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.

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 

The Fresh Market's Little Big Meal Program

I wanted to pass along these great deals for those who live near The Fresh Market

Available every day of the month, The Fresh Market offers shoppers convenient, grab-and-go solutions for preparing a home-cooked meal with its “Little Big Meal” program! Shoppers now have the answer to the perennial “What’s for dinner?” question at their fingertips.  With hand-picked ingredients and a simple recipe, Little Big Meal offers a quick and easy wholesome meal for four -- starting at just $10!  Shoppers may simply stop by the “Little Big Meal” display every day of the week to choose from a variety of ingredient options to prepare the perfect feast.

WHO: The Fresh Market, a specialty grocery retailer focused on providing fresh, delicious fare, locally sourced products, convenient meal solutions and an expanding selection of household items in an inviting atmosphere

WHAT/WHEN: January “Little Big Meal” Schedule

Visit your neighborhood The Fresh Market any day of the week in January to pick up the below convenient meal solutions:

January 4-10 – Stir Fry

January 11-17 – Meatloaf 

January 18-24 – Tacos
January 25-31 – Slow Cooker  
WHERE: The Fresh Market’s 177 store locations nationwide

For local store information, please visit: https://www.thefreshmarket.com/all-stores/

MORE INFO: For more information on the “Little Big Meal” program and this month’s options, please visit: http://www.thefreshmarket.com/view-specials/littlebigmeal

Be sure to follow The Fresh Market on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

About The Fresh Market, Inc.

Founded in 1982, The Fresh Market, Inc. is a specialty grocery retailer focused on providing an inviting atmosphere; fresh, delicious fare; convenient meal solutions; an expanding selection of household items; and a variety of products to help its shoppers live a healthy lifestyle. The company operates 177 stores in 24 states across the U.S. For more information, please visit www.thefreshmarket.com or follow along on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Prepare Tasty Meatless Summer Meals

Summer is the season for easy living and cool foods. When the sun is shining and the temperatures are rising, no one wants to be slaving over a hot stove in the kitchen. This is also the time of year when farm fresh fruits and vegetables are in abundance. If you are embracing the meatless lifestyle, there are plenty of delicious meat-free dishes to prepare for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Breakfast

Breakfast has been called the most important meal of the day. It can set the tone for your mood and energy, so feed yourself healthy items that meet your protein needs and tantalize your taste buds. For example:

• Smoothie: The beauty of smoothies is that you can alter them to suit your taste. First, combine fruits such as frozen berries and sliced bananas to create your smoothie base. Next add a protein source, such as nut butter, nuts, or protein powder. You can also toss in some coconut or chia seeds, too, and then blend and drink. 
• Smoothie bowl: You can also create a smoothie bowl by keeping some of the ingredients whole and topping them with a smoothie-base dressing. Yum!

Lunch

For lunch, use the bounty of the season to create delectable salads and wraps. Try this meatless midday meal:

• Greek Salad Wrap: Make a salad with romaine, spinach, cucumber slices, and crumbled feta. Heat either tempeh or chikn strips in oil until browned, and then mix up a dressing of plain yogurt, Italian seasoning, and lemon juice. Layer in flour tortillas, and there you have it: a cool and satisfying summer lunch.
• Hearty Salad: Combine quinoa, black beans, avocado, and corn. Layer over lettuce and add citrus slices. Top with orange lime vinaigrette.

Dinner

You can create filling meat-free dinners without heating up the kitchen by stir-frying, grilling, and cooking up pasta dishes. Some favorites for dinner are:

• Spaghetti with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes: Buy multicolored tomatoes from your local farmers’ market, or grow your own. Sauté them in olive oil, basil leaves, salt, and pepper. Boil four quarts of water, toss in eight ounces of uncooked spaghetti, and cook until soft. Drain the pasta, mix with the tomato mixture, and add some crumbled goat cheese. This is a beautiful, colorful dish!
• Stir-fry veggies and tofu: Pick up the freshest looking veggies at your grocery store or farmers’ market. Some great vegetables to stir-fry are mushrooms, broccoli, onions, carrots, zucchini, and bell peppers. Buy the items that attract your eye with their bright hues and freshness, like orange/red bell peppers, golden zucchini, and deep green broccoli. Chop, slice, and dice the veggies, sauté in olive oil with chunks of tofu, and serve with steamed brown rice. Sprinkle nuts on top for additional grams of protein.
• Veggie burgers: Grill veggie burgers on your BBQ, just like you would barbecue hamburgers. Serve on whole grain buns with an assortment of fixings, and you’ve got a classic summer meal.

Summer is the time to relax, slow down, and enjoy the season’s bounty of fresh produce. You can make meatless dishes that will satisfy your taste buds and nutritional requirements. Take advantage of all the fruits and vegetables that are ripe and ready to be cooked into recipes for your dining pleasure.

Kicked-up Baked Beans (Easy Weeknight Recipe)

Need a quick meal idea for the work week? Try my easy Kicked-up Baked Beans and have a hearty meal on the table with minimal effort. 

Ingredients:
2 Cans of Bush's Grillin' Beans (I use 1 Bourbon & Brown Sugar and 1 Steakhouse Recipe)
Andouille Sausage (or your favorite sausage) cut in small chunks
2 tbsp very finely diced onion
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
1/2 tsp garlic powder
cracker pepper to taste
1 tbsp brown sugar
a few dashes of Cajun seasoning  (I like Tony Chachere's)

Heat oven to 375 degree. Place beans in the bottom of a casserole dish. Add sausage and remaining ingredients. Lightly stir to combine everything. Bake for about 30-35 minutes. Enjoy over your favorite rice.

You can easily adjust any of the ingredients to your liking. Andouille is spicy so you have to go easy on which seasonings you add. Let me know if you try this recipe.

Easy mid-week meal | Sausage Gumbo Recipe

As a busy mom, I do what I can to take the occasional shortcut at mealtime to help give myself a break. I cook dinner 5-6 times a week and sometimes I want to go with something quick. One of my go-to meals is a simple Sausage Gumbo. I have made traditional gumbo before and it took 2 hours! With this recipe, you don't need a lot of ingredients and the entire meal takes under 30 minutes to cook from start to finish.

All you need is:
1 package sausage of your choice
1& 1/2 cans of stewed tomatoes
1/2 bag of frozen sweet corn
1 bag of frozen cut okra
1/2 bag of frozen onion and pepper blend or you can use fresh if you want (frozen cuts out chopping time)
Ketchup
Sugar (optional)
Sriracha (optional)
Dried seasonings of your choice. I use my usual ones.
Rice of your choice (I use Jasmine)

I start off by putting my rice on to cook. Usually by the time it is done, the rest of the meal will be close to being finished. Next, I slice the sausage in circles and toss them in a heated pan with just a touch of oil. Brown the sausage to your liking and add in stewed tomatoes, okra, corn, onion and pepper mix and about 1/4 cup of ketchup. I add some dried seasonings at this point but avoid too much salt. I add a pinch or two of sugar and a few squirts of sriracha to balance it out. Now add some water. The amount will depend on how soupy you want your sauce. Usually around 3/4 cup works. Now you just simmer on medium heat until the okra gets tender. Taste for any additional seasonings and you are done! You can even add shrimp or chicken if you want to.

I like to bake some corn muffins sometimes and eat the gumbo as a soup without the rice. It's light yet filling and the family loves it.