Get ready for the easiest enchiladas on the planet! All thanks to my sister’s friend, Megan (thanks, Megan!). These are a family favorite and I make them ALL the time. 5 ingredients, that’s it! Chicken, cheese, Ro-tel tomatoes, tortillas, and enchilada sauce. Boom, done! You can easily customize these based on what you’ve got in the pantry/fridge -black beans, corn, peppers…whatever. Thumbs way, way up.
5 Ingredient Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas
1 1/2 – 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken*
8-10 flour tortillas
1 10-oz can Ro-tel tomatoes, drained
1 14.5-oz can salsa verde (green) enchilada sauce (I like Old El Paso brand)
shredded cheddar cheese
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the chicken and Ro-tel tomatoes.
Spoon the chicken/tomato filling into each tortilla, roll, and place in a greased 9×13 baking dish. Pour the sauce over the enchiladas and top with cheese. Cover and bake for about 25-30 minutes, until bubbly. Serves 4.
*You can use a rotisserie chicken, or cook and shred your own. My grocery store sells pre-cooked, seasoned, shredded chicken that makes these even easier!
Moist, flavorful chicken, sautéed peppers and onions, and pepperjack cheese get cozy and melty inside toasty flour tortillas to make the ultimate quesadilla. Another weeknight winner!
I wish I had some funny, quirky story to share about something that happened to us recently, but in all honesty, NOTHING has happened to us lately (except sickness, and that’s anything but fun). In fact, the most exciting thing I’ve done this week is walk to the mailbox. And you can only do that once a day.
Yes, we’ve been confined to our house for like, a month (ok not quite that long), and I’ve HAD it. I need out. I need air. That’s why, this weekend, come hell or high water, we’re busting out. The kids are going to their grandparents’ house and Joel and I are going on a date. I don’t care if it’s 50 below outside. I’m going. Wish me luck.
Anyway, these quesadillas. These are soooo good. So cheesy and full of flavor. There’s really not much else to say about them. Other than they’re perfect for busy weeknights or quick lunches. I use a liquid fajita marinade/seasoning called La Fabulosa that’s easily found in my local grocery stores here in Texas, but if you don’t have access to something like that, you can use any other kind of fajita seasoning or marinade. Easy, quick, super delicious. Boom.
Chicken Fajita Quesadillas
2 chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch chunks
2 bell peppers, cut into strips
1 onion, sliced into thin rings
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon liquid fajita marinade/seasoning
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon brown sugar
flour tortillas
pepper jack cheese, shredded
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Melt butter in a large pan over medium-high heat. Cook the onions and peppers until beginning to soften; about 5-7 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add the water to deglaze the pan and scrape up all the brown bits.
Add chicken and season with salt, pepper, liquid seasoning, and brown sugar. Cook until no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
Place the cheese, veggies, and chicken between 2 tortillas and bake for about 5 minutes, just to melt the cheese. Makes approximately 4 large quesadillas.
Sing For Your Supper original recipe
I looooove roast chicken. It’s one of my favorite things to make because a.) it’s super easy, b.) it makes the house smell amazing, and c.) it tastes awesome. I recently had some massive bone-in skin-on chicken breasts and decided to roast them just like I do a whole chicken. Except even easier. Just smear them with olive oil (or butter, if you prefer), sprinkle on a little salt, pepper, and chopped rosemary, squirt a couple of lemons on top and pop ’em in the oven. Could NOT be simpler!
Lemon Rosemary Roast Chicken Breasts
3 or 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts, rinsed and patted dry
olive oil
salt
pepper
2 lemons, cut into halves
3 or 4 sprigs fresh rosemary (chop one sprig and leave the others whole)
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the chicken breasts on a baking sheet and rub generously with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and the chopped rosemary. Squirt the lemon halves over the chicken. Arrange the lemon halves and whole rosemary sprigs on the baking sheet around the chicken.
Bake for 30-40 minutes until skin is lightly browned and juices run clear. Serves 3-4.
How was everyone’s Thanksgiving? Ours was wonderful- Cassidy seemed to really love Thanksgiving food, which made mommy proud. 🙂 We’ve been eating nothing but leftovers lately, which is awesome, but I’m ready for some different flavors now (I think it’s probably a good idea to lay off the pie for awhile, too). 😉 When I saw a recipe for Mexican quinoa on Annie’s blog, I immediately added the idea to my short list. So glad I did- this exceeded my expectations big time! I really love quinoa any way I can get it, but the addition of chicken, tomatoes, and Mexican spices just puts it over the top.
If you’re feeling hesitant about this recipe, just go for it! Trust me, you’ll love it! Quinoa might sound intimidating and weird, but it’s really not- it’s easy as can be and super yummy! Give this one a try- you’re Thanksgiving-overloaded taste buds will thank you!
Mexican Quinoa with Chicken
1 cup quinoa, thoroughly rinsed
1 1/2 cups water
1 tablespoon olive oil
half an onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can rotel tomatoes (diced tomatoes with green chiles)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, fully cooked and shredded
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cumin
pinch cayenne pepper
juice from half a lime
shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream for garnish
In a large pot, sauté onion in the olive oil until translucent; about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook for about a minute. Add water, quinoa, salt, and spices and bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium and cook for 20-25 minutes, until water is absorbed. Stir in beans, tomatoes, chicken, and lime juice. Top with cheese and sour cream if desired. Serves 2.
Recipe source: heavily adapted from Annie’s Eats; originally from Peanut Butter Runner
HI! I’m back! Whew, that was a long hiatus, huh? It was well worth it, though- we have almost the entire house painted (including all the kitchen cabinets), a few pictures on the walls, cable and internet set up, all the dishes are put away, and Cassidy’s room is all set up. Things are getting there. Now all I have to do is get my fall decorations out and I’m all set! 🙂
Anyway, with all this moving madness going on, there’s simply no time to cook. That’s why the crockpot is my dear, dear friend. Throw some chicken and seasonings in, let it do its thing, and you’ve got a home-cooked dinner. Which is good, because if I have to eat out one more time I think I’ll lose my mind! This is one of our favorite easy weeknight meals; every time I make it, Joel raves about it. I like to serve it along with some green beans and roasted potatoes, but it goes great with any side dish!
Crockpot Italian Chicken
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup sundried tomatoes, roughly chopped
1/3 cup bottled Italian salad dressing (I like Newman’s Own Oil & Vinegar or House Italian)
1/3 cup water
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon flour
Place all ingredients in the crockpot and cook on low for 8 hours (or high for 4-6 hours), until chicken is tender and moist.
Remove chicken from crockpot and set aside. Pour all the cooking juices in a pan and cook over low heat. In a small bowl, mix the 1 tablespoon flour with 1 tablespoon of the hottest tap water. Whisk together with a fork until a smooth paste is made. Whisk the paste into the cooking juices to thicken. Whisk until bubbling and slightly thickened. Taste for seasoning.
Shred the chicken and spoon the sauce over the top. Serves 4.
Recipe source: Sing For Your Supper original
There are 2 kinds of people who will read this blog post: those who know what Raising Cane’s is, and those who don’t. If you are lucky enough to be familiar with it, you’ll know Raising Canes (or Layne’s for you loyalist Aggies out there- myself included) is a fast food restaurant that serves nothing but chicken fingers and fries.
And an awesome, awesome dipping sauce.
As far as I know, it’s mostly us Southern (and a few Midwestern) states that have Cane’s restaurants, but it looks like they’ll be expanding all over before too long. Then it’ll be Cane’s for all! Yippee!
If you know Cane’s sauce, this post will having you jumping for joy. If you don’t, all you need to know is that it’s the best thing to happen to chicken since….well, frying, I guess. It’s mayonnaise-based with a tangy, spicy kick. IT’S AWESOME. Just make it, and try it.
Raising Cane’s Dipping Sauce
1/2 cup mayonnaise (not miracle whip!)
1/4 cup ketchup
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
1/8 teaspoon (just a splash) white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Mix all ingredients and chill until ready to serve. Serve with chicken strips or nuggets (fries are also great dipped in it!). Serves 2-4.
Recipe source: adapted from Food.com
Mmm, Chick-fil-a. We ALL love it, right? The sweet tea, the chicken sandwiches, the waffle fries…but most importantly, the nuggets. Those sweet, tender little bites of fried chicken heaven.
And now, thanks to this recipe, I hold the power. I can have Chick-fil-a on a SUNDAY if I want. Victory is mine, Chick-fil-a!
Now before you get too excited, let me tell you- these are not totally identical to the Chick-fil-a nuggets. They ARE baked, after all, where Chick-fil-a’s are fried. But, the secret ingredient to making them as close to the real deal as possible? Powdered sugar. Yep, powdered sugar. And it works! So the next time you have a major hankering for those golden, sweet nuggets but don’t want all the fat and calories; just whip up a batch of these babies. Guaranteed to satisfy even the staunchest of Chick-fil-a nugget connoisseurs.
Baked Chick-fil-a Style Chicken Nuggets
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes
1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs (these are Japanese style breadcrumbs and can be found at any grocery store next to the regular breadcrumbs)
1/4 cup regular breadcrumbs
1/2 – 1 teaspoon salt (depending on your tastes)
1/2 pepper
1 teaspoon powdered sugar
olive oil
butter spray
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease a sheet pan with olive oil. Combine the panko, regular breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, and powdered sugar in a pie plate or large plate. Drizzle some olive oil (about 1/4 cup) in another plate.
Toss the chicken pieces in the olive oil, then dredge them in the breadcrumb mixture, making sure each piece is coated evenly. Place the nuggets on the oiled baking sheet and spray the tops with butter spray. Bake for about 12-15 minutes, until golden brown. Serves 2-4.
Recipe source: Sing For Your Supper original
I can easily say this is hands down, the BEST meal we’ve had in a long time! In fact, there are leftovers in the fridge and I can’t stop thinking about them! I dreamed up these tacos when I discovered chicken breasts and a couple of chiles in adobo stashed in my freezer. I had no idea they’d turn out this good. All it took was a brief description to my mom and she was off to the store to get all the ingredients! Spicy, moist chicken topped with a cool, creamy, smoky yogurt sauce…oh man, I’m getting so excited just thinking about it! You MUST make these tacos. You MUST.
Crockpot Chicken Tacos with Chipotle Cream
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 chiles in adobo, whole
1/2 teaspoon salt
juice of 1 lime
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
handful cilantro, stems and all (don’t chop it)
1/2 cup water
flour tortillas
avocado for serving
Throw everything in the crockpot and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Remove chiles and set aside (you’ll need them for the chipotle cream). Remove the stems of cilantro and discard. Using two forks, shred the chicken. Spoon into flour tortillas and top with chipotle cream and avocado. Serves 4.
Chipotle Cream
3/4 cup reduced fat Greek yogurt
reserved chipotle chiles from the chicken mixture, seeds removed and finely diced (at this point, they’ll almost be mush after cooking for so long; all you’ll need to do is mash them up a little)
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
juice of 1 lime
salt
Mix all ingredients in a small bowl until combined.
*If you don’t want your sauce too spicy (those chiles are hot!), you don’t have to use the chiles at all- you can just spoon in a little of the adobo sauce from the can instead. You’ll still get that awesome smoky flavor without all the heat.
Recipe source: Sing For Your Supper original
This picture doesn’t really do this chicken pot pie justice, but I was losing daylight fast and had to snap a quick picture before the whole thing disappeared! We LOVE chicken pot pie. It’s one of those great comfort foods that seem to make a hard day just melt away. I love the creamy white sauce with the juicy chicken and tender vegetables- an absolute winner! I’ve been making this exact recipe for 5 years now and it never, ever disappoints. I normally use store-bought pie crusts because it saves time, but you could absolutely make your own and be totally authentic. 🙂
So, the next time you’re tempted to throw one of those frozen numbers in the microwave- consider making yourself a gorgeous homemade chicken pot pie instead. You’ll be SO glad you did!
Chicken Pot Pie
2 large bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup frozen green peas
1/2 cup frozen green beans
2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into chunks
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
2/3 cup milk
2 (9 inch) unbaked pie crusts
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium pot, cover chicken with water and boil for 30-45 minutes, until tender. Remove bones and skin and shred chicken with two forks and set aside. In a saucepan, combine chicken, carrots, peas, green beans and potatoes. Add water to cover and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and add to shredded chicken.
In a saucepan over medium heat, cook onions in butter until soft and translucent. Stir in flour, salt and pepper. SLOWLY whisk in chicken broth and milk. Simmer over medium-low heat until thick. Remove from heat and set aside.
Press bottom crust into a pie dish and place the chicken mixture in the crust (depending on how deep your pie dish is, you may have a little extra filling- just be sure not to overfill). Pour white sauce over. Cover with top crust, seal edges, and cut away excess dough. Make several small slits in the top to allow steam to escape.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Recipe source: adapted from allrecipes.com
As a new bride (5 years ago this month- yay!), I bought a soup cookbook from Williams-Sonoma so I could learn to make easy, delicious soups for my new husband. I bookmarked a ton of recipes from the book but this one always stood out to me; it claimed to be a 15-minute soup. Intriguing! I tried it and found that not only was it a quick and easy recipe, it was super scrumptious! Joel fell in love with it and I’ve been making it religiously for 5 years now. In fact, this was the very first recipe I ever blogged waaaay back in April 2008 (isn’t it cute? The pictures are just terrible!)! I thought I’d go ahead and re-blog it since it never really got the attention it so deserves. Joel never gets tired of it and as soon as soup season rolls around every year, Chicken Tortilla Soup is his first request! I’m happy to make it for him as often as he wants because I happen to love it too and like I said before- it’s EASY. This isn’t your typical high-fat, loaded with tons of ingredients chicken tortilla soup. It’s base is a flavor-packed broth seasoned with chili powder, cumin and lots of lime juice (my favorite part!), and the zucchini is an authentic addition suggested by my friend Amanda’s mother. It’s simple, full of tons of great flavor and extremely satisfying!
Chicken Tortilla Soup
6 cups chicken stock
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken (I like to roast or poach bone-in chicken breasts until tender, then shred the meat. Additionally, you could also use a store-bought rotisserie chicken)
half an onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 small-medium zucchinis, chopped
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
juice from 2 large limes
salt and pepper to taste
Coat a large saucepan with olive oil over medium-high heat, add onion and zucchini and sautee until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, chipotle chile powder, salt and pepper and stir until fragrant. Pour in stock and bring to a boil. Add the shredded chicken, reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the chicken is heated through. Add the lime juice and taste for seasoning. Ladle into bowls and top with and desired garnishes. Serves 4.
Garnish ideas:
crushed tortilla chips
shredded Monterey Jack cheese
sliced avocado
fresh cilantro
Recipe source: adapted from Williams-Sonoma’s Soup Made Fast
