Southwestern Chopped Salad

I'm so excited Summer is here and one of the best parts of summer is eating of course!! I love summer food- grilled chicken, steaks, salads, fruit, lemonade. It's all so refreshing and so very delicious. For Sunday dinner I decided to try this recipe out I modified from Greens and Chocolate recipe website. The dressing includes greek yogurt and the salad itself is full of fresh vegetables...you really can't go wrong.

Dressing:

1/2 cup fat-free mayonnaise

2/3 cup fat-free Greek yogurt

1 tbsp ranch seasoning

1 tbsp taco seasoning

Mix all the ingredients together and place in a small bowl. Keep in the fridge while you start chopping for your salad.

Salad:

1 Green bell pepper, diced

1 can Black beans, rinsed

1 can Sweet yellow corn, drained

2 Roma tomatoes, diced

4 Green onions, sliced

1 head Ice berg lettuce, washed and chopped

1/4 C Cilantro, chopped

2 ripe Avocados, diced

Optional:

2 C Shredded chicken

1 C Crushed tortilla chips

 Prep all the ingredients and add them to a large bowl. Toss. Add the dressing until everything is coated. You can add as much or as little per your preference.

 I loved how the flavors come together in this salad. It's perfect for a big event or a quiet Sunday dinner. You know the salad is good when people go back for seconds and thirds.:-)

Enjoy!

White Cheddar Chicken Pasta

If you haven't noticed, we eat a lot of chicken in our household. Don't get me wrong, we love our red meat but chicken is always a better on your budget and easy to have in your freezer. While perusing Pinterest I found yet another great chicken recipe originally posted by Homemade by Holman. Though they used fresh thyme and fresh oregano, I used dry from my pantry and the taste was still delish.

For the chicken:

1 lb boneless chicken breast, thawed and cubed

1 tsp dry mustard

1 T thyme

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 T olive oil

Start by pouring your olive oil into a large skillet, coating the bottom well. Heat the pan on medium-high. Sprinkle your herb mixture on top on the chicken and add to the skillet. Cook until the chicken is cooked all the way through. You can sprinkle more of your herb mixture while the chicken is cooking just to make sure it absorbs all that flavor. Remove chicken from heat and place in a separate container.

For the pasta:

1 pound bowtie or your favorite short cut pasta

2 T butter

2 T flour

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 small onion, finely diced

1/4 cup dry white wine

1 T Dijon mustard

8 oz sharp white cheddar cheese, grated

2 cups milk

1 T thyme

1 T oregano

Parmesan cheese to taste

Melt the butter in a large skillet. Add flour and whisk over medium heat. Add the garlic, onions and mustard and cook until onions are translucent.

Add the milk slowly and stir. Let stew for 5 minutes to allow the mixture to thicken.

Add cheese and stir until melted. Add the chicken.

Mix with your already prepared noodles, sprinkle on the oregano, thyme & parmesan cheese and serve. Seriously...sooo good! You're going to love this dish, serve with garlic bread and you're set to go.

Enjoy!

Crock Pot Chicken Parmesian

Hello everyone! Hope all is well in the food blogging world. We've been cooking up a storm here finding new food favorites and some not so great recipes. No worries, we don't post anything but the best so enjoy this new recipe I found on Pinterest (originally posted by Chef In Training). I have fallen deeply in love with our crock pot. It has become my go-to for dinners. With K working late at the hospital his schedule changes day to day which doesn't give me a good timeframe when he will be home for dinner. But not everything we eat can be soups or chili which is why I really loved this recipe. Very simple to put together with a rich Italian taste. If you're a fan of a crispier chicken parmesan then this recipe probably won't be your favorite but if you are a fan of big Italian flavor then give this recipe a try.

Recipe:

4 frozen boneless chicken tenderloins, defrosted

1/2 C Italian breadcrumbs

1/4 C Parmesan cheese

1/4 tsp Black pepper

1/4 tsp Kosher salt

1 TBSP Olive oil

1 egg, beaten

1 C flour

1-2 C mozzarella cheese

1 Jar of your favorite marana sauce

Ready, set, cook! In a medium bowl mix the Italian breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, pepper, and salt. Grab three dishes, as you noticed I just grabbed anything I can dip the chicken in. Dish 1: Flour, Dish 2: egg and Dish 3: Italian bread seasoning mixture.

 Pour olive oil onto the bottom of your crock pot dish. Dust your chicken in the flour, shake off excess flour.  Now dip chicken into the egg and cover. Last step, place chicken in the breadcrumbs mixture and cover well.

 Place in your crockpot dish.

 Cover the chicken with a layer of mozzarella cheese. Cover cheese with the jar of marana sauce. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 7-8 hours.

 So guess what!! We we were so hungry we failed to take a finished photo! I know, I'm so sorry!! This is how we ate it though. We didn't go traditional with the noodles (which also would be great). Instead, we ate it with slices of freshly made (and still hot) french bread and it was amazing. I hope you all try the recipe out, it's a definite keeper.

Enjoy!