Crock Pot Chicken Tacos

May 22, 2012 By Lynsey 9 Comments

I have a mild obsession with Mexican food.

Like… I may or may not have just eaten a Taco Cupcake…. for breakfast.

Anyway, my favorite meal is chicken tacos. I can seriously eat them any time day or night. Nothing tops lean chicken, lettuce, cheese and sour cream all smushed together. It’s heaven in a tortilla.

The bad news: My family isnt quite as obsessed.

Which leaves me wanting chicken tacos and having to suffer through… well anything else.

Until now.

Crock Pot Chicken Tacos

First of all, this is so stinkin easy, I can not believe I am 32 years old and this is the first time I have cooked this.

Wait, yes I can. Have you seen me try to boil eggs?

Sorry, where was I?

Ingredients

boneless, skinless chicken breasts
taco seasoning
1 jar mild salsa
1 cup chicken broth
taco shells and toppings of choice

Ready for these instructions… throw everything into the Crockpot. Mix well. Cover and let sit to do its thing for 6 hours on medium. When it is done the meat will be so tender it will just fall apart into shredded chicken goodness.

The HARDEST part of this whole recipe – if you work from home like I do – smelling it cook all day without being able to eat it!

I KNOW.

Rio Bravo is going to miss me….

Cowboy Casserole Recipe – A Pinterest Success

March 12, 2012 By Lynsey 14 Comments

When I discovered Pinterest a few months ago, the very first board I made was “Food I Might Someday Attempt to Make” and I frantically began pinning the yummiest, most amazing looking dishes I could find. From entrees to cakepops to cocktails – I pinned them all!!

And that is where they stayed….That is, until this week.

I am happy to say I am 3 for 3 on the Pinterest recipes – that each one of them has been just as mind blowingly amazing as I expected them to be. I am going to share all three – and give all of the credit to the sites where I found the recipes – as they are absolutely going to be made again and again here in the Moscato Household.

My first success – Cowboy Casserole – comes from The Cutting Edge of Ordinary, and she says she adapted it from a Taste of Home Recipe. Well… she adapted it perfectly because this absolutely is one of the best casseroles I have ever tasted. I did have to change a few things - like I used minced garlic instead of cloves – but it was still beyond fantastic.

Cowboy Casserole

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds ground chuck
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 can (15.25oz) whole kernel corn, drained
1 can Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup milk
4 tablespoons Daisy sour cream
1 bag Ore-Ida Crispy Crowns tater tots

Chop your onion and sautee in a few drops of Olive Oil until soft. Add minced garlic and cook on low for another minute or two. Add in ground chuck and cook until completely done and no pink is left. Drain and set aside.

In a separate bowl mix together soup, milk, and sour cream and mix together well. Pour meat mixture in and mix well. Add in 1 cup shredded cheese and corn and gently mix together.

In a 9×13 dish link a row of Ore-Ida Crispy Crowns. Pour entire mixture into dish and spread evenly across tots. Top with another layer of tots and sprinkle the remaining cup of cheese.

Bake uncovered at 350* for about 30 minutes or until Crispy Crowns are crispy and casserole is bubbly. Let stand 10-15 minutes before serving.

This is an absolute “must try” recipe – truly. I wasn’t sure about this one, it was actually the last of the three that I decided to try, but it was absolutely fantastic and my family practically licked their plates clean.

Thanks so much to Lisa from The Cutting Edge of Ordinary for this amazing recipe (and Pinterest for helping me to find it!) You can check out Lisa’s blog and see all kinds of other yummy looking dishes – that I am sure I will be trying very very soon.

CrockPot Taco Chili Recipe

December 7, 2011 By Lynsey 4 Comments

Yesterday we were all gloating… it was 75*. We laughed in the face of Winter, happily sporting our flip flops and uploading images of the thermometers in our cars to InstaGram. We rolled down our windows and walked our dogs in Tshirts, toting water bottles for when we “broke a sweat.” We laughed on Facebook at how thankful we were to live in Florida, and how we would take our “White Christmas” laying out on the Worlds Whitest Beaches.

Apparently Winter didnt find the humor.

Today is a dreary, rainy, windy day… with a freeze warning in effect for tonight. *sigh* BUT it is a perfect night for Crock Pot Taco Chili….

Crock Pot Taco Chili

It is a well known fact that me in the kitchen most often results in either smoke or stitches, but this week I actually concocted something edible.

A few months ago we went to Wednesday Night Supper at church where they were serving “Taco Chili” – I nearly turned on my heels and left. I didn’t think that even SOUNDED appetizing. It isn’t that I don’t like tacos or chili… I just never would have put them together in one bowl. However, since my friends were there and the girls were “starving” we stayed. I have to admit – it was AWESOME. Like, I was considering getting seconds.

I mentioned it to my friend Jeannie and apparently she has been cooking it for years – I had never even HEARD of it until that night at Church… probably because it is not on any restaurant menu in Pensacola. Anyhow, she sent me the recipe but naturally I left it at home, so I called from the store parking lot and then tried to remember what she told me when I went inside. I know.

So my plan for shopping was anything Mexican-y or Chili-y was going in it! I just kept throwing stuff in the buggie and here is what I ended up with:

Ground Chuck
One yellow onion
2 packages of Taco Seasoning
Large can of tomato Sauce
Original Rotel
One can Mexican Chili Beans
One can Black Beans
One can MexiCorn (didn’t know THIS existed either!)
Small can of niblet corn
One can dark red kidney beans
Tortilla Chips
Shredded cheese
Sour cream (optional- the girls liked it)

I did this in two pots but Jeannie says she does hers in one. Since I AM a pro with the Crock Pot, I decided that was probably my best strategy. SO -

I browned the meat and onion together in one pan, added a cup-ish (I mentioned I don’t measure stuff, right?) of water and one package of Taco Seasoning. In the Crock Pot I put everything else -including the second Taco Seasoning -and then mixed in the meat and onions. I left the Crock Pot on low for about 3 hours.

Then I lined the bowls with Tortilla Chips and spooned the Taco Chili right into the center. I topped mine with a little bit of cheese, and the girls liked cheese and sour cream on theirs.

I have to tell you – it was AWESOME. I was pretty proud of myself. (not that this took any real skill here, but let me have my moment, k?) It also isnt too bad fat/calorie wise either…

Note: It’s EVEN BETTER the next day… so all you “no-leftover” people… just send it all to me!

Tailgating Tater Muffins – aka. Loaded Potato Boats Recipe

October 2, 2011 By Lynsey 4 Comments

Yesterday we were invited to a football party to watch Alabama stomp Florida. My heart belongs to the Seminoles but I do love Alabama… and of course I root for whoever is playing against the Gators…

I wanted to bring something unique to the party and something that would be fun for the girls and I to make together. Mike had the idea for potato skins, but I wanted something with a bit more… personality. A little brainstorming, a little internet searching, a little trial and error, and Tailgating Tater Muffins were born!

Ingredients:

four large russet baking potatoes

cooking spray

2 tbs margarine

1 cup bacon bits

1 cup cheddar cheese

sour cream

Begin by cutting up the potatoes like french fries and boil for about 6 minutes or until soft. Add margarine and mash, leaving some chunks in the mix.

Now the fun part begins. Spray down your muffin pans with a lot of cooking spray. This will keep them from sticking so don’t be stingy. Then spoon in the mix into each muffin and hollow out the center, making sure to leave enough at the very bottom to keep the muffin firm. Make sure to leave plenty on the sides – you will be filling the “hole” in the center with all kinds of yumminess. This was the Tween’s favorite part.

Once you are happy with your “muffins” spray the top with cooking spray again and bake at 400* for 30-45 minutes or until brown and crispy. Use a fork to gently remove your “muffins” and fill with whatever toppings you choose. You can also fill fill cheese and bacon bits and bake for about 10 minutes… making sure not to forget them in the oven like I did. Top with sour cream, chives, and whatever other toppings you choose.

These were a huge hit at the party and were simple and “fun” enough that we will make again and again. They taste just like loaded potato skins, but with a little bit of crunch!

Next time I am thinking I will make some with sweet potatoes and top with cinnamon, sugar, and marshmallows!

Blueberry Muffin Cake Pops

August 10, 2011 By Lynsey 17 Comments

The closer we get to school starting, the more I am testing out my Baby Cakes Cake Pop Maker to see what kind of amazing FRESH breakfast goodies I can prepare in just 4 minutes flat! (I have mentioned I love this machine, right?!)

This week I put it to the test with one of my all time favorites - BLUEBERRY MUFFINS!

Because of the little “blueberry bits” in the Martha White Blueberry Muffin mix, I was worried I was going to end up with “crunchy” muffin pops. So the first thing I did was crush all of the little “blueberries” into the batter to make it as smooth as possible. This would prove to be futile later but it did make for some pretty purpley-blue batter!

I loaded my Baby Cakes Cake Pop Maker just like every other time – filling each little “hole” to just under the rim. As you can see, by the time I snatched up the camera, my little muffins had already begun to rise. That’s ok though, as they turned out perfect anyway!

I cooked my Blueberry Muffin Cake Pops for about three minutes – fearful they were going to burn. And though it looked great on the outside in three minutes, the inside told a different story.

I left the rest of them in for another minute or so, and they turned out absolutely perfect!

The only downfall to making Blueberry Muffin Cake Pops… they are very hard to BUTTER! I don’t know if there is a way to mix butter into the batter… but you know I am going to try it!

These turned out so well, I am certain that this will be a common breakfast here at the Moscato Household. Every single one of these little pops – the mix makes about 30 – were gobbled up before they even had a chance to get cool. Both girls – and the Hubbly – just loved them. And I admit, I even had a few of my own.

Just make this #3,482 reason I believe EVERYONE needs a Baby Cakes Cake Pop Maker….