Copycat Chipotle Chicken

Ingredients: 2 pounds (about 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs) 1 teaspoon cumin 4 garlic cloves, minced (or 4 frozen Dorot cubes) 1 teaspoon dried oregano 2 teaspoons kosher salt 1 teaspoon pepper 1 tablespoon chili powder 2 tablespoons EVOO 7 oz. can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (Use ONLY 4 chipotle peppers + all sauce; discard the rest of the peppers in the can (if any).) 3/4 cup of water

Directions:

Place chicken thighs into a gallon Ziplock bag.  Blend remaining ingredients together in a blender or food processor for 1-2 minutes until well combined. Pour marinade over chicken thighs and marinade overnight (or at least 8 hours).

Sear on medium high heat about 4 minutes each side (get a nice char)! Chicken is completely cooked when temp reaches 165. Chop into diced cubes, just like Chipotle!

*Cooking with Chris on YouTube

Healthy Cashew Chicken

This is so so yummy!  

Takes thirty minutes start to finish and serves six (or great for leftovers)!

Ingredients:

• 1.5 lbs chicken breasts, diced into 1 inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 large red bell pepper, diced into 1/2-1 inch cubes (I used red and yellow.)
• 2 cups chopped broccoli
• 3 cloves garlic, minced (3 frozen Dorot cubes are super easy!)
• 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated (Look for frozen Dorot ginger cubes too!)
• 1/2 cup water chestnuts (I omitted.  Yuck.)
• 3/4 cup cashews (I chopped mine.)

• Sauce:

  1/3 cup soy sauce (I used low sodium.)

  1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

  1.5 teaspoons sesame oil

  3 tablespoons honey

  3 tablespoons cornstarch (or arrowroot powder)

  3/4 cup water

Directions:

1. 1. Prep ahead of time!  Dice chicken and veggies and prepare the sauce by whisking together all of the 'sauce' ingredients in a small bowl. (p.s., I added the cornstarch to the water to "dissolve it" before adding it to the other sauce ingredients.)
2. 2. When ready to cook, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet.
3. 3. Cook your chicken breasts until almost all the way cooked, about 5 minutes, turning a few times.
4. 4. Once almost cooked, remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
5. 5. Add the last tablespoon of oil to the pan and toss in the bell pepper and broccoli.
6. 6. After sautéing for 3-4 minutes, add the garlic and ginger and cook for one more minute.
7. 7. Stir the sauce into the pan and allow it to thicken.  Once thickened, add cooked chicken, cashews, and water chestnuts (if you like gross things).
8. 8. Cook all ingredients together and mix to combine!
9. 9. Serve over rice.  If desired, sprinkle with more cashews and sesame seeds.
10. *www.erinliveswhole.com

One Pot Easy Deconstructed Chicken "Lasagna"

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 to 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed into bite-size pieces

1/2 cup diced onion

2 cloves garlic, minced, or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

4 cups low sodium chicken broth

28-ounce can crushed tomatoes

1 pound (454 g) bowtie pasta (mini bowtie works well for littles)

2 teaspoons dried basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1 cup cubed or grated mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

• In a 5 or 6-quart pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat until hot. Season the cubed chicken lightly with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the pot in a single layer and cook for 1-2 minutes until golden. Flip and continue to cook until the chicken is cooked through, 2-3 minutes more. Remove the chicken to a plate (keeping as much oil/liquid in the pan as possible).
• Keep the pot over medium heat and add the onions and garlic (add another little drizzle of oil if the pan is dry). Cook, stirring often, until the onions are translucent, 2-3 minutes. 
• Add the chicken broth, crushed tomatoes, pasta, basil, oregano, salt, thyme, and pepper. Stir to combine. 
• Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook until the pasta is tender, 15-17 minutes, stirring often and moderating the heat so the pasta doesn't stick. 
• Off the heat, add the reserved chicken, mozzarella, ricotta, and Parmesan. Stir to incorporate. Add additional salt and pepper to taste, if needed.
• Serve warm with additional ricotta and Parmesan cheese, if desired.
  *www.melskitchencafe.com

Cilantro Lime Chicken

 

Main Ingredients:

• 1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice, divided
• 1/2 cup + 1 teaspoon olive oil, divided
• 1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice, divided
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons lime zest, divided
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon + 1/4 teaspoon cumin, divided
• 2 and 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro, divided

Ingredients for Salsa (optional):

• 1 ripe mango
• 1 ripe avocado
• 1/4 cup finely diced red onion
• 1/4 cup finely chopped red pepper
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped jalapeño, optional
• Fine sea salt and freshly cracked pepper

Directions:

• Trim the chicken of fat. Pound the breasts to even thickness or slice in half to get evenly sized breasts and place in a resealable bag.
• MARINADE: Whisk together all of the marinade ingredients in a medium-sized bowl: 3/4 cup orange juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon lime zest, 1/3 cup lime juice, honey, 1 teaspoon each cumin, soy sauce, garlic, and 1/4 cup chopped cilantro. Add salt and pepper to taste (I use about 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper). Before pouring marinade onto chicken, reserve about 1/2 cup of marinade and set aside. Pour the remaining marinade into the resealable bag with chicken.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, making sure to flip the bag halfway through. I recommend marinating for 2-8 hours.  Remove chicken from refrigeration about 30 minutes before grilling.  *While chicken is marinating, see "mango salsa" steps below to complete ahead of time.
• COOK CHICKEN: Lightly oil the grill grate or grill ridges on a grill pan or add 1 tablespoon oil to a skillet and then place the marinated chicken on the grill (medium-high heat--around 400 degrees).  Discard leftover marinade.
• Grill for 5-6 minutes.  Flip chicken and brush it generously with the reserved 1/2 cup marinade.  Grill for another 5-6 minutes or until chicken juices run clear and internal temperature is at 165 degrees.
• MANGO SALSA: Take the remaining 1 tablespoon orange juice, remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil, 2 tablespoons lime juice, remaining lime zest, and remaining 1/4 cup cilantro and toss together.
• Chop the mango and avocado into bite-sized pieces. Add to the salsa, along with the finely chopped red onion, red pepper, and jalapeño. Season the salsa to taste with pepper, salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon cumin and stir to mix.
• ASSEMBLY: Serve grilled chicken over a bed of cilantro-lime rice or quinoa and add spoonfuls of the salsa on top. Also super yummy in a taco.  Enjoy immediately!
  *www.chelseasmessyapron.com

Instant Pot Shredded Chicken

 

This is the perfect recipe to have on hand for the week for any addition to a meal/recipe: quesadillas, burrito bowls, tacos, enchiladas, salads, chicken salad, sandwiches, wraps, or even soups/casseroles that need pre-cooked shredded chicken!  Cooks perfectly and takes minutes to throw into the IP.

Ingredients:

• 2 to 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup chicken stock or water (I used low sodium chicken broth.)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika

Directions:

1. 1. Add the chicken breasts, seasoning, and liquid of choice (stock, water, or broth) to the bowl of your pressure cooker. Give everything a brief toss to combine, then arrange the chicken breasts so that they are spread out in an even layer.
2. 
   
3. 2. Cover and set the pressure cooker lid valve to “sealing.”  Pressure cook on high for 10 minutes, followed by a 5 minute natural release, followed by a quick release (carefully flip the valve to “venting”) to release whatever pressure remains.
4. 
   
5. 3. Remove the lid and use two forks to shred the chicken.  Give it a thorough toss with the remaining juices in the pressure cooker.
6. 
   
7. 4. Serve the chicken while it’s nice and warm or transfer it to a sealed container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.  (If freezing, I recommend portioning the chicken in small storage containers/bags so that you have the option to thaw and use small portions rather than having to thaw the entire batch.) (I love tossing the chicken in pesto and dressing it up in a wrap with some favorite fixings!)
8. 
   

*www.gimmesomeoven.com

Lemon Basil Honey Grilled Chicken

 

This recipe makes a huge batch (12-14 servings), so I like to make at the beginning of the week to have on-hand for lunches, salads, or to add to recipes that need pre-cooked chicken.  It really pairs well with everything!

Ingredients:

• 4 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

• 1 lemon, zested and juiced

• 12 cloves of garlic (or frozen Dorot cubes!)

• large handful of finely chopped basil (or 10 frozen Dorot basil cubes!)

• 1.5 tablespoons honey

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 tablespoon kosher salt

• 1 teaspoon pepper

• EXTRA kosher salt for right before grilling/cooking

Directions:

1. Carefully butterfly your chicken breasts by cutting them in half lengthwise so each piece is thinner and easier to grill evenly (optional). (Of course you could also use tenderloins (be sure to remove the tendon), or you can cube your breasts for some kabobs.

2. Place chicken in a large ziplock bag.

3. Whisk together all marinade ingredients and pour it over chicken.  Allow to marinate for 30 minutes to an hour.  Remove meat from refrigeration 30 minutes to an hour prior to cooking.

4. Heat grill, grill pan, or a heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat. 

5. Spray preheated surface with cooking spray, sprinkle chicken with one more good pinch of kosher salt, and grill/cook for about 3-5 minutes per side depending on thickness... until it's no longer pink inside.  (I remove it at about 160 degrees because during rest time, it cooks a bit more (165 is fully cooked)).

6. Remove from heat and tent with foil while it rests for 5 minutes.

*www.lillieeatsandtells.com

Cookie Dough Dip

Ingredients:

• 1 box any white cake mix
• 1 tub light Cool Whip
• 2 (5 oz.) containers vanilla Greek yogurt
• 2 cups chocolate chips (If you're using mini chocolate chips, one 10 oz. bag is plenty!)

Directions:

• Combine cake mix, cool whip, and yogurt and mix using a stand/handheld mixer until thoroughly combined.
• Gently fold in chocolate chips until thoroughly combined.
• Serve with fruit, graham crackers (Scooby snacks or graham sticks are super convenient), or Nilla wafers.  Refrigerate leftovers.
  *www.kalekouture.org

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

Ingredients:

• 1 (14.3 oz) package whole Oreos (about 36 Oreos)
• 1 cup (16 tablespoons) butter, divided
• 1 1/2 cups + 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter, divided
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions:

1. 1. Finely crush the Oreos with a food processor, blender, or in a Ziploc bag. Stir crumbs together with 8 tablespoons melted butter until well combined. Press into the bottom and sides of a pie pan. Freeze crust for 10 minutes until set.
2. 2. Add the remaining 8 tablespoons of softened butter, 1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter, and 1 cup powdered sugar to a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on low speed until smooth and creamy. Spoon the peanut butter mixture over the crust into a smooth layer. Place back in freezer.
3. 3. Place chocolate chips and remaining 2 tablespoons of peanut butter in a large glass or heat-proof bowl. In a saucepan, bring heavy whipping cream to a rolling simmer over medium-high heat. Pour the cream over the chocolate chips and peanut butter and let sit for 5 minutes, then whisk until completely smooth. 
4. 4. Pour the chocolate layer over the peanut butter layer. Refrigerate, covered, at least 1 hour until ready to serve.

*www.kevinandamanda.com

Ham + Cheese Breakfast Sliders (Egg Sandwiches)

Ingredients:

• 1 package 12-count Hawaiian slider buns 
• 6 slices ham
• 6 slices American cheese
• 12 eggs
• 1/4 - 1 cup melted butter (I probably used  a little more than 1/8 cup.)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Keeping the 12 sliders in tact, horizontally slice the sheet of sliders in half through the middle to create two, large sandwich slices. (You want the individual buns to stay together.)
• Place the bottom half of the sandwich sheet in a baking dish. Set aside.
• Prepare a frying pan over medium heat with a your choice of a thin layer of butter, cooking spray, or cooking oil.
• While pan heats, crack eggs into a medium size bowl and whisk until fully blended. Pour into the preheated frying pan and stir constantly, until eggs are thoroughly cooked/scrambled.
• Remove frying pan from heat and set aside.
• To assemble sandwiches, place six slices of ham evenly on the base of the sandwich slice (in baking dish).
• Follow with the scrambled eggs and then cheese.
• Secure sandwich by placing top of slider buns on top of cheese and pour/brush melted butter over the top.
• Cover the baking dish with foil and bake sandwiches for 30 minutes.
• Remove from oven and cut into individual sliders.  Best enjoyed warm.

*www.thesoccermomblog.com

Pineapple-Cilantro Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients:

• 2 pork tenderloins (1200 g or about 2.5 lbs.)
• ¼ cup fresh or canned pineapple chunks (70 g)
• ¼ a white onion or ⅓ cup diced (50 g) (I used chopped, frozen.)
• ½ cup cilantro
• ½ -1 whole jalapeño, depending on how spicy you like it (I seeded mine.)
• 6 cloves minced garlic (or frozen Dorot cubes)
• 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp. kosher salt
• ½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions:

• 1. Start by trimming any fat or silver skin off of your pork tenderloins. Add them to a large Ziploc bag.
• 2. Blend or food-process the remaining ingredients to form the marinade. If it’s too thick to come together, add a little more vinegar. (If the marinade seems spicy from the jalapeños, don't freak out.  Once it's grilled/oven-baked, it is definitely not spicy.)  Pour marinade over the pork tenderloins, making sure to move the pork around in the bag so it’s evenly dispersed. Leave on the counter to marinate for at least an hour before cooking or store in the fridge if you’ve got more time. It’s great overnight for more flavor!
• 3. Pull it out of the fridge 30-60 minutes before you cook to bring it to room temperature. Sprinkle the tenderloins all over with a good fresh pinch of kosher salt and:
• Option 1: Place in a preheated air fryer at 400 degrees. Cook for about 20 minutes, turning half-way through. Check the temperature at 17 minutes or so and remove from fryer when you’ve reached an internal temp of 140-145 degrees!
• Option 2: On the stove-top, preheat a skillet to high heat, and sear pork on all sides for about 2-3 minutes.  Bake on a baking sheet in a 400 oven for 10-15 minutes, and remove from oven when you've reached an internal temp of 140-145 degrees!
• Option 3: Grill by searing over high heat for a couple of minutes per side to get some good color, then turn down to medium heat and cook for 10-15 minutes until you reach an internal temp of 140-145 degrees!
• 4. Let it rest for 10 minutes before you slice so you don’t lose all the juices!  Thinly slice against the grain.

*www.lillieeatsandtells.com