Honey-Lime Enchiladas

Ok girls, we need to get this recipe blog going again! So I am posting a recipe I recently came across on TheSistersCafe.com. I LOVE this website. It has so many ideas. Anyway, this recipe was awesome and it freezes very well. Hope you like it too.


Honey Lime Enchiladas
recipe from The Sisters Cafe

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 9×13 and one 9×9 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.

Gumbo

Here is my attempt at writing down my gumbo recipe. I usually just add stuff and don't really measure, but with gumbo I think it's all a preference and it turns out great every time. So here are my guesstimates - Hope you enjoy!

I use a big pot to make my gumbo in. Start by making a roux (equal parts butter and flour). I usually use 1-2 Tbsp of each. On medium high heat, melt them together, whisking the whole time.


You want to whisk it until it becomes a light brown color, a little darker than the picture below.


After it turns a light brown color I add the following:

1 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 or 3 roma tomatoes (blended in the blender with a little water to make them smooth)
2 tsp chili garlic sauce (found on the ethnic/Asian food isle) - we use this stuff A LOT when we cook.
1 Tbsp. molasses
1 tsp. salt
2-3 cups of chicken broth (depending on if you like it thicker or not)
1 small onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 bay leaves
1 chicken breast, cooked and shredded
1 1/2 cups sliced smoked sausage (we buy the Jennie-o Lean Turkey sausage - and use about 1/3 of the package)

Cover and let it simmer for at least 30 minutes to let flavors blend. I have made it a couple of hours in advance and let it simmer until we were ready to eat.


Serve over cooked rice. Even Annabelle loves this stuff, but then again her eating habits aren't quite normal ;)

Freezer Dinners from Spaghetti Sauce

Bulk Spaghetti Sauce
Yield: 13 cups

In large stock pot mix:
2T canola oil
2 onions, chopped
2 t. garlic, minced
2 lbs browned Italian sausage (buy Jimmy Dean bran in a tube, less expensive)
2 lbs browned hamburger

Drain the meat mixture then add:
1 (106 oz) can spaghetti sauce can from Costco or 5 jars (28 oz) commercial spaghetti sauce
1 (106 oz) can of diced tomatoes or 2 (28 oz) cans Italian-style diced tomatoes
4 (2.4 oz) cans sliced black olives (optional)
3 T Italian seasoning
1 T dried basil
1 T salt
1/2 T pepper

*Sauce is used for lasagnas, manicotti, ravioli and can be frozen for spaghetti or pizzas. When defrosting pour off extra liquid.

Chicken Manicotti
Yield: 2 9x13 or 4 8x8 (directions are for 9x13, but I split it down more into 8x8)

1 T garlic powder
1-1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
2 boxes (8oz) manicotti shells
4-5 cups bulk spaghetti sauce
1 lb Jimmy Dean Italian sausage, cooked and drained
4 cups (16 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese
2/3 cup water

1. Rub garlic powder over chicken; cut into 1 in strips. Stuff chicken into manicotti shells. Spread 1 cup spaghetti sauce in each of two greased 13x9 baking dishes. (use aluminum ones from store so you can freeze them in container)
2. Place eight stuffed manicotti shells in each dish. Sprinkle with sausage. Pour remaining spaghetti sauce over the top. Sprinkle with cheese.
3. Drizzle water around the edge of each dish. Cover and bake one casserole at 375 for 65-70 minutes or until chicken juices run clear and pasta is tender.
4. Cover and freeze remaining casserole for up to 3 months.

To serve: Thaw in the refrigerator, 24 hours and bake at 375 for 65-70 min. You can also bake frozen at 350 for 2 1/2 hours.

Lasagna
Yield: 3 8x8 lasagnas or 2 9x13

1 (16oz) box lasagna noodles divided into three 8 inch aluminum containers
4 c mozzarella cheese, grated
1 (24oz) container cottage cheese (or ricotta)
1 (8oz) package of cream cheese
1/2 c Parmesan cheese
10 c bulk spaghetti sauce

Don't pre-cook noodles

In three greased (or lined with aluminum foil) 9 inch aluminum baking dishes, make layers in the following order.
1. 3 noodles (break to fit pan)
2. cottage cheese (or ricotta)
3. mozzarella cheese
4. nickel sized cream cheese plopped evenly all over
5. sauce, and repeat

Wrap pans with foil, label, and freeze

To serve: Bake frozen for 2 hours at 350 degrees or thaw overnight in the fridge and bake 350 for 45 min. Take off cover for final 10 minutes of baking. Let stand 10 min before serving. Lasagna will be a bit watery but this is normal. Pour out all but a little water, the rest will soak into the sauce overnight.

Cheesy Ravioli
Yield: 3 9x13 sized dinners
3 bags (13 oz) frozen cheese ravioli
10 cups bulk spaghetti sauce
3 c mozzarella cheese

To Serve:
1. Thaw 10 cups bulk spaghetti sauce completely.
2. Boil frozen ravioli for 5 min. Pour 1/2 c sauce on the bottom of 9x13 pan
3. Drain ravioli, then place in pan. Completely cover the ravioli with remaining sauce and sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top.
4. Cover; bake 350 degrees for 30 min. Uncover and cook 10 more min. Let stand 10 min before serving.

Sorry that was so long! It seems intimidating, but the sauce doesn't take that long to make, then I just assembled the rest and froze them. I did it all during one nap, so it's not as bad as it sounds and it's nice to be able to pull one out of the freezer when I don't feel like making something. Let me know if you have any questions.

Creamy Black Bean Salsa Chicken

Lately I need meals that come together really fast. My mom sent me this recipe and its perfect for busy day! Just place ingredients in your crockpot and forget it until your ready to eat!

Ingredients:
2-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup salsa
1 can (15 oz) corn, drained ( I used frozen corn)
1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained
1 package taco seasoning
½ cup sour cream (I used nonfat plain yogurt)
1 cup grated cheddar cheese


Place chicken in greased 3 ½ to 5-quart slow cooker. Pour broth, salsa, corn, beans, and taco seasoning over chicken. Cover and cook on low heat 6-8 hours or on high heat 3-4 hours. Remove Chicken with slotted spoon and place on serving dish. Stir sour cream and cheese into sauce in slow cooker, then pour over chicken. Makes 3-5 servings.

Crecent Chicken Squares

Made this for dinner a couple nights ago. Definitely a keeper, thought I would share with y'all. I guess you could buy a couple of tubes of crecent rolls and make Malia's recipe below as well(;

ps. Sorry about posting my personal stuff on this blog! eek how embarrassing. Its the first blog that shows up on my dashboard and I always hit it first to make a post. Anyways, its gone now.
Now onto this scrumptious recipe:

INGREDIENTS
1 package (3 oz) cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon butter or margarine, softened
2 cups cubed cooked chicken
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives or onion
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon chopped pimientos, if desired
1 can (8 oz) refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
1 tablespoon butter or margarine, melted
3/4 cup seasoned croutons, crushed


DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 350°F. In medium bowl, mix cream cheese and 1 tablespoon softened butter; beat until smooth. Stir in chicken, chives, salt, pepper, milk and pimientos; mix well.
2. If using crescent rolls: Unroll dough; separate into 4 rectangles. Firmly press perforations to seal. If using dough sheet: Unroll dough; cut into 4 rectangles.
3. Spoon 1/2 cup chicken mixture onto center of each rectangle. Pull 4 corners of dough to center of chicken mixture; twist firmly. Pinch edges to seal. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Brush tops of sandwiches with 1 tablespoon melted butter; sprinkle with crushed croutons.
4. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown

Chicken Broccoli Braid

Post a recipe in August: check. :)

I got this recipe when my sister was doing Pampered Chef and dug it out to make for dinner this week. I love the dill in it. Yum!

INGREDIENTS
2 cups diced, cooked chicken meat
1 cup fresh broccoli, chopped
1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1 clove crushed garlic
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons dried dill weed
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons slivered almonds
1/4 cup diced onion
2 (8 ounce) packages refrigerated crescent rolls
1 egg white, beaten

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, toss together chicken, broccoli, red bell pepper, garlic, Cheddar cheese, mayonnaise, dill weed, salt, almonds and onion.

Unroll crescent roll dough, and arrange flat on a medium baking sheet. Pinch together perforations to form a single sheet of dough. Using a knife or scissors, cut 1 inch wide strips in towards the center, starting on the long sides. There should be a solid strip about 3 inches wide down the center, with the cut strips forming a fringe down each side. Spread the chicken mixture along the center strip. Fold the side strips over chicken mixture, alternating strips from each side. Pinch or twist to seal.

Brush braided dough with the egg white. Bake in the preheated oven 25 to 28 minutes, or until golden brown.

Photo and recipe courtesy of allrecipes.com

Thai Chicken Pizza

I got this recipe from my sister (sorry Barb, you've already seen it), and made it for dinner tonight. It was so easy and delicious. My husband said he 'felt like he was in a restaurant'. Enjoy!

You can make this really easy by buying a pre-made pizza crust, but I make mine cause it is super easy and a hecka lot cheaper. This recipe makes 2 pizza's.
Pizza Dough:
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour (you can substitute whole wheat flour for 1 cup of the all purpose).

.25 ounces active dry yeast

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup warm water
1/2 - 1 Tbsp. olive oil

cornmeal, for sprinkling

Directions: Mix a little sugar into the warm water. Sprinkle yeast on top. Wait for 10 minutes or until it gets all foamy. Pour into a large bowl. Add flour, salt and olive oil. Combine. Knead for 6-8 minutes until you have a moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic (add a bit more flour if you need to). Cover and let rest for 10-30 minutes. Lightly grease two 12 inch pizza pans (or cookie sheets if you don't have pizza pans). Sprinkle with a little bit of cornmeal. Divide dough in half. Place each half on a pizza pan and pat it with your fingers until it stretches over the whole pan. Try to make it thicker around the edge. Then spread with toppings of your choice and bake at 425 for 15-20 minutes or until bubbly, hot and the edges are golden brown.

**If you don't want to use all the dough, you can freeze it. Take a portion of the dough, form it into a ball, rub olive oil over it and place it in a freezer bag. Make sure to thaw before using.

Thai Chicken Pizza toppings:

House of Tsang Peanut Sauce (you can get this at Wal Mart usually)

Mozzarella Cheese

Shredded carrots

Chopped cilantro

Sliced water chestnuts (I didn't use these, because I was too cheap to buy 2 things of nuts, and it still was great)

Shredded cooked chicken

I don't measure so just put however much you like. Spread peanut sauce evenly over crust. Then Sprinkle lightly with Mozzarella cheese. Then top evenly with chopped cilantro, sliced water chestnuts, shredded carrots, cashew pieces, and shredded cooked chicken. Sprinkle with a little more cheese and drizzle with peanut sauce. Bake as mentioned above.

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients:

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
1 container (8 ounces) sour cream
1 cup Picante Sauce
2 tsp. chili powder
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (about 4 ounces)
10 flour tortillas (6-inch), warmed
1 medium tomato, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 green onion, sliced (about 2 tablespoons)


Directions:

Stir the soup, sour cream, picante sauce and chili powder in a medium bowl.

Stir 1 cup picante sauce mixture, chicken and cheese in a large bowl.

Spread about 1/4 cup chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla. Roll up and place seam-side down in a 3-quart shallow baking dish. Pour the remaining picante sauce mixture over the filled tortillas. Cover the baking dish.

Bake at 350°F. for 40 minutes or until the enchiladas are hot and bubbling. Top with the tomato and onion.

Tip for 2 cups of chopped cooked chicken: Heat 4 cups water in a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat to a boil. Add 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts or thighs, cubed, and cook for 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Drain and chop the chicken.

Baked BBQ Chicken

This is my favorite oven bbq chicken recipe. Make sure you use chicken drumsticks, they taste the best with this recipe.
INGREDIENTS
10 chicken drumsticks
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon onion powder
5 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons prepared mustard

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
In a small saucepan, melt butter or margarine. Add onion powder, sugar, Worcestershire sauce and mustard; mix well. Dilute ketchup with water and add to saucepan mixture. Let simmer for 15 minutes.
Place chicken wings in a foil covered 9x13 inch baking dish. Pour saucepan mixture over chicken. Bake, uncovered, in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes.

Chicken Noodle Casserole

This is one of Josh's new favorites. He loves chicken noodle soup and this is a great variation. Enjoy!

2/3 cup chopped onion

1 clove garlic, minced

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 1/2 lbs. chicken, chopped (3/4 inch cubes)

1 (14.5 oz) can chicken broth

1 1/2 cups chopped carrots

3 ribs celery, chopped

1/2 teaspoon dried savory

3 Tablespoons butter

3 Tablespoons flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon white pepper

1 1/2 cups 2% milk

1 1/4 cups shredded cheddar cheese

8 oz. bag of wide egg noodles, cooked and drained

**To make it a bit healthier, I like to use whole wheat egg noodles, low sodium chicken broth, 2% cheese, and 1% milk. It still tastes delicious!

1. In a large non-stick skillet, saute onion and garlic in oil until tender. Add chicken and cook. Add the broth, carrots, celery, and savory. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until veggies are tender.

2. Meanwhile, in a sauce pan, melt the butter. Stir in flour, salt and white pepper until smooth. Gradually add the milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thick. Remove from heat and stir in cheese until melted. Pour over chicken mixture, add noodles and mix well.

3. Bake in a 3 quart dish (greased) at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until bubbly.

photo and recipe provided by: allrecipes.com

Pad Thai

John and I always order this whenever we go to Thai restaurants. I was craving it yesterday, so I ran to my local store and picked up a few items and tried this recipe below. Turned out delicious.

INGREDIENTS
1 (12 ounce) package rice noodles
2 tablespoons butter
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/4 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fish sauce (I left this out and it still tasted great!)
3 tablespoons white sugar
1/8 tablespoon crushed red pepper
2 cups bean sprouts
1/4 cup crushed peanuts
3 green onions, chopped
1 lime, cut into wedges

DIRECTIONS
Soak rice noodles in cold water 30 to 50 minutes, or until soft. Drain, and set aside.
Heat butter in a wok or large heavy skillet. Saute chicken until browned. Remove, and set aside. Heat oil in wok over medium-high heat. Crack eggs into hot oil, and cook until firm. Stir in chicken, and cook for 5 minutes. Add softened noodles, and vinegar, fish sauce, sugar and red pepper. Adjust seasonings to taste. Mix while cooking, until noodles are tender. Add bean sprouts, and mix for 3 minutes.
Garnish with crushed peanuts, chopped green onions and wedge of lime
recipe & photo by: allrecipes.com

Thai Chicken Sandwiches

I made these for dinner the other night and Brandon loved them. They're a little spicy. I couldn't find mango chutney, but they were delish just by themselves.

2 tablespoons plain yogurt or sour cream
1 tablespoon peanut butter
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 cup chopped cooked chicken
1 1/2 cups shredded carrots (from 10-oz. pkg.)
4 oz. (1 cup) shredded hot pepper Monterey Jack cheese
1 (8-oz.) can Pillsbury® Refrigerated Crescent Dinner Rolls
1/2 cup mango chutney

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 375°F. Spray cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray. In large bowl, combine yogurt, peanut butter, curry powder, ginger, garlic powder and soy sauce; mix well. Add chicken, carrots and cheese; mix well.
2. Separate dough into 4 rectangles. Place on sprayed cookie sheet. Firmly press perforations to seal. Press each rectangle to form 5-inch square. Spoon chicken mixture onto squares. Bring 4 corners of each dough square up over filling; press edges to seal.
3. Bake at 375°F. for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.
4. Meanwhile, heat chutney in small saucepan over low heat until hot, stirring occasionally. Serve chutney with sandwiches.

lettuce wraps

INGREDIENTS

16 Boston Bibb or butter lettuce leaves (iceberg is bigger, but works as well)
1 pound ground chicken or pork (don't overcook or it will dry out)
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1/2 teaspoons fresh ginger
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon red chile paste (optional - if you like spicy)
1 (8 ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
2 teaspoons sesame oil

dipping sauce:
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon sesame oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon red chile paste


DIRECTIONS

Rinse whole lettuce leaves and pat dry, being careful not tear them. Set aside.

In a medium skillet over medium heat, cook the ground chicken in 1 tablespoon of oil, stirring often. Drain, and set aside to cool.

Cook the onion in the same pan, stirring frequently. Add the garlic, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger, vinegar, and chile paste to the onions, and stir.
Stir in chopped water chestnuts, green onions, and sesame oil, and continue cooking until the onions just begin to wilt, about 2 minutes.

To serve, allow each person to spoon a portion of the meat into a lettuce leaf. Wrap the lettuce around the meat like a burrito, and enjoy!

Hawaiian Haystacks

Thanks Good Things Utah for this delightful easy recipe.

Ingredients: Makes 4 - 6 servings

10 to 12 chicken tenders (chuck into chunks)
1 cup chicken broth
2 cans (10 3/4 oz each) cream of chicken soup, condensed
1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk 6 cups cooked rice

Place chicken in greased 3 1/2 to 5 quart slow cooker.
Combine all remaining ingredients except rice and pour over chicken.
Cover and cook on high heat 3 - 4 hours or on low heat 6 - 8 hours.

Serve over hot rice with a variety of cold toppings that could include grated cheese, peas, pineapple tidbits, shredded coconut, raisins. Chinese noodles, olives, diced tomatoes, diced green peppers, sliced green onions, and other family favorites.

BBQ and Ranch Chicken

This is SUPER easy and its great for when I'm in a bind and don't have much time to prepare a huge meal (like when Mason is having one of those days).

All you do is pour Ranch and BBQ sauce over some chicken breasts and pop them in the oven. I usually use frozen chicken (easier) and cook them at 400 degrees for about an hour. If not frozen, then they should only take around 30 minutes.

You can serve with rice, potatoes, or as a wrap with some lettuce and black beans. But my favorite thing to do is cut up the chicken and serve as a salad with bow-tie pasta. YUM!

Lighter Chicken Pot Pie

This is from Martha Stewart's site, I love this lighter version of chicken pot pie. The crust is the best part, light flakey & tasty!

Serves 4
2 bone-in, skin-on chicken breast halves (12 to 14 ounces each)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 carrots, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups low-fat (1%) milk
1 package (10 ounces) frozen peas, thawed
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
6 phyllo sheets (each 12 by 17 inches), thawed
Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place chicken on a rimmed baking sheet; season with salt and pepper. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of breast (avoiding bone) registers 165 degrees, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool slightly; discard skin and bones. Shred meat, and set aside.
While chicken is roasting, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large saucepan over medium. Add carrots, onion, and thyme; season with salt and pepper, and cook until carrots are crisp-tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Add flour, and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Gradually add milk, stirring until smooth. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a simmer and thickens.
Remove from heat; stir in peas, lemon juice, and chicken, and season with salt and pepper. Pour filling into a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate.
Stack phyllo on a work surface. Using a paring knife, cut out an 11-inch circle from the stack; discard trimmings. Stack 2 circles on work surface, and brush gently with 1 teaspoon oil; repeat with remaining circles and oil. Place phyllo stack over filling, and press down about 1/2 inch from the edge so phyllo fits inside rim of pie plate. Bake until golden and bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes. Let potpie cool 15 minutes before serving.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

I have made this recipe twice already! Its fantastic and I always seem to have all these ingredients on hand in my kitchen. I got it off of this amazingly creative girls site. She also has alot of other yummy recipes on there as well..
Anyways, take a look:
http://armellejewelry.blogspot.com/2007/09/sweet-sour-chicken.html

I love salads, and seeing Tara's new blog post got me reminiscing about friends- This is actually my friend Jen's recipe that I got awhile ago, but it was that yummy salad we had for Barbara's bridal shower. Yep, I remember what we ate. I like food that much:) Its a super quick easy, yummy good meal.

bowtie salad

1 bunch of romaine lettuce

1 box of bowtie pasta

3-4 C. bean sprouts

2 large cans of mandarin oranges

1 package of frozen peas

6 chicken breast cooked and cut

1 C. slivered almonds

1 bottle of poppy seed salad dressing

*i like to caramelize the almonds a bit over low heat and some sugar, and also buy the 'brianna's dressing-its the best.

wahoo I posted something! It was about time:)

Racquel requested some Itilian Recipes:

Italian Chicken:

In crockpot: 1/4 stick of butter, 1 Italian dry season dressing packet. cook in crock pot for 2 hours-stir occasionally. Add 1 pkg softened cream cheese and 1 can of cream of chicken soup. Add milk to texturize. Heat til warm, serve over rice.