Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

 

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup (3 oz.) low-fat or regular cream cheese (I used low-fat.)
• 1/4 cup green salsa (Herdez mild salsa verde is perfect.)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (I just used one whole lime to avoid measuring!)
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 3 Tablespoon chopped cilantro (I didn't bother.)
• 2 Tablespoon sliced green onions (I didn't bother.)
• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken (Use this for easy prep!)
• 1 cup grated pepperjack, Mexican, or plain jack cheese 
• small flour, "fajita" size tortillas (For little kiddos, try putting the filling into the "street taco" size!)
• kosher salt
• cooking spray or olive oil

Directions:

1. 1. Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it’s soft and easy to stir.
2. 2. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, and garlic powder.
3. 3. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions (if using).
4. 4. Add chicken and cheese and combine well.
5. (I did all of these steps early in the day AND also rolled them and kept in fridge until close to dinnertime.  I took them out of the fridge about 30 minutes prior to baking.  If you'd like to make them in advance, skip to step 6 (below), but do not brush/spray with oil until ready to bake.)

1. 5. Heat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.
2. 6. Warm your tortillas for 10 seconds so they're easier to roll after adding the chicken mixture.
3. 7. Place 2-3 tablespoons of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1 inch from the edges. (If you're using "street taco" size, I'd use 1-2 tablespoons of mixture.). Roll up tortillas and place seam down on a baking sheet, not touching one another. 
4. 8. Spray lightly with cooking spray, or lightly brush with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with kosher salt. Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving. Dip in sour cream (or my favorite salsa)!

1. To freeze: Prepare the taquitos through rolling them out and placing them on the baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the freezer and freeze until solid, then transfer to a large freezer bag. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 425 and place the taquitos on a lined baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.

*www.ourbestbites.com

THE BEST Sprinkle Sugar Cookies

 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup salted butter AT ROOM TEMP
• 1½ cups granulated sugar
• 1 large egg AT ROOM TEMP
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• ½ tsp. almond extract
• ½ tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. salt
• 2¾ cups all-purpose flour (380g; don't pack tightly in measuring cup.)
• ½ cup rainbow jimmie sprinkles (My fave are these from target.)
• ¼ cup granulated sugar (for rolling cookies in)
• BUY THIS (number 12) cookie scoop (measures 4 tablespoons).  It makes the best-sized cookies.

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
• Place the butter and sugar in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or in a large bowl using a mixer/beaters. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
• Add egg, vanilla, and almond extract and mix on low until smooth, about 30 seconds. 
• Slowly mix in dry ingredients, being careful not to over mix. I usually stop when I still have some flour remnants around the bowl. Fold in sprinkles.
• Scoop the dough (using the cookie scoop I linked). Roll in sugar and add more sprinkles to the top if you like. (I didn't add more sprinkles.)
• Place 6 cookie dough balls on your lined baking sheet. Bake the cookies for 10-13 minutes. You're looking for a light golden brown around the edges, and some crackling along the top. Be careful not to overbake, or you will lose the chewy factor we are going for.
  *www.thesaltedsweets.com

Thick and Chewy M&M Blondies

 

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup butter, softened to room temp
• 1 cup brown sugar
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1⅓ cups milk chocolate M&Ms, divided

Feel free to add additional candy/cookies to the recipe. Some suggestions include:

• chocolate chips
• chopped Oreos 
• chopped Snickers bars
• chopped Twix bars
• sprinkles
• chopped Butterfingers

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 inch pan with non stick cooking spray.
• In a medium sized bowl, combine the softened butter and both sugars and mix until combined.
• Add in eggs and vanilla into the butter/sugar mixture.
• In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
• Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture and stir until all combined.
• Fold in 1 cup of M&Ms + any cookie/candy add-ons (if desired)....no specific measurements, but save a little bit for step 8. 
• Place batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top so the batter touches the edges.
• Press in extra 1/3 cup M&Ms + any cookie/candy add-ons (if desired) onto the top of the batter.
• Bake for about 23-25 minutes or until golden brown. You can also insert a toothpick to see if it comes out clean to test for doneness.
• Cool completely and cut into squares.
  *www.sixsistersstuff.com

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