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Tag Archives: Freezer Friendly

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

13 Oct

I have been a bad blogger.  Really bad.  Lots of life events over the past eight months, including an engagement and a move, have changed my priorities. Instead of cooking and blogging, I’ve been planning a wedding.  In case you aren’t aware, planning a wedding takes up a lot of time.  Quick and easy is my new life motto when it comes to food.

When I can prep something on a Saturday or Sunday, then pop it in the oven directly from the freezer later in the week, and have it taste good…I consider it a small victory.  Using a rotisserie chicken makes this even easier!  This is a great appetizer to bring to a football watching party, too.

Photo of baked taquitos, refried beans, and salsa

  • 3 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1/4 cup tomatillo salsa
  • 1 tbsp lime juice
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 tbsp chopped cilantro
  • 2 tbsp sliced green onions
  • 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
  • 1 cup shredded Mexican flavored cheese
  • Small flour or corn tortillas
  • Pinch of salt

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine cream cheese, salsa, lime juice, ground cumin, chili powder, onion powder, and garlic in a large bowl. Once combined, stir in the cilantro, green onions, chicken, and cheese; mix thoroughly.

Heat 2-3 tortillas at a time in the microwave between two paper towels until they are soft enough to roll (about 20 seconds).

Spoon 3 tablespoons of the chicken mixture onto the lower third of a tortilla. Roll the tortilla as tightly as you can.

Place the rolled tortilla seam side down on the baking sheet. Repeat with remaining tortillas until the mixture is gone. Make sure the taquitos are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle with kosher salt.

Bake for 15 – 20 minutes or until crisp and golden.

Serve with refried beans and salsa for dipping.

To freeze: Before baking, freeze the taquitos in a single layer on a baking sheet for about 20 minutes, then place in a freezer bag.  Taquitos may be stored up to 3 months. To bake a frozen taquito, preheat oven to 425 degrees and bake for 15-20 minutes. No need to thaw first! How easy is that!?

Source: Pennies on a Platter

 
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Posted by on October 13, 2012 in Main Dish

 

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Taco Soup and a SNOW DAY

22 Dec

It’s been a while since I sat down to blog. I’ve still been cooking and discovering new dishes, but I haven’t felt as inspired to write about them. And, then today happened. A snow day! A snow day on the first day of winter! The office was closed, so it was the perfect excuse to spend some quality time in the kitchen.

Tim and I trudged through the snow and walked to the grocery store this morning. After loading up on groceries for the next week, including ingredients for our first Christmas dinner, we came home and made a huge pot of soup. A snow day is the perfect day for soup and wearing pajamas all day, while watching Law & Order: SVU.

I’ve made this Taco Soup several times and it doesn’t last long in our house. It’s perfect for dinner, but even better for lunch the next day at work. Plus, anything you can eat with fritos is good in my book!

Now, to further enjoy my snow day, I think I’ll go take a nap…

Taco Soup

2 pounds ground turkey
1 yellow onion, diced
1 (14 1/2 oz) can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes and green chilies
2 (15 oz) cans black beans
1 (16 oz) can pinto beans
1 cup frozen corn kernels
2 (4 1/2 oz) cans chopped green chilies
1 (1 oz) enveloped taco seasoning
1 (1 oz) envelope ranch salad dressing and seasoning mix
2 cups water
Top with sour cream, cheese, green onions, and fritos

In a large skillet, brown ground turkey and onions over medium heat. Drain and transfer cooked ground turkey and onions to a large stockpot.

Add tomatoes, black beans, pinto beans, corn, and green chilies. Stir in the taco seasoning and ranch salad dressing mix. Add water to make into more of a soup, and less of a chili dish.

Cover the pot and simmer soup over low heat for at least 30 minutes up to 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Serve in bowls and top soup with sour cream, cream cheese, green onions, and fritos. Enjoy!

Source: Ezra Pound Cake

 
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Posted by on December 22, 2011 in Main Dish, Soup

 

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Chicken and Rice Soup

28 Mar

It’s March 28th and I woke up to snow falling.  It didn’t last long and it wasn’t cold enough to stick, but it was still a chilly day.  I complain about the cold weather frequently, but I have to admit the snow falling was absolutely gorgeous this morning.  We spent the weekend up in the mountains and it was perfect soup weather…so, I’ve been craving soup for several days now.  I’m hopeful that there aren’t too many cold soup days left, but I figured I’d enjoy a hot bowl of soup for dinner while I still can.

A few weeks ago, on a day off from work, I went crazy in the kitchen and made a huge pot of chicken and rice soup.  The soup is a good weekday lunch meal and it freezes really well.  I had one individual portion of soup left in the freezer – Tim had to fend for himself. ;-)

Chicken and Rice Soup

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 medium carrots, cut diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices
2 celery ribs, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
4 fresh thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
2 quarts chicken stock
1 cup of water
1 cup long grain white rice
1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken breasts
1 bouillon cube
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place a soup pot over medium heat and add the olive oil.  Add the onion, garlic, carrots, celery, thyme, and bay leaf.  Cook and stir for about 6 minutes, until the vegetables are softened but not browned.  Pour in the chicken stock and water; bring the liquid to a boil.  Add in the rice and chicken; season with salt and pepper. Dissolve bouillon cube in soup.  Cook on medium-low until the rice is tender, about 30 minutes.  Serve hot with saltine crackers.

Slightly adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod

 
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Posted by on March 28, 2011 in Soup

 

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Basic Marinara Sauce

15 Mar

I cook a lot of dinners that require a cup or two of marinara sauce.  It’s pretty convenient to add spaghetti sauce to my grocery list and pick up a jar of sauce whenever I’m out and about.  But then I discovered a recipe for a basic marinara on Cooking Light’s website.  And I decided I would buy spaghetti sauce no more.

If you happen to be looking for something to do on a Sunday afternoon, look no further.  This basic marinara is not too labor intensive and it makes somewhere around 12 cups of sauce.  I’m already thinking of the unlimited possibilities – manicotti, chicken parmesan, lasagna, and the list goes on and on.  (My head is spinning with all of the future blog posts!)  Did I mention that your house will smell incredibe?

Marinara Sauce

This marinara freezes well and if you freeze it in one-cup increments, you’ll pretty much be set for whenever a recipe calls for marinara.

I used vegetable broth instead of chicken broth, so the vegetarians in my life won’t be left out if we have lasagna at the next Glee watch party.  I also omitted the extra salt, because I couldn’t find no-salt-added crushed tomatoes at the store.  Otherwise, I just followed the recipe.

Basic Marinara Sauce

3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups chopped yellow onion (about 3 medium)
1 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons minced garlic (about 6 cloves)
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 cups vegetable broth
3 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion to pan; cook 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add sugar and next 6 ingredients (through fennel seeds); cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in vinegar; cook 30 seconds. Add broth and tomatoes; bring to a simmer. Cook over low heat for 55 minutes or until sauce thickens, stirring occasionally.

Slightly adapted from Cooking Light

 
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Posted by on March 15, 2011 in Sauces

 

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