Slow Cooker Crack Chicken

I mean - the title has the word crack in it....this was the most delicious thing on this earth :)  So good!!  My whole family inhaled and then wanted more!!

Serves 8 – 1 cup is 554 calories

Ingredients

3 lbs boneless chicken breasts

2 (8 oz) blocks cream cheese

2 (1 oz) packets dry Ranch seasoning

8 oz bacon, cooked crisply and crumbled

In a slow cooker combine place chicken, cream cheese, and Ranch seasoning.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4 hours, until chicken shreds easily.

Once chicken shreds stir with a large fork or spoon, so the chicken shreds and all the ingredients combine.

Add in crumbled bacon and stir to incorporate.  Serve warm.

Easter Egg Fruit Pizza

Hosted Easter and this was super cute AND delicious!!!  It was a fav with the whole fam!!

Serves 12 – 144 calories

Ingredients

1 lb 1.5 oz sugar cookie mix (Pillsbury purely simple sugar cookie pouch)

1/2 cup unsalted butter melted & cooled

1 egg

4 oz cream cheese softened

1 Tablespoon powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup strawberries chopped

3 cups fruit (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries) sliced

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and grease a 13″ pizza pan and set aside.

In a medium bowl, add the cookie mix, melted butter, and egg and mix with a spoon until a soft dough forms.

Press the dough evenly onto the pan.

Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Let it cool completely, about 45 minutes. Cut into an egg shape (I just used a butter knife).

In a food processor or blender, add the softened cream cheese, ½ cup chopped strawberries, powdered sugar, and vanilla and pulse until fully combined and smooth.

Spread the cream cheese mixture onto the cooled cookie.

Decorate with the cut up fruit.  Slice with a pizza cutter & serve.

Italian Ravioli with Spinach, Artichokes, Capers, Sun-Dried Tomatoes

This was a great and yummy meal for a busy week night!!  It was super quick and tasted like it took forever!!!  We all loved it!!

Serves 4 – 384 calories

Ingredients

8 oz ravioli (cheese ravioli, or pesto ravioli)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes , chopped

1 cup artichoke hearts , chopped

3 tablespoons capers , drained

1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

2 cups spinach , fresh

1 tablespoon olive oil , and more (if desired)

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese , shredded

Cook ravioli until al dente.  Drain.

In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil on medium heat.  Add chopped sun-dried tomatoes, chopped artichokes, capers, Italian seasoning and cook for 2 minutes. Add fresh spinach, and continue cooking and stirring until the spinach wilts.  

To the skillet with sautéed vegetables, on medium-low heat, add cooked ravioli, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and stir.  The dish should be salty enough from capers.   If it's not, add more salt (or capers), if needed.

When serving, top with shredded Parmesan cheese.

Balsamic Glazed Chicken

Love myself some chicken and finding new ways to make it taste delicious :)

Ingredients:

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

1T raw honey

1T whole grain mustard

2 cloves garlic, minced

1tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary

4 (4oz) chicken breasts

½ tsp sea salt

½ tsp ground pepper

2 tssp ghee

Comine vinegar, honey, mustard, garlic, and rosemary in a bowl; whisk to blend.  Set aside.

Sprinkle each side hicken breast with S&P – set aside.

Melt ghee in large skillet over high heat.

Add chicken, cook for 2 minutes on each side or until brown – reduce heat to medium

Add vinegar mixture; cook turning chicken every few minutes for 4-5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and sauce is reduced to thick glaze

Beef Stroganoff - keto style

This was so delicious!!  Like it didn't even matter that there were zoodles instead of noodles under there -- the whole crew just inhaled and had seconds even !!!

Ingredients

• 1 tsp butter
• 6 small mushrooms , sliced
• 1 # ground beef-grassfed if available
• 2/3 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup lower sodium beef broth
• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 cup sour cream add extra as desired
• salt and pepper , as desired

1. Melt butter in skillet over medium heat then add mushrooms and cook for 5-10 minutes or until tender and browned.
2. Remove mushrooms from pan then add ground beef and onions to skillet along with broth and Worcestershire sauce. Cook until beef is browned and fully cooked.
3. Add lemon juice, paprika and cooked mushrooms to ground beef in skillet and stir to combine.  Heat to a simmer then remove pan from heat.
4. Stir in sour cream then adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if needed and serve.
5. May be served in bowls or over toasted ultra-thin bread slices.

Creamy Caulisotto with Roasted Chicken

So one of Ross's favorite things to eat is chicken thighs...and one of my least favorite is chicken on the bone.  However, I LOVE having his support in eating healthy and he has been making so many meals since his new job - so I found one that I knew we would both love!!!

Ingredients:
1 cup sliced mushrooms
12oz bag frozen cauliflower rice (about 4 cups)
2 wedges (.75oz each) spreadable cheese
Hot pepper sauce
Chopped fresh chives
Garlic Powder
2 rotisserie chicken thighs, bone in, skin on
frozen peas

Fry up mushrooms in frying pan.... microwave cauliflower rice / peas -- mix rice/peas with mushrooms and then add cheese until heated through.  Add pepper sauce, chives, garlic powder and mix well.  Serve with chicken.

Instant pot egg roll bowl

I borrowed my Dad's instant pot about a year ago and have never made anything in it yet...we tried tonight and it was great success!!  This meal was DELICIOUS!!!

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground pork or any other meat you would like
• 1 bag pre-shredded cole slaw mix found in the produce section near the bagged salads
• 1/2 cup bone broth
• 1 tbsp soy sauce or to taste
• 1 tbsp garlic powder or to taste
• 1 tbsp ground ginger or to taste
• 1/2 tsp pepper or to taste
• 1/2 tsp salt or to taste

Wonton Chips

• 1 pkg egg roll wrappers cut into strips
• vegetable or olive oil

Instructions

1. Place Instant Pot on saute. Wait until it's hot and then add pork (or meat of choice). Add seasonings and soy sauce and brown meat. If you are using a lean meat (like ground pork or turkey) you will not need to drain it when its done. If you are using a higher fat meat (like ground beef) you will need to drain when browned.
2. When meat is browned, turn Instant Pot off and add the 1/2 cup bone broth. Add bag of cole slaw mix on top and DO NOT stir. Place lid on and turn knob to sealing position.
3. Set Instant Pot on manual high pressure for 0 minutes. If you have a newer model Instant Pot, you select the pressure cook button instead for 0 minutes. And, yes 0 minutes is totally a thing. Just keep hitting the - button until the timer reaches 0.
4. When timer is up, preform a quick release. When pressure is released, open carefully and give everything a quick stir.
5. Spoon into bowls and enjoy!

Wonton Chips

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees while Instant Pot is preheating on saute.
2. Cut egg roll wrappers into strips and bush with olive or veggie oil. I use egg roll wrappers because they are more sturdy then traditional wonton wrappers when you are trying to scoop, but you can use whatever you have (even tortilla chips).
3. Bake in preheated oven for 4-5 minutes until bubbly and brown. WATCH these carefully because they go from brown to burned very fast!
4. Let chips cool and enjoy with your egg roll bowls!

SW Spaghetti Squash Black Bean Bowls

This was DELICIOUS!!!  Super healthy :)  I made the squash ahead of time to speed up the prep time of the entire meal - but so great!!

Ingredients:
1 medium spaghetti squash
parchment paper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
sea salt
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 medium red pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic
2 cans (15oz) black beans, drained, rinsed
2 tablespoons diced green chilies
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 cup low-sodium organic veggie broth
1 medium avocado, chopped
1 medium red onion, chopped
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
4 cups halved cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup cilantro

Preheat oven to 350.

Cut squash lengthwise into quarters - discard seeds.  Place squash, cut side up, on parchment paper lined baking sheet.

Drizzle evenly with olive oil - sprinkle with cumin and salt.  Turn cut side down.  Bake 45-60 minutes or until tender.  Cool for 15 minutes - scrape into stringy noodles - set aside.

While squash is baking, heat 1T olive oil in saucepan over medium-high heat.

Add onion and pepper; cook for 4-6 minutes until onion is soft.

Add garlic, cook for 1 minute.

Add beans, chilies, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, chili powder, and broth.  Bring to boil - reduce heat to low; gently boil for 10 minutes.  Set aside.

To make avocado salsa - combine avocado, red onion, lime juice, tomatoes, cilantro in bowl and toss to blend.