Easy Chicken Broccoli Casserole Recipe

If you are stuck on what to make for dinner, I have a great idea for you. I make a chicken broccoli casserole that is not only delicious, but it is super easy. My daughters love having leftovers to take to lunch the next day. This is one dish that never gets wasted, and is a great option to make for a friend or family member who could use a home-cooked meal that will last a few days.

Before I share the recipe, I wanted to mention that you can substitute some ingredients for fat-free or low-fat if you are cutting calories. It will still be just as delicious.

Easy Chicken Broccoli Casserole

Ingredients:

3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 small can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 8-ounce container sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
8 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 tbsp lemon juice
16 ounce bag of frozen broccoli florets
3-4 cups of cooked rice
2-3 thinly sliced green onions
salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, Cajun seasoning, garlic powder, and paprika
cooking spray or butter for baking dish

Directions:

1. Place chicken breasts in pot of water with desired seasonings. Bring to a boil and cook about 25 minutes. Drain water and chop chicken in small pieces (or shred). Set aside in fridge to cool.
2. Mix soup, sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice, half the green onions, and half the shredded cheese. Add in chopped chicken and season to taste. Garlic powder and red pepper flakes add a nice kick. 
3. Quickly boil broccoli in salted water for 1-2 minutes and drain. 
4. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray or coat casserole dish with butter. Layer rice on bottom of pan evenly, then layer broccoli on top of rice. Next, layer with the creamy chicken mixture on top of broccoli layer. Top with remaining cheese, green onions, and a sprinkling of paprika. 
5. Bake uncovered for 40-45 minutes. Let it sit for about 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy! 

Tips:

• You can substitute chicken breast with chicken tenders. I find that tenders are less "stringy" and are well, more tender. 
• You can omit the green onion if you are not a fan of onions, but I like the flavor and color that it adds to the dish. 
• You do not have to use frozen broccoli. It just makes it so much easier, and is a time saver.
• The paprika is optional, but it really adds nice color and minimal flavor.
• If you want to make a casserole to share, just separate into two smaller baking dishes.  

I hope you make this recipe for your family. Let me know if you do. Thanks for stopping by.

Get The Flavors Of The Caribbean Delivered To Your Doorstep With The Callaloo Box

For those of you who have been following my blog for some time now, you know that I am from Guyana. I grew up in Miami, FL for most of my childhood and was heavily immersed in the Guyanese-Caribbean culture. We had so many West Indian shops nearby and never went without the kitchen staples. I remember when I moved to Columbia, SC more than 18 years ago. It was major culture shock for us. Having access to my West Indian food items was pretty much non-existent. I depended on my relatives in Florida to send me stuff. We have one West Indian store here and the pickings are VERY slim. The prices are ridiculous and when I look at the expiration dates, you can tell the items have been sitting around for a long time. 

I have shopped around on Amazon and can't believe how expensive some of the most basic things are. I was lucky to get connected with a new business called Callaloo Box on Instagram. Callaloo Box is a new U.S. based subscription box service featuring seasonings, marinades, and hot sauces from the Caribbean twin-islands of Trinidad & Tobago. Trinidad is Guyana's neighbor and we use the same exact products for the most part. The founder and co-founders are 3 girlfriends who are all immigrants from Trinidad currently living in the U.S. and Canada. Their aim is to get these products into the hands of anyone interested in Caribbean cooking that live in the U.S. and don't have easy access to them, or anyone who simply loves food, cooking, and experimenting. This made me so happy! 

The September Callaloo Box did not disappoint! It came with 3 Chief brand products: Hot & Tasty Pepper Sauce, Green Seasoning, and Kuchela (mango chutney). Also a bottle of the classic Angostura Aromatic Bitters, as well as a package of curry powder.

The pepper sauce is so spicy and delicious. It is the perfect addition for if you want a little hot kick to your meal. It tastes very similar to what my mom used to make. The green seasoning is similar to what I make which is a blended mixture of green onion, garlic, hot pepper, and herbs. It is so convenient to have it already made in a bottle so you can marinate your poultry or meat with ease. I also add it in soups and stews for extra Caribbean flavor.

Kuchela is what Guyanese people call mango achar. It is shredded green mango with hot pepper, garlic, and spices. I remember my mom cooking achar on the stove top early on a Saturday morning, and all of our eyes and noses would be burning from the hot, HOT pepper. Now that my mother is no longer around, I'm happy to have access to it, without the tears. Every West Indian home has a bottle (or three) of Angostura Aromatic Bitters. What is it?: It is an aromatic botanically infused alcoholic mixture consisting of water, ethanol, gentian, herbs and spices. Although the product contains 44.7% alcohol by volume, each dash contains an insignificant amount of alcohol and therefore remains non-alcoholic. Suggested Uses: It is a well-known key ingredient in many alcoholic cocktails, but is also widely used to flavor non-alcoholic drinks, baking, and cooking. I personally add a few drops to certain savory dishes when I feel like it is missing something. It will balance out the flavors nicely. Also, I have learned that bitters never expire. This is good to know in the event you have had a bottle lingering around for a long time.

Last item in the box is curry powder which is is a blend of turmeric, coriander, cumin, salt and spices. Growing up Guyanese, we curried everything under the sun from meats, poultry, vegetables, chick peas (channa) and even eggs. I have a new tradition that started this year where I cook curry every Saturday morning. The family really does look forward to it!

A post shared by Shelly 🇬🇾👑 (@momfiles) on Jul 22, 2017 at 8:35am PDT

One of the things I love to share with my family and friends is my passion for cooking. No matter what I'm making, I love to add my Indian-Guyanese twist into my dishes. I am so thrilled that I have access to my West Indian goodies via the Callaloo Box. I was quite surprised at how heavy the package was and it is a great value at $39.99 a month (cancel any time), or you can pre-pay a year for $419. If it sounds expensive to you, I challenge you to look up the products I listed above on Amazon and see for yourself what a value you are getting.

Right now Mom Files readers can use the code: MOMFILES5 for $5 off of your 1st box when signing up for a month-to-month subscription. I am so happy with my first box and think you would be, too. Give Callaloo Box a try today!

You can find Callallo Box here and please be sure to follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for product updates, promotions, and sneak peeks into upcoming boxes. Please let me know if you decide to give them a try. I would never recommend anything I did not believe in. Thanks for stopping by today and big thanks to Callaloo box for providing a sample box for us to try.

Perfect Turkey Meatball Recipe

I was talking with a good blog friend of mine the other day and she was telling me how she drools when she looks at my Insta feed. I am always in the kitchen baking or cooking up something. Today I made some super simple turkey meatballs and they came out perfectly seasoned and not dry like turkey tends to get. Since I get asked for recipes all the time, I decided I better get busy and throw them on the blog as often as I can. Check out the recipe below.

Ingredients:

• One pound of ground turkey (I use the less lean variety since I don't want dry meatballs)
• finely minced onion, garlic, herbs (I use thyme, rosemary, and parsley), and jalapenos 
• 1/4 grated Parmesan cheese
• assorted dry seasonings (here are my staples) 
• Olive oil
• Cookware: a cast iron skillet or heavy skillet, tongs, spatula, flat tray lined with parchment paper

What to do:

Simply add all of the fresh ingredients into a bowl with the ground turkey. Add desired seasonings. I like to add a few shakes of red pepper flakes for added spice. Throw in the Parmesan and mix everything together with a fork. Use a spoon to help scoop even amounts of turkey and roll into balls. Place them on parchment lined tray as you roll. Place tray in freezer for about 5-10 minutes so they can firm up a bit. Heat skillet on medium-high and add a few tablespoons of olive oil. Gently, but quickly place meatballs in hot skillet and let them start browning without moving them for a few minutes. Carefully use tongs to flip them. If they start to fall apart, you can use a spatula to help keep them together. Let them get brown and crispy all over. That's it! 

I like to serve these meatballs with sides like smashed sweet potatoes, regular mashed potatoes, asparagus, broccoli, or any vegetable my family likes. You can also add them in your favorite pasta sauce for spaghetti and meatballs, or eat them as is. They are the perfect protein-packed snack! 

I hope you will try this recipe soon. Thanks for stopping by xo 

My Kitchen Cleaning Must Have Item- Chore Boy Golden Fleece Cloths

Do you have a specific thing you use every day that you can't live without? That is how I feel about my Chore Boy Golden Fleece Scrubbing Cloths . These scrubbing cloths are unlike any scrubber I have ever used. I cook in stainless steel pots and pans as well as cast iron. The golden fleece cloths work so well to get my cookware super clean. I will put it like this: my cookware sets are 24 and 18 years old, and you would never know it! I cook every day of the week so my pots and pans get a lot of abuse use. The golden fleece cloths are what has kept them in such good shape. I also love using them on my cast iron pans because it cleans the stuck on food without damaging them. I give my worn out scrubbing cloths to my husband so he can use them for his outdoor cleaning projects. These babies get so much use!

I have been using them for over 20 years! Sadly, I have been experiencing issues finding them in my local stores. It seems like no one carries them any more. Last year I found them on Walmart.com, but when I went to place an order last week, they no longer carried them. I looked around on Amazon and found them. I can't even begin to tell you how relieved I was. Yes, it's that serious to me! When the USPS truck pulled up this morning to drop off my Amazon Prime package, I was internally screaming with joy! I have tried almost every scrubber around and this one can't be beat. I have no idea why they are so hard to find, but glad I can order them on Amazon. I plan to buy up a bulk so I don't run out. I really hope they don't get discontinued, because that would break my homemaking heart.

Have you ever heard of or used these scrubbing cloths before?

This post contains affiliate links which means if you purchase anything, I will get a teeny tiny commission. 

From My Kitchen- Caribbean Style Roasted Chicken Recipe

I have been getting so many nagging requests lately about posting my recipes on the blog from friends. I promised to do better this year and will be sharing more of my family favorite recipes and tips. I cooked a whole roasted chicken over the weekend and it was the best I've ever made. I didn't know I would end up sharing the recipe, so I have no step-by-step photos to share-- just the delicious end result. This chicken was full of Caribbean flavor and super juicy and tender.

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken, 5-8 pounds
one handful each of fresh cilantro and Italian parsley
One large green onion
3 cloves of fresh garlic
small piece of hot pepper like habanero or scotch bonnet (optional and highly recommended)
dried seasonings- here are my faves
*1/2 cup Mojo marinade

Helpful items: A large/wide bowl or glass dishware for marinating, a large baking sheet, parchment paper, aluminum foil

What to do:

Start with splitting your whole chicken down the back to remove backbone and excess fat. I prefer this method to get more even cooking and browning. Wash chicken with lime or lemon and pat dry with paper towels.  You will have to apply some pressure to get the breast to flatten a bit. Do not remove skin! Sprinkle chicken on both sides with your dried seasonings to your taste. In a blender or vegetable chopper, grind garlic, herbs, green onion and hot pepper with a small amount of water just enough to make a puree. Pour herb puree and mojo marinade all over, and leave chicken in the fridge for 2 hours or even overnight. Preheat oven at 385 degrees. Place chicken breast side up on pan lined with foil and parchment paper. Bake for around one hour depending on your oven. I use the convection setting on my oven for extra crispiness and deeper browning. If your wings start browning too quickly, you can wrap them loosely with foil and remove in the last 10 minutes of cooking. Let your chicken rest at least 15 minutes before cutting/carving.

Serve with your favorite side dishes. I recommend my favorite Guyanese cook-up rice to make this a real authentic Caribbean meal. My family raves over this chicken and an 8 pound bird was devoured in a couple days with no waste! Don't forget to Pin this recipe for later! Enjoy and thanks for stopping by.

*This post contains affiliate links. I posted the products in case you can't find them locally.  

Easy Cheesy Stuffed Zucchini Recipe

I am a huge fan of all things vegetables, but unfortunately that's not really the case for my family. We try to have vegetarian meals a couple times a week and I feel like I get stuck making the same old things. One of my favorite summer vegetables is zucchini. I can eat it prepared in any way-- sauteed, baked, in soups or stews, and even raw with dips. My husband and daughters do not share my love of zucchini at all. I decided to come up with a way to make them at least give it a try again. I figured a little cheese and savory flavor would help with those picky eaters. I came up with the perfect dish that is big hit with my family. My husband had to admit that zucchini isn't as bad as he thought it was. 

Check out my delicious recipe for Cheesy Stuffed Zucchini...

Ingredients: 

3-4 small zucchini 

4 ounces (half pack) of cream cheese 

Grated Parmesan cheese 

Garlic powder

Cracked pepper

Red pepper flakes (optional) 

Feta cheese

Seasoned bread crumbs 

Olive oil for your baking dish

Directions:
Spread cream cheese mixture evenly in the zucchini halves (layer will be thin). Sprinkle a little bit of feta on top of cream cheese mixture and then follow with the bread crumbs. Just a little of both will do. Bake in oven uncovered about 35-45Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly coat a baking dish with your favorite olive oil and set aside. Cut the ends off each zucchini and then slice lengthwise in half. With a spoon, scoop out the seeds without taking away too much of the flesh. Mix cream cheese with a few sprinkles of Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, black pepper and crushed red pepper flakes to taste.  minutes depending on how big your zucchinis are. You can insert a fork to check for doneness. Enjoy!

You can serve this recipe as a side dish or even a main dish. Feel free to add or take away any ingredients to make it your own. Let me know if you try it!

The Best Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

Today I woke up thinking about baking something. I haven't baked any treats in almost a month and thought I would surprise my family with some cupcakes. My hubby is a big fan of yellow cake with chocolate frosting so I went with that. I usually make a chocolate buttercream frosting that we all love, but I really wanted cream cheese frosting. I make plain cream cheese frosting most of the time, but what about a chocolate cream cheese frosting? I searched recipes online and couldn't believe how many variations I found. I looked at about ten recipes and my head started spinning. I closed up my laptop and decided to try making it based off of how I make plain cream cheese frosting. The end result was a rich, creamy, slightly tart and sweet chocolately explosion!

Instead of using salted butter like I usually do, I use unsalted. I also added some pure almond extract as well as pure vanilla. I think the hint of almond flavor really makes it extra special. See the complete recipe below.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:
1 8 ounce pack of cream cheese, softened
1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened
3 1/2 confectioners sugar
1/2 cup minus 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa
1/2 tsp pure almond extract
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3-4 tbsp cold whole milk or cream

Directions:
Cream butter and cream cheese together in large mixer bowl. Blend in almond and vanilla extract. Slowly add confectioners sugar and cocoa. Add milk 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach the consistency desired. You can spread it on cakes or cupcakes or pipe it like I did. It's so easy and is better than anything store bought.

Enjoy and please let me know if you try this recipe. Thanks for reading!