Roasted Kielbasa & Veggies

This recipe is more of a... general instruction. I saw the idea on pinterest, and then just did what I wanted for it. ;) None of this is precise-- use whatever veggies you want, and whatever seasonings you want! I love the combo of cauliflower and broccoli. I'm not a big cauliflower fan (except deep fried!), but I loved it here. Roasted is great!

This dish was enough for both my 4yo & my 2yo to announce "cauliflower is my favorite veggie!" And really, that should be enough of a reason for everyone to try something similar. ;)

This is definitely something I'll be making fairly often, with varying veggies! I'll probably leave out the kielbasa a lot, and use it purely as a side dish.

Remember, comments are loved! What's your kiddos and/or your favorite way to cook veggies?

Printable Recipe

Roasted Veggies & Kielbasa

Ingredients

• 1 pound kielbasa or other similar sausage, cut into 1” pieces
• 2 cups broccoli, cut into florets
• 2 cups cauliflower, cut into florets
• 1 tablespoon Garlic Garlic
• 2 teaspoons Seasoned Salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°. Prepare a large baking pan with a silicon mat, or cooking spray.
2. In a large saute pan,  cook the kielbasa over medium-high heat, turning frequently. When at the desired brownness, remove from heat.
3. Spread kielbasa, broccoli, and cauliflower evenly throughout the baking pan. Sprinkle with Garlic Garlic and Seasoned Salt.
4. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Serve immediately.

Yield/Time

6 servings

45 minutes

Nutrition Facts *I calculate nutrition facts for reference only, this is not done scientifically

201

Source (for original): unknown

Tastefully Simple info: If you are interested in making a purchase, you can purchase through my page, or just search and select "Serena Lee" as your consultant. Obviously, if you are not local and already have a consultant.... purchase through them online, or contact them! Shop local, as always! Disclaimer: I am paid a small amount with each purchase, based on sales, made through myself as a consultant. You are helping to support my baking addiction, thank you! ;)

Creamy Baked Cheesy Chicken

I'm going to preface this post by saying that I am working on taking better food photos. But, sometimes good food just isn't pretty. Especially when you've had to move things around to get a good temp with the meat thermometer. (And yes, I regularly use a meat thermometer; I only risk food poisoning when raw cookie dough is involved.)

Anyways, there is no raw cookie dough here (today). Or raw meat, thankfully. Just really, really good chicken. I've made this multiple times, with good results each time. Different cheeses, too. The picture is taken with cheddar, but it's just as great with mozzarella. Asiago is what the original called for, but whatever. I go with whatever is already shredded in my fridge. ;) I love the combination of seasonings, cheese, and mayonnaise. The mayo makes this sooo creamy. The chicken is PERFECT. So tender, so juicy. I could eat this weekly. It's always a hit with my boys, too!

Printable Recipe

Creamy Baked Cheesy Chicken

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts, cut in half
1 cup light mayonnaise or greek yogurt
3/4 cup shredded cheese, divided
1 1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt (I use Seasoned Salt)
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (I use Garlic Garlic)

Parmesan

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375° and spray a 9”x13” pan with cooking spray. Lay the chicken inside the pan.
Mix together mayonnaise, 1/2 cup cheese, and seasonings. Spread the mixture evenly over each piece so that the chicken won't dry out while baking.
Sprinkle the top with remaining cheese and fresh parmesan.
Bake uncovered for 45-60 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. (I always use really thick chicken breasts, but start checking at 20-25 minutes. If the breasts are thinner, they will be done much sooner.) Enjoy!

Yield/Time

4-8 servings

50 minutes

Nutrition Facts

267 per 1/2 breast *I calculate nutrition facts for my use only, this is not done scientifically

Source (for original): Recipe Critic

Remember, comments are love! What's your favorite way to make chicken?

Tastefully Simple info: If you are interested in making a purchase, you can purchase through my page, or just search and select "Serena Lee" as your consultant. Obviously, if you are not local and already have a consultant.... purchase through them online, or contact them! Shop local, as always! Disclaimer: I am paid a small amount with each purchase, based on sales, made through myself as a consultant. You are helping to support my baking addiction, thank you! ;)

Creamy Artichoke & Spinach Chicken

There are two things that are important to me when I am cooking: I want the recipe to be fairly easy (no 30-stop process here!), and I want it to taste great. I love to cook from scratch, but again: no 30-step process. I've been known to make my own spinach tortillas (hint: they are amazing!), cheez-its, oatmeal cream pies, etc. However... I like the easy route, too. Especially if I can do a little something that adds a lot of flavor to my meals. Which is one of the many, many reasons I love Tastefully Simple. We have a lot of great products that make my mealtimes easier--and tastier! 

When I decided to start blogging again, I wasn't sure how much of my TS stuff I wanted to post. I certainly don't want to be pushing anything onto anyone, but I would be remiss if I didn't share awesome recipes with you lovely readers--regardless of the ingredients. I wouldn't keep from posting a Nutella recipe just to make sure no one thought I was pressuring them into buying Nutella. If you are interested, there is a link at the bottom to purchase things through me, or you can just message me. (Disclaimer: clearly, if you make a purchase through me as a consultant, I am paid a small amount, based on the sale. That's the deal with being a consultant.) If not, no worries! I will be sharing plenty of recipes, and they certainly aren't all TS based!

On to the recipe itself....

I have been (kinda) trying to do more with rice. When I first got married and started cooking more, we ate a lot of pasta. Two reasons: 1, it's easy, and 2, I really love pasta. But the last few years I've been trying to do more with rice. Partially per my husband's request--he doesn't complain much about anything I make, but he gets tired of pasta much faster than I do. Partially to branch out--rice is great, pretty versatile, and is simply different than using pasta.

It's not that rice is hard to work with,  or cook. It's just that I don't think about it--I just toss pasta into a dish and call it good. This recipe is really pretty basic (read: easy), but sooo tasty. I can just toss rice into this and call it good. ;)

The original called for broccoli, but it's zucchini & summer squash season too. That means that, currently, I can have as many zucchini & summer squash as I want. Mom & Grandma are constantly asking me if I need/want more. They had a lot of broccoli too, but when I made this I had 3 zucchini and 2 summer squash in the fridge, so...  Sub whatever veggie is your favorite/you have an abundance of!

Printable Recipe

In this photo, I actually used a mix from a past season, but this is great with Artichoke & Spinach too!

Creamy Artichoke & Spinach Chicken

Ingredients

2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth (I use bouillon, or make my own broth when I cook a whole chicken in the crock pot)
1 packet Artichoke & Spinach Warm Dip Mix
1 tablespoon avocado or vegetable oil
1 small - medium zucchini, diced

1 small - medium summer squash, diced

1 cooked boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed
2 teaspoons Seasoned Salt

1 cup white rice
2 ounces cream cheese, cubed

Directions

In medium bowl, combine chicken broth and Artichoke & Spinach Warm Dip Mix; whisk until combined. Set aside.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat; saute veggies until tender. (About  2-3 minutes.) Add chicken, Seasoned Salt, and rice; saute 1 minute. Add broth mixture. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 20-25 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in cream cheese; continue cooking until melted and smooth.

Yield/Time

8 servings

45 minutes

Nutrition Facts

174 (I calculate calories for my personal use, this is not done scientifically)

Source (for original): Tastefully Simple

Tastefully Simple info: If you are interested in making a purchase, you can purchase through my page, or just search and select "Serena Lee" as your consultant. Obviously, if you are not local and already have a consultant.... purchase through them online, or contact them! Shop local, as always! Disclaimer: again, I am paid a small amount with each purchase made through myself as a consultant. You are helping to support my baking addiction, thank you! ;)