Cheeseburger Quesadilla

Hey guys! Happy Sunday! Why does the weekend always have to go by so fast? For lunch today, I made these for the girls. They both have been sick this weekend, so I let them watch TV and have an indoor picnic. I made double hamburgers so I could have leftovers this week, so I used 2 to get this cheesy party started! SO EASY!!!

I just chopped up 2 leftover burgers and added them to a nonstick pan and heated them up for about 5 minutes.

I added 2 small flour tortillas to a sprayed nonstick pan. I added one more slice of cheese on each tortilla. The girls love classic American cheese on their burgers, but add what you like. Then I topped it with my crumbled cheesy beef. You could do this with turkey burgers, veggie burgers, leftover meatloaf…

Once the cheese has melted and the tortillas are crispy, turn over with a spatula and cut in half! Serve with sour cream, guac, or my “special sauce” Ketchup and mayo with a bit of relish. A spoonful of meat was leftover and went straight in to Brutus’ food bowl 😉

Crispy Chicken Thighs with Squash and Peppers

Happy weekend! Man, this past week was rough! It was the first week of school here in Georgia, and it was super exhausting. But we made it (with a bunch of naps and early bedtimes)! I made this easy dish on Thursday night when the girls were at cheer practice. I had defrosted the chicken, but wasn’t sure how I was going to make it and didn’t want to go the the store. I saw a random squash and a couple of mild hatch chili peppers in the crisper, so I decided to incorporate them somehow. I also spied a large jar of tomatoes in the pantry, so I came up with this recipe. Clean plates all around, so I know it was a winner!

Ingredients

1 tablespoon canola oil
4 Skin on Bone in Chicken Thighs
1 squash, sliced
1 small mild hatch peppers
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 (14.5-ounce) can peeled whole (mashed) or diced tomatoes

Directions

Heat canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Season your chicken with the paprika and a bit of salt and pepper. Add chicken to pan; cook 6 minutes or so until crispy. Remove from pan.
Turn down heat to medium/medium low. Add your veggies to pan; sauté 6 minutes or until tender.
Add the tomato paste to the veggies and combine well.
Add the canned tomatoes and stir all the veggies together.
Return chicken to pan and continue to cook until chicken is cooked through, about 25 more minutes.

I served with couscous and side of corn. I normally would also add a fresh hot baguette as well, but I didn’t have one this time.

“Fried” Chicken (in butter and wine)

Evening friends! I hope you are all doing well. My mom was awesome and took the girls to cheer practice so I could stay a little longer at work. Most of you already know that I am a teacher, but may not know that the first week of pre-planning is brutal. I was in the “work zone” and getting stuff done, so I really needed to stay for a bit to feel accomplished for the day.

I was going to make them have a “whatever night” for dinner, which means they can eat what they want. They would have been fine with cereal and eggs or leftover pizza, but when my mom reminded me that they had run out of milk, I knew I had to go to the store. The girls said they wanted chicken, so after work, I ran by Publix in hopes of picking up an original rotisserie chicken. All they had were the flavored variety, so I knew I was not in the clear yet.***

They wanted “plain” chicken, so I sauntered over to the chicken area and found legs on sale. 6 legs for $4. Sold! I got home quickly and got to cooking! I also bought some pasta, jarred Alfredo sauce, and frozen broccoli. We are working busy moms who need lots of love and support! No judgement!

*** I am tired of Publix assuming that most people like their Mojo and Lemon and Pepper variety. Most people who come in at 5 pm to get a rotisserie chicken are working parents who are in a rush and need a fast delicious meal. Make more plain roasted chickens! Know your audience, Publix!!!

Ingredients

6 skin on and bone in chicken legs
1 container of your favorite jarred Alfredo sauce on sale on a Tuesday
1 package of frozen broccoli (or peas)
3/4 stick of butter and 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil (or 1 stick of butter)
1 cup of white wine (I used Pinot Grigio)

Directions

Brown your chicken legs on all sides in butter and oil in a medium sized Dutch oven on med. high heat.
Turn down the heat and add wine. Tent or lid with a small vent opening.
In another large pan, cook pasta. Drain. Add sauce and cooked broccoli. Combine. Serve. Kids will clean plates. Replace broccoli with peas or whatever vegetable they love.

Summer Poppy Seed Salad

Hey guys! I hope everyone had a great 4th of July! We decided to change it up and make something besides burgers and hot dogs this year. Instead I made two big pans of lasagna. I have made many different kinds of lasagna before on the blog, but these were pretty basic like this. I made one with ricotta and mozzarella and one with just mozzarella. They both turned out really great!

This afternoon, I was scouring out the scene in my fridge and pantry to see what I could make for dinner. Plenty of leftover lasagna, so that is the main course! But I did spy a bunch of veggies that looked like they were on their last leg, so I decided to make this beautiful summer salad. I found this poppy seed dressing a while back at Fresh Market, and it is my new favorite.

So I took half a head of ice burg lettuce, 1 small head of purple cabbage, one cucumber (peeled and chopped), 1 small tomato, 1 yellow squash (thinly cut on a mandolin), and a handful of sliced black olives

I mixed it with about half the bottle of dressing until all the veggies were coated. I also added a touch of salt and pepper. It tastes super yummy and fresh, and the squash also gives it a nice crunch! I am going to let it hang out in the fridge for a bit, and add some fresh avocado on top! These are my favorite kind of recipes; ones that you make up on the fly and use up leftovers before they go bad!

*****I spy some bananas that turn in to bread soon. I also found some blueberries, so I might come up with a new concoction! See ya real soon!

Crockpot Salsa Chicken Taquitos

Happy Saturday! The girls and I took a little trip to the Farmer’s Market this morning and got a few treats; blueberries, squash, tomatoes, honey, apple butter, purple potatoes, and some pork (kielbasa, pork butt, and bacon)! I got my delicious iced coffee and the girls got to pet a lot of really cute dogs. I’m glad the weather held out for us; more rain is in the forecast for today =( Right now the girls are taking all their books and making dominoes out of them all over the house.

Yesterday I had defrosted some chicken thighs for dinner and was trying to think of a way to make them without having to go to the store. I found a can of enchilada sauce, jar of salsa, beans, and canned green chilies. So I came up with this crockpot shredded chicken recipe. Super easy and very flavorful!

Crockpot Salsa Chicken

Ingredients

4 chicken thighs- I had bone-in, which adds a lot of flavor.
1 large can of enchilada sauce
1 jar of your favorite salsa
1 small can of chopped green chilies
A good pinch of salt and pepper
If you like it spicy, add in some hot sauce or chili powder and/or chili flakes

Directions- Literally dump and stir. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.

You can use it for pretty much anything- tacos, enchiladas, burritos, nachos, etc. I rolled it up with some beans and cheese and made them in to taquitos. I baked them in a 425 oven for about 15 minutes until the edges were crispy. Typically, taquitos are made with small corn tortillas and fried, but I only had medium sized flour tortillas, so I made that work. Plus, these baked ones are healthier and had all the same wonderful flavors! I served it with a side of Mexican rice and black beans.

Chicken and Veggie Lo Mein Stir Fry

Evening guys! So as I mentioned in my last post, I have not been doing a ton of new cooking this summer. Lots of easy and fast meals that don’t require much time. We have been hanging at the pool everyday the weather has permitted, the girls have been hanging out with friends in day camp and sleepovers, and I have been catching up on my magazine reading and Netflix. Today was no exception, so I decided to make a simple favorite; Stir Fry.

Making a stir fry has endless possibilities. Meat, veggies, starch, sauce…What do you choose? I have made a few different stir fry recipes on here, but there is always room for more! Here is how it went down this time.

First, I chopped 4 chicken thighs in to slices and marinated them with a few tablespoons of this handy sauce. You could use chicken breasts, but the thighs were so much cheaper, and honestly, they are my favorite. I marinated it about 20 minutes. I would not go more than an hour unless you are marinating the whole thigh/breast.

I added the marinated chicken to a bit of oil in a wok, along with all my veggies. This time I used yellow and red peppers, mushrooms, green beans, baby corn, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, and a hunk of grated ginger. I sauteed it all together until the chicken was cooked through, about 15 minutes. I added the rest of the sauce. At the same time, I cooked the noodles. Once the noodles were cooked (mine took 4 minutes), I added them to the wok and turned off the heat and stirred well.

Meanwhile, I fried up these beauties using the packing directions.

Next time you are craving take out, I hope you try to make it at home. This entire meal cost just over $25 for 5 people (2 kids). Plus leftovers! Can’t beat that price! On that note, I am starting a new category; Thrifty Meals. Most of my meals are, but I know a lot of you out there are trying to stretch a dollar, so I am going to have your back! Cheers!