Green Chili Enchilada Quinoa Bake

Nothing beats being able to take a classic and remake it! This recipe takes the wonderful flavor of green chili enchiladas and amps up the nutritional level, all in a warm and creamy casserole! Don't let the word casserole turn you off, gone are the days of grandma's bland tuna casserole full of peas,  this takes casseroles to a whole new level!

1 large chicken breast, cooked and shredded
1 cup dry quinoa,  rinsed and cooked
1 bag baby spinach,  chopped
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic , minced
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons lime juice
2 10 Oz cans mild or medium green chili enchilada sauce
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (or sour cream)
2 cups shredded Monterey cheddar

In a large pan, saute your onion in a little bit of olive oil. Once it's translucent,  add garlic and saute another 30 seconds. Add spinach, yes it looks like a ton of spinach but it will cook down a lot. Saute spinach until slightly wilted. Remove from heat. Add lime juice, cumin, chili powder and salt and pepper. Mix well. Add black beans, enchilada sauce and Greek yogurt. Mix well. Add cheese and quinoa and mix together. Spray a 9x13 glass dish and pour the mixture into it. Cover with foil. Bake at 375 for 45 minutes.

Enjoy!!!

Minestrone Soup

Minestrone soup is an awesome blend of vegetables,  beans and pasta. You really could add anything you'd like to this soup!  The great thing is, even if you're not a fan of one of these ingredients, you can't really tell it's in there but you still get the nutritional value of it. After simmering, all of the flavors blend together wonderfully!  This makes a big batch, possibly my enough to freeze half for another meal, depending on how many mouths you're feeding. (Note: if possible use canned goods with no salt added or reduced sodium, it is also possible to replace the canned vegetables with frozen)

1 can kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
1 can cannellini beans (drained and rinsed)
1 can diced carrots (drained and rinsed)
1 can green beans (drained and rinsed)
2 cans diced tomatoes, UNDRAINED
3 stalks of celery, sliced
1 onion,  chopped
1 small bunch of kale, chopped
1/2 cup pesto sauce
8 Oz pasta
8 cups of water (plus 5 teaspoons of chicken bouillon)

In a large soup pot, heat up some olive oil. Cook the onions and celery until they lose their crunch. Add kale and continue cooking until lightly wilted. Add all other ingredients and bring to a boil. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste. After bringing to a boil, cover and let simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. After 45 minutes your soup will be done. Sometimes I find that I need to add a cup or two of water at the end because the pasta absorbs more than expected. Be sure to add another sprinkle of bouillon if you add extra water!

Sprinkle each bowl with parmesan and enjoy!

Sweet and Tangy Quinoa Salad

I love quinoa salads. They're so healthy and when served cold they're perfect for the summer! I thought I'd whip one up off the top of my head today and holy moly, I have impressed myself!  The sweet and tangy dressing put this salad over the top!

1 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 orange pepper, chopped
1 can of black beans, drained
1 cup frozen white corn,  thawed
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
3 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

For the dressing:
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon cumin
2 cloves of garlic, minced

Cook the quinoa according to THESE directions. Then spread it out on a cutting board to cool. Mix all chopped veggies, herbs and beans in a large mixing bowl. Once the quinoa has cooled, add that. In a small bowl, mix all ingredients for the dressing. Pour over the salad and toss! Chill for at least 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Freezer Breakfast Burritos

I know there's  a ton of recipes out there for freezer burritos. I figured I'd share mine! My recipe makes 12 large burritos. Instead of having a line of ingredients to fill each burrito, I prefer to mix then all together and then just place one big scoop in each burrito. The batch I just photographed does not include wax paper which is an important step for freezer burritos since you can't microwave foil. You wrap the burrito in wax paper first, then in a piece of foil (this helps keep it's shape and protects it from freezer burn). I then place 4 burritos in a gallon zip lock back for extra protection against freezer burn. I also only use one pan for cooking, I cook each thing one at a time and then dump it in a large mixing bowl. Less dishes!

1 lb Ground breakfast sausage
1 package smoked sausage (12-14 Oz depending on the brand), diced
18 eggs
1 package tater tots
1 16 ox container Pico DE Gallo salsa (drain the excess juice, you only want the chunky stuff)
1 8 oz package shredded cheese
10 inch tortillas

I start with cooking the breakfast sausage and smoked sausage together then place on paper towels to drain. Next, I add a little oil to the pan and add my frozen tater tots . I cook them until they get slightly golden, breaking up the tater tots into those tiny little potato pieces they're made of. When done, add those to your large mixing bowl and the meat too. Dump the Pico DE Gallo in too. Now scramble up your 18 eggs, make sure they're cooked thoroughly.  Add the eggs and bag of cheese to the bowl too.

Now, set up your prep area. I use the previous cut foil sheets. For the perfect measurement, I use my large soup ladle, leveled off at the top. Lay down a piece of foil, a piece of wax paper, then your tortilla. Add one scoop of your breakfast fillings,  roll tightly,  then roll it in wax paper,  then the foil and you're done! Keep going until your filling is all gone. Place them in freezer bags and freeze!

I highly recommend letting your burrito defrost before microwaving for even cooking but that's not necessary. These are great to take camping! You can skip the wax paper step while assembling them. Don't bother freezing them either, or freeze but defrost first. You can put the burrito straight on your BBQ grill to heat it up!  Again,  do not use wax paper if that is how you will be heating them!

Enjoy!

Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad

I love suddenly salad, that bacon ranch kind.  However, it's so salty and full of junk! Here is a version not filled with that junk and packed with yummy veggies! Instead of using a package of ranch mix, I buy the container of hidden valley mix for about $7 a bottle at Costco, this saves a lot of money overtime!

1 lb pasta,  cooked, drained and cooled (I rinse with cold running water to speed up the process)
1/2-3/4 a package of cherry tomatoes halved or quartered
1 1/2 cups frozen peas,  defrosted
1 cucumber, peeled and diced

1 cup sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
1 package ranch dressing mix (or 3 tablespoons from the large jar)
1/2 cup imitation bacon bits

Toss the first 4 ingredients in a large bowl. Mix the bottom 4 ingredients together in a separate bowl. Then add to the pasta mixture. Once it's mixed well, chill for at least an hour before serving!

Enjoy!

Shrimp Macaroni Salad

We had this salad at a good friend's house awhile ago. It was so good, I had to ask for the recipe!  I did make a couple of slight adjustments but I'm posting the original recipe so you can decide for yourself :-) my favorite part about this is it doesn't have a strong seafood taste to it  (which means even picky little kiddos will eat it).

1 lb. Macaroni noodles, cooked and drained (I prefer large elbow but you could use shells or those tiny circular macaroni salad noodles )
1 or 2 cans of tiny canned shrimp drained  (I prefer 1)
4-5 stalks of celery, diced
3-4 green onions,  sliced thin
1 can of olives,  drained and finely chopped
1 3/4 cup of mayo (I prefer 1 1/4 cup of mayo plus half a cup of plain Greek yogurt or sour cream)
Salt and pepper to taste

Simply toss everything together, mix well and chill for a couple of hours before serving!

Enjoy!

Mexican Macaroni Salad

I am on a serious pasta salad kick lately! Do they have a 12 step program for that? If so, I need to find myself a meeting. At least I've admitted my problem,  that's the first step, I think. Anyways, back to the pasta... This is a recipe from the Pioneer Woman that I changed very slightly and absolutely love! It's  fun and colorful too!

For the salad:
1 lb pasta cooked, drained and cooled (I prefer large macaroni noodles)
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups frozen corn, thawed
4 Roma tomatoes,  diced
1/2 cup chopped olives (I use more )
3-4 green onions,  thinly sliced
Cilantro, about 1/3 cup chopped

For the dressing:
1 cup chunky salsa (feel free to make it spicy )
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayo
2 cloves of garlic, pressed
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 tsp cumin

Prep your ingredients  (that's the hardest part). Toss your salad ingredients together. Mix your dressing ingredients together. Pour the dressing over the pasta and toss to combine. Chill for at least an hour before serving.

Enjoy!