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.

Sunny Anderson's Cheesy Mushroom and Broccoli Casserole...You must try this!

This is absolutely the BEST broccoli cheese casserole that I have ever had! I just served it as a side with pan fried chicken and gravy. You could also mix some cooked cubed/shredded chicken into the casserole to make a complete meal. However, I love the creaminess without the chicken. I also topped the casserole with panko crumbs and cubes of butter along with the cheese. I love the crispiness that panko crumbs give to it. Try it...you will like it!

Sunny Anderson's Cheesy Mushroom and Broccoli Casserole
3 tablespoons butter, plus extra for casserole dish
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 pound shiitake or baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped (I used 4 cloves cause I LOVE garlic!)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 (10-ounce) box frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and drained
2 cups shredded Cheddar-Monterey blend (I used sharp yellow cheddar. Next time, I will use sharp white cheddar but it wasn't on sale when I was buying. White cheddar is my favorite.)
3 cups cooked rice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper



Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Butter casserole dish. In a large pot, melt 3 tablespoons butter. Sprinkle with flour and whisk to make a roux. Let it cook a few minutes, whisking continuously. The roux should resemble the color of peanut butter. Add mushrooms, onion, garlic, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, heavy cream and chicken stock. Add broccoli, 1 cup of the cheese and rice. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Pour into buttered dish and top with remaining shredded Cheddar. Bake until cheese is melted and golden, about 20 minutes.

Note: In a separate small saute pan, I sauteed the mushrooms, onions, and garlic before adding them to the roux.

Thrifty Thursday: Mama Dip's Sunday Chicken Casserole

You have GOT to try this! It is absolutely my favorite chicken casserole! This is a Mama Dip's recipe. She has a (if you are not familiar) restaurant in Chapel Hill (not my favorite place...hehe). My husband and I are going through the "1000 Places to See" book and attempting to go to as many place in the book as we can. Mama Dip's is on that list so, of course, we have been there and came home with a cookbook. This chicken casserole is creamy and delicious. If you try this, I am pretty positive that you will add it to your recipe box. AND, it will cost around $7.95. You could also do a 9x13 pan or 2 8x8 with the same amount of chicken breast (just cut them up...no one will ever know) and double the rest of the indredients which are really cheap.

4 chicken breasts
3/4 stick unsalted butter
1 tbsp flour
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup water
1 tsp instant chicken broth granules (or 1 cube disolved in the 3/4 cup of water or you can just use a cup of chicken broth/stock)
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 small box wild rice or 1 cup uncooked white rice (cooked according to package)
1 cup grated mozzarella

Cook the rice according to the package directions (I buy whichever is the cheapest). While the rice is cooking, soak the fillets in a little salt and cold water for about 10 minutes. Then, pat them as dry as you can get them with a paper towel. In a frying pan, melt the butter, but do NOT brown (low heat). Place the chicken in the pan and let cook on medium heat until they appear done (about 10 minutes). While the chicken is cooking grease a 8x8 square pan and spread the rice in the bottom of the pan. Remove the chicken in the pan and let rest. Using a wire whisk, stir the flour into the butter in the frying pan. Then, add the sour cream while whisking. Continue to whisk while adding the water and the instand broth. Add the mushrooms (if I buy fresh, I usually saute them in some EVOO until they have a golden brown finish). Let this sauce simmer for 8 minutes. Place the chicken (you can cut up the chicken a bit if you want) on top of the rice and pour the sauce on top. Sprinkle the cheese on top. Bake at 350 for 30 mintues.

I should also note that I add a couple of cloves of garlic (minced) to the butter while it is melting in the pan. I just didn't put it in the list of ingredients because I wanted to keep it true to Mama Dip's recipe. I don't, however, add onions which normally I would. I love the texture of it without onions.

Freezer Meal Friday

Cherry Pork Chops Freezer Recipe
6 boneless pork chops
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup beef broth
3 tbsp apple juice
1 can pitted cherries, drained but save juice
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp dried crushed rosemary

Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Brown pork chops with a small amount of salt and pepper (to taste), about six minutes each side. Pour apple juice and broth into skillet, stir. Simmer covered for 20 minutes.

In a bowl, combine cherry juice and cornstarch. Add to skillet and stir. Add cherries and rosemary. Bring up the heat slightly and cook until sauce has thickened, about 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly.

Allow to cool then freeze in freezer container or large Ziploc bag.

On cooking day: Defrost overnight in refrigerator. Empty container into a skillet and cook on low heat until the pork chops and sauce are thoroughly heated. Serve over bed of Cherry Rice Pilaf.


Cherry Rice Pilaf
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup dried tart cherries
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon margarine
3 cups cooked rice

Directions:
Heat margarine in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook onion, celery, cherries, walnuts, and spices over medium heat for about ten minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Add rice and cook three to four minutes or until heated through. Freeze in Ziploc bag.

On cooking day: Open the Ziploc bag and place (no need to thaw) in the microwave for about 3 minutes or until heated through.