Baked Chicken Taquitos

adapted from Our Best Bites

From: Emily Garner

Makes 14-16 taquitos

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 c. green salsa
1 T. fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
3 T. chopped cilantro
2 T. sliced green onion
2 c. shredded, cooked chicken
1 c. grated Monterrey jack cheese (use pepper jack if you like a little heat)

small yellow or white corn tortillas
kosher salt (do not skip this ingredient!)
cooking spray

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.

Mix softened cream cheese, green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and garlic powder. Add cilantro and green onions and mix. Add chicken, cheese and combine well.

Working a few tortillas at a time, place 3-4 between two damp paper towels and microwave for 40 seconds, until tortillas are soft and pliable and won't crack when rolling. Place 2-3 T. of the mixture on the lower third of the tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges. Roll it up as tight as you can.

Place filled taquitos seam side down on the baking sheet. When ready to bake, spray the tops lightly with cooking spray and lightly sprinkle with some kosher salt on top.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to turn golden brown. Dip in sour cream, salsa, guacamole or whatever you like!

Creamy French Onion Meatballs

From: Emily Garner

About 40 frozen, cooked meatballs (I buy these from Sam's Club)
1 can condensed French onion soup
1 can condensed cream of celery soup
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 c. sour cream
rice or noodles

Place meatballs into a 4-6 qt. slow cooker prepared with nonstick cooking spray. Combine soups and pepper and pour over meatballs. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours. Stir in sour cream. Cover and cook for an additional 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve over rice, wild rice or noodles.

Turkey Club Pizza (to die for)

by Natalie Pelfrey

1 tube of ready made pizza crust (or you can make your own if you are a stud)
sesame seeds (sprinkled on crust)

Bake the crust at 425 for around 5 minutes or until it little golden brown. Take it out and let it cool for awhile.

Then spread mayo all over the crust and top with:
Monterey Jack cheese
basil (fresh or dried)
thinly sliced deli turkey
real bacon, crumbled
thinly sliced tomatoes
swiss cheese

Throw it back in the oven for 7-9 minutes or until crust is light brown and cheese is melted.
One of my favorite recipes!

Cashew-Chicken Rotini Salad

by Natalie Pelfrey

1 pkg rotini or spiral pasta
4 cups cubed, cooked chicken
1 20 oz can pineapple tidbits, drained
1.5 c sliced celery
3/4 c sliced green onions
1 c green grapes
1 c red grapes
1 pkg dried cranberries
1 c ranch dressing
3/4 c mayo
2 c salted cashews

Combine everything together. Whisk ranch and mayo. Toss to coat, refrigerate. Put in cashews just before serving. CHOW DOWN. Yummy!

Creamy Chicken and Black Beans

from: Tara Flake

Original Recipe: Crock Pot Chicken W/ Black Beans and Cream Cheese...yum!

Ingredients:
4 -5 boneless chicken breasts (I've also used less)
1 (15 1/2 ounce) can black beans (drained, but not rinsed)
1 (15 ounce) can corn (drained, or an equal amount of frozen corn)
1 (15 ounce) jar salsa, your favorite kind
1 TBSP minced garlic (or less, we LOVE garlic)
a few good shakes of cumin and ground red pepper or chili powder (for heat)
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
cliantro for garnish

Directions:

1. Place 2-4 frozen, yes, frozen, boneless chicken breasts into a crock pot.
2. Add beans, salsa, corn and spices.
3. Keep in crock pot on high for about 4-5 hours or until chicken is cooked.
4. Add 1 package of cream cheese, cut up (just throw it on top!) and let sit for about 1/2 hour.
5. Stir in the now-melted cream cheese and shred or cut the chicken and serve over rice or egg noodles. Sprinkle with cilantro if you like it.

Baked Dijon Salmon

from: Tara Flake

Original Recipe: Baked Dijon Salmon

Ingredients
1/4 cup butter, melted
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard, or regular mustard with a dash of horseradish if you have it
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs or cracker crumbs
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans (optional or use another nut)
4 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
4 (4 ounce) fillets salmon, or just one or two big fillets
salt and pepper to taste
lemon for garnish

Directions
1.Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2.In a small bowl, stir together butter, mustard, and honey. Set aside. In another bowl, mix together bread crumbs, pecans, and parsley.
3.Brush each salmon fillet with honey mustard mixture, and sprinkle the tops of the fillets with the bread crumb mixture.
4.Bake salmon 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until it flakes easily with a fork. Season with salt and pepper, and garnish with a wedge of lemon.

Sweet & Spicy Baby Back Ribs (in the oven!)

from: Tara Flake

Original recipe: Beth's Melt in Your Mouth Barbecue Ribs

Ingredients:
4 lbs pork back or pork baby back ribs
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon liquid smoke
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper (optional)
Your favorite barbecue sauce (mine is Sweet Baby Rays - any of the sweet and spicy varieties)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees f.
2. Peel off tough membrane that covers the bony side of the ribs. You can do this by working a spoon or the tips of kitchen sheers into the bottom center of the membrane, work it back and forth to form a "pocket" then slide your thumbs in and work the membrane off from the center outward to the ends. Every once in a while I'll get a rack that doesn't cooperate and I just leave the membrane.
3. Brush the rack with the liquid smoke. (I just use my hands!)
4. Mix dry ingredients and apply rub to ribs on all sides.
5. Lay ribs on a baking pan on top of two layers of foil (side by side and crimped together to make one wide piece that hangs over the sides of the pan), shiny side out and meaty side down. You can also cut the rack into portions and it will cook a little more evenly.
6. Lay two sheets of foil (crimped together to make one wide sheet again) on top of ribs and roll and crimp edges to the bottom layer tightly, edges facing up to seal.
7. Place on baking sheet and bake for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until meat is starting to shrink away from the ends of the bone.
8. Remove from oven and either brush with your favorite sauce or dip it on your plate. Alternately, you can brush the sauce on the meaty side and then place under the broiler for 1-2 minutes until the sauce gets bubbly and sticky on the ribs. This is nice, but usually sets my smoke alarm off so we just dip it :)

*note* It helps to spray BOTH the pan and foil for easy clean up... this is super messy with the cooked sugar and meat juices!

Braised Chicken Thighs

from: Tara Flake

Original Recipe: Emeril's Braised Chicken Thighs
This is time consuming, (simmers for almost an hour) but very easy. Just plan ahead!

Ingredients
4-6 chicken thighs (about 2 pounds), trimmed of any skin or fat. (Either boneless or bone-in is fine)
1-2 tablespoons Emeril's Original Essence or Creole Seasoning (you can buy Emeril's Original Essence or make your own; I make this dinner a lot so I make my own)
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons olive oil
3 tablespoons butter (or dairy-free margarine for lucky girls like me)
2 cups thinly sliced yellow or white onions
1 tablespoon minced garlic
a few dashes of dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 cups chicken stock or canned, low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Cooked white rice or mashed potatoes, for serving

Cooking Directions
Season the chicken all over with the Essence. Place the 1/2 cup flour in a small bowl, and quickly dredge both sides of each thigh in the flour, shaking to remove any excess. Set aside.

Heat 1 teaspoon of the olive oil in a 10- to 12-inch flameproof casserole or sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the butter, and when it has melted, place the chicken in the pan. Brown for 2 minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter to the pan, and when it has melted, add the onions, garlic, thyme and the black pepper. Cook, stirring as needed, until the onions are translucent, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon flour over the onions and cook for 2 minutes longer. Then whisk in the chicken stock and increase the heat to high. Return the chicken to the pan, and bring the stock to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan with a heavy, tight-fitting lid, and simmer for 15 minutes.

Uncover the pan, stir the bottom of the pan to prevent scorching, and turn the chicken over. Cover the pan, and simmer for 20 minutes longer.

Stir the bottom of the pan a final time, turn chicken over and re-cover, and simmer for 20 more minutes. Add the parsley to the sauce, stir to combine, and then serve the chicken over rice or mashed potatoes with the sauce on top. If the sauce is a little thin, continue to simmer and add a little cornstarch/flour and water slurry to thicken.

Mango Coconut Curry

from: Tara Flake

Original Recipe: Spicy Indian Chicken and Mango Curry

2 large or 3 medium mangoes, peeled and diced, divided
1 (10 ounce) can coconut milk
1 TBSP curry powder
3/4 tsp salt
14 ounces skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite size pieces (we like dark meat, but white meat would work too!)
4 green onions, sliced
1 large zucchini, diced
1 TBSP minced garlic
olive oil
ground ginger
ground red pepper
more curry powder

Directions
1. Place half of the mango slices into a blender with the coconut milk, 3/4 tsp salt and 1 TBSP curry powder. Also, squeeze the mango pits between your hands over the blender to get every last drop if mango pulp and juice. Messy but worth it! Blend until smooth and set aside.
2. Heat a little olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the chicken pieces with curry powder, ground red pepper (to your spicy-tolerance level), and a little ginger. Add the chicken, garlic and green onion to the oil; cook until the chicken is almost done, about 5 minutes.
3. Add diced zucchini and saute until chicken is done and zucchini is starting to soften.
4. Pour in the mango puree and add the remaining diced mango add and cook until heated through. Sprinkle a little ground ginger in and stir. This is where I take some out for the kids, then go on and add more curry powder, salt and red pepper until it's spicy/flavorful enough for the adults. Every curry powder is different, and some already come spicy. With some brands, I don't have to add much while other brands require a few more teaspoons. Just experiment and taste as you go!
5. Serve over basmati or jasmine rice to be authentic, or plain old white or brown rice if you aren't trying to impress anyone :)
*note* Try other diced veggies - white onions, bell peppers, squash... garnish with thinly sliced cucumbers...lots of possibilities!

BYU MOA Curry Chicken Pasta

by Natalie Pelfrey

(I got this recipe from my friend who worked at the MOA and the batches they made were huge so I just pretty much make the recipe however I want. But here are the basic guidelines)

Orzo pasta
diced cooked chicken
chopped celery
slivered almonds
green onions
grapes

Dressing:
equal parts sour cream and heavy mayo
sugar
salt and pepper
tons of curry powder

I just make this according to the things I like the best and it always turns out yummy!

Super Easy Fresh Tomato Soup

-Mary Rhodes

*I didn't bring this for Cooking Night but it's so easy it definitely should be included in the quick and easy meal ideas month!


2 cans of diced tomatoes with peppers (15 or 28 oz. cans depending on your family size)
a drizzle of olive oil
a generous dash of Worcestershire sauce

Toppings: chopped grape tomatoes, diced sweet onions, chopped cilantro, sour cream

Bring first 3 ingredients to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes until some of the liquid evaporates. Dish into bowls then top with your choice of the toppings. Serve with hot cornbread or corn muffins. (My favorite is by far the Jiffy mix...and I've tried all sorts!)

Easy Spinach and Bacon Quiche

-Mary Rhodes

I made this lower fat version for Cooking Night. My changes are in parentheses! I also double the recipe and make 2 at a time. One goes in the freezer after cooking and cooling to save for another hectic day or to give away! Same amount of work but twice the results!


6 large or 8 medium eggs (I used 8 large but omitted the yolks)
1-1/2 cups heavy cream (I used the same amount of half and half)
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups chopped FRESH spinach, packed
1 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled (I use half a package per quiche)
1-1/2 cups shredded SWISS cheese
1 (9-inch) refrigerated pie crust, fitted to a 9-inch pie plate

Preheat oven to 375 F degrees.

Combine eggs, cream, salt and pepper in mixer. In a large bowl, mix chopped spinach and cheese by hand. Layer spinach and cheese into pie crust. Sprinkle the crumbled bacon on top of spinach and cheese, then pour the egg mixture over the top.

Bake for 35-45 minutes or until the egg mixture is set. (You'll know if the middle is cooked if the quiche has a dome-like shape and it will be lightly browned.) Cool for 10 minutes. Then slice into 8 wedges. Enjoy!

Blender Quiche

-Tara Flake

I didn't bring this to cooking night, but I told a few people about this recipe so I'd figure I'd post it. My family has been making this forever and I lovingly call it "leftover blender quiche" because that's pretty much how you make it. It doesn't use a traditional crust (the crust is sort of built in) so if you don't have one or don't want to make one from scratch, this recipe is for you! *Though I'm still waiting for Mary to post her quiche recipe that used a crust... it was so good!*

1/2 lb cooked and crumbled bacon (may sub sausage, ham, turkey or other meat)
1 cup shredded swiss cheese (may sub your favorite cheese)
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
2 cups milk
1/2 cup Bisquick baking mix
4 eggs
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper

1. In a greased 9 inch baking dish or pie dish (1.5 inches deep at least) sprinkle the meat, cheese and onion (and any other veggies you may be adding).
2. Place remaining ingredients in a blender and blend on high for about 1 minute.
3. Pour into the dish
4. Bake at 350 for 50 to 55 minutes until golden brown and a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. I usually serve this with some healthy oven baked fries/potato wedges and some fresh fruit :)

I always bake 2 of of these together and then cover and freeze one for later. To reheat, place frozen quiche in the oven at 375 for 20-25 minutes until heated through, replacing the cover if the top starts to brown too much.
I also tend to throw whatever veggies I need to use up into these quiches. Green onions, mushrooms, frozen spinach etc. Just note that whatever you add should be well drained and squeezed dry if needed (mostly the spinach) because extra moisture will make this dish runny.

Bread Machine Pizza Crust

Yields 2 thick crusts - one for tonight and one to freeze!

Time: 1 hour in bread machine, 10 minutes to prepare, 30-60 minutes to rise, 20 minutes to cook

1 2/3 cup water (luke warm)

2 Tbl oil

2 Tbl sugar

2 tsp salt

2 Tbl dry milk

4 1/2 cups bread flour (or regular)

2 tsp active dry yeast

Put all into bread machine pan and mix on a dough cycle. Dough will be very sticky. Put on floured surface and add flour and kneed until dough can be spread. Divide into two. Spread each half by holding the edge and letting the weight of the dough stretch it. Put in pan and push dough out to fill the space in the pan. If freezing one crust, spread in a 9 by 13 or similar pan with a lid. Let rise until dough is desired height, 30-60 minutes. Cook for 8-10 minute at 425 degrees. While cooking, prepare sauce, cheese, meat, and vegetables. Top pizza and cook another 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

To freeze: Cook pizza crust only for 10 minutes. Let cool while preparing and eating other crust and then put in the freezer. When you want to use it, add toppings and cook 15-20 minutes at 425 or until the cheese is melted.

Note: I’ve tried different variations of freezing/cooking/adding toppings and they have all worked. Just make sure you get the dough cooked all the way through.

-Marian Adamson

Super Bean Burritos

1 cup brown or white rice (or 2 cups already cooked rice)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 jalapeno, seeds and membrane removed, finely diced (can substitute 1 can of green chiles)
1 teaspoon cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cans (15 oz. each) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups water
1 (10 oz) package frozen corn or 1 can whole kernel corn, drained
6 green onions, white and green parts finely chopped (I left these out)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder

16 burrito-sized (10-inch) flour tortillas
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Cook rice; set aside. Meanwhile, heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, jalapeno and cumin; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened and golden, being careful not to let the garlic burn. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring for 1 minute.

Add one can of beans and mash gently in the pan (a potato masher or fork works great here). Add the second can of beans and the water and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 10-12 minutes, being careful not to let the mixture stick to the bottom of the pot. Add corn; cook to heat through, 2-3 minutes. Stir in onion and garlic powders. Remove from heat; stir in green onions and cooked rice.

Heat tortillas in microwave for about 30-45 seconds or until all are warmed through.

Fill each tortilla with about 2/3 cup bean and rice mixture and 1/4 cup cheese on one side of tortilla. Fold, and hold in sides. Starting from filled end, holding sides in as you work, tightly roll into a bundle. Place on a baking sheet, seam side down, and prepare remaining burritos.

Serve warm immediately, with salsa and sour cream if desired -- or, to freeze for later consumption, put the baking sheet of burritos into the freezer for at least 30 minutes, or until very cold so that they don't come apart in the wrapping process. Remove them from the freezer and wrap each burrito individually in plastic wrap and place all the wrapped burritos in a freezer-safe resealable bag and freeze up to three months.

To reheat from frozen:
Remove plastic wrap from the burrito. Poke holes in the top several times with a fork. Microwave on high for two minutes. Gently poke a few more holes in the burrito and microwave for another minute. Be careful as the burrito will be piping hot!

These are also from mykitchencafe.blogspot.com. You can click here to see the original post.
Lucy Jesse
P.S. I cooked dry beans instead of using canned. I think about 1 1/2 cups cooked beans equals about 1 can.

White Bean Chicken Chili

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup diced onion
2 (14.5 ounce) cans Great Northern Beans, undrained
2 cups cooked, diced chicken (or turkey)
2 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup salsa (I use Pace Chunky Medium)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the remainder of the ingredients, except the mozzarella cheese. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the soup comes to a simmer. Add the mozzarella cheese one handful at a time, stirring to let each addition melt before adding the next. Stir to combine and make sure all the cheese has melted and serve.

(Recipe from mykitchencafe.blogspot.com, via Shauntel Cheney -- thanks!!)

Basic Taco Soup

This is what I was going to bring the night of Freezer Meals and what I should have brought to Soup night. There are days (weeks, months) where I'm not feeling like much of a cook, and this is always handy during such times to throw together in a pinch. Plus, it makes two meals for my little fam (unless we pig out), or it can just as quickly be doubled: one meal for later on in the week and two more for the freezer. That's my kinda cook'n!

makes ~8 cups

1 lb ground beef, browned and drained
1 28-oz can tomatoes (pureed, diced, however your fam likes them)
1 8-oz can tomato sauce
1 15-oz can kidney beans (drained & rinsed)
1 15-oz can corn (w/ liquid)
1/2 pkg taco seasoning (I think McCormick is the most flavorful, but Kroger is good as well.)

Toss it in a pot, let it come to a boil, and serve up!

Toppings:
- Fritos corn chips
(sure, you can substitute regular corn chips, but it's just not the same)
- shredded cheese
- sour cream
(nothing else better than the heat of the soup and the cool of the cream....YUM)
- sliced olives

Can also toss in whatever you need to clean out of the fridge:
- onion - peppers - pinto/black beans
- roast beef in place of hamburger meat
(made it yesterday with some BBQ-rubbed roast leftovers; what a tasty substitute!)

Zuppa Toscana (Olive Garden's spicy sausage and potato soup)

Tara Flake

1 lb. spicy italian sausage
1/2 lb. smoked bacon
1 qt. water
3 2/3 cups chicekn broth (or 2- 14.5 oz cans)
2 large russet potatoes, scrubbed and cubed
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 med. onion, chopped
2 cups chopped kale or swiss chard
1 cup heavy whipping cream or half and half
salt and pepper to taste

Place water, broth, potatoes, garlic and onion in a pot and simmer over medium heat until potatoes are tender. While the pot is simmering, prepare the meat: brown and crumble sausage, set aside. Brown and chop bacon, set aside. When the potatoes are tender add the sausage and bacon and simmer for 10 more minutes. Add kale and cream and heat through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

*Note: before I add the meat, I take 2 cups or so of the potato soup mixture and puree it then add it back to the pot. This just makes it a little thicker.

ps. I can't wait to make all the soups - they were all soooo good! I actually have all the things in my cupboard for the southwest pumpkin one that Amanda made, I'm so excited!

"Cafe Rio" Chicken and Rice - Tara Flake

I didn't bring these, but they go along with the other Cafe Rio items.

Café Rio Chicken

• 1 small bottle Kraft Zesty Italian
• 1 Tbsp. chili powder
• 1 Tbsp. cumin
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 5 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts

1. Roast all ingredients in crockpot on low for 4 hours.
2. Shred chicken, roast an additional 1 hour.

Café Rio Rice

• 3 c. water (I doubled the water and found myself adding a little more as it cooked)
• 4 tsp. chicken bouillon
• 4 tsp. minced garlic
• ½ bunch chopped cilantro
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 small can diced green chilies
• ¾ tsp. salt
• 1 Tbsp. butter
• ½ medium onion, chopped
• 3 c. rice, uncooked

Bring water to boil, add all ingredients. Lower heat and simmer for 30 min.

"Cafe Rio" Tomatillo Ranch Dressing - Tara Flake

• 1 pkg. buttermilk Ranch dressing (powder)
• 3 tomatillos (These look like small green tomatoes with a green husk on them. Should be at most grocery stores - very common in latin food.)
• 1 c. mayonnaise
• 1 c. buttermilk
• 1 c. chopped cilantro
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/8 tsp. cayenne
  

1. Take the husks off the tomatillos and wash them
2. Puree everything in a blender or food processor & chill until ready to serve

This is what tomatillos look like, and the large ones are the size of a golf ball, so get more if you can only find little ones.