It's Like Crack (Or So I Hear)

HAPPY MONDAY!!!!

Do you have yours on yet?!

I had quite an eventful weekend.  I headed to Nashville on Friday for a weekend with the girls.  Part business, lots of play.  We were part of a focus group for this amazing company called GoNoodle.  If you're a mom with kids at home, you MUST check it out.  And if you're a teacher who isn't GoNoodling yet...get on it ASAP!  Saved my sanity in the classroom!!!  

Anyway, we enjoyed a weekend full of fun, lots of laughs, and ten times more food.  Donuts at The Donut Den, barbeque, best ice cream ever (holla, Jeni's!!!!), a fancy dinner at Sinema, and the world's most amazing breakfast.  Monell's is my happy place.  I even got to meet Top Chef alum, Dale Levitski!!!  I was such a #fangirl (not embarrassed) and had to have my picture with him.

I was supposed to get home in time to tuck the boys in last night, but the Lord had other plans.  The weather was absolutely awful here in Houston and judging by the terrifying turbulence during the flight, I'm pretty sure the weather was bad all over.  Our flight was diverted to New Orleans and we sat on the plane in Louisiana a little over an hour to wait out the storms in Texas.  When we were headed to our final destination, the turbulence was about 10 times worse.  White knuckle flying.  Needless to say, I couldn't be more thrilled to be home...and safe.  And I won't be getting on a plane again anytime soon :)

Now let's talk food.

I love potatoes in any form and when I found this recipe I knew it would be a keeper.  Easy to prep and sounded like a definite crowd pleaser.  I made this as one of the sides I served on Easter Sunday and there wasn't a bite left in the dish.  Everyone was a fan.  The only problem was that I wish I would've made a few more pans!!!  

LOADED POTATO CASSEROLE

via Plain Chicken

2 (16 oz) tubs of sour cream

2 Cups shredded cheddar cheese

2 bags of real bacon bits

2 pkgs. Ranch Dip mix

1 large (28-30 oz.) bag of frozen, shredded hash browns

In a large bowl, combine sour cream, cheese, bacon bits, and Ranch Dip packets.  Mix well to combine and then add your frozen hash browns.  I gave my hash browns about an hour to thaw out prior to prepping this dish because I figured they'd be easier to stir into the mixture if I didn't have to work to break them up while trying to coat them.  

Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish and add the potato mixture.  Heat oven to 400 and bake for about 60 minutes.

What I love about this recipe is that it's ridiculously delicious, easy to prep, and lends itself to adding a few additional ingredients to really take it to another level.  Chopped green onions would be a great addition.  We tossed in a little Tony Chachere's to give it an extra kick and HELLO!  YUM!!!  

Like I said before, this was a crowd pleaser and something I will definitely be taking with me to future get-togethers!!  So easy and SO delicious!!!  

A Tex Mex Throwback

I was cleaning out some of my cabinets the other day and ran across a little box full of recipe cards. I remember getting this when I got married 11 years ago. All the women in my life knew my cooking skills were limited to Hamburger Helper and frozen pizza and they were trying to set me up for cooking success.  Bless.

It took forever for me to learn how to cook something without burning it.  Or to find "green onions" in the grocery store. (I was #sosmart...I'd sift through all the yellow onions trying to find the greenest.  Did I just admit that?!)  To say my kitchen skills were sub-par is the understatement of the century.  When I finally did learn a thing or two about following a recipe, I stuck to a very limited menu and repeated it week after week for the first 3-4 years of our marriage.  It looked a little something like this...

Monday: Fiesta Chicken

Tuesday:  Taco Salad

Wednesday: Hamburger Helper (beef stroganoff, please!!)

Thursday: Chicken Squares

Friday & Saturday:  Out to eat

Sunday:  Pizza

Dear Lord.

I'm happy to say we've come a LONG way since those childless days and worn out meals.  My husband can't say the words "Fiesta Chicken" & "Chicken Squares" without inducing his gag reflex. I have the same reaction when I pass by the boxes of Hamburger Helper at the grocery store.  I'm not knockin' any of these meals, but if you eat the exact same thing every week for the first 3-4 years of your marriage, I'm pretty sure your gag reflex would go into overdrive, too :)  

All that to be said, I came across a recipe card I haven't seen in ages.  Tex Mex Chicken and Rice.  While I'm no whiz in the kitchen, I decided to add a few new things to this dish to take it from bland to grand (<<<<< see what I did there?!) and now it's a family favorite.  But I PROMISE not to keep this one on repeat :)

TEX MEX CHICKEN AND RICE

2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (OR rotisserie chicken, shredded)

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

2-3 jalapenos, seeded and chopped

2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 (4 oz.) can of chopped green chiles

1 (12 oz.) can of Rotel

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. cumin

1 (12 oz.) can of evaporated milk

2 cups shredded colby & monterrey jack cheese

1/4 C. chopped cilantro

2 eggs, beaten

2 cups of cooked rice

Panko bread crumbs (optional)

First, let's go ahead and preheat your oven to 350.

Prior to getting started, cook your chicken, shred (or shred your rotisserie chicken), and set aside  I cheated and used rotisserie.  You'll also want to make your rice and set aside, too.

Chop your onion, jalapeno, and garlic.  Put the olive oil in a pan and heat on medium/high.  Add the onion, jalapeno, and garlic to saute (about 5 minutes, give or take).  

Add the cans of chopped green chiles and Rotel to the pan and toss in the salt and cumin.  Mix until combined and let simmer for about 3 minutes.  

Add the chicken and mix to combine.  Simmer for another 3 minutes.

Now add the cooked rice  & evaporated milk, stir, and remove from heat.  Toss in the cilantro and shredded cheese and mix well to combine.

Beat two eggs in a small bowl and add to the chicken & rice mixture.  Mix well to combine and transfer mixture to a lightly greased 9x13 baking dish.  

If you're looking for a little more texture, sprinkle the top with some Panko bread crumbs.  Bake at 350 for about 60 minutes.

The addition of the egg sets the chicken and rice and makes this dish more of a meal that can be cut and served in squares.  A "thick" meal, not creamy. Amazingly delicious.

If you're wanting a creamier version of this chicken and rice dish, omit the eggs and replace the evaporated milk with  1 & 1/2 cups of half and half or whipping cream and reduce the baking time to about 20-25 minutes (or until bubbly). 

We've had it both ways and both versions are delish.  Just depends on the kind of texture you're wanting!!!  

This is just the kind of throwback I'm happy to revisit!!!!

KWEENO For The Win!

The last time I posted a recipe about quinoa, my sweet friend, Meredith, posted this commercial on my wall...

I laughed WAY too hard.

And I still do.  Cracks me up every time I play it.  Hahahaha!!!!

We've been eating A LOT of quinoa lately.  I mean, shoo.  We might as well.  I paid enough for it and the bag holds at least 10 servings, I swear.  #quinoafordays

This dish makes enough to feed a small army.  If only my boys would partake in the servings.  They feel a lot like the KWEE-NO guy in the commercial..."what the heck is this anyway?!?!?!"  Not that they'd eat it even if they could figure it out, but still.  Heck, I'd love for them to eat hamburgers with us!!!  I rest in the idea that my boys won't be 25 with the taste palate of a 2-year-old....or will they?!?!

Anyway, like I was saying before, this recipe makes quite the serving.  And it's so delicious, too.  If you haven't made the plunge to serve kweeno at your house, you really should dive in.  This is the *perfect* quinoa starter recipe (in my opinion).  Packed full of flavor and SUPER easy!!!  

QUINOA & CHICKEN ENCHILADA CASSEROLE

adapted from Skinny Taste

1 1/4 C. quinoa

2 C. chicken broth

2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded.

1/2 tsp. olive oil

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 (16 oz.) jar of salsa {we used Joe T. Garcia}

1 (10 oz.) can red enchilada sauce

1 (4 oz.) can diced green chiles

1 (14 oz.) can of black beans (rinsed & drained)

1 (14 oz.) can of corn, drained

1/4 C. chopped fresh cilantro

1 1/2 C. shredded Mexican/Fiesta blend cheese

Avocado, diced {for garnish, optional}

Scallions, diced {for garnish, optional}

First up, let's cook the KWEENO...ahem, QUINOA.  I like to cook mine in chicken broth and add a little garlic and onion powder in as it's boiling.  It helps to cut down on the bitterness.  So, combine the quinoa and chicken broth in a pot, bring to a boil, reduce heat, & simmer according to package directions.

At the same time, cook your chicken.  If you're smart, you'll already have yours cooked and shredded...or you'll take it easy and shred a rotisserie instead.  In that case, you would be #winning. If you're cooking it, shred it when it's ready and set aside.

While the quinoa is a-cookin', go ahead and prep the rest.  There will be minimal prep...hence the reason this is a great starter meal if you're just getting into quinoa.

Saute the garlic in the olive oil until fragrant...about 1-2 minutes.  Add the salsa and the enchilada sauce to the same pan, mix until combined, and simmer for about 5-10 minutes.  

Now take the quinoa you cooked earlier and dump it into a large bowl.  Toss in the shredded chicken, too.  Add the green chiles, black beans, corn, cilantro, and 1/2 C. of the cheese.  Mix until ingredients are combined.

Remove the enchilada sauce/salsa mix from the heat and pour over the quinoa mixture in the large bowl.  Stir until the quinoa mix is well coated with the salsa/sauce.  

Transfer the quinoa mixture to a greased, 9x13 baking dish.  Top with the remaining cheese and cover with foil.  Bake for about 20-25 minutes (or until cheese is melted) at 400 degrees.

If you so desire...which we did, of course ( I mean, go big or go home, right?!?!)...go ahead and top your serving with diced avocado and scallions.  

Seriously, y'all.  SO delicious!

I'm really emphatic about explaining the meals I cook.  Not so much articulate, but emphatic, yes.  AMAZING!!!!  Remember how much I love exclamations?!  Because I do!!!  And I love this dish just as much!!!  

If you're just boarding the quinoa train, or if you've had your ticket for years, get on this dish as soon as you can.  Simple, easy, and tasty....a winning combo, for sure!

KWEENO FOR THE WIN!!!!

FINALLY…Rice I Don’t Have to Cook!!!!

About 10ish years ago, one of my best girlfriends told me the cutest story of her run-in with a broccoli/rice casserole.  She made dinner for her & her husband, and her husband took the leftovers to work the next day.  One day, he took some leftover broccoli and rice casserole with him for lunch.  One of the guys that worked with him noticed they both brought broccoli & rice for lunch and said to him, “looks like we brought the same thing.”  My friend’s husband looked back at his co-worker and said, “did your wife cook the rice first?” to which co-worker replied “yes”.  Friend’s husband looked at him and said, “well then we’re not having the same thing!!!!”  I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so hard!!!!  She is PRECIOUS and that story KILLS me every time I think about it!  That totally sounds like something I would’ve done back in the day.  When I found out that this recipe called for rice that didn’t have to be cooked first, I almost died.  I immediately thought of my sweet friend…she really could’ve used this recipe back then!!!!  HA!!! 

 

SHRIMP and RICE CASSEROLE

via Eat, Live, Run

1 1/2 lbs raw shrimp, {shells off, deveined}

2 cups raw white rice

4 tbsp. butter

1 can {10 oz.} Cream of Celery soup

1 can {10 oz.} Cream of Chicken soup

1 can {10 oz.} mild Rotel

1 tsp. salt

1 yellow onion, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1/2 tsp. pepper

 

Not too shabby, eh?!

I’m just gonna warn you….this will be tastiest, EASIEST meal you’ve ever tried {unless you’ve tried the other meals I claimed to be the easiest & tastiest ;)} 

In a large bowl, combine shrimp, RAW {not cooked!!} rice, soups, Rotel, onion, red pepper, and salt & pepper.  Mix well until combined.  Y’all know I can’t cook rice to save my life, so any recipe that tells me I can use RAW rice is an absolute winner in my book ;)

Melt the butter in a 12x9 baking dish.  Just pop it in the oven until it’s melted and remove.

Make sure oven is heated to 350 and then pour the shrimp & rice mixture on top of the butter.  Cover dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove from oven and give it a good stir.  RE-cover the dish and pop it back in the oven for another 40-45 minutes.  You’ll know it’s done because the rice will be COOKED!!!!  Light and fluffy.  No extra elbow grease on your behalf ;) 

Hello happiness.  That’s one big bowl of amazing flavors and easiness right there.  I seriously couldn’t get over the FLAVOR!!!  And the fact that it took me all of FIVE minutes to prep?!  Well, that was just the icing on the cake!  I am head over heels, hands down, IN LOVE with this dish!!!! 

Go ahead and give ‘er a whirl…you know you want to! 

Keepin’ It Spicy

Alright y’all.  My girl Paula has gone and done it again.  Remember when I recently had a week full of recipes from my most favorite chef herself?!  Well, here’s one of the MANY winners from that week.  MY.WORD.  This is a "must-make-again.SOON” recipe, for sure!!  I can’t cook for two people to save my life so we always have A TON of leftovers.  I started taking my leftovers to one of the sweet girls on my team who loves spicy food as much as I do.  I’m tellin’ y’all, we are a match made in spicy-lovin’ heaven.  She LOVED this dish just as much as I did and raved about it for a few days after.  This is definitely a keeper.  Oh, sweet Paula…you really know how to keep things spicy ;)

SPICY SHRIMP AND PASTA CASSEROLE

via Paula Deen

2 lbs. shrimp, cleaned, peeled, & deveined {I used frozen shrimp because I take shortcuts like that ;)}

16 oz. jar of salsa {I used my favorite, World Table Salsa Casera :)}

9 oz. angel hair pasta {I used about 3/4 of a box}

1 tsp. dried oregano, crushed

1 tsp. dried basil, crushed

1 tsp. crushed red pepper

1/3 cup freshly chopped parsley

1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

1/2 cup grated Swiss cheese

1 cup plain yogurt

1 1/2 cup half & half

2 eggs

1/2 cup grated Monterrey Jack cheese

Alright now, here we go.  Can I just tell y’all how much I love having all my ingredients in one place when I start cooking?!  I mean, my kitchen still looks like the sad aftermath of a tornado when it’s all said and done, but I like starting out relatively organized.

First make sure you cook your pasta and then drain.  In a separate bowl, combine eggs, half & half, yogurt, swiss & feta cheeses, parsley, basil, and oregano.  Mix until well blended.  Set aside.

Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with butter and spread half the pasta over the bottom of the dish.

Now let’s get to layerin’.  I’m good at that.  Especially in the winter.  I layer A LOT to cover up muffin tops and saddlebags.  Don’t judge.  This time, however, I’m layering FOOD.  Let’s get to it.  Cover the pasta with salsa, put half the shrimp on top of the salsa, and then cover it with the monterrey jack. 

You’ll notice that my shrimp already look cooked.  Ummm…well…you’re *sorta* right.  I forgot to let the shrimp thaw out before I left for work, so I popped ‘em in the microwave to let them defrost.  I left them in a little too long and sorta cooked ‘em.  But I’m okay with that because the layerin’ gets a little thick and I was a little paranoid about biting into a raw shrimp.  I might suggest you do the same :)  Just sayin’.

Now go ‘head and add the remaining pasta and shrimp.

Now pour the egg mixture {remember the one we set aside earlier?!} right over the top of the pasta & shrimp.

Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes or until bubbly.  Let it stand for about 10 minutes before serving.

Holy feta, swiss, and monterrey jack. AH-mazing people!!!  I’m tellin’ you!!!!  Okay, so I went ahead and added the crushed red pepper to the dish…this wasn’t in the original recipe, but I thought it needed an extra little kick.  I knew the salsa wouldn’t make it spicy enough for our taste, so the red pepper totally did the trick. You can absolutely leave that out if you don’t want a little kick in the pants.

GET.IN.MY.BELLY.

OH friends.  OOOOHHHHHH, sweet friends.  Don’t skip this one.  For real.  Y’all know Paula doesn’t disappoint and this is definitely no exception.  This is a meal that delivers, so go ahead and deliver this one right to your dinner table.  I promise you’ll love it.

And you’ll love it even more when you eat it for leftovers the next day, too ;)

It’s ALL That & A Bag of Chips

I think I’m obsessed with foods that remind me of my childhood.  Mainly Catholic school cafeteria foods.  French bread pizza, peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, neopolitan ice cream sandwiches, and Frito pies. When the cafeteria was servin’ up any of those yummies, I BEGGED my mom to let me buy.  And if she didn’t…which wasn’t out of the ordinary given that there were 4 of us…I’d beg my little friends to let me sample a few bites.  Or I’d just skip that step altogether and do a few taste tests of my own while they weren’t looking :)  I was SO excited to find this recipe because it SO reminded me of the Frito Pie lunch days back in elementary.  And ohmiword…the first few bites had me visioning Sister Dorothy standing right behind our table giving us the nun staredown while we ate our food.  Only this time around, I inhaled my meal without the infamous Catholic guilt…and it was sinfully delicious :)

 

OVEN BAKED FRITO PIE

from Colie’s Kitchen

1 lb. lean ground  beef

1 {16oz.} can pinto beans

1 {8oz.} can tomato sauce

1 {15oz.} can diced tomatoes

1 pkg. taco seasoning {I used McCormick’s}

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

3 1/2 cups Fritos

1 1/4 cups sour cream

 

First up, brown the meat. Now go ‘head and drain it, return it to the pan, and stir in the beans, tomato sauce, taco seasoning, and 1/4 cup of the cheese.

Sprinkle 1 cup of the Frito’s on the bottom of a well greased 8x8 baking dish.

Cover the Frito’s with the meat mixture.

Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes and remove from oven.  Now spread the sour cream over the meat mix and top with the remaining Frito’s and cheese.

Return to oven and bake for another 4-5 minutes.  You might even wanna cover with foil and return to bake.  The cheese will get a little crispy on top of the Frito’s otherwise.  If you’re like me and could careless about that little detail, just pop it in the oven, bake, and remove! 

Holy smokes.  I know that doesn’t look like guilt-free eating, but trust me when I say that it’s worth the calorie laden conscience you’re sure to have once you take a bite :)

It’s ALL that and a bag of chips!

Layers of Flavors

I don’t know about y’all, but I love me some lasagna.  Mr. Spouse, on the other hand, isn’t a fan.  He HATES Ricotta cheese.  I might be on board with his train of thought on that one.  However, I love lasagna.  I’m always looking for random variations on this classic dish, but none have really stood out until I found this one!  Y’all.  OMG.  Layers of flavors. SO dang good! Even Mr. Spouse helped himself to seconds…and thirds, too, for that matter!!! 

SAUSAGE AND PEPPER LASAGNA

1 lb. sausage {I used Jimmy Dean, but the original recipe called for Italian sausage}

1 onion, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

2 {8 oz.} pkgs. cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided

2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

1 jar spaghetti sauce {I highly recommend Classico Tomato & Basil!!!}

1/2 cup water

1/2 tsp. dried oregano leaves

12 lasagna noodles

Cut onion & peppers and mix in a skillet with sausage.  The original recipe called for Italian sausage, but Mr. Spouse brought home Jimmy Dean :)  We went with it & I’m SO glad we did!!  Cook until meat is browned and veggies are softened.  Drain & return to pan.

Meanwhile, beat cream cheese & milk with blender until well blended.  Combine mozzarella and parmesan and reserve 1 1/2 cups  & set aside.  Pour the remaining cheese mixture into the cream cheese/milk mix.

Pour spaghetti sauce over sausage & peppers.  Stir until blended.  Pour 1/2 cup of water into the spaghetti sauce jar, close the lid, and shake.  Pour over spaghetti sauce/peppers/sausage & add in oregano.

Spread about 1/3 of the sausage mixture into the bottom of a 13x9 baking dish.

Now let’s layer…

3 noodles

1/2 of the cream cheese mix

3 noodles

1/2 the remaining sausage mix

3 noodles

remaining cream cheese mix

remaining noodles

remaining sausage mix

reserved cheese {mozzarella & parmesan mix}

Cover baking dish with foil {sprayed with cooking spray so that the cheese doesn’t stick!!!}  Bake for 350 for about 45 minutes and remove from oven.

Let it stand for about 15 minutes before cutting!!  Serve & ENJOY…because you will!!

 

What a DELICIOUS variation on the regular ol’ lasagna we all know and love!  This was SO dang good, y’all!!  This will definitely be making many more appearances at the dinner table…and it’s the perfect dish to take to friends, too!!  LOVE IT!!!!

Mangia!

Not Gonna Lie…

I’m not gonna  lie…I was nervous as heck to try out this recipe.  I mean, in theory, it sounded pretty good, but you never know.  I’m never one to shy away from new recipes…unless they reuire some random ingredients or seem overly complicated.  After all, I like quick & easy!  And since this recipe seemed way too easy to pass up, I had to try it.  I was PLEASANTLY surprised!!  This will definitely be hittin’ the dinner table again…SOON!!!  SOOOO good!!!

SAUSAGE ‘N’ TATER CASSEROLE

1 pkg hot sausage {I used Jimmy Dean}

1 onion, chopped

4 large garlic cloves, pressed

1 can cream of onion soup

1 can cheddar cheese soup

1 can fiesta nacho cheese soup

1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper

1 pkg. tater tots {32 oz.}, partially thawed

 

Combine sausage, garlic, and onion in a large skillet and cook on medium high heat.  Cook until meat is nice and crumbly.

 

Once meat is browned, stir in the soups and crushed red pepper.

While the sausage & soup mixture is cooking, line the bottom of a 2 qt. casserole dish with half of the tater tots.

 

Spread the sausage & soup mix evenly over the layer of tots.

Arrange another layer of tots on top of the sausage & soup mix.

Bake according to the directions on the tater tot package.  I think I baked ours at 425 for 20 minutes.  Just long enough for the tots to cook & brown :) Mmmmmmm….

If you’re thinkin’ this reminds you of a traditional tater tot casserole, you’re right…except this one is SOOOO much better!!  SO much more flavor & creaminess and it packs a little punch!!  We like things hot & spicy around here, so this was right up our alley ;)  Well, it wasn’t that hot & spicy, but it definitely had a kick!  If you don’t want the kick, leave out the red pepper and use mild sausage instead of hot.  I promise you’ll LOVE it!!!!!