Chicken Zucchini Casserole

 I had a lot of zucchini from my garden and needed to find a different way to use it other than making zucchini bread. This is a great dinner and really simple. I used the measurements really roughly. I just put in as much as I wanted.

1 small rotisserie chicken (just as much chicken as you want)

3 medium zucchinis (diced or sliced)

1 box of stove top stuffing mix

1/2 C butter melted

10 oz can cream of chicken soup

1/2 C sour cream (optional, I didn't have this so I just omitted it)

Preheat oven to 350 and grease 9 by 13 baking dish. In a large bowl, melt butter and add in the stuffing mix. Set half or a little more of the mixture aside for the topping. 
Add chicken, zucchini, cream of chicken soup, and sour cream to the leftover stuffing and mix. Spread the mixture into the baking dish. Then sprinkle the remaining stuffing mix on the top. Bake uncovered for 35-45 minutes or until golden brown.

One Pot Chicken and Dirty Rice

This is a staple in our home. So much flavor in one pot!

INGREDIENTS

Marinade:

1 tsp salt

1 tsp garlic powder

1 1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp dried minced onion

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp oregano

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp lemon juice

Tbsp enough olive oil to make a paste, about 1

Rest of Dish:

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 link of andouille sausage sliced into 1/4" slices

4 bone-in skin on chicken thighs (I do boneless skinless and it works great!)

1 medium yellow onion diced

1 jalapeno pepper seeded and diced (I've done without this)

2 celery stalks diced

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

pinch of red pepper flakes

salt and pepper to taste

1 C DRY long-grain rice

2 1/4 C Chicken stock or broth

sliced green onions for garnish

Minced fresh parsley for garnish (I haven't done this)

INSTRUCTIONS

Combine all marinade ingredients in a medium bowl and add chicken thighs to coat. Set aside

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Add drizzle of Olive oil to dutch oven and heat over MED-HIGH heat. Brown andouille sausageon both sides. Transfer to a plate.

Add chicken thighs, skin side down, and sear for 2-3 minutes per side, nice crispy skin.

Transfer chicken to plate with sausage and use a paper towel to wipe out any black bits from the pan. Brown bits and pan drippings are good to leave.

Lower heat MED-LOW and ad in chopped onion, jalapeno, and celery. Saute for about 2-3 minutes, until softened.

Add Cayenne, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper and stir.  

Add Rice and chicken stock, give it a stir, and let simmer for 1 minute.

Place chicken thighs and sausage on top of the rice, pour in juices on the plate as well, and return to a simmer and cover. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes, covered.

Removed cover and bake another 10-15 minutes until liquid is absorbed into the rice.

Garnish if you'd like. 

ENJOY!

You can find the original recipe HERE.

Coconut chicken and rice

 This recipe is so simple and so delicious!!

https://www.chelseasmessyapron.com/coconut-chicken-and-rice/

Chicken Broccoli Casserole

The whole time I was making it, Xavier kept saying he doesn't like it. I kept telling him he has never tried it. Then for dinner he ate 3 servings. I think he liked it. :) And Brielle and Quinton just snarfed down another portion of it this morning before lunchtime. Bo came home and ate a few servings. It's safe to say it was a hit at our house.

INGREDIENTS

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (I used 2 Costco ones and it worked great. Maybe next time I'll try 3?)
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
1 medium head broccoli, cut into small florets
2 C cooked white rice
one 10-oz can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 C sour cream
1/2 C Mayo
1 Tbsp. Lemon juice
10 oz Cheddar cheese, grated (about 2 1/2 C)

INSTRUCTIONS

Place chicken in a large pot with water to cover. Add some salt (I added some montreal chicken seasoning too), bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a low simmer and cook the chicken until tender, about 45 minutes. Drain the chicken and shred.

Preheat over to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray or butter.

Start cooking rice.

Bring a medium pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the broccoli florets and boil until crisp and tender - 2-3 minutes.

Spread the rice in an even layer in the bottom of the baking dish. Make a second layer with the broccoli. IN a large bowl, mix the chicken soup, the sour cream, mayo, lemon juice, shredded chicken, half the cheddar, and some salt and pepper. Pour the mixture over the broccoli and top with the remaining cheddar. Bake for 40 mins. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

Thanks to the original recipe you can find HERE.

Sweet Potatoes

THE BEST EVER. PERIOD. Don't even bother making any other sweet potatoes or candied yams recipe. This one takes the cake. Thanks to my friend's, Brynne, Grandma.

INGREDIENTS:

3 C Yams (or sweet potatoes) mashed
1/2 C Sugar
1/2 C butter
2 beaten eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/3 C milk or cream

INSTRUCTIONS:

Mix with yams, spread mixture in buttered baking dish.

TOPPING:

1/2 C melted butter
1 1/4 C brown sugar
1/2 C Flour
1 C chopped pecans

Mix together and sprinkle on yams or potatoes. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Chilaquiles

I made these 10th or 11th grade in Spanish Club. I just found the recipe and made it again! I love the homemade salsa verde! So don't just go and buy a green salsa. It is worth making!
It is basically tortilla strips with a green chicken sauce.
Also I usually just cook the chicken however I want. I usually just boil it quickly and don't follow the actual recipe because I don't have all the stuff for it. It still good.


Chicken:
1 Chicken Breast
2-2 1/2 C Water
1/4 Small Onion
1 Bay Leaf
Salt
4 Peppercorns

Salsa Verde:
1 lb. tomatillos (You can use canned tomatillos just 1 3/4 C canned and make sure to drain)
1 Jalapeno or other chili of choice
Water
1 Small onion, chopped
1 Garlic Clove
1/4 C Cilantro
1/2 tsp Salt

Tortillas: (Honestly I just usually bake them. Less of a mess)
Corn Tortillas
Salt
Cooking Spray

Toppings:
1/2 C Sour Cream, room temperature
4 oz Shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Cilantro Sprigs

Chicken: Place the chicken in a medium saucepan. Add the water, onion, bay leaf, salt, and peppercorns. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat. Cover and simmer until chicken is tender, about 45 minutes. Cool chicken, drain and reserve the broth. Shred chicken and set aside.

Salsa: Husk and wash the tomatillos. Remove the seeds from the jalapeno. Put tomatillos and jalapeno in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat. Cover and let simmer for 10 minutes, drain. (Do not cook tomatillos if you used canned ones) Put tomatillos, jalapeno, onion, garlic, cilantro, and salt in a blender or food processor and puree. Pour into a saucepan. Add 2 C reserved chicken broth and 1/2 tsp salt.  Bring to a boil and lower and let simmer for about 30 minutes uncovered. (I don't usually do this because I don't usually have yummy broth).

Tortillas: Turn on oven to 400 degrees. Cut up the corn tortillas into strips. Put in a cookie sheet and spray the tortillas with cooking spray. Then sprinkle with salt. Put in oven and bake until crispy.

Assembly: Put tortillas strips in shallow baking dish. Add the shredded chicken. Pour the sauce over the chicken and tortillas. Place sour cream in a flat mound in center of mixture. Cover with shredded cheese. Place baking dish under broiler until cheese is melted and bubbly and food is hot. Garnish with cilantro sprigs. Serve immediately.

DO NOT mix the chicken and tortilla strips in advance or the tortilla strips will become soggy.

Unstuffed Pepper Bake

This is an alternative to when you are lazy and don't want to make the stuffed peppers. It is really good! I did not use instant rice, I just made regular rice and added the stuffing on top of that.

1 lb Ground Beef
1/3 C Onion
1 1/2 C Bell Peppers (I did different colors, but whatever was on sale)
2 Garlic Cloves or 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper
14.5 oz. Can Petite Diced Tomatoes, Drained
1 1/2 C Instant White or Brown Rice
1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 tsp Italian Seasoning
8 oz Cheddar Cheese, divided
15 oz Can Tomato Sauce (Pretty sure I just used one small can not the whole 15 oz)

Preheat oven to 375. In a large sauce pan over medium heat, saute the beef, onions, bell peppers, and garlic for 10 minutes, or until the beef is browned. Drain off any fat. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the tomatoes, rice, worcestershire sauce, and italian seasoning. Remove from heat, and stir in 1 cup cheese. Spread the mixture in a 9x13 inch pan. Top with tomato sauce and remaining cheese.
Bake uncovered for 20 minutes until cooked through and the cheese is bubbly.

Shepard's Pie

This recipe needs time to cool down and set a little so that the layers don't mix together. I didn't read that and made the recipe with no time so I didn't let anything cool and it still turned out really good! The meat gravy is what is advised to cool down. The leftovers were really good too!

Meat Gravy:

1 1/2 Tbsp Olive Oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 small onion, chopped

1 celery rib, chopped

1 C carrots, finely chopped

1 lb ground beef (original recipe called for ground chuck round, I didn't have it)

1/4 C white flour

1/2 C frozen peas

1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained (any flavor)

2 Tbsp tomato paste

1 3/4 C beef broth

1/2 C 100% grape juice 

1 beef bouillon cube

2 Tbsp Worcestershire

1 tsp dried thyme

Topping:

2 1/2 lbs potatoes (I used Yukon gold and they were delicious)

1/2 C heavy cream

1/2 C sour cream

6 Tbps butter

salt & pepper to taste

Pour olive oil in a large skillet. Add garlic and chopped onions and heat stirring often. Add the finely chopped carrots and celery. Cook until the veggies are soft. Remove veggies into a bowl. Add ground beef and cook until browned. Drain the excess fat. Add back the veggies. Add in the flour and cook for about a minute continuously stirring. Still on medium high heat add frozen peas, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, beef broth, grape juice, beef bouillon cube, Worcestershire sauce, and thyme. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Let it simmer for 25-35 minutes at medium heat, stirring every 5 minutes until the gravy is thickened. Remove from heat pour into a casserole dish and cover. Let it sit in the fridge until you are ready to bake it. (This is what I did not do and it still turned out great!)

Preheat oven to 350.  Peel then cube the potatoes in small chunks. Place potatoes in a large pot and add water to cover the potatoes. Add some salt and bring to a boil.  Let them boil until the potatoes are soft and you can poke easily with a fork. Drain the water and remove the potatoes into a bowl to be smashed. In the pot add heavy cream, sour cream, and butter. Melt on low heat and stir. Smash the potatoes with a masher and then add them to the pot with the cream. Stir to mix. Add salt and pepper to taste (about 1/2 tsp). Add mashed potatoes on top of the meat gravy in the casserole dish. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until the potatoes turn golden and the edges are bubbly. Broil on high for 1-2 minutes to get the top of the potatoes crispy. 

Quinoa Enchilada Bake

This recipe is so versatile. You can add things or take things out. Originally it does not call for meat, so you can make this a meatless dish, just take out the meat and taco seasoning.
**The enchilada sauce you can add as much or as little as you want. My friend adds 20 oz of enchilada sauce where I accidentally made it once without any and it still tasted good.**


1 C Quinoa
2 C water
1 lb ground beef or ground turkey
taco seasoning
1 can mild enchilada sauce**
1 4.5 oz chopped green chiles, drained
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn
2 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
salt and pepper to taste
3/4 C shredded cheddar cheese, divided
3/4 C shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 avocado diced
1 tomato diced

Add quinoa in a pot with the 2 C of water. Cook Quinoa according to package.
Meanwhile cook ground meat in a pan and add taco seasoning.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a large bowl, combine cooked quinoa, meat, enchilada sauce, green chiles, corn, black beans, cilantro, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper. Stir in 1/2 C of cheddar and mozzarella cheese.
Spread mixture into a baking/casserole dish. Top with the remaining cheese. Put in oven and bake for 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
Serve with fresh avocado and tomato on top.

Mexican Quiche

I remember I found this in the Friend magazine and tried it. I just recently made it again. It was a nice alternative to tacos. It was delicious and easy.

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1/2 C water
1 package taco seasoning
1 can (15oz) black beans, drained
4 eggs
3/4 C milk
1 1/4 C biscuit mix
1 C sour cream
(These next ingredients you can have as much or as little as you want for the topping.)
2 1/2 C chopped lettuce
2/3 C chopped tomato
1/4 C chopped green pepper
1/2 C sliced olives, drained
2 C grated cheese

Brown the beef, drain off the grease. Stir in the water, taco seasoning and black beans. (I often do not add water with my taco seasoning.) Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Spread meat mix evenly in a greased 9x13 pan. In a medium bowl, beat eggs and milk together. Blend in the biscuit mix. Then slowly pour the biscuit mixture over the meat mixture. Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes or until golden. Cool for 5 minutes. Spread the sour cream over the top. Layer the lettuce, tomato, peppers, and cheese on top.

Cheesy Hasselback Potato Gratin

Another fun delicious way to eat potatoes. Just an FYI, this has 5 stars out of 511 votes...

INGREDIENTS

*I didn't have these cheeses, so I just used cheddar and parmesan and it was still delicious!

3 ounces finely grated Gruyere or comte cheese
2 ounces finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
2 C heavy cream
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves, roughly chopped
Kosher salt and black pepper
4 to 4 1/2  pounds russet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8-in thick on a mandoline slicer
2 Tbsp unsalted butter

INSTRUCTIONS

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Combine cheeses in a large bowl. Transfer 1/3 of cheese mixture to a separate bowl and set aside. Add cream, garlic and thyme to cheese mixture. Season generously with salt and pepper. Add potato slices and toss with cream mixture, making sure o separate any slices that are sticking together to get the cream mixture in between them.

Grease a 2-quart casserole dish with butter. Pick up a handful of potatoes, organizing them into a neat stack, and lay them in the casserole dish with their edges aligned vertically. Continue placing potatoes in the dish, working around the perimeter and into the center until all the potatoes have been added. The potatoes should be very tightly packed. If necessary, slice an additional potato, coat with cream mixture, and add to casserole. Pour the excess cream/cheese mixture evenly over the potatoes until the mixture comes halfway up the sides of the casserole. You may not need all the excess liquid.

Cover dish tightly with foil and transfer to the oven. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking until the top is pale golden brown, about 30 minutes longer. Carefully remove from oven, sprinkle with remaining cheese, and return to oven. Bake until deep golden brown and crisp on top, about 30 minutes longer. Remove from oven, let rest for a few minutes, and serve.

Thanks to the original recipe found HERE.

Cole Slaw

Bo smoked a port butt tonight and we ate it on potato rolls with this slaw on it and it was DELICIOUS!

INGREDIENTS

1 head of cabbage
1 1/2 C mayo
1/3 C sugar
1 Tbsp mustard
1 Tbsp dry mustard
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp onion powder
1 tsp celery seed
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar (they used rice wine vinegar, I like apple cider)
3 Tbsp lemon juice
3/4 C half and half (we didn't have half and half, so I just used whole milk and it turned out great!)

INSTRUCTIONS

Cut the cabbage in half and cut the halves in half. Cut the core out of each quarter. You could use coleslaw mix, or use cabbage (Cheaper). Chop on finely or put it in the food processor. Place cabbage in bowl.

In a mixing bowl mix together all remaining ingredients. Pour mixture over cabbage and toss until the cabbage is coated. Let sit for an hour and serve.

Original Recipe is a YouTube video found HERE.

Chicken Pot Pie

I got this recipe from Jen and Bo absolutely loves it.

INGREDIENTS

1 package (10 oz) frozen peas and carrots (I just used the mixed blend of veggies I have from Costco)
1/3 C margarine or butter
1/3 C flour
1/3 C chopped onion
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 1/3 C chicken broth
2/3 C milk
2 1/2 to 3 C chicken, cooked and cut into chunks
pastry shell for 9 inch 2 crust pie (See below)

INSTRUCTIONS

Saute onion and butter. Add flour, salt and pepper. Cook stirring constantly until mix is bubbly. Stir in broth and milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Stir in chicken and veggies. Pour mixture into pie crust lined with pastry crust, top with other pastry crust. Bake at 425 degrees for 35 minutes.

Thanks to LaRie Nelson for giving Jen the recipe.


CRUST 

**Double this recipe so you can have a top and bottom of the pie.

INGREDIENTS

1 1/4 C all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 C butter, chilled and diced
1/4 C ice water

INSTRUCTIONS

In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in water, a tablespoon at a time, until mixture forms a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

Roll dough out to fit a 9 inch pie plate. Place crust in pie plate. Press dough evenly into the bottom and sides of the pie plate.

Double the recipe and add the other half to the top with cuts on top so that the pie doesn't explode. Pinch top and bottom part of pie crust together.

You can find the original recipe HERE.

Thanksgiving Leftover Casserole

Thanksgiving comes to an end, but the food seems to never end. So here is a recipe for all those yummy leftovers!

INGREDIENTS

3 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 (12 fluid oz.) can evaporated milk
1 C water
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. onion powder
2 Tbsp. butter
1 C finely crushed herb-seasoned dry bread stuffing mix (I had the stove-top dressing left over so I just used all that I had left over)
1 C cooked, diced turkey meat
1 C shredded cheddar cheese
2 C leftover mashed potatoes

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9x13" baking dish.

Melt 3 Tbsp. butter in a saucepan over low heat. Blend in the flour. Slowly stir in evaporated milk and water, then season with salt, pepper, and onion powder. Stir sauce over low heat for 5 minutes.

(If you have leftover stuffing, skip this next step)  In a separate saucepan over low heat, melt 2 Tbsp. butter. Blend in the dry stuffing mix.

Place the turkey in the prepared baking dish. Pour the sauce over turkey, then sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Spread mashed potatoes over cheese. Top mashed potatoes with the stuffing mixture.

Bake 45 minutes in the preheated oven.

Enjoy! Thanks to the original recipe where you can find HERE.