Category: Main Dish

LongHorn Inspired Parmesan Crusted Chicken

This post is inspired by one of my favorite restaurant chain meals of all time…LongHorn’s Parmesan Crusted Chicken. That’s right folks my go to meal at a steak house is chicken, but it’s literally so good! This marinated chicken is topped with a cheesy panko bread crumb mixture that is pure heaven.

I like to marinate the chicken overnight, but you could probably get away with marinating it for just an hour or two. This is a perfect dish for a quiet date night at home or for family dinner. I like to serve this paired with creamy mashed potatoes and a veggie.

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 LongHorn Inspired Parmesan Crusted Chicken
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
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Marinated Chicken
Parmesan Crust
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings
servings
Ingredients
Marinated Chicken
Parmesan Crust
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Instructions
  1. Filet the chicken breasts into cutlets.
  2. Combine all marinade ingredients into a gallon Ziplock bag, seal and shake to combine. Add chicken cutlets into marinade, seal bag and refrigerate overnight.
  3. Preheat oven to a low broil.
  4. Sear the chicken breast cutlets over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes on each side and place onto a greased baking sheet.
  5. Mix together ranch ¼ cup of ranch dressing and 1/4 cup of shaved Parmesan.
  6. In a separate microwave safe bowl, melt 4 tbsp of butter. After melted, add in the panko breadcrumbs and the remaining ¼ cup of Parmesan cheese.
  7. Top each chicken cutlet with 1 slice of provolone.
  8. Then spread a spoon full of the ranch and Parmesan mixture over each chicken cutlet.
  9. Lastly sprinkle each chicken cutlet with the panko breadcrumbs.
  10. Place the chicken into the oven on a low broil until cheese melts and the panko breadcrumbs are golden brown. Remove and cut into one of the chicken cutlets to ensure it’s cooked all the way. Enjoy all the cheesy chicken goodness!

Taco Pie

Happy Spring everyone! It has been way too long since I last posted. I had to take an impromptu break from blogging because life got crazy. Like really crazy. Adulting is so hard. Things haven’t quite settled back down yet, but I’m going to try my best to at least post once a month.

Since our schedule has been so jam packed lately, I’ve really had to dial back my cooking. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still cooking. I’ve just really simplified my approach to cooking. Time is of the essence, so I’ve been trying to cook things that don’t monopolize my entire day. As much as I would love to spend my entire weekend cooking and meal prepping, I’ve had to prioritize other things above cooking for the time being.

As a result, I’m falling back on fail proof, time saving recipes that I love! They don’t cut back on flavor, but they do cut back on time and that is a huge plus. Remember that Zesty Taco Seasoning recipe I shared? I use that handy dandy seasoning in my Taco Pie. This recipe is so easy because almost all of the ingredients are pre-made. For the pie crust, I just use a store bought pre-made pie crust you can pick up from the refrigerated aisle of the grocery store. I use canned enchilada sauce and refried beans, so that cuts back on time. And my homemade taco seasoning is just sitting in my pantry on standby, so the only thing that needs to be prepared is the ground beef. I love this Taco Pie because it’s a nice alternative to taco night. It’s so easy to prepare and makes for good leftovers. You can top your pie with lettuce, tomatoes, green onions, black olives, salsa or sour cream.

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 Taco Pie
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings
servings
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Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
  2. To make the taco meat, brown 1 lb of ground beef over medium to high heat. You can also substitute ground turkey or ground chicken. Add 3 tbsp of taco seasoning and ½ cup of water to the taco meat. Stir and bring to a boil for 2 minutes, then turn heat down to low and simmer for 15 minutes.
  3. Spray a pie dish with cooking spray. Lay the pie crust in the pie dish, press gently into the dish and poke holes into the bottom of the crust with a fork. Bake the pie crust at 450 degrees F for 8 minutes and then remove from the oven. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F.
  4. Spoon the refried beans into the bottom of the baked pie crust. Top the refried beans layer with the cooked taco meat. Pour the enchilada sauce over top of the taco meat. Finally, top the pie with 2 cups of shredded cheese of your choice. I like cheddar or a Mexican blend. Return the pie into the 375-degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes until beans are warm and the cheese is melted. Remove from the oven and let it cool for 5 to 10 minutes before cutting into the pie.
  5. Top pie with any desired toppings, such as lettuce, tomato, sour cream, green onions or salsa.

Zesty Taco Seasoning

Happy new year everyone! It’s already been a super busy start to the year, but I’m feeling very positive and optimistic about 2019. In the new year, I’m focusing on spending more time doing things I love, which also includes cooking things that I love. Mexican food is hands down my favorite type of food. I love dining at authentic Mexican restaurants. Let’s be honest, queso is life.

I also love cooking Mexican inspired dishes at home. We probably eat some sort of Mexican food at least once a week. That being said, I always have taco seasoning on hand in my kitchen. When I was in college, I used to just buy the taco seasoning packets and taco kits. Now that I’m older and wiser, I’ve learned it’s a lot healthier and cost effective to make taco seasoning in bulk using spices from your pantry. Another reason I like making my own taco seasoning is because I have more control over the flavor of the taco seasoning.

This Zesty Taco Seasoning is perfect to stash away in the pantry for taco night. And beyond tacos, you can use this for burritos, enchiladas, burgers, chilis and in soups like my Slow Cooker Chicken Verde and White Bean Soup. You can easily store this seasoning in a pretty mason jar or a tightly sealed Tupper Ware container. I highly recommend making a batch of this taco seasoning! Having this seasoning on hand in my pantry is so convenient and allows me to whip up tacos in a pinch. “Taco bout” a win win. See what I did there?

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 Zesty Taco Seasoning
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Prep Time 10 minutes
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Prep Time 10 minutes
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Instructions
  1. Measure the spices and dump into a mason jar or tightly sealed Tupper Ware container. Seal with lid and shake to mix all the spices together.
  2. To make tacos, brown 1 lb of taco meat over medium to high heat. You can use ground turkey, ground beef or ground chicken. Add 3 tbsp of taco seasoning and ½ cup of water to the taco meat. Stir and bring to a boil for 2 minutes, then turn heat down to low and simmer for 15 minutes.
  3. The uses of this seasoning are endless! Add 2-3 tbsp of seasoning to soups, chilis, burgers and chicken for a meal that is packed with flavor.

Savory Slow Cooker Pot Roast

I don’t know about you, but I’m so ready for spring. We had some nasty snow and ice over the weekend, which made me super anxious for warm weather and sunshine. Although, I really should not complain. My youngest brother attends college in Dekalb, Illinois and has practically been ice skating across campus to his classes. Winters are brutal in Illinois compared to Maryland. I guess I will just have to embrace this cold weather for the next couple of weeks and hunker down at home with some warm comfort foods.

One of my favorite recipes for a cold winter day is pot roast. I love pot roast because it’s such a simple dish, but is so hearty and filling. There are so many variations of pot roast, but this recipe is my all-time favorite. I cook my pot roast in the slow cooker, which makes it a perfect weekday recipe. Many slow cooker roast recipes require that you brown the roast in a skillet prior to slow cooking, but I omit this step and just dump all of my ingredients directly in the slow cooker. Less dishes, less mess and less stress. This pot roast is cooked in a thick, savory gravy that pairs perfectly with mashed potatoes. If you don’t feel like making mashed potatoes, you can just cut up potatoes and throw them right in the slow cooker along with your roast. Easy peasy!

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 Savory Slow Cooker Pot Roast
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Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutes
Passive Time 8 hours
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Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutes
Passive Time 8 hours
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servings
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Instructions
  1. Slice a yellow onion and set aside.
  2. In a bowl, mix together 1 cup of beef stock, 1 cup of water, 1 ranch dressing dry seasoning packet, 1 Italian dressing dry seasoning packet and 1 brown gravy dry seasoning packet.
  3. Place 2 cups of baby carrots and the sliced onions in the bottom of the slow cooker. Feel free to add any other vegetables, such as potatoes or celery. Place the roast on top of the veggies and then pour the liquid mixture over top of the roast. Sprinkle the roast with salt and pepper to taste, and place one bay leaf into the liquid mixture. Cover and cook the roast for 8 hours on low.
  4. Remove the bay leaf and set the roast aside on a plate. Mix 1 tsp of corn starch with 2 table spoons of cold water in a small bowl. Stir the corn starch and water mixture directly into the slow cooker, mixing with the broth and veggies. This will help to thicken the gravy. Add the roast back to the slow cooker and cook on high for 30 minutes to 1 hour until the gravy has thickened.
  5. Slice the roast and serve over mashed potatoes or with a nice piece of crusty bread.

Buffalo Chicken Tacos

After having the flu and strep throat back-to-back, I’ve finally returned to the kitchen and I’m ready to spice things up…literally! I have a delicious recipe that is going to spice up your Taco Tuesday.

Being sick is the worst! I was sick for about two weeks and I’m so ready to get back into the world and be a productive member of society. Don’t get me wrong, the first day or two of resting and catching up on TV was okay, but after a while you can only watch so many episodes of The Andy Griffith Show. All is well now and I’m making a slow, but steady recovery.

I’m so happy to finally be back in a routine. I started my new job this week and I’m so excited to be meeting new people and learning new things. This week is busy, so I’m trying to cook super easy dishes like these Buffalo Chicken Tacos. I love anything buffalo flavored and will use just about any excuse to incorporate buffalo sauce into a recipe. These tacos are so yummy and so easy! For this recipe, I use a lean ground turkey or ground chicken, which is a healthier alternative to ground beef. I also garnish these tacos with a creamy blue cheese sour cream. Are you ready to spice things up? Let’s get started!

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 Buffalo Chicken Tacos
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Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
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servings
Ingredients
Buffalo Chicken Tacos
Blue Cheese Sour Cream
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings
servings
Ingredients
Buffalo Chicken Tacos
Blue Cheese Sour Cream
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Instructions
  1. Prep your veggies, dicing two stalks of celery, mincing 1 clove of garlic and slicing the green onions.
  2. In a skillet on medium-high heat, drizzle 1 tsp of olive oil and add 1 lb of ground turkey or ground chicken. Add in the celery. Cook the meat all the way through and until it's no longer pink in color.
  3. Add in the minced garlic and sauté the garlic for 1-2 minutes.
  4. Reduce the heat to low. Pour in ¾ cup of buffalo sauce and add in green onions. Mix and then let the meat mixture simmer for 5 minutes on low.
  5. While your meat is simmering, prepare the blue cheese sour cream. In a bowl, combine ½ cup of sour cream and ¼ cup of blue cheese crumbles. Stir in salt and pepper to taste
  6. Warm up your taco shells. I used crunchy shells, but you can use soft flour tortillas or soft corn tortillas.
  7. Lastly, assemble your tacos and garnish with toppings of your choice. Lettuce, tomato, green onions, cheese and of course the yummy blue cheese sour cream. Enjoy!

Chicken Pot Pie

I recently volunteered at The Hackerman-Patz Patient and Family Pavilion at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, which provides temporary and short-term housing for cancer patients and their caregivers. A couple times a year, my work colleagues and I, prepare and serve food to those who are residing at the pavilion. It’s always such a rewarding experience to meet the patients and caregivers.

When I think about comfort food, the first dish that comes to mind is chicken pot pie. I’ve always loved chicken pot pie. Each year on my birthday, my mom always let me pick what I wanted for dinner and I always requested chicken pot pie. Now that it’s getting colder here in Maryland, I thought this would be the perfect dish to serve at The Hackerman-Patz Patient and Family Pavilion.

I adapted this recipe from my mom’s version, but I’ve since evolved the recipe to make it my own. Everything about this pot pie is perfect. Hot creamy filling with shreds of chicken and crisp veggies, which are all nestled under a flaky golden pie crust. Can you say YUM?! It’s delicious. The patients and their caregivers thought so to. In fact, this chicken pot pie was the first dish to be completely eaten at the event. Want to know the best thing about this recipe? It’s so easy! Ready to give it a try? You surely won’t be disappointed!