March 28- English Muffin Pizza Pies

These are a great option for a weeknight dinner. They are easy, cute, and everyone gets to choose their own toppings- The makings for a sure crowd-pleaser. 

English Muffin Pizza Pies

English Muffins

Tomato Sauce

Assorted seasonings (red pepper, basil, garlic, oregano)

Mozzarella Cheese

Assorted toppings (olives, onions, pepperoni, tomatoes, etc.)

Preheat oven to 350.

Split muffins into halves and top with tomato sauce and seasoning.

Sprinkle with cheese and add toppings.

Bake 10 minutes.

For easy garlic bread, spread butter over muffin halves. Top with garlic powder, parmesan, and a light layer of cheese. 

March 26- Beef & Broccoli w/Rice

Worth repeating. 

March 19-Taco Soup w/Turkey

I've made this several times, but had not thought to blog it until now. I guess I assumed it was too similar to the other soups I had blogged about in the past. I was definitely holding out on everyone because this is definitely my favorite soup of them all. I've made this soup so many times I guess it never occurred to me to blog about it. I begged my mom for this recipe as soon as I left the house. I wouldn't change a thing about this recipe. It's absolutely delicious, healthy, quick, and hearty enough to satisfy a man's appetite.

Taco Soup

1 lb ground beef or turkey

1onion, chopped

1 package ranch dressing mix

1 package taco seasoning mix

1 cup water

2 14.5oz cans diced tomatoes w/green chiles

2 15oz cans pinto beans

1 15oz can black beans

1 15oz can cream-style corn

Brown beef with onions in a medium-size soup pot. Drain excess grease. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 20 minutes. 

March 14-Lemon Broccoli Chicken

Growing up, this was one of my favorite home cooked meals. I was glad to introduce this recipe to our new home. My husband and I both enjoyed it and agreed to add it to the repertoire.

Lemon Broccoli Chicken

1 tbsp oil

4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves

1 can of Cream of Broccoli Soup

1/4 cup milk

2 tsp lemon juice

1/8tsp pepper

4 thin lemon slices

1.) In skillet, in hot oil, cook chicken 10 minutes until browned.

2.) Combine soup and milk; Stir lemon juice and pepper. Pour over chicken. Top with lemon slices. Reduce heat to low. Cover; Simmer 5 minutes until tender. 

Served with roasted red potatoes and broccoli. 

March 12- Pasta with Sauteed Chicken & Grape Tomatoes

I may be morphing into a food critic. 

This pasta dish tasted just fine and was definitely edible, but it was simply missing the mmmmmm-factor. Over all we liked it, but probably give it a 6 on a scale of 10. I blame the ingredients, but I give you permission to disagree and blame it on the chef. I am only a kitchen rookie, after all (I also admit that I forgot to put the grated cheese on the table when I served dinner...oops). I would certainly eat this again, but probably would not spontaneously begin to crave it. 

Pasta with Sauteed Chicken & Grape Tomatoes

(Original Recipe: Spaghetti with Sauteed Chicken & Grape Tomatoes by Skinnytaste)

Ingredients: 4 small chicken breasts, diced in 1 inch cubes

Cooking spray

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp basil

salt and pepper

8oz whole wheat pasta

2 cups grape tomatoes, halved

6 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

4 tsp olive oil

4 tbsp chopped basil

1.) Bring salted pot of water to a boil and cook pasta as directed. Reserve about 1/2 cup pasta water before draining. 

2.) Spray a skillet with cooking spray and cook chicken, seasoned with salt, pepper, oregano, and basil. Set aside.

3.) In a separate skillet, add olive oil on high heat. Add garlic and sauté until golden brown (not burnt). Add tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low and sauté about 4-5 minutes.

4.)Add pasta to tomatoes and toss well. Add some of the reserved pasta water if the pasta seems too dry. Add fresh basil and chicken, toss well.

5.) Serve, topped with grated cheese. 

March 8-Mom's Fruit Pizza

Okay, so it's not exactly dinner, but it is an old family favorite and definitely worth a share. Growing up, this light dessert was served at just about every holiday and was always one of my favorite treats.

When it was my turn to provide refreshments for our small group, I knew that this would be the perfect snack. Our small group is made up of quiet a few master bakers, so the recipe had quite a bit to live up to. And so it did; Compliments were flowing all night (Thanks, Mom!).

Mom's Fruit Pizza

Crust Ingredients:1/2 cup butter, 1 tsp vanilla, 1 cup sugar, 2 cups flour, 1 egg beaten, 1 tsp baking power, 1/4 cup milk

Frosting Ingredients: 11 oz cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar, 1tsp vanilla

Crust

1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.) Cream butter and sugar. Add egg, milk, and vanilla, Sift together flower and baking powder. Add butter to mixture. Cover and refrigerate 1/2 hour.

3.) Generously butter 14'' pizza pan. Press dough into pan. 

4.) Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Cool.

Frosting

1.) Combine cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla. Spread over baked crust.

2.) Top with fresh fruits of your choice. (Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, kiwi, mandarin oranges, cherries, and pineapple are all good choices, depending on the time of year.)

3.) Cut into pieces and serve

March 3 Snack- Baked Apple Chips

Today was officially inspired by Pinterest. These Baked Apple Chips from Delighted Momma looked so good, I just had to try them. A tasty Saturday snack. 

Baked Apple Chips

2 apples

cinnamon

Preheat oven to 275. Remove core and slice apples into thin slices. Lay on a baking sheet and sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake 2 hours (flip about half way through baking). 

Snack away!

March 3- Spinach "Burgers"

I came across this recipe from "The Village Cook" on Pinterest and was immediately intrigued. I love spinach and eat it with just about anything...eggs, sandwiches, tacos, pizza...but as a burger? The idea seemed strange, but I really wanted to try it. I was cooking for myself tonight and already had all of the ingredients, minus the spinach, and I figured it was worth a shot. Worse case scenario, I'd be short $2 from the spinach and I'd heat up a can of soup instead.

I am SO glad that I took a risk! These were soooooo good. The seasoning, the texture, the health benefits...I'm speechless. I will be making these again.

Spinach "Burgers"

1 bag of thawed and well drained chopped spinach

2 egg whites

1 whole egg

1/4 cup diced onion (I used 3 tbsp dried onion)

1/2 c shredded cheese (I went with 1/3 cup skim mozzarella)

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp garlic powder

Mix ingredients in a large bowl. Separate into patties. (I separated my mixture into about 8 patties...they were large and I probably could've gotten away with 10 smaller ones). Spray skillet with cooking spray. Cook each patty approx. 4-6 minutes each. 

As the original recipe promises, they are incredibly delicious without any fixings! 

(Although pita sounded like a great suggestion too).

March 1- Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos w/Homemade Guacamole

Fiesta night at the Hernandez home. My husband and I loved these.

Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos w/Homemade Guacamole

(Once again, please pardon my estimated measurements...I improvised as I went along)

Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos

4-6 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/2 package chicken taco seasoning

1/4 cup water

1 small can of salsa w/chiles

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours. Before serving, remove chicken and shred. Return to slow cooker and set to warm. Serve with tortillas and your favorite taco fixings (salsa, corn, cheese, guacamole, etc).

Homemade Guacamole

2 avocados mashed

Cumin

Garlic powder

Garlic salt

Dried Onion

1tbsp light Miracle Whip

Mix ingredients well.