Chicken Zucchini Pasta

pasta 2 Chicken Zucchini Pasta
Chicken Zucchini Pasta
Ingredients
  • 2 cups cooked, chopped/shredded chicken
  • 2-3 cups raw sliced zucchini
  • 1 jar pasta sauce
  • 1 box bowtie pasta
  • parmesan cheese
Instructions
  1. Cook pasta according to directions.
  2. Heat sauce with zucchini until crisp-tender. Add chicken and heat until warm.
  3. Top cooked bowties with warm sauce and parmesan cheese!
Notes
This easily doubles/triples for large groups, and the sauce can be made ahead and kept warm in the crockpot! And my mom swears by Williams and Sonoma’s tomato sauce.

Chicken Bacon Wild Rice Soup

wild rice soup1 1 Chicken Bacon Wild Rice Soup
This is the best wild rice soup I’ve ever had, EVER, compliments of my mama. It has bacon, chicken, wild rice, and creamy cream. It will wrap you up in a blanket of cozy. That’s why you need to make it right.this.minute.
Ingredients
  • 3 (10¾ oz) cans condensed chicken broth
  • 2 cups water
  • ½ cup uncooked wild rice, rinsed
  • ½ cup finely chopped green onions
  • ½ cup margarine or butter
  • ¾ cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon poultry seasoning
  • ⅛ teaspoon pepper
  • 2 cups half and half
  • 1½ cup cubed or shredded cooked chicken or turkey
  • 8 slices bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled
  • 1 tablespoon chopped pimiento
  • 2-3 tablespoons dry sherry, if desired
Instructions
  1. In a large saucepan, combine chicken broth and water. Add wild rice and onions. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 30-45 minutes (or until rice is tender). Once the rice is cooked, there will be some additional broth – do not drain.
  2. In a medium saucepan, melt margarine, stir in flour, salt, seasoning, and pepper. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly, until smooth and bubbly.
  3. Gradually stir in half and half with the butter/flour mixture and cook until slightly thickened, stirring constantly. Add this creamy mixture back into the saucepan with the rice/broth. Add remaining ingredients (chicken, bacon, pimiento, and sherry). Heat on low, stirring every once in a while, for at least a half an hour. Do not boil. The mixture will look thin, but the longer you heat the soup, the more the flavors merry and the more it will thicken. This soup is best served after gently heating for an extended period of time (even a few hours) or the next day! For extra flavor, add more poultry seasoning and/or bacon.

Tex-Mex Taco Salad

taco salad Tex Mex Taco Salad
Tex-Mex Taco Salad
Ingredients
  • 1 lb. ground beef
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 3-4 tablespoons taco seasoning
  • ¼ cup water
  • 1 16-ounce can black beans
  • 2-3 ounces Pepperjack Velveeta
  • fresh spinach or lettuce
  • fresh salsa
  • Cotija cheese, crumbled
  • tortilla chips, crushed
  • sour cream
Instructions
  1. Saute onion with a small amount of oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. When soft and fragrant, add ground beef. Cook until no longer pink. Drain most of the grease from the pan. Add seasoning and water; stir until thickened slightly.
  2. Add Velveeta in small pieces; mix until melted. Add black beans and stir until combined. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
  3. Assemble salads with beef/bean mixture, fresh salsa, cheese crumbles, crushed tortillas, and sour cream.
Notes
Other possible add-ins would be bell peppers, corn, or avocados!

Kickin’ Cashew Chicken

spicy chicken2 Kickin’ Cashew Chicken
This Kickin’ Cashew Chicken fits the bill! It’s seriously kickin’ without being too complicated for a regular Midwestern home cook like mahself. The flavors are ridiculously mind-blowing. You can even make this healthier by adding fresh veggies to the mix. Heck, I’ve even made it without the chicken! This sauce is for reals.
Ingredients
  • 2 medium onions
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • ½ cup cashews
  • 1 tablespoon garam masala
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon plain yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 1 lb. cubed raw chicken breasts
  • ¼ cup golden raisins
  • ½ cup fresh chopped cilantro
  • 1¼ cup water
Instructions
  1. Peel and quarter the onions. In a food processor, process the onion pieces for about 1 minute or until a smooth puree forms. Add the next 8 ingredients (through oil) to the onion mixture and process for another 1-2 minutes.
  2. In a heavy pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Pour the spice mixture from the food processor into the pan and fry for 2 minutes. The lightly cooked spices will start to give off a nice aroma.
  3. Add the cubed chicken breast, half of the cilantro, and the golden raisins. Stir-fry for another 1 minute.
  4. Add the water and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook over low heat for about 10 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Serve over rice and garnish with remaining cilantro or cashew pieces.
Notes
I like the sauce to have some texture so I don’t process it all the way (check out the texture in the pictures). I love cilantro and spices, and these amounts reflect my preferences. If you’re hesitant, reduce the amounts. (And actually, the sauce is not all that spicy. There are lots of flavorful spices, but it’s not firey-hot-get-me-a-glass-of-water spicy.) For a more veggie friendly dish, add broccoli, peppers, potatoes, or peas!

Two Ingredient All Natural Chocolate Syrup


Two Ingredient All Natural Chocolate Syrup
Ingredients
  • 1 cup maple syrup
  • ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
Instructions
  1. Whisk cocoa powder into maple syrup. This may take a minute because the cocoa powder sort of wants to sit on top of the syrup.
  2. Keep refrigerated for up to 1 week. Whisk again before each use.

Easy Cheesy Chicken Noodles

chicken2 Easy Cheesy Chicken Noodles
Easy Cheesy Chicken Noodles
Ingredients
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • ½ lb. egg noodles (“homestyle”, thick and doughy)
  • ½ tablespoon cornstarch
  • 3 tablespoons cold water
  • 12 oz. cooked, shredded chicken breast
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • ½ cup shredded cheese (I used Cheddar and Monterrey Jack)
  • crumbled bacon or breadcrumbs for topping
Instructions
  1. Saute garlic in a medium saucepan with a little bit of olive oil over medium heat until soft and fragrant. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add noodles and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until noodles are just barely cooked.
  2. Dissolve the cornstarch in the cold water and add to the boiling noodles. Boil for about 1 minute and remove from heat. Add the chicken and stir to combine everything. Do not drain.
  3. Let noodles cool slightly – about 5 minutes – so that the broth will thicken into a sauce. Put pan back on low heat. Add butter, milk, and cheese and mix for about 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle with bacon or breadcrumbs and serve immediately.
Notes
Add an additional tablespoon or two of water/milk if the noodles have become too sticky after cooling. This will make it smooth and creamy again.

Skinny Chicken Enchiladas

enchilada upload Skinny Chicken Enchiladas
Skinny Chicken Enchiladas
Ingredients
  • 1 lb. chicken breasts
  • 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 can corn, drained
  • 16 oz. fresh salsa
  • 3 tablespoons taco seasoning
  • ¼ cup water (optional)
  • 12 small corn tortillas
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 avocado, diced
  • ¼ cup crema (see notes)
  • fresh cilantro, Cotija cheese for topping
Instructions
  1. Put the first 6 ingredients in a crockpot. If your salsa is not very saucy, be sure to include the ¼ cup water or more if necessary. Cook on high for about 3 hours (or longer on the low setting) until chicken is cooked through. You can also cut the chicken breasts into halves to help them cook faster. Use 2 forks to shred the chicken and mix everything together.
  2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Soften the corn tortillas in the microwave, 3 at a time, for about 25 seconds. Fill them with a few tablespoons of filling, roll once, and place seam-side down in a large baking dish (I did 2 smaller baking dishes). Continue until all tortillas have been filled, rolled and placed in dish. Be sure to pack them in tightly next to each other so that they don’t come apart.
  3. Sprinkle evenly with the shredded cheese and bake for about 15-20 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly and everything is heated through.
  4. Remove from oven and drizzle with crema. Sprinkle with avocado pieces, fresh cilantro, and Cotija cheese crumbles.
Notes
The corn tortillas will start to break apart on the top during baking if you don’t warm them up enough prior to baking. For the crema, I just made a fake-out version with about 3 tbs. sour cream and 2 tbs. cream. I whisked it together until it was smooth, creamy, and drizzle-able. Also, I used part yellow corn and part shoepeg corn, which made the texture more interesting. Serving size for the nutrition facts is 2 enchiladas.
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