Crockpot Italian Chicken

Yet another Pinterest recipe success! This was SO easy and SO tasty! I will definitely be putting this on the list to make during the school year!!!

Ingredients:
3-4 chicken breast (filet them in half for better cooking)
2 cans cream of chicken (I use my mix)
8 oz cream cheese (soften)
2 T garlic powder
1 packet Zesty Italian dressing powder
noodles

Directions:
Mix all ingredients except noodles in crock pot
Cook on low 5 hours
Cook noodles according to directions when ready to serve!

That's it folks! Easy, easy, easy!!!

Southwest Chicken Wraps

Ingredients:
1 c cooked rice

1 c shredded chicken (cooked)

1 can black beans, rinse/drain

1 green onion, chopped

1/2 bell pepper, chopped

2 c cheese

1 lime, juice (I use about 1 T)

1/2 T cilantro

1/2 T chili powder

1 t cumin

1/2 t garlic salt

6 tortillas

Directions:
Mix all ingredients, except cheese

Sprinkle cheese over tortillas and spread mix down center, fold up

Spray tortilla with PAM on all sides

Cook first on fold side down for 3 min over medium heat (or until golden brown)

Turn and repeat

*May add salsa or sour cream

Spinach Stuffed Shells

I really like these but haven't made them in a long time. I haven't found any gluten free shells. If you find them...let a girl know! This recipe is from Southern Living

Ingredients:
18 jumbo shells
20 oz chopped frozen spinach, thaw
1 lb ground beef
1/4 t nutmeg
1/2 t salt, separated
1/2 t pepper, separated
16 oz marinara sauce (I love Newman's Own)
16 oz ricotta
1 egg
1/2 c Parmesan

Directions:
Cook pasta according to directions
Drain spinach well
Cook ground beef, drain and return to skillet
Stir in nutmeg, 1/4 t salt, 1/4 t pepper, and sauce
Stir together ricotta, egg, Parmesan, 1/4 salt, 1/4 pepper in a bowl - spoon into shells
Spread 1/2 sauce in a lightly greased 13x9 baking dish
Arrange shells over sauce
Pour remaining sauce over shells
Bake, covered at 350 for 30 minutes

*Stuffed shells may be frozen up to 1 month before baking - thaw in fridge overnight - let stand at room temp for 30 minutes then bake as directed

Rosemary Roasted Chicken

Another McCormick recipe card! I'm not a HUGE rosemary fan. I've tried cooking it with what it calls for, with zero rosemary, and then with half of what it calls for. The half is generally what I do. But, if you don't mind it's flavor...sprinkle away!

Ingredients:
2 t paprika
1 1/2 t crushed rosemary
1 t minced garlic (I usually add a little more because we're garlic adicts)
1/2 t black pepper
2 T olive oil
1 t salt
2 lb chicken
1 1/2 lb potatoes

Directions:
Line baking pan with foil, spray with PAM
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl
Toss chicken and potatoes, coat well
Arrange chicken and potatoes in a single layer on pan
Roast in preheated oven (425) until chicken is done and potatoes are tender (about 30 minutes)
Turn potatoes occasionally

Quesadilla Casserole

This is a tasty McCormick meal. When I first got married I bought one of their pre-measured seasoning cards and this is what it was for. It's been in and out of our meal rotations ever since!

Ingredients:
2 t chili powder
1 t cumin
1 t minced garlic
1/2 t oregano
1/2 t crushed red pepper

1 lb ground beef
1/2 c chopped onion
16 oz tomato sauce
15 oz black beans, drained
9 oz canned corn, undrained
tortillas
2 c cheese

Directions:
Cook beef and onion, drain
Add tomato sauce, beans, and corn - stir
Add all spices, bring to boil, simmer for 5 min
Spread 1/2 c mix on bottom of 13x9 baking dish (spray the dish!)
Top with tortillas, layer 1/2 mix, 1/2 cheese, repeat
Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes
Let stand 5 minutes to set

Empanadas

To make this meal super easy, pre-cook hamburger meat and freeze. Thaw, heat, and then follow directions.

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1/2 c onion, chopped
1/2 t chili powder
1/4 t salt
14 oz Rotel, drained
1 box pie crust
1/2 c cheese
1 egg, beaten

Directions:
Heat oven to 400
Cook beef and onion, drain well
Return beef to skillet, stir in chili powder, salt, and Rotel
Unroll crusts on cookie sheet
Spoon 2 C mix onto each crust
Brush edge with egg, fold shut
Press edges closed, slit top, brush with egg
Bake 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown

Chicken Parm

I have only made this a few times since we've been married. It is time consuming but delish. Time consuming and difficult do NOT mean the same thing. It is not difficult at all. It makes for a good Saturday meal...if you're off work on a Saturday that is.

Ingredients:

8 oz spaghetti noodles

4 skinless/boneless chicken breast

1/2 c Italian bread crumbs

1/4 c Parmesan

1/3 c all purpose flour

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 T olive oil (I usually end up using more if the chicken starts sticking to the skillet)

1 c mozzarella

Directions:

Cook pasta, drain, keep warm

Place each chicken breast between plastic wrap - flatten to 1/4" using mallet

Combine bread crumbs, Parmesan in shallow bowl

Dredge chicken in flour, egg, then breadcrumb mix

Heat oil in large skillet over med-hi heat

Add chicken, cook until done (golden brown)

Place spaghetti evenly in an oven safe baking dish

Spoon 1/2 sauce, top with chicken, remaining sauce and sprinkle with mozarella

Broil until cheese melts

Buffalo Chicken Wraps

Another Pintrest success! It's been a while since I've made these but I wouldn't have written it on a card if it didn't taste good! Any recipe that says "buffalo sauce" usually wins my approval though.

Ingredients:
4 oz cream cheese, soften
1/8 c buffalo sauce (I use Sweet Baby Rays)
1 c shredded cheese
1/8 c blue cheese
12.5 oz shredded chicken (I did not use canned, I boiled some of my own)
8 - 8" tortillas

Directions:
Heat oven to 350
Combine cream cheese and buffalo sauce, mix well
Add cheese and chicken, mix well
Place 2-3 T mix in center of tortilla - roll, place on cookie sheet
Bake 17-20 minutes

Cheesy Spinach and Artichoke Dip

I don't know that I've posted an appetizer before! Well...then it's about time. I make this a lot around the holidays when I need to bring a dish to a party. It's best heated up, but tastes good as it cools as well.

Ingredients:
14 oz artichoke hearts, drain, fine chop
10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thaw, drain well
3/4 c Parmesan
3/4 c light mayo (this part is very difficult for me as I despise mayonnaise)
1/2 c shredded mozzarella
1/2 t garlic powder

Directions:
Heat oven to 350
Mix ingredients well
Spoon into a pie dish
Bake 20 minutes

Easy as that!

Sweet and Sour Chicken

I loooooooove me some Chinese food! I was brave and had my in-laws over for the first time I made this meal. A BIG thumbs up from everyone at the table! I'm sure that it has to be 100 times healthier than the preservative-filled, jacked up poison you get in take out form. It is time consuming but NOT difficult in any fashion. I think the next time I cook it, it will go faster. I've never battered and "fried" anything before. I put only enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan and keep it from sticking.

Ingredients:
Smidge of olive oil (for bottom of pan)
3 chicken breast (cut in 1" pieces)
1 c corn starch
S/P
2 eggs
3/4 c white sugar
4 T ketchup
1/2 c white vinegar
1 T soy sauce (I use reduced sodium)
1 t garlic salt
brown rice

Directions:
Heat skillet over medium heat
Coat skillet with olive oil
Scramble 2 eggs in one bowl
Put corn starch, salt, and pepper in another bowl
Dip chicken pieces in egg, then coat in corn starch mix
Cook in skillet until it is golden brown on both sides
*I had to cook the chicken one breast at a time as to not load down the skillet

Whisk sugar, ketchup, white vinegar, soy sauce, and garlic salt in another bowl.

Once all the chicken is cooked nicely, place in a dish roughly 9x9 and sprayed with PAM. Pour the sauce over chicken and mix. Cook 15 minutes then stir and cook an additional 15 minutes.

Serve over rice. I also made some broccoli to go along with it. Of course J had nothing to do with that ;).