All posts by Jodi

Chicken Tamale Casserole

Dinner, ,

chicken-tamale-casserole

I put Owen’s plate in front of him and he didn’t throw a fit like he usually does at dinnertime.  He tried it (actually tried it!) and said “I like this”.  It was an amazing moment at my dinner table.  Simply amazing.  He ate a few bites, which is more than he normally eats at dinner.  I guess that classifies this meal as “kid friendly”.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:
8.5 oz Package Cornbread Mix (Jiffy brand)
14.75oz Can Cream-Style Corn
2 Eggs, lightly beaten
½ Cup Milk
1 teaspoon Chili Powder
½ teaspoon Cumin
8 oz Shredded Colby Jack Cheese
10 oz Enchilada Sauce
3 Cups Shredded Cooked Chicken
1 Cup Sour Cream

Preheat oven 400°F and lightly grease a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish.

In a large bowl, whisk together cornbread mix, corn, eggs, milk, chili powder, cumin and 1 cup of the cheese.  Spread into the casserole dish and bake for 20 minutes.

Remove from oven and poke the cornbread with a knife all over the top (about 12 pokes).  Pour the enchilada sauce over the cornbread.  Top with chicken and remaining cheese.  Bake for another 20 minutes.

Let cool for about 10 minutes before cutting.  Serve with sour cream.

Yield: 6-8 Servings
-Recipe adapted from Family Circle Magazine-

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Dinner, Side Dish, , , , ,

Chicken-Lettuce-Wraps

Ingredients:
1/4 cup Black Bean Garlic sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
2 teaspoons Sriracha, or more, to taste
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound ground chicken
½ lb mushrooms, diced
1 (8-ounce) can whole water chestnuts, drained and diced
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1 head butter lettuce
Rice Sticks, for serving (fried)

In a small bowl stir together black bean garlic sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, ginger, Shiracha and garlic.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet or wok over medium/high heat.  Cook chicken until lightly browned, about 3-5 minutes.

Add the sauce and mushrooms, cook for 1-2 minutes.  Add water chestnuts and green onions, cooking another 1-2 minutes.

Serve with butter lettuce leaves and rice sticks.

Yield: 4 Servings

Chicken and Black Bean Soup

Dinner, ,

chk-bean-soupIngredients:
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
½ lb Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts (cut in 1 inch cubes)
4 Cups Chicken Broth
2 Cups Frozen Corn
15 oz Can Black Beans, rinsed and drained
10 oz Can Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies
1 Jalapeno Pepper, seeded and chopped
2 Tablespoons Fresh Cilantro, chopped
3 teaspoons Chili Powder
½ teaspoon Cumin
1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
Tortilla Chips, for topping
Shredded Colby Jack Cheese for topping

Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat.  Add the chicken and cook until browned, about 5 minutes.

Pour about 2 Tablespoons of chicken broth into a small bowl and reserve.  Pour remaining broth into the pot with the chicken.  Add corn, beans, tomatoes, jalapeno, cilantro, chili powder and cumin.  Bring to a bubble, reduce heat and simmer covered for about 15 minutes.

Add cornstarch to the small bowl with reserved chicken broth.  Whisk with a fork to combine, then stir into the soup.  Boil for about 2 minutes to thicken the soup.

Top the soup with tortilla chips and cheese.

Yield: 6 servings
-Recipe from Taste of Home magazine-

Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce

Dinner, ,

tomato-cream-sauce

 

I added a couple cups of leftover Slow Cooked Spicy Pulled Pork to this pasta to make it extra delicious.

Ingredients:
12 oz Fettuccine
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Butter
1 Medium Onion, finely diced
4 Garlic Cloves, minced
2 (15oz) Cans Tomato Sauce
Salt and Pepper
1 Cup Heavy Cream
½ Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
Chopped Fresh Basil

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add salt and cook the pasta.  Reserve a little cooking liquid before draining.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil, butter, onion and garlic.  Cook until onion is softened.  Add tomato sauce, salt and pepper, and heavy cream.  Stir together.  Once hot, stir in the parmesan cheese then toss in the pasta.  Add in a little of the reserved cooking liquid if the sauce is too thick.

Just before serving, add the basil and toss to combine.

Yield: 6-8 Servings

-Recipe adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks cookbook-

Fancy Mac and Cheese

Dinner, , , ,

fancymacOh my!  This was amazing.  I need to make this again very soon.  Chloe loved it too.  She loved the bacon, mushrooms and onions the best.  The roasted mushrooms and sautéed onions are amazing.  The mixture of cheeses make this mac and cheese super awesome amazing.  I didn’t end up using the Gruyère cheese, so I just added more parmesan and fontina cheeses.

Ingredients:
16 oz White Mushrooms, sliced
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
1 ½ lbs Macaroni
8 Slices Thick Cut Bacon
2 Onions, thinly sliced
4 Tablespoons Butter
¼ Cup Flour
2 Cups Whole Milk
½ Cup Half-and-Half
2 Eggs, beaten
½ Cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
½ Cup Gruyère Cheese, grated
½ Cup Fontina Cheese, grated
4 oz Goat Cheese (chèvre)
4 oz Crumbled Gorgonzola Cheese

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Place mushrooms on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Roast until browned, about 20-25 minutes.  Reserve.  Turn oven temperature down to 350°F.

Cook the macaroni to al dente.

Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crispy.  Drain on paper towels, leaving 1 Tablespoon of bacon fat in the skillet.  Chop the bacon and reserve.

In the same skillet with the bacon fat, cook the onions over medium-low heat.  Stir occasionally until light brown, about 15 minutes.  Reserve.

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat.  Whisk in flour and cook for about a minute.  Whisk in the milk and cook for about 4 minutes until thick and bubbly.  Whisk in the half-and-half, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper.  Temper in the eggs by adding a ladle of the sauce into a bowl with the eggs.  Mix with a fork while adding the sauce.  Pour the eggs into the sauce while whisking.  Stir the parmesan, Gruyere, fontina and goat cheeses into the sauce to melt.  Fold in the cooked macaroni until coated with the cheese sauce.

Butter a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish.  Layer in half the onions, half the macaroni, half the mushrooms, half the Gorgonzola, and half the bacon.  Repeat these layers.

Bake until bubbly, about 20-25 minutes.

Yield: 6 for main dish/12 for side dish
-Recipe from The Pioneer Woman Cooks cookbook-

Thai Chicken Noodles

Dinner,

thai-chicken

Ingredients:
1/4 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter
1/2 Cup Chicken Broth
1/4 Cup Lemon Juice
1/4 Cup Soy Sauce
4 teaspoons Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce
1/4 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
12 oz Spaghetti
1 lb Ground Chicken
1 1/2 Cups Julienned carrots
1 Red Bell Pepper, chopped
1 Garlic Clove, minced
1/2 Cup Unsalted Peanuts, finely chopped
4 Green onions, chopped

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add salt and cook spaghetti. Drain.

Whisk together peanut butter, broth, lemon juice, soy sauce, Sriracha and crushed red pepper together in a small bowl.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Add chicken, carrots, bell pepper and garlic.  Cook until chicken is browned, about 5 minutes.

Add the sauce to the skillet and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer until thickened, about 3-5 minutes.  Gently fold in cooked spaghetti.

Serve with peanuts and green onions on top.

Yield: 4-6 Servings

-Recipe from Taste of Home magazine-