Creamy Baked Chicken Taquitos

Yes, I borrowed it from this site (Our Best Bites), no, it's not an original recipe, but it's so darn good! (P.S. I stole the photo, too.)

Creamy Baked Chicken Taquitos

3 oz cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup salsa verde
Juice of ½ a lime
1 teaspoon chile powder
½ teaspoon ground cumin
Pinch cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon onion powder
3 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons chopped scallions
2 cups cooked and shredded chicken
½ cup shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese
½ cup shredded Pepperjack cheese
8-12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese with the salsa, lime juice, cumin, chile powder, cayenne, onion powder, garlic, cilantro, scallions, and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt. Fold in the chicken and cheeses. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if necessary.

Working 3 tortillas at a time, stack them on a microwave-safe plate and cover with plastic wrap. Cook 30 seconds, or until tortillas are soft and pliable. Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of filling onto the lower third of each tortilla, and roll tightly. Place seam side-down on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.

Spray the taquitos lightly with cooking spray, sprinkle with salt. Bake 15-20 minutes, or until the tortillas are crisp and golden-brown. Serve with salsa, sour cream, and/or guacamole.

*To freeze, prepare the taquitos, but before baking, place the baking sheet in the refrigerator until the taquitos are completely cold. Wrap each taquito in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, and freeze. To bake, unwrap the taquitos and cook in a 425 degree F oven for 20 minutes (no need to thaw first).

...saucy parmesan chicken

Found this amazing recipe in the Kraft's magazine a few years ago. This is a keeper! And it's FAST!

Cast of Characters
(aka ingredients!)
4 boneless chicken breasts (I use chicken strips/tenders)
1/4 c Italian dressing
1/4 c parmesan cheese

Place all ingredients in a resealable bag. Turn over several times to coat well. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to marinate, making sure chicken is not overlapping each other. Prehead oven to 350 degrees. Arrange chicken on a piece of foil. Bake for 20 minutes or until cooked through.

Amy's Note: I use the cheapest Italian dressing I can find. It works just as well as the expensive stuff!! I also use the chicken strips/tenders for this recipe. Also this recipe is great with buttered parmesan noodles!

Oven- Barbecued Pork Chops

This recipe is super easy, quick, and calls for ingredients that are usually around the house. Goes great with rice or baked potatoes! Works with chicken breasts too -- just increase the cooking time a little.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2-1 3/4 pounds bone-in, 3/4-inch-thick pork rib chops, trimmed of fat
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 3 teaspoons canola oil, divided
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup orange juice
• 1/2 cup barbecue sauce
  

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Sprinkle pork chops with salt and pepper. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large ovenproof skillet over high heat. Add the pork chops and cook until beginning to brown, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
3. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil to the pan. Add onion and cook, stirring, until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add orange juice and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Stir in barbecue sauce. Return the pork chops to the pan, turning several times to coat with the sauce.
4. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake until the pork chops are barely pink in the middle and an instant-read thermometer registers 145°F, 6 to 10 minutes. Serve the sauce over the pork chops.

Oven Roasted Meatballs

From the "Deceptively Healthy" Pass the Plate, here is the recipe:


Oven Roasted Meatballs

2 slices firm white bread, coarsely chopped
1 small (8 ounces) zucchini, shredded
1 large egg white
1/3 cups Romano or Parmesan cheese
1 cloves garlic, crushed with garlic press
1 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 pound lean ground turkey breast

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. In large bowl, with hand, mix bread, zucchini, egg white, Romano, garlic, salt, and pepper until evenly moistened. Add ground turkey and mix just until evenly combined.

With wet hands, shape turkey mixture into twelve 2-inch meatballs. Place meatballs in 15 1/2-inch by 10 1/2-inch jelly-roll pan and bake 18 to 20 minutes or until cooked through and lightly browned.


I serve them with pasta and pasta sauce. My husband loves them more than the last set of meatballs he swore were the best!

Stuffed Peppers

I don't usually crave foods that scream "healthy"---I'm much more into the comfort foods. But I found myself craving these one day and tried them out. Really easy, and really tasty, too!

Thank you, Betty Crocker!


Stuffed Peppers

6 large bell peppers (any color)
1 pound lean ground beef
2 tablespoons chopped onion
1 cup cooked rice
1 teaspoon salt
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
3/4 cup shredded mozerella cheese (3 ounces)

Cut thin slice from stem end of each bell pepper to remove top of pepper. Remove seeds and membranes; rinse peppers. Cook peppers in enough boiling water to cover in a 4-quart Dutch oven about 5 minutes; drain. (Now, if you're like me and don't have a Dutch oven, just use a large pot.)

Cook beef and onion in 10-inch skillet over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is brown; drain. Stir in rice, salt, garlic, and 1 cup of the tomato sauce; cook until hot.

Heat oven to 350.

Stuff peppers with beef mixture. Stand peppers upright in ungreased square baking dish, 8 x 8 x 2 inches. Pour remaining tomato sauce over peppers.

Cover (I used aluminum foil) and bake 45 minutes. Uncover and bake about 15 minutes longer or until peppers are tender. Sprinkle with cheese.


Yummy, yummy, yummy!

Green Chili and Chicken Enchiladas with Pink Sauce

It seems like just about every family has a recipe for Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas. They all have chilies, onions, soups, and so forth, and everyone loves them.

I love them too, but don’t make them often since they take a lot of work (I hate shredding chicken), so when I told Josh that they were on the docket for the week he was pretty pumped. What I didn’t tell him at the time was that I had a diabolical plan to try a new (and pink) idea for the enchilada sauce.


I’m glad that I did – changing up the sauce to be chili-lime cream was a stroke of pure genius (not that I want to toot my own horn, but seriously, I’m drooling just thinking about it).

Maybe I’ll start making these a bit more often.

Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas with Pink Sauce

• 3-4 c. shredded cooked chicken


• 2 (4 oz) cans green chiles


• 1 can reduced fat cream of chicken soup


• ½ c. non-fat sour cream


• 1 med-large onion, chopped very fine


• 8-10 medium sized flour tortillas (soft taco, fajita, gordita style)


• Grated cheddar cheese

For sauce:

• ½ c. non-fat sour cream


• ¼ c. milk


• ½ Tbs. chili powder


• 1 Tbs lime juice

In a skillet sauté onion and chilies in their own juices until just tender. In a large bowl combine onion and chili mixture with chicken, soup and sour cream. Mix until well combined. Spoon filling mixture onto tortillas and roll them up, placing enchiladas in a sprayed casserole pan. Once all enchiladas have been rolled and placed, combine the ingredients for the sauce in the same bowl that the filling was in. Mix until evenly blended then pour over enchiladas, smearing it around with the back of a spoon until every enchilada gets coated. Top lightly with cheese if desired. Bake at 350 degrees until heated through and sauce bubbles at edges (about 20-30 minutes).

Kim's Notes: This serves well with rice and corn. If you want something a bit more special than plain rice, add 1 tsp of cumin, 1 tsp of chili pepper, and 1 Tbs of fresh chopped cilantro.

Don't want to make the pink sauce? Try a green enchilada sauce or simply mix milk with about 1/3 of a can of cream of chicken soup.

Happy Cooking!

Slow Cooker Swiss Pork Chops

Not wanting to relinquish my recent love-affair with pork chops just yet, I thought to myself - Why not try your Slow Cooker Swiss Steak recipe on them?I'm so glad I did - these might even be better than the beef.

They turned out so tender and subtly sweet that I think this is going to become a new favorite of mine. I'm sure my boys won't complain about that since they gobbled them up with as much enthusiasm as I did. I'm also really glad that I tried my idea to lessen the number of potatoes in the pot and make mashed potatoes on the side. We had a few roasted ones with dinner, but what we didn't eat saved well to go with Josh to work as leftovers.

Slow Cooker Swiss Pork Chops

* 1.5 lbs pork chops, trimmed of fat
* pepper
* 2 medium red potatoes cut into bite sized pieces
* 1.5 c. baby carrots
* 1 med onion, cut into wedges
* 1 can diced tomatoes with Italian herbs
* 2 packets pork gravy mix
* 1 c. cold water
* mashed potatoes, if desired

Layer potatoes, onion and pork in your slow cooker. Sprinkle chops with pepper. Add tomatoes. Mix up one packet of gravy with 1 cup cold water and pour into crock pot. Top everything with the baby carrots.

Cover and cook on low heat setting 7 to 8 hours or until beef and vegetables are tender. I did 5 hours on low, then one more hour on high with great results.

Kim's notes: If you want to serve this meal with mashed potatoes, then make them near the end of your cooking time. Use the second packet of gravy for serving, or add liquid from the slow cooker to the package gravy and and then thicken it.

Never thickened your own gravy? It's easy as can be - add 1/4 c. of flour to 1 c. of water, shake until combined, or if you don't have a shaker of some sort you can use a wire whisk to get the clumps out. Add just a little of the flour mixture at a time to your gravy so that you don't over thicken it. Be sure to taste the gravy along the way so that you don't over flour it or so that you can add spices/pepper if desired.

Happy Cooking!

Eating Out at Home: Baked Chicken Parmesan

Josh’s favorite Italian meal is Chicken Parmesan. He will often order it at restaurants and savor every deep fried bite.

Only, I don’t do deep fried at home. This became the challenge, make Josh’s fav, but make it healthy. I did a little of this, a little of that, and presto he loved it! This will definitely be a repeat at our house.

Chicken Parmesan

• 1 1/2 lb chicken breast tenders, trimmed of fat
• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 c. fine bread crumbs
• 1 Tbs Italian seasoning
• 1/4 c. shredded parmesan cheese

Beat egg whites with fork on a plate until slightly fluffy. Combine all dry ingredients on another plate and mix until combined. Dip chicken tenders in egg, then roll in crumb mixture until coated. Place in a lightly sprayed baking dish and repeat for all chicken pieces. Discard leftover egg and crumb mixture. Bake at 375 degrees for about 30-35 minutes or until cooked through. Serve over pasta and top with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese if desired.

Kim’s note: Counting the calories, but don’t want to miss out on cheese? Stir a little non-fat cottage cheese into the pasta for a little added creamy-ness.

Happy Cooking!

Slow Cooker Chicken and Vegetable Chowder

I don’t have a lot of witty commentary to say about this soup, only that it’s awesome, all American, easy, and that I tweaked it to be a bit healthier and loaded it with extra veggies (I’m sure no one is surprised by this). Both of my boys devoured it, which is the best recommendation that I can give.

Slow Cooker Chicken and Vegetable Chowder

• 1.5 pounds chicken breast meat cut into ½ in. pieces
• ½ onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 celery ribs, cut fine
• 3 carrots, sliced
• 2 c. frozen corn kernels
• 2 cans cream of potato soup
• 1 can low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tsp. dried dill
• 1 tsp curry powder (optional – this isn’t enough to make it taste like curry, but does add a depth and richness to the flavor that I love for chowder)
• pepper to your liking
• ½ c. fat-free half and half

Using a little cooking spray, brown the chicken breast pieces with onion and garlic in a skilled over med-high heat. Put in slow cooker. Next add celery and carrots to pan and sauté with a little water for a few minutes until just tender, then add to slow cooker. Next add corn, soup, broth, curry, pepper, and dill to slow cooker. Cook on low for 5-6 hours, stirring ingredients together after half the time. During the last 10 minutes, stir in half and half.

Happy Cooking!

Bringing Healthy Back to Navajo Tacos

Mmm, navajo tacos are so good. Warm, buttery fry bread, covered in slimey chili and salad. When they made these for lunch at my old job I got giddy, I frolicked, I didn't think about how bad they are.

But, I've been thinking about that lately, and have come up with a solution.

Start with a low-cal healthy pita bread such as:The best part about them:This isn't a fancy health-food store item, I got it as Super Wal Mart right next to the unhealthy pitas, and the even more unhealthy tortillas.

Healthier Navajo Taco

5 pita breads
2 c. vegetarian chili (I used a red bean and lentil that they're selling in bulk packages at Costco now - Amazing!)
lettuce (I also mixed some fresh cilantro into my lettuce)
black beans, drained rinsed
corn, drained
tomato
cucumber
guacamole
fat free sour cream
a few tortilla chips for crunch, if desired.

Warm the pita bread in your microwave for 30 seconds, it becomes warm, soft, and pliable. Top the pita with vegetarian chili, and every other awesome taco salad food that you like. Sticking with the healthy theme of the evening, I left the cheese off and used only fat-free sour cream.

*Leave off the sour cream for the lactose-free version.

Happy Cooking!

Minute Rice Teriyaki Stir Fry

Minute Rice Teriyaki Stir Fry

• 1 lb stir fry steak, cut into strips


• 2 c. brown Minute Rice


• 1 ¼ c. water


• ½ c. teriyaki sauce


• 3-4 c. fresh vegetables (I used broccoli, carrots, and zucchini)

Using a little cooking spray, brown steak strips in a large frying pan until about medium doneness. Next add water and teriyaki sauce, and return to a boil. Once boiling add minute rice, stirring to mix into liquid. Set veggies on top of meat and rice, cover and simmer on low for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff all together and serve.

Kim’s notes:

• Adding extra veggies means extra moisture. I cut back the original amount of water, but still there was excess – adjust your recipe according to the amount of veggies you use.


• My boys like their veggies a little softer, so steamed them in the microwave for about 3 minutes before adding them to the rice mixture. For crisper veggies don’t bother steaming.


• This recipe is only as good and flavorful as the teriyaki sauce that you pick, so go for one that is rich and flavorful – I used Soy Vay teriyaki sauce and would recommend it. I don’t know if it’s a national brand, so I’d also recommend Mr. Yoshida’s teriyaki sauce.
  

Happy Cooking!

Eating Out at Home: Earl Cobb Wrap

Have you ever had the Earl of Sandwich’s Earl Cobb wrap? They claim it to be on their Lighter Side menu, but to see the huge chunks of cheese they use made me question just how low cal it could be.

And yet, I adore it. Here I’ve done my best to recreate its glory at my house, but cut some calorie corners. In doing so I’ve discovered the perfect meal for both men and women. Just look at what happened at our house (somewhat romanticized, but not too far from true):

Josh comes home from work to find the whole house smelling like fresh cooked bacon.

Josh: Mmm, bacon. Whatcha cookin’ good-lookin’?
Me: Bacon, chicken, buttermilk ranch sauce, you know, nothing special.
Josh: Wow, sounds great.
Me: Hmm, this bacon is so crumbly and this sauce is so slimy, we should keep it together with these vegetables and low-cal wraps.
Josh: Sounds good, let’s eat.

And we did and we were both thrilled. I didn’t even tell Jay that it was turkey bacon until the meal was over. He only shrugged and said, Huh?

Here’s the game plan to make this scene a reality at your house:

Earl’s Cobb Wrap

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked, roughly cut
• 4 slices turkey bacon, cooked till crispy, crumbled
• 2 heads of Romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1 cucumber, peeled and sliced in half moons
• chopped tomato
• dried cranberries
• cubed cheddar cheese
• non-fat buttermilk Ranch dressing*
• low-cal wraps (I used Flat-Out light wraps, they’re only 90 calories, but still really big and soft)

Combine ingredients in the quantities that you like, wrap up and enjoy!
Kim’s notes:

I first cooked the bacon, then cooked the chicken in the same pan with the drippings, but any cooked chicken will do. I combined them both in one bowl, stirred and then refrigerated them until needed.

*To make the fat-free Ranch sauce, I used a packet of Buttermilk Ranch dressing powder, stirred it into a container of fat free sour cream, and then mixed about half of the ranch-sour cream with skim milk until I had the consistency I wanted. This made for a great and normal Ranch flavor, instead of a diet flavor.

Bean and Vegetable Risotto

I’ve tried my hand at baked risotto in the past and it’s always been a big flop, so I went into this project with low expectations and an apprehensive heart. As Josh will attest, it really crushes me when a recipe fails – not that it’s just a little groady, but when it’s completely inedible as were the other risottos.

But enough about them, because I’ve found a gem that trumps all the others! When Josh came home he looked at the pan and said “Where’s the chicken?” I told him to just try it and before I knew it he and Caleb were gobbling these veggies down. I served it as a main dish, but it could go great as a side too. The only drawback is the method – you pretty much have to stir this constantly, but that won’t stop me from making it again (in a week when Caleb and I aren’t sick).

Bean and Vegetable Risotto

• 4 c. low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 med. onion, chopped
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 1 ¼ c. long grain rice
• 1 ½ c. zucchini, finely chopped
• 1 c. carrots, finely chopped
• 15 oz can white kidney beans (Cannellini), drained and rinsed
• ½ c. grated Parmesan cheese
• Parsley as garnish if desired

Begin by sauteing garlic and onion in a little cooking spray on medium heat until onions are softened. Add rice and continue sautéing until rice becomes golden (3-5 min). Add pepper. During the sautéing process, warm broth in a microwave safe dish, preferably one that pours easily. It is important that the broth be warm when it is added to the rice mixture, so continue to microwave it as needed during the cooking process.

After rice is cooked, slowly add 1 cup of broth to the rice mixture stirring constantly. Continue to cook and stir until liquid is absorbed. Add another ½ c. of broth with the zucchini and carrots, stir constantly until liquid is absorbed. Continue the pattern of adding the warm broth by half cups, stirring until absorbed, then adding more. When adding the final half cup, add the beans as well and stir to combine. Cover the rice mixture and allow it to heat through for about 4 minutes. Remove the lid and stir the rice, making sure to scrap the pan so that no rice sticks or burns. Add the parmesan cheese and stir until evenly blended. Simmer until mixture reaches desired consistency.

Happy Cooking!

Bean and Veggie Enchiladas & Easy Oreo Fruit Salad

Bean and Veggie Enchiladas

• 2 cans (15 ounces) red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 can (4 ounces) diced green chile peppers, drained
• 1 cup frozen whole kernel corn, thawed
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 small yellow pepper chopped
• 2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 heaping Tbs. fresh cilantro, chopped (plus more for garnish if desired)
• 2 cups shredded pepper-Jack cheese (10 ounces)
• 1 can (20 ounces) enchilada sauce
• 8-10 flour tortillas (depending on how full you like your enchiladas)

Directions

Chop onion and pepper then sauté them on med-high heat with the frozen corn until just softened. Add chili powder, salt, cumin, and cilantro. Drain and rinse beans, then mash slightly with hands. Add them to the veggie mixture.

Pour about ¼ cup of the enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 13×9in baking dish, turning dish until the sauce coats the entire bottom. Place desired amount of bean mixture in a line on one side of a tortilla shell then roll up. Place rolled enchilada, seam side down, in the prepared baking dish. Repeat until bean mixture is gone. Top tortillas with remaining enchilada sauce, sprinkle with cheese and additional cilantro if desired.

Bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes. Enjoy with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, and Mexican rice.

Kim’s hint: If you would like to serve this dish with rice, a quick way to take white rice to Mexican rice is to reserve about 3-4 Tbs of the enchilada sauce and add it to 2 cups of plain rice with cilantro, some splashes of lime juice, and dashes of onion powder.

------------

In my house, if I suggest that we have fruit as a side dish I usually get met with dull, bored stares. But when I threw this little treat together I had both of my guys scraping the bowl for every last drop. The thinner Oreo crackers really soak in the moisture from the cool whip and become a smooth chocolate – delicious!

Easy Oreo Fruit Salad

• 3-4 c. fresh fruit cut to bite size pieces
• Light Cool Whip
• 1 – 100 calorie package Oreo snacks (these are the Oreos that are more like crackers)

Put all fruit in large mixing bowl. Add cool whip until everything is just coated. Crush Oreo crackers into crumbs of all sizes and mix in to salad. Chill until time to serve.

*Kim’s notes: For my salad I used 1 apple, 2 bananas, and 1 mango, but you could use any fruit based on your family’s preferences. Can be served as a dessert or side. Also, if you aren’t trying to be calorie conscious, another fun way to make this salad is replacing the Oreo crackers with chopped Snicker’s bar.

Happy Cooking!

Nod to Cesar, That's a Wrap!

Doing salad bars for dinner is fun and it pleases everyone since they get to pick what they like. Tonight we went for Chicken Cesar wraps, with homemade dressing. This is lactose-free, fat free, and has a lot of tang, but I was pleasantly surprised to see both of my boys gobble it up.

Homemade Cesar Dressing
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp mustard (I used a honey dijon)
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 c. apple sauce
1/2 tsp sugar
3 Tbs lemon juice (I think I might reduce this the next time to 2 and taste it)
1/4 c. fat-free mayo

Combine all ingredients and mix well until there is an even, creamy consistency.

Helpful hint: Make the dressing in the morning allowing it to sit and chill in fridge for most of the day for the flavors to really blend.

Use dressing sparingly since it has plenty of kick. For our wraps we used black beans, carrots, Romaine lettuce, green onions, tomato, shredded chicken, parmesan cheese, and croutons, but you can use whatever would be most enjoyable for your family.

Cilantro Lime Chicken Salad Sandwiches

I hate mayo. I always have, and therefore tend to steer clear of classic summer "salad recipes" that consist of some yummy food smothered in the stuff. But with this Chicken Salad the mayo is altered so drastically that Josh and I both were singing its praises. This is definitely a recipe that will stick, especially in the hot months ahead.

Cilantro Lime Chicken Salad Sandwiches
2 cooked and shredded chicken breasts
1 sweet onion, cut into half rings
1.3 c fat free mayonnaise
1/4 c. roughly chopped cashews
1 heaping Tbs fresh chopped cilantro
1 Tbs. lime juice
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
toasted bread or buns and other sandwich toppings including tomatoes, spinach leaves, and cucumbers.

In a frying pan over med heat cook the onion slices with only a little cooking spray, adding water if needed to keep onions slightly moist. Allow to cook about 10 minutes or until the onions have a caramelized color. If you really want them "caramel-y" add a little sugar near the end of the cooking time, I did and it was pretty tasty. While the onions cook combine mayo, cilantro, lime juice, and garlic powder. In a large mixing bowl combine chicken, cashews, and the cooked onion. Add the dressing mixture and stir until all is well combined and lightly coated.

Serve chicken salad on toasted buns or sourdough bread (I used a multi-grain bun which was tasty and really filling) topping with spinach, tomatoes, cucumbers, or whatever you like.

Happy Cooking!

slow cooked pulled pork

(from Valerie C.)

Ingredients:

1 med onion, chopped
½ c ketchup
½ c cider vinegar
¼ c brown sugar
¼ c tomato paste
2 T sweet paprika
2 T Worcestershire sauce
2 T mustard
1 ½ t salt
1 ¼ t pepper
4 lbs boneless pork shoulder blade roast (fresh pork butt), cut into 4 pieces
12 soft sandwich buns or ciabatta rolls, warmed
Hot sauce, opt
Dill pickles, opt
Potato chips, opt

In 4 ½ - 6 quart crock pot, stir onion, ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar, tomato paste, paprika, Worcestershire, mustard, salt, & pepper til combined. Add pork & turn to coat well with sauce.

Cover crock pot with lid & cook on low 8-10 hrs, or til pork is very tender.

With tongs, transfer pork to large bowl. Turn crock pot to high, & cover & heat sauce to boiling to thicken & slightly reduce. While sauce boils, use 2 forks to pull pork into shreds. Return shredded pork to crock pot & mix into sauce. Cover crock pot & heat through, on high setting if necessary.

Serve pulled pork with sandwich buns, & hot sauce, pickles, & chips, if you like.

Chicken Tortellini Bake

Josh has always been a fan of a dish I make that is similar to this one, so I just had to try this version to see how it compared. We both liked it a lot, but next time I'm going to make it even more like mine and add some sun dried tomatoes.

Chicken Tortellini
Bake 19 ounce package of cheese tortellini (fresh or frozen)
2 chicken breasts, trimmed of fat and cut into bite size pieces
2 green onions finely chopped (white and green parts)
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/8 c. low-sodium chicken broth
1 carrot, coin sliced
2 broccoli heads, cut into bite size pieces (about 1.5-2 cups)
3/4 cup sour cream (I used non-fat which turned out great)
1 c. shredded cheese (I used a combo of mozzarella and parmesan)

Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook tortellini according to package directions. Drain spread out in a sprayed 9x13 baking dish.

In a skillet, saute the chicken with the green onion and garlic until chicken is done. While the chicken is cooking microwave the broccoli and carrots for about 1-2 minutes until colors become vibrant and they are slightly steamed. Add veggies to chicken and coat all with the flour. Add chicken broth and stir until thickened. Mix in sour cream until mixture is creamy and slightly thickened.

Sprinkle about of half the cheese over the tortellini then pour the chicken/sauce mixture on top and sprinkle with the remaining cheese over the top. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes until bubbly and golden brown around the edges.

Kim's note: the recipe I followed called for a much longer baking time resulting in slightly chewy pasta on the bottom. I'd suggest keeping an eye on it and only baking it as long as needed.

Pass the Plate: Crock Pot Lasagna

Hi Sisters! Thanks to everyone who came to Pass the Plate last night, and to those that couldn't make it, we missed you! Our theme for the night was crock pots, and since I wanted to show that there's more to crock pots than merely pot roast, I made crock pot lasagna. This is a super easy way to get real lasagna without the heat from an oven, or big pots of boiling water.

Crock Pot Lasagna
1 lb lean ground beef
1 jar favorite spaghetti sauce
2 c. cottage cheese
2 c. mozzarella cheese
1/2 c. parmesan cheese
6 regular lasagna noodles - UNCOOKED
1/4 c. water

In frying pan, brown ground beef and drain fat. Add water and pasta sauce, reserving a small amount of sauce to line bottom of crock pot. Stir until well blended. Line crock pot with very thin layer of sauce, then top with 2-3 uncooked lasagna noodles that are broken to fit shape (some overlap is fine). Cover noodles with half the cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, and parmesan cheese, then top cheeses with half of the meat mixture. Repeat layers with the other half of the ingredients. Cook on low for 4 hours.

Kim's Special Note: If you noticed the plastic lining in the pictures, that is a Reynold's crock pot liner. You cook your meal in it just like normal, but then after serving the bag removes for virtually no clean up. If you want to try them, they are at the grocery store near the foils. I'm addicted to these things!

Happy Cooking!

Orange Chicken (from your cupboard)

I love to make ordinary things into something special, and this is one of my all-time favs. This recipe takes Chicken Rice-a-Roni and turns it into a yummy Asian treat that Josh and I both love.

Orange Chicken
1 pound cubed chicken breast
1 package chicken flavored Rice a Roni
1 c. orange juice
1 1/2 c. hot water
1 1/2 c. frozen carrots, thawed
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp butter or margarine

Saute chicken in frying pan until fully cooked, then set aside. In same frying pan melt butter. Add rice from package and cook for a few minutes until lightly browned. Add ginger and garlic powders, Rice a Roni flavor packet, water and orange juice. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to med-low, and simmer covered for 10 minutes. After simmering, add carrots and chicken to the rice mixture and simmer covered for an additional 5-10 minutes, or until heated through and water is absorbed.

Happy Cooking!