Salsa Chicken

Today's recipe comes from my cousin, Sheena, and was pronounced quite possibly the "best chicken you've ever made, mom" by LiviGirl. I have to agree. This will be a family favorite from now on. Not only is it DELICIOUS, but it's super simple to make as well. 


(*I took some pics of the finished dish, but this is one of those dishes that just doesn't look that pretty even though it tastes amazing.  I didn't want to scare anyone off by what it looks like, so I decided against using the pic.)

Sheena's Salsa Chicken

1/2 oz taco seasoning mix (half of the reg. 1 oz. pkg)

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1lb total)

1 cup salsa

1 cup shredded cheddar (I used Kroger Mexican shredded cheese)

1 Tbsp. sour cream, optional

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place taco seasoning mix & chicken in a ziplock bag & shake to coat, then place chicken in baking dish. Pour salsa over the top.

Cover with foil & bake for 20 min or until chicken is tender & cooked through.

Remove foil, sprinkle chicken with cheese & continue baking until cheese is melted, another 3-5 min. Top with sour cream.

Enjoy!

This recipe makes 4 servings & only costs approx. $1.72 to make. I would highly recommend doubling it, because you're gonna want seconds (& leftovers)...it's THAT good! 

Big "Thank You" to Sheena for giving our same ol' same ol' chicken a spicin' up! 

Easy Enchiladas

Even though I haven't been on here in a very long time, I have been trying new recipes. I just haven't found anything that really "wow-ed" me...until this recipe. It's so easy that I nearly skipped it thinking that anything this easy would most certainly be bland & a waste of my time. I'm so glad I didn't! My family has proclaimed this their new favorite enchilada recipe. 


Easy Enchiladas
(taken from Cooks.com)

Flour or wheat tortillas (I used wheat)
1 lb. ground beef or chicken
1 can green or red enchilada sauce (I used red)
1 pkg cream cheese
1 pkg shredded cheese (I used Kroger brand Mexican blend shredded cheese)


Melt cream cheese in microwave until very soft. Add half of can of enchilada sauce to cream cheese. Reserve remainder of enchilada sauce. 


Cook beef or chicken & add to mixture.


(The recipe calls for heating tortillas in microwave before filling. I skipped this step since the ones I had were easily rolled & going into the oven to heat up anyway. You may need to do this if your tortillas are too stiff to roll up without tearing)


Place mixture in tortillas & wrap.  Place enchiladas in baking dish. 


Pour shredded cheese & remaining sauce over top.


Bake 20 min. or until hot at 325 degrees.

"Everything I eat has been proved by some doctor or other to be a deadly poison, and everything I don't eat has been proved to be indispensable for life. But I go marching on." ~George Bernard Shaw

I haven't "desserted" Mom's Kitchen (& yes, I know that is a bad pun - haha)...I've just been really busy & not had much new to share. Last month, I bought 3 Gooseberry Patch "Our Favorites" Cookbooks.  I'm going to try  a few new recipes from those this week & next. 


I've been on the lookout for new, EASY recipes.  Big emphasis on the "EASY" part. I don't mind to cook, but I am not into "gourmet" cooking.  I like things quick, simple & delicious. 


As I was going through the checkbook today, I noticed that we have consistently been eating out more & more.  A habit that is both costly & unhealthy. Since my classes are only 3 days/week this semester, I've let the menu planning fall to the wayside & I really need to get back to doing that.  Having the answer to "What's for dinner?" figured out, before I come home exhausted & hungry, is really the key to curbing the eating out. 


So, this week, I'm home on Spring Break & I'm going to make the effort to get us back on track.  This week menu includes:


Pork Chops 'N Gravy with mashed potatoes
Fajitas (this is a new recipe I'm trying from a Hidden Valley Ranch cookbook I have had for years)
Swiss Chicken & Stuffing (one of the Gooseberry Patch recipes from my new books that I'm trying)
Scalloped Ham & Potatoes (a crockpot recipe from another of the Gooseberry patch cookbooks I bought)
Creamy Beef Stroganoff (another crockpot recipe from that same Gooseberry Patch cookbook)
Lasagna
Creamy Chicken with Broccoli & Red Pepper (This is a recipe using one of the new Philadelphia Cream Cheese "Cooking Creme".  I am not usually a fan of KraftFood recipes, but we'll see.  I've been wanting to try one of the cooking cremes.)
Roast, potatoes & carrots (This is one of my faves. Toby will eat it, but Livi usually eats leftovers from a previous night. Still, I can't pass up an "on-sale" roast...after all, I AM the one doing the cooking :) 

Well, that's my "menu" for the next week or so.  I figure we'll have enough leftovers to go closer to 2 wks on this menu. I still have Brown Bag Burritos in the freezer for quick lunches & I think I'll make some salsa for snacking on.  


Last weekend at our Pampered Chef party, we made a veggie dip with mayo, sour cream & Pampered Chef Spinach & Smoky Red Pepper Dipping Seasoning. It was DELICIOUS!!! So, I think I'll make some more of it for veggie snacking this week too :) 

Brown Bag Burritos

This recipe originally came from Cris over at Goodness Gracious.  I've changed it a bit (mainly because I rarely hand grate anything :) Feel free to check out the link above for the original though! 

Brown Bag Burritos

2 lbs. ground beef, browned & drained
1/2-1 cup nacho blend shredded cheese
2 cans refried beans
1 can enchilada sauce
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. dried oregano


20-24 flour tortillas (I use multi-grain or whole wheat tortillas)


Combine 1st 8 ingredients.  Simmer on stovetop for 20 min or can be put in microwave for 15-20 min., stirring every 5 min. 


If eating immediately, heat up tortillas & spoon 1/4 cup of mixture onto each tortilla & roll-up.  (If making for later, tortillas don't have to be heated before making each burrito.)

Wrap each burrito in a paper towel & then in aluminum foil.  Freeze.  


When you want to heat one up, remove from aluminum foil & place (leave paper towel on burrito when heating) in microwave for approx. 90 sec.  These can be removed from freezer & thawed & then heated as well.  Heat approx. 45 sec. if burrito is thawed. 

Frosted Pecans & Cow-Patties

Lastly tonight, something for your sweet tooth...


Livi's Grandma King made these a couple of Christmases ago.  I'm not much of a nut eater, but I couldn't get enough of these.  It's not hard to make, but because it uses pecans it's not necessarily cheap to make.  However, as a once-in-a-while special treat...it's awesome!

Frosted Pecans

1-1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla
1# pecans (chopped or bite-size pieces)


Mix sugar & sour cream & bring to a boil. Boil for 5 min. stirring constantly.
Remove from heat & add vanilla & pecans.  Stirring until pecans are well coated.


Spread mixture out onto wax paper to cool.  Separate after cooled. 

Cow-patties (aka No-Bake Cookies)

I grew up calling these cookies "No-Bakes" but Toby's family always calls them "Cow Patties".  Let me preface this recipe with a few things:

#1) I think most people already know how to make these.  However, since this blog is for Livi, I'm adding them to it because they are a family favorite.

#2) I can count on one hand the times that I've made these blame cookies & them set up right, but my family is use to this & still requests them...even if they have to be eaten with a spoon :)

Lastly, my father-in-law requested these cookies for Christmas this past year.  Now being a diabetic he didn't need me to make a double batch for him. However, I have come to realize something about my dear FIL:  He is not necessarily overly-impressed with my cooking or of the mindset that I am a fabulous cook, BUT he has learned that I AM the pushover in the family & have the hardest time telling him "no".  

So, when I said, "You know I can't ever get those cookies to set-up.  You'll be eating them with a spoon!"  And he replied, "I'd eat 'em through a straw if you'd just make me some. *insert sweet smile here*"...yeah, I made 'em for him.  See what I mean?  PUSHOVER :) Still, these will probably always be "his" cookies from here on out...

The recipe I use is actually from Livi's Grandma Snell (my mom).  For whatever reason the one I use to use had the ingredients added in the wrong order & NEVER set up.  This recipe does work if you boil it just right & the weather cooperates & the cookie gods are on your side that day - LOL! 

So, without further ado...the recipe: 

1 stick of butter (no substitutes)

1/2 cup milk

2 cups sugar

2 TBSP peanut butter

Heat in a saucepan.  Mix well & boil for 1 min. Remove from heat & add 1 tsp. of vanilla.

In a separate dish, combine 3 cups of quick oats & 2 TBSP of cocoa. Stir into heated mixture & drop by spoonfuls onto wax paper.  

** Pray they set up like they're suppose to :) **

Broccoli Salad

This recipe I got from Livi's Grandma King.  I always forget I have it, but it's one of our favorite salads.

Broccoli Salad

2 bunches of broccoli, cut into bite-size pieces

1# of bacon or 1 pkg of real bacon bits (no imitations here :) 

small pkg of shelled sunflower seeds

2 small onions (or to taste), chopped

1 cup of Miracle Whip

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup vinegar

Cut bacon into small pieces & fry (if not using real bacon bits)

Combine broccoli, bacon pieces, onions, sunflower seeds; toss. 

Mix Miracle Whip, sugar & vinegar. 

Pour over combined ingredients. 

Refrigerate overnight.

Slow Cooker Enchiladas

Slow Cooker Enchiladas

Picture from www.allrecipes.com

1# lean ground beef 
10 (6 inch) corn tortillas, quartered (we prefer flour tortillas & they work fine too)
1 pkg taco seasoning mix
1-1/4 cups water
1 (12 oz) jar chunky salsa
1 (10.75 oz) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 (10.75 oz) can of condensed cream of chicken soup
4 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend


sliced black olives, optional


Crumble the ground beef into a skillet over med-high heat.  Cook & stir until evenly browned. Drain.  (Or skip this step & use ground beef that you've prepared & frozen :) 


Add taco seasoning & water to ground beef; simmer for 15 minutes over low heat.


In a medium bowl, stir together salsa & soups.  Mix in most of the cheese, reserving approx. 3/4 cup for later.


Place a layer of tortillas covering the bottom of the slow cooker.  Put a layer of the ground beef mixture over the tortillas, spoon a layer of the cheese & soup mixture over the meat.  


Repeat the layers until you run out of stuff, ending with a layer of tortillas on top.  Top with remaining cheese.  (I put the sliced black olives on top of the cheese.)


Cover & cook on high for 45 min-1 hr. or you can put it on low for 3-5 hrs.
**I haven't tried it, but I would think this could also be assembled in a casserole dish & baked in the oven too. 


**I've also seen versions of this that add green peppers, kidney beans, tomatoes & green chilies, & onion (cooked with the beef).  So the recipe can easily be tailored to suit your family's tastes.