Copycat KFC Bowl

I am not a huge fast food person, but I have to admit I LOVE the KFC bowl.  The combination of chicken, mashed potatoes, corn and gravy all mixed in one is just so great.  KFC is SO expensive though, that I rarely get the bowl.  I saw that one of my friends on Facebook decided to make her  own, and I knew I had to try that right away.  These are so easy and cheap to make, not to mention a lot better for you.  This does differ from the typical KFC bowl because I did not fry my chicken.  If you love fried chicken then fry instead of saute.

Prep. time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Serving size- This made 4 bowls

Ingredients

• 2 packages of Idahoan instant mashed potatoes (you can make your own if you want, these were just much easier and taste great)
• 1 can of sweet corn
• 1 pound of chicken cut into bite size pieces
• 1 package of instant gravy
• 2 tablespoons of oil
• 2 tablespoons of Adoba seasoning
• 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs
• Mexican cheese for topping

Directions

1. In a pot cook your mashed potatoes according to directions
2. While your potatoes are cooking, place your chicken in a large bowl.  Add your flour and Adoba, mix well.
3. Place your oil in a pan, add your chicken and cook till brown (about 10-15 minutes)
4. When potatoes are done, cook you corn and chicken.
5. In your serving bowl place a cup of potatoes, top with chicken, corn, gravy and sprinkle with Mexican cheese.
6. Enjoy!

Final Product

Lemon and Olive Oil Pasta with Basil Pan Seared Scallops

The other day I was grocery shopping, and they were having a huge sale on seafood.  I love scallops and they were on sale for 8 dollars.  I got a little over a pound, and decided that I was going to make some sort of pasta.  I made pasta last night, and it was so good.  It was so simple, and the olive oil sauce was a nice change from creamy and red sauce.  The way the scallops were cooked was PERFECT.  I would strongly suggest this for any scallop lovers, and the lemon gave an awesome twist.

Serving size- 4-6 people
Prep time- 5 minutes
Cook time- 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 box of bow-tie noodles
• 1 pound of bay scallops
• 3/4 cups olive oil
• 2 lemons (cut in halves)
• 1 tablespoon of garlic powder
• 1/2 tablespoon of lemon pepper seasoning
• 2 tablespoons of dried basil
• 9 tablespoons of butter
• 1/4 cup of Parmesan Cheese

Directions

1. In a large pot, boil you water and cook pasta.
2. While pasta is cooking place your scallops in a large bowl.  Add 1/4 olive oil, juice from 3 halves of your lemon, 1/2 tablespoon of garlic powder and lemon pepper seasoning,  Mix scallops until they are all coated.
3. In a pan melt 1 tablespoon of butter, and place half of your scallops.  Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of basil, and cook 4-6 minutes (until nice and golden brown)
4. Cook the other half of your scallops just like step 3.
5. Once pasta is cooked remove from pot, rinse and place in large bowl.
6. In the same pot you cooked your pasta add the rest of your butter (7 tablespoons),  remaining olive oil (1/2 cup) 1/2 tablespoon of garlic powder, juice of half of lemon and  your Parmesan cheese. Cook until butter is melted, and add to your pasta.
7. Add your scallops to the pasta mixture, mix well and serve!

Final Product

Chicken And Shrimp Fried Rice

My boyfriend is obsessed with seafood, and loves Chinese food.  He found this recipe somewhere on Facebook and has been begging for me to make it.  I was super hesitant, because some of the recipes I have found on Facebook have turned out AWFUL.  This recipe had its faults, but was very easy to fix.  It was so easy, fast and best of all delicious.  He liked the rice more than take-out!

Ingredients

• 3 cups prepared brown rice (I just cooked a whole box of rice)
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut in bite size pieces)
• 1/2 pound shrimp (you can buy cooked shrimp, or raw...I used raw)
• 1 bag of frozen pea and carrot mixture
• 2 eggs
• 3 tablespoons of sesame oil
• 1/4 cup soy sauce

Directions

1. Cook your rice according to directions.
2. While rice is cooking, in a large pan add your sesame oil and vegetables... cook until soft (3-5 minutes)
3. Once vegetables are soft add your eggs, cook until eggs are mixed in with veggies and no longer runny.
4. Remove vegetables from pan and place in large bowl.
5. In the same pan add your chicken, and cook till no longer pink. (10-13 minutes)
6. Remove chicken and cook shrimp until pink (3-5 minutes)
7. Add your rice to the meat and vegetables, and add your soy sauce.
8. Mix well, and enjoy!

Final Product

Ham, Potato and Corn Chowder

The weather here has been so bizarre... it was so nice on Monday, I didn't even need a coat and yesterday it was rainy and FREEZING.  My day was dragging at work, and I decided that when I got home I was going to make a nice a filling soup that I have been dying to try.  I typically don't like soups/chowders with corn so I was a little hesitant, but it gave the chowder an awesome taste.  The recipe may not look like it makes a lot but trust me it make PLENTY.  This was a nice and filling soup, and perfect for a cold and rainy day.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Serving Size: 4-5 people
Cost- 15 dollars

Ingredients

• 5 slice of maple bacon, diced (the maple bacon gives the chowder a great taste!)
• 1/4 cup of butter
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1.5 tablespoons of onion powder
• 1 bag of frozen corn
• 1 tablespoon of parsley
• 2.5 tablespoons of flour
• 3.5 cups of whole milk
• 2 russet potatoes, cut in bite size pieces
• 1 8 oz.package of honey ham, cut into bite size piece (again the honey ham really adds a great taste)
• 1 teaspoon of salt

Directions

1. In a large pot, add your butter and garlic and cook till butter is melted
2. Add your corn, onion powder and Italian seasoning, and cook for about 3 minutes
3. Add your flour, and cook until flour is soaked up.
4. Add your milk and whisk until thickened (this may take anywhere from 3-10 minutes)
5. Add your potatoes, and bring your mixture to a boil.
6. Once boiling, reduce your heat and let mixture simmer for about 20-30 minutes.  ( Make sure your potatoes are soft, you may need to let mixture simmer longer if not)
7. While your mixture is simmering add your bacon to a pan and cook till crispy.  Once crispy remove and place on a plate to drain excess grease.
8. Once your potatoes are soft add your ham and cook for another 5 minutes
9. Top with your bacon, and enjoy!

Final Product

Creamy Lemon and Chicken Alfredo

Lemon and alfredo sauce in one dish...does it get much better than this.  I found this recipe a while ago in a magazine and I have been dying to try it.  I actually made this the day before Thanksgiving (crazy right) I thought it would take FOREVER.  The sauce was so simple and is honestly the best tasting sauce I have made.  I will be making this over and over again!

Prep Time: 2 hours (time to marinate the chicken)
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Serving Size: 4-6 people
Cost: 10 dollars. (Cheaper if you can get chicken on sale)

Ingredients

• 1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 1 box of your choice of pasta (I used bow tie noodles)
• 3 tablespoons of lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons of lemon pepper seasoning
• 1/4 cup of butter
• 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon of onion powder
• 2 tablespoons of minced garlic
• 4 tablespoons of lemon juice (it may seem like a lot of lemon, but it's perfect)
• 4 oz. of cream cheese
• Parsley for topping

Directions

1. Place your chicken in a large bowl, and add 3 tablespoons of lemon juice, and add your lemon pepper seasoning.  Let marinate for AT LEAST two hours.
2. Once your chicken is done marinating, pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees and bake chicken for 15-20 minutes.
3. While chicken is baking boil your water, and add pasta once boiling.
4. While pasta is cooking add melt your butter, once melted add your whipping cream, cheese, onion powder, garlic, remaining lemon juice and cream cheese.
5. Let mixture simmer for about 5-8 ,minutes (until thickened)
6. Cut you chicken in bite size piece, and add to drained pasta.
7. Pour your sauce over the chicken and pasta, top with parsley.
8. Enjoy!

Final Product

Crockpot Pizza Chicken

Who doesn't love a cheap and easy Crockpot recipe, I know I do.   I saw a recipe similar to this on a weight watchers blog, and I was super excited to try it.  This was SO EASY, and the taste was amazing.  This recipe is super easy to customize, and a great weeknight meal.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds of boneless skinless chicken breasts.
• 1 bag of turkey pepperoni (you can use regular pepperoni too)
• 1 6 oz can of tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons of Italian seasoning
• 1 cup of chicken broth
• 2 cups of mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. Place your chicken in the bottom of the crockpot, and all the remixing ingredients EXCEPT the cheese.
2. Place on low for 6 hours or high for 3 (I placed mine on high, and the chicken was perfect)
3. Once 3 hours is up place your cheese on top of your mixture, close the lid and let the cheese melt.
4. I served mine over rice, but I think serving this with pasta would be really good!
5. Enjoy

Final Product

Lemon Pepper Wings

As I promised here are the second batch of wings I made on Monday night.  I thought the Sweet and Spicy wings were really good, but these here are so delicious I wish I tripled the recipe!  They were so good that I had a request to make them this Sunday for the games.  These are different than the Sweet and Spicy wings because it is more of a dry rub.  These come out so nice and juicy, and the lemon is the perfect kick.  I would make these any day, rather then going to a bar for wings.

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes (it took me three uses in the fryer to cook all the wings)
Servings size: This made about 25 wings.
Price: 10 dollars (Wings were on sale BOGO)
Recipe adapted from: Food Network

Ingredients

• Oil for frying (lucky for me I did not dump my oil from Sunday, and I just strained the oil and reused it)
• 3.4- 4 pounds of young chicken wings
• 1 Tablespoon of Adoba Seasoning
• 1 Tablespoon of garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons of parsley
• 1 cup of Dijon mustard
• 1.5 cups of flour
• 2 lemons
• 1 tablespoon Lemon-pepper seasoning (Use more if you want the wings more spicy)

Directions

1. Turn your fryer on 375 degrees and let oil warm up.
2. While oil is warming separate your wings (check my last post for the link for easy tips to separate the wings)
3. Place your wings in a large bowl and place your Adoba, garlic, pepper, and parsley. 
4. Add your mustard and make sure all chicken is nicely coated.
5. Add your flour and coat all your chicken in the flour (this part gets a little messy try and keep a hand dry so your hands don't get the batter stuck
6.  Add your chicken to the oil, fry until cooked through about 10-13 minutes. 
7. Once your last batch of chicken is done, place chicken in a bowl and sprinkle the juice of your lemons over the chicken, and then add the lemon pepper seasoning.
8. Enjoy!

Final Product

 

 

 

Sweet and Spicy Wings

I FINALLY MADE MY OWN WINGS.  Now that's out of the way, I am super excited how great these turned out.  My boyfriend has been begging me to make wings for a while now.  What better day to try wings then on football Sunday.  He loved the wings so much, that I had to make more the next day (no lie, I will post the other recipe this week) Wings are definitely work to make, but so worth it AND so much cheaper then buying them for your favorite bar.  Our friend described these wings as General Tso Wings, which I thought was awesome.

Prep time: 30 minutes (it may be shorter, but I had to separate the wings)
Cook time: 30 minutes (it took me three batches to cook all the wings)
Serving size: This made about 30 wings
Price of meal: 15 dollars (It will be cheaper if you have some of the ingredients, I had to buy everything)
Recipe Adapted from: Rasa Malaysia

Ingredients

• 24 pounds of chicken wings (separated)
• Here is a great how to on separating wings- How to Separate Wings
• Oil for frying (I used about 16oz containers of oil, I have a decent size fryer)\
• 2 tablespoons of Adoba
• 2 teaspoons of pepper

Sauce Ingredients

• 1/2 cup of flour
• 1/2 cup of orange juice
• 2 tablespoons of Siracha  hot sauce
• 1/4 cup of chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons of soy sauce
• 3.5 tablespoons of sugar
• 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar
• 1.5 tablespoons of Chinese Rice Wine
• 1.5 tablespoons of corn starch (you may need more if your sauce isn't thick enough)

Directions

1. Fill your deep fryer with oil, and place heat on 375 degrees.
2. While your oil is warming, coat your chicken with pepper and Adoba. Once your wings are coated, add your flour and make sure wings are coated. (they will only be lightly coated and that's OK)
3. Place your wings in your deep fryer, make sure wings are completely covered with oil.
4. Cook for 10 -13 minutes, and remove from deep fryer. 
5. Repeat steps 3-4 until all wings are cooked
6. Add your sauce ingredients in a sauce pan, and warm until sauce is thickened.
7. Remove from heat and place in large bowl.
8. Add your chicken to the sauce mixture, mix well.
9. Enjoy!

Final Product

Homemade Chili

It's about that time where the weather is getting super cold, and whenever I think of cold fall weather...I think of chili.  I have made a few different chili's and this one by far was the easiest, and had an awesome taste. My boyfriend said this was one of his favorite chili's (he went for thirds, which is always a good thing.)  One of my favorite things about chili is that it makes so much, which means plenty of leftovers!

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Serving Size: 8-10 people

Ingredients

• 1.5 pounds of ground turkey( Feel free to use ground beef)
• 1.5 tablespoons of onion powder (equivalent to one onion, my boyfriend HATES onions, so I have to use powder)
• 2 tablespoons of minced garlic
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 2 cups water
• 1 (28 oz.) can of crushed tomatoes
• 1 (14.5 oz.) can of diced tomatoes with green chilies
• 1 can of  kidney beans
• 1 can of black beans
• ⅓ cup chili powder
• 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
• 1.5 tablespoons of cumin
• 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning
• Cheese for topping

Directions

 

1. In a large pot brown your ground beef and add your onion powder, and garlic.
2. Once your meat is browned, add your water, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, beans, chili powder, cayenne and cumin, and Italian Seasoning. Bring  mixture to a boil.
3. Once boiling reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes (the longer the better).
4. Top with cheese, and enjoy!

Final Product

 

 

Crockpot Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

It's about that time of year again, where the weather is getting cold AKA soup weather.  I really don't like brothy soups at all, they remind me of food you eat when your sick.  When I saw the recipe for creamy chicken noodle soup, I knew I had to try it.  This was SO DELCIOUS and hit the spot on such a cold day.  I think that next time I may double the recipe so I have enough to take with me for lunch.  If you like chicken noodle soup, but aren't in the mood for a lot of broth... here is your solution!
Recipe Adapted from:Six Sisters Stuff
Serving Size- about 6 cups
Prep time- 5 minutes
Cook time- 3-6 hours

Ingredients

• 2 10.75 oz. cans cream of chicken soup (or you can substitute one for cream of celery)
• 5 cups of 2% milk
• 2.5 cups of shredded chicken (I used an oven roasted rotisserie chicken)
• 1 bag of mixed frozen vegetables (mixture of green beans, corn, carrots and lima beans)
• 1 tablespoon of Season All
• 1 tablespoon of onion powder
• 2 cups of egg noodles

Directions

1. In your crockpot add your milk and cream of chicken soup.  Whisk well into everything is combined.
2. Add your chicken, vegetables, Season All, and onion powder.
3. Place your crockpot on high, and let cook for 3 hours (if using low, cook for 6 hours)
4. 30 minutes before soup is done, add your noodles and continue to cook.
5. Enjoy!

Final Product

Seasoned Baked Chicken Drumsticks

Here is another quick and easy dinner idea, and who doesn't love that?  As you saw from my previous post, I am  tight on money so this recipe was perfect.  I got about 10 large drumsticks for 6 dollars.  That left me with plenty of dinner, and left overs to take for lunch!

Prep time: 2 hours (or however long you want to marinate your chicken)
Cook time: 1 hour (or until chicken is nice and browned, and no longer pink inside)
Serving size- 4-5 people

Ingredients

• 7-10 chicken drumsticks (I had about 4.5 pounds)
• 3 tablespoons of minced garlic (it may seem like a lot, but it was perfect)
• 1 tablespoon of ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon of Adoba seasoning
• 2 tablespoons of Onion powder
• 1 cup of lemon juice.
• 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard

Directions

1. In a large bowl place your chicken, and add the remaining ingredients.
2. Let marinate for 2 hours (more or less, depending how much time you have)
3. Place chicken on a greased baking tray, and bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.
4. Turn your chicken, and bake for another 30 minutes (you may need to do cook more if the chicken is not cooked through.
5. Remove from oven, and sprinkle with a little lemon juice.
6. Enjoy!

Final Product

Pan Fried Cod With Fresh Herbs

I have started a new job, and living in a new place which equals NO money.  I had a bag of cod in the freezer, and I thought why not have cod for dinner.  I can be pretty picky with fish, and I don't really like the taste of fried cod (I think it has too much of an oily taste.)  This recipe was something I quick threw together, and it was delicious.  It had that nice crispness of being fried, but without the taste of oil.  This seriously was such a cheap an easy meal, I suggest it to anyone who only has 20 minutes to throw dinner together.
Prep time- 5 minutes
Cook time- 10 minutes
Serving size- This recipe was for just one person, so just adjust the recipe accordingly.

Ingredients

• 1 cod fillet
• 1/2 tablespoon of onion powder.
• 2 teaspoons of minced garlic (1 0r 2 fresh garlic cloves)
• 2 teaspoons of smoked paprika
• 2 teaspoons of Adoba seasoning (sounds weird, but trust me on this!)
• Flour (I would say about a tablespoon, just enough to cover lightly so the fish browns )
• 1 tablespoon of oil
• Fresh parsley for topping

Directions

1. Combine your onion powder, garlic, paprika and Adoba.
2. Place your fish in the seasoning mixture, and coat both sides.
3. Then sprinkle flour on your seasoned fillet ( you really don't need a lot of flour, just a dusting so the fillet gets brown)
4. Place your oil in a pan, let sit for about 3-5 minutes to warm.
5. Place your cod in pan, and let cook for 4 minutes per side.
6. Serve with fresh parsley on top.
7. Enjoy!

Final Product

Creamy Curry Chicken

Oh my goodness, this was SO delicious.  My boyfriend is in love with curry chicken, and I love curry in general.  His mom makes the best curry chicken I have ever had!  He asked me to make curry chicken the other night, and I thought why not give it a try.  It was DELICIOUS, it was different than his moms, because she uses bone-in chicken and also cooks it with vegetables (I am definitely hoping to learn one day)  This is super easy to make, cheap and different than any chicken recipe you have had before.
Prep time:5 minutes
Cook time:20-30 minutes
Serving size- 4-6 people
Recipe adapted from: All You

Ingredients

• 1.5 pounds of chicken tenders
• 1 teaspoon of Adoba seasoning
• 1/4 cup of flour
• 3 tablespoons of oil
• 1 tablespoon of onion powder
• 3 teaspoons of hot curry powder
• 1 14 oz can of chicken broth
• 1 14 oz can of cooked potatoes
• 1/2 cup of sour cream

Directions

1. Place chicken in a bowl, and sprinkle chicken with Adoba seasoning and cover with flour.
2. In a pan, heat half of your oil and add half of your chicken tenders.  
3. Cook each chicken tender 4-5 minutes on each side, or until chicken is browned.
4. Repeat for the other half of your chicken.
5. Remove chicken and place on a plate.
6. In the same pan add your chicken broth, onion powder, curry powder. 
7. Bring mixture to a boil, and let simmer for 3-5 minutes.
8. Return chicken to pan and cook for 2 minutes.  
9. Add your potatoes and cook for another 2 minutes.
10. Add your sour cream, and mix well.
11. Serve over rice.
12. Enjoy!

Final Product

Tuna and Broccoli Pasta Salad

I am on a tight budget right now, so the cheaper the meal... the better.  I got everything for this recipe for 6 dollars, now that is a cheap meal.  My boyfriend told me what he wanted in a pasta salad, and it turned out just like he wanted.  It is very important to let the salad chill, so all the delicious flavors can soak in.  I will be making this again, and like I said it is PERFECT if you are looking for cheap meals.  It made a lot too, which is great because I have left overs for lunch.

Ingredients

• 1 box of elbow noodles
• 3 4 oz. cans of tuna (drained)
• 1 head of broccoli (chopped)
• 1 cup of mayo
• 2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon of garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon of onion powder
• 1 tablespoon of Adoba seasoning
• 2 teaspoons of paprika
• 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Boil noodles.
2. While pasta is cooking, chop your broccoli.
3. Rinse your pasta with cold water, and place in a large bowl.
4. Add all of the above ingredients, and mix well. (You may need to add more mayonnaise if it gets to thick)
5. Let chill for 2 hours.
6. Enjoy!

Final Product

Crockpot Loaded Baked Potato Soup

I am completely obsessed with my crockpot, which I am guessing is pretty apparent!  Football is back, which mean delicious food.  Last Sunday it was pretty chilly, and I was in the mood for some soup.  I decided I would try a loaded baked potato soup (in the crockpot, of course!)  This gave me all the time to watch the football games!  This cooked all day, made plenty, and was delicious.  I will for sure be making this again
Prep time:10 minutes
Cook time: 4-8 hours (4 on high, 8 on low)
Serving size:6-8 people
Recipe adapted from:

Ingredients

• 8 russet potatoes cut into bite size pieces
• 1 tablespoon of onion powder
• 1 tablespoon of garlic powder
• 3 14.5 oz. cans of chicken broth
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 1 teaspoons of ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup of butter
• 1/3 cup of flour
• Sour cream for topping
• Bacon for topping (I used the already cooked bacon)
• Mexican cheese for topping.

Directions

1. Add your potatoes, onion powder, garlic powder, chicken broth, evaporated milk, and pepper to your crockpot.
2. Cover and cook for 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low(I cooked on low for 8 hours)
3. Once your time is up remove 2 cups of liquid from the crockpot, and set aside.
4. In a pan add your butter, and cook till melted.
5. Once melted add your flour and stir well.
6. Add your reserved mixture, and mix until it is smooth.
7. Once smooth, add to your crockpot and mix well.  (You may need to add flour if it is not creamy enough)
8. Serve with sour cream, bacon and cheese.
9. Enjoy!

Final Product

Baked Lemon and Pepper Chicken

My boyfriend is OBSESSED with lemon and pepper, and would probably eat anything if that was the marinade.  I was in a rush the other night, and decided to make a quick marinade, and then bake the chicken when I came home.  This quickly turned into a favorite meal (I must have made it about 3 times that week.)  This is very lemony so if you are not a huge lemon fan, I would reduce the amount of lemon.  I personally am a huge fan, so it was perfect for me.

Prep Time- 30 minutes-6 hours (however long you want to marinade the chicken... the longer the better!
Cook time- 20 minutes
Serving Size-4/5 people

Ingredients

• 1.5-2 pounds of boneless chicken breasts
• 4 tablespoons of Lemon juice (or juice of 2 large lemons)
• 6 cloves of garlic (minced)
• 1 tablespoon of onion powder
• 4 tablespoons of olive oil
• 2 tablespoons of ground black pepper
• Parsley for topping
• Grated parmesan cheese for topping.

Directions

1. In a large bowl place your chicken, and add the lemon juice, garlic, onion powder, pepper and olive oil.
2. Mix well until all chicken is coated.
3. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes-6 hours (the longer the better)
4. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
5. Place chicken on a greased baking tray sprinkle with parsley, and bake for 15-20 minutes until chicken is no longer pink.
6. Remove from oven, and sprinkle parmesan cheese on top of chicken.
7. Enjoy!

Final Product

Crockpot BBQ and Root Beer Chicken

I recently started a new job, and I have been living off crock-pot meals.  I absolutely love chicken in the crockpot, and always love trying different ways to cook the chicken.  I saw this recipe floating around Pinterest, and I love root beer and BBQ sauce so I knew I had to try it.  This was delicious!  It was the perfect combination of sweet and saucy.  I know it sounds weird, but trust me it was GREAT!
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time:6 hours
Serving size:4-6 people

Ingredients

• 2 pounds of boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 15oz bottle of Sweet Baby Rays Original BBQ Sauce
• 1/2 can of birch beer( You can use root beer too, I just prefer birch beer)
• 2 Tablespoons of Onion Powder
• 6 Garlic Cloves (minced)
• Rice for Serving

Directions

1. Place chicken on the bottom of the crockpot
2. Add your birch beer, BBQ sauce, Garlic and Onion Powder.
3. Mix well, till chicken is completely covered.
4. Place on low for 6 hours
5. Serve over rice.

Final Product

Baked Lemon Pepper Wings

I have a weakness when it comes to wings, I could probably eat them every day and not get sick of them.  I think one of the best things about wings, is there are so many different marinades and sauces you can use.  I discovered this little market up the street from my boyfriends house and they have the best meats for really cheap.  I picked up about 3 pounds of wings and could not wait to try a new marinade.  I found a recipe for lemon pepper marinade, I made the marinade and let the wings marinate in the fridge for about 6 hours.  I baked the wings and they came out nice and crisp on the outside, and still juicy on the inside. I can't wait to make these again!

Prep time: 6.5 hours (this includes the marinating time)
Cook time:35 minutes
Serves: 3 pounds was about 7 wings so I would say 3-4 people.
Recipe Adapted from: All Recipes

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 lemons (juiced)
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 4 tablespoons of Dijon mustard
• 12 garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons ground black pepper
• 3 pounds chicken wings

Directions

1. In a large container place your chicken, and add the rest of your ingredients.
2. Mix well, and place in the fridge for 2-8 hours (I did 6 hours)
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
4. Place your wings on a greased baking tray.
5. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until wings reach your desired crispiness (I did 35 minutes)
6. Enjoy!

Final Product ( I paired these with my CROCKPOT Scalloped potatoes so yummy!! Scalloped Potato Recipe!

Crockpot Orange Chicken

I FINALLY HAVE A CROCK POT AGAIN.  My birthday was last week, and my mom got me a brand new crock pot.  I was so excited, and of course started searching for recipes to make.  My boyfriend had found this recipe, and I was super hesitant.  I made orange chicken in the crock pot before and it was AWFUL, we could not even eat it.  This recipe was perfect thought, it was different than any chicken I have had.  It started with a nice orange taste, and the chicken was nice and tender.  I served the chicken over fried as rice, it was a great combination!

Ingredients

• 2.5 pounds chicken breast
• 3/4 cup of orange marmalade
• 3/4 cup of BBQ sauce
• 4 tablespoons of soy sauce
• 1/2 can of chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon of garlic powder

Directions

1. Place your chicken bottom of the crock pot.
2. Add your chicken broth,  and garlic powder.
3. Place your crock pot on high for 3 hours.
4. After three hours drain all liquid from the crock pot and add your marmalade, BBQ sauce and soy sauce.
5. Mix all ingredients and place on high for another 30 minutes.
6. Serve over rice, and enjoy!

Final Product

Homemade Ceaser Dressing

Who doesn't love a good chicken ceaser salad, I think even peopke who arent big fans of salad like ceaser salad.  My boyfriend was craving ceaser salad for dinner, and I decided I would try and make the dressing myself.  I have never made my owne dressing before so I was super hesitant (I even bought a bottle of ceaser in case it turned out gross.)  Well, I definetly did not need to use the bottled dressing, because it turned out AWESOME and it was so simple.  I don't think I will be buying bottled dressing anytime soon.

Recipe adapted from:Eating Well
Prep time: 5 minutes
Serving size: This makes about 3 cups of dressing.

Ingredients

• 8 garlic cloves (minced)
• 2.5 tablespoons of lemon juice
• 4 tablespoons of mayonnaise
• 4 teaspoons of Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon of black pepper
• 5 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of onion powder

Directiosn

1. In a large bowl combine all above ingredients, and mix well.
2. Serve over lettuce and enjoy!

Final Product

Honey Mustard and Pretzel Crusted Chicken

I absolutely love chicken, but I always feel like I run out of ideas for chicken or all the recipes are the same.  I had a ton of chicken in our freezer and wanted to bake some chicken for dinner, but did not want to just do regular baked chicken.  I saw a recipe going around Pinterest for pretzel crusted chicken, and I thought why not.  Everyone was very hesitant about this when I told them, but it was AWESOME.  It is unlike any baked chicken I have had before, the pretzels give it a nice crunch, and the honey mustard sauce is wonderful. I would definitely suggest this to anyone looking for new ways to bake chicken!

Ingredients

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 2 cups panko crumbs
• 2 cups crushed pretzels
• ½ cup olive oil
• ½ cup Dijon mustard
• ⅓ cup honey
• ¼ cup water
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• ½ cup flour

Directions

1. Preheat  your oven to 400 degrees and lightly grease your baking dish
2. In a pan, add your panko crumbs and cook until brown.  Make sure to constantly stir so they do not burn.  Once browned remove from pan and set aside.
3. In a food processor (or blender), process the pretzels until they are all crumbs, and add this mixture to your panko crumbs
4. Rinse your food processor, and place  your oil, mustard, honey, water and vinegar and process until
5. Place your mustard mixture in a small bowl, put your flour in another bowl, and the pretzel mixture to a third bowl.
6. Place the chicken in the flour, then into the dressing and lastly in the pretzels (make sure the chicken is fully coated).
7.  Place your chicken onto the baking tray and bake for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through.
8. Enjoy!

Final Product

 

 

Healthier Chicken Salad

I was looking on Pinterest for quick and easy dinner ideas, when an avocado chicken salad popped up and I thought that would be perfect for dinner and I had all the ingredients.  When I got home I realized that the avocados were not ripe yet, and decided why not make regular chicken salad.  I had just bought a huge container of Gerek yogurt the night before, and decided to make a healthy alternative instead of using a ton of mayonnaise.  The recipe was super creamy and it was delicious.  I served it over a bed of spinach, and my roommate had hers on a sandwich and both ways were DELICIOUS.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Servings size: 4-5 people
Recipe adapted from: Cooking Light

Ingredients

• 2 pounds of chicken tenders
• Garlic powder for seasoning
• ADOBA for seasoning
• 1/4 cup of light mayonnaise
• 3/4 cup of  plain Greek yogurt
• 2 teaspoons of lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons of white distilled vinegar
• 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon of honey
• 1.5 teaspoons of black pepper
• 2 teaspoons of garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons of celery salt
• Salad or bread for serving

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
2. Lightly sprinkle your chicken with Adoba and garlic powder and place on a non-stick baking tray.
3. Bake your chicken tenders for 20 minutes (or until no longer pink)
4. Let your chicken cool for about 10 minutes
5. Once cool, shred your chicken.
6. Add your shredded chicken to a bowl and add your  mayonnaise, yogurt, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, honey, pepper, garlic and celery salt. 
7. Mix well until ingredients are combined.
8. Chill for about 20 minutes.
9. Serve and enjoy!

Final Product

Simple Deviled Eggs

Who doesn't love a good deviled egg, especially at a summer cook out!  I was craving deviled eggs the other day, and I decided why not make some and bring the rest to work as a treat.  I never made deviled eggs before, so I was not sure how they would turn out.  The recipe I used was super simple, and they tasted awesome.  I will definitely be using this recipe all the time!
Prep time- 15 minutes
Cook time- 20 minutes
Recipe adapted from: Six Sisters Stuff

Ingredients

• 1 dozen large eggs
• 4 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 4 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons of onion powder
• Paprika for topping

Directions

• Place your eggs in a large pot, and cover with about an inch of water.
• Bring water to a boil.
• Once water is boiling, leave eggs in for one minute.
• After one minute, remove pot from heat and let eggs sit for 13 minutes.
• Once your time is up remove eggs from heat and place in cool water for about 10 minutes (this makes the eggs much easier to peel)
• Once eggs are peeled, slice your eggs in half and place the yolks in a large bowl and arrange the egg whites on a plate (I used a food processor)
• Add your mayonnaise, mustard, garlic and onion powder to the yolks and mix (or process) until completely smooth.
• Add mixture to your shells, and sprinkle with paprika.
• Enjoy!

Final Product

Avocado Soup

Here I go again with my avocado obsession, I made this soup a while ago I just have forgotten to post the recipe.  This soup is super light in taste, but very filling.  This was SO easy to make and it made a lot!  If you love avocado this soup is definitely for you.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 onion (chopped)
• 3 garlic cloves (mince)
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 avocados, peeled and mashed
• 1 teaspoon lime juice
• 2 cups 2% milk
• 2 tablespoons of cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• Salt and Pepper

Directions

1. Heat the butter in a medium pot over medium heat, add your onion and garlic, cook for about 3 minutes
2. Add your chicken broth, lime juice and avocados and bring your mixture to a boil. 
3. Reduce the heat to medium and let simmer for  7-10 minutes.
4. Transfer to the blender and blend until smooth. 
5. Return the mixture to the pot, add your milk, cornstarch, cumin, salt and pepper.
6. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes. 
7. Enjoy!

Final Product

Easy Paella

I never heard of this recipe before my boyfriend said something about it being his favorite food.  He likes to to compare it to Jambalya with more seafood and spice, and I would have to say that it's pretty spot on.  There are some recipes out there that make it look really complicated, but I promise this is simple!  This is super filling because of all the meat, and really not too hard to make.  It was my first time ever cooking mussels and they are SO easy.  If you love jambalaya and seafood this is definitely the recipe for you! 

Prep time- 30 minutes

Cook time- 30 minutes

Serving size- 6 people

Recipe adapted from- All Recipes

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1.5 tablespoons of paprika
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon of Adoba Seasoning
• 1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, diced
• 5 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes (this makes it very spicy...use less if you don't want it as hot)
• 2 cups uncooked yellow rice ( I love the GOYA brand)
• a pinch of saffron threads (these are very expensive but the seasoning really completes the recipe)
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tablespoons of dried parley
• 1 quart of chicken broth
• 2 lemons zested (awesome how to on lemon zesting (The Kitchn)
• 1 tablespoon of onion powder
• 1 pound of sausage (I used Johnsonville Cajun sausage)
• 1 pound of raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 pounds of mussels

Directions

1. In a bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons olive oil, paprika, oregano and Adoba.  Place chicken in your bowl, stir to coat all of the chicken
2. Place in the fridge for 20 minutes to marinate.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in your garlic, red pepper flakes, and rice. Stir your rice until all of the rice is covered with oil, cook about 3 minutes. 
4. Stir in saffron threads, bay leaf, parsley, chicken stock, and lemon zest. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to medium low. 
5. Let the rice mixture simmer for about 20 minutes, or until all liquid is gone. (Once rice is done leave lid on to keep the heat in)
6. While the rice is cooking heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add your marinated chicken and onion powder and cook  for 5 minutes. 
7. Add in your bell pepper and sausage and cook 5 minutes.
8. Add in  your shrimp and cook till shrimp is pink, about 5 minutes
9. While your shrimp is cooking place your mussels in a pot, add your beer and cook for 7 minutes (until all shells are opened)
10. Add your mussels to the seafood mixture, including the liquid from the mussels.
11. Serve your seafood mixture over your rice.

Final Product

Pasta with Creamy Avocado Sauce

As you can all tell by now, I love avocado.  I have been using avocados now at least once a week.  There was a recipe going around that used avocado pasta sauce, and I was dying to try it.  This is an awesome alternative to the normal pasta sauces.

Serving size- 4-6 people
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time:20 minutes
Recipe adapted from: The Comfort of Cooking

Ingredients

• One 16oz box of pasta (your choice I used bow tie noodles)
• 2 avocados pitted and scooped
• 2 teaspoons of lemon juice
• 5 cloves of garlic (minced)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of chopped basil
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. In a large pot boil your water, and once boiling add your pasta.
2. While your pasta is cooking combine all ingredients, except the Parmesan cheese in your food processor (if you don't have a food processor a blender will work)
3. Once pasta is done cooking add your avocado mixture to the pasta, and your Parmesan cheese

Final Product

Korean Beef

Chinese is right up there as one of my favorite foods.  I love all types of stir fry's and have been looking for different ones.  I found this recipe the other night and I thought I would give it a try.  It was very different then the typical stir fry because it is much sweeter.  The ground beef gets very tender and is awesome served over white rice.

Serving size: 6-8 1 cup servings
Prep time:10 minutes
Cook time:15 minutes
Recipe adapted from: Food.com

Ingredients

• 2 pounds ground beef
• 2 tablespoons of sesame oil
• 6 garlic cloves (minced)
• 1/2 cup of brown sugar
• 1/2 cup of soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 12 sliced green onions for topping
• White rice for serving

Directions

1.  In a large pan brown your ground beef with the garlic and the sesame oil
2. .Drain the ground beef and add brown sugar, soy sauce, ginger, and crushed red pepper.  Return back to the pan
3. Let the mixture simmer for 3 minutes on low heat
4. Serve over white rice and top with green onions.

Final Product



Image from The Girl who Ate Everything

Chicken in a Southwest Sauce

The other night I was craving mexican style food but was not in the mood for ground beef.  I found a recipe for southwestern sauce, and decided to adapt it a little to make this recipe.  This recipe was exactly what I wanted and it so simple. 

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Serving size: 6 people
Recipe adapted from: Food Gawker

Ingredients

• 2 pounds chicken cut into bite size pieces
• 1 packet of taco seasoning
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 16oz container of sour cream
• 1 16 oz can of black beans
• 1 bag of frozen microwaveable corn
• 2 cups of shredded Mexican cheese
• 1 cups of salsa 
• Rice for serving
• Tortilla chips for topping (Tostitos has new fajita flavored tortilla chips, I used those and it was AWESOME!)

Directions

1. In a large skillet add your diced chicken, olive oil and taco seasoning.
2. Continue to cook chicken for about 10-15 minutes (until chicken is cooked through) 
3. While your chicken is cooking, microwave your corn.
4. Add your cooked chicken to a large bowl.
5. Add your sour cream, black beans, corn, Mexican cheese and salsa.
6. Mix unti chicken is coated.
7. Serve over yellow rice and top with tortilla chips.

Final Product

Fried Porkchops

I have to start off by saying that I really do not like pork... I very rarely cook it and just really do not like the taste.  My roommate has been begging me to make fried pork chops with our new deep fryer, and I thought I would give it a try.  If pork chops were made like this all the time, they would quickly become my favorite food.  Having a deep fryer definitely made it easier than if I would have done it in a pan.  The pork chops were nice and crispy on the outside but juicy on the inside.  I would reccomend this recipe for someone who typically does not like pork, or if you are looking to change up how you cook pork.


Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Serving size: 4 people
Recipe adapted from:Deep South Dish

Ingredients

• Four pork chops with bone in (try and get them all the same size)
• Season all salt
• 1-2 cups of buttermilk
• 1 cup of flour
• 1 16oz bottle of oil if you are using a fryer... you need enough oil to cover the pork chops.

Directions

1. Sprinkle your season all salt on both sides of each pork chop. 
2. In a large bowl add your buttermilk, and in a seperate bowl add your flour.
3. Dip your pork chop into the buttermilk, covering the pork chop.
4. With a fork let any excess milk drip off, and then dip pork chop in flour.  Make sure there is flour covering the entire pork chop.
5. Add one pork chop at a time to the fryer and cook for 8 minutes.
6. Enjoy!

Final Product