Healthy Mexican Chicken Bake

I was feeling all creative n stuff…and I wanted mexican food without sabotaging all of my weight loss efforts.

A meal at a sit down restaurant averages about 1,300 calories. The whole pan of this is 2380 calories!!! Cheese and all!!! (But don’t eat the whole pan LOL) The pan can be broken into 5 servings at 476 calories per serving.

Ingredients:
5 skinless chicken breasts
1, 16 oz jar of Pace salsa, original
1, 16 oz jar of Pace salsa, fire    roasted tomato and corn
2 cups four cheese Mexican blend shredded cheese
1 can Campbell’s cream of chicken and mushroom (the combo in 1 can is alot less calories than buying 1 can of each
1 oz packet of Old El Paso fajita seasoning mix
Whatever various mexican spices you like (I used chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper)

Step 1
Season chicken with your various spices and fajita seasoning mux

Step 2
Cook chicken on the stove at medium heat (make sure it’s nice and tender)

Step 3
While the chicken is cooking, in a bowl combine both jars of salsa and the can of cream of mushroom and chicken. Stir.

Step 4
When chicken is done, put it in a pan. Pour your mixture in the bowl over the chicken. Top with cheese. Cover pan with aluminum foil and cook in the oven at 350° for 20 minutes.

Step 5
Serve!! Enjoy!!! And for your less calorie conscious friends and family (I hate you LOL) add over a tortilla, serve with a sweet cornbread, rice, or top with crushed nacho cheese doritos right before serving.

My plate

My boyfriend’s plate

Tell me how it turns out!

Loaded Potato & Buffalo Chicken Casserole

Ingredients

• 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 8-10 medium potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes  (I leave the skin on)
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 TBS. freshly ground pepper
• 1 TBS. paprika
• 2 TBS. garlic powder
• 6 TBS. hot sauce

Topping:

• 2 c. Fiesta Blend Cheese or a mix of Cheddar & Monterey Jack
• 1 c. crumbled bacon
• 1 c diced green onion

Preheat oven to 500 degrees…Yes you read that right!

In a large bowl mix together the olive oil, hot sauce, salt, pepper, garlic powder & paprika.

 

Add the potatoes and stir to coat.

 

Add the potatoes to a greased baking dish.

 

 

When scooping the potatoes into the baking dish, leave behind any extra olive oil/hot sauce mix.

 

Add the diced chicken to the “left behind” olive oil/hot sauce mix and stir to coat all the chicken.  Allow to marinate as the potatoes bake.

 

Roast the potatoes for 45-50 minutes, stirring every 10-15 minutes, until cooked through and nice and crispy on the outside.

 

Once the potatoes are fully cooked add the marinated chicken.

 

In a large bowl mix all the topping ingredients together.

 

Top the raw chicken with the topping.

 

Bake until the chicken is cooked through and the topping is melted and bubbly delicious.  Serve with extra hot sauce and/or ranch dressing.

Smokey Roasted Buffalo Cauliflower

 

 

Smokey Roasted Buffalo Cauliflower

Ingredients

6 cups cauliflower large chunks (about 1 large cauliflower)
3 Tbsp. Safflower Oil
3 Tbsp. Hot Pepper Sauce
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1 1/2 tsp. finely minced garlic
1/2 tsp. smoked salt

Optional: 1 cup panko breading

Accompaniments:
Vegan Ranch salad dressing
Celery sticks
Carrots sticks

This roasted cauliflower has crunchy-spicy panko breading morsels on it.

1. Preheat oven to 425-450 F, depending on how hot your oven is.  Mine is not too hot so I used 450 F and put it in convection roast setting if you have one.
2. Combine oil, hot pepper sauce, sugar, smoked paprika, minced garlic, and smoked salt in a small bowl.
3. Put cauliflower florets in a large bowl and drizzle with hot sauce mixture.  Combine thoroughly.
4. If using panko breading, sprinkle the panko and if possible let them stick to the marinated florets.  Not all breading will stick to the cauliflower.
5. Prepare a large cookie sheet with parchment paper or silpat. Spread cauliflower mixture onto the cookie sheet.
6. Roast for 20 minutes, stir and flip the florets, and roast about 10-15 minutes longer until the cauliflower is cooked but still firm.
7. Serve IMMEDIATELY or store in a container for salad when it is cold.

 

Cauliflower combined with spicy sauce before they are roasted.

Giant Hershey Kiss Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

 

Who would have thought my crazy idea of stuffing a giant Hershey Kiss inside of my cookie dough would turn out so fabulous!  I totally expected the kiss to still be a kiss inside, but it turned into what I like to call a chocolate molten cookie.  The chocolate oozed out like a dream!

 

Now…. I swiped the giant Kiss from my mom’s house over Christmas Break but I am assuming with Valentines Day right around the corner that you can still find these giant kisses at your local drug stores, grocery stores, Targets etc…  I have spotted them specifically in Walgreens.

 

Alright enough talking for me, let’s take a look!

Ingredients:

2 sticks softened butter

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup light packed brown sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

3 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Twelve  Hershey Kisses

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and line a large baking sheet with parchment or silpat liner.

2. Place butter and sugars in stand or electric mixer beating until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla, beating until well combined.

3. Place flour, salt and soda into a large bowl, mixing to combine. Slowly add to wet ingredients along with chocolate chips. Refrigerate overnight or at least 2 hours.

4. Wrap dough around giant Hershey Kisses leaving tall, do not press dough down. Bake for 15-18 minutes until baked through.  Let cool for 15 minutes before cutting open.

Makes 12 large cookies

*Note:  You can also use regular size Kisses, adjust bake time for 10-12 minutes.

 

 

 

 

First things first.  The dough I used was chilled overnight.  I suggest doing the same so the cookie holds it’s shape around the kiss   My Kiss box is beat up because I swiped it straight from my mom’s, into my suitcase   Thanks Mona!!

 

 

 

 

 

It’s kinda hard to see how big the kiss really is, so I had my little guy go grab a Lego dude.  Gives you a better idea.  I’d say it’s about 2 1/2 inches tall.

 

 

Love!

 

 

Here we go….cookie dough on the bottom….

 

 

Cookie Dough around sides and top.

 

 

Seal it up ever so gently and time to bake!

 

 

Perfection!  See the tip of the Kiss?  So fun.

 

 

Had I waited for the cookie to cool completely I kinda think the kiss would have held it’s shape, however who cares when you have this fabulous milk chocolate running out?!  I only made one giant cookie, but am assuming you could get about 12 giant cookies.  You could use the regular kisses for a smaller, equally as adorable cookie   Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Go to picky-palate.com for more recipes

Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie n’ Oreo Fudge Brownie Bar

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups (12 ounces) milk chocolate chips
1 pkg Double Stuffed Oreos
1 Family Size (9×13) Brownie mix
1/4 cup hot fudge topping

 

 

Line a 9×13 baking dish with wax paper and spray with cooking spray. You don’t have to line it, but it sure makes it easier to get them out!

 

 

 

Whip up your cookie dough and spread it in the bottom of the pan.

 

 

 

Cover with Oreos…

 

 

 

And pour on plenty of fudgy brownie batter.

 

 

 

Pop this into a 350 degree oven for 45-55 minutes. Just look at those beautiful cookie and brownie layers already showing through.

 

 

 

Oh, baby. Come to mama.

 

 

 

Who wants cookies? Who wants Oreos? Who wants brownies??

 

 

 

 

 

Try it and tell me how it goes!!

 

 

 

 

 
Read more at http://www.kevinandamanda.com/recipes

Mother’s Day Breakfast in bed: Praline French Toast

Ingredients

Glaze:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons honey, maple syrup or corn syrup

Bread

• French or Italian bread sliced 1/2″ thick, enough to cover the bottom of a 9″ x 13″ pan

Custard

• 1 1/2 cups whipping cream, half and half, milk, or fat-free half and half
• 5 large eggs, or 1 1/4 cups egg substitute
• 1/2 teaspoon flavor: pralines & cream, eggnog, vanilla-butternut, Amaretto, or your choice; OR 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Topping

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

 

 

Now, pick what bread you’d like to use. Leftover/stale bread works well here. You’ll want to slice the bread 1/2” thick. It helps if all the pieces are the same thickness, so slice carefully. Cut enough slices to snugly line the bottom of a 9” x 13” pan. Set them aside while you make the syrup and custard.

 

 

Melt 1/2 cup butter in a saucepan, and stir in 1 cup brown sugar and 2 tablespoons honey, maple syrup, or corn syrup. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, cooking until the sugar melts.

 

 

Pour the glaze into your lightly greased 9” x 13” pan, spreading it to the corners.

 

 

 

Lay the slices of bread in the pan, atop the glaze. Use a fat loaf of Italian bread for larger servings…

 

 

…or baguettes for smaller servings.

 

 

 

 

 

To make the custard, whisk together 1 1/2 cups whipping cream, half and half, or milk; and 5 large eggs.

 

Add 1/2 teaspoon flavor: pralines & cream, eggnog, vanilla-butternut, Amaretto or your choice; OR 2 teaspoons vanilla extract.

 

 

Whisk thoroughly.

 

 

Pour it over the bread in the pan…

 

 

…pressing the bread down into the custard.

 

 

Within minutes, the bread will start to absorb the custard.

 

Cover the pan with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight for best results or let it sit for at least 30 minutes

 

 

Next morning, the bread will be soaked, and the custard level way down; that’s fine.

 

When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F.

 

 

Make the topping by stirring together 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, and 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Sprinkle it evenly over the bread.

 

This makes a very sweet French toast. Cut the amount of topping in half, if you like. Or sprinkle with simple cinnamon-sugar. Or even just cinnamon; leaving the bread naked is kind of gloomy looking, so DO sprinkle it with something LOL

 

 

Like this.

 

 

Bake the French toast for 40 to 45 minutes.

 

 

The filling will be bubbly, and the top very lightly browned.

 

 

See that syrup underneath?

 

Let it rest for about 15 minutes before serving, to give the syrup a chance to thicken a bit.

 

 

Pair it with some bacon or fruit, whatever mama likes!

 

 

 

The slice above wasn’t flipped over, but simply had some of the syrup in the pan spooned over the top.

 

 

And here’s what it looks like in a different incarnation: with the bread diced, instead of sliced (as though you were making bread pudding) and served right side up, without flipping to reveal the syrup.

 

Happy Mother’s Day!!!

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Visit: http://www.kingarthurflour.com

Bacon and Bleu Cheeseburger Potato Skins

If anyone wants to make me these in, let’s say about a month…FEEL FREE! #Yummy

 

 

Ingredients

1. 4 whole Russet Potatoes, Cleaned
2. 6 slices Nueske’s (or Your Favorite) Bacon
3. 3 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, melted
4. 1 teaspoon Salt To Taste
5. 1 teaspoon Cracked Black Pepper, To Taste
6. ¼ pounds Ground Beef, Browned
7. ½ cups Great Blue Cheese, I Used Hook’s Blue Paradise

Instructions

1. Begin by preheating your oven to 400 F. Poke the top of each potato with a fork and place on a baking sheet. Cook in the oven for 1 hour. Once cooked, remove potatoes from the baking sheet and place them on a plate to cool for about 15 minutes.
2. Cook your bacon in a skillet on low heat for about 15-20 minutes. The low and slow process, in my opinion, is the only way to cook bacon as it really yields perfect bacon every time. Remove the bacon from the skillet and drain it on some paper towels before you crumble it.
3. Once your potatoes are cooled, use a sharp bread knife and cut them lengthwise. For each potato you’ll have three long segments—two nice rounded sections, one from each side for the skins and one thin cutout from the center. Place the middle slice in a bowl for later use, such as breakfast the following morning. Or heck for that matter, add some butter, salt, and cream, and make some rustic mashed potatoes.
4. Continue this cutting process with the rest of the potatoes. You should then have 8 skins. With a small spoon, carefully scoop out about 70 percent of the potato. You still want some potato near the skin, to hold the structure of your boat.
5. Next, melt your butter in the microwave. Get your broiler heated to high. Brush the butter on the inside and outside of each potato skin and place them back onto the baking sheet. Season the inside of each skin with salt and pepper.
6. Place them under the broiler for 8-10 minutes until the insides get a bit crispy from the melted butter. Pull them out of the oven and place generous amounts of the cooked ground beef into each skin, topping with bacon pieces and about one tablespoon of blue cheese for each skin. Place these back under the broiler for about 3-4 minutes until the cheese is nice and bubbly. Carefully remove from the oven, top with just a bit more blue cheese, and get ready for a flavor of explosion.
7. Serve on a platter and have your guests dig in. The subtle crisp from the exterior of the potato skin, with the tenderness of the potato on the inside will satisfy your french fry craving. Then your burger fix comes in with just the right balance of bacon and sharp creaminess from the blue cheese. Small in size and packed with flavor, these skins definitely satisfied my craving for a burger. If you are a fan of blue cheese on your burger, definitely make these. You will be happy you did!

 

 

Thanks SweetToothLove.com

 

Work Dinner for Him: Tequila Lime Tilapia

My hun works overnight. And if it was up to him…his dinner would be a hot pocket and key lime pie lol. So I try to make dinner for him to take to work as often as I can.

First you marinate:

 

 

The mixture is my tequila lime marinate: 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon onion powder, a smidgen of vinegar, a pinch of salt, a pinch of cayenne pepper, 1/4 cup lime juice, 1/2 cup tequila, 1/4 cup cilantro

I let it marinate for about an hour then to the skillet it goes!

 

 

I added peppers and them boom, pow, kablam!

 

He also got broccoli and 2 little Hawaiian rolls. Aren’t I such a bomb girlfriend! Lol

 

NUM NUM NUM!!!

Dinner for the night: Broccoli and baked chicken

Dimner tonight was baked chicken and broccoli. The broccoli was Steamfresh brand. I heated the bag in the microwave for 6 minutes. It seasoned it with a little garlic salt. The chicken was seasoned and then topped with Stubbs Hickory Bourbon bbq sauce. I then coverd it with aluminum foil and baked it for about and hour and a half on 360°. Then I took the chicken out and covered it with a little more bbq sauce and cooked uncovered for 10 minutes. Then walaa! Deliciousness!!!