Lime Chicken Tacos/Burritos with Cilantro Lime Rice

Here is wonderful crock pot recipe for Lime Chicken Tacos/Burritos. It is very easy, cheap, and delicious! I got it from my friend Terra over at Barefoot conTerra who got it from a friend of hers. I only used two chicken breasts (because that is all I had) and it made just enough for my family. Of course, we loaded our tacos/burritos up with the Cilantro Lime Rice, sour cream, cheddar cheese, and tomatoes as well. You could also flavor up some black beans to put in the burrito as well.

1-1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup chunky salsa
flour tortillas (The size depends on if you want tacos or burritos. I make tacos for the boys and my husband and I make burritos)

Place the chicken in the crock pot. Combine lime juice and chili powder; pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 5 hours.

Remove chicken. Using two forks, shred the chicken and return to the slow cooker. Stir in corn and salsa. Cover and cook on low for 45 minutes.

Cilantro Lime Rice
I really wanted Cilantro Lime rice tonight for some reason. So, I looked around on the internet for a recipe. This is a couple recipes put together. If you follow the instructions on how to make the rice, you will be so thankful! This rice is so fluffy and wonderful!

1 c. basmati rice or other long-grain rice
2 tsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1 3/4 c. water
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
2 Tsp. lime zest

Bring water to boil in a medium saucepan. Add olive oil, rice, and salt. Stir just to make sure the grains are separate, then cover and bring to a simmer. Simmer over low heat for about 17 minutes. Check on it at 10 minutes to see how it is doing. You want to cook just until the water has evaporated. When the timer goes off for the rice, remove the rice from the heat, remove the lid, place a couple paper towels over the pan, and replace the lid. This will catch the steam and keep the rice from getting sticky. Let the rice sit for about 10 minutes with the paper towels and lid on.

Remove the lid. Using a fork, fluff the rice gently.

Toss in cilantro, lime zest, and lime juice. Stir gently, just to combine.

Thrifty Thursday: My Birthday Meal

Today's Thrifty Thursday recipe is the meal that my mom would make every year for my birthday. I LOVE it and it is SO easy! She normally made it in the oven...cooking it for a while on low heat. I put it in the crockpot because it gives the meat the same moist texture and flavor.

1 pound of chicken breasts
2 (16 oz) containers of sour cream
1 or 2 cans cream of mushroom soup (depending on your taste...I use one)
3 garlic cloves minced
1 small or large can dried beef (found in aisle with canned chicken/tuna)
8 oz fresh mushrooms (Optional...I don't use them just because I like to keep it just like my Mom made it.)
salt and pepper to taste


Arrange the dried beef in the bottom of the casserole pan or crock pot in a layer. Place the chicken on top of the dried beef. Mix the sour cream, cream of mushroom soup, garlic, and mushrooms (if using) together and pour over the chicken. Season with salt and pepper. If in a crock pot, cook either on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours. Both lengths of time will make the chicken fall apart! You can also bake it in the oven for 3 hours on 250 degrees.

Serve it over rice or mashed potatoes.

Chicken Spinach Lasagna

This is a recipe that I adapted from a recipe that I got from my friend, Carlyn. It was passed around her freezer swap group so she passed it on to me. It works great as a freezer meal or as a meal to take to someone. It makes 2 9x13 pans of lasagna or you can split it into 3 8x8 pans. It is absolutely delicious! Now, I haven't actually made it like the original recipe so mine might not be as good as the original : ). If you try it both ways before I do, let me know if it makes any difference. The only differences in mine and the original is that I omitted the cream of mushroom soup (and made my own) and I sauteed the vegetables. The original would be much easier to make and has a lot less steps than the one I made. I just really like the taste of homemade cream of mushroom "soup". However, I will make it like the original next time just to compare.

18 no boil lasagna noodles
EVOO
1 (10 oz) pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed (Squeeze as much liquid out of the spinach as you can using your hand. The rest of the liquid will get cooked off in the skillet)
4 cups cooked, diced or shredded chicken (Season 3 split chicken breasts with salt and pepper and cook in the oven for about 40 minutes on 350 degrees. Cover with foil and let cool. Shred or dice the chicken.)
4 cups shredded white cheddar (You can use any other cheese you like. I just love white cheddar.)
1 onion, diced
8-16 oz mushrooms, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup cream
1 cup chicken broth/stock
3 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tbsp soy sauce
16 oz sour cream
2/3 cup mayonnaise
1 cup pecans, chopped
1 cup Parmesan cheese

Heat skillet with a few swirls around the pan of EVOO. Saute mushrooms until they start getting a golden color. Add the onions. Sprinkle with a tsp or so of salt to help release the liquid. Let the onions cook 3-4 more minutes. Add the garlic and cook another minute. Add the spinach. Sprinkle with flour. Stir and let cook for a minute. Whisk in the chicken broth and then the cream. Let it cook for 6-7 minutes or until thickened. Add the chicken. Take off the heat and let cool to room temperature.

In a bowl, mix together sour cream, mayo, soy sauce, pepper, salt, and nutmeg. Stir in the cooled cream chicken mixture.

In a greased 9x13 pan, place a layer of the cream mixture. Lay down 3 no boil lasagna noodles. Top with more cream mixture. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Place 3 more noodles down. Top with cream mixture. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Place the last 3 noodles down and top with more cream mixture. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Top with pecan/Parmesan mixture.

Repeat in the other 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

You will just need to guess about how much cream mixture and cheese you put on each layer. Just keep in mind that they will be used for both pans. If you have never worked with "no boil" noodles, you will love them! You don't have to cook them at all. Just lay them down. Make sure that every corner has some of the sauce on them. The layer of sauce doesn't need to be thick for the noodles to soften, it just has to be covered. I think you could use the no boil noodles in the original. I will let you know when I try it.


Original Recipe:
24 lasagna noodles, cooked
1 (10 oz) pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained well
4 cups diced chicken(i cooked mine first)
4 cups shredded cheddar
2/3 cup finely diced onion
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 Tbsp flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 cans cream of mushroom
16 oz. sour cream
2/3 cup mayonnaise

Topping:
1 cups grated Parmesan
1 cups chopped pecans

Combine all ingredients in very large bowl. In a large and deep baking dish, layer chicken mixture, noodles, chicken, noodles, chicken. Sprinkle with topping. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Thrifty Thursday: Two for One

Today, I am posting TWO Thrifty Thursday recipes! I am very excited about both of these. The first one, I am going to just give you the link to it. It is what I am making for dinner tonight so I can't tell you (yet) what I think about it. However, it looks so yummy! I got a great deal on some white fish at Aldi this week. I got a bag of about 6 filets for $3.99. They were out of tilapia but I think these will work great. I will let you know what I think about Bobby Flay's Grilled Tilapia with Lemon Butter, Capers and Orzo (for dairy free, just substitue the butter for smart balance light and omit the cream). If you can find a similar deal on a white fish or tilapia, then you can make this meal for a family of four for around $7.00.
Here is a pic of Bobby Flay's meal that I made last night. It got rave reviews from my husband! Now, if you read the reviews from Foodnetwork.com they say that the written recipe is not the same as how Bobby does it on his show. I did it like the reviews said to do it (make a butter sauce). However, my guess is that he changed it up a bit since making a butter sauce is kind of finicky. The trick is to remove the pot from the heat and whisk in room temperature butter...one cube at a time so that it doesn't separate. Do not re-heat in the microwave. If you need to warm it up put it in a bowl over hot water.

This next idea I got from Rachael Ray's Neapolitan Baked Ziti. I had planned on just making regular spaghetti but then I saw this on her show and thought it looked really good and figured I could do something similar with baked spaghetti. You can make this for around $6.10!! AND, it makes two dinners for a family of four!!

Jazzed Up Baked Spaghetti
1 pound spaghetti (Cooked a couple minutes short of what the package says...noodles will continue to cook when you bake it.)
1/2 lb ground turkey or beef, cooked
2 tbsp EVOO
1 onion, finely chopped
5-6 garlic cloves, finely chopped or use a microplane zester
seasonings (Use whatever seasonings you like in your spaghetti. I used about a tbsp of Italian seasoning and some extra basil because I LOVE basil.)
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
1 (15oz) can diced tomatoes
S&P to taste
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
2 cups milk
1 bay leaf
nutmeg, freshly grated
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1/4 -1/2 cup parmesan cheese
Heat EVOO in a medium to large saucepan. Add the onions and sweat on low heat until they are translucent (do not brown). Add garlic and cook another minute. Add your seasonings (do not add the S&P yet). Let cook for another minute and then add the tomato paste. Stir and let cook for another minute. Then, add your tomato sauce and diced tomatoes. Let simmer for about 30 minutes. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.

While the sauce is simmering, melt the butter in a small to medium saucepan. Once melted, add the flour and whisk until combined. Let it cook for 1-2 minutes, whisking constantly. Slowly add the milk while whisking (you can also heat the milk before adding it so you don't have to worry about adding it as slowly). Add the bay leaf, nutmeg and season with S&P. Bring to a boil and then turn heat to low and simmer until thick, stirring often. Remove the bay leaf.

Combine the pasta, beef and red sauce and place in a greased 9x13 casserole dish (I split mine into 2 8x8 so I could freeze one of them). Pour the white sauce over the top. Sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese and then the parmesan cheese. Bake on 400 for 25 minutes. Then, place the oven on broil and broil for a couple of minutes until the top of the cheese is golden brown.

Thrifty Thursday: Chicken and Grits

If you would like to participate in Thrifty Thursday on your blog just post a recipe on your blog that costs $10 or less for a family of four. Then, link back to my blog. Also, enter your link and information at the bottom of this post.

Those of you that are my friends, know that I have never eaten shrimp, fish, or anything for that matter that lived in the water. Here in the last year, I have really been trying to make myself like all seafood. It was my dear sweet husband that triggered this desire in me. See, I have been talking about going to culinary school once all of our kids are in school. Chris' response to that was (in a joking manner), "You think you can go to culinary school if you don't eat any seafood. What would Bobby Flay think about that?" He is really hilarious to me. Even though it was a joke, I am glad he said it. He really inspired me to get over my dislike/fear of seafood and branch out. As of now, I have eaten and enjoyed: tilapia, salmon, sushi, mussels, and baby shrimp (still can't do large shrimp but will work up to it).

Today, however, I am going to share a recipe with you that I came up with to satisfy my desire to like shrimp and grits. Chris loves shrimp and grits but, of course, I would never make it for him. So, I came up with a recipe for chicken and grits. It is SO comforting and yummy! This meal comes out to be approximately $7.72 and that is using a good quality cornmeal. However, the price is figured by using water instead of chicken stock. I highly recommend spending the extra dollar or two and getting the stock. It adds a wonderful flavor to the grits! The flour, salt, pepper and oil are not figured into the cost as I think these are things that you already have in your pantry.

Chicken and Grits
1 pound chicken breasts (cut into small cubes)
3 tbsp flour
kosher salt
pepper
2 tbsp evoo (or any other oil you have on hand)
half onion
2 garlic cloves (minced or thin sliced...however you like it)
2 tbsp chicken stock/broth or water

2 cups milk (preferably whole milk if you have it)
2 cups chicken stock/broth or water
1.5 tsp kosher salt
1 cup coarse ground cornmeal
pepper to taste
4 tbsp unsalted butter (If you use salted butter then leave out the 1.5 tsp of salt until you have finished the dish. Then, taste to see if it needs anymore salt)
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese (You can experiment with other cheeses as well. I think that sharp white cheddar or smoked gouda would also be good in this.)


Heat the oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Mix the flour, salt and pepper together (about 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper). Dust the flour over the chicken pieces. Add the chicken to the skillet and brown on all sides until done (about 7-8 minutes depending on how big you cut your pieces). When chicken is done, remove it to a plate and set aside.


Add the onions to the skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes and then add the garlic. Cook for a minute more or until you can smell the garlic (you don't want to brown the garlic because it will add a bitter taste to your food). Add the water or stock and return the chicken pieces to the skillet. Cook, stirring, until hot and there is not more water in the skillet.

While you are cooking the chicken, you can start the grits. In a medium saucepan, add the milk, water or chicken stock and salt. Bring it to a boil stirring often to make sure the milk is not burning on the bottom of the pan (Tip: rinse your saucepan in cold water before using it and dump out all of the water but do not wipe it out. This will prevent the milk from sticking). Once it is boiling, slowly add the cornmeal. Using a whisk, mix it into the milk. Once all of the cornmeal is well mixed into the milk, decrease the heat to low and cover with a lid. You must remove the lid and stir frequently (every 3-4 minutes) to keep the grits from sticking to the saucepan. Continue with this process for 20-25 minutes or until it is creamy.


Remove from heat and whisk in pepper and butter. Once the butter is melted, whisk in the cheese a little at a time. Place the grits in a shallow bowl and top with chicken. Enjoy!

The Best Baked Ziti

Here is the amazing baked ziti I keep raving about! This is Giada de Laurentiis' (from Food Network) recipe. I add some garlic and use crushed tomatoes if they are on sale. Also, she has you completely cook the meatballs in a saucepan on the stove. I finish them off in the oven so I can begin preparing the other stuff for the ziti. I made this the other night and doubled the recipe. I was sending some to our college student's dinner for our church. It made one 9x13 and 3 8x8 pans. That is a lot! So, if you are looking for a freezer meal, you can double this and get five meals out of it by putting it in 5 8x8 pans. I hope you enjoy!


Giada's Baked Ziti with Meatballs1/4 cup plain dried bread crumbs
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons milk
3/4 cup grated Romano
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound ground beef
All-purpose flour, for dredging
1 pound ziti
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
5 cups tomato sauce (I have also used crushed tomatoes if they are on sale. I like the texture that they give the dish.)
2 cloves garlic (grated or very finely minced...you don't want to bite into a huge chunk since you aren't cooking it first.)
3 cups whole milk ricotta
2 cups shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine bread crumbs, eggs, milk, 1/2 cup of the Romano and the parsley, and mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Add beef and gently combine, being careful not to overwork the meat. Shape into bite-size meatballs. Roll each meatball in flour to coat, shaking off excess.

In a large pot, bring 6 quarts of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. You definitely do NOT want to overcook the pasta as it will continue to cook in the sauce when you put it in the oven. Drain pasta in a colander and set aside. If not using immediately, cover top with plastic wrap so that pasta does not dry out. Do not rinse pasta with water since you want to retain the pasta's natural starches so that the sauce will cling to the ziti.

In a large skillet heat the oil over medium-high heat. When almost smoking, add meatballs in batches and without moving or turning the meat, allow it to brown for about 3 minutes on each side. Transfer meatballs to a cookie sheet and allow them to finish cooking in the oven for about 10-15 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the tomato sauce, garlic and ricotta and mix well. Add the cooked ziti and meatballs and toss gently.

In a large greased baking dish, pour in pasta mixture. Sprinkle the mozzarella, Parmesan, and remaining Romano all over the top. Dot with the butter. Place baking dish on top of baking sheet covered with aluminum foil to collect any drippings from the dish. Bake until top is golden brown and bubbly, about 30 to 40 minutes

Baked Ravioli with Chicken

This was a recipe that was submitted by someone to the first freezer swap that I participated in. So, I made it for the first freezer swap with the ladies from our church. I think it is yummy! I made my own pesto and added some homemade Alfredo sauce (about 2 cups).

2 lb. of cheese-filled frozen ravioli (I used fresh because they were on sale but frozen is usually cheaper.)
1 lb. of cooked chicken breasts in ½ inch slices
2/3 cup of chicken broth
½ cup store-bought basil pesto sauce
½ teaspoon of kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 cup of Parmesan cheese

Place all ingredients into a large bowl and combine. Transfer to a freezer bag.

Thaw. Preheat oven to 350F. Place contains of bag into baking dish (a 9×13 dish sprayed with cooking spray). Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour or until bubbly.

Lisa's Sweet Chili

Here is another freezer swap meal from my friend, Lisa. It is SO yummy! She sent it with some cornbread that was perfect for soaking up the sauce in the bottom of the bowl.

1-2 lbs ground beef or turkey grounds
2 16 oz. cans red kidney beans
bush's chili magic-chili starter, traditional mild
2 16 oz cans of tomato sauce
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 medium onion, chopped (cook with meat)
1 green pepper, chopped

Brown meat (with onions). Drain grease. Put into a stock pot with all ingredients, bring to a boil, and simmer for 15 minutes or longer (b/c of green peppers). Serve with melted cheese if desired!

Freezer Meal Swap

I got introduced to freezer meal swaps by someone that lives near us. She and I went to the same school for undergrad. Thanks, Terra! I absolutely love freezer swaps now. So much that I started one with some ladies at our church. Now, I get to go to two freezer swaps...yay! We had our first meal swap a few weeks ago. Here is the first recipe for Baked Spaghetti (thanks, tori). I will hopefully be posting the rest of the recipes today.

1 small box of spaghetti
1 Jar of Spaghetti sauce of your choosing (or more depending on how saucy you like your spaghetti)
1/2 to 1 pound of ground turkey
Shredded Mild Cheddar cheese, Mozzorella cheese, parmesean cheese

Cook spaghetti according to package.
Cook Ground Turkey in a frying pan until well done.
Mix spaghetti, ground turkey and sauce together in a large pan.
Pour spaghetti into a baking dish.
Sprinkle cheddar and mozzerella cheese generously over the spaghetti.
Add as much parmesan cheese as you like.
Freeze if desired.
Remove from freezer and 400 degrees for 40 minutes or until cheese is fully melted and fully cooked.