Easy BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches

1 pork shoulder roast (about 2 1/2 pounds)
1 bottle (about 14 ounces) BBQ sauce (I usually add a little more because we like it saucey)
1 T. Fresh lemon juice
1 T. Brown sugar
1 medium onion, chopped
8 buns

Place roast in the crock pot and cook for 10-12 hours on low or 5 to 6 hours on high. Remove the pork and shred. Discard any liquid in the crock pot. Return the shredded pork to the crock pot and add in the BBQ sauce, lemon juice, brown sugar and onion. Cover and cook on low for 2 more hours or on high for 1 more hour. Serve on the buns.

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

Makes 12 Taquitos

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup green salsa
1 T. Lime juice
1/2 t. Cumin
1/2 t. Chili powder
1/2 t. Onion powder
2  cloves garlic, minced
3 T. chopped cilantro
3 T. Sliced green onion
2 cups of cooked chicken, shredded
1 cup shredded cheese
12 tortillas

Preheat oven to 425. Combine all ingredients (except tortillas) in a mixing bowl. Warm tortillas in the microwave if needed to make them easier to roll. Spoon 2-3 T. of the chicken mixture onto the lower third of a tortilla and roll the tortilla up tight. Place the rolled tortilla seam side down on a baking sheet. Continue with the remaining tortillas. Much sure the tortillas are not touching each other and spray them with a little cooking spray. Bake for 15-20 minutes until crisp and lightly brown. Serve with sour cream, salsa and/or guacamole.

Crock Pot Mexican Noodles

1 yellow onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 small can diced green chilies
1 t. Garlic powder
1 t. Cumin
1/4 t. Pepper
2 cans of cream of mushroom soup
4 frozen chicken breasts
3-4 cups shredded cheese, divided
1 lb. pasta

The beauty of this meal is that it's both a freezer meal and a crockpot meal. If you want to do the freezer version, mix the first 9 ingredients and 1 to 1 1/2 cups cheese to a freezer safe container or bag. Then defrost it the night before and place it in the crock pot for 8-9 hours on low the next morning. Cook the noodles and shred the chicken.  Add in the remaining cheese and mix in the cooked noodles.  Let the cheese melt by letting it continue in the crockpot for 10-15 minutes.  If you want to do the crockpot version mix the first nine ingredients and 1 to 1 1/2 cups cheese and place directly in the crock pot.  Cook on low for 8-9 hours. Shred chicken and cook noodles. Add in the noodles and remaining cheese and continue cooking for 10-15 minutes. Easy Peasy.

Easy Crock Pot Salsa Verde Chicken Tostadas

I am always looking for new crockpot recipes. This one was simple, easy, and healthy to boot. The recipe is from skinnytaste.com

Ingredients:1 1/2 lbs raw skinless chicken tenders (I used chicken breasts)
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp oregano (we were out so I used parsley)
1/8 tsp ground cumin
salt, to taste (I used just a sprinkle of season salt)
16 oz roasted salsa verde

Tostada shells or corn tortillas
Sour cream
Salsa
Broccoli slaw
Cheese

Season the chicken with the garlic powder, oregano, cumin and salt and place them in the crock pot. Pour the salsa verde over the top and cover and cook HIGH 2 hours (I cooked mine for 6 hours on LOW.)After the chicken is cooked through, remove it from the crock pot and shred it with 2 forks. Remove 2/3 cup of the cooking liquid from the slow cooker, and discard (unless you want it over rice). Place the shredded chicken back into the crock pot and stir it with the remaining salsa. You can adjust the seasonings at this point if desired.

This recipes makes about 3 cups.

We served our chicken on tostada shells and corn tortillas (the healthier option) topped with sour cream, salsa, broccoli slaw and cheese. You can visit skinnytaste.com for the exact nutrition information on this recipe.

Posted with Blogsy

Jalapeno Popper Chicken

Stephen said this was the best thing that I've ever cooked!  A real man pleaser

Jalapeno Popper Chicken




Jalapeno Popper Chicken




5 STARS

3 servings

3.3 net carbs per serving



3 chicken breasts

a sprinkle of cumin (I used about 1/2 tsp)

a sprinkle of chili powder (I used about 1/2 tsp)

a light sprinkle of salt

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 jalapenos, seeded and chopped (we are wimps so we just used 1 but I recommend 3)

4 oz full fat cream cheese

3/4 cup chicken broth

3 slices of bacon, chopped

1 TBSP chopped fresh cilantro (can use 1 tsp dried but I don't recommend)

3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese





Pan fry the bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon but leave grease. Sprinkle cumin, chili and salt on each side of chicken breasts and pan fry in the bacon grease until cooked through, flipping half way. Remove chicken and keep warm. Throw chopped jalapeno and garlic in pan and cook for approximately 2 minutes over medium heat. Add chicken broth, scraping and deglazing the leftover yummies in the pan. Add cream cheese and stir in until melted. Add shredded cheddar and stir until melted. Add bacon crumbles and cilantro, stirring through for a minute or so. Spoon sauce over chicken

Spinach Artichoke Pasta

I love when a new found recipe is delicious.  I found it on pinterest but the blog is found here.  The pin claimed that the pasta dish tasted like hot spinach artichoke dip, which I love.  I made it and we LOVE it.  We've already eaten it several times.  It's a quick weeknight meal and it's meatless.  

Creamy goodness.

Ingredients:

12 ounces of pasta

1 t. butter

2 cloves garlic, minced (I used three, we love garlic)

8 ounces reduced fat cream cheese

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream

1/2 a lemon, juiced

1/2 t. salt

1/4 t. red pepper flakes

14 ounce can artichoke hearts, packed in water, chopped

10 ounce box of chopped, frozen spinach, with excess water removed

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Cook the pasta according to the package directions.

Meanwhile, in a large pan melt the butter over medium heat.  Add the garlic to the butter and cook until fragrant.  Then add in the cream cheese and stir it until it's completely melted.  Next, slowly stir in the milk.  Then add the sour cream, lemon juice, salt and red pepper flakes.  Add in the artichoke hearts, spinach and parmesan cheese.  Cook until everything is heated through, stirring occasionally.  

Drain the pasta and add it to the spinach and artichoke mix and mix well.  You can season with additional salt or lemon juice if you want, I didn't think it needed it.

Zucchini Casserole #2

Zucchini Casserole #2

2 1/2 lbs. zucchini, sliced, cooked for 3 minutes in salted water, reserve water
1 1/2 lbs ground beef, or ground sausage (we love it with sausage!)
1 lg. onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 Tbsp. garlic salt
1 Tbsp. oregano
1 1/4 C. uncooked minute rice
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 C. milk 1/2 -3/4 C. zucchini liquid (reserved water)
1 C. cheddar cheese, shredded

Brown the beef or sausage, add the onion, green pepper, garlic salt and oregano. Cook for about 5 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Add rice and reserved zucchini liquid.

In another bowl combine the soup and milk together and mix well.

In a 9 x 13 dish layer the following: The hamburger/rice mixture, then arrange the zucchini slices on top of the hamburger. Then pour the soup/milk mixture evenly over the top of the zucchini. Top with the shredded cheese and then bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Zucchini Casserole #1

I have zucchini coming out of my ears and so we are eating a lot of it at our house. Here are a few of our favorite recipes that include zucchini

Zucchini Casserole #1
6 C. zucchini, 5 C. shredded, 1 C. sliced
1 lb. Hamburger
1 box stove top stuffing mix
1/2 C. melted butter
1 can cream of celery soup
1 C. sour cream
1 C. grated cheese
1/2 large onion, chopped
1/2 - 1 C. carrots, shredded

In a sauce pan brown the hamburger; add the onion and cook until the onions are translucent. Add the shredded zucchin and carrots and cook for a few minutes.

In another bowl combine the stuffing mix, melted butter, sour cream, cream of celery soup, and shredded cheese. Add the hamburger/veggie mix and stir to combine. Pour into a greased casserole dish. 9 x 13.

With the remaining zucchin slices, saute in a litle bit of olive oil until slightly browned and tender. Arrange slices on top of casserole. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes, or until hot through and bubbly.

Garbage Bread

Quickly become a favorite at our house and the possibilities are endless!!

Buffalo Chicken Garbage bread
2 boneless chicken breasts 1 tsp. olive oil 1 pizza dough  8 oz. of shredded mozzarella cheese (I used the one with a touch of cream cheese) 3 oz. of shredded cheddar cheese 1/2 cup of Franks Wing Sauce 1/3 cup of ranch or blue cheese dressing.  Spread all ingredients out and then roll up dough like a stromboli! Follow directions on pizza dough for baking.

Bar-b-que Chicken Garbage Bread (my personal fave)
2 bonesless chicken breasts, 1 tsp olive oil, 1 pizza dough, 1 package of any cheese, bar b que sauce, black beans, corn, purple onions (optional).  Spread all ingredients out and then roll up dough like a stromboli! Follow directions on pizza dough for baking 

Baked Chicken Taquitos

These have become one of our family favorites. They get eaten quickly!! They are great with homemade salsa!


Baked Chicken Taquitos
1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened
½ C. salsa, red or green
1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
½ tsp. onion powder
½ tsp. garlic powder
3 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped
1 green onion, sliced finely
1 C. cheddar or Monterey jack cheese, shredded
10 flour tortillas, taco size or 25-30 small fajita size
2 C. chicken, cooked and shredded
Cooking spray
Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. (or line sheet with a silicone mat)
In a medium sized bowl combine first 7 ingredients and mix well. Then add in cilantro and green onion. Add chicken and cheese and stir until incorporated. Heat the flour tortillas in a microwave with a damp paper towel covering them to make them pliable about 45-60 seconds.. Take 2-3 tablespoons of the chicken mixture and place on the lower third of tortilla (use only 1 Tbsp for small tortillas). Keep the mixture about ½ inch from the edge, and roll up tightly. Place seam side down on baking sheet. Continue with all tortillas. Spray tops with cooking spray. Place in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Serve with sour cream, salsa, and guacamole.
From www.dealstomeals.com

Cranberry Chicken

4-5 Chicken Breasts

2 Cans of Whole Cranberry Sauce

1 Packet of Lipton Onion Soup Mix

Place all three ingredients in your Crockpot and cook on low for 4-5 hours. Shred the chicken then continue cooking on low until ready to eat. I cooked mine almost all day last time. We like to eat this on tortillas (the ones you cook at home are our favorite) with white rice, black beans, sour cream and cheese. Tomatoes and lettuce are also really good on this as well. This recipe is extremely easy and very good!

Angel Chicken

So this recipe has been making the rounds on pinterest. Angel chicken originally came from the Cleverly Inspired blog. It looked yummy and even better, it's a crock pot recipe. The recipe is simple and it was very good. I would recommend eating it on rice after we tried it both ways. The sauce is a little runny and the rice soaks it up better than noodles. I changed the recipe slightly for what I had and use regularly.

3 large skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut in half

16 ounces of fresh button mushrooms, quartered

1/4 cup butter

1 0.7-oz. pkg. Italian dry salad dressing mix

1 10-3/4-oz. can condensed mushroom soup with garlic

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/2 of an 8-oz. tub cream cheese spread with chives and onion

Hot cooked rice or angel hair pasta

Melt the butter in a sauce pan over medium heat. Add in the Italian dressing and mix well. Then stir in the soup, broth and cream cheese until it is all melted together. Quarter the mushrooms and place them on the bottom of the crock pot. Next place the chicken breasts on top of the mushrooms. Then pour the sauce over the top of the chicken. Cook on low for five hours. Serve over hot rice or noodles.

Enchilada Pockets

I found this recipe on the Dashing Dish website. My kids love them. Who doesn't like to eat dinner with your hands? The hardest part is getting the little pockets sealed so the yummy filling doesn't ooze out while baking. We've made these several times now. They make a quick and easy dinner.

Ingredients:
1 package reduced fat crescent rolls
1/2 (8oz) package fat free cream cheese
1/2 cup reduced fat mexican blend grated cheese (or mozzarella/2% cheddar)
1 cup chicken, cooked and diced (or pulled) *I use ground turkey or beef*
1/2 cup enchilada sauce (or taco sauce/salsa) *I use enchilada sauce*
1 tbs enchilada seasoning, (or taco/any mexican seasoning) *I use taco seasoning*

Preheat your oven to 375.

Place the cream cheese in a microwave safe bowl and soften the cream cheese for about 20-30 seconds in the microwave. Next stir in the enchilada sauce and seasoning. Then add the meat and grated cheese to the mixture.

Line a baking sheet with foil and spray foil with Pam. Next separate the crescent rolls on the sheet. Put a heaping tablespoon of filling on the largest part of the roll. Fold the edges over the filling and be sure to seal the seams shut. (I've always had leftover filling so next time I'm going to buy more crescent rolls and make a few more.) I sprinkled a little additional cheese on top too. Bake for 15 minutes or until rolls are golden brown.

Burrito Bowls

I saw this recipe on the Food Newtork and decided to try it. It was so yummy and pretty easy. I put the pork in the crock pot and forgot about it and came home to a house that smelled delicious and dinner was almost ready. Matt said this moved it's way into the top 10 recipes he loves. It was a winner!

Ingredients:
3 cups cooked white rice (I added cilantro and lime to my rice when I cooked it to make it even more flavorful)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon orange zest
2 cups cooked black beans
1 1/2 to 2 cups Simple Fresh Pico de Gallo, recipe follows
2 cups Pork Carnitas, recipe follows
1 cup shredded Cheddar
1/2 cup sour cream
2 green onions, chopped
Directions
In a medium bowl, toss the rice with the cilantro and the orange zest. Divide the rice evenly among 4 individual serving bowls. Top with the black beans and half of the pico de gallo. Add warm carnitas and top with the rest of the pico de gallo. Sprinkle on the cheese, and spoon a dollop of the sour cream on top. Finish with the chopped green onions.

Easy Pico de Gallo:
Salt
Pinch of sugar
2 medium tomatoes, seeds removed, and chopped
1/2 medium sweet onion, finely chopped
1 jalapeno, ribs and seeds removed, finely chopped
1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled and cut into small cubes
1 lime, juiced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
In a small bowl, mix 1 teaspoon salt with the pinch of sugar. In a medium bowl, toss the tomatoes gently with the salt mixture. Add onion and jalapeno and combine. Place the avocado on top of the tomato mixture and squeeze with lime juice to coat the avocado. Sprinkle on the cilantro, and stir to combine. Serve.

Pork Carnitas:
2 pounds boneless pork shoulder (or 2 1/2 pounds bone-in)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, seeded and ribs removed, chopped
1 orange, cut in half
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Rinse and dry the pork shoulder. Salt and pepper liberally. Mix the oregano and the cumin with olive oil and rub all over pork. Place the pork in a slow cooker and top with the onion, garlic, and jalapeno. Squeeze over the juice of the orange and add the two halves. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or on high 4 hours. Once the meat is tender, remove from slow cooker and let cool slightly before pulling apart with a fork. In a large saute pan, heat the vegetable oil over high heat. Press the carnitas into the oil and fry until crusty on one side. Serve.

By Melissa d'Arabian from Food Network

Pizza Stromboli

I took a picture of this and now I can't find it! Arg. Well, anyway. . . this is a yummy easy pizza dinner. I found it in a Taste of Home recipe book and changed it slightly. My kids love it, especially because I slice it up and they can dip it in marinara sauce.

1 loaf (1 pound) frozen bread dough, thawed

2 eggs, separated

1 T grated Parmesan cheese

1 T olive oil

1 1/2 t Italian seasoning

1/2 t garlic powder

1/4 t ground pepper

8 ounces sliced pepperoni (I used turkey pepperoni)

8 ounces sliced Canadian bacon

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1 small can sliced mushrooms

1/4 cup diced bell pepper

1 small can sliced olives

1 15 oz can pizza/marinara sauce

On a greased baking sheet, roll out dough into a 15 inch by 10 inch rectangle. In a small bowl, combine the egg yolks, Parmesan cheese, oil, Italian seasoning, garlic powder and pepper. Brush over the dough.

Sprinkle with the pepperoni, Canadian bacon, mozzarella cheese, mushrooms, bell pepper and olives. Roll it up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side; pinch seam to seal and tuck the ends under.

Place seam side down; brush with egg whites. Do not let rise, cook immediately. Bake at 35o degrees for 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown. Warm the sauce and serve with the stromboli.

Easy Black Bean and Chicken Enchiladas

I tried a new recipe tonight and it was delicious! Thought I would share it with everyone. I got it from the Deals to Meals website, which I have been trying this week.

Easy Black Bean and Chicken Enchiladas
2 c. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
1/2 onion, chopped
1 t. cumin
1/2 t. chili powder
1/4 c. chopped cilantro
1 (15oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 (4 oz.) cans diced green chilies
1 (10 oz.) can red enchilada sauce
6-8 flour or corn tortillas
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese (Mexican blend if desired)
1 (8 oz.) container sour cream
Directions:
Heat a large skillet over medium heat and saute chicken and 1/2 onion until cooked through with a little olive oil or butter. Turn off the heat and add the chopped cilantro, cumin, black beans, chili powder, and green chilies to the chicken and onions. Stir until combined. Spread half of the enchilada sauce over the bottom of an 11x17 baking dish. Place 1/2 of the tortillas on the bottom of the pan, overlapping if needed. Spoon 1/2 of the chicken mixture onto the tortillas. Sprinkle with half of the cheese and half of the sour cream. Spoon the remaining enchilada sauce over the cheese, and make another layer of the tortillas. Layer the remaining chicken mixture over the tortillas. Cover the dish with foil and bake at 375 for 30 minutes in the oven. Remove the cover and sprinkle with the remaining cheese and dot with sour cream. Continue cooking uncovered for an additional 5-10 minutes, or until cheese melts. Serve.

Alfredo Sauce

This recipe came from a Worldwide Ward Cookbook series and it's full of recipes from around the world-I can't wait to try everything! Here is the first one we tried and we really liked it!


Alfredo Sauce

1/2 C. Sweet Butter

2 Garlic Cloves, minced

2 C. Heavy Cream

1/4 tsp. white pepper

1/2 C. Parmesan Cheese, grated

3/4 C. Mozzarella Cheese

In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add garlic, cream, and white pepper, and bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring frequently. Add parmesan cheese and simmer sauce for 8-10 minutes or until sauce has thickened and is smooth. When sauce has thickened, add mozzarella cheese and stir until smooth. STIR FREQUENTLY! Makes 5 servings.

Serve on your favorite noodles. We also like to add grilled chicken. So yummy and easy!

Creamy Mexican Noodles

I originally found this recipe on foodgawker.com from Annie's Eats. It's quick and easy and yummy. Below is her original recipe and what I did.

Ingredients:
1¼ lbs. ground turkey (I used beef)
8 oz. dry pasta shapes
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes, drained
4 tbsp. taco seasoning (I only used 3 1/2 T., I was worried it would be too salty if I put it all in. I thought this was enough seasoning.)
3 oz. cream cheese
½ cup sour cream
Salt and pepper
Shredded cheddar cheese, optional (I topped each serving with cheese.)

Directions:
Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain, reserving ½ cup of pasta water. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet or sauté pan, cook the ground turkey over medium-high heat until no longer pink. A few minutes before the turkey is cooked through, add the chopped onion to the skillet. Once the turkey is cooked through, mix in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Mix in the diced tomatoes and taco seasoning and let simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Stir in the cooked pasta, cream cheese, sour cream and reserved pasta water, and continue stirring until the cream cheese is melted and the sauce is well blended. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer over medium-low heat 3-5 minutes to reduce the sauce a bit. Remove from the heat and top with shredded cheddar cheese, if desired.

Chicken Artichoke Casserole

I'm always looking for recipes that are different from our normal routine. I tend to season our food with the same seasonings and everything tastes similar. But this recipe used curry powder and it was yummy and tasted very different from what we usually eat. And best of all, it was quick and easy. If you love artichokes (which we do) definitely give it a try.

2 cans (14 oz each) water-packed artichoke hearts, rinsed, drained and quartered

2 T. olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

3 cups cubed cooked chicken

2 cans (10 3/4 oz each) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted

1 cup mayonnaise

1 t. lemon juice

1/2 t. curry powder

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup seasoned bread crumbs

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 T. butter, melted

In a bowl, combine the artichokes, oil and garlic. Place in a greased 2 1/2 qt. baking dish. Top with chicken. Combine the soup, mayo, lemon juice and curry; pour over the chicken. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and butter; sprinkle over the top.

Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until bubbly. Produces 6-8 servings.

Slow Cooked Beef Stew

This is one of my favorite winter recipes and it couldn't be easier!

4-6 potatoes, peeled, and cut into 1 inch cubes
1/2 lb carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
1 pkg stew meat (about 1 lb)
1 pkg. Onion soup mix
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
2-3 bay leaves
salt and pepper

In an oven proof pot or in a crock pot layer 1/2 of the stew meat, followed by half of the potatoes and carrots. Salt and Pepper each layer. Then repeat with the rest of the stew meat and potatoes and carrots. In a a small bowl combine the soups (cream of mushroom and cream of celery), and tomato sauce. On top of the meat and veggies add the bay leaves and sprinkle the dry soup mix evenly over the top. Then pour the soup/tomato mixture on top of that. Cover with a lid and bake in the oven on 275 for 4-6 hours or in the crock pot on high for 4-6 hours or until bubbly and the veggies and meat are tender. Enjoy! (sometimes I cut up celery in chunks as well and add that if I have it)