Betty Crocker

As I mentioned before I am definitely better at cooking than I was a year ago,  but I have a few key meals I always make.  I really want to venture out and try some new things, so that's where I am this week.  I finally decided to actually try to make some of the recipes I had been "pinning" on Pinterest. Some key things I look for when searching recipes: Easy, fast, and involves chicken! ha  It doesn't always have to be all 3, but at least one or two of them.  Sunday I woke up and got on my computer and picked 3 recipes to begin with: crockpot salsa chicken, taco pizza, and creamy chicken enchiladas.  So far I have made the first two successfully.  I headed to the grocery store Sunday and stocked up on all my supplies I would need for my new adventure.  I decided to do the crockpot meal first because it took about 6 hours and Lance thinks the house will burn down if we leave it on while not home, so this had to be done a weekend day.  It turned out very good, but I wasn't exactly sure how to eat it.  The picture showed it eaten with a chip, but it wasn't really a "dip".  What we ended up doing was using it to make tacos. Soft shells, the chicken salsa, some cheese, and a little sour cream.. Delicious!! I did not take a picture of this one, because in the pot it looked a little mushy and kind of gross (don't let the image fool you.)


Ingredients:
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup salsa
1 package taco seasoning
1 cup sour cream
  
Directions:
Mix soup, salsa and taco seasoning in the bottom of your crockpot. Sink chicken breasts into the mixture, covering completely. Cook on low for 5 – 6 hours depending on size of chicken breasts. Remove chicken, shred and return to the crockpot. Add sour cream and mix well. 

And that's it.. super easy and yummy! This made quite a bit, so with 2 people we had a nice bit of leftovers.


Next I made the taco pizza.. SO GOOD!! I love tacos (soft shell only, please!) so when I see any recipe with "taco" in the name I get excited.  This is one of those recipes you can tweek to what toppings you like.  I happen to like everything that was listed, so I made exaclty as it is.  This also makes a TON, so be prepared for lots of leftovers if you have a family of two as well.  I did take a picture of this lovely creation. :)

 

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1 envelope taco seasoning mix
2 (8 oz.) cans Pillsbury crescent rolls
1 (16 oz.) can refried beans (I used spicy)
2-3 cups shredded cheddar cheese or Mexican blend
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
1/4 cup sliced black olives
4 green onions, chopped

Directions:
Heat oven to 375 degrees.
Brown ground beef and drain. Add taco seasoning to the ground beef according to the package directions.
Unroll crescent rolls into rectangles. Place in ungreased 11 1/2 inch x 16 1/2 inch jelly roll pan or cookie sheet. Press dough over the bottom and 1/2 inch up sides to form crust. Bake at 375 oven for 11 to 13 minutes or just until golden brown.
Microwave beans in a microwave safe bowl for 1 minute. Carefully spread beans over warm crust creating a thin layer.
Top with cooked beef mixture, sprinkle with cheese followed by tomatoes, black olives and green onion. Return to oven for 3-6 more minutes until cheese is melted.


Since we had so many leftovers, I have not gotten to the creamy chicken enchiladas yet.  We will be leaving for Virginia tomorrow to spend the holiday weekend with Lance's mom and family, so that won't be on the menu until next week. Stay tuned and have a wonderful holiday! :)