Chicken Quesadillas

Every once in awhile, the nights when the primary goal of dinner is to use up as much of the pantry ingredients as possible in one dish end up being the nights with the best meals. Enter my chicken quesadillas. I have no fancy name for them. They are quesadillas, plain and simple. But they are tasty, and they will speak for themselves once you take a bite of one!

We have definitely been trying to be more aware of what we are putting into our bodies, and hopefully, rather than this being a yearly attempt at what eventually becomes a failure, the changes we make will be lifestyle rather than temporary and we will be able to come up with some better resolutions next year! I think my head is finally in the right place to make this type of commitment a permanent change, especially when I consider the children we are growing at our house. With that in mind, these quesadillas are full of good ingredients that will fill you up quickly and leave you feeling satisfied.

I apologize in advance- no picture for these. Next time I make them (which will probably be soon because they were so delicious), I will definitely take a picture to share with you all.

Chicken Quesadillas

-          6 whole wheat tortillas (10" size)

-          1 lb. cooked chicken breast, shredded or cut into small pieces

-          1 red or orange bell pepper, seeded and diced

-          1 cup corn, drained and rinsed

-          1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed

-          1 cup Rotel tomatoes

-          1 tsp. each cumin, chili powder, and garlic powder

-          1/2 tsp. each seasoned salt, pepper, and paprika

-          1 cup of your favorite Mexican cheese blend

-          1 tbsp. olive oil for skillet

1.       Heat olive oil in skillet over low-medium heat. Add chicken, bell pepper, corn, black beans, and tomatoes. Add seasonings and mix well to combine. Heat until mixture is warmed through.

2.       In a separate skillet large enough to place your tortillas in, heat to medium. Place one tortilla in the bottom of the skillet (no oil is needed). Sprinkle a couple tablespoons of cheese over one-half of the tortilla, then top with 1/4-1/3 cup of the chicken mixture. Sprinkle again with a little cheese, just enough to help bind the tortilla. Fold the empty half of the tortilla over the filled side and press down firmly with a spatula to flatten and shape the quesadilla. After about 15 seconds, flip the quesadilla over to other side and hold for an additional 15 seconds.

3.       Remove to a plate to cool slightly, then cut into four pieces. Serve with a mixture of light sour cream and fresh salsa and enjoy!

Note: You can save the remaining corn, black beans, and tomatoes from the cans used in the fridge in an airtight container and toss with fresh Romaine, tortilla chips, and fresh salsa for a quick weeknight salad!  

Slow Cooker Taco Soup

Another busy weekend come and gone, so I have to apologize in advance for the lack of picture to accompany this recipe. It was scarfed down so fast by everyone we had over to join us for dinner that there was no opportunity to photograph leftovers like I had originally planned! That should tell you how delicious this soup is!

Soup is probably one of my favorite comfort foods, and once fall and winter set in, it will frequent our dinner table in many various forms. This particular recipe came from my beloved grandmother, and I have since adapted it a little to make it my own and adjust it to our family's tastes. It is easily modified to adjust heat, and ingredients can be added, interchanged, or removed altogether.

Here is what you will need to make A LOT of this satisfying and filling soup.

Slow Cooker Taco Soup

- 2 lbs. ground beef
- 1 onion, diced
- Cumin, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, pepper, and seasoned salt, to taste
- 2 lb. block of 2% Velveeta Cheese, cut into small cubes
- 16-oz container reduced-fat sour cream
- 2 28-oz cans pinto beans, rinsed well and drained
- 2 28-oz cans Rotel tomatoes, one drained and one undrained
- Optional Add-Ins: Sweet corn, green chilies, jalapenos, diced bell peppers, olives, etc.

1. In a large skillet, brown ground beef, cooking until no longer pink. Drain excess fat and add all of your spices and onion to the skillet. Saute until onion is tender, between five and 10 minutes.
2. While the beef is cooking, start adding the rest of your ingredients to the slow cooker. Quite literally, just throw it all in! Couldn't be easier. Make sure to rinse and drain your beans well, and don't forget to add the juice of ONE of the cans of Rotel tomatoes. It adds extra flavor. As a helpful hint, the smaller you cube your cheese the quicker it will melt. Mix everything together.
3. Once your beef is cooked through and the onion is tender, add it to the slow cooker. Mix all of the ingredients together and let cook for 3-4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low. If you have the opportunity, stir this often. If you want to make it before work and let it cook while you are gone, just be sure to allow an extra 15 to 30 minutes after you are home to give it a couple good stirs before you eat it. It helps to distribute the cheese throughout the whole mixture.

ENJOY!

How was your weekend? We went on a paranormal investigation at the Laramie Plains Civic Center on Saturday night. It was a blast, but holy cow it made me feel OLD! It's been a long time since I stayed up till 3 am, and I don't plan on doing it again anytime soon! Still recovering today, but the experience was well worth it!

Summer Chicken Salad

Summer is slowly starting to wind down and we are on the brink of autumn. With it's cooler temperatures, fun-filled holidays, football, and beautiful landscapes painted by changing leaves, fall is one of my favorite times of the year. I also love fall because it practically necessitates the use of such delectable flavors as pumpkin, maple, apple, etc., and also, with the cooler temperatures comes chili, soups, and stews, some of my favorite dinners. So basically, fall means fabulous, hearty, comfort food and an excuse to always be baking.

Some people might find it strange, but I am a very "seasonal" person. There are certain colors, foods, and scents, just to name a few, that are more appealing to me during certain times of the year. So, as already mentioned, since autumn is just around the corner, I figured I had better enjoy another round of one of my new found summer enjoyments, as I am quite positive I will not be craving it anytime soon with colder weather approaching...

I had never really tried chicken salad before, but for some reason, I had a ton of leftover grilled chicken a few months ago and decided to give it a whirl. I just kind of dove in, head-first with fingers crossed, and hoped for the best. I was really impressed with the end result. The flavors work so well together and practically scream spring and summer. This chicken salad is sweet and savory, creamy and crunchy, and just all-around perfectly balanced. Plus, it is light, yet filling and satisfying. And, it is full of healthy ingredients, too!

We had a crazy busy weekend because we had a yard sale, so I don't have pictures for this recipe yet. But we are grilling a lot of chicken tonight, and, naturally, I will be using the leftovers to make some Summer Chicken Salad. In the meantime, here is the recipe!

Summer Chicken Salad 

- 2 chicken breasts (I used grilled, but any cooked chicken would work fine, I am sure), cut into small cubes
- 2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
- 1 apple, cored and roughly chopped (up to you if you want to keep the skin on or peel it- I like the extra crunch the skin adds, plus all the nutritious goodness that comes with it!), sprinkled with lemon juice to help preservation and prevent browning
- 1/4 cup pomegranate-flavored Craisins (or whatever flavor you have on hand will work, too)
- 1/4 chopped pecans
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup Miracle Whip (I pretty much refuse to use mayo... just sayin'), depending on how creamy you want it
- 2 tbsp. yellow mustard
- 2 tbsp. honey

1. In a Tupperware container with a lid, toss together the chicken, celery, apple, Craisins, and pecans.
2. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the Miracle Whip, mustard, and honey until well-combined.
3. Pour the Miracle Whip mixture over the chicken mixture, using a spatula to make sure you get every last bit of it, then mix well until all of the chicken mixture is coated.  For best results, refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. Keep leftovers refrigerated in Tupperware container. ENJOY!

I love to use this Summer Chicken Salad on sandwiches, layered in between two pieces of a nice, whole-grain bread, but it would be delicious set atop a bed of spinach or other leafy greens, or even by itself. It really is SO delicious!!!

Do you have any foods that you only tend to crave during certain times of the year??? I would love to hear more from others who share in my seasonal tendencies! :)