Chicken Enchilada Soup

This is a recipe that has always been a hit with my family. It is one of those soups where you can add vegetables or add a different meat. And the topping choices -- endless! Our favorite thing to do is put a cornbread muffin at the bottom of the bowl, top it with soup, and then go crazy with the toppings!

Ingredients:

•  1 pound of chicken, either cooked and diced/shredded, or rotisserie chicken, diced/shredded
• 1/2 large onion, diced
• 1 tsp garlic, minced
• 1 qt chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup masa harina
• 1 cup enchilada sauce
• 2 cups shredded cheese
• 1 tsp salt

Toppings (Optional):

• Tortilla strips (I made some by cutting up corn tortillas, fried them in canola oil, and sprinkle with salt)
• Avocado
• Shredded cheese
• Sour cream
• Corn bread
• Green onions
• Cilantro

Preparation:

• If using raw chicken, cook the chicken in a large pot with some oil.
• Remove chicken and then add the onions and garlic. Cook until onion is translucent.
• Add the broth and while it is warming up, mix the water and masa harina in a separate bowl.
• Add the masa harina and water mix to the pot. Also add the enchilada sauce, shredded cheese, and salt. Lastly, add the chicken into the soup and stir well.
• Simmer for 30-40 minutes, stirring frequently. If the soup is too thick to your liking, you can add more broth to thin it out. You could also add corn, peppers, and/or canned beans.

Ukrainian Stuffed Cabbage (Holubtsi)

I have such fond memories of my Baba (Grandma) making stuffed cabbage. Everything she makes is filled with simplicity and love. And you can taste it -- the sweet cabbage with the delicious, meaty filling! It just warms the soul. 

Here is my take on stuffed cabbage -- the Ukrainian way.

Ingredients for the filling:

• 2 cups prepared rice
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 Tbsp thyme
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 6 oz can tomato paste
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• olive oil

Preparation for the filling:

• Cook the rice (1 cup of rice, 2 cups of water or chicken broth)
• Add some olive oil to the bottom of a large pot
• Saute onion and garlic
• Add ground beef and brown
• Add seasonings
• Add tomato paste
• Mix well, then add cooked rice
• Mix together the meat mix and rice well

Preparation for the cabbage:

• In a large pot, boil water with some salt
• Core the head of cabbage
• Add the entire head of cabbage to boiling water for around 10 minutes
• Remove cabbage from water and gently pull off entire leaves. Once it becomes hard to remove leaves, put the head back in the boiling water to soften the remaining leaves.
• In order to fill the cabbage leaves and roll them up, you need to take a paring knife and cut off some of the spine of the leaf (see picture).

Filling, rolling, and cooking the cabbage:

• Pour some olive oil in the bottom of a 9x13 dish
• With one cabbage leaf in front of you (spine side down), add about 1/3 cup of filling (depending on size of leaf) and fold over one side of the leaf. Tuck in the sides and then roll the rest of the way (see picture).
• Place in dish and continue until all of the filling is gone (should make about 12)
• Drizzle the top with olive oil, cover with foil, and cook in a 350 degree oven for about 40 minutes, or until the cabbge is tender and slightly browned. *You could probably also cook this in a crock pot -- high for a few hours. I haven't tried it, but if you do -- please comment below with how you did it!*
• Enjoy!

>> If you end up making this for dinner, tag me in an Instagram post -- @marriedtodavis or #marriedtodavis

Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole

The first time I had this was at my best friend Aly's house. She made it for me and we watched "This Is Us." It was a life changing night! I made it for my family last night after remembering that night and the kids LOVED it! Let's just say that over half the pan was eaten.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Bisquick
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups milk
• 1 T salt
• 1/2 t pepper
• 1 1/2 - 2 pounds ground beef
• 1 medium onion
• 3 -4 slices bacon
• 1 - 2 cups shredded cheese
• Ketchup
• Yellow Mustard
• Pickle

Whisk together bisquick, milk, and eggs.

Brown the beef, onion, and bacon in a large pan. Add salt and pepper. Drain fat if any.

Layer meat at the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish.

Top with a layer of cheese to your liking and then pour over the bisquick mix.

Bake at 400 degrees for about 30 - 40 minutes, or until edges are golden brown and the center is cooked.

Top with ketchup, mustard, and diced pickles.

It tastes EXACTLY like a cheeseburger -- I swear!! 

>> If you end up making this for dinner, tag me in an Instagram post -- @marriedtodavis or #marriedtodavis

Zucchini Lasagna (Low Carb & Diabetes Friendly)

Will's grandmother gave us a plethora ofcucumbers and zucchinis. And the zucchini -- it was a baseball bat! And I was hankering for lasagna, so I thought a healthy alternative would be perfect!

Ingredients:

• Zucchini, sliced thin
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 pound italian sausage
• 2 jars marinara sauce
• Ricotta
• Cottage cheese
• Chopped spinach
• Mozzarella cheese, sliced or shredded
• Parmesan

Preparation:

• Slice the zucchini
• Mix the ricotta, cottage cheese, and spinach (thaw & drain). I did a 2:1 ratio of ricotta:cottage cheese.
• Brown the beef and sausage, crumbling into small pieces. Add the jars of marinara and bring to a simmer.
• Layer the bottom of a 9x13 pan with some marinara. Put a layer of zucchini, mozzarella, then a layer of cheese mix. Repeat until the pan is full. I ended with a layer of marinara sauce and then I sprinkled the top with grated parmesan cheese.
• Bake in a 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve with garlic bread.

>> If you end up making this for dinner, tag me in an Instagram post -- @marriedtodavis or #marriedtodavis

Pesto and Sun-Dried Tomato Stuffed Chicken

My mother-in-law makes THE most wonderful, decadent, fresh pesto I've ever had. She has a simple recipe that we adore. And I knew I wanted to make chicken tonight, so I whipped up a quick filling and it was an instant family hit! The kids loved the chicken and the creamy, cheesy filling! And the sun-dried tomatoes added a tangy, almost sweet, bite. 

Ingredients:

• 4 oz. cream cheese
• 1-2 tbsp. Pesto
• 3 pieces of sun-dried tomato, minced
• 2 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2 chicken breasts
• Fresh basil
• Olive oil
• Salt and Pepper
• Other: toothpicks or twine

I sliced the chicken down the center to create a pocket for the filling. I topped the filling with two basil leaves.

Then, I placed the stuffed chicken breasts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. I used 3-4 toothpicks to secure the opening on each breast. Or if you don't have toothpicks, you could also use kitchen twine.

Lastly, I drizzled some olive oil on each chicken breast and sprinkled them with salt and pepper. If you want, you could even skip the toothpicks and wrap each chicken breast with 2-3 pieces of bacon.

I baked the chicken in a 350 degree oven for about an hour. Use your discretion, as each oven cooks a different speeds. 

I served the chicken with broccoli, but mashed potatoes would also be a wonderful side to this dish.

>> If you end up making this for dinner, tag me in an Instagram post -- @marriedtodavis or #marriedtodavis

Chicken Gyro

I'm a sucker for a good gyro. And this recipe for chicken gyros is crazy easy and tastes amazing!

Ingredients:

• Tsatziki sauce ( homemade or store bought)
• 2 chicken breasts, thinly sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tsp red wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 6 pieces of pita bread (I used naan bread)

Optional toppings:

• Red onion, thinly sliced
• Yellow onion, thinly sliced
• Iceberg lettuce, shredded
• Feta cheese, crumbled
• Kalamata olives
• Tomato, sliced or diced

I started by slicing the chicken into thin, small pieces. Then, I added all of the marinade ingredients into a glass bowl. 

I mixed the marinade, added the chicken, and coated the chicken in the marinade. I covered it and put it in the fridge for 1 hour.

When I was ready to cook the chicken, I poured it onto a small baking pan and spread it out -- creating one thin layer.

I heated the frozen naan bread (you might use pita) in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes.

I put the broiler in my oven on high and set the rack to be about 6 inches under the broiler. Then, I put the chicken under the broiler for about 10 minutes. Each oven is different, so keep an eye on the chicken. You might want to take it out every few minutes and toss the chicken so that you get even browning.

Today was a snowy day, so I didn't want to leave the house and get more toppings... therefore, I only had tzatziki sauce, yellow onion, and feta. I would have liked to have some tomato as well, but next time!

I like to spread a thin layer of tzatziki sauce on the bread, but you can always put it on top. The chicken was delicious and even the kiddos ate a bunch!

>> If you end up making this for dinner, tag me in an Instagram post -- @marriedtodavis or #marriedtodavis

Brazilian Rice & Beans (Arroz com Feijão)

This recipe has been a long time coming. This is what I ate at least four days of the week growing up. This is my comfort food. This is home. And now my kids are obsessed with this as well!

Now I know many people have different recipes for black beans, but this is how my mom cooks it. The following is the recipe for black beans cooked in a pressure cooker. So if you don't have a pressure cooker - buy one. They are amazing! And you could also use this recipe for pinto beans, which is also delicious!

Ingredients for the beans:

• 16 oz. black beans (or pinto beans)
• 1-2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 ham hock
• 2 links of smoked sausage
• Water
• 1 tsp paprika
• Salt to taste
• Black pepper to taste
• 3 bay leaves
• Optional: fresh or dried cilantro

The day before you plan to make these beans, soak the beans in a bowl of water, covering them with about 2 inches of water. They will soak up most, if not all, of the water. 

Before you make the beans, drain them and set them aside.

In the pressure cooker, add the olive oil and sear the ham hock on all sides. Add the onions and garlic and saute until the onions are translucent. Add the smoked sausage.

Add water, about 1/2 - 2/3 up the side of the pressure cooker (Each pressure cooker has different safety measures. Read the instruction manual before you cook anything). Add beans, paprika, salt, black pepper, and bay leaves to the pot and stir. Taste to see if it is well seasoned. You can also add cilantro at this point if you like. My husband doesn't care for the taste of cilantro, so I didn't add it.

Put the lid on and make sure the lid is secure. Once the pressure cooker starts steaming (you'll know what I mean), cook the beans for about 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the pressure cooker release the pressure a bit and cool down. 

All done!

Serve the beans over rice and if you want to be truly authentic, you can add farinha de mandioca on top. You'll be instantly transported to Brazil!

I love the way the sausage turns black from the beans. I also like to be heavy on the bean liquid when I eat rice and beans, but you don't have to add a lot of liquid. 

Ingredients for the rice:

• 2 cups of white rice
• 4 cups of chicken broth
• Salt
• 1-2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced

Direction for the rice:

• Heal oil in large saucepan. Add onion and garlic and saute until onions are translucent. Add the rice and stir, coating it with the oil. Add the chicken broth and salt to taste. Cook covered until water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. 

>> If you end up making this for dinner, tag me in an Instagram post -- @marriedtodavis or #marriedtodavis

Ravioli with Zucchini and Tomatoes

Looking for an incredible quick lunch or dinner that every family member will like? This is the one! I used fresh zucchini from the garden and ravioli from Sam's Club. But feel free to use any type of squash and ravioli you have on hand! And if you have a bunch of tomatoes, dice them up and use those instead of canned diced tomatoes.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds of Ravioli (I used Chicken & Asiago Cheese)
• 2 cups diced zucchini
• 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
• 1/4 cup Parmesan
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp basil
• 1/4 tsp sugar
• 3 tbsp olive oil

Preparation

In a medium saucepan, boil water and cook ravioli according to package directions. 

In a large skillet, add olive oil and zucchini. Cook until semi-soft, about 4 minutes. Add can of diced tomatoes, garlic salt, oregano, basil, and sugar. Stir and cook until zucchini is soft, about 5 minutes.

Add Parmesan cheese and stir to combine.

When ravioli is done cooking, add it to the skillet.

Stir to combine.

Plate and garnish with a sprinkle (or two... or three) of Parmesan.

The twins ate some for lunch! They really like squash and tomatoes -- so this was the perfect meal for them!

>> If you end up making this for dinner, tag me in an Instagram post -- @marriedtodavis or #marriedtodavis