White Chicken Enchiladas

I've seen these posted on Pinterest and repinned all the time. My friend has made them a few times and claims that this is the best enchilada recipes ever. So I decided to make them the other night for dinner. The flavor was good but not great and the tortilla on the enchilada seemed a little soggy. I will definitely try this again but with a little tweaking. I will probably add some jalapenos in addition to the green chilies to kick it up a notch and a little less sauce.

White Chicken Enchiladas
slightly adapted from Plain Chicken

Ingredients
8 flour tortillas, soft taco size
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup light sour cream
2 (4-oz) cans diced green chilies

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Spray a 9x13 glass pan with cooking spray. Mix chicken and 1 cup of cheese. Roll up in tortillas and place in pan seam side down.
3. In a small sauce pan over medium heat, melt butter. Whisk in flour and cook 1 minute. Add broth and whisk until smooth. Allow sauce to thicken. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream and green chilies.
4. Pour sauce over enchiladas and top with remaining cheese. Bake 20-25 minutes and then broil for a few minutes to brown the cheese.

Stuffed Peppers with Turkey and Brown Rice

When I was growing up I hated when my dad made stuffed peppers. Now years later I'm not sure why I didn't like them. They are so delicious! I made these the other night for dinner and definitely got lots of praise from my husband. I've had different versions of stuffed bell peppers and this is my favorite by far. The turkey and brown rice really makes me feel like I'm eating a lot healthier, without sacrificing taste.

Stuffed Peppers with Turkey and Brown Rice
adapted from Kalyn's Kitchen

Ingredients
1 cup cooked brown rice
4 large green bell peppers
1 large onion
3 tsp olive oil
1 package (4 links) sweet Italian turkey sausage
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt, pepper, Tony Chachere's, onion powder and garlic powder to taste
Jar of spaghetti sauce, any brand you prefer
1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Trim bottom of peppers so they have a flat surface to stand on. Cut a fairly generous amount of the stem of the peppers and remove the seeds. Set stems aside.
3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and submerge the cut peppers in the water. Boil for 3 minutes to soften them. Drain water and place peppers in a small baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray.
4. Take stems of the peppers and trim off any white membrane. Dice pepper caps and the onion. Heat 2 tsp olive oil in a large skillet, saute diced peppers and onions 3-4 minutes or until soften.
5. Remove sausage from casings and add to skillet with peppers and onions. Cook until browned, breaking apart with a wooden spoon. Add dried spices at this time. Season to taste. Add cooked rice and Parmesan cheese to mixture and cook just long enough to warm. Taste and add more spices if needed.
6. Stuff the filling mixture into the hollowed out peppers, using a spoon to press the mixture down so it's tightly packed. If you have any extra filling you can put in a small ramekin and bake along with the peppers.
7. Spoon spaghetti sauce over tops of stuffed peppers, letting any extra fall into the baking dish.
8. Bake for 30 minutes, remove from oven and top with mozzarella cheese and bake another 10-15 minutes, until cheese is melted and lightly browned.

Cilantro Lime Crock-pot Chicken

This is an extremely easy chicken dinner recipe that my friend Karen shared with me. Just throw everything in the crock-pot in the morning and you will walk into your house after work to the most delicious aroma! I tried serving these with flour tortillas but they are, by far, best served with corn tortillas. The leftovers would probably be delicious in a tortilla soup or enchiladas.

Cilantro Lime Crock-Pot Chicken


Ingredients:

1 jar of your favorite salsa
Juice of 1 large lime
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 pack taco seasoning
3 boneless chicken breast

Directions:

Place combine first 4 ingredients in crock-pot. Stir to combine.
Add chicken
Cook on low 6-8 hours
Shred chicken, place back in crock-pot and stir. Keep warm until ready to serve.
Serve on corn tortillas

Mom's Roast and Veggies

This is the recipe for the delicious roast my mom used to make when I was growing up. Although I've tweaked it a little it is still as delicious as my mom's. I've added my dad's twist to it by stuffing cloves of garlic into the roast while it is cooking. I think this gives the roast such an added boost of flavor. Hope you love it as much as I did!

Mom's Roast and Veggies

Ingredients: 
1 4-5 pound rump roast
3-4 cloves of garlic, peeled and cut in half
1 can golden mushroom soup mix
2-3 cans beef broth
1 onion, sliced
1 package Lipton onion soup mix
4-5 large carrots, peeled and sliced
1 small package sliced mushrooms

Directions:
1. Trim excess fat off roast. Stuff roast with cut pieces of garlic. It's easiest to pierce the roast with a knife then stuff the garlic down the hole.
2. Season roast with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and tony chacheries. Set aside.
3. In a large dutch oven, whisk together golden mushroom soup mix and one can of beef broth.
4. Add roast and cover with onions and lipton onion soup mix
5. Bake at 350 degrees for about 3 hours.
6. At hour 3 take roast out and add sliced mushrooms and carrots. If most of the liquid has evaporated add another can of beef broth at this time.
7. Bake for another hour or until veggies are cooked all the way through.

To make gravy:

1. Remove roast and veggies from pot
2. Scrape sides of pot to remove any "brown" goodness stuck to the side. Add one can of beef broth to the pot.
3. Place on stove-top and bring to a rolling boil.
4. Meanwhile, combine 1/4 cup flour and 1 cup hot water in a measuring cup. Whisk to remove any lumps.
5. Add flour and water mixture to boiling drippings. Whisk to ensure you get no lumps in your gravy. Let cook, while whisking, for about 5 minutes or until thickened.

Serve with brown rice and enjoy!

Pepper Jelly Pork Chops and Brussels Sprouts

Pepper Jelly Pork Chops

Ingredients
4 (3/4 inch think) bone-in pork chops
3/4 tsp ground pepper
3 tbsp butter, divided
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp flour
1 large jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 red pepper jelly

Directions
1. Season pork with salt and pepper. Melt 1 tbsp butter with olive oil in skillet. Add pork chops and cook 8 minutes, flip over and cook 10 minutes on other side. Remove from skillet.
2. Add flour and jalapeño to skillet. Cook, stirring constantly, 1-2 minutes or until flour is golden brown.
3. Add wine, stir to loosen particles from bottom of skillet. Cook 1 minute or until almost completely reduced.
4. Add chicken broth and cook 2-3 minutes or until mixture begins to thicken. Whisk in pepper jelly until melted and smooth. Cook 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in remaining 2 tbsp butter. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add pork chops; turn to coat.

Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta and Potatoes


Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 pound pancett, chopped
1 lb small potatoes, chopped small
2 cups Brussel sprouts, halved
1/2 lb pearl onions, peeled
1/2 cup chicken broth
salt and pepper

Directions
1. Add olive oil to a large saute pan, heat on medium. Add pancetta to pan and cook until crispy. Remove pancetta and drain the half of the fat out of the pan.
2. Add brussel sprouts, potatoes, and onions to pan. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until slightly browned.
3. Add chicken stock. Cover and steam 3-5 minutes or until liquid has evaporated and vegetables are tender.

Pork Stir Fry

Sweet and Sour Pork

From Food Network

Ingredients

• 1 pound pork tenderloin, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• Kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons ketchup
• 3 tablespoons sugar, plus a pinch
• 3 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 carrots, thinly sliced
• 3 scallions, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 3 cups snow peas, cut in half

Directions

Toss the pork with 1/2 tablespoon vinegar and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Mix the remaining 2 tablespoons vinegar, the soy sauce, cornstarch, ketchup, 3 tablespoons sugar, 1/3 cup water and 1/2 teaspoon salt in another bowl.

Heat 2 tablespoons peanut oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat. Add the pork and slowly stir until it turns mostly opaque, about 2 minutes. Remove the pork with a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate. Discard the oil and wipe out the skillet.

Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon peanut oil in the skillet, then stir-fry the garlic with a pinch each of salt and sugar, 15 seconds. Add the carrots and scallions and stir-fry until crisp-tender, 2 minutes. (Add a little water if the garlic starts to stick to the skillet.) Add the pork, snow peas and soy sauce mixture; stir until the pork is cooked through and the sauce is thickened, about 3 minutes.

Pork Chops and Fried Rice

This is a recipe that my mom made while I was growing up. I actually had to call her today to make sure I remembered the recipe correctly. Another really easy recipe with lots of flavor. The key here is to make sure not to over cook the pork chops.

Pork Chops and Fried Rice

Ingredients:
4 boneless pork chops
1 cup uncooked rice
3 eggs
3 tbsp chopped cooked bacon
3 green onions, thinly sliced
2 tbsp soy sauce
season to taste (garlic powder, onion powder, pepper)

Directions:
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add rice and boil rice for about 14 minutes or until tender. Drain and set aside.
2. Lightly season pork chops with salt, pepper, and a drizzle of soy sauce.
3. Brown pork chops on both sides and set aside.
4. In another pan, scramble eggs, then add cooked bacon (I used precooked bacon found on the salad dressing isle), rice, and green onions.
5. Season mixture with soy sauce and any additional seasonings. I usually just taste it until it's seasoned enough.
6. Pour rice mixture into a 9x13 glass dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Flatten rice in dish and place pork chops on top.
7. Cover dish with foil and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until pork chops are no longer pink.

Boudin Stuffed Chicken Breasts

One of my favorite foods is boudin. My dad has been making lots of homemade boudin and brought some over the last time he and my mom visited. I really wasn't in the mood to grill outside, which is the way we normally cook our boudin, so I had to think of another way to cook the boudin. As I researched on the internet I came across a Manda recipe for boudin stuffed chicken breasts. I adapted it slightly adding a little more seasonings and it came out delicious! Hope you enjoy.

Boudin Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts, pounded out to get an even thickness
2 links of boudin, removed from the casing
1/2 can cream of chicken
Seasoning to taste (just salt and pepper works here)

Directions:
1. Mix the boudin and cream of chicken in a small bowl
2. Lightly season both sides of the chicken and place a couple of spoonfuls of boudin on the chicken.
3. Roll the chicken with the boudin inside and secure with toothpicks
4. Grill (I used an indoor grill pan) the chicken for about 25-30 minutes or until no longer pink. Make sure you flip the chicken over several time to ensure even cooking.

**Next time I make this I am going to wrap the stuffed chicken breasts with bacon and then cook them.