Mac N' Cheese with a Twist!

Have you ever made homemade Mac N' Cheese? 

If yes, then you'll love this. If not, then you'll love this too. 

I added in bacon for extra flavor and peas and carrots to make us think it was a tad bit better for us. hahaha.

It looked fantastic and was delicious. It makes a good amount so we had plenty for leftovers a few nights.

Give it a try and let me know what you think!


Ingredients: 
1 lb macaroni pasta
1 and 1/2 cup milk
2-3 cups of cheese (you're choice, sharp cheddar is preferred)  
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground mustard
1/2 lb bacon
2 chicken breasts
1 and 1/2 cup peas and carrots
2 tbs flour

Directions:
Start by cooking bacon in a large pan. Set aside to cool then crumble. (Don't wash the bacon pan yet) :)
Meanwhile, cook the pasta  according to the directions on the box. Place cooked pasta in a large bowl, Cover to keep warm.
In the pan you cooked the bacon, cook chicken then shred. (bacon flavored chicken, yum!)

In a large pot, heat 1 cup milk and add flour stir until no clumps remain.  Then, add in other 1/2 cup milk. Stir until thick. Add in salt, mustard, then cheese until fully melted and creamy
Once the cheese sauce is ready, add cheese mixture to  the bowl of pasta and fold in chicken, bacon and peas and carrots.

 Serve immediately. 

 Enjoy!

Enchilada Casserole

Um, well we found a new favorite meal. Seriously, my husband and I fought over the last slice;

It was that good.

It all started with me wanting to make enchiladas. I prefer the green sauce, I mean I make everything with it, especially enchiladas. Until one day, while biting into the delicious chicken filled tortilla slathered with that yummy green sauce, my husband asks "hey, do you think we can use red sauce next time, I like it more". WHAT?! Oh the things you learned when married.

But I don't like the red sauce that comes in the can.  No matter what brand, so I started my hunt for a good homemade one; Thanks to gimmie some oven. I found it.

This sauce is good. No, not good. This sauce is amazing. And SO EASY to make. 

So I now had my perfect sauce. Now to the enchiladas.

But wait, I was  running out of time that busy night to take the time to slather and roll each tortilla shell, so what did I do. I layered it and made a casserole.

 Genius. I know.

So viola. You get this delicious beauty.

Simple. Easy. and mouthwatering-delicious.
Enjoy!

Ingredients:
Sauce

2 Tbsp. vegetable or canola oil
2 Tbsp. all-purpose or gluten-free flour
4 Tbsp. chili powder (*not cayenne! also, see note below if you do not like heat*)
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. oregano
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock

Casserole
6-8 corn tortillas
2 cups of cheese any flavor (we used Kraft Mexican mix), separated.
3 chicken breasts-cooked and shredded.
1 can black beans (rinsed)


Directions:
Start the sauce: Heat the oil in a small sauce pan over medium high heat. Add flour and stir together quickly. Once mixed well pour in the chicken broth and whisk together until no lumps remain. Add in the rest of the spices and stir until well combined. Now, let simmer for 10-15.
Use immediately or store in an air tight container for up to 14 days.

Once the sauce is done:  Preheat oven to 3Spread a nice layer on bottom of a baking dish.

Lay a base of tortillas on-top of the sauce, then some cheese, all the chicken, all the beans, and then more cheese--leaving some leftover for the top. Pour sauce all over layered mixture--leaving some for the top.

Lay a top layer of tortillas over the chicken and beans and pour the rest of the sauce on top then sprinkle with  remaining cheese.

Bake  uncovered for 20min, until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Let cool for 5-10 min.

Dive in!

Creamy Chicken Orzo Skillet

I love experimenting with food. There is such a thrill when you just start putting things together that you know are good on their own and imagine that when combined they could be even better.
This dish was just that.

I love orzo pasta, particularly in soup. It is such a unique pasta due to its size and shape but it's little form can sure fill you up.
Experimenting came in on many angles with this dish and I almost ruined the dish due to silly mistakes but knowing what I did wrong the minute I did it, I was able to correct them and the dish turned out creamy and had the hubs saying "this is delicious!"

Don't worry the directions don't include my silly mistakes :)

Ingredients
3 large chicken breasts, cubed
1 1/2 cups orzo 
2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 tbs garlic, minced, ~2 cloves
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup tomatoes, sliced
1 1/2 cup spinach
1/8th cup milk
3tbs flour
salt and pepper to taste
*you may need up to 1/4cup water

Directions: 
Over medium high heat, add 1tsp olive oil to a large skillet. Add in orzo and cook until it start to turn golden brown. Remove from skillet and set aside.
Add another tsp of olive oil in the skillet and add cubed chicken. Salt and pepper to taste and cook through.
Remove from skillet and set aside.
Add garlic and oregano to skillet and cook until fragrant( ~1 min). Then add in chicken broth and milk and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium high  and whisk in 1tbs flour at a time until each is dissolved. Add in orzo and let simmer for 5-6 min, until orzo is soft and sauce is creamy.
Stir in cooked chicken, and Parmesan cheese.
Then add in spinach and diced tomatoes.
Let the dish simmer on medium high heat or 3-4 min more to wilt the spinach leaves and cook the tomatoes, ***it was at this point  I added a little bit of water to keep everything moist and keep the dish from burning, stirring once or twice until simmering was done.

Serve warm.

Enjoy!!!!

Lemon Zucchini Chicken

I am not one who can have the same meals every single day.

 My husband sure can, but not me. 

I love variety, I love texture, I love taste, I LOVE FOOD. 

So this dish came out of my desire for a quick, protein packed lunch with a kick.


I really love the taste of lemon and chicken. One of my all time favorite Italian dishes is chicken piccata where it is infused with wine, lemon, and capers. 

However, this dish may not have battered chicken in a wine sauce but it does have quinoa--a new staple to my diet-- lemon, zucchini, and sauteed onions. 

So if your looking for a quick, clean eating, and filling dish give this a try 


Recipe adapted from The Gracious Pantry

Ingredients: 
5-6 oz chicken breast, cooked
1tbs  olive oil 
1/4 onion, chopped
2 tbs lemon juice 
1 zucchini, chopped 
1-2 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste 
1/4 quinoa, cooked

Directions: 

Heat a skillet with oil on medium heat. Add onion and saute for 2-3 min, until onions start to turn clear. Add in chopped Zucchini and cook for 1 min, until tender.
Add in chicken and stir in seasoning. 
Add lemon juice and let cook for 2 min until everything is well heated and juices are combined. 

Remove from heat. 
Scoop out lemon chicken mixture and top over a bed of quinoa. 

 

ENJOY!!!!

Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potato

 

This is seriously a 15 min meal. I was in a hurry to make a hearty meal before the gym and bam-wazam this was made. 

Now, you do have to prep the chicken beforehand or have a rotisserie on hand but seriously this is an under 30 min meal if you add that into the equation.

Double, triple, or quadruple to your families size needs but all you have to do is pop, slice, spread and a enjoy!


Ingredients: 
4 oz  chicken breast, cooked, shredded
1 medium sweet potato
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup black beans, rinsed
salt and pepper to taste
greek yogurt for garnish

Directions: 
Wash/scrub sweet potato then puncture several times with a fork.
Microwave for 5 min. 
Then flip potato and microwave for another 5 min.
Toss shredded chicken and  black beans in spices
Carefully slice open potato --be careful of steam--and top potato with chicken mixture. 

Dollop with greek yogurt and serve with a side salad. 

ENJOY!!!!

 Nutritional Information 

1 stuffed potato

265 cal * 35 carbs * 3g of fat * 28g protein* 8g fiber 

Honey Soy Chicken Breasts

The sweet smell of all-day, marinated chicken baking in the oven is delectable to the senses. 

This simple, melt in your mouth, Honey Soy Chicken is perfect for your easy week night menu and truly doesn't require a lot of attention or clean up (YEAH!!!) 

Simple.Sweet.Soy

Ingredients 
4 chicken breasts 
1/4 cup honey 
1/3 cup light soy sauce 
1/2 tsp ground pepper 
4 garlic cloves, minced 
1tbs ginger, grated (I omitted this because I didn't have it) 

Directions:
Whisk together the honey, soy sauce, pepper, garlic, and ginger in a small bowl. 
Place chicken breasts in a zip lock bag and pour honey-soy mixture over the chicken.
Give it some good shakes and place in the fridge to marinate a few hours/over night--pretty much until your ready to cook it. 

Preheat oven 375 
Place marinated chicken on a foil-lined baking sheet (easy clean up, told you!) and brush some of the sauce over the chicken. 
Bake for 45 min. 
Take the extra sauce and place it in a small sauce pan on LOW heat to simmer. 
Brush sauce on chicken every 10 minutes until chicken is fully cooked through. 

 Serve with some Fried Rice and/or veggies. 

ENJOY!!!!!

Healthy Popcorn Chicken

Chicken is a staple in our diet. 

So I love making new recipes with it. 

This one was so fun and easy; a perfect healthy and quick dinner.

Adapted from food.com
Ingredients:
2 large chicken breasts
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1 large egg
1 tbs dijon mustard
1 tbs milk 
1/2 tsp salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450. 
Grease a baking sheet with cooking spray or olive oil.
Cut chicken in 1 inch pieces. 
In a small bowl whisk egg, milk, mustard, and salt. 
In a pie tin, or on a large plate, pour bread crumbs.
Dip chicken in egg mixture then in bread crumbs. 

Line breaded chicken on baking sheet and spray with cooking spray.

Bake for 10 min. Then flip. Spray flipped chicken and bake for 8-10 more minutes.--watch closely they will brown quickly. 

 Enjoy!!!!

Fancy Mac & Cheese

I hardly ever have Mac & Cheese these days, but sometimes creamy, milky, cheesy pasta calls my name and this one, from Iowa Girl Eats, is packed with some of my favorite ingredients: Broccoli, Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Chicken!

 

This is super easy dish to prepare for those busy week nights when the tummies are rumbling (I made mine after a particularly busy day of work, a long workout, and seemingly endless errand running day).

Yummy!

Say cheese and cook away!

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts
2 cups of pasta (your choice!--I used whole wheat penne)
1-3 cups broccoli florets,cooked (depending on size--I had large florets and cut them)
1 container of laughing cow cheese: Garlic and Herb (6 oz/8 wedges)
 
1/4-1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, diced ( I did 1/4 but wanted more!)
2 tsp olive oil (use the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes)
3/4 cup milk of choice
Salt & pepper, to taste

Directions:

Boil water, and cook pasta until al dente
Heat large skillet with olive oil.
Steam broccoli with 1 tbs of water.
Cut chicken into small cubes, salt and pepper, and cook completely in skillet. Plate chicken and set aside.
In same skillet (with chicken juices if you have any) place milk, cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir until cheese in melted and sauce is thick. 
Add in chicken, broccoli florets, and pasta. Stir until well combined. 

Enjoy!!!! 

p.s. share this with ~5 people and you'll have a UNDER 300 calorie dinner! (4 people is about 330 cal)

Sweet and Sour Chicken and Fried Rice

WINNER!!!! 

Yup, it won the "husband said it was his favorite dish" Award

Success. 

Make it, Bake it, and Enjoy. 

 Recipe adapted from of life-as-a-lofthouse.blogspot.com

Ingredients for Sweet and Sour Chicken:

Coating:

• 3-4 boneless chicken breasts
• salt + pepper
• 1/4-1/2 cornstarch
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 cup canola oil

Sauce:

•   1 1/2 cup sugar
•   8 tbs ketchup
• 1/2 apple vinegar & 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar 

you can use 1/2 white vinegar but the apple vinegar made it have a phenomenal taste

•   2 tbs soy sauce
•   2 tsp garlic salt  
• 1 can of chunk pineapple 

 Directions: 
 
Preheat oven to 325
Wash and pat dry chicken then cut into cubes. 
Salt and Pepper as desired.
Prep one small bowl of corn starch and another small bowl of whisked eggs

Dip the cubed chicken first into the corn starch, THEN into the eggs (yes, you didn't read it wrong)

Place onto a plate (obviously mine almost over flowed)

Heat large Skillet with oil on Medium heat and then quick fry till chicken egg mixture is cooked on the outside but the chicken is not cooked through. Remember to mix it around while frying. (The smaller cubes the have the less time to fry because the chicken will cook through faster so be careful)

Place cooked chicken into a 9x13 pan

Whisk all ingredients for sweet and sour sauce in a small bowl and pour over chicken.

Bake for 15 min then flip/stir chicken. Repeat 3 more times for a total of an hour. (I turned my heat up to 350 for the last two 15 min intervals, but all ovens vary so adjust accordingly.)

Sauce with thicken and caramelize as it bakes. Trust me.

Ingredients for Fried Rice:

• 3 cups cooked  rice (day old or leftover rice works best! I used brown rice and made it the night before and refrigerated it)
• 3 tbs sesame oil (I used olive oil)
• 1 cup frozen peas and carrots (thawed)
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1/4 cup soy sauce

In a large skillet or wok heat oil over Medium-High heat. Add Peas/Carrots, Onions, and garlic and stir fry until tender.

Move Mix to one side of the skillet and add in semi-whisked eggs. Stir fry until scrambled. (its okay if some peas and carrots get in those eggs)

Turn heat to Medium-Low and  stir in Rice and soy sauce. Mix until thoroughly warmed.

Serve with chicken on top of rice or off to the side. 

ENJOY!!!!

Stuffed Fiesta Chicken Bell Pepper

 Hubby wanted Fiesta Chicken Burritos....I wanted something healthier so I made this!

So Yummy and Easy

Ingredients:

•  4oz chicken breast
• 1 bell pepper (use any color you want!)
• 1/4 cup black beans
• 1/4 taco rice (I used Knorr rice sides)
• Sprinkle of cheese

Directions: 

1. Preheat Oven 350
2. Cook chicken in Pan (season as preferred)
3. Slice wide top off bell pepper and dig out seeds. Then slice a little off the bottom to make it flat. (BE CAREFUL NOT TO CUT TOO MUCH OFF TO MAKE A HOLE IN THE BOTTOM)
4. Cook rice according to package
5. While rice is cooking, heat beans how ever you like (I used a microwave).
6. Once chicken, rice, and beans are cooked stuff bell pepper and place on baking sheet
7. top with sprinkle of cheese and bake for 15 min or til cheese is melted

 ENJOY!!!! 

(I enjoyed with a side of Kale chips and cherry tomatoes!)

P.S. Add a dallop of some plain greek yogurt as a healthy alternative to sour cream.

Healthy Chicken Parmesan

I'm all about the "nothing is off limits" rule for dieting because for me that is deprivation and my body just wants it more if I deny it.... 

So I found a healthier way to eat this normally FAT and CARB loaded dinner

for easy cost of only 255 cal a piece of chicken: smothered in bread, sauce, and cheese...I know, just trust me and read on...

Healthy Chicken Parmesan

adapted from Feedingmytemple.com

Ingredients:

• (4) 4oz chicken breasts thawed

• 3/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs  (I just used plain and seasoned myself with Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and paprika)

• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (if you did what I did above add if you like the extra taste!)

• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasonings (same....add if you want extra)

• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (make sure if using fresh they are grated small...I had to break mine into small pieces)

• 1 1/2-2 tbsp butter, melted  (I used Parkay...you can use 2 egg whites to sub)

• 3/4 cup reduced fat mozzarella cheese (OR just more Parmesan. that's what I did)

• 1 cup marinara or your favorite spaghetti sauce (Again I made my own with tomato paste, Italian seasoning, minced garlic, oregano, salt and pepper.)

• cooking spray ( used our MISTO!)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450°.
 Line large baking sheet with foil (easy clean up) and spray lightly with cooking spray.

Combine breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and Italian seasonings in a bowl. Melt the butter in the microwave in another bowl (this is usually melted after about 20 seconds, so watch it closely.) If using egg whites just place in bowl. Lightly brush the butter or egg whites onto the chicken, then dip into breadcrumb/cheese mixture. 

Place on baking sheet and repeat with the remaining 3 pieces of chicken.

Lightly spray a little more cooking spray on top (this makes it nice and crispy) and bake in the oven for 20 minutes. 
 Remove chicken from oven and spoon sauce over each piece and top with mozzarella or Extra Parmesan cheese and bake another 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

ENJOY!!!!

Healthy Cream Sauce Chicken

Well I was in search of  healthy wine cream sauce chicken recipe...wine+cream=healthy? yeah right.

SO I made my own!

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless chicken breasts
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1 tbs butter (I used parkay)
• 2/3 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup Plain Greek Yogurt
• 2 tbs lemon juice
• 1 tbs brown sugar
• Sea salt (Rub)
• Table salt and Pepper to taste (sauce)

Directions:

Swirl olive oil and butter in a large skillet on Medium-High heat. Let melt till the butter has little to no bubbles left (not brown!).
Meanwhile, Cut any fat off chicken breasts, then pat dry with a paper towel (helps them brown) and rub sea salt on breasts.

When ready, place chicken breasts (pretty side down first) in skillet and leave for 5 min. Then flip and leave for 4 min.
Check chicken is done with temp reader (165 deg) or slice the middle and look to make sure not pink.
Take out chicken, place on a plate, and  keep warm.

Add chicken broth and lemon juice to skillet (leave left behind chicken bits and juices) and and let boil to a little more 1/4 cup of liquid. (so the sauce is not thin in the end) stir every once in awhile.

Reduce heat to low and stir in 1/2 cup of Greek yogurt.
Slowly add brown sugar and salt and pepper taste.
Stir every once in awhile.

Cook any other things may want and then spoon sauce over chicken and serve!
(I chose red potatoes and broccoli) :)
ENJOY!!!!