BBQ chicken pizza

I make this dinner without a recipe and was having the hardest time typing up directions because I usually don't think about it. So after a short search on the computer this recipe is basically what I do when I make this pizza.

• 1 (12 inch) pre-baked pizza crust
• 1/2 cup barbecue sauce
• 1/2 cup diced grilled chicken
• 1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
2. Place pizza crust on cookie sheet. Spread with barbecue sauce. Scatter chicken over top. Sprinkle evenly with red pepper, green pepper and onion. Cover with cheese.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

So, I use only green bell pepper because they're cheaper, but if I have both I'll use them. I've used mozzarella cheese, colby jack cheese, and I think even cheddar on this pizza and all are good. I use one chicken breast that I cut in small pieces and then I usually add some BBQ sauce to the pan while cooking it. I also saute the onion and pepper for a few minutes before adding it to the pizza.

Hawaiian Haystacks

1. Start by making rice. I usually do 2-3 cups and that feeds my family.

2. Make the "gravy".
-1 lb. chicken cubed
-poultry seasoning
-2 cans cream of chicken
-1 can chicken broth
-cook the chicken until no longer pink, while it's cooking I sprinkle on some poultry seasoning, you can use salt and pepper, or a little garlic. Whatever you like. Add the soups and the broth.

3. Get the toppings ready. Toppings include:

-chopped tomatoes
-green onion
-bell pepper
-coconut
-chow mein noodles
-pineapples
-almond slices
-cheddar cheese

4. Put the haystacks together. (rice on the bottom, "gravy" on top and then whatever toppings you like.

(sorry no pictures tonight, I didn't have time. Also, one of these days I will make a meal that doesn't include cream soups or sour cream. I didn't realize how much I use them until I started posting my dinners!!)

Shepherd's Pie

You will need:

1 to 1 1/2 lbs. of ground beef or ground turkey
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 onion
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 cans green beans
mashed potatoes (I would guess 3-4 cups, I used about 10 smaller potatoes)
salt and pepper
cheese

1. Start by putting a pot of water on the stove for the potatoes. You can prepare everything while it heats up. Also preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Peel and cube your potatoes. Then add to the boiling water.

3. Saute the onion and garlic cloves in some olive oil for a few minutes. Then add the ground beef, Worcestershire sauce, and some salt and pepper and cook until meat is no longer pink.

4. Add the cooked meat to the bottom of a 13x9 casserole.

5. Add green beans and cream of mushroom soup and mix around so the soup covers everything.
5. Make the potatoes with milk, butter and salt. Then add to the top of the casserole.

6. Add cheese to the top. (This is optional, it is still yummy without cheese, and has less fat, we added way more cheese than normal because my sister shredded lots of it.)
Then put it in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.


Cooking tip:
I buy these jars of chopped garlic, and this is what I use when a recipe calls for garlic cloves. 1 tsp. = 1 clove. It save so much time and it lasts for awhile, so I always have garlic ready when I need it. People may argue this, but I don't see or taste a difference in the recipes from using fresh garlic. It does have olive oil added to it, but still, I've never experienced any issues because of it.

Chicken Fajitas

I have tried a lot of homemade fajita recipes. None of them turn out as good as when I use a fajita seasoning packet. I usually love homemade stuff much better, and I'm sure there is something out there that is much better than this, but I haven't found it yet. And besides, this is such a fast and easy way of doing fajitas that I don't really care right now. These instructions are on the back of the packet, but I'll do step by step instructions anyway.

1. Cut 2 bell peppers and 1 onion into thin strips. (the packet says one pepper, but I like 2)

2. Saute the veggies for about 5 minutes.

3. Then put them in a bowl and set aside.

4. Cut 1 chicken breast into strips (I defrosted mine in the microwave a little too long...that's why they're half cooked. Oh, and I'm sorry about the picture, I hope it doesn't gross you out)
Anyway, cook the chicken in a little olive oil until it's cooked all the way through.

5. Add the veggies, seasoning packet, and 1/4 c. of water (or whatever it says on the packet).

6. Stir and cook for about 5 minutes.

Add to a tortilla with some sour cream. You can also add tomatoes, lettuce, guacamole, salsa - whatever sounds good to you.

Grilled chicken salad

Hi Steph. I haven't made dinner for two nights (lucky me!) because we've had family in town and we've been eating at my in-law's house. I decided to give you an easy peasy dinner recipe anyway (lucky you!).


This is for easy grilled chicken salad:

In the morning marinate a couple chicken breasts in some Italian dressing**. I usually put my chicken in a glass bowl or Tupperware and dump the dressing on until the chicken is covered, cover the container with a lid or clear wrap and put it in the fridge until I'm ready to use it. (**You actually can use whatever marinade you like, and you can even make homemade marinade. But since I'm posting an easy dinner, I'll save the homemade stuff for another day.)

When it's time for dinner grill the chicken on a George Forman type grill, on an outside grill, or even bake it in the oven until it's cooked.

The chicken may need salt and pepper depending on your tastes.

Cut the chicken into strips and put on top a bed of cut lettuce (I like Romaine lettuce and spinach, you can do whatever you like) and other typical salad toppings. Such as:

-tomatoes
-cucumbers
-bell peppers (I like adding red or yellow for color, but they're usually more expensive)
-shredded carrots
-corn
-cheese

Then add whatever dressing you like. Dinner is served.

Turkey noodle soup

So, another turkey recipe. We will have one more tomorrow, and then my turkey leftovers will be gone. I used turkey in this recipe tonight, but certainly chicken can be used in place of it. I don't have an official recipe for this soup, but when I make it, I sometimes feel like I'm cheating because it is so easy. Maybe I'll title it cheater chicken soup. It takes about 30 minutes to make, and tastes great on a cold winter evening. Plus, it freezes well, and the soup tastes better the next day, so it makes awesome leftovers.

Chop the following:
1 onion
4 med. carrots (the carrots I used were enormous, so I used 2)
3-4 stalks of celery

Add those to a medium size pot, add a tablespoon or two of butter and saute over medium heat, until the onions are translucent.

Then add:
5 cans of broth (I used 4 cans chicken broth and 1 vegetable broth, that's what I like, but you could use all chicken broth)
2-3 or so cups of cooked turkey or chicken; cubbed (I just add it until it looks like I have enough, sorry, I don't have a better recipe!!)
1 t. basil
1 t. oregano
1 1/2 c. egg noodles (I use whole wheat, I think they hold up better in soup, and they're better for you)
salt and pepper to taste
Simmer for 15 minutes.

Then enjoy a delicious, hot bowl of soup (Buzz Lightyear bowl is optional, but not if you are a two year old boy!)

Chicken Enchiladas

These are my favorite enchiladas to make. They are SO good. They take a long time though, so plan ahead when making these babies!! Also, they are not the healthiest meal you will ever have, so I only make them once in awhile for a special yummy dinner. YUM!

Here's the recipe (it comes from Allrecipes.com):

Ingredients

• 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast meat - cut into chunks
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1 1/4 cups sour cream
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies, drained
• 1 (1.25 ounce) package mild taco seasoning mix
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped, divided
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 5 (12 inch) flour tortillas
• 3 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded, divided
• 1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce
• 1 (6 ounce) can sliced black olives

Directions

1. Place the chicken in a large pot and add water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the chicken pieces are no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Shred chicken by placing two forks back to back and pulling meat apart. Set the shredded chicken aside. Meanwhile, combine the cream of chicken soup, sour cream, and chili powder in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, then turn off the heat and cover to keep warm.
2. Heat the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the shredded chicken, chopped green chilies, taco seasoning, half of the bunch of chopped green onion, and water. Allow to simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the lime juice, onion powder, and garlic powder; simmer for an additional 10 minutes.
3. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Stir 1 cup of the soup mixture into the skillet with the chicken mixture. Spread the remaining soup mixture on the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish.
4. Fill each tortilla with chicken mixture. Sprinkle Cheddar cheese over the chicken filling before folding the tortillas, reserving half of the shredded cheese for topping the enchiladas. Fold tortillas over the filling and place seam-side down in the prepared pan.
5. Pour enchilada sauce evenly over the enchiladas. Cover with the remaining 1 1/2 cups of Cheddar cheese. Sprinkle the reserved chopped green onions and the sliced olives on top of the cheese. Bake in the preheated oven until filling is heated through and the cheese is melted and bubbling, about 25 minutes.

Now what I do:
I don't add the green onions, unless I have them, and even then I only add them to the top for extra color. Also, I don't think I've ever added three cups of cheese to this recipe. More like 2 cups.

First boil 2 lbs. of chicken breast. I found the chicken breasts I was buying were around 1 lb. per breast, so I just used two of those. Warning: boiled chicken is pretty stinky, but it is easy to boil (and Steph, you don't have to touch it!). Then after it cools for a bit start shredding it with a few forks. This is the most time consuming part of this recipe, but shredding is totally worth it in the end. I usually do this step in the morning and put the chicken in a Ziplock until I'm ready to use it.

Keep shredding, shredding, shredding, and you'll soon have a lovely pile of shredded chicken.

Then add the can of cream of chicken, the sour cream and the chili pepper to a small sauce pan. The recipe says to boil it and take it off the heat and keep warm. I just put the heat on medium/low and just stir it a few times as I'm preparing the rest of the meal. (P.S. Please don't pay attention to how dirty my stovetop is in these pictures!!!)

Chop your onion and saute in butter until they are clear.

Then you add the chicken, water, taco seasoning, and can of green chilies to the pan. (Notice I had to get a bigger skillet, I didn't realize you added everything to the onions, so make sure you start with a big skillet...it will save you time and a dirty dish) Simmer this for 10 minutes.
Side note: I used a packet of taco seasoning tonight, but did you know you can make your own?? I love this recipe here. 2 1/2-3 Tablespoons of homemade taco seasoning = one packet.

Then add the lime juice, onion powder, and garlic powder.
COOKING TIP: I will usually read the whole recipe, and measure everything out before I start cooking. You will save time, and if you have to add ingredients to something that is already simmering you don't have to worry about burning it as you measure stuff out. Also, if you get to the end of a recipe and you don't have an ingredient you don't waste food, your time, and you don't have to run to the store before dinner. (I guess if you read the whole recipe you won't have to switch your onions from a small skillet, to a large skillet because you already know what comes next...oops)
Okay, back to the recipe....simmer this for 10 more minutes...keep an eye on it and stir it a few times because the chicken sops up all the water and juices quickly.

In the meantime shred the cheese, or you can already have this step ready if you measure everything before beginning.

Add a cup of the sour cream mixture to the chicken (I usually add about 1 1/2 cups of it)

Spread the rest of the sour cream in the bottom of you pan.

Add some chicken mixture and shredded cheese on a tortilla.


Roll and put seam side down into your pan.

Continue until you are done using the chicken mixture. I usually have about 6 large enchiladas.


Add the enchilada sauce and cheese (and olives and green onion if you have them.)

Turkey and Rice bake

Ingredients:

• 6 slices bacon
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup sliced onion
• 2 cups cooked rice
• 1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach or broccoli, cooked and drained
• 2 tablespoons chopped pimiento
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 can (10 3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• turkey slices, 6 to 8 large slices or enough sliced turkey for 6 people
• 1/2 cup fine dry bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon melted butter

Preparation:

Cook bacon until crisp. Drain on paper towels then crumble. In 2 tablespoons of the drippings in the same skillet, cook onion and celery until just tender. Combine the rice, bacon, onion, celery, spinach, pimiento, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Combine the soup and sour cream then stir half of it into the rice and vegetable mixture. Spoon mixture into a lightly greased 11x7-inch baking dish. Arrange turkey slices over rice and vegetable mixture. Spoon remaining soup and sour cream mixture over turkey. Toss bread crumbs with butter and sprinkle around edge of casserole. Bake in a preheated 350° oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until hot and browned around the edge.
Serves 6.


That's the recipe. Now here is how I did it. I didn't add bacon or the chopped pimiento. You could also sub cooked chicken for the turkey.

First preheat the oven to 350.

Then I made minute rice. You could use any rice, but this was fast so it's what I did.

Chop the onion and celery, and then saute them in a little olive oil. I used much more celery than the recipe called for. I had a lot and I need to use it fast, plus if you use more veggies you can use less meat.

I used both broccoli (well, it's actually brocciflower) and spinach. The recipe says you can use either one, but I had both and I needed to use them, so I did! So chop them (or just spinach or just the broccoli) Also, the recipe says to use frozen, but I used fresh, so I sauteed the broccoli a little.

Mix together the cream of mushroom and sour cream.

Chop the turkey. I had maybe 3-4 cups, but just use how much you want.

Add the rice, celery, onion, veggies, and salt to a casserole dish.

Add half of the cream of mushroom/sour cream mixture and mix it.

Add turkey on top of that.

Top with the rest of the sour cream stuff. I added a little milk because it was so thick.

Then it's time to add with bread crumbs. I did 1/4 cup bread crumbs and 1/4 cup wheat germ for added fiber, flavor and nutrients.

Cover the top of the casserole with crumbs. If you don't have crumbs a little cheese would taste great.

Bake for 30 minutes.


Here's my review.
It was okay, nice way to use veggies and left over turkey.
Needed a little more salt. The sour cream/cream mushroom soup mix needs milk added to it. I added a few tablespoons, but next time I would maybe add 1/4 cup.
Also, I think it would have been better with cream of chicken instead of cream of mushroom soup.
4 out of 5 stars.