High Protein Bang Bang Chicken Bowl

FOR THE CHICKEN

3 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized chunks

1 t garlic powder

1 t salt

1/2 t black pepper

Olive oil spray

FOR THE BANG BANG SAUCE

1/3 cup mayonnaise (prefer avocado mayo)

2 T Greek yogurt

2 T sweet chili sauce

1 T sriracha

1 t honey

FOR THE BOWL

2 cups cooked jasmine or basmati rice

1 avocado, sliced

1 cup shredded carrots

1 cup shredded red cabbage

1 cucumber, thinly sliced

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 green onions, chopped

1 T sesame seeds (black & white mix)

In a bowl, toss chicken chunks with spices.  Heat a skillet over medium-high heat with a light spray of olive oil.  Cook chicken pieces 6-8 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown and cooked through.

In a small bowl, whisk together mayo, yogurt, sweet chili sauce, sriracha, and honey until smooth. 

Toss cooked chicken with sauce.

Assemble:  Rice -> Chicken -> Avocado -> Carrots -> Cabbage -> and Cucumber

Garnish: Drizzle extra sauce over the top, then sprinkle with sesame seeds, green onions and cilantro.

Loaded Fiesta Potato Bowls

These days preparing a meal for everyone is complicated and I've been in a slump.  Chris and I are trying to keep our carbs down and our protein up, the young adults have their own thing and then there's the baby (15, 6'1" & 160 lbs and long distance running).  Sometimes there's two for dinner and sometimes there's 8!  Anyway, I made all new meals all week just to do something different and this one was a real hit, not too time consuming and made from scratch.  I don't know where it lands on the carbs with the potatoes but you can't win them all!

Loaded Fiesta Potato Bowls

4-5 russet potatoes (we like red potatoes), peeled and sliced 

olive oil, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, chili powder & cayenne pepper

2 lbs ground beef

1 yellow onion (3/4 for the meat, 1/4 for the topping)

taco seasoning for 2 lbs

2 T butter

2 T flour

1 t each salt, pepper, chili powder

1 cup milk

8 oz freshly grated cheddar cheese

juice of 1 lime

1 roma tomato

handful cilantro, chopped

salt & pepper to taste

Taco Bell sauce (we used herdez chipotle cream)

Preheat to 425 while you cut up your potatoes.  Sprinkle with olive oil and mix.  Evenly sprinkle with seasonings and mix.  Set timer for 40 minutes and when it goes off just turn the oven off till you need the potatoes.

Brown your meat.  Add diced onion.  Add taco seasoning.  Put the lid on and set aside.

In a saucepan melt butter and whisk in the flour.  Add seasonings and let thicken.  Add milk and heat until warm enough to add cheese gradually to melt.  Set aside

Diced tomato, cilantro and add remaining onions.  Add cilantro and lime juice, salt and pepper.  Stir.

Assemble:  Potatoes->Meat->Cheese->Tomato Mixture (pico, basically), Desired sauce (I could eat this without the sauce all together, but some of our crew loved it with).

DIY Enchilada Sauce

I LOVE this!  I can't always find enchilada sauce at Aldi and find I don't always have it on hand.  I will definitely be using it again!  Quick and simple!!

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
  
• 3 tablespoons flour (whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour and gluten-free flour blends all work!)
  
• 1 tablespoon ground chili powder
  
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder 
• ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon salt, to taste
• Pinch of cinnamon (optional but recommended)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or distilled white vinegar
  
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

This sauce comes together quickly once you get started, so measure the dry ingredients (the flour, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, oregano, salt and optional cinnamon) into a small bowl and place it near the stove. Place the tomato paste and broth near the stove as well.

In a medium-sized pot over medium heat, warm the oil until it’s hot enough that a light sprinkle of the flour/spice mixture sizzles on contact. This might take a couple of minutes, so be patient and don’t step away from the stove.

Once it’s ready, pour in the flour and spice mixture. While whisking constantly, cook until fragrant and slightly deepened in color, about 1 minute. Whisk the tomato paste into the mixture, then slowly pour in the broth while whisking constantly to remove any lumps.

Raise heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook, whisking often, for about 5 to 7 minutes, until the sauce has thickened a bit and a spoon encounters some resistance as you stir it. (The sauce will thicken some more as it cools.)

Remove from heat, then whisk in the vinegar and season to taste with a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper. Add more salt, if necessary (I usually add another pinch or two). Go forth and make enchiladas!

Wedding Potatoes

I do not know the real name for this recipe.  We served it at Mallory's wedding over 10 years ago and now we all call it 'wedding potatoes' and we all know what that means.  Enjoy.

2 lb bag frozen hashbrowns

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 8 oz tub French onion dip

1 8 oz tub sour cream

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 stick butter (melted)

Lay's potato chips (original)

Combine soup, dip, sour cream and cheese in large bowl.  Mix in hashbrowns.  Pour mixture into 9x13 dish.  Pour melted butter over mixture.  Crush chips and spread over mixture.  Bake at 400 degrees with foil for 45 minutes.  Remove foil and cook for 15 minutes.

Alton Brown's Baked Macaroni and Cheese

1/2 lb. elbow macaroni 

3 T unsalted butter

3 T all-purpose flour

1 T powdered mustard

3 cups milk

1/2 cup onion, finely diced

1 bay leaf

1/2 t paprika

1 large egg

12 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Freshly ground black pepper

Topping:

3 T unsalted butter

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

Preheat the oven to 350.  In a pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente; drain.

While the pasta is cooking, in a separate pot, melt the butter.  Whisk in the flour and mustard and keep it moving for about 5 minutes.  Make sure it's free of lumps.

Stir in the milk, onion, bay leaf and paprika.  Simmer for 10 minutes; remove the bay leaf.

Temper in the egg:  Beat the egg in a small bowl with a fork; beat in a T or two of the warm sauce, then slowly whisk the egg mixture back into the sauce.  Stir in three-quarters of the cheese.  Add 1 t salt, and pepper to taste.  Fold the macaroni into the mix and pour into a 2 qt casserole dish.  Top with the remaining cheese.

Melt the butter in a sauté pan and toss in the breadcrumbs to coat.  Top the macaroni with the breadcrumbs to coat.  Top the macaroni with the breadcrumbs.  Bake for 30 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Lemon Icebox Pie

Christopher requested a lemon pie for his birthday and this is where we landed.  Apparently, it's a keeper.  Or so I've been told numerous times at this point.  We will be making it again.  Sooooo, it's immediately going on the blog.  Enjoy!

CRUST (homemade):
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
7 Tbsp. salted butter, melted

FILLING:
2 14-oz. cans sweetened condensed milk
1 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 6 lemons)
5 large egg yolks
1 Tbsp. lemon zest

TOPPING:

1 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350°. Combine the cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter in a medium bowl. Mix with a fork until the crumbs are well coated and stick together when pinched. Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Bake until set, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly, about 10 minutes.  To be fair, I often use a pre-bought graham cracker crust and it worked beautifully for this recipe.

Whisk together the condensed milk, lemon juice, egg yolks, and lemon zest in a medium bowl until combined. Pour the filling into the crust and bake until the center is set but still slightly jiggly, about 15 minutes. Let cool for 30 minutes, then refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours.

Before serving, beat the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form. Dollop on the center of the pie and serve.

Halloween Chili

2 pounds ground beef chuck (or ground turkey)
1 pound bulk Italian sausage
5 (15 ounce) cans chili beans, 2 drained/3 undrained

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 (28 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with juice
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 red/yellow/orange bell peppers, seeded and chopped
4 cubes beef bouillon
1 beer (usually bottled ale from ALDI, something German)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon minced garlic

1/4 cup chili powder
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 (10.5 ounce) bag corn chips such as Fritos®/tortilla chips
1 (8 ounce) package shredded Cheddar cheese

Heat a large dutch oven/stock pot over medium-high heat. Crumble the ground chuck and sausage into the hot pan, and cook until evenly browned. 

Pour in the remaining ingredients (except for toppings). Stir to blend, then cover and simmer over low heat for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally. (I do this in the crockpot occasionally but if I do I make it the day before and start it on high early the next day)

To serve, ladle into bowls, and top with corn chips and shredded Cheddar cheese. (optional - sour cream, jalapeños, etc.)

This started out as someone else's recipe that we tweaked to make our own over the years.  It's a 15 year old recipe now and a fall favorite.  Enjoy!