Chicken Fajita Pasta

No lies... I made this so long ago I'm not even sure if it was pre-Emmie or post-Emmie, but it's been a long time. I do remember that whenever I made it I sat there eating it and thinking, "Why don't I cook more often? Gosh, I miss the days when I cooked regularly!" It was just so delicious. John and I both love fajitas and love pasta so I knew it had to be a winner. And, if I'm being honest, anything with campanelle pasta peeks my interest because it's easily my favorite shape. Is that weird? I mean I know it all tastes the same, but some are just more enjoyable than others. But with that said, this is flavorful, slightly creamy, and delicious. Make it soon!

Source: Slightly adapted from Kevin and Amanda

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 envelope (3 tablespoons) taco or fajita seasoning
1 cup diced onion (about 1/2 onion)
2 cups diced bell peppers (2-3 bell peppers)
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
½ cup heavy cream
1 (10-oz) can Ro-Tel Diced Tomatoes and Green Chiles
8 oz (about 3 cups) pasta
½ teaspoon salt

Instructions
1- Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Season with half of taco seasoning. In a 12-inch skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over high heat. 

2- When the oil is very hot, carefully add the chicken in a single layer and cook without stirring until one side is seared and browned, about 1-2 minutes. Flip the chicken to the other side and cook until browned. Remove the chicken to a plate and set aside.

3- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet with the heat still on high. When the oil is very hot again, add the onions, bell peppers, and remaining taco seasoning. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the veggies are slightly blackened. 

4- Turn heat to low, add minced garlic, and stir until fragrant and well combined, about 30 seconds. Remove the veggies to the plate with the chicken.

5- In the same skillet, add the broth, cream, diced tomatoes, uncooked pasta, and salt. Stir to combine and bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for 15 minutes until pasta is tender and liquid is mostly absorbed. 

6-Add the chicken and veggies back into the skillet and stir to combine until heated through, about 2 minutes. 

Crispy Southwestern Chicken in a Salsa Verde Cream Sauce

If you follow me on Facebook you're aware of why I've disappeared for the past two months! If you don't, I'm so excited to announce that I am pregnant with our second child, due in July. I am just about 14 weeks pregnant now and finally feel great again. Not only did I not blog for two months but I didn't eat or cook! We survived on cereal and pasta with butter. I'm so happy to be back in the kitchen!

So many of the meals I'm sharing are pre-pregnancy. I have a huge backlog of recipes to share that got stalled from my inability to look at pictures of food. This meal was a meal that almost didn't happen. I made this when I was about 5 weeks pregnant and I planned to make it with grilled chicken. When I opened the package of chicken, which was still good, it smelt horrible. I decided to toss it and switch directions of the meal. I used my favorite chicken tenders, Coleman's All Natural chicken tender, and proceeded. This was DELICIOUS. Best of all I usually have all these ingredients on hand so it's an easy meal to make. John and I were both huge fans. The sauce makes it look a bit sloppy but the flavor or the sauce pulls the whole meal together!

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

Ingredients:
8 breaded chicken tenders, homemade or frozen
1 tsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 cup salsa verde
1/3 cup light cream
Juice of half a lime
1 cup of corn
1/2 cup chopped bell peppers
Rice

Directions:
1- Cook the chicken tenders according to packaging directions.
2- Meanwhile, heat the oil and garlic in a sauce pan. Add the salsa verde and heat for 5 minutes. Stir in the cream and lime juice and heat over a low heat for 10 minutes.
3- In a small skillet combine the corn and bell peppers and heat over a low heat, stirring regularly, until hot.
4- Dice chicken. On a plate place rice at the bottom. Top with chicken, veggie mix, and sauce (to taste).

Ranch Chicken Enchiladas

It wasn't too long ago when I had realized I had never had a "real enchilada"- meaning one from a Mexican restaurant. Sure, I've been making them at home for a few years, but I had never gotten them out. We went out a couple weeks ago and I ordered enchiladas and I can honestly say... I prefer my own. There. I said it. I just love the fun varieties and versions that you can make at home! There are many foods that I find are just as good if not better out, but not enchiladas.

This version in particular was deliciously easy. Mix some of this with some of that and TA-DA... you have a delicious and easy meal. I can't wait to have these again.

Source: Heavily adapted from The Recipe Critic

Yields 6 enchiladas

Ingredients:
Tortillas (I like the half corn/half flour ones)
2 cups cooked, diced, chicken (rotisserie works great)
3/4 cup salsa
1/2 cup ranch salad dressing
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese
Green onions

Directions:
1- Preheat the oven to 350.
2- In a bowl mix the salsa and ranch. Spread a little bit onto the bottom of a baking dish.
3- Take a tortilla. Spoon about 1 heaping tbsp of the sauce mixture onto the tortilla and spread. Top with chicken and cheese. Roll up and place seam down in the baking dish.
4- Repeat until all enchiladas are full.
5- Pour remaining sauce over top and top with additional shredded cheese.
6- Bake, covered, for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 5-10 minutes, until all cheese is melted and edges golden.
7- Top with green onions and lightly drizzle with additional ranch dressing.

Summer Chicken and Vegetable Enchiladas

So, notice the strange picture collage thing up top? Yup... well, you see, I forgot to take pictures of this meal with my real camera, then accidentally deleted the pictures I took with my phone, and was left with only what I put on Instagram. What can I say... it's not a typical picture for the food blog, but it gets the point across! And this meal was too good to not share!

What you can't see from my nifty collage is how good these really were. In the summer I find we eat a ton of zucchini with tomatoes and really never get sick of the combo. When I made these I also made them for a friend and she and her husband enjoyed them too. John, while eating, said, "I LOVE when you make things like this!" If you're wondering what "things like this" he means enchiladas. I guess he forgot the word haha! I have to say though, having these put me in the mood for enchiladas and I think I'll be making them again soon!

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked chicken, cubed

1 zucchini, sliced thin in half moons

1 cup cherry tomatoes

1 tsp olive oil

1 tsp southwestern seasoning

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 can enchilada sauce

6-8 tortillas (I used corn/flour blend)

Directions:

1- Preheat the oven to 400.

2- Place the zucchini, tomatoes, olive oil, and southwestern seasoning in an oven safe dish. Stir well. Bake 30 minutes, or until soft and tomatoes burst easily with a fork.

3- Mix veggies in with the cubed chicken. Stir in 1/2 cup enchilada sauce and the shredded cheese.

4- Spread 1/4 cup enchilada sauce on the bottom of a baking dish. 

5- Evenly spread the filling in the tortillas, wrapping. 

6- Place seam side down in the baking dish. Top with remaining sauce and additional cheese, if desired. Bake 30 minutes at 350.

Pineapple Salsa Rice

Sorry I disappeared last week! I was somewhat busy, but mostly lazy ::wink wink:: I did have one exciting event to share with you from last week though. I attended a pizza making class at a beautiful cooking studio and I will be sharing it with you later this week!

Onto the rice. I'll admit I'm not above convenience. I greatly prefer food cooked completely from scratch and I can taste the difference, but I grew up eating a lot of Rice-A-Roni type things and sometimes I just want them! For a long time whenever I made Mexican food I made Knorr's Mexican Rice. However, when I saw this recipe for pineapple salsa rice I knew it was time to say goodbye to my beloved mix and make a similar version from scratch. Honestly, this tasted like a healthier, less salty, and more flavorful version of the rice mix I so enjoy. John was raving about it and had the leftovers the next day for lunch, reporting that they were just as good the next day. Can't beat that!

Source: Slightly adapted from Good Thymes and Good Food

Ingredients:
1 tbsp. vegetable or canola oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
½ medium sweet bell pepper, any color, diced
1 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 ½ cups chicken stock
1 cup prepared salsa
1 cup long grain white rice
1 cup fresh pineapple, diced
½ cup cilantro, minced

Directions:
1- In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, add oil. Once oil is hot, add onion, bell pepper, and salt and cook until softened, 5-7 minutes. 

2- Stir in garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. Stir in the chicken stock and salsa, cover and bring to a boil. Add in uncooked rice and stir. 

3-Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until rice is tender, 20-25 minutes. (Check liquid level toward the end of cooking and add more chicken stock as needed.)
4- Stir in pineapple and cilantro, season to taste with additional salt.

Sweet and Spicy Chicken Fajitas

When I make fajitas I pretty much always do it the same way: throw my peppers, onions, and chicken in a pan, add some seasonings, and cook under a high heat until the veggies are tender and the meat is cooked. I don't use sauces, I prefer the natural flavors to shine through. However, when a friend of mine on a cooking forum I frequent mentioned a sweet and spicy version I decided to give it a try. I ended up heavily heavily modifying it, to the point where it's more of an original recipe, but I am so glad she posted about these because they were GOOD! Landon was even a huge fan of the chicken, eating the leftover pieces for dinner for the next couple of days. I will be making these often because the flavor was subtle enough to not mask the original flavors of the meat and veggies, but deep enough to make it interesting. John was a huge fan too- he ate more of these than of my go-to recipe.

Ingredients:
1 pound chicken breasts, sliced thin
3 bell peppers, sliced thin, any colors
1/2 onion, red or sweet
3 tbsp honey
3 tbsp worcestershire sauce
2 tsp sriracha sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp Southwestern seasonings
Flour tortillas for serving

Directions:
1- Preheat the oven to 400.
2- In a large baking dish combine the peppers and onions. Bake for 15 minutes, until starting to go soft, and remove from the oven.
3- Add the chicken to the pan.
4- In a small bowl combine the remaining ingredients, stirring well. Pour over the chicken and peppers, mix well.
5- Bake for 20 minutes, until chicken is cooked through.
6- Serve hot with flour tortillas.

Ranch Chicken Tacos

Thank you to those of you who entered my giveaway- I have reached out to the winners! But let's get down to business, shall we? These tacos were to.die.for.

I find ranch to be a flavor that is getting put in more and more places- Wheat Thins and various other crackers and chips have come out with ranch flavored snacks while meats and pastas are being tossed and cooked with ranch more and more often. I like ranch but I don't always love when it's the main flavor, so when I saw this taco recipe (a long..long... long time ago... my "to try" backlog is huge) I knew I had to try it.

John and I were huge fans. In fact I think this is one of my favorite taco recipes. It's not traditional, you're certainly not going to get this in an authentic Mexican restaurant, but oh man is it delicious. John mixed the rice I made with it all up in the tortilla and made a makeshift burrito while I ate it the traditional way. Oh man... huge fans. Now I want to make this again immediately. YUM. For just the two of us I made 1/4 of the recipe and just used one huge chicken breast, but I wish I had made 1/2 the recipe so I had leftovers for lunch!

Source: Cassie Craves

Ingredients:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 packet taco seasoning
1 packet ranch dressing mix
1/4 cup water
Flour tortillas
Optional toppings: Shredded cheese, tomato, avocado, lettuce, ranch dressing

Directions:
1. Preheat about a tablespoon of vegetable oil in a medium skillet. Add chicken and, when nearly cooked through, season with taco seasoning and ranch dressing mix. Add water to keep the seasonings from sticking to the bottom of the skillet and stir to evenly combine as the chicken finishes cooking.
2. Serve chicken on flour tortillas topped with desired toppings.

Chicken, Corn and Pepper Quesadillas

My son eats a quesadilla in some form almost daily. He is a cheese fiend and a fan of his carbs (hmm... I wonder if he and I are related...) so quesadillas are very popular. I sneak all types of things into him in quesadillas. All kinds of veggies get diced up small and thrown into the mix and usually he gobbles it up with glee. A few weeks ago I made these corn and pepper quesadillas for lunch but I didn't think Landon would like them due to the pepper jack cheese and the bell peppers which he usually rejects. I made him a simple cheese quesadilla and after eating all of his he moved onto mine. He went insane for this quesadilla- spicy cheese with peppers and all. I was shocked. I saved some of the leftovers for him and he ate them for lunch a few times quite happily. John and I were also big fans- the combo of flavors was really just delicious. The original recipe is for taquitos but I was in the mood for quesadillas so I just changed it up a bit. Essentially it's the same thing just a different shape! I think the best thing about these is how the cream cheese melts into the chicken/peppers/corn and creates a nice creamy mixture... So yummy!!

Source: Heavily adapted from Life and Kitchen

Ingredients:
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 small yellow onion, diced
1/2 cup bell pepper, diced small
1/3 cup frozen corn

1/2 cup shredded cooked chicken
3 oz cream cheese

1 tbsp butter
1/2 cup shredded pepper jack cheese

1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 tsp each chili powder and cumin
8 small tortillas (corn or flour)
Cooking spray
Salt

Directions:
1- Heat olive oil in a small pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and peppers and saute until soft. Add the corn, chicken, and spices and saute for about a minute. 

2- Add the cream cheese and stir until melted. Set aside.

3- Heat a skillet with the butter. Place 4 tortillas down. Divide chicken mixture and cheeses evenly over the tortillas. Place a second tortilla on top of each, flipping to brown both sides. 

4- Serve hot with salsa or sour cream if desired.

Crockpot Cilantro Chicken

Pinterest. How often do I rave about that site??? When someone says they don't get Pinterest or don't see the appeal I admit my first instinct is to scream, "WELL THEN I DON'T GET YOU!!!" and walk away from them. I kid... I kid... (sorta...) but I just don't get how people don't love that site! It has inspired me in the kitchen, in the classroom, at home with my son, and even helped me plan my son's first birthday party (which is coming up soon, totally crazy).

This meal comes from one of my all time favorite Pinterest finds. This blog post (linked below) is for 8 freezer crockpot meals that you can assemble within one hour. I haven't made all 8, but I started with this one for cilantro chicken and was very pleased. Mine turned out way too dry though so I am going to change the directions below to reflect my change for that, but otherwise it was really good. Sometimes simple meals really are the best!

Source: Slightly adapted from Six Sisters Stuff

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts
Juice from 2 limes
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
1 (16 oz) bag frozen corn
2 minced garlic cloves
1/2 red onion, chopped

1/2 cup chicken broth
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 tsp cumin
salt and pepper to taste

Directions: 

Option One: Regular preparation

1- Combine all ingredients in the crockpot. Cook on low for 8 hours.

Option Two- Freezer meal
1- Place all ingredients in a resealable gallon-sized freezer bag. Mix together and zip bag closed.
When ready to eat, remove from freezer and thaw in fridge for 24 hours. 

2- Cook on LOW for 8 hours (or HIGH for 4 hours). 

Serve with tortillas and toppings such as with sour cream, guacamole, salsa, and cheese.

Vegetarian Enchilada Pasta Bake

I am such a visual person. I am a visual learner- I need to see it in order to do it. Forget about putting anything together from reading an instructions manuel... it will never happen. But if I watch a youtube video? I stand a chance (a small...slim...barely there chance). When it comes to food I am also extremely visual. To the point where I see recipes and release audible reactions. John may or may not be embarrassed by my reactions to reading food blogs and prefer I don't do it when other people are over. I will neither confirm nor deny this fact. With that said, when I saw the picture of this recipe I immediately added it to my menu. I didn't even read the ingredients list! I just said "Ohhhh yesssss!" and added it to the list.

When it came time to food shop I saw the sauce was enchilada sauce. Now, I'm new to Mexican cuisine. It's rising in the ranks of my favorites, but I do not love enchilada sauce. I figured I could get over it, that I'd love it because it's soooooo pretty, and to just go with it. Well... guess what? I STILL don't love enchilada sauce! I ate this, I enjoyed it, but being that I am not sold on the key ingredient I can't say this is a favorite. Typically I will only share recipes I love, but I am making an exception for this. There is nothing wrong with the recipe, in fact I'm pretty sure you will love it, so therefore I will bend my own rules. The only reason I didn't love it was because I allowed myself to be swayed by a pretty picture and not by the ingredients. I still think this recipe is excellent for other people. Just not me. So if you're into enchilada sauce go with it- this will be a huge hit!

Source: Sunny Side Up in San Diego

Ingredients:
1/2 pound pasta
1 tsp oil
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 medium jalapeno, seeded and chopped
2 bell peppers, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1-2 tbsp taco seasoning (homemade version here)
1 15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups enchilada sauce
1 cup cheese (I used Mexican blend)
2 tbsp cilantro, plus 1 for garnish
10-20 tortilla chips, crushed

Directions:
1- Preheat over to 350. Prepare pasta according to packaging directions, set aside.
2- In a large skillet heat the oil. Add the onions, jalapeno, peppers, and garlic until tender, 6-7 minutes. Stir in seasonings, black beans, and one cup of the enchilada sauce. Cook 5 minutes.
3- Stir in the pasta, cilantro, and 1/2 cup cheese. Cook until cheese is melted. Transfer the pasta mixture to a 9x13 baking dish.
4- Top with the remaining sauce and cheese. Bake 15 minutes or until sauce and cheese are bubbly. Top with tortilla chips and remaining cilantro.

BBQ Chicken Enchiladas

I know I've mentioned multiple times that Mexican food is not a favorite of mine. We never had it growing up and therefore I guess I just never acquired a taste for it. With that said I've recently started going out for Mexican more frequently and I'm hooked. I crave chicken fajitas daily. I dream of chips and salsa... and Mexican rice, gosh do I love Mexican rice! So after mentioning that, I have to admit I've been adding far more Mexican fare to my menu. These enchiladas are in no way traditional, but they mix some of my favorite ingredients together and result in absolute deliciousness. John and I were both huge fans of this- I can't wait to make it again! Plus it's a great way to use up leftover roasted or grilled chicken which is always helpful. Try this, I promise you you'll be happy.

Source: Heavily adapted from I Was Born To Cook

Ingredients:
1 cup red enchilada sauce, divided
2 cups chopped or shredded cooked chicken
1/2 cup BBQ sauce
1 cup cheddar cheese, divided
6 flour tortillas
1/4 cup diced scallions

Directions:
1- Preheat the oven to 350.
2- Spread 1/4 cup enchilada sauce over the bottom of a baking dish.
3- In a mixing bowl combine the chicken, BBQ sauce, and 1/2 cup cheddar cheese. Stir well.
4- Spread the mixture evenly between the tortillas, rolling and placing seam side down into the baking dish.
5- Top with the remaining enchilada sauce and cheddar cheese.
6- Bake 20 minutes. Top with diced scallions.

Pesto Artichoke Quesadilla

I'm on a bit of a quesadilla kick around here. I just blogged one version a couple weeks ago, I ate a cheese quesadilla for lunch, and now I'm blogging yet another variety. I first saw this recipe on Pinterest and immediately knew I needed it in my life. I mean, pesto? Yum. Tortillas? Yum. Artichokes? Yum. I figured this would be a winning meal and it was. I didn't dip it in anything but next time I might serve it with a little bit of marinara for dipping. It didn't need it, it was full of flavor on its own, but I just think quesadillas need to be dipped in something!

Oh- side note- you might notice that I don't list quantities of ingredients with quesadillas. That's because really you can do this as you wish. I went light on the cheese, heavy on the artichokes on mine. I made John's with an even amount of ingredients. Really you just use as much of each ingredient as you wish!

Source: Adapted from Snixy Kitchen

Ingredients:
Cooking spray
Flour tortillas
Pesto
Cooked chicken
Diced artichoke hearts
Italian cheese blend

Directions:
1- To assemble the quesadillas, brush pesto over one side of the tortilla. Top with chicken/artichokes/cheese. Spread pesto over another tortilla and lay it on top, pesto side facing in.
2- Spray cooking spray over a skillet. Turn the heat up to medium and lay the quesadilla on top. Flip once browned.
3- Cut and serve hot. Serve with marinara if desired.

Southwestern Quesadillas

John walks in the door at 7:30 daily. Landon goes in the bathtub at 7:45. That means we have 15 precious minutes to shove food down our gullet eat. This also means I have to have dinner on the table at 7:30 in order for us to get the baby into bed by 8 and prevent a total meltdown. Yeah, I basically dread 7:30-8 nightly because it's so jam packed. But let me give you some insight into how 7:00-7:30 goes in my house. Because honestly, that's not much better.

7:00- "Oh look- it's 7- I should start dinner. The baby is calm, I'll put him on his play mat so I can start." Landon happily lays on his mat and I go into the kitchen to start cooking. "Hey... this is going smoothly!" (Btw those words are the kiss of death... even if you just think them in your head...)

7:05- All the ingredients are out and I am cooking. Landon notices that my hands are covered in raw chicken and begins to cry, frantically, because well, this would be the most inconvenient time to flip out. I wash myself up, calm him down, and go back to cooking. Look at me- SuperMom!


7:15- The tortillas are on the pan. The filling is starting to melt. And I hear grunts coming from the mat. Landon rolled over and is stuck by the table. I run over, spatula in hand, and scoop him up. I then run back to the stove to make sure the tortillas don't burn. Success! I go to put Landon down but now he's tired and wants to be held... Which is dangerous... so I turn on the Baby Crack (Baby Einstein) and pray flashing lights will buy me 10 minutes. But now 10 minutes have passed because I can never work the Xbox...

7:25- The quesadillas are kind of burnt, the baby is kind of happy, pictures are kind of being taken... and the door swings open. Ahhhh, back up is home! John walks in and the "busy time" can begin!

So these quesadillas, while exhausting to make due to running between the stove and baby, were excellent. The best part was the garlic gold nuggets. These spices aren't well known but they are amazing. I'm on my third bottle (Southwestern flavor this time-  my fave is the Italian one) and use the different varieties in everything. I don't push products but this is one I highly suggest!

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original, inspired by my friend Natalie

Ingredients:
Grilled Chicken
Diced red bell pepper
Diced pineapple
Flour tortillas
Cheddar cheese
Southwestern Garlic Gold nuggets (or regular Southwestern seasoning)
Cooking spray

Directions:
1- Sautee the chicken, red bell peppers, and pineapple with a little cooking spray until warmed through.
2- On a large pan sprayed with cooking spray lay down the flour tortillas. Top with cheddar cheese, chicken filling, and a liberal amount of southwestern seasoning. Top with an additional tortilla and cook until browned and crisp.

Chicken Club Quesadillas

It's Friday night and I'm sitting at my computer, staring at a blank "New Post" screen for my blog. I'm looking at the recipes I have left to blog and I just can't get my mind into a story to share about the food. Why? Well, because if I'm honest, I'm in a really good mood and I can't get my mind on anything else. You see, I love being a mom, it's the best, but I have also felt in some ways like I've been going through the motions (cooking, cleaning, feeding baby, cleaning baby, repeat cycle) without really being "me." I think it has 100% to do with lack of sleep. For the past 5 weeks I've been averaging 3-4 hours of (broken) sleep a night. However, the past 3 nights I've gotten more sleep, better sleep, longer sleep, deeper sleep... just SLEEP. And this sleep is making me feel like myself again. I've also been getting out of the house more and starting to really feel like I'm getting the hang of this mommy stuff. All of that put together has made me finally feel like myself again.

You may be reading this and thinking, "Ok, this is a cooking blog, right? Why is she babbling about her feelings?" Well... I'm babbling for a few reasons. 1- I'm tired and when I'm tired I babble. Ask John. Poor guy. 2- I am so excited to feel normal again that I feel like I need to share. 3- This is my blog and I'll write what I want ::sticks tongue out:: so deal. 3- A lot of the food I've made recently was just food, no love behind it. Food for sustenance, thus no big story behind the meal.

So with that said, I leave you with a meal I made recently. It was delicious, it was simple, and we enjoyed it. I think it's the perfect meal to make on a night when you're just not in the mood to cook... it takes no effort but you end up with a delicious dinner. Perfect.

...oh, and thanks for listening to my babble. For your reward I leave you with baby cuteness- and hey, it's food related:

Yields 1 quesadilla

Ingredients:

Cooking spray
2 flour tortillas
1/4 cup Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese, plus 2-3 tbsp sharp cheddar, divided
1/4 cup cooked chicken, diced
2 strips bacon, cooked and chopped
1/4 cup diced tomatoes
1 green onion, chopped


Directions:
1- Spray a nonstick skillet with cooking spray.
2- Place one flour tortilla in the pan, top with both cheeses, chicken, bacon, tomatoes, and onions. Sprinkle the additional 2-3 tbsp cheddar over the toppings. Place the second tortilla over top and allow to cook until the cheese is melting and the tortilla is golden. Flip.
3- Allow the other side to brown. Slice and serve.

Salsa Chicken Pasta

When I posted these salsa chicken enchiladas I mentioned that I had made two new recipes to use up salsa chicken. If you know me at all you know my love for pasta. Naturally when trying to come up with a creative use for the leftovers I would toss it was pasta. Why not, right? This came together and I wasn't sure if I'd like it. For some reason I completely convinced myself I wouldn't. I even told John I wanted to order pizza if it was gross. However, it was surprisingly good! Not in the least bit gross- in fact it was pretty tasty. John and I both enjoyed it and it was definitely a different take on salsa chicken!

Ingredients:

1.5 cups shredded salsa chicken
1/2 pound pasta
1 cup salsa
1 cup frozen broccoli floretes, defrosted and chopped
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided

Directions:
1- Preheat the oven to 350. Cook pasta according to directions. Drain, and place in a baking dish.
2- Combine the salsa chicken, salsa, broccoli, and 1/2 cup cheddar in the dish. Stir well.
3- Top with the additional 1/2 cup cheddar cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Salsa Chicken Enchiladas

A classic crockpot recipe is salsa chicken. I think most people who own a crockpot have tried some variety of this meal. I personally have made two, the one linked above as well as this version. Now, when I make salsa chicken I tend to use it either as chicken tacos or on top of rice. While both are great options I decided to branch out and try some new recipes. I'm going to share both with you this week, the first being these enchiladas.

After having the baby I pulled a tray of salsa chicken from the freezer and stared at it. I knew I wanted to use it differently, but how? I then remember what a hit the honey lime enchiladas were and decided to try a different version. These were awesome and came together really quickly. The flavors all melded nicely and we were both very happy. A great option for using up leftover salsa chicken!

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

Ingredients:
2-3 cups cooked salsa chicken
1/2 cup sour cream
1 can red enchilada sauce
8-10 flour tortillas
1-1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
1- Preheat the oven to 350. Pour a thin layer of enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.
2- In a bowl stir the salsa chicken and sour cream.
3- Take one flour tortilla, spoon chicken in a straight line into the center and sprinkle with about 1 tbsp of cheddar cheese. Wrap the tortilla tightly and place it seam down in the baking dish. Repeat until all enchiladas are rolled.
4- Pour the remaining enchilada sauce on top, sprinkle with the remaining cheddar cheese.
5- Bake 20-25 minutes.

Spinach and Chicken Tortilla Bake

I've mentioned before that I am recently obsessed with Pinterest. I don't use it for anything except recipes, but that keeps me busy enough. I stumbled upon this recipe a few weeks ago and knew I wanted to try it. For starters, it has salsa verde in it which has quickly climbed the ranks as one of our favorite ingredients. Then add to it that there's lots of cheese... tortillas... and yeah, some veggies... you can't go wrong. This was very easy to assemble and delicious- John and I both really loved it. Not to mention with Thanksgiving coming up you can easily use leftover turkey! Try it- most likely you have a lot of the ingredients on hand already.

Source: Slightly adapted from Stylish Cuisine, originally Rachel Ray

Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 pound chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups salsa verde
3/4 cup ricotta cheese
4 large (8") tortillas
3 cups baby spinach
1 1/2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese

Directions:
1- Preheat the oven to 450.
2- In a large skillet heat the oil. Add the chicken, seasoned with salt and pepper, until cooked. Remove from the heat and slice thin or shred the chicken.
3- In a small bowl combine the salsa verde and the ricotta cheese.
4- In a baking dish place the first tortilla. Top with 1/3 of the chicken, salsa/ricotta mix, spinach, and pepper jack cheese. Top with another tortilla and layer another 1/3 of each ingredients, repeating the process until you end with the final tortilla.
5- Bake 15-20 minutes, until the cheese is melty and the tortilla is crisp. Allow to cool 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Crockpot Salsa Chicken

This isn't the first time I've posted a crockpot recipe for salsa chicken. A long time ago, when I first started blogging, I blogged this version (be sure to check out my HORRIBLE picture of it too... ::gags::) However as my cooking has evolved and subsequently my tastes, that version just isn't my cup of tea anymore. I feel everyone needs a good go-to crockpot salsa chicken recipe though, so I decided to give it another go with a different recipe. This one was much, much, much better. It's healthier and more natural. Not to mention the flavors are more "real" and less processed. Best of all it makes a ton. We used it for chicken tacos and then I froze enough for two meals worth once the baby gets here.

Just a tip, here are some uses for the shredded salsa chicken: chicken tacos, served over rice and topped with taco fillings, used for quesadillas, mixed with pasta/veggies/black beans and baked with some additional salsa and cheddar cheese, used to make a Mexican pizza... the options are limitless which is really why everyone needs a good version at their fingertips!

Source: Lynn's Kitchen Adventures

Ingredients:
4 large chicken breasts
8 ounce can tomato sauce
1 cup salsa
1 packet of taco seasoning, or 2 tbsp homemade taco seasoning
1 tsp cumin

Directions:
1- Combine all of the ingredients and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Shred with two forks once done.

Spice-Rubbed Shrimp with Spaghetti Salsa Verde

Wow, that title is quite the mouthful, no?

When  I saw this recipe (which was originally made with chicken) pop up on two of my favorite blogs, Taste of Home Cooking and Cassie Craves, I knew I needed to make it. See- these two blogs post simple, reliable recipes that use everyday ingredients. They both update their blogs so often that I can't keep up, but believe me I greatly appreciate it. With that said, when they both made this and both loved it I knew I needed to try it.

I really liked how it was a pasta dish with a Mexican flare instead of the traditional Italian pasta dish. I had all of the ingredients on hand except the sour cream which made this super practical and easy. It came together with ease and tasted amazing. The shrimp were so delicious I would consider making them again with or without the pasta! They were just that good. Overall a winner in our house and I can see this making another appearance in the Stephanie Cooks kitchen.

Source: Slightly adapted from A Taste of Home Cooking

Ingredients:
1 pound spaghetti or angel hair pasta
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon coarse grind black pepper
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 finely chopped white onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup salsa verde
1 14.5-ounce can petite diced tomatoes
1/2 cup sour cream


Directions:
1- Cook pasta according to package directions and drain. Set aside.
2- Place chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, salt and pepper into a small bowl, stirring to combine. 
3- Pat the shrimp dry, then place in the spices and rub into both sides. 
4- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large, oven-safe pot over medium heat. Add shrimp and cook until pink on both sides, about 3-4 minutes each side. 
5- Remove from pan and cover with foil until ready to serve.
6- In the now-empty skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic, cooking and stirring until tender, about 5 minutes. Add salsa, tomatoes, and sour cream, stirring to combine. Just before serving add cooled pasta to the sauce and stir to combine. Top with the shrimp.

Creamy Chicken Taquitos

Recently I made enchiladas that blew John's mind. He was obsessed with them. Since that meal was such a hit I decided to try another Mexican inspired meal and see if it was as big of a hit. These taquitos were quite the rage in the blog world a few months ago so I decided to give them a shot.

Honestly, they couldn't have been any easier to make! Mix some stuff together, stuff it in a tortilla, and roll it. It was super easy and resulted in a delicious meal. Best of all they freeze well which means I will be making these again as part of my meal prep for before the baby comes. I am not a huge Mexican fan and even I really enjoyed these. If you are like my husband and love Mexican I'm sure these would be perfect for you.

Source: Pink Parsley

Ingredients:
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup salsa verde
Juice of 1/2 lime
1 tsp. chile powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
Pinch of cayenne powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 tbsp. chopped scallions
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
1 cup shredded cheese (Monterey Jack, cheddar, etc.)
8-12 (6 inch) tortillas, flour or corn
Salt and pepper
Cooking spray

Directions:
1- Preheat the oven to 425 and grease a cookie sheet.
2- In a large bowl combine all of the ingredients, from the cream cheese to the shredded cheese. Stir well until all ingredients are evenly coated. Season with salt and pepper.
3- Fill each tortilla with 2-3 tbsp of filling, rolling tightly. Place seam side down. Continue until all tortillas are filled. Spray with cooking spray and sprinkle with salt.
4- Bake 15- 20 minutes, until golden and crisp. Serve with salsa, sour cream, etc.