Cheesy Potato Soup

Potato soup is one of my favorite things! I don't like my soups very brothy. They have to be chunky and yummy enough to dip breadsticks in :)

Ingredients:
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped celery
1 bunch chopped green onions
1/2 green pepper chopped
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon parsley
1 teaspoon onion salt
4 cups chicken broth
4 tablespoons butter
4 cups peeled and chopped potatoes
1/4 cup flour
8 oz Velveeta
1 cup milk
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 pepper
1/2 salt

Directions:
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a stockpot. Add carrots, celery, green onions, green pepper, basil, parsley and onion salt. Saute for about 5-10 minutes until vegetables are tender. Add chicken broth and potatoes. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat. Cover and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.
In a separate sauce pan, melt the rest of the butter and and the flour. stir and cook for about 5 minutes, until the mixture is bubbly. This creates a roux which makes it thick.
Add the roux to the potato mix. Cook for a few minutes. Add the velveeta and milk. Let the cheese melt. Top with some of the shredded Parmesan cheese, pepper, and salt.


Recipe adapted from: http://east9thstreet.com/2013/01/13/cheesy-potato-soup-recipe/

Navajo Tacos

My mom makes these all the time and they are my husband's favorite. Since he just had a birthday we decided to make them for him. :) They are fairly easy, except for frying the scones. That part just takes a little longer.

Ingredients:
Dough for scones (see our dough recipe below)
Oil for frying
Chili-use your favorite kind. (My mom makes a bunch and freezes it to use for later times)
Toppings off your choice:
lettuce
onions
tomatoes
olives
ranch dressing
hot sauce


Start by heating oil over medium heat.

To make the scones you will need to break off small pieces of the dough and roll them out into small circles. Our recipe makes about 12-15 medium sized scones.
Take the dough and place into the hot pan of oil. Let dough fry for about 3 minutes (or until light brown) and then turn over until that side is done. Place scones on a paper towel lined plate, to catch the grease.

 

Top with chili and other desired toppings. Enjoy!

If you want our dough recipe, here it is:

Dough:
2 cups heated milk (heat in the microwave for 2 minutes)
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
4 1/2 -5 cups flour
2 teaspoons yeast

If you have a bread maker just put the ingredients in the bread maker in that order on the dough setting. This is what I do and I LOVE it.

 If not just use a mixer. Melt the butter in the milk. Pour milk into mixer. Add sugar and salt. Slowly add half of the flour. Add the yeast and the rest of the flour. Knead for 5-10 minutes. Dough should be soft. Cover and let raise for about 45 minutes. (at least 10 if you don't have a lot of time)

Tomato Tortellini Soup

There is a recipe going around on Pinterest that looked so good! When I looked at the ingredients I noticed that my friend makes a recipe similar to that. I decided to take what I liked best about both soups and mix them together.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cans condensed tomato soup
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
9 ounces of cheese filled tortellini
Parmesan cheese
Basil

Directions:
Heat oil in a sauce pan over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté for about 1 to 2 minutes. Add tomato soup, whipping cream, milk, onion powder, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and mix well. Turn temperature to medium high heat. Add tortellini. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 5 minutes, until tortellini is tender. Serve in a dish and top with parmesan cheese and basil.

I like to serve these with nice warm homemade breadsticks. Find the recipe HERE

Homemade Enchiladas with Red Sauce

I usually make this recipe with frozen burritos. They were so easy and the perfect go to meal when I was busy. Now that I have some more time on my hands I am able to make things better. The sauce is amazing and can be used for other types of enchiladas.

Ingredients for the burritos:
Tortillas (corn or flour)
1 can refried beans
1 can diced green chilies
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon taco seasoning
salt to taste

Directions:
Mix the beans, chilies, cheese, taco seasoning and salt together in a bowl. Heat tortillas up so they're pliable. If using corn tortillas you will want to double them up. While the tortillas are warm, fill the tortilla with 2-3 tablespoons of the mixture, until the desired amount is on them. Roll the flour tortillas up until a burrito. If using corn tortillas, just fold them in half. Put the finished burritos in a greased 9x13 baking pan.

*You could use any sort of mixture for the inside of the burritos. These are just simple and easy. To this one, you could easily add taco meat.

 

Ingredients for the sauce:
1 packet of brown gravy mix
1 can tomato soup
1 cup salsa
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:
Mix gravy according to package. Once thickened up a little bit, add the soup and stir until blended. Add the salsa, cumin, and garlic powder.

Pour the sauce over the burritos and cook for 15 minutes in a 350 preheated oven. Optional: you can top with cheese before baking.

Spaghetti Alfredo

This is an idea that my mom and husband had. I don't eat much meat. When my mom makes spaghetti she would always have a side of alfredo sauce for me. They both decided to mix it one day. It turned out good to them and I gave it a shot myself tonight.
I have seen other people use the mix in their own dishes so I know my family isn't totally weird ;)

It's just a quick and simple dinner idea.

 

The reason for the different dishes is because I don't like meat and my husband is gluten free.

Ingredients:
Your favorite pasta
Alfredo Sauce
Spaghetti Sauce

For the alfredo sauce, I always use the recipe found HERE

For spaghetti sauce I keep it pretty simple. I start with a bottle of the classico brand with tomatoes, spices, and herbs. It's pretty good to start with. Then I add some oregano, basil leaves, garlic salt, and some sugar. I mix together to my liking.

Add the sauce on top of your prepared pasta. Top with parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes.

Caesar Chicken Salad Wraps

This is another recipe I got from my lunch recipe exchange group. I changed it to accommodate the tastes and needs of our family. If you're looking for a quick and easy lunch or dinner recipe, this is it. 

 

Ingredients:
Salad Mix
Caesar Dressing
Tortillas- corn or flour
Cooked chicken, I use rotisserie
Corn
Tomatoes
Olives
Croutons
Cheese

Directions:
Heat your tortillas up so it can bend and fold without tearing. Mix your salad and croutons with Caesar dressing. Any amount is good, just do it to your liking. Add the desired add ins to your warm tortilla. Roll up into a wrap.

We make it gluten free by using corn tortillas and omitting the croutons. You can add any other desired things to this to make it good.

Sweet BBQ Chicken in the Crockpot

I got this recipe on pinterest and it turned out to be one of our favorites.
I also love quick crockpot meals too. Original recipe found HERE

Ingredients:
4 -5 chicken breasts, fresh or frozen
18 ounces of Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce
1 20 oz can of pineapple, crushed (drain most of the sauce out)- I didn't have crushed on hand for this time, so I chopped these up using my food chopper.
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Directions:
Put chicken breasts on the bottom of the crockpot. pour the BBQ sauce on op of the chicken. Add the pineapple, the little bit of juice, and the crushed red peppers. Cook in crockpot on high for 5 hours. If you use fresh chicken, lower the cooking time.

It turned out really good. Serve it with rice and veggies, over mashed potatoes, or in quesadillas. I usually have enough chicken to make 2-3 meals.

Served over rice:

Served as quesadillas:

Homemade Pizza

This is one of the only recipes I can truly call my own. I have tweaked it and tried so many different recipes until I figured out how I liked it the best.

This is it...

It really is delicious. It doesn't taste like your typical homemade pizza (you know the sweet tasting, soft crust, generic taste you always have?) The flavors blend well together, the crust is perfect, and the toppings are endless. My favorite: pepperoni and bell pepper.

First, you start by making the dough. I use my mom's recipe. It's the best. I use it for everything.

Dough:

2 cups heated milk
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
4 1/2 -5 cups flour
2 teaspoons yeast

If you have a bread maker just put the ingredients in the bread maker in that order on the dough setting.

If not just use a mixer

Mixer Instructions:
 Melt the butter in the milk. Pour milk into mixer. Add sugar and salt. Slowly add half of the flour. Add the yeast and the rest of the flour. Knead for 5-10 minutes. Dough should be soft. Cover and let stand for 10-30 minutes. If you have a dough setting on your bread maker, that should usually be enough. The dough setting will have it raise before you start. It does make a difference, but not always needed. The longer the dough stands, the fluffier the crust will be.

Pizza:
Ingredients:
Olive Oil
Pizza Dough (Recipe above)
butter
garlic salt
Italian seasoning
Parmesan Cheese, grated
your favorite pizza sauce (I use classic brand)
Mozzarella cheese, grated
Toppings of choice (I prefer pepperoni and green peppers)
Oregano
Parmesan Cheese, the powdery kind

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 400.

Start by giving your pizza pan, stone, or regular pan a little drizzle with olive oil. Just lightly though. You'll take your big thing of dough and cut it in half. It usually makes two pizzas. Put half on the center of the pizza pan and use your fingers to spread the dough out evenly around the pan as much as you can. Use a rolling pin to help. I always press it from the center and out. I leave the crust a little bit thicker as well.

Next, you will poke some holes in your dough. This was one of the things that got it to taste better. It makes it nice and fluffy. You can just use a fork and go around the dough like you're putting pepperonis on :)

Next, grab some butter, put it on your fingers and spread it all around the dough. This also gives you a chance to spread the dough out evenly if there happens to be a spot thinner than the other.

Next, sprinkle the dough with some garlic salt and Italian seasoning. I just shake and don't really measure. Also, sprinkle the crust with the parmesan cheese, paying close attention to the top crust part. People tend to forget about that, but who wants a plain top part of your pizza?

Next, add your sauce. Start by scooping a generous amount in the center and using a spoon going outward to spread it around. Go all the way up to the end. It makes it WAY better. My husband would kill me for using WAY. haha

Next, add the cheese. I used to use a ton, but no need to. Just lightly cover it. In some parts, I don't even add it.

Finally, add your toppings, top with some oregano and pop in the oven. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes. This makes the crust just a tiny bit crispy, the top well done, and the taste very yummy!

After baking, top with parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes, and ENJOY. Let me know if you try it. Next time I make it I will try to post pictures of each step to help.

Cook the pizz

Chicken Salad Sandwiches

A few girls got together for lunch every week for a couple months and exchanged recipes. This recipe was one of them. I am not a huge meat fan, but I'm slowly trying more things with meat in it. This is something that I could eat without even thinking there was meat in it. I use this for baby showers, when I'm hosting parties, or even when I just want to have some girls over for lunch.

Here are some of the ingredients that go in it:

Since I use it a lot for parties, I like to prep before hand (usually the night before). I chop my green veggies and shred my chicken. I keep them in their own air tight container and then add them in the next day along with everything else.

Ingredients:
1 cup sour cream
1 cup of mayo
2 Tablespoons sugar (you could also use agave instead)
1-2 Tablespoons vinegar
2 teaspoons curry
1/2 teaspoon salt

Rotisserie chicken, about 1 full breast shredded
purple grapes, just a handful or so, sliced in half
3 green onions chopped
2 stalks of celery chopped
1/2 bag of craisins
1 Fuji apple
1-2 cans mandarin oranges
1/2 cucumber, quartered
1/2 green bell pepper

Directions:
Mix the first 6 ingredients together in a bowl. Taste and add any other ingredients to flavor the way you like it.

 Add the remaining ingredients by mixing them together. It keeps in the fridge for a few days, if it lasts that long. I just serve them on my homemade rolls found HERE

"Healthier" Chicken Alfredo Bake

Ok, so there's still some unhealthier ingredients in here, but it's a lighter version and it's filled with some veggies. My husband has had to go gluten free so the pasta here is also gluten free, along with everything on the recipe. The original recipe was totally vegan, but we didn't go that extreme. 

 

Ingredients:

1 box of gluten free pasta (or regular if you'd like)

1 cucumber

1 green or red bell pepper (the red would be a nice addition to the color)

olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

salt and pepper to taste

Italian seasoning to taste

1/2 cup cooked chicken

 

Sauce:

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons gluten free flour (or regular)
2 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon vinegar (any type)

Directions:

Cook pasta just under al dente, according to package directions. If you over cook it, it becomes soggy and mushy and not as good. Meanwhile, peel, slice, and halve the cucumber. Chop the pepper into bite size pieces. Heat oil on a skillet medium high heat and add garlic, vegetables, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning until the vegetables are nice and crisp. Just a couple minutes. Set aside.

 

When pasta is done drain it well and drizzle with some olive oil before combining sauce and vegetables.

 

To make the sauce:

Heat olive oil and butter over medium heat. When the butter melts, add the flour until it's a paste. Slowly add the milk in. Add the parmesan cheese, garlic powder, salt and nutmeg. Turn the heat down and stir until it thickens.

 

Turn the heat off and add the vegetables, chicken, and pasta. Stir to coat. Pour in a greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. When finished, top with parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning.

 

You could also add a bread crumb and parmesan cheese topping to make it yummier. Just melt a couple tablespoons of butter and combine about a cup of bread crumbs (gluten free or not) and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese. It would make it nice and crispy on top, but wouldn't help with being healthy ;)



Mexican Macaroni and Cheese

This recipe would be great for kids (minus the taco seasoning if desired)

Ingredients:
2 cups uncooked pasta (I used bow-tie)
1 1/2 cups Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 cup slice ripe olives (My husband doesn't like these so I left them out)
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 small red bell pepper chopped
1 can chopped green chile's, drained
I added a teaspoon of taco seasoning

Directions:
Cook and drain pasta as directed on package.
Stir remaining ingredients into pasta. Cook over low heat about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until cheese is melted and sauce is hot. Top with green onions.

Lemon Greek Chicken

Ingredients:
2 lemons
1/4 cup olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
2-3 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
4 chicken breasts, halved
8 petitie red potatoes
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into strips
1 medium red onion, cut into wedges
8 ounces whole mushrooms, if desired. (I omitted)

Directions:
Use zest from one lemon.
Juice one lemon to get about 2 tablespoons.
Mix zest, juice, oil, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper in mixing bowl.
Place chicken in baking dish, brush with juice mixture.
Cut potatoes in half and slice remaining lemon.
Combine potatoes, bell pepper, onion, lemon slices and mushrooms with remaining juice mixture.
Arrange vegetables around chicken on pan.
Bake 1 hour on 400 until chicken is cooked through.
Be sure to brush chicken with lemon mixture after 30 minutes.

Cheese and Bean Quesadillas

Ingredients:
8 Flour Tortillas
2 cans Refried Beans
1 small onion, diced
2 Cups Cheddar Cheese
Cilantro, chopped
1 cup Salsa

Directions:
Warm the refried beans per the directions on the can. Heat a skillet and put tortilla on skillet for 20 seconds to warm and make pliable. Spoon refried beans over tortilla. Sprinkle cheese, onion and cilantro over the beans. Add a spoonful of salsa on top. Roll tightly and place in skillet to brown. Rotate each side. Remove, cut into thirds. Serve with salsa.

Whole Wheat Pancakes

This tastes great, you wouldn't be able to tell they are whole wheat. This is a great starter recipe that can be played around with.



Ingredients:1 1/3 cups whole wheat flour
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/3 cups buttermilk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon oil

 

Directions:

Preheat griddle.

In medium bowl, stir or sift dry ingredients together; beat egg, buttermilk, brown sugar and oil together. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened; batter should be slightly lumpy.

Pour ¼ cup batter for each cake onto a well-seasoned hot griddle. Flip the pancake when bubbles appear on surface; turn only once.

Weight Watchers Points= 3 points per pancake 1/4 cup sugar free syrup = 1 point

Fajitas

Ingredients:

Flour tortillas

1 cooked chicken breast

Olive Oil

Sliced green and red peppers

Sliced Onions

Olives

Chopped tomatoes

Cheddar cheese

Ranch Dressing

Hot sauce

Directions:

Heat oil in skillet over medium heat

Add onions and peppers and heat for 5 minutes

Add chicken

Heat flour tortillas in microwave for 30 seconds.

Add cheese, tomatoes, peppers, onions, chicken and olives to tortilla.

Top with ranch dressing, and hot sauce.

Weight Watchers Points= 13 per fajita
 *could be less if whole wheat flour was used, and no chicken, just veggies

Foster'sTortilla Soup

Ingredients:

2 cans chili beans

2 cans black beans, drained

2 cans corn

2 cans Rotel tomatoes

1 tablespoon taco seasoning

1 can coke

3 frozen chicken breasts

Toppings: sour cream, shredded cheese, tortilla chips

Directions:

Mix first seven ingredients in slow cooker. Cook on high for 3 hours.

Take chicken out and shred. Continue cooking for 1 to 2 more hours.

Serve with desired toppings.
Weight Watchers Points = 8 per serving
*Only 5 without the chicken

Burrito Bake

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef

1 can (16 oz.) refried beans

¼ cup chopped onion

1 tablespoon taco seasoning

1 tube refrigerated crescent rolls

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Toppings: chopped green pepper, shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes and sliced ripe olives

Directions:

In large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink, drain. Add the beans, onion, and taco seasoning.

Unroll crescent dough. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of a greased 13x9 baking dish. Seal seams and perforations.

Spread beef mixture over crust; sprinkle with cheeses. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Sprinkle with toppings of your choice.

Chicken Salad Cups

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked chicken
1/3 cup sliced celery

¼ cup mayo or salad dressing
1 tablespoon chopped toasted sliced almonds
1 medium green onion chopped
1/8 teaspoon pepper
4 Pilsbury refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
¼ cup shredded Cheddar cheese



Directions:

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease 4 muffin cups. In small bowl, mix chicken, celery, mayo, almonds, onion and black pepper until well blended. Press each biscuit to cover bottom and side of muffin cup. Spoon chicken mixture into biscuit cups. Bake 16 to 21 minutes until edged are deep golden brown. Sprinkle with cheese.

Breakfast Bake

Ingredients:

I cup diced cooked ham

10.5 oz of hash browns

I cup green bell pepper chopped

1 tablespoon dried onion

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

1 cup Bisquick mix

½ teaspoon pepper

3 cups milk

4 eggs

Directions:

In a greased baking sheet mix ham, potatoes, bell pepper, onion and 1 cup of the cheese.

In medium bowl, stir Bisquick mix, pepper, milk and eggs with whish until blended.

Pour over potato mixture. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover; refrigerate for at least 4 hours, but no more than 24.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Uncover and bake 30 to 35 minutes until light golden brown.

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas Verde

Ingredients:

5 cups cooked and shredded chicken (about 4-6 breasts)

2 Tbs taco seasoning mix

1/4 cup chopped green onions or fresh chives

2 1/2 cups shredded cheese (cheddar, Monterey Jack and/or mozzarella), divided

28 oz can green enchilada sauce

8 oz cream cheese, softened

4  oz can chopped green chilies

Flour or corn tortillas (about 8 large)

2-3 green onions, chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Combine cooked chicken, taco seasoning, 1/4 cup chopped green onions or chives and 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese. Using a mixer/blender/immersion blender, mix green enchilada sauce and cream cheese until no lumps remain. Stir in canned chilies. Add about 1 1/2 cups of the creamy sauce to the chicken; mix well.

Pour a small amount of sauce into the bottom of a 9×13” baking pan. Roll chicken filling in tortillas. Place enchiladas in pan. Pour remaining sauce over enchiladas. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese and chopped green onions. Cover and bake for 35-45 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Uncover and bake 10 minutes longer.