Chicken & Rice Casserole

I love meals that can be made ahead.  If they freeze well too, bestill my heart.  While I always love a good casserole, when the temperatures drop I love them even more.  A couple of years back I discovered this Cheesy Chicken & Wild Rice Casserole on Picky Palate.  I couldn't find the wild rice she recommended so I made a substitution and then a few more tweaks.  It quickly became one of my favorites.  This recipe is a little more time consuming to prepare, but it can all be made ahead and then just popped in the oven before dinner.  It is also super easy to double so you can get two wonderful meals without having to do the work twice.  I like to make a double batch of this Chicken & Rice Casserole on the weekend for a delicious Sunday dinner, and then freeze one to bring a little weekend goodness to a busy weeknight.

The cheese sauce in this Chicken & Rice Casserole is homemade, but I take a little shortcut with this super yummy Quinoa & Brown Rice mix.

I buy mine at Costco in a 6-pack but you can get it at Target and Wal-Mart too.  Start out by microwaving your rice according to the instructions on the package and then set it aside.

Chop up some onion, carrot, and celery and saute them in a large pot with a little olive oil.  Once the vegetables are softened, add in a good amount of minced garlic and saute for about a minute more.

Stir in the pre-cooked rice, a few cups of chopped up rotisserie chicken, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  This recipe is deliciously garlicky, but not overly so.

While your veggies are sauteing, make your cheese sauce.  Melt half a stick of butter in a medium saucepan.  Whisk in an equal amount of flour along with a little salt and pepper.  Pour in two cups of chicken stock and continue to whisk until the sauce starts to thicken.  Stir in some shredded cheddar and Monterrey jack cheeses until they are melted.

Pour the cheese sauce over the rice mixture and stir until everything is well coated.  Pour it all into a 9 x 13 baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.

Top with some more shredded cheese because cheese is delicious.

  Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Look at that bubbly goodness.  This Chicken & Rice Casserole is comfort food at its finest.  The layered garlic flavors from the garlic, garlic powder, and rice blend give an incredible depth of flavor.  Combine that with the creamy, cheesy goodness of the sauce and the slight bite from the veggies and you have casserole perfection.  Dinner is served!

Chicken & Rice Casserole
Adapted from Picky Palate

For the casserole: 

• 2-4 tbls. olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup chopped carrots
•  4-6 cloves garlic, minced
•  3 cups cooked chicken, cut into bite sized pieces
• 3 (8.5 oz) packages Seeds of Change Quinoa & Brown Rice with Garlic   
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder

For the sauce:

• 4 tbls. butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper 
• 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• 2 cups shredded Monterrey Jack cheese, divided

1. Microwave your rice according to the package instructions.
2. In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium high heat and saute onion, carrots, and celery, stirring occasionally, until softened (about 15 minutes).   Add in the garlic and saute for another minute.
3. While the vegetables are cooking, make your cheese sauce:  Melt butter in a medium saucepan.  Whisk in flour, salt, and pepper and continue to cook over medium-high heat for about a minute.  Add in chicken stock, continuing to whisk until sauce starts to thicken.  Stir in 1 1/3 cups of cheddar and 1 cup of Monterrey Jack cheeses until melted.
4. Add the chicken, rice/quinoa blend, salt, pepper, and garlic powder to the pot with the vegetables.  Stir to combine.
5. Pour in cheese sauce and stir until everything is coated.  Then pour into a 9 x 13 baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.  
6. Top with the remaining 2/3 cup cheddar and 1 cup Monterrey Jack cheeses and bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes.

*You can also divide this into two square baking dishes and freeze one for another time. 


I'm linking up with Lou Lou Girls, Mad Skills, Create Link Inspire, Two Cup Tuesday, Tips & Tricks, Whimsy Wednesdays, Wednesday Whatsits, Moonlight & Mason Jars, Cook It Craft It Share It, Crafty & Delicious, Create It Thursday, Showcase Your Talent Thursday, Creativity Unleashed, Pin Junkie, Cookin & Craftin, Thrifty Thursday, Friday Favorites, Best of the Weekend, Weekend Potluck, Best Recipes, Link Party Palooza, and Pinworthy Projects.

Slow Cooker Italian Beef

My new year's resolution this year was to get back on track with my meal planning and to start trying more new recipes.  A while back another mom emailed me this recipe for Crock Pot Italian Beef Sandwiches.   She said it was one of her family's favorite meals and it only has a few ingredients so I decided to try it out.  After checking at four different stores, I decided to give up on the Chicago style Giardiniera it calls for and just go Italian style.  Oh my goodness, I am so glad I couldn't find the Chicago style!  I don't know how it would have tasted with it, but with the Italian style it was A-MA-ZING!!!!

Alright, now that I have you excited, I'll tell you how to make it.  You will need a chuck roast, an envelope of Italian salad dressing mix (I used Good Seasons Zesty Italian), a jar of Italian style Giardiniera, a can of beef broth, and a jar of pepperoncini or banana peppers.  We aren't big on spice in this house so we used mild, you stick with how your family likes it.

Trim the fat off of your chuck roast and cut it into big chunks (about 3-4 inches).  Spray your slow cooker with cooking spray and put the beef inside.  Sprinkle the packet of salad dressing mix all over the top.

Add in half of the jar of pepperoncini peppers along with a couple of tablespoons of the juice from the jar.  Drain the liquid out of the jar of Giardiniera and dump it in.  The first time I made this I only used half of the jar and the bites with the veggies were so unbelievably flavorful that I decided to use the full jar the second time.  It was an excellent decision!  Pour in the can of broth and then give it all a little stir to get the liquid under the meat and the veggies and peppers evenly distributed.

Put on the lid and turn your slow cooker on LOW.  Cook until the meat shreds easily, about 8 1/2 - 9 hours.

Put the shredded meat back in and give it a good stir.  Recover your slow cooker and let cook for another hour or so to give the meat a chance to soak up some of that flavorful juice.

Now, who likes to cook once and eat twice?  I do!  In fact, I love it.  I'm not talking about eating the exact same meal two times either, although we do that a lot.  Leftovers are a busy mama's friend.  The first night we had this Slow Cooker Italian Beef as recommended, on sandwich rolls with sliced provolone melting into all of the little nooks and crannies.  Then a couple of days later we had the leftover meat warmed up with some oven roasted potatoes and salad on the side.  It was delicious this way too.

The photo really does not do this meal justice.  Slow Cooker Italian Beef has quickly become a family favorite for us and I'm sure it will for your family too!

Slow Cooker Italian Beef
Adapted from Iowa Girl Eats 

• 3 lb. chuck roast, trimmed of fat and cut into 3-4 inch chunks
• 1 envelope Italian salad dressing mix
• 8 oz. pepperoncini or banana pepper slices plus 1-2 tbls. juice from jar
• 16 oz. jar of Italian Mix Giardiniera, drained
• 14.5 oz. can of beef broth

1. Spray slow cooker with cooking spray and put chuck roast chunks into slow cooker.  Sprinkle meat with salad dressing mix.
2. Add in peppers, pepper juice, Giardiniera, and beef broth.
3. Stir to let broth under meat and evenly distribute vegetables and peppers.
4. Cook on low 8 1/2 to 9 hours.  Remove meat from slow cooker and shred it.
5. Return meat to slow cooker, stir, and continue to cook for another hour.
6. Serve on sandwich rolls with sliced provolone or with roasted potatoes and salad.

Slow Cooker Verde Chicken Chili

I love chili and I love verde chicken so this Slow Cooker Verde Chicken Chili was a match made in heaven for me.  Even though I love chili, I don't make it very often because Jake won't eat soup (of any kind).  On top of that, Jake and Josh won't eat beans, total weirdos.  Luckily, Luke eats beans like they are going out of style.  Anyway, this chili was the perfect compromise because it is super versatile which made it something that all four of us happily ate.  I used a slotted spoon to take out some of the chicken to make tacos for Josh and Jake, Luke gobbled up the beans, and I ate it as intended.  No matter how you decide to eat this Slow Cooker Verde Chicken Chili your taste buds will thank you!

In addition to being super delicious, this chili is very easy to make.  Other than chopping an onion and mincing a few cloves of garlic, you mostly just dump everything in and let the slow cooker do the work.  You could even buy some pre-chopped onion and those little cubes of frozen minced garlic (I love you Trader Joe's).

 
Once the chicken is cooked through you take it out and shred it.  Look how juicy that chicken is!

I wanted this to be thick like chili, not a soup, so I mixed a little bit of corn starch and water and stirred that in before I added the chicken back in.

Serve this up as is or with your favorite toppings.  For me that was shredded Monterrey jack cheese and guacamole.

Like most chili recipes, this Slow Cooker Verde Chicken Chili is even better the next day.  I'm pretty sure it will freeze well, but it didn't last long enough for me to find out.  Next time, I think I will make a double batch.

Slow Cooker Verde Chicken Chili
Adapted from Budget Bytes

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 - 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 cups salsa verde
• 1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 tbsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 tbsp. corn starch
• 1 tbsp. water
• Monterrey Jack cheese, Greek yogurt, or guacamole for topping

1. Put all ingredients except corn starch and water in slow cooker and cook on high for about 3 hours.
2. Remove chicken and shred it.  
3. Combine corn starch and water and stir into slow cooker.
4. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir to combine.
5. Continue to cook for 30 minutes.
6. Serve with shredded jack cheese, Greek yogurt, or guacamole.

I'm linking up with Inspiration Monday, Mix It Up Monday, Busy Monday, Munching Monday, Create Link Inspire, Lou Lou Girls, Mad Skills, Tips & Tricks, Two Cup Tuesday,  Tasty Tuesdays, Tasty Tuesday, Whimsy Wednesday, Wednesday Whatsits, Moonlight & Mason Jars, Showcase Your Talent Thursday, Cook It Craft It Share It, Cookin & Craftin, Thrifty Thursday, Creativity Unleashed, Pin Junkie,  Create It Thursday, Best of the Weekend, Weekend Potluck, Best Recipes, Pinworthy Projects, Saturday Night Fever, and Link Party Palooza.

One Bowl Chocolate Bundt Cake with Easy Chocolate Glaze

Sometimes you just need chocolate, lots of chocolate.  Valentine's Day is the perfect excuse to indulge your inner chocoholic.  While I love desserts that look and taste indulgent, I don't love things that are super complicated and make lots of dishes.  That is why I love this One Bowl Chocolate Bundt Cake with Easy Chocolate Glaze.  It has a rich and intense chocolate flavor, looks beautiful, and best of all, is incredibly easy to make.

To make the cake, put all of the ingredients except chocolate chips (the recipe is below) in a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer and beat until well combined and smooth.

Look at that thick, chocolaty batter.  Now because you can never have enough chocolate, stir in some chocolate chips.

Pour the batter into a bundt pan sprayed with baking spray and bake for 35-45 minutes at 350 until a tester comes out with just a few moist crumbs.

Let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then invert it onto a cooling rack.

While the cake continues to cool, make your glaze.  This step is super tricky so try not to get overwhelmed. ;)  Put some chocolate chips, a quarter stick of butter, and a little bit of corn syrup into a liquid measuring cup (this will make it easy to pour the glaze onto the cake).  Microwave in 30-second increments, stirring well after each, until the glaze is smooth.

Put your cake onto the serving plate (it's okay if it isn't totally cool).  Pour glaze over the top of the cake and let set before serving.

Look at that chocolatey goodness.

One Bowl Chocolate Bundt Cake with Easy Chocolate Glaze
Adapted From Hershey's One Bowl Chocolate Cake

For the Cake:

• 2 cups white whole wheat flour 
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup dark cocoa powder
• 1 stick butter, softened
• 1 cup water
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

For the Glaze:

• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 tbls. corn syrup
• 2 tbls. butter

1. Preheat oven to 350 and spray a bundt pan with baking spray.
2. Beat together all cake ingredients, except chocolate chips, until smooth.  
3. Stir in chocolate chips.  Pour batter into bundt pan.
4. Bake for 35-45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool in pan 10 minutes, then invert onto serving plate.
5. While cake continues to cool, make glaze.
6. Put chocolate chips, corn syrup and butter in a 2 cup liquid measuring cup and microwave in 30 second increments, stirring well after each until smooth. 
7. Pour glaze over top of cake and let set before serving.

I'm linking up with Inspiration Monday, Mix It Up Monday, Busy Monday, Munching Monday, Create Link Inspire, Lou Lou Girls, Two Cup Tuesday, Tips & Tricks,  Tasty Tuesday, Tasty Tuesdays, Whimsy Wednesdays, Moonlight & Mason Jars, Wednesday Whatsits, Cook It Craft It Share It, Create It Thursday, Crafty & Delicious, Thrifty Thursday, Showcase Your Talent Thursday, Pin Junkie, Creativity Unleashed, Cookin & Craftin, Weekend Social, Best of the Weekend, Weekend Potluck, Best Recipes, Pinworthy Projects, Saturday Night Fever, and Link Party Palooza.

3 Ingredient Chocolate Raspberry Cookies

As I'm sure you know by now, I love making holidays super special for my kids from morning until night.  Valentine's Day is almost here so I've been planning how to do that.  Last year I made these heart cut-out One Eyed Sandwiches to start the day and they were such a hit, I'm planning to make them again.

We don't have a babysitter this year so we will be celebrating as a family.   In thinking about our dessert, I wanted to make a Valentine's treat that Jake could make with me.  These Chocolate Raspberry Cookies are incredibly easy but look super impressive and taste divine.  You only need THREE ingredients to make them: a box of Famous Chocolate Wafers, some raspberry jam (I used seedless but regular is fine too), and chocolate chips.

I like to use a cooling rack with wax paper underneath to assemble these cookies, but you can use a cookie sheet or even just the wax paper.  For each finished cookie you will need two wafers.  Start out by laying your chocolate wafers in pairs.  Put some chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and microwave in 30 second increments, stirring after each, until melted and smooth.  While your chocolate is melting spread raspberry jam on half of the wafers.

Once your chocolate is ready, use another knife (I found a little butter knife is perfect for this) to spread the melted chocolate on the remaining wafers.

Then sandwich together a raspberry wafer with a chocolate wafer and let set.

 

That is it.  Three ingredients and less than ten minutes to a plate full of delicious Chocolate Raspberry Cookies.  These cookies are perfect for Valentine's Day, but they are easy and impressive enough to make them year round.  Enjoy!

3 Ingredient Chocolate Raspberry Cookies

• 1 package Famous Chocolate Wafers
• about 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• raspberry jam

1. Lay out wafers in pairs.
2. Spread half of the wafers with jam.
3. Melt chocolate chips in microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring well after each until melted and smooth.  Spread melted chocolate on remaining wafers.
4. Sandwich jam and chocolate wafers together and let set. 

I'm linking up with Two Cup Tuesday, Lou Lou Girls, Mad Skills, Tasty Tuesdays, Tasty Tuesday, Whimsy Wednesday, Moonlight & Mason Jars, Crafty & Delicious, Create Link Inspire, Create It Thursday, Cook It Craft It Share It, Thrifty Thursday, Showcase Your Talent Thursday, Creativity Unleashed, Pin Junkie, The Weekend Social, Link Party Palooza, Best of the Weekend, Weekend Potluck, Best Recipes, Saturday Night Fever, Pinworthy Projects, Munching Mondays, Inspiration Monday, Mix It Up Monday, and Busy Monday.