Quick Chicken & Rice Burritos

This recipe is FAST, easy and delicious! It is now a regular on our menu. Everyone loved it at our house.

Original Recipe Source

• 1 (12.5 oz) can canned chicken, drained
• 1 pkg taco seasoning mix (or 1/8 c. homemade mix)
• 1 (10 3/4 oz) can condensed Tomato Soup
• 1 3/4 cup water
• 1 1/2 cup uncooked instant white rice (like Minute Rice)
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 12 flour tortillas

1. Add chicken to a skillet and break up into pieces.
2. Mix in the seasoning mix, soup, water, and rice. Bring to boil over medium heat.
3. Reduce heat to simmer and cover. Cook for 5 minutes until the rice is tender and water is absorbed.
4. Place 2 Tbsp of shredded cheese in the center of each tortilla. Add some of the chicken/rice mixture to the center on top of the cheese and roll up burrito style.

Sour Cream Noodle Bake

This recipe is from The Pioneer Woman. Our family gave it 4 stars! It is a simple, fast meal.

• 1-1/4 pound Ground Chuck
• 1 can 15-ounces Tomato Sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 8 ounces, weight Egg Noodles
• 1/2 cup Sour Cream
• 1-1/4 cup Small Curd Cottage Cheese
• 1/2 cup Sliced Green Onions (less To Taste)
• 1 cup Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Brown ground chuck in a large skillet. Drain fat, then add tomato sauce. 1/2 teaspoon salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Stir, then simmer while you prepare the other ingredients.

Cook egg noodles until al dente. Drain and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine sour cream and cottage cheese. Add plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Add to noodles and stir. Add green onions and stir.

To assemble, add half of the noodles to a baking dish. Top with half the meat mixture, then sprinkle on half the grated cheddar. Repeat with noodles, meat, then a final layer of cheese. Bake for 20 minutes, or until all cheese is melted.

Serve with crusty French bread.

Asparagus Chicken Fajitas

I made this for dinner tonight and I loved it! The rest of my family prefers regular fajitas but I really liked the addition of asparagus and yellow pepper and corn. It was a fast meal as I already had the chicken marinated and grilled, frozen ready to use. Dinner was on the table in under 30 minutes.

Original recipe found at Allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips 3/4 cup fat free Italian-style dressing 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces 1 medium sweet red pepper, julienned

1 medium sweet yellow pepper, julienned 1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn 1/4 cup diced onion 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper 12 (6 inch) flour tortillas, warmed

Directions:

1.	Place chicken in a large resealable plastic bag; add salad dressing. seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for 4 hours, turning several times.
2.	Drain and discard marinade. In a large nonstick skillet, saute chicken in oil for 3 minutes. Add the asparagus, peppers, corn and onion. Cook an stir for 7 minutes or until the chicken juices run clear and vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir in the lemon juice, garlic salt and pepper. Spoon 1/2 cup on each tortilla; fold in sides.

Country Pasta with Mozzarella

8 oz. uncooked rigatoni (I used penne and it was wonderful)
8 slices bacon, cut in 1 inch pieces (I used real bacon pieces from Costco)
2 c. broccoli flowerets
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
2 c. shredded Mozzarella cheese
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese (I used real Parmesan)
pinch of cayenne pepper
1/4 c. chopped parsley (I used much less)

Cook rigatoni according to package directions, drain. Meanwhile, in 10 inch skillet, cook bacon over medium high heat until brown. Reduce heat to medium. Add broccoli and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until broccoli is crispy-tender.

Add rigatoni and remaining ingredients, except parsley. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with parsley.

Notes: Since I used bacon pieces I just cooked my pasta, and while it was cooking I steamed my broccoli. When they were both done I added everything together. Really easy and delicious!

BBQ Chicken Salad

We had this for dinner tonight. It was a nice change from regular taco salad. I even made the crispy tortilla strips...so easy and really yummy!  They really added to the salad. This recipe is a keeper for us. I am typing the way I made it here as I did change some things, but for the original recipe go to  The Sister's Cafe.


1 can Costco chunk chicken, drained and rinsed
3/4 c. bbq sauce
1 head lettuce, chopped (can use any type of lettuce)

1 can corn, drained and rinsed

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 bunch green onions, chopped

1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped

Roma tomatoes, diced..however much you want

guacomole

shredded cheese, Mexican blend or cheddar

crispy tortilla strips (see recipe below)

Stir shredded chicken in with the BBQ sauce until well coated. Of course you can use less or more sauce, it's up to you!  Toss together the lettuce, cilantro, corn, beans, and chopped veggies. Top with shredded chicken, cheese and crispy tortilla strips. Drizzle ranch or cilantro lime dressing over salad and enjoy!

*to make crispy tortilla strips simply slice about 10 corn tortillas in narrow strips and place on cookie sheet. Spray with vegetable oil cooking spray and sprinkle generously with salt. Place under the broiler and let bake until crispy and brown around the edges.

Power Enchiladas

These enchiladas were amazingly good! I loved them. I knew my kids would be wary with all the green so I halved the recipe. I also used white tortillas to appeal to them. They didn't care for it, but I think these are my new favorite enchilada recipe! Chad even liked them a lot and he doesn't care for zucchini. We rated this recipe 4 out of 5 stars.

Recipe from The Sisters Cafe. 
 

HEALTH ALERT: THESE ENCHILADAS ARE PRETTY DANG GOOD FOR YOU.

With all the irresistible Christmas sweets headed your way, I thought I might throw at least one healthy dish your way. My sis, Melis, got this recipe years ago from a personal trainer/friend. This isn't your typical enchilada dish. It's PACKED with nutrients and I think it still tastes wonderful! In fact, I'm sure you could sneak in a lot more veggies than the recipe even calls for and no one would know the difference. The original recipe called for red enchilada sauce. I make it with green enchilada sauce since I prefer it, and I love it!

Power Enchiladas

Submitted by Amy ~ The Sisters Cafe

Printable Recipe here

4 oz. fat free chicken broth

1 T. canola oil

1 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper

1 cup grated zucchini

2 cups boneless, skinless chicken breast, cooked and shredded

2 T. chopped cilantro

1 1/2 or a little more:) cups grated low fat, part-skim mozzarella cheese

1 (4 oz) can diced green chilies (or use fresh)

4 cloves garlic

1 (19 oz) can green enchilada sauce

8-10 whole wheat tortillas

Sliced black olives (3-5 per enchilada)

Light or fat free sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare all ingredients for assembly. In a large frying pan, bring chicken broth and canola oil to just boiling. Add onion and green pepper to broth and saute until onions are tender. Add grated zucchini and saute until just cooked. Drain off liquid and remove pan from heat. Add cooked chicken to vegetable mixture and stir. Add cilantro, 1 1/4 cups of grated cheese (reserving 1/4 cup for later), green chilies, and garlic. Stir to combine.

Layer 1/2 cup enchilada sauce into the bottom of a 9 x 13 dish sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Fill tortillas with meat and vegetable mixture. Spoon about 1 T. enchilada sauce over meat mixture. Roll tortillas up and turn enchilada seam down. Ladle remaining sauce over enchiladas, making sure tortillas are completely covered in sauce (so they don't dry out). Cover with tin foil and bake 12-15 minutes. Remove foil and sprinkle enchiladas with remaining 1/4 cup (or a little more:) grated cheese. Bake 10 minutes more until cheese is melted. Then turn on broiler and place enchiladas nearer the top of oven. Let it broil until cheese is slightly brown and crispy. Garnish with olives and sour cream.

Sunday Roast Beef Stroganoff

My whole family (even Nic) loves this dinner. It is perfect for a busy Sunday. Try it. I guarantee it will be a favorite.

2-3 lb. chuck roast
1 envelope onion soup mix
1 c. water
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 c. sour cream

Brown roast. Add water and soup mix. Cover and bake in 350 degree oven for 3-4 hours. Remove from oven and stir in soup and sour cream. Serve over hot noodles, rice, or mashed potatoes.

Beef Stroganoff with Rice

Another one from "365 Days of Slow Cooking"! Can you tell I enjoy this cookbook? And why not? It's making dinner for me!

1 1/2 lbs beef stew meat (mine was frozen)
2 T onion soup mix
1 (4 oz) can mushrooms, drained
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1/2 cup sour cream
4 oz cream cheese

In 2-3 quart slow cooker, mix stew meat and dry soup mix until evenly coated. Top with mushrooms and soup. Cover and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours. About 30 min before serving, cook rice. Just before serving, stir sour cream and cream cheese into beef mixture until smooth. Serve over rice.
(Mine cooked in about 3 hours on LOW in my quirky crock pot!)

Slow Cooker Sweet & Sour Chicken

Another recipe from "365 Days of Slow Cooking"! This one is really yummy!!

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (mine were frozen)
1 cup Catalina dressing
1 cup apricot jam
1 packet onion soup mix

Place chicken in slow cooker and combine other ingredients in a small bowl. Pour sauce over the top of the chicken. Cook on HIGH for 3 hours and serve over rice.
(Since my crock pot cooks faster, I cooked on LOW for 3 hours and it was perfect!)

Chicken A La King

This recipe is from one of my new cookbooks, "365 Days of Slow Cooking" which I love! The author is Karen Petersen and it's got lots of great crock pot recipes! I modified this one slightly - my modifications are in parenthesis.

3 lbs chicken tenders, cut in half (2 lbs)
1 16 oz package baby carrots (1/2 pkg)
2 red bell peppers, chopped (1 pepper)
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced (1 garlic clove)
1 8 oz. pkg cream cheese, cut into cubes
2 jars Alfredo sauce, (1 jar)
1 cup milk
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 tsp dried basil leaves
1/8 tsp pepper
Hot cooked noodles, mashed potatoes, biscuits or rice

Place chicken in 5-6 quart slow cooker. Add carrots, bell peppers, onions and garlic; mix gently. In food processor or blender, combine cream cheese with Alfredo sauce and milk; process or blend until combined. Pour into large bowl and add cream of chicken soup, basil and pepper. Mix well. Pour sauce into slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 7-9 hours or until chicken and vegetables are tender. Serve over hot cooked noodles, potatoes, biscuits, or rice.
Angela's way: my crock pot tends to cook fast, so I usually put any meat I'm cooking into the crock pot frozen. So my chicken tenders were frozen pieces when I added them. Frozen meat makes more tender and juicy meat, I've found. The amount I did in my crock pot, with my modifications, cooked in 4 hours on LOW in my crock pot. The chicken was perfect - tender and juicy and the sauce was delicious! One of the cooking tips for using a crock pot that Karen suggests in this cookbook, if your crock pot is 1/2 full, it will cook the best.

Peppered Meatballs with Dill Sauce

This was a recipe I tried last week and it is DELICIOUS! Chad loves this, even as leftovers. And that is HUGE! He is not normally a leftover guy. The meatballs are fantastic, I think it is now one of my favorite meatball recipes.


I only put in half the pepper in the meatballs and half the dill. And the flavors were strong enough for us. But here is the original recipe.

Peppered Meatballs with Dill Sauce
1 1/2# lean hamburger
3/4 cup quick oats
1 egg
1/4 cup finely diced onion
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp salt
2 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp ketchup
1 Tbsp dry parsley

Mix all ingredients. Form in balls and place on a greased cookie sheet. Line with foil for easier clean up. Bake at 400 for about 18 minutes, shaking occasionally.

Sauce:
1/4 cup butter
7 Tbsp flour
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups milk
2 tsp dry dill
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Melt butter in a large saucepan or dutch oven over medium heat. Whisk in flour, then broth and milk. Whisk and cook till bubbly. Boil for at least 1 minute, stirring constantly. (Don’t skip this step or your sauce will have a floury taste. Not good.) Stir in seasonings, then hot meatballs. Serve over hot pasta.

Chicken Pesto Pasta

Another new recipe...and another yummy hit! This was fabulous. Note that it is better fresh. The leftovers tend to get clumpy.

Chicken Pesto Pasta by Make and Takes
(go to the link for more pics and tutorial)

Recipe for Chicken Pesto Pasta – makes 4 servings

• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup pesto – in the summer I make it with Homemade Basil Pesto
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 box cooked pasta – we’ve got bowtie
• 3 cups cooked chicken shredded or cubed

Cook and prep your chicken and pasta to your liking and combine in a bowl. Set aside.

For the sauce, bring your heavy cream to a boil, stirring constantly, it will come to a boil fast. Let this boil on medium heat for 4-5 minutes until it thickens up. Add your pesto and stir. Add your parmesan and stir until most of the cheese is melted in the sauce. Add your salt and pepper, not too much as the pesto and cheese have a lot of flavor by themselves.

Pour your pesto cream sauce over the chicken and pasta, and stir to combine.

Pizza Rolls

We had these for dinner tonight and they were so delicious! They looked so good and tasted even better! This is another great recipe from sisterscafe.blogspot.com. I'm sure it will be a big hit with all your kids.

Pizza Dough
1 c warm water
1 tsp sugar
1 Tb (1/4 oz package) active dry yeast
3 Tbsp olive oil

2 ½ c flour
1 tsp salt

Put warm water in bowl. Stir in sugar and yeast and let proof for 1o minutes. Stir in rest of ingredients. Mix until a ball, knead 10 minutes by hand or 5 minutes in mixer. Let rise for 1.5 hours. Roll out and arrange pizza toppings on top. Bake in 400 degree oven (on preheated pizza stone for best results).

Pizza dough, raw (see above)
mozzarella cheese, shredded or cubed

pepperoni, cut into fourths

1/2 green bell pepper, diced small

1/2 small onion, diced small

1/4 cup chopped olives

Roll pizza dough out into a large rectangle. Using a pizza cutter, cut into 12 pieces. Layer the toppings in the center of each square of dough; about 2-3 Tb total of toppings on each. Now stretch and fold the dough around the toppings, pinching to seal edges. This is the tricky part - the more toppings you use, the harder it gets to tuck them all within the dough! (fyi: pepperoni and cheese or ham and pineapple are much easier, as you can imagine.) Now place seam side down in a lightly greased casserole dish or glass baking dish. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle generously with garlic salt and Italian seasoning. (oregano, basil and thyme, etc) Bake in a 400 degree oven for 25-30 minutes or until rolls are light brown. Serve with your favorite marinara sauce for dipping. Dig in and have fun!
We just used some Ragu spaghetti sauce to dip these in and it was great (instead of marinara). I think it is a good idea to let them rise for a little bit after you get them rolled and in you baking dish.

Honey Lime Enchiladas

I found a delicious food blog from a family of LDS sisters called sisterscafe.blogspot.com. They have so many wonderful recipes and ideas. I made this for Neal and Marilyn when they came to visit last week and they both loved it (post heart surgery and all). Marilyn was astonished at how much he ate while out on the road!

1.5 lbs pork or chicken, cooked and shredded

Sauce:

1/3 c honey

1/4 c lime juice

1 Tb chili powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

2 (10 oz) cans green enchilada sauce

equal parts mixed together of:

mozzarella cheese, shredded

cheddar cheese, shredded

flour tortillas

Mix together sauce ingredients then add to shredded pork or chicken. Let the sauce soak into the meat for about 30 minutes.

Lightly spray 2 pans with non-stick baking spray. (I usually use one 9x13 and one 9x9 but it may vary with how thick you stuff your enchiladas) Pour green enchilada sauce into pans to coat the entire bottom. Fill tortillas with shredded meat and desired amount of cheese. Roll and place in dish.

Pour remainder of sauce over enchiladas and sprinkle more cheese on top - don't be stingy! (I sometimes use more like 1 1/2 cans- you can freeze left over enchilada sauce in a baggy.) Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Then turn on broiler and place enchiladas nearer the top of oven. Let it broil until cheese is slightly brown and crispy. It is now time to WOW your family!!

Instead of letting the cooked meat soak in the sauce, I threw the raw meat and sauce in the crockpot together and let them cook for a few hours on high.

Cheesy Roll Ups

Recipe from A Thrifty Mom

1 box lasagna noodles
1 jar spaghetti sauce

Cheese Mixture:
1 16 oz pkg ricotta cheese
1 1/2 c. fresh grated parmesean cheese (set aside 1/2 cup for the top)
2 c. mozzarella cheese, grated
1 large egg
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp nutmeg
2 Tbl. parsley, fresh or dry

Start cooking your pasta. Put the noodles in a large pot. As they soften up you can slide them down into the pan so they are totally covered with water. Just don't push them as you don't want them to break. Cook them for 10 minutes. (while they are cooking make the cheese mixture). Do not overcook! When done drain and rinse so they are cool enough to handle. Pour the spaghetti sauce in your baking dish.

In a bowl add all the cheese mixture ingredients. Mix until well blended. Lay out the noodles and pat them dry with paper towels. Spread the filling mixture out in a flat layer over the noodle. Leave the last inch open so the noodle will stick together. Roll it up and place seam side down in a pan with the spaghetti sauce. Sprinkle the 1/2 c. parmesean cheese on the top. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes, then another 10 minutes without foil for a total of 35 minutes.

When I make this I put the other half in a foil disposable pan and cover with foil to freeze. I write the directions & label it on top in a permanent marker so I don't forget what's in there or how to bake it.

Chicken and Cheese Enchiladas

This has a fresh, yummy tomatillo sauce that's different from other recipes.

1 sm. red onion
1 1/2 lb. tomatillos, husked & seeded
1-2 serrano chile peppers, stemmed & seeded
1/2 c. chicken broth
Kosher salt
Pinch of sugar
8 corn tortillas
3 c. shredded rotisserie chicken
2 1/2 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/3 c. fresh cilantro
2 Tbls. extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat the broiler. Slice the onion in half. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet along with the tomatillos and serannos and broil until the vegetables are soft and slightly brown, 7-10 min., turning as needed. Transfer the begetabbles and any liquid to a blender, add the broth and puree. Season with 1/2 tsp. salt and the sugar.

Meanwhile, stack the tortillas, wrap in damp paper towel and microwave just until warm and soft, 1 minute; keep covered. Toss the chicken with 2 cups shredded cheese in a bowl. Spoon a portion of the chicken mixture down the middle of each tortilla. Add a few cilantro leaves and roll up. Place the enchiladas sise by side in a lightly oiled 9-by-13 inch baking dish and brush with the 2 Tbls. olive oil. Broil until crisp and golden, 3 minutes.

Put the tomatillo sauce over the enchiladas and top with remiaing 1/2 c. shredded cheese. Return to the oven and broil until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown, 3-5 minutes. Garnish with cilantro

Chicken Rolls

I have fond memories of these growing up....

2 large pkg crescent rolls
1 large pkg cream cheese
1/4 c. butter (optional)*
2 medium green onions, chopped
2 c. cubed chicken or turkey
1 small can sliced mushrooms, drained (optional)
dash of pepepr

Cream cheese and butter until soft and well blended. Add chicken, pepper, mushrooms, and onions. Place 1/8 to 1/4 c. of mixture in center of each crescent roll. Wrap dough around the mixture and seal well. Bake at 350 degrees until brown, about 15 minutes.

Make a gravy from broth or chicken soup and serve over rolls.

If desired, melt 1/4 cube butter. Mix 1 c. dressing bread, and 1/4 c. chopped pecans. Dip each roll into butter, then roll in dressing/pecan mixture before baking.

*Can substitute a little plain yogurt, cream soup, or gravy for butter.

Lasagna

This is a recipe from Better Homes and Gardens. I have a lot of home canned tomatoes I need to use so I tried this recipe. It is the best lasagna we have ever had. YUM!!! Pair it with homemade breadsticks.

2 Tbl. Onion Flakes
1/8 tsp Garlic Powder
1 qt. tomatoes
2 6oz cans tomato paste
1/2 c. water
2 Tbl. Sugar
1 lb mozzarella cheese
1 lb. cottage cheese
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 tsp oregano
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
12 lasagna noodles
Parmesan cheese

Blend tomatoes, tomato paste, onion flakes, garlic powder, salt, pepper, oregano, sugar and water. Brown ground beef, drain, and add to above blended ingredients in a large pot. Add bay leaf and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Boil 12 lasagna noodles in salted water (1 Tbl), also add a little vegetable oil to keep the noodles from sticking together. Boil for 10 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse well. Pat dry with paper towels. Fill 9x13 greased pan with alternate layers of noodles, grated mozzarella cheese, cottage cheese, sauce, and Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

This works great as a freezer meal too! Just like if  you were to buy a Stouffer's lasagna. Assemble the lasagna, then freeze. 

Homestyle Pot Roast

This is the easiest and tastiest pot roast I've had in a long time. Instead of buying beef chuck though, I used 2 lbs of beef stew meat I happened to have. I took the meat right from the freezer and put into the crock pot and it turned out really tender and the flavor - very yummy!

2 pounds boneless beef chuck, cut into large chunks
1 can (14 1/2 oz) stewed tomatoes (I blend mine up in the blender)
1 packet (1 1/2 oz) beef stew seasoning

Combine beef, tomatoes and seasoning mix in Crock Pot. Cover and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours.

(My crock pot cooks fast on LOW for some reason so even with the meat being frozen, it only took 4 hours. Bigger chunks of meat would take longer of course. I read in a Crock Pot cook book once that if you start with frozen meat, it turns out tender and juicy most of the time. It's true for me!)

BBQ Cheddar Chicken Roll ups

This recipe was on my menu last week and we decided they are a keeper. If you like fajitas, you will like these!


1 each large green and red pepper, cut into strips (4 cups)
1 large onion, thinly sliced (1 cup)
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1/3 cup barbecue sauce
4 whole wheat tortillas (10 inch), warmed
1 cup cheddar cheese

Cook and stir vegetables in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat 3 min. Add chicken; cook and stir 3 to 4 min. or until no longer pink. Stir in barbecue sauce; cook on medium heat 3 min. or until chicken is done, stirring occasionally.

Spoon chicken mixture down centers of tortillas; top with cheese. Roll up. Cut diagonally in half to serve.