Chicken Pie (Vegetarian Option Available)

This one comes together fast and is super kid friendly.  I mean, really, what kid wouldn't think it was a treat to have "pie" for dinner?!  This is also a super easy way to use up your leftover chicken, which we always seem to have!

Ingredients:
1 Tbs coconut oil
1 1/2 c diced or shredded chicken
4 slices of cooked bacon, crumbled
1/2 c gluten free flour mix
1 c Silk Almond Milk, unsweetened
3 eggs, beaten
1/4 c Organicville Caesar Dressing
Coleslaw mix

1.  Preheat oven to 400 and grease a glass pie pan with coconut oil.
2.  In the pie plate, spread chicken and bacon to cover the base.
3. In a bowl, mix the GF flour, milk, eggs, and dressing.  Pour over the chicken & bacon.
4. Bake 25-30 minutes or until knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.  Let stand for 5 minutes.
5.  Toss coleslaw mix with more the caesar dressing.
6.  Serve pie, topped with coleslaw.

**There is plenty of room for adding more veggies into this mix or making the pie entirely vegetarian by replacing some or all of the chicken/bacon with roasted veggies!!**

Chicken Enchilada Hot Dish

Hahahahaha..... this is the first recipe I've posted that I am officially deeming a "hot dish".  I guess I am fully Minnesotan now.  It only took 10 years.

This dish is super easy to put together and is perfect for hectic weeknights or - if you're like us - a Friday night when I can hardly keep my eyes open let alone get dinner on the table.

Ingredients:
1 lb chicken breasts or thighs
1 pkg Frontera taco or enchilada sauce*
1 can black beans
6 corn tortillas
1/2 cup raw milk cheddar cheese**
guacamole & chips (optional)

1. Put thawed chicken and Frontera sauce in your

crock pot and cook on low for 7 hours.
2.  When the chicken is done, shred it and drain off any excess liquid.
3.  Preheat oven to 350.
4.  Layer all ingredients - corn tortillas, meat & beans, corn tortillas, meat & beans, corn tortillas, cheese.
5.  Bake for 15-20 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly on the edges.
6.  Serve topped with guacamole and a side of chips!

*Available at most grocery stores.
**Available at Trader Joes.

Slow Cooker Meatballs and Curried Veggies

This one comes from a good friend of mine, and it is delicious!!  Another great slow cooker-non-soup recipe :)

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground chicken, beef, or turkey
salt, pepper

1 yellow onion
4 cloves garlic
2 inch stip of fresh ginger, peeled (or 3 cubes dorot ginger)
4 carrots
6 small potatoes
2 cups cauliflower florets*
2 stalks celery*
1/2 cup dried fruit of choice (figs, dates, prunes, or raisins)

2 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon curry powder

Cilantro and/or parsley

Place chicken in a bowl and add a generous amount of salt and pepper. Gently mix in the salt and pepper while forming the chicken into 1 inch size meatballs with your hands. Evenly distribute meatballs in the bottom of a 6 quart slow cooker.

Coarsely chop all vegetables and dried fruit and, in the order listed, place atop of the meatballs, spreading around the slow cooker so they are evenly distributed.

Whisk curry powder into chicken stock in a small bowl and pour over the meatballs and veggies.

Put the lid on the slow cooker and cook on high for 3- 3 1/2 hours, until chicken is cooked through and veggies are tender.

Serve with cilantro/parsley as a garnish.

*I didn't have cauliflower or celery but I did have mushrooms and threw those in.  Sub whatever hearty veggies you have on hand!

Credit: 18 Hour Kitchen

Enchilada Casserole

2 cup cooked, shredded chicken (I just toss a few chicken breasts in the crock pot in the morning to cook)
1 can diced tomatoes, drained (15 oz)
1 can black beans, drained (15oz)
1/2 a brick of cream cheese
2 cup shredded cheese
3 tortillas


1. Mix the chicken, tomatoes, beans, and cooking crème in a bowl. Combine well.
2. Place a 1/3 cup mixture on bottom of a pie plate or 8X8  freezer pan.  I buy the foil ones. Top with 1 tortilla.
3. Top tortilla with chicken mixture and cheese. Repeat layers and end with chicken mixture on top and top with last bit of cheese.
4. Double wrap in heavy aluminum foil to prevent freezer burn.  Label.
Cooking Instructions: Thaw and bake uncovered at 350 degrees 30 minutes or until heated through.

Credit:  Joyful Momma's Kitchen

BBQ Nachos

This one is stolen from a friend who copied the concept of an appetizer from Green Mill.  They are a tasty alternative to the standard mexican dinner, which we seem to eat often!


BBQ Nachos

Ingredients:
-Shredded chicken mixed with bbq sauce or BBQ lentils
-Tortilla chips
-Shredded cheese
-Black beans
-Onion, white or green, diced
-Rotel tomatoes
-Guacamole, sour cream, and Salsa for serving

1.  Line a cookie sheet with foil, then chips.
2.  Spread bbq chicken or lentils over chips.
3.  Sprinkle black beans, onions, tomatoes, and cheese over the whole sheet.
4.  Put the sheet under the broiler for 1-3 minutes until cheese is melted.  Watch them carefully so your chips don't burn! 
5.  Enjoy with guacamole, sour cream, and/or salsa.

Chicken and Wild Rice Salad

This recipe is straight-up stolen from some girlfriends, but it's been shared so many times I'm including it here.  Mostly for my own sake so that I remember it and think to make it!  This is a great recipe for the rest of that rotisserie chicken you have left over.


Chicken and Wild Rice Salad

Ingredients:
3 c cooked wild rice
1 c chopped celery
1 c red bell pepper
1/2 c green onion
2 c mayo (sub plain yogurt)
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp celery salt
2-3 c chicken
2 c red grapes

1.  Mix and enjoy!

Crock Pot Chicken Parm

Ingredients:
2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1/2 cup Italian Seasoned Bread Crumbs
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
1/4 t black pepper
1/4 t kosher salt
1 TBSP olive oil
1 egg, beaten
sliced or shredded mozzarella cheese
favorite jarred marinara sauce


1.  Spread the 1 TBSP of olive oil into the bottom of your crockpot.
2.  Beat the egg with a fork in a separate bowl.
3.  Mix the bread crumbs with the seasonings and the Parmesan cheese in another separate dish.
4.  Dip the chicken into the egg, then into the bread crumb mixture, coating both sides with crumbs, cheese and seasonings.
5.  Place the chicken breast pieces in the bottom of the crockpot.
6.  Layer 2-3 slices or 1-2 cups of mozzarella cheese on top, depending on how much cheese you like.
7.  Cover chicken and cheese with entire jar of marinara sauce.
8.  Close lid and cook on low for 6-7 hours or high for 3-4.
9.  Serve with your favorite pasta.

Credit:  Chef In Training via Pinterest

Enchilada Pasta

Another Pinterest recipe!  It was AMAZING!!

Ingredients:

Shredded chicken (optional)

2 tbsp. olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 medium onion, diced

1 red pepper, diced

1 {4 oz.} can diced green chiles

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. cumin

2 {10 oz.} cans green chili enchilada sauce

2/3 cups red enchilada sauce

2 cups shredded colby jack cheese

1 cup sour cream

Penne pasta

1.  Cook chicken, drain, and shred {or shred your rotisserie}.  Meanwhile boil pasta according to package and chop the veggies.  

2.  Heat the olive oil in a deep skillet and cook onions for about 3-5 minutes.  Add garlic & red pepper and cook for another 3-5 minutes.  

3. Add cooked chicken, green chiles, cumin, chili powder, salt, & enchilada sauces.  Let sauce simmer for about 8-10 minutes.

4. Add cheese and stir until the cheese is melted and heated through.  Now toss in the sour cream, but whatever you do, DO NOT bring to a boil!  Cook on low heat or the sour cream will curdle.  Gross.  Stir until sour cream is well mixed and heated through.

5. Drain pasta & return to pot.  Pour sauce over pasta and mix well.

Optional Toppings:

Avocado

Green Onions

Black Olives

Tomatoes

Sour Cream

Corn Chowder

Another yummy crockpot soup for the looooooong winter months.


Corn Chowder

Ingredients:
-1 Tbs butter
-1 onion, chopped
-3 ribs celery, finely chopped
-2 white potatoes, cut into 1/2 dices
-2 c chicken broth
-dash of paprika
-dash of thyme
-salt and pepper
-2 c milk
-3 c frozen corn
-1-2 c diced or shredded chicken

1. In a skillet, melt the butter. Add onion and celery and cook until the onion is transparent but not browned.
2. While the onion and celery are cooking, put the potatoes into the slow cooker. Scrape the onion and celery into the cooker along with any remaining butter.
3. Into the crockpot, add the broth, paprika, thyme, and pepper. If the broth is unsalted, add the salt.
4. Stir gently, making sure the potatoes remain submerged in liquid. Cover and cook on LOW until the potatoes are tender, 5-6 hours.
5. Add the milk, corn, and chicken. Stir, cover, and cook on HIGH until the chowder is heated through, about 1 hour. Season with salt and pepper, as needed.

Pizza Hot Dish

Today is my 8th anniversary of living here in Minnesota and this is the FIRST time I've made a recipe with hot dish in the title. It's about time, I think. This was a fun alternative to pizza take out. I am including the basic recipe below, but get creative and customize it to your own favorite pizza varieties. I added sweet peppers and onions in with my beef. You could sub chicken sausage for the beef and mushrooms for the pepperonis and have a sausage and mushroom variety. You could also go all veggie. The possibilities here are really endless. Happy New Year!

Pizza Hot Dish

Ingredients:
-1lb ground beef
-1 tsp Italian seasoning (all I had on hand was oregano and it worked great)
-1/2 tsp garlic salt
-1 c. dry macaroni noodles
-1 can pizza sauce
-1 c. shredded motz
-sprinkle of shredded Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Boil noodles to al dente.
3. Brown ground beef with seasoning and garlic salt until cooked through.
4. Add sauce to beef mixture and simmer. Drain noodles and add to beef and sauce.
5. Pour beef/sauce/noodle mixture into the bottom of an 8x8 baking dish. Top with motz, pepperoni, and parmesan cheese.
6. Bake covered for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake another 10-15 minutes.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

My husband and I used to love getting Chinese take-out once a week. In the last few years as our eating habits have turned towards healthier options, we've slowly evolved from greasy Chinese take-out no longer tasting good to it just flat out not craving it. I just love how our bodies can respond to our choices!! This is a great, healthy (and cheaper!) alternative.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Ingredients:
-1 20oz can of pineapple chunks in their own juices
-2 Tbs white vinegar
-2 Tbs soy sauce
-4 tsp cornstarch
-1 Tbs ketchup
-2 Tbs grated ginger
-1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
-vegetable oil
-bell pepper, cut into pieces
-prepared white or brown rice

1. In a small bowl, combine 1/2 c pineapple juice (from the can of pineapple chunks), vinegar, soy sauce, 2 tsp cornstarch, ketchup, and ginger.
2. In a separate bowl, toss the chicken pieces with 2 tsp cornstarch and a bit of salt and pepper.
3. Heat oil over medium heat, then add chicken and cook until browned, about 5 min. Once browned, Remove the chicken and set aside.
4. Add the bell pepper and cook until tender; then stir in pineapple and reserved chicken.
5. Whisk pineapple juice mixture into the chicken mixture and cook until sauce thickens and chicken is cooked through.
5. Serve up top a bed of rice and maybe with a side of dumplings from Trader Joes? :)

Chicken Cacciatore

If you haven't noticed, my crockpot has been working overtime lately! With so much going on, I really haven't been in the mood to cook meals in the evenings and I'm preparing for the arrival of our third little one and assuming once he arrives, I'll have to have plenty of good crockpot recipes on hand to get this crew fed!

Chicken Cacciatore

Ingredients:
-2 c marinara sauce
-1 onion, chopped
-garlic, chopped to your taste
-1 bell pepper, chopped
-4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
-2-3 carrots, chopped
-2 Tbs flour
-2 Tbs water
-Prepared quinoa or rice

1. Pour half of the marinara on the bottom of the crockpot. Then add all the veggies, garlic and chicken. Pour remaining marinara over the top.
2. Cook in crockpot for 6-7 hours on low.
3. Remove the chicken from crockpot and chop/shred it to your desired texture.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and water and stir the combined paste into the crockpot sauce. Cook on HIGH for 10-15 minutes until sauce has thickened.
5. Serve chicken and sauce from crockpot over a bed of cooked quinoa.

Jan's White Chicken Chili (Crockpot)

I am blessed to know Jan. She is a beautiful woman who loves our family so much and she's an amazing cook to boot. (We should know, we eat dinner at her house every other week!) Traditionally, white chicken chili has a cream sauce base, but this one is broth base and this lighter version is so refreshing. All that, and you can cook it in the crock pot. Does it get any better?

Jan's White Chicken Chili
Ingredients:
-3 + cups cooked chicken*
-1 c onion, chopped
-garlic powder to taste
-2 tsp cumin
-1 tsp oregano
-1/2 tsp ground red pepper
-3 15oz cans of white beans (you choose the variety)
-2 4oz cans of chopped green chilies**
-4+ c chicken broth (add to your desired level of thick/thinness)
-2 c shredded monterey jack cheese

1. Put all ingredients, except the cheese, into a crock pot.
2. Cook 7-8 hours on LOW.
3. Serve in bowls topped with cheese. Tortilla chips also make a nice addition!


*I was going to serve this on a Saturday night. So, on Friday afternoon I put 1 package of frozen chicken breasts in the crockpot with a bit of chicken broth and cooked them on HIGH for 5 hours. When they were done, I shredded the chicken, added the remaining ingredients listed above and stuck the whole crockpot in the fridge. Mid-morning the next day, all I had to do was pull the crockpot out of the fridge and turn it on. Several hours later, dinner was served!
**I used only one to cut down on the spice for the younger members of our family.

White Bean and Chicken Sausage Stew (Slow Cooker)

I was recently out of town for 5 days and left my awesome hubby home with both kiddos! In an effort to relieve some of the daily "to do's", I spent some time cooking ahead before I left to make sure they had dinner ready to warm and serve each night. Sorry, forgot to take a picture of this one, but it turned out great. It holds together and freezes well for future use. This would also make an easy and good option for a mercy meal!

White Bean and Chicken Sausage Stew

Ingredients:
-1 lb dried white beans (great northern or navy)
-14 oz chicken sausage*, halved lengthwise and sliced
-4 cups broth
-1 14.5oz can diced tomatoes (do NOT drain)
-1 large onion, chopped
-6 cloves garlic, minced or chopped
-kale or spinach

1. Combine in a slow cooker: beans, sausage, broth, tomatoes,onion, garlic, and 1 c water.

2. Cover and cook until beans are tender, on low 7-8 hours or on high 5-6 hours.

3. Just before serving, stir in the kale/spinach.

*I used a variety that included red pepper and spinach mixed in for added flavor. Chicken sausage comes in a variety of flavors (especially at Trader Joes) and you can mix and match to change up the flavoring in this stew.

Thanks, Real Simple!

Simple Chicken Crockpot

I'm struggling with what to call this one. Is it bbq? Is it Asian fusion? Is it honey? The answer is a little of everything to create a delicious and super simple chicken crockpot so that is what I settled on! Either way, with the return of the school year and dance class on Wednesday nights, I'm happy to see my crockpot back on the counter for delicious, healthy, easy meals ready whenever we might be.

Simple Chicken Crockpot

Ingredients:
-1 lb boneless, skinless chicken (breasts or thighs work great)
-1/2 c ketchup
-1/2 c honey
-1/3 c soy sauce
-garlic, minced
-dried basil

1. Place chicken in the crockpot.
2. Mix all other ingredients in a bowl and pour over chicken.
3. Cook on low for 5-6 hours.
4. Serve. I served mine over sauteed peppers and kale and white rice.

It doesn't get much easier than that!

Simple Chicken with Fruit Salsa

This is a simple and seasonal. Enjoy!




Simple Chicken with Fruit Salsa

Ingredients:
-1 small melon, cut into 1/4" pieces
-2-3 pluots, chopped into 1/4" pieces (can sub peaches)
-Zest and juice of 1 lime
-fresh basil, chopped
-salt and pepper
-2-4 chicken breasts

1. Mix the melon, pluots, 1/2 the zest, all the juice, basil, salt and pepper together in a bowl to create a fruit salsa. Refrigerate to let the flavors mingle.
2. Rub the chicken with the remaining zest, salt and pepper. Grill until juices run clear.
3. Serve chicken topped with salsa. Great with a side of tortilla chips.

Chicken Salad

I used to think there was one way to make chicken salad (mayo, celery, etc.) but then I started playing around with what I put in it and it's one of my favorites.
Sorry, folks, no measurements here. I just dump and taste as I go.

Chicken Salad

Ingredients:
Cut up/shredded chicken
mayo
grapes, halved
walnuts, crushed
scallions, chopped
salt and pepper

Mix to your desired taste. Serve up on top some greens tossed with a vinaigrette and crackers on the side.

Mini Meatball Calzones

My food photography on this one is particularly bad. I'm going to let the notes below speak for themselves :)

Mini Meatball Calzones

Ingredients:
-1 10-oz box of frozen spinach, defrosted and wrung of excess water
-1 lb. ground beef, turkey, or chicken
-chopped onion
-minced or chopped garlic
-2 large eggs
-3/4c. breadcrumbs
-2 c. shredded motz
-salt and pepper
-refrigerated pizza dough
-marinara for dipping

In a bowl, mix together:
EVERYTHING except 1 of the eggs and the marinara. Roll the mixture into meatballs.

Then:
Split your pizza dough into 3" squares or circles.
Place 1 meatball inside each piece of dough and wrap dough around the meatball.
Place mini calzones on a baking sheet and bake at 425 for 15 minutes.
Serve with warmed marinara for dipping.

NOTE: This is a great one for the kids. You can pack all kinds of good stuff into the meat mixture (don't feel limited to what's listed above) and they gobble them up because they are "dippable".

Sweet and Sour Chicken

If you make the rice ahead of time, this meal is a super easy one-pot wonder!

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Ingredients:
-1 can (20oz) pineapple in juice, drained; 1/2 c. juice reserved
-2 Tbsp. white vinegar
-2 Tbsp. soy sauce
-4 tsp. cornstarch
-1 Tbs. ketchup
-A bit of grated ginger (or 1-2 cubes of this great product)
-1 lb. chicken (breasts or thighs will work), cut into bite-sized pieces
-sugar snap peas or red pepper, or both :)

Make the sauce:
Mix pineapple juice, vinegar, soy sauce, 2 tsp. cornstarch, the ketchup and ginger.

Prep the chicken:
Toss chicken with 2 tsp. cornstarch, salt, and pepper.

Put it all together:
-Heat a bit of oil in a skillet and brown the chicken. Once brown, set aside on a plate.
-In the same pan, cook the bell pepper/snap peas, stirring, until crisp-tender.
-Stir in chicken and pineapple with the veggies.
-Stir in pineapple juice mixture into the chicken mixture and cook until sauce is thickened and chicken is cooked through.
-Serve over rice!

Italian Mac n Cheese

This is a variation on my preschooler's favorite dish, traditional homemade mac n cheese. Honestly, it was a spur-of-the-moment, throw-it-together kind of dinner that just happened to turn out great!

Italian Mac n Cheese

Prep:
-Boil noodles to al dente.
-Preheat oven to 350.

Mix together in a 9x 13 baking dish:
-noodles
-pesto
-sun dried tomatoes
-shredded chicken (rotisserie or crock pot cooked)
-shredded motz (I just put a little in, about 3/4 c.)
-Top with bread crumbs.

Bake for 10-15 minutes or until top is crispy.