COPYCAT ZUPAS CHICKEN ENCHILADA CHILI (SLOW COOKER RECIPE)

When I was in college my roommate always talked about this soup, salad and sandwich place she loved called Cafe Zupas. It did not sound appealing to me at the time, so I didn’t ever try them out until a couple of years later when a group of friends chose it for a lunch outing. Once I tried it, I was kicking myself for all those years I had missed out of eating there! They have some of the best soups and salads. Whenever I would go, I would get two things- the Vermont maple blueberry salad and chicken enchilada chili. Unfortunately, they took that salad (my absolute favorite) off the menu, but they still have the chicken enchilada chili.  The chili is more of a soup, and it’s the perfect combination of green and red enchilada sauces, black beans, corn, tomatoes and chicken.  I love to make recipes from restaurants at home and searched for the perfect one for a few years. This recipe tastes exactly like their soup but best of all you can cook it in the slow cooker. Super easy! Zupas Chicken Enchilada Chili slow cooker recipe! This is so good. Recipe at everydayjenny.comZupas Chicken Enchilada Chili, recipe at everydayjenny.com

Chicken Enchilada Chili

1 can green enchilada sauce (28 oz)
1 can red enchilada sauce (19 oz)
1 can tomato sauce (8 oz)
1 can diced mild green chiles (4 oz)
1 can evaporated milk (12 oz)
1 can black beans rinsed & drained (15 oz)
1 can petite diced tomatoes (14.5 oz)
2 cups frozen corn or 1 can corn drained
1 chicken breast diced into 1 inch pieces*
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Add all the ingredients to your slow cooker and stir until well combined. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high 3-4 hours. Serve with sour cream, cheese and tortilla chips if desired.

*You can also add the chicken breast whole and shred after the soup is cooked

Recipe adapted from: Burnt Apple

Zupas Chicken Enchilada Chili Up CloseZupas Chicken Enchilada Chili Above Zupas copycat Chicken Enchilada Chili recipe for the slow cooker. Recipe at everydayjenny.com

 

EASY VEGETABLE BEEF SOUP

I’m always excited when the colder weather rolls in because it means I can start making soup!

Soup is one of my favorite meals to make and eat. I love making it because it’s all made in one pot so there isn’t a big mess to clean up. And I love eating it because it’s warm, comforting and filling.

I could make soup year round because I love it so much, but my husband thinks eating a steaming hot bowl of soup on a super hot summer day is just wrong 🙂

This vegetable beef soup is a favorite because I usually have all the ingredients on hand and it only takes about 30 minutes.  Best of all its rich, hearty and delicious. If you are not a ground beef fan (like I know a few of my friends are) you can substitute ground turkey instead.

My kids gobble this soup up (veggies included!) especially when we serve some cheddar biscuits on the side. This makes a large pot, but I think the leftovers reheat nicely for a fast lunch the next day.

Easy vegetable beef soup. This is a family favorite. Done in 30 minutes! Recipe at everydayjenny.com

Easy vegetable beef soup. A family favorite. Recipe at everydayjenny.comVegetable Beef Soup, a family favorite. Recipe at everydayjenny.com

Easy Vegetable Beef Soup

1 pound ground beef
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 yellow onion diced
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 can beef broth (14.5 ounces)
1 can tomato soup (10 3/4 ounces)
1 can petite diced tomatoes (14.5 ounces)
1 cup water
2 Russet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2 inch cubes
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables*

In a large pot, saute the diced onion for 2-3 minutes over medium heat until translucent. Add the ground beef and brown until no pink remains. Drain any fat. Season meat with garlic powder, salt and pepper.  Add the can of beef broth, tomato soup, and diced tomatoes.  Bring to a boil and add potatoes and lower heat to maintain a simmer.  Cook for about 15 minutes until potatoes are tender.  Add the frozen mixed vegetables and cook for another five minutes until vegetables are cooked through. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if necessary. Also if broth seems to have cooked down too much add water, about 1/4 cup at a time until desired consistency.

*Some brands of frozen mixed vegetables have lima beans or some have green beans. We prefer the brands with green beans as my kids won’t touch lima beans.  You can also substitute just frozen corn and peas if you don’t want all the vegetables.

This easy homemade vegetable beef soup is made with hamburger. Quick to make with frozen veggies. Recipe at everydayjenny.com

SHREDDED CHICKEN & RICE STUFFED PEPPERS (HALLOWEEN STYLE)

Stuffed peppers with shredded chicken, black beans and Mexican rice. Great for a Halloween dinner. Recipe at everydayjenny.com

These shredded chicken and rice stuffed peppers are made in the crockpot (or slow cooker) and are an easy and fun meal when you carve your peppers for Halloween!

 

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SLOW COOKER CHILE VERDE

I love slow cooker meals year round, but I’m especially thankful for them during the summer when it’s hot. I love summer, but I can do without all the heat. We have a swamp cooler in our home which does a pretty good job keeping our house comfortable, but I try my best to avoid turning on my stove or oven.

Don’t let the number of ingredients in this recipe fool you- this meal is probably one of my favorite slow cooker meals.  We love to eat it over rice, but it is great served burrito style too. Slow cooker chile verde. My favorite slow cooker recipe.

Slow Cooker Chile Verde

1 jar (16 oz) La Victoria thick ‘n chunky salsa verde (other brands would work, but this is my favorite)
1 pork roast 2 pounds
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 can pinto beans rinsed and drained

Place your pork roast in the bottom of the slow cooker and sprinkle the dry seasonings over it. Dump the entire jar of salsa over the roast, adding a little water if necessary to the jar to get all of it out.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-5 hours. Roast should pull apart easily when it’s done. Shred the pork and put back in the salsa and juices. Add the pinto beans to the crockpot for the last half hour of cooking. Serve over rice and top with cheese, sour cream, and cilantro, or serve in tortillas.

 

SUPER CHEESY LASAGNA

I don’t think lasagna was something I ever ate growing up. This was probably due to my aversion to red marina type sauces. I didn’t like pizza or spaghetti either. Plus I don’t think my mom ever even made it once. When I got married, one of my husband’s favorite foods was spaghetti and slowly I started liking it too. I also started trying different lasagna recipes, because I am always looking for the best.  I was happy with one that called for just cottage and mozzarella cheese, but then I tried this one with ricotta, cottage cheese, cream cheese, mozzarella and parmesan. It’s ooey, gooey, cheesy lasagna heaven! It is seriously the best lasagna! My friend Hillary shared this recipe with me. I love to layer it in the pan in the morning and then bake later in the day. We love to serve it with garlic knots and a salad. This makes a whole 9X13 pan’s worth, and it tastes great reheated as well. I have been using ground turkey lately and really like it with the turkey but the ground beef is delicious as well.

Super cheesy lasagna that is sure to be a hit at your house. Recipe at everyday jenny.com

Lasagna
1 pound ground beef or turkey
1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce (I like the can of Hunt’s traditional spaghetti sauce, 26 oz)
1 pkg lasagna noodles (16 oz)
1 tsp garlic powder
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 container ricotta cheese (15 oz)
1 pkg cream cheese (8 oz) softened
1 cup cottage cheese
2 cups mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
Dried parsley flakes

Cook your noodles according to package directions. Drain and lay out the noodles flat on a paper towel (this helps to keep them from sticking together). Brown the ground beef or turkey in a large pan, adding the garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste. Drain any fat. Add pasta sauce plus a little water (I usually add about 1/4 cup) and bring to a simmer, remove from heat.

In a large mixing bowl, mix the ricotta cheese, softened cream cheese and cottage cheese until smooth. Spray a 9X13 pan with a very light coating of cooking spray to prevent sticking. Put a layer of noodles in the bottom of the pan, then a layer of meat sauce (1/3 of the meat sauce) and 1/2 of the cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and parmesan. Then layer noodles, 1/3 of the meat sauce and the other 1/2 of the cream cheese mixture, sprinkling again with mozzarella and parmesan. Layer one last time with noodles, and the last of the meat sauce and cover with the remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Sprinkle with parsley flakes and cover with aluminum foil.

If baking immediately cook in a 350 oven for 30 minutes total, 15 with the aluminum foil on and uncovered for the last 15 minutes.

Or you can refrigerate the entire pan to bake later, and then bake for 1 hour total, 45 minutes covered and 15 uncovered.  Enjoy!

 

SLOW COOKER PULLED PORK SANDWICHES WITH CILANTRO COLESLAW

I love a good slow cooker meal, because its so nice to have dinner ready without much prep. Pulled pork sandwiches are one of my favorite summer meals because you don’t have to heat up your whole house and you can feed a crowd. One of my favorite parts about this pulled pork sandwich is the cilantro coleslaw.  It’s different from others I have tried, because it’s not overly sweet.  It is still creamy and crunchy, plus the cilantro adds a nice freshness to it. Even if you are not usually a coleslaw person you should give this one a try! I really think the coleslaw makes these sandwiches perfect. We usually serve our kids a deconstructed sandwich and they seem to eat it better than as a sandwich.Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Sandwiches, recipe at everydayjenny.com

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SANPETE MARINADE

I love this marinade for summer grilling. Its super easy, I usually have everything on hand, and it makes some of the best chicken. My best friend growing up went to Snow College which is located in Ephraim, Utah in Sanpete County. Sanpete County is famous for turkey farms. Traveling to visit my friend was the first time I heard of this marinade. I didn’t get a chance to try any when I visited her, but flash forward a couple of years and the company I worked for was having a huge barbecue and our HR director picked up a bunch of Sanpete marinated turkey to grill.  It was so flavorful and yummy and the meat comes out so tender and moist. I usually marinade chicken instead of turkey since it’s much more readily available but turkey is also quite delicious. Try some at your next barbecue and I know you won’t be disappointed.

Sanpete grilled chicken marinade.  Super easy and super deliicious

Sanpete grilled chicken marinadeSanpete Marinade

1/2 cup 7-up or Sprite
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2-3 garlic cloves minced
*3 chicken breasts, pounded flat or 3 turkey cutlets

Combine marinade ingredients in a large ziplock bag. Add the chicken and marinade in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or up to overnight. Preheat the grill to 350 and cook chicken for about 5-8 minutes per side until cooked through. We like to serve with mashed potatoes and corn.

*Tip- I’ve mentioned before that I like to buy my chicken when its on sale then freeze individual breasts in their own ziplock bag. This makes it super easy to pound out once its thawed; just leave it in the bag for no mess!

Recipe Source-Everyday Jenny

SLOW COOKER SHREDDED BEEF TACOS

We love Mexican food at our house and usually eat some form of it (tacos, enchiladas, fajitas) at least once a week. My friend invited us over for these delicious shredded beef tacos one day and I was hooked. I love that I can throw the meat in the slow cooker and let it cook all day, then prep all the toppings right before dinner. We love to serve ours with pico de gallo, guacamole, sour cream and cheese. I also made a side of Mexican rice tonight with these. I love corn tortillas for the tacos, but the kids aren’t fans so I serve theirs in flour tortillas. Tonight we enjoyed them for Cinco de Mayo, and I made a pineapple/mango salsa to top them (recipe coming soon!) Also if you aren’t a fan of onions, you can leave those out, but I think onions are delicious and they get so soft and flavorful cooking with the beef. Easy, and super delicious slow cooker beef tacos, recipe on everydayjenny.com. These are phenomenalShredded Beef Tacos

1 beef chuck roast (around 2 pounds)
1 can beef broth
1 yellow onion sliced
1 1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 tablespoon cumin
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp garlic salt

Place roast in crockpot and pour beef broth over. Mix together the dry ingredients in a small bowl and sprinkle on top of the roast. Place the sliced onions on top of roast. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours. Shred roast, remove any fat, and place back in slow cooker and allow to cook another half hour in the broth.

Heat your corn tortillas on a small pan sprayed with a little oil or in the microwave between two damp paper towels so they are warm and soft. Serve with your choice of toppings.

Recipe adapted from: Cooking Classy

 

 

EASY CHICKEN FAJITAS

When I was 40 weeks pregnant with my first baby, our good friends invited us to go out to dinner with them for one last “hurrah” before baby. We decided on Chili’s because it was close and let’s face it, going anywhere when you are 40 weeks pregnant is pretty uncomfortable. While we were waiting someone at another table ordered the sizzling chicken fajitas and I knew that was exactly what I wanted. It’s still one of my favorites. I came up with this recipe and not only is it super delicious, it’s really easy and you can have dinner in about 30 minutes.

Easy chicken fajitas, recipe on everydayjenny.com

Chicken Fajitas

1 tablespoon oil
*1 large chicken breast sliced in strips
3 bell peppers (choose your favorite color/s) sliced
1 medium yellow onion sliced
1 tablespoon taco seasoning
3 tsp liquid smoke
juice of 2 limes

In a large pan heat oil and add the sliced onion and bell pepper and cook over medium heat 5-7 minutes until onion is translucent and peppers start to get soft. Transfer the onions and peppers to a plate and add the chicken to the pan (if needed add a little more oil). Add the liquid smoke and lime juice and cook chicken until no longer pink. Add the peppers and onions back into the pan and add the taco seasoning. You can also add another tsp of liquid smoke if desired. Serve on tortillas with desired toppings. We like sour cream, cheese and guacamole.

*Tip- I like to buy fresh chicken breasts when they are on sale at our local grocery store. I then trim them of any visible fat with kitchen scissors (much easier than a knife) and place 1 breast per ziplock freezer bag and freeze. Then when I need chicken for dinner I can take out the desired number of breasts. Usually for our family of 4 (2 adults and 2 toddlers) we use one chicken breast. I also find that the chicken is much easier to slice if I thaw it for only a little bit and leave partially frozen for slicing.

Recipe Source- Everydayjenny.com

 

THAI COCONUT CURRY

When my husband and I were first married one of our favorite places to eat was a little Thai restaurant tucked next to a laundry mat and bookstore. They had the most delicious curry and spring rolls. Once I stopped working to stay home with our kids, gone were the days of eating out as much. So I experimented with making my own curry and I have to say we don’t miss restaurant curry at all! This curry is rich and smooth and slightly spicy. We love to use chicken as our protein. This recipe calls for a specific type of curry paste. Most national stores like Walmart will carry the red Thai Kitchen paste, which will also work, but try googling Asian markets in your neighborhood because most of them will carry this paste. I buy a lot of cans so I have all the ingredients on hand in my pantry. Making curry at home is so much cheaper and this recipe is really so simple. My kids still find the curry too spicy, so before I add the curry paste to the recipe I will take out the cooked chicken, carrots and potatoes and they eat that over rice. Thai Coconut Curry, tastes just like what you buy at your favorite Thai restaurant, recipe on everydayjenny.com

Curry Paste Thai Coconut Curry

1 tablespoon oil
1 can massaman curry paste (we prefer the Maesri brand) or 2 tablespoons red curry paste (like Thai Kitchen brand)
1 can coconut milk
1 can chicken broth**
1 chicken breast sliced thin
1 yellow onion sliced into thin slices
2-3 Russet potatoes, cut into large chunks
3 carrots cut into large chunks
Optional-1 bell pepper either orange or red

Heat oil in large pan over medium heat and saute onion for 3-5 minutes. Add sliced chicken and cook until the chicken is no longer pink and cooked through. Add the can of curry paste and mix with chicken and allow it to cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the coconut milk and chicken broth. Bring everything to a simmer and add the potatoes, carrots and bell pepper.  Simmer for 15-20 minutes until potatoes and carrots are tender. Serve over rice. We like to eat Calrose rice that we cook in our rice cooker.

*Tip- As a shortcut I place my potatoes and carrots in a microwave safe bowl and cover with water. Microwave for about 15 minutes until potatoes are tender. Then I drain the water and add the cooked potatoes and carrots into the curry . This helps to make this meal even faster since I do this right when I am cooking the chicken so I don’t have to wait for them to cook later on.

**We have this curry in our regular meal rotation and I have started omitting the can of chicken broth. The curry goes further with it added, but without it the curry is more thick and creamy. So if you prefer a thicker curry omit the chicken broth completely or only use half the can.

***A few other notes-I use a frozen chicken breast that is slightly thawed so that I can cut it into really thin strips. This makes slicing it much easier. Also, if you are sensitive to spice you may want to start with just a few tablespoons of the masaman curry and then taste it after it has been simmered and add more according to your taste.  We also like serving the curry with peanuts on top for added crunch.

QUICK AND EASY PIZZA DOUGH

Growing up I was the pickiest eater. My poor parents. One of the things I hated was pizza. This caused problems because what’s usually served at parties or other events? Yup, pizza. So for years I would eat something else before my mom sent me off to parties so I wouldn’t be hungry. I don’t remember exactly when I started liking pizza, but not until I was a teenager. Now I’ve been making up for all those years eating lots of pizza!

One of our favorite meals is homemade pizza. We usually do it on Friday nights and it’s a family event. Little Man’s favorite job is sprinkling the cheese. He still needs a little help spreading it out since he tends to sprinkle all in the same spot. We’ve tried lots of different combinations, but the kids favorite lately is ham and pineapple. We usually like sausage, mushroom and caramelized onions. There are so many different options that we don’t get bored having this weekly (some other ideas- BBQ chicken, chicken alfredo, pepperoni, Margherita etc.) We also have found we can continue having pizza during the summer time without heating up our kitchen by using our grill. Individual pizzas are easiest on the grill. Roll out like usual then brush with olive oil and cook on a  preheated grill for 3-5 minutes. Flip over and cook for only one minute. On your more well-done side of the dough, add your toppings, then place back on the grill to cook for another 3-5 minutes and you will have the most delicious grilled pizza!

I have tried a couple of other pizza doughs, but I love this dough because it’s takes just a few minutes to mix and only needs 10-15 minutes to rise. Just enough time to get all the other toppings ready and preheat the oven.

Quick PIzza DoughHam & Pineapple PizzaMargherita PIzza Quick and Easy Pizza Dough

Ingredients
1 cup warm water
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon instant yeast
1 teaspoon salt
2-3 cups flour

  1.  Mix the water, honey, oil, yeast and salt in a large bowl or stand mixer and gradually add the flour until a soft dough forms and pulls away from the bowl.  The dough should be soft, a little sticky but smooth and not too stiff.*
  2. Knead the dough for 2 minutes. Remove & let rest for 15 minutes.
  3. Divide the dough into two and shape into two pizzas. Spread with sauce and toppings, and bake at 475 degrees for 8-10 minutes on a lightly greased pizza pan or one lined with parchment paper (what I like to do-easier clean up!)

*The more flour you add makes for a tougher dough. So you want to add only up to what makes the dough just pull off the sides. I learned in a class once to shake your flour in its container before you measure it so that it’s not so packed together and makes for more accurate measuring (besides weighing). There are a number of factors that will affect the dough consistency, so sometimes when I make the recipe I use closer to the 3 cups or sometimes I use only a little more that two. That’s why it’s very important to gradually add your flour.

Recipe Source- Mel’s Kitchen Cafe