tortilla for lunch the next day.  The recipe said that it would feed 4, but if you make extra rice....I would say it will easily serve 6.

Chicken-Chipotle Burrito Bowls

Ingredients:

1 lb	Boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cubed
1	(15-oz.) Can Black Beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup	Frozen Corn
2 cups	Canned, crushed tomatoes
1– 2 tsp	Finely Chopped Canned Chipotle Chile Peppers In Adobo Sauce
½ tsp	Ground Cumin
1 Tbsp	Chopped Fresh Cilantro
1 clove	Garlic, minced
4	Corn Tortillas, cut or torn into bite-sized pieces
2 cups	Hot Cooked White Rice
	Reduced-fat Dairy Sour Cream, optional
	Reduced-fat Shredded Cheddar or Monterrey Jack Cheese (optional)
	Fresh Cilantro, optional

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13-inch glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Arrange chicken in an even layer in baking dish. In a bowl combine beans, corn, tomatoes, chipotle chili peppers, cumin, cilantro, and garlic; pour mixture evenly over chicken. Sprinkle with tortilla pieces.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until chicken is tender and no longer pink.

To serve, divide rice evenly among four serving bowls. Top with chicken mixture. Garnish with sour cream, shredded cheese, and cilantro, if desired.

Panko-Crusted Fish Sticks and Homemade Tarter Sauce

The last time my mother-in-law came to visit, she left a couple of her Cooking Light magazines for me.  There are so many GREAT recipes that I can't wait to try!!  When I saw this recipe, I knew it would be the first.  While we were in Utah this past summer my sister and bro-in-law gave us some Halibut that they caught while in Alaska...(I know...she is spoiled :)).  I had cooked most of what they gave us, but just enough left for this.  If you don't have Halibut hanging out in your freezer, a good(and cheaper) alternative is tilapia.

 

Panko-Crusted Fish Sticks...and Homemade Tarter Sauce

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon milk

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 pound halibut fillets, cut into 20 (1-inch) strips

1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

3/8 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

3/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided

2 tablespoons canola oil, divided

1/4 cup light sour cream

3 Tablespoons canola mayonnaise

2 Tablespoons finely chopped bread-and-butter pickles

2 teaspoons minced capers

Directions:  Combine milk and eggs in a large bowl; stir with a whisk.  Add fish and toss gently to coat.  Place panko, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large zip-top bag.  Add fish to panko mixture; seal bag.  Shake bag to coat fish.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add 1 Tablespoon oil to pan; swirl to coat.  Add half of fish; cook 4 minutes or until done, turning occasionally to brown all sides.  Repeat procedure with remaining 1 Tablespoon oil and remaining fish.

Combine sour cream, mayonnaise, pickles, capers, remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl.  Serve sauce with fish.

Chinese Spicy Chicken

I found this recipe over at Mandy's Recipe Box.  We REALLY enjoyed this recipe!  So good....we really LOVE spicy over here :).

Chinese Spicy Chicken

Ingredients:

 Chicken

3-4 boneless chicken breasts

salt and pepper

1 cup cornstarch

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup canola oil

Spicy Sauce

1/4 cup sugar

4 tbsp ketchup

1/2 cup vinegar

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp garlic salt

Sriracha Hot Sauce to taste

Red Pepper flakes

 

Directions:  Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Rinse your chicken breasts in water and then cut into cubes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Dip chicken into the cornstarch to coat then dip into the eggs. Heat 1/4 cup oil in a large skillet and cook your chicken until browned but not cooked through. Place the chicken in a 9x13 greased baking dish. Mix all of your Spicy Sauce ingredients in a bowl with a whisk and then pour evenly over the chicken.

 

Caution: The Sriracha sauce really is hot! So start with a little bit and stir it around and taste it before adding more. 

 

Bake for one hour and during the baking process you will need to turn the chicken every 15 minutes. Sprinkle with Red Pepper flakes before serving.

Crock Pot Cream Cheese Chicken Chili

Seriously, I have the hardest time getting a decent picture of chili, soup, enchiladas...etc....so this picture does not do this recipe justice!!  I found this recipe here from Plain Chicken.  If you want to see some great pictures of this dish that will make you drool....go HERE to see them.  This recipe is easy and really delicious!!

Crock Pot Cream Cheese Chicken Chili

Ingredients:

1 can black beans
1 can corn, undrained
1 can Rotel, undrained
1 package ranch dressing mix
1 tsp cumin
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 8 oz package light cream cheese
2 chicken breasts

Directions:  Drain and rinse black beans. Place chicken at bottom of pot, then pour out whole can of corn (undrained), rotel, and black beans. Top with seasonings and ranch mix. Stir together. Place cream cheese on top. Cover with lid and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Stir cream cheese into chili. Use 2 forks to shred chicken. Stir together and serve.