Southwestern Chicken Casserole – Pure Comfort Food With a Little Heat!

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casserole, Chicken, Cooking, Food, pasta, recipe

I made this recipe on the fly the other night and it was a complete hit with my husband and I! It had a ton of flavor with just the right amount of heat. The creamy sauce prevented it from being overly spicy. And this was a great way to use the leftover chicken I had from roasting a whole chicken earlier in the week. A store bought rotisserie chicken could also be used.

Southwestern Chicken Casserole

4 servings

8 oz. penne pasta

1 tbsp oil

1/2 lb. shredded cooked chicken

1/2 onion, diced

1/2 red bell pepper, diced

1/2 large jalapeño, finely diced

1/2 cup frozen corn

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/3 cup sour cream

1 4 oz can diced green chilies

1 14 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup pepper jack cheese, shredded and divided

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp hot Hungarian paprika

1/2 tsp garlic salt

Salt and Pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Boil pasta in salted water for 8 minutes. It will continue to cook when you bake the casserole. Drain maintaining pasta water for possible use.

In an oven safe frying pan or braiser, add oil and over medium heat sauté the onions, bell pepper, jalapeño and corn until softened. Stir in cream of chicken soup, broth and sour cream. Stir until thoroughly mixed. Stir in chicken, green chiles, black beans, 1/2 cup of pepper jack cheese and seasonings. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in drained pasta. If sauce is too thick, add some of your reserved pasta water. Mix until pasta is incorporated. Top with remaining 1/2 cup pepper jack cheese. Bake for 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Chicken Cordon Bleu and Broccoli Casserole – An Easy Version of a Classic

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Broccoli, casserole, Chicken Cordon blue, gruyere, ham, recipe, Swiss cheese

I had some chicken thawed out and remembered I had some leftover ham in the fridge. Chicken Cordon Bleu was calling! I took a closer look at the chicken container and saw that it was breast with the ribs still in, so pounding it out to make roll-up’s wasn’t in the cards. I thought on how I could deconstruct the dish and arrived at a casserole version. This had all the great flavors of chicken cordon blue with the added flavor of broccoli and the ease of a casserole.

I started with uncooked chicken that I simply seasoned with salt and pepper and baked until cooked through. This dish would also be a good use for a grocery store rotisserie chicken.

We served this with mashed potatoes and it was delicious!

Chicken Cordon Bleu with Broccoli Casserole

Serves 4-5 people

1 pound chicken, cooked and diced

Salt and pepper

1 cup diced ham

4 oz gruyere cheese, shredded

1 head broccoli, chopped

1 egg

2 tbsp butter, melted

1 tbsp Gulden’s Spicy Brown Mustard

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/3 cup bread crumbs

I seasoned my chicken breasts with salt and pepper and baked for 40 minutes in a 350 degree oven. With the casserole you will also start with a 350 degree oven. Spray a casserole dish with non-stick spray. Add chicken, ham, broccoli and gruyere cheese, stir together. In a separate bowl, beat the egg and then whisk in mustard, chicken broth and melted butter. Stir liquid mixture into casserole dish. Once combined, sprinkle bread crumbs over the top of the casserole and bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.

Enjoy!

Baked Rotini in Tomato Sauce with Artichoke Hearts – An Easy, Hearty Pasta Dinner

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Artichoke Hearts, Baked, casserole, Olives, pasta, Rotini, tomato sauce

I have to admit that pasta dishes are some of my favorites. They are so delicious and statisfyng, but if you work it right they can be pretty easy to make. This is one such dish! There is not too much chopping or prep work to do, but the reward is a dish with great flavor and a variety of textures. It’s so pretty too! Definitely good enough to to serve guests and it would be easy to double and make a large batch.

Tip: I love artichoke hearts!!! They are a great ingredient to add flavor without adding a lot of fat and calories. The type of artichoke hearts you use matters though! The jarred version are usually packed in oil, so these are not the best low-fat choice. The canned version are usually packed in water, so they are low-fat, but I have found the texture of these to be rather tough and woody. In my humble opinion, frozen artichoke hearts are the way to go!!! They still have that wonderful soft, rich texture that you get from fresh cooked artichokes, but they are not packed in oil, so you get the flavor and texture without the added fat or work of cooking and breaking down fresh artichokes.

Baked Rotini in Tomato Sauce with Artichoke Hearts

1 pound Italian seasoned ground turkey

1/2 white onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1/2 box of frozen artichoke hearts, rinsed, thawed and chopped

1 can sliced black olives

1/3 cup red wine

1 –  32 oz can crushed tomatoes in puree

2 tbsp chopped fresh basil

1 tsp dried oregano

Salt and pepper to taste

16 oz rotini pasta, boiled for 8 minutes

1 cup motzarella cheese, shredded

1/3 cup parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put your pasta on to boil and while this is cooking put your ground turkey in a skillet to brown. When meat is almost cooked through, add your onions and bell peppers and continue to cook until meat is cooked and vegetables have softened. In a large pot or bowl, combine pasta, meat with veggies and all othe ingredients except Parmesan cheese. Stir well to mix. Spray a baking pan with non stick pray and transfer pasta/meat mixture to that pan. Top with Parmesan cheese and bake for 30 minutes.

Voila! You have a beautful and delicious dinner on your hands!

Enjoy!

Mexican Melt Over Rice – Simply Delectable!!!

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casserole, Cooking, Easy, Food, Mexican, recipe, vegetarian

 This recipe looks so simple and complete delectable! My family loves all foods Mexican, so this one is a no brainer! Gotta try it!

If you need a quick and easy dinner, this one is for you. This is a new favorite at my house, and was beyond easy, so that’s an even bigger plus. I put the chicken in my slow cooker before I left for work, and shredded it when I got home. Which made things soooo […]

https://samanthaexplainsit.wordpress.com/2016/02/10/mexican-melt-over-rice/

Ranch Chicken with Beans and Rice – A Super Easy, Delicious Dinner!

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beans, casserole, Chicken, Cooking, Easy, Food, ranch dressing, recipe, Rice

  

Who doesn’t love ranch dressing?!? There is just something about the combination of spices in that dressing that is delicious. So if you love these flavors you really should try cooking with the ranch dressing mix packets. You get the spices without the creamy dressing, so you can get the wonderful flavor and still keep the fat and calories down on your dishes. I used this tasty ingredient the other night when I made Ranch Chicken with Beans and Rice. My family devoured this dish!

While the ranch mix packet provided its wonderful seasoning, it wasn’t overpowering. It added just the right amount of flavor while still letting the fresh ingredients shine through.

I did get the inspiration for this dish from a Hidden Valley Ranch TV commercial, but they did not share exact ingredients and measurements. I took their basic suggestion and expanded upon it and was very happy with how this turned out. I would definitely make this dish again! It was both easy to make and delicious!

Ranch Chicken with Beans and Rice

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

½ white onion, diced

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed (Rinsing your beans is a good way to remove some of the sodium, if you’re watching your salt intake)

1 cup quick cooking brown rice

1 ½ cup low sodium, fat free chicken broth

½ cup cilantro, diced

1 packet ranch dressing mix

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray casserole dish with non-stick spray. Mix all ingredients together and then spread in casserole dish. Cover dish with foil. Bake for 45 minutes stirring once or twice to make sure the rice is getting moistened.

Optional: Top with shredded cheese. I used a little fat free shredded cheddar.

Enjoy!

Turkey and Cornbread Casserole – Use Your Leftover Turkey!

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casserole, Cooking, cornbread, Food, leftover, Leftovers, Thanksgiving, Turkey

  

 So after a day or two I get bored eating the Thanksgiving leftovers as is. I’m ready to start cooking again and get creative in the kitchen, so what can I make with all that leftover turkey? How about a yummy casserole!?!

This recipe uses pretty basic ingredients that most folks will have in their kitchen. I hope you enjoy it as much as my famly and I do!

Turkey and Cornbread Casserole

1/2 meidum onion, chopped

1 tbsp canola oil

3 cups crumbled cornbread, packed

1 tbsp poultry seasoning (if you don’t have this, see my tip below)

3 1/2 cups cooked turkey

1 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (or use your turkey broth you made with your carcass!)

1 cup sour cream (I use fat free)

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup sliced mushrooms

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese

Cook onion in hot oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until tender. Set aside. Combine cornbread and poultry seasoning in a large bowl. Layer half of cornbread mixture on bottom of a 11×7 baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. Combine onion mixture, chicken, and next 6 ingredients in a bowl. Spoon mixture evenly over top of cornbread mixture in baking dish. Top evenly with the rest of the cornbread mixture. Bake covered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Remove frrom oven and top with shredded cheese. Bake uncovered 10 minutes more or until cheese is melted and starting to turn golden. Makes approximately 6 servings.

Poultrry Seasoning Tip: I once found myself without poultry seasoning and looked up how to make it with other spices. 

• 3/4 tsp sage
• 1/4 tsp thyme
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• dash marjoram
• dash ground cloves 

Mix together.

Thanksgiving Tip #13 – Turn Leftovers into Thanksgiving Lasagna

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casserole, Cooking, Food, idea, Lasagna, Leftovers, recipe, Thanksgiving

  
I don’t know about yours, but my family is all about Thanksgiving leftovers! We specifically make more food than we need, so we’ll have plenty of leftovers. My husband is crazy for the turkey! We’ll be having 6 people at dinner and he wants to cook a 30 pound bird! It’s that barbecuing! I’m telling you! (See my blog post on November 7 – Thanksgiving Tips Part 4 – Barbecued Turkey)

After a day or two of eating the leftovers as is, I start getting a little bored with them, but I hate throwing food out. It’s time to get creative!!!

One of the things I like to make with our leftovers is what I call Thanksgiving Lasagna. Now it’s not “lasagna” as we usually know it and there isn’t actually any pasta involved, but it has that layered effect that you get with lasagna.

You can really do the layers any way you choose, but my one piece of advice would be to be sure you scatter the more liquid ingredients, like cranberry sauce and gravy, throughout the lasagna, so they can help keep the other ingredients moist.

Thanksgiving Lasagna

Spray a baking/lasagna pan with non-stick spray. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Layer ingredients as suggested below. If it seems a little dry, add some of that turkey stock that you made or some chicken broth.

• Sweet potatoes or yams

• Vegetables – Green bean casserole or carrots would be good!

• Turkey

• Cranberry sauce

• Dressing/stuffing

• Mashed potatoes

• Gravy

• Top with your favorite shredded cheese

Bake until cheese is melted and lasagna is heated through. Timing will depend on the size of your pan. Probably about 30-45 minutes.

Another layering option: Layer a bit of leftovers between two slices of bread to make a delish sandwich. You can even butter the bread on the outside and put in a Panini press or waffle iron to crisp it up and make it more compact!