Chili Mac with corn and green chilis

• Chili Mac with Corn and Green Chilis
• from:  Mel's Kitchen Cafe
• 
  
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 pound ground beef or lean ground turkey
• 1 onion, minced
• 3/4 tablespoon chili powder (add more if you want more heat)
• 1/2 tablespoon ground coriander (substitute ground cumin for a smokier flavor)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 8 oz. cans tomato sauce
• 2 cups water
• 8 ounces (2 cups) elbow macaroni
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 4.5-oz can chopped green chiles
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
• 2 cups shredded cheese (I used a combination of cheddar and monterey jack but you can use pepper jack or a mexican shredded cheese blend)

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oil in a 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef, onion, chili powder, coriander, cumin and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook the ground beef until it is no longer pink. Drain off any excess fat or grease (the amount will depend on how lean your beef is). Stir in garlic and brown sugar and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomato sauce, water, and macaroni. Cover and cook, stirring often and keeping the heat at a steady simmer, until the macaroni is tender, about 12-15 minutes.
2. Stir in 1 cup of the cheese, frozen corn, green chiles and cilantro and sprinkle remaining 1 cup of cheese over the top. Cover and let sit off the heat until the cheese melts, about 2 minutes.

Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken

Slow Cooker Lemon Pepper Chicken

{makes 8 servings}

Ingredients

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon lemon pepper seasoning

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth

Directions

Prepare your chicken by rinsing it and trimming the fat. I cut each breast into 2 pieces to make them more like large tenders.

In a shallow dish, combine the flour and 1 teaspoon of lemon pepper seasoning. Coat each piece of chicken in flour.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Once melted, brown each side of the chicken. You want them to be golden brown, but not cooked through because you’ll be cooking them in the slow cooker.

Spray the slow cooker (crockpot) with cooking spray and place the browned chicken into the bottom. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of lemon pepper seasoning on top of the chicken.

Mix together the lemon juice and chicken broth. Pour over the chicken and seasoning.

Cook on low for 3-4 hours. Enjoy!

Nutrition Information

{serving size = 1 chicken tender – recipe makes 8 servings}

125 calories, 4.1g fat, 4.1g carbs, 0.5g fiber, 19.5g protein

*Actual nutrition info may vary based on exact ingredients used. Recipe in MyFitnessPal as FG8 Slow Cooker Lemon Pepper Chicken.

Easy Teriyaki Chicken and Vegetables

Easy Teriyaki Chicken and Vegetables

from:  happyfoodhealthylife.com

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 lbs chicken breast, chopped
• 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 2 garlic cloves
• 12oz broccoli
• 4 large carrots, sliced
• 16 asparagus spears, chopped
Teriyaki Sauce
• 2 tablespoons ginger, chopped
• 1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 1/3 cup cold water
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1/3 cup honey

Instructions

1. Mix all of the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan and cook over medium to low heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened (about 5 minutes).
2. Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan, over medium to high heat. Add the chicken and peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through (about 6-8 minutes). Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
3. While the chicken is cooking, cook your other vegetables until crisp tender. They can be put in a microwave safe dish and microwaved for 6-7 minutes, roasted in the oven, or cooked in a steamer.
4. Stir together the teriyaki sauce, chicken and vegetables until everything is coated. Serve over whole grain brown rice or rice noodles.

Spaghetti Sauce with Ground Beef

This was so good and easy to put together.  I did not let it simmer for the full hour (I believe I only did it for 40 minutes) and it was still delicious.  And the kids loved it too.  Serve over cooked whole wheat pasta.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/158140/spaghetti-sauce-with-ground-beef/print/?recipeType=Recipe&servings=8

Recipe By:Hank's Mom

"This recipe has been handed down from my mother. It is a family favorite and will not be replaced! (Definite husband pleaser!)"

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small green bell pepper, diced
• 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 (16 ounce) can tomato sauce

• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

1. Combine ground beef, onion, garlic, and green pepper in a large saucepan. Cook and stir until meat is brown and vegetables are tender. Drain grease.
2. Stir diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and tomato paste into the pan. Season with oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Simmer spaghetti sauce for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2016 Allrecipes.com 
Printed From Allrecipes.com 8/29/2016

White Chicken Chili

This White Chicken Chili is so flavorful.  Link here.

White Chicken Chili

Recipe by Our Best Bites

I call this a chili, but it’s really a soup consistency.
If you want it thicker, just reduce the amount of broth.

1 T Extra virgin Olive Oil
1 lb boneless chicken, cubed (about 3-4 boneless, skinless breasts)
1 medium onion, diced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans Great Northern Beans
1 3.5 oz can green chilies
1/2 t cumin
1/2 t dried oregano leaves
1/2 t coriander
1/2 t salt
fresh cracked pepper
1 lime
1/2 C chopped cilantro

1 32oz box chicken brothCondiments: (in addition to measurements above)
Sour cream
Chopped cilantro
Pepperjack or Jack cheese, shredded
Avocado
Tortilla Chips or make your own tortilla strips

In a large pot, heat olive oil. Add chopped onion and cook for about 2 minutes- just until it starts to become translucent. While onions are cooking, drain beans and rinse with cold water and set aside. Sprinkle chopped chicken with a little salt and pepper and add to pot. Add garlic as well. Cook until there’s no more visible pink on the chicken, probably 3-4 minutes.Then add green chills- along with all of the juices in the can. Add beans, cumin, oregano, coriander, salt, and a few turns of fresh cracked pepper. Stir to combine and then add chicken broth.Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer uncovered for 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and add the juice from one lime and the 1/2 C chopped cilantro. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Ladle into bowls and top with sour cream. Serve with condiments. If you don’t have all those condiments- at least have sour cream! But honestly, it’s best with everything 

Makes about 8 cups of soup.

Cowboy Quesadillas from Our Best Bites

Cowboy quesadillas
quick ,easy, delicious

Cowboy Quesadillas
Recipe by Our Best Bites

1/2 C white rice
1/3 C black beans
1 cup diced cooked chicken
1/3 C fresh frozen corn kernels (no need to thaw)
2/3 C diced tomato
3 Tbs sliced green onion
1 1/2 C shredded cheese (any type or combo you like)
1/4 C bbq sauce
6 small tortillas (fajita size, about 6″)

Dipping Sauce
equal parts bbq sauce and ranch dressing (here’s our favorite)

Combine rice, beans, chicken, corn, tomato, green onion and shredded cheese.  Add bbq sauce and stir to combine.  Place about 1/3 C of mixture on half of each tortilla and fold over to close.

Heat a skillet to medium heat on the stove top.  When hot, spray lightly with cooking spray, or drizzle with canola or olive oil.  Place quesadillas in pan and cook for 2-4 minutes or until golden brown and slightly crisp.  Flip and repeat on opposite side.  Cool for a few minutes and then serve with BBQ-Ranch dipping sauce.

Can be modified to gluten free by using gluten free bbq sauce, and corn tortillas

Slow Cooker Taco Chicken from Our Best Bites**

recipe to come

Chicken Stir Fry (Sunbird packet)**

recipe to come

Chicken Fajitas (Seasoning Mix)**

recipe to come

Creamy Potato Crockpot Soup

Creamy Potato Crockpot Soup
from: Nikki Holmstead

5 lbs of Russet potatoes, washed but not peeled. Diced into 1/2 in cubes
1 large yellow onion, diced (use as much or little onion as you like)
4 cloves of garlic minced (feel free to add more if you love garlic)
8 cups of chicken stock
16 oz cream cheese (low fat works great)
1 tbs seasoned salt or all purpose seasoning

Garnishes:

Crumbled Bacon
Shredded Cheese
Green Onions

Add potatoes, onion, garlic, seasoning and chicken stock to slow cooker. Cook on high for 6 hours or low for 10 hours. (When I halved this reciped it took less time to cook about 1-2 hours less.)
Remove 1/2 to 1/3 of the soup and puree. An immersion blender works great for this, but a potato masher would work or a hand mixer. Return pureed portion to the crockpot with the cream cheese.
Stir until the soup is well blended. Allow cream cheese to melt and heat through.
Serve with your choice of garnishes. Tastes great in bread bowl.

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

from Our Best Bites

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour (spooned into measuring cup and leveled)
1 cup whole wheat flour, (again, don’t scoop!) or all purpose flour if you like
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoons nutmeg
1/4 teaspoons ground cloves
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon table salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cup white sugar
6 ounce container vanilla yogurt
3 eggs, slightly beaten
15 ounce can pumpkin puree
1/2 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips (plus a few extra for the top of loaves)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 2 9×5 (or similar sized) loaf pans with nonstick spray and set aside.

Combine flours (after you put your flour in the bowl, just grab a teaspoon or two of it and toss with chocolate chips), cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk gently to combine and set aside.

In a separate mixing bowl combine brown sugar and white sugar and whisk to combine, breaking up any clumps of brown sugar. Add yogurt, eggs, pumpkin, oil, and vanilla extract and whisk until smooth.

Slowly add dry ingredients to wet and mix together, being careful to not over mix. When combined, gently stir in chocolate chips. Divide batter between loaf pans and sprinkle a few extra chocolate chips on top. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a skewer comes out with a few crumbs attached. All ovens are different, I would set your timer for about 45 minutes and keep an eye on it after that. Don’t overbake!

Let cool for 10 minutes and then run a sharp knife around edge of pan and remove loaves from pan.

Aunt Lynnette's Favorite Muffins

The BEST muffin recipe ever. Oh, I love these.

Ingredients:
-2 eggs
-1 c sugar
-1/2 c oil
-1 tsp. vanilla
-1 c sour cream or plain/vanilla yogurt (low fat or light is fine)
-2 c flour
-1/2 tsp. salt
-1/2 tsp. baking soda
-1 tsp. baking powder
-1 c blueberries (fresh or frozen; if frozen do not thaw, just add frozen.)

Beat eggs. Add sugar, oil, vanilla, salt, and sour cream or yogurt. Mix well. All at once add flour, baking soda, baking powder. Stir until moistened but still slightly lumpy. Pour into 12 greased or lined muffin cups. Bake 20 minutes at 400 degrees.

***- can also add 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. nutmeg, 1/8 tsp. cloves for a spice muffin (omitting the blueberries)
-can use fat free sour cream or yogurt
-can substitute applesauce for oil.

Creamy Corn Chowder

I made this for the first time tonight and it was so good. It tastes like the corn chowder at Mimi's Cafe, but not as many calories. There was quite a bit of stirring, but actually really easy to put together. Loved it!

Creamy Corn Chowder
Recipe by Our Best Bites

2 Tbsp. butter
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. water
2 1/2 c. milk (skim or 1% work just fine and lighten it up considerably)
2 regular-sized chicken bouillon cubes, 1 Knorr chicken bouillon cube, or 2 tsp. chicken base
1/2 lb. bacon (optional)
1 small onion, minced
2 red potatoes, diced into small cubes
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can corn, drained or about 1 1/2 C frozen fresh corn
Salt and pepper to taste
A few dashes of hot sauce (like Tabasco or Cholula)

Fry bacon until crisp. In the meantime, melt butter over low heat in a soup pot. When melted, add flour to make a roux and whisk until it comes together in a little ball. Add water and whisk until completely combined and there are no lumps. Add milk and chicken base or bouillon and bring to a simmer. Add potatoes, onions, and garlic, and simmer (but don’t boil!), stirring very frequently, for about 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add crumbled bacon and corn and heat through. Add a few drops of hot sauce and then salt to taste. The reason why I don’t have an exact measurement is that while the soup REALLY needs salt, bacon also really differs in its saltiness, so it can be super easy to make this soup waaaaay too salty. Start with about 1/4 tsp., give it a few minutes, and then add more if you need it.

Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with extra bacon and/or cheese if you want. Modify to make gluten free by using corn starch instead of flour. Modify to make vegetarian by omitting bacon.

Serves 6-8.

Tortellini Spinach Bake in Creamy Lemon Sauce

I love this one from Our Best Bites.

Tortellini Spinach Bake in Creamy Lemon Sauce
Recipe by Our Best Bites

12 oz bag Barilla Cheese & Spinach Tortelini (find them in the dry pasta aisle)
4 oz bacon or pancetta, (about 4 strips bacon)*
3 cloves garlic, pressed in garlic press or finely minced
2 Tbs flour
2 C milk
¾ tsp kosher salt
⅛ tsp black pepper
1 1/2 tsp dry basil
¼ tsp red pepper flakes (1/2 tsp or more if you like spicy)
1 medium lemon
2 C loosely packed fresh spinach, roughly chopped
¾ C grated mozzarella cheese, divided
¾ C grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fill a large stock pot with water and bring to a boil. Add tortellini and cook according to package instructions.

Place bacon in a medium sized skillet on the stove-top at medium-high heat. Cook until crisp. Remove bacon from pan with slotted spoon and set on paper towels to drain. Reserve two tablespoons bacon drippings in pan and discard the rest. Add garlic to pan and cook until fragrant and tender, about 1 minute. Add flour to pan and stir with a whisk for about 1 minute. Slowly add milk and continue to stir with whisk until smooth. Add salt, pepper, basil, and red pepper flakes and bring sauce to a simmer.

While sauce is heating, use a microplane grater or a fine-holed cheese grater to zest lemon. Then cut lemon in half and remove juice. Add 2 teaspoons zest and 1 tablespoon lemon juice to sauce. (Note: I really love lemon so I added this to my tastes. If you don’t want as strong of a lemon flavor, I suggest cutting it down to 1 teaspoon zest and 2 teaspoons lemon juice) . Continue to stir until thickened, 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat.

Drain tortellini and place back in stock pot. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the cooked bacon and add the rest to the pasta mixture. Add spinach, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Add sauce and gently stir to combine. Place pasta mixture in an 8×8 or 9×9 baking dish and top with remaining 1/4 cup mozarella and 1/4 cup parmesan and also crumbled bacon.

Cover pan with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes, until cheese on top is melted and pasta is bubbly throughout. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes before serving.

* For a vegetarian meal, omit bacon.

Serves 4-6

Easy Fluffy Pull-Apart Whole Wheat Buttery Dinner Rolls

These were AMAZING! And really quite easy too. I got it from Half Baked Harvest and I cannot get over how good they were.

Easy Fluffy Pull-Apart Whole Wheat Buttery Dinner Rolls
Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 35 minutes

Yield: 9 rolls

Ingredients

1 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour or white whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose four
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup very warm water, divided
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 tablespoons honey, divided
1 egg
4 tablespoons butter, melted
Instructions

Combine 1/4 cup warm water, the yeast and 1 tablespoon honey in a small glass bowl. Stir to dissolve and let site 5 - 10 minutes or until water has risen and is light and foamy.
In the bowl off a stand mixer or other large bowl add the whole wheat pastry flour, all-purpose flour and salt.
In another bowl add the remaining 3/4 cup warm water, 1 tablespoon honey, the egg and 2 tablespoons melted butter. Stir to combine.
Add both water mixtures to the bowl with the flour. Using the dough hook (or a wooden spoon) knead the dough on medium speed for for about five minutes or until the dough comes together and begins to form into a ball. The dough will be very wet and sticky.
Remove the dough from the bowl and either rub the bowl with olive oil or spray with cooking spray. Return the dough to the bowl, cover and place in a warm place for 25 minutes.
After 25 minutes grease a square baking dish or pie plate (I used an 8x8 dish, but 9x9 would work too). Flour your hands and punch the dough down. Place the dough on a well floured surface and divide into 9 even balls. You may need to add more flour to prevent the dough from sticking, but try and use as little flour as possible. Place the balls in 3 even rows in the baking dish and cover the dish with with a damp towel or plastic wrap that has been sprayed with cooking spray (so the dough does not stick to the plastic wrap).
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Allow the rolls rise for 15 to 25 minutes or until the dough balls are round and popping out of the pan. Once the rolls are ready to go melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and carefully brush the tops of the rolls with the butter. Bake the rolls in the middle of the oven for 20 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned on top. Remove and serve immediately with a pat of butter.
Notes

*To freeze the rolls before baking follow the directions through step 6. Cover the baking dish with a layer of foil and then another layer of plastic wrap. Place the dough in the freezer. To bake the rolls remove the dough from the freezer and allow to thaw completely. This will depend on how warm your house is, but generally 2 to 3 hours. Once the rolls have risen and are popping out of the pan bake as directed. *The rolls can also be frozen once baked. Allow the rolls to cool completely and than place in a freezer-safe bag. Freeze. The rolls can be left to de-thaw on the counter for 1 hour or in the microwave.

Burrito Surpremo

This is not healthy in my opinion, at all. But Brent loves it (probably because it's not healthy) and it is so easy and I think it tastes yummy.

Burrito Supremo
from Relief Society Activity, Glendale Stake

Ingredients:
-1 pkg. frozen burritos, thawed
-1 can green enchilada sauce
-1 can cream of mushroom soup
-1 8 oz. container sour cream, light is good

Place burritos in 9x13 pan. Mix together enchilada sauce, soup, and sour cream. Pour over burritos. Sprinkle with shredded cheese. Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees or until bubbly. Garnish with slice olives, green onions, or tomatoes.

Simple Salisbury Steak

Simple Salisbury Steak

-1 lb. Ground beef
-1 can cream of mushroom soup
-1/3 c bread crumbs
-1 egg, beaten
-1 small onion, finely chopped
-1 TBSP vegetable oil
-1 ½ c sliced mushrooms ( or 2 – 4 oz. Cans)

-thoroughly mix the beef, ¼ c of soup, bread crumbs, egg, and onion in medium bowl. Shape the mixture into 4 (½ in. thick) burgers.
-heat oil in a 10 in. skillet over medium high heat. Add the burgers and cook until well browned on both sides. Remove the burgers with slotted spatula and set aside.
-stir the remaining soup and mushrooms into the skillet. Heat to a boil. Return the burgers to the skillet and reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 10 minute or until the burgers are cooked through.

Ranchers Sloppy Joes

Rancher's Sloppy Joes (from Make A Mix)

-1 - 1 1/4 lb. -1/2 c ketchup. + some extra to add moisture
-1/4 c brown sugar -1 TBSP mustard
-2 TBSP vinegar -6 hamburger buns

In a medium saucepan, combine Meat Sauce Mix, brown sugar, vinegar, ketchup, and mustard. Cover and cook over medium heat about 10 minutes, until heated through. Serve over hamburger buns. Serves 6


**Kat's Notes: unlike my other sloppy joe recipe these are not healthified but they taste so good.

Easy Way Lasagna

My all time favorite lasagna recipe to make. It tastes just how mom used to make.

Easy Way Lasagna

by MizzNezz from Food.com, slightly adapted
1¼ hours | 10 min prep
SERVES 8
- 9 lasagna noodles
• 1 (26 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
• 16 ounces cottage cheese
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup parmesan cheese
• 3 cups mozzarella cheese, grated
1. In 13x9 pan, spoon a little of the sauce.
2. Place 3 lasagna noodles on the sauce.
3. Mix cottage cheese, egg, and parmesan cheese in a bowl.
4. Spread 1/3 of this over noodles.
5. Add 1/3 of the sauce.
6. Sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella.
7. Now, add 3 more noodles, 1/3 more cottage cheese mixture, 1/3 more sauce.
8. Add 1 cup more mozzarella cheese.
9. One more time, do the layers.
10. Bake in 350°F oven for about 1 hour.
11. Top should be light brown and bubbly.

Chicken Roll Ups

Another favorite comfort recipe.

Chicken Roll-Ups
by peppermintkitty from Food.com
1¼ hours | 50 min prep
SERVES 4
• 2 cups chicken, cooked and cubed
• 4 ounces cream cheese
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 2 tablespoons onions or chives, chopped
• 2 tablespoons pimientos
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 dash pepper
• 1 (8 ounce) can crescent rolls
• crouton (optional) or corn flakes, crushed (optional)
• butter or margarine, melted
1. Boil chicken until done and no pink remains.
2. Cool and chop into small cubes.
3. In a large bowl, mix together the cream cheese, butter, onion, pimento, milk, salt, and pepper.
4. Stir in chicken and set aside. Open crescent rolls and place each piece of dough flat on a lightly greased baking sheet. Place several tablespoons of chicken mixture on the center of each piece of dough.
5. Roll up dough around the chicken mixture making sure are edges are sealed.
6. Dip each chicken roll in melted butter and roll in the crushed croutons or corn flakes (optional). Place on baking sheet. Bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
7. Serve with chicken gravy if desired.
8. To make chicken gravy add 1 can cream of chicken soup to a small saucepan.
9. Add 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice and stir well.
10. Add milk or sour cream to thin to desired consistency.
11. Cook over low heat until hot. Serve over chicken roll-ups.