Anyone else a huge fan of buffalo chicken ANYTHING?! I stumbled across a few recipes for crockpot buffalo chicken but they all called for stock but I wanted to keep it more simple than that!
Feel free to double the recipe (I would keep the chicken to just a single layer on the bottom of your crockpot though).
What you need:
1 lb chicken breast
Water
Garlic (I used the freeze dried diced garlic)
Onion Powder
Frank's Hot Sauce (original not buffalo)
If you prefer, you can omit the onion powder & garlic, instead throw in a 1/2 onion (just cut in 1/2) & a couple of celery stalks for flavor, both are great options.
Instructions:
1. Place chicken in the crock pot. Cover the chicken with water.
2. Sprinkle in some onion powder and garlic to taste. (I did not measure, just winged it)
3. Cook on high for 3 hours.
4. Remove chicken, shred it.
5. Discard most of the water from the crockpot (and any funk in it). Keep about 1/4 cup water in the crockpot.
6. Add chicken back into the crockpot with the water and 1/3 to 1/2 cup hot sauce (depends on how much you want). Cook for an additional 30 minutes.
7. Serve over Romaine Lettuce. Add cheese and ranch.
Southwest Burgers
Southwest Burgers. Don't worry, they are not spicy, they are just a perfectly seasoning burger, although adding some fresh jalapeños sounds amazing!
This is a staple in our house, we probably eat them 3 weeks out of the month! I love them topped with homemade guac or even plain!
When I made these, I double up! I love to individually wrap these bad boys and keep them in the freezer for my weekday lunches or quick dinners! Have you guys learned by now, I have to simplify meals?!
What you need:
2 lb 93/7 or 94/6 Lean Ground Beef
2 tbsp Southwest Seasoning
2 tbsp water
2 tbsp mustard
1. Put all ingredients into a bowl except for the ground beef, stir them together.
2. Add ground beef, mix well by hand.
3. Make your patties (I make 7 4oz patties for Aaron and I, then 2 2oz, for the kids). I am a fan of measuring and using my burger press. You do not need these items though.
4. Place burgers on grill or heated grill pan. Press thumb into middle of burger, this helps them cook evenly & not plump up, do not smash the burger with your spatula or you squeeze out the juices.
5. I cook about 10 minutes, flipping 1/2 way through. You can cook until your desired doneness.
6. Throw on your favorite toppings and enjoy OR wrap them and freeze!
And if you have not learned by now, this seasoning is a must have in your kitchen at all time! You will see it on my blog often!
Southwest Seasoning:
2 TBSP chili powder
4 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp coriander
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried oregno
1 tsp paprika
2 tsp sea salt
Mix seasonings together and put in a container, there should be some left after you season the chicken! I use this seasoning for taco meat, chicken, anything really!
Chop it likes it's HOT!
Ok, so I might be crazy, but really, I used my new Pampered Chef Salad Choppers today to chop my salad and it TASTED way more amazing than it usually does. Like ridiculously amazing. Of course that means I would have to share my recipe, but fair warning, it just may not taste as amazing without these salad choppers. Ha! Just kidding, it will be still be good, it is one of my favorites. Even before salad choppers came into my life!
First step is to make turkey taco meat. I make this in batches and store it in the freezer for quick weeknight meals or lunches. Really, in my eyes, if I can double something when I cook it and freeze it, you can bet your ass I am going to do it. That saves me time later on and I like to save time! I work smart, not hard...sometimes.
What you need (makes about 8 servings):
2 lb 93/7 Ground Turkey
2 tbsp of Southwest Seasoning (see below)
1/4-1/3 cup of diced tomatoes w/ peppers (rotel)
3/4 cup water
Instructions:
1. Cook the meat until no longer pink (be sure to chop it up or crumble).
2. Drain, although w/ the lean I buy there is never much to drain
3. Add in water, rotel & seasoning, mix well.
4. Let it simmer until water is gone. Usually about 10 minutes.
Southwest Seasoning
2 tbsp chili powder
4 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp coriander
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp paprika
2 tsp sea salt
Mix all the seasonings together and put in a sealed container, it should make enough to have some left for other recipes! It is really great on anything, I use it in my burgers too!
Oh wait...we are talking salad recipe here, right? Guess you need that too...I almost forgot!
Here is how I assemble my salad!
2 cups butter lettuce (the bag kind because I am lazy like that)
3/4 cup turkey taco meat
1/3 cup avocado & cheese (half & half)
1/4 cup salsa
Put ingredients together and ENJOY!
Chicken & Broccoli Mac
Well, it may be a new year, but that doesn't mean my kids have made a resolution to eat better! I try, but seriously, my son is so picky. I mean, we didn't have the best eating habits the first few years of his life, so I can't blame him. He saw broccoli on his plate tonight and cried before he even let me explain to him that all I wanted was for him to try ONE bite. ONE. Stinking. Bite. There was more of a meltdown and then we got through it.
And lately, my toddler has decided that she is no longer a meat eater. Not to mention, anything she chews that she doesn't want anymore, she spits it out...onto your hand, onto the floor, on the table, wherever, really.
So I knew when making (in my opinion) the best healthy versions of Mac N Cheese I have had that they would beg to differ. Being the amazing mom (haha) that I am, I opted to not mix the broccoli in until after I made their plates.
Both loved what they ate, even if there were tons of veggies left on the plate (and chicken for the toddler)! The husband is a fan of this meal, so no complaints from him. I opted for salad for dinner tonight, feeling a little carb loaded at the moment.
It is a recipe from the Fixate cookbook however, I have had to modify the original due to my son's tree nut allergy. Plus, I use a rotisserie chicken to simplify my life. So here is my version!
UPDATED: Finally! It only took almost a year from this original post to get my son to eat this WITH the broccoli in it. I set a small serving on a plate in front of him and told him he had to eat every bite and if he did, he could have a quesadilla or pbj. It worked! I did it two times now and he ate it all both times. Remember, it takes 10 exposures to a food before someone can acquire a taste for it or even want to try it...so keep placing the food in front of those picky eaters as often as you can.
Macaroni & Cheese w/ Broccoli & Chicken
{{Recipe: Adapted from Fixate Cookbook}}
Serves 8 (1 1/2C each)
What you need:
4oz. dry whole wheat macaroni
4tsp. organic grass fed butter (or you can use coconut oil instead)
2TBSP. unbleached whole wheat flour
1 1/2C skim milk (or almond milk, which is used in original recipe)
1 1/4C freshly extra sharp cheddar
3C chopped rotisserie chicken breast, skin removed (or bake your own chicken breast)
6C chopped broccoli florets
1tsp. sea salt
1/2tsp. ground black pepper
Your roux should look like this...cheesy goodness!
1. Cook macaroni per the box (do not add extra salt or oil). Set aside.
2. Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat.
3. Add flour; cook, whisking constantly, for 1 minute, or until brown (don’t let it burn).
4. Slowly whisk in skim milk; cook, whisking constantly, for 1-2 min, or until mixture thickens & there are no lumps.
. Reduce heat to low. Add cheese; cook, whisking constantly, for 2-3 min, or until melted.
6. Add chicken, noodles, broccoli, salt & pepper; cook, stirring constantly, for 1 min, or until heated through.
7. Serve & enjoy!!
The final product.
Wishing you all a happy and healthy New Year!