Steakhouse Slow Cooker Roast

This was super yummy, easy and would make a great freezer crock pot meal.  To make a freezer crock pot meal, place all ingredients (uncooked) into a freezer bag.  To cook, thaw overnight and place in crock pot the next morning.  You may need to add to cooking time if it is still partially frozen.

Picture coming some time in the future....

Steakhouse Slow Cooker Roast
Ingredients
3 lb. boneless beef chuck roast, cut into 2 inch chunks

2 sweet onions, sliced or chopped
1 c beef broth
1 6 oz can tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, mashed
2 Tbps balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 Tbsp Montreal Steak seasoning

Directions:
Place roast in slow cooker that has been lightly coated with cooking spray.  Top with onions.  Combine remaining ingredients in a small bowl and pour over roast.  Cover and cook on low 6-7 hours.  If sauce is too thin at the end of the cooking time, it can be thickened with a little cornstarch.  Serve over buttered egg noodles.

Sweet Garlic and Herb Pork Tenderloin

Pork tenderloin is one of my favorite cuts of meat.  When cooked properly, it's tender and juicy and melts in your mouth which is not a characteristic you normally find in such a lean cut of meat.  It's also one of those things that I don't think to make. 

That's why I was excited to find this recipe from Lick the Bowl Good.  This Sweet Garlic Herb Pork Tenderloin recipe takes your basic tenderloin and kicks it up a notch to a company worthy dish. Monica has awesome step by step instructions on her blog and an amazing selection of dessert recipes so go check her out.

Normally, I like to mix things up a bit, but the only thing I did differently was to marinate the pork in the fridge for a bit to enhance the flavor.   I used herbs de Provence because I had some on hand that I have been anxious to try out.  You could also use rosemary or thyme.    

This recipe serves 6-8 depending on your family.  We have 2 adults and 2 small children so we had enough for dinner and shredded the rest to make pork bbq sandwiches later. 

The entire family enjoyed this recipe and went back for seconds so I'll be adding this to the regular rotation. 

Sweet Garlic & Herb Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients:
2 pork tenderloins, about 2 lbs. total
3-4 garlic cloves, sliced into thin pieces
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
4 Tbsp. honey
2 T. fresh orange juice (or grapefruit juice)
1 1/2 tsp dried herbs de Provence (thyme or rosemary)
1/2 tsp black pepper
3 T. olive oil

Directions:

1. In a gallon zipper bag combine, soy sauce, mustard, honey OJ, herbs, pepper and olive oil.  Seal bag and shake to combine.
2. Remove tenderloins from package, rinse and pat dry.  Cut 1 inch slits into front and back of tenderloins.  Place garlic pieces in the slits.  Add tenderloins to bag.  Remove air from bag and seal.  Marinate 2-4 hours.
3. Empty tenderloins AND marinade into greased 9x13 pan.   Bake for 40-45 minutes at 350° or until a meat thermometer inserted in thickest part reads 160-165°.  Baste at least once while cooking.  If juices start to dry up, add some hot chicken broth, a little at a time.  Remove from oven, cover with foil and allow to tenderloins to rest 10 minutes before slicing.
4. When serving, slice into 3/4 - 1 inch slices and spoon juice over the top.  

This would be delicious on a bed of rice!
WW- 8 servings @ 5 Points + each (I entered all ingredients into WW recipe builder.)

Printable Recipe

Creamy Slow Cooker Tortellini Soup

Every once in a while a recipe comes along that is so good that you sit around counting the days until you get to make it again.  This creamy slow cooker tortellini soup is one of those recipes.  I made it while the hubs was out of town and I'm not going to lie... I ate the entire crockpot full myself.  It took a few days, but I savored every bowlful!  It was like lasagna in soup form.

Honestly, I was really surprised by how much I loved the mushrooms in this because I'm not a huge mushroom fan.  I like them, but I don't love them if that makes sense.  In this soup they were amazing and added some rusticness... I totally made that up, but they were good.  Really good.

I altered the original recipe that I'd found on Heather Likes Food  slightly to make it a little easier to prepare.   I like a lot of spinach so I use the entire bag.  If you're not a fan, add half or skip it all together.   There are a lot of ways you can change this up based on what's in your pantry and what mood you're in.

Give this a try and let me know what you think!

Creamy Slow Cooker Tortellini Soup
Recipe
24 oz. jar spaghetti with meat sauce or regular sauce mixed with 1/2 lb browned Italian sausage or beef
2-3 oz. pepperoni, diced
8 oz. sliced mushrooms (fresh)
4 c. beef broth
8 oz. reduced fat cream cheese
1 (4.5 oz.) bag spinach leaves, chopped
16 oz. frozen cheese tortellini

Directions:

1. In a slow cooker combine sauce, pepperoni, mushrooms, beef broth and cream cheese.  Cook 2 hours on high or until mushrooms are done.  Stir well to mix up cream cheese. 
2. Add spinach leaves and tortellini.  Cook 30 more minutes on high.  
3. Serve with a generous amount of Parmesan cheese. 

Adapted from: Heather Likes Food

Skinny Monterrey Chicken

Monterrey Chicken is one of my favorite ways to eat chicken.  Seriously, bacon, cheese onions, what's not to love?

This version is what I came up with to get my fix while sticking with the Weight Watchers plan. You still get all of the flavors of the regular dish without the guilt.  Sauteed mushrooms and fresh tomatoes are super yummy in this dish, but the hubs isn't a fan.   Some day I will convert him...

I also LOVE this grilled, but this oven version is just as quick.  Cooking this at 450 degrees keeps the chicken really moist while crisping the outside slightly.

We served this up with a green salad with strawberries, blue berries, red onion, pecans, low fat feta cheese and a strawberry vinaigrette.  The combination was very filling!

Skinny Monterrey Chicken - 6 Points +
Ingredients
4-5 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless (1 1/2 lbs.)
seasoning: salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, & onion powder
1/3 c. barbecue sauce (I used Kraft.)
2 slices precooked bacon, reheated and crumbled
1/3 - 1/2 c. fat free cheddar cheese, shredded
2 green onions, diced
(optional add-ons- tomatoes, mushrooms)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 450°.  Line a baking sheet with foil and spray lightly with olive oil/ cooking spray.
2. If desired, lightly pound chicken so that it is more uniform in thickness.  Spray with olive oil cooking spray.  Sprinkle seasoning over each side of chicken.  (I use a lot of paprika.) 
3. Place on baking sheet and bake 10 minutes.
4. Remove from oven and turn chicken over.
5. Bake 5 more minutes.  
6. Spoon equal amounts of barbecue sauce over each piece chicken.  Sprinkle with bacon and onions, topping all of it with cheese.
7. Return to oven and bake 5 more minutes.  Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

Quick and Easy Brunch Recipes to Make This Weekend!

 

I seriously love a good breakfast casserole, but I don't love spending Saturday morning in the kitchen frying meat and chopping veggies.  I want something that can be assembled by the time the coffee is made because not much else happens around here until momma gets her coffee. 

These recipes are my favorite tried and true recipes that can be made with precooked meats, mixes and canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls. 

This Sweet Cinnamon Roll Breakfast Casserole has over 22,000 pins and is one of my go to breakfast recipes.  I lightened it up a bit with egg substitute.

Because it was so popular, I came up with a Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Casserole which uses pumpkin butter and pumpkin spice coffee creamer.  I actually prefer it to the original.

Another sweet breakfast favorite is Monkey Bread.  This version is simple and quick, using canned biscuits.

This Bacon, Egg and Cheese Casserole goes together in a flash and tastes a lot like your favorite breakfast sandwich!

If you like a good, hearty breakfast, you'll love the Farmer's Breakfast Casserole with hash browns, sausage, bacon, cheese and eggs.  Everything is premade so you just have to assemble it. 

If you're trying to cut back on calories, these Sausage and Egg Muffins are perfect.  They're full of flavor and can be made ahead.

Now that I've shared some of my favorites, I'd love to hear about yours!  Leave a comment below to share a recipe or link!

Farmer's Breakfast Casserole

I'm a sucker for a breakfast casserole whether it's breakfast, lunch or dinner.   My most popular post, Sweet Cinnamon Roll Breakfast Casserole is testament to that.

Since bub #2 was born, one of my favorite things to do is to make a breakfast casserole for dinner or for a weekend brunch so I can have the leftovers the rest of the week.  It makes for a quick and delicious breakfast.  

The original recipe that I found at Food.com had nearly 3 pounds of meat and cheese in it which seemed a bit over the top for me.  I cut it way back and used precooked meats because I don't always have a lot of time to prep meals.  Egg substitute cut out a few more calories.  I think it works better in casseroles anyway because it's easier to mix up and bakes well. 

The end result was delicious and filling with a calorie count that I could live with. 

If you like this recipe, give my Bacon, Egg and Cheese Casserole a try! 

Ingredients
3 c. shredded hash browns (like Simply Potatoes)
9.6 oz. pkg. Jimmy Dean fully cooked Turkey Sausage Crumbles (or 12 oz. cooked and crumbled sausage)
1 pkg. precooked bacon slices (12-15 slices), diced
2 c. (8 oz.) cheddar/jack cheese blend
2 1/4 c. egg beaters or 12 eggs
2 c. milk
1 1/2 tsp. season salt or Lawry's
3/4 tsp. pepper

Directions

1. Spray 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray.  Layer the following in the pan: hash browns, sausage, bacon and cheese.
2. Mix a medium bowl, whisk together egg substitute, milk, season salt and pepper.  Pour mixture into baking dish, tilting dish gently from side to side to evenly distribute eggs.
3. Refrigerate overnight.
4. Bake 50-55 minutes at 375 degrees.

Cranberry Chicken

 Cranberry Chicken is one of those recipes that has been around forever.  If you think back hard enough, you've probably had it or something very similar served to you in the past. 

It seems like a strange mixture of ingredients, cranberry sauce, Catalina dressing and Lipton Onion Soup.  I mean, really?  I can't help thinking someone discovered it by accident when they poured the wrong bottle into their bowl and decided not to let it go to waste.  However it came about, it's a zesty combination of sweet and sour that when paired with rice, makes my family super happy.

Cranberry Chicken is also great for throwing together and freezing ahead of time.  You can even make the rice ahead of time and freeze it.

Learning that rice could be frozen changed my world.  Seriously.  I can throw this in the oven, reheat some rice in the microwave and toss a bag of salad with dressing and extra veggies and I'm done.

Dinner just took 5 minutes to assemble.

I now have time to make playdo critters with my kiddo, check my email and empty the dishwasher.

Life is good.

Ingredients
4-6 chicken breasts
1 small bottle Catalina dressing
1 can whole cranberry sauce
1 envelope onion soup mix (I used Lipton Onion Soup Mix)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to and line a 9x13 pan with nonstick foil or spray it with cooking spray.
2. Pound chicken breasts until even in size.  (This step is optional, but they will cook more evenly and soak up more sauce.)  Place chicken in dish.
3. Whisk together dressing, cranberry sauce and onion soup mix.  Pour over chicken.
4. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until juices run clear.  Serve over rice.

Freezer Directions:

1. Pound chicken breasts until even in size.  (This step is optional, but they will cook more evenly and soak up more sauce.) 
2. Place chicken in freezer bags.  (This makes 2 meals for us so I divide it between to smaller freezer bags.)
3. Whisk together dressing, cranberry sauce and onion soup mix.  Pour over chicken.
4. Remove as much air as possible from the bag and freeze flat.
5. To serve, thaw completely and pour into greased or foil lined glass dish.   Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until juices run clear.  Serve over rice.

Family Friendly Freezer Cooking!

When I had my sweet boy 4 and half months ago, I stocked my freezer full of casseroles, crockpot ready meals and baked goods.  With a 3 year old at home, I knew there would be zero time to cook after the baby arrived.  However, until I tried freezer cooking, I had no idea how much I would love it!  

In fact I plan to do some freezer cooking sessions to stock up on food for the new year.  With all of the time I'll be saving, I can work on my New Year's resolutions.  Yeah, I laughed too.

In the past I've always been intimidated by freezing foods.  I've thrown a lot of stuff out with freezer burn because either I had no idea how long it could be stored or I didn't package it properly.

This time I did some research and was much more successful.  You can find great tips for freezing foods here and here.   

One thing I would recommend is to try a recipe before making 3 of them for your freezer, especially if you are looking forward to eating the meals after having a baby.  ;) 

There are 3 ways to stash food away in your freezer and I do combination of them.

The first is to double or triple whatever you are making for dinner.  This works especially well with meats, soups and chili.   I love being able to thaw out some homemade soup on a cold night without having to chop up a bunch of veggies. 

Pasta Fagioli can be frozen easily  It's best to add pasta just before serving.

Another way is to have a big freezer cooking day.  This would be good to do with a group of friends to help chop up all of those veggies.  This isn't that practical for me with 2 little ones at home, but someday I would love to try this.

The third way is to prep crockpot meals.  This is super easy and takes very little time.  I'm not a big fan of veggies in the crockpot unless I'm making soup so there really isn't a whole lot of prep work involved. 

I'm going to post some of my favorite tried and true freezer recipes below.  These are all recipes my family really enjoyed and were easy to freeze.

Cranberry Chicken - I fill two baggies with this and freeze.  To cook, thaw overnight, pour into pan and bake as directed.

General Tso's Chicken - Prep ingredients and store in baggies.  Thaw over night and dump into crockpot, cooking as directed.  I double this too because I really love it. 

Chicken Broccoli Rice - Freeze in baggies.  Thaw overnight, pour into pan and bake as directed.  I jazz this up a big with garlic, celery, onion, etc... and then crush Ritz crackers on top prior to baking.

Chicken Tacos - Cook as directed.  Shred, cool and place in baggies.  Thaw and reheat.  This is wonderful for tacos, but also makes delicious nachos, enchiladas, chimichangas, or rice bowls.

Baked Cream Cheese Spaghetti - Prepare casseroles, but do not bake.  Cover in foil and freeze.  Thaw completely before baking.  I used Italian sausage and extra sauce. 

Vegetable Beef Soup- Cook as directed and then freeze in baggies.  Thaw and reheat.

Baked Ravioli- Assemble casserole(s), cover tightly with foil and freeze.  Thaw completely before baking.  This may actually cook faster since the original recipe uses ravioli that is still frozen.

Pizza Bites- Bake as directed.  Flash freeze these by putting them on baking sheet and freezing.  Then place them in a plastic bag. You can reheat them in a 400 degree oven. 

These are just a few of my favorites to get you started.  I'll be adding more and you can follow my Freezer Meal Pinterest board for more ideas.

I'd love to hear about your favorite freezer meals!

Slow Cooker General Tso's Chicken

Y'all didn't know General Tso had a crockpot, did ya?  I guess they leave that out of the history books...

I love Asian inspired dishes so much that I've tried several versions of Asian chicken, but this recipe for General Tso's Crockpot Chicken is by far the best.  I'm not usually one for leftovers, but I can't wait to eat this again.  This morning I stood by the fridge debating whether or not it was socially acceptable to chow down on chicken and rice for breakfast. 

I hate mushy crockpot chicken, but cooking this on high for 2 hours kept the chicken from turning to mush and getting that weird crockpot chicken flavor.   If you need to cook it longer, use chicken thighs because the darker meat holds up better to extended cooking.

Can I just say that learning how to use my crockpot and freezer the right way has made life with small children a little easier?!  I plan to assemble and freeze a couple of bags of this recipe to have it ready to go whenever I need a quick meal.  The rice can also be made ahead of time and frozen. 

Ingredients
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts or 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
1/2 cup water
3 Tbsp. hoisin sauce
4 Tbsp. reduced sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 Tbsp. ketchup
1-2 tsp. fresh ginger
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. crushed red pepper
salt to taste
2 Tbsp. cornstarch mixed with water

Directions

1. Spray inside of crockpot with cooking spray.  Place chicken inside.  You can also use frozen chicken, adjusting the time if needed.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together all remaining ingredients EXCEPT cornstarch and salt.  Pour over chicken.
3. Cook on high 2 hours or low 4-5 hours.  You may need a little longer if using chicken thighs. 
4. Remove chicken and shred or chop.  Return to cooker.
5. Stir cornstarch into 2 tablespoons of water to make a slurry.  Add to chicken mixture and allow mixture to cook about 30 more minutes on high.  Add more cornstarch if needed.
6. Add salt to taste.
7. Serve over rice and sprinkle with sesame seeds or green onions.

Easy Cheesy Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

It's mid October here in Southern Arkansas which means the temps are dipping to the lower 80's and mid 70's.  Don't be too jealous.  We have to make our own fall by cranking up the A/C, throwing pumpkins everywhere and making a big pot of soup! 

Light, yet warm and satisfying, Easy Cheesy Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup was inspired by AllRecipes and Cheesy Enchilada Soup.  It's a bit of a hybrid.  It's still healthy, but has some creamy, cheesy goodness and crockpot convenience.

A few quick tips: If you want it a little thicker and creamer, use less broth.  I added 4 cups to stretch the servings and keep it lighter.  Using frozen chicken breasts gives your chicken longer cooking time in the crock pot so it doesn't get mushy.  If you use thawed chicken, you may want to cut the time back.  In my experience 4-5 hours on low is plenty of time for thawed chicken breasts.

Serve this with sweet cornbread, tortilla chips and 5 minute guacamole.

Ingredients
4 frozen chicken breasts
1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 (10 oz.) can enchilada sauce
1 (15 oz.) can navy beans, drained (or whatever kind of beans you prefer)
1 (4 oz.) can chopped green chilies
1 onion, diced
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt 
1/4 tsp pepper
1 bay leaf
4 c. chicken broth
1 (15 oz.) can sweet corn, drained
1 lb. Velveeta Queso Blanco (white Velveeta), cut into cubes
1 handful cilantro, chopped

Directions

1. Place frozen chicken breasts in a large slow cooker.  Add tomatoes, enchilada sauce, beans, chilies onions and spices.  Pour broth over all.  Cover and cook 6-8 hours on low.  
2. Remove chicken, shred and return it to the slow cooker. 
3. Add corn and Velveeta.  Cook about 10 more minutes, stirring occasionally until cheese melts.
4. Stir in cilantro right before serving or use as garnish. 

Crock Pot Chicken Tacos

Normally, I'm not a fan of chicken in the crock pot.  It usually gets mushy and unappetizing, but I've been seeing chicken tacos posted daily on Pinterest and I caved.  This recipe is a combination of several different ones.  We loved the result!  Adding the cilantro and lime juice at the end really brightened up the flavors and cancelled out that "been in the crock pot all day" flavor that chicken can take on.

I've found that cooking the chicken longer than 6 hours runs the risk of the it getting soft, so I switch it to the "Keep Warm" setting after that.  Have I mentioned that I really hate mushy chicken? I'm sure it varies by crock pot, but this works for me.

I used a thawed 3 pound bag of chicken and it made enough to freeze half for another night.  The leftovers would make fabulous quesadillas, burritos or taco salads as well.

Serve with 5 Minute Guacamole and White Queso.

Recipe (serves 12)
2-3 lb Chicken breasts
1/2 lg Onion, chopped
1 1/2 - 2 Cans of Rotel
1 pkg Taco seasoning
1 Lime, juiced
1 Handful cilantro, chopped

1. Combine chicken, onion, taco seasoning and Rotel in slow cooker.  Cook 6 hours on low. 
2. Remove from pot and shred.  Return to slow cooker and stir in lime juice and cilantro. 

Serve on warm tortillas with all of your favorite fixin's!

3 WW Points + (without tortilla)
6 WW Points + (with small whole wheat tortilla)
Points calculated with WW Recipe Builder.

Summer Barbecue Chicken Salad

This is a salad I threw together after having something similar in several restaurants.  I love the freshness of the veggies, creaminess of the avocado and black beans and smokiness of the grilled chicken and barbecue sauce. The crunchy tortilla strips are just the icing on the cake.

When I need to make this a quick weeknight meal, I use chicken breasts that I've previously grilled and frozen.  You could also use a rotisserie chicken.  It's even better with chicken right off the grill using my favorite chicken marinade and grilled corn cut off of the cob.  Who doesn't love the mix of the cool veggies and warm chicken? 

Serve with cornbread or cheese quesadillas.

Recipe - 2 main dish servings
1 Bag leafy green salad mix
1/2 Can Mexicorn or grilled corn
1/2 Can black beans, washed and drained
1 Avocado, diced
1/2 Tomato, seeded and diced
3 Green onions, diced
1/2 c Cheddar or cheddar/jack cheese
2 Grilled/baked chicken breasts, sliced
Santa Fe style tortilla strips (in the salad dressing aisle)
Ranch salad dressing (reduced fat)
Barbecue sauce

Combine and serve immediately.  If you're not serving right away, add dressing and tortilla chips right before serving.

Zuppa Toscana

I haven't been blogging much lately because the bun in my oven has an aversion to any form of cooking.  Attempting to find new recipes to try has been leaving me green around the gills. Fortunately, now that the first trimester is several weeks behind me and I am starting to see the the end of the morning sickness train.

This Olive Garden inspired recipe is an oldie but a goodie.  Although I'm not a huge Olive Garden fan, I do love their Zuppa Toscana and bread sticks.  This simple sausage and potato concoction has the power to warm my soul and make me a happier camper.  The addition of spinach makes me feel like I'm eating something healthy even if it's more of an indulgence.

This is my version and I realize that it is not exactly like the one you get at the Olive Garden.  Like most recipes on my blog, it has been altered to suit my families tastes.  Served up with a crusty loaf of bread and a side salad, zuppa toscana gets great reviews around our home.  The empty bowls and pot speak for themselves.

*At the bottom of the recipe I have included low-fat substitutions which I have used at times with much success.  My only suggestion is that if you use low fat or fat free half and half instead of the whipping cream, take great care to make sure the mixture is does not boil.  The lack of fat makes it more likely to curdle in your soup.  It will taste fine, but won't be as pretty. 
 
Recipe
6 slices of bacon
16 oz Italian Sausage
8 thinly sliced red potatoes
1 1/2 c onion, chopped
3 cloves minced garlic
3-4 c spinach, chopped
8 c chicken broth
2/3 c heavy whipping cream
pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

1. Fry bacon, drain on paper towels and crumble. Set aside.
2. Clean out bacon skillet, crumble and cook sausage.  Drain on paper towels.
3. In a large pot, saute onions in 1-2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-low heat until soft.  Add garlic and cook one minute more. 
4. Add chicken broth and potatoes or until potatoes are tender.  Simmer 10-15 minutes.  
5. Stir in sausage, bacon, spinach, cayenne pepper and whipping cream.  Heat through, but do not boil.

*Lighter variation- Use turkey bacon, Italian turkey sausage links, and fat free half instead of whipping cream.  Be careful not to boil with half and half because it will curdle. 

15 Minute Philly Cheese Steak Sandwiches

One of the things I love best about Pinterest is that is has led me to find great new blogs!  Recently, I discovered High Heels and Grills which has some really amazing recipes and fun, quirky writing.  I highly recommend it if you like "real people food."

We tried their Philly Cheese Steak recipe and let me just say, it makes the most amazing cheese steaks!  It's not that much different than the way I usually make them, but the addition of the garlic and little bit of butter make a huge difference.  Fresh garlic is a magical thing. 

I did leave out the mushrooms because the hubs is not a big fan, but check out the original recipe if you want to add them back in. 

Does anyone else have a hate/hate relationship with the broiler?  It's my biggest cooking challenge, but I'm determined not to let it beat me!  Sooo...my advice is to watch your bread carefully while it's in the oven because it quickly goes from almost ready to ready for the garbage can. 

The hubs enjoyed these Philly cheese steaks so much, he asked for them again a few days later.  Pin this gem and keep it in the arsenal for quick weeknight dinners.  You won't be disappointed.

Recipe
Adapted from High Heels and Grills
1 Tbsp. butter
1/2 white onion, cut into thin slices
1 clove garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1 lb thinly sliced roast beef
salt and pepper, to taste
4 ciabata rolls, cut in half horizontally
4 slices provolone cheese

1. Preheat broiler to 450 degrees and place rack in the middle of the oven.  Lightly butter cut side of rolls and place them open, cut side up on a baking sheet. 
2. Melt butter over medium heat and add onions, garlic and green bell pepper.  Lightly salt and pepper them.  Saute 4-5 minutes or until softened.  Stir occasionally.  Turn down heat if they start to brown.
3. While onions and peppers are cooking, place rolls in oven and lightly brown (2-3 minutes).  You don't want to brown them too much because you are going to put the back in the oven again.  Watch carefully because they can go from pretty to pretty ugly in seconds.  Remove from oven and set aside.
4. Once onions and peppers are to your desired tenderness, add roast beef and stir until beef is heated though.  This only takes a minute or two.  
5. Divide meat and pepper mixture between rolls.  Top with cheese.  Leaving the sandwiches open, place them back under then broiler for 2-3 minutes or until cheese is melted.  Watch carefully.

Mexican Chicken and Rice

Here's another great recipe inspired by Plain Chicken.  I love how she churns out amazing, simple recipes for real people with real families.  My husband and I loved the perfectly seasoned rice and yummy chicken.  The cheese sauce and toppings really brought it all together.   It's really a beautiful, company worthy dish!

But the best part... my toddler ate it.  Did you get that?  MY TODDLER ATE IT!  We've struggled a lot with mealtime lately, but the kid loves Mexican rice.  I chopped up the chicken, tomato and avocado, mixed it all together and he was a happy camper.

This was my first time trying Lawry's Baja Chipotle marinade and was amazing.  I used a fork to poke lots of holes in my chicken so the marinade could seep into the chicken which worked like a charm. 

Try this soon and you won't be disappointed.  You friends and family will think you got take out from their favorite Mexican restaurant.  ;)

Recipe
Adapted from: Plain Chicken
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 bottle Lawry's Baja Chipotle marinade
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup uncooked long grain rice (not instant)
1 Tbsp dried minced onion flakes
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp taco seasoning
2-3 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 cup Mexican Queso
Optional garnishes: chopped tomato, cilantro, avocado, green onion

1. Pierce chicken all over with a fork and place in large zip top bag.  Pour Baja Chipotle Marinade over chicken and let marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or overnight.
2. Preheat grill and remove chicken from refrigerator so it can warm up .
3. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and add rice. Cook, stirring constantly, until puffed and golden. While rice is cooking, sprinkle with garlic salt and taco seasoning.
4. Stir in onion flakes, tomato sauce and 2 cups chicken broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes, adding more broth if needed.  Remove from heat and let set for 5 minutes.  Fluff with a fork.
5. Grill chicken while rice is cooking.
6. Heat cheese dip according to package directions and set aside.
7. To serve, place a spoonful of rice on each plate.  Lay a chicken breast on top and pour 1-2 tablespoons queso over chicken.  Sprinkle with garnishes.

Cider Braised Pork Chops with Apples

It finally feels like fall and nothing says fall to me like apples... unless it's apples and cinnamon.  When you combine that perfect pairing with pork and onions, you get a bite of heaven.

I love the merging of the sweetness from the apples and brown sugar and the savoriness of the pork and onions.  You could even mix in dried cranberries and pecans to make it extra special for company.

The preparation is pretty simple.  I got all of my ingredients ready beforehand so cooking this was a breeze.  If I prep as I go, I usually end up slightly frazzled with a big mess.

Flouring and browning your chops is important because the flour thickens the sauce and browning gives them more color.  Soggy, gray pork chops aren't all that appealing.  Also, make sure you add enough salt to balance the sweet and give you those layers of flavor.   

We had these with mashed potatoes and roasted carrots, but sweet potatoes and green beans would be wonderful too.

Recipe
Source:  Southernfood.about.com
4 to 6 boneless pork chops, about 3/4 inch thick with fat removed
1/4 tsp salt + more to taste
1/8 tsp pepper
1/4 c flour
2 Tbsp light salted butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, halved and sliced
2 c coarsely chopped apple (I used fuji apples)
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 c apple cider or apple juice
3 Tbsp brown sugar or 1 1/2 Tbsp Splenda brown sugar blend
1/4 tsp cinnamon
dash of ground allspice

1. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat and cook onions 5 minutes or until fairly translucent.  (I lightly salt the onions.)  Place onions on another plate.  Add oil to pan.
2. Mix flour, salt and pepper in a large zip top bag.  Add pork chops and toss to coat. Brown chops in oil for about 2 minutes per side.  Add a little more oil if needed.
3. In the meantime, combine apples, lemon juice, cider, brown sugar and spices.  
4. Pour apple mixture and onions over chops.  Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer over medium-low for about 25 minutes or until chops are done.

Autumn Harvest Salad

Let me just say that this salad received the hub's seal of approval and that is the highest compliment a salad can receive.  He ate 3 helpings and I nearly passed out.  Then he asked if we could have it again soon and I could have sworn I heard angels singing.  I felt like a super hero.

The best part was that it was soooo easy.  I used leftover chicken, bagged salad, precooked bacon and presliced apples.  It's perfect for a busy weeknight.

This salad doesn't really have measurements.  I just added a handful of this and a handful of that.  It's so simple and you can easily swap out ingredients for whatever sounds better to you.  The key to this recipe is the combination of sweet, salty and a touch of smokiness from the bacon.

In the spirit of keeping things healthier around here, I went light on the cheese, craisins and bacon when I made this for us.  It doesn't take a lot to get the flavor.  Also using a combination of vinaigrette and creamy poppy seed dressing allows you to cut the fat and calories that you would get by using just the poppy seed dressing.

Recipe
Adapted from: Espresso and Cream
2 bags prepared salad mix- (I like to roughly chop them so the pieces aren't as big.)
baked, rotisserie or grilled chicken breast, sliced diagonally across the grain
1-2 apples, thinly sliced
red onion
Craisins
feta cheese, low-fat
real bacon bits
almonds or pecans, toasted
balsamic vinaigrette
creamy poppy seed dressing

Combine all ingredients and toss to lightly coat with dressing.

Bubble Up Enchiladas - 11 Points +

This Weight Watchers' Bubble Up Enchilada recipe has been all over Pinterest so it's definitely not an original, but here is our family's review:

To be honest it doesn't taste much like enchiladas, but it's still good comfort food, a real stick to your ribs kind of dinner.  You don't often find that from Weight Watchers.

For the heat seekers out there, you can up the heat level by choosing hotter enchilada sauce or tossing in some diced jalapenos.  To boost the flavor, I added garlic and onion to the ground beef mixture.  Shredded veggies like carrots or squash could be added in also to sneak in extra nutrition.

We've made this kid friendly casserole several times already and would make again it regardless of whether it was a Weight Watchers recipe.  It's that good.

Recipe
Adapted from Chef in Training
1 1b lean ground turkey
1/2 onion chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (10 oz) can red enchilada sauce
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 can reduced fat refrigerated biscuits or whole wheat (I used about 8 biscuits)
1 c reduced fat Mexican cheese
Healthy garnishes- green onions, cilantro, olives, jalapenos, fat free sour cream

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly spray a 9 x 13" pan with cooking spray.
2. In a large skillet brown ground beef, onions and garlic; drain and return to skillet.  Separate biscuits and cut each one into 4-6 pieces.  Add enchilada sauce, tomato sauce and biscuits to pan and toss together.  (I didn't end up using the entire container of biscuits because I wanted my enchiladas to be more moist.)    
3. Pour mixture into pan and bake for 25 minutes.  Remove from oven, top with cheese and bake 10 minutes longer.  
4. Garnish with one of the suggestions above if desired. 

Serves 6 Weight Watchers Points Plus: 11

Guiltless Bourbon Street Chicken {4 Points +}

One of my guilty pleasures in life is the sweet and salty fare at the mall food court.  Somehow I'm able to rationalize eating the shiny, greasy but oh so good Bourbon Street Chicken by getting a serving of greasy veggies on the side.  The trick is to pretend like you don't notice how shiny it all is.  ;)

Anyhoo, this recipe has been all over Pinterest so I had to give it a try.  I love that it has no added fat!  The sauce is perfectly sweetened and ample enough to flavor your rice as well. 

This could be easily adapted for the crock pot as well so you can enjoy this delightful dish without heating up your kitchen. 

Recipe
Adapted from: BigOven
2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp ginger root, minced or 1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 c unsweetened apple juice
2 Tbsp Splenda brown sugar blend or 1/4 c brown sugar
2 Tbps ketchup
1 Tbsp cider vinegar
1/3 c soy sauce
1/3 c water
sesame seeds or green onions (optional)
2 Tbsp cornstarch + 2 Tbsp water
3 c prepared brown rice

1.  Heat a large skillet.  Spray with olive oil cooking spray.  Brown chicken.
2.  Stir in garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, apple juice, splenda, ketchup, vinegar, soy sauce and water.  Bring to a boil, cover, lower heat and simmer about 20 minutes.
3.  Add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to 1 tablespoon of water.  Stir into chicken mixture.  Let simmer, stir occasionally for a couple of minutes.  If it's not thick enough, repeat with the remaining cornstarch and water.
4.  Serve over rice.    Top with sesame seeds or green onions if desired.

Serves: 6

Nutritional info: Calories: 345  Total fat: 2.2g  Sat. Fat: 0  Total Carbs: 42.2g  Fiber: 1.1g  Protein: 34.6  Weight Watchers Points + 8 (4 Points+ without rice)

Crock Pot Chicken & Dumplings {8 Points +}

Chicken and dumplings is my ultimate comfort food.  A belly full of it's warm and creamy goodness melts the stress away.   I never would have dreamed it would work with WW!

One serving of this healthy chicken and dumplings recipe is a true bowlful so you'll feel full and happy after you eat!  That's a huge deal when you're watching your calories.  Add a big green salad to round out this meal. 


Recipe
20 oz chicken breast (about 3 large breasts)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (10.75 oz) can 98% fat free cream of chicken soup
1 (10.75 oz) can 98% fat free cream of celery soup
2 c chicken broth- 99% fat free, reduced sodium
5 canned buttermilk biscuits
Optional Seasonings: pepper, garlic powder, poultry seasoning, parsley

1. Remove visible fat from chicken breasts and place in crock pot.  Sprinkle with pepper, garlic powder and poultry seasoning.  Add onions, soups and broth.  Cover and cook on high 3-4 hours or low 6-8.
2.  At this point the chicken is super tender so you can just use your fork to break the breasts up into smaller pieces or you can remove them and shred them.  I like to leave them in decent sized chunks because they will break up more whenever your stir them.
3. Flatten biscuits with your fingers and cut them into small strips.  I used the smaller "junior" sized biscuits and cut them into 8 pieces.  Drop biscuit pieces into broth and continue to cook on high for 20-30 more minutes or until cooked through.  Sprinkle individual servings with parsley if desired.

Serves: 6 (Large servings!)

Nutritional Mumbo Jumbo:  Calories: 323  Fat: 9.7  Sat. Fat: 3.1  Carbs: 29.8  Fiber: .9  Protein: 27.1  Weight Watchers: 8 Points +  (6 Points+ if you make it 8 servings)


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