One Pot Cheesy Broccoli, Chicken, and Rice

I had a lot to do yesterday morning and afternoon. I wasn't sure how much time I'd have to make dinner. Once I was finished I knew that I needed an easy dinner. This recipe totally fit the bill. I sent Nate a link to the recipe and he agreed to try it. And bonus, I only had buy broccoli and a yellow onion, I had everything else on hand. Gotta love that! The recipe comes from Number 2 Pencil. Both Nate and I really enjoyed this dinner and it will be made again and again at our house. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
1/2 medium yellow onion, finely diced
2 1/2 cups broccoli florets, cut into bit sized pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup uncooked basmati rice
3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and Lawry's seasoned pepper to taste
2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth (I always make broth using Better Than Bullion chicken base)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (use more if you like it super cheesy)

Preparation:
Use a large, deep skillet with a good fitting lid. In the skillet, heat 2 Tbsp. of olive oil over medium heat. Once hot, saute the diced onion. Season your chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Once the onions have softened, turn the heat up to medium-high and add the chicken to the skillet. Brown the chicken on all sides. Turn heat back down to medium, add the minced garlic, and cook for 1 minute. Push the chicken, onions, and garlic to one side of the skillet. On the empty side of the skillet add 1 Tbsp. of olive oil. Add the uncooked rice in the olive oil and stir to coat. Toast the rice for a few minutes. Next, add the chicken broth to the skillet and stir to mix everything. Bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat to a simmer and cover with lid. Let simmer for 12 minutes. Add the broccoli to the mixture and stir to combine. Recover and cook mixture for another 8 minutes, or until both the broccoli and rice are tender. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in 1/2 cup shredded cheese. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup cheese (or more if you'd like) over the top. Cover with lid and let it sit for 1-2 minutes or until cheese has melted. Serve immediately and devour!


We're hoping to adopt, check our profile out at http://adoption.com/profiles/nksmithfamily-1800 and feel free to pass it along!

Crock Pot Spare Ribs

I was a little skeptical about cooking ribs in the crock pot. I had tried them once before and the results were not so great. But these ribs were excellent! Both Nate and I really enjoyed them and we'll definitely be making them again and again. I saw the idea over at Funny Is Family and like I said, they were a hit. I served these ribs with some rolls and a green salad. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
3-4 lbs. pork spare ribs
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. paprika
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper (we love Lawry's seasoned pepper)
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. chili powder

Preparation:
Combine all the dry rub ingredients. Pat ribs dry and trim any silver skin. Cut ribs into sections that will fit into your crock pot. Rub the spice mixture over all the ribs. Put the ribs in your crock pot, meat side down. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. I rotated my ribs halfway through the cooking time. That's it, super simple and super delicious! Serve with barbecue sauce for dipping if desired.


We're hoping to adopt, check our profile out at http://adoption.com/profiles/nksmithfamily-1800 and feel free to pass it along!

Barbecue, Bacon, and Onion Wrapped Meatloaves

Talk about comfort food! This dinner was really yummy and will be making repeat appearances on our table this fall and winter. I saw this idea over at Hugs and Cookies. The original recipe calls to make 3 meatloaves, but next time I'm going to do 4, just to make it a bit more manageable. We served this with a simple green salad and some red grapes. I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1 egg
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 yellow onions
steak seasoning to taste
salt and pepper to taste
dash of Worcestershire sauce
bacon
barbecue sauce

Preparation:
Gently combine meat, egg, bread crumbs, cheese, steak seasoning, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Don't over mix or your meatloaves will be tough. Next, cut the top and bottom off of each onion. Then cut in half, peel off the skin, and separate the onion's outer layers. Evenly divide your meatloaf mixture into 4 portions. Take one portion and ball it in between 2 onion halves. Wrap a slice or two of bacon around each meatloaf and secure with a toothpick. Bake in an oven safe dish with sides (to catch grease) at 425 degrees F or 40-50 minutes or until internal temperature is 160 F. Brush a good coating of barbecue sauce around each meatloaf and bake an additional 5 minutes. Remove toothpicks before serving.


We're hoping to adopt, check our profile out at http://adoption.com/profiles/nksmithfamily-1800 and feel free to pass it along!

Cajun Chicken and Rice

Nate and I both enjoyed this dinner. I love chicken and rice together and Nate loves spice so I thought this would appeal to both of us. We both decided that this was a keeper recipe, definitely one to make again! I saw the idea over at Kevin and Amanda and I altered a few things to fit our preferences. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups uncooked rice (plus the water and salt to cook it)
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. butter
1 green bell pepper, julienned
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1/2 (14.5 oz.) can petite diced tomatoes, drained
Cajun seasoning
seasoned salt

Preparation:
Cook rice. I always use basmati rice and this is how I prepare it.
While your rice is cooking, cut the chicken breasts into bite size pieces. Season well with Cajun seasoning. Heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a large, deep skillet or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once hot, add chicken. Brown on one side, then flip and continue cooking til chicken is done. Once done, remove chicken from skillet and set aside.
Turn your heat down to medium, add 1 Tbsp. butter and the bell pepper and onion. Season with a little Cajun seasoning and cook, stirring often until the veggies are softened, 4-5 minutes.
Next, turn heat down to medium-low. Add diced tomatoes to the cooked veggies and heat through. Then add back in the cooked chicken and cooked rice, stirring to combine. Season with any seasoned salt that you require. Make sure the mixture is well combined and hot, then serve.


We're hoping to adopt, check our profile out at http://adoption.com/profiles/nksmithfamily-1800 and feel free to pass it along!

Reminder: We are throwing an adoption fundraiser bake sale on Saturday, September 19th at Evergreen Park in American Fork, Utah. If you're a local, come check us out!

Exciting News

Nate and I have some exciting news. We are having an adoption fundraiser bake sale! It is going to be held Saturday, September 19th from 9am-1pm at Evergreen Park in American Fork, Utah. So if you live nearby we'd love to have you stop by! We're going to have lots of treats for sale and even a raffle. It'll be a blast. We're hoping to raise awareness for our adoption profile and get our names out there. Hope to see you there!

We're hoping to adopt, check our profile out at http://adoption.com/profiles/nksmithfamily-1800 and feel free to pass it along!

Pepperoni Pasta

This dinner was so good! I feel bad that the picture is so awful. You'll just have to excuse the photo and try this pasta. It is delicious. I have a husband who is not a big fan of pasta at all and he had two helpings and said he could eat this meal every week! Now that is a glowing recommendation! It's also a quick and easy dinner to throw together. Like I said, we really enjoyed this dinner. I got the idea over at Kevin and Amanda and just made a few tweaks. Try this soon!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup pepperoni slices (we used Hormel brand turkey pepperoni)
1 (14.5 oz.) can basil, garlic, and oregano diced tomatoes
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
1/2 Tbsp. garlic bread seasoning
2 cups campanelle shaped pasta
2 cups water
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preparation:
In a large skillet with a lid add the pepperoni slices, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, garlic bread seasoning, pasta, and water. Stir to mix everything together. Bring the mixture to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 13-15 minutes until the pasta is al dente and the liquid is mostly absorbed. Top with shredded cheese and let melt. Serve hot with a crisp green salad and enjoy!


We're hoping to adopt, check our profile out at http://adoption.com/profiles/nksmithfamily-1800 and feel free to pass it along!

Nutella Bundt Cake

My husband really enjoys nutella and he loves when I bake, so I knew this recipe would be right up his alley. Sure enough, it was a hit. I saw this idea over at Chef in Training. I use Baker's Joy non-stick spray in my bundt pan and I let the cake sit for exactly 10 minutes after baking before removing it from the pan and I never have issues with the cake sticking. I hope you enjoy!


Ingredients:

Cake-
1 box chocolate cake mix
1 small box (3.9 oz.) chocolate pudding mix
½ cup sour cream
½ cup nutella
¾ cup oil
¾ cup water
½ cup sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

Icing-
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
¼ cup nutella


Preparation:
In a large bowl, mix all the cake ingredients together with a hand mixer. Pour into a greased bundt pan (I use Baker's Joy non-stick spray).
Bake for at 350 degree F for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let sit in pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto a serving plate. While cake is cooling you can make the frosting. In a medium bowl combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, and nutella and beat on high until creamy. Frost cake once cool.


We're hoping to adopt, check our profile out at http://adoption.com/profiles/nksmithfamily-1800 and feel free to pass it along!

Menu for August 10-15

It's been way too long since I've done a weekly menu post. We've got some new things and some comfort food planned for the week. It's kind of a crazy week for us so date night is going to have to be in the middle of the week. I also planned two crock pot meals to make things a little easier on our crazy days. Enjoy!

Monday, August 10th
Breakfast for Dinner - Scrambled Eggs and Hashbrowns

Tuesday, August 11th
3 Packet Pot Roast with Mashed Potatoes and Corn

Wednesday, August 12th
Date Night! We're going to our favorite Chinese restaurant Chin Wah

Thursday, August 13th
We're trying something new - One Pan Taco Skillet with Salad

Friday, August 14th
Hubby is gone camping out for the hunt that opens the next morning, so I'll be having leftovers on my own.

Saturday, August 15th
Chicken Italiano with Creamy Garlic Shells (new) and Salad

We're hoping to adopt, check our profile out at http://adoption.com/profiles/nksmithfamily-1800 and feel free to pass it along!

Snickerdoodle Bundt Cake

We love all things cinnamon and sugar at our house, and Nate is always happy when I bake. I took one look at this recipe and knew it would be a hit. I won't tell you how much cake Nate ate at one time, but it sure made me happy to see how much he enjoyed it. I saw this idea over at Mix and Match Mama. I followed her recipe exactly, but I found that it made way way too much frosting, so I halved the frosting amount for you. Try this soon. Your house will smell amazing as this bakes!

Ingredients:

Cake -
1 box of white cake mix (I used Pillsbury classic white)
2 small instant vanilla puddings (I used Jell-o brand)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/4 cups water
4 eggs
2 Tbsp. cinnamon (I highly recommend using Saigon cinnamon)

Frosting-
1/3 cup butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
1 Tbsp. cinnamon (again, I really recommend using Saigon cinnamon)
4 Tbsp. milk (you may want a little more if you like your frosting on the thinner side)
1/2 tsp. vanilla


Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease your bundt pan. I use the Baker's Joy brand spray. In your mixing bowl add cake mix, pudding mixes, vegetable oil, water, eggs, and 2 Tbsp. cinnamon. Mix with a hand held electric mixer. Evenly pour batter into your prepared bundt pan. Bake for 42-45 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Now let your cake rest 10 minutes then invert it onto your serving plate and allow it to finish cooling.
In another mixing bowl add softened butter, powdered sugar, and milk and mix with electric mixture until creamy. Then mix in vanilla and 1 Tbsp. of cinnamon. Add in any more milk you'd like to get the frosting to your desired consistency. Frost cake once cooled.


We're hoping to adopt, check our profile out at http://adoption.com/profiles/nksmithfamily-1800 and feel free to pass it along!

Baked Pork Chops

Yum! We really enjoy pork chops in our house. Our all time favorite pork chop recipe is this steak house pork chop recipe on the grill. This recipe is right up there though. It's seasoned just right and has a nice crispy coating. The best part is that they're done in 30 minutes start to finish, can't beat that! I saw this recipe over at Skinny Taste. We ate them with a simple green salad and it was a great dinner. I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:
6 center cut boneless pork chops, trimmed (about 1/2" - 3/4" thick)
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1/3 cup Cornflake crumbs
2 Tbsp. grated parmesan cheese
1 egg
kosher salt
1 1/4 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1/8 tsp. black pepper (we love Lawry's seasoned pepper)

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Get a baking sheet and line it with tin foil then lay a cookie rack over the top of it and spray it with non-stick spray. Mix together panko, cornflake crumbs, parmesan cheese, 3/4 tsp. kosher salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, and black pepper in a shallow dish. Beat the egg and pour it into a second shallow dish. Season pork chops lightly on both sides with a bit of kosher salt. One by one, dip the pork chops into the beaten egg and then into the crumb mixture, making sure to coat both sides. Place dipped pork chops onto cookie sheet. Bake for 20 minutes. Serve hot!


We're hoping to adopt, check our profile out at http://adoption.com/profiles/nksmithfamily-1800 and feel free to pass it along!

Grilled Chicken Parmesan

We really enjoyed this dinner. I served the chicken with Mini Garlic Monkey Breads and some broccoli and it was just a perfect dinner. I love when Nate grills and this is definitely going to be a repeat grilling recipe for us. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup marinara sauce
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
2/3 cup Italian dressing (I used fat free Kraft)

Preparation:
Marinate the chicken in the Italian dressing for one hour. Grill chicken. After the chicken has been flipped and is about 4-5 minutes away from being done, spoon marinara sauce evenly over both pieces of chicken, then top with shredded cheese. Close the lid on the grill and finish cooking chicken. The chicken is done when the juices run clear and the center reaches 165 degrees F. Your sauce should be nice and hot and your cheese all melty and gooey. Enjoy hot!


We're hoping to adopt, check our profile out at http://adoption.com/profiles/nksmithfamily-1800 and feel free to pass it along!

Porcupine Meatballs

My cute grandma has told me about porcupine meatballs and that they are so good. I didn't have her exact recipe so I turned to this recipe at Jamie Cooks It Up for help. It's a ridiculously simple recipe and it was tasty too. I'll definitely make it again.

Ingredients:
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 (6.8 oz) box beef rice-a-roni
salt
pepper
steak seasoning
1 egg
2 1/4 cups water

Preparation:
In a mixing bowl combine ground beef, a little salt, a little pepper, a little steak seasoning, the egg, and the rice and pasta from the rice-a-roni box. Save the seasoning packet separately. Gently combine the meat mixture and shape into golf ball sized meatballs. Spray a large, deep skillet with non-stick spray and heat over medium high heat. Once hot add all your meatballs and brown/sear them on one side, then flip and do the same thing on the other. Combine your water and rice-a-roni seasoning packet and whisk to combine. Pour mixture over the meatballs and reduce heat to medium low. Bring to a simmer then cover and let cook for 30-40 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and the meatballs are cooked through and the pasta/rice is tender. Mine took the full 40 minutes. Serve hot and enjoy!



We're hoping to adopt, check our profile out at http://adoption.com/profiles/nksmithfamily-1800 and feel free to pass it along!

Montreal Chicken Marinade

So good! We first tried this marinade on some drumsticks we grilled and we knew we had a winner recipe. This is the third time we've made it and it's been great every time. I saw this idea over at The Diary of Dave's Wife, and the only change I made was to reduce the brown sugar. We love it and I hope you do too!

Ingredients:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 1/2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. parsley flakes
1 1/2 Tbsp. McCormick's Montreal Chicken seasoning
1 1/2 lbs. chicken (we like boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but you can use whatever you like)

Preparation:
Mix together all the marinade ingredients. Add marinade and chicken to a gallon sized ziploc bag. Squish out all the air and seal up. Place bag in a tupperware dish in case of leaks and then place into the fridge. Let marinate in the fridge for 1-3 hours. Cook as desired, but we totally recommend grilling.



We're hoping to adopt, check our profile out at http://adoption.com/profiles/nksmithfamily-1800 and feel free to pass it along!

Weekly Menu for March 22 - March 28

A lot of favorites this week. My goal is to take some better pictures and get them posted.

Sunday: Hassleback Chicken with Salad

Monday: 3 Packet Pork Roast with Mashed Potatoes and Corn

Tuesday: Chicken Taco Salad Pizza

Wednesday: Grandma Olson's Porcupine Meatballs (new) with Rolls and Salad

Thursday: Asian Chicken Skewers with Basmati Rice and Garlic Soy Broccoli

Friday: Swiss Steak over Egg Noodles with Green Beans

Saturday: Date Night!

New Adoption Profile

Nate and I have a new home for our adoption profile. Please check it out and feel free to share!

http://adoption.com/profiles/nksmithfamily-1800

3 Packet Crock Pot Country Style Pork Ribs

Such a simple recipe, yet full of flavor. This really couldn't be easier. I used my tried and true 3 packet mixture and the crock pot did the rest. Our ribs were fall apart tender and oh so good! Enjoy!

Ingredients:
3 lbs. country style pork ribs
1 packet pork gravy mix
1 packet Italian dressing mix (I always use Good Seasons brand zesty Italian mix)
1 packet ranch dressing mix (I always use Hidden Valley Ranch brand)
1 cup water

Preparation:
Mix together the water and all three packets. Add ribs to crock pot and then pour seasoning mixture over the top, stir to make sure all the ribs get evenly coated. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, stirring at the half way point. Serve hot with your favorite sides, you can also use the liquid in the crock pot like gravy.

Skillet Beef Enchiladas

This was a "wingin' it" recipe and it turned out really well. We really enjoyed it, Nate had three servings. I'd say that's a keeper recipe!

Ingredients:
0.75 lbs. lean ground beef
6 medium flour tortillas
1 (16 oz.) can fat free refried beans
1 cup mild taco sauce or red enchilada sauce
1 packet + 1 Tbsp. taco seasoning
shredded cheddar cheese
pico de gallo
sliced black olives
shredded lettuce

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a small pot heat refried beans with 1 Tbsp. taco seasoning. Keep warm. Cook and crumble ground beef in a medium sized, oven safe skillet, add in taco seasoning packet plus water it requires and finish according to packet directions. Once finished cooking remove beef from skillet. Turn heat off and assemble enchilada stack in skillet. Start by pouring some sauce into the bottom of skillet. Top with 2 flour tortillas. Spread half the refried beans over the tortillas. Top that with half the meat mixture and then some shredded cheese. Repeat again with 2 flour tortillas, beans, meat, and then cheese. Finally add the last two remaining tortillas, top with remaining sauce and lastly some shredded cheese. Bake uncovered in a 350 degree F oven for about 10-15 minutes or until cheesy is all melted and sauce is bubbly. Serve pieces topped with shredded lettuce, sliced black olives, and some pico de gallo. Enjoy!

Navajo Tacos

We've been wanting to try these tacos for a while now. I finally got around to making them. There are a lot of versions floating around on the web, but this is how I made ours. We sure enjoyed them and hopefully you do too!


Ingredients:
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 (16 oz.) can fat free refried beans
8 oz. tomato sauce
1 envelope + 1 Tbsp. taco seasoning (Nate likes the Taco Bell brand)
1/2 cup water
1 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
thawed Rhodes dinner rolls (2 per Navajo taco)
vegetable or canola oil for frying
shredded cheese
toppings of your choice, salsa, shredded lettuce, sour cream, etc.


Preparation:
In a large skillet brown and crumble ground beef, halfway through cooking add the diced pepper and onion. Once beef is cooked add the envelope of taco seasoning and water. Reduce heat to medium and allow water to and seasoning to be absorbed. Then add the beans, tomato sauce, and 1 Tbsp. taco seasoning. Mix thoroughly and cook 'til hot. Reduce heat to low and keep mixture hot while you cook the rolls. Heat oil in a skillet to 375 degrees F. Take the thawed rolls and combine two together into a large ball, then roll out flat into a circle. Repeat with remaining rolls. Fry each dough circle in the oil until golden brown on both sides, flipping once. Remove from oil and place on a paper towel lined plate. To serve, place fried dough on a plate and top with desired amount of the hot meat mixture and garnish with shredded cheese and toppings of your choice. Enjoy!

Menu for February 22-28

Long time no post! Sorry, life has been busy, but I'm back now with a weekly menu for you. Some old favorites and a new recipe to try too. Hope this gives you some inspiration. Enjoy!

Sunday, February 22nd
Fish Tacos with Pico de Gallo and Salsa Rice

Monday, February 23rd
Turkey French Dip Sandwiches with Salad

Tuesday, February 24th
Breakfast for Dinner - Pancakes and Bacon

Wednesday, February 25th
Smoky Marinated Chicken Kabobs with Fancy Dinner Rolls and Salad

Thursday, February 26th
Navajo Tacos (new)

Friday, February 27th
Savory Marinated Pork Tenderloin with Yellow Rice and Green Beans

Saturday, February 28th
Date Night at Chin Wah (our favorite Chinese restaurant)

Garlic Bread Christmas Tree Pull Apart

Anytime we have Italian food for dinner, Nate wants some sort of bread. I had some Rhode's rolls in the freezer so I used them to make this bread concoction last night.

Ingredients:
16 Rhode's rolls
2-3 Tbsp. butter, melted
garlic bread seasoning

Preparation:
Line a baking sheet with tin foil. Spray with a little bit of non-stick spray. Lay out the rolls in a Christmas tree shape. One for the trunk, then a row of 5, then a row of 4, then a row of 3, then a row of 2, and then one for the top. Don't place the rolls right next to each other, leave a little room between to allow for rising. Cover with some saran wrap that you've sprayed with a little non-stick spray so it doesn't stick to the top of the rolls. Let rise for 3-4 hours. Once risen, brush with melted butter and sprinkle with garlic bread seasoning. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Enjoy warm!

Skillet Chicken Parmesan

Nate said he was in the mood for pasta last night which never happens! So we changed the menu plan to accommodate. I saw this idea over at Mel's Kitchen Cafe, my favorite recipe blog. I hardly changed her recipe at all. We really enjoyed dinner and definitely think this recipe is a keeper.

Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half lengthwise to make 4 thinner chicken cutlets
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Hot spaghetti noodles for serving

Preparation:
In a medium bowl, combine the garlic, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, oregano, basil, sugar, salt, pepper and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Set aside.
In a large 12-inch skillet, heat the canola oil over medium heat until rippling and hot. Thoroughly dry the chicken pieces and season with salt and pepper on both sides. Place the flour in a shallow dish and dredge the seasoned chicken pieces in the flour, coating both sides. Gently place 3-4 of the chicken pieces in the hot oil and cook for 3 minutes and then flip and cook 3 minutes longer until a nice golden crust has formed on the chicken (they’ll continue to cook in a later step). Remove the chicken to a plate and continue with the remaining pieces, removing them to the plate when they have been browned.
Wipe the skillet of excess oil and pour the sauce contents in the bowl into the skillet, taking care of splatters if the skillet is still piping hot. Turn the heat to medium and gently nestle the pieces of browned chicken into the sauce, making room for all six chicken breast cutlets. The chicken should be mostly covered with the sauce. Cover the skillet and simmer the sauce and chicken on medium or medium low for 15 minutes, checking every few minutes to make sure the chicken isn’t sticking to the bottom of the skillet. If so, turn the heat down a bit.
Uncover the skillet, sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over the chicken and sauce. Cover and cook for five more minutes, or until cheese is nicely melted.
Serve over hot spaghetti noodles, if desired.

Rio Grande Quesadillas

We love Mexican food at our house. It makes an appearance at least weekly on our dinner table. Nate would have it multiple times a week if I let him! I have had this little recipe saved forever and we finally tried it last night. It's a cinch to make, and they are super yummy and filling. I saw the idea over at Taste and Tell. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, seasoned with our favorite Mexican rub*, cooked and shredded
6 flour tortillas
1 (16 oz.) can refried beans
1 Tbsp. taco seasoning
green onions
shredded cheese
chopped cilantro, optional

Preparation:
In a medium sauce pot heat the refried beans over medium heat. Stir in 1 Tbsp. of taco seasoning. Once heated through, add the shredded chicken and cook until nice and hot. Spread the chicken/bean mixture over half of a tortilla, sprinkle cheese over the top, then top that with green onions and cilantro if you want. Fold the tortilla in half. Repeat with remaining tortillas. To cook, place a quesadilla in a skillet prepared with non-stick spray over medium heat. Cook until golden brown and then flip and repeat on the remaining side. Quesadilla is done when golden brown and the cheese is nice and gooey. Serve immediately with sour cream and salsa.

*Rub Recipe:
2 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. paprika
2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Mix all of those really well. Store in an airtight container.

Breakfast Crunchwraps

This is a copy cat version of a dish Taco Bell makes. You layer a hashbrown patty, scrambled eggs, bacon, and some shredded cheese inside a flour tortilla. I'm not sure how close these are to the originals, but we really enjoyed them. This recipe makes 4.

Ingredients:
4 large flour tortillas
6 eggs
8 small hashbrown patties
6 slices of bacon
shredded cheese, optional
salt and pepper

Preparation:
You want to cook all your ingredients. Scramble the eggs with some salt and pepper, cook and crumble the bacon, and cook the hashbrown patties until nice and crisp. Microwave the flour tortillas for 20 seconds or until nice and soft and pliable. Then in the middle of the tortilla, place the hashbrown patties right next to each other. If you have large hashbrown patties, you will only need one. then layer on some scrambled eggs, then bacon and some shredded cheese. Carefully fold the edges of the tortilla up and around the center so you have a little packet. In a skillet prepared with non-stick spray, over medium heat, place the crunchwrap seam side down and grill for a few minutes until golden brown and then flip and repeat on the other side. Serve hot with taco sauce, salsa, or ketchup, your choice!

Weekly Menu for Sunday, December 7 - Saturday, December 13

Nate and I had such a busy past few weeks. I still menu planned, but I mainly made family favorites, didn't try a lot of new recipes. Now we're back into a routine and dinners are happening more regularly. Here's what I've got cooking for the next week.

Sunday, December 7
Homemade Breakfast Crunchwraps with Orange Slices
This is going to be a copy cat version of a dish Taco Bell makes. I'm going to layer a hashbrown patty, scrambled eggs, bacon, and some shredded cheese inside a flour tortilla.

Monday, December 8
Rio Grande Quesadillas with Salad

Tuesday, December 9
Asiago Focaccia Turkey Sandwiches with Chips

Wednesday, December 10
Meatloaf and Salad

Thursday, December 11
Cornflake Crusted Baked Chicken with Yellow Rice and Green Beans

Friday, December 12
Spaghetti and Meatballs with Garlic Bread Christmas Tree Pull Apart (something I made up in my head that I'm looking forward to trying) and Salad

Saturday, December 13
Date Night!

Baked Fajita Sliders

I threw out my back last week and haven't been doing my cooking. My cute husband has stepped up and been cooking for us. Last night he made these fajita sliders from Picky Palate and we really enjoyed them. Definitely a keeper recipe.

Ingredients:
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 packet of taco or fajita seasoning
1 onion, julienned
1 green or red pepper, julienned
small rolls
shredded cheese
salsa/taco sauce

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and spray an 8x8 inch baking dish lightly with non stick cooking spray. Place ground beef and seasoning into a large mixing bowl, stirring to combine. Transfer beef to prepared baking dish and press down evenly into dish. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until baked through. Remove and drain grease if necessary. While burgers are baking, heat a little olive oil into a large skillet over medium heat. Add sliced onions and bell peppers, stirring until softened. Takes about 5-7 minutes, stirring often.
Split rolls and layer with a burger, onions and peppers, then shredded cheese, and salsa or taco sauce. Serve warm.