Our Go-To Busy Day Recipe

We discovered this recipe when we were first married and it has become a staple in our household.  I was searching for slow cooker recipes to try out our lovely new crockpot.  I adore Mexican food and was shocked when I discovered it was possible to make tacos in the crockpot!  This takes honestly 2 minutes to prepare the slow cooker and 5 minutes of prep to take it from the slow cooker into tacos.  After you make it the first time, you won't even need the recipe again - it's that easy!!  We've shared this many times with friends because it delicious, easy, and can be made pretty healthy, too!



Crockpot Tacos
Serves 4

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 can black beans, drained
1 can corn, drained
1 cup salsa
Small or medium sized tortillas
Optional:  lettuce, shredded cheddar cheese, ranch dressing, hot sauce, peppers and onions, or other taco toppings of your choosing

1.  Place chicken breasts in the bottom of the slow cooker.  Mix the salsa, corn, and beans and place overtop of the chicken (I skip mixing them and just pour half of each, then repeat).
2.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 2-3 hours (I recommend low - we tried it on high once, but the flavors did not infuse into the chicken as well).  When it is finished, shred the chicken (I just use a fork - it should come apart very easily).
4.  Warm tortillas according to package directions or place them directly on the oven racks at 250 degrees for just a couple of minutes until warmed but not crisp.
3.  Assemble your tacos.  Place a large spoonful of the chicken mixture on the tortilla, then add your favorite toppings.  (We took the suggestion from the original recipe I saw and use lettuce, cheese, and ranch, but if you want a healthier version, skip the cheese and dressing and opt for veggies and hot sauce instead.)

Avocado Chicken Salad

I do not like mayonnaise.  Thus, I normally am not a big fan of mayo-based salads (pasta salad, potato salad, chicken salad); however, there have been a few chicken salad dishes I've liked in my life (especially Jenny Craig - weird, I know, but it's tasty).  Anyway, I came across the idea of making an avocado chicken salad and from making the Zucchini Enchilada Boats, I needed a way to use up some of the same ingredients anyway.  Bonus - it's pretty healthy!  I replaced any mayo with a bit of greek yogurt.  Avocado is a little fattening, but it's good MUFAs and the chiles help speed your metabolism!  As you know, I don't really measure, but I'll try to give approximate amounts.

Ingredients

2 cups cooked shredded chicken*
1 avocado, flesh removed and smashed
2 serrano chiles, finely diced**
1/4 c. cilantro, chopped
2 tbsp green onion, chopped
2 tbsp plain greek yogurt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp kosher salt
juice of 2 small limes***
salt & pepper to taste

Directions
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix until combined.

Serving Options:
The first time, I ate it in a wrap - sundried tomato tortilla, the chicken salad, mixed baby greens, a sprinkle of feta cheese, crushed red pepper, and a dab of pesto (my recent obsession) - just because that's what I had on hand.

I think it would be great it a whole wheat wrap with the addition of diced tomatoes and red onion.

It could also be served with pita or regular corn chips for a party.

Toss on top of a green salad with a hard crumbled cheese and cherry tomatoes.


__________
*I place chicken breasts, frozen or thawed/fresh, into the crockpot with some chicken stock and let cook 6-8 hours on low; then shred.
** Use less or omit if you are not a spicy fan
***I would probably normally just say 1 normal lime, but because of the current Mexican lime shortage, they are tiny right now!

Mini Pizzas in No Time!

My best friend introduced me to these wonderful English Muffin Pizzas.  They are super easy to make on a night when you don't have much time or energy.  They are completely customizable and perfect for those days your kid brings some unexpected friends over!  I've added a few extra steps if you would like to make them taste a little better than basic kid food pizza - but they're great no matter what.  I also buy "light" versions of some of the ingredients to make it a little healthier.  This is one of those things I just make on the fly without a recipe - so feel free to tweak it to your liking.  Hope you enjoy!

English Muffin Pizzas
Makes 12

1 pkg 6 English muffins
1 jar (8-12oz) Pizza sauce
1 pkg shredded mozzarella cheese (you will not use the entire package)
1 pkg pepperoni (you will not use the entire package)
Optional: Other pizza toppings of your choice
Optional: Garlic salt or garlic powder and Italian seasoning

1.  Slice muffins and lay each slice face up on a baking sheet.  (I recommend to line it with parchment paper for easier clean up from the melted cheese.)  Optional:  Sprinkle seasonings on each muffin.  Place in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 5 minutes to lightly toast the tops of the muffins.  (This helps prevent the sauce from making the muffins soggy.)
2.  Optional:  Place pepperonis in a single layer on either a broiler pan or crinkled foil on a baking sheet and place in the oven for 5 minutes to help heat and crisp them.
3.  To assemble pizzas, first spread about one tablespoon of sauce evenly on each muffin.  Place a small handful of cheese on top.  Then place 3-5 pepperonis and/or other toppings of your choosing.
4.  Cook in the  preheated 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes, until cheese is melted and the muffins are toasted.

Abracadabra - It's Magic!

I first had Magic Grapes at a friend's bachelorette party, and couldn't stop eating them!  Delish!  They are a super easy party snack - only takes a few seconds to make, just be sure to prepare them the night before!

Magic Grapes
1 bag (about 4 cups) seedless red grapes
1 small pkg cherry or raspberry Jell-O

1.  Place grapes and Jell-O powder in a Ziploc bag, seal, and shake until grapes are well-coated.
2.  Remove grapes and place them in another bag or on a baking sheet to avoid them sticking together (and getting super messy!)
3.  Freeze thoroughly.

Serve these frozen - just make sure there are napkins nearby!

Pizza-Pasta Bake

I was on my way home from work the other day, and realized my husband was gone for work and we had nothing prepared for dinner.  We generally keep our meat in the freezer so we didn't really have anything to make quickly.  I began brainstorming and remembered we had some pepperoni and always have most types of shredded cheese stocked in the freezer.  I checked when I got home and we also had pizza and pasta tomato sauces, but nothing to make a quick pizza on.  So I made up my own dish and made my pizza on pasta!  (I'm sure it's nothing new, but it was to me, and I didn't use a recipe - so this is my creation!)  I am going to put a combination of what I used and what I would recommend since I was using what was available in the freezer/pantry, but you could get larger amounts at the store.

Gretchen's Pizza-Pasta Bake 
Serves 8

1 pkg penne pasta (I used organic brown rice pasta - gluten-free!!)
2 1/2 c. tomato sauce (pizza or pasta sauce, I used a little of both)
2 1/2 c. shredded mozzarella (or other Italian) cheese (mine was a blend of provolone and mozzarella, and I also added some grated parmesan on top)
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp Italian seasoning (could substitute oregano and/or basil, but I recommend getting some Italian seasoning anyway if you don't have it already - I use it on everything!)
1/4 tbsp crushed red peppers flakes (optional, adds spice)

1.  Cook pasta al dente, according to package directions.
2.  Toss the drained pasta with the garlic, seasoning, and pepper.
3.  In a 9"x13" casserole dish (prepped with nonstick spray), layer 1/2 of the pasta mixture.  Then layer 1/2 of the sauce, followed by 1/2 of the cheese.  Create an entire layer of pepperoni (so they cover most of the cheese without overlapping) on top.  Repeat all four layers with the remaining ingredients.
4.  Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 25-30 minutes.

Step 3

Step 2

Step 4

Chocolatey Chocolatey Cookies :)

So I made both of these cookie recipes recently.  I'm actually not a huge cookie fan, but thought they were good, and the others who ate them raved about them.  (Mine did not come out looking like the pictures from the original recipes, so I am using their pictures so you can get a better idea.)  Pick your poison: Nutella or dark chocolate chip!

Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies 

Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies

Source: blog.al.com

2 c. all-purpose flour 1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c. butter (1 stick)
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
1-1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 c. Nutella
1-1/2 c. chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and prep baking sheets with silpats or parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.
3. Using an electric mixer, cream the butter, the sugar and the brown sugar. Add the eggs and the vanilla until combined.
4. Gradually add the flour until the mixture is combined.
5. Mix in the Nutella. Finally, add in the chocolate chips.
6. Use ice cream scoop (or just form balls) and drop on baking sheets and bake for 9-11 minutes.

Flourless Fudge Chocolate Chip Cookies

Flourless Fudge Chocolate Chip Cookies

Source: chocolateandcarrots.com

3 c. powdered sugar2/3 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 tsp salt
2-4 large egg whites, at room temperature
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 c. dark chocolate chips

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prep baking sheets with silpats or parchment paper.
2.  In a large bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar with cocoa powder and salt.
3.  Whisk in the vanilla and egg whites starting with just two.  Beat just until the batter is moistened. If it seems too thick, add another egg white, then a 4th one if it still seems too thick.  (I think 3 1/2 would have been best.)
4.  Stir in the chocolate chips.
5.  Scoop the batter (able tbsp-sized scoops) onto the prepared baking sheets.
6.  Bake for 12-14 minutes, until the tops are glossy and lightly cracked.  Allow to cool.

Time for Take-Out ... in the Slow Cooker!

As you know, I am not a big fan of Asian foods; however, I do love orange chicken from Panda Express.  So, I have always been on the lookout for a recipe close to what I can buy.  Generally, what I've tried has come out too orangey.  I am sad to say it did again this time, but I was able to fix it.  I found the recipe on Pinterest from a great slow cooker blog and my husband made it with some rice.

Crockpot Orange Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chopped into small chunks
1/3 cup flour
Olive oil
1/2 tbsp salt
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp ketchup
6 oz. frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
4 tbsp brown sugar
Red pepper flakes, to taste


1.  In a bowl, mix the orange juice, brown sugar, vinegar, salt, and ketchup.  Note: If all diners enjoy a little spice, go ahead and add a tablespoon or so of the red pepper flakes.
2.  Pour the flour in a (separate) small bowl.  Coat the chicken breast chunks in flour and shake off the excess.
3.  Pour a small amount of olive oil in a skillet and brown the flour-covered chicken.  Note: The chicken does not need to be fully cooked since it is going in the crockpot.
4.  Place the cooked chicken pieces into the crockpot.  Cover with your sauce mixture and give the pot a stir.  Cook on low for 5-6 hours or on high for 2-3 hours.
5.  Serve over rice and even add your favorite veggies if desired.  Season with red pepper flakes to desired taste.  
(This recipe is quite acidic because of the amount of orange juice used, so I definitely recommend serving with rice to absorb some of that acid!)

ABC Chicken

Amazing Balsamic Caprese Chicken that is!  This was the easiest dinner ever - it's elegant and delicious.  Perfect for a dinner party.  I'm a sucker for some great fresh mozzarella, but normally eat in on bread - hadn't thought of this amazing chicken idea!  My husband marinated it and I did the rest - we didn't use a recipe and neither of us measured, so I will give suggested measurements, but feel free to do what seems right.  Sorry - that's really my style of cooking; I just like to play around with flavor!  We served it with a caesar salad and roasted potatoes, but it could also be great as a sandwich on some thick toasted bread.  Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Amazing Balsamic Caprese Chicken
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
balsamic vinegar (2 tbsp)
olive oil (2 tbsp)
crushed/minced garlic (1 tbsp)
fresh mozzarella (4 1/4" slices)
fresh basil (8-12 large leaves)
tomato (4 1/4" thick slices)
panko breadcrumbs (optional - 3 tbsp)
balsamic glaze (to taste, about 2 tbsp)

1.  Place first 4 ingredients in a large ziploc bag.  Allow to marinate (in fridge) for a few hours.
2.  Remove breasts from bag and place in a baking dish.  If using breadcrumbs for added crunch, place about 1/2 tbsp evenly on each.
3.  Bake about 30 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven.
4.  Remove from oven.   Top each chicken breast with cheese, basil, and tomato.  Sprinkle remaining panko crumbs on top.  Return to oven for an additional 5 minutes.
5.  Drizzle glaze overtop and serve.

(See below for potato recipe.)

Potayto, Potahto.

I love red roasted potatoes, but they generally have too much rosemary for me.  So, I adapted the recipe and added more of my favorite spices.  Result?  Totally fabulous!!!

Red Roasted Potatoes
(adapted from marthastewart.com)

2 lbs baby red potatoes, quartered
2 2/3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
salt and pepper to taste

1.  Place potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet.  Toss with oil and spices, then spread in a single layer.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
2.  Roast in a 425 degree oven (stirring once halfway) for about 30 minutes until potatoes are soft inside with a crisp outer layer.

AMAZING Gluten-Free Pizza!!! :)

So I found some gluten-free bread mixes in my cupboard and thought I'd put them to use!  I'm a feta fanatic, so I decided on a spinach feta pizza.  It was fabulous!  I'm sure I'll be making it again and again!  I actually went ahead and made a pepperoni pizza as well - it was pretty average.  Pizza is the best thing to play around with - it's hard to go wrong!  Feel free to experiment, but here's what I did (adapted from http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/spinach-feta-pizza/detail.aspx, which includes a regular dough recipe):


Spinach Feta Pizza

Dough:
1 pkg. Chebe gluten-free bread mix
2 eggs
4 tbsp milk
2 tbsp olive oil
3/4 c. freshly grated parmesan cheese (optional, but highly recommended!!)

Topping:

• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/8 tsp garlic salt
• 2 c. chopped fresh spinach
• 1 small red onion, chopped
• 1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 c. crumbled feta cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 
  
• 1. Mix dough ingredients as recommended on package.  Flatten with a rolling pin (I don't have one, so I improvised with a glass - it worked just fine).  It should form a 12" circle, about 1/8" thick.  Pinch the edges to create a small crust.
• 2.  Sprinkle garlic and garlic salt evenly on dough.  Spread the mozzarella, then spinach, then onions.  Top with the feta and finish with basil.
• 3.  Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for about 25 minutes, until crust is golden.  
• 
  
•  

Best-Ever Biscuits!

I am not always the biggest fan of biscuits.  They tend to be somewhat crunchy; I prefer softer breads.  I found this recipe recently (from http://monstermama-monstermama.blogspot.com, but she got it from another blog...) and thought it seemed pretty easy so I gave it a try:

7-Up Biscuits
Makes 9

2 c. Bisquick
1/2 c. sour cream
1/2 c. 7-Up
1/4 c. melted butter

1.  Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2.  Cut sour cream into the Bisquick mix, then add 7-Up.  Mix until well blended and forms a soft dough.
3.  Pat out dough (on parchment or Bisquick-sprinkled surface) to form a square.  Cut into 9 even squares.
4.  Pour melted butter into a 9" square baking pan.  Place individual biscuits on top of melted butter.
5.  Bake 12-15 minutes, until golden brown.

How did it turn out?  Fabulous!  My husband immediately wanted to make sure I saved the recipe and would be making them again soon.  I actually made a batch the next morning for Sunday school.  The best part is that they have butter baked in, so you don't really need to add anymore!  They would be great with a jam, or just plain next to your Thanksgiving dinner!  Enjoy :)

(pictures to come)