Recipe: Easy Chicken Pot Pie

Weeknight meals, if not already prepped and frozen, need to be easy.  Easy to assemble and easy to get to the table.  Delicious helps too!

This recipe is all those things and more.  Versatile, easy to assemble, hands off once in the oven, one-dish kid friendly dinner -- yep, winner winner chicken pot pie dinner :-)

Easy Chicken Pot Pie
     serves: 4-6
     time: ~45mins total

Ingredients
- 1 box (2 crusts) pre-made refrigerated pie crusts
- 1 can of cream of chicken condensed soup
- chicken
   * 1 large can of chicken breast, drained
   * leftover chicken from a previous meal
   * raw chicken, cut into 1/2inch pieces and cooked
- frozen mixed vegetables

Directions
0. Preheat your oven to 400* and place your pie crusts on the counter to come to room temperature.
1. If using raw chicken, cook the chicken through in a skillet and season as desired (see Notes).
2. Place one pie crust in the bottom of a 9" pie plate.
3. In a medium bowl, stir to combine the condensed soup, chicken and vegetables. 
4. Dump the filling mixture into the pie plate.  Unroll the second pie crusts and place it on top, sealing the edges together.  Use a knife to cut a couple of slits in the top crust to allow any steam to escape.
5. Bake at 400* for 35-45minutes until desired shade of golden brown. 
6. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Notes

• I didn't include measurements for the chicken or frozen mixed vegetables in this recipe because you can make it as meaty or veggie-full as you want.  This is a fantastic recipe for using up any meat that might have been left on a rotisserie chicken or those scrappy looking chunks of chicken that you get when you clean up any boneless, skinless chicken breasts from the supermarket.
• The filling and chicken can be seasoned however you desire.  I usually stick to "traditional" chicken flavors -- poultry seasoning, rosemary, herbs de Provence, montreal chicken, etc but have definitely made this before with curry powder.  
• For easier removal from the oven, and clean up if there is any spill-over, place your pie plate on a cookie sheet.
• Do NOT add any additional liquid to the filling mixture.  It will loosen up on its own while cooking, adding liquid will result in a soupy mess instead of a thicker filling.
• This recipe expands nicely to feed a crowd.  Feel free to up the filling amounts, dump everything in a large casserole dish and top with a pie crust either whole or as lattice strips.

Recipe FAIL: Instant Pot Spaghetti & Meatballs

Just keeping it real friends...

Let me tell you, I had this blog post all drafted in my mind before I even put any ingredients in the pot.  I was going to tell you how I was a mom-hero and arrived home from gymnastics practice to perfectly cooked spaghetti and meatballs.  How I dumped everything in, set the time delay, and basically won the internet. 

Except I didn't.  There was no #winning

I dumped everything in, set the time delay, we didn't go to gymnastics since the athlete wasn't feeling well so I checked the pot the instant it beeped and I was dismayed to find that nothing had cooked.  The meatballs were even still a bit frosty and the pot had not come to pressure.

Luckily, since we didn't go to gymnastics, I had accelerated the timer by half an hour so I had some wiggle room on the expected serving time and the three hungry bellies that were sure to start growling.  So, what did I do -- add more water (not coming to pressure is usually a product of not enough water).

I went through the motions again.  [Manual] 5 minutes.  And when it showed the timer starting I checked the pressure valve...not at pressure AGAIN.  Seriously?!  This was to be my weeknight success.  Spaghetti and meatballs!  How can you screw up spaghetti and meatballs?  If anything I am stubborn persistent so I added another cup of water and repeated the process.  Again no pressure. FAIL.

The Culprit of My Failure

The Final Product

At this point, I had corndogs about to pull out of the freezer and heat up for dinner but decided to taste test the final product.  The sauce was bubbly and hot, the meatballs heated through and the pasta tender.  All in all, it resembled school cafeteria spaghetti in terms of sauce and consistency.  Given that I was feeding little people who think buying lunch at the school cafeteria is awesome, I served it for dinner and the night was saved.

After serving dinner, I discovered the culprit of my failure -- the burnt mass of spaghetti and sauce at the bottom of the pot.  A thick crust of burnt goo will prevent heat from transferring well from the bottom heating element which would prevent the contents from being able to reach pressure.

In retrospect, here is what I think led to this partial failure (we still ate spaghetti and meatballs for dinner so not a total loss):

• not starting with enough liquid
• I originally started with 1 28oz can of pasta sauce, 1 14.5oz can of diced tomatoes and 1 14.5oz can of water.  The second go round I added another 14.5oz can of water and for round 3, I added another 8oz of water.
• I should have started with 28oz of water.  I think by round 3, the bottom was so burnt over that additional water didn't matter.

• using the time delay
• having the time delay meant that the pasta had time to sink to the bottom of the pot and absorb some of the much needed water which was minimal to begin with

•  not giving up sooner
• let's face it, running the cook cycle 3 times just added to the burnt goo at the bottom

Will I try this again?  Maybe, if pasta and sauce are on a screaming good sale and I've got time to spare and a back-up plan for dinner, maybe.

Happy Cooking!

Recipe: Lentil Empanadas

You've got lentils sitting around in your pantry and you use them regularly, right?

This recipe today is the main reason I keep lentils in my pantry.  Who doesn't love a slightly sweet (hmm..is that cinnamon and raisin) but truly savory handheld pie for dinner?!  After the first time I made this and tasted it's awesomeness, I now always make a double batch because for just a little more effort I have a great meal ready to go in my freezer for those busy nights when I need dinner fast!

Lentils are nutritional powerhouses, packed with a ton of vitamins, minerals and fiber.  They are a great substitute for ground beef as they have a similar appearance and can take on flavor easily.  In addition to this recipe, I use lentils to make Sloppy Lenny's (lentil sloppy joes) as well as to stretch the ground beef and add nutrition to my meatloaf.  If you buy a bag for this recipe you'll have enough left to experiment on your own!

Lentil Empanadas
     Serves: 8 empanadas
     Time: ~50mins total (prep and cook)

Ingredients
- 1/2 heaping cup of dried brown lentils, soaked overnight and drained (see Notes)
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
- 1 Tbs balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1 box (2 crusts) pre-made refrigerated pie crusts

Directions
0. Preheat oven to 375* and place your pie crusts on the counter to come to room temperature.
1. Place soaked/drained lentils in a sauce pan, cover with water and bring to a boil.  Reduce to simmer and cook for about 8-10 minutes until cooked through and soft.
2. Drain off any excess water and add spices, vinegar and raisins to lentils.  Mix and mash gently to form a cohesive mixture.
3. Unroll each pie crust and cut into 4 equal quarters.
4. Fold each quarter in half gently to determine the middle and fill with a heaping spoonful of the lentil mixture.  Fold over and seal the edges by pressing with a fork.  Poke holes in the top to allow steam to escape.
5. Place empanadas on a parchment lined or lightly greases baking sheet.
6. (optional) Spray tops of empanadas with cooking spray and sprinkle with kosher salt.
7. Bake at 375* for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

Notes

• This recipe calls for a "heaping" measuring cup of lentils as I've found you need slightly more than 1/2 cup but not quite 3/4 cup of lentils to make 8 empanadas.  If you are doubling the recipe, use a very generous 1 cup scoop.  The amount you need also depends on how much your lentils expand during cooking and how generous you are filling your empanadas.    
• It may seem like an extra step to soak your lentils but it saves a ton of time.  Unsoaked lentils take about 40 minutes to cook once boiling whereas soaked lentils take about 10 minutes.  It's worth the night-before effort!
• To freeze, simply cook as directed above and flash freeze flat on a baking sheet.  Once frozen solid, store in a labeled gallon freezer bag.   
• Because this is a handheld main dish, I like to keep the sides simple and usually stick to apple slices or other eat-by-hand fruit.  It make the meal fun for the whole family.

Recipe: Instant Pot Chicken Barley Chili

​White meat, whole grain, a little bit of spice -- yes, please!

Chicken Barley Chili is a recipe that I cut off the back of the Quaker barley box many years ago. As I was getting out my ingredients in the morning and pushing my Instant Pot aside to make room the thought occurred to me, instead of simmering on the stovetop for 40 - 60 minutes why not just throw everything in the Instant Pot and give it a go! And that's just what I did with delicious results.

Instant Pot Chicken Barley Chili

     Serves: 6-8

     Total time: ~45mins 

Ingredients

- 1 cup of pearled barley

- 1 can diced tomatoes, undrained

- 1 jar (16oz) salsa

- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into serving size chunks

- 1 Tbs chili powder

- 1.5 tsp cumin

- 3-4 cups of water or chicken broth (see Notes)

- 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

- 1 cup frozen corn or 1 can of whole kernel corn, drained 

Directions

1. Add all ingredients to the inner pot except for the black beans and corn. Stir to combine

2. Lock cover into place and seal the steam nozzle.

3. Press [Manual] and set timer for 10 minutes.

4. Allow for natural pressure release of 15 minutes. Manually release any remaining pressure and open pot.

5. Stir in the black beans and corn and allow to heat through for about 5 minutes.

6. Serve with sour cream, shredded cheese, cilantro and diced green chilies as desired.

Notes

• I like my Chili pretty thick, more like a stew. This recipe is in between a soup and a stew as far as liquidness.  If you want a thick stew, use just 3 cups of added liquid.  If you are looking for a soupier consistency, use 4 cups. 

Warm Spiced Coffee

Baby, it's cold outside!

I don't know about where you are but the new year brought with it some strong cold fronts.  I find myself each morning considering which of my comfy fleece/sweat pants I can where and exactly how late I can leave and still make it to the bus stop on time.

This time of year has me thinking about curling up with a good book and a hot beverage so today I share with you how to get some warm spice flavor in your home-brewed coffee.  Who needs to brave the elements and pay $5 for a cup of coffee deliciousness when you can use your spice cabinet and make the same thing?

The process is quite simple, start with the coffee of your choice and then add a selection of warm spices.  I have a fantastic mulling spices blend (allspice, orange peel, clove, cinnamon, and ginger) and I add along with part of a cinnamon stick.  Brew as normal, pour and enjoy. 

A couple of tips:
- if you use a French press (like pictured above) just add in your spices and steep and press down as normal.
- if you are brewing in a drip coffee maker, it is helpful to put the spices in the filter first and then add the coffee on top, especially if they are ground.  This will help ensure they don't float away and get maximum contact time with the hot water.  Also, when using my drip coffee maker, I always add a second coffee filter on top of the grounds to help prevent any floaters from making their way into the pot.
- experiment with what flavors you like and add more or less to taste.  You can also add the spices directly to your finished coffee though I find they don't have time to "bloom" and can leave a gritty residue.

Recipe: Pretzel M&M Candy Bites

Today I've got a quick, super easy, deliciously addictive "cookie" recipe for you.  These are great for the holiday candy bowl but are quite good year-round.  :-)

I've seen similar recipes to this that use a Hershey's kiss for the chocolate component but that seems like a lot of unwrapping work.  I've always made these with candy melt discs and they turn out perfectly, just the right balance of salty and sweet, creamy and crunchy.

Pretzel M&M Candy Bites

Ingredients
- candy melts
- plain M&Ms
- waffle weave pretzel squares

Directions
1. Line a baking sheet with parchment and preheat the oven to 350*.
2. Place pretzel squares in a single layer on the parchment and top each pretzel with a single candy melt.
3. Bake in the oven for 3 minutes, just long enough to soften the candy melt.
4. Remove baking sheet from oven and quickly press a single M&M into the top of each candy melt.  Pressing down slightly will ensure the candy melt fills in the holes of the pretzel as well.
5. Allow to cool and store in an airtight container.

Notes

• feel free to make these using any color or flavor candy melt as well as any color variety of M&Ms.  At Christmas time, I use the red/green M&M mix but for Easter I like to use the pastel variety.  All choices taste great.
• check the serving size and number of servings on the back of your bag of candy melts and pretzels to see how much you'll need of each.  As reference, one 2lb bag of candy melts matched perfectly with one family size (16oz) bag of pretzel squares.  Combined they made three half-sheet pans worth of 'cookies'.
• I usually buy candy melts at the craft store (think JoAnn's or Michael's -- don't forget your coupons!).

Recipe: Paleo/Whole 30 Breakfast Sausage Patties

My husband and I recently completed a Whole 30.  If you're not sure what that means, basically for 30 days we ate only meats, fruits and vegetables.  During that time frame we excluded all grains, dairy, legumes, sugars and alcohol from our diets.  There is a ton more information at the official Whole 30 website here if you are interested in finding out more.  We undertook the Whole 30 challenge as a way to reset the amount of added sugar we were consuming and to focus back in on eating whole, unprocessed foods.

Anyways, one of the biggest aspects of the Whole 30 for us was the need to eat a nutrient dense breakfast.  You can't get by on just a bagel (no grains) or banana (not enough food) and hope to make it until lunchtime.  That's where these protein packed "sausage" patties saved the morning.  They are tasty, filling and relatively easy to make.

Paleo/Whole 30 Breakfast Sausage Patties

Ingredients
- Lean ground beef (I buy the bulk packs at Sam's Club and use 5lbs at a time)
per 1 pound of ground beef use
- 1/4 tsp sage, rubbed or ground
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp fennel seeds (this helps impart the quintessential sausage flavor)
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp smoked paprika (if you don't have smoked paprika increase the amount of regular, however smoked really adds so much to the flavor)
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp salt

Directions
1. Using a spice grinder, grind up the fennel seeds so that you have a powder.  I like to add in some of the other spices to ensure a uniform mixture.
2. Combine all the spices together in a small bowl and mix thoroughly.
3. Using your hands, thoroughly incorporate the spice mixture into the ground beef.
4. Form the meat mixture into patties of your desired size.
5. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 375*F for 12-15 minutes, depending on size/thickness.
6. Allow to cool, flash freeze on a clean baking sheet and store in freezer bags.  Use as needed.

Notes
My biggest tip for making sausage patties is to make a tester patty so you can see if spice level is to your liking or if it needs adjusting before you cook up the whole batch.  To do this, after incorporating all the spice mixture, simply make a sample patty the size of a quarter or so.  Microwave it for 10-20 seconds until cooked through.  Taste and adjust your seasonings as desired. 

Recipe: Instant Pot Sausage & Rice Casserole

Unless you live under a rock, you've heard of the Instant Pot.  And by heard of it, you may have heard people speaking mystically about its magical powers to have dinner on the table in 4 minutes with you not having to lift a finger.  Yes, there are many recipes that involve a 4 minute timer (this included) but there is still some work involved and the entire recipe isn't done and on the table in those four minutes.  Nonethless, I'm a big fan of the Instant Pot.  I've had a traditional stove-top pressure cooker for years and loved the many recipes and flavors I could build in it; the Instant Pot is no exception.

Today I present to you one of my all-time favorite meals.  This is the meal that my mom would always include on the menu whenever I came home from college and still manages to include when I visit.  I've been making Sausage and Rice Casserole for myself and my family for years and after I scored an 6Qt Instant Pot IP-DUO60 7-in-1 this summer on Amazon's #PrimeDay I decided it was a recipe worth converting from the oven to the Instant Pot.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Instant Pot Sausage & Rice Casserole
  serves: 4-6
  total time: ~30 minutes

Ingredients
- 1lb ground sausage
- 1.5 cups of uncooked white rice
- 1.5 cups of water
- 1 cup of Pictsweet Seasoning Blend (frozen) or fresh diced onion and celery

Directions
1. Using the Instant Pot [Saute] function, brown and crumble 1lb of ground sausage.
2. Once brown, remove sausage to a holding plate and drain any excess grease from the inner pot.  Add 1.5 cups of uncooked jasmine rice to the inner pot along with the 1.5 cups of water.
3. Carefully return the browned sausage to the inner pot.  Add the vegetables on top.
4. Lock cover into place and seal steam nozzle.
5. Press [Manual] and set the timer for 4 minutes.
6. Allow to [Keep Warm] for 10 minutes and then turn off and release the pressure.
7. Stir and enjoy!


Notes

• Save time by having a 1lb bag of sausage already cooked in the freezer.
• The Pictsweet Seasoning Blend is also a great time saver -- it's a pre-chopped, frozen blend of onions, celery, green and red peppers and parsley flakes.  Look for it with frozen vegetables.
• This recipe is very flexible, add more or less of any particular ingredient and it can flex to feed as many mouths as are at your table.  Just make sure to keep a 1:1 rice:water ratio
• This recipe can also be assembled in a traditional casserole dish and cooked in the oven, covered at 400* for about 40-45 minutes.  Increase your water to about 2 cups to account for evaporation.