Simple Salmon Pies

I wish I had a picture of these. They are absolutely beautiful!! Jon and I were watching the Food Network one day and saw THIS. Months later I was craving salmon and I knew this would be the perfect meal. They are SO easy and really melt in your mouth. Below is the recipe. We made a few changes to simplify even more. We used olive oil, regular white onion and mushrooms, dried thyme and no parsley. Enjoy!!

Ingredients

• 4 (6-ounce) center cut salmon fillets, skin removed
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• salt and pepper
• 4 tablespoons canola oil, divided
• 1 medium Vidalia onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup chopped shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 4 cups washed, dried, and loosely packed fresh baby spinach
  
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 2 frozen puff pastry sheets, defrosted
• Chopped fresh parsley leaves, for garnish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Brush both sides of the salmon with 1 teaspoon lemon juice and sprinkle with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.

Warm 2 tablespoons oil in 2 separate skillets over medium-high heat. Add half of the onion and half the garlic to each pan. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms and thyme into 1 pan and the spinach, lemon zest and remain lemon juice in the other pan. Stir the spinach until it wilts, then transfer it to a bowl and set aside. Saute the mushrooms until they are reduced and tender, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the sour cream. Set aside.

Trim the thinner ends of the salmon fillet so you have 4 pieces of even thickness. Unroll a pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Pass a rolling pin lightly over 2 or 3 times to seal the seams and lengthen slightly. Cut the pastry sheet into 3 equal strips, using the natural seams as a guide. Roll out the second puff pastry sheet to get 1 more strip. Save remaining puff pastry for another use. Lightly prick the 4 strips with a fork. Put 1 heaping spoonful of mushroom mixture on 1 half of each pastry, top with salmon, then layer with a heaping spoonful of spinach mixture. Wet the edges of the pastry with water and fold over the other half, pressing lightly and folding to seal the edges. Repeat with remaining pastry and filling. Cut 2 vents on the top of each pastry packet and arrange them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Bake until the pastry is golden and fish is just opaque in the center, about 25 to 30 minutes.

Transfer the pies from the oven to serving dishes and garnish with chopped parsley.

Crock Pot Braised Beef

As you may know my husband and I LOVE the Food Network. This past weekend we had our best friends, Jake & Tanya, over for a comfort food meal to try out some new found recipes. This braised beef recipe was the main dish. I thought I'd post all the recipes we used Saturday night. It was such a yummy meal and I thought it would be nice to share.

Ingredients

3 Tbsp butter
salt and pepper
1 (3 pound) beef brisket
1 cup beef broth
1 (12 ounce) bottle chili sauce
1 (1 ounce) envelope dry onion soup mix
2 teaspoons garlic powder

Directions

Lightly salt and pepper the roast on all sides. Heat butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Put roast in the skillet and sear the meat on each side for 1-2 minuted or until lightly browned. Place the roast into a slow cooker. Pour beef broth in the skillet with the juices from the seared meat, stir it around to incorporate any browned bits from the pan and pour the juices over the meat in the crock pot.. In a medium bowl, mix together the chili sauce, onion soup mix, and garlic powder. Pour over the brisket. Cover, and cook on the Low setting for 8 hours. Pull meat apart into equal-sized juicy-chunked servings.

Baked Salmon Dijon

One week day after work I was CRAVING salmon. It's all I could think about. So, my sweet husband picked up some oh so delicious salmon on the way home. I needed to find a quick, yummy recipes and with my trusted source Allrecipes.com I found this. The topping melts in your mouth. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 4 (4 ounce) fillets salmon
• 3 tablespoons prepared Dijon-style mustard
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup Italian-style dry bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup butter, melted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a shallow baking pan with aluminum foil.
2. Place salmon skin-side down on foil. Spread a thin layer of mustard on the top of each fillet, and season with salt and pepper. Top with bread crumbs, then drizzle with melted butter.
3. Bake in a preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until salmon flakes easily with a fork.

Servings: 4
Prep time: 10 min. Cook time: 15 min. Ready in: 25 min.
Amount per serving: 331 calories 21.5 grams fat

Stuffed Green Peppers

The first time I ever tried stuffed green peppers was on my mission in Washington D.C. I don't remember ever enjoying peppers before I served my mission in D.C. I was definitely missing out. I LOVE peppers now. They have so much flavor and they are so good for you! Okay, below is the original recipe, but we made some changes I wanted to mention. First, we cut the recipe in half. We used 1/2 lb. ground turkey instead of beef and it was delicious. We cooked the rice separately and added it to the tomato mixture to warm with the mixture. We added more Worcestershire sauce to the mixture and didn't even bother to use and pour the tomato sauce on top. We cut the peppers in half length-wise and filled each pepper halved. It was perfect for us with the changes.

Ingredients

• 6 green bell peppers
• salt to taste
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/3 cup chopped onion
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
  
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup uncooked rice
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 2 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato soup
• water as needed

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cut the tops off the peppers, and remove the seeds. Cook peppers in boiling water for 5 minutes; drain. Sprinkle salt inside each pepper, and set aside.
2. In a large skillet, saute beef and onions for 5 minutes, or until beef is browned. Drain off excess fat, and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the tomatoes, rice, 1/2 cup water and Worcestershire sauce. Cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, or until rice is tender. Remove from heat, and stir in the cheese.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. (175 degrees C). Stuff each pepper with the beef and rice mixture, and place peppers open side up in a baking dish. In a medium bowl, combine tomato soup with just enough water to make the soup a gravy consistency. Pour over the peppers.
4. Bake covered for 25 to 35 minutes, until heated through and cheese is melted and bubbly.

Note: The changes in the recipe would make the calories and fat less than below per serving.

Serves: 6
Prep time: 30 min. Cook time: 30 min. Ready in: 1 hour
Amount per serving: 467 calories, 24.3 grams fat

Eggplant Parmesan

When I told my husband that Eggplant Parmesan was on the menu for the week I think he though I was crazy, but he's always willing to try something new. This recipe is so, so delicious and it's pretty healthy! While I baked the eggplant I simply warmed some pasta sauce, cooked some spaghetti and layered each plate with pasta, eggplant slice, sauce, and cheese. It was so easy and was much faster. We cut all the ingredients down and only used one large eggplant. Below is the full recipe if you would like to bake everything together in the oven. Bon Appetit!

Ingredients

• 2 eggplants, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs
• 3 cups spaghetti sauce, divided
• 1 (16 ounce) package mozzarella cheese, shredded and divided
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Dip eggplant slices in egg, then in bread crumbs, and sprinkle with parmesan cheese . Place in a single layer on a baking sheet covered with a little olive oil. Bake in preheated oven for 5-7 minutes on each side.
3. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F. In a 9x13 inch baking dish spread spaghetti sauce to cover the bottom. Place a layer of eggplant slices in the sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Repeat with remaining ingredients, ending with the cheeses. Sprinkle basil on top.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes, or until golden brown.

Servings: 5
Prep time: 25 min. Cook time: 35 min. Ready in: 1 hour
Amount per serving: 487 calories, 16 grams fat

Garlic Chicken

I was really skeptical before making this meal. It just seemed too easy... BUT the reviews and ratings on Allrecipes.com were too good to resist. The other night I made this melt-in-your-mouth chicken and the aroma while is was cooking was mesmerizing! Oh my!! I served with steamed veggies the first time and the second I served with a side of mac n' cheese and peas.

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons crushed garlic (I use 3-4 large cloves)
  
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
2. Warm the garlic and olive oil to blend the flavors. (Be sure to mince AND crush the garlic!!! Pop it in the microwave for a few seconds and voila!) In a separate dish, combine the bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Dip the chicken breasts in the olive oil and garlic mixture, then into the bread crumb mixture. Place in a shallow, greased baking dish.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until no longer pink and juices run clear.

Serves: 4
Prep time: 20min. Cook time: 35min. Ready in: 55min.
Amount per serving: 278 calories, 15.3 grams fat

Lemon Garlic Tilapia

This delicious tilapia dish has the perfect combination or lemon, garlic, and butter... Mmmmmm... A yummy way to eat healthy. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 4 tilapia fillets
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  
• 3 tablespoons butter
  
• 2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
• pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (190 degrees C). Spray a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Rinse tilapia fillets under cool water, and pat dry with paper towels.
3. Saute garlic in butter.
   
4. Place fillets in baking dish. Pour lemon juice over fillets, then drizzle butter/garlic mixture on top. Sprinkle with parsley and pepper.
5. Bake in preheated oven until the fish is white and flakes when pulled apart with a fork, about 8-12 minutes depending on thickness of fish.

Note: For more flavor and an extra crunch add 2-3 Tb. of buttered bread crumbs or finely crushed Ritz crackers.

Serves: 4
Prep time: 10min. Cook time: 10min. Ready in: 20min.
Amount per serving: 142 calories, 4.4 grams fat (I added 2Tb. more butter than the original recipe. These amounts may be off.)

Ham Rotini Casserole

I found this recipe in "I Can't Believe It's Food Storage!" and it is super delicioso!

2 cups rotini pasta, cooked
1/2 cup salad dressing (Miracle Whip) or light mayonnaise
1/4 cup milk
1/2 bell pepper (green or red), chopped
2 cups broccoli florets
2 cups ham, cubed
1 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Cook pasta according to directions on box.  Drain.

In a large bowl, combine salad dressing and milk.  Mix until smooth.  Add pasta, bell pepper, broccoli florets, ham, and 1 cup cheddar cheese.

Put contents of bowl into a greased casserole dish.  Top with remaining cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup.

Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Feta Chicken

Okay, so I know that I just posted a feta chicken recipe, BUT we LOVE feta and this is another (and in my hubby's opinion) EVEN BETTER recipe for feta and chicken. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 6 ounces tomato basil feta cheese, crumbled
• 1/4 cup Italian-style dry bread crumbs, divided

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
2. Place chicken breasts between 2 pieces of waxed paper. Gently pound chicken with flat side of meat mallet or rolling pin until about 1/4 inch thick; remove wax paper. Place 1 ounce of feta cheese in the center of each chicken breast, and fold in half.
3. Spread 2 tablespoons bread crumbs in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Arrange chicken in the dish, and top with remaining bread crumbs.
4. Bake 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.

Notes: I didn't have tomato basil feta. Instead, I sprinkled dried basil and red pepper flakes on the feta before folding over. You can also use chopped fresh basil and sun-dried tomatoes. I also used more than 1/4 bread crumbs and sprinkled the crumbs on both sides of the chicken before adding the feta. To secure the folded chicken I used a few toothpicks on each piece. So, so, so yummy and easy!!!

Serves: 6
Prep time: 15min. Cook time: 30min. Ready in: 45min.
Amount per serving: 224 calories, 7.8 grams fat

- Mindy

p.s. Almost all photos for my recipes are compliments of Allrecipes.com

Baked Ziti Supreme

I've been eye-ing this recipe in my cookbook since the beginning of my first semester and finally got to it! I really enjoyed it. Probably not the healthiest but it sure is comfort food.

1 pound ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup) (I didn't have onion so I used onion powder)

1 jar (24 ounces) Prego® Fresh Mushroom Italian Sauce

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (6 ounces)

5 cups medium tube-shaped pasta (ziti), cooked and drained

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

• Cook the beef and onion in a 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat until the beef is well browned, stirring often to break up the meat. Pour off any fat.
• Stir the sauce, 1 cup mozzarella cheese and pasta in the saucepan. Spoon the mixture into a 3-quart shallow baking dish. Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350°F. for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbling.

(Picture is compliments of Campbell's Kitchen.com)

Fast & Friendly Meatballs

In our attempts to eat healthy we have substituted much of our ground beef for ground turkey and surprisingly have loved the results. This is one of the hubby's favorites. We love our scrumptious meatballs! Note: I added the last five ingredients to make them especially good. This is a great recipe to experiment with.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 (20 ounce) package ground turkey
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/3 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
• 1/2 tsp. sage or rosemary
• 2 Tb. grated parmesan cheese
• 1 Tb. garlic powder and/or onion powder
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 1/8 cup water

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with the olive oil, and place it in the oven while preheating.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the ground turkey, egg, bread crumbs, sage or rosemary, parmesan cheese, garlic powder or onion powder, pepper and water using your hands. Using an ice cream scoop if possible, form the meat into golf ball sized meatballs. Place about 1 inch apart in the hot baking dish. Press down to flatten the bottom just slightly.
3. Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, then turn them over, and continue baking for about 5 more minutes, or until somewhat crispy on the outside. Serve with pasta and sauce or however you'd like.

Serves: 18
Prep time: 10min. Cook time: 20min. Ready in: 30min.
Amount per serving: 72 calories, 4.4 grams fat

- Mindy

Swiss Chicken Casserole

This easy dish is comfort food to the max!! I remember someone from my mom's Relief Society bringing this dish to us for dinner one night when my mom was sick or just after having a baby. Anyway, I would make this dish in college every month! I sometimes substitute the Swiss cheese for pepper jack cheese. Yum! Serve with rice and veggies or whatever you want.

Ingredients

• 6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 6 slices Swiss cheese
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 cups herb-seasoned stuffing mix
• 1/4 cup butter

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Arrange chicken in a greased 12 x 8 x 2 baking dish. Top with Swiss cheese slices.
3. Combine soup and milk and stir well. Spoon mixture over chicken and sprinkle with stuffing mix. Drizzle butter or margarine over crumbs.
4. Cover and bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 50 minutes. Enjoy!

Serves: 6
Prep time: 10 min. Cook time: 50 min. Ready in: 1 hour
Amount per serving: 430 cal. 20.8 grams fat

- Mindy

Feta-Topped Chicken

We love, love, love this tasty dish. Quick, easy, yummy, healthy, and pretty too. What more could you ask for? We eat this once every few weeks. Serve with salad, pasta or rice. It's good with everything!

Ingredients

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (we usually use chicken halves)
• 2 Tb. balsamic vinaigrette dressing
• 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 1/4 tsp. seasoned pepper blend
• 1 large Roma tomato cut into 8 slices
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions

1. Set oven control to broil. Brush both sides of chicken breasts with dressing. Sprinkle both sides with Italian seasoning and seasoned pepper. Place on rack in broiler pan.
2. Broil with tops 4 inches from the heat about 10 minutes, turning once, until chicken is no longer pink when centers of thickest pieces are cut. Top with tomato and cheese. Broil 2 to 3 minutes longer or until cheese is lightly browned.

Servings: 4
Prep time: 10 min. Cook time: 15 min. Ready in: 25 min.
Amount per serving: 220 calories, 8 grams fat

- Mindy

Grilled Pesto Chicken Sandwiches

This delicious sandwich recipe originally came from the Something Extra magazine offered by Bel Air and Raley's. I've made a few changes to make it more economical. It is full of flavor and quick to make.

Prep: 10 minutes Cook time: 10-12 minutes Serves:4

8 boneless, skinless chicken tenders
8 (1/2 inch thick) slices sourdough bread*
butter for spreading
8 slices mozzarella cheese
8 thin slices tomato
2 Tbs pesto

Cook chicken tenders. For added flavor, add several tablespoons of oil to a pan. Sprinkle some chicken seasoning onto the olive oil and stir together. Grill Mates Chicken Rub by McCormick is an excellent choice. Cook with lid on for several minutes per side until no longer pink. The chicken tenders can be placed in the pan directly out of the freezer. Just add a few extra minutes cooking time per side.
Grill Bread. Butter one side of each slice of bread. Placed buttered side down in large skillet. Top with mozzarella slices. Cook over medium heat until cheese is melted and bread is golden brown on the bottom.
Assemble Sandwiches. Top half the bread slices with tomatoes and cooked chicken. Spread pesto over chicken and close sandwiches.

*If using a very large loaf of sourdough, cut the slices in half to make sandwhich sized slices.

Nutrition per serving: 380 calories, 23 g protein, 20 g total fat (8g sat.), 28 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 7 g sugar, 65 mg cholesterol, 460 mg sodium

Honey Mustard Grilled Chicken

This recipe is much more delicious that I thought it would be. We don't have an outdoor grill so I just cooked in on the stove with a little cooking spray. It's a perfect meal for summertime! I served it with red mashed potatoes. Oh so yummy!

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon steak sauce
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Directions

1. Preheat the grill for medium heat.
2. In a shallow bowl, mix the mustard, honey, mayonnaise, and steak sauce. Set aside a small amount of the honey mustard sauce for basting, and dip the chicken into the remaining sauce to coat.
3. Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill chicken over indirect heat for 18 to 20 minutes, turning occasionally, or until juices run clear. Baste occasionally with the reserved sauce during the last 10 minutes. Watch carefully to prevent burning!

Serves: 4
Prep time: 15 min. Cook time: 20 min. Ready in: 35 min.
Amount per serving: 266 cal., 8.6 grams fat

- Mindy

Szechwan Shrimp

We LOVE shrimp and this spicy dish is so delicious. The other day we made this dish again only with cooked pieces of chicken and it was just as good.

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup sliced green onions
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 12 ounces cooked shrimp, tails removed

Directions

1. In a bowl, stir together water, ketchup, soy sauce, cornstarch, honey, crushed red pepper, and ground ginger. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in green onions and garlic; cook 30 seconds. Stir in shrimp, and toss to coat with oil. Stir in sauce. Cook and stir until sauce is bubbly and thickened.

Note: If you would like to add veggies to the sauce, I would suggest doubling the sauce.

Servings: 4
Prep time: 10 min. Cook time: 10 min. Ready in: 20 min.
Amount per serving: 142 cal., 4.4 grams fat

- Mindy

Quick and Easy Mexican Chicken

This recipe is much like the Salsa Chicken recipe from this blog. A few different seasonings and so so yummy! Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 1 cup salsa
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 pinch ground black pepper
• 1 pinch ground cumin

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Heat a greased skillet to medium. Rub chicken pieces with garlic, salt, pepper and cumin to taste and add to hot skillet. Cook until brown on both sides and no longer pink (10 to 15 minutes).
3. Transfer meat to 9 x 13 inch baking dish or casserole dish, top with salsa and cheese and bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 15 to 20 minutes (until cheese is bubbly and starts to brown.) Serve over rice.

Servings: 4
Amount per serving: 264 cal., 11 grams fat

- Mindy

Broiled Tilapia Parmesan

At the last minute last night I decided to make fish for dinner. We try to have some type of fish at least once every two weeks. It can be so expensive! I had no idea how incredible tilapia could taste... WOW!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/8 teaspoon onion powder/garlic powder
  
• 1/8 teaspoon celery salt/seed
• 2 pounds tilapia fillets

Directions

1. Preheat your oven's broiler. Line the broiler pan with aluminum foil.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the Parmesan cheese, butter, mayonnaise and lemon juice. Season with dried basil, pepper, onion powder and celery salt. Mix well and set aside.
3. Spray cooking spray on both sides of the fish. Arrange fillets in a single layer on the prepared pan. Broil a few inches from the heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the fillets over and broil for a couple more minutes. Remove the fillets from the oven and cover them with the Parmesan cheese mixture on the top side. Broil for 2 more minutes or until the topping is browned and fish flakes easily with a fork. Be careful not to over cook the fish.

Note: For our small family of two on a diet, we cut the recipe in half and had plenty. Serve with rice and veggies.

Servings: 8
Prep time: 5 min. Cook time: 10 min. Ready in: 15 min.
Amount per serving: 203 cal., 11.4 grams fat

- Mindy

Baked Garlic Parmesan Chicken

We love Italian food and when we found this healthier version of Parmesan Chicken we were so excited! It is delicious and so easy too!

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 cup dry Italian bread crumbs
• 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
2. In a bowl, blend the olive oil and garlic. In a separate bowl, mix the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, basil, and pepper. Dip each chicken breast in the oil mixture, then in the bread crumb mixture. Arrange the coated chicken breasts in the prepared baking dish, and top with any remaining bread crumb mixture.
3. Bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.

Notes: I use pie dishes to dip the chicken, seems to be much easier. I also put a little extra seasonings in with the bread crumbs, like oregano and/or Italian seasoning. Serve with pasta of choice or salad.

Servings: 6
Prep Time: 15 min. Cook time: 30 min. Ready in: 45 min.
Amount per serving: 243 cal., 8.3 grams fat

- Mindy

Chicken & Corn Chili

For the Niu family Thursday nights are our busiest nights. We get home after 6pm and it's hard to be motivated to cook up a healthy, delicious meal. So... when we found this meal we knew it would become a Thursday night favorite. A healthy crockpot meal? Who wooda thought?

Ingredients

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1 (16 ounce) jar salsa
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• salt to taste
• ground black pepper to taste
• 1 (11 ounce) can Mexican-style corn
• 1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans

Directions

1. Place chicken and salsa in the slow cooker the night before you want to eat this chili. Season with garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Cook 6 to 8 hours on Low setting.
2. About 3 to 4 hours before you want to eat, shred the chicken with 2 forks. Return the meat to the pot, and continue cooking.
3. Stir the corn and the pinto beans into the slow cooker. Simmer until ready to serve.

Notes: I usually add one small can of diced tomatoes with green chilies and I only use half of the salsa. It works well for our small family. I also substitute the garlic powder for fresh, minced garlic. I'm at work for 10 hours so I don't have time to come back home, shred the chicken and then go back to work. We begin cooking when we leave our home for the day. We shred the chicken when we get home, add the corn & beans and let it heat up. We usually just serve with a little cheese, but you can add some sour cream and chips too! Yum!!

Servings: 6
Prep time: 15 min. Cook time: 12 hrs. Ready in: 12 hrs. 15 min.
Amount per serving: 145 calories, 1.9 grams fat

- Mindy