Taco Soup

Ingredients:

1-1 1/2 lbs. ground beef

1 small onion, chopped

2 cans 10 oz. Rotel diced tomatoes (mild or hotter if desired)

1 pkg. dried taco seasoning (Old El Paso or Lawry's)

2-3 c. water

1 large can (27-30 oz.) tomato sauce

Garnishes:

Grated cheddar cheese

Sour Cream

Fritos Chips

Directions:

Brown ground beef and drain fat

Combine all ingredients, except garnishes, in a large pot

Simmer for 30 minutes

Serve topped with a spoonful of sour cream, cheese, and chips

Mexican Casserole

Ingredients:

4 tsp. olive oil

6 Tbsp. sour cream

4 oz. shredded cheddar cheese

2 cups fresh sliced mushrooms

1 - 16 oz. jar salsa

2 cups cooked white rice

8 oz. boneless chicken halves, cooked and diced

Directions:

In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Saute mushrooms.

Combine mushrooms, sour cream, cheese, salsa, rice, and chicken. Place in a greased casserole dish.

Bake at 350 F for 25-35 minutes

Recipe from allrecipes.com

Lemon Tomato Chicken Pasta

Ingredients:

8 oz. Rotini Pasta (or your choice), uncooked

1 Tbsp. Olive Oil

1 Lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 - 14.5 oz can Hunt's Petite Diced Tomatoes, undrained

1 - 8 oz. can Hunt's Tomato Sauce

2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup soft cream cheese spread

1 - .75 oz. package fresh basil, coarsely chopped

1/4 tsp. shredded lemon peel

Cracked black pepper (optional)

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt.

Meanwhile, heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and garlic; cook 4 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink, stirring occasionally. Remove from skillet; keep warm.

Stir together undrained tomatoes, tomato sauce, and lemon juice in same skillet; bring to a boil. Add cream cheese; stir until cream cheese is melted completely. Simmer 2 to 3 minutes to thicken slightly.

Drain pasta. Add to sauce in skillet; stir to coat. Stir in chicken, basil and lemon peel. Sprinkle with pepper, if desired.

Variation: Sprinkle garlic salt on the chicken while it's cooking if you don't want to use actual cloves. Add dried basil when combining the tomatoes, sauce, and lemon juice if you don't have fresh basil.

Recipe from hunts.com

Teriyaki Chicken

This ended up being one of Erik's favorites in a long time. I love to cook from Jessica Seinfeld's cook books since Makayla is so picky, I feel good when I can get her to eat something good for her. Anyway here it is.

Prep: 30 min.
Total: 55 min.
Serves: 4

Teriyaki Sauce

• 3 Tbs. Reduced-Sodium Soy Sauce
• 1/4 C. Carrot Puree
• 1 Tbs. Firmly Packed Dark Brown Sugar
• 1/4 C. Orange Juice
• 1 Clove Garlic, cut in half
• 2 Green Onions, cut in thirds
• 1/2-inch Piece of Fresh Ginger, sliced (no need to peel)

• 1 Tbs Olive Oil
• 4 Chicken Breasts
• 1/4 tsp Pepper
• 1/4 tsp Sweet Paprika

1. Preheat the oven to 350, Place all the ingredients for the teriyaki sauce in a small saucepan. (the first 7 ingredients). Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, then cook until the mixture thickens, 8 to 10 min. Remove the garlic, onions and ginger.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet over high heat. Sprinkle the chicken with the pepper and paprika. When the oil is hot, add the chicken and cook 4 to 5 min per side, until both sides are golden. Off the heat, carefully pour in the teriyaki sauce. Slide the skillet into the oven. Bake until the chicken is cooked through, 20-25 min. Serve immediately (with rice).

Note: Okay so I used plain Paprika seasoning, because that is what I have. I also coated the chicken in it and the pepper... this made it have quite a kick. Erik and I liked it, but cute lil Makayla was limited on how much she could eat because of it. So definitely just sprinkle it onto the chicken if making this for your kiddos.
Also after I got the chicken golden in the skillet I transfered it to an 8x8 baking dish which I sprayed with Pam and poured the sauce over the chicken in that and baked it. More dishes but I just felt better doing it that way.
Last but not least, in the cook book it also mentions you can use this same sauce with Salmon, for any salmon lovers out there.



Teriyaki Chicken from Jessica Seinfeld's Double Delicious cookbook.

Chicken and Potato Bake

Ingredients:

Desired amount of chicken tenders or bone-in chicken pieces

1 1/2 lb. baking potatoes (about 3) cut into thin wedges

1/4 cup Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 tsp. Italian Seasoning

Directions:

Heat oven to 400 F

Place chicken and potatoes in 9x13 baking dish

Top with dressing; sprinkle with cheese and seasoning. Cover.

Bake 1 hour or until chicken is done (165 F), uncovering after 30 min.

Recipe from Kraftrecipes.com

BBQ Chicken Pizza

Ingredients:

1 can Pillsbury Pizza Dough (I used the thin crust)

1 cup BBQ Sauce

2 cups or so of left over chicken from BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

2 cups shredded mozarella cheese

1 red pepper

1 green pepper

1 Tbsp Italian Dressing (I use Kraft Free Zesty Italian)

Directions:

Prepare pizza dough as directed on package

Saute peppers until tender

Spread BBQ Sauce within 1 inch of edge of dough

Layer with cheese, chicken, and peppers

Bake according to package directions or at 450 for 18-22 min. if you make your own dough

Shredded BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

This is a great recipe for large groups. We served this after James' Baby Blessing back in October, but you can cut down the portions and enjoy it family size as well. I use the left overs to make a BBQ Chicken Pizza.

Ingredients:

1 (4 pound) bag frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I have used 6 chicken breasts from Costco and that is plenty for the 3 of us)

1 (16 oz.) bottle BBQ sauce (we like Sweet Baby Ray's Honey BBQ)

1 cup water

2 dozen hamburger buns or French rolls

Directions:

In the morning, place chicken breasts in crock pot, frozen.

Pour barbecue sauce and water over top and cook all day on low heat.

Before serving, shred chicken with two forks to pull it apart and mix in sauce well.

Spoon onto buns or rolls.