Category: Entrée

Baked Chicken Gyros with Tzatziki

A simple alternative to an authentic dish! Baked Chicken Gyros with Tzatziki is the easiest way to achieve the flavor without the traditional roast!

Sure, gyros aren’t typically chicken, nor are they usually baked but this recipe allows for simplicity and comes with a tzatziki recipe!

Baked Chicken Gyros with Tzatziki

Traditionally, gryos are lamb or beef and are roasted on a spit! The marinade on the meat caramelizes and the meat is shaved off of the spit onto a fresh pita pocket!

However, not everyone has the ability to roast meat over a spit so chicken gyros are a simple solution for homecooks!

The longer you marinate the chicken the better, but a minimum of 2 hours is preferable! I wouldn’t suggest marinated the chicken for more than 24 hours. While you can use chicken breasts or tenders, chicken thighs (boneless and skinless) are really juicy and easy to make!

Because the chicken is juicy and is marinated in yogurt it can occasionally seep water and liquid as it bakes. If it does this you can remove the sheet pan from the oven and drain the liquid before placing back into the oven.

You can make homemade pitas or use storebought flat breads.

You can heat up the bread in the residual heat from the oven. But it’s best to heat it up on a pan and toast it. If you don’t warm the bread it won’t be pliable!

You can top the flatbread with tzatziki sauce (recipe included) or hummus, or both!

Lettuce is recommended for a refreshing crunch and so are raw red onions. Tomatoes and bell peppers are optional and you can always add any other type of veggies as toppings!

Baked Chicken Gyros with Tzatziki

If you enjoyed this recipe for Baked Chicken Gyros with Tzatziki, check out some of my other chicken recipes!

Baked Chicken Gyros with Tzatziki
Print Recipe

Baked Chicken Gyros with Tzatziki

A simple alternative to an authentic dish! Baked Chicken Gyros with Tzatziki is the easiest way to achieve the flavor without the traditional roast!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Marinating Time2 hours
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Servings: 4 -5 Gyros
Calories: 400kcal

Ingredients

Chicken Marinade

  • 1 Lbs Chicken Thighs, boneless skinless
  • ¾ Cup Plain Greek Yogurt
  • 1 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
  • 1 tsp Kosher Salt
  • ½ Tbsp Lemon Juice
  • ½ Tbsp Fresh Oregano
  • ½ tsp Cumin
  • ½ tsp Coriander Powder
  • ½ tsp Chili Powder
  • ½ tsp Smoked Paprika
  • 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • 3 Cloves Garlic, grated

Pita and Toppings

  • 4 Pita, flat breads or pockets
  • ½ Red Onion, sliced thinly
  • 2 Roma Tomatoes, seeded and sliced thinly
  • ¼ Head Iceberg Lettuce, shredded
  • ½ Orange Bell Pepper, sliced

Tzatziki Sauce

  • 1 Cup Plain Greek Yogurt
  • ¼ tsp Kosher Salt
  • ½ tsp Dill Weed
  • ½ Lemon, juiced
  • Dash of smoked paprika (optional)

Instructions

Chicken

  • Marinate the chicken in the ingredients for the marinade for 2 hours. Cover and store in the refrigerator.
  • Once marinaded, place the chicken onto a foil lined baking sheet and place into a 375° oven for 30 to 35 minutes.
  • If at any point there is too much liquid being released from either the chicken or the yogurt, you can remove the sheet and drain before placing back into the oven.
    Prep the toppings and tzatziki sauce while the chicken is baking.

Toppings

  • Warm up your pitas in the leftover heat of the oven or on a pan. Warming them up will keep them flexible and pliable!
  • Prep and chop your vegetables.

Tzatziki Sauce

  • Mix together the ingredients for the sauce. Adjust for taste!

Assembly

  • Slice the chicken into thick slices.
  • Top the warm pita with tzatziki sauce, some lettuce, the chicken, and veggies of your choosing.
  • Enjoy warm!

Minestrone Soup with Tortellini

Minestrone Soup is the perfect vegetable soup packed full of flavor. Eat it alone as a side dish or with Tortellini to make it the main star. It’s a super healthy and tasty soup.

Minestrone Soup with Tortellini

Minestrone Soup is the perfect vegetable soup packed full of flavor, eat with Tortellini or alone as a side dish!

You can add as many vegetables as you want or swap some of the ones in this recipe out for ones you like better. Celery, carrots, and zucchini are the classic ingredients!

Sauteing tomato paste

After you saute the celery, onions, carrot, and garlic make sure you saute the tomato paste thoroughly. Don’t let it burn but do let it cook. It will reduce the sourness that raw tomato paste can have in many soups and sauces.

Soup with tomato chunks

Once the diced tomato and herbs are added you can add the water.

At this stage you have a few choices. You can either use 4 cups of water with 2 bullion cubes mixed in. You can use either vegetable (to keep the soup vegetarian) or chicken bullion (it adds a lot of flavor), and you can choose regular or low sodium! OR you can use 2 cups of water and 2 cups of broth (vegetarian or chicken, low sodium or regular).

Add the bay leaves as well. And once everything has mixed, you can add the sugar and some salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper to taste. The sugar is used to counter the acidic sourness of the tomatoes in the soup.

Minestrone Soup

Let the soup cook for a bit and then add the zucchini, red kidney beans, and the tortellini. Let cook at a rapid boil so the tortellini can cook. This may take around 8 – 10 minutes.

Minestrone Soup with Tortellini

Add the spinach at the very end so and serve hot!

Add some grated parmesan for some more flavor!

Minestrone Soup with Totellini

Make sure you remove the bay leaves before servings!

Minestrone Soup with Tortellini

This Minestrone Soup with Tortellini is fully vegetarian!

(depending on which broth or bullion cube you use!)

Minestrone Soup with Tortellini
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Minestrone Soup with Tortellini

Minestrone Soup is the perfect vegetable soup packed full of flavor. Eat it alone as a side dish or with Tortellini to make it the main star. It's a super healthy and tasty soup.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Course: Main Course, Side Dish, Soup
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 6 -8 Bowls
Calories: 200kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 Cup Celery, chopped
  • ½ Medium Onion, chopped
  • 1½ Cup Carrot, chopped
  • 3 Cloves Garlic, grated
  • 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • 1 Tbsp Tomato Paste
  • 1½ tsp Herbs du Provence
  • 1 14 oz Can of Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes
  • 4 Cups Water
  • 2 Cubes Bullion (veg or chicken, low sodium)
  • ½ tsp Sugar
  • 2-3 Bay Leaves
  • Salt, Black Pepper, Crushed Red Bell Pepper, to taste
  • 1 Cup Zucchini, chopped
  • 1 Cup Red Kidney Beans
  • 1 Cup Tortellini
  • 2 Cups Baby Spinach, roughly chopped, stems removed

Instructions

  • Heat up some oil in a pot and saute the onion, garlic, celery, and carrots.
  • Add the tomato paste and saute it.
  • Add the canned fire roasted diced tomatoes and the herb du provence.
  • Dilute the two bullion cubes in 4 cups of warm water. (You can use 2 cups of low sodium broth with 2 cups of water instead) Add the water to the pot.
  • Add the sugar, bay leaves. Stir and add salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper to taste.
  • Add the zucchini, red beans, and tortellini and cook for about ten minutes.
  • Add the spinach and a half cup of water if you want your soup to be thicker.
  • Remove from heat once your tortellini is cooked!

Fluffy Spicy Mexican Rice

Fluffy Spicy Mexican Rice

This fluffy mexican rice recipe has a slight spicy and sweet kick to it that you can adjust by taste. It’s one of my favorite things about this recipe! Some days I want extra corn and other days I want it with more lemon.

This recipe is written to be the baseline ingredients, you can adjust to your taste and how you prefer it!

The most important thing about cooking rice is to wash any of the starch out of it and let it soak with some water before you cook it. Drain the water the rice was soaking in and use fresh water to cook with or it will be too sticky.

Veggies for rice

As far as the ingredients inside go. You’ll want to cook the onion and garlic before adding the corn and black beans. You can add jalapenos to your taste but make sure to account for any additional spice. If you want to add cilantro, it’s better to add it at the end!

Tomato Sauce and Water

Once the rice, tomato sauce, and water is added, add the seasoning and taste. Keep in mind that you want the flavors to be a little more bold than what you would prefer because it’s takes more spice and salt to season rice.

Cook the rice uncovered at a medium heat for above 10 minutes while stirring occasionally to make sure it doesn’t stick. Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, refer to the photo below.

Mostly cooked rice

Once it gets to that stage, add the lemon juice, turn to a simmer and cover for about ten minutes or until the rest of the water has cooked off.

Add the cilantro and use a fork to make your spicy mexican rice fluffy!

Fluffy Mexican Rice
Fluffy Mexican Rice
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5 from 1 vote

Fluffy Spicy Mexican Rice

Fluffy Mexican Rice with corn, beans, and a spicy kick! This recipe is really simple and doesn't utilize any special ingredients, perfect for any home cook.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 4 – 6 Servings
Calories: 215kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 Cup Uncooked Rice medium or long grain, I used basmati
  • 1½ tbsp Olive Oil
  • 3 Cloves Garlic, grated
  • ½ Cup Diced Red Onions
  • ½ Cup Canned Black Beans, drained and rinsed
  • ½ Cup Corn, frozen or canned (drained and rinsed)
  • ½ tsp Cumin
  • ½ tsp (Mexican) Chili Powder
  • 1½ tsp Kosher Salt
  • ½ Cup Tomato Sauce, canned
  • 2 Cups Water
  • 1 tsp Lemon Juice
  • 3 Sprigs Cilantro chopped
  • Jalapeno, diced Optional

Instructions

  • Rinse the rice and set aside to soak while you prep the other ingredients.
  • Add the oil to a saucepan and cook the garlic and onions (and optional jalapenos)
  • Add the beans and corn to the pan followed by the rice, water, and tomato sauce.
  • Season with cumin, chili powder, and salt and stir. Taste and adjust, the water should be slighlty spicy and salty or the rice will be bland.
  • Cook uncovered at a medium heat for about 10 minutes until the water has almost fully evaporated.
  • Stir to ensure that the rice doesn't stick. Add the lemon juice, cover the pot and turn the heat to a simmer. Cook for another 8 – 10 minutes.
  • Sprinkle the cilantro and fluff the rice up with a fork so it doesn't clump.
  • The rice is ready to serve!

Easy Sandwich Loaf Bread

Once you start making this easy sandwich loaf bread, you’ll never want to buy the store bought stuff ever again! It’s slightly sweet and toasts to the perfect crunch!

Easy Sandwich Loaf Bread

This easy sandwich loaf bread recipe is a perfect introduction to the art of bread making! It’s a versatile bread so it surely won’t last long in any household!

I make this recipe using my stand mixer, but I will walk through how to make the bread without one. For home cooks that are trying to bake casually, I would recommend using a stand mixer if you have one just out of convenience and efficiency.

It’s key to ensure that your milk and water (and any liquid you use to bloom yeast) is at a ‘lukewarm’ temperature. This is usually between 95 and 110 F. Anything lower won’t activate the yeast properly and anything higher runs the risk of killing it.

Mix thoroughly and allow the yeast to bloom for around 8 – 10 minutes before you use it. Measure out your other ingredients while the yeast is blooming. Do keep in mind that your butter should be room temperature and soft to the touch.

If you’re using a stand mixer to mix the dough, fit on the dough hook attachment and start by mixing the dry ingredients together. Slowly drizzle in the yeast mixture and continue mixing until the dough comes together. Add in the butter a tablespoon at a time until fully incorporated.

If you’re doing this without a stand mixer, you’ll want to mix the yeast mixture into the dry ingredients with a wooden spoon. Mix until the dough looks like this

Dough

When you’re adding the butter, the dough will become sticky you can add a few sprinkles of flour to help but I would be cautious of adding too much. Once the butter is in, you can turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth.

Place in a oiled boil and cover with greased plastic wrap. Let rest for an hour to hour and half or until doubled in size.

Punch the dough out and work any air bubbles out as you roll the dough out into a rectangle. Then fold the dough over itself into thirds across the long side.

Then roll the folded dough out again so the short side of the dough matches the length of your loaf tin. Tightly roll the dough onto itself so it can rest in your loaf pan. There will be holes in your bread if it’s not rolled tightly enough (my bread rose too much so there’s an air pocket in the center of the loaf).

Place the log in a prepped loaf tin and cover with another loaf tin, let rise for about an hour and bake at 350 for 35 to 40 minutes!

Let your easy sandwich loaf bread cool fully before slicing!

Easy Sandwich Loaf Bread
Easy Sandwich Loaf Bread
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5 from 1 vote

Easy Sandwich Loaf Bread

Once you start making this easy sandwich loaf bread, you'll never want to buy the store bought stuff ever again! It's slightly sweet and toasts to the perfect crunch!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Rising Time2 hours
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12 Slices
Calories: 120kcal

Equipment

  • Standard Loaf Tin

Ingredients

  • ¾ Cup Lukewarm Water (95°-110° F)
  • ½ Cup Lukewarm Milk (95°-110° F) (preferably whole milk)
  • 2½ tsp Instant Yeast
  • 3 Cups All Purpose Flour
  • 1½ tsp Fine Sea Salt (grind your kosher salt if you have kosher)
  • 1 tbsp Granulated Sugar
  • 3 tbsp Unsalted Butter, room temperature

Instructions

  • Mix together the lukewarm water and sprinkle the instant yeast on top. Stir and set aside for ten minutes to let the yeast bloom.
  • Mix together the flour, salt, and sugar in large bowl. (Stand mixer bowl if you're using one)
  • (Fit the stand mixer with the dough hook or use a larger bowl and a wooden spoon if you don't have one) Add the yeast, milk, and water mixture to the bowl and mix on a low speed until incorporated. (this will take a few minutes with a mixer, and more time by spoon)
  • Add a tablespoon of butter at a time to the mixture until full incorporated. Once fully incorporated mix for 30 seconds more. (If you're doing this by hand, put the dough on a floured work surface a knead the butter into the dough. Work until the dough is smooth.
  • Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with greased plastic wrap. Let sit at room temperature for about an hour and half or until the dough doubles in size (make sure it doubles, if you live in a colder or less humid climate this may take longer)
  • Once the dough doubles in size, punch the air out and place onto a floured work surface. Make sure you punch any air pockets out.
  • Roll the dough into a large rectangle and fold into thirds across the long side. (refer to photos)
  • Roll that out into another rectangle where the short side is the length of your loaf pan.
  • Start from the side of your dough that matches the length of the load pans and Tightly roll your dough into a log.
  • Place in a greased and floured loaf tin and cover with another loaf tin, let rest for about an hour at room temperature or until doubled in size.
  • Bake at 350° for 35 – 40 minutes. Let cool for ten minutes until removing from loaf pan and let cool fully on a wire rack.

Grilled Chicken Fajitas

Perfectly soft chicken topped with grilled vegetables, cheese, pico, and more! This Grilled Chicken Fajitas recipe is perfect for a family dinner and includes recipes for some toppings!

Grilled Chicken Fajitas

Grilled chicken fajitas are one of my favorite, go to, family dinner recipes!

It’s easy to put together and make a large batch of. This recipe is perfect for a dinner of 4 or a dinner of 2 with perfect leftovers!

The chicken marinade is pretty simple. If you’ve seen some of my other Mexican recipes, you’ll see that my chicken marinade is pretty similar. It’s what I think is the best all purpose chicken seasoning.

You can grill your choice of bell peppers, all one color or a mix of them. Red onions are the best for grilling onions. They are a little sweet, a little crunchy, and develop an awesome flavor.

Veggies

This is a super basic and simple pico recipe that only requires four recipes. If you want, you can hit it with a squeeze of lime!

If you want, you can use regular sour cream. But I never have it at home and I always have yogurt on hand. I wanted to make a healthier alternative. So it’s just yogurt, salt, and lemon or lime juice.

Chicken

Try to get the best quality, restaurant style flour tortillas. Heat them up on a pan to get the warm and pliable.

Top your grilled chicken fajitas with grilled veggies, pico de gallo, salsa, mexican cheese, sour cream, avocado, and salsa. All of the above or some of the above!

Check out my recipe for Guacamole!

Grilled Chicken Fajitas
Grilled Chicken Fajitas
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Grilled Chicken Fajitas

Perfectly soft chicken topped with grilled vegetables, cheese, pico, and more! This Grilled Chicken Fajitas recipe is perfect for a family dinner and includes recipes for some toppings!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 4 Servings
Calories: 450kcal

Ingredients

Grilled Chicken

  • 2 Large Chicken Breasts, boneless skinless
  • ½ tsp Mexican Chili Powder
  • ½ tsp Kosher Salt
  • 1 Clove Garlic, grated
  • ½ tsp Cumin
  • 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
  • ½ Tbsp Olive Oil

Grilled Veggies

  • 2 Bell Peppers (any color), sliced I used red and green
  • 1 Large Red Onion, sliced
  • 1½ tsp Olive Oil
  • ½ tsp Mexican Chili Powder
  • ½ tsp Kosher Salt

Pico de Gallo

  • ½ Red Onion, diced
  • 1 Roma Tomato, seeded and diced
  • 2 Sprigs Cilantro, diced
  • ¼ Jalapeno, seeded and finely diced

Home Made Sour Cream Alternative

  • ½ Cup Yogurt, full fat
  • 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
  • Pinch Kosher Salt

Other Toppings

  • Flour Tortillas
  • Mexican Cheese
  • Avocado, sliced
  • Salsa of your choice

Instructions

Grilled Chicken

  • Cut the chicken breasts laterally so that you have four flat chicken fillets (Butterfly the chicken all the way through)
  • Marinate the chicken with the seasonings above for about an hour.
  • Add a dash of olive oil to the pan and cook the chicken.
  • Grill the chicken (preferably on a cast iron pan). Only flip once to ensure that the chicken is soft.
  • Let the chicken cool and slice it into thin strips.

Grilled Veggies

  • Add a dash of oil to the pan and saute/grill the veggies until a little soft but still crunchy.

Pico de Gallo

  • Mix the tomato, onions, cilantro, and jalapenos.

Home Made Sour Cream Alternative

  • Mix together the yogurt, lemon juice, and salt.

Assembly

  • Warm up some flour tortillas in a pan.
  • Top with your desired assortment of chicken, veggies, and toppings.

Creamy Indian Chicken Curry

Creamy Indian Chicken Curry that requires no cream! A perfect introduction into authentic south Indian cooking that uses nuts to make it creamy! Enjoy with rice, roti, or naan!

Creamy Indian Chicken Curry

Okay, so creamy Indian chicken curry is a super simple and easy introduction to Indian cooking. It’s the first Indian recipe that my fiance learned to cook from my mom! It’s not SUPER authentic but not super un authentic either. It utilizes authentic techniques and flavors.

The recipe is straightforward once you understand certain basic steps and concepts.

Overall, you need to have the right spices and seasonings. That means you should get Indian Chili powder, specifically. Any turmeric, any garam masala, and any coriander powder works fine.

Below, you’ll see three other very crucial ingredients to this recipe.

Spice mix for recipe

The first is a ginger – garlic paste. This paste is just 1 part ginger 1 part garlic blended into a paste. We make it in large batches and store it in the fridge (it tends to turn a little green as it technically ferments). It smells heavenly when being made and when being cooked. If you don’t want to make and store this, you can just grate 1 part each of the ingredients to make the paste on the spot.

You’ll also need to get whole clove. You can find it in the Mexican aisle at most grocery stores. Don’t get ground clove, you’ll need to roast the clove for good flavor.

Finally, you’ll need cinnamon sticks. You can find these at the regular seasoning aisle but they are sometimes cheaper and better quality in the Mexican aisle as well.

Nuts soaked in water

Microwave the nuts in a bowl of water and let sit for at least 30 mins. Then peel the almonds (if you didn’t already get prepeeled almonds.)

When you blend the nuts and tomatoes, add a little bit of water. The best way to describe the consistency is like a smoothie bowl.

Nut - tomato paste

Having the right ingredients is most of the work, but there are a few more tips and tricks in the method of cooking that can help.

Once the oil is heated, cook the cinnamon and clove until fragrant and they begin to turn dark.

You want to cook the onions before you cook the ginger garlic paste or it will burn. Cook the onions until they are translucent and then add the ginger garlic paste.

Onions and ginger garlic paste

Cook until the paste is fragrant and no longer feels raw.

Add the chili powder, turmeric, salt, and coriander powder. Add the chicken and cook.

Creamy Indian Chicken Curry

Once the chicken is cooked, add the tomato-nut paste and stir. Add the water and stir. Add the garam masala

Cook and then taste. Add salt if you feel that it needs some. If you want it spicier add a little more chili powder.

Curry

Add a handful of chopped cilantro and stir.

Serve hot!

Creamy Indian Chicken Curry

This creamy Indian chicken curry can be store in the fridge for a few days and reheated in the microwave or on the stove.

Creamy Indian Chicken Curry
Print Recipe

Creamy Indian Chicken Curry

Creamy Indian Chicken Curry that requires no cream! A perfect introduction into authentic south Indian cooking that uses nuts to make it creamy! Enjoy with rice, roti, or naan!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Servings: 8 Servings
Calories: 200kcal

Ingredients

  • 1.5 Pounds Boneless Skinless Chicken Tenders, diced
  • ⅓ Cup Almonds (skin on off if you can, but on is fine too)
  • ⅓ Cup Cashews
  • 4 Roma Tomatoes, diced
  • 1 Yellow Onion, diced
  • 4-5 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • 2 ½ inch Sticks of Cinnamon
  • 4-5 Cloves
  • 1½ Tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste 1 part peeled ginger, 1 part peeled garlic blended into paste.
  • 2 tsp Chili Powder Indian chili powder
  • ½ tsp Turmeric
  • 2 tsp Coriander powder
  • 3-4 tsp Kosher Salt
  • ½ tsp Garam Masala
  • 6 Sprigs Cilantro

Instructions

  • Microwave cashews and almonds in a small bowl while submerged in water for 30-45 seconds, then leave them to soak for 30 minutes.
  • Peel the skin from the almonds then set aside. (still soak the nuts even if you’re using pre peeled almonds)
  • Finely dice 1 whole yellow onion and cut the tomatoes into around eight chunks per tomato.
  • Blend the tomatoes, nuts, and a small amount of water into a fine paste for around 1 to 1 and a half minutes on high. (Should be a smoothie bowl consistency)
  • Put the oil into a pot on medium heat, wait until warmed and add the cinnamon and cloves; Cook until dark brown and fragrant.
  • Add the onions and cook until translucent, next add the ginger-garlic paste. Cook until the paste is fragrant.
  • Add the chili powder, turmeric, coriander powder, salt and cook for an additional minute.
  • Add the chicken and stir to coat; cook the chicken for about 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Pour in the tomato/nut mixture and stir. Add 1 cup water and garam masala. Cook.
  • At this point you can season to taste, add salt if you feel like it needs it and if you feel like it isn't spicy enough then add some more chili powder.
  • Cook until some oil floats to the top. Add chopped cilantro and serve!

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

Easy to make and tasty Creamy Chicken Enchiladas! With corn, black beans, cheese, chicken, and spinach. Includes an enchilada sauce recipe!

Top level photo

These easy, creamy chicken enchiladas are cheesy, soft, and full of flavor! This recipe even includes a recipe for yummy enchilada sauce!

If you have been looking at some of my other chicken recipes on the blog, you may have noticed that I really prefer using chicken tenders. I just really like how, well, tender they are but less fatty than chicken thighs. You can swap the tenders out for breasts in this recipe but the cook time in the sauce will be increased!

You can make this a vegetarian recipe but removing the chicken altogether!

Chicken cooking in enchilada sauce

If you are using chicken, you’ll get the best flavor by cooking it in the sauce!

Enchilada sauce

The enchilada stuffing is pretty customizable but my base is always chicken, black beans, spinach, corn, cheese, onions, cilantro, jalapenos and my secret ingredient: cream cheese!

You can use ricotta or extra regular cheese if you want but the cream cheese is so thick and rich that the flavor is the best!

Creamy Chicken Enchilada stuffing

To make sure the tortillas don’t break when you roll them, you want to warm them up on a pan a few at a time so they are pliable. For about 14 – 16 enchiladas, you want to scoop about 1/3 of the stuffing into every tortilla.

Tortilla with stuffing.

The amount of enchilada sauce made for this recipe is the perfect amount to keep your enchiladas moist. The best ratio is a third of the quantity of the sauce goes on the bottom of the tray and the final two thirds go on top of the tortillas. Then sprinkle some more cheese on it.

Then cover and bake.

Pre baked creamy chicken enchiladas

Enjoy the creamy chicken enchiladas with slices of avocado and fresh cilantro!

Creamy chicken enchiladas
Creamy Chicken Enchiladas
Print Recipe

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

Easy to make and tasty Creamy Chicken Enchiladas! With corn, black beans, cheese, chicken, and spinach. Includes an enchilada sauce recipe!
Prep Time40 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 14 – 16 Enchiladas
Calories: 184kcal

Ingredients

  • .75-.8 lbs Boneless skinless chicken tenders
  • 1½ Tbsp OIive Oil
  • 1 Large clove Garlic, grated
  • 1 tsp Cumin divided
  • 1½ tsp Mexican Chili Powder divided
  • 1 tsp Kosher Salt divided
  • 29 ounces Tomato Sauce Hunt's no salt added
  • ¾ Cup Water divided
  • ⅓ Cup Onion, diced
  • ⅓ Cup Corn
  • ⅓ Cup Frozen Thawed Spinach water squeezed out
  • ⅓ Cup Black Beans can, drained
  • ½ Jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
  • 2 ounce Cream Cheese, full fat
  • ½ Cup Mexican Cheese more to top with
  • 14-16 Small corn tortillas
  • 6-8 sprigs Cilantro, chopped

Instructions

  • Heat up the olive oil in the in a pot and add the chicken, grated garlic, ½ tsp of cumin, ½ tsp chili powder, and ½ tsp of salt.
  • Cook until chicken is seared and add the tomato sauce, ½ cup of water, ½ tsp of salt, 1 tsp chili powder, ½ tsp cumin.
  • Cook until chicken is tender and about to fall apart, remove chikcen and set aside.
  • Add another ¼ cup of water and simmer with lid on while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
  • In a large bowl, add ⅓ cup each of corn, frozen thawed (drained) spinach, and black beans (drained), chopped cilantro, jalapeno, and onion.
  • Shred the chicken and add it to the bowl.
  • Mix 2 ounces of cream cheese and ½ cup of shredded mexican cheese to the large bowl and mix thoroughly.
  • Pre heat the oven to 350°
  • Warm up the tortillas two at a time on a pan to make them flexible.
  • Scoop about ⅓ cup of the stuffing onto the tortilla and shape it into the center, lengthwise and roll it up (refer to photos)
  • In a baking dish, line the bottom of it with some of the enchilada sauce. (this applies if you're using multiple dishes or just one , but you want about 1/3 of the sauce on the bottom and 2/3 to go on top of the tortillas)
  • Place the stuffed tortillas in the baking dish (assemble them however you like), top with enchilada sauce and add cheese on top.
  • Cover with foil and bake for 20 – 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for a few more minutes if the cheese on top isn't fully melted.
  • Enjoy with some mexican rice and some sliced avocados!

Thai Red Curry with Shrimp

Made with a creamy coconut base, this Thai Red Curry with Shrimp is flavorful and packed with vegetables. Omit the shrimp and you’ve got a simple, fully vegetarian dish! One pot meal!

Top Level Thai Red Curry with Shrimp

Thai Red Curry is a delicious item from the vast flavors of Thai cuisine. It’s even more delicious with shrimp! The meal can be made in one pot, and it can be vegetarian without the shrimp.

Thai Red Curry - vegetarian

If you want to make the vegetarian person, you’ll want to skip the first part of the recipe. It includes the instructions for cooking the shrimp.

Season the shrimp with the grated ginger, garlic, salt, chili powder, and olive oil. Cook it in a pot for a few minutes on each side and then put the shrimp aside.

Saute the onions until translucent and pour in the coconut milk and curry paste. Stir thoroughly to incorporate the paste into the coconut milk. Then add the water, soy sauce, sugar, and rice vinegar. Add the salt, chili powder, and crushed red pepper. Cook on a low heat.

milk, paste, and onion

While that’s lowly simmering, cut the potatoes into chunks, cover them with a wet papertowel and microwave for 4.5 to 5 minutes. This will help you avoid having to boil the potatoes before they go into the curry. They don’t need to be fully softened, they’ll cook for a bit in the curry.

I recommend red potatoes because their sweetness really compliments the flavor of the curry really well.

Toss in the green beans, red bell pepper, and potatoes into the curry. Cover and cook until the potatoes are soft enough to pierce with a fork.

Curry with vegetables

Once the potatoes are soft, taste the curry and adjust for seasoning to your preference. You can add water here if you think the curry is too thick. Add in the shrimp and cook together for a few minutes.

Thai Red Curry with Shrimp

Serve the Thai Red Curry with Shrimp over a bowl of your favorite grain of rice. I eat this with jasmine rice, I like how fluffy and soft it is.

Curry
Thai Red Curry with Shrimp
Thai Red Curry with Shrimp
Print Recipe

Thai Red Curry with Shrimp

Made with a creamy coconut base, this Thai Red Curry with Shrimp is flavorful and packed with vegetables. Omit the shrimp and you've got a simple, fully vegetarian dish! One pot meal!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Asian
Keyword: Seafood
Servings: 6 – 8 people
Calories: 375kcal

Ingredients

Shrimp

  • 1 Pound Shrimp (deveined)
  • 1 tsp Ginger, grated
  • 1 Large Garlic Clove, grated
  • ½ tsp Kosher Salt
  • ¼ tsp Chili Powder
  • 2 tsp Olive Oil, divided

Thai Red Curry

  • ½ Yellow Onion, sliced
  • 1 tsp Ginger, grated
  • 2½ Cups Coconut Milk
  • 3 Tbsp Thai Red Curry Paste Thai Kitchen has a vegan paste!
  • ¾ Cup Water
  • 2 tsp Kosher Salt
  • 2½ tsp Soy Sauce
  • 2½ tsp Rice Vinegar
  • 2½ tsp Raw Cane Sugar
  • 1 tsp Crushed Red Pepper
  • ½ tsp Chili Powder
  • ½ Pound Fresh Green Beans
  • 2 Medium Red Potatoes, chopped skin on
  • 1 Red Bell Pepper, sliced

Instructions

Shrimp

  • Season the shrimp with the salt, ginger, garlic, chili powder, and ½ tsp olive oil.
  • Heat 1½ tsp of olive oil on a wok or pot.
  • Cook the shrimp 3 minutes on each side.
  • Put aside in a separate bowl once finished.

Thai Red Curry

  • Chop the potatoes up into chunky cubes and cover with a wet paper towel. Microwave for about 4.5 – 5 minutes. You wont have to boil them if you do this!
  • Add a small dash of oil to the pot and sautee the onions until slightly translucent.
  • Add the coconut milk and red curry paste and stir until fully incorporated.
  • Add the water, soy sauce, sugar, and rice vinegar.
  • Add the salt, chili powder, and crushed red pepper.
  • Cook on a low heat for a few minutes.
  • Toss in the potatoes, green beans, and bell peppers.
  • Cover and cook on a simmer until green beans have softened and the potatoes can be pierced with a fork.
  • If your curry is too thin, then cook uncovered to let it evaporate. If it's too thick, add some water.
  • Add in the shrimp and serve over a bowl of rice!

Check out some of my other Asian inspired dishes!

Foil Baked Santa Fe Chicken

Perfectly seasoned chicken smothered in mixed veggies and salsa. Baked in foil and served hot and steamy. Foil Baked Santa Fe Chicken is an easy go to meal for lunch or dinner!

Foil Baked Santa Fe Chicken

Foil Baked Santa Fe Chicken is a great hands off dinner option for those who want a simple yet incredibly tasty meal. The chicken breast comes out incredibly tender and the veggies are perfectly cooked, all topped with gooey cheese.

Chicken Seasoning

Chicken breasts tend to be a little too thick for my preference when I bake them. You have a few options for this recipe. The first is to tenderize the chicken, the second is to trim the fattest part of the chicken so it lays a little thinner, or you can just bake the full breast as is, but the baking time may be increased around 10 minutes.

Marinate the chicken for an hour with the salt, chili powder, garlic, cilantro, and cumin, olive oil, and lemon juice.

If you can find a New Mexican or Santa Fe chili powder, that would be perfect. But Mexican chili powder works just as well.

mixed veggies

Chop the onion and bell pepper in long thin strips. I used a red onion and a yellow bell pepper because I find that they are sweet and even still a little crunchy.

Cut the cherry tomatoes lengthwise and add the corn and beans.

Mix the veggies together and season lightly with salt and pepper.

Mixed veggies over chicken

Place the chicken on a square of aluminum foil and layer half the veggies on each breast. Then top with picante or chunky salsa.

I recommend using a picante because it’s less liquidy. Use your favorite chunky salsa as an alternative.

Foil

To wrap the chicken properly, bring together two sides of the foil and fold over twice like above. Then roll the sides up and place on a baking tray to catch any potential leakage.

Foil Baked Santa Fe Chicken

Bake for 25 minutes (or around 35 if you’re using a full thickness chicken breast). Once it’s baked, open the packets and sprinkle cheese on. Bake with the foil open for another couple of minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

Chicken with cheese

Top with slices of jalapeno and fresh cilantro and enjoy!

Share if you liked this Foil Baked Santa Fe Chicken Recipe!

Foil Baked Santa Fe Chicken
Foil Baked Santa Fe Chicken
Print Recipe

Foil Baked Santa Fe Chicken

Perfectly seasoned chicken smothered in mixed veggies and salsa. Baked in foil and served hot and steamy. Foil Baked Santa Fe Chicken is an easy go to meal for lunch or dinner!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Marinating TIme1 hour
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 2 Servings
Calories: 335kcal

Equipment

  • Aluminum Foil

Ingredients

Chicken Marinade

  • 2 Chicken Breasts lightly tenderized or thinned, refer to notes above
  • 1 Clove Garlic, minced or grated
  • 4-5 Sprigs Cilantro, finely chopped
  • ½ tsp Kosher Salt
  • 1 tsp Chili Powder Mexican or New Mexican
  • ¼ tsp Cumin
  • 1 tsp Olive Oil
  • 1 tsp Lemon Juice

Mixed Veggies

  • ½ Large Yellow Bell Pepper, sliced
  • ½ Red Onion
  • ½ Cup Cherry Tomatoes, halved lengthwise
  • ½ Cup Fresh or Frozen Thawed Yellow Corn
  • ½ Cup Black Beans
  • ¼ Cup Chunky Salsa or Picante Sauce
  • ½ Cup Shredded Mexican Cheese

Instructions

Chicken Marinade

  • Depending on the thickness of your chicken breast, you may want to flatten the fattest bit or even slice some of the thickness off. You want the thickest part of the chicken to be level with the center mass of the chicken. If you don't want to make these adjustments, your baking time may increase up to 10 minutes.
  • Season the chicken with the salt, chili powder, cumin, oil, cilantro, and garlic, and lemon juice.
  • Cover and let sit in the fridge for an hour.

Assembly

  • Preheat oven to 350°.
  • In a bowl, mix together the bell pepper, onion, corn, tomatoes, and beans. Salt and pepper lightly.
  • Cut two 10 by 10 squares of aluminum foil. Spray lightly with cooking spray.
  • Place a chicken breast on each square. On top of a baking sheet (you will need this to catch any liquid that may leak)
  • Spoon half of the vegetable mixture over the each chicken breast.
  • Scoop ⅛ cup of chunky salsa or picante on each of the chicken pieces.
  • Bring two sides of the foil together and fold over twice, refer to photos.
  • Seal the foil fully and bake for 25 minutes (may need 35 depending on how thick your chicken is)
  • After the chicken is cooked, open the packets and sprinkle on the cheese and bake for another five minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
  • Serve and enjoy hot!

No Cream Tuscan Salmon

30 Minute Meal, One Pan, No Cream Tuscan Salmon

No Cream Tuscan Salmon

I love one pan meals and I love 30 minute meals. Enter: No Cream Tuscan Salmon!

The trick for this quick and simple recipe is to prep all of your ingredients before you begin cooking.

Ingredients
More Ingredients

This recipe calls for skin off salmon. I know that in the photos I use skin on salmon, but trust me, you’ll want it off. Skin on looks better in photos, but it’s a nuisance eating around the skin with a dish as saucy and creamy as this one.

Searing No Cream Tuscan Salmon

Sear you salmon for 4-5 minutes on the bottom, and 1-2 minutes on the top and sides. Put the salmon aside on a plate while you make the sauce.

Add some more oil if you need it and saute the garlic until fragrant make sure you’re on a medium low heat.

Sauteeing Garlic

Making sure the pan isn’t too hot, add the milk and seasonings and whisk constantly so the milk doesn’t burn.

So, how do you get creamy No Cream Tuscan Salmon? Flour. Whisk in 1 tablespoon of flour in half increments until the sauce becomes thick. You really want to ensure that the pan isn’t too hot or the flour will clump. Whisk thoroughly and constantly.

At this point, the sauce may feel too thick, so add in the spinach. Any of the liquid seeping from the spinach will help prevent the sauce from becoming too thick.

Ideal Sauce Consitency

The ideal sauce consistency is when you can drag your whisk through it and it doesn’t immediately come back together.

At this point, place the salmon back into the pan and increase the temperature and cover with a lid.

This will cook the salmon more and the lid will prevent the sauce from evaporating and getting too thick.

No Cream Tuscan Salmon

Enjoy the this dish with some pasta or spaghetti. This recipe has enough sauce for 4 fillets.

No Cream Tuscan Salmon
No Cream Tuscan Salmon
Print Recipe

No Cream Tuscan Salmon

30 Minute Meal, One Pan, No Cream Tuscan Salmon
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Italian
Servings: 2 Servings (Enough Sauce for 4 fillets)
Calories: 675kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 Salmon Fillets skin off
  • 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • 2 Cloves Minced Garlic
  • 1 Cup Milk
  • 1 Tbsp Flour
  • ½ tsp Dried Basil
  • ½ tsp Dried Oregano
  • 1 tsp Fresh Parsley
  • 1½ Cup Fresh Chopped Spinach
  • ½ Cup Fresh Grated Parmesan
  • ⅓ Cup Sun Dried Tomato
  • Crushed Red Pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Salt and pepper the salmon fillets after patting them fully dry.
  • Heat up the olive oil on a pan on medium to medium high heat.
  • Depending on the size of your pan, you may need more oil. You'll want to make sure there is a solid thin layer of oil on the pan or your salmon will shred.
  • Sear the salmon for 4 – 5 minutes on the bottom side of the salmon, move the salmon every now and then so it doesn't stick.
  • Sear the top of the salmon for 1 – 2 minutes. Sear each side for 1 – 2 minutes.
  • Put the salmon aside on a different plate.
  • Top off the oil on the pan if you need some and sautee the garlic on a medium low heat.
  • Add the milk, dried oregano, dried basil, crushed red pepper, ½ tsp salt, crack of black pepper, and parsley.
  • Whisk in ½ Tbsp of flour thoroughly. Once fully incorporated, whisk in the other ½ Tbsp.
  • Whisk constantly and turn the heat up to medium to allow the mixture to bubble a thicken.
  • Add the grated parmesan and continue to whisk.
  • Toss in the spinach, the water from the spinach will make sure the sauce doesn't thicken too much. Stir.
  • Place the salmon back in the pan and spoon the sauce over the fillets.
  • Sprinkle in the sundried tomatoes cover with a lid for a few minutes.
  • Enjoy alone or with some pasta!