Chicken Nacho Bake

4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb.)
1/2 cup  Salsa
1/4 cup  Sour Cream
1/2 cup crushed tortilla chips
1/2 cup  Mexican Style Finely Shredded Four Cheese


HEAT oven to 400ºF.

PLACE chicken on foil-covered baking sheet. Cut 3 slits in top of each with sharp knife.

TOP chicken with salsa, sour cream and crushed chips.

BAKE 20 min.; sprinkle with cheese. Bake 10 min. or until chicken is done (165ºF).

Taco Cupcakes

makes 18 cupcakes
1 lb ground beef
1 packet taco seasoning
2/3 cup water
1 can black beans, drained
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
36 wonton wrappers
your favorite taco toppings - salsa, cheese, sour cream, lettuce, tomatoes, etc
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 375.

Brown the meat in a skillet and drain off fat (I use a collander). Return the meat to the skillet; add the taco seasoning, water and black beans.  Mix and simmer for 5-10 minutes, until water is absorbed.

Spray 18 regular muffin pan cups with cooking spray.  Place one wonton wrapper in each muffin cup.  Divide half of the taco meat between muffin cups.  Sprinkle half of the cheese over the cupcakes.  Repeat layers - wonton, taco meat and cheese.  Bake at 375 for 20 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly.  Top with your favorite taco toppings.

Homemade Pizza Pockets

Crust
3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teasoon sea salt
1 cup melted butter
1 cup plain yogurt
Stir ingredients together until thoroughly mixed.  You can make these pockets right away, or you can allow this dough to soak for 12-24 hours in order to break down the phytates and make the grain more easily digestible.
Pizza Sauce
1 1/2 cups tomato sauce
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 1/2 teaspoon basil
Stir together and simmer for a few minutes.
Pizza Pocket Fillings
Grated mozzarella or white cheddar cheese, cooked hamburger, pepperoni, olives, peppers, mushrooms
To form a Pizza Pocket
Roll a small ball of dough into a circle.  Place one tablespoon of pizza sauce in the center.  Put in a small amount of your choice of toppings.  Fold the dough in half.  Use a fork to pinch the edges together.
Lay Pizza Pockets on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Freeze for about one hour.  Pop them off the cookie sheet and put them into a freezer bag…and back into the freezer.
Bake your Pizza Pockets
For frozen Pizza Pockets, bake in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes.  If the Pizza Pockets are thawed, bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

Turkey Ranch Pinwheels

4 Soft Whole Wheat Tortillas
3 Tablespoons Ranch Dressing  (we make our own ranch dressing)
½ cup Turkey, cut into tiny pieces
½ cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Spread Ranch Dressing on each tortilla.
Sprinkle bits of cheese and turkey over the ranch covered tortilla
Roll the filled tortilla up as tightly as you can.
Let a grown up help cut the rolled tortilla into pinwheels:

Corn Dog Muffins

This recipe for cornbread, doubled
8 hot dogs
24 muffin papers to line muffin pans.
Mix up the cornbread.  Cut hot dogs into thirds.  Scoop cornbread batter into the paper lined muffin cups.  Place 1/3 hot dog into each muffin.
Cornbread Muffins

1 cup cornmeal
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
2 eggs
2 T. honey
¼ cup melted butter
1 cup buttermilk
Stir together dry ingredients. Add eggs, honey, butter and buttermilk. Stir until just mixed. Spoon batter into 12 muffin baking cups. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

KF Momma's Popcorn Chicken

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon paprika
½ tablespoon onion salt
1 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon rubbed sage
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground oregano
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sweet basil, crushed
1 teaspoon marjoram, crushed
2 pounds uncooked chicken breast meat, cut into chunks—sized to your liking
1 cup flour
¼ cup peanut oil—more, if needed

In a small bowl thoroughly combine 1 tablespoon paprika, ½ tablespoon onion salt, 1 teaspoon celery salt, 1 teaspoon rubbed sage, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon ground allspice, 1 teaspoon ground oregano, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon sweet basil, crushed, and 1 teaspoon marjoram, crushed, and set aside. Cut 2 pounds of uncooked chicken breast meat into chunks, and set aside. Pour 1 cup flour into a zip-lock bag, and set aside.
 Now, take about half of the herb seasoning mixture, and add it to your uncooked chicken chunks, and work it in with your hands. This will give a medium amount of spiciness to the chicken. Add more of the herb seasoning, if you like a spicier flavor. (You may cover the chicken with plastic wrap, and let it sit in the refrigerator to absorb the herb flavors for about 4 hours, if you choose, but that is not necessary.)
When you are ready to fry your herb-seasoned chicken chunks, heat about ¼ cup of peanut oil in a skillet, until a sprinkling of flour sizzles. Then, place a handful of seasoned chicken chunks in the zip lock bag, shake the bag until the chicken chunks are thoroughly coated, shake off any excess flour, and place them individually into the hot oil.
Continue until you have a single layer of chicken chunks in the skillet. Reduce the heat, and tend to the chicken closely, as it will cook quickly! When each piece is brown on the bottom side, turn it over to brown on the top side.
When both sides are brown, the chicken is most likely done. You may test for doneness by cutting into the largest piece, and it should be white all the way through—no pink!
Remove the chicken chunks to a plate that is covered with paper toweling for draining any excess oil. Repeat the process to make a second skillet of Popcorn Chicken.
(You may have to remove any leftover crumbs from the skillet, and replenish the peanut oil, by adding another ¼ cup. I use my deep fryer just cause I hate cooking with oil on my stove top....  i do a single layer in my basket and shake  a few times  same as you would with wings  to keep from sticking .) When all of the chicken has been fried and drained, remove it to a nice serving platter.

Teriyaki Turkey Sliders

1 1/4 pounds ground turkey breast
3 slices bread, crumbled
2 T. dried chopped onions
2 eggs
1 1/2 T. sugar
3 T. soy sauce
1 glove garlic, minced
1 t. ground ginger

Process the above ingredients in a food processor until blended. Heat a large skillet or griddle to medium heat. You will find the meat mixture sticky and gooey so I used two spoons to work a ball of meat onto the griddle then flattened with a greased spatula. Make 16 small balls in all and grill on both sides for about 3-5 minutes or until cooked through. Each patty should be about 2 1/2 inches across. Serve on mini egg dough buns or mini potato rolls. Serve with favorite condiments. Makes 16 sliders.

Sliders

1/2 cup dried onion flakes
2 pounds ground chuck- 80/20 ground beef 
1/2 t. seasoned salt
6 slices cheddar cheese
24 small party rolls- I use Martin's Potato Bread Party Rolls
24 dill pickle slices

Evenly spread the onions on the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Gently press the ground beef on top of the onion flakes. Press evenly making one giant pattie. Sprinkle with seasoned salt. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes. Using a paper towel, pat the excess grease from the top of the pattie. Top with cheddar cheese, return to oven for 2 more minutes. Remove from oven, let set 5 minutes then cut into 24 patties. Slice open and separate each party roll. Place bottom of rolls on a large platter. Using a spatula lift pattie with onion layer onto each bun bottom. Top each slider with a pickle slice then the bun lid. Serve immediately. Makes 24 Sliders. 

Note- I store these upside-down in an airtight container in the refrigerator. This will prevent the bottom bun from getting soggy from the onion layer. To reheat, place a few on a microwave safe plate and heat in the mircowave for 20 seconds then 5 second increments after that until warm through. 

Honey Mustard Dressing

5 tablespoons of honey (I used a local source )

3 tablespoons of your favorite mustard

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

Mixed up it looks like this:

and on a salad:

Yummy!

Banana Nut Granola

6 cups rolled oats (not quick cook variety)

1 1/2 - 2 cups chopped walnuts (or any nut you like!)

1 - 2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (or you can use coconut oil)

1/2 - 3/4 cup raw honey (adjust to your own taste preferences)

1-2 bananas, slightly soft

*Note: the more honey you add the stickier the cereal will be and the more 'clumps' you'll have.

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl, mixing well. Next combine the olive or coconut oil and honey in a small pot and heat gently until bubbles begin to form on sides. Mash bananas and add to the warm liquid mixture and then pour over the dry ingredients. Keep mixing until well incorporated. There may be small chunks of banana and granola, which is fine, however, try to break up any large portions. 

Spread evenly on two or three jelly roll pans and bake at 300 degrees for approximately 40 minutes. Be sure to stir granola every 10 minutes so that it browns evenly. When it is toasted to your liking, remove and cool. Since this has banana in it, I recommend storing it in glass jars in the refrigerator.

Homemade Granola

Simple 
Homemade Granola

6 cups rolled oats (not quick cook variety)
1 1/2 - 2 cups chopped walnuts (or any nut you like!)
1 cup shredded coconut (I don't like fresh, but toasted it's great)
1 - 2 tsp. ground cinnamon


Combine in a large bowl...


1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (or you can use coconut oil)
1/2 - 3/4 cup raw honey (adjust to your own taste preferences)
*Note: the more honey you add the stickier the cereal will be and the more 'clumps' you'll have.


Combine in a small pot and heat gently until bubbles begin to form on sides... Pour warm olive oil and honey over dry ingredients, tossing until well combined.. Spread evenly on two jelly roll pans...aka baking sheets .. Bake at 300 degrees for about 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.  Remove and cool. At this point you can add raisins, dried cranberries, or ground flax seed (although I find that flax seed settles to the bottom and is best added to each bowl individually)... Store extras in a half gallon mason jar (it won't all fit, so you'll just have to eat some right away!) or 2-3 quart size jars...

Low Fat Asian Linguine With Vegetables

2 ounces whole wheat linguine

1/4 cup chopped broccoli

1 t. sesame oil

1/4 cup Red bell pepper, cut into strips

1 Green onion, cut on the bias
2 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade

1/3 cup Oriental salad dressing

Cook linguine in boiling water as directed on package with broccoli; drain and set aside. In the same pot, heat the sesame oil over medium heat. Add the pepper and white parts of the onion (reserve the green parts) and stir fry for 2 – 3 minutes, until veggies start to soften. Mix in reserved linguine and broccoli and add salad dressing. To serve, top with slices of reserved green onion and basil leaves.

Dressing

2 cups water

2 T. brown sugar

3 t. dry pectin

1 T. rice wine vinegar

1 t. soy sauce

1 t. minced garlic

1 t. kosher salt

¼ t. black pepper

¼ t. paprika

Asian Sauced Pork Tenderloin Medallions

1 t. minced ginger

1 t. honey

1 T. soy sauce

1 t. rice wine vinegar

½ t. Asian red chili sauce

3/4 lb. pork tenderloin, sliced horizontally into 3 thick pieces

1 t. olive oil

Combine marinade ingredients in a glass dish and add pork loin pieces. Marinate, refrigerated, a minimum of two hours.

Heat a heavy skillet to medium high. Add olive oil. Remove pork tenderloin from marinade and carefully add to hot skillet, being careful not to splatter yourself with the hot oil. Reduce heat to medium. Cook medallions for about 3 – 5 minutes each side (depending on thickness) until cooked through. Add remaining marinade and about 1/3 cup of water to deglaze the hot pan and make a sauce. To serve, place one medallion on each plate and spoon about a tablespoon of sauce over each.

Spicy Stuffed Bell Peppers

1 cup rice

1 cup coarsely chopped peeled and seeded tomatoes

1 green onion, thinly sliced

1 t. Worcestershire sauce

1 t. dried cilantro (or 2 t. fresh cilantro, chopped)

1 t. minced garlic

½ t. garlic salt

Salt and pepper to taste

4 jalapeno cheddar sausages

4 large or 6 small bell peppers

2 ounces Velveeta cheese

4 – 6 T. prepared salsa

2 T. ketchup

1/3 cup water

Cook rice according to package directions.

Meanwhile, set a large of pot of water to boiling. Add the peppers and the tomatoes (about 2 medium). Remove the tomatoes after a minute with a slotted spoon. Immediately run under cold water and then remove the peels. Remove the seeds with your thumb and chop tomatoes into large chunks. After 5 minutes, remove the bell peppers and allow to cool. When cool, slice off the tops and remove the seeds and white membranes inside. If necessary, slice a small bit off the bottom of the peppers so they stand upright. Place the cleaned peppers in a greased baking dish.

When the rice is done, add the chopped tomatoes, green onion, Worcestershire, cilantro, garlic, salt and pepper. If desired, you can also chop up any extra bits of bell pepper from the sliced off sections and add these, too. Thinly slice the sausages and add them to the rice mixture.

Fill the peppers with rice mixture and top with a slice of Velveeta cheese. Top each with a tablespoon of salsa, allowing it to drip over the sides. Mix the ketchup and water and add to bottom of baking dish.

Bake peppers uncovered in 375 degree oven for about half an hour, until the peppers are softened and the cheese is melted.

Serves 4.

Note: If you like more heat, add a couple tablespoons of chopped hot green chile or jalapenos to the rice mixture.

Healthy Stuffed Bell Peppers

½ cup brown rice

4 medium-sized green bell peppers

1 pound ground chicken breast

1 T. red bell pepper, minced

1 clove garlic, minced (divided)

2 green onions, minced (divided)

1 ½ T. green chile, minced (divided)

1/3 cup canned corn, drained

½ t. each: oregano, garlic salt, paprika, dried parsley, black pepper, dried cilantro and cumin powder

1 can condensed cheese soup (divided)

¼ cup fat free half and half

In a saucepan, bring 1 ½ cups water to boil. Add half cup brown rice. Cover and simmer on low for 45 minutes. Remove from heat.

Remove the cap of the green peppers and clean out seeds and membranes inside. Cut a thin slice off the bottom of each, if necessary, to make them stand up straight (good posture for peppers, ha!). Spray a baking pan with cooking spray and stand peppers within.

In a skillet sprayed with cooking spray, cook ground chicken over medium heat. Add red bell pepper, half of the minced garlic, the white parts of the green onion, and half of the green chile. Sauté for another two minutes, until veggies are soft. Add corn, rice, seasonings and ¼ cup of the cheese soup. The rice should have a small amount of unabsorbed water in the bottom of the pan; if not add a tablespoon of water to mixture to chicken mixture to thin it a bit.

Stuff each pepper with one quarter of the chicken/rice mixture. Cover the baking pan tightly with aluminum foil. Bake at 350 degrees for about one hour, until bell peppers are soft.

While the peppers are cooking, mix together remaining cheese soup, reserved vegetables and half and half. Microwave on high for 1 to 2 minutes, until heated through.

To serve, place one pepper on a plate and spoon a quarter of the warm cheese sauce over the top. Goes great with a hot bowl of soup or a crisp, fresh green salad.

Homemade Ranch Dressing Mix

 I found this recipe on a recipe card that belonged to my  mother in law and we all love it.. 

Homemade Ranch Dressing Mix  

Ingredients:

5 Tbl dried minced onion
7 tsp parlsey flakes
4 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dill 

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients together and store in an air tight container.

For Dressing:  Mix 2 Tbl dry mix with 1 C mayonnaise and 1 C buttermilk.  Allow flavors to blend for a couple hours before serving.

For Dip: Mix 2 Tbl dry mix with 2 C sour cream.  Allow flavors to blend for a couple hours before serving.

Chicken Enchiladas

(Freeze the tortillas separately for this easy dinner)
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1/2 pint sour cream
pinch garlic powder
1 can diced green chiles
3-4 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
1 dozen flour tortillas
grated Monterey Jack cheese

Mix first 5 ingredients together in a large bowl. Spoon into a 1 gallon freezer bag and lay flat to freeze.To prepare: Thaw sauce and tortillas. Spoon a bit of the chicken mixture into each tortilla. Roll up and place side by side in a 9 X 13 baking pan. Pour remaining mixture over enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese. Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Honey-garlic chicken

1/2 c. liquid honey
1/4 c. lemon juice
1/4 c water
3 tbsp ketchup
2 tsp. garlic powder
1. tsp. ground ginger
3 lbs chicken (wings,thighs or drumsticks whatever is the best buy) I sub in Pork riblets.. or ribs *whichever i have*
Combine everything but chicken in saucepan and simmer for 5 min.
Place chicken in 9″ X 13″ baking dish. Pour sauce over chicken. Marinate 2 hours. Turn.
Bake 400 degrees F oven for 60 min, turning once.


*TIP* if your honey is cold ie slow running to make it more liquidy just microwave it for a few seconds and heat it up 

Italian Cream Cheese Chicken Casserole

2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour or cornstarch
3 cups chicken broth
8 oz cream cheese
1 Tbsp Italian Dressing Mix
1/2 Tbsp dried minced onion
1/2 Tbsp dried minced garlic
1-2 cooked and cubed chicken breasts
1 box of rotini pasta (we use brown rice)
1/2 head of steamed broccoli or about 1/2 bag of frozen broccoli

Cook pasta until al dente or slightly firm. (if you’re freezing this under cook it) Melt the butter over medium heat and whisk in the flour or cornstarch (cornstarch for you gluten free folks) to make a rue. Once mixed together well, add the broth in slowly while whisking. Once at a gentle boil, whisk occasioanly and simmer for 5 minutes until thickened. Add in cream cheese and all the seasonings. Mix well and taste. If you like more seasoning, add it now. Let simmer for a few minutes while you grease a 9×13 pan and dump the pasta, chicken, and broccoli into it. Pour cream cheese mixture over everything and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. 


Take out, stir, and enjoy!