Chicken vs. Veggie Rice Bowls

Hey friends! Happy Friday night! I am enjoying a nice night catching up on shows, drinking wine, and eating popcorn! I have finally stopped crying after watching Grey’s Anatomy, so I wanted to share with you a couple of quick throw together recipes. BUT honestly, Grey’s, Parenthood, and now This is Us are the shows I keep watching even though I always cry. Each time either my heart breaks a little, and my soul grows a bit OR my soul is crushed and my heart grows a little. Mostly both.

Anyways. My hubby loves when I make this. I usually make enough for the both of us so we can each have a lunch. Lately I have had to workout less, so I am watching what I eat just a little bit more. I used to be a vegetarian and vegan for 13 years, so I know how to eat super clean and play the food game. I am not giving up anything, just eating as healthy as possible when available and less portions of amazing food. For this, I just added less rice and more veggies to my mix.  Mine was made with the leftover rice from Taco Tuesday.  I knew I was still going to be hungry, so I ate a yummy grilled cheese dunked in tomato soup from my school cafeteria. Shout out to you, Mrs. Lisa 😉 img_1077-1img_1076-1

 

 

Thankful…

Brined turkey with lots of butter! Becca has stepped up big time in the kitchen this year. She loves it, and I am glad that she is showing an interest in cooking. I also taught her my fool proof mashed potatoes- Boil in slated water with a stick of butter. When done, add potatoes to a crock pot and 2 more sticks of butter with 1/3 cup or so of heavy cream and a bit more salt and pepper. Mash well and keep warm in the slow cooker until ready to eat.

We also made this delicious turkey pot pie the next day. Here I made an individual version, but this time I made it in a regular pie dish and covered it with puff pastry. Delicious! I have a few more leftovers in the fridge, but tonight I am making cheeseburgers. We are tired of turkey and need some beef! =)

BBQ Pineapple Pork Sliders

Hey guys! Made these bad boys via The Chew. Hawaiian Rolls and shredded pork  are always a hit in my house!  
Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon butter (to grease)
  • 12 sweet slider buns (cut in half)
  • 1 rotisserie chicken, shredded- I used my crock pot shredded pork butt instead. 
  • 1 cup store-bought barbecue sauce
  • 2 cans crushed pineapple (drained, 8 ounces each)- I used 1can. I made half with pineapple and half without.
  • 2 cups Monterey Jack cheese (shredded)- I used mild cheddar
  • 3 tablespoons butter (melted)
  • 2 tablespoons sesame seeds- I left this out, because heaven forbid someone should eat a seed
Directions
  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with butter.
  • Place the bottom of the slider buns in the bottom of the baking dish.
  • In a large bowl add the rotisserie chicken and barbecue sauce and mix to combine. Place on top of the slider buns. Top with crushed pineapple and monterey Jack cheese. Place top buns on top of all of the sliders. Brush the tops with melted butter and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 10-15 minutes until cheese is melted and sliders are warmed through. 

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Chicken and Veggie Tomato Sauce with Yellow Rice

Evening! I made this meal last night for dinner and everyone cleaned their plates! I had just enough to take for lunch today. It was even better leftover.

Chicken and Veggie Tomato Sauce with Yellow Rice

Ingredients

4 chicken thighs
1 large can of diced tomatoes
1 onion, chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 container of sliced mushrooms
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons Worcestershire
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup of red wine
1 container of yellow rice

Directions
Brown your chicken on both sides. I start with skin side down to get some browning going and get that flavor added to the pan. Cook on the first side about 10 minutes, then flip and cook for 5 minutes. Then take the chicken out of the pan.

Saute your veggies in 1 tablespoon of melted butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil for about 8 minutes. I like to add the combo, because butter has a tendency to burn at a high temp, so the olive oil helps temper that a bit. Plus, I like the combo of both flavors together.

Add 2 tablespoons of tomato paste. Stir around for a few minutes and add in the Worcestershire sauce and red wine.

Add a large can of diced tomatoes and a tablespoon of sugar. This helps cut the acidity in the tomatoes. Add more salt and pepper to taste.

Add the chicken back in. Cook for another 30-45 minutes until chicken is cooked through. Cook your rice during this time.  I added my rice on the bottom of a bowl, then layered my veggie sauce and chicken on top. That crispy chicken skin is everything!

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