Pesto Chicken

I love a recipe that's fast and easy. I can't manage time-consuming or complicated on a weeknight, so this meal is a favorite. I always have the ingredients on hand, so I can make it anytime.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken tenderloins (or cut chicken breasts in strips)
• 1 jar pesto 
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• tomatoes (fresh ones cut into slices if it's summer, 1/2 can diced tomatoes if not)
• garlic powder
• salt 
• pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Dump the jar of pesto into a small bowl and stir it up well. 
3. In a casserole dish, spread a small amount of pesto on the bottom. Lay the chicken on top of the pesto, then sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder. 
4. Spread the remaining pesto over the top of chicken. Bake for 20-25 minutes until chicken is almost done. 
5. Take the chicken out of the oven and cover with tomatoes, then sprinkle with the cheese. 
6. Put back in the oven for about 5 minutes until the chicken is done and the cheese is melted. If you want it browned, put it under the broiler for a couple of minutes. 
7. I served it with roasted spaghetti squash. It's also great with pasta, riced cauliflower or zucchini noodles. It makes lots of yummy "sauce" in the pan from the pesto, cheese and tomatoes, so I like to spoon some over my "noodles." 

The Pioneer Woman's Meatloaf With a Twist

The Pioneer Woman- my latest food obsession!  I just love her.  Every recipe of hers I've ever tried has been fabulous.  About a month ago, a friend of mine got her cookbook.  I borrowed it, and in a
couple of hours I'd read it cover to cover.  I read cookbooks just like novels.  Is that weird? 

I don't actually own her cookbook- I'm sure I will soon- but I've found that most of her recipes are online. 

Here is her favorite meatloaf recipe. 



I wasn't a fan of meatloaf growing up, but this was just such wonderful comfort food.  Here's how I made it my own.  I added finely diced onion (about half an onion) and a couple of cloves of finely minced garlic to the mixture.  I just couldn't really imagine ground beef without onion and garlic. 

I was skeptical about the sauce.  I'm not a fan of meatloaf sauces that are too ketchupy (is that a word?).  But I am always a fan of a roasted red pepper.  So, I pureed a roasted red pepper (I used jarred) and added to the sauce.  WOW!!!

We loved this the night we made it, but you know what was OVER THE TOP good?  The next night, I sliced up the leftovers and heated up each slice in a really hot cast iron skillet.  Next time, I'll make it the night before we want to eat it, and reheat the whole thing this way.

Also, because I love a meal waiting on me in the freezer and the recipe seemed large to me, I divided it in half and froze half of it (wrapped tight in foil then bagged in a freezer bag).  The frozen one was just as good! 

The Pioneer Woman- Meatballs

These meatballs are great.  They are NOT for spaghetti!  Imagine little miniature meatloaves that have lots of surface area to get brown and seared. 

Pioneer Woman's Meatballs


(Image from Pioneer Woman)

I made these up ahead of time and stopped right before dredging them in flour.  I put them on some parchment paper on cookie sheets, froze them for a couple of hours, and popped them into a freezer bag to save for later.  On cooking day, I took them out of the freezer that morning to thaw.  Then I just picked up with the flour, browning, sauce and cooking.  So delicious! 

Oh, and guess what I added to the sauce?  Of course- pureed roasted red pepper.  I just can't help it. 

Dr. Pepper Pork Roast

I have a serious Dr. Pepper addiction (not the diet stuff), so I knew I'd love this recipe.  Plus, it's from the Pioneer Woman, so it has to be good. 

I adapted it for the crock-pot, and it worked perfectly!

(Image from The Pioneer Woman)

 

Here's the original recipe!

For the crock-pot, I did pretty much the same thing as the recipe says.  I quartered an onion and put in on the bottom (after putting in my crock pot liner of course- those things are awesome!).  Then, I put in the pork roast after some generous salt and pepper.  I dumped in the can of chipotle peppers and the Dr. Pepper, and I turned it on low and left it all day (probably 10 hours). 

Freezer Cooking

This is not my freezer, but how exciting are all those meals!

 

 

Over the past couple of years, I have fallen in love with freezer cooking!  I used to think about making a bunch of meals for the freezer, but they all seemed to be casseroles or meals that were just okay- nothing special.  Then I found two cookbooks I love- "Don't Panic- Dinner's in the Freezer" and "Fix, Freeze, Feast."  I love to have a big cooking day every couple of months, and get my freezer stocked with great meals.  There is nothing better than coming home from work and not having to do more than stick something in the oven that's already ready to go.  I usually plan out our dinners a week at the time on Sunday night.  The night before, I take the meal out of the freezer and put it in the fridge to thaw.

Chicken breasts were on sale at Ken's IGA this week, so I bought about 12 pounds plus a couple of pounds of pork chops that were reduced for quick sale.  That meant a freezer cooking day for me today!  I picked my recipes, made a shopping list (only 7 items since I had lots on hand), went to the store, and only spent two hours in the kitchen.  Now I have 13 meals in the freezer waiting on me! 

Here's what I made (I made 2 or 3 batches of each): 

• Cajun Braised Skillet Chops (from "Don't Panic- Dinner's in the Freezer), also found here
• Monterrey Chicken found here at freezermealsforus.com
• Chicken with Black Bean and Corn Relish found here
• Buttermilk Herb Chicken (from "Don't Panic") and found here
• This makes some SUPER moist chicken.  I love it cooked on the grill pan!
• Cranberry Chicken (from "Don't Panic" and found here
• When I first read this recipe, I thought it sounded awful!  I finally gave in because my husband thought it sounded good.  It turned out great.  I really like it served over rice.
• Tex-Mex Chicken Fingers (from "Fix, Freeze, Feast") and found here
• We love these, and I always make these last on my cooking days when I'm using chicken breasts.  I can make a few or a ton based on how much chicken I have left, and it's a great way to use any small or oddly cut breast pieces leftover from other recipes. 
• Mashed potatoes (yes you can freeze them easily!)

A few tips from me on freezer cooking:

• I like to stick to one type of meat for a cooking day (ground beef, chicken breasts, etc.). 
• For recipes like chicken enchiladas, etc. that required cooked chicken, I usually use whole chickens or bone-in pieces and boil.  Then you have great chicken broth you can freeze too! 
• I freeze things like lasagna in aluminum pans with aluminum lids I buy at Sam's, but most things I freeze flat in freezer bags. 
• I like to include everything I'll need to cook the meal in one bag.  For example, if I make a chicken dish that has a sauce and gets topped with cheese, I put the sauce in a quart bag, the cheese in a sandwich bag, and put them both inside the gallon bag with the chicken. 
• Read all the recipes first and find like ingredients and preparations.  If you have to chop onions for several recipes, chop them all at once.
• I have recently started freezing mashed potatoes, and I can't believe I used to do it any other way.  When Yukon gold potatoes are on sale (my favorite for mashed potatoes), I buy two bags, dump them straight into a big pot of water, and turn it on the boil.  That's right- I don't peel or chop them.  When they are soft, I drain them, mash them with my potato masher, add some butter, salt, pepper, some kind of garlic and herb seasoning, and chicken broth and mash away!  Then I put them in freezer bags, spread them out flat in the bags, and pop them in the freezer.  When I want them for a meal, I thaw them overnight, dump them into a baking dish, and reheat them in the oven.  I dot the top with a little butter.  I love the slight crust they get when baked! 

Freezer Crock Pot Meals

I don't use my crock pot as much as I should.  When I do, there is nothing better than coming home after a long day to a meal already cooked!  After a recent freezer and pantry clean out and organization spree, I decided I needed to use up some food we had on hand.  So I began meal planning and came across lots of recipes on Pinterest for freezer crock pot meals.  Basically, you assemble the ingredients for the meal in a freezer bag, and it is ready for your crock pot!

For just about an hour of prep work, I have four meals in the freezer ready to be defrosted and dumped in the crock pot!

Stephanie’s Goulash (Originally found at Mama and Baby Love)

3 cups chopped onions
2.5 cups coarsely chopped green bell peppers, about 2 cups.
4 large beets, peeled and diced, about 2 cups (I left these out of mine)
2 cups of baby carrots or diced carrots.
4 cloves garlic, minced.
2-3 pounds beef stew meat, cut into one inch cubes, or whole and you can cut it after it is cooked.
4, 6-ounce can tomato paste.
2 tablespoons of Hungarian paprika or regular paprika (I used regular)
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Divide everything into a gallon freezer bag, shake it up, seal, label and put in the freezer.
Day of cooking, dump it into your slow cooker and cook on high for 4 to 6 hours, or low 6-8 hours, depending on your specific slow cooker.  Serve over 4 cups cooked pasta with sour cream.




Sausage and Peppers



6 Italian Sausage (I cut mine into chunks)
2 green peppers, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 large red onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans italian diced tomatoes
Drizzle of olive oil
1 Tbs Italian seasoning

Put everything into a gallon freezer bag, shake it up, seal, label and put in the freezer. 
Instructions for Bag: Cook on low 8 hours. After cooking, serve over hot pasta or on hollowed out, buttered crusty bread.



Healthy Mama BBQ Chicken (Originally found at Mama and Baby Love)
This recipe was originally for one meal, but it seemed like lots of food to me.  So for mine, I made a few changes to get 2 meals out of it! 



3 medium unpeeled sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch pieces, about 2 cups.
2 large green pepper, cut into strips or cubes, about 2 cups.
1 large red pepper, cut into strips or cubes, about 1 cup.
2 zucchini, chopped, about 2 cups.
2 cups chopped onion.
2 tablespoon flour.
3 pounds chicken thighs or drumsticks.
2 15-ounce can of tomato sauce.
2 15-ounce cans of diced tomatoes.
8 tablespoons packed brown sugar
4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoon ground yellow mustard.
4 clove garlic, finely minced, about 2 tablespoons.
2 teaspoon salt
Divide everything into two, one gallon freezer bags, shake it up, seal, label and put in the freezer.
Day of cooking, dump it into your slow cooker and cook on high for 4 to 6 hours, or low 6-8 hours, depending on your specific slow cooker.

Oven Fried Chicken

When it comes to healthy versions of good food, I am a skeptic!  There is a reason fattening, buttery, rich foods are good.  I came across a recipe for oven fried chicken in my Cooking Light: Way to Cook book and thought I'd give it a try. I figured it would be good, but I never thought I would actually compare it to fried chicken.  Wow- it is just as good.  I promise.  And you won't believe it, but that is without the skin!!!

Combine 1 cup low-fat buttermilk (I used regular milk) a chicken (4 bone-in skinned breasts or whatever pieces you like) in a shallow dish, turning to coat.  Combine 1/3 cup flour with 1/3 cup cracker meal (I used some fried green tomato breading I had in the pantry) in a dish.  Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper and dredge in flour mixture.  Melt 2 tablespoons butter (I know- I thought that wouldn't be enough to be good but it was!) in a large ovenproof skillet (nothing but cast iron for me) over medium-high heat.  Add chicken to pan, meaty side down; cook about 4 minutes until golden brown.  Turn chicken over; place pan in oven preheated to 425 degrees for about 32 minutes or until 165 degrees.

So crispy- so moist!

My plan for next time: add a little hot sauce to the buttermilk and let it sit in the fridge for a couple of hours before cooking! Yum!