Chili Verde Chicken

I made this recipe up and it turned out really good! It is also super easy and in a crockpot-two of my favorite things. I will take pics the next time I make it.

1 28 oz can GF Green chili enchilada sauce (I used medium, but next time I will get mild)
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (mine were frozen)

Put all ingredients in the crockpot and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or high for around 4 hours. Before serving, shred chicken and stir about 3/4 c sour cream into the sauce. Serve over hot cooked rice. Garnish with shredded cheese and cilantro.

Cheesy Pizza Pasta (eat better america)

12 oz rotini pasta (I used 16 oz gf pasta spirals)
3/4 lb italian turkey sausage
1 large onion, chopped
1 lb fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 can diced tomatoes
1 jar pasta sauce
1 8 oz can tomato sauce (I added this since I had extra pasta)
1/2 tsp dried basil
6 oz sliced pepperoni
2 C shredded italian cheese blend (I probably used 3 cups)
Oregano to sprinkle on top

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and return to pan.

In a 12 inch skillet, crumble sausage and cook over medium heat until no longer pink. Drain if necessary. Add onion and mushrooms and cook until tender. Stir in tomatoes and tomato sauce, heat until boiling and then reduce heat. Stir in pasta sauce and basil and heat to a boil.

Add sauce mixture, pepperoni and 1 1/2 cups cheese to the pasta. Stir until well mixed. Spread in a 9x13 pan and cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes, until bubbly and heated through. Remove foil, sprinkle with remaining cheese and some oregano. Bake uncovered for 5-10 minutes until cheese is melted.

My family really liked this recipe. It makes ALOT, so be prepared for leftovers. We have been eating it all week for lunch and it reheats really well. I'm wondering if it is something that could be made ahead and frozen. I may try it one of these days...

Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup

This soup is inspired by the Chicken Gnocchi soup served at Olive Garden. I made my own gnocchi so that they would be gluten free, but I have heard that you can buy them at Target. Everyone in the family loved this except for Lexie. I will definitely make it again and for sure double the recipe. It came together fairly quickly, I chopped the veggies while the chicken was cooking and then made the gnocchi while the soup was simmering. It probably took me 30-45 minutes start to finish. I also had plenty of gnocchi dough left, that I am planning to freeze for future recipes. Bon appetit!

Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup

1/3 c olive oil or butter

2 cloves, minced garlic

1 lb chicken, cut into bite sized pieces

1/3 c flour (I used asian white rice flour)

1/2 carrot, shredded

1 stick of celery, finely chopped

1/2 c fresh spinach, chopped

2 1/2 c whole milk

1 1/2 c heavy cream

3 chicken bouillion cubes, smashed

2 cups of gnocchi, uncooked

salt and pepper to taste

In a soup pot, warm butter or olive oil and saute garlic. Add in chicken and cook until done. Remove chicken and add flour to make a roux. Add milk and heavy cream, stir until smooth. Add veggies and bouillion cubes and simmer until veggies are soft, stirring occasionally. Add chicken and gnocchi and simmer for 3-4 minutes until gnocchi is cooked through. If soup is too thick, add some warm milk to thin.

Grandma's Gnocchi

6 russet potatoes (I used one cup of potato pearls cooked according to directions)

1 c flour (I used asian white rice flour)

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 tbsp olive oil

1 pinch salt

If using real potatoes, put in boiling water and cook until tender. Drain, and mash or put through a ricer.

Place mashed potatoes in a large bowl, stir in olive oil, egg and salt. Knead in enough flour to make a soft dough. On a floured surface, roll dough into a long rope. Cut into 1/2 inch pieces.

Cook gnocchi in boiling water for about 3-5 minutes and serve with your favorite pasta sauce.

Orange Marinated Pork Tenderloin

1 c orange juice

1/3 c soy sauce

2 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary

3 tsp minced garlic

Pork tenderloin

Make the marinade by whisking together all of the ingredients. Pour over tenderloin and marinate for at least one hour, preferably overnight.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Drain pork, reserving marinade. Place on baking sheet and season with salt and peper. Roast for about 20 minutes until internal temp is 160 degrees.

Strain the reserved marinade and bring it to a boil in a small saucepan. Use as a sauce for the meat.

This recipe could not have been easier. I made the marinade on satuday night and then put it in a ziploc bag with the meat. (I had to cut the tenderloin in half so it would fit) It stayed in the fridge until sunday evening and then we cooked it on the grill. It was super tender and had a nice flavor. My kids all took leftovers to school the next day. Great option for a nice looking main dish with very little fuss.

Sausage and Penne in garlic olive oil

Sausage and Penne in Garlic Olive Oil

5 sweet italian sausage links
Olive oil
1 lb penne paasta
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1tsp red pepper flakes
1tbsp dried basil
about 3-4 kale elaves, washed and torn into small pieces
butter

Place italian sausage in skillet with 1/2 cup of water. Cook over medium heat turning occasionally. When water cooks down, add another 1/2 cup of water and allow it to cook down as well. Add another 1/2 cup of water and cover pan, let cook until sausage is cooked through and no longer pink. Slice cooked sausage into bite sized pieces.

Cook pasta until al dente. Drain and set aside. In the same pot you made the pasta in, add tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp butter. Saute the garlic and kale until soft. Add red pepper flakes and basil and saute for a few more minutes. Add the sausage and toss to coat, then reduce heat and cook for a few minutes to blend flavors. Add pasta to the sausage and spice mixture and toss to coat. Add extra butter or olive oil if needed.

Creamy black bean salsa chicken

2-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (can be frozen)
1 C chicken broth
1 C salsa
1 can corn, drained
1 can black beans, drained
1 pkg taco seasoning
1/2 C sour cream
1 C grated cheese
Place chicken in crockpot. Pour broth, salsa, corn, beans and taco seasoning over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. Remove chicken with a slotted spoon and place on serving dish. Stir sour cream and cheese into sauce in the crockpot, mix until well blended. Replace the chicken. Serve with rice.
*Also very good if you shred the chicken back into the sauce and serve in tortillas or as a salad. I usually add the cooked rice to the sauce to thicken it up if I am going to do this. You can easily increase the ingredients by 1/2 to serve up to 20 people.

Russian Chicken (Kristine Nielsen)

One 8 oz bottle russian dressing
One packet onion soup mix (Liptons is GF)
1 C apricot pineapple jam
Enough boneless chicken breasts to cover a 9x13 pan
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix the dressing, soup mix and jam in the baking pan. Put the chicken in and turn to coat them in the mix. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until chicken is done. Serve over jasmine rice.
**Add a little bit of water to your dressing bottle and shake it to get all the dressing and pour it into the pan for a little extra sauce.
***Frozen chicken works great.
****This also works great in a crockpot.