Pork Chop Casserole

I am definitely not a pork chop lover,  I really don't like pork much at all actually.  I may cook pork about once every couple or months or so, especially if the pork chops are on a good sale.  I have really only made a few pork recipe that I would make again.  My roommate and boyfriend also are not huge fans of pork, so they don't care it is not made a lot. 

When I decided to make this recipe I was really hesitant because I thought the pork would get dried out, and be super chewy. I decided to try it anyway and I am really glad I did.  The pork chops came out tasting absolutely delcious, and they were moist and juicy.  The rice gave it a really nice texture, and it was a very complete and delicious meal ( I served this with asparagus.)  My roommate and boyfriend both agreed this recipe was a keeper, and was one of the best ways they have had pork chops (other than fried.)

Prep time- 5 minutes
Cook time- 1 hour
Serving size- This recipe served 3 people
Things I would do differently-  The only thing I may do different next time is add less water, because the mixture did get very runny, but I liked the gravy-like consistency.
Recipe Adapted from:Key Ingredients

Ingredients

• 3 pork loins
• 1/2 cup of flour
• 3 tablespoons of oil
• 1 3/4 cup of beef broth
• 1 10 3/4 can of golden mushroom soup
• 6 oz of long grain rice
• 1 cup water (I would omit this if you don't want a runny sauce)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Add your flour to a medium size bowl, and coat your pork chops with flour
3. In a skillet add your oil, and cook pork for 5-6 minutes on each side (until browned.)
4. In a casserole dish place your beef broth, mushroom soup, rice and water... mix well.
5. Place your pork chops over rice mixture and cover with aluminum foil 
6. Bake for 45 minutes or until there is no pink in the middle of pork.

Final Product

Weight Watchers Chinese Food (General Tsos and Fried Rice)

I need to start off with saying this is the most exciting thing I have ever made, and the recipe I am most proud of successfully making.  I absolutely love Chinese food, and if you give me a choice for take-out I will always pick Chinese.  My all time favorite is fried rice, I don't think I have ever got Chinese without getting fried rice.  I know that Chinese is not the best for you because it is super high in sodium, and they fry a lot of their food.  I am really trying to eat better, and make substitutes wherever possible.  I looked online for weight watchers Chinese recipes and came across recipes for fried rice and general tsos chicken.  I have to say this tasted just like something I would get from a Chinese store, only so much better for you. 

The general tsos chicken is about 4 points for 1/2 cup (It may not seem like a lot but with the rice it was very filling)  The fried rice is 4 points for 1 cup of rice.

Prep and cook time: 40 minutes total
Serving: This would serve about 4 people
Things I would different next time: The only thing I would do differently is I would add some chopped onions to the rice.
Recipe adapted from:    Rice Weight Watchers    Chicken: Food.com

Ingredients

Chicken

• 3/4 cups of reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons of cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon of sugar
• 2 tablespoons of low sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons of canola oil
• 2 scallions chopped
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 pound of boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into bite size pieces)

Rice

• Olive oil cooking spray
• 3 large egg whites
• 4 scallions chopped
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 10 baby carrots chopped
• 3/4 cup of frozen peas (thawed)
• 2 cups of instant uncooked brown rice
•  2.5 tablespoons of low sodium soy sauce 

Directions

Chicken

1. In a bowl add your chicken broth, cornstarch, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar and ginger.  Whisk together.

1. Heat your oil in a large skillet on medium high heat.  Add your scallions, garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook for two minutes.

1. Add your chicken and cook till your chicken is browned (about 10 minutes)
2. Whisk your sauce one more time and add to chicken. 
3. Cook till sauce thicken (about 2-3 minutes)

1. Place a lid to keep chicken warm, and begin your rice.

Rice

1. Place 2 cups of instant brown rice in a microwave safe bowl,and microwave according to directions.
2. In a large greased skillet add your egg whites and cook for about 3-5 minutes until fully cooked and scrambled. Remove from pan and set aside.
3. Respray your skillet and add your scallions and garlic, saute for 2 minutes.
4. Add your carrots, and peas and saute for 5-10 minutes till carrots are tender.

1. Add your rice to the mixture and add your soy sauce.
2. Mix well and serve.

Final Product

Sausage Shepherds Pie

My roommate loves Sheppard's  pie, and I really don't make it a lot, so I thought I would try and make a new version and see how it was.  This recipe called for sausage and it gave the meal a really different taste.  This was really easy to make and I would make it again.  This was a very simple recipe, with very few ingredients.  This is a perfect dinner for nights where you are in a rush.

Prep time- 20 minutes
Cook time- 35 minutes
Serving size- This would serve 5-7 people
Things I would do different- Next time I would definitely  use fresh vegetables instead of frozen, and make my own mashed potatoes.

Ingredients

• 1 pound sausage roll
• 1 package of instant potatoes
• 1 10 oz bag of mixed frozen veggies
• 1 package of beef gravy
• 1 teaspoon of Worchestire sauce

 Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 400F. 
2. In skillet, crumble and cook sausage over medium heat until browned
3. While sausage is cooking cook your potatoes in another pot.
4.  In bowl, combine sausage, gravy, vegetables and Worcestershire sauce. 
5. Place into a greased casserole dish. 
6. Spread your mashed potatoes into even layer on top.
7.  Bake for 35-40 minutes or until hot. 

Final Product

Oven Baked Avocado Fries

I need to start this post off right away with OH MY GOD.  This has got to be my favorite appetizer I have made yet, and it was simple too.  I know a lot of people think avocados and think eww mushy green things... I will be honest I thought that for the LONGEST time (I would not even touch guacamole.)  One of the girls I work with always brings salads in and the one day she had an avocado.  She asked if I wanted to try it and I thought why not.  Let me just tell you...I fell in love.  I was craving avocados and started to search for recipes.  I came across a recipe for oven baked avocado fries and knew I had to get cooking.  I made these for me and my roommate as an appetizer (she also never ate an avocado before.)  I will just tell you that there was not a single one left on the plate when we were done.

 If you never had avocados before go by them...NOW and make this recipe, you won't be sorry.  I am going to attach a very helpful link on how to peel avocados because that is the trickiest part.  Another little helpful hint is a avocado is perfect for eating/cooking when it is soft not hard!

How to peel and cut an avocado- Simply Recipes


Serves:It would probably serve about 4 people for an appetizer
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time:25 minutes
Total time: 55 minutes
What I would do different:  I would probably make some sort of dipping sauce with it.
Recipe adapted from: The Kitchen Whisperer

Ingredients

• 2 ripe avocados
• 1/4 cup  of whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 3/4 teaspoon of cumin
• 2 egg whites
• 1 tablespoon of water
• 1 1/2 cups of seasoned panko breadcrumbs (panko is a must don't try and use regular breadcrumbs)
• Olive Oil Spray

Directions
 

1. Preheat oven to 450 F.
2. Line a baking sheet with foil
3. Cut your avocado into slices and peel (use the link above if you need help)

1. In a medium sized bowl, place your flour, salt, pepper, garlic, 1/2 tsp paprika, cayenne and cumin and mix well
2. In  another medium bowl add your egg whites and water, whisk well.
3. In another medium sized bowl, add your panko crumbs and 1/4 tsp paprika, and mix.

1. Place one slice in the flour, and make sure slice is completely coated.
2. Then place your slice in the egg whites, make sure to coat completely.
3. Lastly place your slice in the panko mixture and coat completely.
4. Place your slice on the baking sheet, and continue the steps above until all slices are coated.and repeat until all the slices are coated
5. Spray  all your slices with olive oil cooking spray.
6. Bake for 15 minutes, and then turn each slice over, and spray again with cooking spray
7. Continue to bake for 8-10 minutes or until  golden brown
8. Serve with sour cream if you would like!

Final Product

Sausage and Potato Bake

I recently got a stone from pampered chef, and it is the greatest kitchen invention ever.  It bakes everything perfect and just gives everything the best seasoning.  I have been trying to make as many things as possible in the stone (so I can really get it seasoned.)  I had some smoked sausage in the freezer, and wanted a quick and easy recipe for dinner.  I found this recipe on this awesome blog and decided to give it a try.  It was SO DELICIOUS.  Using the stone made my potatoes super crispy and just the right texture.  My house smelled awesome with the onions and peppers as well.  This would be awesome for breakfast too, I can't wait to make this again!

Prep. time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes
Total time: 1 hour and 5 minutes
What I would do different: I think that next time I would use red potatoes, because I like the texture of them more, and that would be about it.
Recipe adapted from: Two Peas in Their Pod

Ingredients

• 1 package of smoked sausage (cut into bite size pieces)
• 6 potatoes  cut into bite size pieces(I used baking potatoes, but you could use any type)
• 2 large green peppers, cut into 1 inch slices
• 1 large onion, cut into 1 inch slices
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1/4 cup of chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of Italian Seasoning
• 1 teaspoon of roasted garlic seasoning'

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Place your cut potatoes into a pot and cover with water, and bring to a boil.
3. Once boiling reduce heat, and let simmer for about 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
4. Mix your cut sausage, peppers, onion,  and garlic in your baking dish.

1. Once your potatoes are tender, add your chicken broth, Olive oil and seasonings, and mix well. (the potatoes will be mushy but that's how they are supposed to be)
2. Add your potatoes to your sausage and mix well

1. Bake for 35-40 minutes until potatoes are crispy.
2. Enjoy!

 Final Product

White Chicken Chili

I will always remember the first time I had chili.  I was at my aunts neighbors house, and she was having a superbowl party.  Everyone in the house was ranting about this chili someone bought, I thought well why not try it.  I got a small bowl, topped it with sour cream and cheese, and lets just say ever since that day I love chili of all kinds.  One  of the best chilis I ever had was from my friends mom.  They were having a Christmas party at work, and her mom made a huge batch of chili.  My friend bought a bowl home for me, and it was absolutely delicious.  Ever since I had that chili, I have tried to make something similar, and it never was quite right...until this recipe.  I found this recipe on food.com, and it was just what I wanted.

Prep time- 5 minutes
Cook time- 4-5 hours on high (with thawed chicken) 6-8 hours on low

Ingredients

• 1-1.5 pounds of chicken (you can use frozen or thawed up to you)
• 1 15 oz can of white kidney beans (drained)
• 1 15 oz can of chickpeas (drained)
• 1 15 oz can of corn
• 1 envelope of taco seasoning
• 1 4.5 oz can of diced green chiles
• 1 can of cream of chicken soup
• 1 14.5 oz can of chicken broth

Directions

1. In your crock pot place your chicken 
2. Add the rest of your ingredients
3. I placed my crockpot on high for about 4.5 hours.  If you have more time I would cook on low for about 6-8 hours.
4. Serve with cheese and sour cream if you like.
5. Enjoy!

Final Product

Stuffed Shell Casserole

This weekend my roommate was having some people over, and asked if I could make dinner.  I was of course happy to do so, and tried to think of something that would be fast, easy, make a decent amount and of course be delicious.  I thought of making stuffed shells, but really did not want to take the time to do it.  I then remembered hearing someone talk about stuffed shell casserole, and I knew I had to find the recipe.  This recipe was the perfect dinner for a group it made plenty, it was filling and I didn't spend the whole time in the kitchen AND it tasted like stuff shells, just a lot less work.

Prep time- 30 minutes (boiling the pasta and browning the ground beef)
Cook time- 40 minutes
Servings- There were 5 people over for dinner, everyone had seconds and there were left overs.  I would say it makes about 10-12 cups.
Things I would do different- Next time I may add ricotta cheese, instead of the Philadelphia cooking cream, and see if it makes a difference.
Recipe adapted from: Kraft Recipes

Ingredients

• 1 pound of ground beef
• 1 tablespoon of onion powder
• 1 box of large shell pasta
• 1 24 oz jar of basil and oregano pasta sauce (or your favorite flavor of sauce)
• 1 10 oz tub of Italian Herb Philadelphia Cooking Sauce
• 2 tablespoons of basil
• 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
• 1.5 cups of Mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Cook your pasta according to directions
3. While pasta is cooking, add your onion powder and brown your ground beef.
4. Once meat is browned, drain fat and add your pasta sauce.  Let simmer until pasta is cooked.
5. Once pasta is cooked, drain and return back to pot.
6. Add your cooking cream, basil, and Parmesan cheese to your pasta and mix well.
7. In a greased casserole dish pour about 1 cup of your meat mixture to the bottom of the dish 
8. Top sauce with your noodles, and then place the rest of your sauce on top.
9. Top with your mozzarella cheese.
10. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
11. Remove foil and bake for another 5-10 minutes or until cheese is completely melted
12. Enjoy!

Final Product

Crockpot Garlic Parmesan Cheese

You ever get in one of those moods where you don't want to cook, but you don't want to spend the money to eat out.  When I get in these moods I love to use my crock pot.  This recipe was so simple, delicious and made my whole house smell so good.  There is a couple things that I would do differently, but I would definitely make this again.

Prep time- 5 minutes
Cook time- 8 hours on low 4 hours on high
Serving- This would serve about 5 people (1 cup servings)
Things I would do different- I think that next time I would cook the rice separately.  The texture was not what I was expecting, it was very good I would just like to see if it made any difference if I cooked the rice separately.
Recipe adapted from: Finding Joy in My Kitchen

Ingredients

• 1.5 pounds of frozen chicken breasts
• 1 cup of brown rice
• 1 14.5 oz can of chicken broth
• 5 garlic cloves (minced)
• 4 tablespoons of white wine
• 1 tablespoon of parsley
• Cooking spray
• Parmesan cheese for topping

Directions

1. Spray your crock pot with cooking spray and place your rice on the bottom of the crock pot
2. Pour your chicken broth on top of the rice (make sure all of the rice is covered)
3. Place your chicken on top of rice
4. In a separate bowl, mix together your white wine, garlic cloves and parsley and pour over chicken
5. Place your crock pot on low for about 6-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours
6. Shred your chicken and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese
7. Enjoy =)

Final Product

Weight Watchers Taco Soup

I have been trying to watch my weight, eat better and be healthier.  I know a few close friends who are on weight watchers and really have noticed a lot of change in their weight.  I have made a few things before, this was my favorite recipe so far.  The nice thing about weight watchers is that it is about points, and you can still eat what you want but in moderation.  This soup was very filling with all the beans, and absolutely delicious.

The other thing is I added a survey to the right of my blog asking more of what people would like to see.  I would love some responses, and would really like if you guys would comment if you tried the recipe or have ANY questions. 

Prep time- 15 minutes
Cook time- 30 minutes
Total Time- 45 minutes
Serving size- The serving size is 1 cup (2 WW points) I would say this made around 6-8 cups.
Things I would do different: Nothing I really like it the way it was.

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 large onion (chopped)
• 15 oz dark red kidney beans (drained)
• 15 oz white kidney beans (drained)
• 15 oz black beans (drained) 
• 14.5 oz can of corn (do not drain)
• 15 oz tomato sauce
• 1.5 cups of water
• 7 oz diced green chiles
• 1 package of reduced sodium taco seasoning
• 1 package of ranch  seasoning 

Directions

1. Brown your ground beef and chopped onion (about 10-15 minutes)
2. Add the rest of your ingredients and bring to a boil.
3. Once boiling, reduce heat and let simmer for 30 minutes.
4. Top with some shredded cheese and sour cream if you like.

Final Product

Black Bean and Chicken Quesidillas

The other night I was looking for a really quick and easy recipe.  I checked my fridge and I had hardly any groceries.  I decided to make quesidillas since they are quick and really easy to make.  These were so simple and only 7 ingredients were used (it doesn't get much better then that.)  My boyfriend did not want black beans in his so he had a pepper and chicken quesidilla which he loved! 

This is the perfect recipe if you are in a hurry, or you just do not feel like spending a lot of time in the kitchen.

I decided from here on out I am going to be posting the prep time, cook time, and servings for each recipe. I think this will be helpful for those who look at how long something takes to make, before you actually buy the ingredients for the meal.

Prep time: 20 minutes (I had to cook my chicken first)
Cook time: 8 minutes for each quesidilla
Servings: This recipe was used for 3 quesidillas
Things I would do different: I think next time I may add some onions to the mixture

Ingredients

• 6 tortilla shells
• 1 pound of chicken breasts
• 8 oz of mixed red and green peppers
• 1 15 oz can of black beans (drained and rinsed)
• 1.5 cups of shredded Mexican cheese
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder

Directions

1. Turn your quesidilla maker on.
2. Cut your chicken into bite size pieces, and place in a large pan.
3. Add your peppers to the chicken, and sprinkle with garlic powder and onion powder.
4. Cook on medium high heat for 15-20 minutes (or until chicken is no longer pink)
5. Once chicken is cooked, reduce heat to low and add your black beans.
6. Let cook for 5 more minutes and turn off burner.
7. Split your mixture into 3 even parts.
8. Place your Place one quesidilla on the quesidilla make and place 1/3 of your filling on top of tortilla.
9. Sprinkle with cheese, and place other tortilla on top.
10. Close quesidilla maker and let cook for 8-10 minutes (until top is golden brown) **if you are not using a quesidilla maker I would cook each side in a well greased pan for about 5 minutes on each side**
11. Serve with salsa and sour cream

Final Product

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Buffalo Chicken Tenders

It continues to amaze me just how many variety of buffalo chicken things there are out there (especially pinterest.)  I know I have made tons of buffalo chicken inspired dishes, I just cannot help it I love the spiciness with the chicken...and of course topped with ranch.  I found this idea on allrecipes.com, and made it my own.  These were pretty simple to make, they did take a little bit of time with all the dipping, but they are definitely worth it.

Ingredients

• 1.5 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts (pounded and cut into strips)
• 1-2 cups of hot sauce (make sure its enough to cover all of your chicken)
• 1 cup flour
• 1 tablespoon of garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon of water

Directions

1. Place your chicken in a large bowl, add your hot sauce and let marinate for at least 2 hours.

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a bowl, mix together flour, 1/2  of your garlic powder and 1/2 of your cayenne pepper
3. In another bowl, mix your bread crumbs with the rest of your garlic powder and cayenne pepper.
4. In a small mix beat your eggs and add  your water
5. Place one strip of chicken at a time into your seasoned flour.
6. Then dip your chicken in  theegg mixture.
7. Then dip your chicken into the bread crumb mixture.
8. Place on a well greased bakind dish
9. Bake for about 8-10 minutes, then flip over and bake 8-10 minutes longer (cut a strip to make sure they are fully cooked inside)
10. Serve with some hot sauce and ranch

Final Product