Loaded Baked Potatoes with Ham and Cheddar

I needed to use up the potatoes in the pantry before they went bad and decided to make loaded baked potatoes. We didn't have any bacon in the house, but we did have leftover Christmas ham. Oh my god, so good! It was a spiral ham with a brown sugar-maple glaze. The sweetness of the ham just worked with the cheese and green onions. Wow.

Ingredients:
4 russet potatoes, scrubbed
1 cup cooked diced ham
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1/3 cup green onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup sour cream (I used fat free)
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste

Directions:
Pierce each potatoes on top and bottom with fork. Place on a plate and cook for 5 minutes on high power. Flip potatoes over and cook for another 5 minutes.

Once potatoes are cool enough to handle, slice in half horizontally. Scoop the flesh out, leaving about 1/4-inch shell. Place the potatoes in a bowl and combine with ham, 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, green onion and sour cream. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide the potatoes evenly between the 8 potato skin shells. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

Microwave for another 1 to 2 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Or put under the broiler for 3 to 4 minutes.

Enjoy!

~Krissy

More Side Dish Recipes:
Alfredo Green Bean Casserole
Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes 
Cheesy Tomato Zucchini Bake 
Cranberry Sauce Three Ways: Traditional, Orange Zest, and Brandied 
Mashed Potatoes 
Eric's Fried Rice
Fries with Garlic Cheese Sauce

Chickpea Salad

Lunch is my hardest meal of the day. Breakfast is usually tea with oatmeal or cereal or fruit. As I make my grocery list and go shopping, I plan my dinners. But lunches? Easy if there are leftovers in the fridge. Not so easy if there's no leftovers. I tend to eat a lot of egg salad or tuna salad just because I can't think of anything else and it's easy. But that gets boring. In order to chance it up a bit, I decided to make chickpea salad. Oh my god, so so so good. I have a new favorite, easy, heathly lunch!

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:
1 15-ounce can of chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans), drained, rinsed, and dried
1 celery stick, chopped
2 tablespoons onion, minced
1-2 tablespoons mayo (I tend to go super light on mayo. It's all personal preference)
1 tablespoon lemon juice, optional (sometimes I add it, sometimes I don't)
1 teaspoon dried dill weed
salt and pepper, to taste
a dash of garlic powder, optional

Directions:
Coarsely mash the chickpeas (you can use a fork, potato masher, I use a meat mallet) in a bowl. Stir in the rest of the ingredients.

Serve on bread, with crackers or veggies, or eat as is.

Enjoy!

~Krissy

More Chickpea Recipes:
Chickpea Veggie Burgers 
Hummus without Tahini
Cinnamon-Sugar Roasted Chickpeas 
Roasted Pumpkin Chickpeas
Sweet and Salty Chickpeas
Skinny Chocolate Chip Cookies (Made with Chickpeas)

Hummus without Tahini

I'm going to state this right out of the gate: hummus without tahini is never going to be as amazing as hummus made with tahini. So why would you even bother making hummus without tahini? I can think of a number of reasons. Tahini is expensive. You've run out and don't want to go to the store. You don't even know what tahini is. And because hummus without tahini can still be damn good.

Recipe adapted from here.
 

Ingredients:
1 15-ounce can chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans)
1 cloves, (also try with roasted garlic)
1 tablespoon sesame oil
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon lemon juice, optional (sometimes I add it, sometimes I don't)

Directions:
Drain and rinse the chickpeas and place them in a food processor along with garlic. Process until chickpeas turn to paste. Add sesame oil and lemon juice (if desired) and process until incorporated. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with crackers or veggies.

Enjoy!

~Krissy

More Snack Recipes:
Apple Pie Salsa with Cinnamon-Sugar Chips 
Bacon and Cheese Deviled Eggs 
Buffalo Chicken Dip 
Cucumber Chips
Fried Dill Pickles 
Fries with Garlic Cheese Sauce
Potato Chips in the Microwave
Roasted Garlic White Bean Hummus 

Melt-in-Your-Mouth Chicken

I wanted a super simple chicken recipe with a lot of flavor that I didn't have to marinate first, and that's how I found this recipe. No marinating, not a lot of ingredients, and incredibly moist and tasty.

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup mayonnaise (I used low fat)
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease an 8x8 baking dish with cooking spray.

Cut chicken breasts in half horizontally so you have 4 thin chicken breasts. Place the chicken in the baking dish.

In a bowl, mix together mayonnaise, Parmesan, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Spread mixture over the chicken breasts. Don't put it on too thick.

Bake for 45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

Melt-in-your-mouth chicken with soy wax beans

Enjoy!

~Krissy

More Chicken Recipes:
Pizza Inspired Chicken 
Potless Chicken Pot Pies
Provincial Chicken
Orange Chicken with Fried Rice
Parmesan-Seared Chicken

Spicy Bacon-Wrapped Chicken

I also call this dish Because I love my husband chicken simply because of the bacon and his mad love of bacon. I've actually never wrapped anything in bacon before. I don't know what I was waiting for because bacon just makes everything better.

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:
10 chicken tenders (or about 3 chicken breasts cut into 10 strips), rinsed and patted dry
10 strips of bacon
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon chili powder

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, combine paprika, black pepper, onion powder, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder. Rub the spices evenly over the chicken strips so they are completely coated. Wrap each piece of chicken in a strip of bacon. Place the bacon-wrapped chicken in a baking dish.

In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar and chili powder. Sprinkle this mixture over the top the chicken then press it down. Flip the chicken over and repeat.

Bake for 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

Optional: Transfer chicken to a cookie sheet and place under the broiler for 3 to 4 minutes to give the bacon extra crispiness.

Enjoy!

~Krissy

More Chicken Recipes:
Pizza Inspired Chicken 
Potless Chicken Pot Pies
Provincial Chicken
Zesty Shredded Chicken (Crockpot) 
Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Chicken
Tomato and Artichoke Chicken 

Parmesan Turkey Meatballs

This recipe finally converted Eric--he has resisted ground turkey for years, but these Parmesan turkey meatballs have changed his mind. I've always been a fan of ground turkey, but even I will admit that it tends to dry out. But these meatballs couldn't have been more tender and moist and cheesy. We had all of four meatballs leftover and even a day old they were still delicious.

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:
20-ounce package of ground turkey
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons green onions, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 egg, scrambled
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
3 tablespoon olive oil

Tomato sauce or marinara sauce

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a cookie sheet with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine ground turkey, panko, Parmesan, green onions, garlic, parsley, egg, salt and pepper. Shape meat into golf ball size meatballs (I made 20) and transfer them to the cookie sheet. Brush meatball with olive oil.

Bake for 20 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through. Serve with tomato or marinara sauce. (To freshen up my spaghetti sauce, I sauted some onions and garlic and threw in some oregano and basil. It's make a world of difference).

Enjoy!

~Krissy

More Dinner Ideas:
Jalapeno Popper Chicken
Margarita Chicken and Steak Fajitas 
Turkey Burger with Avocado Sauce
Spicy Parmesan Sausage Meatballs with a Whiskey Barbecue Sauce 
Cheesy Tomato Zucchini Bake 

Captain Morgan Chicken with Ginger Rice

I might have to start a compilation of boozy entrees because I feel like I've been cooking with alcohol a lot lately. Whether it's in a main dish or a dessert I just love the extra kick liquor gives to a recipe. I've especially fallen in love with spiced rum, which is the inspiration behind this dish. The ginger rice--made from instant rice--is the perfect side for this chicken.

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:
Chicken
3 tablespoons lemon juice
4 ounces Captain Morgan's spiced rum
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder
1/4 teaspoon ground clove
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
4-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1-2 tablespoons olive oil

Rice
4 cups water
2 tablespoons butter
4 cups instant white rice
1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground ginger
salt, to taste
 
Directions:
Chicken
Grease an 8x8-inch dish with cooking spray.

In a small bowl, mix together cayenne pepper, clove, cinnamon, ginger, pepper, salt, and thyme. Brush chicken breasts with olive oil then rub both sides of the breasts with the spices. Place chicken breasts in prepared pan, cover, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours (overnight is even better).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, rum, and brown sugar.

Uncover the chicken and pour the lemon mixture over the chicken breasts. Bake for approximately 1 hour or until chicken is cooked through, basting with juices every 10 to 15 minutes.

Rice
Bring the water and butter to a boil in a saucepan. Remove from heat, add rice, and cover. Let the rice sit for 5 minutes. Stir in ginger (for me, a little ginger goes a long way) and salt until you get the desired flavor.

Serve chicken over the ginger rice.

Enjoy!

~Krissy

More Chicken Recipes:
Lemon Pepper Chicken with Garlic Potatoes
Jalapeno Popper Chicken
Lime Mustard Chicken 
Margarita Chicken and Steak Fajitas 
Pizza Inspired Chicken 
Orange Chicken with Fried Rice 

Black Bean Veggie Burgers

Last month I made chickpea veggie burgers, this months it's the same recipe made with black beans.

Ingredients:
1 15-ounce can black beans, drained, rinsed, and dried
1 cup herbed stuffing mix (I used Stouffers)
2 tablespoons minced onion
2 to 4 tablespoons lemon juice (or water)
salt and pepper, to taste.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a cookie sheet with cooking spray.

Coarsely mash the beans with a potato masher so you have a paste with some bean chunks in it. Stir in stuffing mix and onions. Add lemon juice a tablespoon at a time until the mixture holds together. Salt and pepper to taste. Shape into patties (I made five).

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, flip burgers, and bake for another 10 to 12 minutes.

Dress your veggie burger up however you'd like--cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, bun (I had mine with cheese and caramelized onions).

 

 

Enjoy!

~Krissy

More Burger Recipe:
Chicken Patties
Spicy Cheese-Stuffed Turkey Burgers
Tuna Burgers
Turkey Burger with Avocado Sauce

Roasted Garlic White Bean Hummus

I was making pita bread and decided I needed something to go with it so I decided to make a dip. I had a head of garlic and a can of Great Northern beans in the pantry. Did a little googling, found a recipe, then changed it up to suit what I had in the house, and I couldn't be happier with the outcome. The best part--I get it all to myself. In general, Eric doesn't like any type of white beans (I think I have one recipe he'll eat them in) but I love them. He wasn't thrilled with the dip which mean I get it all!

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil
1 head of garlic, roasted (recipe below)
1 15.8-ounce can of Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon cumin
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste

Directions:
Roasted Garlic
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Peel away the outer layers of the garlic head skin, however, don't peel the skins of the individual cloves. With a knife, cut off the top of the cloves--about1/4 to a 1/2 inch of the top--so you can see the inside of the individual cloves.

Drizzle the top with olive oil then wrap the garlic head in tin foil. On a cookie sheet, bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until the cloves feel soft.

Allow the garlic to cool. Separate the individual cloves from the head then pinch the end of the cloves so the garlic inside shoots out.

Hummus
Place the beans, roasted garlic, lemon juice, and cumin in a food processor. Process until smooth. Pour in olive oil and process. Season with salt and pepper.

Enjoy!

~Krissy

More Appetizer Recipes:
Bacon and Cheese Deviled Eggs
Cheese Puffs for Cheese Lovers!
Homemade Bread Sticks
Homemade Pita Chips 
Homemade Pizza Rolls
Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip
Jalapeno Popper Wontons

Hobo Meal: Lemon Pepper Chicken with Garlic Potatoes

Eric's mom introduced me to hobo meals, and I quickly fell in love with them. Not because they are so delicious--which they are!--but because of the minimum clean up. For the first time in many years, I am living without a dishwasher, and I can't begin to tell you how tired I am of washing dishes. The amount of dishes and pans a meal requires has begun to greatly matter to me.

So anyway, what is a hobo meal? It's basically throwing your meat and veggies on a big sheet of tin foil, wrapping it up, and cooking it in a campfire or an oven. I bake it in the oven. Everything comes out so incredibly moist and flavorful. And there are no pans or baking dishes to scrub. You just throw out the tin foil!

Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thawed
Lemon Pepper Seasoning, to taste
2 small Russet potatoes, diced
garlic powder, to taste
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Season both sides of the chicken breasts with lemon pepper seasoning and place them in a single layer in the center of a large piece of tin foil.

Season your potatoes with garlic powder, salt, and pepper and pile them on both sides of the chicken breasts. Distribute the small pieces of butter among the potatoes. Using the edges of the tin foil, wrap up the meal securely.

Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 1 hour or until the chicken is thoroughly cooked.

Enjoy!

~Krissy

More Chicken Recipes
Baked Garlic Chicken
Chicken Enchiladas with Fire-Roasted Tomatoes
Corn and Black Bean Skillet Chicken 
Crockpot: Brown Sugar and Garlic Chicken
Jalapeno Popper Chicken
Parmesan-Seared Chicken
Parmesan Chicken Casserole 
Potless Chicken Pot Pies
Provincial Chicken

Crockpot: Mashed Potatoes

Crockpot recipes require so little thought or attendence. And about the time you start to get hungry, your food is done and you can dig in. This past holiday season when your stove top and oven are full with food for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, Crockpots are a lifesaver. I hosted Christmas dinner and made mac and cheese in a slow cooker--the most amazing mac and cheese I've ever had, by the way. Well, my mom made these mashed potatoes in the slowcooker for Thanksgiving dinner. They were sooo yummy. And she didn't have to worry about boiling or mashing or whipping potatoes while making also the turkey, gravy, cranberry sauce, stuffing, or green bean casserole.

Recipe from here.

Ingredients:
5 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into small chunks
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup butter, cut into pieces
1 cup sour cream*
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoons ground black pepper
1/2 to 1 cup milk, warmed.

Directions:
Place the potatoes, chicken broth and butter into your crockpot. Cover and cool on high for 4 hours or until the potatoes are tender. Add sour cream garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper. Mash potatoes with a potato masher or beat them with an electric mixer on low. Stir in milk a little at a time until you have the desired consistency.

Cover and set the crockpot on low or warm until ready to serve. (Do not keep the crockpot on for more than 2 hours).

Stir before serving.

*My mom said that the next time she makes these, she's going to use cream cheese instead of sour cream. I will let you know how it turns out when she does. (Or if I bet her to it and try it first!)

Mashed potatoes with Brown Butter

Enjoy!

~Krissy

More Potato Recipes:
Salt and Vinegar Roasted Potatoes 
Ranch, Cheddar, and Bacon Potatoes
Twice Baked Potatoes
Twice Microwaved Loaded Potatoes

More Crockpot Recipes:
Alfredo Green Bean Casserole
Brown Sugar and Garlic Chicken
Creamy Butternut Squash Soup
Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip
Orange Chicken
Pumpkin Butter 
Tomato and Artichoke Chicken