Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. milk

1 1/2 c. heavy cream

1/2 c. imported Parmesan cheese, grated

1/2 c. imported Romano cheese, grated

6 egg yolks from fresh jumbo eggs

salt and black pepper to taste

Recipe:

1. Heat milk and cram in a heavy bottom saucepan until it begins to simmer. Turn off heat. Slowly whip in cheese, then remove from heat.

2. Place egg yolks in a separate bowl and slowly whip in a portion of the hot milk and cream mixture. Slowly add egg yolk mixture back into remaining cream mixture. Place back on very low heat and continually stir until simmering. Take sauce off heat so it thickens. (This will increase temperature of egg yolks, known as tempering.)

3. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Serve over your favorite pasta.

Rating: 2.5 of 5

I don't mean to slam OG's alfredo sauce. In all honesty, I LOVE their stuff....in-restaraunt. For some reason, this recipe tasted way off, and way bland. If it comes down to making alfredo at home, which it does all the time because I can't stand canned/jarred alfredo, then I'm going to have to stick by the usual: Michelle's Alfredo Sauce

Source: Olive Garden, Alfredo Sauce

Zuppa Toscana

Ingredients:

1 lb. Italian sausage

1 large onion, chopped

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 c. white wine to deglaze the pan *

1/2 t. red pepper flakes

2 Russett potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks

2 c. fresh kale, chopped **

3 c. chicken broth

2.5 c. water

1 c. heavy cream

salt and pepper

* I cut this out.

** I didn't have any kale on hand so I just did without.

Recipe:

1.  Place a large stockpot or Dutch oven on the stove over medium heat. Crumble the sausage into the pan and cook until well browned. Remove the cooked sausage from the pot with a slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl; set aside.

2. Add the chopped onion to the pan and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes to the pan and cook for a minute more, just until fragrant.

3. Add the wine to the pot and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any browned bits.

4. Add the potatoes, kale, chicken broth, and water to the pot. Return the sausage to the pot.

5. Increase the heat to medium-high, bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer on medium-low. Cover and let simmer for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender and cooked through.

6. Stir in the heavy cream and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Rating: 3 of 5

When we go to Olive Garden, this is the soup I always get. I love it because of it's strong flavors! So, while this was a good copy-cat, I really don't think it comes close. Not nearly strong enough. But, if you like flavor/heat on the weaker side, then this is your dish!

Source: Annie's Eats, Zuppa Toscana

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients:

1/3 c. honey

1/4 c. lime juice

1 T. chili powder

1/2 t. garlic powder

1 lb. chicken, cooked and shredded

8-10 flour tortillas

1 lb. Monterrey jack cheese, shredded

2 c. green enchilada sauce *

1/2 c. heavy cream **

* I didn't have green enchilada sauce, so I used green salsa.

** Didn't have any heavy cream on hand, so I combined milk and melted butter

Recipe:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mix the honey, lime juice, chili powder and garlic powder together and toss with the shredded chicken. Let it marinate for at least 1/2 hour.

3. Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Pour enough enchilada sauce on the bottom of pan to create a thing layer on the bottom.

4. Fill flour tortillas with chicken and a generous amount of shredded cheese, saving about 1 cup of cheese to sprinkle on top of enchiladas.

5. Mix the remaining enchilada sauce with the heavy cream and leftover marinade. Pour sauce on top of the enchiladas and top with reserved cheese.

6. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until brown and crispy on top. 

Rating: 4 of 5

These were pretty good. LaDon said they were the best enchiladas he's had to date....of course, that could be because he has a love affair with cheese and there is a LOT of cheese in this dish. I thought the taste was different, but good. The honey and lime weren't super strong, but there were there and made a nice combination with the chili powder. I'd make them again.

Source: The Girl Who Ate Everything, Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

Best Burger Ever with Secret Sauce

Ingredients:

Burger:

2 lbs. ground beef, 85/15

1/2 c. grated Monterrey jack cheese

1/4 c. BBQ sauce

season salt, to taste

cracked black pepper

onion powder

Secret Sauce:

3/4 c. mayo

1/4 c. ketchup

1/4 c. relish

2 T. Worcestershire

seasoned salt

hamburger buns

cheese slices

lettuce

avocado

tomato

other hamburger toppings

Recipe:

1. Combine the ground beef, grated cheese, BBQ sauce, and seasonings. Shape patties that are about 1-inch thick.

2. Then is it very important to push a 1/2 inch indent into the center of the patty - this is what prevents the patty from becoming a dome. These burgers stay extra moist because the BBQ sauce and cheese are mixed in with the meat.

3. Wait for the skillet to get super hot and then apply a very thin layer of butter to the pan. Place the patties on the pan, indent side up.

4. Reduce heat to medium and allow patty to cook for about 4-6 minutes, but make sure it doesn't burn. Then flip the burger over and cook until done.

5. For the sauce: combine all ingredients and whisk until well mixed. Taste and adjust ingredients to your liking.

6. Assemble the burgers and serve with toppings.

Rating: 3 of 5

I actually wasn't that impressed with this burger recipe. It could be because we had the most amazing burgers the week before, so expectations were a little skewed. But, yes, these burger were juicy, and had pretty good flavor. One thing that drove me nuts about this recipe is that there was no specific measurement for some of the ingredients. It's not that big of a deal, but it is helpful.

Source: Little Miss Momma, Best Burger Recipe Ever with Secret Sauce

Southwest Chipotle Burgers

Ingredients:

Burgers:

1 1/2 lb. ground chuck or ground sirloin *

1-1/2 chipotle peppers canned in adobo sauce**

1 1/2 T. adobo sauce (from the chipotle chili can)

1/4 c. grated onion ***

1 t. garlic powder

1/2 t. cumin

1 1/2 t. kosher salt

1/4 t. pepper

* I used just 1 lb ground beef. It's what I had on hand

** I've learned from experience that I can't quite handle all the heat a whole pepper brings to the plate, so I just eliminated the pepper.

*** Used my old stand-by of dried chopped oinon

Chipotle-Lime Mayo:

1/2 c. mayo

2 t. lime juice

1 1/2 t. adobo sauce (from the canned chipotle chilis)

2 T. chopped fresh cilantro *

* I actually rarely measure out the cilantro. I usually add a bit more than called for because we LOVE the taste of cilantro.

4-6 good quality buns (try this recipe!)

1 tomato

1-2 avocado

lettuce

jack, cotija, or queso fresco cheese *

* We just used medium cheddar

Recipe:

1. Start by making the sauce. Place may, adobo sauce, lime juice and cilantro in a small bowl. Stir all together. Cover and set in the fridge.

2. Now place the beef in a bowl and gently crumble with your fingers. Add the chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, grated onion, garlic powder, cumin, kosher salt, and pepper. Use your hands to gently mix things together. Just mix it enough to distribute the ingredients.

3. Divide into 4 patties (or 6 little ones) and place on a preheated grill, indoor grill pan, or skillet. If you want to top with cheese, do so in the last few minutes of grilling.

4. While the burgers are cooking, toast buns and spread chipotle-lime sauce generously on each side of each bun. When the burgers are done to your liking let them stand for 5 minutes off the grill and then pop onto your prepared buns.

5. Top with tomato slices, avocado slices, and a crisp piece of lettuce.

Rating: 4.75 of 5

These are, literally, the best burgers I've had! Literally! I don't know what to say except that these were SO SO SO SO GOOD!!!! Between LaDon, Jonas, and I well all liked different aspects about the burger better, but overall it's just a fantastic combination of tastes and textures. I, personally, loved the taste the chipotle-lime mayo added. I loved the cilantro taste in it. And, I think the burger would be really good if you just replaced the lettuce completely with cilantro. Yummy! I've been craving these burgers ever since we made them this week!

Source: Our Best Bites, Southwest Chipotle Burgers

40-Minute Hamburger Buns

Ingredients:

2 T. active dry yeast

1 c. + 2 T. warm water

1/3 c. vegetable oil

1/4c. sugar

1 egg

1 t. salt

3-3.5 c. all-purpose flour

Recipe:

1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add oil and sugar; let stand for 5 minutes. Add the egg, salt and enough flour to form a soft dough.

2. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 3-5 minutes. Do not let rise. Divide into 12 pieces; shape each into a ball. Place 3 inches apart on greased baking sheets.

3. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Bake at 425 for 8-12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool. 

Rating: 4 of 5

I really liked this recipe. I was a little skeptical at first and wondered if I'd be able to get the soft, fluffy bun texture, but this recipe did not disappoint! You could easily make these whole wheat as well. Besides being super easy and quick, they were soft, fluffy, and the perfect hamburger bun! I don't think I'll ever buy buns again!

Source: Taste of Home, 40-Minutes Hamburger Buns

French Dip Sandwiches

Ingredients:

1 2.5-3 lb beef roast (frozen is okay too!)

2 T. olive oil

salt and pepper

2 1-oz. pkg dry onion soup mix

2 c. water

2 cans beef broth *

6-8 large buns (Try this Quick French Bread recipe!)

Swiss, provolone, or mozzarella cheese, shredded or sliced

* I just used 2 1/2 large beef bouillon cubes and added 2 c. water (in addition to the 2 c. called for)

Recipe:

1. Heat oil in a large pot oven medium-high heat and rub roast with salt and pepper.

2. When very hot, carefully place roast in pan and sear on all sides. You're not cooking the meat, you're just browning it quickly on all sides to add flavor and seal in the juices.

3. Place in crockpot and sprinkle with onion soup mixes. Pour water and beef broth over roast.

4. Cook 8-10 hours on low or cook 4-5 hours on high and another 3-4 hours on low. The longer it cooks, the more tender it will be.

5. When meat is ready, shred with a fork. Place meat in crusty rolls. Top with cheese and broil open-faced in the oven or toaster oven for a few minutes, until bread is golden and cheese is melty. *

6. Ladle juices into small cups for dipping and enjoy!

* Rather than put everything under the broiler, I simply buttered the sliced open bread and put them on a griddle until they were golden, like a grilled cheese sandwich, and then placed the meat and cheese between the two pieces of hot bread. It melted the cheese and kept the whole sandwich from getting a little too much heat.

Freezer directions: 

1. Prepare roast through the first 2 steps above. After meat has cooled, place in a plastic freezer-safe container, cover with onion soup mix and bouillon, and freeze.

2. When ready to cook, pop it straight into the crockpot (frozen), add 2 cups of water, and set to high until warm or, even better, simmering. Turn to low; cook for a total of 8-10 hours.

* I used a frozen roast and basically skipped all of the instructions I could! Haha! I just dumped the roast in the pot, and sprinkled and covered according to step 3.

Rating: 4.5 of 5

Loved this! The meat was so extremely tender and juicy and delicious! Can't wait to make these again! I think the original recipe calls for 6-8 loaves, but we demolished the meat in just 4 sandwiches! Easy and delicious. I'm tellin' ya!

Source: Our Best Bites, French Dip Sandwiches

Quick French Bread

Ingredients:

1/4 c. warm water

2 1/2 t. dry active yeast

1 t. sugar

1 T sugar

1 t. salt

1 c. + 2 T. warm water

3 1/2- 4 c. all-purpose flour

1 egg white and 1 T water*

* in an effort to save my lone egg for something else, I brushed my bread with a little bit of milk(which makes the top of the loaf turn a darker brown). I'd imagine that you could also use warm water and baking soda which would leave the loaf closer to it's natural baking color.

Recipe:

1. Combine 1/4 c. water, yeast and 1 t. sugar in a bowl. Allow to stand until bubbly.

2. Add in 1 T. sugar, salt and remaining water.

3. Gradually add in flour, mix well and knead for 5 minutes. Let rise for 15-20 minutes in a warm place. Preheat oven to 300 while dough rises.

4. Place several cups of water into a saucepan and bring to a boil while you form the loaf. If you want to make 2 smaller loaves, divide dough in half. 

5. Flour a surface and roll out the dough with a rolling pin. Roll up the dough and turn ends under and place seam side down onto a greased cookie sheet. *

6. Cut 3 diagonal cute into the loaf about 1/4 inch deep. Combine water and egg white and brush onto loaf.

7. Pour boiled water into an oven-safe dish and place on the lower rack of the preheated oven. 

8. TURN OFF THE OVEN! Place sheet with bread on the rack above the water. Let rise until double and then take out the pan of water, about 10-15 minutes.

9. Turn oven on to 425 degrees and bake 10 minutes.

10. Turn heat down to 375 and bake for 8 minutes or until golden brown.

*I actually thought the rolling out process produced rather puny loaves, even when I didn't divide it and tried to make a single (I divided my dough into 4 parts in order to use for some delicious French Dip Sandwiches!). I recommend forming the dough into a ball and then rolling it out into a fatty snake (think play dough snakes as a kid) and making the French bread shape that way. Much easier, quicker, and no seam or folding under!

Rating: 4 of 5

This is a pretty easy recipe, but it's definitely a very involved one. It's not like other bread recipes where you can go off and leave the dough alone for an hour or two. So, if you're going to make this one, make sure your mentally there. It could be super easy to get distracted and ruin the bread. I definitely think I'll stick to brushing the bread with milk. So much easier. As far as taste goes, I thought this recipe was a pretty close match to store bough French bread. The outside is slightly crispy while the inside is nice and fluffy. I'll definitely be making this over buying every time! In fact, I kind of want to make another batch today and just eat garlic bread because I can!

Source: Thirty Handmade Days, Quick French Bread

Chipotle-Mango BBQ Chicken Salad

Salad sans dressing

Ingredients:

Chipotle-Mango BBQ Sauce:

1 mango, peeled and chopped

1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, plus 2 t. adobo sauce

1/2 c. ketchup

1/2 c. apple juice

1/4 onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled

juice from 1/2 lemon

2 T. unseasoned rice vinegar

2 T. brown sugar

1 T. canola oil

2 t. paprika *

2 t. salt

1 t. black pepper

*I only had 1 t. paprika, so I substituted the rest with just a 1/2 t. cayenne pepper.

Dressing:

2 T. prepared Chipotle-Mango BBQ sauce

2 T. plain Greek yogurt

1-2 t. lime juice, give or take a little

salt and pepper

Salad:

2 chicken breasts

2 ears sweet corn, shucked

1 vine-ripe tomato, cut into wedges

1/4 c. chopped cilantro

1 bag Dole Romaine Salad mix *

*I used just a head of Romaine

Recipe:

Chipotle-Mango BBQ Sauce:

1. Combine all ingredients for BBQ sauce into a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring often. Let cool then transfer to a food processor or blender, and process until smooth.

Dressing:

1. Whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl. Taste, then add more lime juice, salt and pepper if necessary.

Salad:

1. Marinate chicken breasts in some of the prepared Chipotle-Mango BBQ sauce for at least 15 minutes, or up to 3 hours.

2. Grill over medium-high heat for 5-6 minutes per side until no longer pink in the middle. Allow to rest for 5 minutes off the grill before slicing.

3. Grill corn alongside the chicken, rotating every few minutes until charred on all sides. Let cool for a few minutes, then cut kernels off the cob.

4. Divide lettuce between two plates, then top with grilled corn, tomatoes, cilantro, and grilled chicken. Drizzle with prepared dressing.

Rating: 4 of 5

I really liked this salad. My only complaint is the heat of the dressing, but that is easily remedied by taking out the chipotle pepper before blending. I thought the chicken marinade was perfect and just the right flavor to go with the salad and cilantro. For the corn, I brushed it with olive oil and then grilled it. Loved the flavor in the salad. Super easy salad to make although it does require a little bit of prep time. I'd definitely make this again.

Source: Iowa Girl Eats, Chipotle-Mango BBQ Chicken Salad

Penne Pasta with Sun-dried Tomato Cream Sauce

Ingredients:

2 c. (8 oz.) dry penne pasta

8 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (about 1/3 c)

1 12-oz can evaporated milk

2 c. (8 oz pkg) shredded Italian-style four-cheese blend *

1 t. dried basil

1/4 t. garlic powder

1/4 t. ground black pepper

* I totally spaced getting this when I made my grocery run, so I just used the normal Mexican blend that I had and then added a bit of Parmesan cheese to it. I thought the end result was still delicious.

Recipe:

1. Prepare pasta according to package directions, adding sun-dried tomatoes to boiling water for last two minutes of cooking time; drain.

2. Meanwhile, combine evaporated milk, cheese, basil, garlic powder, and pepper in medium saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until cheese in melted. Remove from heat.

3. Add pasta and sun-dried tomatoes to cheese sauce; stir until combined.

Rating: 3.75 of 5

I thought it was at least a 4, but LaDon said, "it could have had more cheese and...unhealthy things." Haha. Well, despite those drawbacks, I thought this was a good mac and cheese type dish. I didn't feel heavy but you still got great taste. And it was still yummy as leftovers the next day. 

Source: Very Best Baking, Penne Pasta with Sun-dried Tomato Cream Sauce

Slow Cooker Cream Cheese Chicken Chili

Ingredients:

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can corn, undrained

1 can Rotel, undrained (aka: green chilies and tomatoes)

1 pkg. ranch dressing mix

1 t. cumin

1 T. chili powder *

1 t. onion powder

1 8-oz pkg. light cream cheese

2 chicken breasts

* I thought the whole T. was a little too much heat for me, so next time I will only use 1/2 T.

Recipe:

1. Drain and rinse black beans. Place chicken at bottom of slow cooker pot. Pour on can of corn, Rotel, and black beans.

2. Top with seasonings and ranch mix. Stir together.

3. Place cream cheese on top. Cover with lid and cook on low 6-8 hours.

4. Stir cream cheese into chili. Use 2 forks to shred chicken. Stir together and serve.

Rating: 4.5 of 5

A bit spicy for my taste with the whole tablespoon of chili powder, but that's easily fixed. We really liked this chili. I don't really have much to say about it other than it was a creamy version of the Chicken Tortilla Soup, which is one of our all time favorite soups. And, I do think this soup would be good topped with some chopped cilantro.

Source: Plain Chicken, Slow Cooker Cream Cheese Chicken Chili

Coconut Chicken with Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:

2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 large eggs

1/4 c. coconut milk, optional

1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. panko bread crumbs

1 c. shredded coconut

1/2 t. salt

1/2 c. vegetable oil, divided

1 c. sweet chili sauce

Recipe:

1. Cut off any extra fat globules from your chicken breasts. Cut each breast into 6 strips, diagonally to prevent the end strips from being really short.

2. Prepare your breading station by gathering three bowls. In the first bowl, combine the flour and salt. In the second bowl, combine the eggs and coconut milk. Whisk together until well combined. In the third bowl, stir together the panko bread crumbs and shredded coconut.

3. Place 1/4 c. of vegetable oil in a large heavy duty skillet and heat over medium heat until it is just below smoking. You can test the heat by throwing in a little bit of flour. When it is hot enough, the flour with sizzle and create a lot of bubbles.

4. While the oil is heating, dredge chicken strips. First, coat each strip in the flour and salt mixture. Then dip each into the eggs/coconut milk and finally coat each in panko shredded coconut.

5. Place about 6 strips in the pan at once. There should be only one layer of chicken and about 1-inch distance between each piece. Fry for 2-3 minutes on each side of until they are golden brown and crispy. Place them on a plate with paper towel. Continue frying remaining chicken. Oil might become low, in which case, add the second 1/4 c. of oil.

6. Serve with chili dipping sauce.

Rating: 4 of 5

LaDon wanted to rate these higher, like 4.5, but I didn't like them that much. The chicken was good, but in all honesty, I couldn't taste the coconut at all. It was just a crunchy chicken strip (which are good). I was hoping for a much more flavorful chicken considering all the frying that went on. However, with that said, I did serve these up with some honey-mustard and it greatly improved everything (which means that we didn't use the sweet chili sauce). For the sake of crispy chicken strips for LaDon, I would make these again.

Source: Budget Bytes, Coconut Chicken with Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce

Hummus and Cucumber Tomato Salad Stuffed Pita

Ingredients:

1 T. extra virgin olive oil

1 t. freshly squeezed lemon juice *

1/2 - 1/4 t. salt, depending on taste **

1/8 t. cracked black pepper

2 medium roma tomatoes, diced ***

1 cucumber, peeled and diced ****

1/4 c. red onion, thinly sliced *****

4 whole wheat pita pockets

1 c. hummus

* I was totally not paying attention and put in lime juice rather than lemon.

** I did just under 1/4 t.

*** I used about 12 grape tomatoes

**** I used half of a large cucumber

*****Completely spaced getting some red onion so I just used dried chopped onion

Recipe:

1. In a medium bowl, combine oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Add in tomatoes, cucumber, and red onion, toss to coat.

2. Open each pita pocket carefully and spread 1/4 c. hummus in each pocket and stuff in some of the cucumber mixture using a slotted spoon. Serve any remaining cucumber and tomato salad on the side.

Rating: 3.75 of 5

I would, by myself, actually rate this a little higher, but I don't think that LaDon would. Loved the garlicky hummus with the salad. Felt so light and fresh together. I'm sure lemon juice would be delicious, but I loved the lime in there! I actually liked it so much the way I made it, I don't think I'll add red onion in next time.

Source: Simply Fresh Cooking, Hummus and Cucumber Tomato Salad Stuffed Pita

Navajo Taco Meat

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef

1 small onion

1 can chili beans with sauce

1/2 can of diced tomatoes and green chilies

1 pkt. of taco seasoning

Recipe:

1. Brown the beef and add onions.

2. Drain the fat off. I do this by placing the meat in a strainer and then run it under hot water.

3. Add taco seasoning and stir around until meat is evenly coated.

4. Add chili beans and tomatoes. Let simmer for a few minutes.

5. Serve on Navajo fry bread.

Rating: 4 of 5

This was much closer to how I remember Navajo taco meat tasting. Everything, but the meat sauce, I used came from the previous Navajo Taco recipe posted.

Source: my own. Used what I had on hand in the cupboards.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Ingredients:

1 t. garlic salt

1/2 t. black pepper

2-3 T cornstarch *

3/4 c. sugar

1/2 c. vinegar

1/2 c. chicken broth

3-4 T. ketchup

1 T soy sauce

2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

* I used minute tapioca instead. 

Recipe:

1. In a slow cooker, mix together all ingredients except the cornstarch and chicken. Stir until you have a smooth consistency.

2. Add chicken to slow cooker. Cook on low for 4-6 hours.

3. About 30 minutes before removing chicken and sauce from pot, remove chicken, shred, add tapioca and stir a few times, and replace chicken.

4. Serve over rice or in a tortilla with traditional toppings such as lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, etc. *

* I actually ate mine over quinoa.

Rating: 3.5 of 5

So, even though this recipe isn't what the source has it down as, I thought it was pretty good. I wanted something easy, like a crock pot, and I think I got it. Daniel really liked. I'd make this one again.

Source: adapted from (I really wanted to make this, but use a crock pot) Get Off Your Butt and Bake, Sweet and Sour Chicken

Bell Pepper Chicken

Ingredients: they're all approximate as I was just throwing things in as I went along

2 chicken breasts, thawed

1 can cream of chicken soup

1-2 t. chicken bouillon

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

5-6 shakes of hot sauce

up to 1/4 c. sour cream

1/2 to 1 c. water

1/2 each red, orange, yellow, and green bell peppers, sliced

rice

Recipe: 

1. Mix soup, sour cream, garlic, water, bouillon, hot sauce and garlic together. Add chicken and bring to a boil.

2. Boil for a 5-10 minutes. Simmer chicken until cooked through. The mixture should be somewhat runny, so add more water if needed.

3. With 5-10 minutes left, add pepper slices to chicken mixture until tender.

4. Serve over hot rice.

Rating: 4 of 5

So, for a throw-in dinner, this turned out really well. It reminded me a little bit of jambalaya. It has great flavor, but very little heat. It's great over rice, but I think it'd be good over quinoa, too. I'd definitely make this one again.

Source: my own

Creamy Chipotle Enchiladas

Ingredients:

2-3 lb. pot roast

10 oz. can of diced tomato with green chilies

8 oz. can Ro Tel enchilada sauce

7 oz. can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

1/2 t. cumin

1/4 t. oregano

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 -1 c. heavy cream

1 can of corn, drained

1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained

8 oz. can tomato sauce

1/4 c. cream cheese, somewhere between softened and melted

6 large tortillas

shredded cheddar and mozzarella cheese

sour cream

cilantro, chopped

Recipe:

1. In a medium bowl, mix diced tomatoes, enchilada sauce, chipotle peppers and adobo sauce, cumin, oregano, and garlic.

2. Place roast in crock pot and cover with tomato-chipotle mixture. Cook on high for 4ish hours.

3. Remove roast from crock pot and shred meat.

4. Using a fine strainer, pour juices from crock pot into a medium bowl. Reserve juices. Remove chipotle peppers from strainer. 

5. Replace tomatoes and green chilies (in strainer) in the crockpot. Pour about 2-4 cups of reserved juices into crockpot. Pour in heavy cream and stir together. Replace meat. Add black beans and corn. Continue cooking for another 20-30 minutes. (The key thing here is to have enough juice/sauce to coat the meat. It's not going to cook that long so it shouldn't dry out.)

6. Mix tomato sauce and cream cheese together in a small bowl.

7. Grease 9x12 baking dish and preheat oven to 350 degrees.

8. Lay out a tortilla and scoop meat mixture on to 1/2 of the torilla. Place a handful of shredded cheese on top and then roll the torilla. Place seam side down in baking dish. Repeat until dish is full. (I actually ended up with extra meat so there would be enough to almost make 2 full baking dishes of enchiladas.)

9. Cover enchiliadas with tomato/cream cheese mixture. Top with cheese.

10. Place in oven for 15-20 minutes, until cheeses are melted.

11. Serve and top with sour cream and cilantro.

Rating: 4 of 5

This was one of those meals that I used whatever I had on hand. It actually turned out really well. I didn't measure anything so the measurements are all my best guess. The chipotle peppers add a pretty good kick, so I used the cream and cream cheese as a way to tone it down a bit. If looking to cut out some of that then you could just remove the chipotle peppers from the adobo sauce before the initial cook time. I really enjoyed this dish and would make it again!

Source: my own

Chinese Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

Salad:

12 3-inch wonton skins, sliced into 1/4" strips *

1/4 c. canola or corn oil for frying

4 c. chopped romaine lettuce

1 chicken breasts, shredded **

2 green onions, chopped

1/4 c. sliced almonds, toasted lightly

1 T. sesame seeds

2 c. cooked fusilli pasta noodles, cooled

* I cut mine into 1-inch strips and then broke it into pieces as I topped the salad.
**I doubled the chicken.

Dressing: 

1 1/2 T vegetable or grapeseed oil

6 T. seasoned rice vinegar

1 t. sesame oil (add more to taste if you prefer a strong sesame taste) *

1 1/2 t. sugar

2 t. light soy sauce

2 T. sesame seeds

1/2 t. fresh ground pepper

1/8 t. salt

*I probably did about 1 1/2-2 t. 

Recipe:

1. Heat canola or corn oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. When oil starts to shimmer, fry wonton skins batches of 5-7 strips for 30 seconds each side or until lightly browned, working quickly so they don't burn. Remove oil and drain on paper towels until cooled.

2. In a large bowl, combine lettuce, chicken breast, green onion, almonds and pasta.

3. Combine dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk well until sugar dissolves. Dress lettuce mixture with 2-3 tablespoons of sesame dressing and top with sesame seeds and wonton strips and serve.

Rating: 4.5 of 5

I loved this salad. Even LaDon, who doesn't like Chinese food a lot, really liked it. The dressing is light and not too overbearing. I loved the evrey aspect of this salad. The pasta surprised me, but it went great with the shredded chicken and almond slices. I'll definitely be making this again.

Source: Foodie Crush, Chinese Chicken Salad

Colorful Quinoa, Black Bean and Corn Salad

Ingredients:

1 c. quinoa, thoroughly washed in a fine sieve

1 3/4 c. water

15-oz. can black beans, thoroughly rinsed

1 c. frozen corn *

1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped**

1 Jalapeno chile pepper, seeded and minced

1/2 red onion, finely chopped ***

1/4 c. cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

1/3 c. olive oil

1/4 c. balsamic  vinegar****

salt and pepper

*used a can instead

** I used what I had on hand and that meant cutting out the red pepper and jalapeno and replacing it with just a green bell pepper.

*** I didn't have a red onion on hand so I just used my normal onion substitute of dried chopped onion.

**** I don't really like the balsamic taste, so I substituted it with lime juice. Much better.

Recipe:

1. Combine the quinoa and water in a rice cooker and cook according to the manufacturer's instructions. Alternatively combine the quinoa and water in a medium saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer (not removing the lid!), until all of the water has been absorbed. *

2. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and let cool slightly.

3. In a large bowl, combine the quinoa, black beans, corn, red bell pepper, jalapeno, onion, and cilantro. Mix well.

4. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil and balsamic and pour over the quinoa; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper.

*I don't have a rice cooker. I followed the instructions on the packaging.

Rating: 4 of 5

Did I like it? Yes. Would I make it again? Yes. Did LaDon like the quinoa? Surprisingly, yes! I really don't think I would have liked this with the balsamic, so I'm glad I switched it out for the lime juice. Cilantro and lime go better together anyway. Even Ally liked it and that girl never eats new food.

Source: Girl Cooks World, Colorful Quinoa Black Bean and Corn Salad

Southern Fried Chicken

Ingredients:

3 c. all-purpose flour

1 T. seasoned salt

1 T. garlic powder

1 T. onion powder

1 T. coarse ground black pepper

Milk mixture: ** I halved this part**

2 eggs

4 c. buttermilk

1 c. barbecue sauce

2 T. Worcestershire sauce

1 T. steak sauce

3 lbs. chicken, cut into pieces

2 c. oil, for frying

Recipe:

1. In a large shallow dish, mix together flour, seasoned salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper.

2. In a separate bowl, beat eggs, then whisk in buttermilk, barbecue sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and steak sauce.

3. Dredge chicken in milk mixture, then in seasoned flour, alternating in each at least twice.* Heat oil in a large, deep-sided skillet to 375 degrees F.

4. Cook chicken in hot oil until golden brown on both sides, about 10 minutes each side.

5. Drain on a wire rack over paper towels. Place in 200 degree preheated oven to keep warm while remaining chicken is cooked.

*Forgot to do that at least twice!

Rating: 4.5 of 5

I love fried chicken, but the one thing that I don't like about fried chicken is that it usually is bone meat. But, with this recipe I just used boneless, skinless chicken breasts and it was great! You can actually taste the Worcestershire and steak sauce just a little tiny bit. We liked this recipe and the kids ate it as well. Not that I'd make this one a ton since it is fried, but it was worth it!

Source: Allrecipes.com, A Southern Fried Chicken