Enchilada Casserole

To go along with my homemade enchilada sauce, we made the most delicious enchilada casserole! My husband and kiddos gobbled it up and it was so tasty, even the next day as leftovers!! It’s pretty easy to throw together and makes for a great warm comfort food during the winter! Here’s the recipe!

Makes 12 servings

2 cups enchilada sauce (try my homemade one if you want!)

8-10 flour tortillas

2 cups shredded chicken (you can use a store bought rotisserie too…easy peasy!)

2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend

1 cup frozen chopped spinach (optional)

Spray or grease a 9x13 casserole dish and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Pour some enchilada sauce on the bottom of the dish and spread evenly.

Place flour tortillas on top of the sauce, then shredded chicken, then more enchilada sauce, then cheese, then sprinkle on the frozen spinach (we love doing this as a way to infuse more greens in our meals!) Repeat this pattern of layering and make sure the top layer is cheese!

Bake covered with foil for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake for another 10-15 minutes till the cheese is bubble/melty. We also broiled it at the end for 3-4 minutes to get it a little crispy on top!

Let it rest for about 10 minutes, then cut into it and enjoy with a side salad, rice and beans, or on its own!

Turkey & Veggie Meatloaf

My kids devoured this and there are so many veggies in it, which made my dietitian-mommy heart happy! It also holds up amazingly as leftovers! 

Makes 1 meatloaf 

1 small onion chopped 

3 mini bell peppers chopped 

1 cup cauliflower rice 

1 carrot grated 

1 zucchini grated 

1 T olive oil 

1 lb ground turkey 

1/2 cup almond flour 

1 egg

1/2 tsp thyme & oregano 

1 tsp salt 

1 tsp garlic powder 

1/2 tsp black pepper 

Sauté the vegetables with the 1 tablespoon of olive oil until soft. Then let the veggies cool for about 10 mins.

Once the veggies cool off, mix th em with the turkey, egg, almond flour, and spices. Spray a bread loaf pan and pour the meat mixture into it. 

Bake on 400 F for about 50-60 mins or until the internal temperature reaches 165 F.

Enjoy with a side of rice and/or salad! 

Easy Roasted Vegetables

If there's one thing that I always like to have on hand are ready to eat vegetables. I typically love raw vegetables, but there is something so comforting about roasted and warm veggies during the winter time (even though our weather here has been far from winter weather, but I digress).

I decided to roast up some vegetables on Tuesday to eat with some turkey marinara I whipped up. I boiled whole wheat noodles for Emma, my hubby, and a dear friend from church who came over for dinner! Since I'm gluten free, but don't really like a lot of gluten free noodles out there, I thought I'd try the marinara over roasted vegetables, and it turned out SO GOOD! Here is the recipe for a quick and simple roasted veggies pan that you could use as a side to any meal...breakfast, lunch, or dinner!

Easy Roasted Vegetables

1 package butternut squash (I used the Trader Joe's precut one and chopped it up even smaller)

2 cups Brussels sprouts, halved

2 zucchinis, chopped*

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1/2 tablespoon dried basil

1/2 tablespoon garlic powder

salt and pepper to taste

*And really, you could add any vegetables to this! Bell peppers, onions, eggplant, the stage is yours!

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Chop up all your vegetables and place on greased baking sheet.

3. Mix the oil, vinegar, and spices separately, then pour over the vegetables and toss until they are all evenly coated.

4. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the veggies are crisp and starting to brown.

5. Enjoy!

See? Super simple and now you have zero excuses as to why you can't eat your vegetables! :)

Mujedereh (Bulgar and Rice)

Happy Monday everyone! I don't know about anyone else, but the time change really hit me hard today! But not until about 10am. I still woke up at 5am per usual, went to the gym, got ready, headed to work, and felt super energized! Until 10am hit...and then I felt like I just wanted to find the nearest bed and knock out! Thank God I made it through the work day and finally got home! My mom made one of my favorite dishes for dinner tonight, so I thought I'd share it. It's called Mujedereh but it is basically a type of lentil rice, but with bulgar wheat! Bulgar has a ton of fiber and nutrients, and pairing it with the lentils makes this a nutritious and filling meal! You can also substitute the bulgar with rice or quinoa to make this gluten free! I've tried both versions in addition to the original one and all taste incredible! Mujedereh (makes 5-6 servings)

1 cup lentils

1/2 cup bulgar

3 cups low sodiumchicken broth

salt to taste

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup sliced onions

2 T pine nuts

Start by bringing the chicken broth to a boil. Add the lentils and cook for about 20 minutes, or until the lentils are soft. Then, add the bulgar, cover the pot, and let the lentils and bulgar cook together for another 20 minutes, or until the mixture is mushy and soft. Add salt to taste.

While the lentils and bulgar are cooking, heat up the olive oil in a skillet. Add the sliced onions and pine nuts and sauté until they are browned. Once everything is done, serve up the Mujedereh and top with the sautéed onions and pine nuts!

And that's it! This is a pretty simple recipe that is easy to make and is great for leftovers! Have a great night everyone!

Cajun-style Chicken & Rice

The creation of this recipe was one of those "throw-everything-in-the-pot-and-hope-it's-delicious" type of experiences...and I was definitely NOT disappointed! And the best part...it only took 30 minutes to put together! I was in a huge rush on Monday morning to put together a meal that would last me the week for lunches at work. I usually do my meal prep Sundays, but since I had quite a busy weekend (I got engaged woooo!), I had to scrounge something up on Monday morning. I had bought some of my favorite prepared lemon pepper chicken from Trader Joe's, and definitely wanted to use it in a meal that would not only taste great but would make an easy lunch for the week! This recipe was so simple and delicious, I'm excited for you all to try it! Here is my Cajun-style Chicken & Rice Recipe!

Makes 4 servings:

1 package Lemon pepper chicken (or about 12 oz of cooked chicken)

2 Spicy Jalapeño Chicken sausage links

1/2 cup uncooked brown rice

1 1/4 cup water

1 cup broccoli

1/2 cup chopped bell pepper

1/2 cup sugar snap peas

1 T olive oil

1-2 t cajun seasoning (or to taste)

1 t garlic powder

1/2 t salt

Start by cooking your chicken. The lemon pepper chicken cooks easily in the microwave, just follow the instructions on the package! Once your chicken and sausage is cooked up, chop them up. Meanwhile, sauté the snap peas and peppers with the olive oil over medium heat. I steamed my broccoli. While you are cooking your veggies, cook the brown rice according to the instructions. I used 1/2 cup dry rice with 1 1/4 cups water. Once the rice is cooked, add the veggies to the pot!

Add the sausage and chicken to the pot as well.

Once all the ingredients are mixed up, you can add the cajun seasoning, garlic powder, and salt. I used the Cajun seasoning from Whole Foods that my cousin bought me...it's my favorite!

Mix the seasonings throughly, and then you are done! The smell of this meal was so amazing!

This recipe provides the perfect mix of nutrients: protein, healthy carbohydrate, veggies, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and healthy fat from the olive oil! Check out the nutrition facts below!

1 serving (about 1 cup): 280 calories, 10g fat, 23 g carbs, 26 g protein, 90% daily need for Vitamin C!

I hope you all get to enjoy this dish soon! It was prepped in 30 minutes, has been making the perfect lunches for my week, is healthy, and most importantly, IT IS DELICIOUS! :)

I wish you all a happy Wednesday!!!