Yummy Chicken Tacos

I have absolutely fallen in love with Pinterest! Why it took me so long to join, I have no idea.  But so far, everything I have tried has either tasted great or worked out perfcetly!

This recipe for Chicken Tacos was about the easiest recipe I have tried in quite a while. 

4-5 Chicken Breasts
1 jar of salsa (whatever heat you prefer)
1 packet of taco seasoning
Whatever taco toppings you prefer
Whatever type of taco shell you prefer....I used soft tortillas.

Put the chicken in the crock pot.
Sprinkle the taco seasoning on them.
Cover with the entire jar of salsa.
Cook on low 4-6 hours.

The chicken comes out juicy, flavorful, and shredable.

Throw it in your tortilla or taco shell, top with the toppings of your choice, and ENJOY!

Not only was it SUPER EASY, but it tasted SUPER GREAT!

The original website from my Pinterest pin can be found here.

Make Ahead Breakfast Sandwiches

I love reading MoneySavingMom's blog. She has linked to this recipe several times and I always have wanted to try it. It looked interesting enough, easy enough, and I needed something to make for Big Breakfast at church.

Here is my version of a certain restaurant's "Ham/Egg/Cheese/Muffin Sandwich"....you know the one I mean!

You need
12 English Muffins
12 slices of cheese (American or Cheddar)
12 eggs
12 slices of ham (optional, but I prefer it this way.)
1 muffin tin

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Lightly spray each muffin tin. Crack an egg into each muffin tin. Put in oven and bake 15-20 minutes; slightly less time if you don't mind a runny egg.
3. Slice open each English muffin; lay out on pan to toast. You can toast these the while the eggs are cooking.

When these steps are done, it should look like this.

 

 

4. Place a slice or two of ham on the bottom of a muffin.  Add the egg, with the slice of cheese on top.

 

 

 

5. Eat and enjoy! Or you can wrap them in wax paper and freeze individually. I've not done this step yet but the original link says not to microwave for reheating, but to use the oven.

 

PS.....these went over very well at Big Breakfast. I cut them all in half, so out of 24 servings, I came home with 3.  Not bad!

A LIttle Taste of Heaven

I discovered a recipe that I tried to re-create and I was very pleased with the results.  Big thanks to my Sunday School Class for being my guinea pigs again!

Here is my version of CheeseCake Stuffed Strawberries

1 or 2 pounds strawberries
1 (8oz) package of cream cheese, softened
3-4 tbsp powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
graham cracker crumbs


1.) Wash strawberries. Set out cream cheese so it can soften.

2.) Cut off the stems.

3.) Next, you want to hollow out the strawberries.  If you have a small melon baller, that would be the perfect thing, but I didn't have one.  I tried to use a small paring knife, but it didn't work well. My potato peeler has a divot on the tip to use to gouge out the potato eyes...I used that.  A melon baller would have worked much better.

4.)  Now you want to create your cheesecake mixture.  Mix the cream cheese, vanilla, and 3 tablespoons of powdered sugar. Do a quick taste test....if you prefer sweeter cream cheese, add up to one more tablespoon of the powdered sugar. With a small spoon or spatula, gently stuff the strawberries with the cream cheese.  (You can also put the cream cheese mixture into a baggie or icing dispenser and squeeze the cream cheese into the strawberries). Put the graham cracker crumbs in a small dish....dip the top of the strawberry into the crumbs. 

Unless you will be immediately serving these, refrigerate.

And the finished product will look like this:

This is Buddy's most favorite meal that I make....

....and I'm not sure why.

I know his momma made a version of this when he was growing up. But I make other meals that she made and he likes them just as much. So I'm not sure why this is his favorite.  (Maybe I should ask him.)

What is this meal of which I speak?  Chicken (or Turkey) Tetrazini

I made it today with a turkey breast that I froze from my Thanksgiving turkey. I took a picture and posted it on my Instagram account. A few people asked for the recipe so here it is.   (You don't follow me on Instagram? You're missing out on my life....and the rest of the details!)

So here's the recipe and a picture before it went in the oven.  It is adapted from a recipe I found in a Southern Living magazine in 2003, not long after we got married.

Chicken (or Turkey) Tetrazini

3 and a half cups cooked chicken or turkey, chopped or diced
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2/3 cup of milk
1 (16oz) jar of Alfredo sauce
12 ounces thin spaghetti noodles, cooked
1 (10-12 oz pack) of frozen peas
1 small can of mushrooms; chopped
1-1/2 cups of shredded Swiss cheese
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup crushed garlic/cheese flavored croutons

Directions:

1.) Cook spaghetti noodles according to package directions; drain and set aside.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2.) Whisk together the soup and milk in a LARGE mixing bowl. Whisk in Alfredo Sauce.

3.) Add in the chicken or turkey and stir into the sauce.

4.) Add the noodles, peas, and mushrooms; toss with the sauce.

5.) Add all the Swiss and half the Parmesan cheese.

6.) Pour into a lightly greased 9x13 or bigger baking dish.

7.) Mix the crushed croutons and the rest of the Parmesan cheese and sprinkle over the top.

8.) Bake for 30 minutes.  Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

This tastes even better the next day!  And as a bonus, if you need to, it freezes well. Stop at step 6 and separate what you want to freeze. It can be frozen up to a month. Thaw overnight; bake at 350 for 40 minutes.

And this is what it looks like just before it goes in the oven.  (Imagine it golden brown and bubbly on top when finished!)

(Buddy just walked by and saw the picture...asked when we were having this again!)

(And in case your wondering why he likes the meal so much.....

His answer, "Because I just do.")    Well, there you go!

Mystery Breakfast

Every Sunday, our Bible Fellowship class, The HomeBuilders, have some sort of breakfast during class.  Most weeks we have DoCoJu (DOughnuts, COffee, JUice) but the first Sunday of each month is Big Breakfast. People sign up to bring breakfast casseroles, fruits, muffins, biscuits, and other things.

We usually sign up about a week in advance. Last week when the list came around, I could not think of anything I felt like making wanted to bring. So I wrote "something".....meaning I will cook, I will bring it in, but I have no idea what it will be.

We usually get a reminder email about Thursday or Friday, so whoever was not there on Sunday will see what's being brought and can decide what they want to bring.  When the email came out, by our name it said "Mystery Surprise".

Gee Whiz.

Not only do I still not have a clue what I want to bring, now I have to make something spectacular!

So what I made was this.....

....and the surprise is inside.....

I told our teacher, Zach, to be careful.....you never know what the mystery is!

PS....it was just chocolate chips!

PPS...No Sunday School teachers (or other church members) were  harmed in the making of this blog post.

New Recipe = New Family Favorite

A friend of mine from church recently started a recipe group on Facebook and invited me to join. I've seen lots of yummy things to try, but this one stood out, so I made it last week. I just wish I had taken a picture of it because it was soooooo yummy!  Buddy and I loved it. Quinn thought it was "too burny on my tongue Mommy", so next time I'm leaving out the chilies and Buddy can add hot sauce!

Fiesta Chicken Casserole

3 cup cooked chopped chicken
1 cup instant rice (uncooked)
1 can cream of chicken soup (I used 98% fat free)
1 can Rotel diced tomatoes and chilies, undrained
1 Tbsp Southwestern or Taco seasoning
2 Tbsp milk
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1/2 cup crushed tortilla chips or Doritos

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine chicken, rice, soup, Rotel, seasoning, milk and 1 1/2 cups of cheese. Pour into a lightly greased 9x9 pan. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Top casserole with crushed chips and remaining cheese, bake uncovered for 5-10 minutes, until cheese is melted.

 

How I tweaked it.....

 

1.) I had no instant rice so I made some cooked rice in my rice cooker and then drained all the juice out of the tomatoes.

 

2.) To make it less spicy for kids, use tomatoes without chilies. And I used store brand, not Rotel....tasted fine.

 

3.) I didn't have any tortilla chips or Doritos...tasted fine without but I'm sure would taste good with.

 

Pair this with a vegetable, salad, or whatever side dish you think would go.

 

Thanks to my friend Kristen for posting this recipe on the Facebook Group!

I forgot how much I love this simple recipe!

My mom used to make this recipe for our family a lot while I was growing up. I don't know what the actual name of the recipe is.  All I know is that it is my FAVORITE way to eat chicken, so we started calling it "My Favorite Chicken".  I haven't made it in a really long time, until Buddy asked for me to make it this week.

He said, "Would you make my favorite chicken?"

I said, "Ok...how do you want me to fix it?" 

He said, "You know....My Favorite Chicken!!"  Took me a minute to realize he wanted me to make this....so here's a picture recipe for you!

My Favorite Chicken:

First, take 3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or however much chicken you need for your family).  I actually used chicken tenders.

Next, cover all the chicken with Swiss cheese.

Then, take 1 can of cream of chicken soup (or 2 cans if you used more chicken), and enough water to rinse out the can. Stir the soup and water together and pour over chicken.

Finally, add bread crumbs, crushed crackers, or breaded stuffing mix to the top for a crust. I used Pepperidge Farm Stuffing (blue bag) for my topping.







Bake this at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour, or until chicken is done.

I served this with rice and green beans. It was so nice to have this meal after such a long time. I had forgotten how simple and easy this recipe is and  how yummy it tastes. I'll be eating the leftovers for lunch later today!!

"Try a Cake Pop....it will change your life!"

That's what I was told this past Christmas at our family's gathering when I asked what a cake pop was. My aunt had made them for a couple of years, but I had somehow missed out on this wonderful treat. I of course tried one and instantly fell in love with a cake pop!

Fast foward to last month when it seems like all of a sudden, everywhere I went people were talking about cake pop this and cake pop that. I finally asked my aunt to share with me the wonderfulness that is cake-pop-making. She sent me some pretty simple instructions that made me feel confident. She also sent me to this cake pop website which made me feel like I should be in the remedial cake pop class. I quickly closed that website, went back to my aunt's instructions, and the rest was easy-peasy! 

Here is my simple way of making cake pops. Enjoy!
(These instructions are the ones I used from my dear, sweet Aunt Louanne!)

First get a box cake mix...any flavor you want. And bake it per the instructions on the box. It doesn't have to look good because you are just going to crumble it up later.

Pour it into any size pan/pans that you have. I used my 9x13 pan, but you could use anything. Like I said, we are just going to crumble it, so it doesn't matter if you cook this in one pan or ten! 

Once you are done baking your cake, let it cool COMPLETELY! I baked my cake while Quinn was napping. I didn't do the rest of the steps until after supper.

Next you want to add 1/2 to 2/3 of a can of frosting to your cake. You would want to choose a complimentary frosting flavor. For example, I made a strawberry cake, so I chose a vanilla frosting. I wanted cream cheese, but they were out of that one. Using your hands (because a spoon just doesn't do the job) you want to mix the cake crumbles and the icing. You are about to get M E S S Y, but it's totally worth it. Mix it all up until it looks like the picture below.



Next you want to lay a strip of wax paper onto a cookie sheet. Then take the cake mixture and begin to shape it into small balls. I would say mine were about 1 inch in diameter.



 Then you want to add your sticks. I used the sucker sticks from Walmart. These are found in the same section with candy molds, wedding supplies, etc. I bought the long ones and had Buddy cut them in half for me. Next time, I will look for shorter sticks. After you put the sticks in, take the cake balls and put them in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. My aunt leaves them in overnight. I did 30 minutes, but I think I should have left them longer, as some of the sticks didn't stay put.

You will also need some candy melts (also found in that same section of Walmart.)  I used the white chocolate melts, but there are a variety of colors. I have heard that using food coloring isn't the best way to change colors as the consistency messes up. Apparently you should either mix the colors of chocolate melts or by the small color melts to change the color. (I've heard those are sold at stores like AC Moore).

You need to melt this according to the package direction, but buy more than you think you will need, so when you dip the cake balls, they go completely under. Mine did not, so that's why you can see the cake showing through.

Dip your cake pops while the chocolate is completely melted and still warm. As soon as you pull them out, roll them in sprinkles, candy pieces, cookie pieces, etc. I used blue sprinkles, yellow sprinkles, and some just plain.  Also lay another strip of wax paper on your counter. Set the cake pops on this, and the chocolate coating will harden in a few minutes.

Meet the cake pops!



Things I learned during my first attempt:

1. Buy shorter sticks....or even use thick toothpicks.

2. Let them stay in the freezer longer, as some of my cake pops lost their sticks.

3. Use a deeper bowl so the cake pop is completely submerged in the chocolate.

I really enjoyed making these. It was a really easy process, although I can see things I will do differently next time.

Thank you Aunt Louanne for "changing my life"!!

Tasty Tuesday-----Daddy's Hot Chocolate

(Daddy and Quinn 1/8/10)

Today's Tasty Tuesday is a recipe I think we could all enjoy on our next cold, rainy, and/or snowy day.

Daddy's Homemade Hot Chocolate

1 and 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
3/4 teaspoon salt
5 cups water
1 can (13 oz) evaporated milk
2 cups milk

Combine sugar, cocoa, and salt in a large dutch oven; mix well.

Slowly stir in water. Bring to a boil.

Add milk. Cook until heated thoroughly.

Yields: 2 and 1/2 quarts.

This recipe can be easily doubled if you need a larger amount.

Tasty Tuesday.....Cheesy Ranch Dip

I am a little frustrated today because I have a ton of pictures I want to download off my camera and I can't get the computer to recognize my card. Pictures of Christmas, snow, and Quinn's birthday.....hopefully these posts will come soon.

Today's Tasty Tuesday is a quick dip for crackers, veggies, etc.

Cheesy Ranch Dip

1 packet Ranch DIP mix (not dressing mix)

1 and a half cups of shredded Cheddar cheese

1/2 - 3/4 cup bacon pieces

16 oz sour cream

Directions:
Combine all ingredients and stir well.

**You can chill this an hour or so before eating for the best taste, but you can also serve it immediately**

**Tastes even better the 2nd day....if there's any left!

Tasty Tuesday!

So I decided to add a new feature to my blog each week. I am going to call it Tasty Tuesday and each week I am going to post a recipe that I have loved for years, or a recipe that I have recently discovered. When possible, I will try to include pictures as well. I would love to know if you try any (or all) of these recipes, and I hope to learn how to do a "linky" where others can link up and add their recipes as well. (If anyone knows how to do this, fill me in!)


This week's Tasty Tuesday is a recipe that Buddy's grandmother made for us when we visited her over Christmas.

Parmesan Potatoes

4-6 red potatoes, washed and thinly sliced

1 small onion, sliced into rings

3 tablespoons of butter or margarine, melted

1/3 cup (or more) of Parmesan cheese

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

2 tablespoons garlic powder

Layer potatoes and onion in the bottom of a small casserole dish.

Drizzle melted butter over the potatoes and onions.

Combine cheese, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Sprinkle over potatoes and onions.

Bake uncovered at 450 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

**I used more than the 1/3 cup of cheese.....the cheesier the better!**

Perfect Potato Soup

We've been having such a cold spell here in NC, but finally the weather is beginning to warm up a little...at least back to normal-for-January temperatures. I like that I live in a state where we get to experience all four seasons. One of my favorite things about winter is making and eating soups! I have finally been able to re-create my grandmother's vegetable beef soup. Buddy's mom gave me a great recipe for a creamy chicken noodle soup. But what I've been wanting this year was Potato Soup.

It must have been on everyone else's minds too, because during these weeks of super cold temps, several of my Facebook friends have been talking about making Potato Soup. So I poked around on the Internet looking for Potato Soup recipes. I found several that sounded good except for one item here or there. So I took the good parts of the recipes and played around until I found a combination that sounded good to me.

Perfect Potato Soup
3 1/2 cups of cubed potatoes
1/3 cup diced onions
1/3 cup diced celery
3/4 - 1 cup diced cooked ham
3 1/4 cups water
3-4 chicken bouillon cubes
1 teaspoon salt and pepper (to taste)
5 tablespoons butter/margarine
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
Shredded Cheddar Cheese

1. Combine potatoes, onion, celery, and water to a stock pot. Bring to a boil, then cover and cook on medium heat until potatoes are tender. Add bouillon, salt and pepper.

2. In a separate sauce pan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour with a fork, and cook, stirring constantly until thick, about a minute or two. Slowly stir in milk, so to not allow flour mixture to clump. Continue pouring until all the milk has been added. Continue stirring for about 4-5 minutes until thick.

3. Stir the milk mixture into the stockpot. Add ham. Cook soup until heated through. Serve immediately, and add cheddar cheese as a garnish.

I only wish I had gotten a picture of this! It made a large stockpot of soup. There was enough for our family to have for supper the night I made it, enough for me to take for lunch for a couple of days, and I had some left to freeze for another day. This was the best potato soup I think I've ever had. I hope you enjoy it too!

Mockelet, anyone?

I thought I would share a meal idea that Buddy and I invented on Mother's Day. We've eaten it many times since and find it to be a quick, easy, and tasty idea for breakfast. (Or "breakfast for supper", if you prefer that.)

We call it "Mockelet"....pronounced like omelet. We call it Mockelet, because it is a "mock" omelet. And it is so easy to make.

Just prepare your eggs as if you were going to scramble them. I usually add a little bit of milk to make the eggs fluffy. Don't ask me why....it's how Mama always made them.

Ok, so you've got your eggs ready to scramble. Now just add some chunks of ham and mix it all together. You may want some salt and pepper to taste. Now just scramble your eggs. When they are like you want them, turn them over one last time. While they are still in the pan, sprinkle some shredded cheese on to the top, until it just begins to melt.

Your Mockelet is ready, and it's that simple. To me, this tastes just like a ham and cheese omelet, but without all the fuss of trying to make an actual omelet. We usually make up some cheese grits to go with the Mockelet. This is a super-fast, super-yummy, super-quick meal for your family. Hope you enjoy it.

PS....you could also make this with sausage!

Cabbage Dinner

Do you remember my horrible day?


After dealing with a call from daycare that Quinn got hurt and being in a minor car accident, I came home to supper burnt in the crock pot.

This meal is something I love to make and it is fairly inexpensive. I have tweaked it and figured out I can make it on the stove in my deep skillet, rather than using my crock pot and risk ruining it again. So I've decided to share it with you all!


I call this meal "Cabbage Dinner".

(If you don't like cabbage, thanks for visiting and come back tomorrow....this recipe is not for you....otherwise, keep on reading).

You will need 5-6 potatoes (not red ones), 1 medium to large white or vadaila onion, 1 head of cabbage, 1 smoked sausage (like Hillshire Farm or Smithfield), and 1 can (or 2 cups) of chicken broth. (Optional: 1-2 heaping tablespoons of minced garlic)

First of all, wash and scrub your potatoes. Then cut into bite-size chunks, with skin left on. I use a deep skillet, but you could use a dutch oven style pan as well.



Next you want to take your onion, wash it, peel the skin off, and cut it into pieces. You can dice them up, but I prefer to use bigger pieces. See below.



Next you want to wash your head of cabbage and the chop it into large pieces. I take out the pieces with the big ribs in them. You can cut around it, or leave it. Either way, cut the whole head of cabbage up.



Layer the ingredients in the pan: Potatoes, onion, then cabbage. Yes the cabbage will seem to be overflowing, but it will cook down.



At this point, you will want to add the garlic if you want it. I've done it both ways...I prefer the garlic. Also add the can of chicken broth. Put all this on the stove and bring everything to a steady boil. Put the lid on the pan, and then you can turn it down to medium-low and let everything simmer. Check on it periodically. When the cabbage begins to cook down and the potatoes start to get tender, you will want to slice the sausage into bite-sized circles and add it to the entire thing. I simmer this until all the vegetables soft, usually 30 or so minutes, maybe 45.

When it's done, it should look something like this....



.....and the leftovers are twice as good!!

Making Monkey Munch

Ok, Ok, so I haven't posted in over a week. Sorry but I've been busy. For a quick re-cap, after Buddy's work party, I spent last week in several meetings at school, planning and organizing the fire station Christmas party ( a catered meal for 100+ people) and trying to get through this week of school. The kids have gone Christmas Crazy, but of course I remember those days too.

So tonight I made Monkey Munch for my class. We are having our "winter holiday party" tomorrow. (Don't get me started...that's for another post).

I already hear you asking, "What in the world is Monkey Munch?"

I first heard about Monkey Munch on an episode of Jon and Kate plus Eight. This show is about a young married Christian couple who have been blessed with twin girls and sextuplets (3 girls and 3 boys). Yes that's 8 kids! Monkey Munch is a treat that Kate, the mom, often mentions on the show as something her kids like to eat. There's even an episode showing her and the 3 little girls making Monkey Munch. (New episodes are on Monday nights at 9pm on TLC, but you can see re-runs on there all the time.) **No, I do not earn commission for plugging this show** :-)

Basically you take a box of your favorite Chex cereal and pour it in a large bowl.
In another smaller bowl, take 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips, 1/2 cup of peanut butter (creamy for me), and 1/4 cup of margarine. Melt this in the microwave for about 1 minute and stir. Zap it 30 more seconds and stir until smooth. Then pour this over the cereal and stir until all the pieces are coated.

(I had to do this part in two batches.) Pour half the cereal into a gallon size ziploc bag. Take a cup of powdered sugar and pour it over the cereal. Close the bag and shake until all the pieces are coated. Pour out onto wax paper and let it dry. Repeat this with the rest of the cereal. You will need another cup of powdered sugar.

Then put it in an air-tight container and keep in the refrigerator. If it lasts that long. Trust me, this will go fast.

I hope my students enjoy it tomorrow. I had a lot of fun making it.