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Cheesy Chicken and Rice Bake (Southwest casserole)

Being pregnant and all, I have been experiencing extreme cravings for all things Southwest or Mexican. Today I whipped up some awesome Shredded Beef in my crock pot. I have plans to make Navajo tacos with that tomorrow. (recipes for those to come soon ;D) But because I was in the cooking mood today, I also threw together this amazing dish! To tell you the truth I have been looking for this recipe for quite some time now- ever sinse I had the T.V. dinner version of it and vowed I would learn to make it. I finally fell upon it via pinterest and just had to acquire all the ingredients this week to MAKE IT!

Never mind that my little guys don't like things mixed into their rice. Never mind that the hubbs dislikes beans of any kind. This was all about ME today.( Me and that unborn child making me have these crazy cravings) I love both seasoned rice and black beans- especially mixed with cheese and chicken! Oh. Mark my words, this will become a staple for me from here on out. And you! YOU need this in your life too, I promise you! So I made this today, and promptly ate some to satisfy that prego craving (It was divine.), then divided up the rest and froze it for quick lunches for myself this coming month. I'm so excited! Are you ready now to get your hands on this recipe? Well good. Here it is! (Pictures will come soon. I was too busy eating it to take pics today!)

Cheesy Chicken and Rice Bake
from: HowSweetEats

2 whole Boneless, Skinless chicken Breasts (preferably cooked ahead)
4 cups Cooked brown rice (I used Zatarain's Spanish Rice with diced tomatoes mixed in and LOVED the outcome! I also hear Uncle Ben's Ready Rice is convenient and successful.)
3/4 cups Frozen corn
15 oz. canned black beans drained and rinsed
1 cup plain Greek Yogurt or sour cream
4 oz. green chilies or Salsa Verde (green)
1/2 cup salsa
1 cup Low-fat Cheddar or Colby jack cheese plus more for topping
2 Tb. fresh cilantro for garnish (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients except for cilantro and mix thoroughly to combine. Make sure the yogurt and cheese are stirred in throughout the entire bowl. Transfer to an oven safe dish (deep covered baker from pampered chef works well). Bake for 20-25 minutes until heated through. (You can also do it in the microwave IF your chicken is already cooked. I did this and it worked fabulously.) If you cook the chicken ahead of time, the process will be faster whichever cooking method you choose to use.

This is a wonderful dish to be made ahead of time and then reheated- which makes it a great freezer meal idea. I hope you take the time to try this! I am so glad I did!!! Enjoy!

Homemade Thin Mints

Okay, I made these yesterday and couldn't stop eating them (which is not good for my figure)! I actually ended up giving the rest to my piano students to avoid eating any more. Believe me we all had more than our share. They are heavenly!  If you've had the girl scout cookie Thin Mint, these taste just like them- except BETTER! Beware though, they are rich! Rich and Delicious!

The recipe can be found here. Yes, I know I am cheating by just linking you to the recipe, but I'm short on time. I definitely wanted to include them on this blog though, so follow the link and give them a try!

Emilie's Whole Wheat Bread

As I was meandering around Pinterest the other day, I came across a recipe for whole wheat bread. And since I had been entertaining the idea of trying my bread making skills out again, I thought I may as well try this recipe. In the past, I have failed miserably at making bread, so it was with some hesitation that I began to proceed. 


I noticed this recipe called for vital wheat gluten which is supposed to create elasticity in the bread. I happen to have some thanks to a kind family in my ward who gave it to me recently. I have no idea where they got the large cans that they gave me but I have been told that it can be bought at baking stores or Maceys. I have purchased some in smaller quantities at Walmart and have seen it for sale online at Amazon.com. Also, bread flour has vital wheat gluten in it, so if a recipe calls for bread flour, you should get similar results.


My first attempt at making whole wheat bread with this recipe was very successful (and delicious!) I will definitely keep using this recipe! Give it a try for yourself and let me know how it goes!


Source: Dealstomeals.blogspot.com
Makes 4 8/4 inch loaves. If halved, makes 2 loaves. *If you have a smaller Kitchen aid mixer(4qt. bowl), half this recipe. It is a big recipe!

7 c. whole wheat flour (grind your own if you have a wheat grinder)
2/3 c. vital wheat gluten
2 1/2 T. instant yeast

5 c. hot water (120-130 F)

2 T. salt
2/3 c. oil
2/3 c. honey or 1 c. sugar (I like honey the best!)
2 1/2 T. bottled lemon juice

5 c. whole wheat flour

Mix together the first three ingredients in your mixer with a dough hook. Add water all at once and mix for 1 minute; cover and let rest for 10 minutes (this is called sponging). Add salt, oil, honey or sugar, and lemon juice and beat for 1 minute. Add last flour, 1 cup at a time, beating between each cup. Beat for about 6-10 minutes until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. This makes very soft dough.

Pre-heat oven for 1 minute to lukewarm and turn off. Turn dough onto oiled counter top; divide, shape into loaves place in oiled bread pans. Let rise in warm oven for 10-15 minutes until dough reaches top of pan. Do not remove bread from oven; turn oven to 350 F and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from pans and cool on racks. This recipe can be halved to make 2 loaves.

Healthy Homemade Snacks: Homemade Granola Bars

The more my kids grow, the more they eat. Here's a well know fact among all moms: It's hard to keep those little darlings' tummies satisfied for very long and it doesn't get any easier as they grow up. But if your family is like mine, the problem with filling that need is constantly evident in your wallet. Money- or the lack there of.
Plus there is always the worry of whether it's healthy enough for your kid, right? It is a continual struggle for me to find a snack worth buying for its nutritional value but still will not burn a hole in my pocket.
So I have recently turned to homemade recipes. I find they are much healthier because I can control what goes in them and they are also much more economical. My kids LOVE them! Here is one of our new favorites. I will have to continue to add more. We have several favorites now.
(Picture to come soon)
Homemade granola bars  ( I like to double this recipe and make half with one type of mix in and the otehr half with another)
3 1/4 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup Whole Wheat flour (or all purpose)
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 T Vanilla Extract
1/4 cup vegetable oil (I used canola)
1/2 cup honey
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 cups "stuff" (chocolate chips and marshmallow; raisins and applesauce and apple pieces; dried cherries and choc.chips; coconut and dried mango or other tropical fruits- the sky is the limit)

Preheat the oven to 335.
In a large mixing bowl, combine oats, flour,baking soda,and any spices you want to use.
In a separate mixing bowl, combine vanilla, oil (or applesauce), and honey.
Pour wet mixture into dry mixture and stir to combine.
Stir in the "stuff" you want to use. Note: If your batter seems a bit dry like it may not hold together, go ahead and add more honey. Sometimes it needs it, sometimes it doesn't, so you'll need to make that call.
Spray an edged cookie sheet or pan with cooking spray. Just like when making rice crispy treats, use a cold hand to press the mixture down very firmly. A 7x11 pan is a great size of pan to use- or two if you're doubling it.
Bake at 325 for 18-20 minutes until top is turning golden brown. Remove from oven and firmly press bars down again with a spatula. Allow to cool for only 10 minutes and then cut into bars. They are hard to cut when completely cooled.
Allow to finish cooling before removing them from the pan.
I like to individually wrap mine in wax paper or plastic wrap- whatever you have on hand. Then I stick them in a covered container to save for snack time!

Cranberry Swirl Loaf

This Holiday favorite is both tart and sweet and has a lovely light texture. When Cranberries are in season I always make this. It is a beautiful bread and perfect for neighbor gifts. It makes a very large loaf, so split it in half or quarters and make smaller loaves if you want! I found the recipe a few years ago online. Credit goes to SweetsLady.

Cranberry Swirl Loaf

Bread:

3 to 3 & 1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 (1/4) package yeast
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup milk
1/3 butter

Filling:

1 cup fresh cranberries
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup water
1 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)
1 Tbsp. lemon juice

Topping:

2 Tbsp. flour
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. cold butter, cubed

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 cup flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. In a saucepan, heat water, milk and butter to 120-130 degrees (you can do this in the microwave). Add dry ingredients, beat until combine. Stir in just enough flour to make a very soft dough.
2. Turn onto a floured surface, knead until smooth and elastic, about 5-7 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour (set oven to 200 and turn off when preheated).
3. For filling, combine cranberries, brown sugar and water in small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until berries pop, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in butter, walnuts, and lemon juice. Cool.
4. Punch down dough. Turn out onto a floured surface; roll into a 20-inch x 10 inch rectangle. Spread cooled filling within 1/2 inch of edges. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side; pinch seam to seal. Place in a zig-zag pattern in a greased 9-inch x 3 inch loaf pan.
5. For topping, combine flour and sugar in a small bowl; cut in 1 Tbsp. butter until crumbly. Melt remaining butter; brush over dough. Sprinkle with topping. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 40 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until bread sounds hollow when tapped. Cool in a pan for 10 minutes then carefully remove the pan to a wire rack to cool. Slice when cooled for at least 10-15 minutes.

Apple Cider Pudding Cake

Here is a wonderful Fall recipe that I found on a Mel's Kitchen Cafe. I tried making it last night for Family Home Evening and we loved it! This cake forms a moist pudding inside it because a wet mixture is poured over top before baking. It is full of flavor and tastes a lot like spiced apple cider! Curl up by the fire and try it with a huge scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Apple Cider Pudding Cake

Cake Ingredients:

1 cup flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ginger

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1 large egg

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup milk

2 Tbsp. melted butter

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups chopped apples (Granny Smith, Macintosh, any tart variety)

Boiling mixture:

1 cup Apple Cider

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup brown sugar

Directions:

Butter an 8x8 baking dish. Heat oven to 350 degrees. For the batter, combine wet and dry ingredients separately and then stir the dry into the wet ingredients. Fold the apples into the batter and then spread it into prepared pan.Bring the ingredients for the boiling mixture to a boil and then pour it over the batter in the pan. As it bakes the cake will absorb this and form a pudding. Bake for 35 minutes. While it bakes, prepare the streusel ingredients by cutting together until small pea-sized balls form into a crumbly texture. After the cake bakes, sprinkle the streusel over top and bake for another 8-10 minutes. Serve immediately or keep warm and serve preferably within 10-20 minutes after baking. Serve with a heaping scoop of vanilla ice cream!