Once again, I have to say how much I enjoy Annie's Eats. That girl turns out some rockin' recipes. I really love the flavors of simple Mexican dishes. I'm a sucker for a packet of taco seasoning. Bring on the sodium! And not just any taco seasoning (I've tried them all). The best one, hands down, is the Old El Paso. I hope you've been printing the recent coupons on Coupons.com! I changed Annie's recipe up a bit and added some taco seasoning to the chicken. The random ingredient in this one is the Ranch dressing. Clay is not a fan of Ranch, so I didn't tell him it was in it. He didn't know the difference and loved it :) This is not your traditional enchiladas. This is quick, easy, creamy, cheesy, and delicious. The best part is its made from stockpile staples! Go ahead and put this one on the Menu this week. You know you want to!
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 packet of taco seasoning
1 cup light sour cream
1 cup Ranch dressing
flour tortillas (I used the fajita size, about 12)
salsa
4 cups shredded cheese (cheddar or Mexican blend)
Trim chicken breasts of excess fat and cut into bite-size pieces. Season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet and saute the chicken until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Add in taco seasoning and a few tablespoons of water. Cook chicken until all of the water is absorbed. Reduce the heat to low to keep warm.
Meanwhile, mix up the sauce. In a large bowl, combine half of the sour cream with half of the Ranch dressing. In a small bowl, combine the remaining sour cream and Ranch dressing. Stir both until well combined. Add the chicken to the large bowl and mix until the chicken is well coated.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9 X 13-inch baking pan. Take one tortilla and top with a little less than 1 teaspoon of the sauce from the small bowl. Spread it around the tortilla like you would sauce on a pizza. Line the center of the tortilla with a row of the chicken mixture. Top the chicken with salsa and shredded cheese, to taste. Roll up the tortilla and place seam side down on the baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas until the pan is full.
Spread some of the leftover sauce over the tops of the enchiladas and top with more cheese. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until tortillas have reached desired crispness. Serve with Mexican rice and veggies if you like that kind of stuff.
Enjoy!
(adapted from Annie's Eats)
My parents are famous for their grilled pork tenderloin! Every year we take it to our family reunion and it is gobbled up in seconds. What can I say? My Dad knows how to grill! My parents grill almost every night, but my most favorite is the pork tenderloin they fix. This week Winn Dixie has theirs B1G1, so Mom got a couple for my brother's birthday dinner. She said she has also done this same recipe with a pork loin, sliced long-ways down the center to resemble a pork tenderloin. Just as yummy! The pork loin goes on sale sometimes in the grocery stores for as low as $1.99 per pound. That's a definite stock-up price when you see it that low. This is a quick, easy and healthy way to cook pork. And one of the only ways I'll eat it. I'm not a huge fan of pork (aside from bacon!). Cook a pork chop for me any kind of way, and I'd rather have a chicken breast in its place. I'm just a nut for chicken, I guess. Its a good idea to make extras of this pork when you're grilling, because it makes a fabulous sandwich for lunch the next day. Slice it really thin, and then bathe it in the juices that accumulate in the bottom of the plate. Heaven.
2 pork tenderloins
salt and pepper
Italian Dressing
Trim the pork tenderloins of any excess fat and the "silver skin". Season generously with salt and pepper. Place in a large zippy bag with a few squeezes of Italian dressing. You want enough to cover the meat. Squish the meat around and let marinate in the dressing for about 15-30 minutes in the fridge. Take out about 5 minutes before grilling to take some of the chill off. Grill over low heat for 25-35 minutes, depending on the size of the tenderloins. The internal temperature needs to read about 160 degrees. Let rest for about 5 minutes then slice into thin slices.
Enjoy!
(recipe from my Mom and Dad, Sandy and Charlie Sumlin)
I know a lot of you were looking forward to seeing this one. It did not disappoint! The best part about it was how quickly it came together. I sauteed the chicken breasts first and then assembled all the veggies. I did add a little bit of Asian Sesame dressing from my fridge towards the end because it seemed a little dry to me. Clay even ate it! He hates anything with lettuce, so I figured the cabbage part would be a total no-go, but he ate 3 of the wraps! He said he would have eaten more, but he was saving room for some cheesecake he picked up at Sam's Saturday :) I hope you guys enjoy this as much as we did. These are perfect for a quick weeknight meal!
1 tablespoon sesame oil (or substitute olive oil)
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 10-oz. bag shredded coleslaw (or shred about 1/2 head of cabbage)
2 cups sliced or shredded carrots
2 scallions, sliced (I omitted these)
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2-3 tablespoons Asian Sesame Dressing (optional)
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
10 flour tortillas, 6-inch size
3 cups shredded cooked chicken (3-4 chicken breasts or 1 rotisserie chicken)
In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, carrot and scallions. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes. Add the cabbage and cook another 4 minutes.
Stir in the hoisin and soy sauce and cook 2 minutes (the hoisin sauce can be found on the Asian foods aisle. Its sort of the equivalent to an Asian barbecue sauce. Its priced around $2.50) Add the chicken; stir to combine with vegetables and heat through. This is where I added a squirt or two of Asian Sesame dressing, just to help combine the mixture.
To serve, heat tortillas following package directions. Spoon 1/2 cup of chicken mixture down center of tortilla and roll up.
Enjoy!
(adapted from Parents.com)
Zucchini and yellow squash are probably some of my favorite vegetables. And some that I don't eat enough of! So, when I find them on sale, I try to use them so they don't go to waste just sitting in my fridge. I have been holding on to this recipe for a LONG time! I can remember clipping it from the Cooking Light magazine way back when. I knew it looked like a great lunch salad recipe. This would be perfect served with some grilled fish or chicken. Really light. Perfect for bathing suit season! I left out the onions and herbs because 1) I don't like raw onions and 2) I didn't want to spend the extra money on the herbs for this. I figured it would taste just fine without it. If you grow your own, you're way better than me. I kill anything green in my house. I actually have had a plant for over one year now in my kitchen. And I'm proud to say it is alive and well. Maybe I'll get the herb garden one day. But for now, I kept this salad herb-less. This salad holds well, so it is a great salad to bring to a cookout or pack in a lunch. I think some pretty halved grape tomatoes would probably be good in this too. And the color would be great! All-in-all this was a great salad. It could have used a little more flavor...probably from the herbs :)
Vinaigrette:
3 tablespoons fresh orange juice (can get from 1 orange)
1-1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (can get from 1 lime)
2-1/2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Salad:
1-1/2 cups zucchini, julienned (I used 2 medium)
1-1/2 cups yellow squash, julienned (I used 3)
1 cup fresh corn kernels (I used canned, but fresh would be best)
2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion (I omitted this)
1 tablespoon fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh basil, finely chopped
To prepare vinaigrette, combine the first 7 ingredients, stirring with a whisk.
To prepare salad, combine zucchini and remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Add vinaigrette; toss well. Cover and chill.
*To julienne the squash cut into 1/4-inch slices, then into "sticks". Cut the sticks into 1-inch pieces.
**UPDATE: I packed this for lunch today and was less than thrilled. It tasted better fresh and crunchy last night when I made it. The veggies lost too much of their moisture overnight and watered down the dressing. I also should have used fresh corn. Read some of the reviews from the original link below.
Enjoy!
(adpated from Cooking Light)
I get so tired of fixing chicken the same way. I buy a lot of chicken breasts, because when you can catch a sale they are very affordable for quick dinner options. So, finding new tasty ways to fix them is a happy day in my house! Not everybody is a fan of feta cheese. If you're wanting to branch out and try new cheeses, feta is a great place to start. Its a milder cheese (unlike blue cheese) and its great on salads. I found out tonight that its also great melted on top of tomatoes and a chicken breast! More like awesome. This is also a great meal to entertain with because it looks like it took you a lot longer to prepare than it really did. The presentation is pretty. Serve it with a green salad to really make the colors pop. Publix has their feta cheese on sale this week. I had chicken breasts in the freezer, and had cherry tomatoes leftover from the Bacon and Tomato Frittata. You will love this change on the chicken breast!
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons Italian dressing
1 large Roma tomato, sliced (I used cherry tomatoes)
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
Preheat oven to broil. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Pound chicken breasts slightly in a large zippy bag to even the thickness for easier cooking. Season with salt and pepper. Cook in skillet on one side for approximately 6 minutes, or until golden brown. Flip over. Baste the cooked side with Italian dressing. Cook for approximately 4-6 minutes. Place chicken in an oven safe dish (if your skillet isn't made to be put under the broiler- I don't know if any are!) Top chicken breasts with tomatoes and feta cheese. Place 4 inches under the broiler for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with rice and green beans or a salad.
Enjoy!
(adapted from BettyCrocker.com)
I am on a roll this week! This was another hit at my house. It was super simple because it used the store-bought Wishbone dressing that was B1G1 this week at Publix. I served mine in lettuce cups and served my husband's over rice. So, this is perfect for those of you who are maybe watching the carbs. The dressing is a light one, and full of flavor! Yum-O!
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size strips
1/4 cup bottled Light Asian Sesame & Ginger Dressing
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 cup baby carrots, thinly sliced
1 cup red bell pepper, diced
salt and pepper
1 head butterhead lettuce, leaves separated
Sprinkle chicken lightly with salt and pepper. Pour 1 tablespoon olive oil in the bottom of a skillet. Add chicken and cook over medium-high heat; cook and stir for 3 minutes or until browned. Add the carrots and peppers; cook for 2 minutes. Add the dressing and broth. Cook over medium-high heat until sauce is thickened and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 6-8 minutes. Reduce heat the low.
Serve by filling the leaves with the chicken mixture. You can also serve it with rice or over egg noodles.
Enjoy!
(adapted from Better Homes & Gardens)
I know we all stocked up on the Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing while it was B1G1 this week. I also stocked up on the Pillsbury Biscuits, so when I saw this recipe in Taste of Home I knew I had to give it a whirl. Its the same basic concept as my other "taco" dishes, but I LOVED the idea of using the biscuits to make flatbread. It was so yummy!
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup Ranch Dressing
1 lb. ground beef
1 15-oz can black beans (or pinto beans)
1 envelope taco seasoning
1 cup salsa (or one can diced tomatoes, undrained)
1 tube large refrigerated biscuits (8)
Toppings:
Shredded Cheese
Shredded Lettuce
Extra Salsa
Sliced Olives
Avacado with Lime (Yum)
In a small bowl, combine the sour cream and ranch dressing. Chill until ready to serve.
In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain off any excess fat. Add the beans (drained) salsa and taco seasoning. Heat through. Cover and simmer over low.
Meanwhile, roll out each biscuit into a 6-inch circle. In a small non-stick skillet over medium heat, cook each biscuit for 30-60 seconds on each side or until golden brown. Keep warm in a 200 degree oven. Work with these one at a time. Roll one out and put in the skillet. While that one is cooking roll the other one out. Roll them out as thin as you can. You want them to cover the bottom of your small skillet.
Yes, you are looking at that picture right. I, for some reason, do not own a rolling pin. I deconstruct my paper towel holder when I need to roll something out! It gets the job done!
To serve, spread each flatbread with 1 tablespoon ranch sour cream; top with 1/4 cup meat mixture. Sprinkle with desired toppings. You can even leave them flat and build almost like a pizza.
Enjoy!
(adapted from Taste of Home)
Salad is something that I do not eat enough of. My excuse is that my husband doesn't like it, and so there's no need to make it just for me! I do love salad with cranberries and pecans, though, so this salad sounded great. Publix has their bagged salad on sale 2/$4 this week and I've picked up most of the other ingredients on sale the last few weeks. I had to go get the apple today. I know what you're thinking...mayonnaise and maple syrup...together? Neither one of the flavors stand out above the others. The combination is wonderful, even better than I expected. This is one where I'm not sure how "Aunt Jemima" would do as a substitution. I believe in splurging on the real maple syrup. I use it a lot and there is just no comparison. The bottle at Walmart costs around $6.78 (gulp, I know) and Sam's has a large bottle for around $13 or so. This dressing reminded me of Tammy's Dressing that I made a couple of weeks ago which is my favorite. Definitely right up my alley! I assembled just my one salad. I didn't make a big bowl like I would if we had company over. This way, I can assemble a salad for lunch tomorrow and add the dressing right before I eat. Yummy!
1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
1/4 cup maple syrup
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar)
2 tablespoons minced shallot (I omitted this)
2 tsp. sugar (I used 1 packet of Splenda)
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
2 pkg. salad greens
2 medium tart apples, thinly sliced (with a squeeze of lemon)
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup pecan halves (I chopped mine)
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion (I omitted this)
In a small bowl, combine the first five ingredients; whisk in oil. Chill until serving.
In a salad bowl, combine the salad greens, apples, cranberries, pecans and onion. Just before serving, drizzle with dressing and toss to coat. I added a little bit of black pepper here. I think it really balances out the sweet dressing.
I built my own personal-sized salad as opposed to making the whole thing. I did make all of the dressing though, and plan to use it throughout the week. If you do make the entire thing, pour just enough dressing over the salad to coat it. It makes a lot and I think it would be too much even for 2 bags of salads.
Go ahead...try this combination. You'll be pleasantly surprised!
Enjoy!
(adapted from Taste of Home)
This is a good recipe to use some of that pasta that you have stockpiled. Publix has Wish-Bone dressing B1G1 this week. I used some of the leftover Grilled Chicken Breasts I fixed last night and some of the Marinated Cheese I made for New Years Day. You can really play with this recipe and use what you have on-hand or what's on sale that week. I picked up some baby carrots for $.99 at Allegri's yesterday as well as the two bell peppers. I forgot to grab those when I was at Publix the other day. I will be taking this for lunch this week!
1 14.5-oz. box rotini pasta (I used Ronzoni Smart Taste)
1 cup carrot, diced
1 cup mixed peppers, diced (I used red and green)
1 cup sliced olives
1 cup cheese, diced (I used Marinated Cheese)
1-1/2 cup Italian dressing
2 cooked chicken breasts, optional (I used Grilled Chicken Breasts)Cook pasta according to package directions. Add diced carrots the last two minutes to cook slightly. Drain and run under cold water.
Combine all ingredients except dressing in a large mixing bowl. Add dressing; toss well. Chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours before serving. If making the night before, add additional dressing if needed right before serving.
Enjoy!
(adapted from Wish-Bone.com)
This is a simple, delicious way to fix chicken breasts. My Dad always uses Italian dressing to baste his chicken on the grill. It gives it tons of flavor and keeps it tender and juicy. Wish Bone dressing is B1G1 this week at Publix. There is usually some type of dressing on sale. Add this one to your recipe box.
4 chicken breasts
salt and pepper
1/4 cup Italian Dressing
Trim chicken breasts to remove excess fat. Place chicken breasts in a large zippy bag. Pound slightly with a tenderizer (use the smooth side of a meat mallot). Remove from baggy and season both sides with salt and pepper. Return to the same bag and add dressing. Mix up slightly with your hands from the outside to make sure the chicken is coated with the dressing. Let sit for at least 10 minutes. Remove chicken and grill over medium-low heat for approximately 10-12 minutes or until no longer pink turning once.
Enjoy!
Why do we have to do housework? Bathe the kids? Wash the dishes? Go to bed and get up in the morning and do it all over again? Tonight was one of those nights where the tasks of the day were overwhelming. So, even the simplest salad didn't get put on the table. Tonight was Hot Pockets and Dinosaur Nuggets! And, I'm still awake now waiting on the clothes to finish in the washing machine. So, forgive me for not posting the salad with dressing and croutons. I did, however, want to at least share the dressing. None of the ingredients were on sale this week, but it seems like there is always some type of bagged salad on special. So, put this dressing together and keep it in the fridge. It is my favorite. My Aunt Tammy makes it and shared it with my grandparents and its always in their fridge. I make mine in a plastic dressing container from Wal-mart. Pampered Chef also makes a really cool one!
Dressing:
1/2 cup sugar or 8 packets of Splenda (I use the Splenda)
2 tsp. black pepper
1-1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Accent (spice aisle)
1 teaspoon Mei Yen (spice aisle)
1/2 cup oil (I use vegetable, olive oil is too heavy)
1/2 cup cider vinegar
shake of garlic powder
Combine all of the powdered ingredients in your dressing container. Mix in the oil and vinegar and shake well. Keep in the refrigerator.
My favorite things to put on my salad with this dressing is cranberries, walnuts/pecans, mandarin oranges, chicken, cheese, grapes, chickpeas, etc. It has a slightly sweet taste to it, but the pepper is a nice balance. My grandmother says she has a hard time finding the Mei Yen. Mine is the Spice Islands brand.
Enjoy!
