Mexi Stuffed Pasta Shells

I have to admit, I wasn't even going to put this recipe on my blog because it was a Pinspired recipe that has been going around for quite a while. The thing is, I see it on Pinterest, but never actually look at the recipe. I have no idea if it has the same ingredients as another recipe already posted. I try to keep it as original as possible.

Anyway, I made these on Thursday; it is now Sunday, and my husband is STILL raving about how good the shells were. I've had several people ask me for the recipe in a matter of days... so I figured I should go ahead and post it. To be extra sure, I did look at the stuffed shell recipes on Pinterest, and none of them seemed too much like mine (YAY!).

Ingredients:

1lb lean ground beef
1 cup yellow corn (I always keep frozen corn in the house, but you could use a small can of corn or mexi-corn)
1 15oz can seasoned black beans (Goya, Glory, or Rosarita)
1 10oz can Rotel (hot or mild)
1 package low sodium taco seasoning
2 cups shredded colby & monterrey jack cheese
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 28oz can enchilada sauce
1 12oz box Barilla jumbo pasta shells
sliced jalapenos (optional)

Instructions:

In a large pot, bring water (according to package) to boil. Add pasta shells and cook for 9 minutes. Drain in colander and set aside to cool.

In a large skillet, add hamburger meat, taco seasoning, corn, Rotel, and black beans. Cook until hamburger meat is browned, drain.

Preheat oven to 350.

In a 9x13" baking dish, fill each shell with about 2 spoonfuls of meat mixture. Pour enchilada sauce evenly over shells. Sprinkle chopped green onions on top, then add cheese. Add sliced jalapenos. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes until cheese is melted and slightly golden and sauce is bubbling.

Chile Relleno Casserole

So being from Texas, I love some good Mexican food, or Tex-Mex. LOVE IT. Well, the part of Georgia that I live in doesn't exactly have any amazing Mexican food to offer. It makes me so sad. Great for the diet, but not so great when you're craving something authentic. Well, I learned a trick or two and I can produce some pretty authentic tasting yummies.

With that being said, I have had a hankering something fierce for a good chile relleno. Well, when I was in the grocery store the other day, I decided to remedy this. Now, while I will usually go all out with my authentic dishes, I didn't so much feel like it this week. There's a lot going on, and I wanted flavor AND convenience. So my solution was a casserole. Of course it was... I'm surprised I didn't try to come up with something crock pot related (stay tuned, and I just might).

The result?

Oh my goodness. Oh. My. Goodness. OHMYGOODNESS. I felt like I was eating a chile relleno. The real thing. Straight from Texas and all. Now, this may be that I have been out of state for so long, but this may be my best casserole recipe yet.... even better than my Fiesta Casserole. Oh yes. Is it possible to have a mouthgasm? I think it happened.

So here's how to create this amazingness...

Ingredients:

1tsp chipotle chile powder
1tsp cumin
6 eggs
1/4 cup masa flour
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 cups milk

4 poblano peppers, roasted and seeded
8oz canned diced green chiles (2, 4oz cans)
1 yellow onion, chopped
16oz queso fresco (fresh mozzarella) sliced into 1/2 inch, or so, pieces... or shredded mozzarella
16oz CHORIZO (all caps, muy importante! I used Ole brand, see pic)

 Instructions:

Set oven to Broil, High. Roast poblano peppers on a piece of foil, about 3-4 minutes on each side until blistered. Turn broil off & set oven to 350 degrees.

Set aside.

Cut end off of chorizo casing and squeeze into medium sized skillet, repeat. Cook on medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes, mashing with fork to mix together until fat is cooked to a liquid. Take off heat and set aside.

Going back to your poblanos, take thumbs and rub off "blistered" pepper skin. Discard. cut the top off of each pepper and remove stem/seeds. slice each pepper into 4 pieces.

Grease 8x11" pyrex dish (or pam), and place in oven for a few minute while completing the net step:

In a medium sized bowl, add flour and masa flour (Maseca), chile pepper, and cumin. Slowly add milk, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Mix in eggs. Take pyrex out of oven and pour in half of egg mixture. Layer poblano peppers, half of cheese, half of onion, and 4oz canned diced green chiles.

Layer in sausage using a large "colander spoon" to drain the fat, sprinkle over other half of onion, 4oz canned green chiles, and remaining cheese, layered somewhat evenly. Evenly pour in the remaining egg mixture.

Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes.

Enjoy... immensely.

It's ok to drool a little :)

Morning Power Shake

This has become my go-to breakfast. Not only is it easy, but it's tasty... And good for you. 

I know I post a lot (okay, a lot A LOT) of meals that aren't so healthy. Some that are... But they're definitely outweighed by the comfort foods loaded with calories. To be fair, most of my recipes posted here are those that I make on the weekends. I'm a firm believer that calories should not count on the weekends, but I do try to keep it healthy during the week. 

In an effort to even things out, I want to start posting about some healthy and easy meals. This may take me a bit because they're just not as fun to post, but I'll try. Why not start with breakfast?

I am not, I repeat, I AM NOT a morning person. I find that shakes are the easiest way to start my morning and get me going... And who wouldn't want to start their day with:

Chocolate Banana Peanut Butter Power Shake

Sounds amazing, right? It is. 

Ingredients:
1 level scoop of Nutrilite Body Key meal replacement shake powder (or similar)
1 banana
1 tbsp PB2 or peanut butter
2 ice cubes
1/2 cup water

Mix all ingredients in blender until smooth, creamy consistency (like a shake should be of course!). For a thicker shake, use less water.

Benefits:
*low calorie
*vitamins & minerals
*protein
*fiber

Easy Shredded Chicken Fajita Tacos

I have another slow cooker recipe for y'all! You'll love the zesty flavor and hint of kick with this recipe. Plus, it was super easy and delicious.

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts
1 10oz can Old El Paso enchilada sauce
4 packets Goya Sazon con Achiote
1tsp chile pepper powder
1tsp cayenne pepper powder

10 flour or corn tortillas
2 cups sliced fajita vegetables
2  sliced jalapenos
1 tbsp cilantro paste *optional*

2tbs margarine/butter
1/4 cup water


Directions:

Put chicken breasts in crockpot and apply 1 packet of Goya seasoning (spread evenly) over each chicken breast. Sprinkle in chile pepper and cayenne, then pour in enchilada sauce. Cook on low 6 hours.

After chicken is cooked, put crockpot on warm. Drain half of juice/enchilada sauce into skillet & add vegetables and jalapenos (and cilantro paste). Cook on medium-high heat until onions are translucent and juice has boiled out.

Roughly shred chicken in crockpot with 2 forks. Keep on warm until done serving meat as it will continue to soak up the juices and spices left in the crockpot.

**Optional but recommended**
Preheat oven to 350. In a regular microwaveable bowl, heat butter and water for 30 seconds. Slightly mix. Dip each tortilla in butter/water mixture and place on a piece of foil roughly the size of the tortilla. Roll tortilla foil side out so that it isn't sticking to itself. Do this for as many tortillas as you like, up to 10 as there will be plenty of filling. Bake tortillas for about 7 minutes. This warms the tortilla and gives it an almost homemade taste without making it crispy.

Allergies, Sinus Problems, & Ear Infections, Oh My!

I'm deviating from my normal recipe posts as a public service announcement... Of sorts. 

Since moving to Georgia, I have had THE WORST problems with allergies. For whatever reason, medicines, either OTC or prescribed, have been no help. In a bout of frustration, I decided to switch to natural remedies. I have no clue why it took me so long to do so, but I am glad I did. 

To combat allergies, I incorporated raw, organic, local honey into my diet. There are many ways this can be done, but my favorite (other than right out of the jar) is to add a tablespoon of honey into my green tea every morning OR even better... I made a post a while ago about skinny water. I love that stuff. Love it to the point of can't live without it. Most people make their skinny water (spa water, detox water, etc.) with just water, lemons, cucumbers, mint and/or ginger, but I put 8oz (one bag brewed) of green tea in mine for the flavor and antioxidants. So of course I get the idea to brew my green tea with a tablespoon of local honey and add that to my skinny water. It tastes so good!! But that's not it.... I also brew green tea with a tablespoon of local honey, a teaspoon of organic cinnamon, and add it to the skinny water using apples instead of cucumbers and lemon. Oh my goodness, let that stuff sit for a day and it's like drinking your desert with amazing health benefits. 

The local honey really helped with the frequency and severity of my allergy issues, but I still have sinus flare ups. A friend of mine, who advocates natural remedies, gave me a product called Sinucheck. Oh wow. It changed my world. I can tell you that it will leave a slight eucalyptus taste in your mouth, but it isn't overpowering or unpleasant (to me anyway), and the results are incredible. Seriously, when nothing worked for me and I had sinus pain, sore throat, headache, loss of voice, drippy nose, cough... A plethora of irritating symptoms... Sinucheck came to the rescue. I will be forever grateful to my friend that recommended this product, and I sing its praises all the time. 

For a while, I had my allergies completely under control, then my husband and I traveled out of state on vacation. I made the mistake of not keeping up with my honey intake, and when we got back home, my allergies hit full force. I had a horrible ear infection in BOTH ears, and I was absolutely positively miserable. My personal Facebook friends can attest to this as I did nothing but complain for a solid month. At least. 

Why that long? Well... 1. I'm stubborn and think if I'm sick it should just go away out of shear force of will. I even believe that it will magically work that way. Every. Time. 2. Once I finally admit I'm sick beyond repair, I still do not like doctor visits. I'm not sure why... I just don't. 3. I can't really handle antibiotics because of my varying degree of allergic reactions to them. Plus... Antibiotics have an extensive list of side effects that are less than appealing and even harmful (like killing the good flora in your intestines). 

I did some research and tried a number of things... To include putting apple cider vinegar in my ear twice a day. Nothing seemed to do the trick, so I did even more research and found Wally's Ear Oil. After so many days of terrible ear pain, nausea and feeling beyond miserable, this was my last shot before giving in and going to the doctor. Amazingly enough, Wally's ear oil fixed my ears in 4 days. Had I known about this product sooner, I wouldn't have had to spend a month in ear pain annoying others with my complaining. Now I'm going to make sure I always have it available. 

I've also started taking "Hear All" to try to prevent any future problems and because... Well, I couldn't hear very well to begin with (a past of working on jets and genetics, I guess) and I don't need any other damage done to my ears. Supposedly Hear All will help with that. I guess only time will tell. 

Anyhoodle, I'm obviously not a doctor, so I can't say that these products are good for everyone, and I recommend doing your own research; however, they are natural and worked wonders for me. Hopefully they're able to help you if you have some of the same problems with allergies/sinuses/ear infections that I do! 

Ranch Pork Roast

The classic pot roast is one of the easiest & most delicious meals to make in a crock pot. There are many recipes out there; heck, I know I have several, but when I think of the classic comfort food, this is one of the recipes I turn to.

Now... I know there's a stigma attached to the cream of whatever soup... and I get that, I do. So consider this your warning: there is cream of whatever in this recipe. If you can look over that, I promise you're in for a super easy, mouthwatering meal.

Ingredients

1 Boston butt pork roast, bone in or out. The poundage is strictly left to preference, but I like to make sure to get one without a lot of fat. I also prefer bone-in.

1 pkg. Hidden Valley buttermilk ranch dressing dry mix

1 regular can (10 3/4oz) cream of mushroom soup

12oz beef broth

1 medium onion, sliced

4 cloves garlic, whole

6-8 red potatoes, halved

Instructions

Place pork roast in crock pot and arrange all of your potatoes, onions, & garlic around it. Pour ranch powder over roast/potatoes. In a small bowl, mix soup and beef broth, pour over roast/potatoes. Cook on low for 8 hours.

Easy-peasy. Best made when you are out of the house for a bit as the delicious smell will have you salivating! Serve with your favorite veggie side-dish & some bread for sopping up that gravy!  

Texas Trash Dip

It has been ages since I have posted anything, but goodness gracious, it's like I just never have the time anymore... or maybe I just don't make the time. I need to change that! My husband kindly reminded me this weekend part of the reason for starting this blog in the first place: I don't remember my own recipes. This happens all the time; usually it will come to me, but when he was trying to describe something I cooked over a year ago, I just stared at him blankly. I guess when you throw stuff together on a whim, as I am oft to do, then don't  write it down... it goes into the recesses of the mind that harbor cobwebs and all sorts of other useless bits of info.

Anyhoo... I'm a Texas girl, born and raised, and though I don't long to return to my home state, I do miss the food. I've seen Texas Trash floating around Pinterest, and for such a simple creation, there are so many variations. I had no idea! I remember my mom making this dip for big football parties... back when the Cowboys were America's team and won Super Bowls.

Well, I may not be a Cowboys fan (Go Patriots!), but I am definitely a fan of football & football parties. It's that season again, and I couldn't be any more thrilled! So, in the spirit of football season and my husband's fantasy league draft, I made Texas trash. Since the entire contents of the dish were devoured, I'd say it was a hit.

Ingredients:

1lb ground beef

2 16oz cans refried beans

8oz sour cream

8oz cream cheese

3 cups shredded cheese **I use pizza blend and sharp cheddar, but it's called Texas "trash" for a reason... use what you like. Colby jack, taco blend, mild cheddar, sharp cheddar.... whatever floats your boat!**

1 small can ( 7 3/4 oz) of El Pato tomato sauce **some people use Rotel. I don't like the texture of Rotel in the bean dip, so I find that the spicy tomato sauce usually found in the Hispanic food isle of the grocery store makes this dip SO much better than having chunks of tomato mess up the creaminess of the dip.**

1 package taco seasoning 

Sliced jalapenos and black olives to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350. Brown ground beef in skillet until cooked through, drain. In a large microwaveable bowl, combine cream cheese and beans... no need to mix just yet. Microwave for 1 minute; this will soften cream cheese and beans so that they are easy to mix. Stir until there are no lumps of cream cheese. Add in ground beef, sour cream, taco seasoning, and tomato sauce. Mix thoroughly. Pour out mixture into a 9x13" baking dish. Top with cheese and sliced jalapenos and olives. Bake for 25-30 minutes until cheese is melted. This is best served warm with tortilla chips and an ice cold beer on the side :). Enjoy!

Crockpot Cheesy Taco Chicken

I've been making huge meals lately so there will be plenty of leftovers because Josh's shift has changed and he isn't able to grab anything for lunch. Of course that means a lot of casseroles and crockpot dishes, which is fine because those are my favorite type of recipes to post here. I know I haven't posted a lot lately, but trust me, I'm still cooking up a storm.

Anyhoo, we all know I love a versatile recipe, and this sure is it!

Ingredients

7oz canned sliced jalapenos, drained

1 medium onion, sliced (I know, another recipe with onions... I love them, what can I say?)

2lbs chicken breasts

1, 16oz jar taco sauce

1 pkg. cream cheese

1 packet low sodium taco seasoning

1 tsp cumin

1 pkg. four cheese Mexican shredded cheese

Tepatio (Mexican hot sauce) to taste

**the pepper on the left side is a bahut jolokia (ghost) pepper... we like stuff hot, as always**

Instructions

Trim fat off chicken and place whole breasts in bottom of crockpot, layer on top: sliced onions, jalapenos, taco seasoning, cumin, taco sauce, Tepatio, and cream cheese cut into chunks. Cook on high for 4 hours (low for 8). Stir once or twice to make sure the cream cheese doesn't get burnt on the sides.

Switch over to warm setting, shred each chicken breast with two forks (hold with one fork, shred with the other) while in the crockpot. If it is easier for you to take the chicken out to shred it, that would work as well, just return the chicken to the crockpot after shredding. Stir in shredded cheese until mixed/melted. 

Serve over rice or with tortillas.

Dijon Chicken

This recipe is a favorite of mine from years ago. It's rather versatile, and really easy... plus, the dijon flavor is out of this world! The sauce itself is so creamy with a great zing; it would be perfect alone, but adding vegetables into the mix, served over some linguine makes this dish 100% satisfying.

This dish serves 4, and since it is all made in the same pan (aside from the linguine , you will need a very large skillet/pan. I used this awesome electric skillet that Josh's mom sent over for Christmas, but prior to that, I had a large square pan. Regardless, you should be fine with a 12+ inch skillet if your chicken breasts are on the small side. If not, you may need a 14" skillet. The electric skillet shown in pictures below is 16 inches, and I used medium-large chicken breasts.

You will need:

Chicken Marinade
1/4 cup olive oil
juice of one lemon
2 tsp cracked peppercorns (grinder) *optional, to taste*

Sauce
2 cups chardonnay (obviously I went cheap here, pic above)
2 cups whipping cream
4 tbsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp stone ground mustard

Other Ingredients
Cooked linguine (according to package)
4 chicken breasts
2 medium zucchini, sliced (half moons)
1 large onion (sweet yellow) sliced
1 tbsp minced garlic
8 oz. sliced baby bella mushrooms
2 tbsp butter/margarine

Instructions

Trim fat off chicken and place in pyrex dish (or similar). Pour olive oil over chicken and juice of one lemon; make sure to get out any seeds. Sprinkle pepper evenly over each breast on both sides. Place in fridge for 30 minutes to an hour.

Heat skillet to 400, or high on stove burner, and pan sear chicken in butter. Cooke evenly on each side until cooked through. Wash out your pyrex that was used to marinate and place chicken in it and set aside (in a warm oven preferably).

Reduce heat on same skillet (I reduced to 350, medium-high on burner) and pour in white wine; simmer for 5 minutes. Add in whipping cream, dijon and stone ground mustard, garlic, onions, mushrooms, and zucchini. Cook until onions and zucchini are translucent, about 15 minutes or so.

Start your linguine.

Add chicken back to sauce/vegetables, reduce heat to 250 on the electric skillet and let simmer while linguine is cooking. This gives the sauce time to thicken and the chicken soaks up some of the flavor.

Once linguine is done, drain & plate. Spoon desired amount of sauce on linguine then top with chicken and veggies.

Apparently Josh had never had dijon chicken, so I was worried about his reaction. He said, very sarcastically: "this is terrible i never want you to make it ever again," which is Josh speak for "I love it." The leftovers are all packed up for him to take to work & I'm sure it will be on the list of recipes I make pretty often. Hopefully you enjoy it too!

<3 Allie

Southern Chicken & Dressing

This is the style of dressing I grew up on around the holidays. My grandma (Nanny) always made a HUGE batch of this for family gatherings, and she would always fill up a Tupperware dish and freeze it (because thats how awesome my Nanny is) just to send home with me... Along with her homemade giblet gravy, of course.

When I was a young airman and would still come home for the holidays, Nanny would even send me off with a Tupperware full of dressing. So, obviously, it is without a doubt my most favorite holiday dish. I could do without any other dish during the holidays, but there absolutely positively has to be Nanny's dressing.

Now, unbeknownst to me, there is a difference between Southern style dressing and the Northern stuff. I don't know. I've never actually stuffed a turkey or chicken with "stuffing" but I still thought dressing and stuffing were the same, North or South. Nope. Anyhoo, if you've never had Southern style dressing, it's pretty much the greatest stuff ever and you are all kinds of missing out on one of the finer things in life.

Now that I'm grown and living away from home without really coming around for the holidays, I call Nanny every year asking about this or that for the dressing.

I know this recipe by heart, but sometimes you just have to ask the expert now and then because, along with many many many other recipes that I use, there aren't any real measurements. This year I called Nanny while I was at the store, making sure I had everything I needed and she tells me: "well you need a good sized yellow onion and make sure you use enough sage, not too much, but enough so you can really taste the sage you know, and enough bread to mix with your cornbread, and however many eggs you like and pepper......" Ok, seriously. That happened. That's how we cook in my family. So forgive me in advance if I'm not 100% clear, but I'll do my best with this one.

Another important thing to note is that Nanny boils a whole chicken, debones it, shreds it, & makes gravy from the broth and giblets & uses the broth for the stuffing as well. That's where I draw the line. I have an extreme aversion to raw chicken, and I absolutely positively will not touch a whole raw chicken, much less mess with the skin and giblets and neck, oh my! So I am all about substitution. Instead of going through that whole painstaking disgusting process, I buy a regular rotisserie chicken from the store, remove the skin, and use all (dark & white) meat shredded into bite size pieces. One 3-4 pound rotisserie chicken yields about the same amount of shredded meat and is plenty for a large pan of stuffing. I also use store bought broth. Raw chicken problem solved.

So without further adieu, the best dressing ever, step by step:

Ingredients:
4 stalks of celery
1 medium-large yellow onion
Sage (see pic)
Pinch of salt
1 tbsp pepper
2 pkg Betty Crocker yellow cornbread mix (do not use a sweet cornbread mix)
Buttermilk
Small loaf of bread (I use about 3/4 of a market fresh, thin sliced Italian loaf, but regular white/wheat whatever will work)
32oz chicken broth (low sodium)
5 eggs (large)
Shredded chicken (see note about chicken above)
1 tbsp butter

Step 1:

Preheat oven to 400, grease up cast iron skillet sides and bottom and place in oven for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile...

In a medium size mixing bowl, prepare cornbread mix according to packages, with 2 eggs, (1 per package)but instead of regular milk, use buttermilk. Also add pinch of salt.

Take skillet out of oven (I probably don't need to say this, but better safe than sorry: your skillet is going to be hot!! Use potholders). Pour cornbread mix into skillet immediately and cook according to package. Cook time may be slightly longer than package because you use 2. I also use a larger cast iron skillet than the 8" inch skillet that it calls for, again to accommodate for using 2 packages of cornbread mix. Just keep an eye on it and make sure it is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean when poked in the center.

When cornbread is done, remove from oven and set aside to let cool.

Step 2:

Cut up bread slices. You can either remove the crust or leave on, personally, I like to leave the crust on. Place bread pieces on baking sheet and toast in oven to medium gold color. I use Italian bread because it makes a good dry, crusty toast that is perfect. Set aside and let cool.

Step 3:

Boil remaining 3 eggs.

Meanwhile...

Slice celery stalks & chop onion.

When eggs are done boiling (about 20 minutes, give or take) let cool.

Step 4:

Sauté onions and celery in butter until onions are translucent. You do not want to caramelize them.

Step 5:

In LARGE bowl, crumble bread (chunky crumble) and cornbread. I use 3/4 of the cornbread and give the remaining chunk out to munch on as it is friggin fantastic.

Step 6:

Peel and roughly chop eggs. Use whites and yolks. Add chicken, eggs, onions, & celery to large bowl with bread crumbs. Add in pepper & sage. For the sage, I measure with my hand, which I took a picture of. This is the same amount I always use; I know how much by looking at it. I have never actually measured it & I kick myself for not doing it this time, but I would say I use around 1/4 cup, loose. Mix ingredients by hand, trust me, it's much easier than trying to blend them together with a fork, spoon, or some other utensil.

Step 7:

Transfer mix to large Pyrex dish, packing lightly so that it all fits. Pour chicken broth directly over dressing (evenly distribute over top. I just pour from one end of the dish to the other until the broth is gone).

Step 8:

Brown in oven for 25 minutes at 400.

Serve plain or with cranberry sauce or gravy.

I serve with chicken gravy, which I make, but I completely eyeball everything I use for the gravy, so I couldn't even begin to try to post the recipe. I may attempt to measure next time because if you like gravy, this dressing is excellent with chicken gravy, even better with Nanny's homemade giblet gravy that I won't even attempt.

Apologies for not having a picture of the dressing after it was browned in the oven, but as soon as it was done, Thanksgiving feast began & pictures were not the first thing on my mind :).

(Incredible) Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Soup

Well folks, this is easily the best soup I have ever eaten. Ever. One taste and I was pretty sure I done died and went to heaven. It is even, dare I say it, BETTER than Chili's... Okay, I can't officially claim that, but it is in my opinion, so that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

While making this, I asked Josh if I should put habaneros in it... Let's just say his answer was a definite yes & I doubt anyone wants to know what he actually said, but yes, I added habaneros. 3 in fact. I love them, Josh loves them... But not everyone loves them or the heat, so I will leave that out of the ingredients, but for those that want to know: 3 whole habaneros, minced in food processor, then added to other soup ingredients.

Ingredients:

2 cups maseca, or similar brand, instant corn masa flour (see pic below)
2 quart prepared chicken stock (made with 2oz,or two packets, concentrated stock; see pic below)

*you can also use 4 bullion cubes, or 2tbsp chicken base*

1tbsp chili powder
1.5 tbsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
16oz enchilada sauce (you can use up to 20oz. The store I went to was out of the biggest cans)
8oz tomato sauce
4.5oz green chiles
2 medium yellow onions
16oz Mexican velveeta
About 2lbs shredded chicken

*I buy a whole rotisserie chicken take the skin off, and shred it. It's much easier (and cheaper) than buying raw chicken, boiling it & shredding it, but do as you wish*

In a 5qt crockpot:

Dump your two cups of masa flour in the crockpot. Add chicken stock one cup at a time while stirring into corn flour with a fork. This is very important because you don't want your corn flour to be lumpy. If you see lumps, not a big deal... Scoop them put with a fork and mush them on the side to get rid of them.

Add in your spices, then stir in enchilada sauce and tomato sauce. Finely chop onions and add to soup, along with green chiles. Cut velveeta in small cubes and add to soup. Cook on high for about 3 hours (stirring occasionally), add your shredded chicken and cook for another hour... 4 total, stirring (occasionally).

You can serve without toppings, or add a dollop of sour cream, avocado, pico, cheese, olives, jalapeños.... Anything really.

Enjoy :)

White Chicken Chili

When I think of chili, I think of the good ol' red meat chili with enough peppers to burn your face off. I love chili, and I'm sure it's a staple for most of us in the cold months.

On a whim, I decided to change it up, and it has quickly become a favorite in our house.

I know chicken chili isn't a new concept, but it was new to me the first time I made it, and I just went through the store picking up things that I figured would be good in it. Now the recipe is tweaked to our liking, and I thought it might be worth sharing.

In this recipe, I use canned green chiles, but I really prefer using a freshly chopped poblano pepper instead; however, they're not in season here, so I made do with green chiles. It was still wonderful.

You will need:

Jalapeños, sliced very thin

* I used 7 because that's what I had in my fridge. I probably would have used more because the hotter the better!!! This is definitely a "to taste" item, though. It had that fantastic slow burn and was enough to heat me up, but wasn't as hot as I usually make it*

Habaneros, ground in food processor

* Another "to taste" item. I used 2 small peppers*

2 bell peppers, chopped

*I used my favorite, yellow & orange*

1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 large can cream of chicken soup
4-6 cups chicken broth

*I used a combination of boxed broth and broth from boiled chicken*

2 cans white beans (drained)
8oz diced (or chopped) green chiles

*or one fresh chopped poblano*

2lbs shredded chicken
1pkg white chicken chili seasoning

* I boiled chicken breasts with rib meat for 20 minutes in seasoned water (cumin, red pepper, onion powder) then let it cool & shred with fork*

Mix ingredients, except for the chicken broth, in the crockpot. This mix will be thick, but it is important to incorporate all of the more solid ingredients (including cream of chicken soup) before adding the chicken broth. The cup difference (4-6) in the chicken broth will depend on how thick you like your chili and how big your crockpot is. I think I ended up using about 5 cups, stirred into other ingredients slowly, 1 cup at a time, until it was the desire consistency. Cook on high for 5 hours, or low for 8.

I made this on a football day, and once it was done, I left it on "keep warm" for the rest of the day for anyone that wanted to go grab a bowl.

I also love serving this with a dollop of sour cream, avocado, or sprinkle of cheese... Or all of the above.

Crockpot Bacon Wrapped Chicken & Stuffing

Crockpot bacon wrapped chicken and stuffing... That's a mouthful. This is another "Pinspiration," and again, I don't have the original pin. I randomly came across it and thought... Hmmmm, this would be good if... So inspired by another recipe, but not the same recipe.

I will be honest, the chicken itself wasn't that spectacular. It was good, but nothing worth getting excited over... But the stuffing, holy crapola!! The stuffing was amazing. Now, I make killer homemade stuffing that is my grandma's recipe && I'm serious when I say that it is to die for, but this recipe turned a box of stuffing into some of the most amazing stuff ever. I've even contemplated modifying the recipe for thanksgiving. It's that good.

So why is it so good? Bacon. It's all about the bacon. The recipe I got the inspiration from didn't use bacon. I can't imagine this dish without bacon because let's be honest, bacon makes everything better. I say this constantly. It's true.

You will need:
1 package of chicken. I think I used a little over a pound and a half; 3 or 4 chicken breasts will work just fine for this recipe
1 can cream of chicken soup
6oz Greek yogurt
3/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 tbsp rubbed sage
1/2 package bacon (give or take a few slices)
1 box chicken stove top stuffing (this kills me; I detest boxed stuffing, but I am now a believer!)

Trim fat from chicken breasts (optional... Chicken fat grosses me out). Pound slightly to make more tender and a bit thinner. Wrap in bacon. I used 2-3 slices per breast, just enough to completely wrap around it. Place chicken breasts in bottom of crock pot. Top with dry stuffing mix and sprinkle sage on top. In a bowl, mix cream of chicken soup, Greek yogurt, and chicken broth. Pour on top of chicken and stuffing. Cook on low for 4 hours.

Easy as it gets & bacon magic happens in the crockpot and all that flavor gets soaked up by the stuffing. It's soooooo good.

Skinny Water

Ok so, a friend posted a concoction of sorts on Facebook and said it was detox water. She's a total inspiration when it comes to fitness and such, so usually if she says something is worth trying, I believe it. But, me being me, I have to have just the right amount of motivation. I lead a busy life, so that's hard to come by. (Obviously, my blog always gets neglected). Anyhoodle, I saw something SIMILAR on Pinterest, of course. Well y'all know me, I have to put my own spin on everything and I have become so obsessed with this "skinny water" that I felt the need to share.

If you want the original recipe, there's a ton on Pinterest. Just search detox water. I would link it for you, but I'm posting from my phone again... Sooo maybe when I get around to adding the pile of recipes I have and editing my last post I will get around to adding a link here. Maybe.

Let me be clear about this: I absolutely do not know the specifics of why this is referred to as "detox water." I call it skinny water because that's what I posted on Facebook and it has a nice ring to it. I mean, I'd much rather drink skinny water than regular old water water. I can tell you that I drink a lot of water on a daily basis... Usually around 2 gallons. I hardly ever drink anything other than tea or water. Not that you care about my bathroom habits, but since I've been drinking skinny water, I pee like a racehorse... Maybe that is part of the whole detox idea. Don't know, don't care. All I'm saying is that this skinny water is worth trying and a much much much better alternative to soda, sugary drinks, crystal light, and mio.

So I have a new favorite water jug (in the pic) that is 64oz, and I want another one so I can rotate it, but the ingredients are per 64oz (1/2 a gallon) for those that want to adjust quantity.

Ingredients:
1 small-ish lemon
1/4 large cucumber
4 fresh mint sprigs
8oz green tea
Water

How to:

Slice cucumber & lemon thinly, rinse mint, brew green tea, and put it all in your jug. Fill with water. Refrigerate over night. It's refreshing and full of flavor the next day.

So this is why I need another, or possibly a couple more jugs. Aside from the fact that it is awesome and keeps my skinny water cold until I drink it all, but I refill it during the day... Around 4 or 5 times actually, and use the same lemons, cucumber, and mint for one day. Each time I refill it, I brew another bag of tea and fill with water and put it in the fridge for an hour or so then re-freeze the cold tube. I think it would be a great idea to make two or more batches and rotate throughout the day.

Again this is not the original "detox water" recipe. I changed it to my liking, and as far as I can tell, the results are the same. If you look up Julian Michael's detox water, she uses marigold tea bags. I have seen green tea used as a replacement. Also, green tea supposedly helps speed up your metabolism. Lemons are a good sources of vitamins and minerals, are good for your skin & are a natural diuretic. As far as cucumber and mint? I don't know, but the flavor sure is nice.

Try skinny water and let me know what y'all think or if you find another recipe that's good to try.

:) <3

2 Ingredient Pumpkin Spice Cake with Maple Glaze

Well, I'm sitting in a tree stand, waiting on a deer, so I figured I could be productive. I'm doing this from my phone, too, so I will probably have to edit later.

Josh has been home a little over a week now and I am enjoying my time with him immensely. It's like he never left, we just fell back in stride and picked up where we left off. If anyone that is bored enough to be reading this has a military man, then you know how important that is.

So our life is back to normal and e missed my cooking, so I have spent a good deal of time in the kitchen these past few days. I came across a recipe on Pinterest for a 2 ingredient pumpkin cake, and I had jut ordered some organic Pumpkin from Vitacost... So I figured "tis the season."

The recipe called for a yellow cake mix, but I decided to go with a spice cake instead. 2 ingredients & it is absolutely incredible.

Ingredients:

You will need a spice cake mix and a can of pumpkin. Mix ingredients with hand mixer or fork until well blended. Pour mixture into 9x11 Pyrex or cake pan. Bake at 350 for about 30-35 minutes, or until you stick a toothpick in the center and it comes out clean.

Take out of oven and let cool for 5 minutes or so.

For the glaze:

You can make this while you are waiting on the cake to bake.

1 stick of butter, melted
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/8 cup powdered sugar

Stir together until there are no lumps of powdered sugar.

Poke holes in slightly warm cake as pour glaze over top.

Let cool for a few more minutes and serve. This cake is absolutely divine!!!!

Green Chile Cheese Corn Muffins

I'm having one of those "blah" days! I'm so anxious and ready for Josh to be home that I can't even get anything done... including school/work stuff, which is bad, but whatever. Down to days here... DAYS, and they are the longest days ever. So, in efforts to put myself in a good mood and in an attempt to be slightly productive, I figured I'd whip something up.

I have a ton of different takes on corn muffins or cornbread, and I thought I'd try something somewhat new. The results were fantastic, of course. It's really hard to mess up a corn muffin. I've put Spam in a corn muffin before, and it still turned out delicious. Not saying anything bad about Spam, I'm just not so fond of the stuff.

Anyhoo... I just used some ingredients I had at the house & I'm pretty sure these will go on a regular rotation.

Ingredients:

1 box Jiffy corn muffin mix
1/3 cup milk
1 egg
1 can sweet yellow corn (or 1 cup frozen corn...thawed)
1 small can green chiles
1/2 cup shredded cheese (I used mozzarella, but I think any shredded cheese would be good, maybe mexi blend, pepper jack, etc.)
1 tsp jalapeno powder
1/8 cup fresh cilantro...(about 6 sprigs; grind in food processor before adding to mix)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400; spray muffin tin with Pam. Mix all ingredients in medium bowl for about a minute. Let sit for a few minutes, then stir again. Scoop mix into muffin tin about halfway full. Bake for 15 minutes, let cool.

I ate one of these warm right out of the pan and it was sooo good.

Cauliflower Rice

I cannot lay any sort of claim to the original recipe for cauliflower rice because I can honestly say I never would have thought of it. My friend & neighbor found this on Pinterest and made it... and made me try it. I loved it to the point that I was craving it this week. So below is pretty much the original recipe that she found, but I changed it a tiny bit, adding garlic, pepper, sea salt, and more cauliflower. I think it is worth posting because the possibilities here are endless. The "rice" itself taste similar to egg roll filling, YUM, but I think it would be great in lettuce wraps with a little lean beef, chicken, or turkey with a ginger sauce. I also think it would be awesome with quinoa... in wonton cups... as mexi rice... I mean I really could go on forever. I made it plain this time (with some sriracha, of course), though I'm sure this will become a base for many recipes to come.

Ingredients:
1 head cauliflower
5-6 celery stalks
1 medium white onion
1 clove garlic (or 1/2tbsp minced garlic)
*I used one clove of elephant garlic and it was wonderful, but we all know I love garlic*
2 tbsp olive or coconut oil (I used raw organic coconut oil... it's my favorite in anything)
sea salt & pepper to taste
sriracha to taste

You will need a food processor and LARGE saucepan or pot. I used a soup pot... to each their own.

Directions:
Roughly chop cauliflower, then grind in food processor until rice consistency. Finely chop onions, celery, and garlic & saute in oil for about 5-7 minutes (before adding cauliflower). Add in cauliflower, keeping heat on medium-high, and cover. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cook longer for a softer texture, but I really liked the fact that the cauli-rice had a very similar texture to real rice. Remove from heat and stir in desired amount of salt and pepper. Top with sriracha.

I literally ate a bowl for dinner last night, a bowl for lunch today... and I'm pretty sure I'm going to finish off what little is left tonight with some baked fish. Yes. It is that good. If you like veggies. If you don't, then I can't promise you're going to be a fan.

EXTRA PLUS: for my friends on diets or the hcg diet... or the 3 day diet... I think this recipe could be modified to fit into your plan quite easily!

Party Dip

Habaneros are back in stores and I couldn't be more excited. There's a few things that I want all year long, habanero peppers fall in that list. I keep saying I'll grow my own one day, but let's face it, my green thumb is non-existent. So naturally, I buy a whole bunch of them and proceed to make anything and everything I can think of with my most favorite of peppers. That brings me to the party dip. Why is it party dip? Well for one it makes enough dip to feed an army, but two, it's like a party in your mouth! The kick of habaneros just does something. With that being said, I like things spicy. SPICY. The hotter the better. I din't make this dip too spicy, but I definitely felt that burn that tends to build up. I used 3 habaneros & probably would have been fine adding another one or two, but if you can't handle the heat stick to two, one... or even none.

Ingredients:
1 can fiesta corn
1 can black bean fiesta grillin beans
1 package taco seasoning
1lb ground beef
habaneros (1,2,3,4... whatever tickles your fancy)
1 block velveeta white queso

Directions:
Grind habaneros in food processor, or mince. In a pan, slightly brown beef, drain. Add in taco seasoning and habaneros, continue cooking until beef is completely cooked. Cube velveeta. Add all ingredients to crockpot on medium for an hour, stirring occasionally. Put crockpot on warm setting to keep dip warm and melty during the day/party/game, etc...

Melt in Your Mouth Meatballs

I think I've mentioned before that I developed my love of cooking because of my Gran. He was an excellent cook and taught me a lot. This recipe started in my Gran's kitchen, and I have modified  and perfected it over time. That's right, perfected. I've never had a meatball that even compares to the melt in your mouth explosion of awesome that is my meatball. True story.

Ingredients
1.5 lb ground beef
half packet italian dressing seasoning
1/2 cup italian style bread crumbs
1 egg
1.5 heaping tbsp margarine
1 small can (1oz) El Patio hot tomato sauce
1/2 cup shiraz
** I eyeball the wine every time. I know what it is supposed to look like in the pan. You want the sauce to come up to about half the meatball, so the wine is roughly 1/2 - 3/4 cup. Also, it really does not matter what brand wine you use. I buy the cheapest wine they have, which usually turns out to be Turning Leaf or something. I have also used expensive wine, and there really is no difference.**

Directions
In a medium bowl, combine ground beef, italian dressing seasoning, bread crumbs, egg, and margarine. Mix well...I use my hands. It's faster. Section out and roll into at least 1" balls. Obviously mine aren't exactly uniform.

Place meatballs in large skillet. Pour tomato sauce and wine in skillet & bring sauce to boil. Continue cooking on high heat for about 15 minutes, turning frequently.  Drain excess fat from sauce. Serve with garlic bread or pasta!

Chicken & Veggie Pasta

This happens to be one of the recipes I've been tumbling around. I still think it needs... something, I don't know, but it was tasty.

Ingredients:
2 (healthy sized) chicken breasts, cubed
1 squash, sliced (I used 1/2 a cup frozen...thawed completely)
1 large zucchini, sliced
1/2 cup mushrooms (I'm quite fond of portabella, but whatever tickles your fancy)
12oz. veggie spiral pasta (wacky mac, not just for pasta salads!)
1/2 white onion, chopped
pinch of basil & oregano


Sauce:
1 package Italian dressing seasoning (I keep this stuff on hand at all times, along with buttermilk ranch dressing packets. They always come in handy!)
1 clove garlic, minced
8oz cream cheese, softened
1 can cream of chicken soup

Instructions:

Multitasking on the burners here...

In a medium saucepan, on low to medium heat, add ingredients of sauce. Stir occasionally. You'll want to make sure cream cheese is melted and blended in completely. 

In a 5 qt saucepan, boil cubed chicken for 10 minutes. You'll want to cook your chicken for slightly longer than pasta and vegetables so that the chicken gets cooked and the pasta doesn't get over cooked. Drain. I stopped measuring here, but add pasta (and water accordingly) & veggies with basil and oregano. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium and continue cooking for 13-15 minutes (stirring occasionally), or until pasta is at desired texture. I like mine soft... borderline overcooked... al dente is not my fave, so it stayed cooking for 15 minutes. Drain excess water.

Combine sauce with pasta in your 5qt saucepan. Mix thoroughly.

Serve with a sprinkle of shredded mozzarella & make sure you have plenty of mouths to feed or you're going to be stuck with a bunch of leftovers (oh darn).