Easy Chicken Enchiladas

I love Mexican food! I would eat it everyday if I could. I have several enchiladas recipes that I love, but this is one of my top 3 favs. Served with rice and beans=yummy!! Easy Chicken Enchiladas

1 can (10 oz) enchilada sauce, divided

4 oz cream cheese, cubed

1 1/2 cups salsa

2 cups cooked chicken, cubed

1 can (15 1/2 oz) pinto beans, drained

1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies

10 flour tortillas (6 inches)

1 cup shredded cheese

shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, sour cream and sliced olives

Spoon 1/2 cup enchilada sauce into greased 9x13 pan. In a large saucepan, cook and stir in cream cheese and salsa over med heat for 2-3 minutes or until well blended. Stir in chicken, beans and chilies. Place about 6 tbsp of chicken mixture down center of each tortilla. Roll up and place seam side down over sauce. Top with remaining sauce; sprinkle with cheese. Cover and bake at 350* for 25-30 minutes or until heated through. Serve with lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream and olives if desired.

Serves 5

A God Send!

My kids would live on chicken nuggets if I let them. I hate spending money on the nasty processed stuff, so they don't get them very often. I was thrilled to come across this recipe and love it! I even ate a bunch of these!! I usually make our french fries which are a much healthier choice as well. I will put that recipe on anther day. For now, enjoy!Tender Chicken Nuggets

anna can cook

1 cup seasoned bread crumbs

5 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

2-3 egg whites

splash of water

4 tbsp melted butter

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes

Beat egg whites and water together in a shallow dish. In a large ziplock bag (or shallow dish) combine breadcrumbs and cheese. Dip chicken pieces in egg whites and then toss in breadcrumbs. Make sure each piece is coated well. Place on a greased baking sheet. Drizzle each piece of chicken with small amount of melted butter. Bake at 400* for 12-15 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink.

Serve with favorite dipping sauce!

Cinnamon-Sugar Doughnut Muffins

Call me weird but I am not a huge doughnut fan-I am picky about what kinds I like. Strange, I know. I came across this recipe and was curious. They were really fast to make and good to eat! Thanks fellow food bloggers!Cinnamon-Sugar Doughnut Muffins

2 cups flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

2 large eggs

1 cup plain yogurt (low fat)

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

4 tbsp oil

1 tsp vanilla

Topping:

1/2 stick of butter, melted

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400*. Line muffin tins with baking cups. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in large bowl. In separate bowl, whisk eggs, yogurt, sugar, oil and vanilla. Add flour mixture and mix with light strokes until dry ingredients are just moistened. Don't over mix! Batter should NOT be smooth. Divide among muffin cups and bake till toothpick comes out clean, 10-12 minutes. Meanwhile, melt butter and place in bowl large enough to hold a muffin. Combine cinnamon and sugar in shallow dish. As soon as muffins are done, dip them one at a time in melted butter and then roll in cinnamon-sugar mixture. Set on rack to cool.

Root Beer Chicken and Zucchini Spears

I've been trying new things lately and these are two dishes that my husband said were keepers! Sadly, I don't have an outdoor grill, so I have to do my grilling indoors. This chicken was really good, but I think I would have liked it a bit more off a bbq. The zucchini is great and I love that fact that they are baked. It made me feel better about eating a ton of them! My kids loved them too!Root Beer Chicken

2 cans root beer, divided

1/2 cup smoky bbq sauce

1/2 cup dijon mustard, plus 1/4 cup for marinade

brown sugar, if needed

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 tsp each salt and pepper

1 tbsp each paprika and garlic powder

2 tbsp olive oil

In a small saucepan, boil 1 can root beer until think and syrupy, about 30 minutes.

Stir in 1/2 cup each smoky bbq sauce and 1/2 cup dijon. Taste sauce and add brown sugar as needed. Set aside.

Meanwhile, smear chicken with dijon. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, paprika and garlic powder; drizzle with olive oil. Place in a ziplock bag. Pour 2nd can of root beer over chicken in bag. Marinate at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.

Grill or broil chicken about 5 minutes per side-basting with 1/2 of the sauce made earlier as you grill. Reserve other half of sauce for dipping.

Zucchini Spears

3 medium zucchini

1/3 cup yellow cornmeal

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp lemon pepper

2 beaten eggs

1/4 cup milk

3 tbsp olive oil

Light ranch or your dipping sauce of choice

Pour olive oil on a small baking sheet, tilting to cover completely. Set aside. Cut off and discard the ends of zucchini. Cut each zucchini in half horizontally. Slice each zucchini half lengthwise into quarters. Depending on size of zucchini, you may be able to slice them to 6-8 spears-just make sure you leave one side with skin.

In a shallow dish, stir together, cornmeal, flour, parm, onion and garlic powder, salt and lemon pepper. In another shallow dish, combine beaten egg and milk.

Roll each zucchini spear in cornmeal mixture, then in egg mixture, then again in cornmeal. Spears should be completely covered. (Or just roll once if you want.)

Place coated spears on oil coated baking sheet-allowing space around each for proper browning. Bake at 400* until all sides are golden and crisp-about 15 minutes. Drain on a paper towel before serving.

Serve with a side of ranch or your favorite dipping sauce.

Serves 4

Fajita Chilaquiles Casserole

I love the combination of spices in this recipe! The casserole is good, but I have also used the combo of spices for regular fajitas. The cinnamon is a great twist!!
Fajita Chilaquiles Casserole
adapted from Rachael Ray
8 flour tortillas
Cooking spray
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp dried oregano
salt and ground black pepper
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 tbsp oil, divided
2 cups (approx) chicken stock
2 red bell peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
2 red onions, thinly sliced
3-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
2 limes, zest of 1 and juice of 2 divided
1/4 cup cilantro or flat-leaf parsley
1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
salsa, to garnish

Preheat oven to 400*. On a baking sheet, toss tortilla strips with some cooking spray and bake in the oven until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Toss halfway through the cooking time so they get brown on all sides.
In a small bowl, combine the onion power, garlic powder, cumin, cinnamon, chili powder, oregano salt and pepper. Toss your chicken with the spice mixture and reserve. Place a large skillet over medium-high heat; heat about 2 tbsp of oil. Add the meat to the pan and sear until golden brown and cooked through, 5-6 minutes. Add the chicken stock to the pan and cook to reduce, 3-4 minutes.
While the meat is cooking, place a second large skillet over high heat with 2 turns of the pan of oil, about 2 tbsp. Add the peppers, onions and garlic to the pan, and cook until brown around the edges and tender, 3-4 minutes. Add the zest and juice of 1 lime, chopped herbs salt and pepper to the pan; toss to combine and reserve.
When everything is ready, toss the meat, pepper and onion, and toasted tortilla strips together into a casserole dish. Top with the cheese and melt under the broiler. Garnish with juice of remaining lime, sour cream and salsa.
Serves 4

Sweet Potato Shepherds Pie

So I am getting ready to break out my fall recipes- it is my favorite time of year! And the fact that I have delicious recipes to go along with our cooler evening doesn't hurt either. I made this as a preview of good things to come the next couple of months!Sweet Potato Shepherds Pie

2 lb ground turkey, ground turkey breast or

chopped leftover turkey
salt and fresh ground pepper

2 tsp poultry seasoning

2 1/2 lbs sweet potatoes

1 lg onion, chopped or grated

2 large carrots, peeled and grated

4 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp flour

2 cups turkey or chicken broth

a few dashes of worcestershire sauce

1 (10 oz) box frozen peas

1/3 ripe banana-enough for 4-5 slices

a few dashes of hot sauce

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 425*. In a deep skillet or a dutch oven cook turkey and season with salt, pepper and poultry seasoning. Place sweet potatoes in a medium pot, cover with cold water, cover the pot, bring to a boil, season with salt and cook 15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.

Add onions and carrots to the turkey. Stir and cook for 5 minutes. While the vegetables are cooking, heat 2 Tbsp of the butter in a small pot over medium heat. Add the flour to the melted butter and whisk for 1 minute, then whisk in stock and season with salt, pepper and the worcestershire sauce. Cook for a few minutes to thicken.

Stir the peas into the meat mixture and turn off heat. Drain potatoes and return the pot to the heat. Add remaining 2 Tbsp butter and melt over medium heat. Peel and slice banana and add it with the potatoes to the pot. Season with salt and pepper and hot sauce. Mash the potatoes and banana to combine; adjust seasoning. Top the meat mixture with potato mixture. Cover the potatoes with the cheese and set in the oven. Bake to melt the cheese, about 5 minutes.

Stuffed Peaches

Before peaches go out of season you have to try this recipe! It is seriously so yummy!! This will be made every summer from now on! They are so good warm, right out of the oven. Stuffed Peaches

crazibeautiful

3 large ripe peaches, each cut in half and pitted

2 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp brown sugar

1 egg beaten, only use about 1/4 tsp of it

1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped bordeaux cookies (pepperidge farm)

1/2 tsp vanilla

1-2 Tbsp quick oatmeal

1 Tbsp finely chopped almonds

cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350. Scoop out and reserve half of flesh from peach half. Grease shallow dish or ceramic baking dish with butter. Place peach, hallow side up, in dish. Chop reserved peach flesh. Stir in egg, vanilla, oatmeal and crushed cookies. Spoon evenly into peach halves.

Sprinkle peaches with crushed cookies, almonds and cinnamon. Bake 15-20 minutes or until peaches are softened and topping is browned. Served in a bed of whipped cream.

Serves 6

Cupcake Creations

I love cupcakes! They go with everything!! This week I tried a few new things and these were a favorite! Pink Lemonade Cupcakes and Root Beer Float CupcakesPink Lemonade Cupcakes

101 Gourmet Cupcakes

1 box white cake mix

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/3 cup pink lemonade concentrate

3 eggs

1-2 drops red food coloring

Mix ingredients together and pour into prepared cupcake pans, filling 3/4 full.

Bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes. Let cool completely.

Pink Lemonade Icing

8 Tbsp butter

3 3/4 cup powdered sugar

3-4 Tbsp milk

3-4 drops red food coloring

1 tsp lemon extract

Beat butter until fluffy and gradually mix in the sugar and milk. Add food coloring and extract and mix well. Frost cooled cupcakes

Root Beer Float Cupcakes

1 box white cake mix

1 cup favorite root beer

Mix together and fill prepared cupcake pans 3/4 full. Bake on 350 for 15-18 minutes. Cool completely.

Root Beer Icing

8 Tbsp butter

3 3/4 cup powdered sugar

3-4 Tbsp milk

1-2 tsp root beer extract

Beat butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add sugar and milk. Add root beer extract and mix well. Frost cooled cupcakes.

For Ryan: Pumpkin Spice Cookies

Pumpkin Spice Cookies

2 packages spice cake mix

1 large can of pumpkin

1 package of chocolate chips

Combine everything together and drop by large spoonfuls on greased cookie sheets. Bake at 375* for about 10 minutes.