Crockpot Chicken Sloppy Jo's

Crockpot Chicken Sloppy Jo's

I had been going through my Pinterest board looking for ideas for todays dinner.  I knew I wanted something easy and that could be put in the crockpot. I had found a recipe for crockpot sloppy jo's and I was pretty sure I had most of the ingredients for the recipe. I was excited. I had never made sloppy jo's in the crock pot before. As I was going through the ingredient list I realized I didn't have any Worcestershire sauce. I was worried that I would need to scrap the whole idea. But luckily for me, I am creative and not afraid of a little challenge. I decided that I would try to make it with what I had around and what I could try to concoct for a delicious alternative for those of us who don't have exacting ingredients when we find recipes that look and sound delicious but are missing one or two ingredients. We get the joy of substitutions, praying they work. Luckily for me this time it worked splendidly. My husband raved about these, and said they were the best sloppy jo's he's ever had. I thought they were good, too. My children all ate theirs I put on their plates but they didn't eat seconds. Which is fine with me. They snacked all afternoon when I was napping. I am glad I took a nap. 

A side note I even forgot to plug the crockpot in before I took my nap. I woke up and checked dinner at 5pm. Realized I didn't have it plugged in... I set it on high, making sure I plugged it in. And 2 hours later it was heaven. So this is not something you necessarily need to make in the crockpot. It can be heated and cooked on the stove. The chicken or beef is precooked, you just heat the rest of the ingredients so they meld together. The leftovers will be frozen for a future meal when I don't have the energy to make anything or will throw in the crockpot to reheat for a busy school night. I love dual purpose dinners. They make life so much easier. In my opinion.

Ingredients:

2 lb ground chicken or beef (precooked, browned)

1 lg green pepper, diced

1 lg or 2 med onions, diced

2 8oz cans tomato sauce with green chili's

1 1/2 cup ketsup

1/2 cup BBQ sauce (I used sweet baby ray's)

1/2 cup soy sauce

5-6 dashes red wine vinegar

1 Tbsp dry mustard

1/2 Tbsp garlic powder

Directions:

Brown chicken (cook), Add all ingredients to crockpot, set on high for 2-3 hours or low for 4 or all day. Enjoy on hotdog, hamburger buns or on baked potatoes. 

Verdict,

My husband said the sauce part would be delicious on any thing such as pork, ribs, or any kind of meat. I think he really liked it, he had 3 helpings. This makes a lot to feed a crowd or to freeze part for a later meal. 

The original recipe called for Worcestershire sauce and no tomato sauce. I think this by far is the best recipe ever for sloppy jo's. No Worcestershire sauce needed for me. But if you'd like to try the original recipe feel free. Let me know what you think, I love hearing from you. Thanks,

Shae ;)

Veggie Lasagna Rolls

Lasagna Rolls

They are as easy as 1, 2, 3... At least I thought so. Pretty simple and easy to make. These are so good... I forgot to get a picture of them when they were fully baked. They went fast!

Ingredients:

1 box Lasagna noodles*

2 zucchini, sliced thin

6 roma tomato's, sliced thin

1 small ricotta cheese container

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

2 Tbsp pesto

2 cups mozzarella cheese

1 jar alfredo sauce

1 jar spaghetti sauce

2 eggs

4 Tbsp italian seasoning, plus some to taste

Directions:

Boil water and cook Lasagna noodles until Al Dente, rinse with cold water and set aside. While noodles are cooking.... In a medium bowl combine the ricotta cheese, egg, pesto, parmesan cheese, and 1/2 of the Italian seasoning... stir until combined. Set aside. Cut/slice the zucchini and place in a bowl. I used my kitchen-aid slicing attachment to slice my zucchini. Next, slice the Roma tomato's, thinly. A mandolin slicer would work well to slice thin, I just didn't have one. 

Prepare 13X9 baking pan by pouring about 1/3 of the spaghetti sauce in the bottom of the pan. Set aside.

Preheat oven 375F.

Once the noodles are cooked, cooled and drained, and all ingredients are sliced and/or mixed... it's time for assembly. Take a tablespoon and spread a spoonful of the ricotta mixture on the lasagna noodle. Then layer zucchini on top of the ricotta mixture and finally add the thinly sliced roma tomato's. Roll from one end over the other until makes a sort of "ball"(using word loosely, see pic above).  Repeat until pan is full.

Once pan is full pour remaining spaghetti sauce over the lasagna rolls, and then pour the alfredo sauce over the spaghetti sauce. Top with Mozzarella cheese. Cover with Foil.

Can be frozen and baked later or baked right away.

Bake 375F for 30 minutes, then remove foil and bake an additional 20 min. 

* Can be Gluten-Free if you use Gluten-Free lasagna noodles.

Serve with salad, and garlic bread. 

Garlic Bread...

Take sliced bread and 2 sticks of melted butter. mix in to the butter about 3 tbsp italian seasoning and 2 Tbsp garlic powder. Spread butter mixture over bread with a pastry brush and bake or broil. Bake for 7 min until brown, or broil until slightly brown on top. 

Taco Salad

Tonights dinner was a kind of like the saying "when life gives you lemons make lemonaid", kind of night. I wanted to use up a pound of ground beef. I decided I would either make my enchirito's or Tacos. The consensus of the house was Tacos. So I started making tacos. I had purchased a big taco dinner kit, a couple of weeks ago. I was going to use that. Well, the kit came with two packages of 10 tacos, 2 pkg taco seasoning, and two taco sauce packages. I was so excited to have everything I needed. Then I pulled out the taco shells to bake them in the oven, and they are all CRACKED! I just really dislike that... don't you?!

Well, I informed the boys no taco's tonight. They started asking why after I got them excited about dinner. So, I told them nevermind, we would have taco salad instead. I quickly added a few other ingredients, cooked the broken shells and made a delicious thrown together, last minute salad. I had two helpings with extra greens. It was so tasty :)

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1 can Rotel tomatoes with green chili's
1 can refried beans with green chili's and lime
1 pkg taco seasoning with instructed water
1 pkg taco sauce
sour cream
cheese
1 bag mixed salad greens
4 cups spinach
10-20 crushed or broken taco shells

Directions:
Brown ground beef. Then make the taco meat per package instructions, adding water, and taco seasoning to the browned ground beef. After the taco meat is made, add the refried beans, and Rotel tomatoes. Stir to combine.

While the refried beans, taco meat, and Rotel tomato's are heating through, place the taco shells in preheated oven (per package directions), and mix together the mixed salad greens and spinach in a large bowl. set aside

Once the taco meat mixture is heated through remove from burner and turn off stove. Remove the taco shells from the oven (heating them), then start layering your salad.

On each plate, place a generous portion of salad greens/spinach mixture. Then top with taco meat mixture. Sprinkle with cheese and a dollop of sour cream. Next sprinkle some taco sauce around the top of the salad, then sprinkle the warmed broken taco shells on top. Larger pieces can be placed around the edge for scooping the salad. Serve warm.

Verdict: I loved it! I really liked the salad. I have some leftover salad mix and taco meat, I will be eating that for lunch tomorrow. :)

Cheesy Cowboy Stew

I originally found this cowboy stew recipe at one of my favorite crockpot blog. I have made it several times. I even made it once for my in-laws and they loved it! They request that I make it at least once every time they visit. It's a great hearty stew that is so easy with mostly canned foods I have on hand. It's so easy to put together. The longest part is browning your meat. Or you could even have it meatless, or with leftover meat. This time I thought it would be yummy with some cheesy component. So here is my take on a cheesy version of this delicious cowboy stew.

Ingredients:
1 can chili beans (RANCH style or generic brand)
1 can italian style tomatoes
2 cans whole or sliced potatoes (drained)
1 can of corn (drained)
1 can tomato sauce (I used Tomato soup today)
1 can Rotel(T) tomatoes with green chili's
1 lb ground beef (I used italian turkey sausage)
1 jar ragu cheese sauce
1 small onion, diced
1 cup water

Directions:
In a large crock pot, preferably the 6 qt but the 4 qt will work. Brown your meat and cook your onions til translucent. I usually cook them at the same time. Then in the crock pot add the remainder of the ingredients only draining the potatoes and corn. Add the meat onion mixture, water and the ragu cheese sauce. Cook on high 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours. Stirring occasionally.

I love quick easy crock pot meals. You can add jalapenos for added spice to your own dish.

My kids actually eat everything including the tomatoes. It's amazing and so filling. One crock pot full will feed my family for two meals. I like to either freeze this or bring dinner to another family. This freezes well. Enjoy!

Chicken Enchirito lasagna

I usually plan out my menu at the beginning of the week, typically sunday, but sometimes monday. Unfortunately for me I didn't plan my weekly menu. One thing I regret on days like today. I get a brain (excuse my language) fart. I usually have a very difficult time thinking what to make for dinner, when I've been so busy all day with my school stuff, the kids school stuff, housework, and running errands and the list goes on and on... I'm hopeful some of you can relate :) Well, Today I stood in my kitchen and had this blank stare on my face when the kids asked me what was for dinner. I couldn't think of anything, then I open the fridge and start saying things that are easy like spaghetti, meatloaf, spaghetti with meatballs, and one of my son says GRILLED CHEESE... I think to myself... that would use all the bread I've allotted for the boys lunches till payday. So NO... He then says "but we haven't had that in a LLLOOONNNGG time..." (picture puppy dog eyes and a big fat lower lip) of course I still said NO but I knew that he still wouldn't be too happy, so I turned and walked to the pantry. Trying to avoid the conversation as to why not. So I start thinking of what I have in the fridge and what I have in the pantry, and then what I have in Food Storage. What can I make...? I think and think and think. Then I decide on Enchirito's Well, I didn't want to use country sausage or turkey sausage, and then I remembered I had bbq pork, (which might be good) or chicken from the baked chicken from Thursday last week. or was it friday... anyways, it's still good. So I decide on chicken. So we are going to have chicken enchirito's... Then I remember my sister makes this layered enchilada stuff instead of rolling the tortillas. So I had an "AH HA!" moment... I will make a layered enchiritio with refried beans, a chicken mixture with cheese and enchilada sauce. Now doesn't that sound yummy.... All the while I'm trying to see what I can add to the dish to increase the vegetable intake without having to make a side dish. (too many dishes already dirty) I need a one dish meal. So I scrounge up some onions, a can of rotel tomatoes with green chili's, and mushrooms. I thought about some fresh spinach or celery, but then thought, it's a mexican type dish, these don't really go. So I ditched those two items. YEAH me... I think these would be good.  Well, I at least hope they will be good, if not it's still dinner.

So bare with me as I threw stuff in a bowl, and I didn't measure. these are estimates, you can use less if it looks like too much of one thing, and more of something if it looks too little.  Sorry, That is how I cook sometimes, by sight, taste and smell.

Ingredients:
aprox. 3-4 cups cubed already cooked chicken
1 can rotel tomatoes with green chili's
1 can enchilada sauce
1 can refried beans with chili's and lime
1/4 of a red onion, diced (or minced) personal preference
4 button mushrooms no stems chopped
4 bella portabello mushrooms, no stems chopped
1/4 tsp ground cumin
2 Tbsp chili powder
2 -3 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground pepper
14 flour tortilla's 6 inch (small) tortillas

Directions:
In a medium bowl, mix together the cubed chicken, tomatoes, red onion, chopped mushrooms, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper, and 1 cup of the enchilada sauce. mix well, incorporating all ingredients.

Next, in a 13 X9X2 inch pan, spray with non stick cooking spray, and pour 1/2 of the remaining enchilada sauce in the bottom of the pan.

Then, spread some of the refried beans on tortilla's and layer on the bottom of the pan, enough to cover the bottom. * NOTE: you may need to rip some of the tortilla's in half to cover the bottom, I had two full tortillas on the bottom and 4 halves. Place the refried bean side down in the enchilada sauce.

Then spoon half of the chicken mixture on top of the tortillas, and sprinkle with cheese.

Repeat one more layer, Refried bean on tortilla, refried bean side down on the cheese, then spread the chicken mixture on top of the tortilla, then cover with cheese.

Now, layering 6 flour tortillas on top of the cheese (no refried beans should be left in the can). Then top with the enchilada sauce and sprinkle with cheese.

Cover with foil, sprayed with non stick cooking spray. Bake in a 350F oven until heated through aprox 45 minutes, then remove the foil, and bake another 5-10 minutes to brown the cheese.

Let set about 5-10 minutes before serving.

Chicken Salad Sandwich with fresh spinach

Today was my first day subbing at my children's school. I didn't want  the ham and cheese I was sending my children with for lunch today, so I made myself some chicken salad with fresh spinach. I had leftover chicken from my chicken cooked last night. I thought it would make a great chicken salad sandwich.

Makes 2-3 sandwiches

Ingredients:
1/2 a slice of red onion - diced
2 dollops of salad dressing/mayo
1/2 - 3/4 cup cooked chicken, chunky diced
1-2 Tbsp Ms. Dash
8-10 leaves of fresh spinach
4-8 slices roma tomatoes
2 -4 slices of bread (any type)

Directions:
In a small bowl, combine the diced onion, mayo, chicken, and ms, dash. Lightly toss, incorporating all ingredients while leaving chicken chunks. On 2 slices of bread spread some of the chicken salad mixture. Next layer the Roma tomatoes, and spinach. (use the spinach in place of lettuce). Place another slice of bread on the top of the tomatoes and spinach and cut in half, and enjoy! this is a tasty and healthy alternative.

You can use low fat mayo and even cut it in half. The spinach adds a nice flavor and gives you more essential vitamins than lettuce.  This was a satisfying lunch sandwich that really was tasty :) I really enjoyed the flavor.  I forgot to take a picture of it as I was running late. And lunch was rushed... If you try it, submit a picture of your sandwich. :)

Bruschetta

I have been craving yummy bruschetta for a few days now. I decided that I would try my hand at it with ingredients that I already had at home. This is a concoction that I thought would taste DELISH... I was so right. So yummy! I even invited over a friend to help me eat this. I had like 6 pieces if not more, I still have some left that my mouth is watering for and I'm trying to be good and not eat the rest. I don't know if I can be strong enough to not eat the rest myself. Here's hoping will power will be strong enough. I'm trying to loose weight... I know crazy right. But heck,.. it's worth a try.

I had bought the other day a loaf of sourdough bread at Walmart that was in their discounted bread area and I decided I would use that for bruschetta. It was so yummy! I paid $1.80 for the loaf of sourdough bread, what a steal! Next time I'm gonna try to make my own sourdough bread and see if I like it as much as the store bought. But that's for different post...

Ingredients:

1 loaf sourdough bread

4 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1/4 red and yellow bell pepper (diced)

1/4 or 1/8 of a yellow onion (diced)

1/2 tsp minced garlic

3 fresh basil leaves (cut into slices)

2 roma tomatoes

Directions:

In a small food processor, add the diced bell peppers, onion, garlic and basil. Mince further til small pieces all about the same size. Dice the Roma tomatoes and place in a small-medium bowl. Add the minced veggie mix, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Stir lightly and set aside.

Slice the sourdough bread lay on a cookie sheet, set the oven to broil. Spread olive oil on the bread with a basting brush, and sprinkle with parmeasan cheese. Then broil til brown and crusty on top.

Serve the sourdough bread with the bruschetta mixture on top. MMM so yummy!

I ate til I was almost sick. It is so yummy, and what I call healthy it's a light yet tasty and satisfying lunch. I've even had this as just a dinner. You can mix the tomatoes up with the yellow and orange tomatoes and the bell peppers are so sweet, they add a sweetness along with the tartness of the balsamic vinegar. A winner!