bbq chicken enchiladas

This recipe is a funky version of a favorite meal. These aren't just regular enchiladas, they have a secret weapon of bbq sauce mixed in. That's all it takes to take a [possibly worn out and overused] favorite recipe and spice up your life! Hope you enjoy it!

what you'll need:

• 10 whole wheat tortillas 
• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
• 28 oz. can red enchilada sauce 
• ½ cup of your favorite BBQ sauce*
• ½ large sweet onion, sliced 
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil 
• 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375*

In a large skillet, heat 2 Tbsp. of olive oil on low-medium.

Add sliced onions and let caramelize until soft and golden – about 10 minutes. 

Combine enchilada sauce and BBQ sauce in bowl

Add shredded chicken to onions; Mix thoroughly. 

Pour in about a half of a cup of enchilada/BBQ sauce mixture, and add 1 cup cheese

Stir until mixture comes together and turn off heat.

Pour a drizzle of enchilada/BBQ sauce in the bottom of two 8x8 baking dishes. 

Take each tortilla and fill it with chicken mixture. 

Roll each up and set it in the baking dish. 

Dump remaining enchilada/BBQ sauce on top of tortillas and add remaining cheese. 

Bake for 20-25 minutes. 

Makes 10 enchiladas

I served with Uncle Ben's microwavable mexi-rice and topped with salsa and sour cream!

Freezer directions: Don’t bake. Cover with foil, label and freeze. To Serve: Thaw, remove foil, then bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes or until hot and cheese is bubbly.

*note about the bbq sauce: I use sweet baby ray's and like the name says, it is sweet. Almost too sweet for this recipe, so next time I would decrease the bbq to 1/4 cup. It has a nice flavor, but seemed on the verge of being overwhelming.

recipe adapted from onceamonthmom

buffalo chicken stuffed shells

My husband loves typical stuffed shells (aka cheese and spinach) so I was a little skeptical of what he'd think of these, since they are completely different and have buffalo wing sauce in them. To my pleasant surprise, they were a big hit with him, receiving and "I'd definitely eat them again" reaction. Hooray! :) Next time I would probably add some Mozzarella to the stuffing as well just to make the inside more cheesy and creamy! 

what you'll need:

• 12 oz. box jumbo shell pasta
• 2 ½ cups marinara sauce
• ½ cup buffalo wing sauce
• 2 cups cooked and shredded boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 16 oz. cottage cheese
• 1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese

how you'll do it:

Preheat oven to 350*

Cook pasta shells according to package; drain

Combine marinara and buffalo wing sauce in a bowl

In another bowl, combine shredded chicken, egg, and cottage cheese until well-combined

Spread 1 cup sauce on the bottom of two 8×8 baking dishes

Stuff shells with chicken mixture, about 1 Tbsp. per shell

Place in sauce-covered dish

Cover shells with remaining sauce and sprinkle with shredded Mozzarella

Bake about 30 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted

Freezer Directions: Prepare as above, except DO NOT bake. Instead, cover with foil, label, and freeze. To serve: Thaw in fridge. Bake at 350* about 30 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted.

recipe adapted from onceamonthmom 

apple-spinach chicken nuggets

I know, I know. Some of you are thinking, "seriously?!" Apple-spinach "chicken nuggets" sounds pretty funky to me! Don't worry, I thought the same thing when I found this recipe. So did my husband when he looked at them and then gave me a funny look and I said, "Always try something once, right?" to which he responded, "Yep, and if I don't like it, I'll tell you!" :) I appreciate his honesty about my cooking. Sure, I've cooked some duds in the past year, the kind that were okay to eat but the kind meal you don't really want again soon, but thankfully there has only been one meal that we threw in the trash and went to Chick-fil-a! Ha, that was a fun night!

As you probably know by now, I'm always up for trying something new! And this recipe sure fits the bill. If any of you are looking to spice up to packed-lunch routine, I suggest you try these. I don't think you'll be sorry.

what you'll need:

• 1 pound ground chicken
• ½ cup onion, peeled and diced
• 1 cup apple, peeled and grated
• 1 tsp. dried sage
• 1 tsp. dried rosemary
• 1 tsp. dried parsley
• 2 cups frozen spinach
• 1 cup panko crumbs
• 2 cups canola oil (for frying)

how you'll do it:

Combine first seven ingredients in a bowl

Mix together with your hand

Put bread crumbs in a shallow dish 

Shape into small patties and press into the coating

Heat enough oil for shallow frying in a large frying pan. 

Add nuggets and cook about six minutes, three minutes per side, turning occasionally, until golden brown and cooked through.

Dry on a paper towel and let cool

* TO BAKE: Bake at 425 for about 15-20 minutes until firm to the touch. 

I ate mine with Ranch dressing, and Ryan requested meatloaf sauce (aka bbq and ketchup). So good!

Freezer Directions: Put 4-5 nuggets into small freezer bags for individual servings and freeze. To Serve: Microwave for about 30-60 seconds if thawed, 60-90 seconds if frozen.

recipe adapted from onceamonthmom 

coconut chicken

First things first... YUM!! I love trying to cook new things and this one was an adventure. And SO worth it. I really enjoy the slight sweetness that the coconut brings in, and when dipped in Sweet Chili sauce it's just a match made in Heaven!

what you'll need:

• 3 chicken breasts
• 1/4 vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup panko crumbs
• 1 cup coconut flakes

how you'll do it:

cut chicken breasts in strips diagonally

set up your "dipping" station

L-R: flour & salt, eggs, plain panko (for Ryan), panko w/coconut

pour oil in skillet and let it get hot while you:

dip all chicken strips in flour

 

then dip flour-covered strips in eggs, then panko w/coconut

 oil should be ready now (test by flicking flour in it to see if it sizzles)

place strips in skillet and cook 2-3 minutes on each side or until brown

Be sure to dip in Sweet Chili dipping sauce, which can be found in the Asian food section at a grocery store near you ;)

bbq chicken (in the skillet)

I'm always looking for a variation from just regular ol' chicken. When I stumbled upon this recipe and decided to tweek to my liking, I definitely found a keeper. It's not slow cooking style that is known to give BBQ its tenderness, but it's full of flavor and doesn't take much time.

what you need:

• 3 chicken breasts
• bbq sauce (I use Sweet Baby Ray's, original)
• buffalo wing sauce (I use Moore's)
• ketchup

how you'll do it:

boil your chicken.

shred it your cooked chicken.

I used to shred chicken with 2 forks but never again! if you have a kitchenaid mixer, all you need to do is put the cooked chicken in the bowl, use the paddle and go until it's shredded! *amazing*

get your sauces ready (ketchup was an afterthought, but definitely needed!)

put chicken in skillet

cover in sauce 

[although I didn't measure, I would suggest a 4:1:1 ratio of bbq:hot sauce:ketchup]

stir together well until fully covered in sauce, adding more if needed.

cover with lid, or upside-down larger skillet and let simmer about 10-15 minutes.

served in whole wheat tortilla with cheese, baked zucchini, and mashed red potatoes

Variations:

• add lettuce, peppers, onions, and other veggies to the tortilla
• serve on bun like regular bbq ;)

buffalo chicken dip

This is an awesome dip for parties, pot lucks, or for personal snacking. It's everything good about a chip dip combined into one: spicy, tangy, cheesy. And it's super easy to make and doesn't take much time at all.

what you'll need:

• sharp shredded cheddar cheese (at least 2 cups)
• 2 cans chicken
• 1 cup buffalo wing sauce (I recommend Moore's)
• 1 cup ranch dressing
• 2 8 oz. blocks of cream cheese

how you'll do it:

put cream cheese in large microwavable bowl and microwave about 2 min.

then stir in chicken, wing sauce, and ranch

once mixed well, pour into 9x13 inch casserole dish

cook at 350* for about 20-25 minutes and then cover top with cheese

cook until cheese is melted but not brown or hard

Viola! I hope you enjoy this quick and easy snack!

Thanks to friends Twana and Maddie for this great recipe!