Garlic & Brown Sugar Chicken (2 Ways)

I absolutely loved this chicken! I made it one night for Kyle and I, which we cooked in the oven. For Memorial weekend at the lake, I decided this would be a good recipe to cook for the family along with the pasta that I like to cook. It seemed to be a big hit with the family and instead of cooking it in the oven, we cooked it on the grill. If you decide to cook it on the grill, I wouldn't put the marinade mixture on it until your about ready to flip the chicken over.

Ingredients:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

4 garlic cloves, minced

4 Tbsp. of brown sugar

3 tsp. olive oil

What to do:

• Preheat oven to 500F
• Lightly grease your baking dish
• In a small pan, saute garlic with the olive oil until tender
• Remove from heat and stir in brown sugar
• Place chicken in your baking dish and cover with the mixture
• Add salt and pepper to taste
• Bake uncovered for 25 min.

Easy & simple!

Chile Colorado Burritos

Last night I was craving....what else, but Mexican Food. We have been eating a lot of chicken lately so I wanted some beef. I am not too big on beef burritos or enchiladas, but when you see a picture that looks good you want it. Definitely worth the whole day of the meat cooking in the crock pot. The meat was so tender that it was falling apart when I was trying to pick it up....soooo delicious!!!! Here you go...off to warm one up for my leftover for lunch

Ingredients:

1-1/2 lbs. top sirloin (no wonder I like it)

1 large can (19 oz) enchilada sauce

2 beef bouillon cubes

1/2 can refried beans

8 burrito size tortillas

1 cup of shredded cheese (I used Mexican Blend)

What to do:

• Put top sirloin, bouillon cubes & enchilada sauce into your crock pot
• Cook on low for 7 hours
• Take beef out & shred
• Add back into mixture and stir
• On a flat surface, spread refried beans onto tortillas (as much as you like)
• Spoon meat mixture on top of refried beans and roll like a burrito
• **Remember that heating your tortillas first will help make them not crack when you roll them
• Place seamside down in a baking dish
• Pour remaining sauce over the burritos
• Sprinkle with cheese
• Broil in your oven until cheese is melted and bubbly



Italian Sausage Pasta

My Mother-in-law made this Pasta w/ Italian Sausage one night when we were over there & it was really good. I am not sure what ingredients she used exactly except for a couple of things. I now have made this recipe with a chicken broth sauce as well as a red wine marinara sauce. Below is the recipe using the chicken broth.

Ingredients:

1-1/4 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth

8 oz. Pasta (I used bowtie)

1 lb. Italian Sausage (Go with Hot if you like spice)

3/4 of a bag of Fresh Baby Spinach

1 small container of Cherry Tomatoes, quartered

1 tsp. crushed red pepper (Optional)

1 small red onion, diced

4 cloves of garlic, minced

Salt & Pepper to taste

What to do:

1. Start cooking pasta
2. On the stove top, cook & brown your sausage
3. Drain your sausage once it is cooked all the way through & set to the side
4. In the same pan, add the onion-garlic and cook (about 5 min)
5. Add tomatoes-red pepper flakes & cook (about 2 min)

   6.   Add the sausage & chicken broth to pan and simmer (2-3 min)

   7.   To the mixture, add the fresh spinach & cook a few more mintues

   8.  Last but not least, add the pasta

   9.  Mix together well & serve

Avocado Cream Sauce

If you love Avocado's, then you will love this sauce!

Ingredients:

1 to 1 1/2 Avocado's (depends on how rich you want it)

2 Tbsp. Plain Greek Yogurt

Salt-Pepper-Garlic to taste

What to do:

• Place avocado and yogurt in a food processor or blender & puree until smooth
• Season with salt, pepper & garlic to taste

Topped on top of Garlic & Lemon Chicken
**You can find the Chicken recipe on here

Garlic & Lemon Chicken w/ sides

Garlic & Lemon Chicken....yum. Very simple, but of course I wanted to add something to it. I made a side of this Avocado Cream sauce that I have been wanting to try and added it on top of the chicken. You can find that recipe under Sauces/Dips.

Ingredients:

5 Tbsp. Olive Oil

2 small Lemons (1 thinly sliced, 1 juiced)

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. Kosher salt (I used more)

1/2 tsp. Black Pepper

3/4 pound fresh Green Beans

8 small Red Potatoes, quartered

4 Chicken Breasts

What to do:

1. Preheat oven to 450F
2. Coat baking dish with 1 Tbsp. olive oil
3. Arrange lemon slices from 1 lemon in a single layer in the bottom of dish
4. In a large bowl, combine remaining oil-lemon juice from one lemon-garlic-salt & pepper
5. Toss the green beans in the mixture to coat
6. Remove with tongs and arrange them on top of the lemon slices
7. Toss the potatoes in the mixture to coat
8. Remove & arrange them on top of the green beans

   9.   Place chicken in the same bowl & coat

 10.   Arrange chicken on top of the vegetables

 11.   Pour any remaining olive oil mixture over the chicken

 12.   Bake for 50-55 minutes or until the vegetables are soft & tops of chicken are lightly browned

Breadcrumb Pasta

I love making a side of pasta and a side salad when I make Italian food. I have heard of adding breadcrumbs, but never once tried it. My friend Chels and I tried this Garlic Parsley Pasta when we lived together and it has stuck with me because it is a simple and light pasta. This pasta is the perfect one to try with the addition of breadcrumbs...

Ingredients:

Any type of pasta (Angel Hair, Linguine, etc.)

1 Tbsp. Olive Oil (depending on how much pasta)

Garlic, minced

1 Tbsp. Butter

Salt & pepper to taste

1/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs

Fresh parsley

What to do:

1. Start cooking pasta before you gather all your ingredients
2. Gather all your ingredients along with a small bowl
3. In a small bowl, combine olive oil-minced garlic-salt & pepper-fresh parsley-butter
4. Microwave until butter is melted
5. Drain cooked pasta
6. Pour mixture over pasta and toss to coat evenly
7. Add breadcrumbs and a little bit more fresh parsley
8. Toss again to coat

Served with Chicken Rollatini w/ Spinach
**You can find Chicken recipe under Italian

Chicken Rollatini w/ Spinach

Lately I have been on a kick of stuffed chicken. I am not a huge fan of spinach, but I saw this recipe & knew it would be something that I would love! Of course, later on I found out it was a Weight Watchers Recipe. Doesn't seem like it would be, but 5 points for this chicken...not bad!

*For pasta recipe-look for Breadcrumb Pasta

Ingredients:

8 chicken cutlets (3 oz each)

1/2 cup whole wheat seasoned breadcrumbs

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (divided)

6 tbsp. egg whites

5 oz frozen spinach

6 tbsp. skim mozzarella

1 cup of your favorite marinara sauce (I wish I had some of our homemade sauce leftover)

What to do:

1. Preheat oven to 450F
2. Wash & dry cutlets
3. Season with salt and pepper
4. Lightly spray your baking dish with Pam spray
5. In 1st bowl, combine breadcrumbs & 2 tbsp. grated cheese
6. In 2nd bowl, pour 4 tbsp. egg whites
7. Shred 1.5 oz of mozzarella cheese and combine with remaining grated cheese, spinach, 2 tbsp. egg whites & ricotta cheese
8. Lay chicken cutlets on surface and spread with spinach-cheese mixture

    9.   Loosely rool each one and keep seam side down

  10.   Dip chicken in egg mixture & then in breadcrums

  11.   Place chicken, seamside down, in baking dish & repeat with remaining chicken

  12.   Lightly spray with olive oil

  13.   Bake 25 minutes

  14.   Remove & top with sauce & remaining mozzarella cheese

  15.   Bake until cheese is melted

Thyme Roasted Carrots

Perfect side dish for the Avocado Chicken Parmigiana that I made, but would work with any meal & it's so simple!! They are delicious leftover too

Ingredients:

10-12 whole unpeeled carrots

2 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves (no stem)

2 Tbsp. Olive Oil

1 tsp. Kosher salt

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

1 Tbsp. Honey (Optional)

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 400 F
2. Cut the carrots in half lengthwise
3. Place carrots on a cooking sheet lined with foil
4. Drizzle olive oil and honey over carrots
5. Season with Kosher salt and black pepper
6. Toss carrots until evenly coated with seasonings
7. Arrange the carrots so that none are overlapping each other
8. Toss fresh thyme leaves over carrots                            

9.  Bake for 30 min.

Avocado Chicken Parmigiana

I found this recipe and could not wait to try it. I love adding Avocados to a lot of my food so when I saw a picture of this, I couldn't resist!! I wish I could post the picture that I saw, but I can't...mine will have to do.

Ingredients:

2 Chicken breasts (cut in half lengthwise)

1/2 cup Flour

2 Tbsp. Milk

2 Eggs (I would say 1 is fine)

1 1/2 Cups Breadcrumbs (I used the Italian seasoned ones)

2 Tbsp. Olive Oil or Cooking Spray

Tomato Sauce 

2 Avocados; sliced

1/2 cup Grated Mozzarella Cheese

What to do:

1. Heat oven to 400F
2. After cutting your chicken in half lengthwise, use a meat pounder to thin out the chicken
3. Place your flour and breadcrumbs on two separate plates
4. In a bowl, whisk together the milk and eggs
5. Coat chicken breast in flour, dip in egg mixture & then coat in breadcrumbs
6. Place chicken breast on a cookie sheet lined with foil
7. Lightly spray or brush on the olive oil
8. Bake for 4 minutes then flip chicken over (8 min. total)
9. Remove from oven and spread tomato sauce over chicken
10. Arrange sliced avocado over the sauce and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese
11. Return to oven and bake for another 6 minutes

Chocolate & Peanut Butter Cresecent Rolls

It does not get any better than peanut butter and chocolate together :)! I have gotten where I do not eat as much sweets, but this recipe was to die for...YUM! The good thing is that you can put as much peanut butter and chocolate chips as you want. I usually do not like desserts straight from the oven (I know, I know), but you definitely should eat these when they are HOT

Ingredients:

Can of crescent rolls (Or however many cans) :)

Peanut Butter

Semi-sweet chocolate chips

What to do:

1. Heat oven to 375F
2. Spray cookie sheet with Pam
3. Roll out Crescent roll dough
4. Spread peanut butter onto each triangle
5. Top with chocolate chips














6.  Roll from the bottom of the triangle to the point
7.  Bake for 10 minutes

Oven ready



    8. Remove & serve

Salsa Chicken

I guess you can kinda say we like Mexican food haha...I know that I have done different posts with chicken for tacos, nachos, etc. but this was a good Salsa chicken that I found (thanks to Pinterest)!!

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I only used 2 since it was just Kyle & I)

1 cup salsa

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 packet taco seasoning

1/2 cup sour cream

tortillas

Optional Ingredients:

1 tsp. Ground Cumin

1 tsp. Cayenne Pepper

What to do:

1. Place the chicken in the bottom of your crock pot
2. Sprinkle taco seasoning on top of the chicken
3. In a small bowl, mix salsa and soup together & then pour over chicken
4. **If you use the cumin and cayenne pepper, mix it in with the salsa and soup
5. Cook on high for 4 hours
6. Shred chicken & put back in the crock pot
7. Pour sour cream in the chicken mixture and mix well
8. Serve on tortillas, chips, etc.



*Before (ready to be cooked)



*After (Ready to be served as desired)