Chicken Tamale Pie

Yes, this tastes almost exactly like a real chicken tamale, without all the crazy work. It's ridiculously easy to put together, and everyone in my family likes it. It is a whole meal in one, just add a salad and you are good to go!

I love that I can serve my family something that is healthy, without sacrificing taste or variety. Try this guy out and let me know what you think!

Chicken Tamale Pie:
1/3 c. milk
1/4 c. egg
1/2 T. taco seasoning
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1-15 oz. can creamed corn
1-8.5 oz. box Jiffy corn muffin mix
1-4 oz. can diced green chilies, drained
1-10 oz. can red enchilada sauce, any heat level
1 T. taco seasoning
1 lb. chicken, shredded, can use breasts or thighs
3/4 c. shredded cheese
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine milk, egg, 1/2 T. taco seasoning, ground red pepper flakes, creamed corn, muffin mix and chilies in a large bowl, stirring together just until combined. Pour mixture into a greased round pie plate. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until it is barely set and golden brown. While that is baking, combine the chicken with 1 T. taco seasoning, and the enchilada sauce. When the corn mixture has set enough, pierce it all over with a fork. Pour the chicken mixture over the top spreading evenly. Top with cheese. Bake again at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, or just until the cheese melts. Cut and serve!

Shoyu Chicken

Our family has become a big fan of the CROCKPOT! With three kiddos now, and schedules changing all the time, I still want to feed my family a healthy and nutritious meal each night. Thank goodness for being able to throw things together, and letting them cook slowly throughout the day!

The first time I made this for my family, I didn't quite know what to serve with it. Since then, and after I took this picture, we have discovered our favorite way to top it is with fruits and veggies. Don't be alarmed, when I say fruit, I mean pineapple chunks. :) Feel free to try this "Hawaiian Chicken". It really hits the spot, especially with some cooler temps coming our way.

Shoyu Chicken:
1/2 c. soy sauce
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 c. water
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 onion, chopped finely
1 tsp. grated ginger
1 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 T. dried Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flake
2 lbs. chicken (thighs or breasts, or combo)
Whisk together all ingredients, except the chicken, in a bowl. Put the chicken in a crock pot, sprayed with cooking spray, to keep from sticking. Cover the chicken with the sauce mixture. Cover and let cook on low for 8 hours, or high for 4 hours. Shred chicken with 2 forks, and then let it keep warm in the crockpot with all the cooking juices until ready to serve. Serve over cooked rice.
Toppings can include: fried chow mein noodles, celery, pineapple chunks, jalapeño, possibilities are endless. :)

Long absence

Long time away, now it's time to play....in the kitchen, that is!

Thanks for your patience with me, here we go again!

Citrus Pound Cake

There is nothing like a light and bright dessert when the warmer months come around. We wanted something special for our Easter Sunday meal a couple weeks ago, and decided to try something new. We loved this pound cake. It tasted a lot like a citrus shortbread, with a light glaze frosting on top. It is a change from a normal pound cake dessert, and we really liked that the taste was a citrussy-pop without being overbearing.

There was one minor drawback to this dessert. It did take a while to throw together and bake, but it was definitely worth the wait!

Citrus Pound Cake:
CAKE:                                                                               GLAZE:
1 c. butter, softened                                                            1 c. powdered sugar
2 1/4 c. sugar                                                                      2-3 T. milk
zest of 1 lemon                                                                   1 tsp. vanilla extract
zest of 1 orange
4 eggs
1/2 c. water
3 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 c. Greek yogurt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. orange extract
juice of 1 lemon
To the butter, add sugar and zests, cream together until they are light and fluffy. Add the eggs beating well after each. Add flour, salt and baking soda. Add the Greek yogurt and beat until batter is smooth. Add the extracts and lemon juice. Beat until combined. Prepare an 11 c. bundt cake pan by coating with cooking spray. Pour batter into the pan. Bake at 325 for 1 hour, until just done. Cool cake on a cooling rack for 10 minutes and then remove from the pan. While cake is cooking, combine the ingredients for the glaze and stir with a fork until the glaze is smooth. Just after the cake comes out of the pan, drizzle with the glaze. Enjoy!!

Easy Breadsticks

The other day we were making dinner and I realized we only had sauce and noodles, whoops!!!

Enter this insanely easy breadstick recipe, along with some fruit and salad, but we'll stick to the bread! In the time it took my husband to call, drive home, and get his work stuff put away (45 minutes) these were ready with the rest of dinner. That is my kind of bread! These were really good, especially since I didn't give them time to rise. If I were to make them again, I would give them time in between to rise, but the fact that you don't have to to have delicious homemade bread with dinner is a win in my book.

Enjoy the easiness of the bread, and the less stress that comes with this breadstick!

Breadsticks:
1 T. yeast
1 1/2 c. warm water
2 T. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. butter
garlic salt
In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm water and sugar. Add flour and salt. Mix and knead bread for 3 minutes. Cover and let rise for 10 minutes. Roll out to 1/2-inch thickness. Melt the butter in the microwave for a few seconds, until just melted, and brush over dough. Cut dough into strips and put on a greased cookie sheet. Sprinkle the dough with A LITTLE garlic salt. Let rise for another 15 minutes (this is the rising step I skipped, but the texture would be even better if you have a few extra minutes.) While the dough is rising again, preheat oven to 350 degrees, and then bake for 20 minutes. Can sprinkle with a little Parmesan cheese once they come out as well. :)

S'more Rice Krispie Treats

I Know, right?!!


One of the most viewed recipes on this blog is for the Butterfinger Rice Krispie Treats, if you liked those you will LOVE these. I actually like these a little bit more because they aren't so chocolatey-rich.

I don't know about your family, but mine is getting camping hungry!! We have had a good stretch of GORGEOUS weather, and it is making it hard to not dream of those summer nights camping in the mountains, or even your own back yard! My daughter asked me last night if we could make s'mores. Of course, I had to try something, they sounded so good, thus this delicious treat came about.

The best part about this recipe is how EASY it was to create and make! My kids did most of the work, I just did the part over the stove. It's amazing how much kids like to cook and help in the kitchen when you let them do so. Don't get me wrong, it is NOT easy to let them help!!! Everything takes longer and becomes a much larger mess, but it is so important to let them help when they can. We've found in our family, when we let the kids help with the little things, they are much more likely to help with the bigger things when they are asked.

Take my word for it, make these for your next family treat, I promise you'll love them!!!!

S'more Rice Krispie Treats:
3 T. butter
1-10.5 oz. package of mini marshmallows
4 c. Rice Krispies cereal
2 c. honey graham crackers, crushed
1 c. semisweet chocolate chips, divided
Line a 9x13" pan with cooking spray. Melt the butter in a large sauce pan. Add the marshmallows, and stir continuously until the marshmallows and melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Add in the cereal and graham crackers and stir until coated. Add a 1/2 c. chocolate chips and stir into the treats. Drop the mixture into your 9x13" pan, and spread and pat it down evenly. Finish it off with a light sprinkle of the remaining chocolate chips on top. Let cool completely before serving.

Nacho Casserole

There is nothing better than a meal you can put together quickly that everyone will eat.

I put together this meal when we had a bunch of leftovers in the fridge that needed to be used before going on vacation. Add a couple staples from the pantry, and voila! My 2 and 4 year old kids ate without complaint, and I was happy it had so much protein to keep them full with good energy.

Nacho Casserole:
favorite tortilla chips
shredded chicken or pork (you could also use ground beef if you have that around)
1-2 c. shredded cheese
1-15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 tsp. taco seasoning
1-4 oz. can diced green chilies
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13" baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Place a layer of tortilla chips in the bottom of the pan. Next spread 1/2 the meat, then a layer of cheese, a layer of black beans and 1/2 the green chilies. Then repeat the layers. Sprinkle the top with a little taco seasoning. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and everything is warm. Serve immediately!