Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Chicken Tamale Casserole

I'm pretty sure yummy is and understatement for this dish. You know I love Mexican food, and this comforting casserole is the perfect ending to a long day. You won't be disappointed with this dish. Think southwestern cornbread meets cheesy chicken. Need I say more? I hope you enjoy- and please leave a comment or post whether it "looks good", you "tried it" or "love it" below.

  • 1 cup pre-shredded Mexican blend cheese, divided
  • 1/3 cup fat-free milk
  • 1/4 cup egg substitute or 2 egg whites
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/8 tsp ground red pepper
  • 1 (14 3/4 oz) can cream-style corn
  • 1 (8.5 oz) box corn muffin mix
  • 1 (4 oz) can chopped green chiles, drained
  • 1 (10 oz) can red enchilada sauce
  • 2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast (I used a rotisserie chicken)
  • 1/2 cup fat-free sour cream (optional)
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Combine 1/4 cup cheese and next 7 ingredients (through chiles) in a large bowl, stirring until moist. Pour mixture into a 13 x 9" baking dish coated with cooking spray.
  3. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes or until set. Pierce entire surface liberally with fork. Pour enchilada sauce over top. Top with chicken; sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup of cheese.
  4. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes or until cheese melts. Remove from oven. Let stand 5 minutes.

Serving size: 1/8 dish: 354 calories, 14.1 g fat, 18.9 g protein, 2.5 g fiber.

From Cooking Light

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Spicy Honey-Brushed Chicken

I started this blog last year with the intent of constantly cooking new recipes and rarely repeating anything. I have surprised myself with how many dishes are fantastic, including this one. I guess that goes to show that anything I pull out of a magazine will suit my taste. I hope to branch out and choose recipes that I would never think to try.. so stay tuned!

Once I saw this recipe in Cooking Light, I instantly thought of my brother-in-law who loves the chipotle-honey chicken crispers at a Chili's. This healthier (non-fried) version definitely lives up to it's spicy name, but is perfectly paired with the honey glaze. I have found that broiling chicken really preserves its juiciness especially when compared to using a counter-top grill. A downside of this recipe is that it does take a lot of ingredients, so can be rather expensive if you buy all the spices at once. Make substitutions as needed. I hope you enjoy!

Makes 4 servings.
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp ground red pepper
  • 8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (or 8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs)
  • 6 tbsp honey
  • 2 tsp cider vinegar
  1. Preheat broiler
  2. Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl. Add chicken to bowl and toss to coat. Place chicken on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. (I would suggest a broiling rack, coated with cooking spray, on a cookie sheet covered in foil for easy clean-up) Broil chicken 5 minutes on each side.
  3. Combine honey and vinegar in a small bowl, stirring well. Remove chicken from oven; brush 1/4 cup honey mixture over chicken. Broil one minute. Turn chicken over and brush with remaining honey mixture. Broil additional one minute.

Monday, August 23, 2010

Crispy Ravioli with Homemade Tomato Sauce

This tasted just like an appetizer that could be served at an Italian restaurant; it was that good! Yum! I think I'm going to crave this for awhile. I flavored up the tomatoes a bit with oregano and Italian seasonings. Feel free to season to your own taste. I hope you enjoy!

Makes 4 servings.
  • 2 tbsp water
  • 1 large egg, beaten lightly
  • 1 cup panko
  • 1/4 cup grated fresh Parmigiana-Reggiano cheese (or just Kraft grated Parmesan)
  • 1 (9-oz) package of fresh ravioli (such as Buitoni)
  • 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
  • 4 cups (2 pints) grape tomatoes, halved
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
  1. Combine water and egg in a shallow dish, stirring well.
  2. Combine panko and cheese in a shallow dish, stirring well with a fork.
  3. Dip each ravioli in egg mixture; dredge in panko mixture.
  4. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 1/2 tbsp oil to pan; swirl to coat.
  5. Add half of ravioli to pan in a single layer; saute one minute on each side or until golden. Remove ravioli from pan; drain on paper towels. (Keep warm by placing in oven preheated on warm).
  6. Repeat procedure with remaining olive oil and ravioli; wipe skillet with paper towels.
  7. Add tomatoes, salt and pepper to pan; saute two minutes. Add garlic to pan; saute 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
  8. Divide ravioli onto plates and top with tomato sauce and additional cheese if desired.

From Cooking Light

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Sopapilla Cheesecake

Yum! I tried to think of what dessert goes with Mexican food, and this one is so delicious and easy to make. A can of crescent rolls is so versatile. Not exactly healthy, but well worth the splurge every once-in-a-while. I hope you enjoy!

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
  • 3 (8 ounce) packages reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups white sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 (8 ounce) cans reduced-fat crescent roll dough
  • 1/2 cup melted butter
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup sliced almonds
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Beat the cream cheese with 1 1/2 cups of sugar and the vanilla extract in a bowl until smooth. Unroll the cans of crescent roll dough, and use a rolling pin to shape each piece into 9 x 13" rectangles. Press one piece into the bottom of a 9 x 13" baking dish.
  3. Evenly spread the cream cheese mixture into the baking dish, then cover with the remaining piece of crescent dough (kind of tricky).
  4. Drizzle the melted butter evenly over the top of the cheesecake. Stir the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar together with the cinnamon in a small bowl, and sprinkle over the cheesecake. Top with almonds.
  5. Bake in oven until the crescent dough has puffed and turned golden brown, about 45 minutes.
  6. Cool completely in the pan before cutting into 12 squares.

Sunday, August 8, 2010

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

Yum! You know I love cookies, and these are one of my favorites. Inspired by my love for the cookies at my dining hall in college- these are fantastic! Good memories from yummy cookies. I hope you enjoy!

  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp almond extract
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup coarsely chopped macademia nuts
  • 1 cup white chocolate morsels
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth.
  3. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Stir in the vanilla and almond extracts.
  4. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; gradually stir into the creamed mixture.
  5. Mix in the macadamia nuts and white chocolate.
  6. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets.
  7. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

From allrecipes.com

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

15-minute Tex-Mex Dinner

When you've had a stressful day and all you want is food in your mouth, and quick, this is the perfect Tex-Mex meal for you! With few ingredients and limited cooking time, it's a sure to quench your food craving. Top with lettuce, tomatoes, avocados, sour cream, shredded cheese, salsa etc. I hope you enjoy!

  • 1 lb. ground beef or ground turkey
  • 1 package Taco seasoning mix
  • 1 can (10.75 oz) Campbell's condensed tomato soup
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1 1/2 cups uncooked instant white or brown rice
  • 1 can kidney beans, drained (optional)
  1. Cook beef or turkey and taco seasoning in skillet until browned. Pour off fat if necessary.
  2. Add soup, water, rice, and beans. Bring to boil and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 5 minutes or until rice is done.
  3. Top with desired toppings. Use chips to scoop or enjoy in a taco salad shell.

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Shells

Yum! This dish is super tasty and the perfect pairing of flavors. Sarah and I made this for our girl's night, and it was delicious. I hope you enjoy!

  • 20 jumbo shells
  • 1 bag (or box) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, rinsed, and drained
  • 1 15 oz. container ricotta cheese
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1/2 jar spaghetti sauce
  • salt & pepper
  1. Cook shells according to package directions. Drain and rinse to cool.
  2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  3. Pour spaghetti sauce in bottom of large casserole dish.
  4. In a medium bowl, mix spinach, ricotta cheese, garlic, Parmesan cheese, and oregano. Add salt & pepper to taste.
  5. Spoon about 2 tbsp of mixture into each shell and place stuffing side up in casserole dish.
  6. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese to coat.
  7. Bake 10-12 minutes.
  8. Increase heat to broil and bake an additional 2-5 minutes or until cheese mozzarella cheese has browned.