The Grateful Girl Cooks!

21
Jan
2019

Dover Sole Fillets with Mango Avocado Salsa

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Dover Sole Fillets with Mango Avocado Salsa is an easy, quick (under 25 minutes) and low-calorie meal, with seasoned pan-seared fish topped with a light, fresh salsa!

Recently I was on the phone with my sister Julie, who lives in Florida. She told me about about a spice mixture for fish she had seen (and used) in a recipe for tilapia with papaya salsa. She read me the 4 easy ingredients for the spices from her cookbook, and I jotted them down.

We chatted a bit about fruit salsas using papaya or mango to top the fish, and it started me brainstorming once our call ended. I decided to create a recipe pulling this information together, but with a couple tweaks!

My slight twist was to use Dover sole (instead of tilapia) for the fish, and mango (instead of papaya) as the primary fruit for the salsa.

I’ve made FRUIT salsa several times over the years, so I used that as my inspiration. This recipe for Dover sole fillets with mango avocado salsa is the result! YUM!!!

The recipe itself is incredibly EASY to prepare. Dover sole fillets are lightly seasoned, pan-seared in a skillet, and then served with an absolutely delicious mango avocado salsa on top! This dish is quick to fix, low in calories, and huge in flavor! Here’s how easy it is to make!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Prepare The Mango Avocado Salsa For the Dover Sole Fillets

To make the salsa, you will first need to place all the salsa ingredients except the mango and avocado in a medium sized bowl. These ingredients are mango (cut into cubes), avocado (cut into cubes), cilantro, red onion, bell pepper, lime juice, and jalapeño.

How To Cut A Mango Into Cubes For The Salsa

Mangoes have a very large pit in the center, so you need to cut from top to bottom on either side of the pit.

Once you have the mango cut, take a paring knife and carefully slice “grid lines” through the fruit, being careful to not cut all the way though the skin.

Once the cubes are cut, turn the mango inside out (the middle photo below), by holding both ends and flipping it with your fingers.

You can then easily cut the mango cubes off the skin, and add it to the salsa ingredients in bowl.

How To Cut An Avocado Into Cubes For The Salsa

Slice the avocado from top to bottom. Remove seed (you can do this by carefully smacking a knife blade into the seed, then turning to twist and remove seed from avocado.

Using a paring knife, carefully cut gridlines both ways in each avocado half, being careful to not cut all the way through to the peel. Slice top to bottom, and side to side.

Once you have the gridlines cut both ways, take a large spoon, and carefully go around the edges of the avocado, and scoop out the cubes. Add them to the mango salsa in the bowl.

Give the mango avocado salsa a stir. The photo below shows what the mango avocado salsa (for the dover sole fillets) looked like once combined.

Prepare The Dover Sole Fillets

Combine the spice mix for the Dover sole fillets in a small bowl. The spice mix only has four ingredients: Salt, ground coriander, paprika, and a tiny bit of cayenne pepper.

Lay the Dover sole fillets out, and blot them dry with a paper towel.

Sprinkle each of the Dover sole fillets lightly with the spice mix. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Once the oil is hot (but not smoking), carefully add the fish..

You can cook the Dover sole fillets in batches, if necessary, because they will cook quickly. After a couple minutes you’ll see the bottom edges of the fish are getting golden and crispy.

Carefully turn the fish over. Continue cooking the other side until done (this will only take a couple minutes).

Ready To Serve And EAT!

When the Dover sole fillets are cooked through, remove from skillet, and transfer to individual serving plates. Top each serving with a good sized portion of the mango avocado salsa, and serve!

The mildly seasoned Dover sole fillets pair really well with the creamy avocado, the sweet mango, and the other flavorful salsa ingredients! Every bite of this dish tasted wonderful, and we enjoyed it with some steamed rice on the side!

I really hope you will try this delicious recipe for Dover sole fillets with mango avocado salsa! May you, and those you love, enjoy this “made with love” meal! Have a GREAT day!

Looking For More SEAFOOD Recipes?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have some wonderful seafood dishes to enjoy, including:

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Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so. If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1^st and 15^th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
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Recipe Adapted From: The cookbook titled “Favorite Brand Name Recipes-All New Low Carb”, Volume 7- #27, Published by Publications International, LTD, 2003, page 42

0 from 0 votes

Dover Sole with Mango Avocado Salsa

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

7 mins

Total Time

22 mins

Dover Sole Fillets with Mango Avocado Salsa is an easy, quick (under 25 minutes) meal, with seasoned pan-seared fish topped with light, fresh salsa!

Category: Entree-Seafood

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Dover sole fillets

Servings: 4

Calories Per Serving: 198 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

For Mango Avocado Salsa:

1 large mango , peeled, cubed
1/3 cup cilantro , chopped
1/4 cup red onion , chopped
1/4 cup green bell pepper , chopped
1/2 medium jalapeno , seeded, finely chopped
1/2 large lime (juice of)
1 avocado , peeled, cubed

For Fish:

1 Tablespoon olive oil , to cook fish in
4 (4 oz. each) Dover Sole fillets (skinless)
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground coriander
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper , or more if you want heat

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Prepare the mango avocado salsa, by gently mixing all ingredients in a medium sized bowl. (see blog post for tips on cubing the mango and avocado). Set aside.
Combine the spice mix (paprika, salt, cayenne, coriander) in a small bowl.
Blot fillets dry with paper towels. Sprinkle each fillet lightly with the spice mix, and pat down. Heat olive oil in a large non-stick skillet on medium. Once oil is hot (but not smoking), carefully add the fish. Cook the fish in batches, if necessary, because they will cook quickly. After a couple minutes the bottom edges will be golden in color and crispy. Carefully turn the fish over. Continue cooking the other side until done (this will only take a couple minutes).
When the Dover sole fillets are cooked through, remove from skillet, and transfer fish to individual serving plates. Top each serving with a good sized portion of the mango avocado salsa, and serve! Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Dover Sole with Mango Avocado Salsa

Amount Per Serving (1 fillet with salsa)

Calories 198 Calories from Fat 117

% Daily Value*

Fat 13g20%

Saturated Fat 2g13%

Cholesterol 51mg17%

Sodium 776mg34%

Potassium 467mg13%

Carbohydrates 6g2%

Fiber 3g13%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 15g30%

Vitamin A 505IU10%

Vitamin C 13.6mg16%

Calcium 30mg3%

Iron 0.6mg3%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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18
Jan
2019

Sesame Chicken Salad with Ginger Dressing

categories: Chicken, Main Dish Salads, Main Dishes, Salads

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This simple, delicious Asian-inspired Sesame Chicken Salad features pan seared sesame crusted chicken breasts, on mixed spring greens, topped with homemade ginger salad dressing!

Wow… this sesame chicken salad with homemade ginger dressing tastes AMAZING! I found the original recipe in one of my OLD Weight Watchers cookbooks, while looking through it a couple weeks ago, and KNEW I wanted to try it!

This salad was a huge hit with my husband and I when we first tried it! Talk about quick and easy meals… this one has it all! The entirely EASY sesame chicken salad (and ginger dressing) was prepared in under 30 minutes, had GREAT flavor, and filled us up!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Make The Ginger Dressing For The Sesame Chicken Salad

The yummy ginger salad dressing for this salad is incredibly simple to make, in only a few minutes! Place the soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, minced ginger, mustard powder, sesame oil and crushed red pepper into a small saucepan, and whisk to blend.

Bring the ginger salad dressing ingredients just to a boil, on medium heat. Once it begins to boil, remove the pan from the heat. Set the pan aside, until you’re ready to serve the sesame chicken salad. See how easy that was?

Prepare The Chicken Breasts For Sesame Chicken Salad

Place the sesame seeds, salt and pepper onto a large piece of wax paper. Mix them with your fingers, to blend the ingredients. Spread them out on the wax paper.

Lightly coat the chicken breasts on both sides with the sesame seed mixture, one at a time. Set chicken aside once coated. Repeat, until all chicken breasts are covered. NOTE: I found that I needed to use more sesame seeds to cover all 4 chicken breasts. Just mix up another quick batch, if you find you will need more topping.

Cook The Sesame Chicken

Heat the vegetable oil in a large, non-stick skillet on medium heat. Once the oil is hot (but not smoking), add the chicken breasts. Once the chicken hits the pan, do not disturb while it cooks.

Cook the sesame chicken for about 4-6 minutes, then carefully turn over and cook the other side 4-6 minutes. The chicken should be cooked through, and the outside should be golden brown, when done. Once the chicken is done, place the pieces onto a cutting board, and let the chicken “rest” for 3-5 minutes. Slice each chicken breast into diagonal slices (about 4-6 slices per breast).

Serve The Sesame Chicken Salad With Ginger Dressing

Arrange cold, mixed salad greens on individual serving plates or in bowls. Use a spatula and transfer each sliced chicken breast onto the top of each salad. Be sure to keep the chicken slices for each breast all together! Lightly sprinkle sliced green onions over the top of each piece of sesame chicken.

Drizzle the ginger salad dressing over each sesame chicken salad, and that’s it! You are ready to serve this delicious dish! Serve immediately. Seriously – Grab a fork, and DIG IN! I really think you will LOVE this delicious meal! There is a lot of flavor, the chicken is tender, and this sesame chicken salad is quite satisfying!

My husband and I enjoyed this dinner, AND we liked it so much we had another sesame chicken salad (with the leftover chicken and dressing) the next night for dinner, too! That means it REALLY was good!

Hope you will try this delicious main course salad… it is truly easy and delicious! Have a GREAT day, and please come back again soon for more yummy recipes!

Looking For More MAIN COURSE SALAD Recipes?

You can find all my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. A few favorite main course salad recipes include:

Interested In More Recipes?

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Original Recipe source: One of my cookbooks titled “Weight Watchers – Great Cooking Every Day”, published 2001, by Weight Watchers International, Inc., page 45

0 from 0 votes

Sesame Chicken Salad with Ginger Dressing

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

12 mins

Total Time

22 mins

Delicious Asian-inspired Sesame Chicken Salad features pan seared sesame crusted chicken breasts, on spring greens, topped with a ginger salad dressing!

Category: Main Course Salad

Cuisine: Asian

Keyword: sesame chicken salad

Servings: 4

Calories Per Serving: 237 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

For Ginger Dressing:

2 Tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons fresh ginger peeled, minced
1 Tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil (dark)
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

For The Chicken And Salad

3 Tablespoons sesame seeds (white) , or more, as needed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 chicken breast halves (1/4 lb. each) boneless, skinless
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
6 cups spring greens mix (or romaine) , rinsed, shredded
1/4 cup sliced green onions , optional (for garnish)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

To Make Ginger Salad Dressing:

Place soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, minced ginger, mustard powder, sesame oil and crushed red pepper in a small saucepan, and whisk, to blend. Bring to a boil, on medium heat. Once it begins to boil, remove pan from heat. Set aside.

To Prepare/Cook Chicken:

Place sesame seeds, salt and pepper onto a piece of wax paper. Mix with your fingers, to blend. Spread them out on the wax paper. Lightly coat chicken on both sides with the mixture. Repeat process until all chicken breasts are covered. NOTE: I found that I needed to use more sesame seeds to cover all 4 chicken breasts. Just mix up another quick batch, if you find you need more.
Heat vegetable oil in a large, non-stick skillet on medium heat. Once oil is hot (but not smoking), add the chicken. Once the chicken hits the pan, do not disturb while it cooks. Cook chicken for 4-6 minutes, then carefully turn over and cook the other side 4-6 minutes. The chicken should be cooked through, and the outside should be golden brown, when done. Once done, place chicken on a cutting board, and let it "rest" for a couple minutes. Slice each chicken breast into diagonal slices (about 4-6 slices per breast).
To Serve: Arrange mixed salad greens on individual plates or in bowls. Use a spatula and transfer each sliced chicken breast onto the top of each salad, keeping the slices for each breast together! Sprinkle sliced green onions over chicken. Drizzle ginger dressing over each salad, and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Sesame Chicken Salad with Ginger Dressing

Amount Per Serving (1 salad with dressing)

Calories 237 Calories from Fat 90

% Daily Value*

Fat 10g15%

Saturated Fat 4g25%

Cholesterol 72mg24%

Sodium 707mg31%

Potassium 565mg16%

Carbohydrates 8g3%

Sugar 4g4%

Protein 26g52%

Vitamin A 755IU15%

Vitamin C 15.3mg19%

Calcium 72mg7%

Iron 1.9mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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14
Jan
2019

Blueberry Apple Pecan Baked Oatmeal

categories: Breakfast

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Blueberry Apple Pecan Baked Oatmeal is a filling, incredible tasting breakfast dish, with rolled oats, apples, crunchy pecans, and juicy blueberries!

Do you enjoy BAKED oatmeal? We are becoming big fans of this hearty breakfast treat, especially as we try new recipes for it, in our home.

Quite a while ago, I made Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal, and our family really enjoyed it, so when I saw THIS recipe, I knew we had to try it! Since this recipe for blueberry baked oatmeal had apples, blueberries AND pecans in it (personal favorites), I was certain it would be a big hit!

Let me tell you, it was a HUGE hit! My husband and I loved this easy to prepare, scrumptious breakfast! With a bottom layer of fresh blueberries and chopped apples, along with a topping of chopped pecans (or walnuts), there was fruit and crunch in every single bite! YUMMMM!

This recipe for blueberry apple pecan baked oatmeal makes 8 servings, so there will be plenty for everyone! The leftovers taste fantastic, too. My husband and I enjoyed eating this filling breakfast for several days after it was made. Here’s how to make it:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

How To Make Blueberry Baked Oatmeal

The first thing you will need to do is to lightly coat an 8×8 inch baking dish with cooking spray (bottom and sides). The second thing you need to do is preheat the oven to 325° F.

PLEASE NOTE: In the step below, note that only 3/4 cup of the chopped pecans are combined with the oat mixture. Reserve the remaining 1/2 cup of pecans to top off the blueberry baked oatmeal with, before baking!

In a large bowl, combine the old-fashioned oats, 3/4 cup of the chopped pecans (or walnuts), cinnamon, salt and baking powder. Stir until the ingredients are mixed. Set the bowl aside.

In a separate bowl, place the low-fat milk, egg, plain Greek yogurt, maple syrup, melted coconut oil and some vanilla extract.

Whisk these “wet” ingredients together, until they are fully blended and creamy. Set this bowl aside.

To Assemble The Blueberry Baked Oatmeal

Evenly distribute the blueberries and then the chopped apples onto the bottom of the prepared baking dish. I placed the blueberries down first, and then added the chopped apples on top.

Sprinkle the oats and pecan mixture evenly over the top of the blueberries and apples, to cover.

Pour the milk/yogurt mixture over the oats. Using a spoon, press down all over the surface of the oats, so that the dry oat mixture is submerged into the liquid.

I firmly pressed the back of the spoon down over the entire surface of the oats, to do this step. This is an important step, which holds it all together, so don’t skip this one!

Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of chopped pecans evenly over the top of the oats. If you want, you can lightly sprinkle the top with additional cinnamon, but it is not necessary. Now your blueberry apple pecan baked oatmeal is ready for the oven!

Cook The Blueberry Baked Oatmeal

Bake the oatmeal at 325° F. for approximately 40-45 minutes. When done, the top of the blueberry baked oatmeal will be a nice golden brown color, and the oats will be “set”, and not sloshy.

Once done, remove the pan with the blueberry baked oatmeal from the oven. Let it cool on a wire rack for several minutes, before attempting to slice.

Blueberry baked oatmeal can be served warm, or at room temperature. Our favorite way to enjoy this dish was at room temperature! When ready to serve, slice the blueberry baked oatmeal into 8 portions, transfer to plates, grab a fork, and enjoy!

Do I Need To Add Anything Else To Serve Blueberry Baked Oatmeal?

NOPE! We think this blueberry apple pecan baked oatmeal has so much going for it taste-wise, nothing else is needed, to serve! It is PERFECT, just the way it is.

If you want, you can always top it with more Greek yogurt or maple syrup, but give it a try, just the way it is. We’re pretty sure you’re gonna LOVE it!

My husband and I LOVED this blueberry baked oatmeal, served along with our morning coffee! What a DELICIOUS breakfast treat to awaken to each morning! If you keep the leftovers covered, there is no need to refrigerate this dish. We enjoyed it for several days!

The juicy blueberries and apples in each bite make this a wonderfully dense, but moist baked oatmeal. There is a lot of flavor in this breakfast, and I think you’re gonna love it, too! It’s texture, juicy fruit and crunchy pecans reminds me a bit of a yummy coffeecake. It’s so good. Sure do hope you will try this blueberry baked oatmeal! Have a wonderful day!

Looking For More BREAKFAST Recipes?

You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have lots of yummy recipes for breakfast dishes, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

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Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
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Recipe Adapted From: https://thefoodiephysician.com/dining-with-doc-blueberry-apple-walnut/

0 from 0 votes

Blueberry Apple Pecan Baked Oatmeal

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

40 mins

Total Time

55 mins

Blueberry Apple Pecan Baked Oatmeal is a filling, incredible tasting breakfast dish, with rolled oats, apples, crunchy pecans, and juicy blueberries!

Category: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: blueberry baked oatmeal

Servings: 8

Calories Per Serving: 319 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1¼ cups pecans (or walnuts) , chopped), divided use
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1¼ cups low-fat milk (1%)
1/2 cup plain low fat Greek yogurt (can substitute light sour cream)
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 large egg
2 Tablespoons melted coconut oil (can substitute unsalted butter)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1½ cups blueberries
1½ cups finely chopped, peeled apple

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Lightly coat an 8x8 inch baking dish with cooking spray (bottom/sides). Preheat oven to 325° F.
In a large bowl, combine oats, 3/4 cup chopped pecans (reserve remaining pecans), cinnamon, salt and baking powder. Stir until ingredients are mixed. Set the bowl aside.
In a separate bowl, place milk, egg, plain Greek yogurt, maple syrup, melted coconut oil and some vanilla extract. Whisk these "wet" ingredients together, until fully blended and creamy. Set the bowl aside.
Evenly distribute the blueberries and then chopped apples on the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the oats and pecan mixture evenly over the fruit layers, to cover. Pour the milk/yogurt mixture over the oats. Using the back of a spoon, press down firmly all over the surface of the oats, so the dry oat mixture is submerged into the liquid. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup chopped pecans evenly over the oats.
Bake at 325° F. for approximately 40-45 minutes. When done, the top of the oatmeal will be a nice golden brown color, and the oats will be "set", not sloshy. Remove pan from the oven. Let it cool on a wire rack. Blueberry baked oatmeal can be served warm, or at room temperature (our favorite=room temp.). When ready to serve, slice into 8 portions, transfer to plates, and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Blueberry Apple Pecan Baked Oatmeal

Amount Per Serving (1 g)

Calories 319 Calories from Fat 153

% Daily Value*

Fat 17g26%

Saturated Fat 5g31%

Cholesterol 30mg10%

Sodium 109mg5%

Potassium 325mg9%

Carbohydrates 35g12%

Fiber 4g17%

Sugar 16g18%

Protein 7g14%

Vitamin A 120IU2%

Vitamin C 4mg5%

Calcium 128mg13%

Iron 1.5mg8%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!

11
Jan
2019

Fiesta Chicken Pasta Casserole

categories: Casseroles, Chicken, Main Dishes, Mexican / Southwestern

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You’ll love this easy to make Fiesta Chicken Pasta Casserole, with rigatoni noodles, chicken, corn, black beans, and cheese, baked in a Southwestern flavored sauce!

Can I get a shout out for the humble, yet delicious casserole dishes that have made mealtimes easier for home cooks everywhere? This Fiesta Chicken Pasta Casserole is a perfectly simple but absolutely lip-smackin’ delicious casserole that will leave you smiling!

I found the original recipe on Pinterest, and loved that you can use pre-cooked (think rotisserie or leftover) chicken. By using pre-cooked chicken, and canned corn and black beans, you’ve already saved yourself some time!

Making this fiesta chicken pasta casserole recipe is as simple as cooking pasta, whisking together a simple Southwestern flavored sauce, stirring in the rest of the ingredients, then baking it! The recipe is really quite simple. Let me show you how to make this yummy meal!

Scroll Down for A Printable Recipe Card At The bottom Of The Page

How To Make Fiesta Chicken Pasta Casserole

The first thing you will need to do is spray a 13×9 inch baking dish with non-stick spray, then set the dish aside. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Cook the rigatoni pasta in 4 quarts of lightly salted water. Cook the pasta according to the package directions.

NOTE: No rigatoni? No problem! You can easily substitute rotini (spiral) pasta or penne pasta in this dish!

While the pasta noodles are cooking, mix together salsa, light sour cream, garlic powder, ground cumin, and onion powder in a medium sized bowl.

Building The Casserole

When the pasta is done cooking, drain it well, and pour it into a large mixing bowl. Add the sauce to the pasta in the bowl, and give it a good stir to mix it together. Once the sauce and pasta are combined, add the drained corn, black beans, cooked chicken (shredded or cubed), and ONE CUP of grated cheddar cheese.

Reserve the remaining cup of grated cheddar cheese to use later. Gently stir the fiesta chicken pasta casserole together, until all ingredients are coated with sauce and are thoroughly combined.

Time To Bake The Casserole

Pour the fiesta chicken pasta casserole ingredients evenly into the baking dish, and spread out, to cover. Evenly distribute the remaining cup of grated cheddar cheese across the top of the casserole.

Cover the pan with aluminum foil, and bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for 25 minutes. About 10 minutes before the cooking time is done, remove the foil and finish cooking the fiesta chicken pasta casserole.

Once the casserole is finished cooking, remove it from the oven. The cheese will be melted, and the casserole will be slightly bubbly around the edges.

To Serve Fiesta Chicken Pasta Casserole

Garnish the fiesta chicken pasta casserole with some sliced green onions (or chives, as shown), and chopped tomatoes. If desired, you can also add avocado slices for flavor and color. The casserole is now ready to serve! The recipe serves 8 (modest portions), or 6, if serving larger portions!

The only thing left to do is dig into this absolutely delicious fiesta chicken pasta casserole! It has WONDERFUL flavor, and is not too spicy… trust me! The black beans add additional protein, and together with the corn, help to make this a well-rounded, nice and filling meal! It is SO GOOD!

I really hope you will consider trying this fiesta chicken pasta casserole. My husband and I LOVED it! Guess what? The leftovers tasted fantastic, too! I really think you will love this easy to make recipe, too! Have a wonderful day!

Looking For More CASSEROLE Recipes?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have a nice variety of casserole recipes you’ll enjoy, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

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Original Recipe Source: https://togetherasfamily.com/fiesta-chicken-casserole/

5 from 1 vote

Fiesta Chicken Pasta Casserole

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

25 mins

Total Time

40 mins

You'll love this easy to make Fiesta Chicken Pasta Casserole, with rigatoni noodles, chicken, corn, black beans, and cheese, baked in a Southwestern flavored sauce!

Category: Entree - Casserole

Cuisine: Southwestern

Keyword: fiesta chicken pasta casserole

Servings: 8

Calories Per Serving: 385 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

2¼ cups uncooked rigatoni pasta (can substitute spiral or penne pasta
1 cup salsa
1 cup light sour cream
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon onion powder
15 ounces whole kernel corn (1 can) , drained
15 ounces black beans (1 can) , drained and rinsed
2 cups cooked chicken breasts , shredded or cubed
2 cups grated cheddar cheese , divided

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray, then set aside. Preheat your oven to 350°F.
Cook pasta in 4 quarts of lightly salted water. Cook the pasta according to the package directions.
While the pasta is cooking, mix together salsa, light sour cream, garlic powder, ground cumin, and onion powder in a medium sized bowl.
When pasta is done, drain, and pour it into a large mixing bowl. Add the sauce; stir to combine. Add drained corn, black beans, cooked chicken (shredded or cubed), and ONE CUP of the grated cheddar cheese. Reserve remaining cup of grated cheddar cheese to use later. Gently stir, until all ingredients are coated with sauce and are thoroughly combined. Pour into the baking dish, spreading to cover. Sprinkle remaining cup of grated cheddar cheese across the top of the casserole. Cover dish with aluminum foil, and bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 25 minutes. About 10 minutes before the cooking time is done, remove the foil and finish cooking.
Remove finished casserole from oven. Garnish with sliced green onions (or chives), and chopped tomatoes. If desired, you can also add avocado slices. Serve and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Caloric calculation was calculated based on using light sour cream. Regular sour cream will work perfectly, but will increase calorie count for each portion.

Nutrition Facts

Fiesta Chicken Pasta Casserole

Amount Per Serving (1 (1/8 of total))

Calories 385 Calories from Fat 126

% Daily Value*

Fat 14g22%

Saturated Fat 8g50%

Cholesterol 69mg23%

Sodium 657mg29%

Potassium 597mg17%

Carbohydrates 37g12%

Fiber 6g25%

Sugar 4g4%

Protein 26g52%

Vitamin A 680IU14%

Vitamin C 5.2mg6%

Calcium 285mg29%

Iron 2.3mg13%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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07
Jan
2019

Oatmeal Cranberry Pecan Cookies

categories: Cookies, Desserts

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Soft and chewy oatmeal cranberry pecan cookies, with a white chocolate drizzle on top, are easy to make, and sure to please kids of ALL ages!

Do you like cookies? We sure do, at our house! I recently made a LOT of Christmas goodies to give to all our neighbors, a tradition I have kept for many years! One of the treats I made this year were these white chocolate drizzled oatmeal cranberry pecan cookies!

The recipe was a twist on my standard recipe for oatmeal raisin cookies, which I’ve been making for years. I simply made a few changes to the base recipe, and added a bit of “sparkle” on top, by drizzling each cookie with white chocolate! These simple chewy cookies turned out to be quite delicious, and today I’d like to share the easy recipe with you!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

How To Make Oatmeal Cranberry Pecan Cookies

You will want to preheat your oven to 350° F. first, because these cookies come together very quickly.

Using a large bowl and electric mixers (or a stand mixer), mix together softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy (note: photo below does not show the brown sugar.. Add 2 eggs and vanilla extract to the cookie dough batter. Mix well, to combine ingredients.

In a separate, medium sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Once combined, add the flour mixture to the cookie dough batter. Mix well, until all the flour is incorporated into the cookie dough.

Add the chopped pecans, dried cranberries and old-fashioned rolled oats to the cookie dough. STIR these ingredients well, until they are fully combined. Now you have the dough ready to make some yummy oatmeal cranberry pecan cookies!

Drop the cookie dough by rounded Tablespoons onto an ungreased baking sheet. Be sure to leave about 1 inch in between the oatmeal cranberry pecan cookies, because they will spread slightly. NOTE: I made “drop” cookies. If you prefer a slightly “flatter” cookie, you can lightly press down on the tops of the dough.

Bake The Oatmeal Cranberry Pecan Cookies

Bake the oatmeal cranberry pecan cookies at 350° F. for 8-10 minutes, or until light golden brown. Since oven temps vary quite a bit, my advice is to check them at the eight minute mark. When done, take the oatmeal cranberry pecan cookies out of the oven. Leave them on the cookie sheet for a minute, THEN transfer them to a wire rack, to cool completely.

Make The White Chocolate Drizzle For Oatmeal Cranberry Pecan Cookies

Once the cookies have cooled, make the drizzle topping for the cookies, by melt the white chocolate chips and vegetable shortening in the microwave. To do this, place the white chocolate chips and vegetable shortening in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for 30 seconds. Remove and stir. Put partially melted chocolate back in microwave and heat for another 30 seconds, Remove and stir, until creamy.

The reason for microwaving the chocolate in short amounts of time is so the chocolate won’t burn. If there are still lots of unmelted white chocolate chips left after two stints in the microwave, place in microwave one more time for 15 seconds, and stir well. Be careful to NOT burn the chocolate!

Place a sheet of wax paper, parchment paper or aluminum foil UNDER the wire rack to catch drips (this will help with cleanup). When the white chocolate is smooth, drizzle it over the tops of each of the oatmeal cranberry pecan cookies, using a fork or spoon.

If you want to get fancy, you can place the melted chocolate into a pastry bag and “pipe” the white chocolate on, but in my humble opinion, it’s one more thing to wash! A simple drizzle (with a fork or spoon) works just fine for me! Let the white chocolate firm up, and then the oatmeal cranberry pecan cookies are ready to eat! Store any leftover cookies in a covered container. YUM!

I really hope you will give these oatmeal cranberry pecan cookies a try! They are perfect to munch on, drop in a lunch box, or to serve as an afternoon or evening treat! Have a GREAT day!

Looking For More COOKIE Recipes?

You can find all of my cookie recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. A few of our family’s favorite cookie recipes you might enjoy include:

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
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Oatmeal Cranberry Pecan Cookies

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

8 mins

Total Time

23 mins

Soft and chewy oatmeal cranberry pecan cookies, with a white chocolate drizzle on top, are easy to make, and sure to please kids of ALL ages!

Category: Cookies, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: oatmeal cranberry pecan cookies

Servings: 48 cookies (approx.)

Calories Per Serving: 142 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

For Cookie Dough

14 Tablespoons butter , softened
3/4 cup brown sugar , packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1½ cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1¼ teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups old fashioned oats, uncooked
1 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup chopped pecans

For Drizzle

10 ounces white chocolate chips (equivalent to 1¼ cups)
1½ Tablespoons vegetable shortening

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

To Make Cookie Dough:

Preheat oven to 350° F.
Using a large bowl and electric mixers (or a stand mixer), mix together softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Add 2 eggs and vanilla extract to the cookie dough batter. Mix well, to combine ingredients.
In a separate, medium sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Once combined, add flour mixture to cookie dough batter. Mix well, until all flour is incorporated into cookie dough. Add chopped pecans, dried cranberries and old-fashioned oats. STIR ingredients well, until fully combined.
Drop dough by rounded Tablespoons onto ungreased baking sheet. Leave 1 inch between cookies, because they will spread slightly. NOTE: If you want slightly "flatter" cookies, lightly press down on the tops of the dough. Bake at 350° F. for 8-10 minutes, or until light golden brown. Oven temps vary quite a bit, so check them at the 8 minute mark. When done, remove from oven. Leave cookies on sheet for a minute, THEN transfer onto wire rack, to cool completely.

To Make White Chocoate Drizzle:

Once the cookies have cooled, melt white chocolate chips and vegetable shortening in the microwave. To do this, place white chocolate and shortening in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for 30 seconds. Remove and stir. Put back in microwave and heat another 30 seconds, Remove and stir, until creamy. If there are still lots of unmelted white chocolate chips left, place in microwave for 15 seconds, and stir well. Be careful to NOT burn the chocolate!
Place a sheet of wax paper, parchment paper or aluminum foil UNDER the wire rack to catch any drips (this will help with cleanup). Once chocolate is smooth, drizzle it over the tops of each cookie. Let the white chocolate firm up, and then cookies are ready to eat! Store cookies in a covered airtight container. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Oatmeal Cranberry Pecan Cookies

Amount Per Serving (1 cookie)

Calories 142 Calories from Fat 63

% Daily Value*

Fat 7g11%

Saturated Fat 3g19%

Cholesterol 17mg6%

Sodium 85mg4%

Potassium 55mg2%

Carbohydrates 17g6%

Sugar 10g11%

Protein 1g2%

Vitamin A 115IU2%

Vitamin C 0.1mg0%

Calcium 22mg2%

Iron 0.5mg3%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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04
Jan
2019

Eggplant Parmesan

categories: Italian, Main Dishes, Meatless Meals

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Eggplant Parmesan is a classic Italian meatless dish, with breaded eggplant slices baked with marinara sauce, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.

Do you enjoy eggplant parmesan? Lots of people love this classic Italian dish, and today I am going to show you how you can make it at home! You can read some interesting information about this dish’s origins here.

I found the original recipe on Pinterest, and made this meatless dish for my husband and I several months ago. Every now and then I love to make meatless dishes, and thought this one sounded really good, so I bought a gorgeous eggplant at our local Farmer’s Market.

Eggplant Parmesan has layers of lightly breaded eggplant slices, topped with marinara sauce, Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses. The eggplant slices are lightly browned, then layered in casserole dish with the sauce and the cheeses.

Eggplant parmesan is baked until cooked through, and all that gooey cheese is melted throughout. Here’s how to make this dish:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

How To Make Eggplant Parmesan

The first thing you will need to do is let excess water drain from the fresh eggplant. This step helps to reduce “sogginess” in the eggplant slices, by pulling out moisture before cooking.

Cut a large eggplant into 1/2″ thick slices. Salt BOTH sides of each slice. Put the salted eggplant slices in a large colander in the sink, or over a bowl.

Let the eggplant slices sit and “drain” or “sweat out” the liquid for 45 minutes. Once done draining, lightly brush off the excess salt.

Preparing The Eggplant To Make Eggplant Parmesan

Preheat your oven to 375°F, and place two (shallow) plates on the kitchen counter. Spread the Italian seasoned breadcrumbs out, on one plate. Place the 3 slightly beaten eggs and milk on the other plate. Lightly whisk the eggs and milk together, until blended.

Dip each eggplant slice (one at a time) into the egg/milk mixture, making sure to cover both sides. Let excess liquid drip back onto plate. Dip the eggplant into the breadcrumbs, until both sides are covered, letting excess drop back onto plate.

Continue this step until all eggplant slices are breaded. Place breaded eggplant onto a paper towel covered 9×13 baking sheet in a single layer.

Browning The Eggplant

Put one Tablespoon of oil into a large skillet. Heat the skillet on medium high heat until hot, but not smoking. Once the skillet and oil are hot, add a few slices of eggplant at a time to the skillet. I was able to cook 4 at a time.

Cook eggplant on both sides, until they are lightly browned. Once browned, transfer them from the skillet to a paper towel lined baking sheet. Continue this step for all the slices, adding one Tablespoon oil for each group of eggplant slices that are browned.

Assembling The Eggplant Parmesan Casserole

Now you are ready to assemble the eggplant parmesan! Spread 1 cup of marinara sauce on the bottom of a casserole dish. The first layer to go in is the eggplant slices. I used a 2.5 quart casserole dish, so I was able to get about 4 eggplant slices in each layer.

Once you have a layer of eggplant slices, add a spoonful of marinara sauce to the top of each slice. Don’t drown the layers in sauce! Top the sauce with a layer of mozzarella and parmesan cheeses. This time I used shredded Parmesan cheese, and slices of mozzarella cheese into my dish, but you can just as easily substitute grated mozzarella (instead of slices), if desired.

Repeat this process for a couple more layers (or until you run out of eggplant!). Make sure to reserve some of the parmesan and mozzarella cheeses to top the entire dish of eggplant parmesan, before baking.

Baking Eggplant Parmesan

Bake the eggplant parmesan for approximately 20-25 minutes at 375°F. When done, all that yummy cheese on top should be melted, golden brown and bubbly! Mine was done at 25 minutes.

NOTE: If you want the cheese to be more golden brown in color, you can always put it under the oven broiler for a couple minutes, if desired. Remember to keep a close eye on it, if you do this step! Nobody wants burned cheese on top, right?

Remove eggplant parmesan from oven, and let it sit for a couple minutes (to let the cheese solidify a bit). The only thing left to do is slice up a piece, serve it hot, and enjoy this classic Italian dish! You can also garnish the casserole with fresh, chopped basil, if desired.

I hope you enjoy this dish! For me, it’s always fun to experiment in the kitchen, and try new recipes. If you enjoy eggplant, be sure to check out my recipe for Baby Eggplant Mozzarella Bites! They’re delicious, too!

Have a wonderful day, please come back again soon, and thanks for stopping by!

Looking For More MEATLESS Meal Recipes?

You can find all my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. A few meatless favorites include:

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Original recipe source: https://www.tablefortwoblog.com/eggplant-parmesan/

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

0 from 0 votes

Eggplant Parmesan

Prep Time

1 hr 10 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

Total Time

1 hr 30 mins

Eggplant Parmesan is a classic Italian meatless dish, with breaded eggplant slices layered and baked with marinara sauce, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.

Category: Meatless Entree

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: eggplant parmesan

Servings: 4

Calories Per Serving: 624 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

1 large eggplant , cut in 1/2" slices
2 Tablespoons salt
1½ cups Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
3 large eggs , lightly beaten
1/2 cup milk
4 Tablespoons olive oil , or vegetable oil
3 cups marinara sauce
2 cups mozzarella , shredded or slices
1 cup parmesan cheese , shredded

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cut a large eggplant into 1/2" thick slices. Salt BOTH sides of each slice. Put the salted slices in a large colander in the sink, or over a bowl. Let the eggplant sit and "drain" or "sweat out" the liquid for 45 minutes. Once done draining, lightly brush off excess salt.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Place two (shallow) plates on kitchen counter. Spread Italian breadcrumbs on one plate. Place eggs and milk on the other plate. Lightly whisk eggs and milk together. Dip each eggplant slice (one at a time) into egg/milk mixture, covering both sides. Let excess liquid drip back onto plate. Dip eggplant into breadcrumbs until both sides are covered, letting excess drop back onto plate. Continue this step until all eggplant slices are breaded. Place breaded eggplant onto a paper towel covered 9x13 baking sheet in a single layer.
Put 1 Tablespoon oil into a large skillet. Heat the skillet on medium high heat until hot, but not smoking. Once skillet and oil are hot, add a few slices of eggplant at a time to the skillet. Cook eggplant on both sides, until lightly browned. Once browned, transfer them from the skillet to a paper towel lined baking sheet. Repeat this step for all slices, adding one Tablespoon oil for each group of eggplant slices that are browned.
Spread 1 cup of marinara sauce on bottom of casserole dish. The first layer is eggplant slices (I used a 2.5 quart casserole dish, and was able to get about 4 eggplant slices per layer). Onto that layer, add a little marinara sauce to the top of each piece (approx. 1/4 cup). Top the sauce with a layer of shredded mozzarella and parmesan cheeses. Repeat this process for two more layers (or until you run out of eggplant). Make sure to reserve some of the parmesan and mozzarella cheeses to top the dish off with, before baking.
Bake, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes at 375°F. When done, the cheese on top should be melted, golden brown and bubbly! Note: If you want the cheese to be more golden brown in color, you can always put it under the oven broiler for a couple minutes, if desired. Remember to keep a close eye on it, if you do this step! Remove eggplant parmesan from oven, and let it sit for a couple minutes (to let the cheese solidify a bit). The only thing left to do is slice up a piece, and serve it hot! Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Note that 45 minutes of the prep time listed is INACTIVE time (while zucchini drains).

You can also garnish the finished eggplant parmesan with chopped, fresh basil, if desired.

Nutrition Facts

Eggplant Parmesan

Amount Per Serving (1 g)

Calories 624 Calories from Fat 324

% Daily Value*

Fat 36g55%

Saturated Fat 14g88%

Cholesterol 64mg21%

Sodium 5817mg253%

Potassium 817mg23%

Carbohydrates 44g15%

Fiber 4g17%

Sugar 12g13%

Protein 31g62%

Vitamin A 1505IU30%

Vitamin C 14.1mg17%

Calcium 719mg72%

Iron 4.6mg26%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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01
Jan
2019

Chicken Noodle Soup

categories: Chicken, Main Dishes, Soups

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Delicious, homemade chicken noodle soup, made with leftover rotisserie chicken, celery, carrots, garlic, onions and spinach, will warm you up on a cold day!

We recently bought a rotisserie chicken at Costco. They always seem to have the best roasted chicken! After a couple days of enjoying it, we were left with a mostly picked over whole chicken in our fridge. About 75% of the meat was gone off the bones, and we had the “skeletal remnants” in the fridge.

A lot of folks would throw out the rest of the chicken, at that point. But did you know the bones and tiny bits of chicken left hanging on for dear life can make an incredible tasting chicken noodle soup? YEP! I decided not to waste the leftovers, and make a big pot of soup for our rainy night dinner!

The results? A wonderful tasting homemade chicken noodle soup that we enjoyed for a few more days, for dinner and a couple lunches! So the next time you have a leftover roasted chicken (or have some leftover pre-cooked chicken and chicken broth in your kitchen), make soup! It’s EASY! Here’s how:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Making Chicken Noodle Soup Using Leftover Roasted Chicken

The photo below shows you what was left of our rotisserie chicken. Poor thing never had a chance! Most of the meat had already been eaten, but there was still some attached to the bones. This is PERFECT for making a delicious broth for the soup!

So, to make a good broth for the chicken noodle soup, place the chicken (or what’s left of it) into a large soup pot, and cover it with water.

Add sliced carrots, celery, chopped onions and two smashed cloves of garlic to the pot. The carrots, onion, and celery are considered the holy trinity of cooking, because they impart so much flavor. They will be perfect to flavor the chicken noodle soup base!

Add salt, pepper, and two large chicken bouillon cubes to the soup pot. Bring the water to a boil on medium high heat. Cook for about 35 minutes, then remove from heat. Carefully remove whole chicken from pot, and let it cool a bit.

Once it has cooled some, pick off all the pieces of chicken you can get from the bones, and add them back into the pot. Believe it or not, I ended up with about 2 cups of shredded chicken! Discard the bones once finished. Skim any accumulated grease off the top of the soup, and remove the two smashed garlic cloves.

If NOT Using A Whole Chicken To Make This Chicken Noodle Soup

NOTE: If NOT using a whole chicken, simply cook the veggies for about 15 minutes (to soften), then add two cups of cooked, shredded chicken into the pot. Make sure to add THREE large chicken bouillon cubes to the water, for flavor.

Timesaving Tip For Making Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

I made this soup to use up our rotisserie chicken leftovers. HOWEVER… IF YOU WANT TO SAVE TIME, simply use 4 quarts of store bought chicken broth with your veggies and precooked chicken. Then there is no need to make your own chicken broth, and it will still have lots of flavor!

It will end up costing you a bit more to make the soup, but will save you time, if that’s an issue!

Put the chicken noodle soup back on the stove on medium high heat. Bring the soup to a full boil, then add the uncooked rotini pasta. If you don’t have rotini pasta noodles, add your favorite! Stir, and cook the noodles for the time stated on package (typically this is between 11-13 minutes).

When the noodles are finished cooking, add 1 Tablespoon of butter to the pot. Stir in the thawed and drained chopped spinach. Continue cooking the soup for a couple minutes, until chicken noodle soup is heated through. Take a small taste, and add salt and/or pepper, as desired.

And there you have it! Instead of throwing away the remnants of a whole rotisserie chicken, you have used it to make a delicious pot of homemade chicken noodle soup!

Who’s Ready To Eat Some Chicken Noodle Soup?

All that’s left to do is ladle up a bowlful of hot soup, and serve it to those you love! It’s really quite easy to make a delicious, filling pot of chicken noodle soup very inexpensively! The best part is that this soup, filled with chicken, pasta, spinach, carrots, onions, celery and a wonderful tasting broth TASTES SO GOOD!

Sure hope you will consider trying this recipe for homemade chicken noodle soup! I think it’s fun to get a huge pot of delicious soup using only a few simple, common ingredients!

Looking For More SOUP Recipes?

You can find all my soup recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. A few favorites of ours include:

Interested In More Recipes?

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Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
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Have a wonderful day!

0 from 0 votes

Chicken Noodle Soup

Prep Time

40 mins

Cook Time

15 mins

Total Time

55 mins

Delicious, homemade chicken noodle soup, with leftover rotisserie chicken, celery, carrots, garlic, onions and spinach, will warm you up on a cold day!

Category: Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chicken noodle soup

Servings: 8

Calories Per Serving: 152 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

2 cups cooked chicken
4 quarts water , to cover chicken
2 cubes chicken bouillon , large cubes
2 large carrots , peeled, sliced
1/2 cup onion , chopped
2 stalks celery , chopped
2 garlic cloves , peeled, smashed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1½ cups uncooked rotini pasta , or pasta of choice
1 Tablespoon butter
1 cup chopped frozen spinach , thawed & drained

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

If Using Rotisserie Chicken Carcass (to make soup base)

Place the chicken carcass (what's left of it) into a large soup pot, and cover it with water. Add sliced carrots, celery, chopped onions and two smashed cloves of garlic to the pot. Add salt, pepper, and two large chicken bouillon cubes.
Bring the water to a boil on medium high heat. Cook for 35 minutes, then remove pan from heat. Carefully remove chicken carcass from pot, and let it cool a bit. Once it has cooled some, pick off all the pieces of chicken you can get from the bones, and add them back into the pot. Discard bones, once finished. Skim any accumulated grease off the top of the soup, and remove the two smashed garlic cloves.
Put the soup back on the stove on medium high heat. Bring the soup to a full boil, then add uncooked rotini pasta. Stir, and cook the noodles for the time stated on package until done (typically this is between 11-13 minutes).
When noodles are finished cooking, add 1 Tablespoon of butter to the pot. Stir in the thawed, drained chopped spinach. Continue cooking soup for a couple minutes, until it's heated through. Take a taste, and add salt and/or pepper, as desired. Serve, and enjoy!

If Using Pre-Cooked Chicken And Store Bought Chicken Broth (TIMESAVER)

Cook the veggies (carrots, onions, celery, garlic) in the boiling broth (4 quarts) for 15 minutes, then add shredded chicken and pasta (etc.) and cook per instructions above. Once noodles are cooked, add butter, spinach, and season with additional salt/pepper as desired. Serve, and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Caloric calculation is based on "made from scratch" method (using leftover chicken and bones).

Nutrition Facts

Chicken Noodle Soup

Amount Per Serving (1 (1/8 of total))

Calories 152 Calories from Fat 54

% Daily Value*

Fat 6g9%

Saturated Fat 2g13%

Cholesterol 30mg10%

Sodium 220mg10%

Potassium 264mg8%

Carbohydrates 12g4%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 10g20%

Vitamin A 5410IU108%

Vitamin C 3.4mg4%

Calcium 45mg5%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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18
Dec
2018

Mini Zucchini Loaves with Browned Butter Icing

categories: Breads, Breakfast

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Mini zucchini loaves (with creamy browned butter icing) are a delicious treat or snack. This easy recipe makes 2 mini loaves, which are perfect for gift-giving!

This past Fall, I saw a recipe for a zucchini cake that had amazing looking frosting on it, and knew I had to try it! The twist to the original recipe came when I decided to make mini zucchini loaves out of the recipe (instead of a cake), but still use the creamy frosting!

The recipe was very easy to make, and yielded two very moist, absolutely scrumptious mini zucchini loaves. My husband and I shared a loaf over the next couple of days, and we gave the second loaf to one of our neighbors. Oh YUM… what a great tasting treat!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

How To Make Mini Zucchini Loaves

The process is very easy to make this bread. Begin by preheating the oven to 350°F. Stir the flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and baking soda together in a medium bowl. Set the bowl with these dry ingredients aside until later.

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs well. Add the granulated sugar to the eggs, and beat well again, until combined and sugar has dissolved. Stir vanilla extract and vegetable oil into the egg mixture, until fully combined. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the egg mixture, and stir the ingredients just until the mixture is combined.

Add the chopped walnuts (or pecans) and the grated, drained zucchini to the batter (see tip below for “draining” zucchini). Gently stir the zucchini and nuts in, until combined. This is the batter for the mini zucchini loaves. See how EASY that was?

TIP For “Draining” Zucchini

You can easily “drain” the shredded zucchini between layers of paper towels, to help absorb a lot of the moisture from the veggie. Trust me, you don’t want wet, soggy zucchini in your mini zucchini loaves!

To do this, lay out several layers of paper towel, and place all of the grated zucchini on top. Add a couple layers of paper towels on top of the zucchini, and press down to absorb lots of excess moisture. Who knew zucchini had so much moisture in it? You will be glad you did this!

Baking The Mini Zucchini Loaves

Once you have your batter prepared for the mini zucchini loaves, it’s time to BAKE! Divide the batter evenly into 2 greased mini sized bread loaf pans. Bake the mini zucchini loaves in a preheated 350°F oven for 40-45 minutes. Since oven temps vary greatly, be sure to check the loaves at 35 minutes, then 40, to make sure they are completely “done” .

To test their “doneness”, simply insert a toothpick into the top center of a loaf. If the toothpick comes out “clean” (with no wet batter hanging on for dear life), the loaves are done. The mini zucchini loaves should also be nice and golden brown on the outside. Transfer the loaves to a wire rack to cool completely before covering them with browned butter icing.

Making Browned Butter Icing For Mini Zucchini Loaves

To make the browned butter icing, melt 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter in a skillet on medium low heat. Cook the butter on this temperature until the color starts to change slightly to golden brown.

Turn the temperature down to low heat. The milk solids will begin to turn into brown specks in the liquid (see middle photo below). Continue cooking, taking care to not let it burn, until butter is a nice brown color (photo on right, below). Remove skillet from the heat.

Let the browned butter cool for 5-6 minutes, then add the powdered sugar. Add cinnamon and vanilla, and then thin the icing out by adding the milk. Stir to combine. If necessary, add a tiny bit more milk (if needed), to create a spreadable consistency for the icing for the mini zucchini loaves.

Evenly divide the browned butter icing between the two mini zucchini loaves. Spread as much (or as little) as you want onto the loaves. I used it all on the two loaves, and the icing was nice and thick on top!

Time To EAT!

Let the mini zucchini loaves sit for a few minutes, to give the icing a chance to firm up a little bit. The only remaining step left is to slice a nice piece… and EAT IT! YUMMY! The mini zucchini loaves are very moist, full of cute little pieces of zucchini and chopped nuts, flavored with cinnamon and taste WONDERFUL. The browned butter frosting takes it OVER THE TOP to Flavor Town! Enjoy!

Sure do hope you will consider trying this recipe for mini zucchini loaves, with browned butter icing. Pour yourself a hot cup of coffee or tea, and enjoy a slice (or two). Have a GREAT day!

By the way, if you are looking for more homemade sweet bread loaf recipes, I hope you will check out a few favorites. These and ALL my recipes can be found in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page.

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Recipe Adapted From: https://theviewfromgreatisland.com/end-of-summer-zucchini-cake-with-browned-butter-frosting/

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Mini Zucchini Loaves with Browned Butter Icing

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

40 mins

Resting Time

15 mins

Total Time

1 hr 15 mins

Mini zucchini loaves (with creamy browned butter icing) are a delicious treat or snack. This easy recipe makes 2 mini loaves, perfect for gift-giving!

Category: Bread/Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: mini zucchini loaves

Servings: 10 servings (2 mini loaves)

Calories Per Serving: 385 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

For Bread:

1 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pinch baking powder
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup shredded zucchini , drained and packed into cup
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (or pecans)

For Browned Butter Icing:

3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups confectioner's sugar (powdered)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons milk, to thin , plus additional if needed

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Stir the flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and baking soda together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, beat the eggs well. Add the granulated sugar to the eggs, and beat well again, until combined and sugar has dissolved. Stir vanilla extract and vegetable oil into the egg mixture, until fully combined. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the egg mixture, and stir the ingredients just until the mixture is combined. Add chopped walnuts (or pecans) and the grated, drained zucchini to the batter. Gently stir zucchini and nuts in, until combined. TIP TO DRAIN ZUCCHINI: Lay out several layers of paper towel, and place grated zucchini on top. Add a couple layers of paper towels on top of the zucchini, and press down to absorb lots of excess moisture.
Divide batter evenly into 2 greased mini sized bread loaf pans. Bake in 350°F oven for 40-45 minutes. Since oven temps vary greatly, be sure to check the loaves at 35 minutes, then 40 etc., to make sure they are done. To test "doneness", insert a toothpick into the top center of a loaf. If it comes out "clean" (with no wet batter hanging on for dear life), loaves are done. Transfer loaves to a wire rack to cool completely before removing from pan and covering with icing.

To Make Browned Butter Icing:

Melt butter in a skillet on medium low heat. Cook the butter at this temperature until the color starts to change slightly to golden brown. Once golden brown, lower the temperature to low heat. The milk solids will begin to turn into brown specks in the liquid. Continue cooking, taking care NOT to let it burn, until the butter is a deep brown color. Remove skillet from the heat.
Let the browned butter cool for 5-6 minutes, then add powdered sugar. Add cinnamon and vanilla, then thin the icing out by adding milk. Stir to combine. If necessary, add a tiny bit more milk, to create a spreadable consistency for the icing. Evenly divide the browned butter icing between the two mini zucchini loaves. Let the loaves sit for a few minutes, to give the icing a chance to firm up. Slice each mini loaf into 5 pieces, serve, and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Mini Zucchini Loaves with Browned Butter Icing

Amount Per Serving (1 slice)

Calories 385 Calories from Fat 162

% Daily Value*

Fat 18g28%

Saturated Fat 11g69%

Cholesterol 9mg3%

Sodium 229mg10%

Potassium 75mg2%

Carbohydrates 55g18%

Sugar 44g49%

Protein 2g4%

Vitamin A 130IU3%

Vitamin C 2.2mg3%

Calcium 16mg2%

Iron 0.8mg4%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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14
Dec
2018

Chicken Black Bean Quesadilla

categories: Chicken, Lunch - Quick and Easy, Main Dishes, Mexican / Southwestern

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You’ll love this easy, tasty, grilled Chicken Black Bean Quesadilla with salsa verde, corn, and cheddar cheese, served with lettuce, tomatoes and sour cream.

I don’t know about you, but we LOVE Mexican food in our home. We especially love tacos, enchiladas and quesadillas! Sometimes people tend to think of quesadillas only as melted cheese on a flour tortilla, and call that a quesadilla.

While that type of quesadilla tastes okay, we like to serve them loaded with more ingredients at our house, to really make it a MEAL! We’ve enjoyed these so many times over the years I can’t even begin to count! The cooking process for cooking a plain or loaded quesadilla is the same. I really think you’re gonna like eating this filling chicken black bean quesadilla a whole lot MORE than a plain one!

Occasionally I change up the recipe a bit, depending on what we have in the pantry at the moment. However, the core recipe I came up with over 30 years ago almost always stays the same. I am glad to share it with you today!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

How To Make This Chicken Black Bean Quesadilla

Quesadillas are simple to make, taste absolutely delicious, and are a super simple dinner to throw together after a busy day! You can save time by using leftover cooked chicken breasts or a rotisserie chicken!

For each chicken black bean quesadilla, place grated cheddar cheese, sliced green onions and cooked chicken breast chunks onto ONE HALF of the flour tortilla. Once you have all the filling ingredients ready to go, it’s amazing how quickly you can throw several of these quesadillas together!

Evenly distribute the corn, black beans and a spoonful of the salsa verde sauce to each chicken black bean quesadilla. Remember to leave one half of the tortilla bare.

Grilling The Chicken Black Bean Quesadilla

The empty half of the flour tortilla is folded up and over the toppings for the quesadilla. Each of the quesadilla halves are placed onto a lightly oiled grill (or large skillet) on medium low heat. NOTE: If using a large skillet, you may need to cook these in batches.

Cook each chicken black bean quesadilla for a few minutes on medium low heat until golden brown on the bottom.

Carefully turn each quesadilla to the other side using a spatula. Continue cooking until the bottom side has turned nice and golden brown as well. When done, the cheese should be melted and the other fillings should be heated through.

Slicing The Chicken Black Bean Quesadilla

Once the chicken black bean quesadilla is done cooking, carefully remove two halves (at a time) to a cutting board or surface.

It’s been my experience that a pizza cutter (or a really sharp knife) works really well to slice the quesadilla into serving portions. Slice the quesadilla similar to how you would cut a pizza, into 3 slices per half.

Garnishing The Chicken Black Bean Quesadilla For Serving

In the photo below I placed 2 quesadilla halves on a plate all together, to garnish and photograph the finished meal. It sure looks GOOD once it is “prettied up” a bit, right?

The grilled, sliced chicken black bean quesadilla is garnished with additional grated cheddar, shredded lettuce, diced fresh tomatoes, salsa verde sauce, and a dollop of sour cream! A typical serving would be 3 slices per person, but if you’re REALLY hungry (and don’t mind the extra calories), go for the whole thing!

You can see the chunks of chicken breasts, melted cheese and black beans inside a slice of the chicken black bean quesadilla! This is one great tasting quesadilla, whether you pick up each slice like pizza OR use a fork for each bite! Yum!

I really hope you will give this recipe for a delicious chicken black bean quesadilla a try! The quesadillas are really easy to make, and they sure do taste GREAT! Have a fantastic day, friends. Make it a good one!

Looking For More Tex-Mex Recipes?

You can ALL of my recipes using the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. Some of our favorite Tex-Mex recipes include:

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Have a GREAT day!

Recipe Source: my hungry brain…

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

5 from 1 vote

Chicken Black Bean Quesadilla

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

6 mins

Total Time

16 mins

You'll love this easy grilled Chicken Black Bean Quesadilla with salsa verde, corn & cheddar cheese, served with lettuce, tomatoes and sour cream.

Category: Entree

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: chicken black bean quesadilla

Servings: 4

Calories Per Serving: 394 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

4 flour tortillas
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts , pre-cooked
1 stalk green onions , white and green parts
6 Tablespoons whole kernel corn (canned) , drained
6 Tablespoons black beans (canned) , drained
4 Tablespoons salsa verde sauce , or substitute red salsa
cooking spray or vegetable oil , for grill or skillet

For Garnish (OPTIONAL):

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce
1/2 cup fresh tomato , diced
4 teaspoons salsa verde sauce
4 Tablespoons sour cream

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For each quesadilla, place grated cheddar cheese, sliced green onions and cooked chicken breast chunks onto ONE HALF of a flour tortilla. Evenly distribute corn, black beans and a spoonful of the salsa verde sauce to each quesadilla. Leave one half of each tortilla bare.
Fold empty half of tortilla up and over the toppings. Place each quesadilla half on a lightly oiled or sprayed flat grill (or large skillet) on medium low heat. NOTE: If using a large skillet, you may need to cook these in batches. Cook for a few minutes on medium low heat until golden brown on the bottom. Carefully turn each quesadilla to the other side, and continue cooking until the bottom is golden brown. When done, cheese should be melted and filling heated through.
Transfer each quesadilla to a cutting board. Slice each half into 3 pieces. Garnish with cheese, lettuce, diced tomatoes, salsa verde, and a dollop of sour cream! Serve, and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Caloric calculation is for three quesadilla slices, and includes all garnish toppings (salsa verde, lettuce, cheese, tomatoes and sour cream).

Nutrition Facts

Chicken Black Bean Quesadilla

Amount Per Serving (1 (3 slices))

Calories 394 Calories from Fat 171

% Daily Value*

Fat 19g29%

Saturated Fat 10g63%

Cholesterol 84mg28%

Sodium 822mg36%

Potassium 507mg14%

Carbohydrates 26g9%

Fiber 3g13%

Sugar 4g4%

Protein 27g54%

Vitamin A 795IU16%

Vitamin C 4.4mg5%

Calcium 368mg37%

Iron 2.1mg12%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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10
Dec
2018

Apple Cream Cheese Pastries

categories: Breads, Breakfast, Doughnuts/Pastries

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Apple cream cheese pastries are easy to make baked puff pastry sheets, topped with a sweet cream cheese spread, apple pie filling, and vanilla icing!

A few years ago I made some puff pastry tarts that had a variety of flavored jams on top, and we really enjoyed them a LOT! Last year I wanted to experiment a bit with my original recipe. I made a couple very slight changes to my original recipe for Fruit and Cheese Danish Pastry, and used some of my own home-canned apple pie filling, to create a NEW version!

A sweet friend of mine named Grace had knee replacement surgery just over a year ago, so I took dinner over to her home while she was recuperating. I also took her family some of these apple cream cheese pastries, for dessert (or a quick breakfast treat)!

The results turned out wonderful, and she told me they loved them, so now I am FINALLY getting the recipe for these dessert OR breakfast treats on the ol’ blog! Better late than never, right? They are fairly simply to make! Here’s how:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Make The Cream Cheese Filling

In a medium sized bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract and milk (or half and half) together, using an electric mixer. Mix the filling for 2-3 minutes, until mixture is very smooth and sugar has dissolved. Set this mixture aside, once spreadable.

How To Prepare Pastry Dough For Apple Cream Cheese Pastries

Remove a sheet of puff pastry from the freezer, and let it thaw slightly (for about 15 minutes) before unfolding it. While the dough is thawing, preheat your oven to 400° F.

Once the dough has slightly thawed, gently unfold it. Press the dough together where any line perforations may be, to form one large piece of dough.

Cut the pastry dough into 8 rectangles. Do this by cutting the dough in half, then cut each half in half. Finally, cut each of the 4 squares in half once again. You should end up with 8 equal sized rectangles. I use a pizza cutter for nice even cuts!

Place the 8 rectangles of dough onto 2 parchment paper lined baking sheets. Place 4 pastries per baking sheet, and make sure to leave a couple inches between each pastry.

Scoring A Border On The Pastry Dough

Using a sharp knife, score a border all the way around each of the pastries, about half an inch from the outside edge. By cutting this border in the dough, the edges will rise up and hold the filling in better! Don’t forget to do this step! IMPORTANT: Make sure to NOT cut all the way through the dough to the bottom!

Evenly distribute the cream cheese filling into middle of each of the apple cream cheese pastries. Use a knife or small spatula to spread the filling over the dough, BUT STAY INSIDE THE BORDER!

Add The Apple Pie Filling

Place approx. 2 Tablespoons of apple pie filling onto the cream cheese filling. Gently spread the apple pie filling over the cream cheese, to cover most of the apple cream cheese pastries!

Mix the egg yolk in a small bowl. Using a pastry brush, brush the egg yolk mixture around the outer border of each pastry. While the dough is still wet, lightly sprinkle the outer edge of the dough with a tiny bit of sugar.

Time To Bake The Apple Cream Cheese Pastries

Place the baking sheets into the preheated oven. Bake the apple cream cheese pastries at 400°F. for 13-14 minutes. The pastries should turn a beautiful golden brown, and be slightly crispy around the edges, and will have risen a bit, when done.

Remove the baking pans from the oven. Using a spatula, carefully transfer the apple cream cheese pastries to a wire rack, to cool.

Prepare The Sweet Icing

While the pastries are cooling, mix powdered sugar, water, and vanilla for icing in a small bowl. TIP: If icing is too thick to drizzle, add a few more drops of water. Too thin? Add more powdered sugar.

Once the apple cream cheese pastries are completely cool, use a spoon and drizzle the glazed over the pastries from side to side. TIP: Cleanup is really easy if you put a piece of plastic wrap, foil, parchment or wax paper UNDER the wire rack before doing this step! It will catch any drips!

Let the pastries sit while the icing firms up, then the apple cream cheese pastries are ready to be served!

I sincerely hope you will consider trying this recipe! The pastries are REALLY GOOD! Have a blessed day, friends. Make it a GREAT one!

Looking For More PASTRY Recipes?

You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have several pastry recipes you might enjoy, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

0 from 0 votes

Apple Cream Cheese Pastries

Prep Time

25 mins

Cook Time

13 mins

Total Time

38 mins

Apple cream cheese pastries are easy to make baked puff pastry sheets, topped with a sweet cream cheese spread, apple pie filling, and vanilla icing!

Category: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: apple cream cheese pastries

Servings: 8 pastries

Calories Per Serving: 318 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

For Pastries:

1 sheet frozen puff pastry
4 ounces cream cheese , room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon milk , or half and half
16 Tablespoons canned apple pie filling , approx. 2 T. per pastry
1 egg yolk
8 teaspoons granulated sugar

For Icing Drizzle:

1 cup confectioner's sugar (powdered)
2 Tablespoons water , or more (to thin)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In a medium sized bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract and milk (or half and half) together, using an electric mixer. Mix filling for 2-3 minutes, until mixture is very smooth and sugar has dissolved. Set mixture aside, once spreadable.
Remove a sheet of puff pastry from freezer, and let it thaw slightly (for about 15 minutes) before unfolding it. While dough thaws, preheat oven to 400° F. Once dough is slightly thawed, gently unfold it. Press dough together where any line perforations may be, to form one large piece. Cut pastry dough into 8 rectangles. Do this by cutting dough in half, then cut each half in half. Finally, cut each of the 4 squares in half once again. You should end up with 8 equal sized rectangles. I use a pizza cutter for nice even cuts!
Place the 8 rectangles of dough onto 2 parchment paper lined baking sheets. Place 4 pastries per baking sheet, and make sure to leave a couple inches between each pastry. Using a sharp knife, score a border all the way around each of the pastries, about half an inch from the outside edge. By cutting this border in the dough, the edges will rise up and hold the filling in better! Don't forget to do this step! IMPORTANT: Make sure to NOT cut all the way through the dough to the bottom! Evenly distribute the cream cheese filling into middle of each of the apple cream cheese pastries. Use a knife or small spatula to spread the filling over the dough, BUT STAY INSIDE THE BORDER!
Place approx. 2 Tablespoons of apple pie filling onto cream cheese filling. Gently spread apple pie filling over cream cheese, to cover most of the pastries! Mix the egg yolk in a small bowl. Using a pastry brush, brush egg yolk mixture around the outer border of each pastry. While dough is still wet, lightly sprinkle the outer edge of the dough with a tiny bit of sugar.
Place baking sheets into preheated oven. Bake pastries at 400°F. for 13-14 minutes. The pastries should turn a beautiful golden brown, and be slightly crispy around the edges, and should have risen a bit, when done. Remove baking pans from oven. Using a spatula, carefully transfer pastries to a wire rack, to cool.
While the pastries are cooling, mix powdered sugar, water, and vanilla for icing in a small bowl. TIP: If icing is too thick to drizzle, add a few more drops of water. Too thin? Add more powdered sugar. Once pastries are completely cool, use a spoon and drizzle the glazed over pastries from side to side. TIP: Cleanup is really easy if you put a piece of plastic wrap, foil, parchment or wax paper UNDER the wire rack before doing this step! Let pastries sit while icing firms up, then the pastries are ready to be served!

Nutrition Facts

Apple Cream Cheese Pastries

Amount Per Serving (1 pastry)

Calories 318 Calories from Fat 126

% Daily Value*

Fat 14g22%

Saturated Fat 4g25%

Cholesterol 32mg11%

Sodium 159mg7%

Potassium 67mg2%

Carbohydrates 44g15%

Sugar 26g29%

Protein 3g6%

Vitamin A 120IU2%

Vitamin C 0.5mg1%

Calcium 29mg3%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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