Yummy Crockpot Enchiladas

This is one of my family’s favorite meals! I prefer the red enchiladas, but my husband prefers green—either way its tasty. The filling for these enchiladas can be made in the crockpot, but they will need to be baked at the end.

Ingredients:

6 chicken breasts (thaw if frozen)

1 Tbs Garlic Powder

1 Tbs Chili Powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp dried cilantro

1 small can green chilies

1 cube cream cheese

2 cups shredded cheese (I like the Mexican style)

8 Tortillas

2 cans enchilada sauce (green or red)

Cooking Spray

Directions:

Start by spraying your crockpot generously with cooking spray (makes clean up way easier). Add whole chicken breasts to crockpot. Sprinkle with seasoning (if you are in a hurry, I sometimes use pre-packaged taco or fajita seasoning instead) and put green chilies on top. Cook on low 6-8 hours until chicken can be easily shredded with a fork. Once chicken has been shredded, cut up block, of cream cheese and stir in. Make sure cream cheese softens and fully mixes with chicken.

Pre-heat oven to 350. Prepare a baking dish (9x13) with cooking spray. Add enchilada filling to tortillas (more or less than 8 can be made depending on how much filling is in each) and sprinkle with shredded cheese. Tuck in ends of tortilla and roll up. Place enchiladas side by side in prepared baking dish (crowded is fine). Pour enchilada sauce over the enchiladas. Bake for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes spoon sauce over enchiladas again and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake another 5-10 minutes until cheese is melted. Enjoy!

Easy French Toast Muffins

Here is a simple recipe that makes weekday breakfasts a cinch! These taste best warmed in the microwave and are great with a little syrup!

Ingredients:
1 loaf of white bread (about 20 slices)
5 large eggs
1 cup vanilla almond milk (or any milk or milk substitute)
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup brown sugar (or double up on maple syrup or use other sweetener instead)
1/2 cup chopped pecans
3 Tbs butter, melted (or butter substitute)
1 tsp maple flavor
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350. 
2. Grease muffin tin.
3. In large bowl, beat eggs and milk. Add all other ingredients, except bread, and mix thoroughly.
4. Cut or tear bread into bite-size pieces.
5. Add bread to egg mixture and stir to coat evenly--bread should be soaked in egg mixture.
6. Stir in chopped pecans,
7. Using spoon, scoop into greased muffin tin. For larger muffins (about 12) over-fill the muffin cups--they will not rise much.
8. Bake for 20-22 minutes.

Easy Crockpot Venison Stew

Ingredients:

1-2 lbs. Venison (beef or other red meat may be substituted)

1 packet McCormack Hearty Beef Stew Seasoning

1 packet French Onion Soup Mix

2 cups water

4-5 large carrots

3-4 stalks of celery

1/3 red onion

3 cups cubed potatoes (I like red potatoes)

Spray cooking oil

1 Tbsp garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

·         Make sure venison, or other meat, is cut into bite-size pieces

·         Chop carrots and celery into bite size pieces

·         Dice onion

·         Spray crockpot with cooking oil

·         Add meat and vegetables

·         Add packet of stew seasoning, packet of onion soup mix, and Tbsp of Garlic

·         Poor two cups of water over all

·         Cover and cook on low for 8 hours

·         After ingredients are fully cooked (about six hours in) add salt and pepper to taste

Simple Sausage Skillet Meals

Simple Sausage Skillet Meals

One of my family’s favorite meals are sausage skillets. There are many variations on this tried and true favorite, which keep my family interested in eating it, and me interested in cooking it.

The basic recipe is as follows:

Ingredients
 package of pre-cooked sausage, sliced
Various veggies, sliced
Starch, prepared accordingly
Seasoning and/ or sauce

Directions:
Brown sausage in large skillet with olive oil
Add vegetables to skillet and cook until tender
Add starch, cooked accordingly
Season and/ or add sauce

The order in which you complete the steps may change slightly depending on what exactly you are making. For example, when cooking raw vegetables that take a long time to become tender, like potatoes, celery, carrots, or cabbage, I usually add the sausage after. If the dish includes pre-packaged pasta or rice, I prepare it according to the package directions and add it last.

Here are some fun variations on the basic.

Classic Kielbasa:

Kielbasa sausage

Red potatoes

Onion

Red and Yellow Peppers

Mushrooms

Seasoned to taste with garlic, salt, and pepper

Kielbasa Veggie Delight:

Same as Classic Kielbasa, but add additional vegetables and substitute prepared rice for potatoes (I like a wild rice/ long grain blend)

Stir in rice at the end of the cooking process

Polish Skillet:

Kielbasa sausage

Red potatoes

Onion

Cabbage

Seasoned to taste with paprika, garlic, ground mustard, salt and pepper

Breakfast Skillet:

Any type of sausage

Diced potatoes

Onion

Peppers

Mushrooms

Eggs (scrambled or over-easy)

Shredded Cheese

Seasoned to taste with salt, pepper, and garlic.

Classic Italian Skillet:

Italian sausage or similar, sliced (my favorite is vidalia onion)

Red Onion

Mushrooms

1 Can diced tomatoes

Tomato Pasta Sauce (I like tomato basil)

Seasoned with basil, garlic, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper

Serve over any prepared pasta, or stir in (I like bow tie pasta)

You can also add shredded mozzarella or shredded Italian cheese

Vegetable Alfredo Sausage Skillet:

Italian sausage, sliced

Red Onion

Peas

Asparagus

Mushrooms

Other veggies, as desired

Alfredo sauce

Serve over any prepared pasta

Southwest Sausage Skillet:

Jalapeno or Red Pepper Sausage, sliced

Onion

1 can green ghiles

1 cup frozen corn

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

Serve over rice or tortillas

Garnish with shredded Mexican cheese, sliced avocado and sour cream