Shredded Ranch Chicken BLT Sliders

A twist on the traditional BLT...

While doing my meal planning on a Sunday, I was thinking of making chicken sandwiches for dinner during the week, (something easy!) but I'm not a huge fan of the huge breast of chicken on bread deal...so I knew I wanted to shred the chicken instead.  We love BLTs and eat them every once in a while for lunch during the summer or on the weekends and maybe once in a while for dinner, so I combined the two and then thought a ranch flavoring would go well with the BLT flavoring... From there I created my own super simple recipe that can be quickly whipped up during the week!  The fam LOVED it!  ENJOY!

Shredded Ranch Chicken BLT Sliders

3 chicken breasts

olive oil

salt and pepper

1/2 cup mayo

1/3 cup milk

1 hidden valley buttermilk ranch dressing packet

1 packet of bacon

iceberg lettuce

sliced tomato

American cheese

slider buns

Heat oven to 375.

Drizzle glass pie plate or casserole dish with olive oil.

In order to cook the chicken faster, I usually slice each breast lengthwise so they're thinner.

Place chicken breasts in plate and drizzle the top of chicken with more olive oil.

Season with salt and pepper.

I baked these breasts in the oven for 10 minutes and then flipped them and added salt and pepper to the other side.

I only cooked the other side for about 5 more minutes.

Total cook time for chicken was about 15-20 minutes.

While chicken is baking, start cooking the bacon.

Place chicken aside to cool.

Shred chicken when it has cooled.

Once chicken is shredded, add the ranch packet, 1/2 cup mayo, and 1/3 cup milk.

Mix well!

Spoon slightly warm or cooled shredded chicken mixture onto slider buns and top with bacon, lettuce, tomato and cheese!

BLTaNEWway<3LML.

Stuffed TexMex Zucchini with Quinoa and Brown Rice

Another recipe with zucchini- I just absolutely love this veg!  I saw the idea on Pinterest, just a picture, and from it, created my own recipe.  I used DIY taco seasoning, now for the second time, which is a HUGE change for us as I used to use 2 packets of Old El Paso seasoning each time I made tacos/burritos! YIKES!  Old El Paso contains trans-fats, is highly processed, and contains MSG-like ingredients.  So I feel a bit better using the DIY since I've read it is a ton better for you.  I had all of the seasonings anyways, so it wasn't any extra work!  I cannot even describe how delicious this recipe is!- You obviously just have to try it yourself... and as always, pretty simple!

Mex Stuffed Zucchini 

4-5 zucchini squash

1-1.25 lbs ground turkey

1 cup of water

olive oil

half a green pepper, chopped

half an onion, chopped

a handful of cherry tomatoes, chopped

Garlic salt

1/2 cup shredded taco blend/fiesta blend cheese

extra shredded cheese to top
optional:  taco sauce

Taco seasoning

I followed the DIY taco seasoning pictured below from Pinterest...I did however cut the amount of cumin in half, used 1/2 tsp and increased the onion powder to 1 tsp.  I did not add red pepper flakes or the flour.

Mix together the spices for your taco seasoning and heat oven to 375 degrees.

Brown 1.25 lbs ground turkey...this is the amount I cooked, but I ended up having leftovers!

            

Sprinkle all of the seasoning over turkey.

                       

Add 1/2 cup of water and mix continuously while you are working with the zucchini/veggies.

                         

I used four zucchinis, but again, I did have leftovers so you could use five if you want...

Cut the ends off and half the zucchinis.

Scoop out insides with a spoon to desired thickness, but keep the insides!  All that goodness will not go to waste!

Add zucchini flesh to turkey and mix together, breaking up the flesh with your spoon.  Continue to heat and mix occasionally.

Drizzle hollowed out zucchini halves with olive oil.

              Chop the cherry tomatoes, onion, and green pepper.

            
                                     

Add the chopped veggies to seasoned turkey and zucchini mixture.

Add another 1/2 cup water to turkey and veg mix and...MIX!

My turkey needed a touch more salt, so I added some garlic salt to taste.- optional!

Add 1/2 a cup of cheese when veggies are cooked to your liking.

Mix until cheese is melted into ground turkey/veg mixture.

Spoon mixture into zucchini and bake at 375 for 15 mins.

At the same time you are preparing and baking the zucchini, you can be working on your side dish.

This is what I served the stuffed zucchini with.... I found this quinoa/rice blend at Aldi's and even the picky eaters enjoyed it- Definitely recommend trying this!

                            

Check zucchini for desired tenderness and if ready, top with cheese and bake an additional 5 mins. or until cheese is melted.

Top with taco sauce as an option.

Serve with quinoa/rice or some other side.

Very kid friendly too!

Trying it before I serve it!

                                                      

Leftover meat!

I think the leftovers tasted better than when I first cooked it!Pack the leftover ground turkey mixture with a spinach herb tortilla, cheese, and taco sauce for a healthy lunch!
<3LML.

Summer Veggie Alfredo

I love spaghetti and pasta, anything Italian, and every once in a while I do enjoy making pasta with a creamy vodka or Alfredo sauce to change it up a bit.  The only downfall, and my mom will agree- haha!- is that I use sauce out of a jar!  It doesn't really bother me and I don't think my family knows the difference but as I was thinking that I wanted to make an Alfredo pasta for dinner this week, I thought to myself, "Really...How hard could it be to make a homemade Alfredo sauce?"  

I have made dishes using whipping cream before to create a slightly creamy sauce so I figured I'd go that route.  I looked at the ingredients on the jar and (obviously not including any of the crazy names of ingredients they include in jarred sauce) I decided to use heavy whipping cream, butter, garlic, and Parmesan cheese and see what happened!  I did go ahead and search an Alfredo recipe just to get an idea of measurements, even though I ended up changing the measurements from the recipe later.  

I was craving veggies and in my never-ending attempt to get my family to eat more veggies, I decided to go with a colorful mixture using most of the veggies that I had in my fridge.  I had a vision of a rainbow of tender, slightly crisp veggies sauteed in oil tossed in my creamy Alfredo sauce and served over pasta... and that's what I created!  You're probably thinking... Alfredo sauce in a "summer" dish?  But it's so heavy!  That's why I loooved this dish!  The sauce ended up being surprisingly light and was a great accompaniment to the veggies... 

Summer Veggie Alfredo

Broccoli

Petite Carrots

Red pepper

Cherry tomatoes

Onion

Yellow summer squash

Zucchini

Avacado Oil (or olive oil)

Salt

Pepper

Tastefully Simple Garlic Garlic (or minced garlic or garlic salt)

Penne pasta (or other type of pasta)

Alfredo Sauce

16 oz heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 garlic cloves, crushed and chopped

pepper

Optional dish toppers:

Hot Italian sausage

Shredded mozzarella cheese

Fresh cut basil 

-Begin by setting the water for the pasta to boil.

-Chop all veggies into bite sized pieces.

-Drizzle pan with avocado or olive oil and let heat up.

-Add veggies to hot oil and season with salt and pepper.



-Toss veggies in oil and saute.  Cover the pan and let simmer, but uncover to toss and check once in a while until veggies are at desired tenderness/crispness.  
-Season to your liking with Garlic Garlic or whatever garlic seasoning you are using.  
-Continue cooking veggies or set aside if you are satisfied with them.



-Pasta should be cooking in the meantime...

The SAUCE

-Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat.



-Add 1 cup of the whipping cream and simmer, whisking often for about 5 minutes and until butter and cream are completely mixed together.



-Add cheese and continue whisking until cheese is melted into mixture.



-Add black pepper and the other cup of cream, continuing to whisk until you have a smooth sauce that is heated through.

Add veggies to pan with sauce 

and fold veggies into sauce.

When veggies are coated in sauce, 

pour mixture over pasta.

Mix to coat pasta in sauce and spread veggies throughout.

Top with hot Italian sausage...

Fresh mozzarella cheese...

OR BOTH!

My choice:  fresh cut basil from my herb pots and black pepper!- soooo summery!

The aftermath!

MyfirstHOMEMADEAlfredo!<3LML