Teriyaki Chicken

Anyone who knows me is fully aware of my addiction to Mexican and Chinese/Japanese food. Thus, it is my passion to find recipes that will satisfy my thirst for these foods with out having to go out to eat. While my Mexican Stuffed Shells (and soon to post enchiladas) fit the bill for my Mexican food fix, I had yet to find something for the latter. Enter teriyaki chicken!! I had tried several different recipes before, none worth posting about. They always lacked that certain something. I believe it’s all about the sauce and this sauce is unbelievable. I guess the recipe in total is mine, however, the teriyaki sauce is from Food.com.

Ingredients:

1lb chicken (I buy the lean thin cut chicken as a time saver)

Soy Sauce

Rice (white or brown, I used white rice)

Sauce:

1/4 cup soy sauce
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger (didn’t have it this time but was still delish)
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
5 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 -2 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water

1. Start the sauce and get it simmering over a low heat. Mix all but cornstarch and 1/4c water in a sauce pan and begin heating. Mix cornstarch and cold water in a bowl and dissolve. Add to sauce in pan. I like to bring it to a boil first then let it simmer on low while I prepare the rest of the meal. Stir occasionally as you cook the chicken.

2. Cut up the chicken into bite size pieces.

3. Cook the chicken in a little bit of soy sauce.

4. Remove the sauce from heat and let stand. It will thicken. This is when I prepare the minute rice, because why not make it as easy as possible? One cup of rice, one cup of boiling water, let stand and voila! 2 servings of rice.

5. Add rice to plate.

6. Add chicken to rice.

7. Top with your sauce and enjoy! I won’t be ordering take out as long as I can make this goodie!

Meatball Sub Casserole

Prepare yourself for a gooey sloppy wonderful meal. This would also be a great game time favorite as well as something easy to do with the kids. The un-greased pan gives the bread a crisp bottom and edge and the cream cheese mix and pasta sauce is out of this world. It’s super easy to put together. This pin arrived from Key Ingredient.

Ingredients:

1 loaf Italian bread, cut into 1-inch thick slices (I use 6 slices of Texas Toast)

1 8-oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning

1/4 tablespoon pepper

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

Frozen Meatballs, Thawed (I used 24, 4 per slice of bread)

1 24oz jar of pasta sauce

1 cup of water (I used just over 4oz, or 1/2 a cup)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350

2. Arrange bread slices in a single layer in an ungreased 13″x9″ baking pan.

3. In a bowl, combine cream cheese, mayonnaise and seasonings.

4. Spread mix over bread slices.

5. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese

6. Gently mix together meatballs, spaghetti sauce and water; spoon over cheese. (I laid out the meatballs, 4 per slice of bread, to appease my OCD first then spooned out the sauce after.)

7. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

8. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

This is so good. Slice per person, serves 6. But this is so hearty, half of a slice is filling for me. No doubt this was a great pin. I used a little less cheese and maybe fewer meatballs than the original post, but it’s so good. This seems to call my name on a cold rainy day and I’m sure it will be a go to when our yard is snow covered. Pretty good reheated. I try to leave it in the pan it was cooked in to heat it up in the oven for leftovers. That method seems to be the best. Enjoy friends!

Sweet Garlic Chicken

I’m excited to make this one over and over again. It was an easy crockpot meal that has a VERY similar taste to the Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki from Subway. I cooked it up and served it over rice. Hubby and I both had seconds. I wish I could tell you how it was as a leftover but there were none! The sauce is so delicious. I keep pondering what else I can use the sauce for. YUM!! This pin came from My Fridge Food.

Ingredients:

4-6 chicken breasts (I think 6 is two many, 3-4 is best)
1 cup packed brown sugar
2/3 cup vinegar
1/4 cup lemon-lime soda (diet or regular)
2-3 Tablespoons minced garlic (I used Garlic powder)
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
2 Tablespoons corn starch
2 Tablespoons water
Red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions:

1. Spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Place chicken (frozen, thawed or fresh) inside slow cooker.

2. Mix together brown sugar, vinegar, soda, garlic, soy sauce, and pepper together. Pour over chicken. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4 hours.

3.Take chicken pieces out of slow cooker. I shredded the chicken with a fork. It just fell apart.

4. Pour remaining sauce into saucepan. Place saucepan over high heat. Mix together corn starch and water, pour into saucepan, and mix well. Let sauce come to a boil and boil for 2-3 minutes, or until it starts to thicken and turns into a glaze. Remove from heat and let sit for a minute or two (it will continue to thicken as it cools down).

5. Lay chicken over rice and spoon the sauce over both. Enjoy!

White Chicken Chili

Here is your game day special. With the weather turning cooler and the football season taking off, what better way to celebrate the return of fall than with an amazing chili? Did I mention that it’s all crock pot? So easy!!

Hubby and I crafted this ourselves. Each time it’s a little different but always a favorite. This recipe can be modified so many ways and it can also be an “everything but the kitchen sink” collaboration. Here are the basics. Feel free to add what you like!

Ingredients:

2-3 Chicken breasts (we used frozen)

2 Cans Great Northern Beans

1 Can of corn

Bacon, to taste (we used 4-5 strips, let’s be honest, bacon makes everything better!)

1 tablespoon of oil

1 McCormick White Chicken Chili packet

1 Cup Chicken broth

1 can green chilies

Additional ingredients: In the past we have also tossed in: green onion, onion, jalapeño, peppers, and extra corn. We finish it with a little shredded cheese and sour cream.

1. First add your chicken to the crockpot.

2. Next add everything else, chicken broth, beans, bacon, corn, oil, packet, chilies, etc.

3. Give it a light stir, add the lid and cook on low for 8 hours, or 4 hours on high if you’re short on time.

4. Prepare yourself for a yummy game time meal!

Manwich Cheesy Chicken Pasta

I love cleaning tons of dishes after preparing a meal, said no one ever. One pot meals is where it’s at. So I was thrilled when I saw this next pin. While I didn’t have the EXACT ingredients, it did provide a filling meal.

On this particular day though, I only had frozen chicken on hand. Hubby and I aren’t thrilled with the texture of defrosted chicken so I opted to slow cook it in the crock pot with some chicken broth until dinner. Although technically making my one pot, 2 pots, this is so easy and yummy. So come time for dinner, we had fall apart chicken that was ready to go! This dinner was provided by Yellow Bliss Road.

Manwich Cheesy Chicken Pasta

Ingredients:

2 cups shredded or diced chicken
2 Tbsp minced onion
2 Tbsp minced garlic (I used Garlic powder)
1 can Manwich Bold + 1 can water (I used the regular)
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 pound of small dry pasta (I used mini Rotini)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Heat a small amount of oil in a large pot. Add onion and garlic and saute for one minute, then add cooked chicken and saute for a couple of minutes. (She used cooked chicken she had on hand, I used the cooked crock pot chicken. However cooking the chicken with the onions and garlic would work just as well.)

2. Add chicken broth, Manwich Bold Sloppy Joe Sauce, water and pasta to the pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer for about 20-25 minutes. (Keep an eye on it so all of the liquid doesn’t cook off. Mine was a little dry as I went between cooking and feeding a fussy baby.)

3. Remove from heat and stir in shredded cheddar until well incorporated, reserving a handful to sprinkle on the top. Cover for a few minutes to allow the cheese to melt, and stir.

Results

So, mine is a little different from the original, but this was still a tasty meal. Lots of leftovers! While it wasn’t completely my taste, the hubby cleaned his plate and asked for seconds which is music to my ears and a pinning success!

Black Bean and Corn Pie

I feel like a broken record, but this next one is so good! Martha Stewart the queen of cooking, that’s for sure. I have come to realize though, that no matter how I try, my end result will NEVER look like the product in the Martha Stewart picture. But I have made peace with that. I never said I was an expert chef. I just want to provide great meals that my family will love.

I do believe that once a week we should eat something meatless. This recipe is just for that and other than a great taste, one of the best parts is that you can make numerous changes/substitutions and still enjoy a wonderful meal.

I do however call this one a “weekend meal”. There is a bit more prep before you put it all together to bake in the oven. So the weekend is a great time for hubby and baby to enjoy some extra bonding time while mommy whips up dinner. Here we go:

Ingredients:

4 flour tortillas (10 inches)

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 large onion, diced

1 jalapeño chile, minced (remove seeds and ribs for less heat)

2 garlic cloves, minced (I used garlic powder)

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (Chili Powder is a good substitute)

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, drained and rinsed

12 ounces beer, or 1 1/2 cups water

1 package (10 ounces) frozen corn

4 scallions, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish

8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (2 1/2 cups)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. With a paring knife, trim tortillas to fit a 9-inch springform pan. Use the bottom of the pan as a guide. Set aside. (I used a casserole dish. Having purchased fajita soft tacos on sale this is what I had on hand. Plus, I unfortunately have never had success with the spring pan for this recipe.)

2.Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, jalapeno, garlic, and cumin; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes.

3.Add beans and beer or water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer until liquid has almost evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in corn and scallions, and remove from heat. Taste and adjust for seasoning. (I didn’t have scallions, first time ever, so I decided to use green chilies. Turned out well. You really want to make sure to wait for the liquid to evaporate.)

4.Fit a trimmed tortilla in bottom of springform pan; layer with 1/4 of the beans and 1/2 cup of cheese. Repeat three times, using 1 cup cheese on top layer. Bake until cheese melts, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove side of pan; sprinkle pie with scallions. To serve, slice into wedges.

So below is my finished product. Like I said before, it doesn’t look like Martha’s, but it is a tangy, melty, meatless mix that is filling and makes for a knockout leftover. Add sour cream or hot sauce as you like. I’m eager to try this with some Rotel diced tomatoes added or maybe some pepper jack cheese! Oh the possibilities!

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I came. I saw. I tried it!

Monthly Archives: September 2013

Teriyaki Chicken

Meatball Sub Casserole

Sweet Garlic Chicken

White Chicken Chili

Manwich Cheesy Chicken Pasta

Results

Black Bean and Corn Pie