Recipe Review: Red Chile Sauce Chicken Enchiladas

For dinner last night we had these Red Chile Sauce Chicken Enchiladas from Mel's Kitchen Cafe and they were delicious.  It's always nice to have homemade recipes for basic things like enchilada sauce, and this red enchilada sauce definitely did not dissappoint.

We don't like too much heat so I toned it down by using only a few Mezzetta Tamed Jalapeno slices with the ribs and seeds removed, and only 4 teaspoons chili powder.  Also I only used half of the onion that the recipe calls for.  Other than those changes the recipe was the same.

I think next time I make these enchiladas I will triple the sauce and chicken and freeze the extra for future meals.  I bet the chicken would also make good Chicken Enchilada Rice Bowls, you wouldn't need so much sauce.  And I bet you could probably throw the chicken and sauce in the slow cooker instead of cooking the chicken on the stove top.

Creamy Slow Cooker Chicken (Chicken and Rice)

This is actually a slow cooker chicken recipe where the chicken may be served with rice, pasta, potatoes, etc, but I usually serve it with rice because it's yummy and also quick and easy for me.  I usually call it Chicken and Rice because when Scott asks what we're having for dinner I say, "Chicken and Rice."

The original recipe started out as that Italian Chicken recipe that I've seen on so many websites that is yummy, but didn't satisfy my cravings for something warm and creamy.  THIS satisfies that craving and is my ultimate comfort food.

Creamy Slow Cooker Chicken (Chicken and Rice)

3 large chicken breasts, no skin, no bone -- 3-4 each
seasonings
1 can cream of chicken soup or alternative
6 ounces cream cheese -- to taste
chicken bouillon -- to taste
more seasonings -- to taste

Season chicken breasts and place them in a slow cooker (I use my 3.5-quart slow cooker) that has been sprayed with cooking spray (my seasoning consists of salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder). Cook for several hours until cooked through.

After chicken is cooked, remove chicken from slow cooker and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, turn slow cooker to High and add cream of chicken soup to the warm juices. Whisk to combine. Add cream cheese to slow cooker and allow to sit for a few minutes, then whisk to combine. Taste and add more chicken bouillon and seasonings as desired.

Break chicken into bite-sized chunks or shred and return to slow cooker. Stir to combine. Continue to heat for another hour until everything is warmed through. Serve over rice, pasta, or potatoes.

VARIATIONS:
You can use whatever flavor condensed cream of ???? soup that sounds good.
CREAMY CHICKEN AND MUSHROOMS:  My favorite is to pour an entire can of mushrooms on top of the chicken in the beginning and letting them cook together. Then sometimes I use a cream of mushroom soup. This is also good with chopped onions and a little bit of minced garlic added in the beginning.
BEEF AND MUSHROOMS:  I have also made this with a roast beef, canned mushrooms, chopped onions, minced garlic, beef bouillon and cream of mushroom soup and it was delicious.

GLUTEN FREE and SOY FREE DIRECTIONS:  Use gluten and soy free cream of chicken soup or alternative, cream cheese, and chicken bouillon.

DAIRY FREE DIRECTIONS:  Use a dairy free cream of chicken soup or alternative. Omit cream cheese.

LOW IODINE DIET DIRECTIONS:  Use LID-safe chicken. Use an LID-safe cream of chicken soup alternative. Omit cream cheese and chicken bouillon.

Sweet & Spicy "Dump" Chicken

The idea behind "dump" chicken is that it has few ingredients that you can just "dump" into a skillet or slow cooker or baking pan or freezer bag - so easy.  I've had this recipe on my new recipe list for a long time, but never tried it until now.  It was surprisingly tasty.  We ate it rice bowl style (over rice with toppings like black beans, corn, cheese, green onions, tomatoes, etc.), but it would make delicious tacos or burritos, too.

Sweet & Spicy "DUMP" Chicken

Recipe By: Soopermom at http://oamc.8m.com/
Servings: 6

1 Package Taco Seasoning Mix (I used Karla's recipe)
8 oz Apricot Jam
12 oz Salsa
1 1/2 Pounds Chicken Pieces

Preheat oven to 350 F. Place all ingredients into a large baking dish, turn chicken to coat. Bake until chicken juices run clear (45-60 minutes for chicken pieces, or 20-30 minutes for chicken breasts). Or grill or cook in a skillet or slow cooker.

FREEZER DIRECTIONS:
PREPARATION: Place all ingredients into a 1 Gallon freezer bag. Lay flat to freeze.
TO SERVE: Thaw. Follow the above cooking instructions.

GLUTEN FREE and SOY FREE DIRECTIONS: Use gluten and soy free taco seasoning, jam, salsa, and chicken.

LOW IODINE DIRECTIONS: Use LID-safe taco seasoning, jam, salsa, and chicken.

Internet Address: http://oamc.8m.com/
Serving Ideas : Serve as is, or shred and serve as tacos, burritos, or rice bowls.

Chicken Taco Chili

This is one of my latest favorite recipes. It has such good flavor, it's so easy, and both Scott and I really like it. This is different than my sister-in-law's (Jodi's) Chicken Tortilla Soup (also on this site). It's more like a chili and hers is more of a soup. We really like both recipes.

Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Chili

Servings: 8
Categories: Chicken, Crock Pot, Freezer Recipes, Pasta, Grains, & Legumes, Quick & Easy, Soups, Sandwiches, & Sauces

1/2 medium onion -- chopped
16 ounces chili beans
16 ounces black beans, canned -- drained
15 ounces whole kernel corn (or frozen corn) -- drained
8 ounces tomato sauce
1 cup chicken broth
10 ounces Rotel mild diced tomatoes and green chilies
2 teaspoons cumin -- to taste
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt -- to taste (be careful not to get it too salty)
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder -- to taste
3/4 teaspoon onion powder -- to taste
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 rounded teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon Mexican oregano
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 large chicken breasts, no skin, no bone

Place the onion, chili beans, black beans, corn, tomato sauce, chicken broth, and diced tomatoes in a slow cooker. Add seasoning and stir to blend. Lay chicken breasts on top of the mixture, pressing down slightly until just covered by the other ingredients (Jen's Note: I prefer to cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces before placing in the slow cooker.). Set slow cooker for low heat, cover, and cook for 5 hours.

Remove chicken breasts from the soup, and allow to cool long enough to be handled. Shred then stir the shredded chicken back into the soup, and continue cooking for 2 hours. Serve topped with shredded Cheddar cheese, a dollop of sour cream, and crushed tortilla chips, if desired.

FREEZER DIRECTIONS:
ADVANCED PREP: Cut up onion. Cut up the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
PREPARATION: Combine everything in a labelled gallon freezer bag. Lay flat to freeze. If you would like to save room in your freezer, you can wait to add the canned ingredients until you dump it all in the crock pot.
TO SERVE: Thaw. Cook in a slow cooker until done. For my 3.5-qt slow cooker it takes 1 hour on High plus 3 hours on Low.

Source: http://www.allrecipes.com/
Internet Address: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Slow-Cooker-Chicken-Taco-Soup/Detail.aspx
Ratings: 7 - Very Good 7
Serving Ideas : Serve topped with Fritos, cheese, sour cream, green onions, tomatoes, olives, etc.

NOTES : The original recipe calls for 12 oz beer instead of chicken broth, 2 cans Rotel, 1 package taco seasoning instead of seasonings, and 3 chicken breasts.
JEN'S NOTES: It completely filled my 3.5 quart slow cooker. Used low-salt or no-salt ingredients, so may want to be careful and leave the salt out until the end if using full-salt ingredients (actually used 2 tsp salt, but you have to be careful not to overdo it). Used the Scoops Fritos because they are thicker and don't get soggy as quickly. Scott really liked it - we both ate more than we should have.

Italian Meatball Subs

This is such an easy freezer recipe - I LOVE it! This is another freezer meal Scott's sister shared with us as I was recovering from surgery. If you buy pre-made frozen Italian meatballs it makes for very easy prep, but also can be very high in fat. If you wanted to make your own meatballs you would have better control over the fat content.

Italian Meatball Subs

Servings: 6
Categories: Crock Pot, Freezer Recipe, Ground Beef & Turkey, Quick & Easy, Soups, Sandwiches, & Sauces, Vegetables

24 medium Italian meatballs -- cooked and frozen
15 ounces tomato sauce
15 ounces stewed Italian tomatoes
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese -- grated
1 envelope spaghetti sauce seasoning
6 each hoagie rolls
1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese -- shredded

FREEZER DIRECTIONS:
PREPARATION: Place meatballs, tomato sauce, Italian tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, and seasoning in a labelled gallon freezer bag. You can freeze the rolls and cheese with the meatballs or buy them at serving time. If desired, place hoagie rolls and cheese in separate labelled freezer bags, and bag together with the meatballs. (Jen: I usually freeze the cheese and rolls with the meatballs, but usually don't bag the rolls with the rest because I don't want them to get smashed.)

TO SERVE: Thaw. Heat meatballs and sauce until cooked through. Serve on hoagie rolls topped with cheese. (Jen: I usually just pop the frozen meatballs and sauce into my little 2-quart slow cooker and cook on high for a few of hours.)

Source: Jodi
Ratings: 7 - Very Good 6
Serving Ideas : Serve with veggies and a green salad.

NOTES : The original recipe calls for only 5 hoagie rolls and 20 meatballs - 6 sandwiches just works better for me. The original recipe also calls for you to make homemade Italian meatballs.
JEN'S NOTES: If you don't have a spaghetti sauce seasoning mix on hand, it's not hard to find a recipe online. There are enough for 4 meatballs per sandwich. Scott has figured out that he likes to load up his sandwich with meatballs, so I have been adding extra meatballs just for him. Scott and I can't eat 6 sandwiches at once, so I usually cut the recipe in half. One sub is usually pretty filling, especially on a whole wheat hoagie roll.

Crock Pot Fajitas

I got this recipe from http://www.zonya.com/, my favorite nutrition website. I have used chicken and steak in this recipe, but it's a great recipe because you can use either chicken, beef, or pork and for beans you can use black, pinto, or kidney beans. Scott really likes these fajitas, and they are so easy.

Crock Pot Fajitas

Categories: Beef, Chicken, Crock Pot, Freezer Recipes, Healthy & Light, Low Iodine Diet, Pork & Ham, Quick & Easy, Vegetables

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pork, or beef
1/2 large onion -- sliced
1 medium green bell pepper -- sliced
1 tsp garlic (2 cloves) -- minced
1 tsp ground cumin
15 ounces black beans, pinto beans, or kidney beans -- drained and rinsed
1 packet fajita seasoning mix (If you would like to make your own fajita seasoning you can find a recipe at http://www.allrecipes.com/ or http://www.topsecretrecipes.com/recipedetail.asp?sessionid=&login=yes&id=98&page=21)
flour tortillas
ripe tomatoes -- chopped
lettuce -- shredded
light sour cream
low-fat cheddar cheese -- shredded

4 to 8 hours before serving: Trim meat well of fat and cut into 6 portions. Place in slow cooker. Cut vegetables into strips and place in slow cooker. Add to slow cooker and mix well. Cook on HIGH 4 to 5 hours or on LOW 7 to 8 hours.

Just before serving: Remove meat from slow cooker and shred. Return shredded meat to pot and mix well. Warm tortillas in microwave. Use a slotted spoon to remove contents from slow cooker. Assemble fajitas with toppings of your choice.

FREEZING DIRECTIONS -
ADVANCED PREP:  Slice onions and green pepper (or use frozen onions and peppers, then they are already washed and sliced). Prep garlic.
PREPARATION:  Place meat and seasonings in a labelled freezer bag. Place veggies in separate labelled freezer bag. Bag these together in another labelled freezer bag. Make sure to reserve a can of beans in the pantry (or just throw them in with the chicken and freeze). Place tortillas in another labelled freezer bag and freeze with meat, if desired (I usually roll them up and wrap with foil to freeze).
TO SERVE:  Thaw meat (leave veggies in the freezer until you are ready to cook). Prepare as directed above. Probably could cook from frozen if you wanted.

GLUTEN FREE and SOY FREE DIRECTIONS:  Use gluten and soy free beans, fajita seasoning mix, tortillas, sour cream, and cheese.  You could also use corn tortillas.

DAIRY FREE DIRECTIONS:  Use a dairy free fajita seasoning mix.  Omit sour cream and cheese.

LOW IODINE DIRECTIONS:  Some doctors do not allow green peppers, so make sure to follow your doctor's instructions. Use homemade beans. Make your own fajita seasoning. Use corn tortillas or make your own LID-approved flour tortillas. No sour cream or cheese.

Source: http://www.zonya.com/
Internet Address: http://www.zonya.com/pdf/recipes/Crock_Pot_Fajitas.
Ratings: 7 - Pretty Good 7

NOTES : See http://www.zonya.com/pdf/recipes/Crock_Pot_Fajitas.pdf for the original recipe.
JEN'S NOTES: The first time I made this it was a little salty, so I might dial down the salt a little. Works well to use frozen, already cut up peppers and onions (in the freezer section at the store), make sure to add them frozen (do not thaw) or they will turn to mush. It filled my 3.5-qt slow cooker pretty well and it was kind of difficult to stir. The chicken was still a little frozen and I cooked it for 3.5 hours on Low, stirring once at 3 hours, and it was perfect. Smelled really good as it cooked. Made enough for 2 dinners for us. Scott said many times that it was pretty good, which means he really liked it.

Slow Cooker Sweet and Tangy Chicken

This recipe calls for chicken breasts, but I bet thighs and drumsticks would be good as well. Also, beef or pork probably would be good, too.

Slow Cooker Sweet and Tangy Chicken

Categories: "Dump" Chicken Recipes, Chicken, Crock Pot, Freezer Recipes, Low Iodine Diet, Quick & Easy

36 ounces barbecue sauce
14 ounces pineapple chunks
1 medium green bell pepper -- sliced
1 medium onion -- sliced
2 cloves garlic -- minced
3 pounds chicken breasts, boneless, skinless

In a large bowl, mix together barbecue sauce, pineapple with juice, green bell pepper, onion, and garlic.

Arrange 4 of the chicken breasts in the bottom of a slow cooker. Pour half of the barbecue sauce over the chicken. Place remaining chicken in slow cooker, and pour remaining sauce over the top.
Cover, and cook on Low for 8 to 9 hours.

FREEZER DIRECTIONS -
ADVANCED PREP: Prepare barbecue sauce if using homemade. Cut up green pepper and onion (or I like to use frozen, then they're already washed and cut up).
PREPARATION: Place barbecue sauce, pineapple, garlic and chicken in a labelled freezer bag. Place green pepper and onion in a separate labelled freezer bag. Bag these two bags together and freeze flat.
TO SERVE: Thaw chicken and sauce, leaving the vegetables frozen until you are ready to cook. Follow the above cooking directions.

LOW IODINE DIET DIRECTIONS: Some doctors don't allow pineapple or green peppers, so make sure to follow your doctor's instructions. Use homemade LID-approved barbecue sauce.

Source: http://www.allrecipes.com/
Internet Address: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Slow-Cooker-Sweet-and-Tangy-Chicken/Detail.aspx

Ratings: 6 - Pretty Good 6

NOTES: Jen's Notes: I used Famous Dave's barbecue sauce, and it was pretty good, but I think it would have been tastier with Tony Roma's barbecue sauce. Halved the recipe and it worked out well in my 3.5-quart slow cooker, only needing to cook the chicken 1 hour on high and 2 1/2 to 3 hours on low.

Pineapple Marinated Pork Chops

Scott really likes these pork chops. (He likes anything with pineapple.) And they are so easy.

Pineapple Marinated Pork Chops

Servings: 6
Categories: Crock Pot, Freezer Recipes, Grilled & Barbecued, Marinades, Seasonings, & Rubs, Pork & Ham, Quick & Easy

6 each pork chops
20 ounces pineapple chunks with juice
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons soy sauce

ADVANCED PREP: None.

PREPARATION: Season pork chops with salt and pepper (optional- Jen: I think they need a little salt and pepper). Place pork chops in a labelled freezer bag. Mix remaining ingredients and pour over pork chops in bag. Seal bag and freeze.

TO SERVE: Thaw and marinate. Cook in Crock Pot on low for 6 to 8 hours, or until done. These pork chops are also great on the grill.

LOW IODINE DIET DIRECTIONS: Some doctors say pineapple is not allowed on the diet, so make sure to follow your doctor's instructions. Make sure to use REAL brown sugar, not sugar with molasses added to it. Use an LID-safe soy sauce substitute (see recipe).

Source: southernfood.about.com
Internet Address: http://southernfood.about.com/od/crockpotporkchops/r/bl119c9.htm

NOTES : JEN'S NOTES: In my 3.5-quart slow cooker I only need to cook these pork chops for 3-4 hours. Sometimes I add a little cornstarch at the end to thicken the sauce a bit. Sometimes I even throw these in the slow cooker when they are still mostly frozen and they are just fine.

Chicken Tortilla Soup (Jodi's)

Got this recipe from my sister-in-law, Jodi, when I was having surgery and she made us some freezer meals. It freezes beautifully and it's delicious topped with chips, cheese, onions, tomatoes, sour cream, or whatever you want. Scott really likes this soup (even though he'll tell you that he doesn't like soup).

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Recipe Source: Jodi
Serving Size: 12
Categories: Chicken, Crock Pot, Food Storage Recipe, Freezer Recipes, Pasta, Grains, & Legumes, Quick & Easy, Soups, Sandwiches, & Sauces
Rating: 7 - Very Good (out of 10)

4 large chicken breasts, no skin, no bone
2 - 15 oz Mexican stewed tomatoes
4 ounces green chiles -- chopped
2 - 15 oz black beans -- undrained
1 cup salsa
14 ounces tomato sauce
tortilla chips
cheese

Combine all ingredients except chips and cheese in a large slow cooker. Cover. Cook on low 8 hours. Just before serving remove chicken breasts and slice into bite sized pieces. Stir into soup.

To serve, put a handful of chips in each individual soup bowl. Ladle soup over chips and top with cheese.

FREEZER DIRECTIONS:
PREPARATION: Place everything except chips and cheese in a labelled freezer bag and freeze flat. (Alternately, you could leave out the canned ingredients and add them when you cook, but it is always good to have at least some liquid in with the meat which helps keep the meat from getting freezer burned.) Or you could even cook the soup and then freeze it.

TO SERVE: Thaw. Follow above cooking instructions.

Serving Ideas : Top with tortilla chips or Fritos, cheese, onions, tomatoes, sour cream, etc.

NOTES : Jen's Notes: Half of this recipe is just the perfect size for my 3.5-quart slow cooker. I don't usually need to cook meals in my slow cooker as long as the recipes call for, so I cook this for about 4 hours.

Apricot or Peach Glazed Chicken

APRICOT OR PEACH GLAZED CHICKEN

Categories: "Dump" Chicken, Chicken, Freezer Recipes, Low Iodine Diet

1/2 c. Catalina or Italian dressing
1/4 c. apricot or peach preserves or apricot-pineapple preserves
2 1/2 lbs. Chicken pieces -- (2 1/2 to 3)

TO FREEZE: Dump all ingredients into labelled 1 gallon Ziploc freezer bag. Lay flat in freezer.

TO SERVE: Thaw in refrigerator. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 - 45 minutes or until chicken is done. This is also a nice grill recipe.

If you want, you can just dump all of the ingredients in a pan and bake it without freezing.

LOW IODINE DIET DIRECTIONS: Use Italian dressing that you make yourself so you can make it LID (look online for a recipe - I like www.allrecipes.com). Make sure the preserves don't have anything in them that aren't on the diet.

Source: Christy's Once A Month Cooking
Internet address: www.christysclipart.com/oamc2.html#CHICKEN

Serving Ideas : Serve with rice or potatoes or pasta, and some veggies.

NOTES : The original recipe calls for 2 tsp optional ground ginger.
Christy's Notes: Her husband gave this three stars (out of four).
Jen's Notes: 9/16/05 I used Catalina dressing and apricot preserves w/ no ginger and it was pretty tasty. I usually use low-sugar preserves.

Polynesian Barbecue Pork Chops

This recipe comes from 30 Day Gourmet at http://www.30daygourmet.com/. It is one of my favorite places to get good freezer recipes.

POLYNESIAN BARBECUE PORK CHOPS

Description: "This sweet and spicy marinade would go good with just about anything, I suppose."
This is a freezer recipe. Chicken or beef would also be good with this marinade.

Servings: 6

6 pork chops, boneless
3/4 cup barbecue sauce (I usually use Tony Roma's)
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1/4 cup brown sugar

ADVANCE PREP: Make Tony Roma's sauce if needed. Cut pork into chops or cube for kabobs.

PREPARATION: Combine marinade ingredients. Put pork into labelled freezer bags or containers. Pour marinade over pork. Seal and freeze.

TO SERVE: Remove pork from freezer at least 2 days in advance so pork can unthaw, then marinate for 24 hours. Grill, broil, bake, or pan fry (or cook in the Crock Pot) until browned on both side and no longer pink in the center. Marinade may be discarded or cooked well and served as a sauce.

LOW IODINE DIET DIRECTIONS: Use homemade LID-approved barbecue sauce. Use soy sauce substitute (see recipe). Use real brown sugar, not sugar with molasses added to it.

Source: 30 Day Gourmet
Internet Address: http://www.30daygourmet.com/eNewsletters/Archived_Newsletters/Articles_2002_03/Polynesian_Pork.asp

Jen's Notes: The original recipe calls for 3 lbs pork tenderloin instead of pork chops - the chops are less expensive and freeze flatter. Mmmmmm, yum! I really like this marinade. These are my freezer recipe directions, but you can just use this as a regular marinade, marinating the meat overnight.