One Pot Chicken and Loaded Baked Potato Casserole

Fall seems to have arrived promptly here in Cleveland, except the leaves haven't caught up with the program, just the cool drop in temperature. I now want to make soups and hearty big potted dishes. I have completely switched over to wanting to prepare meals using the one pot technique.

Getting a whole bunch of ingredients, throwing them into a pot or casserole dish and letting them cook and morph into a delicious meal on its own. I have so much to do, and I plan on taking my to do lists up a notch in the upcoming weeks.

Therefore, having a way to cut down on time while still creating something delicious is a major win. I saw a post on a loaded potato casserole and decided that I should get this going and try it out for myself with a few alterations.

Ingredients

 4 Chicken Breasts, diced 

6 Medium Potatoes, diced

6 Slices of Bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled

2 Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese

5 Green Onions Sliced 

1 Cup Heavy Cream

Salt/Pepper/Basic Seasonings

2 Tablespoons Butter

• Heat oven to 350 degrees
• Lightly grease 9"x13" in. casserole dish
• Season diced chicken in your preferred manner (I freehandedly use some Lawry's seasoning salt and paprika)
• Spread half of the potatoes on casserole dish, then evenly spread all of the chicken over potatoes.
• Sprinkle half of the bacon crumbles over the chicken followed by 3/4 cups of shredded cheese and half of the green onions. 
• Add the remaining potatoes, then the rest of the bacon, and another 3/4 cups of shredded cheese. 
• Sprinkle on the remaining green onions followed by a light seasoning of salt and pepper. 
• Pour the cup of heavy cream over the entire mixture. 
• Slice up butter over the top of dish.
• Cover with foil and bake for one hour.
• Uncover for the final 30 minutes, in the last five minutes, sprinkle top with 1/2 cup of cheese.

So I completely forgot that I was out of aluminum foil after I got home and started cooking. So it was time to improvise! I found a glass top to one of my pots and put it over the center of the dish. It served its purpose. There's always another way to do something. 

Before serving, I cut up some more green onions and added it on top for freshness and appeal. This is definitely a "meat and potatoes" type of meal, therefore it was imperative I paired it with something light and crisp. I'm thinking of saving this casserole as an "I'm sorry" meal for Byron when I feel bad for doing something stupid. It is definitely a satisfying dish and extremely delicious.

I guarantee this dish as a winner every single time. How can bacon and potatoes go wrong? The chicken was such a great addition. I wouldn't have it any other way. It lasted us about 4 and a half servings (Two separate nights of dinner for the both of us, and seconds for Byron on the first night.) If you make this, you will be happy.

Bon Appetit

Z

Spinach and Chicken Flatbread Pizza By Ella G.

My husband and I have recently started a new healthy lifestyle journey. As I began this journey I wanted to incorporate some fun and healthy dinners that would still allow some flexibility and variety. We love pizza and always will! So, I created my version of Chicken & Spinach Flatbread Pizza that was a definite WIN in my household and wanted to share it with all of you. It is a great substitution for the typical Pizza Hut Meat Lovers Pizza that has a thousand calories in one slice that we used to get. This quick and easy meal will surely be a great addition to your weekly menu that the entire family will love!

Here’s what you will need...

Servings For Two

Flatbread White or Wheat (2)

Chicken Breast cut into thin strips (1)

Chopped Onion (½)

Olive Oil (1 tbl. sp.)

Salt (1 pinch)

Black Pepper (1 tsp.)

Chicken Rub (or your favorite chicken seasoning)

Shredded Mozzarella Cheese (1 cup)

Prego Artisan Three Cheese Sauce (¼ cup)

Drained/Squeezed Leaf Spinach (½ cup) *You can use fresh spinach and boil or canned

Step One

(Turn your oven on the broil setting on High) Heat olive oil in a pan on medium heat on the stove top then add the strips of chicken and onions. Add your salt pepper and chicken rub (or favorite chicken seasoning) until the chicken is fully cooked stirring occasionally. When chicken and onions are cooked place in a bowl and set to the side. 

Step Two 

Take your flatbread pizzas and brush a small drop of olive oil and spread evenly. Place the flatbread in the oven on broil for about 3 minutes watching closely until you get the desired brown color for your pizza. This step is optional but I like a little crisp to my pizza.

Step Three

Spread your Prego Artisan Three Cheese Sauce evenly on the flatbread. 

Step Four

Add your cooked strips of chicken and onions to the flatbread as well as your drained/squeezed leaf spinach as shown above. It’s coming together now…

Step Five

Add your mozzarella cheese as your final touch and place the flatbread back in the oven on broil until your cheese has completely melted. This will take approximately four to five minutes on high…but just keep an eye on it as not all ovens are created equal…

You now have a delicious and healthy Chicken & Spinach Flatbread Pizza! Enjoy! 

~Ella G~

No Time Turkey Kielbasa Cabbage

Prelude

I needed to make dinner one evening, and realized it was time to go shopping for the week. Too tired to do a full length trip, I decided to get something for that evening, and finish shopping the next morning. The meal I needed to prepare had to meet the following criteria:

Cilantro Lime Chicken

When To Use This Recipe

1. When you are in need of a healthy recipe to make. Perhaps you want to balance out last weeks McDonald's binge. They need to just go ahead and stop that $10 family box if they haven't already. Folks are out here getting that just for themselves. 

2. Either forgot to marinate chicken in advance or you just got caught up in a project or something and its dinner time all of a sudden. 

3. Just looking for a simple chicken recipe to add with any other sides you might have in your kitchen at the time.

Cancer Prevention Recipe: Cooked Spinach Side Dish

Spinach is something I eat almost everyday with my dinner. I think it is just absolutely delicious. I make it for my husband who is a serious meat eater and he demolishes this side. I have a very simple recipe which includes other cancer preventative ingredients. I usually pair this side with a yam

and salmon, or just eat it by itself. 

Ingredients

1 ½ tbsp. olive oil

1 bag frozen cut leaf spinach

1 tsp. lemon

2 tbsp. butter

½ tsp salt 

¾ onion 

2 chopped garlic cloves

½ red crushed pepper

♥ Heat olive oil over medium-high heat
♥ Saute onion for about one minute
♥ Add garlic until tender but not browned
♥ Add frozen bag of spinach, toss everything until mixed evenly

♥ Add lemon, butter, and red crushed pepper
♥ Reduce to low and cover
♥ Uncover and stir until spinach is defrosted and tender

The bag of spinach that I buy is less than two dollars, and it makes me about three hearty servings as a side dish. I am careful not to overcook the spinach. You want to keep the bright green color to it and conserve it's beneficial properties. 

Benefits

Spinach- Contains Omega 3 fatty acids, cholorophyll (protects against carcinogens), carotenoids (antioxidants-fights free radicals which which destroy cell membranes and DNA), vitamin k (for proper blood clotting), vitamin a, b, c & e, antioxidants and minerals that fight the creation of tumors in addition to minimizing cancer developing molecules. 

Onion- Contains fructans (encourage the growth of helpful bacteria), flavonoids (prevents DNA damage which might lead to cancer), organosulfar (prevents blood clots). 

Garlic- Inhibits the cancer process by helping prevent gene mutation, tumor growth and the spread of cancer cells. 

Garlic and Onions are always available and are affordable. I always buy a large onion and a pack of two large garlic cloves every time I go into the grocery store. I also keep a bottle of garlic pills in my home to help fight colds and viruses. By incorporating this spinach side dish into your weekly meal prep, you are really helping your body protect itself. I eat spinach at least 3-4 times a week. I think it's truly delicious and I feel like Popeye the Sailorman. 

Cranberry Lime Refresher

I am constantly aware that I need to replenish my body with water throughout the day, even when I don't drink the amounts that I should. I know that I am not at my best when my body is craving water like a withering plant, and it took me years to figure this out. I wanted to start incorporating into my daily routine different ways to liven up my water.

In addition to this, I know how beneficial 100% cranberry juice can be for the body (dietary fiber, vitamin C, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties, anti-bacterial, and good for the heart). So I made myself this cranberry lime refresher, containing majority water with a hefty splash of 100% cranberry juice and a light splash of lime. Pure cranberry juice can be a little more expensive than other juices, so I realized I could make one bottle stretch over many glasses of this refresher. So I win at all angles here.

Cancer Prevention Recipe: Raspberry Rosemary Salad & Salmon Patties

Since my mother's passing in 2011 of a rare brain cancer, along with chemo and radiation which deteriorated her entire body, I have been driven to find out as much as I can about cancer and discover the natural blessings God has gifted us with here on this interesting planet we live on. I have found that many of the fruits and vegetables we have had on and off relationships with since childhood, have been filled with marvelous and miraculous effects.

Meatloaf Recipe

This is my recipe for a 3lb meatloaf and sides. The one thing I tried new were the green beans. I usually feature a broccoli normandy medley, but I wanted to change it up a bit. Meatloaf has always been one of my favorites, and always will be. I started making this after sundown, so I was unfortunately without natural sunlight for the pictures. I still decided to use these pictures even though they are taken mostly at night. So please bear with the grain. Now on to the recipe...

BBQ Chicken, Apple & Onion Pizza

I've been making this pizza since my third year in college, and it is always perfect. For some reason, BBQ flavor goes amazingly well with apples and onion. This didn't take too long to long to create, and it also didn't take long to completely devour it. Byron and I ate this thing up with such a fierce quickness that afterwards, we were looking around wondering where the pizza went. On to the recipe.

Quick Dark Chocolate Mint Brownies

Ingredients:

1 Box Dark Chocolate Fudge Brownie Mix

2 Eggs

2/3 Cup Vegetable Oil

Peppermint Patties (Amount Varies. I used 16 for an 8x8 inch pan.

1/4 Cup Water

Preheat oven to 350 or 325 Degrees F, depending on pan size, described below and on box.

Mix everything together except the patties. Grease pan and pour in half of batter.

Add patties evenly, you can break them up into pieces to fill in more, but I opted for a milder minty.

Add the rest of the batter. Cooking instructions as follows:

13x9 = 28-30 mins at 350 Degrees F

9x9 = 35-40 mins at 350 Degrees F

8x8 = 50-55 mins at 325 Degrees F

This may a little redundant if you have the box, but I know sometimes I throw it away and it's nice just for the instructions to exist somewhere online I guess. Again, these are easy brownies. I am an advocate for homemade and boxed baking. It all depends on how much energy you have, how much money you have and what ingredients you already posses.