Cheesy Salsa Verde Chicken and Rice

Every once in a while a recipe comes along and just bowls you over with comfort, taste and creamy, ooey-gooey goodness. 

This is that dish. 

Full on cheesy-ness, awesome taste, and it's even better reheated. Not many dishes can claim all of that...

Rice is simmered in broth and salsa verde, chicken is cooked with green chili and garlic, then this is all  tossed in a simple cheese sauce and then briefly heated and broiled. 

Most of us are stuck in a polar vortex of epic negative coldness...requiring warm, filling, food relief, that makes sense right?

Anyway, it basically means that we're all craving COMFORT food. 

This is like...at the top of that category. Happily eaten by us all, now you can too!

Ingredients

• 3 cups chicken broth
• 3/4 cup salsa verde (I used Trader Joe's)
• 2 cups long grain white rice 
• 2 large green onions, chopped
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1pound) cut into 1" chunks
• 1-4oz can green chilies-diced
• salt and pepper
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup flour 
• 2 cups milk, divided 
• 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
• 1/3 cup sour cream

Directions

1. Spray a 2 qt. baking dish with nonstick spray then set aside. Bring chicken broth and salsa verde to a boil in a medium-sized saucepan then add rice, cover with a lid and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes and remove from heat, DON'T lift the lid!-let it rest for 10 minutes then fluff and sprinkle the green onions on top, cover again and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, heat extra virgin olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and green chilies, season with salt and pepper, and then saute until chicken is just cooked through. Add garlic then saute for 1 more minute. Remove chicken and chili mixture to the rice pot and cover. Whisk the flour with 1/2 cup milk.
3. Return the skillet to the burner over medium-high heat, add the flour and milk mixture, and then add the remaining 1-1/2 cup milk.
4. Let the mixture come to a bubbly simmer (NOT a boil,) stirring constantly. Turn heat down to medium low, then simmer until thickened, 8-10 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove the skillet from the heat then stir in 1 cup shredded cheese and sour cream. Taste then add salt and pepper if necessary.
5. Add the chicken mixture and rice to the cheese sauce then stir to combine and pour into the prepared baking dish. 
6. Top with remaining 1 cup cheese, place in a preheated 375F oven for 15-20 minutes, 
7. Then broil until golden brown.

Enjoy!

  This recipe is shared on Link parties. Also shared on http:// www.thecountrycook.net and http://www.bunsinmyoven.com/ and http://www.foodiefriendsfridaydailydish.com and http://www.hunwhatsfordinner.com/

Baked Enchilada Chicken

We LOVE enchiladas.

Everyone loves enchiladas.

Sometimes, I just don't feel like making enchiladas.

This makes my family sad...

But here's a recipe to save the day! And your family will still love you and not be sad.

Wait...

They only love me when I cook?   No, that can't be right...

I can serve oatmeal for dinner and they still love me, they may not like me, but I know they love me.

Okay, so I better not test that.

Anyway, this easy riff on a classic, slightly labor intensive dish will serve you well, no matter who you dish it out to!

It has the deep earthy taste of enchiladas and is actually a lean, healthy dish. Shhhh...don't tell them that.

You'll love that all it comes together in 5 minutes. With TWO ingredients

Yes, you read that right, five minutes and 2 ingredients. Crazy good, right?!

Bakes in about 30 minutes, which is the perfect time to make some rice and warm up some beans. Maybe even have a glass of wine....

Tender, juicy chicken bakes in a lovely seasoned sauce, serve with your favorite sides including warmed tortillas or tortilla chips and you'll be the BOMB!

I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts and my easy homemade enchilada/red sauce. You can find the recipe for that here.

Or use your favorite can or bottle of sauce, it's a snap! My chicken breasts were big, so I split them, pour about 1-1 1/2 cups of sauce to cover them completely. Cover the pan or dish tightly with foil and bake in a 350F oven for 30-45 minutes, until cooked completely. 

Serve with your favorite sides and you're GOLDEN!

Chili Cheese Potato Poppers

The Super Bowl is fast approaching, and everyone is throwing down some awesome bites and food in celebration of this epic sporting event. 

In fact, the food may be one of the biggest reasons to even watch....

Okay, maybe not for some.

I'm okay with throwing it out there though, I'm here for the food!

Yes ma'am.

I love all the dips, wings, apps and everything. I could seriously overload.

Recently I made these babies, which are a riff on the old standard potato skins.  Not to imply I am against cheese, bacon and sour cream on a potato skin, nah uh. 

But....

Chili cheese? These babies rock!

Big bonus, they're so much easier than the traditional ones. You can thrown these babies down anytime, don't just make them for a football game!

They heat up in a flash! And they're size makes them a one hand, pop it in your mouth, BOOM!

Hehe, hence....Poppers!

Ready? 

Let's throw these delicious babies down!

Easy Greek Dip

Some of the best things are the easiest.

And that's awesome, right?

This dip opened my eyes to how such simple ingredients, layered together make such a flavorful impact and its pretty!

I know, sometimes I'm late to the party, similar recipes have been going around on Pinterest for years. 

But hey, at least I finally caught on!

It's so easy to put together and its awesome served with crostini, pita, even crackers or veggies. 

And.....

It's healty, low fat, and gluten free! 

Tasty hummus (store bought) is layered with chopped spinach, tomatoes, green onions, olives, feta cheese and fresh parsley. Coated in heart healthy extra virgin olive oil and seasonings, it's hard to stop eating it. 

And that's okay! Scoop away.

Tuscan White Bean, Sausage and Kale Soup

This soup is right up there with the Top 5 all time favorites soups in my family.

I could easily make this once a week during the winter, and no one would complain about how frequent I was serving it, in fact they would happily ladle it in and smile with every  single  bite.

No lie.

It's hearty with lean italian sausage, chock full of good for you veggies, has a tiny spicy kick, white, creamy beans and the real kicker....

It's even better the next day!

Even people who say they hate kale, will happily lap this up. Kale? What kale? 

Oh that green veg? I thought it was umami, love it!

Haha...yes, that happened.

Made in one pot, it is a cooks dream.

Impressive-huh! See, it's hot and waiting...

Don't be scared by the time it takes to make, once you have all the ingredients in the pot, it just sits and simmers...while you sit and drool.

BONUS! It makes a lot and freezes beautifully.

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons olive oil

12 oz.  Italian sweet sausage, casing removed

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 large carrots, finely diced

2 celery stalks, finely chopped

1 large potato, finely diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

2 bay leaves

2 (15 ounce)cans white cannelini beans, drained and rinsed

1 bunches kale, stems removed and roughly chopped I used Lacinto or dinosaur kale

6 cups of water

2 Knorr chicken bouillon cubes or the equivalent of your favorite brand

Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

In a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add sausage and brown, stirring occasionally to break into smaller pieces, and to brown and crisp slightly, approximately 8 minutes.

Add onion, carrots, celery, potato, red pepper and bay leaves. Season generously with kosher salt and cook until vegetables begin to soften, stirring occasionally, approximately 10 minutes. 

Add garlic and beans, and cook for another 2-3 minutes. 

Add kale, and cook until it becomes slightly wilted. It will fill your pot, don't panic, it wilts down. 

Add water and bouillon and season with salt and pepper.

Bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and keep at a simmer for about 45 minutes, although a bit longer is completely fine. The soup will thicken as the potatoes and beans soften. Stir occasionally.

Serve with a cheese toast or other hearty bread. 

This recipe is adapted from:Shared Appetite

Enjoy!

oh and guess what?!

So I really need your votes! Just click on the button and enter http://sourdoughnative.blogspot.com to vote for me, please! 

  This recipe is shared on Link parties. Also shared on http:// www.thecountrycook.net and http://www.bunsinmyoven.com/ and http://www.foodiefriendsfridaydailydish.com 

   

Eggs in Purgatory or Shakshuka

There’s something special—even exotic—about starting off your morning with a piping hot, brightly colored plate of Shakshuka or Eggs in Purgatory, a Israeli-tunisian egg dish that’s packed with flavor and, usually, a lot of spice!

The antioxidant-rich tomatoes, coupled with the warming properties of the hot pepper, make it a dish that’ll perk up your taste buds and the rest of you with every savory bite. Generally served at breakfast, this is a meal happily eaten at any time.

What I love about Shakshuka is that the dish lets you be creative and get liberal with your favorite ingredients. Shakshuka literally means “all mixed up” in Hebrew, and that’s part of the fun of making it. If you prefer your eggs poached to over-easy, go ahead! If you want extra onion, throw it in! For those that relish a real spicy kick, add a few more slices of hot pepper to the mix, and if you can’t take the heat, just leave them out. The choice is yours!

The sauce is just made for dipping, so consider soaking up the medley of rich flavors with pita, or hearty toasted sourdough or french bread. 

This is a crowd friendly meal as well, it's just as easy to have two pans going as it is one.