Monday, September 30, 2013

Copycat Chicken Enchilada Helper



The weather this month has been incredible and we've been outside soaking it all up, instead of inside cooking or cleaning or mixing it up for the blog. Who wants to do house work when you could be at the park or picking apples or on a long walk or boating on the lake?

I did manage to force myself inside one day last week and try something new. This meal was perfect for us because we generally eat chicken instead of beef and rice instead of pasta with my husbands gluten free diet.

Copycat Chicken Enchilada Helper

1 tablespoon corn starch
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon dried red bell pepper
pinch cayenne



What else you'll need

1 pound diced cooked chicken breast
3 cups (or more) cooked rice
1 cup milk
1/2 can tomato paste
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

I've started making my 'helper' mixes in a new way. I no longer use powdered milk and water because let's face it- most people, especially parents have at least some form of milk in their fridge, but very few have powdered milk in their cupboards. I also cook the meat, rice/pasta first and then whip up the sauce and add it all together instead of cooking everything in the sauce. This stops everything from sticking to the bottom of the pot while it's cooking and also allows you to add as much rice or pasta as you want to stretch out the meal. I find 'helper' recipes tend to be way too heavy on the meat, and they just don't feed enough people!

Combine mix with milk and stir well, adding in tomato paste and stirring until it dissolves. Cook on medium heat in a large pot, adding in chicken and rice and stirring until sauce thickens. Add cheese and stir until it melts.





I added some steamed broccoli on top to balance out the meal. Delicious and almost worth dragging myself away from the sunshine for!



Friday, September 6, 2013

58 meals using chicken breasts

(Honey Sesame Chicken)

I'm sorry for not posting anything last week but I broke my baby toe! It's been pretty impossible chasing a 1 year old and 4 year old around on one foot! One of the hardest parts of being injured has been getting a nutritious dinner on the table every night, because it's something that has to be done regardless. We have a lot of chicken in our freezer, so I've been relying on many old favorites using chicken breasts. Every morning I get out a frozen portion of chicken to defrost and decide what to make it into. Some of these recipes use raw chicken breasts, others are salads and side dishes that cooked chicken can be added to later. A few are also used on other cuts of chicken or fish, but work just as well on chicken breasts.

58 Meals using boneless skinless chicken breasts

Restaurant style grilled chicken
Blackened seasoning
Montreal chicken seasoning
Chili garlic stir fry sauce
Sweet onion teriyaki sub sauce
Mediterranean chicken and fish seasoning
Cajun pulled chicken
Honey sesame chicken stir fry sauce
Chicken chow mein
Chicken chop suey
Italian seasoning
Parmesan herb panko crust
Chicken noodle soup mix
Jamaican jerk seasoning
Jumbalaya
Schezuan sauce
Creamy bacon carbonara
Chicken and rice casserole
Chicken parmesan
Creamy garlic Raffaello
Creamy vegetable primavera
Fettuccine alfredo
Caesar salad
Creamy sun dried tomato and basil penne
Fattoush salad
BBQ chicken rub
Chicken shake and bake
Chicken pot pie
Lemon chicken sauce
Creamy chicken fusilli
Spanish rice
Chicken and dumplings
Teriyaki rice and noodles
Honey mustard sauce
Fried chicken coating
Honey garlic sauce
Sweet chili rub
Stir fry seasoning
Chicken fried rice
Poultry seasoning
Hunan seasoning
Satay sauce
Greek salad
Pulled 'pork' (made with chicken)
Pad Thai
Chicken souvlaki
Creamy curry casserole sauce
Lemon pepper chicken rub
Chicken teriyaki
Gumbo
Southern spice chicken rub
General Tso's chicken
Sweet and sour chicken
Burritos
Fajitas
Buffalo chicken
Butter chicken
Chicken Shawarma

(Chicken chow mein)

(Fattoush salad)

(Chicken souvlaki)

(Stir fry)

I've posted pictures of some of my favorites. Chicken breasts can be made into so many things, we never get tired of them!