Cooking

Chicken Fajita Casserole

Chicken Fajita Casserole

Chicken Fajita Casserole

Let’s take a break from these heavy topics and go for the food!

You can adjust this recipe to fit your needs. This recipe filled a 13×9 dish. You could cut the recipe in half if you don’t want that much food. I added some stuff, so I will list what I used, and you can adjust as you wish!

Bart does not love Mexican food. Let me rephrase that he doesn’t love it when I cook Mexican food. However, everyone else in my house loves it. Occasionally, I will sneak it into my rotation. This week, I am trying to solely shelf-cook. For the week, I spent around $100 on groceries (not all food items, some non-food-related things). I am trying to use up what I have and then restock. With groceries getting so high, it is a constant pull to stock up or shelf-cook as much as possible.

This Chicken Fajita Casserole was so easy, and I had all the ingredients already on hand, so that made it even better. Put it together, and it will cook in no time. About five tortillas were left over, so I cut them into triangles and threw them in a bowl with oil, chili powder, and sea salt. From there, I put the lid on and shook them up. They went on a sheet pan, and I fanned them all out and cooked them at 350 for about 5 minutes. I served the chips with this dish. You could also do store-bought tortilla chips or rice.

Ingredients

Seasoning for Chicken and Veggies

2 1/2 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. pepper

1/2 tsp. paprika

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. onion powder

1/4 tsp. oregano

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

Should I admit now that I don’t measure anything? Ever. I’m spitballing for all of you right now.

Chicken Fajita Casserole Ingredients

Bag of frozen (thawed and chopped) chicken fajita strips

One orange pepper

One yellow pepper

One zucchini

Fresh portobello mushrooms

Minced garlic

One onion

One stick of butter (you can use oil)

One block of cream cheese

1/2 c. sour cream

Cheddar Cheese

Saute

I took premade chicken fajita strips and cut them into bite-sized pieces for the Chicken Fajita Casserole. I added them to a large bowl. Next, I took a yellow pepper, orange pepper, onion, one zucchini, fresh mushrooms, and some minced garlic for this casserole. I cut, into slices, all of the veggies and put them in the bowl.

I put the seasoning blend inside that bowl of meat and veggies. Put the lid on the bowl and shake it up very well. From there, I put that in the fridge and let it sit for about 30 minutes. Next time, it will be in there for an hour. I want to make sure that everything is marinated well in it.

Once that was ready, I got my cast iron skillet, added a 1/2 stick of butter, and melted it in the pan. I threw my chicken and veggies in there, and I slowly cooked it. I added another 1/2 stick of butter and put a cookie sheet over the pan to tenderize the veggies. The chicken was pre-cooked and frozen. I bought it in the freezer section of Walmart, and I let it thaw in the sick before I chopped it up.

Execution

I preheated my oven to 350. Then, I grease a 13×9 dish. I put all the chicken and veggies on the bottom of the pan. Then, I mixed 1/2 c. sour cream and one block of cream cheese in another bowl. I spread that over the top of my chicken fajita casserole mixture.

On top of that, I sprinkled some cheddar cheese on top of—Bake for 20 minutes. Let sit for a couple of minutes to let the juices do their thing.

Enjoy.

 

Cooking

Chicken Fajitas and Rice

Chicken Fajitas and Rice

Chicken Fajitas and Rice

So, I took a lot of leftovers and sad-looking veggies. From there, I made Chicken Fajitas and Rice for dinner. No picture because when I do something new, I think if it sucks, why would I want to document that? Maybe this will be the year I am inspired to let my good and sucky food shine through photos.

Recipe

Chicken (I used boneless, skinless thighs because it is what I had on hand.)

Seasoning

Fajita mix (I used 3 packets)

Red, orange, and yellow peppers

Onion

Garlic

Queso Fresco

Flour Tortillas

2 c. uncooked rice

2 c. water

Teriyaki Sauce

Extra virgin olive oil (any oil is fine)

Preparations

For the rice, I used my instant pot. I placed my 2 c. uncooked rice in, then added a packet of fajita mix, a splash of teriyaki sauce, and my seasoning concoction. Set it and let it go.

I placed my cut-up chicken thighs in a bowl and added fresh garlic, seasoning, a fajita mix packet, and lots of teriyaki. Put the lid on the bowl and shake it up. Placed it in the fridge and let it marinate for at least an hour (overnight or several hours is better, though).

In my electric skillet, I added some extra virgin olive oil. I sliced up a large onion and all my peppers. I sauteed them with some seasoning and a few splashes of teriyaki sauce. Once those were softened, I took them out.

In the same skillet, I cooked my chicken until it was done. Once that was done, I added the veggies and used the other packet of fajita mix. I turned it on low and covered it until the rice was done.

Serve on the rice or wrap up in a tortilla with some queso fresco sprinkled. It was excellent!

 

Cooking

Baked Chicken and Ranch Recipe

Baked Chicken and Ranch Recipe

Baked Chicken and Ranch Recipe.  Big Daddy raved over this chicken, claiming it was the “best chicken” he had ever put in his mouth.  This chicken and my mashed potatoes became stars tonight.

Baked Chicken and Ranch Recipe

Boneless chicken thighs (you can use breasts) noted to say I used the giant family pack

Cornflakes

Parmesan

Seasoning

2 sticks of butter (I could get away with one depending on how much chicken you cook.

3 packets of dry ranch mix

Bacon

In a bowl, melt butter.  Once melted, place in a shallow dish for dredging.  While your butter is melting, take 2 c. cornflakes, seasoning, and some good shakes of parmesan and run that through your food processor.  Please place it in another shallow dish.

Spray your 13×9 pan(s).

First, roll out your thighs and cut off big pieces of fat.  I did keep some fat on it because Big Daddy likes the “cracklins’.”  Next, dredge both sides of chicken in butter and cornflake mixture.  Finally, lay in a 13×9 dish.

Once all that was done, I patted in (on each side) the dry ranch packet.  I placed strips of raw bacon over the top of the chicken.  You can see how I did it in the photo.  The bacon grease seeps into the chicken and keeps it moist.

I cooked this at 350, uncovered, for 40 minutes on the middle rack.  For the last 20 minutes, I put it on the top shelf to get the bacon crispy.  For love, it was AWESOME.

 

Cooking

Copycat Alice’s Chicken From Outback

Copycat Alice's Chicken From Outback

Copycat Alice’s Chicken From Outback

We love this Copycat Alice’s Chicken From Outback. It is one of our favorite dishes.

Boneless skinless chicken breasts

Seasoning

Honey Mustard

1/2 stick butter

1# bacon, fried (save the grease)

Colby/Jack Cheese

2 c. fresh spinach

Fresh mushrooms

Directions

Cook your bacon on your broiler pan. It does not shrink up, and the grease catches in the bottom.

Cut your chicken into thin strips. Marinate them in the honey mustard for about an hour. In your electric skillet (well, that’s what I use), put in your leftover grease and the 1/2 stick of butter, and let that meltdown. Put your chicken in the skillet and put some seasoning on it.

When that is done, put it in a single layer in a greased 13×9 pan (I used 2 aluminum pans). On top of the chicken, put the crumbled bacon (I also used some bacon bits because I was cooking for *a lot* of humans). Next, put a layer of Colby/jack, spinach, and then Colby jack. Pour the leftover grease, butter, and the honey mustard’s drippings over your chicken’s top.

Cook at 350 for about 30 minutes.

Thoughts

Outback Steakhouse makes great Alice’s Chicken! I mean, it is good. There are so many ways to alternate the recipe, and this is one of those ways.

Cooking

Parmesan Crusted Chicken with Asiago

Chicken.  Parmesan.  Asiago.  You can’t get much better than a Parmesan Crusted Chicken with Asiago recipe.  So, here is what I concocted.  This would be good with Gouda or Havarti, as well.

Parmesan Crusted Chicken with Asiago

Parmesan Crusted Chicken with Asiago

Chicken (I use raw chicken breasts.  I cut off all the tough parts.  It was thick, so I sliced it in third.  It cooked quicker doing it like that)

2 Eggs with a splash of water.

1 c. parmesan with seasoning

After the chicken is cut, dredge in egg wash and then in parmesan.

In a large skillet, get the oil hot.  You do not want the breading to stick to the skillet and/or come off.

While that is cooking, put your bacon in the oven.

Place your chicken in oil and sear on both sides.

Next Up

350 for the stove.  Place the chicken on a broiling pan after the chicken is seared on both sides.  You need to put shredded asiago and crumbled bacon on top of the chicken.  I just put it in the oven long enough to melt the cheese.

Good gravy, that was some good stuff.

 

Cooking

Chicken with Creamy Mushroom Sauce

Chicken with Creamy Mushroom Sauce

Chicken with Creamy Mushroom Sauce

4-6 chicken breasts (again, I use whole chickens that I boiled, and I put enough chicken in my dish to serve about ten people, I eyeball it). You can also use canned chicken or precooked chicken. If you boil your chicken breasts, drain the broth into a bowl. Cool the broth off or put it in the fridge overnight. Then, scrape the skim that forms on the top and freeze in a gallon-sized baggie for later use.

Cube, tear up, or do up your chicken breasts. Saute them lightly in coconut oil, bacon grease, extra virgin olive oil, or some other type of oil or butter. Once each side is sauteed, lay in a dish, covered to keep warm.

Mushroom Sauce

3 T. butter
3 T. flour
2 1/2 c. milk (I use 1%)
Fresh Mushrooms (sauteed)
1/4 tsp. turmeric
Seasoning

Directions

Once mushrooms are sauteed, add the turmeric and stir. Set aside.
Dissolve the flour in the cold milk. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add the dissolved flour. Stir constantly until mixed and all the lumps are gone, about 2 minutes. Add seasoning. Continue cooking over low heat until the sauce thickens, stirring constantly. Then add the mushrooms to the white sauce and mix well.

Pour over chicken and serve.

Serves 8

Calories per serving (for the mushroom sauce): 73

**Can I say, this sauce would be SO fattening and SO worth it if you used heavy cream instead of milk and threw in a couple of handfuls of mozzarella cheese…..sigh and swoon**