Steak Fajitas...

Today I have a classic for you all.

I can't get enough of classics.

Aren't they great? Always there when you're OUT of Menu ideas!

*

I have no doubt many of you know how to make Fajitas...

I just thought I would share with you my favorite steak and seasoning to use.

Can I just say, I'm ALWAYS shopping on a budget.

Let's be honest here....eating steak is NOT cheap!!!

But steak fajitas can be reasonable - cause you can use cheaper steak :)

I've found the Beef Top Round Steaks to be the best.

They aren't TOO expensive, and yet tastes great cooked up with some onions and bell peppers.

*A little trick when slicing your steak: freeze that baby for 30min before your ready to use it. It will REALLY help you get thin slices without cursing the dang thing!!!! (not that I've ever done that.)

I LOVE Lawry's, and there Fajita seasoning is the one to use!

If you can find it, use it.

It's really the only one my lovely, picky child will eat.

*

So, make some Fajitas tonight, or add it to your menu next week!

It's a way to spice up the meals, and have some steak...without breaking the bank :)

Chicken Cordon Bleu...

I love Costco.

Love it! Love it!

I think I'm addicted to it actually.

I can spend hours there.

I love the frozen food section, and always find AMAZING bags of frozen goodness.

There is something about having a plethora of 5min-freezer-meals that is so comforting to a busy mom.

Costco's Chicken Cordon Bleu is beyond.this.world good.

We have it regularly in this house.

However, my last encounter with with this breaded, stuffed, cheesy chicken was not so great.

It occurred to me that this is just not healthy stuff.

Ya, not good.

This is very sad.

I love Chicken Cordon Bleu.

I thought. I planned. I wondered.

"Could I actually make this stuff?"

Sounds like a daunting task.

Sounds a little scary.

BUT - Jamie says it can be done!

Yes, she did.

And even tells me it's easy!

This is scary for me.

I don't know what it is about Chicken Cordon Bleu that makes me feel so incapable.

Would you believe that I actually gave this a try?

It's true! It's guilt free, yummy true.

Would you believe this is in fact..EASY!

And oh soooo yummy.

There were no complaints at my kitchen table (a first!) and NO leftovers!

Try it, would ya?

You'll die and go to heaven if you do.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Yield: 6 servings

Recipe: JamieCooksItUp

Chicken:

5 Chicken Breast

1 Cup Italian Bread Crumbs

5 Slices Deli Ham

5 Slices Swiss Cheese

Sauce:

1 Can Cream of Chicken Soup

3 Tablespoons Sour Cream

1 Tablespoon Butter

Directions: Pre-heat oven at 375. Fillet chicken breast. One breast will now be two thinner/easier to work with breasts. Cut deli meat and cheese in half. Place one slice of ham and one slice of cheese in center of one fillet chicken breast. Roll. Place bread crumbs on plate or pie dish. Roll stuffed chicken in bread crumbs. Place in a sprayed 9x13 cooking dish. Cover with foil. Cook 45min. Uncover. Cook 15min. While cooking, add chicken soup, sour cream and butter in saucepan. Stir on Med heat until well blended and smooth. Serve on top of delicious hot chicken...ENJOY!

Chicken and Black Bean Quesadillas

Alright crock pot lovers, here's another easy peasy recipe for you!  My kids and hubby asked for seconds...and then thirds with this one.  Not to mention, it's the perfect meal after a long day in January (which I was having) when you just don't feel like doing anything but cuddling up with a mug of your favorite cocoa next to a warm fire.  But, that's beside the point...  the point is, try this!  You'll wish there was leftovers :)
 

Chicken and Black Bean Quesadillas

Time: 20 minutes hands on + 4-5 hours crock pot cooking
Yield: 8-10 Quesadillas
 
4 large chicken breasts
1 1/2 C water
1 T canola oil
1 envelope Fajita Seasoning Packet
1 can black beans
1 C corn
1-2 C Cheddar Cheese
8-10 flour tortillas

1. Place your chicken breasts inside a crock pot that has been sprayed with cooking spray.
2. Mix the water, oil and the Fajita Mix. Pour it over the top of the chicken. Cover with the lid and cook for 4 hours on high.
3. When the chicken is cooked through remove it from the crock, placing it on a plate. Shred it up with a fork.
4. Put it back in the juices of the crock pot and let it simmer for 1 more hour.
5. Heat up a skillet. Spray it with cooking spray (or butter it....depending on how closely you are counting calories). Lay a tortilla out on the skillet. Cover just half of the tortilla with some chicken, black beans, corn and cheese. Cover the yummy filling up with the other half of the tortilla. Heat until the cheese has started to melt. Flip it over and to let the other side of the tortilla get crispy, and to melt the cheese fully.

Creamy Chipotle Dip
Time: 5 minutes
Yield: 1 cup

1/3 C Chipotle Mayo
1/3 C Miracle Whip Salad Dressing
1/3 C Sour Cream
2 T sugar
1 T lime juice
2 T cilantro, chopped fine
dash salt

1. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.
The end. Fastest dipping sauce this side of  The Biggest Loser.

P.S. Another favorite found on Jamie Cooks It Up!

Beef Stew. Thick and Hearty...

I put this in the crock pot for a tasty, after church Sunday dinner.  Boy, did our house smell yummy when we walked through the front door!  I found this dish at Jamie Cooks It Up and it's definitely a keeper.   You know how I love "easy".

Beef Stew.  Thick and Hearty...

Time: 10 minutes prep + 4-8 hours crock pot cooking
Yield: 5 servings
Recipe adapted from The Essential Mormon Cookbook.

1 pound beef stew chunks
4 carrots, sliced
4 medium potatoes, cubed
1 large onion, cut into chunks
1 bay leaf
1  1 oz. package Lipton Onion Soup Mix
2  10.5 oz cans cream of mushroom soup
1  8 oz can tomato sauce
 

1. Cut up your vegetables.
2. Spray the inside of your crock pot. Layer the beef, carrots, potatoes, and onion in the old crock. Place the bay leaf on top.
3. In a medium sized bowl combine the Soup Mix, cream of mushroom soup (undiluted) and  tomato sauce. Stir them all around until mixed well.
4. Pour the soup mixture over the top of the veggies and beef. Don't stir.
5. Cook on high for 4 hours, or on low for 8.

Crock Pot Mango Chicken...

You know me, I like fast and easy! A friend of mine passed this on to me and it has become a favorite recipe of mine (the kids even love it!). It's simple, has 4-ingredients, makes several meals, and is delish! Give it a try. I promise you won't be disappointed!

{Lorna's Crock Pot Mango Chicken... Tacos}

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 cups tomato based mango salsa- i use the one with peach from Costco
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 TBSP salt

put all ingredients in the crock pot on low for 8-10 hours or high for 4-6. shred chicken. use in tacos, burritos, enchiladas, nachos, etc.

Baked or Grilled Salmon

Thank you, Seth! I'm posting this so I don't forget the ingredients. Our family loves fish! One of our favorite meals is salmon (when I find it on sale), mashed potatoes, green beans, rolls, and salad. It's super easy to fix, JP and the kids love it, and mommy scores points! Seth gave me tips on how to bake it, and it turned out yum-O.

1 TBS Olive Oil
1 TBS Butter (melted)
1/2 Lemon (save the rest for after it's cooked)
1 tsp McCormick Grill Mates Salmon Seasoning (I found this at Wal Mart & Maceys)

In bowl, whisk Olive Oil, Butter, and Lemon together. Place thawed Salmon in a 9 X 13 deep dish. Drizzle mixture over the salmon, then sprinkle the Grill Mates Salmon Seasoning evenly over the top. I also like to place a sliver of butter in the middle of the salmon. Bake or grill at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Sweet Lime Chile Enchiladas & Sweet Pepper Rice

I am actually making this tonight! I wanted to post the recipe on here before I forget it. I had it at a friends house and it was SO yummy. Give it a try, I think you'll love it!

{Corrine's Sweet Lime Chile Enchiladas}

4 chicken breast, cooked & shredded

1 12-15 oz. bottle salsa verde

1/3 cup honey

1/4 cup lime juice

1 TBSP chili powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup heavy whipping cream

8-10 flour tortillas

5 cups shredded monterey jack cheese

in a large bowl, whick together honey, lime juice, chili powder, garlic powder & salt. add shredded chicken to the lime mixture. let sit 10 minutes.
in a 9x13 pan pour 3/4 of the bottle of salsa verde, just to cover the bottle of the pan. reserve the rest.
take each flour tortilla & fill with a chicken & cheese. a couple of tablespoons of each. roll up & place, seam side down in the salsa verde. repeat process until all tortillas are filled.
after you remove all of the chicken, there will be remaining lime sauce in the bowl. to that sauce, add heavy cream & the remaining salsa verde. pour this mixture over the filled enchilada & cover with all the remaining cheese.
bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until cheese is brown & bubbly.
serve with sweet rice.

{Brit's Sweet Pepper Rice}

3 TBSP butter

1 sweet onion, finely chopped

1/2 red pepper, finely chopped

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/3 cup long grain white rice

3 cups chicken stock

in a large saute pan, melt butter & add onion & pepper. cook until soft & onion is translucent. add cilantro & salt & garlic powder, cook another minute. add rice & brown. watch closely as not to burn.
dissolve sugar into chicken stock. when completely dissolve, add to rice. bring to a simmer, turn to low & cover. cook covered for 30 minutes. fluff with fork.

Breakfast Burritos..

I made these one Saturday morning for Seth. I was trying to make them like his ALTIME favorite ones that he gets a Betos. Anyway, they turned out awewsome. Infact, he likes them better, and they are SIMPLE!

Scrambled Eggs (eggs, milk, buttter, salt and pepper)

Crispy Bacon!

Hash Browns

Favorite Salsa (I recomend as FRESH as you can get it or make it!)

Tortilas (we buy the raw ones, but either way will work)

*Hash Browns: thinly slice or grade (using the large slicer) any potato, doesn't matter. Turn your fry pan on between MED and HI heat. Coat pan with butter. Lay potatos down flat..only stacked 2-3 high. Season with salt and pepper. Let sit..don't stir. When you start smelling them crisp up flip the over as best you can. Leave alone until other side is crispy. Then you are DONE!

(this is just the way I do it. Any way would work I am sure)

Stuff your tortilla and YUMMY! (put salsa inside or on top!)

Sweet & Sour Chicken

1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
(Mix together)

3 or 4 beaten eggs
4-6 bonless, skinless chicken breasts-cut into chunks

Dip chicken in beaten eggs and then in flour mixture. Brown lightly in oil in frying pan on medium heat. Place in oblong glass baking dish. Pour sweet & sour sauce over chicken. Bake in 350 degree oven for 45 minutes, turning once or twice.

Sweet & Sour Sauce
1 cup chicken broth
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup vinegar
8 tbsp. ketchup
2 tbsp. soy sauce

Bring all ingredients to a low boil. To thicken sauce, use cornstarch and water.

Oven Kalua Pork

I make this recipe all the time because it is so yummy, it is so quick - I am done before the oven even finished pre heating, I have all the ingredients on hand all the time (I only have to buy the roast) and because it makes a lot! We'll eat it the first night with rice and steamed veggies. For the rest of the week we use it to make different dinners (i.e. BBQ sauce, serve it on hamburger buns with a salad or corn on the cob if it is corn season one night. We will use it with beans, rice, guacamole and salsa the next night in burritos. I will use it with sweet and sour sauce, add pineapple tidbits and chopped green peppers over rice another night). Pretty much anything goes. But then it only takes 15 minutes to make dinner the rest of the week - which is how I roll.

1/2 cup soy sauce
3 Tbsp. coarse salt
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 small piece of fresh ginger root, crushed (or 1 tsp. ground ginger)
1 clove garlic, minced
5-6 pounds boneless pork roast
1 tsp. liquid wood smoke flavoring

In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, salt, Worcestershire sauce, ginger and garlic. Mix well. Lay 3 sheets of aluminum foil out, one on top of another. Place roast in center of aluminum foil; rub with soy sauce mixture and sprinkle with liquid smoke. Fold all 3 sheets of aluminum foil over top of roast and secure tightly. Place wrapped meat in a baking pan. Roast at 375 for 5 hours. Shred the pork before serving.

** Recipe from the Lion House Entertaining Cookbook**

Taco Soup

You all know this is one of our family favorites...
My sister in-law, Racquel, made this and I had to have the recipe!

Taco Soup
Cut up 2 chicken breasts into small cubes (or more if you like more meat) and cook in a little olive oil. Add seasonings. (and remember to taste the soup during the process and add more seasoning if necessary)

To season the chicken, I use about:

1 Tbsp. chile powder

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

A little salt

Garlic powder

Toss the following into the blender and blend until fairly smooth:

1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes

1 medium onion

1/4 c. chopped cilantro

2 large garlic cloves

In a stock pot, combine the following:

1 large (32 oz) can chicken broth

1 to 2 Tbsp. sugar (this reduces the acidity of the tomatoes and enhances flavor)

Blended mixture

Seasoned Chicken

1 can black beans (optional)

1 can corn (optional)

Salt to taste

Simmer for 20 minutes.

Place any or all of the following in your individual soup bowl and ladle hot soup over the top:

Tortilla chips

Monterey Jack cheese

Chopped cilantro

Chopped fresh tomato

Diced avocado

Chopped green onion

Olives

Sour cream

Chile sauce (like Tabasco, etc.)

Squeeze over the top:

Lime wedges (this is what really makes the soup, I think!)