Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

recipe from: Pennies on a Platter

Yield: 12 taquitos

3 ounces cream cheese, softened 1/4 cup green salsa 1 Tbsp fresh lime juice (juice from half a lime) 1/2 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp chili powder 1/2 tsp onion powder 2 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp chopped cilantro 2 Tbsp sliced green onions 2 cups shredded cooked chicken 1 cup shredded Mexican flavored cheese small flour or corn tortillas kosher salt cooking spray

Preheat your oven to 425˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, salsa, lime juice, ground cumin, chili powder, onion powder and garlic. Once combined, stir in the cilantro and green onions. Add the chicken and cheese; mix thoroughly.
(If you decided to prep this in advance, refrigerate the mixture at this point until ready to continue.)

Working with a few tortillas at a time, heat them in the microwave between two paper towels until they are soft enough to roll (about 20 – 30 seconds).

Spoon 2-3 Tablespoons of the chicken mixture onto the lower third of a tortilla. Roll the tortilla as tightly as you can.

Place the rolled tortilla seam side down on the baking sheet. Repeat with remaining tortillas until the mixture is gone. Make sure the taquitos are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle with kosher salt.

Bake for 15 – 20 minutes or until crisp and golden.

Serve with salsa, sour cream or guacamole.

**To freeze: Before baking, flash freeze the taquitos in a single layer on a baking sheet then place in a labeled freezer bag and store up to 3 months. To bake a frozen taquito (no need to thaw first): Preheat oven to 425˚F and bake for 20 minutes. (Flash Freeze means freezing the taquitos in a single layer for 15-20 minutes (until hardened) so that when you add them to the freezer bag, they will not all stick together).

P. F. Chang's Orange Peel Chicken

The kid's request this weekly. For our family of four I double the reciepe. Keep in mind that I have a teen age son!

Sauce:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic
4 green onions, sliced
1 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 chicken breast fillets
1 egg, beaten
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
peel from 1/4 orange, julienned (into 1/8-inch thick strips)

Prepare sauce by heating 1 tablespoon of oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sliced green onions. Add tomato sauce and water quickly before the garlic burns. Add sugar, chili garlic sauce and soy sauce and bring to a boil. Simmer 5 to 6 minutes or until sauce thickens, then turn off the heat.

Prepare the chicken by heating 1/2 cup oil in a wok over medium heat. Slice chicken breast fillets into bite-size pieces. Combine beaten egg with milk in a medium bowl. Pour the flour into another medium bowl.

Coat chicken pieces by dropping them into the flour a few at a time, then into the egg/milk mixture and back into the flour. Arrange coated chicken on a plate until all chicken is coated.

When oil in the wok is hot, add about half of the chicken to the oil and cook for a couple minutes or until brown on one side, then flip the chicken over. When chicken is golden brown, remove the pieces to a rack or paper towels to drain. Repeat with the remaining chicken. When all of the chicken is cooked rinse the oil out of the wok with water and place it back on the stove to heat up.

When wok is hot again add julienned orange peel and chicken. Heat for 20 to 30 seconds or so, stirring gently. Add sauce to the pan and cook for about 2 minutes. Stir dish a couple times but do it gently so you don't knock the coating off the chicken. Cook until the sauce thickens then serve up the dish with white or brown rice on the side

Tip: If you double the recipe, don't double the sugar in the sauce. I have found that it makes the sauce too sweet.

Stuffed Shells

32 jumbo pasta shells

2 c ricotta cheese

2 c fresh spinach, chopped fine

1 c grated Parmesan cheese

1c grated Mozzarella

1T pesto, or basil

4 cloves garlic, minced

Salt & pepper to taste

1 recipe of Best Marinara Yet

Preheat oven to 350^o

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil, gently place pasta shells in boiling water; bring water back to boil. Cook until noodles are just tender; drain well.

Combine spinach, ricotta, 1/3 c Parmesan cheese, ½ mozzarella fennel, basil and garlic in a large mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper; mix well.

Spread ½ c marinara sauce evenly over the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.

Fill each pasta shell with the spinach cheese mixture. Arrange the shells, filling side up in the baking dish. Spoon remaining marinara sauce over the shells. Sprinkle remaining parmesan & mozzarella cheese on top of the shells.

Cover the pan loosely with aluminum foil and bake in preheated oven until heated through; about 30 min.

Rebecca's Avocado Chicken Casserole

¼ c. butter
¼ c. flour
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. each – garlic powder, onion powder, dried basil, marjoram, and thyme
1 1/2  c. milk
1 c. half-and-half cream
8 oz. medium egg noodles, cooked and drained
3 medium ripe avocados, peeled, and sliced
3 c. cubed cooked chicken
2 cps. Shredded cheddar cheese

In a large saucepan, melt butter; stir in flour and seasonings until smooth.  Gradually add milk and cream.  Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes.  Remove from heat.  In a greased 13x9x2 inch baking dish, layer half of the noodles, avocados, chicken, white sauce, and cheese. Repeat layers. Cover and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Uncover; bake 5 minutes longer or until bubbly.

Also, works good in a crock pot!

Grandpa White's Italian Cream Cake

2 c sugar

1 stick butter

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. baking soda

1 c buttermilk or add 1 T. lemon juice to milk

1 c pecans, chopped

1 (3 ½ oz.) can angle flaked coconut

½ c shortening or coconut oil

5 egg yolks

2 c sifted flour

½ tsp. salt

5 egg whites

Cream butter, shortening and sugar. Add yolks one at a time, add vanilla. Sift dry ingredients together and add alternately with buttermilk. Add coconut and nuts. Beat egg whites until they are stiff and fold into mixture. Pour into 4 round prepared cake pans. Bake at 350^o for 25 or 30 min.

Frosting

1 (8 oz.) cream cheese

½ stick butter

1 box confectionery sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

2 T milk

1 c pecans, chopped

Cream butter and cream cheese. Gradually add sugar and vanilla. Beat until creamy. Add milk if needed. Frost cake and sprinkle with nuts on the top and sides.

Fajita Nachos

1 green or red pepper, chopped

½ onion, chopped

3T olive oil

2-3 chicken breasted, cubed

½ c frozen corn

2 T Taco Seasoning Mix (see my recipe in Make at Home)

1 clove garlic

Sauté all above ingredients over med high heat until chicken is no longer pink and veggies are tender. Add Taco seasoning and simmer for 5 min.

Top Chips with Fajita mixture and remaining toppings.

1 can black beans, drained and warmed

Sour cream

Colby Jack cheese, shredded

Black olives

Avocado, diced

Salsa

Cheese Ravioli with Creamy Spinach Sauce

2 bags of frozen Cheese filled Ravioli, cooked according to package directions

1 c chicken broth

1 -2 c chopped fresh spinach

4 slices bacon cooked and crumbled

5 green onions sliced

3 tsp. Cajun seasoning

1 clove garlic

1 ½ c heavy cream

1 c grated parmesan cheese

1 fresh tomato, chopped for garnish

 In a sauce pan add chicken broth, spinach, bacon, green onion, Cajun seasoning, and garlic. Bring to a boil. Add heavy cream and boil on med heat until sauce has reduced and become thicker. This normally takes 10-15 min. Once sauce is finished place cooked ravioli in a greased 9x13, toss with sauce, sprinkle with cheese, toss again, garnish with tomato. Bake uncovered at 350^o for 15-20 min. Enjoy!!