Turkey and rice casserole (AKA thanksgiving leftovers casserole)

This was a great way to use up some of random leftovers from thanksgiving! It was yummy too!

What you need:

• 1 box herb ricearoni 
• 1.5 cups chopped up turkey
• 1 can or 1 cup of corn (I used leftover loaded corn)
• 1/2 cup mushrooms stems diced up
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 2 T greek yogurt 
• 3 T cheese whiz
• 2 large handfuls chopped fresh spinach
• palmful chopped onion
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup monterey jack cheese

What you do:

1. Prepare ricearoni through mixing in seasoning. Dont cook the 10-15 minutes after that point.
2. Preheat oven to 350
3. In large bowl mix together rice, turkey, corn, and mushroom stems.
4. Mix in sour cream and greek yogurt.
5. Mix in cheese whiz. Make sure you slowly spread it throughout or it will clump up.
6. Carefully mix in spinach. Using a folding technique keeps from crushing it.
7. Season with chopped onion, salt and pepper.
8. Cook for 20 minutes.
9. Top with cheese.
10. Cook for 5 minutes longer.

Tips and tricks

Dont be afraid to substitute things for whatever you have in the fridge, 

If you dont have greek yogurt use extra sour cream.

If you dont have sour cream or greek yogurt try a cream of mushroom soup.

Any yellow cheese would be good on this if you dont have monterey jack.

I used leftover loaded corn that we ate on thanksgiving.  You can use anything you have.

Healthy Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo

This isnt your typical alfredo and it definitely has some different flavors. But it is so good! I definitely will be making this again. Even my 2 year old was eating this!

What you need:

• 1 lb chicken
• 1 small bag frozen broccoli cuts
• 8 oz fettuccine
• 2 T extra virgin olive oil (evoo)
•  2 t chopped garlic
• 2 T flour
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 6 oz greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/4 t white pepper
• 1 pinch nutmeg
• 3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• garlic powder
• season salt

What you do: 

1. Chunk chicken and season with garlic powder and season salt. cook.
2. Heat broccoli
3. Boil a pot of water. 
4. Break fettuccine in half and drop in water.
5. Cook 6 minutes. Should still have a little bit of a crunch.
6. In a sauce pan heat EVOO.
7. Add chopped garlic and heat through. 1-2 minutes.
8. Whisk in flour until smooth.
9. Gradually whisk in chicken broth, greek yogurt, milk, pepper, and nutmeg.
10. Bring to a low boil, stirring often.
11. Bring down to a simmer. Let thicken. About 3 minutes. 
12. Add in pasta.
13. Cook  for 3-4 minutes.
14. Mix in parmesan, chicken, and broccoli. 
15. Toss and serve.

Cheesy Honey Mustard Chicken

This recipe is definitely different then most I have tried but it has tons of flavor! Its pretty quick to make too!

What you need:

• 4 BL SL chicken breasts
• 3/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup yellow mustard 
• 1 t Lime juice
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• lemon pepper
• 4 T bacon bits
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella

What you do:

1. Preheat oven to 375
2. Rub chicken with lemon pepper.
3. Spray baking dish with pam and place chicken inside
4. whisk together honey, both mustards, lime juice, and paprika.
5. Pour evenly over chicken. 
6. Bake 20 minutes
7. Mix together bacon and mozzerella cheese.
8. Place directly on top of each chicken breast.
9. Bake another 10-15 minutes. Until everything is melted and slightly browned.
10. Serve hot.

Tips:

• Great with mashed potatoes!
• You can substitute lemon juice for the lime juice.
• You can use all dijon instead of half yellow mustard.
• If chicken is thick pound it out first. 
• Can substitute smoked provolone for the mozzerella.
•  To turn into a casserole cut up 2 cups of chicken, flavor with lemon pepper, and cook. Put over 4 cups of rice in a 9x13 baking dish. Pour sauce over the top and continue with step 6.

Garlic Pam Chicken

So simple and way yummy! It is great for an easy to make dinner!

What you need:

• 1 sleeve ritz crackers
• 3/4 cup grated parm
• 3 or 4 cloves garlic (leave in larger pieces)
• butter
• 6 BL SL chicken breasts
• a few dasges of garlic powder
• salt and pepper

What you do:

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Cruch ritz crackers (I crush them while still in sleeve to make less of a mess) and pour into a pie pan
3. mix in parm,garlic powder, salt, and pepper
4. melt 1/2 cup butter on stove (you may need more)
5. Before it fully melts stir in garlic cloves 
6. Let simmer for a few minutes
7. Pound chicken to around 1/2 inch (I cover mine in plastic wrap first)
8.  Pour butter into second pie pan, take out large garlic pieces.
9. Dip chicken into butter then into crumb mixture.
10. Dip into butter one more time and back into crumb mixture.
11.  Place in glass baking dish sprayed with PAM
12. Bake for 30 minutes

Tips:
I always double bread or crust everything for more of a crunch.
Make sure the butter doesnt start to darken too much or it might taste burnt.
If you let the chicken come to room temperature before cooking it will cook more evenly.
You can bread lots of things with this technique! I have tried pork and elk. Both were yummy!

Loaded Potato and Chicken Casserole

This recipe definitely has a bite but I liked it that way. If you don't like too much spice use less Tabasco.

What you need:

• 1 lbs chicken
• 8 potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 1/2 t salt
• 1 T pepper
• 1 T smoked paprika
• 2 T garlic salt
• 3 t Tabasco
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup shredded mozzerella cheese
• 1 cup bacon bits
• 1 cup green onion diced 

What you do:

1. Preheat oven to 450
2. Mix together olive oil, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic salt, and Tabasco.
3. Add potatoes and mix.
4. Spray 9x13 dish with Pam.
5. Add potatoes but don't pour in! Leave extra sauce in bowl.
6. Bake for 45 minutes but stir every 15 minutes.
7. Dice up chicken and marinate in extra sauce while potatoes bake.
8. In separate bowl mix cheese, bacon & green onion.
9. Once potatoes are done mix in chicken.
10. Layer toppings over the top.
11. Bake for another 15 minutes or until chicken is done and cheese is melted.

Cheesy Rice, Spinach, and Sausage One Pot Casserole!

This is a great fast meal with easy clean up! Everything is done in one pot. It is definitely doing into my family regular rotation!What you need:

• 1 T minced garlic
• 2 T olive oil
• sausage, either sliced or removed from the case(I used 2 regular sized and removed the casing)
• 1/2 onion diced (I dont like big pieces so we put it in the food processor and shred it)
• 1 can condensed cheese soup
• 1 cup rice
• 2 cups water
• spinach
• salt
• pepper

What you do:

1.  In a skillet, heat oil.
2. Add onions, garlic and sausage. cook until the onions are tender. about 5-6 minutes.
3. Add rice, water, soup, salt and pepper.
4. Mix well.
5. Bring to boil. Cover and simmer.
6. 15-20 minutes. Until rice is tender.(this depends on the rice you use. Check what the directions for the rice says and base it off of that.)
7. Remove from heat. Stir in a couple handfuls of spinach.
8. Serve hot.

It is really yummy! Hope you like it!

Amazing Homemade Mac and Cheese

This is such an easy recipe that is so good. It is great for both kids and adults. Much better then the boxed stuff.

What you need:

•  3 cups dry pasta
• 4 T butter
• 4 T flour
• 1 t salt
• 1/2 t pepper
• 2 cups milk
• 2 cups shredded mild cheese

What you do:

1. Cook pasta. Drain and set aside. 
2. Melt butter in sauce pan
3. Whisk in flour, salt and pepper. Cook 3-4 minutes.
4. Whisk in milk and stir until it starts to thicken(2-3 minutes)
5. Reduce heat to simmer. stir in cheese.
6. Mix in pasta.  
7. Serve warm.

This is a thicker sauce. If you want it thinner after you mix in pasta just slowly add in milk until it is the texture you like.