Chicken Cashew Salad

3 cups uncooked bowtie pasta
2 cups uncooked rainbow pasta
8 oz. pineapple tidbits, drained
8 oz. sliced water chestnuts, drained
3/4 cup chopped celery
3/4 cup cashews
2 cups cooked diced chicken (about 2-3 chicken breasts)
11 oz. mandarin oranges, drained
1 cup halved green or red grapes
1 cup dried cranberries
salt and pepper

Dressing:
3/4 cup milk
1 1/2 cups miracle whip
1/4 tsp celery seed
2 Tbsp. sugar

Cook pasta according to package directions. Rinse with cold water until pasta is chilled; drain well. Add drained pineapple and water chestnuts, celery, cashews, cooked chicken, oranges, grapes and dried cranberries. Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat; salt and pepper to taste. Cover and chill 4-6 hours to blend flavors.

For dressing: Whisk together milk, miracle whip, celery seed and sugar. Add more or less milk to create desired consistency.

Italian Crockpot Chicken

This is just one of those staple dinners that I have in my head to cook on busy days. Our family loves it. You can either cook it in the crockpot or if you didn't have time earlier in the day, just cook it in the oven at 350 degrees for an hour. Tonight I'm serving it with roasted seasoned potatoes and peas. It really goes with just about anything



4 chicken breasts

1 can cream of mushroom or cream of chicken

1 pkg. cream cheese (at room temperature)

1 packet Italian dressing mix



Mix together soup, cream cheese and Italian dressing mix. Place chicken in crockpot and pour soup mixture over chicken. Cook either 8-10 hours on low or 4-5 hours on high.

Stuffed Green Peppers

Who doesn't love this dish? So yummy and good for you too. This is a recipe I got off of allrecipes.com but adapted to my liking. The following is my version of it.

6 green bell peppers
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
salt and pepper
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes with lime juice
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup uncooked rice
1/2 cup water or beef broth
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 small cans tomato sauce

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cut the tops off the peppers and remove the seeds. Cook peppers in boiling water for 5 minutes; drain. Sprinkle salt inside each pepper and set aside.
In a large skillet, saute beef and onions for 5 minutes, or until beef is browned. Drain off fat and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the tomatoes, rice, water and Worcestershire sauce. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until rice is tender. Remove from heat and stir in cheese.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stuff each pepper with the beef mixture and place peppers open side up in a baking dish. Pour tomato sauce over tops of peppers. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.

Chicken Parsley Pizza

Pizza Dough (the best recipe ever)
This dough recipe is from allrecipes.com. It's called Jay's Signature Pizza Crust. My sister has used this for a long time and tonight was my first night making it. It's really tasty.

2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
1/2 tsp brown sugar
1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)

Mix the top three ingredients and let it sit for 10 minutes. Then add the following ingredients.

1 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil
3 cups all-purpose flour

Let the dough rise until it has doubled. Roll it out, top with toppings and bake at 425 for 15 - 20 minutes.

Chicken Parsley Pizza

Rub olive oil on the unbaked crust. Then spread on your choice of tomato sauce and garlic powder. Add onions, chicken, and cheese. Bake for 20 minutes at 425. Three minutes before the pizza is done, sprinkle fresh chopped parsley on it and bake for remaining three minutes.

Yummy Enchiladas

I was really skeptical to try this recipe about a year ago when I first found it. When I tried it, I absolutely loved it. It has become one of our favorites. Enchiladas are usually so unhealthy but with these ingredients, it is a great healthy meal for your family. It even has homemade sauce....yumm! Make sure you really get all of the water out of the spinach before adding it. I also use the tortillas from Costco that you have to cook instead of the corn tortillas. I have tried it both ways though, and it's great either way. I have also done this as a layer casserole instead of individual enchiladas.

2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 can reduced sodium vegetable broth (14 oz.)
Salt and Pepper
3/4 cup water
3 cups grated pepper jack cheese
1 can black beans (15 oz.) rinsed and drained
1 box (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed VERY dry
1 can (15 oz.) corn
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro
16 corn tortillas

Make the sauce by heating oil in a saucepan. Add cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper, tomato paste. Wisk in broth and water then bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine spinach, black beans, 2 cups of cheese, corn, green onions and cilantro. (I add a little more cumin and chili powder here as well).

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. To soften the corn tortillas, wrap them in damp paper towels and microwave. Top each tortilla with filling and carefully roll up tightly, placing them seam side down in dish. Top with sauce and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake until hot and bubbly, about 15-20 minutes. Garnish with sour cream and or green onions.

Enjoy!