Recipes

Mom asked for some of the recipes I mentioned on the phone, so this post is especially for her!

Our family is on a chicken and Mexican kick lately. Here is a sample of what that looks like with some recipes we have been enjoying lately. FYI - I normally don't serve these back to back, but will serve day 1 on Monday, a beef dish on Tuesday, Day 2 on Wednesday, a bean dish on Thursday, and Day 3 on Friday or something like that.

Day 1 – Whole chicken in crock pot (Special thanks to Story Girl for the inspiration for this!)

Cut up a few celery stalks and layer on the bottom of a crock-pot. Rinse chicken, rub with butter, and stuff with half an onion. Sprinkle with a packet of Ranch dressing mix. Cook on low all day or until the internal temperature reaches 180 degrees. Remove celery and onion. Serve chicken with a vegetable or two. Pull all leftover chicken off the bones and save for days 2 & 3.
Take all the bones, skin, and other parts you will throw away. Put them back in the crockpot with a couple fresh stalks of celery. Mostly fill the crock with water. Bake on low overnight. (Your house will smell super yummy!) In the morning, strain the liquids and throw the rest away. The liquid is now chicken broth that can be froze in cup-size portions for use in other cooking.

Day 2 – Chicken tacos

Season and cook part of the leftover shredded chicken with a taco seasoning mix following the directions on the package. Add chopped tomatoes, torn up lettuce, cheese, taco sauce, and yogurt (a more healthy substitute for sour cream) and serve in taco shells or tortillas.

Day 3 – Chicken Enchilada Skillet (From Taste of Home’s Cooking School)

Frozen broccoli – about a half a frozen package, preferable florets
1 can corn or a half bag or so of frozen corn
Chopped red peppers – fresh or frozen (I don’t always include these)
(Note the original recipe just calls for 1 16 oz package of Birs Eye Broccoli, Corn, & red peppers)
1 package taco seasoning mix
1 can diced tomatoes – the original recipe calls for them flavored with garlic & onion. I just use plain diced tomatoes and sometimes add chopped onion (fresh or frozen) or onion powder & garlic (the jarred kind from Aldi) or garlic powder. Other times I just use plain diced tomatoes & that works fine.
3 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (I have had a hard time finding this in the stores. I either buy block Monterey Jack & shred it myself or just use Mozzarella. Both are fine, although I do like the Monterey Jack better.)
8 oz. Totilla chips

In a large skillet, combine vegetables, seasoning mix, tomatoes and chicken; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover and cook 4 minutes or until vegetables are cooked & mixture is heated through. Sprinkle with cheese; cover and cook 2 minutes more or until cheese is melted. Serve with chips. Optional: You could also serve in enchilladas.