Chicken Ranch Burgers

I tried a new recipe tonight...Chicken Ranch Burgers. I originally found the recipe here. I took the original recipe and made a few changes. (Mostly because I didn't have what the original recipe called for in my cupboards.) My husband and I found the burgers to have great flavor and definitely a recipe I would will use again. Remember you can check out the original recipe here, but here is the one I used:

1 lb. Ground Chicken
1/2 c. Bread Crumbs
1 T. Onion Powder
1 t. Seasoned Salt
1 t. Garlic Powder
2 T. Franks Red Hot Sauce
Ranch Dressing

1. Preheat your broiler on your over or your grill.
2. In a large bowl mix together everything except the ranch dressing.
3. Form chicken mixture into 4 patties.
4. Place on grill or greased broiler pan.
5. Broil/Grill for 4-6 minutes on each side or until internal temp reaches 160 degrees.
6. Serve with ranch dressing.

YUM!

Potato Cakes

2 cups mashed potatoes
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup all purpose flour
salt to taste
1 pinch of garlic salt

*** Works great to have these the night after I serve the Garlic Mashed Potatoes, because I can just use the leftovers. :-)

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

3 medium baking potatoes peeled and coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature (I didn't use this much butter)
1/4 cup sour cream, at room temperature
1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
1 tablespoon (or more) milk

1.  Cook potatoes in salted water until tender. Drain potatoes.
2.  Add the butter, sour cream, and garlic. Mash the potatoes.
3.  Add the milk, a little at a time until the potatoes are the desired consistency. Taste and add salt and pepper as/if needed.

***I found this recipe on pinterest and is from Paula Deen.

Low-fat Tuna Salad

2 cans light tun in water, drained
1/2 cup plain non-fat greek yogurt
3 Tablespoons sweet pickle relish
2 Tablespoons mustard
Fresh cilantro (optional)

Mix all ingredients well. Makes 4 servings.

Peanut Butter Brownie Trifle

I got this delicious dessert from Taste of Home and you can find the recipe by clicking here.

1 fudge brownie mix (13 x 9 pan size)
1 pkg. (10 oz.) peanut butter chips
2 pkgs. (13 oz. each) miniature peanut butter cups
4 cups cold 2% milk
2 pkgs. (5.1 oz each) instant vanilla pudding mix
1 cup creamy peanut butter
4 teaspoons vanilla
3 cartons (8 oz. each) cool whip

1.  Prepare brownie batter according to package directions; stir in peanut butter chips. Bake in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with moist crumbs (do not overbake). Cool on a wire rack; cut into 3/4-in. pieces.


2. Cut peanut butter cups in half; set aside 1/3 cup for garnish. In a large bowl, whisk milk and pudding mixes for 2 minutes (mixture will be thick). Add peanut butter and vanilla; mix well. Fold in 1-1/2 cartons whipped topping.


3. Place a third of the brownies in a 5-qt. glass bowl; top with a third of the remaining peanut butter cups. Spoon a third of the pudding mixture over the top. Repeat layers twice. Cover with remaining whipped topping; garnish with reserved peanut butter cups. Refrigerate until chilled. Yield: 20 servings (1 cup each).

Buffalo Chicken and Potatoes

1-1/4 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" strips
1/3 cup buffalo wing sauce
6 cups frozen (thawed) southern-stype has brown potatoes
1 cup of ranch or blue cheese dressing
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 can cream of celery soup
1/2 cup corn flake crumbs
2 Tbs. butter or margarine, melted
1/4 cup chopped green onions

1. Heat over to 350. Spray 13"x9" baking dish with cooking spray.

2. In medium bowl, stir together chicken strips and wing sauce.

3. In large bowl, stir together potatoes, dressing, cheese, and soup. Spoon into baking dish. Place chicken strips in single layer over potato mixture.

4. In small bowl, stir together crumbs and butter. Sprinkle in baking dish.

5. Cover with foil. Bake 30 minutes; uncover and bake 20 to 25 minutes longer or until potatoes are tender and juice of chicken is no longer pink. Sprinkle with green onions.

***When I made this yummy dish I used ranch dressing and did not use the corn flake crumbs, butter, or green onions.

Easy Crockpot Potato Soup

Easy Crockpot Potato Soup

1- 30 oz. bag of frozen, shredded hash browns
42 oz. Chicken Broth
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
½ cup Onion, chopped
¼ tsp. Ground Pepper
1 pkg. Cream Cheese (don’t use fat free, it won’t melt)
2 tsp. Basil
Salt to taste

In a crockpot, combine everything EXCEPT for the cream cheese and basil. Cook for 6-8 hours on low heat. About 1 hour before serving, add cream cheese and basil and keep heated until thoroughly melted. Serve with cheese, sour cream, bacon bits, green onions, or whatever else you think would be good!

Asian Chicken Salad

Asian Chicken Salad


1 pkg. (3 oz.) Ramen Noodle Soup Mix
1 pkg.  (14 oz.) Coleslaw Blend
2 cups shredded or chopped cooked chicken
4 green onions
1/3 cup Peanuts
1/2 cup Lite Asian Toasted Sesame Dressing (I used Kens Lite Asian Seasame w/ Ginger and Soy)
1 Tbsp. Creamy Peanut Butter

1. Break noodles into small pieces in a large bowl. Add coleslaw blend, chicken, onions, and nuts; mix lightly. You can discard the seasoning packet from the soup mix or use it for something else.

2. Beat the dressing and peanut butter with a whisk until well blended.  Add to salad; toss to coat.

* To add some zip add 1/2 tsp. hot pepper sauce to dressing mixture before tossing with the salad.

Mexican Cabbage Soup

6 cups beef broth
14 oz. diced tomatoes with green chillies
1/4 lb. lean ground beef or ground turkey (can add more if you like)
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cumin, ground
2 teaspoons oregano
3 cups cabbage, shredded
3/4 cup black beans, canned (I usually just use a can)

Cook ground beef/ground turkey until no longer pink. I also like to cook it will my onion and garlic.

Add all other ingredients and let simmer for awhile. (I usually let it cook for an hour just to get all the flavoring in.)

Freezes well!

Beef Stroganoff

1-1/2 lbs. thinly sliced steak
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup water
1 envelope Onion Soup mix
1/2 cup Sour Cream
Noodles

1. In a large skillet, stir fry beef in oil until no longer pink.

2. Stir in soup, water, and onion soup mix.

3. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

4. Stir in sour cream and heat through (do not boil)

5. Serve over noodles and garnish with parsley.

Whole Wheat Chili Mac

Ingredients:
1 lb. lean ground beef (or ground turkey)
1 medium onion
can of Mexican-Style stewed tomatoes
1-1/4 cup of canned tomato sauce
2 T. canned green chili peppers
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 cup whole-wheat elbow macaroni (or any pasta)
can of kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1. In a large skillet, cook beef and onion until meat is browned, drain off fat.

2. Stir in undrained stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce, chili pepper, chili powder and cumin. Bring to a boil.

3. Stir in uncooked  macaroni and kidney beans. Return to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer until macaroni is tender, about 15 minutes.

My kiddos like to top with cheese and sour cream.

I found this recipe here.

Menu Plan Monday

I am participating in Menu Plan Monday. You can read all about Menu Plan Monday here. This is a fun way to get lots of new recipes to try.

My Weekly Meal Plan:

Monday- Dream Dinner

Tuesday- On the Border w/family

Wednesday- Chili Mac

Thursday- Crockpot Santa Fe Chicken

Friday- Pizza out

Saturday- Family Christmas Dinner

Sunday- All You Can Eat (aka leftovers)

What are you having for dinner this week?

Peanut Butter Brownie Trifle

Doesn't that look yummy? Let me tell you from experience it is DELICIOUS! I think that this may be my new favorite dessert! This photo and recipe were found at Taste of Home.

Ingredients:

1 fudge brownie mix

1 pkg. (10 oz) peanut butter chips

2 pkgs. (13 oz each) miniature peanut better cups

4 cups cold 2% milk

2 pkgs. (5.1 oz each) instant vanilla pudding mix

1 cup creamy peanut butter

4 teaspoons vanilla

3 cartons (8 oz each) frozen whipped topping, thawed (I only used 2)

Directions:

1. Prepare brownie batter according to package directions; stir in peanut butter chips. Bake in a greased 13x9 pan at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with moist crumbs (do not overbake). Let cool; cut into 3/4-in. pieces.

2. Cut peanut butter cups in half (when I do this again I am just going to crumble them) and set aside 1/3 cup for garnish. In a large bowl, whisk milk and pudding mixes for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set. Add peanut butter and vanilla; mix well. Fold in 1-1/2 cartons whipped topping.

3.  Place a third of the brownies in a 5-qt. glass triffle bowl; top with a third of the remaining peanut butter cups. Spoon a third of the pudding mixture over the top. Repeat layers twice. Cover with the remaining whipped topping; garnish with reserved peanut butter cups. Refrigerate until child.

*I did not use the whole pan of brownies and when I added the brownies I crumbled them somewhat.

Crispy Southwest Chicken Wraps

These are a HUGE hit in my house! I found this recipe Mel's KitchenCafe.

* Makes 6 wraps*

Ingredients:
1 cup cooked rice, warm
1 cup chicken, shredded (cooked)
1 can black beans, rinsed
4 green onions
2 green or red peppers
1/4 cup cilantro
juice of 1 lime
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
2 cups shredded cheese
sour cream
burrito-sized tortillas

Mix rice together with chili powder, cumin, and garlic salt. Add remaining ingredients except for cheese and sour cream. Sprinkle cheese over tortillas, leaving 1/2-in. border around edges, then arrange chicken and rice mixture down the center of each tortilla. (We like to put sour cream in our wraps) Roll stuffed tortillas, leading edges open. Spray the tortillas all over with cooking spray.

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat for 1 minute. Arrange wraps seam-side down, in pan and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining wraps.

Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken

I found this awesome recipe here. This was even a hit with my kiddos! I made a few changes to the recipe, if you want to see the original one go here. I served this over rice and let the kids top it with crushed tortilla chips, sour cream, and cheese.

1-1/2 lbs. chicken breast
14.4 oz. can diced tomatoes w/ chipotle chilies
15 oz. can black beans
1/4 cup cilantro
14.4 oz. chicken stock
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. salt

Combine chicken stock, beans, tomatoes, cilantro, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, and cayenne pepper in crock pot. Season chicken with salt and lay on top. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. Remove chicken shred and return to crock pot.

Granola

18 oz. box of Wheaties
9 cups quick oats
1/2 cup chopped almonds
1/2 cup coconut
3/4 cup wheatgerm
1 1/2 cup oil
1 1/2 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1.  Combine the Wheaties, quick oats, almonds, coconut, and wheatgerm
2.  Mix together and heat oil and honey. DO NOT BOIL! When hot, add vanilla.
3.  Pour over the other ingredients and mix well.
4.  Bake in a large roasting pan @ 300 for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.

Creamy Italian Crock-pot Chicken

1 pkg. dry Italian dressing
1-1/2 lbs. chicken breast
1 pkg. cream cheese
1 can cream of chicken
1/4 cup water

1. Place chicken in crock-pot.
2. Mix water and seasoning, pour over chicken.
3. Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 8 hours.
4. Add cream cheese and shred chicken.
5. Serve over noodles or rice.

Menu Plan Monday...on Tuesday

I am participating in the Organized Junkie Menu Plan Monday. You can read all about Menu Plan Monday here. This is my first time doing this, but I thought that it would be fun. This week is kind of crazy for me, so I am not trying any new recipes. I am just going with some old standbys. Be sure to check out Menu Plan Monday as there are a lot of different sites that share their menus for the week.

Better late then never right? Last night was a little crazy with it being Halloween and everything and I just didn't get around to getting this post done. Here it is now though...

My Weekly Menu:

Monday- Creamy Italian Chicken w/Rice (I made some adjustments to this recipe. Will update the recipe soon with my adjustments.)

Tuesday- Chili w/Rice

Wednesday- Crispy South West Chicken Wraps (this is a new recipe)

Thursday- Creamy Chicken Pockets (this is a new recipe)

Friday to Sunday- Visiting Family :)

I also made some super yummy Black Bean Veggie Burgers to have for lunch throughout the week with a Chipotle Ranch dressing.

Black Bean Veggie Burger

I found this yummy recipe at allrecipes.com

Ingredients:
1 (16 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 green bell pepper
1/2 onion
3 gloves garlic
1 egg
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1 Tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon Thai chili sauce or hot sauce
1/2 cup bread crumbs

Preheat over to 375 and lightly oil a baking sheet.

In a medium bowl, mash black beans with a fork until thick and pasty.

In a food processor, finely chop bell pepper, onion, and garlic. Then stir into mashed beans.

In a small bowl, stir together egg, chili powder, cumin, and chili sauce.

Stir the egg mixture into the mashed beans. Mix in bread crumbs until the mixture is sticky and holds together. Divide mixture into four patties.

Place patties on baking sheet, and bake about 10 minutes on each side.

~ I like to eat these on a tomato basil wrap with cheese, lettuce, tomato, and chipotle ranch dressing.

Chipotle Ranch Dressing

1 chipotle chile w/ adobo sauce
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt

Place all ingredients in a blender; cover then blend until smooth. Use immediately or refrigerate in a covered container. Dressing may be kept, refrigerated, for up to one week.