Chicken Parm Sliders

Posted on September 11, 2015 by cookingonthebrightside

I have been a burger-like mood lately. I mean way more than usual. The delicious burger I shared last week is great – but obviously, like I said, more of a “cheat day” type meal.

Lucky for you, this week’s post is still a between-the-buns offering, but is more on the healthy side. Best news? Perfect for a game day gathering – which is majorly important now that football is upon us (Woo hoo!). These savory sliders are easy to prep ahead of time, pop in the oven and during a time out, dress them up and plate them!

I had some ground chicken to use and I can only imagine your surprise that it didn’t go towards buffalo something or other. Instead, I added some sautéed onions and marinara sauce that keep the patties from drying out while cooking. I’ve done this as a dinner for two with some crispy zucchini chips as a side, and have also done a big batch for a larger gathering – easy to customize for any size group!

Chicken Parm Sliders (Makes 8 sliders / 5 WW points per slider)

2 tsp. olive oil

3/4 cup yellow onion, chopped.

2 Tbsp. Italian seasoning

2 tsp. minced garlic

1 pound ground chicken (I usually opt for ground chicken breast – leaner)

1/2 cup reduced-fat grated Parmesan

1 Tbsp. bread crumbs (I use whole wheat crumbs if possible)

1 cup Prego Light Smart sauce, divided

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

8 whole wheat slider buns

1/2 cup reduced-fat mozzarella, shredded

Fresh basil leaves for topping

Spray butter (I use “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter” spray)

Preheat oven to 375.

Heat olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, onions and Italian seasoning and saute for 3-5 minutes until onions are softened.

In a medium bowl, add ground chicken, half of the Prego sauce, grated parmesan, sautéed onions, bread crumbs, salt and peppers. Mix together by hand until ingredients are dispersed evenly. Form into 8 small patties. Line a plate with wax paper and add patties. Cover and chill at least 20 minutes to ensure binding.

When you’re ready to cook, remove patties. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and cook at 375 for 15 minutes. Flip and cook another 10-15 minutes until cooked through. Remove patties from the oven.

Add a cooked patty to the bottom half of each slider bun. (I also spray the top halves and put them in next to the patties to let them toast a little.)Top with about 1 Tbsp. of shredded mozzarella. Add 1 Tbsp. Prego sauce from the remaining 1/2 cup. Return to oven for 5 minutes or until the cheese has melted slightly. Top with a basil leaf and bun.

Then, well, you know what to do…

Have a great weekend y’all!

Chicken Veggie Bake

Posted on August 4, 2015 by cookingonthebrightside

So leading up to our vacation this summer, I really wanted to get myself in shape so I could feel good about myself. I signed up for a virtual challenge through a friend of mine which emphasized being physically active and eating clean.

I was a little hesitant about the clean eating part of it (it has nothing to do with the 5 second rule people) and while it’s not necessarily always going to be something sustainable for me personally, it really challenged me to find some new recipes and gave me a new outlook on food and how it fuels my body.

I found Pinterest to be a great resource for inspiration, which lead me to one of our new favorites – even when we aren’t aiming to eat clean! It is my go-to recipe for a crazy weeknight when I have other stuff to get done – like preparing other meals for the week or getting a workout in. It’s filling and packed with protein and flavor. It takes 10 minutes to prep! Oh, and the best part? It only takes 1 dish. You chop everything, throw it in a dish, stir it and bake it. No messy bowls, pots and pans to worry about – just the dish you cook it in.

So recap:

Easy – check!

Quick (and you can get other stuff done while it cooks) – check!

Healthy – check!

Delicious – check!

1 dish – check!

You’re welcome.

Chicken Veggie Bake (Serves 2 – 8 WW Pts./Serving)

Preheat oven to 400. Spray a large baking dish with non-stick spray.

12 oz. raw boneless, skinless chicken breast, chopped into bite-sized pieces

4 oz. red potatoes, diced

1 cup asparagus, trimmed and chopped

2 Roma tomatoes, sliced (I halve some of the slices to spread the love)

1/4 medium red onion, diced

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. minced garlic

2 tsp. dried rosemary

2 tsp. dried Italian herb seasoning

Salt and pepper

Add chicken and vegetables to your baking dish. Add olive oil, garlic, rosemary, Italian herb seasoning, salt and pepper. Toss to coat.

Bake for 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender and chicken is cooked through. Take this 30 minutes to check something off your list. Get in a quick workout. Make your lunch for the next day. Call your mom. Take a bubble bath. Pay your bills – the possibilities are endless people, because your work is done when this thing goes in the oven!

I add a side salad…and usually a side of wine too.

Let me know if you try this and if you love it as much as we do.

Barbecue Chicken Enchiladas

Posted on May 16, 2014 by cookingonthebrightside

Y’all – I am trying my very hardest not to be an incredibly jealous person right now.

And quite honestly, I think I’m a jealous person by nature. Obviously, we all are – it’s just a human trait. But I live in Memphis. I work downtown. It’s beautiful outside. And it’s the third weekend in May.

What does that mean? Well, for those of you not from these parts – Memphis has a month long celebration every May (dubbed “Memphis in May”) and the third weekend, this weekend, is the World Championship Barbecue Festival – aka “Barbecue Fest”.

It’s an awesome weekend if you’re on a team. Or know someone on a team. Or, you know, are married to somebody on a team. However, the past few years, the husband has been in lock-down study mode so we haven’t been able to attend. So we were of course pumped to be able to go this year – until he found out he had to go out of town for work.

So yeah, I’ve tried not to be jealous. Of the smell of barbecue wafting through downtown as I walked to grab a turkey sandwich and head back to work. Of the pictures of people enjoying the beautiful, cool, sunny day down on the river just steps away from my office. And the thought of those same individuals, parking a chair in the grass, holding a cold beer, doing some high-quality people watching and shoveling down all of the delicious, smoky, sticky barbecue they want this weekend.

I might not get to celebrate with them – but I do have my ways of celebrating in spirit. Enter barbecue chicken enchiladas. Perfect to enjoy on your patio with a cold beer or two! Happy BBQ Fest weekend everybody!

Barbecue Chicken Enchiladas (Makes 5 enchiladas / 5 WW pts. per enchilada)

6 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cooked and shredded

5 tortillas (I use Ole Extreme Wellness, High Fiber Low Carb)

3/4 c. shredded fat-free cheddar (divided)

1/4 c. shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese

3 Tbsp. chopped green onion

3/4 c. barbecue sauce (divided)

10 oz. red enchilada sauce

1 Tbsp. barbecue seasoning

3 Tbsp. chopped red onion

Heat oven to 350.

Begin by mixing 1/4 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cheddar together in a small bowl. Toss shredded chicken with mixed cheese, red onion, barbecue seasoning and 1/4 cup barbecue sauce.

In another medium bowl, mix together enchilada sauce and remaining 1/2 cup barbecue sauce.

Lay out your tortillas and start with 1/4 cup chicken mixture in the center of each one. Fold lengthwise, and then tuck the ends under. Repeat until chicken mixture is gone.

Spread a very thin layer of the enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. Add your enchiladas and pour remaining sauce on top. Bake 20 minutes and remove. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheddar cheese and return to oven, baking another 5-7 minute until cheese has melted and sauce is bubbling.

Sprinkle with green onion and serve.

Okay, I’m a little more in the spirit now!

BBQ Potato Skins

Posted on April 4, 2014 by cookingonthebrightside

So my fair city of Memphis, Tennessee just came in 2nd. In worst cities for allergies.

Imagine my surprise. As I gasp through my watery eyes and itchy throat. And sneeze. Three times in a row. Boo on allergies.

But I can endure allergies this time of year. You know why? Cause Memphis ranks #1 in something else – barbecue. We know our barbecue. We take it very seriously. I mean, have you ever had BBQ nachos at a ball game? If not – you just haven’t lived my friend.

This is the time of year when outdoor festivals boast tons of delicious food. We have several crawfish festivals. We have a hot wing festival. And of course, there’s Memphis in May World Championship BBQ Cooking Contest, celebrating all the “swine” things in life. Yes, I went there.

I had to satisfy my craving for BBQ the other night and needed to do so in healthy way! It was a beautiful weekend – and being a Memphian, I know that nothing goes with beautiful weather like hot BBQ and cold beer. So I whipped up these beauties which are great as an appetizer or for a dinner (since I love eating finger food for dinner!).

BBQ Potato Skins (Makes 10 skins / 2 WW Points each)

6 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breast

5 small/mini russet potatoes

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese, fat-free

1/2 cup barbecue sauce, divided (I use Corky’s – a local BBQ establishment)

1/3 cup chopped red onion

BBQ seasoning (I use Rendezvous – another local BBQ establishment.)

Salt and pepper.

Heat your oven to 400. Slice your potatoes in half and scoop out the centers, leaving a thin border around each one. I use a melon baller and throw the extra potato in some water so I can make mashed potatoes later in the week.

Sprinkle the insides of each potato skin with salt, pepper and some barbecue seasoning. Place the potato skins on a cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes, then flip each one and bake another 10 minutes until “flesh” is tender when pierced with a fork.

While the skins are cooking, cook your chicken breast. Allow to cool and then shred. Mix with 3-4 Tbsp. of barbecue sauce and a few dashes of seasoning.

Once your skins are ready, divide shredded chicken between each skin. Sprinkle with red onion and cheddar. Bake another 8-10 minutes and then you are in business…

I hope y’all have a great weekend!

Chicken Gyros

Posted on February 7, 2014 by cookingonthebrightside

So I’m about a month into my “back on track” talk I had with myself.

And surprisingly, things are going pretty well! I did celebrate a birthday recently and I certainly believe in celebrating up right, but other than that – I’ve been staying the course!

I sat down with some of my co-workers to discuss our strategies for losing weight and being healthier and one of the big things we talked about was stress. Stress is a huge trigger for me when it comes to food. So one of the things I set out to do was identify some of my triggers that I could actually control.

Like time.

I get so stressed out when I have a small window to throw a lunch or dinner together and sometimes, I don’t want a sandwich or something out of a can.

So impossible situation right? Home cooking that’s good for you and ready in no time?

Turns out – it’s not impossible. But I’ve learned it takes some planning ahead! A few weeks ago we had a conference at church that started on a Friday night and I needed something that I could make in 15 minutes. And now I’m obsessed with this recipe. I made the tzatziki sauce the night before and marinated the chicken overnight so all I had to do was throw it in a skillet. Seriously, I want to try this marinade on all of the things. So give it a try whether you’re short on time or just want to spend your evening out of the kitchen.

Chicken Gyros (2 stuffed pita pockets = 1 serving / 1 serving = 11 WW points)

Tzatziki Sauce

1/2 cup non-fat plain Greek yogurt

1/2 cucumber, shredded and pressed of excess moisture

1/2 tsp. minced garlic

1 tsp. champagne vinegar

1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

Drizzle of olive oil

Chicken gyros

1 tsp. garlic

2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1 tsp. red wine vinegar

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 Tbsp. non-fat plain Greek yogurt

1/2 Tbsp. dried oregano

Salt and pepper

10 oz. raw chicken breast, cubed

4 (halves) whole wheat pita pockets

Sliced Roma tomato

Sliced red onion

For the tzatziki sauce:

Shred the cucumber in a small food processor. Place on paper towels to drain excess liquid. Then mix with yogurt, garlic, vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes or until ready to use.

For the chicken:

Cut chicken into small pieces. Whisk together garlic, lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil, Greek yogurt, oregano, salt and pepper. Add chicken and marinate at least 1 hour.

Once chicken has marinated, heat a skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and pour in marinade. Turn chicken while cooking and once the marinade has thickened or evaporated, it’s ready!

Spread a little tzatziki sauce in each pita and distribute chicken between the 4 halves. Add tomato and onion slices and devour.

Seriously, I’ve already made this 3 times in the past 10 days. I hope you like it too.

Have a great weekend y’all!

Recipe Round Up: “The Big Game”

Posted on January 31, 2014 by cookingonthebrightside

This Sunday is kind of a big deal.

I mean there’s Groundhog Day. Obviously we’re all pumped for that – who doesn’t love chubby little Phil?

There’s also the Super Bowl – which I am always pumped for, since it combines one of my passions with my profession (that would be football and marketing).

Both are probably marked on your calendar for grocery shopping and wardrobe planning, but do you know what else happens Sunday? This little blog celebrates 2 years!

Obviously a day this epic deserves a recipe round-up – so if you’re looking for some snacks to whip up for “The Big Game” – you have come to the right place. Should I even mention the fact that this might be the best blog to come to for all things buffalo, which is like, a staple for Super Bowl Sunday? That and the game is being played in close proximity to the origin of “Buffalo Wings“. Boom. Droppin’ knowledge.

I’ll stop now.

The Game Plan

The Warm-Up

Buffalo Hummus

Buffalo Egg Rolls

Buffalo Chicken Potato Sins

Buffalo Chicken Cheese Fries

Faux Fried Pickles

The Big Game

Buffalo Chicken Enchiladas

Buffalo Chicken Lasagna

Game Time Chili

New York (close enough) State of Mind

I had to put this in there because I’m a sucker for a theme. When I think New York – a few staples come to mind. Italian delights – mozzarella sticks and pizza. And of course salmon, bagels and cream cheese, which comes to you in flat bread form below! Maybe I’ll drum up my own creation with some pastrami this weekend!

Faux Fried Mozzarella Sticks

Barbecue Chicken Pizza

Pizza Soup

Smoked Salmon Flatbread

And let’s be honest, I could LIVE off snack foods along – so don’t be ashamed if you just make a bunch of appetizers and call it your meal. That may be exactly what happened in my household last year…and I certainly did not hear any complaints!

Hope you find something you enjoy! Have a great weekend and enjoy the festivities!

Chicken with Pepperoni Marinara Sauce

Posted on October 25, 2013 by cookingonthebrightside

Dear October,

Where did you go?

Y’all, seriously. I just looked at my calendar and freaked out a little. I have been a very very bad blogger! It has been absolute chaos (the fun kind!) in our house these past few weeks. Just a little overview:

Wrapped up Sept. with a church community service project and then drove to Oxford, MS for a cousin’s wedding and some family birthday celebrating.
Then finished our bathroom (woot woot!).
Rang in October by celebrating our 2nd anniversary which included a delicious meal cooked by my husband and one of the best dining experiences I’ve had in my life at a restaurant I’d been dying to try. I may have made reservations in July to make sure we got there.
Hosted a couple’s shower for some friends – I love throwing parties, but they leave me exhausted. At least we had leftovers to eat for 3 days before we packed up again!
Headed to Orlando for another wedding – this time one of my best friends from college. Spent a day with Mickey and the gang, ate our way around the world at Epcot’s Food & Wine Festival (which was AMAZING), got some girl time with my besties (sadly minus my Punk – but gotta keep her baby safe!) and celebrated the marriage of two wonderful people.
And this past weekend we celebrated another wedding – one of the husband’s best friends from college. He was in the wedding – so a whole weekend of festivities.

So – all of that to say. Hi. I’m back. And happy to be back in my kitchen cooking meals for 2 people for a little while. In order to get back in the swing of things, I needed a super easy recipe with stuff I had on hand and I found this little gem on the Cooking Light website.

Chicken with Pepperoni Marinara Sauce (Serves 4 / 7 WW pts. per serving)

Original recipe found here.

4 (5 oz.) boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I buy thin sliced or cut a big one in half)

1 tsp. olive oil

Garlic powder and pepper

1/2 tsp. minced garlic

2 tsp. Italian herb seasoning

1/4 tsp. garlic salt

16 slices Turkey pepperoni, chopped

1 1/2 cups marinara sauce

1/2 cup reduced-fat mozzarella cheese, shredded

Heat a large saucepan to medium. Coat with nonstick spray and add olive oil.

Sprinkle chicken breasts with a little garlic powder and pepper on each side. Add to skillet and cook 3-5 minutes on each side until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken and set aside.

Add garlic and chopped pepperoni to pan and cook about 2 minutes. Pour in marinara sauce and stir in Italian herb seasoning and garlic salt. You may want to add a little more salt or some pepper depending on the sauce you purchase – I like to cut the sweet a little.

Pour sauce over the chicken breasts and add 2 Tbsp. cheese on top of each piece. (To make this an easy one-pan meal – I pushed the sauce to one side and then added the chicken back in.) Cover for 2-3 minutes until cheese has melted.

This was super easy and required ingredients I usually have on hand – so it worked out perfectly, I didn’t even have to make a run to the store! I hope you enjoy it as much as we did…

Have a great weekend y’all!

Buffalo Chicken Enchiladas

Posted on September 20, 2013 by cookingonthebrightside

Sooo, here’s the thing about our ~~not-so~~ major DIY project:

I have zero patience.

As in, I am annoyed that it’s not just done. As in, I found myself wanting to just stay home from work in order to get stuff done at home. Pesky jobs. You know, other than funding the project.

The good news is that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Which is good considering we’re throwing a party in 2 weeks and well, the half bath is kind of crucial for that type of event.

I am loving watching everything come together and to see the fixtures and miscellaneous items we’ve ordered arrive. I always panic when I pick out things that aren’t “meant” to go together – like at my wedding, thought I had a theme in my head but was so freaked out it would just look like a bunch of random crap. It did not. So I think I need to have a little faith in myself. And my husband. And vice versa. *Wink wink.*

Luckily we have lights on for now and barring a few more hours of allowing paint to try, we should have lights from here on out – which is fantastic for my sanity! It means I don’t have to come home and chop and prep like a mad woman with the daylight hours waning.

So obviously, that means we need to celebrate. And you know how we celebrate on this blog, right? Buffalo chicken.

I figured if my buffalo chicken tacos turned out to be a hit, these had to be. Y’all. They are delicious – I highly suggest them for a delicious dinner the next time you just want to park on your couch and watch a big game. Super easy and they do not take long to throw together. I know you might think I’m ashamed of my love for all the buffalo things – but I’m not. Not even a little.

Give these a try and let me know what you think!

Buffalo Chicken Enchiladas (5 WW pts. per enchilada)

5 whole wheat and/or high fiber tortillas

1 cup shredded chicken breast

1/4 cup shredded fat-free cheddar cheese

1/4 cup shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese

2 green onions, chopped

1 medium stalk celery, chopped

1 10 oz. can red enchilada sauce

1/3 cup + 2 Tbsp. Frank’s Red Hot Sauce

1/3 cup reduced-fat blue cheese crumbles

Preheat oven to 350.

In a small bowl, mix together enchilada sauce with 1/3 cup hot sauce. Adjust as your heat tolerance dictates.

Mix cheeses together in a small bowl.

In a medium bowl, mix shredded chicken with 1/4 cup shredded cheese, green onions, celery, 2 Tbsp. hot sauce and about 1 Tbsp. of the enchilada sauce mixture.

Add a thin layer of enchilada sauce in the bottom of a lightly greased casserole dish.

Add 2-3 Tbsp. chicken mixture in the center of each tortilla. Roll lengthwise and fold ends under and place seam-side down in the casserole dish. When all of the tortillas are filled, pour remaining enchilada sauce over top. Add remaining shredded cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes. Remove and sprinkle with blue cheese and cook another 5-7 minutes until sauce is bubbly and cheese is melted…yeah baby.

Add to your plate…

And of course, devour.

Have a great weekend y’all!

Hoisin Plum Chicken

Posted on September 13, 2013 by cookingonthebrightside

So it has been interesting in my house for the past week.

Well, more like in the half bath and kitchen. You see, the husband and I decided to re-do our half bathroom downstairs right by the kitchen. So for the past few weeks, our kitchen table and counter tops have been covered with cabinets to be painted, hardware to be replaced and lots of other goodies like paint trays, brushes, and tape.

Last week, in order to finish priming, we took out the light fixture in the bathroom. Which just so happens to be on the same circuit as our kitchen light (not appliances, thank goodness). Know what that means? This food blogger has been trying to squeeze in all prep work upon arriving home now that it’s starting to get a little darker out earlier.

Cooking in the dark. Probably not as much fun as dancing in the dark. (All 80’s fans – particularly my Biffer – you are welcome for that awesome reference.) The name of my blog now feels like a web of lies…

Anyways, I have managed to whip up a few things with enough lighting to give the people what they want – delicious recipes!

Twice this week, I’ve had people comment on some of my recipes having lots of ingredients – which I know can be overwhelming. Guess what – this one is super easy and has minimal prep work and just 10 ingredients (including salt and pepper!). It’s a surprising combo of flavors – a little sweet BBQ flavor with some tart from the fruit, and the green onion brings it all home for me. Try this one out and let me know what you think!

Hoisin Plum Chicken (2 servings / 5 WW pts. per serving)

2 thin cut boneless, skinless chicken breasts, raw (4-5 oz. each)

1/2 Tbsp. olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

2 medium scallions, chopped

1 small plum, diced

1/4 tsp. minced garlic

2 1/2 Tbsp. Hoisin sauce (found in the Asian section of your grocery store)

1/4 cup fat-free chicken broth

1/2 lime, juiced

Begin by heating oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper on both sides. Add to skillet and cook 4-5 minutes on each side. Set aside and keep warm.

Reduce heat to medium and add garlic, onion, plums and broth to skillet and cook 3-4 minutes. Stir in hoisin sauce and stir. Cook 1-2 minutes until slightly thickened and stir in lime juice. Add salt and pepper to taste and pour sauce over chicken breasts.

Serve and devour. Told you it was easy!

Have a great weekend y’all – I’ll be working in our bathroom and hopefully getting the lights back on soon!

Baked Tacos

Posted on July 12, 2013 by cookingonthebrightside

Let’s be honest – there are few things worse than the first day back at the office after a wonderfully relaxing vacation. I mean, other than the first entire week back. Obvi.

Apologies for my lack of updates – after a fun-filled wedding weekend in Chicago, I was in full on survival-mode with vacation on the brain! The husband and I spent 8 days in South Carolina with my parents, enjoying all that Lake Keowee had to offer! We ate good food, drank good wine, watched movies (it rained a few days), played some tennis, hiked to a beautiful waterfall, soaked up sunshine when we could, read some books, and just had an overall amazing time.

Thanks to my parents for putting up with us for a week!

Anyways – aside from that first day catching up on e-mails and curling up in fetal position under your desk when you look at your completed to-do list, the other quite miserable thing is the kitchen.

Like, why didn’t somebody stock my fridge for my return? Seriously, going to the grocery store can be exhausting when you’ve just spend 8 1/2 hours in a car singing along to the 80’s and 90’s XM stations at the top of your lungs much to the ~~delight~~ dismay of your husband.

Luckily, I had a few items to throw together one of our of new-found favorite meals which was perfect for our “Meatless Monday”. The husband always loves taco night, but this way is so easy because everything is ready at once and the filling doesn’t fall out everywhere! Honestly, this one is a bit surprising for 2 reasons:

1 – My hubby loves it even when I use the “fake meat”

2 – I love it even though it has re-fried beans, which I usually make the hubby scoop out of the can because they gross me out so much.

So, if anything in this recipe doesn’t sound quite up your ally, just give it a try – I bet you’ll be pleasantly surprised!

Baked Tacos (Serves 2 / 10 pts. per serving)

6 Whole Grain Taco Shells (I use Ortega)

1 1/3 cup MorningStar Farms Meal Starters Veggie Crumbles (or ground turkey/chicken/beef of your choice, will affect WW point values)

1/4 cup chopped yellow onion

2 oz. canned tomato sauce

4 oz. fat-free re-fried beans

4 tsp. Taco seasoning (we use the “Hot and Spicy” mix – yum!)

2 oz. chopped green chiles, canned

1/2 cup reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese

Toppings of your choice (salsa, lettuce, avocado, olives, sour cream, etc. – adjust point values accordingly!)

Preheat oven to 350. Add taco shells to a lightly greased baking pan so that shells are upright.

Heat a skillet to medium heat and add non-stick spray. Add veggie crumbles and cook 2-3 minutes, then add onions. Cook another 2-3 minutes before adding tomato sauce, chiles, re-fried beans and taco seasoning. Cook another 5 minutes over medium-low heat, stirring to combine and heat through.

Bake taco shells 2-3 minutes. Remove from oven and distribute the meat(less) mixture evenly in the shells, pressing down to the edges. Distribute the cheese evenly on top of the mixture. Return pan to oven and bake 10-12 minutes until cheese has melted and shells are baked.

Add toppings of your choice and devour. I usually go with salsa, lettuce, black olives and avocado – but I’m sure anything will be delicious…

Hope y’all have a great weekend!

cookingonthebrightside

Adventures in Eating, Drinking and Being Mary

Category Archives: Chicken

Chicken Parm Sliders

Chicken Veggie Bake

Barbecue Chicken Enchiladas

BBQ Potato Skins

Chicken Gyros

Recipe Round Up: “The Big Game”

Chicken with Pepperoni Marinara Sauce

Buffalo Chicken Enchiladas

Hoisin Plum Chicken

Baked Tacos