Taco Bake

Talk about easy easy recipe that hardly calls for any ingredients...this was the perfect thing to cook last night when I really wasn't feeling good and wanted to do something quick.

You can add any sort of topping you want to it whether it be sour cream, chopped tomatoes, cilantro, guacamole, etc. Of course, I had to use guacamole. I think I use avocados or guacamole for almost every Mexican dish.

I used the smaller tortillas and packed on the meat a little more so that there wasn't too much leftovers. If you use the small ones, it makes 4 slices like the picture below which worked bc I don't need leftovers today for lunch.

About to put in the oven

Finished - but before I added my toppings

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef

1 packet taco seasoning

3/4 cup water

3 large flour tortillas (it called for 8 in. size, but I just used the smaller ones)

1/2 cup salsa con queso (it's that jar of Tostitos that you find on the chip aisle)

1 1/2-2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend

Any additional toppings you would like

What To Do:

• Preheat oven to 350F
• Brown ground beef and drain grease
• Add taco seasoning and water to meat
• Mix well and let cook for about 3 minutes; until meat is coated well and meat mixture is thick
• Turn off heat and add 1/2 cup salsa con queso
• Mix well
• Spray round baking dish with nonstick cooking spray
• Layer bottom of pan with 1 tortilla
• Add 1/3 meat mixture on top and then sprinkle with cheese
• Top with another tortilla and keep layering (3 layers)
• Bake for about 15-20 minutes until cheese is melted and outside edges are slightly brown
• Wait a few minutes before cutting and serving

Spicy Sausage Pasta

This recipe is actually a Weight Watchers recipe and was very good!!! I knew I would like it right when I saw that it called for Pepper Jack Cheese...Yummmm. Don't worry, all the fat free, low sodium ingredients - you really can't tell the difference.

Halving the recipe was perfect because it left just enough for me to have lunch today after Kyle and I had it for dinner. Below is the full recipe size.

Full recipe:
1 1/4 cup serving: 9 points for WW
Makes about 6 servings

Ingredients:

1 tsp. EVOO

1 cup chopped onion

13 oz. Smoked Turkey Sausage; sliced (Hillshire Farms)

2 cloves garlic; minced

2 1/4 cups low sodium fat free chicken broth

10 oz. can Rotel; original one

1/2 cup fat free half and half

salt & pepper

10 oz. uncooked wheat pasta

4 oz. reduced fat Pepper jack cheese; shredded

2 medium scallions; diced

What To Do:

• In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat
• Add onions and sausage to the pan and cook until sausage is browned and onions are tender; about 5-6 minutes
• Add garlic and stir
• Add the broth, rotel, half and half, salt and pepper - mix together
• Add uncooked pasta and stir until the liquid covers the pasta
• Cover the skillet and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes - keep covered
• Set your oven to broil
• Remove pan from heat and mix in half of the shredded cheese
• Transfer to a baking dish
• Sprinkle remaining cheese on top of pasta and then sliced scallions on top of that
• Place in oven for a few minutes until the cheese is melted and beginning to brown on top

Bruschetta Chicken (2 Ways)

I have seen two different ways to make this chicken. One being grilled and the other being baked. Time got away from me last night so I decided to make the baked version and then eventually I will make the grilled version to see which one is better.

Below is the directions for baking it and then at the bottom, I will post how to grill it.

Ingredients:

4 small boneless, skinless Chicken Breasts

1/2 cup KRAFT Sun-Dried Tomato dressing (divided if using grill)

2 Tomatoes, chopped

1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella Cheese

1/4 cup chopped Fresh Basil

What To Do (BAKE):

• Place chicken breasts in a plastic bag with the dressing to marinate (at least 10 minutes, but it's better if you do it that morning)
• Preheat oven to 350F
• Remove chicken from bag and discard the bag and the dressing
• Place chicken on on baking sheet - either cover the pan with foil or grease it before hand
• Cook chicken for 30 minutes
• While chicken is cooking, chop up tomatoes and basil
• Combine tomatoes and basil in a bowl and mix together
• Remove chicken from the oven and top with tomato/basil mixture
• Sprinkle  mozzarella cheese on top
• Return to oven for another 10-15 minutes

What To Do (GRILL):

• Place a large sheet of heavy duty foil over half of grill grate
• Heat grill to medium heat
• Meanwhile, place chicken in a plastic bag and add 1/4 cup dressing
• Coat chicken and refrigerate at least 10 minutes
• Remove chicken from bag and discard the bag with dressing
• Grill chicken on uncovered side of grill for about 6 minutes
• Meanwhile, combine the remaining 1/4 cup dressing, tomatoes, cheese and basil
• Turn the chicken over and place cooked side up on the foil
• Top with tomato mixture
• Close lid and grill about 8 more minutes

Teriyaki Chicken (Crock Pot)

Woohoo...another simple yet delicious crock pot meal thanks to easy Cookbook Recipes. This teriyaki chicken turned out perfect for a night where I was wanting Chinese food, but didn't want to drive a long ways to get my fix.

The only substitution I made was I used chicken breast instead of chicken thighs. When I let the chicken cook all day, it was tender as usual, so I ended up somewhat shredding the chicken. Hey, it works for me.

Original Ingredients:

12 boneless skinless chicken thighs-about 3 lbs.

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup soy sauce

6 Tbsp. cider vinegar

3/4 tsp. ground ginger

3/4 tsp. minced garlic

1/4 tsp. pepper

4-1/2 tsp. cornstarch

4-1/2 tsp. cold water

hot cooked rice, optional

My version:

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup soy sauce

3 Tbsp. cider vinegar

1/4 tsp. ground ginger

1 Tbsp. minced garlic

pinch of pepper

2-1/2 tsp. cornstarch

2-1/2 tsp. cold water

hot cooked white rice

What To Do:

• Place chicken in crock pot
• In a bowl, combine sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, garlic, and pepper
• Pour over chicken
• Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours
• Remove chicken and keep warm
• Transfer juices to a pan
• Bring liquid to a boil
• Combine cornstarch and water in a small bowl and mix until smooth
• Gradually stir into the pan with juices
• Bring to a boil
• Cook and stir for 2-3 minutes until it has thickened
• Pour over chicken and serve with rice

Jamie's Creamy Pork Chops

I got this recipe from a friend. She had posted saying that it is a simple crock pot recipe. You are right about that one...it is a very simple recipe and it has good flavor to it! The pork chops are so tender that I kept having trouble with them not falling apart while I was trying to get them out.

This one is definitely a keeper for once our little man arrives!!

Ingredients:

4 boneless pork chops (I actually just used 3)

1 can of cream of onion 

3/4 cup milk

1/2 packet of dry ranch dressing mix

salt and pepper to taste

Egg noodles

*I added just a tiny bit of Ton'y to my individual bowl for a little bit of a kick

What To Do:

• Combine all ingredients in a crock pot (Except noodles)
• Cook on low for about 9 hours - to make sure the pork chops are done
• Serve over egg noodles