Crispy Cheesy Chicken

Seriously, you guys? I made the yummiest chicken tonight. I had no plans of blogging my chicken, as it was planned to be just an average meal with nothing unique or special about it. But then... Disaster struck.

No bread crumbs. Profanities raced through my head while I stared into the cupboard. How could I have let this happen?? 

Re-plan the whole meal? Make boring, bread crumb-less chicken? I guess.... WAIT! No! I have Cheez Its! *Shake shake*... There's about three handfuls left. Maybe 30 crackers? That should work for a family of three?

Well, guess WHAT. It did. 

I crumbled up the crackers into a bowl, then added garlic powder, rosemary and parmesan cheese. I mixed it up and used it just like breading on the chicken. 

I didn't have the foresight to take photos of this before I added it to the chicken. This was what was left in the bowl after I had used it on the chicken pieces.

      Since the plan was rosemary and parmesan green beans with cheesy biscuits, I figured it would                                                                               work well.

Uncooked green beans

Fresh out of the oven green beans

Friends- let me tell you a secret. It worked. It worked oh-so-well. 

If you're looking for a healthy/gluten free/dairy free/all natural/locally grown/other food things meal, this is not your recipe. To be completely honest, if that's what you're looking for, I'm just not your girl.

Now, this idea was likely fueled by binge-watching Raising Hope on Netflix. She uses the crumbs (or "dust") from the bottom of cereal and chip bags for her casseroles. 

However, if you're a mother/busy lady/don't mind unhealthy meals once in a while, this is totally for you. The green beans are easy- clean them, add them into a baking dish, shake on some garlic powder and rosemary, then top with grated parmesan. Cook them in the oven on 400 for 20 minutes. *Note- If you like soft green beans, boil them first. These will come out relatively crisp. 

I used the Foster Farms Chicken Breast Tenders, because personally, I like the smaller cuts of chicken. They also cook faster, so #win. I coated the thawed chicken pieces in olive oil, then pressed them into the bowl of crackermagic. I cooked them for about 18 minutes at 400, right next to the green beans (in separate dishes, of course). 

Uncooked, coated chicken

Cooked chicken

It's really easy, quick and yummy! You can likely get everyone in the house to eat veggies if they've got a little cheese on top ;)

Here's the plate, ready to eat!

Get Your Kids to Eat Spinich!

I saw this idea on Pinterest originally (who knows where), but the recipe they had suggested using homemade mashed potatoes. I do not roll like that.

I do not have the time, interests, patience, or skill to make homemade mashed potatoes. Boxed mashed potatoes do the trick, and they come in yummy flavors that take zero extra work.

*Note- Again, if you're all about healthy meals every day, this is not an idea for you. If you are, however, looking for a quick and easy way to get your kids to eat some vegetables, this might help :)

I used the mashed potatoes that come in the little packet... They're cheap. I think $.89 at Winco. Anyway, I used the Three Cheese or White Cheese (or something cheese) kind, which are yummy enough on their own.

BUT-- here's where the veggies come in. 

I made the potatoes according the the package, then moved them into a bowl and busted out the ole' trusty mixer. I cut up some spinach into little pieces, then added the spinach to the potatoes and blended it well. I topped it with a bit of shredded cheese, and by the time it was mixed, you could barely taste the spinach!

Yum.

My three-year-old, who says every green food is "stinky" or "yucky", gladly ate every bit of his potatoes. 

Overall, it was a win with the whole family. Next time, I'll use about twice as much spinach, which is about two handfuls or so. 

Enjoy!

Quick Baked Macaroni and Cheese

This is one of my favorite dinners to make for a couple of reasons:
 1) It's super yummy
 2) It's super easy and you can add pretty much whatever you feel like.

Here's the basics you need:

•  Macaroni noodles
• Cream cheese
• Cheddar cheese (shredded)
• Half & half
• Milk
• Butter
• Whatever spices you like to use. I used garlic, salt and pepper

You can also add ham, bacon, hot dog, etc if you feel like it

 Preheat your oven to 375°

Bring a saucepan full of water to a boil. When it's boiling, add in your noodles and turn down to med-high to boil until almost cooked. When it's finished, strain it and add a little butter to keep the noodles from sticking

Meanwhile, in a smaller sauce pan add 1/4 cup of half and half, 1/4 cup of milk, 1 tbsp of butter and about 1 oz of cream cheese. I turned the burner on medium and stirred frequently until the butter and cream cheese were melted.

 Once everything is melted, start adding your shredded cheese a handful at a time and stir it in until it's all melted.
Be sure to save about a handful of cheese to sprinkle over the top

 Pour your cooked noodles into your breadpan and then pour your cheese sauce over the top and mix it in well. You want to make sure your noodles are completely covered.

 Sprinkle the rest of your cheese over the top and stick it in the oven for 10-15 minutes. The cheese should be melted but not brown at all.

Finished product!

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family and I do!

Easy and Yummy Crock Pot Chicken

 Are you looking for an easy dinner? What's easier than throwing 4 ingredients into a crock pot?

For this you'll need:

• A crock pot (obviously)
• Chicken breast (thawed)
• BBQ sauce
• Pineapple chunks
• About 1 cup of water

 Step 1 - Place your thawed chicken in the crock pot. I only defrosted 2 pieces of chicken since I'm only cooking for my husband, son and self. Use as many pieces of chicken as you need.

 Step 2 - Mostly cover the chicken with barbecue sauce. What's nice about this recipe is that you don't have to use a ton of sauce. I probably used less than 1/4 cup for my 2 pieces of chicken.

 Step 3 - Add your pineapple and the juice in the can along with a cup of water. I used about 1/4 of the can for the 2 pieces I cooked.

Step 4 - Cover and cook on high for 4 hours and then low for another 2-3 hours or until your chicken is completely cooked.

I hope your family enjoys this recipe! Mine sure did :)