Mexican Lasagna

When I first came up with this, I made it three times in one week. For the same people. Yes. It is that good! I played with it each time that week, but the first way was definitely the best. I can describe this lasagna on and on...like how cool it is to make it with flour tortilla instead of lasagna noodles, or how delicious that top layer of tortilla is because it gets crispy and crunchy in the oven, or how refreshing the sour cream is when drizzled on top...or you can just make it and discover your own list of favorites!

Serves 6

Ingredients
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-6 8 inch flour tortillas, cut in half
-2 tablespoons olive oil
-1 large onion, finely chopped
-1 bell pepper any color, finely chopped (or 1 cup frozen mixed bell pepper medley)
-1 whole chicken, cooked, meat removed from skin and bones then shredded (I buy a rotisserie chicken and shred it myself)
-4 cups salsa
-1 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
-14 ounce can black beans
-1 cup corn
-1 1/2 tablespoons taco seasoning
-1 tablespoon cumin seeds
-1 tablespoon dried coriander
-salt and pepper
-16 ounces sour cream
-3 cups shredded cheese
-1 cup diced green onions

To make
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-Heat oil in a pot and add onions and bell peppers. Cook for 5 minutes. Mix in shredded chicken, 2 cups salsa, cilantro, black beans, corn, taco seasoning, cumin seeds, coriander salt and pepper.
-Spray a 9x13 baking dish with  non-stick spray.  Spread a thin layer of salsa and place 4 tortilla halves to create a layer of bread along the bottom. Spread 1 cup salsa on top of bread, then spread 1 cup sour cream.  It will look messy, but don't worry.  Add 1/2 of chicken mixture over sour cream. Sprinkle with 1 cup of cheese. Repeat layers (tortilla, salsa, sour cream, chicken mixture, cheese) 1 more time and end with a layer of tortilla bread. Do not put salsa on top layer.
-Sprinkle cheese on top layer of tortilla and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the top layer has browned.  Remove from oven and drizzle with sour cream then sprinkle with diced green onions.
-Slice and serve
-Enjoy!

Hearty and Healthy Chicken Pot Pie

 YUM. I loved this! Probably because I love chicken pot pie in general...but I must say, I've tasted my fair share of not-so tasty ones. Once I ordered this in a restaurant and the middle of it was FROZEN. That was the last time I ever did that...

Anyway! This version is delicious...and healthy! Not a drop of butter! So go ahead, indulge :)

The crust is not flaky like traditional pie crusts. Flakiness comes from cold butter in the dough, which I didn't use. This crust is more like a biscuit or muffin batter. It tastes good with the sauce of the chicken and vegetables because it absorbs the flavor...

Ingredients
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-1 pound chicken breast, diced into small cubes
-1 tablespoon olive oil
-1 cup chopped carrots
-1 cup chopped celery
-1 cup chopped mushrooms
-3/4 cup frozen peas
-1 tablespoon dijon mustard
-1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
-1 tablespoon dried dill
-garlic salt and pepper to taste
-1 tablespoon flour
-1 1/2 cups milk

Crust
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-1 cup Heart Smart Bisquick mix
-1/2 cup milk
-1 egg

Assembly
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-Heat olive oilk in a pot and add chicken pieces. Cook for 2 minutes and add carrots, celery and mushrooms. Add the Italian seasoning, dill, garlic salt and pepper, and dijon mustard. Cook for 5 minutes or until chicken is almost cooked through.
-Mix the milk slowly into the flour while whisking constantly. Once the flour has dissolved, stir into into the chicken and vegetable mixture. Add the frozen peas. Mix and simmer on low for a couple minutes.
-In a separete bowl, mix the Bisquick mix with the egg and milk until well blended.
-Pour the chicken mixture into a pie dish. Spread the Bisquick mixture on top and bake for 20-25 minutes at 400 degrees.
-Serve and savor each hearty bite!

Chicken and White Sauce Lasagna

This is not your traditional lasagna recipe. No red sauce, no meat. Lots of chicken, cheese and yummy veggies instead! The sauce came about by me opening my fridge and adding whatever I felt would taste relevant. I think you can leave out or substitute some of the ingredients for this because it isn't one specific flavor that makes it taste good, but rather the combination of smooth creaminess. My home girl Nora made an amazing similar version of this and it reminded me of my recipe, so thank you!

For a vegetarian dish, leave out the chicken and increase the vegetable quantities.

This isn't one of my low calorie/low fat recipes, but soooo worth it...

Ingredients
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-1 lb chicken breast, cut into small cubes
-2 tablespoons mascarpone cheese (or olive oil)
-1/2-1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
-2 cups fresh mushrooms, roughly chopped
-2 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped (frozen is ok)
-1 1/2 cups artichoke hearts (I used the frozen bag, not the marinated), roughly chopped
-1/2 cup roasted red peppers, chopped

-1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped

-garlic salt and black pepper
-9 lasagna noodles, boiled 2 minutes under al dente
-1 1/2 cups Italian cheese (mozzarella, parmesan, or a mix)
-1/2-1 cup fresh basil (optional)

Sauce

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-1 jar alfredo sauce
-8 ounce package of cream cheese
-3/4 cup half and half
-3 tablespoons pesto sauce
-3 tablespoons fresh oregano (optional)
-3 tablespoons Italian seasoning

Assembly

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-Cook the chicken in a pot on high heat with mascarpone cheese. Once it is cooked halfway through, add the mushrooms. After 3 minutes add the spinach, artichoke hearts, roasted red pepper and sun dried tomatoes. Continue cooking for an additional 3 minutes. Season the chicken mixture with garlic salt and black pepper.
-Add the alfredo sauce to the chicken mixture. Stir in the cream cheese, half and half, pesto, oregano and Italian seasoning. Stir mixture and cook on medium heat until it boils. Adjust the salt and pepper to taste.
-Using a 9x13 inch baking dish, ladle some sauce on the bottom of the dish. Arrange 3 lasagna noodles and spoon 1/3 of the chicken mixture over the noodles. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of cheese. Arrange another 3 lasagna noodles and 1/3 of the chicken mixture. Sprinkle with another 1/2 cup of cheese. Repeat the process one last time (noodles, chicken mixture, cheese). Decorate the top of the lasagna with additional sliced red peppers and sun dried tomatoes. Add the 1 cup fresh basil or you can sprinkle some additional Italian seasoning.
-Cover with foil and bake at 450 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake an additional 5-10 minutes.

Lemon Pepper Chicken and Potatoes

This is my youngest sister's favorite meal...when I make it! She says its so lemony and good, and literally jumps for joy when I make it for her. Good news for me is that it only takes 15 minutes to prepare, and the oven does the rest!

This is a classic and staple meal in Syrian households, and is literally called "chicken and potatoes" in Arabic.

This serves 4 people, 2 pieces of chicken each.

Ingredients

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-8 pieces of red meat chicken (I always use boneless skinless chicken thighs)

-2 large onions, slivered (you can replace this with 1 large head minced garlic)

-3-4 medium sized potatoes, peeled and cut into rounds

-1 and 1/4 cup lemon juice (use fresh or bottled)

-1/2 cup olive oil

-lemon pepper sesasoning (use enough to coat all the chicken)

Assembly

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-Preheat oven to 450 degrees farenheit

-Layer the potatoes, chicken and onions in a 13x9 baking dish

-Season with lemon pepper and add lemon juice and olive oil

-Cover with foil and bake for 1 and 1/2 hours. Uncover and broil the tops for 5-10 minutes, until chicken and onions are slightly crisped.

-Serve with pita bread or white rice.

Chicken Burrito Tortilla Rolls

This is one of my first recipes...the start of my claim to fame ;) It is an adaptation from Kraft foods, with a little bit more zing and flavor.

It is EASY, and the recipe automatically makes two baking dishes. So you can either make it for a huge crowd, or freeze one of the dishes for another night (which is what the recipe recommends).

Ingredients

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-1/2 cup mayonnaise

-1/2 cup flour

-3 cups milk (any fat content should be fine, I always use 1%)

-1 cup shredded cheese, plus extra for garnish (Mexican blend is the best, cheddar or jack are ok too)

-1 1/2 pounds chicken, cubed into 1 inch pieces (do NOT use leftover shredded chicken for this, the pieces give it an important texture)

-1 cup salsa

-1 cup corn (canned or frozen)

-1 cup fresh parsley, plus a handful for garnish

-salt and pepper to taste

-1 tablespoon taco seasoning (paprika will also do the job)

To make

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-Preheat oven to 375 degrees

-Mix the mayo and flour in a saucepan until well blended. Slowly add the milk and mix. Cook and stir on medium heat until the sauce begins to boil and thickens.

-Stir in 1/2 cup of cheese, 1 cup of salsa to the sauce. Put aside 1 1/2 cups sauce for later use.

-Cook chicken breast pieces with salt, pepper and taco seasoning in non-stick cooking spray until they are cooked through. Add them to the sauce in the sauce pan, and add the 1 cup corn and 1 cup parsley.

-Place some of the chicken and sauce mixture in each tortilla and roll. Place seem sides down in a row in the baking dish. You should be able to fit 8 tortilla rolls per dish. Cut the tortilla rolls in half, for a total of 16 smaller rolls.

-Spread some of the reserved sauce in two rows across the tortilla rolls, garnish with extra cheese and parsley. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes, or until lightly toasted and crispy on the sides....then EAT!

*When you are ready to cook the 2nd frozen baking dish, just take it out of the freezer a couple of hours before serving, or refrigerate overnight. Follow the same baking directions of 375 degrees for 25 minutes.

**If reheating frozen, bake in 350°F oven until heated through, allowing almost double the original baking time.