Kids Cook: Southwest Cheesy Chicken & Rice

Ok, I'm going to be honest up front and say that this is not a pretty dish. What it lacks in appearance though, it makes up for in taste. 

I mean, my pickiest child asked for 4 helpings of it. 

FOUR.

He said, "This is way better than I thought it was going to be!"

I think that was a compliment. Ha. 

Leighton had planned to assemble this in the crock pot the night before, but with all the extra responsibilities and craziness around here because of my injury, it completely slipped his (and my) mind when it came time to do it. We realized it the next morning. 

Oops, I'll have to grab something on my way home.

Nah, don't worry about it. The kids can handle it.

It is really cool having kids who can cook. Jake got the first few ingredients cooking in the crock pot before he headed outside to play with his friend, and the last few were taken care of just before we ate. 

The recipe calls for 4 cups of rice, but the typical directions for jasmine rice produces only 3 cups. I could have explained how to increase it, but for simplicity's sake, we kept it as is. You could use white, brown, or long grain rice, too. Anything would work in this. 

We garnished ours with sour cream, extra cheese, and crushed tortilla chips, but other southwest flavors would be good too, like green chilies, jalapeños, cilantro, guacamole, or a squirt of lime. 

The whole family liked this dish, and it's an easy one for the kiddos to make. Just don't wait until you sprain your ankle to have them make it for you, ha. 

Southwest Cheesy Chicken & Rice

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons homemade taco seasoning

5 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes, drained

1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup frozen corn

8 oz Velveeta cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

4 cups cooked rice

Directions:

1. In a 6-quart crock pot, add chicken breasts, taco seasoning, tomatoes, black beans, and corn. Cover and cook on high for 2 hours or low for 5 hours.

2. Remove cooked chicken and cut into bit-size pieces.

3. Add Velveeta and cheddar cheeses to crock pot and cook on high for 15 minutes.

4. Stir crock pot to make sure cheeses have melted. Stir in chicken and rice. 

Recipe adapted.

Kids Cook: Spalfredo

I sprained my ankle last week. 

Not a simple sprain, mind you (because where's the fun in that?), but a grade 2 high ankle sprain. And to top it off, I also managed an eversion sprain and an injury to my shin, as well. The pain encompasses both sides of my ankle, the entire foot, and up through my leg. If you're going to do something, do it right. Right? I'm 7 days in and I still can't put any weight on it whatsoever. The healing process is going to be lengthy.

But this isn't a woe-is-me post.

Since I can't get off the couch and my family still requires food for sustenance, I knew I needed to do something. I gathered some simple meals that Leighton or the kids could throw together. No, these aren't our typical from-scratch, homemade meals. Though cooking is a passion and I love to create healthy dishes for my loves, this isn't the time for that. This is a time to keep things as easy as possible while everyone else is doing Mom's chores. This is exactly why it's so important for me to train my little ones, both to know their way around the kitchen and to know how to do chores around the house.

I picked meals for this week and then let Alyssa choose which one she wanted to prepare for Kids Cook Monday. Normally, the child has to pick the meal on his own, either by looking through cookbooks or just thinking of a favorite dish. Since I wouldn't be able to oversee the process, we went this route for now.

Alyssa chose spalfredo. 

Spalfredo? It's a pasta dish that combines spaghetti sauce with alfredo sauce. Clever name, right? We've been making this on vacation for years, because, again, it's super simple to make. I like to add ground beef and onions to it to give it more substance. You could toss in a variety of veggies to increase the healthiness of it, too, or swap the beef for chicken. It's a perfect base recipe, but still delicious as is. It's good paired with a nice garden salad, but I didn't want to give my 9-year-old too much to do on her own. 

Alyssa also made a loaf of bread in our machine to go with it, and since my mom was here helping because of my injury, she walked her through that recipe. She needed help getting the big pot of water on the stove and again to drain the boiling water. Otherwise, this dish is perfect for a child to prepare. 

It's a hit with the whole family, though Alyssa will tell you she prefers it without the parmesan cheese on top. I'm sure she'd think differently if it were freshly grated, but we're going with simple, remember?

I can't cook for my family right now, but I am so thankful my little ones have the skills they need to do it for me. I'm so proud of these kids and their abilities. 

And knowing that Mom trusts them to assume responsibility and do it well means they're pretty proud of themselves, too. 

Spalfredo

Ingredients:

1 box penne pasta

1 jar (24 oz) spaghetti sauce

1 jar (11 oz) alfredo sauce

2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

1 cup parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. In a large pot, cook pasta until it is not quite al dente (it will finish cooking in the oven). Drain water.

2. Add spaghetti sauce, alfredo sauce, and mozzarella cheese to the pasta in the pot. Mix well and pour into a 9x13 pan.  

3. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes, or until bubbly. 

4. Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top and bake another 5 minutes. 

Recipe slightly adapted. 

Kids Cook: Cocktail Meatballs

It's been forever since I've posted a recipe. I told Leighton I wanted to get back to posting one every Tuesday, like before (like a long, looong time ago before). That was months ago and I have yet to get back to posting recipes. 

Until today, that is.

Since the kiddos are taking turns cooking on Mondays now, I thought it would be fun to show off some of their yummy creations. Plus, it will get me back to posting recipes. It's a win-win! 

The oldest 2 kids cooked the first 2 weeks of the year and each did a fantastic job. Jake's main dish was Chinese chicken (along with rice, veggies, and buttermilk biscuits), and Alyssa made chili and cornbread. They each made a dessert, too, because when you get to pick the meal, you gotta add dessert!

This week was Zac's turn. He was a bit apprehensive to be the one in charge of the meal at only 7 years old, but got excited as soon as he started flipping through the recipes. For now, the kids are using the Gooseberry Patch 5-Ingredient Family Favorites cookbook since all the recipes are fairly easy and use 5 or fewer ingredients, making it the perfect option for them. 

Almost immediately, Zac said, "This one! I want to make this." It was a sweet & sour meatball appetizer. Why not? If other variations of meatballs can be the main dish, then by all means, so could these. I read over the ingredient list and realized that it was similar to one of my all-time favorite party foods. I grew up loving these tangy little balls and even asked my mom to make them for a Christmas get-together just a few weeks ago. Surprisingly, none of the kids had tried them that day. (I'm pretty sure they were too distracted by the chocolate fountain and all the yummy goodies they could dip in it, ha.) Zac determined that he wanted to try my beloved recipe instead of the one in the book.  

You need only 2 ingredients to make the sauce: chili sauce and grape jelly. If only you could have seen the look on the kids' faces when I told them! It seems like an odd combination, but it's so good. Most of the time I make my own meatballs, but since Zac was the cook, we used a bag of frozen, pre-made ones. You can use thawed or frozen, homemade or store-bought. No matter what, they are delicious. 

Zac did a great job making the sauce and was thrilled that you toss everything in the crockpot to thicken and coat. The hardest part was waiting for dinner! 

He also served mashed potatoes (received a lot of help with this) and roasted brussels sprouts (his absolute favorite vegetable). Dinner was delicious, but more important than that, his confidence in the kitchen multiplied. 

Yes, I loved his meatballs, but even more than that, I loved seeing the smile on his face when his older siblings told him what a great job he did. 

    

Cocktail Meatballs 

Ingredients:

12 oz. jar chili sauce

16 oz. jar grape jelly

2 lbs. meatballs, cooked

Directions:

Pour chili sauce and grape jelly in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat until warm and thoroughly combined, whisking occasionally. Place meatballs in a crockpot and pour the sauce mixture on top. Cover and cook until heated through (high 2 hours - low 6 hours, approximately).

Tasty Tuesday: Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza

This is one of those recipes that I've been meaning to get posted for a while. When my friend asked me for the recipe, I knew it was time to get typing.

We love homemade pizza and make it often. Pepperoni, supreme, slices made-to-order, bbq chicken, personal pizzas, taco, Hawaiian--we're not picky. But my absolute favorite is cheeseburger pizza. Bacon cheeseburger pizza, at that.

I first started making it a few years ago, when I was wanting something different. I love cheeseburgers and figured I could use those same flavors to create a pizza. I stood looking at my dough, ready to be covered in yumminess, and got to work. The end result was delicious and instantly became a family favorite. We've been making it ever since.

  
I don't have specific amounts for the ingredients, because I never measure. I just cut and add until I have a desired amount. Use as much or as little of each ingredient as you want. Make it your own. That's one of my favorite things about cooking!

I hope you enjoy this pizza as much as we do.

Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza
Ingredients:
pizza dough
ketchup
mustard
ground beef, cooked
onions, diced and cooked
bacon, cooked and crumbled
shredded cheese (cheddar, colby jack, whatever is in the fridge)
lettuce, shredded
tomatoes, diced
pickles, diced
 
Directions:
1. Place your prepared pizza dough (optional recipe below) into pan. For this particular pizza, I like using my rectangular stoneware pan, instead of my big round pizza pan, because the thicker crust holds up better to all the toppings. Also, I add some onion and garlic powders when preparing the dough to enhance the flavors.
2. Squirt a generous amount of ketchup and mustard on the dough and spread it around. Add beef and onions, bacon, and shredded cheese. 
3. Bake for 18-20 minutes (14-16 for a thinner crust) at 400*.
4. When it’s done baking, add lettuce, tomatoes, and pickles. Let it rest a few minutes before cutting.


Pizza Dough

Ingredients:

1 3/8 cups water (70-80*) 
3 tbsp olive oil 
3/4 tsp salt 
4 cups flour 
2 tsp active dry yeast 

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in bread pan in order listed. Select "dough" setting. When dough is finished (will take 90 minutes) pat dough into pizza pan and top as desired. Bake at 400* for 14-20 minutes, or until desired doneness.

Tasty Tuesday: Buttermilk Biscuits

Big, warm, soft buttermilk biscuits.

Eat them in the morning, slathered in gravy or eat them in the evening, alongside fried chicken.

They're pretty much perfect.

We used to buy the refrigerated biscuits in the blue can all the time. They were convenient, easy, and pretty good.

But then, years ago, I started making my own.

And I've never looked back.

Making homemade biscuits may not be as convenient as pulling a tube out of the fridge, unraveling the wrapper, whacking it on the counter, and placing the dough on a cookie sheet . . . but it's pretty close.

I toss the ingredients in my food processor, mix it up, plop it onto a cookie sheet, flatten it a little with my hands, and cut out the biscuits. Start to finish, it takes me about 5 minutes to whip up the very best biscuits. Ever.

The hardest part about it???

Trying to keep my little ones from gobbling them all up!



Notes:

• I never buy buttermilk. I measure about 1 cup of whole milk and mix in 1 tablespoon of white vinegar (or lemon juice) and leave it. After I add the other ingredients to the processor, the milk has curdled nicely, and I stir it and add it, as well.
• I love my Silpat mats and use them whenever I can. I plop the dough onto a mat, cut out the biscuits, and bake them right on the mat. There is no need to use extra flour. There is no mess. The food bakes evenly.
• Most recipes using buttermilk will include baking soda because of the acidity. I have added the baking soda to this recipe and have made different recipes altogether. The biscuits do not rise as well and are not as fluffy, in my opinion. 
• These turn out well using whole milk in place of the buttermilk.
• I almost always use butter-flavored shortening. It produces a rich, flavorful biscuit.
• I have used half all-purpose flour and half whole wheat flour. They turn out well, but as with any whole wheat recipe, the biscuits are a little denser and not as fluffy. I highly recommend using all all-purpose.
• If the dough is too wet, add 1 teaspoon flour; if it's too dry, add 1 teaspoon water or milk. I like it a little on the sticky side. Too much flour will make the biscuits tough. If the dough sticks to my metal biscuits cutter, I shake it to get it out. I always have some residual dough on my hands when I am finished.   
• As with any dough, you do not want to over-work it. I run my food processor long enough only to combine the ingredients. After I dump it out, I pat it a few times to get it to the thickness I desire. 
• You can cut the biscuits any size. I use my 2½" or 3" (shown here) cutters. You'll know when they're done when the edges start to brown. I rarely use the timer when I make breads. I tend to just bake until my eyes tell me it's done.
• If you rub a stick of butter on the tops when they come out of the oven, they will taste like KFC's biscuits, but better.
• The biscuits start to separate across the middle. It makes it easy to pull the halves apart and add butter, jam, or gravy. Or, if you're like my hubby, you can eat them plain. (But why would you want to do that?)

Buttermilk Biscuits
Ingredients:
2 c  flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar
1/3 c shortening
1 c buttermilk

Directions:
1. Place all ingredients in food processor, fitted with dough blade, and mix until dough pulls away from the sides.
2. Turn out onto a baking mat, or floured surface, and pat dough out to about 1 inch thick. Cut biscuits with a large cutter or juice glass dipped in flour. Repeat until all dough is used.
3. Bake on the baking mat or an ungreased cookie sheet at 400°F for 13 to 15 minutes or until edges begin to brown.

Tasty Tuesday: Sweet & Sour Chicken

This is one of those few times when I don't have any pictures of the preparation of the food. Generally, I'll take pictures of every step as the kids or I do them. Measuring? Check. Dumping? Check. Mixing? Check.

But not this time.

I pulled chicken out of the freezer for dinner, but hadn't decided what to do with it. While I love our chicken fried chicken and pulled bbq chicken and salsa chicken and chicken parmigiana, nothing seemed right. I wanted something different, something new. 

Then I remembered that I pinned a chicken recipe that I really, really wanted to try: sweet and sour chicken. A quick check assured that I had all the ingredients and Chinese cuisine it was. 

Wow.

Double wow.

Even though I wasn't prepared with pictures for a post, this is one of those this-is-so-good-I-have-to-get-it-on-the-blog-now recipes. With just a simple snapshot I took after we tasted it.

Don't just take my word for it though. Jake said, "This is so good, I want to eat the whole pan!" I agree, because I ate way too much myself. I made this a couple days ago, and even now as I type, Alyssa looked at the picture and said, "I wish we still had some of that chicken. That chicken makes me want to eat more of it. I really like it. Can you make some more of it?" Jake declared it as his "very favorite way to eat chicken."

See what I mean? You have to try it for yourself.

Trust me.

Next time I'll add chunks of onion, green pepper, and pineapple. Mmm, I think I see more Chinese food on the menu soon.
 

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Ingredients:   
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup flour
2 large eggs, beaten
1/4 cup canola oil

3/4 cup granulated sugar
4 tablespoons ketchup
1/3 cup vinegar (apple cider or white distilled)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic salt

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  (I use our electric skillet.)  

2. Cut the chicken breasts into 1-inch pieces and season with salt and pepper. 

3. Place the flour and chicken in a gallon-sized ziploc bag and toss to coat. 

4. Dip the flour-coated chicken pieces in the egg and place them in a single layer in the hot skillet. Cook for 1-2 minutes and flip each piece over to cook on the other side until nicely golden, but not all the way cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a baking dish.

5. Mix the sauce ingredients together in a medium bowl and pour over the chicken in the baking dish. Bake at 325° for one hour, turning the chicken once or twice while cooking to coat evenly with sauce.

*Note: If you like extra sauce, double the sauce ingredients – pour half over the chicken and follow the recipe instructions; pour the other half in a small saucepan and simmer for 8-10 minutes until it reduces and thickens.

recipe adapted from mel's kitchen cafe