Chicken Enchilada Casserole

 

Ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon of canola oil
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 4 oz. can of green chilis
• 11 oz. can of corn, drained (I used Green Giant Chipotle White Corn)
• 14.5 oz. can of diced tomatoes, drained
• 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon of Mrs. Dash Fiesta Lime Blend
• Ground black pepper
• 1 rotisserie chicken, white meat only, skin removed
• 1 package of corn tortillas
• 24 oz. jar of mild salsa verde
• 1/4 cup of light sour cream
• 8 oz. of reduced-fat Mexican style shredded cheese
• Fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Place shredded chicken in a large bowl and set aside.

3. Heat canola oil over medium-high heat and add the diced onion. Cook the onion until lightly brown and soft. Next, add the green chilis, corn, and tomatoes and stir until well incorporated. Season with garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, Mrs. Dash, and ground black pepper. Let simmer for about 7-8 minutes.

4. Add the vegetable mixture to the large bowl of shredded rotisserie chicken and stir to combine all of the ingredients. Set aside.

5. In a small bowl, stir together the sour cream and salsa verde. Set aside.

6. To assemble the casserole: Add about 1/2 cup of the salsa mixture to the bottom of a large glass casserole dish (spread so that it covers the entire dish). Next, spread about half of the chicken/veggie mixture on top of the salsa. Next, sprinkle about 1/3 cup of the shredded cheese on top. Lastly, layer the corn tortillas on top of the cheese (they should slightly be overlapping each other). Repeat in the same order except top the cassserole with the cheese insead of tortillas. (salsa, chicken/veggies/tortilla/cheese.)

7. Top with fresh cilantro. Bake for about 20-30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Enjoy!!

Tomato Basil & Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken

Ingredients:

• 2 large chicken breast cutlets (Sliced very thin or pounded out very thin)
• 4-5 fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 1/4 cup of sun dried tomatoes, chopped into small pieces
• 2 oz. of fresh goat cheese
• 1/2 tsp. of garlic powder
• 1 tsp. of olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. of ground black pepper

Coating:

• 1/2 cup of plain bread crumbs
• 1 tsp. of dried oregano
• 1 tsp. of garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. of ground black pepper
• 1 large egg

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, combine the chopped basil leaves, sun dried tomatoes, goat cheese, garlic powder, olive oil, and pepper. Stir the ingredients together until they are well incorporated (it should look like a compound butter). 

2. Spread half of the cheese mixture in the center of each of the chicken cutlets leaving about half an inch of space from the border. Next roll the chicken to completely cover the cheese, using toothpicks to secure.

3. Stir the bread crumbs, oregano, garlic powder, and pepper together in a small bowl. In another small bowl, crack the egg and whisk until smooth. Dip each chicken breast into the egg and then into the bread crumb mixture.

4. Place chicken breasts onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the chicken reaches 165 degrees. Remove tooth picks from chicken. Enjoy!!

**Sides: roasted okra and whole wheat bread**

BBQ Chicken Pita Pizza

Ingredients

• Leftover BBQ chicken from previous recipe for crockpot BBQ chicken
• Whole wheat pita bread
• Low fat mozzarella cheese
• Fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Spread 1/2-3/4 cup of BBQ chicken evenly over the top of the pita bread. Top the BBQ chicken with mozzarella cheese.

3. Bake in oven for about 15 minutes or until the top is lightly browned. When it is finished baking, top each pita with 1 tablespoon of chopped cilantro. Enjoy!!

Super Easy Barbeque Chicken Sandwiches

We're back! I know I have not blogged in a while and this is mainly due to the fact that we just bought and renovated a house and moved almost 2 weeks ago! Now that we are settled in, I have a little bit more time on my hands to blog. Our main renovation project was our kitchen and I have not had an oven or a stove top since we moved which means I have had to be very creative in the kitchen. Some of the cooking appliaces that I have utilyzed in the past 2 weeks are the toaster oven, crock pot, and waffle iron. I made these chicken sandwiches last night and they were so easy and super yummy! Hope you enjoy!! :)

Ingredients:

• 4 large skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 18 oz. bottle of your favorite barbeque sauce
• Whole wheat hamburger buns
• Shredded low-fat cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Place the 4 large chicken breasts on the bottom of the crock pot.

2. Sprinkle diced onions on top of chicken breasts.

3. Pour barbeque sauce over the top of the chicken and onions. Note: I used about 3/4 of the bottle of barbeque sauce; you can use the entire bottle if you like it extra saucy!

4. Slow cook barbeque chicken on high for 4-5 hours. Once chicken is finished cooking, take it out of the crock pot and shred it with a fork (it should be very moist). Transfer shredded chicken back into the crock pot with the sauce.

5. Sprinkle cheddar cheese on one side of the bun. Place the buns in the toaster oven for about 3 minutes or until they are toasted and cheese is melted.

6. Spoon chicken and sauce onto hamburger bun. Note: You may need a fork and a napkin :) Enjoy!!

**Recipe adapted from www.food.com**

 

Crank your salad up a notch!

Spinach with Flank Steak, Feta, Cranberries, and Walnuts

Thai Chicken Salad with Peanut Dressing

I guess that's what you get when you marry a soon-to-be dietitian.....A LOT of salad! We do eat a lot of salad in our household, BUT they are not just your ordinary salads. I love coming up with different salad creations instead of just the plain ol' lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, and onions. Salads are not only easy to make, but they are also very filling due to all of the fiber (vegetables) and protein (meat, beans, nuts)! Here are the recipes to the salads above....

Spinach salad with flank steak

• Flank or skirt steak (enough for 2)
• 1 bag of baby spinach leaves
• 1/2 cup of reduced-fat feta cheese
• 1/3 cup of toasted walnuts, chopped
• 1/2 cup of dried cranberries
• 1 medium roma tomato, diced
• 1/4 cup of red onion, diced
• Vinagerette of choice (we used a low-fat raspberry vinagerette)

Directions:

1. Season steak with salt and pepper. Grill steak on medium-high heat for 6-7 minutes per side. Let steak rest for about 5-8 minutes once its finished cooking.

2. Toss together baby spinach, feta, walnuts, cranberries, tomato, and onion. Lightly dress the salad with vinagerette.

3. Plate the salad and top with grilled flank steak. Enjoy!!




Thai Chicken Salad with Peanut Dressing

• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 1 small can of mandarin oranges, drained
• 1/2-3/4 cup wonton strips
• 1/2 cup of dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup of green onions (white and green part), diced
• 1/2 bag of baby spinach leaves
• 1/2 bag of romaine, chopped

Peanut Dressing

• 1/3 cup + 2 Tablespoons of canola oil
• 1/3 cup of rice vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons of Splenda
• 1 Tablespoon of reduced-fat peanut butter or PB2
• 3/4 teaspoon of salt
• 3/4 teaspoon of pepper

Directions:

1. Season chicken breasts with salt, pepper, parika, and garlic powder. Grill on medium-high heat for 5-6 minutes per side, or until the meat is no longer pink in the middle. Once the meat is finished cooking, set aside.

2. Combine spinach, romaine, green onions, wonton strips, dried cranberries, and oranges in a large bowl. Lightly dress the salad with peanut dressing (Note: you will not need all of the dressing in the recipe above).

3. Top salad with grilled chicken breasts. Enjoy!!

Cauliflower Chicken Pizza

The cauliflower pizza crust recipe is from Eat. Drink. Smile . I saw this recipe originally on Pinterest and then referred to her blog for more information. This is a great recipe for those of you watching your carbohydrate intake and it tastes great too!

Ingredients - Crust

• 1 cup cooked, riced cauliflower
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp crushed garlic
• 1/2 tsp garlic salt
• olive oil (optional)

Topping

• 2-3 Tablespoons of pizza sauce
• 1 cup of shredded rotisserie chicken
• 1 green bell pepper, sliced
• 1 cup of button mushrooms
• 1/2 small yellow onion, sliced
• 2 Tablespoons of olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
• Pinch of salt
• 1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper 
• 1/4 cup of fat-free feta cheese
• 1 cup of low-fat mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. "Rice" the Cauliflower: Take 1 large head of fresh cauliflower, remove stems and leaves, and chop the florets into chunks. Add to food processor and pulse until it looks like grain. Do not over-do pulse or you will puree it. (If you don't have a food processor, you can grate the whole head with a cheese grater). Place the riced cauliflower into a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 8 minutes. There is no need to add water, as the natural moisture in the cauliflower is enough to cook itself.
One large head should produce approximately 3 cups of riced cauliflower. The remainder can be used to make additional pizza crusts immediately, or can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week.

2. To Make the Pizza Crust: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray. In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup cauliflower, egg and mozzarella. Add oregano, crushed garlic and garlic salt, stir. Transfer to the cookie sheet, and using your hands, pat out into a 9" round. Optional: Brush olive oil over top of mixture to help with browning. Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes.

3. Toppings: In a large skillet, add the olive oil, peppers, mushrooms, and onions and cook on medium-high heat until the vegetables are translucent (about 8 minutes). Add in the shredded chicken. Season with garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

4. Top the baked cauliflower crust with pizza sauce, veggie & chicken mixture, feta, and mozzarella cheese. Bake for another 5-8 minutes or until the cheese is melted on top. Enjoy!!

Quick & Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup

Need something nice and warm in your cold, hungry belly?!? This soup is so tasty and does not require an hour and half in the kitchen! The trick to this quick and easy soup is a store bought rotisserie chicken. You don't have to cook any meat beforehand which makes this process alot quicker....the moist chicken is an added bonus! Hope y'all enjoy!!

 

Ingredients

• 1 rotisserie chicken, skin removed, shredded into small pieces
• 28 oz. container of 33% less sodium chicken broth
• 1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can of diced tomatoes, drained  
• 1 cup of frozen corn
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 medium green bell pepper, diced
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 6-8 corn tortillas, sliced into thin strips
• 2 tablespoons of canola oil
• 1 bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1-2 small limes
• 1 bag of low-fat shredded mexican blend cheese
• 1.5 teaspoons of ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon of chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. In a large pot, add olive oil, diced onion, and bell pepper. Saute for about 5-7 minutes until softened and slightly browned. Add black beans, tomatoes, and corn and stir until all of the ingredients are well incorporated.

3. Season the mixture with cumin, black pepper, chili powder, and garlic powder and stir. Add the whole container of chicken broth and bring the soup to a boil. Once the soup starts to boil, turn it down to simmer (low) and add the chicken. Put the lid on the pot and let the soup simmer for about 20 minutes.

4. While the soup is simmering, add the tortilla strips and canola oil to a large cookie sheet. Season the strips with a sprinkle of chili powder, garlic powder, and black pepper. Bake for 10 minutes, flipping half way through so both sides get crispy.

5. Assemble: Serve soup in a bowl and garnish with lime juice, 1 tablespoon of chopped cilantro, 1-2 tablespoons of shredded cheese, and tortilla strips. Enjoy!!

**If you have left overs for the next day, you can add a little bit more chicken broth to the pot to make the soup more liquidy. If you don't have any more chicken broth you can use water, but make sure you don't add too much water because it can drown out the flavor.

 

Easy Chicken Parmesan Casserole

I got this recipe off of Pinterest when my sister told me about how yummy and easy it was. It took me about 15 minutes to put together the entire dish and then it baked for about 30 minutes.....simple and delicious! I served the chicken parmesan with a small spinach salad on the side, which complimented the dish really well. This is a great recipe for one of those days you just don't feel like cooking but you want something hot and flavorful! Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!!

http://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2008/02/end-of-chicken-parmesan-as-you-know-it.html

*The only thing I did different with this recipe was chop my chicken breast up into small pieces, which helped it cook faster and you don't have to use a knife to cup up the chicken!*

Cheese Tortellini with Roasted Vegetables

Ingredients

• 1 bag of frozen cheese tortellinis
• 3.5 oz. bag of sundried tomatoes
• 1 lb of lean ground chicken
• 2 medium zucchinis (chopped into small pieces)
• 2 medium yellow squash (chopped into small pieces)
• 1 small package of sliced white button mushrooms
• 1 medium yellow onion (sliced thinly)
• Olive oil
• 3/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese + 1/4 cup for garnish
• Salt and pepper
• 1.5 tsp of garlic powder

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Add chopped zucchini and squash to one baking sheet and add mushrooms and onions to another baking sheet. Pour approx. 2 tablespoons of olive oil over each baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. With your hands, mix the vegetables, oil, and salt and pepper together so that each vegetable is well seasoned. Bake for 20-30 minutes (flip the veggies half way through so they browned on both sides).

2. Add ground chicken to a large saute pan and cook on medium-high until the meat is no longer pink. Turn off burner once it is finished cooking.

3. Fill a large pasta pot with water and bring water to boil. Once the water is boiling, pour the pasta in reduce to heat to medium. Tortellinis will take 5-10 minutes to cook (once they all rise to the top of the water they are done).  Drain  the pasta and then place in large bowl.

4. Add the roasted vegetables (zucchini, squash, mushrooms, and onions) and the cooked ground chicken to the large bowl of tortellinis. Next, add the sundried tomatoes and 3/4 cup of shredded parmesan cheese. Stir all of the ingredients together. Season with garlic powder and if needed, add more salt and pepper to taste.

5. Spoon pasta into serving bowls and garnish with remained parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Greek Salad Topped With Crispy Polenta And Grilled Chicken

I can't quite remember if it was my sister or I who came up with this recipe, but we started to make this salad when we lived together in Dallas. We loved to make big salads for dinner because they are filling and they don't leave you feeling deprived! Polenta is basically cornmeal and it can be prepared many different ways.  In this recipe, the polenta is drizzled with olive oil and baked until it is crispy on the outside and soft in the inside. I think you will find this salad to be one of your favorites!!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 bag of leafy romaine lettuce
• 1/2 bag of baby spinach leaves
• 18 oz. of San Gennaro Polenta, basil & garlic flavor (this can be found in the pasta section of the grocery store, it is packaged and held at room temperature)
• 2-3 Tablespoons of olive oil
• 2 medium skinless, boneless chicken breasts, thawed and cubed into bite size pieces
• 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
• Pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup of red onion, thinly sliced into half moons
• 1 1/2 roma tomatoes, diced
• 1/3 cup of jared roasted red peppers, diced
• 3 oz. of crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese
• 1/4 cup of shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese 
• 1/4 -1/3 cup of Light balsalmic vinaigrette or vinaigrette of your choice  

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Slice the polenta into small cubes or triangles and place them on a baking sheet. Drizzle 2-3 Tablespoons of olive oil over the top of the polenta and mix together with your hands. Bake for 15-20 minutes, flipping them half way through (make sure they are browned and crispy). 

2. While the polenta is baking, saute the chicken in a skillet on medium to medium-high heat for about 10 minutes. Season the chicken with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. The chicken should be lightly brown on the outside and no longer pink in the middle. Set aside when it is finished cooking.

3. In a large bowl add the lettuce, spinach, red onion, tomatoes, roasted red peppers, feta cheese, and mozzarella cheese. Add the dressing to the salad (make sure you don't over dress) and mix well until the ingredients are well incorporated.

4. Portion the salad onto plates and top with cooked chicken and crisy polenta. Enjoy!!

Tips: You can serve this salad as an entre with the chicken or you can serve it as a side salad without the chicken.



Grilled Lemon Chicken Sandwich

So as many of you know I am on a 11 day break from school and for me that means more sleeping, more relaxing, more blogging, and more time with friends and family. So, hopefully the abundance of new recipes over the next week will make up for my slacking off the week before! This next blog post is inspired by a recipe in a magazine called Southern Favorites. One thing I love about cooking is that I can make any recipe my very own by substituting or adding ingredients that I love. In this recipe I used Flatout Flatbread, which by the way is one of my favorites for making wraps, tacos, pizza, etc., and it is healthier than a regular flour tortilla or pita bread. This sandwich is very refreshing and has tons of flavor! Hope ya'll enjoy, God bless!

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon zest
• 1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup of grated purple onion
• 3 Tablespoons of Splenda granulated sugar substitute
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper
• 4 all natural boneless, skinless chicken breast
• Flatout Flatbread (Healthy Grain)
• 1 cup of baby spinach leaves
• 1/4 cup of crumbled reduced-fat blue cheese
• 4 slices of turkey bacon, cooked in the microwave and crumbled
• 1/4 cup of fig preserves (in the jelly section of the grocery store)

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, mix together olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, grated onion, Splenda, salt and pepper. Place chicken breast in a large plastic freezer bag. Pour lemon mixture over the chicken and seal the bag. Marinate this mixture in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes (no longer than 1 hour).

2. Spray the grill, or grill pan with nonstick cooking spray. Preheat the grill to medium heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade (throw the remaining marinade away) and place on the grill. Grill the chicken for 10 minutes per side, flipping frequently until it is no longer pink in the middle. Once it is finished cooking, remove from the grill and place on a cutting board. Slice the chicken breast into thin strips.

3. Make sure the grill is cool. Rinse or thoroughly wipe off the grill with a paper towel to grill the flatbread. Once it is clean, spray the grill with nonstick cooking spray and place the flatbread on the grill. Grill for 2-3 minutes per side or until you can see the grill lines. Repeat with remaining flatbread.

4. Assemble: Cut the flatbread in half horizontally. Place the sliced chicken on one half and top it off with the baby spinach leaves, crumbled blue cheese, and turkey bacon. Spread the fig preserves on the other half and use as a top for the sandwich. Enjoy!

Makes about 4 sandwiches

Thai Chicken Pizza

Ingredients:

• 5 oz. of bean sprouts (come in an 8 oz. bag - use a little more than half)
• 5 oz. of shredded carrots
• 2 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken
• 3 green onions, diced into small pieces
• 2 Tablespoons of canola oil
• 1 Tablespoon of rice vinegar
• 2 teaspoons of soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons of garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon of ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons of ground black pepper
• 8 oz. of shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup of thai peanut sauce, such as Archer Farms
• 2-3 Tablespoons of fresh cilantro, chopped
• 2 Tablespoons of peanuts, chopped
• Pizza dough ingredients & recipe

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large non-stick skillet add 2 tablespoon of canola oil along with the bean sprouts, shredded carrots, and green onions. Saute this mixture of ingredients on medium-high heat for about 8-10 minutes or until the vegetables are soft and reduced in size by about 1/3.

2. Once the vegetables are cooked down, add the rice vinegar, soy sauce, garlic powder, black pepper, and ginger. Lastly, add the shredded chicken to the vegetable mixture and stir all of the ingredients together until they are well incorporated.

3. Roll the pizza dough out onto a large greased pizza pan or cookie sheet. Spread the thai peanut sauce along with the chicken/vegetable mixture evenly over the top of the dough. Top the remainder of the pizza with the mozzarella cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown.

4. When it is finished cooking, add the chopped peanuts and cilantro for garnish. Enjoy!!

Italian Chicken Sausage Crustless Quiche

Ingredients:

• 1 package of Aidells Chicken Sausage, chopped (Flavor: Italian Style with Mozzarella Cheese-located in the lunch meat/breakfast sausage section of the grocery store)
• 1 dozen eggs 
• 1 yellow, orange, and red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 2 Tablespoons of olive oil 
• 2 teaspoons of ground black pepper
• 3 oz. of crumbled goat cheese
• 1 cup of low-fat shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup of shredded parmesan cheese  
• 1/4 cup of chopped fresh basil
• 1 teaspoon of dried oregano

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. In a large saute pan, cook the chopped chicken sausage on medium-high heat until it is lightly brown on each side, about 4-6 minutes. Once it is finished cooking, remove the sausage from the pan and place in small bowl to the side. In the mean time, add the chopped peppers, onion, and olive oil in the same pan you cooked the sausage in and saute until softened, about 6-8 minutes on medium-high heat. When they are finished cooking, remove from heat and season with ground black pepper.

In a large bowl, crack one dozen eggs and whisk together in the bowl. Add the chicken sausage and the pepper/onion mixture to the eggs and whisk together quickly so the eggs do not scramble. Pour this mixture into a 9x13 inch baking dish and top with crumbled goat cheese, mozzarella, parmesan, fresh basil and oregano. Bake for about 35-45 minutes or until it is no longer runny in the middle. Let it set for about 5 minutes before you cut into it. Enjoy!

Quick, Easy, & Low-Fat Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients:

• 8-10 whole wheat flour tortillas
• 2 packages of Uncle Ben's Ready Whole Grain Medley Sante Fe flavored rice (or you can use leftover rice from a meal you made earlier in the week - you'll need about 2-3 cups)
• 1/2 cup of fresh cilantro chopped (leaves only)
• 2 Tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 package of seasoned fajita chicken breasts, about 1.5 lbs.
• 2 cups of salsa verde
• 8 oz. package of low-fat mexican cheese blend

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut the raw chicken breast into small cubes and place in a large skillet with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Cook on medium to medium-high heat until cooked through (no longer pink in the middle). Once the chicken is finished cooking, take the pan off of the burner. Cook rice according to the directions on the package and when it is done pour into a large bowl. Add the chopped cilantro and cooked fajita chicken to the rice and stir to combine all the ingredients together. In a 9x13 in baking dish pour 1 cup of salsa verde in the bottom of the dish. Fill each whole wheat tortilla with the rice/chicken mixture (about 1/3 cup), roll up and place in the baking dish (seam side down). Do the same with each tortilla (about 8-10 filled tortillas should fit in the baking dish). Pour remaining 1 cup of salsa verde on top of the rolled tortillas. Top with mexican cheese blend. Bake for 20 minutes uncovered or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Enjoy!

Jerk Chicken Pizza

Ingredients:

• 2-3 skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into small cubes ($4.50)
• 1/2-3/4 cup of mild jerk sauce (enough to coat the chicken) ($2.99-3.99)
• Dash of salt
• 1 tsp. of black pepper
• 1/4 cup of chopped fresh cilantro ($0.48)
• 1/4 cup of red onion, cut into thin slices ($1.35)
• 1 1/2 cups of shredded or sliced Gouda cheese ($2.68) 

Dough ingredients: *Makes 2 dough balls*

• 3 3/4 cups of all purpose flour
• 1 package of quick-rise yeast
• 1 Tbsp. of Splenda
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• 1 1/4 cups of warm water
• 2 Tbsp. of olive oil

To Make the Dough: In a food processor or KitchenAid (using the dough hook), combine the flour, yeast, Splenda, and salt. Mix until the ingredients are combined at a slow speed. While these are mixing, pour the olive oil and warm water in a steady stream and mix until the dough comes together into a ball (if it is too sticky, add a little bit more flour until it is no longer sticky) (if it is too dry, add a little bit more warm water or olive oil) - this process may take a few minutes. Once the dough forms into a ball, take the dough out of the mixer or food processor and place on a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough for 3-5 minutes until it is smooth and elastic. Place the dough into a lightly greased medium sized bowl and cover with a kitchen towel and let it rise for 2-3 hours. Once it has risen, punch the dough down and form it into a ball again and let it rest for about 10 more minutes. Cut the dough into 2 pieces. On a greased pizza pan, roll 1 piece of the dough out with a rolling pin until it is a thin and round.

To Make the Pizza: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Saute the chicken cubes with the jerk sauce in a greased saute pan. Saute until the chicken is cooked through. Season the pizza dough with salt and pepper and spread the cooked jerk chicken over the dough evenly. Place the thin red onion slices, chopped cilantro, and Gouda cheese over the top of the chicken. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese and crust are lightly browned. Enjoy!!

Total Price:

$12.00

*I had the ingredients to make the dough at home, but this is typically a cheap item to make**

Sesame Chicken with Brown Rice

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed into pieces ($4.50)
• 2 Tbsp. of low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tsp. of Splenda
• 1 Tbsp. of sherry cooking wine
• 1 Tbsp. of rice vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. of ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp. of crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup of flour
• 2-3 Tbsp. of sesame seeds ($2.99)
• Drizzle of olive oil or canola oil
• 2-3 cups of brown rice ($1.68)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the cubed chicken breast in a medium bowl and add the soy sauce, splenda, sherry cooking wine, rice vinegar, ground ginger, and crushed red pepper flakes. Toss all of the ingredients together, cover, and marinate in the refrigerator for 5-10 minutes. Meanwhile, pour the 1/2 cup of flour and 2-3 tablespoons of sesame seeds into a large plastic freezer bag. Once the chicken is finished marinating, drain the chicken in a colander and dab it with a paper towel to get some of the excess liquid off of the chicken (it is okay that the chicken is a little wet, you just don't want it to be dripping). Place the chicken into the freezer bag, seal the bag, and shake it to coat the chicken pieces. Once the chicken is coated, spread the chicken onto a greased baking sheet and drizzle a small amount of cooking oil over the top so that the chicken will get crispy. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes and then with a spatula turn the chicken cubes over and bake for another 10 minutes or until chicken is lightly crisp. Serve on top of a bed of brown rice. Optional: drizzle a tad bit of honey over the top! Enjoy!!

Total Price:

$9.17 (Items not marked are items that we already had at home)

**Recipe inspired by Melissa de Arabian**

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp of olive oil (had this at home)
• 1 medium chopped onion ($0.75)
• 2 tsp of minced garlic (had this at home)
• 2 cups of reduced-sodium chicken broth ($1.72)
• 3 tbsp of flour (had this at home)
• 1 tsp of cumin (had this at home)
• 2 pinches of ground pepper (had this at home)
• 1/2 cup of light sour cream ($0.88)
• 3 fresh chicken breasts ($4.76)
• 1 can of corn - drained (14.5 oz.; $0.67)
• 1 can of black beans - drained (14.5 oz.; $0.62)
• 1 cup of shredded reduced-fat mexican cheese blend ($1.86)
• 1 can of chopped green chiles (4.5 oz.; $0.78)
• 8 whole wheat flour tortillas ($2.72)
• 2 tbsp of chopped tomato ($0.23)
• 2 tbsp of chopped green onion ($0.10)
• 1/4 cup of salsa ($1.96)

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 13 x 9 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Trim chicken breast of fat and cut into 1/2 inch cubes (about half the size of a chicken nugget). Place chicken into a non-stick skillet and cook on medium-high heat until lightly browned and cooked through. Remove chicken from heat. In another skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat and add onions and garlic, saute until softened (about 5 min). In a medium bowl, stir chicken broth, flour, cumin, and pepper with a wire whisk until blended. Add the chicken broth mixture to the sauted onion and garlic, stirring constantly until thickened into a sauce. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream until well blended. In another medium bowl, add cooked chicken, corn, black beans, 1/2 cup of cheese, chiles, salsa, and 1/2 cup of the sauce. Fill each tortilla with 1/3 - 1/2 cup of the mixture. Roll up tortillas; arrange seam sides down, in baking dish. Top enchiladas with the remaining sauce. Cover with foil.

Bake for about 25 min with the foil on and then remove foil and add the rest of the cheese and bake for the remainder 5-10 minutes. Sauce should be bubbly. Sprinkle the enchiladas with the chopped tomatoes and green onion. Let it sit for about 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

The majority of this recipe is from the website http://www.eatbetteramerica.com/.  I served the enchiladas with whole grain rice.

Total Price:

$17.05 (makes approximately 4 meals)

Wheat Thin Chicken

Ingredients:

• 1 box of sun-dried tomato flavored Wheat Thins ($2.98)
• 4 fresh chicken breasts, pat dry ($4.76)
• 1/4 cup of egg beaters (already had at home; leftover from egg casserole recipe)
• pinch of salt
• pinch of pepper
• pinch of paprika

Directions:

Place chicken breasts in a large ziplock storage bag (make sure all the air is let out). With a rolling pin or pounder (meat tenderizer), pound out chicken breast to a 1/2 inch thickness. In another large ziplock storage bag, crush Wheat Thins with a rolling pin or a pounder until they are the consistency of bread crumbs. Place egg beaters in a large bowl and the crushed wheat thins in a separate large bowl. Dip chicken breasts one at a time into the bowl with egg beaters, then into bowl with Wheat Thins (make sure both sides are coated), and place them on a greased cookie sheet. Do the same for the remaining chicken breasts. Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and paprika. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 min. Slice through the middle of the largest chicken breast to check if they are done (no longer pink = done).

Total Price:

$7.74 (makes approximately 2-3 meals for two people)

: : These are really good on top of a bed of greens, on a sandwich, or even by themselves : :

: : You can even do chicken tenders or nuggets instead for the kids : :